Stay ConnectedThe Covid 411 podcast provides daily updates, news, alerts, and information regarding the coronavirus, the many variants like Delta and Omicron, and COVID 19. Covid 411 aggregates information from a variety of sources including the CDC, WHO, and major media outlets to present a snapshot of Covid coverage and statistics.
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This is Covid 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants, and new hotspots for December 24th, 2021.
Remember all those healthcare workers the government wanted fired if they didn’t get vaccinated? Turns out they now realize that created a real problem. With the Omicron wave coming and hospitals understaffed, federal officials loosened the rules that health care workers have to stay out of work 10 days if they test positive. They can now get back it after seven days if they test negative and don't have symptoms.
Yesterday we told you about the Pfizer at home treatment pill getting approved to fight COVID, now they’ve authorized a second pill. This time it’s Merck’s molnupiravir. But it’s been made clear Pfizer’s Paxlovid is preferred because Merck's pill’s ability to head off severe COVID is much smaller than initially announced and the label will warn of serious safety issues, including the potential for birth defects.
China put a city of 13 million people into lockdown, part of the country’s “zero tolerance” policy just weeks before it’s set to host the Winter Olympics. In the northeastern city of Xi’an, one person from each household will be allowed out every two days to get necessities. Everyone else stays home around the clock. People who were in hotels at the time became stuck there.
If you have a fake vaccine card in New York, you’re no longer a clever scamp, you’re a criminal. The governor signed legislation criminalizing fake Covid vaccination cards. The new law makes the falsification of cards a misdemeanor and creates a new felony of "computer tampering in the third degree for intentional entering, alteration or destruction of 'computer material' regarding COVID-19 vaccine provisions."
We leave you with the frequently asked question of the week, so is everybody going to get COVID sooner or later? The experts say not necessarily. You’ll probably be exposed, but whether or not you get infected and what it does to you still depends on public policy and how you behave. Bottom line, even if you’re fully vaccinated, mentally prepare to test positive at some point. But no need to get overly alarmed when, or if, you do.
In the United States cases were up 38%, deaths are up 6%, and hospitalizations are up 11% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since December 14.
The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Alaska, Michigan, New Mexico, Arizona, and Maine.
There are 10,989,003 active cases in the United States.
The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Washington DC 64%, Connecticut 58%, New Jersey 56%, Maryland 53%, and North Carolina 41%.
The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Hopkins, TX. Cuyahoga, OH. Tompkins, NY. Pike, IL. Franklin, PA. Washington DC. Adams, PA. Lake, OH. Essex, NJ. And Winona, MN.
There have been at least 813,991 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.
The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 76.8%, Rhode Island at 75.9%, and Maine at 75.3%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho unchanged at 46%, Wyoming at 47.2%, and Alabama at 47.3%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 61.7%.
Globally, cases were up 16% and deaths down 10% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.
There are 23,950,299 active cases around the world.
The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 236,519. The U.K. 106,122. France 84,272. Spain 60,041. And Germany 45,848.
There have been at least 5,384,260 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.
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This is Covid 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants, and new hotspots for December 23rd, 2021.
How about a little good news for the holidays? Modeling by scientists in Scotland predicted 47 Omicron patients should have been hospitalized by December 19 if infection patterns were the same as Delta. So far, there have been 15 admissions. There’s more. The first UK data of its kind shows Omicron appears to have a 20%-25% reduced chance of a hospital visit and at least a 40% lower risk of being admitted overnight. There’s more. A new analysis by the University of Washington shows the Omicron surge will peak in a massive wave of infections by the end of January but produce far fewer severe illnesses for most people. There’s more. South Africa's seen a noticeable drop in new cases in recent days, signaling the Omicron surge has already passed its peak. And Omicron appears to have caused milder disease there with significantly less hospitalizations, patients requiring oxygen, and deaths.
The World Health Organization continues to be very displeased with how countries like the United States are pushing boosters. The White House recently announced a redoubling of efforts to get more boosters in more arms. The WHO Director General warned such efforts in rich countries risks prolonging the global pandemic fight. He correctly points out most hospitalizations and deaths are still from unvaccinated people, not unboosted people.
The FDA authorized the first pill against COVID, a Pfizer drug you can take at home to head off the worst effects of the virus. The pill, Paxlovid, is a faster way to treat early infections, however supplies will be extremely limited at first. All previously authorized COVID drugs require an IV or injection.
