Written by Steven Hansen
The U.S. new cases 7-day rolling average are 6.7 % HIGHER than the 7-day rolling average one week ago and U.S. deaths due to coronavirus are now 24.8 % LOWER than the rolling average one week ago. Today’s posts include:
- U.S. Coronavirus New Cases are 74,312
- U.S. Coronavirus deaths are at 909
- U.S. Coronavirus immunizations have been administered to 58.2 % of the population
- The 7-day rolling average rate of growth of the pandemic shows new cases improved and deaths improved
- J&J privately asked other vaccine makers to probe blood clot risks – Pfizer and Moderna Told Them To Pound Sand.
- Nearly 6K fully vaccinated Americans got COVID-19 – out of 66 million
- Blue states have pulled far ahead of red states in vaccinations
- Covid-19 variant first detected in India now in the UK
- Young Men Not Immune to Getting COVID Twice
- Spring wave of coronavirus crashes across 38 states as hospitalizations increase
- Most Antibody Drugs Ineffective Against Brazil Variant
- Virginia Tech and UVA virologists develop broadly protective coronavirus vaccines
- US Economic Outlook Gets Another Upgrade
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Hospitalizations Are The Only Accurate Gauge
Hospitalizations historically appear to be little affected by weekends or holidays. The hospitalization growth rate trend is improving.
source: https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/covidnet/COVID19_3.html
Historically, hospitalization growth follows new case growth by one to two weeks.
As an analyst, I use the rate of growth to determine the trend. But, the size of the pandemic is growing in terms of real numbers – and if the rate of growth does not become negative – the pandemic will overwhelm all resources.
The graph below shows the rate of growth relative to the growth a week earlier updated through today [note that negative numbers mean the rolling averages are LOWER than the rolling averages one week ago]. As one can see, the rate of growth for new cases peaked in early December 2020 for Thanksgiving, and early January 2021 for end-of-year holidays – and it now shows that the coronavirus effect is lower.
In the scheme of things, new cases decline first, followed by hospitalizations, and then deaths.
The New Variants Are The Primary Cause Of This Fourth Wave
Even with vaccinations picking up, the fourth wave is now underway.
- the more people that are vaccinated reduces the pool of people that can be infected. Today we have removed over 58 % of the population from being infected which theoretically should reduce the infection rate by 58 % [it is unproven whether the vaccines prevent a vaccinated person from being a carrier of the virus even though showing no signs]. If the vaccines are shown to stop transmission, then in theory it would reduce the infection rate by double the percent vaccinated [in this case you prevent your own infection and do not pass it along to another].
- it is also unknown what the effective rate of the current vaccines is against mutations that seem to appear almost daily. As an example, if the effective rate drops to 60%, it means the 58 % reduction in the infection rate discussed above is almost cut in half. The South African and Brazilian variant is reported somewhat immune to the current vaccines.
- In theory, the pandemic should be over immediately if everyone could be vaccinated today. The problem is that every day brings a new mutation (which would not appear if the pandemic was stopped). The longer the immunization process takes – the more ineffective the vaccine will become.
- It is not clear whether the vaccine prevents those vaccinated from spreading the virus. It seems to be well documented that it normally stops the virus from taking hold and when it does not – the infection is mild.
The real question is whether the vaccines will be mitigating this surge – and to what extent.
Coronavirus News You May Have Missed
Blue states have pulled far ahead of red states in vaccinations. Why? – New York Times
In the U.S., the states that got off to the fastest starts were Alaska and West Virginia.
This pattern made me wonder whether many progressive-led governments were spending so much effort designing fair-seeming processes that they were failing at the most basic goal of a mass vaccination program: getting shots into arms. That error has held down vaccination rates across much of continental Europe. And it appeared to be an early problem in California and New York.
But it has not turned out to be much of an issue in the U.S. Instead, the states with the highest vaccination rates are now mostly Democratic-leaning, and the states with the lowest rates are deeply conservative.
“The parts of the U.S. that are excelling and those that are struggling with vaccinations are starting to look like the nation’s political map: deeply divided between red and blue states,” Russ Bynum of The Associated Press wrote this week.
