COVID-19 Update December 13

COVID-19 Update December 13

Total: 1,021 confirmed cases in Salem
Salem’s Positivity Rate for the past 2 weeks: 12.4%
1 out of 29 Salem residents have been infected
Salem today: 17 new cases since yesterday; 192 active cases

There seems to be no sign of the State catching up from Thanksgiving. What is going to happen when they shut down (presumably) for Christmas?

From today’s Press Release from NH DHHS: “On Sunday, December 13, 2020, DHHS announced 722 new positive test results for COVID-19, for a daily PCR test positivity rate of 5.9%. Today’s results include 490 people who tested positive by PCR test and 232 who tested positive by antigen test. There are now 6,560 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. Of the results reported today:

12/8: 23 new cases today, for an updated total of 972 cases
12/9: 170 new cases today, for an updated total of 688 cases
12/10: 42 new cases today, for an updated total of 818 cases
12/11: 92 new cases today, for an updated total of 477 cases
12/12: 395 new cases

Test results for previous days are still being processed and the total number of new positives for those days are not yet complete. Updated case counts for prior days will be reflected on the COVID-19 interactive dashboard.”

• • • • • • Community Transmission • • • • • •

Community Transmission (per NH Department of Health and Human Services): The overall level of community transmission is defined using three metrics. A community is then assigned an overall level based on the highest-level determination for any specific metric. NH Metrics are: New Cases per 100k over 14 days: Scale: Minimal: <50; Moderate: 50 – 100; Substantial: >100. New Hospitalizations per 100k over 14 days: Scale: Minimal: <10; Moderate: 10 – 20; Substantial: >20. Average PCR Test Positivity Rate over 7 days: Scale: Minimal: <5%; Moderate: 5% – 10%; Substantial: >10%

Average of New Cases per 100K people over 14 days:
- New Hampshire: 759.2
- Rockingham County: 852.9
- All 10 counties and our two biggest cities are all at the substantial level ranging from 206.3 (Sullivan County) to 1,32.9 (Manchester).
- Salem: 1,034
Average of New Hospitalization per 100K people over 14 days:
- New Hampshire: 0.8
- Rockingham County: 0.5
- Belknap County: 3.4
Average Positivity Rate over 7 days:
- New Hampshire: 8.4%
- Rockingham County: 10.9%
- Manchester: 10.6%
- Salem: 12.4%
- Nashua: 10.2%
- Grafton County: 2.5%
- 50 communities have a positivity rate of more than 10%.
- 113 communities have a positivity rate of more than 5%.
- 124 communities have a positivity rate of more than 2%.
- 25 communities have a positivity rate higher than Salem.

• • • • • • TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT • • • • • •

Today, Salem added another 17 new cases, half of number of new cases we had yesterday.
Salem’s daily positivity rate went from 11.8 to 12.4%, so we are still experiencing substantial community transmission. The goal is less than 2%; how much less is debatable amongst the scientists.
The number of active cases in Salem went down by 11.
10,221 cumulative tests have been done on Salem residents, an increase of 98 since yesterday.
747 more NH people were identified as “recovered” today.
- On Sept 1, there were 231 active cases.
- In September, the number of active cases increased by 142.
- In October, the number of active cases increased by 930.
- In November, the number of active cases increased by 3,988.
- So far in December, the number of active cases has increased by 1,644, with half of the month still left.
- Today there are 6,560 people in NH who are currently infected.
- What goes up, must come down.
95 kids under 18 were diagnosed today. We are now averaging 100 kids per day. In the past week, 240 kids aged 0-9 were diagnosed, as well as 446 kids aged 10-19.
Young adults, aged 20-29 are the most frequently diagnosed in NH, followed closely by those who are 50-59.