Nobody in the U.S. can feel special anymore, Omicron has now been confirmed in all 50 states, and that happened about three weeks after it was first detected in the country. And the message to stop traveling just isn’t sticking. Nearly 2 million people passed through TSA checkpoints Tuesday. That’s about the same number from the same day in pre-pandemic 2019.
In the United States cases were up 27%, deaths are up 4%, and hospitalizations are up 13% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since December 14.
The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Maine.
There are 10,769,803 active cases in the United States.
The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Washington DC 66%, Connecticut 64%, New Jersey 58%, Maryland 53%, and North Carolina and Rhode Island 49%.
The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Hopkins, TX. Tompkins, NY. Cuyahoga, OH. Pike, IL. Winona, MN. Rains, TX. Monroe WV. Greene, IL. Lake, OH. And Washington, DC.
There have been at least 812,069 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.
The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 76.6%, Rhode Island at 75.7%, and Maine at 75.1%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho at 46%, Wyoming at 47%, and Alabama at 47.2%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 61.6%.
Globally, cases were up 11% and deaths down 10% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.
There are 23,521,962 active cases around the world.
The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 232,383. The U.K. 106,122. France 84,272. Spain 60,041. And Germany 45,848.
There have been at least 5,376,422 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.
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This is Covid 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants, and new hotspots for December 22nd, 2021.
The World Health Organization’s top official in Europe urged governments to get ready for a “significant surge” in cases due to Omicron, already dominant in several countries. And making the assumption it will be as severe as Delta, the official said it will push already stretched health systems further to the brink. Deaths in the region are 40% higher than a year ago, but no one can or will say if these extra deaths are from Omicron or other variants.
The U.S. announced new steps to fight the Omicron wave. 500 million free rapid tests for Americans, increased support for hospitals, and redoubling vaccination and boosting efforts. For the free tests, you’ll use a new government website to order them, and they’ll be delivered by the U.S. mail. While government websites and the U.S. mail do have their critics, that’s a shift from earlier when Americans were told to buy hard-to-find tests then get reimbursed by their insurer.
And it’s a good thing those tests are going to be free. Because several major pharmacies are saying we’re going to limit how many you can buy. For instance, Walgreens will let you get four at a time. There’s been a huge surge in demand because of Omicron and the holidays and travel restrictions and oh yeah, because the government keeps telling us to get tested.
Israel is rolling out a fourth, that’s right a fourth, dose of the Pfizer vaccine for people 60 and older, medical workers and people with suppressed immune systems. And they’re to get it just four months after getting the third dose, formerly known as a booster. Is it necessary? One health expert said, "We don't really have data yet on the level of immunity like we did when we decided on the third dose.”
If you thought there’d be a baby boom as a result of the previous lockdowns and working from home in the U.S., think again. The country’s population growth dipped to its lowest rate ever during the first year of the pandemic. From July 2020 to July 2021, the nation grew 0.1%.
In the United States cases were up 29%, deaths are up 4%, and hospitalizations are up 12% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since December 14.
The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Maine.
There are 10,621,626 active cases in the United States.
The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Connecticut 60%, Washington, DC 57%, New Jersey 54%, and North Carolina and Maryland 49%.
The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Hopkins, TX. Tompkins, NY. Cuyahoga, OH. Pike, IL. Winona, MN. Rains, TX. Monroe WV. Greene, IL. Lake, OH. And Washington, DC.
There have been at least 810,045 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.
The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 76.6%, Rhode Island at 75.7%, and Maine unchanged at 75.1%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho unchanged at 45.8%, Wyoming unchanged at 47%, and Alabama unchanged at 47.2%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 61.5%.
Globally, cases were up 10% and deaths down 12% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.
There are 23,176,213 active cases around the world.
The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 181,264. The U.K. 90,629. France 72,832. Spain 49,823. And Germany 35,049.
There have been at least 5,368,422 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.
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This is Covid 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants, and new hotspots for December 21st, 2021.
Moderna said a booster of its vaccine looks like it protects against Omicron in lab testing and this current version of the shot can still be a "first line of defense against Omicron." With Omicron spreading as fast as it is, the company didn’t see where there would be time to develop an Omicron-specific vaccine.
