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COVID-19 roundup

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* Hospitalizations jumped from 7,114 reported yesterday to 7,353 reported today, a one-day increase of 3 percent.

However, the 7-day rolling average for daily hospitalization increases is now 1.1 percent, which is considerable lower than the 5.1 percent growth average during the last seven days of December.

* Good friend of mine…

As of yesterday, a reported 86% of U.S. adults had received at least one vaccination. Instead of focusing our efforts on the 14% who remain holdouts, why don't we figure out what we can do to get everybody else fully vaxxed and boosted?

— Elizabeth Austin, Mistress of Public Policy (@elizabethaustin) January 11, 2022

For Illinois, the age 5+ gap between the fully vaccinated and those who have received just one dose is about a million people. For those 65 and older, who are most at risk, the gap is about 176,000. That’s a good place to start.

Some of those folks got the single-dose J&J shot, but they do need a booster right away.

The “incompletes” may have had an adverse reaction to their first or second shot and are reluctant to move forward. That was the case in my own circle. A close family member got sick after her second shot (it could’ve just been something else) and didn’t want to take a booster. But then her spouse got sick with what we thought was covid (it wasn’t) and that convinced her to get boosted. She had zero negative reaction to the booster, by the way.

The governor’s office says they’re not just focusing on the holdouts and outlined some of what they were doing to get people boosted and to take the second shot. They have booster clinics where people can also get a first or second dose. They’re doing paid messaging on boosters, etc.

* Even so, the administration sent out this press release today…

With the current surge of COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, the State of Illinois launched a new vaccine awareness campaign to explain the power of the life-saving vaccine. The ‘On the Fence’ campaign features 18 meaningful stories from Illinoisans who were initially hesitant but are now fully vaccinated.

As health experts continue to advise unvaccinated individuals to get their life-saving shot, the campaign is directed to residents who are reluctant to get vaccinated. The campaign will roll out over the coming months, including stories from people who reflect the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the state. […]

The initial rollout of the campaign will feature the following videos:

• Ken - If we had received the vaccination (:30)
• Shannon - Knows it’s real (:30)
• Rayyaan - Had his doubts (:30)
• Elvia and Rafael - This is safer (:30)

Shannon is a nurse in Quincy, a hotbed of vocal and organized anti-vaxers.

I think Elizabeth makes a great point that the state should focus more attention on those who have only taken one dose. Get those second shots moving and close the gap. I mean, if the unvaxed won’t listen to stuff like this, then what’s it gonna take?…

There are only two ICU beds currently available in Rockford which has forced hospitals to alter routine procedures.

“So if you think you’ve been boosted or you don’t need the vaccine, let’s just hope that you’re not in an accident. Let’s just hope a loved one doesn’t have a heart procedure that’s needed immediately,” Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said.

[Winnebago County Public Health Administrator Sandra Martell] said about 90% of hospitalizations can be attributed to the unvaccinated.

* We’re going to see more of this in the short term…

* Retiring House Republican…

Regardless of your theories on Covid one thing is clear: The hospitals are at/near capacity and health care workers are overworked. Everyone seems to be getting Omicron. If we hadn't blown it last time, this would be the time to actually "Take two weeks to flatten the curve."

— Mark Batinick (@mbatinick) January 11, 2022

I don’t know who “we” is, but it is getting crazy out there.

* Related…

* COVID-19 update: 28,110 new cases, 92 additional deaths, 7,353 hospitalizations

* Red Cross declares first-ever national blood crisis

* One-Way Masking Works: If you’re vaccinated, boosted, and wearing an N95, you’re protected—no matter what others are doing.

* U.S. CDC may recommend better masks against Omicron

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 1:23 pm

Comments

Our hometown airline doesn’t always get things right, but they should be commended for the stance they took on Covid.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/united-airlines-ceo-says-3-135042178.html

Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 1:26 pm
+1 for United’s mandate. 3000 active cases among their employees, 0 hospitalizations. Going from over a death per week to no deaths in 8 weeks, saving 8-10 lives. This is how we get through this, and the sooner businesses realize it is good for their bottom line the better we will all be.

