The pandemic is in retreat

[PatSeg]

The number of new coronavirus cases continues to plummet, as does the number of Americans hospitalized with symptoms. Deaths have also begun to decline. And the number of daily vaccination shots has nearly tripled over the last month.

It’s been a long time since the virus news was as encouraging as it is right now.

The overall situation is still bad. The virus is spreading more rapidly in the U.S. than in almost any other large country, and more than 2,500 Americans are dying daily. Newly contagious variants may create future outbreaks. For now, though, things are getting better — and a combination of vaccinations, mask wearing and social distancing has the potential to sustain the recent progress.

snip

Since reaching a peak on Jan. 8 — related to holiday gatherings — the number of confirmed new daily cases has fallen by almost 60 percent. The decline in actual cases is probably somewhat smaller, because the volume of testing has also fallen over the last few weeks. Fewer tests lead to fewer reported cases.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/briefing/trump-georgia-obesity-weightloss-nun-covid.html

[Iliyah]

1. Good news! . ..

[PJMcK]

2. That's great news

Yet I read an article yesterday that indicated that 30% of Americans will not get their vaccinations. I had a conversation recently with a friend who said he won't get it because everyone else is getting it so he won't need it. That's a stupid choice and I told him he was showing poor judgment. He just shrugged.

If 70% of the American population gets vaccinated, I believe that's just under what the scientists say we'll need for herd immunity. I guess we'll see.

[DeminPennswoods]

3. It is, but there is

still plenty of fear-mongering centered around the many variants.

[Vogon_Glory]

4. Super Bowl and Spring Break might slow the decline

We’re still a long way from the edge of these dark woods.

[thucythucy]

5. You read my mind nt

[BeerBarrelPolka]

6. Yup

n/m

[central scrutinizer]

8. Complacency and pandemic fatigue

Are as dangerous as anti-maskers. I plan to continue being very careful until I’m vaccinated and will continue wearing a mask in public.

[tavernier]

29. Yup.

Besides Covid, the mask has kept me from getting other flues and colds.

[tinrobot]

7. Good trend, but don't let your guard down.

We've got a few months before enough people are vaccinated to really make a difference.

[forgotmylogin]

9. This

I assume the rate is going down because the Biden administration is taking it seriously, people are masking and double masking, and businesses are also taking mask mandates seriously. Plus we no longer having a CIC saying "This will all magically go away." This means we need to keep up social distancing and safety procedures.

[PatSeg]

13. Oh absolutely

I think most reasonable people aren't willing to take unnecessary risks after a year of this nightmare. It is just encouraging to see a positive trend for a change. What a difference competence makes. As for the chronic COVID-deniers, I'm not sure there is any hope for them.

[Initech]

16. Yeah I agree!

We're in the home stretch. Fauci said everyone who wants a vaccine should be able to get one by April. We got to stay the course until then.

[newdayneeded]

10. That decline started

around in January . What on earth happened during that time....hmmmmm ...I can't put my finger on it......

So glad Joe is Prez!!

[Massacure]

22. There was a lot of spread due to Thanksgiving and Christmas travels

The reduced travel is likely the biggest reason behind the decline. Biden's efforts are secondary to that, although his administration definitely deserves credit for proactively disseminating truthful information, organizing a much coherent federal response to the pandemic than the previous administration, and actively working to resolve bottlenecks in vaccine distribution.

[csziggy]

27. Was there any bump after January 6?

I've heard reports - today for one in the trial against *rump) - that some Capitol police officers and some that were at the Capitol had gotten Covid. But I have heard nothing about the insurrectionists - if any of them or any of their families had gotten it from the exposure during the attack on the Capitol.

[Massacure]

28. That's hard to say.

My gut feeling is that the D.C. riots did not help the pandemic, but that they were too small in scale relative to the population of the entire United States to say anything definitively. There were a couple of days over the holidays where the TSA screened more than a million passengers. The number of protesters/rioters was only a fraction of that. Good estimates aren't available, but it was probably greater than 10,000 and less than 100,000.

The seven day average rate of infection was declining through December 28, when it was at 185,579 people per day. December 29 was the first day of increase and that increase sustained itself until peaking on January 11 at 255,258 people per day. It's been dropping ever since. The seven day average infection rate was at 105,798 people per day yesterday, which is the best reading since November 6.

[csziggy]

30. Thanks for that detailed analysis!

At least the country seems to have dodged a bullet with that danger.

[LAS14]

11. The impact of the variants hasn't hit yet. nt

[SoonerPride]

12. This. By the end of March we will be right back at a peak

This is a temporary reprieve

[Initech]

14. God I hope not!

I want to think this is a real sign that we're fighting back against this menace. I want to hope that soon we'll be done with lockdowns and quarantine.

[Nevilledog]

19. Unfortunately, I agree with you.

[gratuitous]

15. A coherent, consistent national strategy is showing positive results?

Why didn't anyone tell Trump about this? Why was so much public health professionalism and expertise cancel cultured during his administration? I'll bet it was antifa, working to make Trump look bad.

[Wounded Bear]

17. Masks, social distancing, no large groups...

Masks, social distancing, no large groups.
Masks, social distancing, no large groups.
Masks, social distancing, no large groups.
Masks, social distancing, no large groups.
Masks, social distancing, no large groups.

Throw in some vaccinations and we can slow this thing down.

[BlueIdaho]

18. Yup, 10 out of 10

Doctors agree - when it comes to respiratory viruses- these simple ideas will keep the wolf from your door.

[PatSeg]

21. Also this came out yesterday from the CDC

New research by the agency shows that transmission of the virus can be reduced by up to 96.5 percent if both an infected individual and an uninfected individual wear tightly fitted surgical masks or a cloth-and-surgical-mask combination.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/world/double-mask-protection-cdc.html

[BlueIdaho]

25. Thanks for the info!

That’s terrific news from the CDC

[PatSeg]

26. Yes, this news was very reassuring

[PatSeg]

20. Yes, its a no brainer

Yet after a year, there are still people who just don't get it.

[Yavin4]

23. Is it truly declining or are we just coming down from the holidays peak? n/t

[PatSeg]

24. That is possible

In the coming weeks, we'll be able to have a clearer understanding of what the numbers mean.