Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #104

[IceIce9]

Maybe you can argue for another booster now, based on the latest data the boosters wane after 10 weeks?

COVID Booster Protection May Wane in About 10 Weeks, New Data Shows

Definitely I am going to ask about it.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I'm sick and bored and have been looking at random data. So, what the heck is up with Arizona??? They are #3 in deaths per million (3,295), behind only #1 Mississippi (3,494) and #2 Alabama (3,348).

Their four corners neighbors Utah (1,176), New Mexico (2,754), and Colorado (1,817) are all much, much lower in deaths per million than Arizona. As are all 47 other states.

So, what's up with that? Any ideas? I see their vaccination rate is really low (56%) but so is my state (53%) and we're currently #16 in deaths per million, which is not great, but way better than #3 Arizona. jmo

United States COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer

Perhaps it's the average age? I know lot's of people from CA go to AZ to retire because the taxes are much lower. Otherwise, I have no idea!

 

[LaborDayRN]

So did the CDC lower the quarantine days because of Delta Airline’s prompting? Now doesn’t that seem like the CDC has our interests in mind

I honestly think the CDC lowered the quarantine period to avoid a complete shut down of services in the U.S. due to the high volume positive cases they are expecting along with the expectation that symptoms will be milder with Omicrom.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Perhaps it's the average age? I know lot's of people from CA go to AZ to retire because the taxes are much lower. Otherwise, I have no idea!

I had the same idea, so I checked. Nope.

"WASHINGTON – Arizona continues to be relatively young compared with the rest of the U.S., but it saw one of the nation’s biggest jumps in average age from 2010 to 2018, according to new data from the Census Bureau.

The state’s median age grew 2 years in that period, from 35.9 to 37.9 years, according to the 2018 Population Estimates released by the bureau Thursday. The national average during the same period rose 1 year, from 37.2 to 38.2 years, the report said."

Arizona's average age still below U.S., but it's catching up fast - Cronkite News - Arizona PBS

 

[MrX]

I'm sick and bored and have been looking at random data. So, what the heck is up with Arizona??? They are #3 in deaths per million (3,295), behind only #1 Mississippi (3,494) and #2 Alabama (3,348).

Their four corners neighbors Utah (1,176), New Mexico (2,754), and Colorado (1,817) are all much, much lower in deaths per million than Arizona. As are all 47 other states.

So, what's up with that? Any ideas? I see their vaccination rate is really low (56%) but so is my state (53%) and we're currently #16 in deaths per million, which is not great, but way better than #3 Arizona. jmo

United States COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer

We have a large retiree population, so I'm sure age has something to do with it. I recall, when this started in 2020, that we had many seasonal residents ("snow birds") who were unable to get home due to travel restrictions. That was also an older demographic - one that probably had their primary care providers in another state. Also, I believe the Navajo Nation at one time led the world in Covid mortality rate. There is also a large Hispanic community that appears to have a very low vax rate. 70% of AZ deaths are 65+. 86.5% 55+.

Granted, we also joined Florida and Texas in remaining open. I'd hear stories from people who traveled through New Mexico and it was a nightmare - everything closed.

 

[CharlestonGal]

We have a large retiree population, so I'm sure age has something to do with it. I recall, when this started in 2020, that we had many seasonal residents ("snow birds") who were unable to get home due to travel restrictions. That was also an older demographic - one that probably had their primary care providers in another state. Also, I believe the Navajo Nation at one time led the world in Covid mortality rate. There is also a large Hispanic community that appears to have a very low vax rate. 70% of AZ deaths are 65+.

Granted, we also joined Florida and Texas in remaining open. I'd hear stories from people who traveled through New Mexico and it was a nightmare - everything closed.

Age isn't it. AZ is #36 in median population age, well below the national average.

List of U.S. states and territories by median age - Wikipedia

ETA: Maine is actually the state with the highest median age. I never would have expected that. I would have guessed FL, but it's #6. AZ is #36. Interesting.

 

[weepingangel]

This is becoming a big issue ( it’s been an issue but it’s getting worse with lack of testing/home test availability coinciding with the omi surge)
Avoid emergency departments for routine COVID tests, Baystate urges

 

[weepingangel]

More than 100 Tufts Medical Center workers out with COVID as National Guard deployed

Hospitals prepare for Omicron-fueled surge as Mass. approaches 1 million COVID cases since pandemic began

 

[CharlestonGal]

This is becoming a big issue ( it’s been an issue but it’s getting worse with lack of testing/home test availability coinciding with the omi surge)
Avoid emergency departments for routine COVID tests, Baystate urges

What is it, exactly, they expect people to do? Home tests are becoming scarcer by the moment, available appointments for testing are days out (here, at least). jmo

ETA: And vulnerable people have to start mab's or anti-virals within days of symptoms. How are they supposed to do that if they can't even get a test???

 

[Sundog]

8 out of 100,000 versus 2. If there was not substantial immunity imparted by repeated exposure I would expect those numbers to be way farther apart. I understand the hesitancy to give credence to natural immunity, because it encourages undesirable choices, but, at some point, it will have to be explored and explained.

