Coronavirus, Mid June Edition, 2022
The Numbers:
Nationwide, the estimated number of cases dropped during the Memorial day holiday weekend, and the week following, probably due to accounting rather than reality, then started climbing about 5% per day the week following. The current estimate is around 900,000.
More in keeping with reality, the number of people hospitalized with Covid is climbing as well. 24,000 for this week, up from 21,000 the week before, and 17,000 mid May.
Moderna Omicron Vaccine:
Moderna is seeking approval for it's Omicron specific booster. Preliminary data released by the company showed that its omicron-targeting coronavirus booster candidate produced 1.75 times as many neutralizing antibodies against the version of omicron that circulated over the winter, known as BA.1, compared with its existing vaccine.
However, Omicron is up to version BA.4 and BA.5, representing 13% of all cases currently. We don't have numbers on how effective the new booster will act against those versions.
The updated booster should be available in the fall.
Paxlovid Rebound:
Paxlovid is an anti viral drug that has become one of the dominant weapons for fighting a covid infection. Taken immediately after a positive test, it greatly reduces hospitalizations and deaths from covid.
In 1-2% of the cases, patients that finish the course, and sometimes even test negative for covid, suddenly get ill from covid, with high viral loads in evidence.
But this phenomenon has been noted in the last 6 months, even before Paxlovid became available in quantity.
A study comparing Paxlovid against non Paxlovid patients has shown nearly the same percentage chance of a rebound. At this time the cause of the rebound, in either Paxlovid or not, is not known.
It was also noted however, that the rebound cases do not reach the level regarded as a "severe" illness.
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