AZ Pandemic Numbers for the Week Ending January 15: Bad to Worse

 

Here is the Arizona pandemic numbers summary for the week ending January 15 and the statewide new cases seven-day average graph:


Well, read it and weep. The seven-day average of cases continues to rocket upward. Cases statewide increased almost 2.5X over the week. I suppose it's slightly encouraging that they are up only 1.7X in the state's largest county. 

Deaths are only up fractionally, though as I noted last week those tend to lag new cases by quite a bit.  Hospitalizations are up 10% over a month and 4% over a week. 

Here are the cases versus deaths and hospital beds. I have changed the hospital beds graph so the beds line is green when negative (freeing beds) and red when positive (consuming beds). I really feel sorry for people working in hospitals right now. At least some of the pressure came off for them over the holidays.





Popular posts from this blog

Looks Like Immune Responses are Enduring After All

Image
 For some time, public health officials have fretted about whether immunity to COVID-19, acquired via infection or vaccination would stick.  Studies showed rapid declines in antibodies during recovery from infection and thereafter . It turns out that this concern was overblown. A study just released says bone marrow plasma cells are a persistent source of protective antibodies, and that "circulating resting memory B cells directed against the S protein were detected in the convalescent individuals."   Another study , yet to be reviewed, suggests that vaccines boost this effect. In fact, some are suggesting this situation this could actually mean  lifetime immunity .   Whether the same thing happens with vaccination is not clear. Most estimates suggest that vaccine immunity will last about a year . More pessimistic estimates putting the protection period at six months .  The possible shorter time frame, plus the appearance of the new variants, have the vaccine makers working
Read more

Another One Bites the Dust

Image
Hi all. Stepping out of retirement for a moment to say that the day has finally arrived. After four years of successfully avoiding COVID-19 infection I had a positive test yesterday. Symptoms are very mild—I've had worse colds. The provider at urgent care said almost all the cases they are seeing are the same. Mild symptoms may also be due to the fact that I had the original vaccine then the two boosters. All this time I thought I might be a NOVID —one of those people who never get the bug. But no, it must have been my assiduous mask wearing and avoidance of high-risk situations when things were bad. So here's double middle fingers to all the kooks who think masks don't work (I've not been wearing masks for months now). I don't know what variant I have but it's likely JN.1. It is said to be extraordinarily contagious and accounts for 60% of cases worldwide . It also tends to produce mild infections like the one I have.  This article claims that right now every
Read more

Anti-Mitigation Groups Have Formed a Death Cult

Image
Over the weekend anti-vax protestors showed up at Los Angeles's Dodger Stadium, the largest vaccination site in the country, and staged a protest . Police said the protest was peaceful.  But the fire department closed the entrance to prevent them from moving onto the grounds or getting killed by traffic. In the end they didn't prevent anyone from getting a vaccination who had an appointment, but they did hold up the line for about an hour. In my option, these protestors are very lucky the people waiting in line didn't jump out of their cars and beat them senseless.   You have to wonder what these crackpots thought they would accomplish with their protest. People who are there already accept the truth that vaccines are protective, and don't think COVID-19 is a hoax. Did they think they would win converts? It was a fool's errand, kind of like holding an atheism demonstration outside the entrance to St. Peter's. Now it seems that the anti-vaxxers are increasingly j
Read more