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Coronavirus / COVID-19 Information

Discussion in 'Coronavirus in Las Vegas' started by Sonya, Feb 27, 2020.

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  1. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    I wanted to remind everyone again that the mandates being imposed by casinos are, so far, for employees only!! There is currently no mask mandate for guests. You are encouraged to wear a mask and casinos have the disposable masks available if you want them, but nobody is going to force you to wear a mask.

    We've had a few threads started today to share info that masks are mandated in casinos now and that is not the case, currently. I promise I will post as soon as that situation changes.


    Some Las Vegas Casinos Require Employees to Wear Masks Again:
    https://www.ktnv.com/news/coronavirus/las-vegas-hotel-casino-requiring-all-employees-to-start-wearing-masks-again



    Las Vegas Ranked Worst Major Metropolitan Area for COVID-19:
    https://www.8newsnow.com/news/health/coronavirus-health/las-vegas-ranked-as-worst-big-metro-area-in-the-nation-for-covid-19-transmission/



    Las Vegas in a "Very Tricky Place" After COVID Warning:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/las-vegas-in-very-tricky-place-after-covid-warnings-2401328/



    As COVID Surges, What Experts Say about Unvaccinated:
    https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-19-surges-experts-millions-unvaccinated/story?id=78467921

    In case you missed it:

    A new ABC analysis has found that over the past week, states that have fully vaccinated less than 50% of their total population have reported a weekly average coronavirus case rate that is three times higher than in states that have fully vaccinated more than half of their residents.

    States that have fully vaccinated more than half of their residents reported an average of 15.1 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the last week, compared to an average of 45.1 cases per 100,000 people in states that have vaccinated less than half of their residents.

    The 14 states with the highest case rates all have fully vaccinated less than half their total population, and 10 out of the 11 states with the lowest case rates have fully vaccinated more than half of their total population, with the exception being South Dakota.

    Nevada is among the states that has fully vaccinated less than 50 percent of the population.




    The Delta Variant is Spreading; Should Travelers Be Concerned?
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2021/07/15/delta-variant-new-international-travel-restrictions-covid-spread/7986226002/



    COVID Vaccine Myths: What You Should Know:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/life/health/covid-vaccine-myths-heres-what-you-should-know-2401293/

    I saw some of these repeated here yesterday, so please make sure you are aware and not spreading this disinformation about the vaccines.

     
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  2. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Big numbers in Nevada reported for the weekend, 2,067 new cases.

    In the US, according to Johns Hopkins, we are now averaging 32,287 new cases per day, a 68% increase over last week. And the first time we've been over 30k cases since May.

    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 7/19:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 12.01% (+0.25%)
    Hospitalizations are up: 894 (+28)
    Cases are up: 774 (+56)

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada



    Tomorrow, Clark County Commission is going to hold an emergency meeting about possible actions to mitigate the increasing COVID numbers.

    Here is the agenda:
    https://clark.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=879950&GUID=D1324180-1AF0-4CE0-88DB-7AABB2B53EA5

    Discuss the increasing positivity rates of COVID-19 in Clark County and the recent recommendations from the Southern Nevada Health District; and take possible action in implementing measures to mitigate the infection rate. (For possible action)

    Here is the NVIndy on the meeting:
    https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/clark-county-commission-to-discuss-possible-covid-19-mitigation-measures-including-employee-mask-mandate-at-emergency-meeting

    As I bolded in the article, it appears the most likely mitigation plan will be for a mandate to be issued for masks to be worn by all employees, regardless of vaccination status, or at least front-facing employees.

    I will be sure to update when the meeting is over and we have more specific details.




    Pediatrics Group Recommends Masks for Staff and Children Over 2 yrs old for Return to School
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/education/pediatricians-group-urges-masks-for-school-staff-kids-older-than-2-2402503/



    How Delta Is Pushing the US into a New Phase:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/19/delta-vaccines-new-phase-pandemic/



    And last thing for today is this crazy poll from Economist/YouGov.
    https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/07/15/why-wont-americans-get-vaccinated-poll-data

    We know that the vaccination for COVID-19 has been politicized, which is a disgrace, but this is just full on bat-guano crazy.

    poll.jpg

    If you're one of the people sharing these bizarre conspiracy theories, stop it! None of this is true. :bang:
     
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  3. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

    Joined:
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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 7/20:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 12.38% (+0.36%)
    Hospitalizations are up: 930 (+36)
    Cases are up: 795 (+21)

    Megan adds some context to these numbers:

    For some context, if hospitalizations keep jumping by, say, 36 a day... we'll be at our summer peak (1,165) in about a week and our winter peak (2,025) in about a month. And Nevada is first in the nation for COVID-19 hospitalizations per capita.(per NYT tracker)

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada

    The Data Page Had an Update:

    it now has a variant tracker:

    variants.jpg

    And Megan Messerly has updated the county graphs to be larger and better show the data over time:

    counties.jpg



    Nevada Adds Highest Case Count Since Jan 30:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/nevada-adds-highest-1-day-tally-of-coronavirus-cases-since-jan-30-2403337/



    Today we got the Weekly COVID-19 variant update for Nevada:

    The Delta variant was responsible for 73.8% of cases sequenced in Nevada over the last 14 days, up from 68.4% last week.

    weekly.jpg

    In Clark County, the Delta variant has been responsible for 76% of COVID-19 cases sequenced so far in July.

    Clark.jpg

    In Washoe County, the Delta variant has been responsible for 82% of COVID-19 cases sequenced so far in July.

    Washoe.jpg

    The Delta variant has been identified in five counties in July so far (Carson, Churchill, Clark, Lyon and Washoe):




    Delta Variant Surges to 83% of Cases in the US:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/20/delta-variant-surges-to-83-of-sequenced-covid-19-cases-in-the-u-s-cdc-says/




    White House Report Show Nevada Still a "Sustained Hotspot"

    Las Vegas area remains a "sustained hotspot" for COVID-19 transmission, according to new White House report. Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami surpass metro area on list of "select high burden" areas.

    whitehouse.jpg

    For Las Vegas metro area per White House report:

    New cases over 7 days: 4,599
    Positivity rate: 16.0%
    Case change: +49%
    Positivity rate change: +0.7%




    Today's Clark County meeting on mitigating the increased cases is still ongoing. I'm going to post an update in the sticky thread here -
    https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/index.php?threads/southern-nevada-health-district-again-recommends-masks-for-all-indoors.185956/

    I'll copy the post here too in another post.
     
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  4. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    BOTTOM LINE:

    Under the current motion, masks will be required to be worn by employees of businesses in Clark County in indoor public places, regardless of vaccination status, effective midnight tomorrow until August 17.

    There is no mandate at this time for guests or the general public to wear masks.

    ---------------------------------------------------

    Here is the meat of the meeting today:

    Nevada Resort Association's Virginia Valentine says that the recent recommendation from the Southern Nevada Health District is "an important reminder that masks, after vaccinations, are the most effective tool we have in reducing spread." She also asks that what every they decide, they provide written guidance to the resorts and "time to operationalize and communicate the requirements so that we can fully prepare and fully comply."

    The Vegas Chamber agrees with the comments from the Nevada Resort Association, saying that many of their member businesses have already returned to masking for employees and that they would support a return to masking employees through the end of August. "This is our second most effective tool next to vaccinations ... We support the mask mandate to help curb transmission rates until we can up our vaccination rates throughout Clark County."

    That's it for the public comments.

    Now, SNHD Chief Medical Officer Dr. Curt Loeff is answering a bunch of questions about vaccinations and case rates, hospitalization, etc. He notes that younger people and African Americans are still two groups that need more work to get vaccinated.

