I work at a hospital and just talked to a doc from Springfield Cox Hospital - he said most of the people he was admitting were saying ‘but i already had the vaccine’. He made sure he said ‘but that is not scientific, just my experience last night’. So bad in Springfield they were sending a team there. I guess it’s the hot spot of the nation for Delta variant.
I said I had heard the Delta variant was more contagious but less deadly and he said the people he was admitting he felt were MORE sick than what he dealt with this past winter. He also said almost all had other health issues.
Springfield Missouri, he said he had to transfer patients as far away as Carbondale Illinois to get a bed.
Batten down the hatches. It could be worse than last year.
“I guess it’s (Springfield, Missouri) the hot spot of the nation for Delta variant.”
Yes. Missouri leads the nation in the proportion of new cases that are the Delta variant, and Springfield in particular has been reporting capacity issues with new admissions, and even ventilators.
As you say, it could be the bellwether for the Nation, as far as the Delta variant goes.
Delta is already over 50% of new cases Nationwide. As we have seen in India and the UK, it spreads quicker. It might be 90% of new cases Nationwide, by the end of the month.
I am not sure if Delta is “less” deadly, but it does not have a genetic variation that would make it “More” deadly. It might just be that severity and mortality is lower in the USA, because the older and more vulnerable are already highly vaccinated, and using a more effective vaccine. So new cases are skewed strongly to younger and stronger patients.
Israel is proportionally seeing a higher rate of symptomatic breakthrough cases by Delta against Pfizer, but still strong protection against severe or fatal disease.
Typically, changes in deaths rates lag changes in case rates by a few weeks, so by the end of the month we should have a pretty clear view of how the Delta wave will shake out.
“He also said almost all had other health issues.”
After age, it seems that obesity is the biggest determinant of risk from COVID.
I am from the Springfield area. My dad used to work for Cox Ambulance service. Sometimes he would drive the ambulance to transfer patients to St. Louis or other areas.
I appreciate you posting that information. Thanks.