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

[edschweppe]

As of 5PM today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is reporting 12 newly reported confirmed deaths (39 less than yesterday - down 76.5%) for a total of 19,163 deaths, 5,403 newly reported confirmed cases (1,683 more than yesterday - up 45.2%) for a total of 890,951 cases, and 120,207 newly reported molecular tests (43,210 more than yesterday - up 56.1%).The seven day average positivity rate is 4.99%, compared to 4.86% yesterday. The state also reported zero newly reported probable deaths (same as yesterday) for a total of 416 and 517 newly reported probable cases (269 less than yesterday - down 34.2%) for a total of 66,938. Combining the confirmed and probable numbers gives 12 new deaths for a total of 19,579 and 5,920 new cases for a total of 957,889. There were 1,204 COVID-19 patients in hospital (53 more than yesterday - up 4.6%), 252 COVID-19 patients in ICUs (13 more than yesterday - up 5.4%) and 144 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (intubated) (18 more than yesterday - up 14.3%).

Of the four overview trends (formerly the Page 2 "key metrics"), the 7-day average of newly confirmed cases is 3,309.0 (4 less than yesterday - down 0.1%), 5,070% above the lowest observed value of 64.0 on 6/25/2021 and 47.0% below the highest observed value of 6,229.0 on 1/8/2021. The 7-day weighted average of positive molecular test rate is 4.99% (0 more than yesterday - up 2.7%), 1,518% above the lowest observed value of 0.3% on 6/25/2021 and 82% below the highest observed value of 27.7% on 4/15/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is 1,064.0 (37 more than yesterday - up 3.6%), 1,151% above the lowest observed value of 85.0 on 7/9/2021 and 73% below the highest observed value of 3,874.0 on 4/27/2020. The 7-day average number of COVID-19 deaths is 17.0 (same as yesterday), 1,600% above the lowest observed value of 1.0 on 7/11/2021 and 91% below the highest observed value of 175.0 on 4/24/2020.

Statewide, hospitals reported 9,019 non-ICU beds, of which 7,401 (82.1%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 952 (10.6%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 666 (7.4%) remained available. Hospitals also reported 1,263 ICU beds, of which 826 (65.4%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 252 (20.0%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 185 (14.6%) remained available. By comparison, hospitals reported yesterday a total of 8,878 non-ICU beds, of which 7,247 (81.6%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 912 (10%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 719 (8.1%) remained available. Hospitals also reported yesterday a total of 1,253 ICU beds, of which 819 (65.4%) were occupied by non-COVID patients, 239 (19.1%) were occupied by COVID patients, and 195 (15.6%) remained available.

Two weeks ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 1,998.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 11.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 691.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 3.31%.

One year ago, the 7 day confirmed case average was 3,247.0, the 7 day confirmed deaths average was 36.0, the 7 day hospitalization average was 1,413.0, and the 7 day weighted average positivity rate was 5.81%.

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

Yuck. Newly reported deaths are down a bunch, which is good. However, newly reported cases are up over five thousand, which stinks under any circumstances and stinks worse for a single-day report; today's 5,403 newly reported cases are the highest single-day amount since the 5,657 reported on January 16. Hospitalizations are also up again, now over twelve hundred; today's patient count of 1,204 is the highest since 1,223 were reported on February 12. The seven-day positivity average is up as well, at nearly five percent.

So far, over forty cases of the new Omicron variant have been confirmed in the US, mostly in persons already vaccinated; the good news is that the cases have so far been mild:

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 40 people in the U.S. have been found to be infected with the omicron variant so far, and more than three-quarters of them had been vaccinated, the chief of the CDC said Wednesday. But she said nearly all of them were only mildly ill.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the data is very limited and the agency is working on a more detailed analysis of what the new mutant form of the coronavirus might hold for the U.S.

But "the disease is mild" in almost all of the cases seen so far, she said, with reported symptoms mainly cough, congestion and fatigue. One person was hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported, CDC officials said.

The omicron variant were first identified in South Africa last month and has since been reported in 57 countries, according to the World Health Organization.

The first U.S. case was reported on Dec. 1. As of Wednesday afternoon, the CDC had recorded 43 cases in 19 states. About a third of those patients had traveled internationally.

More than three-quarters of those patients had been vaccinated, and a third had gotten boosters, Walensky said.

I am not happy to hear that most of the cases are showing up in folks who are already vaccinated, nor am I happy that most of the US cases aren't associated with overseas travel. On the other hand, if catching the Omicron variant turns into more of an annoyance than a death threat, that'd be great news.

The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 54 active and 1,406 cumulative cases as of December 7. The most recent "newsflash style update" at 1PM on November 22, 2021 reported 1304 cumulative cases with 54 individuals in isolation, 1218 persons recovered and 32 fatalities.