Remember Last Summer’s Dangerous Covid Surge? We’re There Again
The numbers of U.S. covid infections and hospitalizations are approaching the same levels as they were a year ago. But new research finds that the dangers are vastly uneven for the vaccinated vs. the unvaccinated: almost 95% of the people dying did not get the shot.
ABC News:
US Approaching Same Case Numbers As 1 Year Ago
The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads. More than 612,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.1 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. (Shapiro, Pereira, Deliso and Winsor, 7/30)
AP:
Report: 94% Of COVID-19 Deaths Among Not Fully Vaccinated
More than 94% of Washington’s recent COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations have been among not fully vaccinated people, according to a new report from the state Department of Health. The data released Wednesday shows that between February and June, residents 12 and older who weren’t fully vaccinated made up about 97% of COVID-19 cases, 96% of hospitalizations and 94% of deaths in the state, The Seattle Times reported. (7/30)
ABC News:
Front-Line Workers In Florida Say Current COVID-19 Surge 'Feels Like It's An Impending Storm'
A jarring reality check is taking place in intensive care units across the country as thousands of COVID-19 positive patients, nearly all of them unvaccinated, are streaming into hospitals in need of care. This is particularly true in Florida, where virus-related hospitalizations have skyrocketed in recent weeks. The situation has escalated rapidly, now nearing peak levels, with nearly 7,900 patients hospitalized with the virus across the state, up by more than 320% in the last month, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Mitropoulos, Ault and Baur, 7/30)
In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —
Georgia Health News:
COVID Spread In Georgia Driving Patients To Urgent Care, Hospitals
Georgia’s COVID case numbers jumped by 4,800 in the state figures reported Thursday, continuing a recent upswing that’s apparently fueled by the Delta variant. “It is believed that the Delta variant is highly prevalent throughout Georgia,” said Dr. Charles Ruis, health director in the Southwest Health District, which is based in Albany. “The best way to prevent a COVID-related death is to get vaccinated, and vaccines are widely available in our region.” Urgent care centers in the metro Atlanta area were slammed Wednesday with patients, many asking for COVID tests. (Miller, 7/29)
Bloomberg:
Utah Children Hit Hard By Delta Variant, Vaccine Rate Low In Youngest U.S. State
A steady stream of vehicles flowed through the Covid-19 testing site in American Fork, Utah, a town in the youngest county of the state that has the youngest population in the U.S. On this recent Friday, many were minivans packed with children. Just around the corner, a vaccination site sat empty, closed for lack of demand. (Shah, 7/29)
WUSF 89.7:
Fried: Agriculture Department Will Release Daily COVID Numbers
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried plans to have her department release daily reports on COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations because the Florida Department of Health - under her political foe, Gov. Ron DeSantis - has switched to providing such information once a week. Fried, the only Democrat holding a statewide office and a 2022 candidate for governor, said she is still working on how the information will be provided, through press conferences, news releases or online posts. (Turner, 7/29)
CNN:
As Louisiana Faces A Covid-19 Surge, One Unvaccinated Patient Says: 'I Am Furious With Myself'
Sitting in her hospital room in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Aimee Matzen struggled to breathe as she described how exhausting it is to have Covid-19. "The fact that I am here now, I am furious with myself," she told CNN between deep, deliberate breaths. "Because I was not vaccinated." Matzen, 44, finds herself in the Covid-19 intensive care unit at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. She is receiving oxygen treatments and hopes she stays well enough to avoid getting hooked up to a ventilator. (Marquez, Andone and Boxer, 7/29)
Also —
The Washington Post:
Covid May Lead To Cognitive Decline, Research Says
Preliminary research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Denver this week suggests that coronavirus infections might lead to lasting cognitive impairment, especially among older people. But Heather M. Snyder, the Alzheimer’s Association’s vice president of medical and scientific relations, cautioned that while the findings from three studies are a step toward understanding how covid-19 affects the brain, more research is needed. (Haupt, 7/29)
CIDRAP:
Treated MIS-C Shows Favorable Follow-Up At 6 Months, Study Says
In a longitudinal cohort of 25 children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), all were asymptomatic and at their functional baseline at 6-month follow-up, according to a Pediatrics study yesterday. The study included a total of 50 children, with some lost to follow-up, but during all intermediary follow-ups, symptoms were improving. All study participants were admitted to Cohen Children's Medical Center with MIS-C from Apr 17 to Jun 20, 2020 (median age, 8.5 years; range, 9 months to 17 years). Most patients exhibited rapid clinical improvement, with an average hospital stay of 5 days. At discharge, 69% of 26 patients with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction had resumed normal function, 15% had persistent but improved dysfunction, and 15% had mild dysfunction at admission but no available discharge data. (7/29)
Newsweek:
Dr. Stella Immanuel, Hydroxychloroquine Advocate, Sues CNN, Anderson Cooper For $100M
The Texas doctor who became famous in 2020 for promoting the use of Hydroxychloroquine [HQC], an anti-malarial drug, as "a cure" for COVID-19 has filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN and CNN anchor, Anderson Cooper in the amount of $100 million. Dr. Stella Immanuel filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday claiming that, "in an effort to vilify, demonize and embarrass President [Donald] Trump, Cooper and CNN published a series of statements of fact about Dr. Immanuel that injured her reputation and exposed her to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, and financial injury." (Pedroja, 7/29)
