Here's this week's #COVID19 data for New York City, the United States and the world.
In New York, hospitalizations are up a bit.
Nationwide hospitalizations continue to fall, and are well below the 2018-2019 flu peak.
Worldwide deaths may be plateauing.
Cause for optimism, but #CovidIsNotOver! It's important to:
* Keep wearing masks in medical settings and confined spaces
* Keep current with vaccinations
* Stay home if sick
* Be prepared to resume precautions if hospitalizations rise
Here are this week's #COVID19 indicators:
New York deaths average 0 per day. With 5 days with 1 death per day and 2 days with 0 deaths (May 21 and 22), I don't understand how that averages to 0, but it's the best so far this year!
New York hospitalizations are possibly at a plateau. Nationwide hospitalizations are well below the peak of flu hospitalizations in 2018-2019.
New York wastewater is low, last measured on April 11.
Worldwide deaths are also at their lowest since the beginning!
I haven't updated the NYC #COVID19 indicators for a couple of months, since they've been at a fairly low plateau!
First I wanted to focus on RESP-NET, since it's seasonal and I probably won't be referencing it regularly, at least until we get another wave.
It shows that the COVID-19 hospitalization rate has continued to decline, but at a much slower rate than the flu hospitalization rate did in any of the years in the study. It's now at about 1.0. #CovidIsNotOver
The Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) comprises three networks that conduct population-based surveillance for laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza-associated hospitalizations among children and adults.
Next up: #COVID19 wastewater data. It turns out that the dataset I was using hasn't been updated since May 1. But there's a SUNY professor who's been getting wastewater data from the NYC DEP.
That data is about a week old, but it's separated by sewage treatment plant. Levels are increasing at some treatment plants, but decreasing at others, including Bowery Bay, the plant that receives wastewater from western Queens. #CovidIsNotOver
https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Health/SARS-CoV-2-concentrations-measured-in-NYC-Wastewat/f7dc-2q9f
https://mbcolli.shinyapps.io/SARS2EWSP/_w_e1a64648/
Results of sampling to determine the SARS-CoV-2 N gene levels in NYC DEP Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) influent, disaggregated by the WRRF where the sample was collected, date sample was collected, and date sample was tested RT-qPCR was changed to digital PCR in April of 2023, resulting values are about 10-20 times higher than those of RT-qPCR Data may be used to track trends in SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in NYC WRRF influent. Dataset does not include COVID-19 case rates.
So what about the charts I've been following for months? There are still too many #COVID19 deaths in New York City, but they do seem to be gradually decreasing; 11 deaths were reported for the first 17 days of July.
Hospitalizations were on a plateau for May, then declined in late June, but seem to have risen again in July. I'm wondering if that could be the heat and wildfire smoke - I've been seeing a lot more closed doors in shops and restaurants, and people eating inside.
Damn, I messed up the threading! Sorry about that:
Attached: 1 image Case counts are my least favorite #COVID19 indicator, since so few of us are testing regularly. But the recent rise in positive cases here in New York City does concern me a bit, and suggests that we should be on the lookout for resulting increases in hospitalizations and deaths. #CovidIsNotOver
#CovidIsNotOver and according to the CDC, US hospitalizations are back up to 2.4 per 100,000 residents. It's 3.3 in New York City.
We still eat outdoors and #WearAMask in confined spaces, doctors' offices and transit. If the rate rises above the peak combined flu/RSV rate of 6.2 in March 2019, we're cancelling karaoke, masking everywhere and working from home every day.
Also, the NYC hospitalization total is literally off the chart. Did the Dept. of Health really not expect another wave?
It's been a while since I looked at a nationwide #COVID19 map! Some of the counties are not looking good, especially Albany County here in New York, Brazos County, Texas (home of Texas A&M) and Palm Beach County, Florida. #CovidIsNotOver
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#maps_new-admissions-rate-county
@tobi82 Europeans wearing shorts? Now you know the world has been turned upside-down. 😉
Yesterday it was the first day with a high of 22 degrees C, so it was the first day I wore long pants in over a month!
Angus Andrea Grieve-Smith
conscientious objector 🇨🇭🪂🤓🕊️🖖