Posted on by Bonnie

COVID-19 Update 20 December 2021

COVID-19 Update 20 December 2021

SALEM:

  • Salem since last update: 288 new cases
  • Total: 4,539 confirmed cases in Salem.
  • We have 188 active cases
  • Daily average for the past week: 175 active cases. (144 the week before)
  • 1 out of every 7 Salem residents have had confirmed infections. 
  • I predict we will be at 1:6 before the next update.
  • Salem’s new cases per 100K for 14 days: 1,130. (1,127 last week; 799 ten days before that)
  • Salem’s Positivity Rate for the past 2 weeks: 15.3% (14.9% last week.)
  • Salem had 3.4% of the new cases this week. (Salem has 2.2% of NH’s population.)
  • Fully vaccinated Salem residents: 14,805 (49.5%). (+33 people, 0.1% in the past week)
  • Salem residents who have had at least one shot: 16,133 (53.9%). (+23 people, 0.0% in the past week.)

NEW HAMPSHIRE:

  • New cases of COVID-19 in NH this week by math (Total cases last week compared to total cases today): 8,579 (8,880 last week) 
  • New cases of COVID-19 in NH this week as reported by DHHS: 8,400. Last week: 8,937.
  • 1 out of every 7 NH residents has been infected. (This was 1:8 last week)
  • Active COVID-19 cases in NH: 8,504 (9,086 last week). There were 155 active cases on June 28. We peaked at 6,994 last December 27. Starting November 18, we have broken that record multiple times, peaking on December 9 at 10,648 cases, a 52.2% increase from last December.
  • Recovered in NH this week: 9,106. (9,421 last week.)
  • State Level of Transmission: Substantial in all counties 
  • New patients hospitalized this week because of COVID-19: 64
  • Current patients hospitalized because of COVID-19: 436 (454 last week)
  • New admissions to ICU this week because of COVID-19: 16
  • New deaths attributed to COVID-19 reported in NH this week: 55
  • Today, DHHS reported the first person under the age of 18 to have died from complications of COVID-19. 
  • From the Vaccination Dashboard: Total NH individuals fully vaccinated: 781,784 (55.6%). (+4,183 0.3% this week.) Total NH individuals with at least one shot: 878,089. (61.9%). (+5475, 0.4% this week) The issues with vaccination rates as previously reported have not been resolved, and now the CDC has reporting issues as well as the State.

Hello, Salem!

Random thoughts from this week:

Today, Omicron became the dominant variant in the US, accounting for 73% of new cases in the US. This is less than three weeks after the first case in the US was identified.

Per the latest report I am able to find, the Delta variant continues to be the dominant strain in NH. Of those cases which have been sampled, NH has only had a total of 3 identified cases of Omicron (2 this week). By comparison, 659 Delta cases were identified from the samples over the past two weeks.

One report indicates that children are more likely to be hospitalized because of the Omicron variant. (Source: Heard on TV while writing tonight’s update. Found this to support that statement: The number of COVID-19 cases at Texas Children’s Hospital has more than doubled in the past four days.)

The first Omicron death in the US was reported today.

A message from Dartmouth-Hitchcock: Due to the high number of COVID-19 patients in our hospital, we are experiencing a shortage in the staffing and beds needed to provide you with the most appropriate care. For these reasons, your surgery or procedure may be delayed. Thank you for your patience during these challenging times.

From the Governor’s Press Conference, as reported by NH’s Governor and his COVID-19 team:

