May 26, 2021
ADPH reported 269 new cases today (incl. 92 probables), resulting in a 7-day moving average of 277 cases per day. After adjusting for backlogs, the 7-day average of new cases in Alabama has remained in a narrow range ever since the first week of April, but 277 per day marks the low end of that range. The positivity rate for the last 7 days is 8.7%, the lowest such rate in over a year aside from a couple days last August.
There are now 278 current patients in 109 reporting hospitals (2.55 per hospital), the lowest hospitalization rate in Alabama since April 3, 2020. Sadly, 14 more deaths were added to Alabama’s rolls today, most of which occurred this month. According to BamaTracker, 97 Alabamians died in May, as compared with 168 who died in April, 299 in March, 861 in February and 2,105 in January, the deadliest month in Alabama as well as the nation.
The results of two interesting studies caught my attention this week. The first study examined the post-recovery symptoms experienced by two early waves of Covid patients in Milan, Italy during March and May 2020. Those symptoms run the gamut from respiratory difficulties to neurological and psychiatric abnormalities to gastrointestinal symptoms. Fully one-third of the COVID survivors reported chronic fatigue almost one year later, while 18% reported continuing severe GI problems.
The second study examined the effectiveness of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines against the so-called “India variant” (B.1.617.2). This study found that two doses of Pfizer's vaccine showed 87.9% efficacy against the variant that is now ravaging the Indian subcontinent, while two doses of AstraZeneca's showed 59.8% efficacy. Vaccine effectiveness after just one dose was similarly low for both vaccines, at 33%. These findings have caused the U.K. to accelerate the pace for second doses of both vaccines.
Speaking of Europe, the EU announced on May 19 that vaccinated travelers coming from the United States will soon be permitted to visit the bloc’s member nations. However, because the United States remains closed off to international leisure travelers, aviation industry experts say there won’t be enough planes flying to cause a huge surge in Europe-bound flights from the United States. Although this situation will undoubtedly improve over time, it is a reminder that international travel will not return to normal until Europeans are permitted to visit the U.S. as easily as Americans can visit Europe.
Finally, I want to say a word about BamaTracker and its founder David Marconnet, who announced earlier this month that the site will no longer be developed or maintained after the end of May. In his customary self-effacing manner, David said, “I feel that at this point [the site] has served its purpose.” David is one of those “citizen soldiers” who stepped up very early in this pandemic and battled the virus by employing his unique talents to compile accurate and trustworthy data for us to rely on. I could not have written my newsletter without him, especially in the early days, and I am immensely grateful for his contributions and his friendship. The totals:
5/13- 1,147 (including 306 backlog) - net 841
5/14- 4,918 (including 4,877 backlog) - net 41
5/15- 2,016 (including 1,235 backlog) - net 781
5/16 - 254
5/17 - 184
5/18 - 336
5/19 - 288
5/20 - 339
5/21 - 443
5/22 - 255
5/23 - 196
5/24 - 132
5/25 - 306
5/26 - 269