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

2022 Timeline

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

February                79,025,644             949,957                                   8,961,636              85,043

March                    81,780,503         1,007,320                                    9,102,677              89,052

April                        82,658,881         1,018,326                                   9,192,666               90,145

May                        86,065,680         1,032,094                                   9,574,768               91,591

June                       86,967,132         1,015,938                                 10,024,838               92,113

July                         90,733,888         1,027,886                                 10,367,437               92,784

August                   94,199,489          1,043,864                                 11,052,866               94,959

UPDATED WEEKLY - Last updated on 25 September 2022, 12:30 pm PST, John Hopkins Corona Virus Dashboard and Worldometer

Cases Worldwide  

                            John Hopkins                                                               Worldometer

• TOTAL CASES    -   615,057,613                                    TOTAL CASES    -   620,181,150

              Recovered     -                                                             Recovered     -   600,215,119

• TOTAL DEATHS  -      6,536,819                                     TOTAL DEATHS  -       6,540,217

POPULATION - is 335,381,610 as of 25 September 2022, 12:30 pm PST, based on Census U.S. and World Population Clock.

      * updated information

    ** no updated information at this reporting

Cases in the U.S.

• TOTAL CASES    -   96,067,772                                       TOTAL CASES   -     97,895,860

              Recovered     -                                                              Recovered    -     94,530,000

• TOTAL DEATHS  -     1,506,416                                       TOTAL DEATHS -       1,081,708
  • 315,000 jobs added in the month of August.
  • Unemployment rose to 3.7%

Cases in California

• TOTAL CASES    -   11,233,276                                        TOTAL CASES   -       11,228,790

              Recovered     -                                                               Recovered    -       10,787,520

• TOTAL DEATHS  -         95,796                                         TOTAL DEATHS -              95,970

* 73% fully vaccinated

09/25/2022                   Cases (WHO)                   Deaths (WHO)                Recovered (WHO)

• Texas                  -   7,931,288                            91,159                           7,654,828
• Florida                -   7,152,540                            81,206                           6,954,025
• New York           -   6,260,648                            72,058                           6,137,319
• Illinois                  -   3,751,275                            39,624                           3,611,754
• Pennsylvania     -   3,239,298                            47,098                           3,148,305
• N. Carolina        -   3,182,775                            26,458                           3,120,714
• Ohio                   -   3,131,645                            39,767                           3,034,451
• Georgia             -   2,900,354                            40,171                           2,814,115
• Tennessee         -   2,332,162                            27,709                           2,292,361
• Arizona              -   2,268,158                            31,326                           2,218,098
• Alabama*         -   1,519,544                            20,400                          1,376,028
• Louisiana           -   1,452,495                           18,009                           1,410,969
• W. Virginia         -      598,237                             7,382                              589,129

  *  Rated last in vaccine distribution at 52%, fully vaccinated

**  correction

            ***   no updated information at this reporting

United States progress                                       Updated 25 September 2022, 12:30 pm PST,

• Doses Distributed**                                                843,692,095
• Doses Administered**                                           616,172,308
• 1st dose administered**                                       263,812,108             79.5%                       
• Primary series administered**                              224,980,931             67.8%
• Booster administered**                                        109,578,270             48.7%
• 2nd Booster**                                                           23,118,101             35.5%              
• Total population                                                   335,381,610

   *Updated information

             ** no updated information at this reporting

• https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/
• https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/us-states
• https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
• https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/us-states
• https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations
• 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
• https://www.bls.gov/
• https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm
• https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/

COVID UPDATE

VARIANT  UPDATE

IT’S TRANSFORMED AGAIN…….BA.4.6!!!!!!!! 

New Covid Variant BA.4.6 Outcompeting Dominant BA.5 Across Swath Of U.S. For First Time.  Tue, August 30, 2022 at 3:37 PM.   While BA.4.6 has been in the U.S. since at least May, it remained below 2% of new cases until July, when it gradually began to rise, even as BA.5 continued to do the same.   As of this week’s CDC reporting, it currently stands at 7.5%. 

In the area defined by California, Arizona and Nevada, BA.4.6 lags behind BA.4, with shares of 2.8% and 3.3%, respectively.  BA.5 in the region stands at 93% and rising.  Compared to the CDC-grouped region of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, where BA.4.6 has risen to 17.2% of all new cases and BA.5 fell for the first time this past week to 78.5%.  It peaked at 80% in the first week of August and has fallen slightly in the three weeks since.  During the same time frame, BA.4.6 has nearly doubled in those states from 8.7%.

