CoViD-19 Report … 5 Dec 2021

Topic: Can we control the continual spread of CoViD-19

Thomas Britt, MD, MPH, ACSM-CEP
Health Policy Institute

Breaking News … a new variant has been introduced in the Global CoViD pandemic. It is called

                                        Omicron; it has been suggested that this new variant originated in South Africa.

  • • 1 Dec 2021 ……. 1 (one) case was confirmed in San Francisco … from a traveler from South Africa
  • • 2, 3 Dec 2021 … confirmed cases were noted in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, & NY  
  • • 5 Dec 2021 …….. at least 15 States have reported confirmed cases

Key Questions regarding this new Omicron variant:

  • • How contagious is Omicron … early reports suggest that it is twice as contagious
  • • How severe … too early in the course of the disease to be certain
  • • How effective are the existing vaccines … again it is too early to be certain, however our best protection is prevention, if and only if, you are fully vaccinated (FV) or more importantly fully protected (FP)
  • • Fully Vaccinated – received both doses of the mRNA vaccines, i.e., Moderna or Pfizer or 1 (one) dose of the J&J vaccine
  • • Fully Protected – fully vaccinated plus the booster 

Breaking Collateral News … the Opioid Crisis

  • • 17 Nov 2021, the CDC estimated 100,306 opioid deaths as of April 2021, a 28.5% increase from 78,056 that occurred the same reporting period last year
  • • Researchers are suggesting that this increase, in-part, is related to the stress of coping with CoViD-19
  • • Death rates are highest in Alaska, Arizona, Calif, Con, Maryland, Nevada, Utah, Washington

Estimated CoViD Cases per day … 90,000 to 100,000, where 99% are due to the Delta variant. Additionally, far more than 90% of these cases have occurred in people that were not vaccinated.

We continue to have a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

NOTE: Variants develop and thrive in the unvaccinated.

Confirmed Cases in the U.S.  … 48.8 million

Total U.S. Deaths … 788,778 … This number is greater than deaths from Heart disease or Cancer

Fully Vaccinated … 197.8 million or approximately 60% of the U.S. population has been FV.

                                            This is far less than the 70-90% required to achieve herd immunity.

                                            Herd Immunity is the critical component in controlling this crisis.

We can and We must control this pandemic … Please do the following:

              Get Tested (isolate or quarantine as is necessary)                   Get Vaccinated + Booster

              Wear Mask in crowded places                                                     Continue with social distancing

              Hand washing to be continued                                                    Clean surfaces frequently used