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

February                 28,602,101              513,137                                3,563,578                51,953

March                     30,459,874              552,072                               3,668,277                59,240

April                        32,225,012              574,280                                3,742,115                62,078

May                        33,261,284              594,468                               3,789,227                 63,247

June                       33,624,871              603,966                               3,814,890                 63,569

July                        34,434,136               610,859                               3,903,052                  64,231 

August                  39,057,368*              638,700                               4,326,204                  65,757 

September           43,471,906               698,149                               4,720,860                  69,130

October               45,979,056               746,021                               4,915,796                  71,950

November           48,214,360               776,586                                5,060,666                 74,152

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

UPDATED WEEKLY - Last updated on 26 December 2021, 9:30 am PST, John Hopkins Corona Virus Dashboard and Worldometer

Cases Worldwide

                       John Hopkins                                                    Worldometer

• TOTAL CASES      -   279,622,372                      TOTAL CASES        -   280,028,221

              Recovered       -                                               Recovered         -   250,266,868

• TOTAL DEATHS    -     5,399,014                        TOTAL DEATHS      -       5,415,714

POPULATION - is 333,876,557 as of 26 December 2021, 9:30 am PST, based on Census U.S. and World Population Clock.

Cases in the U.S.

• TOTAL CASES      -   52,106,642                      TOTAL CASES         -     53,033,604

              Recovered       -                                             Recovered          -     41,001,184

• TOTAL DEATHS    -        816,535                      TOTAL DEATHS       -          837,779

Cases in California

• TOTAL CASES       -   5,289,904                      TOTAL CASES         -        5,150,510

              Recovered        -                                           Recovered          -             N/A

• TOTAL DEATHS     -        76,126                      TOTAL DEATHS       -             76,343

12/26/2021                   Cases (WHO)                      Deaths (WHO)                Recovered (WHO)

• Texas                 -    4,478,203                             75,714                             4, 292,526
• Florida               -    3,911,566                             62,347                             3, 621,490
• New York          -   3,220,099                              59,457                             2, 470,619
• Illinois                 -    2,021,302                             30,566                            1, 734,345
• Pennsylvania    -   1,954,488                              36,050                                N/A
• Ohio                  -   1,910,991                              28,720                            1, 703,227
• Georgia            -   1,733,600                              31,209                            1, 545,566
• N. Carolina       -   1,607,378                              19,233                            1,538,231
• Tennessee        -   1,372,164                              20,449                                 N/A
• Arizona             -   1,354,708                              23,983                             1, 238,661

*correction

          **reporting information is limited, reduced testing and increased cases

 United States progress                                       Updated as of 26 December 2021, 9:30 am PST

• Doses Distributed*                                               611,897,975   
• Doses Administered                                            500,222,330                81%
• 1st dose administered                                        241,520,561               74%
• 2nd dose administered                                      204,740,321               62%
• Total population                                                 333,876,557

State Progress                                                       Updated as of 26 December 2021, 9:30 am PST

   .                                                             1st dose                2nd dose           % fully Vaccinated      

• California                                   32,416,845            25,970,014                    65
• Vermont **                                     553,280                 479,602                     76
• Maine                                          1,145,891              1,014,290                     75
• Connecticut                               3,128,940              2,649,289                     74
• Massachusetts                            6,188,074             5,114,904                      74
• New York                                   16,126,203           13,874,220                     71 
• Florida                                        15,887,600           13,541,346                     63
• Pennsylvania*                             9,898,704             8,126,163                     63
• Texas                                          19,222,170           16,423,346                     56
• Alaska                                             473,411               410,287                      56       
• West Virginia*                             1,103,589               982,546                      54
• Georgia                                      6,439,993            5,377,295                      50   
• Tennessee                                  3,988,659            3,490,856                       51
• Mississippi                                   1,644,289          1,430,031                         48
• Alabama                                   2,849,954          2,321,403                         47
• Wyoming                                      321,208             273,515                         47       
• Idaho***                                       928,594             824,055                         46

               *   Correction

             **    First on vaccine tracker

           ***    Last on vaccine tracker

• https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/
• https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/us-states
• https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/
• https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
• https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/us-states
• https://usafacts.org/visualizations/weekly-unemployment-claims/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-Jobs&msclkid=b11efd9b16dc12762fd79d422c12da27
• https://www.edd.ca.gov/newsroom/unemployment-may-2021.htm

                                                                          DECEMBER BLOG

COVID UPDATE

COVID UPDATE

WHAT THE HECK???  Sounds like something from “Transformers.”  Update on Omicron.  26 November 2021, the WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 a Variant of Concern or VOC - named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE).  This decision was based on evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves - how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. 