    Commissioner Michael Naft says: "We've also heard a lot about closures ... Another significant reason we're here today is to prevent any time of closure ... We all have families who work outside of government, and we've all seen the impact of that and never want to see that again."

    (It's clear they don't want to close down businesses again.)

    Commissioner Miller asks whether it makes sense to do a mandate for employees vs. everyone. Loeff describes a broad mask mandate as "more aggressive" but says it "might obviously be more effective in terms of being able to prevent the transmission of the virus."

    They're talking about my favorite topic, wastewater monitoring! They can see within 5-6 days when a spike is starting to happen in a community by monitoring sewage.

    They're back to talking about how they don't want to do a shutdown again, but they want to protect as many lives as possible. The fear is that people start getting sick and tourism falls off a cliff.

    I'm sorry, I'm not sure which Commissioner is asking, but his question is whether or not they are seeing sewage from the Resort Corridor is reporting higher incidence of COVID than more local areas. Loeff says they have not seen that in the data.

    Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick says: "We got to get back on track to get out of this ... We want to move on, but we're not in that spot today, and I do think that we do have to do something, at the very least, to protect our employees across the valley because they’re bearing the brunt of all of this.”

    Loeff is explaining that it would be easier to have a mask mandate for everyone vs just for unvaccinated people because it's impossible to verify who is and who isn't vaccinated and the way they have been doing it (honor system) isn't effective. He suggests that all employees wearing masks might encourage guests to wear masks by setting an example.

    And we're in recess because the someone in the gallery started to cause a commotion and refused to be quiet when the Chariwoman asked and then refused to cooperate when police tried to escort her out.

    Kirkpatrick is back and wants to see a plan set up to protect employees. They've been getting calls about whether conventions are going to be safe.

    Commissioner Jim Gibson says: "I’ve moved from do nothing to we have to do something because we can’t afford to allow hospitals to become even more worse in terms of their crowding, and we cannot afford to have this economy suffer not even in the slightest, and that will happen for sure."

    Gibson is also very concerned about calls he's getting about inquiries about large conventions. "We're all going to suffer if we don't do something to slow this down."

    Gibson makes a motion: "I therefore move to follow the recommendation of the Southern Nevada Health District insofar as the those who would be required to wear masks would be those who are employees when they are indoors in public spaces." As part of the motion, Gibson is also requesting that large employers in the hospitality industry prepare plans to share with the county to show what they're doing to protect employees and visitors.

    He asks that those plans be submitted by close of business Friday.

    Commissioner Justin Jones: "I don't have a problem with this concept of moving forward today with requiring employees to be masked, but I don't pretend that I think that it's going to have much of an effect ... on the transmission of the virus." He stresses that we need to get people vaccinated. That if the headline of the meeting is that "we implemented a mask mandate for employees and nothing else, we've failed."

    The county will be requiring businesses to post signage starting Friday morning letting people know that masks are recommended because COVID-19 cases are high in the community.

    Under the current motion, masks will be required to be worn by employees of businesses in Clark County in indoor public places, regardless of vaccination status, effective midnight tomorrow until August 17.

    Commissioner Ross Miller: "The public should have a very clear understanding that if they're not getting vaccinated, if they're not wearing masks ... if the public is not abiding by those voluntary recommendations this will have consequences.”

    There was a change and plans are required by Monday morning, instead of closed of business on Friday. But the mask mandate for employees in indoor public spaces to wear masks goes into effect tomorrow at midnight.

    There is no mandate for guests or the general public at this point.

    The motion passed unanimously.


    And we're back to public comment and before my brain melts and leaks out of my ears, I'm stopping the video and turning off this hearing.

    The sacrifices I make for VMB. :wink2:
     
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  5. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Clark County Commissioners Vote to Require All Employees to Wear Masks Indoors at Work:
    https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/clark-county-commissioners-vote-to-require-all-employees-to-wear-masks-indoors-at-work

    This part though:

    Though the commission was united in its decision, some commissioners voiced skepticism about whether a narrow mask mandate on employees would be enough to stem the rising tide of cases. Across the border in Los Angeles County, where case numbers are less than half of what is being seen in Clark County, residents are being required to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.

    “I don't have a problem with this concept of moving forward today with requiring employees to be masked, but I don't pretend that I think that it's going to have much of an effect ... on transmission of the virus,” Commissioner Justin Jones said. “If the headline from this meeting is that we imposed a mandate on employees, then we will have failed.”

    I fear that this will have no effect on the spread of the virus if the general public can be unmasked and unvaccinated. I know it's not fun to wear a mask all the time, but please be safe and do what you can to protect yourself and others.

    And if you're not vaccinated, STAY HOME until you get your shots!!
     
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  6. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 7/21:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 12.55% (+0.17%)
    Hospitalizations are up: 994 (+64)
    Cases are up: 829 (+34)

    hospital.jpg

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada





    Here's another article on yesterday's Council Meeting:

    Mask Mandates Return for Southern Nevada Employees, But Not Customers:
    https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2021/07/20/mask-mandate-returns-for-southern-nevada-workers-but-not-customers/



    MGM Resorts Internal Email About Vaccines and Mask Mandate:

    This is making the rounds on social media.

    mgminternal.jpg

    "This updates mask policy is an early example of how more restrictive measures could be reimposed if we can't keep case numbers sufficiently low. This isn't alarmism or exaggeration - it's a realistic possibility that I hope we can avoid."

    He also points out that 161 Million Americans have received the vaccine and are doing fine. The people who aren't doing fine are the unvaccinated, 95% of hospitalizations and 99.5% of deaths are among the unvaccinated. GET YOUR SHOTS!!!



    Life Expectancy in 2020 Sees Largest Drop Since WWII:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/21/us-life-expectancy-2020-biggest-drop-since-wwii



    "I'm Sorry, But It's Too Late": Alabama Doctor on Treating Unvaccinated, Dying COVID Patients:
    https://www.al.com/news/2021/07/im-sorry-but-its-too-late-alabama-doctor-on-treating-unvaccinated-dying-covid-patients.html

    This story is heartbreaking and so easy to prevent with one free simple solution, vaccinations.


    And if you're still skeptical about the efficacy of the vaccines, just look at these numbers:

    Vermont has the highest rate of vaccination among the United States. Alabama has the lowest.

    In the last 7 days, Alabama has recorded 901 new cases, Vermont has recorded 8.

    Alabama is averaging 65 hospital admissions daily, Vermont averages zero.

    In the last 7 days, Alabama has reported 41 deaths. Vermont has reported zero.




    You got vaccinated, but still became infected? How did that happen?
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2021/07/21/covid-vaccine-breakthrough-infections/

    This is a good explainer about how breakthrough cases happen and why it doesn't mean that the vaccines are ineffective.

     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2021
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  7. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    NOTE: I deleted the article yesterday about the largest increase in daily deaths from LVRJ. There was an error in the reporting and those 28 deaths were over two days and not one, as originally reported.

    Here is the corrected story:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/nevada-sees-biggest-1-day-increase-in-covid-19-deaths-since-feb-20-2404002/


    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 7/22:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 12.71% (+0.17%)
    Hospitalizations are down: 971 (-23)
    Cases are essentially level: 829 (+1)

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada



    The Gaming Control Board has Issued Guidance for the Employee Mask Mandate:
    GCB.jpg



    Here is the Updated Mandate from Clark County:

    Clark1.jpg

    clark2.jpg



    Kaua'i Lists Las Vegas Travel Among Reasons for Climbing Cases


    This right here is the problem Las Vegas has with COVID-19. So much of what makes Vegas Vegas, is the same thing that allows COVID to spread.

