US COVID hot spots now include Michigan and Minnesota: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-minnesota-michigan-0a59b4f4cd82aec3190cf23ada3abdf5 . And Wisconsin: https://fox11online.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-numbers-in-wisconsin-reach-highest-levels-of-2021 . Minnesota moves toward allowing COVID boosters to all adults this week: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-minnesota-infectious-diseases-60ae579505b6e99a0a4d35e9d2e2e3bb . Meanwhile, Minnesota educators push for stepped-up COVID prevention in schools: https://www.twincities.com/2021/11/16/minnesota-educators-health-officials-plead-with-districts-to-step-up-coronavirus-prevention/ . The pandemic continues.
WSJ: More on US COVID booster expansions: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-boosters-become-available-to-all-adults-across-several-states-cities-11637067602 .
Delta variant hits New England: https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/new-england-covid-cases-rise-delta-hits-unvaccinated-rcna5653 . This article recounts some key points involving analysis of the pandemic. First, percentage increases can be misleading when you start from a low base. Second, even in highly vaccinated states, Delta can burn through the unvaccinated. So this is a lesson the rural areas of the US will learn one way or the other. And third, as younger adults and children have lower vaccination rates, they represent a significant part of COVID’s prospective fuel.
COVID homecoming: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-education-rhode-island-c75e468aad58dd28ecfd722987807435 . Even when COVID becomes endemic, situations like this will recur regularly.
CDC says to avoid COVID hot spots Iceland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Guernsey: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/public-global-health/581726-cdc-adds-four-more-european-nations-to-high-risk .
COVID and pregnancy: Get vaccinated: https://www.today.com/health/womens-health/covid-19-vaccine-booster-pregnant-women-know-rcna5611 . An excellent message here: Pregnant women are immunocompromised.
Judge orders Pennsylvania mask mandate to end December 4: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/pennsylvania/articles/2021-11-16/mask-mandate-must-expire-dec-4-judge-rules-in-latest-twist .
Pfizer lets others make its COVID pill: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-business-pfizer-inc-health-d4b4d2f5d2e001cc3573526e680c07f8 . This should have a major impact in saving lives and severe illness around the globe. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-licenses-promising-covid-19-pill-to-u-n-backed-nonprofit-11637063101 . Pfizer files for US authorization: https://www.aol.com/finance/pfizer-files-u-authorization-covid-190010234-200109187.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-asks-fda-to-authorize-covid-19-pill-paxlovid-11637089791 .
Animal reservoirs of coronavirus: https://www.popsci.com/science/deer-wild-animals-coronavirus-covid-future/ .
University of Michigan has major flu outbreak: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/581633-cdc-investigators-going-to-university-of-michigan-amid-flu-outbreak . CDC will investigate. Last year’s global worry of a “twindemic” (COVID plus flu) morphed into a well-below-average flu season. So what was the reason? Mask usage. And this provides another piece of evidence for those of you seeing COVID as survival of the fittest.
Woman dies after suing hospital for ivermectin: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-lawsuits-florida-2fe950228fab741789f32fa943776e0c . Yes, here’s still more evidence of natural selection.
The quickest way out of the pandemic is vaccination: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/16/fauci-covid-endemic-vaccinations-boosters-us . The people touting natural immunity make no sense. The risks of serious illness or death are obviously far greater with unvaccinated infection. And, yes, we now have today’s evidence trifecta for survival of the fittest.
Virginia pharmacy improperly doses young children with older children’s dosage: https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2021/11/fairfax-co-pharmacy-gives-wrong-covid-19-vaccine-to-young-kids/ . So younger children are supposed to receive 1/3 the dose given to older children.
Researchers successfully filter coronavirus out of hospital air: https://news.sky.com/story/researchers-find-way-to-filter-coronavirus-particles-out-of-the-air-12469882 .
WSJ: New Year’s Eve in Times Square requires vaccination: https://www.wsj.com/articles/times-squares-new-years-eve-celebration-is-back-for-fully-vaccinated-11637094203 .
WSJ: Sixth Circuit to hear vaccine mandate challenges: https://www.wsj.com/articles/challenges-to-biden-vaccine-rules-will-come-before-ohio-based-u-s-appeals-court-11637105919 . However, as the article indicates, this venue represents only a slight improvement over the Fifth Circuit.
Zero COVID strategy in China continues to fail: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/coronavirus-fatigue-and-frustration-as-china-presses-strict-zero-covid-strategy-2613922 . This strategy gives you more time to vaccinate the population. But as a stand-alone strategy, it sucks. Again, we believe China’s main problem centers on the relative ineffectiveness of its vaccines.
WSJ: Getting therapy on Medicare: https://www.wsj.com/articles/baby-boomers-discover-that-therapy-on-medicare-doesnt-come-easy-11637074801 .
WSJ: Alzheimer’s drug proponent to retire: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biogen-r-d-chief-backer-of-new-alzheimers-drug-plans-to-retire-11637080289 .
Argentine woman’s immune system may have cured her of HIV: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/argentina-woman-immune-system-hiv-b1958318.html . This is only the second documented case of this phenomenon.
WSJ: COVID business interruption insurance disputes moving to jury trials: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-insurance-lawsuits-move-toward-high-stakes-phase-11637058600 .
WSJ: China puts more screws to real estate developers: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-developers-funding-lifeline-is-fraying-11637063884 . Clearly, many of these firms are near the breaking point.
How highways can be racist: https://news.yahoo.com/highways-become-a-culture-war-battlefield-163756498.html . There is a long history in this country of building highways to benefit the more prosperous at the expense of the less well-off. And some of that is overtly racist, as the article details. So compassionate, thinking people would make an effort to restore more equal treatment in some manner. Others look only for publicity and political gain. But what else do you need to know about Flyin’ Ted and Ron Costello-DeMentis?
However, there absolutely is a risk of gentrification in places like the Bronx. But that also can be overcome by policy, for example requiring certain minimum levels of low income housing.
Latest college football playoff and bowl projections: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/bowl-projections-alabama-moves-up-as-oklahoma-falls-out-of-college-football-playoff/ar-AAQM9Rn?li=BBnb7Kz . If Alabama and Oregon have to win out, so be it. Other than Cincinnati and Notre Dame fans, hardly anyone wants to see those teams in the Final Four.