The reasons for these region differences are unclear according to Los Angeles Public Health Director, Barbara Ferrer.  “I don’t know if there’s a relationship to the environment or the weather or particular conditions, including the vaccination status of the residents in those communities, as well as prior infections that folks have experienced.”  “It’s hard for us to really tease it all out from California here. According to data cited by the Times, “BA.4.6 constitutes just 1.5% of cases in L.A. County, a rate that remains relatively the same compared to the prior week.”

This New COVID Variant Is Shaping Up to Be a Déjà Vu Nightmare.   Sun, August 14, 2022 at 5:04 PM.  The world has built up a lot of immunity in nine months since the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus became dominant, driving a record wave of infections.  That immunity from vaccines and past infection is helping to keep down hospitalizations and deaths even as Omicron’s offspring, a succession of sub-variants have become dominant, one after the other.  BA.4.6 hotspots include some Australian states and parts of the U.S. Midwest and accounts for four percent of new cases in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.

Now the virus is trying to find a way around our antibodies….again!  A new sub-variant, BA.4.6, is beginning to out-compete its predecessor, BA.5.  One BA.4.6 advantage is a particular mutation to the spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it to grab onto and infect our cells.

We’ve seen this R346T mutation before and every time it’s appeared, it’s been associated with forms of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen with an increased ability to dodge our antibodies.  This ability is what epidemiologists call “immune escape.”  BA.4.6 is the seventh major sub-variant of Omicron.  If BA.4.6 becomes dominant, it could reverse the encouraging trend we’ve seen in most countries in recent weeks toward fewer infections, fewer hospitalizations and fewer deaths.

SARS-CoV-2 is fighting for its own survival, trying out mutations until it settles on one that might give it the upper hand.  R346T is one of those mutations.  It’s not totally clear how the virus came up with the change, but it’s possible Omicron mixed with an older form of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who’s gotten sick more than once. It’s possible that BA.4.6 is a “recombinant” sub-variant that picked up its most advantageous quality from one of its predecessors.

UPDATE 2 - China's Hainan expands COVID lockdowns to quell outbreak.  Sun, August 7, 2022 at 9:13 PM.  BEIJING/SHANGHAI, Aug 8 (Reuters) - China's Hainan, locked down more areas on Monday, state media reported, as it battles its worst COVID-19 outbreak after seeing very few cases in the past two years.

The province, an island province dependent on tourism, recorded jtwo local symptomatic COVID cases last year, but has reported more than 1,500 domestically transmitted infections this month, including over 1,000 symptomatic ones.  Although low by global standards, it is Hainan's biggest outbreak since the virus was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

The increase in cases comes as interest in tourism picks up after China slightly eased curbs aimed at domestic travel, accounting for the shorter quarantine time facilitated by the shorter incubation period of the Omicron variant.  China's "dynamic COVID-zero" policy, aims to stamp out outbreaks as soon as possible.  Residents must not leave where they live except for necessary reasons such as:  COVID tests, grocery shopping or essential job roles. They also suspended public transport services.  The capital city of Haikou, about 2.9 million population and three smaller towns - Wuzhishan, Ledong and Chengmai - locked down residents.  About 25,000 tourists were stranded in Sanya, the hardest-hit city in Hainan's outbreak.   

Most People Infected With the Omicron COVID-19 Variant Don’t Know It, Study Suggests.  Aug. 19, 2022, 1:56 PM.  More than half of people infected with the omicron variant had no idea they had the virus, according to a study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, highlights a major hurdle in the effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. The findings add to growing evidence that undiagnosed infections are increasing virus transmission.

Researchers found that 44 percent of study participants with newly positive SARS-CoV-2 antibodies knew they had COVID-19.  The majority, 56 percent, were unaware they’d had COVID-19 and 1 in 10 reported having recent symptoms they attributed to a common cold or other type of infection. 

Those who feel their health is a bit off, should take it easy, monitor symptoms, and test for COVID-19.  Two rapid tests done over the span of a couple of days after symptoms have started will offer some sensitivity, but not 100 percent accurate. 

MONKEYPOX

CDC 2022 Outbreak Cases and Data

• U.S. cases – 18,417
• California cases – 3,629, the most reported
• New York cases – 3,273
• U.S. Children’s cases – 31
• 11 U.S. states and jurisdictions have reported monkeypox cases among children.
• Texas has identified nine pediatric cases.
• Florida has identified two cases in children under the age of 4 -- one in Brevard County and another in Monroe County
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a health alert, warned that preliminary evidence suggests children younger than 8 could develop more severe illness if infected with monkeypox.
• U.S. deaths – 1, Texas - the first death in a severely immunocompromised person.  The case is still under investigation to see what role monkeypox played in the death. Although painful, monkeypox is rarely fatal.
• Global cases – 90 countries, 478,600
• Global deaths - Deaths outside of Africa, where the virus is endemic, are rare.  Non-endemic countries reporting monkeypox deaths include in Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, India and Spain,

Domestic:   May 17, 2022, the United States confirmed the first monkeypox case in Massachusetts.  By July 2022, there were 3,487 reported cases in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.  These case counts include those who tested positive for either monkeypox virus or orthopoxvirus (OPX).

