Semilocal COVID update
Jul. 20th, 2022 09:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edschweppeAs of July 20, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, of 3221 counties nationwide, 3000 counties (93.14% of total) have a Community Transmission Level of High, 139 counties (4.32% of total) have a Community Transmission Level of Substantial, 47 counties (1.46% of total) have a Community Transmission Level of Moderate, and 35 counties (1.09% of total) have a Community Transmission Level of Low. The CDC also reported that, of the 14 counties in Massachusetts, 9 counties have a Community Transmission Level of High (Barnstable, Berkshire, Dukes, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Suffolk), and 5 counties have a Community Transmission Level of Substantial (Bristol, Essex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Worcester).
Barnstable County has 130.520 cases per 100k, 9.63 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Berkshire County has 130.460 cases per 100k, 7.11 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Bristol County has 82.800 cases per 100k, 9.13 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of substantial
Dukes County has 121.160 cases per 100k, 12.42 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Essex County has 99.870 cases per 100k, 8.68 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of substantial
Franklin County has 113.990 cases per 100k, 5.05 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Hampden County has 144.730 cases per 100k, 10.03 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Hampshire County has 123.110 cases per 100k, 6.91 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Middlesex County has 107.590 cases per 100k, 8.16 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Nantucket County has 105.270 cases per 100k, 9.57 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Norfolk County has 96.490 cases per 100k, 7.38 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of substantial
Plymouth County has 82.690 cases per 100k, 8.56 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of substantial
Suffolk County has 112.820 cases per 100k, 8.3 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Worcester County has 80.660 cases per 100k, 6.42 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of substantial
The underlying query for this data is available here.
As of July 14, 2022, the CDC reported COVID Community Levels for 3223 counties nationwide: 1143 counties (35.46%, representing 54.49% of the population) with High community level, 1278 counties (39.65%, representing 30.10% of the population) with Medium community level, and 802 counties (24.88%, representing 15.41% of the population) with Low community level. The CDC also reported the following COVID Community Levels for the 14 counties in Massachusetts (population 6892503): 7 counties (representing 56.37% of the state's population) with Medium community level (Barnstable, Dukes, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk), and 7 counties (representing 43.63% of the state's population) with Low community level (Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester).
Barnstable County (population 212990) has 40.85 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Medium.
Berkshire County (population 124944) has 68.83 cases per 100k, 8.6 hospitalizations per 100k and 4.8 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Substantial and a community level of Low.
Bristol County (population 565217) has 40.52 cases per 100k, 7.4 hospitalizations per 100k and 3.3 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Low.
Dukes County (population 17332) has 121.16 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of High and a community level of Medium.
Essex County (population 789034) has 48.67 cases per 100k, 7.1 hospitalizations per 100k and 4.3 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Low.
Franklin County (population 70180) has 42.75 cases per 100k, 8.7 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.1 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Low.
Hampden County (population 466372) has 74.19 cases per 100k, 6.7 hospitalizations per 100k and 4.2 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Substantial and a community level of Low.
Hampshire County (population 160830) has 54.72 cases per 100k, 6.7 hospitalizations per 100k and 4.2 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Substantial and a community level of Low.
Middlesex County (population 1611699) has 52.37 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Substantial and a community level of Medium.
Nantucket County (population 11399) has 35.09 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Medium.
Norfolk County (population 706775) has 42.02 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Medium.
Plymouth County (population 521202) has 46.81 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Medium.
Suffolk County (population 803907) has 57.72 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Substantial and a community level of Medium.
Worcester County (population 830622) has 49.12 cases per 100k, 8.7 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.1 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Low.
The underlying query for this data is available here.
Again, no changes to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as far as Massachusetts is concerned. The Commonwealth should be reporting numbers tomorrow; it will be interesting to see just when that appears in the CDC's data. The national seven-day case rate is up again, to 265.7 cases per 100k population per week.
In semi-good news, the Food and Drug Administration has been extending the shelf-lives of many of the at-home COVID tests, based on updated data from the test manufacturers:
Many of the free tests I got from the government have extended expiration dates, which can be looked up from the FDA's At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests page.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 11 active and 3,725 cumulative cases as of July 19. In the most recent "newsflash style update" at 7PM on December 21, 2021, the town reported 1538 cumulative cases with 89 individuals in isolation, 1417 recovered and 32 fatalities.
