Tag: COVID-19

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COVID Cases, Hospitalizations & Deaths Plunged After 75% Of Brazilian City Vaccinated

Vials of COVID-19 vaccine

Vials of COVID-19 vaccine Brazil has experienced devastating effects from the coronavirus pandemic, including over 460,000 deaths, due in part to a lack of vaccine doses. The producer of China’s CoronaVac vaccine in Brazil, the Instituto Butantan, took on an interesting experiment involving nearly the entire population of the town of Serrano in São Paulo state. Statista reports that 95 percent of Serrano’s 45,000 inhabitants were fully vaccinated with CoronaVac between the months of February and April. When that process was completed:

• symptomatic Covid-19 cases fell 80 percent • hospitalizations declined 86 percent • deaths plunged 95 percent

Ricardo Palacios, research director at Butantan, said that 75 percent was the crucial figure in the study. Once three quarters of Serrano’s population was fully vaccinated, all three of the above metrics tumbled, suggesting 75 percent is the threshold required to contain and control the pandemic. In other words – vaccines work.

(graphic via Statista)

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New COVID-19 Cases Drop To Near Pandemic Low

The first confirmed case of the omicron variant in the U.S. has been discovered in California.

While many states didn’t report COVID-19 stats over the Memorial Day holiday, according to CNBC, the U.S. had the lowest number of new cases reported in more than a year on May 29.

The 11,976 new cases reported on May 29 were the lowest since March 23, 2020, when 11,238 new cases were reported, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The seven-day average of 21,007 is the lowest since March 31 of last year, when it was 19,363.

Friday also saw the TSA report the highest number of travelers since the pandemic began, with more than 1.9 million people taking to the skies for the long weekend.

Read the full article at CNBC.

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Deputy Who Mocked Vaccinations Dies Of COVID-19

Deputy Sheriff Trujillo

Deputy Sheriff Daniel 'Duke' Trujillo (image via Sheriff's Department)
Deputy Sheriff Daniel ‘Duke’ Trujillo (image via Sheriff’s Department)
Deputy Daniel “Duke” Trujillo, a 33-year-old former Marine, enjoyed posting videos and pictures on social media mocking those who chose to get their COVID-19 shot. Trujillo died Wednesday night of COVID-19 according to a news release from the sheriff’s department. He leaves behind a wife and young son. The Denver Post reports he’s the 2nd Denver Sheriff to die in 2 weeks. Deputy James Herrera, 51, died of COVID-19 on May 16. Both deputies worked at the Downtown Detention Center, which has had an active COVID-19 outbreak since April 2020. The Denver Sheriff Department website reported 11 active cases at the detention center as of Thursday. Although the two worked in a location with a high risk of COVID infection, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department told the Post that “vaccinations were a choice.” At one point, Trujillo changed his social media profile photo to an image which read, “I have an immune system.” Folks, COVID disinformation kills. Sadly, Trujillo bought into the false information that the coronavirus wasn’t that serious.

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New COVID Infections Drops To Lowest Level In 11 Months

Getting my second dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine

Getting my second dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine
Getting my 2nd Pfizer shot today
From the Washington Post:

For the first time in 11 months, the daily average of new coronavirus infections in the United States has fallen below 30,000 amid continuing signs that most communities across the nation are emerging from the worst of the pandemic.

The seven-day average dipped to 27,815 on Friday, the lowest since June 22 and less than a tenth of the infection rate during the winter surge, according to state health department data compiled by The Washington Post.

The pandemic map remains speckled with hot spots, including parts of the Deep South, the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest.

The big question at this point is whether the virus will be snuffed out completely or if it will ‘smolder’ in isolated areas where folks choose to not be vaccinated. The second scenario could leave pockets of the virus laying in wait allowing it to return with colder weather. #GetYourShot

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CDC To Ease Guidance On Mask Wearing Indoors

New York state is about to drop its face mask mandate as COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the Empire State.

A man wearing a face mask during the pandemic The Associated Press reports the CDC will ease its guidance on indoor face mask wearing for people fully vaccinated for the coronavirus. From AP News:

The new guidance will still call for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but could ease restrictions for reopening workplaces and schools.

It will also no longer recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks outdoors in crowds.

The announcement is clearly part of a push to show the benefits – or ‘what you get to do’ – when folks get their shot. This news comes as new cases of COVID-19 have dropped to their lowest rate since last September. Deaths due to COVID-19 have declined to their lowest numbers since April 2020. According to the CDC, more than 117 million Americans are fully vaccinated. When you add in the number of folks who have received at least one shot of vaccine, the total reaches about 154 million Americans. One thing though: isn’t this just going to give non-vaccinated people the chance to lose the masks meaning they could still be a health threat to others?

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Free Beer: Brewery Hosts ‘Shot And A Chaser’ Vaccination Clinic

Free beer was on the menu at a Buffalo brewery which hosted a 'shot and a chaser' pop-up vaccination site
(photo: Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels)
Free beer was on the menu at a Buffalo brewery which hosted a ‘shot and a chaser’ pop-up vaccination site. I am not mad at this. From Buffalo News:

Saturday was the first day that Erie County worked with a local microbrewery to host its Shot and a Chaser program, offering individuals who got their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at Resurgence Brewing Company a free pint glass and coupon for the vaccinated person’s drink of choice.

County Executive Mark Poloncarz, who was nursing his own drink in one hand while directing vaccine recipients to open table with the other, was happy to see the county’s first Shot and a Chaser effort going so well. Before the vaccinations started at 11 a.m., there was a line out the door.