• • • • • • Communities • • • • • •

NH DHHS says that the new cases reside in Rockingham (188), Merrimack (142), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (112), Strafford (54), Belknap (30), Cheshire (24), Grafton (18), Carrol (17), Coos (11), and Sullivan (2) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (67) and Nashua (38). The county of residence is being determined for nineteen new cases.
Active cases:
- An additional 1000 people were reported as “recovered” today; these are reflected in today’s changes.
- There are 23 NH communities with more than 50 active cases. Between them, these communities have 3,934 active cases, accounting for 60% of all active cases.
- Manchester, Nashua, and Concord are the only communities with more active cases than Salem.
- Communities with more than 50 active cases, showing changes in active cases since yesterday: Manchester: 833 (-39). Nashua: 493 (-18). Concord: 345 (+47). Salem: 192 (-11). Derry: 188 (+5). Londonderry: 182 (-12). Merrimack: 159 (+9). Hudson: 144 (-11). Dover: 129 (-3). Milford: 120 (+2). Bedford: 119 (-5). Windham: 119 (-2). Hampton: 111 (-8). Keene: 102 (-4). Goffstown: 99 (-8). Hooksett: 99 (-7). Portsmouth: 94 (+5). Rochester: 92 (+2). Pelham: 81 (+13). Laconia: 76 (+0). Exeter: 54 (+3). Plaistow: 53 (-2). Atkinson: 50 (+3).
- Other communities with an increase or decrease by five or more people: Andover: 10 (+5). Auburn: 24 (-5). East Kingston: 6 (+6). Epsom: 33 (+6). Gilsum: 6 (+6). Hampstead: 48 (+5). Hopkinton: 19 (-5). Litchfield: 45 (-10). Madbury: 5 (+5). New Hampton: 5 (+5). Northwood: 24 (+6). Rollinsford: 7 (+7). Salisbury: 5 (+5). Sutton: 6 (+6). Tilton: 48 (-5).
Cumulative Cases
- There are now 97 communities that have had 50 or more cases.
- 41 communities have 5 or more new cases from yesterday
- With 72 new cases, Concord now has had a total of more cumulative cases than Derry or Salem.
- Only Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and Derry have had more total cases than Salem.
- The ten communities with the highest number of cumulative cases, showing changes from yesterday: Manchester: 5204 (+66). Nashua: 2835 (+39). Concord: 1047 (+72). Derry: 1030 (+17). Salem: 1021 (+17). Bedford: 854 (+10). Londonderry: 763 (+22). Hudson: 689 (+10). Merrimack: 626 (+19). Goffstown: 617 (+12).
- Other communities with 5 or more new cases, showing changes from yesterday: Allenstown: 127 (+5). Andover: 27 (+5). Atkinson: 181 (+10). Belmont: 149 (+5). Berlin: 106 (+8). Danville: 90 (+5). Dover: 572 (+10). Epsom: 125 (+10). Exeter: 252 (+10). Franklin: 180 (+6). Hampstead: 201 (+6). Hampton: 442 (+6). Hebron: 5 (+5). Hooksett: 477 (+10). Keene: 341 (+9). Laconia: 277 (+9). Lebanon: 101 (+5). Milford: 384 (+11). Milton: 57 (+5). Newmarket: 127 (+7). Northwood: 70 (+6). Pelham: 391 (+20). Plaistow: 260 (+5). Plymouth: 157 (+5). Portsmouth: 490 (+11). Raymond: 229 (+7). Rochester: 486 (+10). Sandown: 173 (+7). Seabrook: 241 (+7). Somersworth: 190 (+7). Weare: 192 (+7). Windham: 466 (+10).

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

New positive cases by my math (Total of today’s cases minus previous total): 712
New positive cases per DHHS: 722
- 490 PCR tests
- 232 Antigen tests
Children under 18 in new cases: 95
Total positive cases in NH: 30,956
Percentage of today’s tests that are positive per DHHS: 5.9%
Total PCR test results reported today (Positive results plus negative results): 2,850
The daily average of diagnostic (PCR) tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 2,941
New negative results reported today: 2,138
Total negative cases in NH: 433,523

• • • • • • ROCKINGHAM COUNTY • • • • • •

Total cases in Rockingham County: 7,644
New cases in Rockingham County: 188
Rockingham County: New cases per 100K residents: 60.7
Rockingham County 1-week average per 100K residents: 75.2
Rockingham County Positivity Rate: 10.9%%
Percent of all cases from Rockingham County: 24.7%
Percent of all cases from either Hillsborough County or Rockingham County: 67%

