February 17, 2021
“We may be done with Covid-19, but the virus is not done with us.” That is the sobering conclusion in a NY Times Op-Ed delivered today by 8 members of a 16-member advisory board that counseled President Biden on Covid-19 during the presidential transition.The point being made is that, despite the decline in cases and hospitalizations around the country, this pandemic is far from over … and we cannot become complacent.
I read this column a few minutes after processing Alabama’s rosy report of just 679 new daily cases (incl 263 probables). Just like yesterday, testing in our State has virtually disappeared into the winter storm - 2,851 today - which produces a 23.8% one-day positivity rate, slightly above our 7-day moving average of about 20%. For the first time since Election Day, we dropped below 10 patients per reporting hospital - 9.45 to be exact - with 1,030 patients being cared for by 109 reporting hospitals.
Those remarkably good numbers obscure the fact that the great race between vaccines and variants has reached a critical stage. At the same time many states are rolling back mask mandates and preparing for a springtime of indoor dining and large gatherings, the Covid variants have shown increased transmissibility and virulence. If we need a reminder that we’re not yet out of the woods, today’s report of 89 deaths should serve that purpose.
It’s a shame that the winter storm struck the South and Midwest when it did because it’s bound to slow down the accelerated pace of vaccinations. Our state of Alabama, in particular, has been getting it done lately. A total of 663K doses have now been administered, 71.8% of the doses earmarked for the State. 504.1K Alabamians have received 1 dose (10.3% of our population) and 158.2K are fully vaccinated (3.2%). We remain below the national average according to both metrics - 12.2% for 1 dose and 4.7% for both doses - but the pace of vaccinations has vastly improved compared to last month.
Despite this progress, there is still so much we do not know about this virus. For instance, doctors across the United States have been seeing a striking increase in the number of young people with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C. The latest data from the CDC show 2,060 cases in 48 states, including 30 deaths. The median age was 9, but infants to 20-year-olds have been afflicted, and the rate of cases increased since mid-October.
That is simply one more reason, among others (including the emergence of variants), why we must continue to be vigilant. If you have been fully vaccinated, you deserve to breathe a sigh of relief. But, this is far from over, and it is no time to declare, “Mission Accomplished”. Continue to wear the damn mask when you’re out in public. Responsible personal behavior is, and always has been, the bulwark against this virus. That will never change. The totals:
2/3 - 2118
2/4 - 2767
2/5 - 1496
2/6 - 1992
2/7 - 1112
2/8 - 925
2/9 - 1318
2/10 - 1401
2/11 - 1503
2/12 - 1097
2/13 - 1189
2/16 - 883
2/17 - 679