    “Visitors usually stay indoors for a long time,” Kawakami said. “They mingle with others from all over the country, including from states where COVID and the delta variant are spreading rapidly.”

    And here's a snapshot of the statement they put out:

    kauai.jpg




    Officials Defend Mask Mandate for Workers:
    https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2021/07/22/officials-defend-mask-mandate-for-workers/



    Employee Mask Mandate Puzzles Some Businesses:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/employee-mask-mandate-puzzles-some-las-vegas-businesses-2404397/



    Another Vaccination Clinic on The Strip on Saturday:

    This time it's at Linq:

    shot.jpg

    https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/the-linq-next-stop-for-vivavaxvegas-vaccination-clinic-2404263/



    Nevada Becomes Latest COVID Hot Spot:
    https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/22/us/nevada-covid-19-hotspot/index.html





    Public Officials Have Tools to Beat Back COVID. Does Anyone Want to Use Them?
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/22/public-health-officials-have-tools-to-beat-back-covid-again-does-anyone-want-to-use-them/



    Proven Ways to Boost Vaccination:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/22/proven-ways-to-boost-covid-19-vaccination-mandates-plus-nudges/



    Before I end this for today, let's look around the US:

    nyt1.JPG

    41k cases per day! And why is testing going down when rates are going up? If you have symptoms, get tested and quarantine until you get results, please.


    nyt2.JPG




    99.5% of COVID Deaths in Texas, are Unvaccinated:
    https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/21/coronavirus-texas-vaccinated-deaths/



    We Are in Trouble: Kansas City Hospital Group Calls for Mask Mandate:
    https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article252958273.html

     
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  8. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 7/23:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 12.80% (+0.09%)
    Hospitalizations are up: 1,001 (+30)
    Cases are up: 850 (+20)

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada


    Coronavirus Contextualized, 52nd Edition:
    https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/coronavirus-contextualized-52nd-edition-cases-hospitalizations-continue-to-climb-as-clark-county-imposes-narrow-employee-mask-mandate

    As of Thursday, an average of 830 new COVID-19 cases in Nevada were reported each day over the last seven days, up from 710 last week and 429 the week before that. The recent low point, before cases started climbing, was 177 on June 1.

    In June, when Vegas relaxed mask mandates and distancing, we started a new increase. They have gone from 177 on June 1 to 830 new cases on average in about 6 weeks. This isn't quite as fast as the spike last summer (2020) when Vegas reopened and they went from 106 to 1,176 in about the same time period.

    However, Las Vegas can not continue at this rate. There has to be something done and making employees wear masks is not it. The problem is unvaccinated, unmasked people coming from all over, including places with high rates of COVID transmission. Either mask everyone, or require proof of vaccination.



    HHS Secretary Visits Las Vegas to Help with COVID Spike:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/federal-covid-support-for-nevada-is-open-ended-hhs-secretary-says-2404617/



    Comments at Board of Regents Meeting About COVID:

    Yesterday at the Higher Education Board of Regents meeting, Brian Labus, an epidemiologist at UNLV, talked about the Clark County Mask Mandate for Employees. brings the topic back to coronavirus. On the Clark County Commission's partial mask mandate, he says it will "do little to stop spread of COVID at the county level and do even less on an NSHE Campus." "The idea that we will stop the spread of disease in a large lecture hall by only requiring that the professor wear a mask, or that we can protect tens of thousands of fans at a UNLV football game by only making the ushers and food vendors wear masks is simply nonsensical"

    Here are his full remarks:

    mask1.jpg

    mask2.jpg





    Metro Officer: Vaccine Skepticism Almost Killed Me:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/metro-swat-officer-says-covid-vaccine-skepticism-nearly-cost-him-his-life-2405320/




    How Concerned Should We Be About Breakthrough Infections:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/23/how-concerned-should-we-be-about-breakthrough-coronavirus-infections-one-expert-weighs-in/

    This has good information about breakthrough infections and transmission. Please read.



    How Worried Should I Be About the Delta Variant?
    https://www.vogue.com/article/covid-delta-variant-how-worried



    CDC Considering Third Dose of Vaccine for Immunocompromised People:
    https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccine/cdc-considers-third-covid-shot-for-immunocompromised-people/281-b6580b4d-8e5f-4d69-9d56-886992afff5e?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot



    And finally for this week, something to think about when you are laying awake at night ;)

    Public Health England Confirms a New Variant:
    https://www.cityam.com/public-health-england-new-covid-variant-of-concern-under-investigation/


    Have a good weekend! If you're going to be in crowds of people, please consider wearing a mask, especially if you're in an area with rising cases. We all need to come together and do what is necessary to get through this thing. If we remain politicized, this will only get worse and last so much longer than it needs to.

    If you are in Las Vegas, remember there is a drop in vaccination clinic at LINQ all day Saturday where you can get a shot and be entered to win a bunch of cool prizes like suite packages, tickets to Usher, etc. Please get vaccinated. People at medical risk, like myself, are counting on you to do the right thing.
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2021
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  9. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 7/26:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 13.49% (+0.68%)
    Hospitalizations are up: 1,046 (+45)
    Cases are up: 897 (+47)
    52.7% of Nevadans are fully or partially vaccinated

    (The numbers in () reflect changes since Friday)

    As we approach 1k cases per day and 1k+ hospitalized, it might be worth it to show a few of the charts again.

    Cases:

    cases.jpg


    Hospitalizations:

    hospital.jpg


    Test Positivity:

    positives.jpg


    It appears we are approaching last summer's peak numbers. At least there has been a small increase in the number of vaccinated.

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada




    A New Way to Visualize the Surges:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/26/new-way-visualize-covid-19-case-surge-us/

    We have become accustomed to seeing this chart, which shows the number of new cases per day:

    newcases.png

    The chart, however, fails to show the rate of acceleration of cases. This is the rate at which the number of new cases is speeding up or slowing down.

    This chart shows the velocity of cases. How fast it is speeding up or slowing down.

    velocity.jpg

    The article has more detail:




    Some encouraging and discouraging points in this interview with Dr Eric Topol.

    How Bad Could the Delta Variant Get?
    https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/07/how-bad-could-the-delta-variant-get.html



    And speaking of Long-COVID, let's not ignore the problem of long-COVID in younger people:

    As Long COVID Affects More Kids, Doctors Still Can't Predict Who is At Risk:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/06/10/as-more-kids-get-long-covid-doctors-still-cant-predict-who-is-at-risk/



    Study: Early Details of Brain Damage in COVID Patients:
    https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/11/small-study-reveals-details-of-brain-damage-in-covid-19-patients/

    This is a very small study and early on in the process, but we need to be looking more at some of these long term effects of a COVID infection.



    Eric Topol Tweeted out some graphics about vaccinated vs unvaccinated people in Southern California:
    https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1419312208152911880

    sandiego.jpg


    And while these circles are a bit misleading the numbers on the side tell the story:

    LA.jpg


    Get vaccinated!



    Man Who Made Fun of Vaccinations on Social Media Has Died of COVID-19:
    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-who-made-fun-vaccination-efforts-social-media-dies-covid-n1274922



    This article isn't about Las Vegas, but it is about restaurants and service and hilights something I've been wanting to point out in all these threads about changes in service. There is a lot going on here, but the sentence that sticks in my mind after reading this is this one:

    “I’ve been seeing a huge rise in people just forgetting to be human,”
    https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/SF-Bay-Area-restaurants-customers-rude-Yelp-review-16333535.php

    It costs you nothing to be kind to each other. A little patience can go a long way.
     