Comment by thechampaignlife Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 1:38 pm
The Rayyaan spot was in heavy rotation on Pluto TV last night. It’s a nice story, but I don’t see how it moves anyone to reconsider their stance. I don’t think it sways our neighbors who are vaxxed but are holding out to give the jabs to their kids, much less the large cohort who now consider “unvaccinated” an essential part of their identity.

Regretfully, it may be time to accept that those people are going to harm us all unnecessarily and move on from trying to appeal to them. Like Rich said, make the push toward the partially-vaccinated getting their full series. You know that audience will be receptive.

Comment by Roadrager Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 1:49 pm
Closing school to avoid mass sickness = cowardly, shameful, unacceptable, cause for outrage, what are working parents to do?

Closing school because of mass sickness = cool

Comment by SWIL_Voter Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 1:58 pm
I guess the anti-vaxxers just prefer to learn the hard way.
It’s like my dad used to tell me when I ignored his advice:
You’re enrolled in the School of Hard Knocks - it’s a rough school, but fools will learn in no other.
Unfortunately, we are all paying the price.

Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:01 pm
==Shannon is a nurse in Quincy, a hotbed of vocal and organized anti-vaxers.==

Also known as the Western Bloc aka Forgottonia. And immediately bordering part of Missouri’s Little Dixie region.

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:02 pm
Springfield’s Mayor Langfelder has tested positive, despite being vaxxed and boosted. But only has cold-like symptoms and runny nose at this time.

“Meanwhile, Langfelder said the city could look to bring back its mask mandate, which included policing of businesses, especially if hospitalizations continue to rise, though that action would come with input from local health officials.”

Memo to Langfelder–the mask mandate is a Statewide mandate. Springfield is part of Illinois. Therefore, the mask mandate already covers the city of Springfield.

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:05 pm
Forgot to link to the Langfelder positivity story:

https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/coronavirus/2022/01/11/jim-langfelder-springfield-illinois-mayor-tests-positive-covid/9169717002/

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:06 pm
Could imagine is the message was from nurses and healthcare staff that said: “Due to the dangerous conditions in our workplace, we will be working remote until further notice.”

Comment by Just Sayin ... Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:26 pm
Could you imagine if a message from nurses and healthcare staff said: “Due to the dangerous conditions in our workplace, we will be working remote until further notice.”

Comment by Just Sayin ... Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:28 pm
=== Could you imagine if a message from nurses and healthcare staff said: “Due to the dangerous conditions in our workplace, we will be working remote until further notice.”===

… and yet all of last year hospital staffs, doctors, nurses, they all complained (rightly so) about a lack of PPE and other safety necessities.

Since what they do actually involves saving lives, maybe you lack in understanding on multiple levels here?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:31 pm
=Could you imagine if a message from nurses and healthcare staff said: “Due to the dangerous conditions in our workplace, we will be working remote until further notice.”=

Presumably this is your attempt to somehow equate the work of doctors and nurses to teachers as if the comparison is somehow relevant. It is not.

It is understandable and often tragic that our first responders have to work through the most tragic and horrific of circumstances often putting their own lives at risk. They’ve made the courageous decision to dedicate their lives to doing so. But I don’t think this is the expectation of those that go into teaching particularly if they feel their employer is incapable of taking the most basic of precautions to protect them.

Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:42 pm
My biggest complaint with the CDC is their failure to urge use of KN-95/N-95 masks for the last year. One way masking could have protected legions even in the reddest states. They flirted with pushing this about five months ago, but insanely conflated that recommendation with “double masking” - the right wing media mocked them and they let it drop. Millions of people out there willing to wear masks for themselves or to protect others were never given this valuable information, though it’s been available from alonst the start.

