COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Storr]

I can't believe the vaccination rate in Kentucky is so low. I think every adult I know in Kentucky is fully vaccinated, and has been for a month.

It's not that low, to be fair. Among Southern states (including WV, OK, and PR....not including Maryland and DC because muh Northeastern megalopolis) only Virginia has a higher vaccination rate.

[OneJ]

https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1393994365018644482

Isn't this just beautiful?

[Not Me, Us]

Great to see vaccinations climbing again. Hopefully the combination of 12-15 year olds being allowed to get it and the rescinding of the mask mandate for fully vaccinated people will cause a sustained increase.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Great to see vaccinations climbing again. Hopefully the combination of 12-15 year olds being allowed to get it and the rescinding of the mask mandate for fully vaccinated people will cause a sustained increase.

This being an incentive to get vaccinated was almost certainly a factor in the CDC's decision.

[Inmate Trump]

Great to see vaccinations climbing again. Hopefully the combination of 12-15 year olds being allowed to get it and the rescinding of the mask mandate for fully vaccinated people will cause a sustained increase.

This being an incentive to get vaccinated was almost certainly a factor in the CDC's decision.

I don't see how it's an incentive though, unless certain places require proof of vaccination.  Otherwise no one will know who is and isn't vaccinated, so it doesn't really push those who are hesitant.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Great to see vaccinations climbing again. Hopefully the combination of 12-15 year olds being allowed to get it and the rescinding of the mask mandate for fully vaccinated people will cause a sustained increase.

This being an incentive to get vaccinated was almost certainly a factor in the CDC's decision.

I don't see how it's an incentive though, unless certain places require proof of vaccination.  Otherwise no one will know who is and isn't vaccinated, so it doesn't really push those who are hesitant.

In practice it probably won't translate, but if one is optimistic in their thinking I could see the logic.

[Roll Roons]

https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1394090593672994822

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Wonderful news!

[Bandit3 the Worker]

https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1394090593672994822

Well, I guess dropping masks was a good idea after all.

Also, Corona Scanner reported only 18,040 new cases nationwide today. (I'm not sure about Worldometer yet.) This is the lowest number since March 26, 2020. I repeat, March 2020.

[Tintrlvr]

New Hampshire becomes the first U.S. state to report more than 50% of its population being fully vaccinated! (I guess some data backlog just got cleared)

Washington state surpasses the milestone of having 40% of its population fully vaccinated

New Hampshire is now reporting 85% of its population (not adult population, population) having received at least one dose, which seems obviously wrong as this would mean 95+% vaccine uptake among New Hampshire adults. Their data has seemed off for a while, ever since they "corrected" their percentage vaccinated down a couple of weeks ago. Someone is either incompetently running the reporting or just plain old cooking the books in New Hampshire.

On a positive note, the 7-day average of cases nationwide is now lower than reported at any time since late June 2020, having fallen below the late September 2020 low in the past two days. Also, since testing was still quite scarce across much of the country in June 2020 compared to now, this is almost certainly the time with the lowest rate of actual new cases in the country since the early days of the initial outbreak (maybe early March 2020, before any major lockdowns came into effect).

[Dr. Arch]

The updated numbers for COVID-19 in the U.S. are in for 5/16 per: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

I'm keeping track of these updates daily and updating at the end of the day, whenever all states finish reporting for that day.

ΔW Change: Comparisons of Weekly Day-to-day Growth or Decline of COVID-19 Spread/Deaths.

• IE: Comparing the numbers to the same day of last week, are we flattening the curve enough?

Σ Increase: A day's contribution to overall percentage growth of COVID-19 cases/deaths.

• IE:What's the overall change in the total?

Brackets []: These represent the total change for the day, including backlogged reports, if any.

• These numbers are inflated relative to the actual reports for the day, so they are not used to calculate the comparative percentage shifts.

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5/9: <Sunday>

• Cases: 33,476,781 (+22,200 | ΔW Change: ↓27.69% | Σ Increase: ↑0.07%)
• Deaths: 595,812 (+224 | ΔW Change: ↓28.21% | Σ Increase: ↑0.04%)

5/10: <M>

• Cases: 33,515,308 (+30,152 [+38,527] | ΔW Change: ↓24.18% | Σ Increase: ↑0.12%)
• Deaths: 596,179 (+367 | ΔW Change: ↓18.81% | Σ Increase: ↑0.06%)

5/11: <T>

• Cases: 33,550,115 (+34,807 | ΔW Change: ↓21.07% | Σ Increase: ↑0.10%)
• Deaths: 596,946 (+767 | ΔW Change: ↓14.30% | Σ Increase: ↑0.13%)

