ANDREW TRUNSKYÂ CONTRIBUTOR
For the first time in months, not one state reported a dramatic weekly increase in coronavirus cases.
While average daily cases fell by less than 10% in 11 states, 37 states saw cases fall by over 10% and just two states had cases marginally increase, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The United States also averaged fewer than 40,000 daily cases last week, a 21% drop from the week prior and the lowest total since September.
Death and hospitalization rates have also plummeted nationwide. The U.S. has averaged 600 deaths per day, the lowest point in approximately 10 months. If the number continues to fall the nation could soon hit its lowest point of the entire pandemic, according to the Associated Press.
The uplifting news strongly correlates with the increasing amount of Americans who have received a coronavirus vaccine. Over 107 million Americans have received both shots from either Pfizer or Moderna, according to Johns Hopkins, and average daily cases have fallen from hundreds of thousands per day since the vaccines were authorized for emergency use in December.
The Cleveland Clinic announced this week that 99.7% of Americans hospitalized with the coronavirus are unvaccinated, and found that the vaccines were 97% effective in protecting against the virus.
More states are beginning to fully reopen as more of their residents get vaccinated. Several have even directly tied the removal of restrictions with the percentage of people vaccinated.
In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said those with at least one shot would be eligible to win $1 million each week for the next five weeks.
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I recently had occasion to view a graph developed by a private individual who apparently has a lot of time on his hands. It graphed COVD cases in the 25 most restrictive states versus 25 of the states with the least COVD restrictions. It was amazing. There was scarcely any variation in the graph of the two categories. The 25 least restrictive states consistently had fewer reported cases but not by much. The sudden spurt in the summer was again matched stride for stride. The excessive quarantine measures had no effect on the infection rate according to that graph.
1. Cases do not matter. Verified deaths are what matter.
2. Amid all the flawed metrics and data, good luck discovering the actual verified death count in the United States.
Hospitalizations are what matters
Sorry, in my opinion, hospitalizations indicate nothing. With hospitals receiving extra federal remuneration for COVD cases, it is the stalwart hospital administrator who can turn down extra federal “free money”. A patient presents with severe cardiac conditions. He also exhibits traces of COVD infection. Remuneration for a severe cardiac admission gets what the medical insurance carrier says they will pay for that condition.The COVD patient on the other hand gets the daily rate from the insurance carrier plus a federal bonus for a COVD admission. If I were a hospital administrator I know what sort of admission protocols I would be discussing with my admitting doctors.