  • Things aren’t good and are likely to get worse. The virus will be with us for a long time.
  • When asked about the percentage of vaccinate vs unvaccinated, we were told that the vast majority of new cases, and complications, are unvaccinated. 
    • However, looking at the percentages is “misleading.”
    • The State says the virus will be with us for years. The implication was that new case counts aren’t important, the number of hospitalizations and deaths are what we need to watch.
    • The State is doing QA work on data, so more accurate numbers will be available. They are working on improving the quality of hospitalization data and the quality of vaccination data coming from commercial pharmacies.
    • For now, we should look at the CDC numbers, which says the unvaccinated have:
      • 6 times higher risk of infection
      • 10 times higher risk of hospitalization 
      • 15 times higher risk of death (Today’s news reported that the CDC is now saying death is 20% more likely for unvaccinated.)
    • [News this week: The CDC has made adjustments to some of their numbers this week, as reported here.
  • The impact of COVID-19 on ICU’s is concerning. 
    • Patients admitted to the ICU for heart attack or stroke are likely to stay in the ICU for 3-5 days. 
    • Patients admitted to the ICU for COVID are likely to remain there for 3-5 WEEKS, and then will be hospitalized for a longer time for recovery.
  • When asked why the school dashboard disagrees with reports from the schools, we were told that school data is “messy,” and schools are more likely to be accurate. 
    • Th Governor’s team doesn’t know if schools with mask mandates are doing better, the same, or worse than schools without mandates.
    •  They do recognize that 30% of all new infections are kids under 18 years of age.
  • The Governor continues to promote vaccines (and boosters) as the key to blocking COVID-19, dismissing the possibility of a state-wide mask mandate. 
    • He admitted that he is fully vaccinated and boosters, which is why he rarely wear masks. 
  • This is in contradiction to CDC Guide to Masks, last updated October 25, which says:
    • Everyone 2 years or older who is not fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public places.
    • In general, you do not need to wear a mask in outdoor settings.
    • If you are fully vaccinated, to maximize protection and prevent possibly spreading COVID-19 to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission. [Every county in NH is an area of substantial transmission.]
  • At the recent Booster Blitz, 10,000+ people were boosted at 15 locations across the state. Because many were unable to participate (appointments at most locations filled up fast), there will be another Booster Blitz. Registration for this January 8 event will be in the new year. There will likely be 8 locations this time, but details are still being worked out.
  • The State recently gave away a large number of COVID antigen (rapid) tests, sending 4 kits to each family that signed up in time. Because of the program’s popularity, NH is getting another half-million do-it-yourself kits, and will repeat the program again. NH was the first state to offer a program of this kind. It was noted that the Federal Government is not happy with the program, as new case counts won’t be able to be able to be tracked. [What about watching for new variants?] 

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

~Bonnie 

On Monday, December 13, 2021, DHHS announced 701 new positive test results for COVID-19 for Sunday, December 12. Today’s results include 592 people who tested positive by PCR test and 109 who tested positive by antigen test. DHHS also announced 1,475 cases from Friday, December 10 (1,035 by PCR and 440 by antigen test); and 1,015 cases from Saturday, December 11 (826 by PCR and 189 by antigen test). Additionally, DHHS announced an additional 1 new case from Saturday, December 4 (1 by PCR and 0 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,398; an additional 80 new cases from Sunday, December 5 (64 by PCR and 16 by antigen test) for a new total of 830; an additional 113 new cases from Monday, December 6(39 by PCR and 74 by antigen test) for a new total of 950; an additional 125 new cases from Tuesday, December 7 (93 by PCR and 32 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,318; an additional 42 new cases from Wednesday, December 8 (25 by PCR and 17 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,478; and an additional 97 new cases from Thursday, December 9 (48 by PCR and 49 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,243. There are now 9,086 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. 

On Tuesday, December 14, 2021, DHHS announced 825 new positive test results for COVID-19 for Monday, December 13. Today’s results include 414 people who tested positive by PCR test and 411 who tested positive by antigen test. DHHS also announced an additional 8 new cases from Monday, December 6 (1 by PCR and 7 by antigen test, for a new total of 958); an additional 29 new cases from Wednesday, December 8 (5 by PCR and 24 by antigen test, for a new total of 1,507); an additional new case from Thursday, December 9 (0 by PCR and 1 by antigen test, for a new total of 1,244); and an additional 4 new cases from Sunday, December 12 (4 by PCR and 0 by antigen test, for a new total of 705). There are now 8,615 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. 

On Tuesday, DHHS also reported two deaths from the week of November 15. Both were males, aged 70-79. One was from Coos County; the other was from Rockingham County.

On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, DHHS announced 1,098 new positive test results for COVID-19 for Tuesday, December 14. Today’s results include 741 people who tested positive by PCR test and 357 who tested positive by antigen test. DHHS also announced an additional 41 new cases from Monday, December 6 (18 by PCR and 23 by antigen test) for a new total of 999; an additional 12 new cases from Tuesday, December 7 (4 by PCR and 8 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,330; an additional 77 new cases from Wednesday, December 8 (35 by PCR and 42 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,584; an additional 27 new cases from Thursday, December 9 (14 by PCR and 13 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,271; an additional 20 new cases from Friday, December 10 (7 by PCR and 13 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,495; an additional 1 new case from Saturday, December 11 (1 by PCR and 0 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,016; and an additional 31 new cases from Monday, December 13 (3 by PCR and 28 by antigen test) for a new total of 856. There are now 8,982 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. 

