UK Covid infections climb by a million in a week

[BlueWavePsych]

Source: BBC

A high number of infections means the UK can expect Covid hospitalisations to rise too, although vaccines are still helping to stop many severe cases, say experts.

According to the latest figures, there were 16,975 patients in hospital with the virus on 23 March. About half will have been admitted for something else, rather than Covid, but tested positive.

Just over 300 of them needed an intensive care bed with a ventilator to help them breathe.

England's chief medical officer Prof Sir Chris Whitty said earlier this week that while the virus was causing pressure in the NHS, the high rates of transmission were fortunately not translating into lots of intensive care cases and deaths.


Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-60872687

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Hmmm ... low vaccination rates in red states

[Evolve Dammit]

1. Preview of coming attractions? Great cartoon

[BlueWavePsych]

3. Only 66% in US are vaccinated (2 doses). States like Alabama and Iowa are at low end.

https://usafacts.org/issues/coronavirus/

51% Alabama - https://usafacts.org/issues/coronavirus/state/alabama
51% Iowa - https://usafacts.org/issues/coronavirus/state/alabama
55% Missouri - https://usafacts.org/issues/coronavirus/state/missouri
61% Texas - https://usafacts.org/issues/coronavirus/state/texas

Easy to see which states will get wacked.

[Ms. Toad]

7. Yup. Cases started going up in my county in Ohio 7 days ago.

State cases are up a bit, as well.

Unfortunately, many locations (including both my county and state) have gone to weekly reporting, so we will have less advanced warning for increases. That, plus the definition change as to low community transmission (from 50/100,000 over two weeks to 200/100,000 over 7 days) mean it will be even longer before people wake up and smell the fire.

[Evolve Dammit]

9. I'm afraid we really let our guard down prematurely. We will know in the next few weeks. Take care

[Ms. Toad]

10. Reminds me of the directions on shampoo bottles -

Wash, rinse, repeat.

It was a political move, designed to avoid a fight over masking during the state of the union address. The new standards use lagging indicaters, so once the exponential growth is apparent - especially if it grows as quickly as it has in the UK, or as quickly as omicron grew, it will be too late to take steps to minimize the damage.

[Evolve Dammit]

11. It's almost as if the U.S. has simply "moved on" and given up. We are not the nation we once were.

[jimfields33]

2. This is Great Britain. I think you read United States.

[BlueWavePsych]

4. You can easily use UK's experience to preview the impact on US red states.

About 80% in UK had two doses. Only 64% in London.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55274833

[sybylla]

5. Check out the CDC's sewer COVID tracker.

I looked at it earlier in the week and it was pretty mild.

Today, lots of 100%-1000% increase in incidence of COVID in sewers across the country.

It's here. Dig out some clean masks and avoid public spaces when you can.

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#wastewater-surveillance

[CrispyQ]

6. Interesting map.

100%-999% increase in my area, & yet hardly any masks.

Thanks for posting.

[Ms. Toad]

8. Thanks!

Now sewers in my part of the county - so the 10%-99% decline in the county's population centers does not include what I'm sure is an increase in the less urban (no sewer) portions of the county.

March 20 was the trough for new cases in our county - been climbing since then.