U.S.                                                                  California

                                   CASES                 DEATHS                                    CASES            DEATHS       

December 2020    19,111,443              341,149                                2,120,610            24,241

2021   Timeline

January                  26,185,362              441,319                                3,310,949            40,702

December             54,859,966              825,816                                5,515,250            76,520

2022 Timeline

January                 74,333,528               884,265                                8,292,735            79,801

December          100,751,994            1,092,674                              11,829,499            98,637

2023 Timeline

January               104,196,861            1,132,935                             11,964,001             99,944

December          110,109,948            1,190,171                             12,543,800           106,183

2024 Timeline

January                110,653,481           1,193,026                             12,571,376           106,559

February              111,426,318            1,199,436                             12,677,885           107,643

March                  111 765 841            1,2,8,840                              12,709,918           112,443

UPDATED WEEKLY – Worldometer, Last updated on 15 April 2024

U.S. POPULATION - is 341,437,406 of 15 April 2024, 8:40 a.m. PST based on Census U.S. and World Population Clock.

      * updated information

    ** no updated information at this reporting

                              Worldometer

Cases Worldwide  

• TOTAL CASES       -    704,753,890

Recovered        -    675,619,811

• TOTAL DEATHS     -        7,010,681

Cases in the U.S.

• TOTAL CASES       -    111,820,082                                  

Recovered        -    109,814,428

• TOTAL DEATHS     -        1,219,487

• Unemployment remained at 3.8% for the month of March, adding 303,000 jobs
• Import prices rose 1.4% for March, the largest increase in the last 3 months.
• Fuel prices increase 4.7% in March

Cases in California

• TOTAL CASES*     -     12,711,918

Recovered        -    12,579,483

• TOTAL DEATHS     -         112,443
  • Unemployment remained the same for March at 4.4%
  • 8,700 jobs were added for March.

*   Correction

             **   No updated information

4/15/2024 (WHO)                  Cases               Deaths       Recovered    

• Texas                     -    9,190,299        104,793         9,071,380        
• Florida                   -    8,048,191          95,206         7,937,032        

• New York              -    7,587 861          83,374         7,498,921

• Ohio                      -    3,741 277          43,896        3,684 603
• Georgia                -    3,287,483          44,069        3,233 141
• Tennessee            -    2,729,641          30,729         2,696,520
• Arizona                 -    2,607,545          34,402         2,568,992
• Louisiana*            -     1,684,058         19,270         1,662,287          
• Nevada               -        923,059         12,485            908,273
• W. Virginia           -        703,856           8,247            689,426

 *                   *   no updated information at this reporting. Listed are states deleted from list due to no

                          updates  for an extended period.

            **   correction no updates for an extended time and deleted from list

Effective September 29, 2023, weekly updates to maps, charts, and data provided by CDC for COVID Data Tracker will occur on Fridays by 12 p.m. ET. This change aligns with the timing of CDC’s weekly updates for respiratory viruses (https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/index.html).

Changes in Vaccination Data Reporting

On June 16, the COVID-19 vaccination reporting system will track only two types of vaccinations–primary series and CDC’s new up-to-date measure. The reporting system will update data monthly and stop publishing average doses administered and doses on hand.

• https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
• https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/ - fullyVaccinatedhttps://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations
• https://www.edd.ca.gov/newsroom/unemployment-may-2021.htm
• https://www.bls.gov/
• https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm
• https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/

APRIL  BLOG

HEALTH  UPDATES 

Measles cases continue to appear across US; Map shows 16 states with infections reported

USA TODAY.  Thu, March 7, 2024 at 3:06 PM PST.  Cases of measles have cropped up in states across the U.S.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first issued an emergency warning Jan. 25, indicating 23 confirmed cases in several states between December 1, 2023 and January 23, 2024.  Since then, seven more states have been added to the list with 18 more infections.

Health officials have advised increased vigilance, as the virus is highly contagious.  90% of unvaccinated people exposed end up contracting it.  1 in 5 of those end up hospitalized, according to the CDC.