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  10. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 7/27:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 13.74% (+0.23%)
    Hospitalizations are up: 1,143 (+97)
    Cases are up: 914 (+17)

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada

    And some additional content from Megan Messerly:

    - Nevada is nearing its peak hospitalizations from last summer (which was 1,165 on July 31, 2020)
    - It's also creeping up but not as close to its peak case level from last summer (1,176 on July 20)


    Also, please remember these numbers are on a 7 day lag. The current numbers for test positivity are being reported as much higher (in the 20% range on other sites).



    We also got the Weekly Variant Update today:

    variants.JPG

    The Delta variant was responsible for 83.6% of cases* sequenced in Nevada over the last 14 days, up from 73.8% last week.

    variant.jpg

    *The state public health lab distinguishes between B.1.617.2 (Delta) and its sublineage AY.3, but the CDC is currently aggregating AY. 3 with B.1.617.2, which is why I'm (Megan Messerly) combining them here. The CDC is continuing to evaluate independent classifications of AY.1, AY.2 and AY.3.

    The Delta variant has been responsible for the following share of cases in the below counties in July so far: - Carson City: 75% - Clark County: 84% - Elko County: 36% - Washoe County: 87%

    Clark.jpg





    Nevada to Require COVID Vaccines or Weekly Test for All State Employees:
    https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/nevada-to-require-covid-vaccines-or-weekly-testing-for-state-employees




    CDC Recommends Masks For All Indoors Where Cases are Surging:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/27/cdc-recommend-masks-indoors-even-for-those-vaccinated-against-covid-19/

    And to the terrible headlines that this is "backtracking" or "reversing course", it isn't. This was entirely predictable.

    The unvaccinated did not follow the directions to remain masked indoors around people outside your household. And now we see cases as hospitalizations surging in certain areas of the country where vaccination rates are too low.

    The CDC has "responded" to our collective behaviors. Not "backtracked." That's just science.

    You can find the new CDC Guidance here:
    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html



    Governor Sisolak Signs New Mandate for Masks in Nevada, Effective 12:01am Friday:

    Governor Sisolak has signed a new emergency directive requiring people "to cover their nose and mouth with a mask or face covering in a manner consistent with the guidance issued by CDC," i.e. masks will now be REQUIRED indoors in 12/17 Nevada counties.

    Directive.jpg


    This new directive makes the CDC's recommendation a mandate. But it makes it a mandate pursuant to the way CDC has framed it, i.e. only applies to the counties flagged as having high or substantial transmission according to the CDC.

    Masks will now be required starting Friday just after midnight in Carson, Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Washoe and White Pine. The other counties are listed as having low or moderate transmission and are exempted. As will these counties, once their rates go back down to manageable levels.

    The Emergency directive signed back in May REQUIRES people to wear masks "in a manner consistent with current guidance issued by the CDC."

    sec4.jpg


    You can find the full text of the new directive here: https://gov.nv.gov/News/Emergency_Orders/2021/2021-05-03_-_COVID-19_Emergency_Declaration_Directive_045/




    Here is the NV Indy story on the mask mandate:

    Masks Universally Mandated Indoors, Starting Friday:
    https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/masks-universally-mandatory-indoors-once-again-in-a-dozen-nevada-counties-including-clark-washoe-starting-friday



    Here is Gaming Control Board's Response:

    gcb.jpg

    You can find the full notice here: https://gaming.nv.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=17931



    And from Nevada Health Response:

    nhr1.jpg

    nhr2.jpg




    Las Vegas Businesses and Leaders Concerned About Conventions:
    https://www.8newsnow.com/news/health/coronavirus-health/las-vegas-businesses-local-leaders-concerned-about-conventions-as-covid-cases-rise/




    And finally for today, I want to end with this Op-Ed about Vaccine Mandates

    Rewriting EUAs Can Pave the Way to Vaccine Mandates:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/27/rewriting-eua-pave-way-covid-19-vaccine-mandates/

     
    • Informative Informative x 7
  11. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    I wanted to write a little bit about this "new" mask mandate and why we all should have seen this coming, as well as why it isn't a "backtrack" or "change of course" from the CDC.

    When this virus was brand new in 2020, there was a very brief period when we were told that we didn't need to wear masks. There was a big fear of a shortage of the disposable surgical masks for hospital workers at the time, so I get it, but wish it hadn't happened. That guidance was quickly changed when it became apparent that this virus is transmitted primarily by air.

    What we have been told, masks and social distancing are the most effective tool against SARS CoV2 outside of vaccinations, is still true today. We can talk about the handwashing, as the touch transmission was not as risky as first thought, although you should be washing your hands, you dirty heathens. ;)

    In Fall of 2020, when vaccines looked like they were going to be a thing, it was widely reported that we would need to get 70-80% of the population of the US fully vaccinated before we started to see "herd immunity" to the virus and cases diminishing across the country. Even then, we were told that there might be some local hotspots that would require a return to masking and distancing until numbers got back under control.

    So what happened? I honestly have no idea how we managed to politicize masks and vaccines so badly, but the result is that here in Summer of 2021, only 49% of the US population is fully vaccinated. Nobody under age 12 is vaccinated. There are still NINE states with vaccination rates below 40%, with Alabama and Mississippi tied for absolute worst at 34%. Nevada is still only 44% fully vaccinated. Despite the slowing vaccination numbers, we stuck to this idea that by 4th of July vaccinated people could gather together and go without masks.

    Despite not meeting vaccination goals and not really getting the positivity rate below the WHO guideline of 5%, Nevada lifted their mask mandates and we began to see an uptick in cases. As the hospitals were not over-stressed, they proceeded as if all was fine. Spoiler: It was not fine.

    Enter the Delta variant. It is much more transmissible than other variants. We still don't have enough data to know how much more easily transmissible and what is happening in the instance of a breakthrough infection. The CDC seemed to report this week that vaccinated people who become infected with Delta are, in fact, able to transmit the virus to others, while they believed the viral load of other variants was low enough in vaccinated individuals to say there is a very limited risk of transmission, that is not the case with Delta.

    We didn't meet vaccination goals, but wanted to open up for vaccinated people. Did we set up vaccine passports or require proof of vaccination like other countries? Nope. Nevada decided it would just trust the unvaccinated to follow the "guideline" to be masked indoors to avoid spreading the virus. Nobody would verity or enforce that guidance. I'm not really that shocked to hear that they didn't comply. Selfish people do selfish things.

    We ended up with shoulder to shoulder crowds through the peak of summer travel, gathering together without masks. And people got sick. And hospitals began to become overwhelmed. Something had to be done. Can we mandate vaccines? Start up those vaccine passports? Sure, but there doesn't seem to be the will to do so at this point, so mask mandates are the only other choice available to slow the spread of sickness.

    Think of masks like an umbrella. If it's raining, you need an umbrella so you stay dry. If it's not raining, you can put your umbrella away. Same with masks. If the virus spread in the community is high, masking indoors, where the disease is much more easily transmitted, is a good idea. I've been suggesting for weeks in this thread that people consider wearing your masks again inside the casinos when it is busy and crowded.

    I don't love wearing a mask. It's not as comfortable as not wearing a mask. It can be hot. It sometimes fogs up my glasses. Remembering to have one in my pocket can be a challenge. But it's not the end of the world. It's a tiny piece of cloth or something covering your mouth and nose. It prevents particles that could carry virus from escaping your mucous membranes and ending up on mine. Are they 100% effective? No. But they do help slow down the spread and reduce the amount of droplets. Something is always better than nothing. It's what needs to be done right now.