A win for Novavax. The EU gave the go ahead to its vaccine for use in the 27-nation bloc, making it the fifth approved COVID vaccine. It’s two-doses and right now it’s only for people 18 and older. If you don’t like new things, this is a protein vaccine that uses older technology that’s been around for years. Novavax is currently testing how its vaccine holds up against Omicron.
Few are denying Omicron is a rapid spreader, highly contagious. In very short order, it’s become the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week. That’s almost a six-fold increase in Omicron's share. Consider that you only started hearing about it as recently as November 26.
The President of the United States was at risk of joining our celebrity infections list. He was exposed to a staff member who recently tested positive, around them for about half an hour on Air Force One going from Philadelphia to South Carolina. The staff member was fully vaccinated and boosted. The president took an antigen test Sunday and a PCR test Monday, and both were negative.
It’s been two years. How are scientists and health officials in the U.S. doing at gathering accurate and timely data that help inform policy? Terrible. Politico talked to more than a dozen state and federal officials involved in case tracking, whose comments ranged from it being “particularly galling” to “a horrible job” to “it’s embarrassing.” In fact, since other Western countries do it significantly better, the US administration has relied on international sources for the last eight months.
In the United States cases were up 21%, deaths are up 9%, and hospitalizations are up 16% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since December 14.
The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Michigan, Arizona, Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
There are 10,511,784 active cases in the United States.
The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Connecticut 71%, Washington, DC 66%, Rhode Island 61%, New Jersey 60%, and North Carolina 54%.
The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Thompkins, NY. Pike, IL. Cuyahoga, OH. Winona, MN. Clay, IL. Pope, MN. Fayette, IN. Greene, IL. Piatt, IL. And Jefferson, IN.
There have been at least 807,945 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.
The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 76.5%, Rhode Island at 75.6%, and Maine unchanged at 75.1%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho unchanged at 45.8%, Wyoming unchanged at 47%, and Alabama unchanged at 47.2%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 61.4%.
Globally, cases were up 4% and deaths down 10% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.
There are once again over 23 million active cases around the world, at 23,058,341.
The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 143,530. The U.K. 91,743. Russia 27,022. Spain 26,568. And Germany 21,710.
There have been at least 5,360,383 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.
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This is Covid 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants, and new hotspots for December 20th, 2021.
How long will we have to wear masks on airplanes? How about forever? As in never again will we be able to fly without our face being covered. That’s what Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Meet the Press. He can’t see the end of mask wearing on planes ever, regardless of air purification systems touted by airline CEOs.
The Netherlands began a full lockdown that will last through January 14. The Prime Minister ordered most essential stores, as well as restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, museums and other public places to shut down. The public is urged to stay home, and households can only have two guests at a time.
Israel believes it can keep Omicron out if it can keep Americans out. Travel between the U.S. and Israel will be banned starting December 22. The U.S. joins Belgium, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey as being perceived threats to Israel.
Time for the celebrity infection report. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker announced they’ve tested positive for COVID-19, despite being fully vaccinated. Booker had also gotten a booster. Both are experiencing only mild symptoms and credit the vaccines. Also, Queen guitarist Brian May tested positive despite being fully vaccinated and what he called being “hermit-like.” May said he had two horrendous days.
Yes, it’s just a TV show but it is indicative of how serious New York City is getting about the Omicron wave. Saturday Night Live lost the live audience, the musical guest, and much of its cast and crew for its final episode of the season this past Saturday. Apparently, there was an in-house outbreak that included four actors. Others were fearful to come to the studio.
In the United States cases were up 21%, deaths are up 9%, and hospitalizations are up 16% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since December 14.
The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Michigan, Arizona, Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
There are 10,398,516 active cases in the United States.
The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Connecticut 69%, Washington, DC 62%, Rhode Island 61%, New Jersey 57%, and North Carolina 54%.
The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Thompkins, NY. Pike, IL. Cuyahoga, OH. Winona, MN. Clay, IL. Pope, MN. Fayette, IN. Greene, IL. Piatt, IL. And Jefferson, IN.
There have been at least 806,439 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.
The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 76.3%, Rhode Island at 75.5%, and Maine at 75.1%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho unchanged at 45.8%, Wyoming at 47%, and Alabama at 47.2%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 61.2%.
Globally, cases were up 4% and deaths down 11% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.