In today's youtube video (that was posted above), Dr. John Campbell addresses the same issue toward the end of his discussion. He notes that South Africa has low vaccine immunity, but high natural immunity, and that appears to be significant for the rate of hospitalizations going down, etc. We'll know more about this eventually, but Dr. Campbell hopes that the highly infectious omicron variant with milder symptoms will lead to herd immunity and covid-19 becoming endemic. Although it is too early to say, he is definitely hopeful. I recommend watching the video, he reviews the most recent data from the UK, US, South Africa and Australia.

 

[MrX]

Age isn't it. AZ is #36 in median population age, well below the national average.

List of U.S. states and territories by median age - Wikipedia

ETA: Maine is actually the state with the highest median age. I never would have expected that. I would have guessed FL, but it's #6. AZ is #36. Interesting.

Median age isn't a useful metric. We need to know how heavily the older half skews toward the high end.

One thing that is odd is that Arizona's death rate has been increasing at fast rate, since September, and the last six months have seen a much higher percentage below 65.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Median age isn't a useful metric. We need to know how heavily the older half skews toward the high end.

One thing that is odd is that Arizona's death rate has been increasing at fast rate, since September, and the last six months have seen a much higher percentage below 65.

Only 11% of the AZ population is over 65. Maine is 14%.

Arizona Demographic Statistics

ETA: And the state with the lowest death rate - Vermont - has 13% over the age of 65. Deaths per million in Vermont is only 632 - compared to Arizona at 3,295 per million. That is an astonishing difference. And age alone does not explain it.

 

[CrimeAway]

From what I can gather some facilities had Pfizer, some had Moderna,
so you got whatever that facility had available. I dont believe most facilities had both and gave you a choice--- the pharmacy I went to had Moderna

I was offered a choice of Moderna, Pfizer, or J&J at my local health department. I chose Moderna after seeing studies about that vaccine offering higher levels of antibodies for longer. JMO.

 

[SouthAussie]

One thing that is odd is that Arizona's death rate has been increasing at fast rate, since September, and the last six months have seen a much higher percentage below 65.

Likely because the people 65 and over are the best vaccinated group in AZ, and the vaccines are doing their job. imo
AZ only has a fully vaxxed rate of 56%.

Arizona Coronavirus Vaccination Progress

 

[CharlestonGal]

Greece sets pandemic record for new cases with whopping 21,657 | eKathimerini.com

Greece on Tuesday announced the highest ever number of new coronavirus infections with 24-hour data showing they soared to a whopping 21,657, the first time authorities report a five-digit number.

The previous record was set just a day before, with 9,284 new cases.

 

[Sundog]

What is it, exactly, they expect people to do? Home tests are becoming scarcer by the moment, available appointments for testing are days out (here, at least). jmo

ETA: And vulnerable people have to start mab's or anti-virals within days of symptoms. How are they supposed to do that if they can't even get a test???

In our area, the urgent care centers can do a rapid test or a PCR test, both are offered. You can also get the resuls of a PCR test in 30 minutes at the urgent care locations, but you have to pay extra, it is only covered by insurance if you wait the usual time of 3 days for the PCR test results. Our pharmacies are also offering both rapid tests and PCR tests by appointment. Fortunately, my workplace is offering both antigen and PCR tests, usually same day, at our campus health center for students, faculty and staff. For my husband though, he would have to go to a pharmacy for testing if needed, until we get the next supply of self-tests in our state, or we can order the online when the Biden administration is ready to send them out. In an emergency, we would probably pay for the 30-minute results on a PCR test at our local urgent care. It costs $150.00 and insurance doesn't cover it, as I said above, unless you wait the normal 3-day test result time.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Likely because the people 65 and over are the best vaccinated group in AZ, and the vaccines are doing their job. imo
AZ only has a fully vaxxed rate of 56%.

Arizona Coronavirus Vaccination Progress

One would think the citizens of AZ would be demanding answers from their state government as to why their death rate is so much higher than it should be. Or maybe the average citizen hasn't realized or been made aware of that fact??? jmo

 

[CrimeAway]

Median age isn't a useful metric. We need to know how heavily the older half skews toward the high end.

One thing that is odd is that Arizona's death rate has been increasing at fast rate, since September, and the last six months have seen a much higher percentage below 65.

I think that as the virus spreads through a population, the most susceptible hosts are affected most severely at first. For Covid, that seems to those who are 65+. As more of that age group have either died of the virus, recovered or been vaccinated, the virus now seems to be causing more death in the 40-65 age group, who generally have lower vaccination rates, than those 65+. In addition, children have gone from making up 1+3% of positive cases, to now making up 20-25% of positive cases. I don't have exact links to hand, but this information is from vaccination rates posted above, information from the TWIV episode with Paul Offit, and corresponding show notes that link to pediatric positivity rates. JMO.

 

[CrimeAway]

UK's Covid cases hit pandemic high with nearly 130,000 in single day | Daily Mail Online

 

[CrimeAway]

Biden acknowledges COVID-19 testing crisis saying it's clearly not enough | Daily Mail Online