Scientist who helped discover Omicron variant warns of its potential.  Durban, South Africa — COVID-19 researchers suit up in protective gear before heading into the Africa Health Research Institute's high-security bio-hazard lab, where they are growing live Omicron, to  be tested against the blood of fully immunized people, as well as those who were previously infected. 

"This is probably the most mutated virus we'd ever seen," said virologist Alex Sigal, leading the team of researchers that first identified the new variant.  The Omicron variant has more than 50 mutations, over 30 in the spike protein, enhancing the virus' ability to infect the body.

Scientists will know in 10 days whether existing vaccines can stop Omicron.  Sigal is confident current vaccines will provide protection against severe illness and hospitalization.  But Sigal warned that as long as Africa and other low vaccinated countries lag behind in vaccinations, the virus will continue to mutate.  Omicron mainly infected young people in Africa and South African doctors indicate those infected have mild symptoms for the most part.

Transmissibility.  It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible compared to other variants, including Delta.  The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiologic studies are underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors.  

Severity of disease.  It is also not yet clear whether Omicron infection causes more severe disease.   Preliminary data suggests an increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron.  There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants.  Initial reported infections were among university students—younger individuals who tend to have more mild disease. 

Effectiveness of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.  Preliminary evidence suggests a possible increased risk of reinfection with Omicron of people who have previously had COVID-19 could become reinfected more easily.

Effectiveness of vaccines.  The WHO is working with technical partners to understand the potential impact of Omicron on our existing countermeasures, including vaccines.  Vaccines remain critical to reducing severe disease and death, including the dominant Delta variant.

Effectiveness of current tests.  The widely used PCR tests continue to detect infection, including the Omicron variant. 

Recommended actions for people.  The most effective steps individuals can take to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus is: 

• keep a physical distance of at least 1 metre , 3 feet, from others;
• wear a well-fitting mask;
• open windows to improve ventilation;
• avoid poorly ventilated or crowded spaces;
• keep hands clean;
• cough or sneeze into a bent elbow or tissue; and
• get vaccinated

New COVID variant: What is omicron, are vaccines effective, where has it spread?  The Omicron variant has been detected in at least 19 countries.  The variant comes at a time when countries around the world are continuing to battle a surge in cases caused by the delta variant. The coronavirus that swept the globe nearly two years ago continues to mutate in communities. The delta variant is currently the dominant COVID strain globally.

Scientists and vaccine-makers all say it could be two weeks before they have a better idea about how effective the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are in protecting against the omicron mutation and how easily it can evade protection.

• Moderna - Paul Burton, Chief Medical Officer, told the BBC his company has people examining the effectiveness of its current vaccine and booster with the variant.  Moderna is also testing a COVID-19 vaccine that could protect against several mutated strains of the coronavirus looking at an omicron-specific booster vaccine.  A vaccine modified for the Omicron variant could be available early in 2022.

• Pfizer - A Pfizer spokesperson said the company is "constantly conducting surveillance efforts focused on monitoring for emerging variants that potentially escape protection from our vaccine."  Pfizer could develop and produce a tailor-made vaccine against that variant in approximately 100 days.

• Johnson & Johnson - is working with scientists in South Africa and around the world to evaluate the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine against the omicron variant and has begun work on a new vaccine designed for the variant if needed.

A new COVID variant detected in South Africa, most mutated variant so far.  The C.1.2 variant first detected in South Africa is more mutated compared to the original virus than any other known variant.  A new coronavirus variant, C.1.2, has been detected in South Africa and other countries, with concerns it could be more infectious and evade vaccines, according to a new preprint study by South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform. The study is awaiting peer review.

