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OH...OH...COVID IS BACK

We all have been in the dumps.  When things go bad, other negatives seem to pile up too.  Take President Joe Biden as a good example.  He is now given little chance to beat Donald Trump on November 5.  Then, he yesterday found out he has contracted COVID-19.  Also, two-thirds of Democrats said President Biden should step aside and allow the party to select a different nominee.

There seems to be a sense that Biden will soon decide not to run.  The likely candidate will then be Kamala Harris.  I have long thought that the best Democratic presidential option was Michelle Obama.  Polls also seem to point in this direction.  Michelle, however, seems disinterested in this prospect.  Now that Republicans are confident that they will sweep the White House and both houses of Congress, with Democracy truly threatened, perhaps Michelle can be convinced.  Biden's greatest contribution to the future of the USA would be to personally work out how Michelle can become the presidential candidate, with Harris being promised something like Secretary of Defense.  Ironically, he might be the only person who can work out such a solution.

Oh well, Thursday has in the past been my COVID day, and so will it be today.  Using wastewater viral measurements, seven states are listed with very high rates, and another 20 or so are at high levels.  Here is a CBS news report you can view from yesterday providing details.

The prevalence of COVID is especially high in the West, where the positivity stood at 15.6% in Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii, with viral activity in wastewater increasing.  More than 70% of variants are descendants of the JN.1 strain.  These KP variants are among the FLiRT variants that surged this past winter.
There is a summer threat for COVID because of more travel.  Plus, most vaccines are getting more and more out-of-date to protect you by this period.  However, President Biden was up-to-date on the latest booster.

A comparison of COVID-19 cases and deaths.

  • Cases/million.
    •  #1    Rhode Island  418,935
    • #2     Alaska  412,159
    •          USA  337,912
    • #39  Hawaii  295,485
    • #51  Oregon  235,417
  • Deaths/million
    • #1    Arizona  4726
    • #2    West Virginia  4602
    •         USA  3685
    • #50  Utah  1784
    • #51  Hawaii  1531
  • World Cases/million.
    • #1    Brunei  771,655
    • #2    San Marino  768,226
    • #4    South Korea  673,523
    • #24  New Zealand  535,117
    • #38  Germany  462,891
    • #58  USA  337,912
    • #77  Japan  269,169
    •         World  90,413 (this looks suspiciously low)
  • World deaths/million.
    • #1    Peru  6595
    • #2    Bulgaria  5661
    • #14  USA  3685
    • #51  Germany  2182
    • #94  New Zealand  1163
    •         World 875 (low because India, China and many countries don't report accurately
    • #129  Japan  595
  • Many countries have stopped reporting COVID records, but of those that do:
    • New cases during the past week, where Russia was #1 with 19,954, #2 USA 15,599 and #3 Australia 4,992.  World had 45,737 cases reported.  Keep in mind that there are a lot more actual cases.
    • New deaths during the past week:  World 363, #1 USA 173, #2 Russia 69 and #3 Germany 54.
    • Deaths during the past week per million population:  #1 Australia 191, #2 Russia 137, #3 Hong Kong 92....#6 USA 47.

If you are deficient in taking the latest booster, better now than later.  These are the latest CDC recommendations.

  • A new vaccine will be available this fall.
  • Now recommend that people age 75 and older also get vaccinated against RSV, respiratory synctial virus.
  • The new COVID vaccine will protect against the latest strains.  As Biden showed, any latest booster will not absolutely protect you from contracting COVID.  It should, however, keep  you alive.  HOWEVER, ONLY ABOUT 20% OF AMERICANS  RECEIVED THE UPDATED COVID-19 VACCINE LAST YEAR!
  • The updated flu shot will include 3 strains instead the 4 of last year.

  • Nearly 14 million Americans, or about 5.3% of adults, may now be living with long COVID.
  • Virus levels in wastewater in June were twice as high as June of 2023.
  • The newest boosters will become available by the end of September.
    • Novovax will target the JN.1 variant.
    • Pfizer and Moderna will aim at KP.2 and LB.1.  These are closer to the reality of this summer.
  • Everyone should get a booster this fall.
  • LATEST DATA ON LONG COVID AND VACCINATIONS.
    • BEFORE THE VACCINES WERE INTRODUCED, ABOUT ONE IN 10 PEOPLE STILL HAD LONG COVID ONE YEAR AFTER BEING INFECTED.
    • AFTER THE SHOTS WERE AVAILABLE, 9.8% OF THE UNVACCINATED DEVELOPED LONG COVID WITH THE DELTA VARIANT, AND 7.8% WITH OMICRON.
    • IF YOU WERE VACCINATED, 5.3% DEVELOPED COVID WITH DELTA, AND 3.5% AFTER OMICRON.
    • IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING LONG COVID IS ABOUT CUT IN HALF FOR THOSE WHO GET VACCINATED!
    • Many avoid vaccinations for a variety of reasons.  Do you really want to take a chance of doubling your rate of getting long COVID?
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