One of the things that’s clear from the data [is] that even though vaccines – because of the high degree of transmissibility of this virus – don’t protect overly well, as it were, against infection, they protect quite well against severe disease leading to hospitalization and death. And I believe that’s the reason, Neil, why at my age, being vaccinated and boosted, even though it didn’t protect me against infection, I feel confident that it made a major role in protecting me from progressing to severe disease. And that’s very likely why I had a relatively mild course. So my message to people who seem confused because people who are vaccinated get infected – the answer is if you weren’t vaccinated, the likelihood [is] you would have had [a] more severe course than you did have when you were vaccinated.
Mask mandates and coronavirus restrictions are tumbling, as the Omicron variant continues to recede.
Infectious disease expert Katelyn Jetelina (https://sph.uth.edu/cv/jetelina.pdf) has created a framework for how to think smartly about when and where to wear a mask.
Her framework relies on two hyper-local metrics: % of positive tests, and case rates in each county.
Across the US, temperatures are warming up, and masks are coming off, as the Omicron variant continues to recede.
Mike Osterholm, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota,
Many Democratic governors are beginning to unravel mask mandates for businesses that had been in place for months, while others have suggested that schoolchildren and teachers may begin taking off their masks in class in the coming weeks — for the first time during the pandemic.
“Governors are reading the tea leaves,” infectious disease expert Mike Osterholm, who directs the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said on a Thursday podcast.
“I’m not saying they shouldn’t, but know that it never was based on some objective criteria. It was just ‘we’re done, we’re tired, and it’s acceptable enough now.'”
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director CDC
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, acknowledged during a White House COVID-19 briefing earlier this week that “we want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing.” However, she also said that, from the CDC’s perspective, that should only happen when disease “metrics are better,” and hospitals aren’t overflowing anymore.
“Our hospitals need to be able to take care of people with heart attacks and strokes,” Walensky said. “Our emergency departments can’t be so overwhelmed that patients with emergent issues have to wait in line.”
Katelyn Jetelina, Infectious Disease Expert
In order to provide an honest and independent scientific framework for this moment, public health expert Katelyn Jetelina (https://sph.uth.edu/cv/jetelina.pdf), an assistant professor at the University of Texas, created her own chart, which she shared with Insider (adapted below). It gives people a framework for how to “ride the waves,” as she puts it, of any potential coronavirus surges from here on out.
“We need a solution that addresses the ebb and flow of viral dynamics,” she wrote in a recent Substack post, “leveraging the tools we have at hand.”
How to use this COVID chart The chart is meant to be read based on two key measurements: the number of COVID-19 cases in your area, and the test positivity rate where you live. Both metrics are retrievable for all US counties on the CDC’s COVID-19 dashboards and can be found at the following link.
Current 7-days is Sat Feb 12 2022 – Fri Feb 18 2022 for case rate and Thu Feb 10 2022 – Wed Feb 16 2022 for percent positivity. The percent change in counties at each level of transmission is the absolute change compared to the previous 7-day period.
For example, in Seminole County, Florida, the percentage of positive tests is relatively high (16.67%), and the case rate per 100,000 puts the county in the red zone, at 179.09.
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/ – Sunday; February 20, 2022
Katelyn Jetelina’s chart suggests, then, that people in Seminole County should:
Still avoid indoor dining, for now
And wear masks when indoors in public
It should be noted that as of the publish date of this post, not one county in Florida is below the >=100 cases per 100,000 threshold in the chart above. Only 3 counties at this time have met the threshold for >10% test positivity rate, Miami-Dade (7.13%), Broward (8.01%) and Palm Beach Counties (8.45%)
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its mask guidelines to recommend that people “wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently.” The agency describes well-fitting respirators approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) — such as N95 masks — as offering “the highest level of protection.”
3M Co. 8210Plus N95 particulate respirator
The updated guidelines come after many public health experts have been recommending for months that people wear more effective masks — particularly N95s — and that the CDC change its guidelines on mask-wearing.
“Cloth masks are little more than facial decorations. There’s no place for them in light of Omicron, Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, recently said.”
