September 25 - Vast Improvement

Vast Improvement

September 25, 2022

The Covid-19 situation in Alabama has rapidly improved. The 7-day average of reported cases has dropped to 781 per day, a 34% improvement from last week. Even more impressive is the 60% decline in statewide hospitalizations - from 469 to 219 patients - in just one week. On May 9, 2022, Alabama recorded just 138 Covid patients, the lowest mark since the early days of March 2020. We are not far from matching that record low today.

After considerable reflection, I have decided to suspend the weekly publication of my Alabama Covid newsletter for the time being. I will continue to monitor the data and won’t hesitate to resume this letter if the data warrants it. The pandemic is not “over” by any means. Long Covid, in particular, is a phenomenon that deserves special attention going forward. Yet, enough advances have been made in the prevention, detection and treatment of Covid that it has become a manageable disease.

The writing of this newsletter over the past 29 months has been a singular privilege. Many thanks to all of you who have expressed your appreciation. Please do not hesitate to drop me a line if you have any questions and I will do my best to respond. In the meantime, I urge you to stay current on your vaccinations and always be vigilant and considerate of others. The totals for the last two weeks:

9/11  - not reporting

9/12  - 2,494

9/13  - 1,572

9/14  -  1,212

9/15  -  1,042

9/16  -  1,025

9/17  -    918

9/18 - not reporting

9/19 -     718

9/20 -  1,174

9/21 -  1,077

9/22 -     858

9/23 -     842

9/24 -     798