By The New York Times | Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Why? There seem to be two main reasons.1. The party of government
Democrats believe more strongly than Republicans in the power of government. Compare, for example, the chaos of the Trump administration’s virus response to the Biden administration’s. Democrats’ belief in the power of government certainly doesn’t ensure they will manage it competently, but it may improve the odds.In the most successful state programs, one theme is what you might call centralized simplicity. In Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont gave priority to older residents, including people in their 50s, rather than creating an intricate list of medical conditions and job categories that qualified people for shots (and that more privileged families often figure out how to game).
In New Mexico — which has the country’s highest rate of fully vaccinated people, despite also having a high poverty rate — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has overseen the creation of a centralized sign-up system. The state has one vaccine portal that all residents can use to sign up for shots, rather than the piecemeal, confusing systems in many other states, my colleague Simon Romero reports from Albuquerque.
South Dakota, the red state with the highest share of vaccinated residents, has also taken a centralized approach, NPR’s Ailsa Chang points out.
2. Vaccine skepticism
Vaccine hesitancy has declined substantially, polls show. But it is still notably high among registered Republicans.
By The New York Times | Source: Kaiser Family Foundation Covid-19 Vaccine Monitor
Hesitancy is also somewhat higher among Black Americans than white or Hispanic Americans — and the south has a large Black population. “Most of the states where vaccination rates are lowest happen to be ones where the Black population is high and where the percentage who graduated from college was low,” CNN’s Harry Enten writes, “while the reverse is true in the states with high vaccination rates.”Dr. Vernon Rayford, an internal medicine doctor in Tupelo, Miss., told The Times that he had noticed a difference in the sources of skepticism. White skeptics often express a general distrust of government. Black skeptics are particularly mistrustful of the medical system, which has a long history of giving them substandard care — and even outright harmful treatments.
Across much of Mississippi — the state with the smallest share of residents to have received a shot — vaccine appointments are going unfilled largely because of a lack of demand. Two big reasons for the skepticism, Dr. Brian Castrucci, a public health expert, told The Times’s Andrew Jacobs, are misinformation on social media and mixed messages from Republican governors about the urgency of vaccination.
“It’s time to do the heavy lifting needed to overcome the hesitancy we’re encountering,” said Dr. Obie McNair, an internal medicine physician in Jackson.
Nearly 6K fully vaccinated Americans got COVID-19 – out of 66 million – NY Post
Approximately 5,800 fully vaccinated Americans — out of 66 million who received the shots — still became infected with COVID-19, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data reported Thursday.
The infections, dubbed breakthrough cases — or positive test results that occur at least two weeks after a person gets their final coronavirus vaccine dose — represents about 0.008 percent of Americans who are fully vaccinated, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The federal agency found 29 percent of breakthrough infections were asymptomatic, while 7 percent led to hospitalization. So far, 74 people have died from breakthrough infections — but it’s not clear which vaccine they received, if the patients came from high-risk groups or if there were any other circumstances contributing to the deaths.
More than 40 percent of the breakthrough cases, which come from only 40 states, occurred in people over the age of 60, and 65 percent of those infected were women, the CDC told the outlet.
[editor’s note: also read 99.992% of fully vaccinated people have dodged COVID, CDC data shows]
Blood clots as prevalent with Pfizer and Moderna vaccine as with AstraZeneca’s – MarketWatch
A study by Oxford University found the number of people who receive blood clots after getting vaccinated with a coronavirus vaccine are about the same for those who get Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as they are for the AstraZeneca vaccine that was produced with the university’s help. According to the study, 4 in 1 million people experience cerebral venous thrombosis after getting the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, versus 5 in 1 million people for the AstraZeneca vaccine. The risk of getting CVT is much higher for those who get COVID-19 — 39 in a million patients — than it is for those for get vaccinated. AstraZeneca’s vaccine use has been halted or limited in many countries on blood clot concerns.
[editor’s note: also read The risk of abnormal cerebral vein thrombosis with COVID-19 illness is roughly six times greater than the risk associated with vaccination or influenza. Also read Single dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine shown to be more immunogenic than natural infection and CDC advisory panel will meet again on J&J vaccine in a week and Australia says its third case of a rare blood clotting disorder is likely linked to AstraZeneca’s vaccine.]
J&J privately asked other vaccine makers to probe blood clot risks – The Hill
Johnson & Johnson privately asked rival vaccine makers AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer to join the company in its effort to evaluate blood clot risks in its coronavirus vaccine, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
People familiar with the matter told the newspaper that in addition to seeking help on studying the risks of blood clots, J&J also wanted the other companies to participate in a campaign that would address the issues of blood clots and vaccine safety.
