As COVID cases rise, officials fear a possible holiday surge

BOSTON — Officials in Massachusetts are worried about a possible surge of COVID-19 during the holiday season, after the number of new cases in a single day reached its highest point since February.

Health officials reported 3,196 new cases on Thursday. Education officials reported 3,257 new cases among public school students and 558 among staff members for the week that ended Wednesday, a record high for a single week, The Boston Globe reported.

A Boston Medical Center epidemiologist, Dr. Cassandra Pierre, told The Globe she’s now more worried about Thanksgiving celebrations because the rise in cases is coming the week before a national holiday where people traditionally gather together with their family indoors.

Massachusetts the most jabbed state in the union has one of the worst rates right now.

Deaths involving COVID have started to increase in the Commonwealth as well in recent months, compared to those same months in 2020 (i.e., pre-vaccines). Specifically,

August 2020: 118 COVID deaths / August 2021: 162 COVID deaths

September 2020: 102 COVID deaths / September 2021: 338 COVID deaths

October 2020: 198 COVID deaths / October 2021: 315 COVID deaths.

According to the CDC, 80.6% of the population of Massachusetts age 12 and above is fully vaccinated. For that portion of the population age 65 and above, the percentage is 91.3%.

It is not possible to tell from the data the CDC makes available (which data are compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics, based on information submitted to it by the various state health departments) what percentage of the aforementioned deceased were vaxxed v. unvaxxed. It is possible, however, to further scrutinize the data by age category. Here, the reported data tell us that, for the month of September 2021, 247 of the 338 COVID deaths were incurred in those aged 65 or older. A further 70 deaths were incurred by those in the 50 to 64-year-old age category.

For the month of October 2021, 219 of the reported 315 COVID deaths were incurred by those age 65 or older. A further 72 such deaths were incurred by those in the 50 to 64-year-old age category.

Boston Globe reports that 76% of the pop is double-shot, and 95% one-shot. So 24% of the adult population, or 1.7 million roughly, are potentially at-risk. (est pop 7.1 mil) (for comparison, my state of Calif at 40 million and 67% double-shot has 17 million at risk - plus millions of uncounted illegals)

They also report that hospitalizations and deaths are down, while the cases are rising in the public schools.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/19/nation/covid-19-cases-are-rising-sharply-mass-ahead-holidays-how-worried-should-you-be/

According to mass.gov, Kids 12=17 can only get PFitzer vaccine and kids under 12 could only get it after Nov 2.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccinations-for-children-ages-5-11

So either kids are being infected by parents or other kids, and are infecting unvaccinated teachers or vice versa.

It is the adults who have the moral, social, legal and ethical reponsibility to protect children (and seniors) so if all the adults who interacted with them were protected (recovered/vaccinated), kids’ cases amongst themselves wouldn’t really matter because no adults would get crossinfected from kids, and so far, kids rarely die from Sars-2.

Were were told that U.S. science officials such as Anthony Fauci have suggested it will take 70% to 85% coverage of the population for things to return to normal (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-04/when-will-covid-pandemic-end-near-me-vaccine-coverage-calculator) However, while I see vaccination as lowering infection rates in the short term (yet amidst the risk of side effects), the premise that increased vaccination - and esp. that of children - is the means of ending the pandemic must face the reality that, As of November 17, 2021 and using rounded figures, out of 788,000 Covid-assigned deaths, all except 18,000 have been among those 40 years old and higher, with approx. 575,000 being among those 65 years old and higher. Meaning other than the latter class (which I am in) then the the death toll would be approx. 200,000. (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm#SexAndAge ) 91.3% of Mass seniors (65+) are fully vaxxed (86.2% nationwide) as are 81.5% of all 18+ persons. (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/01/28/960901166/how-is-the-covid-19-vaccination-campaign-going-in-your-state) "Of the 73 million children in the U.S., fewer than 700 [605 as of November 17, 2021] have died of COVID-19 during the course of the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." Which is basically one out of 100,000 kids. (https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2021/10/08/covid-19-kids-cases-hospitalizations-deaths/8361479002/) Case and death rates were equal to or higher across the US this last Fall. (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us) Thus among those in the category which drives the pandemic only are about 13% have not been vaccinated, and approx. 30% of all adults, yet cases are rising. The response to which means forcing vaccination on all the young. Yet they are in very minimal risk of dying from Covid, being of more risk of dying in motor accidents - in one year 7,313.00 in ages btwn 0-24 versus (https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/historical-fatality-trends/deaths-by-age-group/) versus 5,000 from Covid during 2 years for ages 0-29? The reasoning is to mostly protect others, but which mainly means the 13% who really are in substantial risk, yet usually in extended care facilities. Then there is the other 30%, yet what even if all were vaxxed the reality is that vaccination wanes, and thus boosters become a requirement to qualify as fully vaxxed and thus work and interact freely. Until the next variant perhaps. But the elephant in the room is that the real reason we have a pandemic is due to the overall poor condition of Americans. For only approx. 5% of reported COVID-19 deaths that virus was the only cause mentioned on the death certificate. But “For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 4.0 additional conditions or causes per death. (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm#Comorbidities) Mostly being related to obesity, a preventable condition. In reality, obesity and other leading comorbidities usually related to it are the real drivers of premature deaths, but combating such does not see a response proportionate to that of Covid. Nor should the fit and healthy be required to be vaxxed, yet distancing from such who are infected even by a cold should be. See my post here on this aspect: https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4012121/posts?page=49#49