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:53 pm
I’ve been curious about the accuracy of vaccination data ever since I discovered that my info with IDPH is not accurate. (My 2nd dose wasn’t reported, so my booster is reported as the 2nd dose, taken much later than it should have been. I got my 2nd dose with two friends; the data for one is correct and the other’s is also missing.) Anyway, I happened upon this article that might be of interest:

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-12-21/uneven-reporting-raises-doubts-about-cdc-vaccination-numbers

I do think trying to convince people to complete their vaccination series is extremely important. We just need to be careful about how we discuss the data.

Comment by Leslie K Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:53 pm
Continue focusing on the unvaxxed because that’s where the worst hospitalization numbers are coming from, on an absolute and of course on a relative basis. The partially vaccinated are doing quite well on hospitalizations in comparison. It’s the unvaccinated who are clogging up the hospitals and that’s what we need to solve for. 64% of adult hospital admissions were unvaccinated in the below study, a MASSIVE percentage considering more than 4 in 5 people have at least one shot.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220110/A-study-on-COVID-vaccinated-vs-unvaccinated-that-required-hospitalization.aspx

Comment by natty lite Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:54 pm
Recent experience that might help sway people, especially parents…

Got notified of close contact in kid’s classroom. Then I was asked the question, “is your kid fully vaxed?”
Answered, “yes”. Good, then kid can continue going to school.
If answered, “no”, then kid goes into 14-day quarantine (no school for you).

Take the precautions and get your kids vaccinated. They’ll miss fewer school days.

Comment by From DaZoo Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 2:54 pm
=then kid goes into 14-day quarantine (no school for you).=

Should only be 10 last I checked. But your point is spot on.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 3:00 pm
I had several annual doctors’ appointments in November and December. I was surprised that all of them already had my Covid three vaccination history accurately recorded. I got all my shots at the Sangamon County Department of Public Health’s drive through. Very efficient. Anyone who thinks government can’t get anything done should try IDPH for vaccines. Excellent service.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 3:10 pm
= I don’t know who “we” is =

He’s from plainfield. It’s been like a typhoid mary convention in town for the past 2 years.

That’s why he then says nonsense like this;

“Regardless of your theories on Covid..”

It’s not regardless, and this casual dismissal is a hint at how he self-torpedoed his own career and aided in the prolonging of the pandemic. It’s a significant issue that people in his circle have been spreading nonsense conspiracy theories, or showing up and being arrested at a local school board meeting(that guy was also a local republican precinct committeeperson). I can see why he would want to wash that stink off of himself, but it’s there forever now. He has never once condemned any of it. He ended his political career by trying to play all sides in this pandemic, as if that could ever work. He publicly supported masks, but silently supported members of his hometown village board openly stating they wanted to ignore any state requirements to prevent the spread of disease. He supported the crazies out of one side privately, then tried to come across as reasonable in his public statements - which caused most of his previous supporters to abandon supporting him. Many commenters on this very blog who would issue scathing rebukes against the anti everything crowd, will still mention how they see Batnick as one of the reasonable ones, because he worked so hard on that public response - in the hopes nobody outside of town would notice his local actions.

He’s only retiring because he knows by now that he’s burned his bridges from both ends, while still standing on it.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 3:27 pm
Not for nothing, Batinick has been re-tweeting stories for the past two weeks regarding the ‘hospitalizations with-covid or beacuse of covid’.

He can’t both be trying to minimize this, and be concerned about the severity of it at the same time.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 3:48 pm
= Springfield’s Mayor Langfelder has tested positive, despite being vaxxed and boosted. =

Lori Lightfoot, too: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-lori-lightfoot-covid-positive-chicago-mayor-20220111-qfci6euqxbctjbdm43b7ri4pqm-story.html

Comment by JoanP Tuesday, Jan 11, 22 @ 4:07 pm

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