Don't lose those masks just yet
Transmission in USA way down, but theres a new variant to watch, and Russia's attack on Ukraine may give COVID-19 a boost
The pandemic isn’t over, but…. “As of March 10, 2022, more than 98% of the U.S. population is in a location with low or medium COVID-19 Community Level,” according to the CDC. That’s a whopping change from peak omicron in early January.
But…
Even though the omicron (BA.1.1 and BA.1.1.529 on the chart below) wave has subsided as dramatically as it surged in December and January, check out the rising BA.2 variant. This is the variant that the WHO warned last month appears to transmit much faster than earlier variants. Remember that omicron stunned epidemiologists last year when it appeared to spread as easily as measles and much faster than any previous COVID-19 strain.
Other news of note: A comprehensive analysis concludes that COVID-19 almost certainly jumped from animals to humans at a Wuhan open-air market in Fall 2019. The large research team traced the molecular signatures of COVID-19 to the market, where animals with likely coronavirus infection also were present. The results at “unambigous,” says the study.
After two years with no COVID-19 deaths, Hong Kong has lost nearly 300 people since Feb. 1. Most of the deaths are among elderly, unvaccinated individuals.
The Southwest (Arizona, Nevada, Southern California, Colorado) are seeing major increases in COVID-19 cases in the past week. Texas, Oklahoma, Delaware and Virginia are, too.
Arizona reported 382 deaths in the past week. Texas, Michigan and California recorded more than 100 deaths each.
The Transportation Security Administration has extended the mask requirement on public transportation through April 18, pending further guidance from the CDC. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters previously told reporters that masks were likely going to be needed for air travel for longer than community settings because of the possibility that travelers could spread new variants.
This 2012 MIT study showed how certain airports (JFK, HNL and LAX) were likely to be major contagion hubs in a pandemic.
Watch for new types of airport terminal designs coming. Already, many airports have reconfigured security checkpoints and other facilities to incorporate COVID-19 restrictions. Adaptability for the future is the key.
The reasons behind vaccine refusal shifted early in 2021, when President Biden declared his goal of getting 70% of Americans vaccinated by July 4. That appears to be when individuals with a certain political inclination grew determined to thwart the president’s efforts to control the pandemic, according to a new data analysis.
The CDC published another study reinforcing the evidence that masks are among the effective measures to reduce COVID-19 spread. A study of schools in Arkansas from August-October 2021, when the delta surge was underway, found that districts that required masks had 23% lower incidence of COVID-19 infections than districts without required masks. The study accounted for differences in community transmission rates and other factors. It also confirmed that transmission rates were higher in schools than in other community settings.
A large study monitoring COVID-19 in children found that the 2-shot Pfizer vaccine regimen prevented 31% of infections in children 5-11 and 59% of infections in 12-15-year-olds. The study also found that infected children have no symptoms in about half of all COVID-19 infections.
Another sad consequence of the Ukraine invasion: Ukraine had a major COVID-19 problem before the Russian attack. With millions fleeing for safety, few are able to even consider COVID-19 precautions. If you thought things couldn’t get worse…
Speaking of Ukraine, please consider giving what you can to help the refugees and others who are suffering. These organizations are among many that are doing amazing work in unimaginable conditions:
Keep safe, everyone. Thanks for reading.
Thank you for this critical installment, Doug. People getting lax. So frustrating!