5/12: <W>

• Cases: 33,586,136 (+36,021 | ΔW Change: ↓22.68% | Σ Increase: ↑0.11%)
• Deaths: 597,785 (+839 | ΔW Change: ↑13.53% | Σ Increase: ↑0.14%)

5/13: <Þ>

• Cases: 33,626,097 (+39,961 | ΔW Change: ↓16.66% | Σ Increase: ↑0.12%)
• Deaths: 598,540 (+755 | ΔW Change: ↓12.00% | Σ Increase: ↑0.13%)

5/14: <F>

• Cases: 33,664,013 (+37,916 | ΔW Change: ↓23.61% | Σ Increase: ↑0.11%)
• Deaths: 599,314 (+774 | ΔW Change: ↓0.39% | Σ Increase: ↑0.13%)

5/15 (Yesterday): <S>

• Cases: 33,695,916 (+31,903 | ΔW Change: ↓10.77% | Σ Increase: ↑0.09%)
• Deaths: 599,863 (+549 | ΔW Change: ↓18.91% | Σ Increase: ↑0.09%)

5/16 (Today): <Sunday>

• Cases: 33,715,951 (+17,834 [+20,035] | ΔW Change: ↓19.67% | Σ Increase: ↑0.06%)
• Deaths: 600,147 (+284 | ΔW Change: ↑26.79% | Σ Increase: ↑0.05%)

[jimrtex]

May 15, 2021 Vaccination Update

Percentage of population fully vaccinated according to CDC

National Average: 36.7%

Image Link

CT: 47.6%
DE: 38.8%
DC: 38.2%
FL: 35.4%
HI: 43.1%
IN: 32.1%
LA: 29.5%
MD: 41.9%
MA: 46.0%
MS: 25.2%
NH: 35.4%
NJ: 43.8%
PR: 31.0%
RI: 45.5%
VT: 46.1%
WV: 32.8%

Some states are too small or oddly shaped to have numbers fit properly on them, so they're listed above


One thing that really strikes me is the difference between New Hampshire, with a percentage of fully vaccinated people at 35.4% (below the national average), and every other New England state, which are all above 45.0% and rank together as being the top 5 in the nation. Why is this? "Live free or die" taken too literally?

What is really bizarre is that NH is also reporting 99.9% for those over 65.

[emailking]

600,000

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

https://twitter.com/GovWhitmer/status/1393234054703681539

[pbrower2a]

May 16, 2021 Vaccination Update

Percentage of population fully vaccinated according to CDC

National Average: 37.1% (+0.4% from yesterday)

Image Link

CT: 48.2%
DE: 39.2%
DC: 39.7%
FL: 35.4%
HI: 43.1%
IN: 32.4%
LA: 29.5%
MD: 42.3%
MA: 46.7%
MS: 25.8%
NH: 55.7%
NJ: 44.2%
PR: 31.5%
RI: 46.4%
VT: 47.4%
WV: 32.8%

Some states are too small or oddly shaped to have numbers fit properly on them, so they're listed above


Updates

New Hampshire becomes the first U.S. state to report more than 50% of its population being fully vaccinated! (I guess some data backlog just got cleared)

Washington state surpasses the milestone of having 40% of its population fully vaccinated

Mississippi, GOD DAMN!

[It’s so Joever]

May 16, 2021 Vaccination Update

Percentage of population fully vaccinated according to CDC

National Average: 37.1% (+0.4% from yesterday)

Image Link

CT: 48.2%
DE: 39.2%
DC: 39.7%
FL: 35.4%
HI: 43.1%
IN: 32.4%
LA: 29.5%
MD: 42.3%
MA: 46.7%
MS: 25.8%
NH: 55.7%
NJ: 44.2%
PR: 31.5%
RI: 46.4%
VT: 47.4%
WV: 32.8%

Some states are too small or oddly shaped to have numbers fit properly on them, so they're listed above


Updates

New Hampshire becomes the first U.S. state to report more than 50% of its population being fully vaccinated! (I guess some data backlog just got cleared)

Washington state surpasses the milestone of having 40% of its population fully vaccinated

Mississippi, GOD DAMN!

Del Taco effect.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1394345721176891394

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

LA Times: California to wait till June 15 to adopt CDC mask guidelines

Californians fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can go mask-free in most indoor settings starting June 15 — which also is the target date for reopening the state’s economy, officials announced Monday.