AstraZeneca, which has also had reports of blood clots linked to its COVID-19 vaccine, was the only one to accept Johnson & Johnson’s offer.
Moderna and Pfizer said they were already looking into the blood clot issues and didn’t want to diminish public confidence in their own vaccines, according to the Journal.
A spokesperson for J&J told the newspaper that the company collaboration in the scientific community plays a valuable role in addressing questions about patient safety. The Hill has reached out to J&J for comment.
A Pfizer spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill that it “embraces opportunities for scientific exchange when we can make a meaningful contribution that is not being represented by other groups or regulators.”
Spring wave of coronavirus crashes across 38 states as hospitalizations increase – Washington Post
The coronavirus pandemic in the United States has turned into a patchwork of regional hotspots, with some states hammered by a surge of infections and hospitalizations even as others have seen the crisis begin to ease. The spring wave of the pandemic has driven hospitalizations above 47,000, the highest since March 4.
Thirty-eight states have reported an increase during the past week in the number of people hospitalized with covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to a Washington Post analysis of data provided by the Department of Health and Human Services.
But the national statistics don’t capture the intensity of the coronavirus emergency in the hotspots. Michigan reported more than 10,000 new infections on Tuesday alone. The state on Wednesday reported an average of 46 deaths a day, up from 16 a month earlier.
Along with Michigan, 32 other states have registered increases in infections in the past two weeks, including all the states along the Great Lakes, from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania. Minnesota and South Dakota are also up, making the Upper Midwest the major regional center of the spring wave. If there’s a single broad trend, it’s that the northern tier of the country is generally faring worse than the southern — for the moment.
Other regional hotspots include Maine and New Hampshire in northern New England; Delaware and Maryland in the Mid-Atlantic; Arizona, Colorado and Nevada in the Mountain West; and Oregon and Washington in the Pacific Northwest.
“In a nutshell, the increasing trend is concerning — covid-19 is clearly alive and well,” said Jeffrey S. Duchin, health officer for Seattle and King County. “It’s causing a large number of illnesses in young and middle-aged adults right now.”
US Economic Outlook Gets Another Upgrade – The Conference Board
The Conference Board forecasts that US real GDP growth will rise to 6.0 percent (year-over-year) in 2021, vs. our March forecast of 5.5 percent. This upgrade to our base case forecast scenario (black line) is due to stronger than expected economic indicators in Q1 2021, the rapid deployment of a $1.9 trillion fiscal support package, and a faster than projected vaccination campaign.
Nevertheless, the immediate future remains uncertain with both downside and upside risks at play. Our Downside Scenario (blue line) assumes that, among other things, a vaccine-resistant COVID-19 mutation emerges later this year, the vaccination campaign is prolonged, and the Federal Reserve signals that it will begin to tighten earlier than expected. Under this pessimistic scenario economic growth drops to just 4.7 percent this year. Alternatively, our Upside Scenario assumptions include universal access to vaccines by the end of Q2 2021, and the swift approval of the new Administration’s recently announced $2.3 trillion infrastructure and taxation plan. Under this more optimistic scenario economic growth could swell to 6.7 percent in 2021. At present, we believe there is more upside risk to our base case forecast than downside risk.
Young Men Not Immune to Getting COVID Twice – MedPage
Study in U.S. Marines stresses importance of vaccination
Young adult men who were previously infected with COVID-19 were not completely protected against reinfection, a study of U.S. marines found.
Among 189 Marines who were seropositive but free of current SARS-CoV-2 infection at baseline, 10% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 via PCR during a 6-week follow-up period, reported Stuart Sealfon, MD, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, and colleagues.
Not surprisingly, viral loads were about 10 times lower compared with initially seronegative participants who tested positive, and those who tested positive again were more likely to have a weaker immune response, Sealfon and colleagues wrote in Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Participants were nearly all men, and most were ages 18-20. Notably, only three of 19 seropositive Marines were symptomatic.
The question of natural infection conferring immunity has been central in the discussion over whether to vaccinate previously infected people. Sealfon’s group said most individuals do mount a “sustained serological response” after initial infection, but prior research found that about 10% of individuals with antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, with a weaker immune response, failed to develop measurable neutralizing activity.
