Coronavirus positives in Bradenton and Hillsborough Counties (Miami, Sarasota: market, work)

[wondermint2]

Moderna COVID-19 shot more likely to cause heart inflammation than Pfizer's, study shows

https://news.yahoo.com/moderna-covid...104102627.html

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is up to four times more likely to cause inflammation of the heart muscle, a very rare side effect, than its rival vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech, according to a Danish study published in the British Medical Journal late on Thursday.

The study, in which almost 85% of Danes, or 4.9 million individuals, aged 12 and older participated, investigated the link between mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines and heart inflammation, also known as myocarditis or myopericarditis.

However, the overall risk of getting heart inflammation from the vaccines, both of which are based on mRNA-technology, was low, according to the study, conducted by researchers from Denmark's Statens Serum Institute.

"In general, the rate of myocarditis or myopericarditis was about threefold to fourfold higher for mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccination than that for BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccination," the study said.

The researchers found only 1 case per 71,400 vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech and 1 case per 23,800 vaccinated with Moderna. Most of the cases had been mild, the study said.

[HAMC81]

I suppose this is just another one of those funny coincidences....

[wondermint2]

A lot to go over today about Omicron:

First I came across a study from UF that predicts at the peak the Omicron wave will be 40,000 cases per day. This would be roughly double the peak of the delta wave which was about 21,000 cases a day.

I disagree with this study for several reasons. As to official reported cases: 1) there will be many mild & asymptomatic cases that go undetected/unreported 2) non-residents aren't included in the case counts (many snowbirds here now) 3) reinfections arent counted (so all of the omicron breakthrough infections won't show up in the official reported cases)

Omicron will bring about 40K new COVID cases a day in Florida by February, UF model says

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/med...ays/ar-AARVsoD

[wondermint2]

The following is an excellent thread about what we can expect in Florida with the Omicron wave. I am in general agreement with most of these points. Omicron outcomes will be much less severe compared to Delta.

https://twitter.com/thehowie/status/1472598519043219462

"Florida:

Reasons I am expecting (hoping) Florida will look more like South Africa than other regions w/Omicron:

1. Very late and hard hit by Delta: huge amount of recent infection-acquired immunity.
2. Late, and ultimately above average, vaccinations, including elderly. 1/4"

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"The combined immunity should bode better for them than even some states with higher vaccinations but more remote or lower infection-acquired immunity.

OTOH, they appear to be below average, for boosters among the highest risk (elderly) groups. 2/4"

--------------------------------

"Lastly, they are likely the purest Omicron outbreak, having seen the overwhelming Delta wave almost completely abate.

Look to Florida, this week and next, to see what Omicron is capable of in the US. Hospitalizations WILL grown a lot: but how high is an open question. 3/4"

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"South Africa Omicron outbreak has been bad, but pales in comparison to Beta or Delta outbreaks. We have advantages: boosters, therapeutics.

Let's hope that Florida can tell us, soon, what we are facing and how to avoid further deaths and harm. 4/4"

------------------------------

"Cases in South Africa ~120% of Delta wave peak.

Hospitalizations ~ 45% (may still drift toward 50%) of Delta wave peak.

ICU is 22% of Delta peak (could get to 25+%)

Ventilator use 16% (could get to 20+%)

Not offering an explanation: just saying the outbreak is milder. "

[wondermint2]

On Friday evening the FDOH released their weekly report on covid cases. The upturn for Sarasota & Manatee Counties was very muted compared to other parts of the state such as Miami-Dade (that saw a huge increase). For the state of Florida the latest 7-day average is 5,103 new cases per day, 155% higher than the week ago average of 2,005.

http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/_pa...ata_latest.pdf

For the week of Dec. 10 - 16:

Manatee County

Cases: 239 (11.6% rise from the previous weeks cases of 214)

Test Positivity Ratio: 2.8% (0.2% increase from the previous week)

Sarasota County

Cases: 291 (15.02% increase from the previous weeks cases of 253)

Test Positivity Ratio: 3.2% (0.7% increase from the previous week)

[wondermint2]

Biden to announce free rapid COVID-19 tests

https://news.google.com/articles/CAI...S&ceid=US%3Aen

President Joe Biden is expected to announce Tuesday the purchase of a half-billion, at-home rapid COVID-19 tests and the mobilization of 1,000 military medical personnel to overburdened hospitals in an effort to confront surging COVID-19 infections and the new, highly-transmissible omicron variant.