Measles cases by state.  CDC data on current measles cases is updated monthly.  The latest update from Feb. 29 reported 41 confirmed cases spread across 16 states.  Here's what those states are reporting:

• Arizona - Two cases in Maricopa County
• California - One case in Los Angeles County

• Florida - Ten cases Broward and Polk counties

• Florida measles guidelines:  Florida surgeon general defies CDC recommendations as measles cases spread in state

• Georgia - One case in the Atlanta Metro area
• Indiana - One case in Lake County
• Louisiana - Two cases in the Greater New Orleans area
• Maryland - One case in Montgomery County
• Michigan - Three cases in Washtenaw and Oakland counties
• Minnesota - Three cases in Dakota County
• Missouri - One case in Clay County
• New Jersey - One case in Camden County
• New York - Two cases in NYC
• Ohio - One case in Montgomery County

• Pennsylvania - Nine confirmed cases--eight in Philadelphia and one outside of that area
• Virginia - One case in Loudoun County
• Washington - Six cases in Clark and Wahkiakum counties

Measles cases reported by year:  The last major outbreak of measles in the U.S. was in:

• 1,249 measles cases in 2019,  

• 22 measles outbreaks reported between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1, in 2000, the highest in a single year since 1992.

Children, ages of 12 and 15 months, receive MMR vaccines as part of the regular course for the first dose, ages 4 to 6 for the second.  The vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.  It is 97% effective at preventing measles when both doses are given.

Measles symptoms.  According to the CDC, symptoms appear 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus, while the rash appears 3 to 5 days after the onset of the first symptoms.

Other signs and symptoms of measles include:

• High fever
• Cough
• Runny nose and sneezing
• Red, watery eyes
• Loss of appetite, diarrhea
• Reddish-brown rash that can spread across the entire body
• Koplik spots, tiny white spots that appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin
• Small, raised bumps may appear on top of the flat red spots.  The spots may join together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body. 
• When the rash appears, fever may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit

Mumps Cases.  Before the mumps vaccine was available in the U.S., most children got mumps by the time they reached adolescence.  Cases decreased by 99% after the mumps vaccination program started in 1967, with two regular doses of MMR vaccine.

Cases decreased from 152,209 in 1968 to 231 in 2003, but have increased since 2006, most cases in young adults and people who were vaccinated.  Large outbreaks occur with intense or frequent close contact, like college campuses, close-knit communities or large gatherings.

Outbreaks.  Mumps can occur in people who previously had 1 or 2 doses of the MMR vaccine.  High vaccination coverage helps limit the size, duration and spread of outbreaks.  In 2020, cases decreased compared to the previous six years, most likely due to social distancing and other COVID-19 prevention measures but, continued to circulate despite the measures.  From April 1 to December 31, 2020, 32 health departments reported 142 mumps cases.

CDC: Thousands of emergency room visits involve unsupervised kids who ingested melatonin.

 USA TODAY.  Fri, March 8, 2024 at 8:39 AM PST.  Nearly 11,000 U.S. children between 2019 and 2022 visited emergency rooms after ingesting melatonin, taken without supervision, according to a new federal report.  The report notes a 420% increase in children taking the sleep-inducing supplement, landing in emergency centers, in the past 10 years.

Melatonin, an increasingly popular adult hormone supplement, the brain produces in response to darkness and sold as tablets or gummies.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, found infants and children consumed the supplement when parents or caretakers weren't watching. 

Federal regulations do not require child-resistant packaging for melatonin, indicated CDC researchers.  A 2023 Journal of the American Medical Association study found most melatonin gummies are not accurately labeled.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advised, parents should consult health care providers before giving melatonin to children.  Adults should also ensure they've safely stored the supplements and using them as directed. 

CDC warns of dangerous uptick in infections from flesh-eating bacteria in three states — officials say the cause 'is well-documented'. Fri, March 8, 2024 at 6:30 PM PST  A new threat has been flying under the radar and is impossible to detect with the naked eye:  flesh-eating bacteria.

The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found seven people from North Carolina and two from New York and Connecticut, became severely infected with Vibrio vulnificus.  The waterborne and foodborne pathogen lives in coastal waters and can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, an infection in which tissue dies if exposed to an open wound.  Consumption of the bacteria, via raw or undercooked seafood, can lead to sepsis and gastrointestinal issues like watery diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.

The CDC suspects the illness was contracted by:  

• having a wound exposed to marine or estuarine, fresh and salt water mingling
• cuts on hands while handling raw seafood, in food preparation
• eating raw oysters,
• a wound exposed to brackish, somewhat salty or briny water

Why is this increase in V. vulnificus cases concerning?  The uptick came during the hottest summer the World Meteorological Organization recorded, as the microbe flourished in warmer waters.  "Although the cases, reported during July – August, cannot be solely attributed to the heat waves.  The relationship between vibriosis incidence and environmental conditions favorable to its growth, elevated water surface temperatures and low salinity, is well-documented," the report indicated.