    I'm frustrated as anyone that we still have to have these conversations. If everyone had done what was asked of them, we wouldn't be here right now. We might not even have the Delta variant raging across the country if we had gotten more people vaccinated. So, here is my advice to everyone.
    • Get your vaccines. Get both shots of an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer or Moderna, if you can. Or at least get the one dose of Jansen for some protection.
    • Wear your mask when you are indoors in close contact with strangers whose vaccination status you do not know.
    • Wash your hands, because sure, why not?
    • Encourage everyone you know to get fully vaccinated and wear their masks indoors.
    If we can get enough people vaccinated and set up a plan for proving your status to access things like resorts/casinos, sports, entertainment, restaurants, etc, we can get back to a somewhat "normal" life. The more people who refuse to get with the program, the longer this is going to take and the longer you're going to have to wear a mask in a casino.

    Don't be the jerk who ruins this for everyone else. DO YOUR PART!!
     
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  12. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 7/28:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 14.03% (+0.29%)
    Hospitalizations are unchanged: 1,143 (+0)
    Cases are up: 950 (+36)

    I don't usually include COVID-19 deaths — since deaths are a lagging indicator — but just wanted to flag that COVID-19 deaths are up in Nevada, too. Last week, we were seeing ~7 deaths reported on average each day. Today that number is ~12.
    deaths.jpg

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada



    Today there was a press call with Washoe County Health.

    Kevin Dick had a few things to say about COVID:

    He believes an indoor mask mandate for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals alike is "not welcomed but ... necessary because of what we know about the Delta variant now." "Sadly I think it's very important that we do this so that we don't move further backwards. We don't want to be experiencing the surge that we did last fall."

    Dick says Washoe County's daily case average has tripled from 22.9 to 68.9 since the beginning of July — and notes that "what we've seen in Clark County is even more alarming."

    "We know that Delta is much more contagious than other COVID viruses that we've had to date, including the Alpha variant. The viral loads with the Delta variants are much higher, 1,000 times higher, in people that have been infected with the Delta variant."

    "We've heard a lot of people talking about whether to get vaccinated or not being a personal choice ... That is false. Whether somebody is vaccinated or unvaccinated affects our community."




    White House Continues to Label Las Vegas as an Area of Concern:

    Las Vegas, Clark County remain on White House's list of "sustained hot spots" and "areas of concern" when it comes to COVID-19. That mean it's an area with "a high sustained case burden and may be higher risk for experiencing healthcare resource limitations."

    areaconcern.jpg





    Fivefold Increase in Hospitalizations since June:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/hospitalizations-for-covid-19-in-nevada-at-peak-levels-of-last-summer-2407893/




    Could Coronavirus Vaccines Become Mandatory?
    https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2021/07/28/could-coronavirus-vaccines-become-mandatory/

     
    • Informative Informative x 5
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  13. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 7/29:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 14.32% (+0.29%)
    Hospitalizations are down: 1,129 (-14)
    Cases are up: 1,007 (+57)

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada



    Nevada Records Highest Single Day Rate Since January, Again:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/nevada-reports-highest-single-day-jump-in-covid-cases-since-january-2409510/



    Mask Mandate:

    Reminder that the Mask Mandate goes into effect in Clark County tonight at 12:01 am.

    I am going to put up a thread for people to share on the ground reports about conditions, compliance and enforcement. This is important info to have and share for people who are planning trips, but it is going to be heavily moderated and the guidelines will be in the first post.

    In addition, we got a little more information on the mandates from a staff member of Governor Sisolak in a press call today.

    Governor Sisolak's Chief of Staff Michelle White, on a press call today, says the state is working to finalize guidance on the updated mask mandate, which will provide a regular, weekly timeline for re-evaluating the CDC transmission data.

    Storey County was changed to be a "substantial" risk today, but the mask mandate only applies to counties that met the guidelines on Tuesday. It appears there will be a weekly reevaluation of the data from CDC and when a county goes back into the Moderate range, the mandate will be lifted at the next weekly evaluation.

    "Our goal ... is to provide the public with a very clear understanding of how their county can work towards loosening or having the mask requirement go in place ... based on the transmission status."

    msks.jpg


    So if you want the mask mandate in Vegas to end, get your vaccines, wear your mask, ask others to do the same and lower that test positivity and caseload in Clark County.




    I was asked to share this Op-Ed today:

    It's Time to Rethink What the End of the Pandemic Looks Like:
    https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/07/28/what-should-the-end-of-the-covid-pandemic-look-like-501373

    I disagree with a couple of his assessments here, like he completely ignores Long Covid, which appears to be upwards of 10% of all cases, and I feel like a bigger problem for urgency in getting younger people vaccinated is the idea that they are "safer" than older people, not that old people have nothing better to do but talk to their doctor. ;) Over half of the hospitalizations in Nevada are from people under 40 right now.

    hospdemo.JPG

    But he's right that at some point, we're going to have to agree to find some "acceptable" level of death in this country.




    Here is another Op-ed from a republican, former counsel for Republican Governor Sandoval

    Defining Liberty When it Comes to Vaccinations:
    https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/defining-liberty-when-it-comes-to-vaccinations



    Numbers Continue to Show the Power of Vaccines:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-numbers-continue-to-show-the-power-of-vaccines-2409194/

     
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  14. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    A lot of new information today thanks to a leak to Washington Post. But first...

    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 7/30:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is barely down: 14.31% (-0.01%)
    Hospitalizations are back up slightly: 1,133 (+4)
    Cases are up: 1,051 (+44)

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada



    Coronavirus Contextualized, 53rd Edition:
    https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/coronavirus-contextualized-53rd-edition-cases-continue-to-climb-as-indoor-mask-mandate-goes-into-effect-for-a-dozen-nevada-counties




    The big COVID news today is the documents leaked to the Washington Post from a CDC Presentation that seem to illuminate some scary data about the Delta Variant and shines a light on why we're back to mask mandates across the country.


    First, the WaPo Piece:

    The War Has Changed:
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/29/cdc-mask-guidance/


    There is a lot to absorb in there. I'll try to break down some of it with some other stories and data from the CDC that was leaked.

    The most alarming news is that there are vaccinated people with high enough viral loads, even with asymptomatic infections of the Delta Variant, that they can be spreading the virus as much as an unvaccinated person.

    The infection rate of this variant is also pretty alarming. More on that in a bit.


    Here is an article about that Cape Cod Outbreak referenced in the article:


    CDC Mask Decision Followed Stunning Findings of Cape Cod Outbreak:
    https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cdc-mask-decision-stunning-findings-cape-cod-beach/story?id=79148102



    Here is the CDC report on the Cape Cod Outbreak:
    https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7031e2.htm



    And here is LVRJ's story about the WaPo Scoop:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nation-and-world/cdc-study-says-vaccinated-people-carry-same-amount-of-covid-as-unvaccinated-2410171/




    You can see the leaked slide show from CDC here:
    https://context-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/default/documents/8a726408-07bd-46bd-a945-3af0ae2f3c37/note/57c98604-3b54-44f0-8b44-b148d8f75165.#page=1



    So, what does all this tell us? Bottom line, the Delta Variant is a serious mutation and the ramifications are not great.

    First, it is much more highly transmissible.

    Does everyone remember the reproduction (R0) number from the early days of COVID-19? That number is the rate of transmission, basically the number of people expected to be infected for each person positive. The original R0 number for COVID was around R3, meaning for every person infected, you could expect them to transmit it to three other people. Our goal with lockdowns, masking and social distancing was to drive the R number down below R1 to slow the spread of the virus.

    The new documents estimate that Delta has an R number of somewhere between R5 and R9.5. R5 is bad news, but an R9.5 could be catastrophic.


