Cases are rising again in the U.S

“….Several factors are fueling the upturn… A more contagious variant (the one first identified in Britain, called B.1.1.7) is spreading. Some mayors and governors have continued to lift restrictions and mask rules. Many Americans are behaving less cautiously. And vaccinations have not gotten the country near herd immunity.

“Many experts aren’t surprised. “For literally a month and a half, [they have] all been predicting that the second half of March is when B.1.1.7 would become the dominant variant in the United States…But the success of the country’s ongoing vaccination drive should keep deaths and hospitalizations well below their January peaks. Many of the people at the greatest risk of severe illness have already been inoculated, which means new cases are likely to be concentrated among younger and healthier people…”

Florida variant cases double in 2 days to 2.3K+

 California variants may be 20% more transmissible, are officially ‘of concern,’ CDC says

”Two coronavirus variants first detected in California are now officially “variants of concern,” according to a March 16 update from the CDC.

The variants B.1.427 and B.1.429, both initially identified in California, are classified by the CDC as variants of concern. The three-tier classification system has “variant of high consequence” as the most worrisome group, followed by “variant of concern” and then “variant of interest.” No variant is currently considered a variant of high consequence.

Five variants are currently considered variants of concern, including the U.K. variant B.1.1.7, South Africa variant B.1.351 and Japan/Brazil variant P.1.

The California variants are classified as “of concern” because they may be about 20 percent more transmissible, the CDC said, citing early research. It’s also unclear if treatments are less effective against the strains. “

FROM BECKER CLIPS:

Young, unvaccinated adults fuel COVID-19 hospitalization surge in Michigan

Between March 1 and March 23, hospitalizations jumped 633 percent for adults ages 30-39 and 800 percent for adults ages 40-49, according to data from MHA. In comparison, hospitalizations increased by just 37 percent among those 80 and older over the same time period

GOOD ARTICLE FOR LONG HAUL LUNG INVOLVEMENT

The spatial landscape of lung pathology during COVID-19 progression

We provide evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infects predominantly alveolar epithelial cells and induces a localized hyper-inflammatory cell state associated with lung damage. 

(PDF AVAILABLE THAT I DIDN’T READ)

Why indoor spaces are still prime COVID hotspots

J. Harris: This is the best ventilation and Covid article I have seen. Good read. Good reference to keep for educators, builders, building owners.

“The precise infectious dose for SARS-CoV-2 is also unknown8. But researchers can infer how much exhaled virus is needed to cause infection by analysing disease outbreaks. For example, Jimenez and colleagues used details from an infamous choir rehearsal in Skagit Valley in Washington — where one person probably infected 52 of the 60 other attendees — to estimate the amount of infectious virus exhaled8.

“Opening windows is the easiest method that health authorities suggest to improve ventilation. Although it is better than doing nothing, an open window rarely exchanges enough air between the indoor and outdoor environment, especially if there is no cross-breeze…

Hopkins Cited:

1. Hayat-Vax Becomes First COVID-19 Vaccine Produced in the Arab World (Precision Vaccinations) In a historic move, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on March 28, 2021, the commencement of the manufacturing of a COVID-19 vaccine in the country. The vaccine, called Hayat-Vax [Hayat means life in Arabic], is the first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine in the region that will be manufactured by a newly created JV between Sinopharm China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (CNBG) and G42, the leading technology company based in Abu Dhabi.

2. CDC Head Pleads with Americans as COVID-19 Cases Rise (CIDRAP) “I’m going to lose the script, and I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, today during the White House COVID-19 press briefing. “We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are, and so much reason for hope, but right now I’m scared.” Growing visibly emotional, Walensky explained that after weeks of going down or remaining stable, COVID-19 cases across the country have jumped again, as has happened at least twice in the past year before the nation experienced a major surge in virus activity.

(J. Harris: Here we go again.)

LAST BUT NOT LEASED: (I’ve been scratching my head wondering if I haven’t already sent this sign out)?

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