• North Carolina saw 13 cases per year from 2021 to 2023,
• Connecticut had no reports from 2021-22
• New York had three in 2021 and none in 2022.

What can be done about the increase in V. vulnificus cases?  People can take steps to prevent illness by:

• avoiding wound contact with brackish water, salt water, and raw seafood,
• and thoroughly cooking oysters and other seafood before eating it.

VACCINE  UPDATES

FDA authorizes new drug to protect immune compromised from Covid-19.  March 22, 2024.   The Food and Drug Administration authorized a new antibody to protect immunocompromised individuals against Covid-19.  The drug, Pemgarda, marketed by the biotech Invivyd, the first drug available since the agency pulled AstraZeneca’s Evusheld off the market in January 2023.  New Omicron variants had rendered Evusheld ineffective.  Some immunocompromised patients:

• certain cancer patients,
• patients with some autoimmune or genetic disorders
• organ transplant recipients.

Invivyd has not yet disclosed a price, Dave Hering, CEO, did indicate a cost approximately $2,000 per dose and would probably charge more being sold commercially.  The drug can be re-dosed every three months to increase patients’ antibody levels.

Why COVID-19 patients who could most benefit from Paxlovid still aren’t getting it.  KFF HEALTH NEWS.  Sat, March 9, 2024 at 5:07 AM PST.  The price, the reason Paxlovid is not reaching those who need it most.  The sticker shock has stunned thousands of the sick since late December, as Pfizer shifted to commercial sales of Paxlovid.  The federal government covered the cost of the drug before then.  Patients who qualify for free doses, which Pfizer offers under an agreement with the federal government, often don't realize it or know how to get them.

Paxlovid must be taken within five days of the first symptoms. Doctors are wary about prescribing it because of dangerous interactions with common drugs that treat cholesterol, blood clots and other conditions.

Anti-vaxxers spreading falsehoods about vaccines have targeted Paxlovid as well.  Proactive and health-literate people get the drug.  Paxlovid is still free for those who are uninsured or enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal health programs, including those for veterans.  A Harvard study last year estimated the cost of producing generic Paxlovid at about $15 per treatment course, including manufacturing expenses, a 10% profit markup and 27% in taxes.

VARIANT UPDATES

Severity of current SARS-CoV-2 variants is not linked to the number of mutations.  News Medical

New research from UNC Charlotte's Center for Computational Intelligence to Predict Health and Environmental Risks, CIPHER, found the two most prevalent strains that cause COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, variants BA.2.86 and JN.1, are not better than the predecessor Omicron at evading immune responses despite having a high number of mutations. 

When first identified, the offshoots BA.2.86 and JN.1 raised significant health concerns, tied to the fact the original Omicron variant was highly mutated.  Some speculated the large numbers of new mutations in BA.2.86 and JN.1 conferred a greater ability to evade the human immune system and be more transmissible.  Extensive analysis by UNC Charlotte scholars and students determined the variants had a small, insignificant change in immune evasion and transmissibility compared to earlier variants, including Omicron.

BA.2.86 and JN.1 have another large set of mutations and signals of increased prevalence of the two variants in wastewater and genomic surveillance have been seen, but there has not been an accompanying large surge in cases or hospital burden.  The team found minor changes in binding affinity for neutralizing antibodies and concluded that BA.2.86 and JN.1 have no significant increase in immune evasion or infection capacity to previous variants.

How to Protect Yourself?  Getting vaccinated is your best bet!

IT’S NOT OVER!

Stay safe.  Mask.  Social distance.  Frequent hand washing.  Avoid crowds

ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/cdc-thousands-emergency-room-visits-163932497.html
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/cdc-warns-dangerous-uptick-infections-023000908.html
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/a-new-covid-variant-is-s172eading-fast-in-the-us-these-are-its-most-common-symptoms/ar-AA1lzcUa
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/second-child-develops-measles-chicago-201500512.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/mumps/outbreaks.html
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-covid-19-patients-could-130742015.html
• https://www.statnews.com/2024/03/22/covid-immunocompromised-antibody-protection-invivyd/
• https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/severity-of-current-sars-cov-2-variants-is-not-linked-to-the-number-of-mutations/ar-BB1kb3Tb