There are 22,963,723 active cases around the world.
The five countries with the most new cases: The U.K. 82,886. The United States 66,751. France 48,473. Russia 27,967. And Italy 24,259.
There have been at least 5,354,224 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.
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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants and new hotspots for December 17th, 2021.
After the meeting we told you about yesterday, the CDC has come out and said most Americans should get Pfizer or Moderna instead of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The advisers said a blood clotting problem has caused nine confirmed deaths after J&J vaccinations — while the other top vaccines don't have that risk and appear more effective. J&J will stay on the market because the condition is rare, but it is no longer considered a one dose vaccine.
You may as well accept that Omicron is everywhere, even in places that have had almost no cases of clinical infection. Take Orange County, Florida for example, home of Disney World and Universal. Wastewater testing shows Omicron is already the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the county. In fact, it represented almost 100% of the strains in the wastewater samples.
It’s become almost comically naïve, thinking travel restrictions will slow or stop the Omicron variant. But countries have to do something and travel is an attractive target. France is sharply restricting travel to and from Britain, putting limits on reasons for traveling and requiring 48-hour isolation on arrival. And Sweden will make citizens from its fellow Nordic countries show a vaccination certificate when entering starting next week.
We hear health care systems expressing grave worry about their ability to care for people. And here’s just one example of such a situation. Hospitals in England are 94% full right now and four out of five critical care beds are occupied. And this is before the expected massive influx of patients from Omicron.
Yeah, yeah, humans and all that. But what you really might want to know is can your pet get COVID? Well, the answer is yes, and they’d probably get it from you. However, it’s unlikely they’d get seriously ill, and the risk of them spreading it to other people is low. Still, as much comfort as they may provide, the CDC says if you’re infected you should stay away from your pet.
In the United States cases were up 40%, deaths are up 34%, and hospitalizations are up 21% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending flat since December 7.
The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Montana, Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
There are 10,204,336 active cases in the United States.
The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Connecticut 82%, New Jersey 67%, Rhode Island and North Carolina 65%, and Washington DC 59%.
The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Pike, IL. Piatt, IL. Thompkins, NY. Franklin, ME. Aroostook, ME. Piscataquis, ME. Jefferson, IN. Edgar, IL. Clay, IL. And Roosevelt, NM.
There have been at least 803,633 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.
The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 75.6%, Rhode Island at 75.1%, and Maine at 74.5%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho at 45.8%, Wyoming at 46.7%, and Alabama at 47%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 61.1%.
Globally, cases were up 8% and deaths up 1% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.
There are 22,569,787 active cases around the world.
The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 144,871. The U.K. 88,376. France 60,866. Germany 53,057. And Spain 28,900.
There have been at least 5,335,758 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.
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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants and new hotspots for December 16th, 2021.
The Los Angeles school district is the latest in California to delay forcing thousands of unvaccinated students to return to distance learning. Officials decided enforcement would disrupt the education of about 27,000 unvaccinated students, overwhelm the independent study program which already has staff shortages, and risk losing teachers.
A federal appeals court panel lifted a nationwide ban against the vaccine mandate for health care workers but did block the requirement in about half the states. It’s not clear if the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid is going to continue suspension of the rule for all states or go ahead with a patchwork of policies. Plus, the court itself said it looks like mandate opponents will prevail as the case moves through the courts.
We hear about poorer nations having trouble accessing vaccines but guess who’s running short. Germany. The Federal Health Minister says they’re facing a shortage in the first quarter of 2022, right when Omicron will probably be wreaking havoc.
Did you get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine? CDC advisers are revisiting the benefits and risks of it today. They’ll hear presentations about thrombosis and TTS, a rare, serious type of blood clotting that’s been linked to J&J, but not Pfizer or Moderna. The CDC Director wouldn’t say if she still believes the benefits outweigh the risks.
Omicron is a rapid spreader. In the U.S., the percentage of cases caused by it jumped seven times in one week. But why? What makes it spread so fast? Preliminary data tells us Omicron multiplies about 70 times faster in our respiratory tract tissue than Delta does, then reaches higher levels in the tissue 48 hours after infection. This focus on the respiratory tract, instead of deep in the lungs, may suggest Omicron could cause less severe disease but scientists say it’s still too soon to conclude that.