If free beer wasn’t your thing, the local theme park Darien Lakes will host a pop-up vaccination clinic on Tuesday offering free admission to anyone who gets their shot. We’ve gone from former presidents encouraging vaccinations to major sports groups like Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NBA and more giving away free tickets to get those shots in arms. Whatever gets it done, folks.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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News Round-Up: May 6, 2021

Disney rolls out brand new rainbow pride gear for Pride Month

Disney rolls out brand new rainbow pride gear for Pride Month
(image via Disney Parks)
Some news items you might have missed: • Disney Parks: Just in time for Pride Month 2021, fans around the world can showcase their LGBTQ pride with all-new bespoke products featuring Disney brands. To learn more, visit RainbowDisneyCollection.com. • Pink News: An anti-transgender bill in Texas that would ban trans students from playing sports on the team corresponding to their gender identity has failed to advance out of a House committee. It failed to get the requisite seven votes to move forward, instead receiving a 6-5 vote in favor. • Kenneth-in-the-212: This week’s installment of Wrestle Wednesdays was a truly worthy honoree (below). Click here for more of KIT212’s regular Hump Day feature.
Follow David Torres here
Make sure to follow David Torres here on Instagram
• OUT: A Republican state lawmaker in Kansas was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery charges for kneeing the groin of a teenaged boy who was in a class he was substitute teaching. • Edge Media: Olympic athlete Tom Daley is back in familiar form after winning two gold medals at the 2021 FINA World Cup in Tokyo. The event was the diver’s first competitive performance in 14 months, and the judges unanimously agreed that Daley didn’t miss a beat. • Twitter: Fox News talking head Tucker Carlson says thousands of Americans have died after they received a COVID-19 vaccine, pointing to CDC numbers. What he doesn’t say: “Reports to VAERS of death ‘following’ vaccination do not necessarily mean the vaccine ’caused’ the death.” VAERS is an open-access system. It’s designed so that anyone — parents, patients and health care professionals — can freely report any health effects that occur after a vaccination whether or not those effects are believed to be caused by the vaccine. People have died after watching Carlson’s TV show. It doesn’t mean they actually died from his show (although I guess that’s possible).

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NY Gov: Broadway Will Reopen At Full Capacity In September

Broadway's HAMILTON at the Richard Rodgers Theater

Broadway's HAMILTON at the Richard Rodgers Theater
(photo: Sudan Ouyang)
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced at a press conference this morning that Broadway shows will be able to reopen September 14. Beginning tomorrow, May 6, producers will be able to put tickets on sale – wait for it – at 100% capacity. More from the New York Times:

Why the four-month wait? With as many as eight shows a week to fill, and the tourists who make up an important part of their customer base yet to return, producers need time to advertise and market. They need to reassemble and rehearse casts who have been out of work for more than a year. And they need to sort out and negotiate safety protocols.

But the biggest reason is more gut-based: individually and collectively, they are trying to imagine when large numbers of people are likely to feel comfortable traveling to Times Square, funneling through cramped lobbies and walking down narrow aisles to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers.

The Times mentions that long-running mega-hits Wicked, The Lion King, and Hamilton are already planning their announcements to reopen next week. Aladdin, Chicago, Come From Away and American Utopia are also looking strong to reopen in September.

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NY Gov Says Broadway Can ‘Effectively’ Re-Open May 19, But…

A photo of Broadway marquees in Times Square
(photo: Ludovic Bertron/Flickr)
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has given the green light for Broadway shows to reopen as of May 19, although getting productions up and running on the Great White Way is actually going to take a bit longer. From The Hollywood Reporter:

Though Broadway can effectively reopen on that date “from a capacity point of view,” Cuomo said, the governor noted that it will take time to remount productions and sell tickets.

“They may make their own economic decision as to when they reopen,” Cuomo said during a Monday press briefing. “We’re talking about Broadway.”

For their part, Broadway leaders — including The Broadway League — had previously said a September reopening is more likely. This came after Mayor Bill de Blasio said he expects New York City to reopen in July.

And, following Cuomo’s Monday remarks, the League remains committed to reopening at full capacity in the fall.

Included in Cuomo’s announcement was an emphasis on social distancing measures which would have to remain in effect per the CDC unless theatergoers provide proof of vaccination or recent negative test results. Read the full article here.

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Herd Immunity May Not Be Achievable In US

(photo: Anna Shvets/Pexels)
Medical experts have said that the goal in defeating the coronavirus in the U.S. would be to achieve ‘herd immunity’ – when some 80 percent of Americans would be protected from the virus via natural infection or vaccines. Now, with vaccination rates slowing down, health officials aren’t sure we’ll actually reach that level. From the New York Times:

Instead, they are coming to the conclusion that rather than making a long-promised exit, the virus will most likely become a manageable threat that will continue to circulate in the United States for years to come, still causing hospitalizations and deaths but in much smaller numbers.

How much smaller is uncertain and depends in part on how much of the nation, and the world, becomes vaccinated and how the coronavirus evolves.

It is already clear, however, that the virus is changing too quickly, new variants are spreading too easily and vaccination is proceeding too slowly for herd immunity to be within reach anytime soon.

Medical experts originally thought 60-70 percent of Americans getting vaccinated would get us to herd immunity, but they’ve upped that estimate to 80 percent due to the new variants of the virus spreading. Polls show nearly 30 percent of Americans have no plans to get vaccinated. Read the full article here.