Hope you didn’t sell everything you own to go into the mask business. Data released by the CDC shows Covid levels have dropped enough that more than 90% of Americans can go without masks. The data shows nearly everyone in the country lives in an area with low to medium risk, though that data came out after the CDC tweaked how it measures risk. The new CDC guidance applies to everyone — including school kids and the unvaccinated. It does not, for whatever reason, apply to air travel, trains, or public transit.

Yes, Omicron was reported as milder than the Delta variant, but that doesn’t mean it’s no big deal. Japanese scientists say it’s at least 40% more lethal than seasonal flu. The case fatality rate of Omicron in Japan was about 0.13%, while the flu typically has a 0.006% to 0.09% death rate. They say more study is needed once all the restrictions are lifted. 

If you have arthritis, it’s rare you feel lucky but when it comes to the pandemic, you may have been. Baricitinib is an oral drug commonly taken for rheumatoid arthritis, and an expansive study out of Oxford shows it reduced hospitalized COVID-19 patients’ risk of dying by 13%. Scientists and doctors welcomed the addition of the pill to the few treatments already shown to help treat severe COVID, especially since the drug comes in generic versions low- and middle-income countries can afford.

A couple of good news items for kids. The European Medicines Agency has authorized Moderna's vaccine for children aged six to 11, in addition to recommending boosters of Pfizer's vaccine for those aged 12 and up. And a new study has found Pfizer’s vaccine is 91% effective at protecting young people ages 12 to 18 against infection for at least four months after their second shot.

You may want to dust off the luggage as well. Rules requiring people to show a Covid-19 vaccine passport to access venues will be lifted in France March 14 and face masks will no longer be needed indoors except for on public transport. And vaccinated travelers to Italy will no longer have to test before entering the country. Unvaccinated travelers must still show proof of a negative test before entering. And once in country everyone must still get a “Super Green Pass” to stay at hotels, take trains, or eat at restaurants. 

In the United States, cases were down 55%, deaths are down 26%, and hospitalizations are down 43% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since January 14.  

The five areas that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Arkansas, Maine, West Virginia, Tennessee, and the Northern Mariana Islands. 

There are 25,724,877 active cases in the United States.

The top 10 areas with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Nome Census Area, AK. Bennington, VT. Linn, MO. Roanoke, VA. Pike, KY. Twin Falls, ID. Perry, KY. Fayette, AL. and Jerome, ID.

There have been 956,262 deaths in the U.S. recorded as COVID-related.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Rhode Island at 80.7%, Vermont at 80.1%, and Maine at 78.4%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Alabama at 50.3%, Wyoming at 50.6%, and Mississippi at 51%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 65%.

Globally, cases were down 25% and deaths down 27% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since January 25. 

There are 61,379,411 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: Germany 202,338. South Korea 198,802. Vietnam 118,790. Russia 93,026. And Japan 71,570. 

There have been 5,982,566 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide. 

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This is Covid 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants, and new hotspots for March 3rd, 2022. 

The US has a new plan for COVID. The White House said it's time for America to stop letting the coronavirus “dictate how we live.” Part of the new plan is a new “test to treat” program to provide free antiviral pills at pharmacies for anyone who tests positive. The plan also seeks to get ready for potential new variants and give employers and schools what they need to stay open.

If you want them, you can get more free COVID tests from the government. The key there is “if you want them.” So far, a great many Americans have not shown much interest, which is why about half of the available supply is still available. Starting next week, you can order another group of tests at Covidtest.gov. The previous limit was four tests per residential address.

Australia is now fully open to vaccinated travelers. Western Australia, which covers about a third of the country, became the last state to lift border restrictions today. This came four months after Sydney started a staggered reopening of quarantine-free travel. Western Australia was having good luck with contact tracing and isolation until the Omicron variant came along. Now they’re reporting more than 1,000 new infections a day.

Germany is also putting out the welcome mat again, removing all the countries currently on its list of “high-risk areas.” The list will now only include places where high infection rates are linked to more virulent variants than Omicron. Visitors will still have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test.