In the United States cases were up 40%, deaths are up 34%, and hospitalizations are up 20% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since November 29.
The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Montana, Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
There are 10,124,028 active cases in the United States.
The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Connecticut 77%, New Jersey 65%, Rhode Island 63%, North Carolina 62%, and Washington DC 55%.
The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Pike, IL. Piatt, IL. Thompkins, NY. Franklin, ME. Aroostook, ME. Piscataquis, ME. Jefferson, IN. Edgar, IL. Clay, IL. And Roosevelt, NM.
There have been at least 802,502 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.
The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 75.6%, Rhode Island at 75.1%, and Maine at 74.5%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho unchanged at 45.8%, Wyoming at 46.7%, and Alabama at 47%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 61%.
Globally, cases were up 6% and deaths down 2% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.
There are 22,348,772 active cases around the world.
The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 136,590. The U.K. 78,610. France 65,713. Germany 55,650. And Russia 28,363.
There have been at least 5,329,000 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.
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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants and new hotspots for December 15th, 2021.
Just one month after it was first detected in South Africa the CDC says Omicron now makes up about 3% of cases in the U.S. Delta still dominates at 97% of all Covid cases analyzed, but Omicron is gaining ground. It’s getting cloudier when the U.S. even had its first Omicron case. But the CDC confirmed Omicron in a symptomatic patient back on November 15.
No matter the variant, the virus seems to spread with relative ease and here’s one possible reason why. New published research shows more than 40% of those who tested positive didn’t have symptoms. For those under 20, the number is more than 60%. That means the virus had plenty of time and plenty of opportunity to spread undetected and untested.
Africa is experiencing its fastest surge in cases this year, up 83%. And while we often hear about African nations not getting fair access to vaccines, Nigeria had one million doses that expired and were thrown out. And they aren’t going to accept any more vaccines with short shelf lives. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation.
Italy is now requiring any unvaccinated visitor from another EU country to quarantine for five days after arriving. Those visitors from EU countries must get a negative test within 24 hours of arrival, and non-EU citizens who aren’t vaccinated have to quarantine 10 days. It’s also expanding the vaccine mandate to school personnel, law enforcement, the military and anyone working in a health care setting.
But in the U.K., they’re removing all 11 African nations from its red list just 16 days after it was reintroduced. But not because things are going well. The Health Secretary said Omicron has now spread so far the rules really no longer serve the purpose of COVID-19 prevention.
In the United States cases were up 47%, deaths are up 40%, and hospitalizations are up 21% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since November 29.
The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Michigan, Montana, Arizona, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.
There are 10,075,594 active cases in the United States.
The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Connecticut 72%, New Jersey 66%, North Carolina 63%, Washington DC 59%, and Massachusetts and Delaware 54%.
The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Allen, KS. Seward, KS. Pike, IL. Piatt, IL. Aroostook, ME. Piscataquis, ME. Fulton, PA. Clay, IL. Jefferson, IN. And Mason, IL.
There have been at least 800,343 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.
The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 75.2%, Rhode Island at 74.8%, and Maine at 74.1%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho at 45.8%, Wyoming at 46.4%, and Alabama at 46.9%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 60.9%.
Globally, cases were up 6% and deaths down 1% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.
There are 22,157,993 active cases around the world.
The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 108,566. France 63,405. The U.K. 59,610. Germany 40,795. And Russia 28,343.
There have been at least 5,320,236 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.
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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants and new hotspots for December 14th, 2021.
US health officials say Omicron does appear able to evade some of the immune protection of antibodies induced by vaccines but…preliminary data shows a booster raises protection high enough that it does well against the variant. Almost 80% of confirmed Omicron cases in the US are fully vaccinated. But about a third also had a booster. Omicron is now in 30 states.
The masks are back on in California. A rule has returned requiring people to wear masks indoors starting Wednesday through at least January 15. The per capita rate of new cases in California has jumped 47% in two weeks. As in the past, the state was unclear how the mandate would be enforced.
Turns out they weren’t kidding. The Air Force discharged 27 people for refusing to get the vaccine, making them the first service members to be removed for disobeying the mandate. November 2 was the deadline, and more than 1,000 airmen have refused the shot, and more than 4,700 are seeking a religious exemption.
