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Michigan did not report. They did 1 week ago.

If they had, today’s death count would have been slightly above last week’s.

The slope of the death count decline is already more shallow than Jan/Feb, when there were no vaccines to speak of.

Russia and Ukraine are getting battered.

Until recently I ignored cases because there was so much agenda. Only deaths mattered.

But . . . that was when there was drive thru testing. Now, a vaxed person isn’t going to get tested unless his or her symptoms are pretty ugly. That will force him to the doctor and the doc will want a test.

Point being, cases may not die, but they are probably on their backs and devastated for weeks. It would have to be that serious for them to even be a case.

England has a serious problem in this regard. The mutation speed is pretty damn fast.

Michigan did not report. They did 1 week ago. If they had, today’s death count would have been slightly above last week’s.

You sound disappointed.

#BadMichiganBad

My experience yesterday and today somewhat confirms part of your post, although I don't think the situation with testing is quite as difficult as you posit.

Many COVID testing sites ARE now requiring a doctor's referral. Not all are, however. For example, at least locally, Quest Diagnostics (working with Wal Mart Pharmacies) does not require a MD's referral. One can go online and get signed up for an appt. without a referral. That said, the whole process is a royal PITA, and takes significant time and persistence. Plus it involves self-testing -- a very good way to get lots of false negatives. I can very easily see how the whole mess could reduce positive case reports by a factor of 4 compared to last year's "easy and convenient" testing." That really artificially drives up our CFR.

OTOH, serious case numbers and Covid fatalities are likely at least somewhere "in the ballpark" -- at least if one gives the data several weeks to settle out.

The UK however, is showing high and probably a lot more accurate case numbers than we are, but, their fatalities are comparatively quite low vs. either their previous wave or their current case numbers. It is an excellent demonstration that the vaccines are doing what their manufacturers claimed: Reduce the CHR and CFR.

BTW, regarding Russia and Ukraine, check out Romania, too. They are getting walloped.