Posted on by Bonnie

COVID-19 Update 13 December 2021

COVID-19 Update 13 December 2021

NH DHHS did not update their press release, so not all info is up-to-date. They didn’t update their website last Monday, so comparisons are challenging to report this week.

SALEM:

  • Salem since last update: 246 new cases from Friday 12/3 to Monday 12/13
  • Total: 4,343 confirmed cases in Salem.
  • We have 183 active cases, the most since last January 6.
  • 1 out of every 7 Salem residents has been infected. 
  • Salem’s new cases per 100K for 14 days: 1,127. (799 ten days ago)
  • Salem’s Positivity Rate for the past 2 weeks: 14.9% (15.0% ten days ago.)
  • Fully vaccinated Salem residents: 14,772 (49.4%). (+202 person, 0.7% in 10 days)
  • Partially vaccinated Salem residents: 16,110 (53.9%).  (+41 people, 0.2% in 10 days)

NEW HAMPSHIRE:

  • New cases of COVID-19 in NH this week by math (Total cases last week compared to total cases today): 8,880 (8,932 last week) 
  • 1 out of every 8 NH residents has been infected.
  • Active COVID-19 cases in NH: 9,086 (9,671 last week). There were 155 active cases on June 28. We peaked at 6,994 last December 27. Starting November 18, we have broken the record multiple times, peaking on Thursday at 10,648 cases, a 52.2% increase from last December.
  • Recovered in NH this week: 9,421. (6,289 last week.)
  • State Level of Transmission: Substantial in all counties 
  • New patients hospitalized this week because of COVID-19: 194 in 10 days.
  • Current patients hospitalized because of COVID-19: 454 (399 10 days ago)
  • New admissions to ICU this week because of COVID-19: 51.
  • New deaths attributed to COVID-19 reported in NH this week: 49 in 10 days
  • From the Vaccination Dashboard: Total NH individuals fully vaccinated: 777,601 (55.3%). (+4,495, 0.2% in 10 days) Total NH individuals partially vaccinated 872,614. (61.5%). (+7,490, 0.4% in 10 days) The issues with vaccination rates as previously reported have not been resolved.

Hello, Salem!

Random thoughts from this week:

It is now clear that those who have been vaccinated can still get COVID, and there is little doubt that they can still pass it on to others. Every time someone has COVID, there is a risk of additional mutations. The more frequently this is allowed to happen, the more likely COVID will mutate into something we are less well prepared to deal with. So, please continue to wear masks to interrupt the process, so COVID will stop spreading.

Mask Mandates:
Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb that a mask mandate is “one of the lightest lift health precautions you could possibly do.”In response, Governor Sununu said on Sunday on national TV that for fully vaccinated people who have received booster shots it’s like serving time in a “penalty box,” even though NH has the highest number of recent COVID-19 cases per capita in the U.S. His Face the Nation interview is here.

As of November 19, nine states had mask mandates in place. Since then, NY added a mask-or-proof-of-vaccination mandate, which went into effect today, and California’s goes into effect on Wednesday. Here is a State-by-State Guide to Face Mask Requirements.

Omicron Mutation: 
Today, Britain reported the first confirmed death in the world from the Omicron variant. Omicron variant now is found in 20% of the new cases in the England, and it is now responsible for more than 44% of the new cases in London, and is expected to become the dominant variant in the city in the next 48 hours. With Omicron doubling every two to three days, it could go from a small to a huge number very quickly. British hospitalized cases range from patients aged 18 to 85, with the majority of them being fully vaccinated. Full story here. (Omicron was first detected in the UK on November 27. It was first detected in the US on December 1.) 

Also today, the first NH resident has been identified with a mild case of the omicron variant. The patient had traveled to another state, where they were exposed to another person who was later detected to have the variation. They were fully vaccinated but had not had a booster shot. Story here. 

From the Governor’s Press Conference on December 8: Omicron is occurring in people who have previously had COVID-19, per Dr. Chan. It is believed that the booster is helping prevent infections but it’s too early to know. All hospitalizations and fatalities will continue to rise for about 10 days after the peak in new cases. 

Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from asymptomatic infection or mild illness to more severe illness requiring hospitalization or resulting in death. Early symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of break or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea 

Testing and Prevention: 
DHHS requests that “anybody with new symptoms of COVID-19 (regardless of vaccination status) should be tested for COVID-19. And anybody who has had an identified exposure to another person with COVID-19 should be tested about 5-7 after their exposure, even if they do not have symptoms. Additional steps people should take to limit the spread of COVID-19 include:

  • Get vaccinated against COVID-19, including a booster dose
  • Stay home when sick or if new symptoms of COVID-19 develop
  • Avoid large group gatherings
  • Continue to practice physical distancing
  • Wear face masks when in indoor public locations and around other people
  • Wash or sanitize hands frequently
  • Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing

My next update is scheduled for next Monday. In the meantime, stay safe, and always, be kind. 

~Bonnie 

On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, DHHS announced 792 new positive test results for COVID-19 for Monday, December 6. Today’s results include 380 people who tested positive by PCR test and 412 who tested positive by antigen test. DHHS also announced an additional 53 new cases from Wednesday, December 1 (25 by PCR and 28 by antigen test, for a new total of 1,364); an additional 14 new cases from Thursday, December 2 (14 by PCR and 0 by antigen test, for a new total of 1,480); and an additional 2 new cases from Saturday, December 4 (0 by PCR and 2 by antigen test, for a new total of 1,303). There are now 9,324 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. 

3 older deaths were also reported on Tusday. For the week of November 1: One female from Merrimack County, aged 80+. For the week of November 15: Two females from Rockingham County; both aged 80+.

On Wednesday, December 8, 2021, DHHS announced 1,184 new positive test results for COVID-19 for Tuesday, December 7. Today’s results include 702 people who tested positive by PCR test and 482 who tested positive by antigen test. DHHS also announced an additional 118 new cases from Wednesday, December 1 (23 by PCR and 95 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,482; an additional 142 new cases from Thursday, December 2 (101 by PCR and 41 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,622; an additional 29 new cases from Friday, December 3 (22 by PCR and 7 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,481; and an additional 6 new cases from Monday, December 6 (0 by PCR and 6 by antigen test) for a new total of 798. There are now 9,868 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. 

On Thursday, December 9, 2021, DHHS announced 1,408 new positive test results for COVID-19 for Wednesday, December 8. Today’s results include 905 people who tested positive by PCR test and 503 who tested positive by antigen test. DHHS also announced an additional 166 new cases from Friday, December 3 (90 by PCR and 76 by antigen test, for a new total of 1,647); and an additional 7 new cases from Tuesday, December 7 (2 by PCR and 5 by antigen test, for a new total of 1,191). There are now 10,648 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. 

On Friday, December 10, 2021, DHHS announced 1,146 new positive test results for COVID-19 for Thursday, December 9. Today’s results include 839 people who tested positive by PCR test and 307 who tested positive by antigen test. DHHS also announced an additional 52 new cases from Friday, December 3 (29 by PCR and 23 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,699; an additional 94 new cases from Saturday, December 4 (75 by PCR and 19 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,397; an additional 6 new cases from Sunday, December 5 (3 by PCR and 3 by antigen test) for a new total of 750; an additional 39 new cases from Monday, December 6 (0 by PCR and 39 by antigen test) for a new total of 837; an additional 2 new cases from Tuesday, December 7 (1 by PCR and 1 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,193; and an additional 28 new cases from Wednesday, December 8 (19 by PCR and 9 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,436. There are now 10,138 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. 

No press release for Monday was released. From other sources (dashboard), we know that there were changes in the cumulative cases from Friday to Monday totaling 3,643 cases.

Each day, DHHS says that “Test results for previous days are still being processed and updated case counts for prior days will be reflected on the COVID-19 interactive dashboard.” And, “Several cases are still under investigation. Additionalinformation from ongoing investigations will be incorporated into future COVID-19 updates.” 

