Coronavirus, COVID-19, coronavirus variants, and vaccine updates for 10-05-2021

This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots for October 5th, 2021.   They had a dream, they gave it a shot, but it didn’t work out. New Zealand has admitted it will not be able to completely get rid of the coronavirus. They’ve had a zero-tolerance approach from the beginning with strict lockdowns and aggressive contact tracing. In a country of 5 million, only 27 virus deaths have been reported. But a delta outbreak has made the government realize they’re going to have to ease lockdown restrictions, even though COVID is still around.   The EU’s drug regulator gave its backing to giving booster shots of Pfizer to everyone 18 and older, saying doses “may be considered at least 6 months after the second dose.” They also support a third dose of Pfizer or Moderna for those with severely weakened immune systems at least 28 days after their second shot.   Johnson & Johnson is reportedly going to ask the FDA this week to authorize a booster of its vaccine. A meeting of the agency’s expert advisory committee will happen on the 15th to discuss the matter. Over 15 million Americans have gotten the one dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The company says a second shot about two months after the first increased effectiveness to 94%.   In another head spinning reversal, the CDC quickly removed the guidance for holiday safety that they put out a couple of days prior, saying it was old information posted in error. That explains a lot as the guidance was as severe and restrictive as for the holidays of 2020. The organization said it will be sharing updated guidance soon.   Is the pandemic pushing the world into the automation revolution? Last year’s grape harvest in Italy was so bad for Mirko Cappelli’s Tuscan vineyard because he couldn’t get workers that this year, he spent $98,000 on a grape-picking robot. And he’s not alone. Vintners have been slow to adopt automation because of worry it might damage the grapes. Some European regions even ban machine harvesting. But the tide seems to be shifting out of necessity, despite a few sour grapes.   In the United States cases were down 24%, deaths are down 12%, and hospitalizations are down 20% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since September 13.    There are 9,802,566 active cases in the United States.   With not all states reporting daily numbers, the five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: North Dakota 26%, Pennsylvania 17%, and Michigan, Montana, and Wyoming 13%.   The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Kodiak Island Borough, AK. DeWitt, TX. Bethel Census Area, AK. Custer, MT. McCreary, KY. Green, KY. Morton, ND. Big Horn, WY. Stark, ND. And Wadena, MN.   There have been at least 703,278 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.   The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 69.6%, Connecticut at 69%, and Maine at 68.7%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are West Virginia at 40.5%, Wyoming at 41.7%, and Idaho at 41.9%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 55.9%.   The 5 countries with the largest recent 24-hour increase in the number of fully vaccinated people: There were only three with increases. Panama, South America, and Oceana all up 2%.   Globally, cases were down 19% and deaths were down 15% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since August 27.   There are 18,115,500 active cases around the world.   The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 72,947. The U.K. 35,077. Turkey 28,810. Russia 25,781. And India 16,762.   There have been at least 4,808,399 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.   For the latest updates... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.