The free at-home rapid tests will be delivered by mail to Americans who request them, a senior administration official told reporters on Monday night in a preview of the speech, marking a slightly different approach from European countries that chose to send tests to all residents.

Americans will have to request the tests through a website that will launch in January, the official said, and its not yet clear how many tests Americans will be able to request per household.

Building on the winter strategy he outlined earlier this month, Biden wants to ramp up the supply of rapid tests, as shortages have led to long lines and overwhelmed hospitals in hot spots as Americans crisscross the country for the holiday season.

The announcement comes as the country, fatigued after nearly two years of pandemic, faces a new stumbling block: Federal health officials announced Monday the omicron variant accounted for 73% of new cases last week, a nearly six-fold increase in the new variant’s share of infections in only one week.

[wondermint2]

Omicron is now the dominant COVID-19 variant in Miami-Dade, genomic surveillance shows

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/med...ows/ar-AAS09pj

Omicron has become the dominant strain of the coronavirus circulating in Miami-Dade, overtaking the delta variant in a matter of weeks and becoming the primary driver of new COVID-19 cases in the county, according to new genomic surveillance data released Monday.

Genetic sequencing of the virus in Miami-Dade shows omicron’s rapid growth from a tiny fraction of hundreds of samples tested during the first week of December to nearly three of every four samples monitored last week.

“It is absolutely astonishing how contagious this variant has proven to be,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, whose office provided the genomic surveillance data.

The latest report from NOMI Health, the healthcare company contracted by Miami-Dade to conduct testing, vaccination and sequencing in the county, found that 76% of 504 COVID-19 samples taken Dec. 14-15 were the omicron variant — compared to 64% of 378 samples collected Dec. 10-13.

Among the 373 samples collected Dec. 1-5, about 1.3% or 5 omicron cases were detected.

Levine Cava said she also was struck by the spike in Miami-Dade COVID-19 tests coming back positive, now at about 10% versus 1% a month ago, according to county data.

[wondermint2]

https://twitter.com/thehowie/status/1473644010812198922

"Update South Africa:
1. Outbreak past peak.
2. Hospitalizations⬆️ but unlikely to substantially pass 55% prior peak.
3. ICU & Ventilator use still ⬆️,will remain <30%.
4. Deaths 11% may ⬆️toward 20%

MUCH milder outbreak than Delta. Acquired immunity? Milder variant? Unclear."

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"BREAKING: South Africa

Hospitalizations ⬆️27% week over week (⬆️3.3% from yesterday)

Gauteng Province⬆️15% (⬆️0.7% from yesterday).

120% peak of cases
53% peak of hospitalizations
24% peak ICU
17% peak Ventilators
Deaths now 11% of peak"

[wondermint2]

* See South Africa chart here:

https://twitter.com/rid1tweets/statu...85300768940040

"Nationally, South Africa has also passed the peak of its #Omicron driven #4thWave

A steeper wave but significantly shorter; about half the number of days to reach the peak compared with previous waves in South Africa"

[wondermint2]

https://twitter.com/thehowie/status/1473660640346652678

"Omicron is EVERYWHERE. Most places with substantial Omicron are dealing with significant residual Delta.

Florida is NOT (near lowest cases in the country before this outbreak).

It will be difficult to tease out Delta effects from Omicron in most other locales: NOT Florida."

-------------------------------------

"Florida Hospitalizations: (1849) Up 17% week over week; 12% from yesterday.

At level of prior NADIRS: far from crisis.

Florida is unique: this is almost certainly *all* Omicron. Most other states had substantial Delta confounding analysis.

Expect it to rise for weeks."