"Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic -- Things I've Learned (So Far) - 2024 Edition"
It's for my students but great for anyone who wants to better understand the state of the pandemic in the U.S. in Jan 2024.
40 mins total across 7 chapters:
Ch 1 - Intro on the Winter 2023-24 Surge and a bit on my background
Ch 2 - The public health significance of COVID-19 at present, especially focused on Long COVID
Ch 3 - SARS-CoV-2 is Airborne, and we need multi-layered mitigation
Ch 4 - Quarantine, testing, and isolation overview
Ch 5 - Masking tips
Ch 6 - Air cleaning fundamentals
Ch 7 - Vulnerability and inclusivity
VIDEO THREAD 🧵 - Clip 2 of 7
Chapter 2: COVID is NOT “A Cold or the Flu”
#LongCOVID #LongCovidKids
"Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic -- Things I've Learned (So Far) - 2024 Edition"
I have no financial Conflicts of Interest (COIs) for any of the products or industries mentioned in passing. I intentionally do not receive ad revenue on these videos, as that could create the appearance of a potential bias.
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Transmission is stable in a relative "lull" nationally between waves.
We estimate that approximately 313,000 people are still getting infected per day, with outbreaks radiating from TN and MS.
🧵1 of 10 (don't miss #10)!
With limited data reported, Mississippi has an estimated 1 in 27 residents actively infectious.
In a room of 25 people, that's a 61% chance of exposure, if no testing/isolation protocols.
🧵2 of 10
1 in 24 people in Tennessee are estimated to be actively infectious with SARS-CoV-2. That's a 65% chance of exposure in a room of 25 people where nobody is testing/isolating.
This is an unethically misleading study with findings easily explained by residual confounding. Some health systems and patients have thorough record keeping. Others don't. All sorts of variables will correlate (infections, cancers, anything else tracked in medical records).
This is a really obvious issue for an international epi study. It should not have been published.
The above study is using the same processes the anti-vaxxers use -- junk epi that does not account for confounding -- to support whatever pre-conceived notions the authors have, with absurdly large effects.
Denial is but one of several obvious defense mechanisms people use to try to block their awareness of the ongoing toll of COVID-19. There are many others.
Short-term capital also plays a role, but even that requires a large dose of defense mechanisms.
During this 12th COVlD wave, the CDC reports 1-in-3 states have "High" or "Very High" levels.
PMC estimates the proportion of residents actively infectious (prevalence):
◾️USA: 1 in 67
◾️IA: 1 in 27
◾️MI: 1 in 25
◾️IN & CT: 1 in 23
◾️ME: 1 in 21
◾️OK & SD: 1 in 17
🧵1/
On average, Americans have have 5.0 cumulative SARS-CoV-2 infections.
This week's infections are expected to result in 1/4 to 1 million new #LongCOVID conditions and ≈2,000 excess deaths.
🧵2/
The wave peak is now estimated >10% higher than last week at 1.2 million new daily infections, nearly double the Delta wave.
We expect sustained high transmission (≈600,000 to 750,000 new daily infections) the next few weeks as COVlD circulates through schools/families.
🧵3/
Based on today's CDC & Biobot data, we estimate the following for the week of Jan 19:
🔸1 in 52 people in the U.S. actively infectious
🔸25% chance of exposure in a room of 15 ppl
🔸Nearly 1 million new daily infections
🔸5 cumulative infections per person all-time (avg)
🧵1/5
Transmission estimates have been marginally corrected upward.
11 states have Very High COVlD levels:
🔸PA: 1 in 25 estimated actively infectious
🔸MI: 1 in 23
🔸OH & KY: 1 in 22
🔸SD: 1 in 20
🔸NE & IA: 1 in 18
🔸IL & ME: 1 in 17
🔸IN: 1 in 16
🔸WV: 1 in 11
🧵2/5
We're in the middle of a 12th COVlD wave.
The peak has likely passed, but with students headed back to school, transmission is expected to remain high for at least the next several weeks.