Even if the pandemic is over, it’s not over for those suffering with long COVID. And a new small study from the National Institutes of Health says many of the symptoms people are suffering from may be driven, in part, by long-term nerve damage. 59% had peripheral neuropathy, which is damage to the nerves that connect the brain to the outside world. Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, sensory changes, and pain in the hands and feet. The researchers don’t sound totally confident, saying the study was of a very small and "biased data set" since the patients studied were already believed to have a neurological condition.

In the United States, cases were down 58%, deaths are down 18%, and hospitalizations are down 44% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since January 14.  

The five areas that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Tennessee. 

There are 25,845,090 active cases in the United States.

The top 10 areas with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Nome Census Area, AK. Manassas Park, VA. Fayette, AL. Perry, KY. Elmore, ID. Ada, ID. Morgan, KY. Gooding, ID. And Bennington, VT. 

There have been 954,512 deaths in the U.S. recorded as COVID-related.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Rhode Island at 80.7%, Vermont at 80.1%, and Maine at 78.4%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Alabama at 50.3%, Wyoming at 50.6%, and Mississippi at 50.9%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 65%.

Globally, cases were down 27% and deaths down 19% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since January 25. 

There are 61,540,184 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: South Korea 219,237. Germany 198,457. Vietnam 110,301. Russia 97,455. And Japan 61,843. 

There have been 5,972,440 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide. 

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The CDC estimates there have been 140 million Covid-19 infections in the US, that’s almost double the 74.3 million cases that have been reported as of January 31 and 43% of the country. The new number comes from antibody seroprevalence surveys, in which blood samples submitted to labs for unrelated reasons are tested for antibodies triggered by infection, not by vaccination. Wisconsin has the highest seroprevalence, with an estimated 56.1% of its population infected. 

A tragic statistic from an updated modeling study in The Lancet shows that the number of children around the world affected by COVID-associated orphanhood and caregiver death is estimated to have gone up dramatically. From around 2.7 million in April 2021 to 5.2 million in October 2021. That’s the equivalent of one child orphaned every six seconds. The loss of a parent is linked to greater risk of dropping out of school, lower self-esteem, suicide, violence, sexual abuse, and developing anxiety, depression, and substance abuse problems. 

In England, one less thing to argue about. Mandatory Covid vaccinations for health and social care workers will be scrapped March 15. That policy met fierce resistance from some workers, and critics warned firing those not in compliance would worsen the serious staffing crisis in health and care services. But the damage is done; many have left their jobs, and some left the field altogether. 

If you want to go to Hawaii, you can say aloha unmasked and you don’t have to hula six feet apart anymore. The state is lifting its strict entry requirements March 26. Travelers won’t have to show proof of a vaccine or negative test to bypass a mandatory quarantine. And that five-day quarantine is going away, too. However, for now, Hawaii is keeping its indoor mask mandate. But it’s Hawaii…go outside. 

We’ve heard there wasn’t much risk of this, but researchers now think they’ve documented the first deer-to-human transmission of COVID. The culprit was a white-tailed deer in Ontario. It was found to have a new and highly divergent lineage of the coronavirus, and they found a person that had similar samples. Available data indicates it's unlikely the variant doesn’t respond to vaccines, but maybe don’t take any white-tailed deer onto public transportation or a cruise.  

In the United States, cases were down 59%, deaths are down 23%, and hospitalizations are down 44% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since January 14.  

The five areas that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Ohio, Maine, Tennessee, West Virginia, and the Northern Mariana Islands.  

There are 25,989,717 active cases in the United States.

The top 10 areas with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Manassas Park, VA. Nome Census Area, AK. Fayette, AL. Perry, KY. Morgan, KY. Elmore, ID. Aroostook, ME. Bennington, VT. And Ada, ID.

There have been 952,629 deaths in the U.S. recorded as COVID-related.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Rhode Island at 80.7%, Vermont at 80.1%, and Maine at 78.3%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Alabama at 50.2%, Wyoming at 50.6%, and Mississippi at 50.9%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 64.9%.

Globally, cases were down 30% and deaths down 20% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since January 25. 

There are 61,832,820 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: Germany 150,565. South Korea 138,993. Vietnam 98,762. Russia 97,333. And France 79,794. 

There have been 5,964,226 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide. 

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