The Supreme Court, and once you go there, there’s nowhere else to go, declined to block New York's vaccine mandate for health care workers, which does not allow for religious exemptions. Some health care workers sued the state saying the mandate violated their religious freedoms, but the highest court effectively said there are no religious freedoms in this matter.
A new AP poll shows Americans are worried about the Omicron variant, but not worried enough to do much about it. In fact, fewer say they’re regularly wearing masks or isolating compared to the first of the year. 36% are very or extremely worried they or a family member will be infected, that’s up from 25% in late October. 55% of those who are unvaccinated say they have little or no worry.
In the United States cases were up 49%, deaths are up 40%, and hospitalizations are up 22% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since November 29.
The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Michigan, Wyoming, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Arizona.
There are once again over 10 million active cases in the United States, at 10,044,267.
The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Connecticut 77%, New Jersey 64%, Delaware and Washington DC 61%, and North Carolina 59%.
The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Allen, KS. Seward, KS. Waseca, MN. Edgar, IL. Piatt, IL. Pike, IL. Jefferson, IN. Clay, IL. Vermilion, IL. And Fulton, PA.
There have been at least 798,710 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.
The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 75.2%, Rhode Island at 74.8%, and Maine unchanged at 74.1%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho unchanged at 45.7%, Wyoming unchanged at 46.4%, and Alabama at 46.9%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 60.8%.
Globally, cases were up 6% and deaths down 2% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.
There are 22,083,874 active cases around the world.
The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 95,343. The U.K. 54,661. Russia 29,558. Germany 28,804. And Turkey 18,796.
There have been at least 5,311,574 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.
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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants and new hotspots for December 13th, 2021.
While our Johns Hopkins number is not quite there yet, and with more deaths in 2021 than in 2020, the United States has now reportedly reached over 800,000 coronavirus-related deaths. Ahead is a potential surge in cases due to winter and the highly transmissible, but by all reports milder, Omicron variant. The new death toll is more than the entire population of North Dakota. It took 111 days for U.S. deaths to jump from 600,000 to 700,000, but the next 100,000 deaths took only 73 days. The death rate in the US was more than three times higher than Canada and 11 times more than Japan.
There are the health costs of COVID, and then there’s the long-term economic tragedy. The World Health Organization and World Bank reports that more than half a billion people globally were pushed into extreme poverty in 2021 due to healthcare costs during the pandemic.
The Director of the CDC says the pandemic and mask requirements won’t last forever. The main signs they’re looking for are when hospitals are no longer filled with COVID patients and daily deaths start to plummet. As for mask mandates like the one in New York City, the Director said, “Masks are for now, they’re not forever. We have to find a way to be done with them.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britain faces a “tidal wave” of infections from Omicron and announced a huge increase in booster vaccinations to defend against it. Everyone 18 and older can get a third shot by the end of this month. It’s believed Omicron cases are doubling every two to three days in Britain.
Were you nervous about getting one vaccine shot? Or the second one? Did you wonder if the booster shot would be too much? Well how about 10 COVID vaccine shots in one sitting? New Zealand health authorities are checking out claims a man did just that, taking shots for other people for money. A vaccinologist said other than intense side effects, the man isn’t likely to be seriously harmed.
In the United States cases were up 40%, deaths are up 31%, and hospitalizations are up 23% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since November 29.
The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Kentucky, Michigan, Wyoming, West Virginia, and Montana.
There are 9,979,825 active cases in the United States.
The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Connecticut 81%, Delaware 71%, Rhode Island 67%, and Massachusetts 64%.
The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Waseca, MN. Seward, KS. Allen, KS. Edgar, IL. Vermilion, IL. Aroostook, ME. Piatt, IL. Fayette, IN. Sullivan, NH. And Clay, IL.
There have been at least 797,346 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.
The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 74.9%, Rhode Island at 74.7%, and Maine at 74.1%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho at 45.7%, Wyoming at 46.4%, and Alabama at 46.8%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 60.5%.
Globally, cases were up 9% and deaths up 9% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.
There are once again over 22 million active cases around the world, at 22,006,487.
The five countries with the most new cases: The U.K. 48,854. France 43,848. The United States 38,784. South Africa 37,875. And Russia 29,929.
There have been at least 5,305,655 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.
For the latest updates, subscribe for free to Coronavirus 411 on your podcast app or ask your smart speaker to play the Coronavirus 411 podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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