They noted that a high proportion of young adults are infected asymptomatically and “can be an important source of transmission to more vulnerable populations.”
“As vaccine rollouts continue to gain momentum, it is important to remember that, despite a prior COVID-19 infection, young people can catch the virus again and may still transmit it to others,” Sealfon said in a statement. “Immunity is not guaranteed by past infection, and vaccinations that provide additional protection are still needed for those who have had COVID-19.”
Virginia Tech and UVA virologists develop broadly protective coronavirus vaccines – EurekAlert
A candidate vaccine that could provide protection against the COVID-19 virus and other coronaviruses has shown promising results in early animal testing.
The candidate coronavirus vaccines, created by Virginia Tech’s University Distinguished Professor X.J. Meng and UVA Health’s Professor Steven L. Zeichner, prevented pigs from being becoming ill with a pig coronavirus, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV).
The researchers have recently published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“The candidate vaccine was developed using an innovative vaccine platform targeting a highly conserved genomic region of coronaviruses,” said Meng, a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. “The new vaccine platform utilizes a genome-reduced bacteria to express the coronavirus vaccine antigen on its surface. Such a vaccine platform can be manufactured with low cost in existing facilities around the world, which could meet the pandemic demand.”
Their coronavirus vaccine offers several advantages that could overcome major obstacles to global vaccination efforts. It would be easy to store and transport, even in remote areas of the world, and could be produced in mass quantities using existing vaccine-manufacturing factories.
Most Antibody Drugs Ineffective Against Brazil Variant – Medscape
The coronavirus variant first identified in Brazil, known as P.1, is resistant to three of the four antibody therapies with emergency use authorization in the United States, according to a laboratory study.
Researchers exposed the P.1 variant to various monoclonal antibodies, including the four currently being used to treat U.S. COVID-19 patients – imdevimab and casirivimab from Regneron Pharmaceuticals, and bamlanivimab and etesevimab from Eli Lilly and Co.
Only imdevimab retained any potency, researchers found.
The neutralizing ability of the other three were “markedly or completely abolished,” according to a peer reviewed report available on bioRxiv and provisionally accepted by the journal Cell Host & Microbe.
The researchers also exposed P.1 to plasma from COVID-19 survivors and blood from recipients of vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna. Compared to their effects against the original version of the coronavirus, the plasma and the vaccine-induced antibodies were less effective at neutralizing P.1. In earlier studies, however, they were even less effective against the B.1.351 variant first identified in South Africa.
This suggests that the Brazil variant might not pose as great a threat of reinfection or decreased vaccine protection as the South Africa variant, said coauthor David Ho from Columbia University.
Covid-19 variant first detected in India now in the UK – CNN
There are currently 77 positive cases of the new Covid-19 variant that was first detected in India in the UK, according to the latest figures from Public Health England.
There are 73 cases in England and four in Scotland, a PHE spokesperson told CNN.
The B.1.617 variant includes a number of mutations. The Indian Health Ministry has said that such mutations increase infectivity and aids in escaping immune response. The variant has been designated a Variant Under Investigation by PHE. Enhanced contact tracing and all appropriate measures will be undertaken, it added.
Currently, the UK variant – B.1.1.7 – is the dominant strain in the country with 209,492 confirmed cases. The percentage of people testing positive in the country however is dropping , the Office of National Statistics said on Friday.
The following are foreign headlines with hyperlinks to the posts
AstraZeneca is the ‘workhorse’ for vaccinating the world. Now, the world is uneasy over clot risks.
German chancellor gets AstraZeneca vaccine amid worry over blood clots
Tokyo Olympics head: ‘We are not thinking about canceling the games’
Brazil doctor says country is underreporting infant COVID-19 deaths
Brazil’s Sao Paulo state will reopen shops and restaurants
Experts Think France’s COVID Death Total Underestimated by Thousands
The E.U. is unlikely to order new AstraZeneca doses, a minister says
Vaccine hesitancy runs high in some African countries, in some cases leaving unused doses to expire.
In Italy, younger people are accused of jumping the line to get the vaccine.
Greece will open its borders to some tourists, including Americans, next week.
Angela Merkel gets an AstraZeneca dose.
A new coronavirus wave is crushing middle-class dreams in India.
Overwhelmed by the virus, Paraguay considers ditching Taiwan for China — and its vaccines.
