The news is filled with mixed messages these days. On the one hand, there is the Omicron version of the pandemic you are here to read about; on the other, there are all manner of travel underway, restaurants featured, exhibits/plays/concerts galore - without a mask in site. How is the public going to get it right? The president says test before and after, but at my HEB, there was only one box (2 tests) left in a tray which held around twenty when I bought my stash a few weeks ago. DriveThru Testing Car Lines at the intersection of FM528 and FM518 were in their own parade last Sunday. However, no data for Week 93 was reported until after dinner on Monday, the 27th. I do go on.
My philosophy is "Follow the Data". Coming from a Process Development Research Engineering background, I understand how it takes years to understand and implement new technology. It is unrealistic to expect leaders (Government, Industry, and Science) to have all the answers. Therefore, everyone must keep wearing their mask: whether they are boosted or not. The reason is that Vaccination Data says that, unless you live in one of the Border Counties, we are stuck at 40-50% of the people you come in contact with (in the mall, on the street, and at work) have not had their shots. This includes children between 5 and 11; it also could be worse if you count the number of those whose first two shots have expired or who have children that are behind schedule. Breakthrough Infections are a real thing; and, if you are like me (who is a Pfizer girl and who got her boost as soon as they were available and who is over 65), my immunity is about to expire.
Call to "Vaxion"Before schools open up again in January, all of us must speak out in no uncertain terms that all 5-11 year olds need to get their shots. This group is particularly vulnerable right now and their fraction of the hospitalized population is going up. There are large grants available for any organization that wants to put together a program that does vaccination outreach https://www.kxxv.com/brazos/a-m-helps-give-8-6-million-in-grants-to-reduce-vaccine-hesitancy-among-texans Partner with your House of Worship, your Exercise Studio, your YMCA, your workplace, your Neighborhood Association, school, University, radio station, Tennis League, .......We cannot go another full year under the thumb of this virus. We have been let down by our leaders and we must take the job into our own hands.
I thought that explaining the data was going to be enough to make a difference. I see now that a call to action is what is lacking, and will be reporting back with my efforts hoping that we can all work together on this.
Vaccination Table Update Last week, Texas DSHS corrected an error in classification that over-calculated the number of fully vaccinated individuals between December 1 and the 10th. As a result, Figure 1 shows some backtracking in the Regional Numbers. Texas has not reached 60% and its ability to reach any target over 80% has been complicated by the need for boosters since the job is taking so long. I know I am preaching to the choir - but, with respect to all of the frontline workers/Medical Community, it takes a village.
Figure 2 is the Hot Spot Graphic which illustrates how the Houston Metro area and the Hill Country are now the new center of Texas's Covid-19 Pandemic. Our latest surge started from the West; however, with Thanksgiving Day gatherings - the state's more populous areas have "ignited". Omicron plus Delta plus higher population density plus unmasked/unwary holiday gatherings are responsible for this updated picture. While many who planned such events did so recently, they failed to update their plans when the situation changed. And, here we are.
The good news is that the border counties have been able to maintain their low hospitalization status in the midst of high new case data. While previous Reports did not show a Hospitalization impact in the regions with large cities, Week 93 is different. In TSA's Q and R (Houston and Galveston), O (Austin) and E(Dallas), we are beginning to see the first signs that Omicron's uninvited presence at Thanksgiving is translating into a larger Covid-19 patient population.
In some ways, the situation is much like the Spring of 2020 where cities (San Antonio and Dallas/FW) took the blunt of the first round of Covid-19 in the state. Afterwards, rural counties "caught fire. Vaccinations are in a tug-of-war with lack of other constraints to see how high the numbers will go. Look for it here in next week's post .
Before closing, I want to recommend the NYTimes Op Ed, written by an ICU doctor. Her voice is truly what the country needs to hear just after Christmas. Otherwise, how can we confront and persuade others to do the right thing so that all can move forward in "the pursuit of happiness". https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/opinion/omicron-hope.html
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