Coronavirus, COVID-19, coronavirus variants, and vaccine updates for 10-06-2021

This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots for October 6th, 2021.   Amid the nationwide shortage in qualified, experienced healthcare workers, we’re losing them by the thousands due to vaccine mandates. Northwell Health, the largest health care provider in New York state, fired 1,400 of them for non-compliance. In Detroit, around 400 workers left the job at Henry Ford Health System.   We’ll see if the same thing happens with teachers. The vaccine mandate for teachers and staff took effect Monday in New York City's million-plus-student public school system. Unvaccinated employees will be placed on unpaid leave and substitutes brought in to take their place. And there is no test-out option. A similar mandate goes into effect in L.A. October 15.   There’s a problem with COVID-19 tests. Demand has made the price skyrocket and made availability an issue. Much of that demand is coming from employers who’ve been made responsible for making sure their workers are COVID-free. Test makers are scaling up production, but it will take time to catch up.     Just how much worse was Delta than the original version of the coronavirus? A new study out of Canada has put a number on it. Saying Delta causes more serious disease and is associated with increased risk of death, researchers found a 108% increased risk for hospitalization, 235% increased risk for ICU admission, and 133% increased risk for death compared to the original.   It’s hard to imagine anyone making Mike Tyson do anything. But the world-famous boxer said that while he has been vaccinated, it’s not because he wanted to. He told USA TODAY, “I didn’t do it willingly. I was pretty much beaten into submission to do this because I travel internationally. And if I don’t travel, we don’t eat.”   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 currently 9,774,391 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 27%, Pennsylvania 16%, Michigan and Wyoming 13%, and Montana 11%.     The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: McCreary, KY. Kodiak Island Borough, AK. Bethel Census Area, AK. Custer, MT. Green, KY. Morton, ND. Whitley, KY. Wadena, MN. Big Horn, WY. And Stark, ND.   There have been at least 705,116 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 69.7%, Connecticut at 69.1%, and Maine unchanged at 68.7%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are West Virginia unchanged at 40.5%, Wyoming unchanged at 41.7%, and Idaho at 42%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 56%.   There were only 4 countries with recent 24-hour increases in the number of fully vaccinated people: Taiwan up 7%. Oceana 2%. And El Salvador and India 1%.   Globally, cases were down 20% and deaths were down 17% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since August 27.   There are currently 18,040,210 active cases around the world.   The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 94,811. The U.K. 33,869. Turkey 29,802. Russia 25,110. And Brazil 20,528.   There have been at least 4,816,009 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.   For the latest updates, subscribe for free to Coronavirus 411 on your podcast app or ask your smart speaker to play the Coronavirus 411 podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.