Moderna will reduce Covid-19 vaccine deliveries to UK and Canada due to supply chain issues
Covid-19 cases in Iran top 25,000 for 3rd day in a row
5 Colombian cities reimpose lockdowns and quarantines after drastic surge in cases
The following additional national and state headlines with hyperlinks to the posts
Mall department stores were struggling. The pandemic has pushed them to the edge of extinction.
You’re Fully Vaccinated. Do This, Not That
Pfizer CEO: Third COVID-19 vaccine, annual booster shots likely scenario
Amid rising vaccine stockpiles and low demand, Louisiana gets creative with efforts to improve the statewide immunization rate.
NIH stopped enrollment in a study comparing two COVID-19 treatments after a preliminary data analysis showed neither regimen is likely to outperform the other.
The HHS Inspector General reminded healthcare providers participating in the CDC vaccination program that they cannot charge patients for the service.
Some hospitals in Michigan have reached critical capacity levels as a result of the state’s recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
Sweat sensor could alert doctors, patients to looming COVID cytokine storm
Studies suggest people with blood cancers may not be optimally protected after COVID-19 vaccination
Coronavirus does not infect the brain but still inflicts damage
Triangular-shaped spikes aid the success of coronavirus transmission
Pfizer, Moderna Say Booster Shots Probably Needed
Mysterious Relief: Vaccines Help Some COVID Long Haulers
Biden administration investing $1.7B into tracking, combating COVID-19 variants
Cancer Patient’s Tumors Shrink After Having Severe COVID, Doctors Find
Today’s Posts On Econintersect Showing Impact Of The Pandemic With Hyperlinks
Preliminary April 2021 Michigan Consumer Sentiment Improves
09 April 2021 ECRI’s WLI Growth Rate Little Changed
March 2021 Residential Building Growth Improves
March 2021 Sea Container Imports Again Significantly Improved Pointing To A Strong Economic Recovery
Rail Week Ending 10 April 2021 – Rail Shows Significant Gains Year-over-Year
UK Far Ahead Of Europe In Curbing Covid-19
How To Get COVID-19 Vaccines To Poor Countries And Still Keep Patent Benefits For Drugmakers
Warning to Readers
The amount of politically biased articles on the internet continues to increase. And studies and opinions of the experts continue to contradict other studies and expert opinions. Honestly, it is difficult to believe anything anymore.
I assemble this coronavirus update daily – sifting through the posts on the internet. I try to avoid politically slanted posts (mostly from CNN, New York Times, and the Washington Post) and can usually find unslanted posts on that subject from other sources on the internet. I wait to publish posts on subjects that I cannot validate across several sources. But after all this extra work, I do not know if I have conveyed the REAL facts. It is my job to provide information so that you have the facts necessary – and then it is up to readers to draw conclusions.
Analyst Opinion of Coronavirus Data
There are several takeaways that need to be understood when viewing coronavirus statistical data:
- The global counts are suspect for a variety of reasons including political. Even the U.S. count has issues as it is possible that as much as half the population has had coronavirus and was asymptomatic. It would be a far better metric using a random sampling of the population weekly. In short, we do not understand the size of the error in the tracking numbers.
- Just because some of the methodology used in aggregating the data in the U.S. is flawed – as long as the flaw is uniformly applied – you establish a baseline. This is why it is dangerous to compare two countries as they likely use different methodologies to determine who has (and who died) from coronavirus.
- COVID-19 and the flu are different but can have similar symptoms. For sure, COVID-19 so far is much more deadly than the flu. [click here to compare symptoms]
- From an industrial engineering point of view, one can argue that it is best to flatten the curve only to the point that the health care system is barely able to cope. This solution only works if-and-only-if one can catch this coronavirus once and develops immunity. In the case of COVID-19, herd immunity may need to be in the 80% to 85% range. WHO warns that few have developed antibodies to COVID-19 when recovering from COVID-19. Herd immunity does not look like an option without immunization although there is now a discussion of whether T-Cells play a part in immunity [which means one might have immunity without antibodies]
- Older population countries will have a significantly higher death rate as there is relatively few hospitalizations and deaths in younger age groups..
- There are at least 8 strains of the coronavirus. California and New York may have a deadlier strain imported from Europe, compared to less deadly viruses elsewhere in the United States.
