Pandemic Report
The latest CDC weekly stats:
It looks like we're finally seeing a top to the summer 2024 wave (note that deaths are often a lagging indicator). I don't think the newly updated vaccines are a part of this story (I haven't seen any numbers yet; I have seen anecdotal reports of an uptake in vaccinations in certain elevated areas.) When I did my most recent Internet search on COVID stories, probably the most recurring post dealt with the likely sticker shock of the uninsured; most health insurance will cover most, if not all the cost (it's a lot cheaper than hospitalization charges). But apparently in a cost-saving move, the federal government has been phasing out vaccine subsidies in the current fiscal year (ending this month). This NJ post quotes CVS charging $202. I seem to recall Pfizer, in talking about its contract with the federal government, griping it usually markets vaccines at a (higher) $150 or so. I've seen a variety of state responses: some are still covering shots through the end of the month, others using leftover COVID relief funds from DC. But familiar readers should not be surprised: I had earlier written how my pharmacy sent me a text saying my 2 shots (COVID & flu) would cost over $400; I thought somehow they didn't have my health insurance on file. I just thought they would prompt about insurance before scheduling me. Would I do it if uninsured? Yes. COVID is still a top 10 killer, and we continue to see changes in variants able to penetrate immunity defenses.
Other relevant news items:
- UT researchers have discovered to a broadly effective plasma antibody, SC27, which may provide the basis for producing new COVID meds
- MN Gov. Tim Walz, Dem VP candidate, has been subpoenaed by the US House Education Committee over alleged COVID relief fraud by a MN nonprofit. Walz is also attracting attention over ties with certain CCP-linked entities, including the infamous Wuhan Institute of Virology
- "In the first 2 years or more of the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of infection was higher in open-space offices, long-distance trains, convenience stores, taxis, airplanes, and nightclubs and during take-away food delivery, carpooling with relatives, and attending concerts, suggests a case-control study of various work, leisure, and other spaces in France."
- "A new study from researchers at the Mayo Clinic suggests that being vaccinated against COVID-19 does little to prevent long COVID...."A lot of the early literature on long COVID was really defining long COVID through patient surveys," Swift told CIDRAP News. Swift’s study instead relied on participants having received a long-COVID diagnosis from a physician after having a documented case of post-vaccination COVID-19 infection."
- "Mucosal COVID-19 boosters outperform mRNA shots in preventing upper airway infections."
- I've reported a lot of cases where states used COVID relief funds from DC for alternative ends, like CN using it to fund some teachers who are being laid off as COVID relief funding dries up.
- EIDL loans for small businesses during the pandemic were not forgivable, but low interest. Some businesses, though, are running into issues paying off the loans.
- The mandatory respiratory disease hospitalization admissions reporting is due to restart in November.
- The battle against misinformation continues:
- Contrary to social media claims, "The Healthy Together and TraceTogether apps cannot gain access to a person’s phone contacts and then track those contacts without their consent. Neither app is being used for COVID-19 contact tracing in 2024, and they were never capable of tracking people in a person’s contact list even when granted permission to access their information."
- COVID relief prosecutions continue, including
- the conviction of a Nevada resident on over $11M in fraudulent PPP loans
- an Illinois businessman was sentenced for a second fraud scheme (involving unfulfilled test kit orders); (the first involved ripping off hospitals for personal protection equipment orders)
- a Washington state woman pled guilty: she got caught trying to bribe a juror on her COVID fraud case
Other Notes
Blog pageviews still are higher than the long-term trend; most posts are now averaging into the barely double-digits. On X/Twitter, I'm probably in the daily 100-300 impression range. I'm somewhat amused as a Never Trumper having to defend Trump. You can see "Trump is a rapist" or "Melania was a soft porn star" on X all the time . A lot of people think the Carroll case led to a finding of rape vs. sex abuse. So, I responded to one tweet and came back hours later to find my notifications flooded with Trump Derangement Syndrome tweets. I've been highly critical of Trump but I don't go to these extremes.
Egg prices have gone nuts again. Apparently another Asian flu outbreak. I swear last week I bought a dozen for about $1.13 at Lidl.. I started doing hard-boiled eggs as a high protein snack and wanted to buy a dozen today and the price literally multiplied. I had to check the Lidl website before writing this and it's showing $3.77 a dozen--literally more than tripling!
I had a rare issue with Amazon last night. By the way, they have always fixed a rare issue. I never had a delivery problem at my current address. Well, one time a driver called for directions. I think it probably was because it was dark and it's hard to see my street number.. Typically they have like a cellphone proof of delivery. All I know is they delivered to the wrong home but all I could see is porch steps that aren't mine, no street number. I contacted Amazon for a replacement shipment--well, I was really trying to get the driver to return and fix his mistake, but they told me that couldn't be done.. I thought maybe a neighbor might redeliver but that didn't happen through this morning. So, I get notice of redelivery, find the 2 packages as in proof in delivery. But an additional third package was out there. You guessed it: the original package. I have no clue how that happened. It wasn't in the photo. So, I called Amazon to see if I needed to ship back the replacement--no. It was not that much, like maybe $25 of stuff. I think a certain driver needs additional training.
