Local (and not-so-local) COVID-19 updates
Feb. 27th, 2021 07:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 41 newly reported confirmed deaths (5 less than yesterday - down 10.9%) for a total of 15,744 deaths, 1,516 newly reported confirmed cases (218 less than yesterday - down 12.6%) for a total of 548,874 cases, and 108,261 newly reported molecular tests (5,677 more than yesterday - up 5.5%). The seven day average positivity rate is 1.85%, compared to 1.90% yesterday. Excluding higher education, the seven day average positivity rate is 2.99%, compared to 3.10% yesterday. The number of estimated active cases was 30,111 (872 less than yesterday - down 2.8%). The state also reported 2 newly reported probable deaths (2 more than yesterday) for a total of 323 and 184 newly reported probable cases (69 less than yesterday - down 27.3%) for a total of 30,806. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 43 new deaths for a total of 16,067 and 1,700 new cases for a total of 579,680. There were 785 COVID-19 patients in hospital (22 less than yesterday - down 2.7%), 204 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (7 less than yesterday - down 3.3%) and 139 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (2 more than yesterday - up 1.5%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 1,178.0 (12 more than yesterday - up 1.0%), 650% above the lowest observed value of 157.0 on 7/4/2020 and 82.0% below the highest observed value of 6,242.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 1.85% (0 less than yesterday - down 3.1%), 139% above the lowest observed value of 0.8% on 9/21/2020 and 93% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 873.0 (26 less than yesterday - down 2.9%), 463% above the lowest observed value of 155.0 on 8/26/2020 and 78% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 37.0 (same as yesterday), 236% above the lowest observed value of 11.0 on 9/9/2020 and 79% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 9,281 non-ICU beds, of which 7,360 (79.3%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 581 (6.3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,340 (14.4%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,436 ICU beds, of which 880 (61.3%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 204 (14.2%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 352 (24.5%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,260 non-ICU beds, of which 7,422 (80.2%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 596 (6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,242 (13.4%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,436 ICU beds, of which 871 (60.7%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 211 (14.7%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 354 (24.7%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,433.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 48.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,334.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.40% (or 3.84% excluding higher education).
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Overall good day-to-day numbers, tempered by the knowledge that it's the weekend and reporting can get wonky. We're still seeing upticks in the seven-day average new cases count, but the percent-positive average is going down again, and that's good.
Today's big COVID news is that the Food and Drug Administration has approved a third vaccine for emergency use; this one, by Johnson & Johnson, only requires one dose:
The more vaccines the merrier.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 27 active and 766 cumulative cases as of February 25, and has apparently not been updated since. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 5PM on February 26, 2021 reported 766 cumulative cases with 27 individuals in isolation, 707 persons recovered and 32 fatalities; that's 22 more cumulative cases, six fewer persons in isolation, 27 more persons recovered and one more death that the previous update at 1PM on February 19.
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 1,178.0 (12 more than yesterday - up 1.0%), 650% above the lowest observed value of 157.0 on 7/4/2020 and 82.0% below the highest observed value of 6,242.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 1.85% (0 less than yesterday - down 3.1%), 139% above the lowest observed value of 0.8% on 9/21/2020 and 93% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 873.0 (26 less than yesterday - down 2.9%), 463% above the lowest observed value of 155.0 on 8/26/2020 and 78% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 37.0 (same as yesterday), 236% above the lowest observed value of 11.0 on 9/9/2020 and 79% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 9,281 non-ICU beds, of which 7,360 (79.3%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 581 (6.3%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,340 (14.4%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,436 ICU beds, of which 880 (61.3%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 204 (14.2%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 352 (24.5%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,260 non-ICU beds, of which 7,422 (80.2%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 596 (6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,242 (13.4%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,436 ICU beds, of which 871 (60.7%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 211 (14.7%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 354 (24.7%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,433.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 48.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,334.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.40% (or 3.84% excluding higher education).
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Overall good day-to-day numbers, tempered by the knowledge that it's the weekend and reporting can get wonky. We're still seeing upticks in the seven-day average new cases count, but the percent-positive average is going down again, and that's good.
Today's big COVID news is that the Food and Drug Administration has approved a third vaccine for emergency use; this one, by Johnson & Johnson, only requires one dose:
Drug regulators cleared Johnson & Johnson's single-shot COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use Saturday, paving the way for the rollout of the third coronavirus vaccine in the US as highly infectious virus variants threaten to undermine progress against the pandemic.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized use of the vaccine, developed with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the day after a panel of independent scientific advisers agreed in a 22-0 vote that the shot was safe and that its benefits outweighed risks for people 18 and older.
"The authorization of this vaccine expands the availability of vaccines, the best medical prevention method for COVID-19, to help us in the fight against this pandemic, which has claimed over half a million lives in the United States," acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement.
The New Brunswick, N.J., pharmaceutical giant had said that after authorization, it will ship 4 million doses within days and 20 million by the end of the month. The infusion would ease the supply shortage and expand the number of people who can get vaccinated this spring. J&J has estimated it will have shipped 100 million doses by the end of June.
Some medical experts said they were disappointed that Johnson & Johnson was supplying only a few million doses immediately given that US taxpayers paid the firm at least $1.5 billion through Operation Warp Speed to develop the vaccine and provide 100 million shots.
[ ... ]
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 72 percent effective at preventing moderate to severe disease in the United States and 66 percent effective globally, according to the latest data. In trial sites across all regions, it was 85 percent effective at preventing severe illness and 100 percent effective at preventing coronavirus-related hospitalization and death.
Those figures generally fell short of the eye-popping performances of two-dose vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna that were cleared for use in December. Those vaccines prevented about 95 percent of coronavirus cases in large studies. But the trials were held before resistant variants emerged. Federal health officials and vaccine experts say the efficacy of those two vaccines would undoubtedly be lower if they were tested against the variants now.
The more vaccines the merrier.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 27 active and 766 cumulative cases as of February 25, and has apparently not been updated since. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 5PM on February 26, 2021 reported 766 cumulative cases with 27 individuals in isolation, 707 persons recovered and 32 fatalities; that's 22 more cumulative cases, six fewer persons in isolation, 27 more persons recovered and one more death that the previous update at 1PM on February 19.