Wall of text apology (but it was fine on my last preview!).

However, while I see vaccination as lowering infection rates in the short term (yet amidst the risk of side effects), the premise that increased vaccination - and esp. that of children - is the means of ending the pandemic must face the reality that,

As of November 17, 2021 and using rounded figures, out of 788,000 Covid-assigned deaths, all except 18,000 have been among those 40 years old and higher, with approx. 575,000 being among those 65 years old and higher. Meaning other than the latter class (which I am in) then the the death toll would be approx. 200,000. (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm#SexAndAge )

91.3% of Mass seniors (65+) are fully vaxxed (86.2% nationwide) as are 81.5% of all 18+ persons. (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/01/28/960901166/how-is-the-covid-19-vaccination-campaign-going-in-your-state)

"Of the 73 million children in the U.S., fewer than 700 [605 as of November 17, 2021] have died of COVID-19 during the course of the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." Which is basically one out of 100,000 kids. (https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2021/10/08/covid-19-kids-cases-hospitalizations-deaths/8361479002/)

Case and death rates were equal to or higher across the US this last Fall. (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us)

Thus among those in the category which drives the pandemic only are about 13% have not been vaccinated, and approx. 30% of all adults, yet cases are rising. The response to which means forcing vaccination on all the young. Yet they are in very minimal risk of dying from Covid, being of more risk of dying in motor accidents - in one year 7,313.00 in ages btwn 0-24 versus (https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/historical-fatality-trends/deaths-by-age-group/) versus 5,000 from Covid during 2 years for ages 0-29? The reasoning is to mostly protect others, but which mainly means the 13% who really are in substantial risk, yet usually in extended care facilities. Then there is the other 30%, yet what even if all were vaxxed the reality is that vaccination wanes, and thus boosters become a requirement to qualify as fully vaxxed and thus work and interact freely. Until the next variant perhaps.

But the elephant in the room is that the real reason we have a pandemic is due to the overall poor condition of Americans. For only approx. 5% of reported COVID-19 deaths that virus was the only cause mentioned on the death certificate. But “For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 4.0 additional conditions or causes per death. (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm#Comorbidities) Mostly being related to obesity, a preventable condition

In reality, obesity and other leading comorbidities usually related to it are the real drivers of premature deaths, but combating such does not see a response proportionate to that of Covid. Nor should the fit and healthy be required to be vaxxed, yet distancing from such who are infected even by a cold should be.

See my post here on this aspect: https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4012121/posts?page=49#49

They also report that hospitalizations and deaths are down, while the cases are rising in the public schools.

Deaths involving COVID are not down in Massachusetts. At least not recently. Information compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics indicates that, from a pandemic-low of 69 COVID deaths in July 2021, the Commonwealth has incurred 162 such deaths in August 2021, 338 in September 2021, and 315 in October 2021. Already in November 2021, the NCHS reports 88 COVID deaths in Massachusetts.

A "decrease" in deaths from September to October 2021? Is that what the newspapers are referencing? A more meaningful measure of the efficacy of the vaccines, if that is what is in view, would be a comparison of October 2021 to October 2020 (when, of course, no one in Massachusetts had yet been vaccinated). In October 2020, there were 198 deaths involving COVID in Massachusetts.

I'm not sure what you mean by people being "potentially at risk." Even the CDC has acknowledged that fully vaccinated people are at risk of contracting, and spreading, COVID.

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