Reports of contact with person(s) with a type of rash or who received a diagnosis of monkeypox within 21 days of the illness onset.  The rash can be:

• macular - flat and reddened,
• popular - raised,
• vesicular - small, fluid filled,
• pustular - bulging with fluid inside,
• generalized, localized, discrete or confluent.

Ways of transmission or exposure:

• Close or intimate in-person contact with individuals in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity
• Traveled outside the United States to a country with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where the virus is endemic.
• Had contact with a dead or live wild animal or exotic pet that is an African endemic species or used a product derived from such animals.

What You Need to Know:

• You can take steps to prevent getting monkeypox and lower your risk during sex.
• CDC recommends vaccination for people who have been exposed to monkeypox and people who are at higher risk of exposure.
• If you have symptoms of monkeypox, talk to your healthcare provider. 
• CDC is urging healthcare providers in the United States to be alert for patients who have rash illnesses consistent with monkeypox.

7th child in US tests positive for monkeypox.  August 15, 2022, 4:14 PM.  A child in Martin County, Florida, has tested positive for monkeypox, state health data shows.  The child, between the ages of 0 and 4 years old, according to the state health data.  An additional pediatric case was confirmed by health officials in Maine.  Maine CDC, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is working to identify any others who may have been exposed and make vaccination available to close contacts," indicated officials wrote in a press release.  In addition to the cases reported in Maine and Florida, two cases have been confirmed in California, as well another two in Indiana and a case in a non-U.S. resident reported in Washington, D.C.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had previously warned there has been some preliminary evidence to suggest that children younger than 8 years old are at risk of developing more severe illness if infected, alongside pregnant people and those who are immunocompromised.  In an effort to protect the youngest Americans, the Food and Drug Administration issued an ‘emergency use authorization’ that allows health care for children under 18 who are at high risk of monkeypox to be vaccinated.

Across the globe, nearly 32,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported, with 11,000 cases in the U.S. -- the most of any country, according to the CDC.  All but one U.S. state -- Wyoming -- have now confirmed at least one positive monkeypox case.

VACCINE  UPDATE

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations

• 67.4% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
• 12.45 billion doses have been administered globally.
• 5.98 million are now administered each day.
• 20.7% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.

FDA authorizes new COVID-19 booster shot to target omicron variant. What you need to know.  Published 4:36 pm.  August 31, 2022.   The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Wednesday gave emergency use authorization to COVID-19 booster shots that have both the original formula of the mRNA vaccines - based on the original coronavirus strain.   This booster will have a spike protein to recognize the original COVID-19 as well as a spike protein to recognize the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants.  "There is value in boosting antibody response," indicated Dr. Manish Naik, chief medical officer of Austin Regional Clinic.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory committee is scheduled to vote on the updated boosters and the CDC director to sign off on these boosters before people can receive them.

How will the new omicron booster be used?  The bivalent boosters, the FDA named updated boosters, will replace the original vaccines as a booster.  They will not replace the original vaccine for the initial two doses in the primary series.

At this date, people age 5 and older can get a booster five months after completing their primary series of the vaccine.  After four months, people age 50 years old and older can get a second booster.

The new updated booster can be given two months after the primary series or their last booster.  Doctors are awaiting specific recommendations from the CDC regarding those age 12 and older.   

The Pfizer updated booster is for ages 12 and older, while the Moderna booster is for ages 18 and older.  Kids 12 and younger will have to wait for this booster to be approved for their age group.  The FDA has said that approval could come in the next few months.

Why a different COVID booster shot?   The original COVID-19 vaccines were based on the original strain of COVID-19.  Each variant, the effectiveness of the vaccine against infection has waned.  The updated boosters "are really meant to match the virus that's circulating," indicated Dr. Naik.  COVID-19 is still circulating, about 20% of the tests at Austin Regional Clinic are coming back positive with other respiratory viruses are circulating as well.  Some schools are starting to see an uptick in cases with the new school year.

Combination COVID booster targeting Omicron approved in U.K.  Mon, August 15, 2022 at 1:28 PM.

The United Kingdom is now the first country to authorize a COVID-19 booster shot that targets the highly-infectious Omicron variant as well as the original virus strain from early in the pandemic, CNN reports Monday.

The so-called "bivalent" shot, which is an updated version of the Moderna vaccine, was approved for adults by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency "after it was found to meet the U.K. regulator's standards of safety, quality and effectiveness," said an official government release. "No serious safety concerns were identified."