Barnstable County has 130.520 cases per 100k, 9.63 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Berkshire County has 130.460 cases per 100k, 7.11 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Bristol County has 82.800 cases per 100k, 9.13 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of substantial
Dukes County has 121.160 cases per 100k, 12.42 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Essex County has 99.870 cases per 100k, 8.68 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of substantial
Franklin County has 113.990 cases per 100k, 5.05 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Hampden County has 144.730 cases per 100k, 10.03 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Hampshire County has 123.110 cases per 100k, 6.91 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Middlesex County has 107.590 cases per 100k, 8.16 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Nantucket County has 105.270 cases per 100k, 9.57 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Norfolk County has 96.490 cases per 100k, 7.38 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of substantial
Plymouth County has 82.690 cases per 100k, 8.56 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of substantial
Suffolk County has 112.820 cases per 100k, 8.3 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of high
Worcester County has 80.660 cases per 100k, 6.42 percent positive, and a Community Transmission level of substantial
The underlying query for this data is available here.
As of July 14, 2022, the CDC reported COVID Community Levels for 3223 counties nationwide: 1143 counties (35.46%, representing 54.49% of the population) with High community level, 1278 counties (39.65%, representing 30.10% of the population) with Medium community level, and 802 counties (24.88%, representing 15.41% of the population) with Low community level. The CDC also reported the following COVID Community Levels for the 14 counties in Massachusetts (population 6892503): 7 counties (representing 56.37% of the state's population) with Medium community level (Barnstable, Dukes, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk), and 7 counties (representing 43.63% of the state's population) with Low community level (Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester).
Barnstable County (population 212990) has 40.85 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Medium.
Berkshire County (population 124944) has 68.83 cases per 100k, 8.6 hospitalizations per 100k and 4.8 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Substantial and a community level of Low.
Bristol County (population 565217) has 40.52 cases per 100k, 7.4 hospitalizations per 100k and 3.3 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Low.
Dukes County (population 17332) has 121.16 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of High and a community level of Medium.
Essex County (population 789034) has 48.67 cases per 100k, 7.1 hospitalizations per 100k and 4.3 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Low.
Franklin County (population 70180) has 42.75 cases per 100k, 8.7 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.1 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Low.
Hampden County (population 466372) has 74.19 cases per 100k, 6.7 hospitalizations per 100k and 4.2 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Substantial and a community level of Low.
Hampshire County (population 160830) has 54.72 cases per 100k, 6.7 hospitalizations per 100k and 4.2 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Substantial and a community level of Low.
Middlesex County (population 1611699) has 52.37 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Substantial and a community level of Medium.
Nantucket County (population 11399) has 35.09 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Medium.
Norfolk County (population 706775) has 42.02 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Medium.
Plymouth County (population 521202) has 46.81 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Medium.
Suffolk County (population 803907) has 57.72 cases per 100k, 10.3 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.9 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Substantial and a community level of Medium.
Worcester County (population 830622) has 49.12 cases per 100k, 8.7 hospitalizations per 100k and 2.1 COVID bed utilization, for a community transmission level of Moderate and a community level of Low.
The underlying query for this data is available here.
Again, no changes to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as far as Massachusetts is concerned. The Commonwealth should be reporting numbers tomorrow; it will be interesting to see just when that appears in the CDC's data. The national seven-day case rate is up again, to 265.7 cases per 100k population per week.
In semi-good news, the Food and Drug Administration has been extending the shelf-lives of many of the at-home COVID tests, based on updated data from the test manufacturers:
Once again, COVID-19 is on the rise, and this time, the highly contagious BA.5 Omicron subvariant is driving new cases and reinfections. But if you stocked up on at-home rapid antigen tests during previous surges, you may have noticed the fine print on the packaging shows your tests are past due.
Don't throw them out just yet.
The Food and Drug Administration has advised against using at-home COVID-19 tests beyond their expiration dates, warning that expired test kits could provide unreliable or invalid results. But the expiration dates — printed on the outside of the boxes — are not always accurate.
That's because the FDA has recently extended the shelf-lives of several popular test kit brands upon reviewing additional data from their manufacturers.
"Like everything with COVID-19, there are decisions that are made in an absence of data, and when companies in our country make a product like a test, they have no way of knowing, when it's new technology, how long it's going to be valid for," said Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center.
Test manufacturers determine the shelf life of their products with a process known as "stability testing" which, according to the FDA, requires evaluating the tests' performance in real time. The expiration date is the date through which the test should perform as accurately as when it was first manufactured.
But the testing materials can dry out or degrade over time, compromising the validity of the test results, Doron said. So if a shelf-life extension for your at-home test has not been authorized by the FDA, don't use it.
Many of the free tests I got from the government have extended expiration dates, which can be looked up from the FDA's At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests page.
The town of Acton's current Google Data Studio dashboard is showing 11 active and 3,725 cumulative cases as of July 19. In the most recent "newsflash style update" at 7PM on December 21, 2021, the town reported 1538 cumulative cases with 89 individuals in isolation, 1417 recovered and 32 fatalities.