In crowded places, “you should be wearing a KN95 or N95 mask,” which can cost a few dollars each, Wen added. Due to certain materials — such as polypropylene fibers — acting as both mechanical and electrostatic barriers, these masks better prevent tiny particles from getting into your nose or mouth and must be fitted to your face to function properly.
Here’s what you need to know about masks like N95s, where to get them and how to use them safely.
The US recorded 900,832 new COVID cases on Friday, the second highest day ever after record set Monday
Deaths jumped to 2,615 for the day, a 22% increase from a week ago on a rolling average basis
One expert estimates 5 million people in the US may be calling out sick next week, some 3% of the workforce
Disruptions are forcing some businesses into de facto lockdown because they lack the staff to operate
Most forecasts suggest that the Omicron surge will not peak in the US until late in January
Dr. Fauci said on Friday that the US could soon be regularly recording 1 million new cases of COVID each day
Explosion of Omicron-fueled infections in the US is already causing a breakdown in basic services
The United States has posted its second-highest daily total for new COVID-19 cases, as one expert predicts some 5 million Americans could call in sick in the coming week in a major disruption to the economy and essential services.
On Friday, the US recorded 900,832 new COVID cases, second only to the more than 1 million cases recorded on Monday. The nation’s four highest caseload days since the start of the pandemic were all recorded in the past week.
As omicron surges statewide, Florida reported 76,887 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the highest daily number of the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
This surpasses the previous record of 75,732 infections set Dec. 30. The Florida Department of Health reported 397,114 new coronavirus cases this week among Florida residents to bring the cumulative total to 4,562,954. With 184 more fatalities on record, 62,688 Florida residents have died.
This week’s 184 deaths reflect an increase from the 162 reported last week, but deaths can take several days or weeks to be reported. The majority of the newly reported deaths are people who died before this week.The death count has not reached anywhere near September levels, where nearly 2,500 new deaths were reported multiple weeks in a row.
Mutant strain has 46 mutations making it more vaccine resistant and infectious
But there is little sign that it is outcompeting the dominant Omicron variant
Some 12 cases have been spotted to date, linked to travel to Cameroon
Another Covid variant has been found in France, according to scientists.
The mutant strain has 46 mutations that are thought to make it both more vaccine-resistant and infectious than the original virus.
Some 12 cases have been spotted so far near Marseille, with the first linked to travel to the African country Cameroon.
But there is little sign that it is outcompeting the dominant Omicron variant, which now makes up more than 60 per cent of cases in France.
The strain was discovered by academics based at the IHU Mediterranee Infection on December 10, but has not spread rapidly since.
It is yet to be spotted in other countries or labelled a variant under investigation by the World Health Organization.
Professor Philippe Colson, who heads up the unit that discovered the strain, said: ‘We indeed have several cases of this new variant in the Marseille geographical area.
‘We named it “variant IHU”. Two new genomes have just been submitted.’
Imagine being born in 1900. When you are 14 years old World War I begins and it ends when you 18 with 22 million deaths.
Shortly after, in 1918 a global pandemic, the Spanish Flu kills 50 million people. You come out alive and free, and you are 20 years old.
Then at 29 years you survived the global economic crisis that started with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange, causing inflation, unemployment and hunger.
At 33 the Nazis come to power in Germany. When you’re 39, WWII starts and ends when you’re 45. In the resulting Holocaust 6 million Jews die. There will be more than 60 million deaths in total.
When you’re 50 years old the Korean War starts. 5 million people died along with 40,000 Americans. 100.000 American soldiers wounded
When you’re 64 starts the Vietnam War and ends when you’re 75. A 10 year conflict that cost almost 60,000 American lives
A child born in 1985 thinks his grandparents have no idea how hard life is, when in fact they survived various wars and disasters.
A boy born in 1995 and today 25 years old thinks it’s the end of the world when his Amazon package takes more than three days to arrive or when he doesn’t get more than 15 “likes” for his photo posted on Facebook or Instagram.
In 2022, many of us live in comfort, have access to different sources of entertainment at home and often have more than we need. But people complain about everything. However, they have electricity, phone, food, hot water and a roof over their heads. None of this existed before. But humanity survived much more serious circumstances and never lost the joy of living. Maybe it’s time to be less selfish, stop complaining and crying.