• • • • • • DIAGNOSTIC TESTS IN NH • • • • • •

  • Total people who have tested positive: 178,099 (169,219) last week)
  • New positive cases reported this week by math (Comparison of total number of cases last week to now): 8,880 (8,932 last week)

• • • • • ACTIVE CASES • • • • • • 

  • 9,086 (9,671 last week). There were 155 active cases on June 28. We peaked at 6,994 last December 27. Starting November 18, we have broken the record multiple times, peaking on Thursday at 10,648 cases, a 52.2% increase from last December.

• • • • • CUMULATIVE CASES • • • • • • 

  • 1 out of every 7 Salem residents has been infected.
  • 1 out of every 8 residents of Rockingham County.
  • 1 out of every 8 residents of NH have been infected. 

• • • • • • RECOVERED • • • • • •

  • Total recovered: 167,225 (157,804 last week)
  • Recovered this week: 9,421 (6289 last week)
  • Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 93.9% (98.3% in late July.) 

• • • • • COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION • • • • • • 

  • Every county in NH, as well as Manchester and Nashua, are at Substantial risk for community transmission.
  • Cases per 100K NH residents: 1,314. (1,073.8 10 days ago.)
  • Positivity Rate for NH: 11.5% on Friday. (12.6% 10 days ago.) On June 28, NH’s positivity was at 0.8%. The peak before the recent surge, was December 22, when NH had a positivity rate of 9.2%. 
  • Salem’s Positivity Rate is now 14.9%. Last week we were at 15.0%.
  • When the positivity rate is high, it is likely that cases may be undercounted.

• • • • • • HOSPITALIZATIONS IN NH • • • • • • 

  • Currently hospitalized: 454 (Last week: 433). NH’s previous peak before the recent surge was reached on January 2, with 335 COVID hospitalizations. We have broken that record a number of times lately. Friday was the most recent peak at 466.
  • Staffed hospital beds available: 13.2%. (12.4% last week)
  • Total patients who have been hospitalized with COVID-19: 2,628 (2,434 last week) 
  • New patients hospitalized this week because of COVID-19: 194. 
  • Percentage of those who have been infected that have been hospitalized: 1.5%
  • Total ICU patients: 745. (694 last week)
  • New admissions to ICU this week because of COVID-19: 51
  • Staffed adult ICU beds available on Friday: 5.1%. (Last week: 4.7%.)
  • Ventilators available: 59.8% (66.1% last week)

• • • • • • DEATHS IN NH • • • • • • 

  • Total fatalities in NH associated with COVID-19: 1,788. 
  • New deaths attributed to COVID-19 reported in NH this week: 49 in 10 days (Last week: 60)
  • NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 1.00% 

• • • • • • TOTALS BY AGES • • • • • •

(Showing changes since FRIDAY, DEC 3 )

  • 0-9: Infections: 15515 (+1667); Hospitalizations: 29 (+2); Deaths: 0 (+0)
  • 10-19: Infections: 24870 (+1984); Hospitalizations: 20 (+1); Deaths: 0 (+0)
  • 20-29: Infections: 31371 (+1873); Hospitalizations: 61 (+6); Deaths: 2 (+0)
  • 30-39: Infections: 26635 (+1927); Hospitalizations: 131 (+14); Deaths: 13 (+0)
  • 40-49: Infections: 23030 (+1550); Hospitalizations: 218 (+18); Deaths: 31 (+1)
  • 50-59: Infections: 25227 (+1695); Hospitalizations: 394 (+35); Deaths: 73 (+3)
  • 60-69: Infections: 17090 (+1107); Hospitalizations: 588 (+32); Deaths: 215 (+9)
  • 70-79: Infections: 8232 (+457); Hospitalizations: 603 (+45); Deaths: 436 (+15)
  • 80+: Infections: 5879 (+236); Hospitalizations: 582 (+39); Deaths: 1018 (+21)
  • Unknown: Infections: 250 (+29); Hospitalizations: 2 (+2); Deaths: 0 (+0)
  • Total: Infections: 178099 (+12525); Hospitalizations: 2628 (+194); Deaths: 1788 (+49)