C.1.2, first detected in May 2021, it had descended from C.1, which scientists found surprising as C.1 had last been detected in January 2021.  The new variant has “mutated substantially” and is more mutations away from the original virus than any other Variant of Concern (VOC) or Variant of Interest (VOI) detected so far worldwide.

First detected in South Africa, C.1.2 has been found in England, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland.   The study found the C.1.2 lineage had a mutation rate of 41.8 mutations per year, twice as fast as the current global mutation rate of the other variants.  Scientists stated “this short period of increased evolution was also seen with the Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants, suggesting that a single event, followed by a spike in cases, drove faster mutation rates.’

UK bans flights from 6 African countries.   UK officials announced that six African countries will be added to England's travel "red list" after the UK Health Security Agency flagged concerns over the variant.  According to UK Health Minister, Sajid Javid, “flights to the UK from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe will be suspended all six countries added to the “red list.”   What this means is UK residents and British and Irish nationals arriving home from those points of departure must undergo a 10-day hotel quarantine at their own expense!

More data is needed, Javid indicated, “the variant identified in South Africa ‘may be more transmissible’ than the Delta strain and "the vaccines we currently have may be less effective."

Mandatory vaccination and restrictions for unvaccinated people.  What is WHO’s position on countries using COVID passes to restrict access to public spaces?  Some countries have limited access to public spaces, such as restaurants, gyms, pools, theatres and hotels, to those who have a ‘COVID pass,’ a certificate showing a person is fully vaccinated, has recovered from COVID-19 or has recently tested negative.  The WHO’s position is that countries need to follow a risk-based approach, tailored to their circumstances and local preferences, while upholding human rights.

The WHO strongly advocates using the full range of tools we have - vaccination, physical distancing, masks, ventilation, respiratory and hand hygiene - to control COVID-19:

VACCINE UPDATE

COVID-19 VACCINE IN 5- TO 11-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.  The

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for children ages 5 to 11.  193 million individuals ages 12 and over have been safely vaccinated in the U.S.  Although younger children are less likely to die or be hospitalized from COVID-19, recent statistics show why pediatricians and University of Utah Health experts support the vaccine for younger children.

In the U.S.:

• Children are just as likely to be infected with the coronavirus as adults.
• More than 8,300 hospitalizations of children ages 5 to 11 due to COVID-19.
• 32% of these children had no underlying conditions.
• 94 children in this age group died from COVID-19.
• 1,800 schools closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks in August and September 2021 affecting 933,000

 Vaccinating children helps protect them from:

• Spreading the virus to family, friends, teachers and those at higher risk of getting sick.
• Getting multisystem inflammatory syndrome or MIS-C, a rare but serious condition associated with COVID-19.
• Debilitating, long-term effects of COVID-19 such as loss of taste and smell, fatigue, and memory problems.

CDC recommends Covid-19 boosters for all adults.  Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director endorsed the use of vaccine boosters for all adults just hours after CDC vaccine advisers voted unanimously to recommend booster doses of of Pfizer/BioNTech's and Moderna's vaccines for all adults six months after they finish their first two doses.  The Food and Drug Administration authorized boosters of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for everyone 18 and older.

 "The CDC continues to encourage the 47 million adults not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves, their families, loved ones and communities.  "We also strongly encourage older populations and individuals with underlying medical conditions -- to get boosted before the holidays."

Some 'frustrated' states don't wait for FDA, expand Covid-19 vaccine booster eligibility to all adults.  Recent studies suggested immunity from Covid vaccines begins to wane and protection against milder and asymptomatic disease, in particular, may drop.  Studies have shown that booster doses restore that immunity!

"Booster shots have demonstrated the ability to safely increase protection against infection, severe outcomes and an important public health tool to strengthen defenses against the virus as we enter the winter holidays.  Safety data from the CDC, from Pfizer and Moderna, showed boosters have not caused adverse events. The most common reactions are pain at the injection site, headache and fatigue.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, indicated recent data from Israel shows those age 60 and older who received a booster were less likely to become severely ill than vaccinated people who had not received a booster.  Rates of severe disease remained highest among those who weren't vaccinated.