On Thursday, December 16, 2021, DHHS announced 1,126 new positive test results for COVID-19 for Wednesday, December 15. Today’s results include 792 people who tested positive by PCR test and 334 who tested positive by antigen test. DHHS also announced 27 new cases from Tuesday, December 7 (23 by PCR and 4 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,357; 44 new cases from Wednesday, December 8 (37 by PCR and 7 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,628; 51 new cases from Thursday, December 9 (34 by PCR and 17 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,322; 45 new cases from Friday, December 10 (28 by PCR and 17 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,540; 25 new cases from Saturday, December 11 (18 by PCR and 7 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,041; 6 new cases from Sunday, December 12 (5 by PCR and 1 by antigen test) for a new total of 711; 5 new cases from Monday, December 13 (0 by PCR and 5 by antigen test) for a new total of 862; and 34 new cases from Tuesday, December 14 (14 by PCR and 20 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,132. There are now 9,607 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. 

On Friday, December 17, 2021, DHHS announced 979 new positive test results for COVID-19 for Thursday, December 16. Today’s results include 713 people who tested positive by PCR test and 266 who tested positive by antigen test. DHHS also announced an additional 59 new cases fromTuesday, December 7 (42 by PCR and 17 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,416; an additional 5 new cases from Wednesday, December 8 (1 by PCR and 4 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,633; an additional 8 new cases from Thursday, December 9 (4 by PCR and 4 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,330; an additional 35 new cases from Friday, December 10 (29 by PCR and 6 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,575; an additional 36 new cases from Saturday, December 11 (29 by PCR and 7 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,077; an additional 30 new cases from Sunday, December 12 (25 by PCR and 5 by antigen test) for a new total of 741; an additional 88 new cases from Monday, December 13 (57 by PCR and 31 by antigen test) for a new total of 949; an additional 46 new cases from Tuesday, December 14 (26 by PCR and 20 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,178; and an additional 53 new cases from Wednesday, December 15 (7 by PCR and 46 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,179. There are now 9,203 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. 

On Monday, December 20, 2021, DHHS announced 1,257 new positive test results for COVID-19 for Sunday, December 19. Today’s results include 897 people who tested positive by PCR test and 360 who tested positive by antigen test. DHHS also announced 265 cases from Friday, December 17 (183 by PCR and 82 by antigen test); and 1,664 cases from Saturday, December 18 (1,329 by PCR and 335 by antigen test). Additionally, DHHS announced an additional 8 new cases from Wednesday, December 8 (3 by PCR and 5 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,641; an additional 1 new case from Friday, December 10 (0 by PCR and 1 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,576; an additional 2 new cases from Monday, December 11 [SIC. Saturday, December 11?] (0 by PCR and 2 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,079; an additional 27 new cases from Sunday, December 12 (25 by PCR and 2 by antigen test) for a new total of 768; an additional 66 new cases from Monday, December 13 (37 by PCR and 29 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,015; an additional 133 new cases from Tuesday, December 14 (74 by PCR and 59 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,310; an additional 43 new cases from Wednesday, December 15 (31 by PCR and 12 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,222; and an additional 58 new cases from Thursday, December 16 (37 by PCR and 21 by antigen test) for a new total of 1,037. There are now 8,504 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. 

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: 186,678 (178,099) last week)
  • New positive cases reported this week by math (Comparison of total number of cases last week to now): 8,579 (8,880 last week)
  • New positive cases per DHHS: 8,400 (8,937 last week)

• • • • • ACTIVE CASES • • • • • • 

  • 8,504 (9,086 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 December 9 at 10,648 cases, a 52.2% increase from last December.

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

  • 4 communities — Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and Derry — are still the only communities with more total cases than Salem. These 4 have more than 4,000 total cases. Rochester, Dover, and Hudson, like Salem, also have more than 3,000 cases.
  • 1 out of every 7 Salem residents has been infected. (Likely 1:6 before next week)
  • 1 out of every 7 residents of Rockingham County. (Was 1:8 last week)
  • 1 out of every 7 residents of NH have been infected. (Was 1:8 last week)

• • • • • • RECOVERED • • • • • •

  • Total recovered: 176,331 (167,225 last week)
  • Recovered this week: 9,106 (9,421 last week)
  • Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 94.5% (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: 1,220. (1,314 last week.)
  • Positivity Rate for NH: 12.3%. (11.5% last week.) 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 15.3%. Last week we were at 14.9%.
  • When the positivity rate is high, it is likely that cases may be undercounted.