Last month, the FDA said it was no longer considering authorizing a second COVID-19 booster for all adults but would instead focus on revamped vaccines for the autumn that target the newest viral sub-variants.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES FOR THE USE OF NOVAMX IN PERSONS 18 AND OLDER.  July 19, 2022, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices made an interim recommendation for use of the Novavax vaccine in persons aged 18 years and older as a primary 2-dose series vaccination for the prevention of COVID-19.  July 13, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration issued Emergency Use Authorization for the NVX-CoV2373, Novavax COVID-19 vaccine.

• June 8, 2022, Moderna, announced that an Omicron-specific booster produced a strong increase in antibodies against the variant.  The booster also works against newly evolved forms of the Omicron variant called BA.4 and BA.5.  July 29, Moderna announced a deal with the United States government to provide 66 million booster shots, containing RNA for the original spike protein, as well as one shared by BA.4 and BA.5.
• Johnson & Johnson, while still available in the US, has been recommended only for people who can't take, or don't want to take, another COVID-19 vaccine over risk of a very rare but dangerous side effect.

New COVID Booster Vaccines for BA.5: What We Know About the Fall 2022 Rollout.  Aug. 3, 2022 12:18 p.m. PT. Health officials are asking for new boosters that target the BA.5 sub-variant to be rolled out this fall.  COVID-19 is still making people sick and causing hospitalizations and deaths.  The older vaccine formulas are effective at preventing severe disease, but the mutating virus is whittling some of that protection away.

The US Food and Drug Administration made a recommendation that vaccine manufacturers make a booster of COVID-19 vaccine that targets the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants.  BA.5 now makes up the majority of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and is leading another summer surge of COVID-19 cases.  What is the FDA asking for?  Specifically, asking for a bivalent, two-component vaccine booster, which will include the BA.4/BA.5 spike protein in addition to an older strain. The FDA doesn't make vaccines, so the agency will authorize individual vaccine types as companies create and test them

In an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, health officials are preparing for a fall and winter vaccine rollout with omicron-specific boosters to target a more up-to-date version of the virus.  The rollout could start as early as September.  

Omicron-Adapted Vaccine Delivery Expected in October, BioNTech Says.  Aug. 2022, BioNTech expects to begin deliveries of two Omicron-adapted vaccines as soon as October.  BioNTech is expanding its COVID-19 product pipeline aiming for “prolonged and broad protection,” Ugur Sahin, MD, the company’s CEO and co-founder said.   BioNTech studies have shown that the shot prompts a stronger immune response against the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants, as well as other Omicron sub-variants such as BA.2.  BioNTech / Pfizer have delivered 3.6 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to 180 countries and territories.  About 1.5 billion doses have gone to low- and middle-income countries.

But booster campaigns with updated shots that target Omicron variants are expected to increase demand this fall.  Pending regulatory approval, both adapted vaccines will be available in time for fall booster campaigns, BioNTech said.

• June 2022, Pfizer BioNTech reached an agreement with the United States for a new delivery of vaccines in preparation for an anticipated winter surge. The U.S. government agreed to pay $3.2 billion for 105 million doses.
• The European Medicines Agency will require clinical data for the BA.4 and BA.5 shot and the FDA has said it would be prepared to approve the shot while trials are ongoing, the newspaper reported.

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://finance.yahoo.com/news/1-chinas-hainan-expands-covid-041344041.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall
• https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7131a2.htm?s_cid=mm7131a2_x
• https://www.cnet.com/health/medical/new-covid-booster-vaccines-for-ba-5-what-we-know-about-the-fall-2022-rollout/
• https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
• https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20220808/omicron-adapted-vaccines-october-biontech
• https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/technical-report.html
• https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
• https://news.yahoo.com/combination-covid-booster-targeting-omicron-202802289.html
• https://news.yahoo.com/covid-variant-shaping-d-j-000431613.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall
• https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/cases-monkeypox-kids-reported-us-parents/story?id=87745354
• https://abcnews.go.com/Health/7th-child-us-tests-positive-monkeypox/story?id=88417787
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/most-people-infected-with-the-omicron-covid-19-variant-don-t-know-it-study-suggests/ar-AA10St9j?li=BBnba9O
• https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/index.html
• https://www.yahoo.com/gma/us-reports-least-31-cases-155741810.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall
• https://nypost.com/2022/08/31/texas-patient-with-monkeypox-dies/
• https://www.statesman.com/story/news/coronavirus/2022/08/31/fda-authorizes-new-covid-19-boosters-with-omicron-variant-what-you-need-to-know/65466593007/
• https://news.yahoo.com/covid-variant-ba-4-6-223751312.html