    Let's go through some of the slides from CDC:

    CDC1.JPG
    (Slide 3)

    Vaccines work. They are not 100% effective, but no vaccines are. According to this, there is an 8x reduction in disease, 25X reduction in hospitalization and death among the fully vaccinated.


    CDC2.JPG
    (Slide 15)

    The Delta variant is more transmissible than the original one. It's also as transmissible as chicken pox, and more transmissible than Ebola, the common cold, the "Spanish" flu and Smallpox.

    I'm reading that the estimates for the Delta variant was an R6, or twice is infectious as the original, but it appears it may be worse than that.

    CDC3.JPG
    (Slide 16)

    The Delta variant also seems to be associated with a longer infectious period. This could result in changes to the 14-day quarantine, as it appears to have a median of 18 days.

    CDC4.JPG
    (Slide 17)

    This is worrying. It seems to suggest that vaccinated and unvaccinated people spread the Delta variant at the same rate, and that rate is higher than the original variant.

    NOTE: I'm seeing a lot of pushback on the way media is reporting this. Medical scientists are insisting that vaccinated people are less likely to spread the virus than unvaccinated, although the possibility of asymptomatic spread from vaccinated people is new and concerning.

    CDC5.JPG
    (Slide 18)

    It also appears that Delta could cause more serious illness.

    CDC6.JPG
    (Slide 19)

    It appears that the vaccines (Pfizer is illustrated here) are less effective against the Delta variant. It does seem that they remain quite effective against hospitalization and/or death.

    CDC8.JPG
    (Slide 21)

    Here is the suggestion that we move to Universal Masking.


    CDC9.JPG
    (Slide 22)

    Summary, suggesting NPI (non pharmaceutical interventions) are essential to prevent spread. This means masks, distancing, capacity limits, etc. Let's hope the indoor masking does the job we need it to do.


    I hope that all of this complicated data is understandable. If you have questions, please PM me and I'll try to find answers for you. I am not a doctor, but I'm good at researching information for other people to interpret. :)



    I've got a couple more articles to share today, including this op ed from John L. Smith.

    With COVID Again Crashing the Party, It's Time for Vaccine Passports:
    https://www.cdcgamingreports.com/commentaries/with-covid-again-crashing-the-party-its-time-for-vax-mandates




    Breakthrough Cases Are On The Rise:
    https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/breakthrough-covid-cases-least-125-000-fully-vaccinated-americans-have-n1275500



    What Delta Has Changed, And What It Hasn't.
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/30/what-delta-has-changed-in-the-covid-pandemic-and-what-it-hasnt/



    That's it for me this week. Numbers are not updated on weekends, so we'll get new ones on Monday. I have a big home project this weekend, so plan to not be on the board too much, but I will be checking in. Have a good weekend and stay safe!
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2021
    • Informative Informative x 9
  15. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    There have been whispers the last couple of weeks of calls from conventions who are concerned about Delta variant and rising case numbers. Rumor that some conventions that are requiring vaccine proof also want event employees vaccinated.

    Today an email that is apparently from Venetian is going around talking about what is essentially an employee vaccine mandate.

    Here is the email.

    20210731_190503.png
    20210731_190506.png

    IIRC, Venetian was a property that did not report getting employee vaccinations to 80% before the restrictions were lifted in June.
     
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  16. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 8/2:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 14.92% (+0.61%)
    Hospitalizations are up: 1,224 (+91)
    Cases are up: 1,070 (+19)

    The (##) are the changes since Friday.

    hospital.jpg

    cases.jpg

    And here is some context for those numbers:

    Hospitalizations have now exceeded the record from last summer's surge. The peak last summer was 1,165 on July 31.

    Cases aren't quite yet back to last summer's peak, which was 1,176 on July 20.

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada



    And here is the Weekly Variant Update for Nevada:

    The Delta variant was responsible for 85.4% of cases* sequenced in Nevada over the last 14 days, up from 83.6% last week.

    *The state public health lab distinguishes between B.1.617.2 (Delta) and its sub-lineage AY.3, but the CDC is still aggregating AY. 3 with B.1.617.2, which is why they're combined here. The CDC is continuing to evaluate independent classifications of AY.1, AY.2 and AY.3.

    variants.jpg


    Delta variant breakdown so far in July by county:

    - Carson City: 88%
    - Clark County: 88%
    - Elko County: 38%
    - Washoe County: 87%

    clark.jpg



    Megan Messerly also had this piece in the NV Independent this weekend:

    Masks Offer "Bridge to Vaccination"
    https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/masks-offer-bridge-to-vaccination-as-delta-variant-fueled-case-surge-fills-hospitals-with-the-unvaccinated




    COVID, Other Factors Push Las Vegas Hospitals to the Limit:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/covid-cases-other-factors-push-las-vegas-hospitals-to-limit-2410714/




    I spent a little time this weekend, between coats of paint on the deck out back, looking into why so many medical people on social media were pushing back against the headlines from the Washington Post last week about those "leaked" CDC documents.

    I found some interesting things out.

    This was no ordinary holiday weekend in Provincetown. It was an annual gathering of mostly homosexual men, which is also why the demographics skewed to heavily male. Also, this was not "casual contact" as there was sex, which includes kissing, which I would not recommend you do with a stranger in a pandemic, but nobody asked me, so... ;)

    I'm going to give you some snippets of articles for brevity, but the links will take you to the full articles.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/31/us/covid-outbreak-provincetown-cape-cod.html

    Read this NYT description of what happened in Provincetown and see if the "75% vaccinated got infected" headline sounds a little less scary now.
    James Hamblin had some thoughts on why the way this story played out was bad and some of the science we learned that he feels is notable:

    https://body.bulletin.com/831828697697179

    First on why this was bad Public relations for the CDC:

    And here's some of the interesting bits:

    It's good that we know that vaccines are showing a little less efficacy with the Delta Variant. We knew that was the danger of all new variants moving forward. But for now, the slides showed us that the vaccines do amazingly well in protecting against serious illness, as well as hospitalizations and death, which is what they were originally intended to prevent.

    The most notable piece to me was this bit about how the vaccinated are "just as infectious" as the unvaccinated. I didn't understand how that was possible at all, as your viral load as a vaccinated person should be much lower. But, in summary, what we're learning is that the majority of the viral load is carried in your mucous membranes in your nose and throat. When you are vaccinated, but get exposed and contract a breakthrough case, at first there is a large viral load in your nose and throat. Most people report "cold like symptoms", which would be consistent, and some report asymptomatic breakthrough cases. Here is where the danger of asymptomatic spread lies.

    A vaccinated person who has recently been infected with a breakthrough case, has a similar viral load in their nose and throat as an unvaccinated person does at the same point in the illness. As the disease progresses down into the throat and lungs, the vaccine kicks in and battles off the virus in a vaccinated person, where an unvaccinated person is 25x more likely to end up seriously ill, hospitalized or dead.

    One suggestion to deal with this new news is booster vaccines given by a nasal spray:
    https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/08/the-u-k-s-delta-surge-is-collapsing-will-ours.html


    This article is referenced in the clipped bit above:

    To Beat COVID, We May Need a Good Shot in the Nose.
    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/to-beat-covid-we-may-need-a-good-shot-in-the-nose/


    And now back to James Hamblin's problems with the way the WaPo story rolled out and the questions we are left with:

    And finally, from James Hamblin, this assessment of why it was so badly handled and what the risks of that present is spot on, IMO.

    The CDC bungled the messaging around this "leaked" power point. They probably should have come out and done a lot of press and media to explain the information instead of letting non-medical journalists look for the headline themselves. The problem is that these messaging mishaps erode trust over time. Time, we don't have.