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

  • Currently hospitalized: 436 (Last week: 454). 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. December 10 was the most recent peak at 466.
  • Staffed hospital beds available: 13.2%. (13.2% last week)
  • Total patients who have been hospitalized with COVID-19: 2,692 (2,628 last week) 
  • New patients hospitalized this week because of COVID-19: 64. 
  • Percentage of those who have been infected that have been hospitalized: 1.4%
  • Total ICU patients: 761.
  • New admissions to ICU this week because of COVID-19: 16
  • Staffed adult ICU beds available: 5.4%. (Last week: 5.1%.)
  • Ventilators available: 62.2% (59.8% last week)

• • • • • • DEATHS IN NH • • • • • • 

  • Total fatalities in NH associated with COVID-19: 1,843 (1,788 last week)
  • New deaths attributed to COVID-19 reported in NH this week: 55 (Last week 49 in 10 days)
  • NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 1.00% 

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

(Showing changes since last week) 

  • 0-9: Infections: 16769 (+); Hospitalizations: 28 (-1); Deaths: 0 (+0)
  • 10-19: Infections: 26185 (+); Hospitalizations: 19 (-1); Deaths: 0 (+0)
  • 20-29: Infections: 32631 (+); Hospitalizations: 62 (+1); Deaths: 2 (+0)
  • 30-39: Infections: 28032 (+); Hospitalizations: 134 (+3); Deaths: 15 (+2)
  • 40-49: Infections: 24113 (+); Hospitalizations: 221 (+3); Deaths: 31 (+0)
  • 50-59: Infections: 26268 (+); Hospitalizations: 407 (+13); Deaths: 80 (+7)
  • 60-69: Infections: 17819 (+); Hospitalizations: 605 (+17); Deaths: 230 (+15)
  • 70-79: Infections: 8555 (+); Hospitalizations: 621 (+18); Deaths: 450 (+14)
  • 80+: Infections: 6043 (+); Hospitalizations: 592 (+10); Deaths: 1035 (+17)
  • Unknown: Infections: 263 (+); Hospitalizations: 3 (+1); Deaths: 0 (+0)
  • Total: Infections: 186678 (+); Hospitalizations: 2692 (+64); Deaths: 1843 (+55)

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

  • 0-9: 13.8% vs. 9% (+4.8%)
  • 10-19: 15.3% vs. 14% (+1.3%)
  • 20-29: 14.2% vs. 17.5% (-3.3%)
  • 30-39: 15.7% vs. 15% (+0.7%)
  • 40-49: 12.8% vs. 12.9% (-0.1%)
  • 50-59: 13% vs. 14.1% (-1.1%)
  • 60-69: 8.9% vs. 9.5% (-0.6%)
  • 70-79: 4% vs. 4.6% (-0.6%)
  • 80+: 2.1% vs. 3.2% (-1.1%)
  • Unknown: 0.2% vs. 0.1% (+0.1%)

Additional Age Stats

  • 2,212 children under 18 are included in this week’s new cases.  
  • 26.3% of new cases announced by DHHS this week are kids under 18 years old. 
  • Under 60, this week: 7,350 new cases; 18 hospitalizations; 9 deaths
  • 60+, this week: 1,229 new cases; 46 hospitalizations; 46 deaths

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

  • NH DHHS reported 25 institutional outbreaks as of Thursday, Dec. 16, including one here in Salem, affecting three residents and one staff. (It was six residents last week???)
  • Details about these active outbreaks, and all closed outbreaks, can be seen here.
  • This week: 162 people from long-term care facilities were diagnosed, 2 were hospitalized, 7 died. 
  • This week: 144 healthcare workers were diagnosed, 1 was hospitalized, 1 died.

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

Per WMUR, NH has had:

  • Number of B.1.1.7 variant (Alpha) cases: 1,259 No change) 
  • Number of B.1.351 variant (Beta) cases: 2 (No change)
  • Number of P.1 variant (Gamma) cases: 203 (No change)
  • Number of B.1.617.2 variant (Delta) cases: 3,658 (2,999 two weeks ago) 
  • Number of B.1.1.529 variant (Omicron): 3 (1 last week)

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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