Local (and not-so-local) COVID-19 updates
Aug. 18th, 2021 10:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 11 newly reported confirmed deaths (5 more than yesterday - up 83.3%) for a total of 17,795 deaths, 1,452 newly reported confirmed cases (198 more than yesterday - up 15.8%) for a total of 691,720 cases, and 62,290 newly reported molecular tests (15,243 more than yesterday - up 32.4%).The seven day average positivity rate is 2.78%, compared to 2.82% yesterday. The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (same as yesterday) for a total of 370 and 127 newly reported probable cases (87 less than yesterday - down 40.7%) for a total of 48,906. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 11 new deaths for a total of 18,165 and 1,579 new cases for a total of 740,626. There were 432 COVID-19 patients in hospital (4 more than yesterday - up 0.9%), 89 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (3 more than yesterday - up 3.5%) and 43 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (3 more than yesterday - up 7.5%).
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 905.0 (14 more than yesterday - up 1.6%), 1,314% above the lowest observed value of 64.0 on 6/25/2021 and 86.0% below the highest observed value of 6,233.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 2.78% (0 less than yesterday - down 1.2%), 804% above the lowest observed value of 0.3% on 6/25/2021 and 90% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 389.0 (12 more than yesterday - up 3.2%), 357% above the lowest observed value of 85.0 on 7/9/2021 and 90% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 5.0 (1 more than yesterday - up 25.0%), 400% above the lowest observed value of 1.0 on 7/12/2021 and 98% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 8,990 non-ICU beds, of which 7,659 (85.2%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 343 (3.8%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 988 (11.0%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,335 ICU beds, of which 878 (65.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 89 (6.7%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 368 (27.6%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 8,892 non-ICU beds, of which 7,340 (82.5%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 342 (4%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,210 (13.6%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,324 ICU beds, of which 851 (64.3%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 86 (6.5%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 387 (29.2%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 626.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 1.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 206.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.62%.
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Well, this isn't good. Newly reported confirmed deaths and cases both up compared to yesterday. Hospitalizations up compared to yesterday; in fact, today's 432 patients in hospital is the highest count recorded since the 441 on May 11. The seven-day averages for deaths, cases and hospitalizations are also all up. In slightly better news, the seven-day average for percent-positive is down slightly from yesterday.
Today's big national news, of course, is the newly announced federal plan to provide booster vaccination shots to everyone who's already vaccinated, eight months after the second shot:
I got my second Moderna shot on March 31. Eight months out from that would be November 30, so fortunately I don't have to make a decision now. But I'm not looking forward to possibly feeling like my becoming marginally safer is at the expense of folks in poor countries who can't even get an intial shot of the best damn vaccines on the planet.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 15 active and 1,032 cumulative cases as of August 17. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 11:45AM on May 28, 2021 reported 978 cumulative cases with 3 individuals in isolation, 943 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.
Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 905.0 (14 more than yesterday - up 1.6%), 1,314% above the lowest observed value of 64.0 on 6/25/2021 and 86.0% below the highest observed value of 6,233.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 2.78% (0 less than yesterday - down 1.2%), 804% above the lowest observed value of 0.3% on 6/25/2021 and 90% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 389.0 (12 more than yesterday - up 3.2%), 357% above the lowest observed value of 85.0 on 7/9/2021 and 90% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 5.0 (1 more than yesterday - up 25.0%), 400% above the lowest observed value of 1.0 on 7/12/2021 and 98% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.
Statewide, hospitals reported 8,990 non-ICU beds, of which 7,659 (85.2%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 343 (3.8%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 988 (11.0%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,335 ICU beds, of which 878 (65.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 89 (6.7%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 368 (27.6%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 8,892 non-ICU beds, of which 7,340 (82.5%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 342 (4%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 1,210 (13.6%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,324 ICU beds, of which 851 (64.3%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 86 (6.5%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 387 (29.2%) remained available.
Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 626.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 1.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 206.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.62%.
The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.
Well, this isn't good. Newly reported confirmed deaths and cases both up compared to yesterday. Hospitalizations up compared to yesterday; in fact, today's 432 patients in hospital is the highest count recorded since the 441 on May 11. The seven-day averages for deaths, cases and hospitalizations are also all up. In slightly better news, the seven-day average for percent-positive is down slightly from yesterday.
Today's big national news, of course, is the newly announced federal plan to provide booster vaccination shots to everyone who's already vaccinated, eight months after the second shot:
U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines' effectiveness is falling.
The plan, as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies, calls for an extra dose eight months after people get their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The doses could begin the week of Sept. 20.
"Our plan is to protect the American people, to stay ahead of this virus," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said as the agency cited a raft of studies suggesting that the vaccines are losing ground while the highly contagious variant spreads.
People who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also probably need extra shots, health officials said. But they said they are waiting for more data.
The overall plan is subject to a Food and Drug Administration evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose and a review by a CDC advisory panel.
[ ... ]
Top scientists at the World Health Organization bitterly objected to the U.S. plan, noting that poor countries are not getting enough vaccine for their initial rounds of shots.
"We're planning to hand out extra life jackets to people who already have life jackets, while we're leaving other people to drown without a single life jacket," said Dr. Michael Ryan, the WHO's emergencies chief.
The organization's top scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, said the evidence does not show boosters are needed for everyone, and she warned that leaving billions of people in the developing world unvaccinated could foster the emergence of new variants and result in "even more dire situations."
I got my second Moderna shot on March 31. Eight months out from that would be November 30, so fortunately I don't have to make a decision now. But I'm not looking forward to possibly feeling like my becoming marginally safer is at the expense of folks in poor countries who can't even get an intial shot of the best damn vaccines on the planet.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 15 active and 1,032 cumulative cases as of August 17. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 11:45AM on May 28, 2021 reported 978 cumulative cases with 3 individuals in isolation, 943 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.