Frustrated Biden officials are hoping to simplify the message on Covid-19 with booster decision.   We know that the boosters boost people's immunity back up to that 90% to 95% range in the short term.  We don't know how long that will last. The U.S. is averaging 94,943 new Covid cases each day, according to Johns Hopkins University -- a 31% increase over last week and back to levels from over a month ago.  Midwestern states account for more than a third or 38% of new cases.  There's concern that winter weather that drives people indoors and holiday gatherings could lead to even more cases.

• 32 million people in the United States, 17% are fully vaccinated and have received a booster according to CDC data.   
• 18 million seniors have received a booster, accounting for more than half of all booster doses administered and increasing the immune response for more than a third of fully vaccinated seniors.

No, Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill treatment is not a vaccine replacement.   Posts on social media have suggested a vaccine isn’t necessary if there’s a pill to treat COVID.   But vaccines and pills do two different things.

November 5th, Pfizer on announced results from a clinical trial found its COVID pill treatment was effective at reducing coronavirus-related hospitalizations and death.  The announcement prompted questions suggesting the pill could replace the vaccines.  No!  Pfizer’s COVID pill treatment can’t replace vaccines.  The treatment is intended to help those already infected with COVID, not prevent infection.

WHAT WE FOUND.  Dr. Sherrill Brown, medical director of infection prevention at AltaMed Health Services, explained that vaccines teach the immune system how to fight off the SARS-CoV-2 virus.  The pill would be used as a treatment, so, you actually have to get the infection in order to use the pill.”  Once infected, Pfizer says its pill treatment is effective at keeping people out of the hospital.

The regimen for Pfizer’s pill treatment is three pills taken twice a day for five days.  The treatment is highly dependent on people quickly identifying they are experiencing mild COVID symptoms.  Pfizer’s antiviral pill treatment targets an enzyme in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, protease, the coronavirus needs to replicate.  The same mechanism has been used to treat other viral infections.

The pill treatment could be useful for people with compromised immune systems who don’t have a robust response to the COVID vaccines and helpful for people in countries with limited access to vaccines.  Pfizer says it is working with a United Nations-backed public health organization to increase access to its antiviral pill treatment to low- and middle-income countries.

Vaccine misinformation widely believed, polling shows; Pfizer requests boosters for all US adults: COVID-19 updates.  The Biden administration has pointed to misinformation about COVID vaccines as one of its biggest obstacles in trying to end the pandemic in the U.S.  Results of the Kaiser Family Foundation's Vaccine Monitor, an assessment of Americans' attitudes about the vaccines, reveals widespread belief in pandemic misinformation.   78% of the adults surveyed believed or were unsure about at least one of eight incorrect statements related to the vaccines or the pandemic.

Findings ran along party lines, with unvaccinated adults and Republicans more likely to believe the incorrect information. The Vaccine Monitor showed 39% of Republican voters remain unvaccinated, as opposed to 10% of Democrats.

The results highlight the importance of choosing reliable news sources.  Between 11% and 16% of the people who trusted information from CNN, MSNBC, network news, NPR and local television news believed or where uncertain about four of the eight false statements and one-third did not believe any of them in comparison to Fox News (36%), One America News (37%) and Newsmax (46%) who believed or were unsure about at least half the eight erroneous statements.

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.cnn.com/2021/11/19/health/covid-vaccine-boosters-fda-cdc/index.html
• https://www.who.int/news-room/news-updates
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/11/09/covid-vaccine-mandate-cases-deaths-biden-administration/6348117001/
• https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2021/11/covid-vaccine-children.php
• https://www.khou.com/article/news/verify/coronavirus-verify/pfizer-covid-19-pill-treatment-vaccines/536-8ec6dc9f-f7c6-458a-bff6-cabfb6b10f77
• https://jewishnews.com/2021/08/30/new-covid-variant-detected-in-south-africa-most-mutated-variant-so-far/#:~:text=A%20new%20coronavirus%20variant%2C%20C.1.2%2C%20has%20been%20detected,and%20the%20KwaZulu-Natal%20Research%20Innovation%20and%20Sequencing%20Platform.
• https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/25/world/covid-variant-south-africa-immune-evasion-transmissibility/index.html
• https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2021-update-on-omicron
• https://news.yahoo.com/scientist-helped-discover-omicron-variant-235901148.html
• https://www.cnet.com/health/new-covid-variant-what-is-omicron-where-has-it-spread-are-vaccines-effective/