- Each publication uses different cutoff times for its coronavirus statistics. Our data uses 11:00 am London time. Also, there is an unexplained variation in the total numbers both globally and in the U.S.
What we do or do not know about the coronavirus [actually there is little scientifically proven information]. Most of our knowledge is anecdotal, from studies with limited subjects, or from studies without peer review.
- How many people have been infected as many do not show symptoms?
- Masks do work. Unfortunately, early in the pandemic, many health experts — in the U.S. and around the world — decided that the public could not be trusted to hear the truth about masks. Instead, the experts spread a misleading message, discouraging the use of masks.
- Current thinking is that we develop at least 5 months of immunity from further COVID infection.
- The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have an effectiveness rate of about 95 percent after two doses. That is on par with the vaccines for chickenpox and measles. The 95 percent number understates the effectivenessas it counts anyone who came down with a mild case of Covid-19 as a failure. But turning Covid into a typical flu — as the vaccines evidently did for most of the remaining 5 percent — is actually a success. Of the 32,000 people who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine in a research trial, only one contracted a severe Covid case.
- To what degree do people who never develop symptoms contribute to transmission? Research early in the pandemic suggested that the rate of asymptomatic infections could be as high as 81%. But a meta-analysis, which included 13 studies involving 21,708 people, calculated the rate of asymptomatic presentation to be 17%.
- The accuracy of rapid testing is questioned – and the more accurate test results are not being given in a timely manner.
- Can children widely spread coronavirus? [current thinking is that they are a minor source of the pandemic spread]
- Why have some places avoided big coronavirus outbreaks – and others hit hard?
- Air conditioning contributes to the pandemic spread.
- It appears that there is increased risk of infection and mortality for those living in larger occupancy households.
- Male patients have almost three times the odds of requiring intensive treatment unit (ITU) admission compared to females.
- Outdoor activities seem to be a lower risk than indoor activities.
Treatments with solid scientific support:
- Dexamethasone
- Proning, or turning someone on their stomach
- Remdesivir
- Baricitinib
Treatments with potential but limited evidence:
- ECMO, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- fluvoxamine
- Cyclosporine
- Famotidine
- Intravenous immunoglobulin
- Ivermectin
- Interferons
Drugs shown to be ineffective:
- The combination of lopinavir-ritonavir
- Hydroxychloroquine
- Insulin
- High dose zinc and vitamin C
- Convalescent plasma
- Monoclonal antibodies
- Tocilizumab
- Anti-coagulants
- A current scientific understanding of the way the coronavirus works can be found [here].
There is now a vaccine available – the questions remain:
- will there be any permanent side effects that will appear months from now,
- how long immunity will last [we can currently say we do not know if it will last more than 4 months],
- there is no solid evidence yet the vaccine will block transmission
Heavy breakouts of coronavirus have hit farmworkers. Farmworkers are essential to the food supply. They cannot shelter at home. Consider:
- they have high rates of respiratory disease [occupational hazard]
- they travel on crowded buses chartered by their employers
- few have health insurance
- they cannot social distance and live two to four to a room – and they eat together
- some reports say half are undocumented
- they are low paid and cannot afford not to work – so they will go to work sick
- they do not have access to sanitation when working
- a coronavirus outbreak among farmworkers can potentially shutter entire farm
The bottom line is that COVID-19 so far has been shown to be much more deadly than the data on the flu. Using CDC data, the flu has a mortality rate between 0.06 % and 0.11 % Vs. the coronavirus which to date has a mortality rate of 4 % [the 4% is the average of overall statistics – however in the last few months it has been hovering around 1.0%] – which makes it between 10 and 80 times more deadly. The reason for ranges:
Because influenza surveillance does not capture all cases of flu that occur in the U.S., CDC provides these estimated ranges to better reflect the larger burden of influenza.
There will be a commission set up after this pandemic ends to find fault [it is easy to find fault when a once-in-a-lifetime event occurs] and to produce recommendations for the next time a pandemic happens. Those that hate President Trump will conclude the virus is his fault.
Resources:
- Get the latest public health information from CDC: https://www.coronavirus.gov .
- Get the latest research from NIH: https://www.nih.gov/coronavirus.
- Find NCBI SARS-CoV-2 literature, sequence, and clinical content: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sars-cov-2/.
- List of studies: https://icite.od.nih.gov/covid19/search/#search:searchId=5ee124ed70bb967c49672dad
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