• • • • • • ACTIVE CASES • • • • • •

Active cases in NH: 6,560
Active cases in Rockingham County: 1,676
Percent of NH’s active cases that are in Rockingham County: 25.5%

• • • • • • OTHER TEST RESULTS • • • • • •

New antibody tests: 60
Total antibody tests (No break downs of positive vs. negative): 33,957
The daily average of antibody tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 56

• • • • • • CHANGES BY AGES • • • • • •
(Shown: Total infections, percentage of all infections, and increase since yesterday.)

0-9: 1231 = 4% (+41).
10-19: 3008 = 10% (+63).
20-29: 6006 = 19% (+112). (Was 20%)
30-39: 4612 = 15% (+106).
40-49: 4137 = 13% (+109).
50-59: 4935 = 16% (+132).
60-69: 3359 = 11% (+70).
70-79: 1762 = 6% (+42).
80+: 1876 = 6% (+40).
Unknown: 30 = 0% (+-3).

• • • • • • RECOVERED IN NH • • • • • •

Announced today: 747
Total Recovered: 23,793
Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 76.9%

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

New people hospitalized from NH: 4
Currently hospitalized: 251
Total hospitalized patients: 861
Percentage of those who have been infected that have been hospitalized: 2.78%
Total admitted to ICU: 289
New hospitalized patients from Rockingham County: 0
Total hospitalized patients from Rockingham County: 207

• • • • • • DEATHS IN NH • • • • • •

Lives lost today: 3
Persons over 60 years of age who died today: 3
Persons under 60 years of age who died today: 0
Total fatalities in NH associated with COVID-19: 603
NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 1.95%
Lives lost in Rockingham County today: 1
Total lives lost in Rockingham County: 120

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.

Learning is not compulsory. Neither is survival.
– Dr. W. Edwards Deming

Hello, Salem!

Despite what some people may want you to think, COVID-19 causes pneumonia and ARDS, a life-threatening shortness of breath caused by fluid in the lungs. It can also affect other organs and systems including the heart, kidney, digestive, liver/gallbladder, our glands, brain, eyes and skin.

Doctors from Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City at the epicenter of the pandemic share insights from their experience. Their report has a lot of medical terminology, but it presents a good argument for those who struggle accepting COVID-19 as THE cause of death, especially when other diseases are also present. [And I particularly like the second graphic.]

The Columbia doctors report, “The virus that is responsible for the disease COVID-19 “is known to cause substantial pulmonary disease, including pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). … Our clinical experience and the emerging literature suggest that the hematologic [blood], cardiovascular [hear], renal [kidney], gastrointestinal [digestive] and hepatobiliary [liver/gallbladder/bile], endocrinologic [pineal gland, pituitary gland, thyroid and parathyroid glands, thymus glands, pancreas and ovaries], neurologic [brain, spinal cord and nerves], ophthalmologic [eyes], and dermatologic [skin] systems can all be affected.”

“Beyond the life-threatening pulmonary complications of SARS-CoV-2, the widespread organ-specific manifestations of COVID-19 are increasingly being appreciated.”

This virus, and the disease that it causes, are still really new. We are still learning about it, almost on a daily basis. While we learn, please do what you need to do to protect you, your family, your friends and your community. In every way, stay safe, and always, be kind.

~Bonnie

This video was posted almost two months ago. Things have changed in that time. On October 2, US deaths were 1,035,451, according to the video. (My records say 1,033,174 per WorldOmeter.) WorldOMeter now says the global death rate is 1,446,889, an increase of 413,715 in less than two months. Just please remember that there is a lot more between COVID->Death vs. COVID->Recovery. More and more, long-haulers are making the news, as are other consequences of COVID-19.

From the beginning of the pandemic, it took 43 days before NH reached it’s first 1,000 confirmed diagnoses. It took 31 days to go from 10,000 to 18,000. In another 5 days, we added another 2,000.