New Infections in the Past 4 Weeks vs. All NH Cases 

  • 0-9: % vs. 8.7% (+4.9%)
  • 10-19: % vs. 14% (+1.5%)
  • 20-29: % vs. 17.6% (-3.8%)
  • 30-39: % vs. 15% (+0.3%)
  • 40-49: % vs. 12.9% (0%)
  • 50-59: % vs. 14.2% (-0.8%)
  • 60-69: % vs. 9.6% (-0.3%)
  • 70-79: % vs. 4.6% (-0.6%)
  • 80+: % vs. 3.3% (-1.2%)
  • Unknown: % vs. 0.1% (0%)

• • • • • • Institutional Outbreaks in NH • • • • • •  

  • NH DHHS reported 24 institutional outbreaks as of Wednesday, Dec. 8, including one here in Salem, affecting six residents and one staff.
  • Details about these active outbreaks, and all closed outbreaks, can be seen here.
  • This week: 146 people from long-term care facilities were diagnosed, 0 were hospitalized, 2 died. (Total: 8,104 cases; 353 hospitalizations; 1003 deaths.)
  • This week: 132 healthcare workers were diagnosed, 0 were hospitalized, 0 died. (Total: 6,554 cases; 94 hospitalizations, 11 deaths.) 

• • • • • • VARIANTS IN NH • • • • • •  

Per WMUR, NH has had:

  • Number of B.1.1.7 variant (Alpha; UK) cases: 1,259 No change) 
  • Number of B.1.351 variant (Beta; South Africa) cases: 2 (No change)
  • Number of P.1 variant (Gamma; Brazil) cases: 203 (No change)
  • Number of B.1.617.2 variant (Delta; India) cases: 2,144 (2,090 last week)

NH’s first Omicron case was identified today, after WMUR issued this report.

These are not simply numbers. We must not forget that these are all someone’s husband or wife, mother or father, sister or brother, son or daughter, friend or neighbor.

Which Booster should I get?

Chart based on data at:
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-26/which-booster-shot-should-i-get-heres-how-to-chose?

The chart above was published in the September issue of the AARP Bulletin. It is based on information from the article, “Vital Statistics: Provisional Life Expectancy Estimates for 2020,” which was published by the CDC.

FINDING INFORMATION:

The State lists information on where to get vaccinated, where to get tested, and what to do if you test positive or were exposed to COVID on their website.

COVID-19 SYMPTOMS – Updated early September 2021

Concerns continue to grow for the Delta variant of COVID-19, which now accounts for 93% of all new COVID-19 infections. Descriptions of symptoms have been updated:

Ranking of Symptoms for Covid-19 Infection in the Unvaccinated

  1. Headache
  2. Sore Throat
  3. Runny Nose
  4. Fever
  5. Persistent cough 

Loss of smell now comes in at number 9, and shortness of breath is way down the list at number 30.

Ranking of Symptoms for Covid-19 Infection in the Partially Vaccinated

  1. Headache
  2. Runny Nose
  3. Sore throat
  4. Sneezing
  5. Persistent Cough

Sneezing, which was never thought to be a symptom in the original Covid strain, is now ranked more common than a cough, for a reported symptom in those with only one dose of the vaccine.

Ranking of Symptoms for Covid-19 Infection in the Fully Vaccinated

  1. Headache
  2. Runny Nose
  3. Sneezing
  4. Sore throat
  5. Loss of smell

A cough ranks 8 on the list for fully vaccinated people, and a fever ranks 12. Shortness of breath is way down the list at number 29.

Breakthrough COVID-19 symptoms:

  • While some vaccinated people are getting COVID, it is still rare, and 99.9% of all recent hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 are people who are not vaccinated.
  • CDC reports that 79% of those who are found to have breakthrough infections have a cough, headache, sore throat, myalgia and fever. 
  • NBC says approximately 1 in 900 vaccinated people have had breakthrough infections. The vast majority of those had mild or no symptoms. 

A new study shows that unvaccinated people are 17x more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who are fully vaccinated.

Useful links

Sources used to create these reports:

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