Local (and not-so-local) COVID-19 updates

[edschweppe]

As of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 13 newly reported confirmed deaths (10 less than yesterday - down 43.5%) for a total of 18,154 deaths, 1,784 newly reported confirmed cases (101 less than yesterday - down 5.4%) for a total of 749,440 cases, and 109,692 newly reported molecular tests (3 less than yesterday - down 0.0%).The seven day average positivity rate is 2.09%, compared to 2.11% yesterday. The state also reported 1 newly reported probable death (1 more than yesterday) for a total of 387 and 136 newly reported probable cases (17 more than yesterday - up 14.3%) for a total of 53,389. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 14 new deaths for a total of 18,541 and 1,920 new cases for a total of 802,829. There were 617 COVID-19 patients in hospital (11 more than yesterday - up 1.8%), 164 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (1 less than yesterday - down 0.6%) and 93 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (3 less than yesterday - down 3.1%).

Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 1,186.0 (19 less than yesterday - down 1.6%), 1,753% above the lowest observed value of 64.0 on 6/25/2021 and 81.0% below the highest observed value of 6,232.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 2.09% (0 less than yesterday - down 1.3%), 576% above the lowest observed value of 0.3% on 6/25/2021 and 92% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 646.0 (7 less than yesterday - down 1.1%), 660% above the lowest observed value of 85.0 on 7/9/2021 and 84% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 12.0 (same as yesterday), 1,100% above the lowest observed value of 1.0 on 7/11/2021 and 94% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.

Statewide, hospitals reported 9,053 non-ICU beds, of which 7,767 (85.8%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 453 (5.0%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 833 (9.2%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,292 ICU beds, of which 866 (67.0%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 164 (12.7%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 262 (20.3%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 9,035 non-ICU beds, of which 7,800 (86.3%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 441 (5%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 794 (8.8%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,299 ICU beds, of which 876 (67.4%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 165 (12.7%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 258 (19.9%) remained available.

Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,130.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 8.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 600.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 2.52%.

The daily raw data file used to create this report is available here.

Day-to-day changes are mostly improvements, as both deaths and cases are down while hospitalizations are up a tad. The seven-day averages are all down or steady. They're still too high, mind you, but at least they didn't get worse today.

It's apparently official, now: booster shots for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine are approved ... along with heavy doses of confusion:

WASHINGTON - After a month of dramatic twists and turns more suited to a soap opera than a staid federal health bureaucracy, the White House this week got much of what it hoped for: access to Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus booster shots for most adults at least six months after completing the standard two-dose regimen.

But the messy process leading to this moment sparked massive confusion about the booster program, critics say, and may distract from efforts to get first shots to the unvaccinated.

In a statement issued just before midnight Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended extra shots for everyone 65 and older as well as those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes. It also said extra shots may be considered for younger people with medical conditions and for those whose jobs or living situations are putting them at risk for serious cases of covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.

But the reality of who will have access to third shots, experts said, is much starker: Most adults who want a Pfizer-BioNTech booster will be able to get one simply by saying they are in one of the designated groups. Such "self-attestation" does not require a doctor's note or other verification.

"The door just got opened," said Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who says boosters won't curb the pandemic and should be used in a more targeted way, partly because of a lack of safety data for younger people. "The administration just got what it wanted: three-dose fever."

Peter Hotez, professor of pediatrics and molecular virology at Baylor College of Medicine, agreed the CDC recommendations "are pretty leaky," adding that most people could argue, for example, that their jobs put them at risk for covid-19, unless "you are a writer of novels in the backwoods of Maine."

But he said he supports much wider use of boosters, in part to counter the threat of long covid syndrome, which can cause muscle pain and neurological problems for months or years, and to allay fears of front-line workers in occupations such as health care and teaching.

As a practical matter, many consumers who want an extra dose have already been able to get a shot by asserting they are immunocompromised, a group eligible since last month. Unlike earlier in the year, the nation is awash in vaccine. Of the more than 260 million doses of Pfizer vaccine that have been delivered, about 37 million doses have not been administered, according to the CDC. About 70% of vaccine doses are being given at pharmacies, which won't require additional documentation for boosters, the CDC said.

[ ... ]

The Biden administration had been debating the need for boosters for months, but the issue moved front and center Aug. 18, when top health officials announced a plan to begin offering extra shots for all three coronavirus vaccines this week in a bid to counter waning immunity and combat the delta variant of the virus. The officials said the plan would depend on sign-offs from the FDA and CDC.

[ ... ]

As circumstances rapidly changed, goals shifted. Early on, it became clear the FDA would not have sufficient time and data to quickly authorize boosters for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Officials now are hoping they can act on those brands in the next few weeks.

In addition, officials initially said people would need to wait at least eight months after the second dose of the standard two-dose regimen for the mRNA vaccines before getting a booster. That timeline was based on it being roughly eight months since the first groups of Americans, including nursing home residents and health workers, had received vaccines last December and January, said a federal official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. But the FDA decided to authorize the Pfizer-BioNTech booster for six months out because the companies had the most data for that time frame, the official said.

Myself, I'm on Team Moderna; their data is still under review, so I've got no idea if/when I'd need boosting or become eligble therefore.

The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 19 active and 1,117 cumulative cases as of September 22. 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.