Wanna walk you through something I feel is critical right now as state deals with yet another COVID wave
If you or someone you know is 70+, pay attention.
(This centers around question I just asked @GovofCO)
1/
First... Clearly Colorado is in a tough spot.
One of the worst waves in the country right now
Look at hospitalizations. Headed in the wrong direction.
Now in our 2nd worst wave
2/
What's driving this?
Well, clearly, most people ending up in hospitals, even today, are UNVACCINATED
This is latest figure from state
BUT there's more
3/
According to @nytimes, a LARGE driver of patient growth is in the 70+ age range
So what's up?
4/
We do know VAST MAJORITY of people 70+ are vaccinated.
We also know the VAST MAJORITY of those were vaccinated early this year (they were first in line)
NYT says 94% of 65+ have received at least ONE dose
5/
So... what's going on...
Well, we know vaccine effectiveness isn't as good with 70+
State even pointed this out today. Other studies show waning effectiveness w/this group too
6/
What I don't understand is why the state isn't doing everything it can to get this population boosted...
Like... now
When 1 in 55 Coloradans are infectious
This is a CRITICAL time for these folks... Keep in mind, this group is VERY PRO VACCINE
7/
So... I'll do some of this myself.
If you know someone who has been vaccinated and is over the age of 70.. share with them what I've just old you.
As of now, according to @CDPHE roughly 2/3rds of this group has not received a booster. This is hundreds of thousands
8/
Trust me... you don't want to end up in a hospital right now with shortness of breath and a low o2 level b/c you put off that booster appointment by a few weeks.
Talk to your doctor. Get an appointment
And, by all means, consider what a booster might mean in your life.
9/9
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The one thing you have to realize in the ridiculous and messy world of the US health care system is that no one typically pays the list price for anything.
Not for ER visits. Not for CTs. And not for rx drugs.
The latter is a mess. And one that still confuses me…but…
2/
Earlier this year the Commonwealth Fund did a study on the 10 drugs Medicare (the govt) will now “negotiate” prices on.
It’s a remarkably nerdy read. But one that’s important.
As Colorado becomes just the second state in the country to ban use of the term “excited delirium” on police and autopsy reports… following our yearlong investigation…
I want to take a moment to explain the motivation behind our work.
While looking into deaths that happened during or shortly after prolonged prone restraint, we found many were explained not by use of force but by something known as “excited delirium”
Families often had to google the term after being told that’s why their loved one died.