    This LA Times article about Delta, Breakthrough cases and protecting yourself, has some good data in it:
    https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-07-31/delta-is-rising-breakthrough-infections-too-what-should-i-do-to-protect-myself

    People infected with Delta have about 1,000 times more viral particles in their upper respitory systems than those who have a different variant. That allows Delta to jump from person to person just four days after an initial infection versus six or more days with other strains. It also explains why Delta became the dominant variant so quickly, now making up an estimated 82% of all cases in the US.

    We're also still not sure if the illness is worse with the Delta variant than with other strains of the virus, but it does look that way with the limited data:

    I've read a lot of pushback on how the press is covering "breakthrough cases", with some even having problems with the term used to describe what it is.

    Here are the CDC numbers from Axios:
    https://www.axios.com/chart-vaccinated-americans-delta-covid-cases-b93710e3-cfc1-4248-9c33-474b00947a90.html

    Less than 0.004% of those fully vaccinated experienced a breakthrough case resulting in hospitalization, and less than 0.001% have died from the disease.

    cdc.JPG

    And here's another bit from that NYT Article earlier about Provincetown:
    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/31/us/covid-outbreak-provincetown-cape-cod.html

    I keep thinking about the gallery owner in that article who said, "Thinking back to the exuberant crowds of June, she said it was “a bit naïve” to think it was safe to congregate inside". I'm wondering if we're experiencing the same thing with the early June return to "normal" in Las Vegas. Maybe we were all a little anxious for this virus to be over and we believed that vaccination made us invincible. When they mingled, along with the unvaccinated, Delta got it's chance to show us that COVID is likely to be with us for some time, especially if we don't find a way to come together and slow the spread and creation of new virus strains. Not just in Vegas and Provincetown, but all around the world.

    Dr. Ashish Jah commented on the Provincetown story and I loved his summary:
    https://twitter.com/ashishkjha/status/1421183212290813954

    We had an outbreak in P-town with lots of vaccinated folks infected

    No one died. Very few got sick

    And things have returned to normal

    This is how vaccines work folks



    And that's all the time I have for this today. I'll finish posting articles I have with the batch for tomorrow.
     
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  17. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    As of 4:30 pm Vegas time, there is still no update to the numbers for Nevada. So, let's look at the US.

    us.JPG

    That is the 7 day average of cases. Today's cases is actually estimated to be 135,811.

    On July 3rd, we were at 12,268 7 day average, and that day's cases increased by 3,993.

    Thankfully, hospitalizations and deaths are not increasing at the same rate.


    And here are the top 10 worst states for COVID cases:

    states.JPG

    Nevada still ranks in the top 10 for worst states per 100k of population with a rate of 35/100k. But whatever Florida and Louisiana are doing is the absolute wrong thing to do. Those numbers are catastrophic. Please be careful if you live or visit any of these areas.




    I see a lot of graphs, charts and infographics in my reading about COVID. Although the study associated with this info is probably no laughing matter for the men who end up with erectile disfunction due to COVID, it made me giggle like an 8 year old boy at a fart joke. :)

    ed.jpg

    Erectile dysfunction is 3x higher in covid positive men according to this study
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33742540/




    While there is some evidence for the effectiveness of booster shots, please do not game the system to get one.

    Hunt for COVID Boosters Creates Headaches for Healthcare System:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/08/03/people-chasing-covid-19-vaccine-boosters-create-headaches-for-the-health-care-system/

    There is some evidence that older people, people with immune issues, and others at very high risk of complications can benefit from a booster, there is no system set up for that yet. Please wait your turn.




    The Realization that COVID Will be a "Long War" Sparks Anger and Denial:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/08/02/belated-realization-that-covid-will-be-a-long-war-sparks-anger-denial/

    This is an interesting article about the psychology of what some of us are going through as we adjust to having to go back to masks, even though we did our part and got vaccinated. It also is a reality check on how long this virus may be with us and what we're eventually going to have to find a way to cope with.




    As we talk about breakthrough cases and low hospitalization rates and morbidity in the vaccinated community, I keep feeling like we've completely forgotten about "Long Covid". We know that there are millions of people out there reporting long term issues with even a mild case of COVID-19. I'm going to share this article from early July about how we need a reckoning to deal with the long term disability and long term healthcare issues that are being created by this virus.

    A Tsunami of Disability is Coming as a Result of Long COVID:
    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-tsunami-of-disability-is-coming-as-a-result-of-lsquo-long-covid-rsquo/




    FDA Aims to Give Final Approval to Pfizer Vaccine by Early Next Month:
    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/03/us/politics/pfizer-vaccine-approval.html


    Still no sign of the Nevada numbers at 5:30pm. I will try to have them for you tomorrow.
     
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  18. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 8/4:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 15.45% (+0.38%)
    Hospitalizations are slightly down: 1,215 (-9)
    Cases are slightly down: 1,083 (-27)

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada



    We also got an update about the counties in Nevada:

    This is a good illustration of how this is going to work in case Clark County goes into Low or Moderate status again.

    counties.jpg


    Storey county was substantial risk last week, but was moderate on Tuesday. This Tuesday they are at substantial risk. If they are at substantial risk or high risk again next week, they will become part of the mask mandate.

    Likewise, Esmerelda County was at high risk last Tuesday and at low risk today. If they remain at low or moderate next Tuesday, they will have their mask mandate rolled back on Friday (12:01am, so Thursday into Friday).

    You can check the numbers and status for yourself here:
    https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view

    From this page, select Nevada and the county you're looking for.

    clark.JPG

    We are hoping to see two Tuesdays in a row with Clark County at a Low or Moderate risk level and then the mask mandate will be lifted. Two weeks of Substantial or High and the mask mandate will come back.




    WHO Calls for Moratorium on Booster Shots:
    https://www.statnews.com/2021/08/04/who-calls-for-a-temporary-moratorium-on-administering-booster-shots-of-covid-19-vaccines/



    I'm seeing more articles in the last day or two about the Delta-Plus variant popping up in various areas.

    Delta Plus Variant Detected in South Bay, CA
    https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/delta-plus-variants-detected-in-the-south-bay/2608982/




    Fauci Fears Variant Worse Than Delta is Coming, Cases May Double:
    https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/coronavirus/article253248688.html


    I know we have some vaccine and mask resistant people here. I doubt they are reading this thread, but just in case. I wanted to highlight something here:

    “If another one comes along that has an equally high capability of transmitting but also is much more severe, then we could really be in trouble,” he said. “People who are not getting vaccinated mistakenly think it’s only about them. But it isn’t. It’s about everybody else, also.”

    I understand you feel "your body, your choice" about the vaccines, but this is a public health issue. We aren't talking about your getting a tattoo or plastic surgery. This is about everyone on this planet, not just you. Unless we get many more people vaccinated in this country, and the world, we are going to be dealing with new outbreaks and variants of COVID forever. Eventually one of these variants will not be at all slowed by the vaccines, putting millions of us in greater danger. It's not just about you. Public health is public and requires all of us to do our part for the greater good.

    I understand there are people who have allergies or health issues that prevent them from being able to safely take the vaccine. But the science is there. The vaccines are safe, from the hundreds of millions of us who have taken them over the last 7 months. The vaccines work and we could put this virus behind us if 20-30% more Americans would just go get their shots.

    I get responses from people saying that people die all the time and what's the big deal if someone dies of COVID. I'm sure that those people would feel a lot different if the person dying was them, or someone they cared about.



    For example, this young woman....

    This Healthy 28 year old Didn't Get the Vaccine, Ended up in the ICU:
    https://mississippitoday.org/2021/08/04/covid-vaccine-icu-mississippi-young-people/


    Please. Get your vaccines.
     