The June 15 change will bring the state into alignment with recently released guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal health officials said last week that available evidence demonstrated it was safe for fully vaccinated people to go without masks in most places, whether outdoors or inside.

That was only a recommendation, though, and the final call was largely left to state and local governments — one exception being public transportation, such as airplanes, airports, trains and buses.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services secretary, said state officials were opting to wait a bit before implementing the new guidelines to give businesses and workers time to prepare for the change — and residents more time to receive their shots.

“It’s in no way saying that the science or the direction by the CDC is wrong or there’s a challenge to it,” he said during a briefing Monday. “It’s really just giving ourselves across the state some additional time to have it implemented with a high degree of integrity, with a continued focus on protecting the public.”

California’s existing rules, last updated May 3, generally require masks to be worn in indoor settings that are outside your own home, with exceptions, such as when it’s a non-workplace setting and everyone there is vaccinated, or when only members of one unvaccinated household are present and all have a low risk of severe complications should they get COVID-19.

Unvaccinated people must also wear masks outdoors at any time they can’t maintain six feet of distance from someone else, and fully vaccinated people need to wear masks in crowded outdoor settings, such as live performances, parades, fairs, festivals and sports events.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-17/california-to-wait-till-june-15-to-adopt-cdc-mask-guidelines


Folks on this board may find it annoying, but I think it's the right move. Most businesses around here still require masks and folks have not given up mask-wearing even after the new CDC guidelines. At least it gives those businesses & everyone else time to re-adjust instead of suddenly jumping full bore.

[ElectionsGuy]

https://twitter.com/GovWhitmer/status/1393234054703681539

Yep. "It worked". Wisconsin's Court struck down the mask mandate and had literally less than half as many cases per capita as Michigan. "Neanderthal" Texas and "DeathSantis" Florida cases dropped while Michigan rose during April. All explained by science.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Well, Michigan has almost twice the population density of Wisconsin, just to pick one possible influencing factor in per capita infection rate.  But you do you.

Note to the general readership: I will from now on be automatically ignoring anyone who posts as anti-mask or anti-vaccine.  You're just tiresome at this point.  The previous post was the last freebie before this policy goes into effect.

[ElectionsGuy]

Well, Michigan has almost twice the population density of Wisconsin, just to pick one possible influencing factor in per capita infection rate.  But you do you.

Note to the general readership: I will from now on be automatically ignoring anyone who posts as anti-mask or anti-vaccine.  You're just tiresome at this point.  The previous post was the last freebie before this policy goes into effect.

My comments, and any people who point out facts that don't support the civil liberty violations of children and regular society to curb a virus, are not anti-mask nor anti-vaccine. I'm pro-mask and pro-vaccine. I'm sick and tired of people straw-manning this sh**t. What you are saying is literally if you don't conform to a single "authorized" opinion of policy as if it's factually proven to be the only valid way, then you just plug your ears because you're close-minded. Doesn't seem very moderate to me.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Well, Michigan has almost twice the population density of Wisconsin, just to pick one possible influencing factor in per capita infection rate.  But you do you.

Note to the general readership: I will from now on be automatically ignoring anyone who posts as anti-mask or anti-vaccine.  You're just tiresome at this point.  The previous post was the last freebie before this policy goes into effect.

My comments, and any people who point out facts that don't support the civil liberty violations of children and regular society to curb a virus, are not anti-mask nor anti-vaccine. I'm pro-mask and pro-vaccine. I'm sick and tired of people straw-manning this sh**t. What you are saying is literally if you don't conform to a single "authorized" opinion of policy as if it's factually proven to be the only valid way, then you just plug your ears because you're close-minded. Doesn't seem very moderate to me.

It may not have been your intention, but your previous post certainly gives off the impression of someone saying "masks don't work!!"  I'm glad to hear that in reality you hold a more nuanced view.

[emailking]

Yep. "It worked". Wisconsin's Court struck down the mask mandate and had literally less than half as many cases per capita as Michigan. "Neanderthal" Texas and "DeathSantis" Florida cases dropped while Michigan rose during April. All explained by science.

Wait, how does science explain that?

[Hammy]

Yep. "It worked". Wisconsin's Court struck down the mask mandate and had literally less than half as many cases per capita as Michigan. "Neanderthal" Texas and "DeathSantis" Florida cases dropped while Michigan rose during April. All explained by science.

Cases are listed by residence, not location of contraction--which is likely why Texas and Florida numbers aren't higher.

If I were to go to Florida and get covid, and die there, both would be listed under Georgia.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

7-day positive rate down again to 2.75%