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  19. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 8/5:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 15.68% (+0.24%)
    Hospitalizations are up: 1,233 (+27)
    Cases are down: 1,026 (-30)
    54.3% of Nevadans are fully or partially vaccinated

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada



    Governor Sisolak Had a Press Conference:

    Lots of nervous comments on social media this morning when Sisolak announced a press conference about COVID. Lots of predictions of shut downs, capacity limits and end of all shows. None of those things happened.

    In fact, Sisolak started his presser by saying, "I am not here to announce capacity limits or closures, or anything like that." He adds that he's frustrated with the mask mandates too.

    "In May, Delta was less than 1% of the cases. Today, Delta is greater than 90% of the cases in Nevada."

    "While reports of breakthrough cases may seem increasingly frequent, the vast majority do not end up having a severe disease." He encourages vaccines, adding that the rate of hospitalization from breakthrough cases is less than .004 percent.

    The rest of his announcement was about mask and vaccination requirements for schools.

    He also says that he's asking for advice on mask and vaccine requirements for people working with vulnerable populations like healthcare, institutional care, etc.

    He also says, "I am asking these medical advisors to look at how we can make large gatherings safer.... so Nevadans can enjoy the best this state has to offer in our communities without the threat of spreading a dangerous virus."

    He urges vaccinations and masks for those under 12 who can't yet get a vaccination.

    Here is part we're concerned with - Casinos:

    When asked, "Do you think the casinos are doing enough?" Sisolak says, "Right now, I'm hopeful that the casinos will do on their own what needs to be done."

    Asked what it would take to implement more restrictions, he says, "We're doing everything we possibly can to avoid putting restrictions up. I want the private sector and the community to say 'you're right, we're making progress.'"

    He ends by saying, "Our frontline people are taking a lot of abuse, and it's not fair to them to suffer the abuse that they are taking because we've got a few disgruntled customers who are losing their patience."



    That's all of the press conference. I am not sure what to take from this, other than the fact that they really don't want to put in capacity limits or further restrictions. That comment about wanting the casinos to "do what needs to be done" was kind of cryptic. Stay tuned for more as we watch the numbers of the next couple of weeks.




    I've been looking for better data about the breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals and came across this data from KFF.org

    You can see at this link the criteria and data used to produce these charts:
    https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/covid-19-vaccine-breakthrough-cases-data-from-the-states/

    Unfortunately only some states track this data and fewer share it. So not all states are included in this.

    Here are cases of Covid, vaccinated vs unvaccinated:

    cases.jpg


    Hospitalizations of those new cases, vaccinated vs unvaccinated:

    hospital.jpg


    And deaths from those new cases, vaccinated vs unvaccinated:

    deaths.jpg



    I still wish I could find a good demographic profile of these breakthrough cases. If you know of one, please email or send me a PM!




    The Science Says Everyone Needs a COVID-19 Booster Shot—and Soon
    https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/30/booster-shot-coronavirus-covid-science/

    Laurie Garrett makes a sobering and compelling case for Booster shots for COVID:




    I was looking for something from late January/early February that I thought I remembered posting. I didn't find it, but I did find this prescient article from James Hamblin in The Atlantic:

    The Brazil Variant Is Exposing the World’s Vulnerability
    https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/coronavirus-pandemic-brazil-variant/617891/

    This is from February 1 of this year and deals mostly with the Brazil (P.1/Gamma) variant, but I was surprised how prescient this was:

    As the virus evolves, the threat is not encapsulated by any single variant. New, dangerous variants are all but inevitable when there are extremely high levels of transmission of the virus. As more people gain immunity, the selective pressure on the virus will favor the variants that can most effectively evade immune responses. Whether the Brazil variant manages to widely evade human immune responses, or whether some future variant does, the basic nature of evolutionary biology means that the virus should be expected to evolve in ways that circumvent defense mechanisms. Evidence that it is already doing so has been clear in the latest vaccine trial data.

    The solution, then, depends on vaccination. The immune response that the vaccines create is generally more robust than the immune response we get after being infected by a virus, and should buy a population more protected time than would a surge in exposure to the virus. Wealthy countries have time to avoid a fate like Brazil’s through immediate, efficient vaccination. In most places, however, this is not close to happening. And as of last week, only one of the world’s 29 poorest countries had vaccinated anyone at all. A study in the journal BMJ estimated that vaccines will not be available to more than a fifth of the world’s population until 2022.

    The coronavirus’s constantly evolving nature is a stark reminder that the entire world is in this crisis together. Vaccine distribution is more than just an issue of justice or morality. Ensuring that every human is vaccinated is in everyone’s interest, as global distribution of vaccines is the most effective way to drive down the virus’s capacity to replicate and evolve. The key will be bringing down the global rates of transmission as quickly as possible—not getting any single country to 100 percent vaccination while dozens of countries roil.


    ...

    The coming year could be a story of two worlds undermining each other. Certain countries will approach herd immunity by vaccinating almost every citizen. Other countries could see mass casualties and catastrophic waves of reinfection—potentially with variants that evolved in response to the immunity conferred by the very vaccines to which these populations do not have access. In the process, these hot spots themselves will facilitate rapid evolution, giving rise to even more variants that could make the vaccinated populations susceptible to disease once again. In a recursive loop, the virus could come back to haunt the vaccinated, leading to new surges and lockdowns in coming years.


    Please, get vaccinated. Protect yourself, your family, your friends and coworkers, and the rest of us. The sooner we get everyone vaccinated, the sooner we can put all of this behind us. Until we do, the virus will continue to do what it does best, spread and mutate. Creating the possibility of new variants even more dangerous, infectious and deadly than any variant we have now.
     
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  20. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Nevada COVID-19 updates for 8/6:

    Test positivity (note, w/ 7-day lag) is up: 15.84% (+0.14%)
    Hospitalizations are slightly down: 1,230 (-3)
    Cases are slightly down: 1,025 (-1)

    https://thenevadaindependent.com/coronavirus-data-nevada

    We are starting to see what might be the start of a small plateau on the cases and hospitalization charts. Still way too early to tell, but worth watching through next week.

    hospital2.jpg

    hospital.jpg




    NVIndy has an article about Governor Sisolak's press conference yesterday, including flushing out some of the comments I highlighted yesterday that you all might find interesting to speculate about. ;)

    Sisolak Asks State Medical Task Force to Consider Vaccine Mandates for College Students:
    https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/sisolak-asks-state-medical-task-force-to-consider-covid-vaccine-mandates-for-college-students

    I'm only quoting the pertinent part to us here, and skipping the school and health care mandates that were discussed.




    I don't love the clickbait headline on this CNN piece, but it is a good explainer of why unvaccinated people are such a danger to all of us with this virus.

    Unvaccinated People are "Variant Factories"
    https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/03/health/unvaccinated-variant-factories/index.html




    And finally for this week, here is a little something that wormed its way into my life this week and I thought I'd share the link I found that debunks this latest weird fake fact making the circles.

    No, the Delta Variant is Not Spreading at Gas Pumps:
    https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/coronavirus-verify/no-there-is-no-evidence-the-delta-variant-is-spreading-rapidly-at-gas-pumps/536-d4cda459-cd6e-4ba1-b0db-fcb7c6f6224c

    This originated as a text message, purporting to be from a hospital, saying Delta is spreading on gas pumps and asking people to wear gloves or use a paper towel to pump gas.

    That's it for me this week. Nevada gets no more numbers until Monday when we will get the cumulated data. Hopefully those case numbers and hospitalizations will not see another jump.

    Have a good weekend and take care of yourself and each other. It's been a rough week for a lot of us.
     

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