Perfect Storm Of Rampant Covid Variant & Vaccine Reluctance Puts Michigan In Crisis - Rachel Maddow

[Rhiannon12866]

Dr. Farhan Bhatti talks with Rachel Maddow about why Michigan health officials believe a vaccine surge could help the state overcome the latest spike in infections, and the factors that have contributed to the latest wave of positive cases. Aired on 04/9/2021.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

1. Ohio needs to help that neighbor up North.

They need vaccines more than anyone else in the country right now.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I also agree that they should be sent where they're needed

Here in Northeastern NY, it took an awfully long time, the only friends I knew who had received them were a front line worker (hospital ER) who had to drive downstate to a major hospital to get hers and a friend who teaches who had to drive across the entire state. It seemed line a miracle when the pharmacies started offering them, just got my second shot last week, had to drive 20 minutes south to the CVS where I had my appointment, but that was fine with me. And now they've opened both a town and a county site where they are scheduling appointments, wish they'd do that everywhere.

[LisaL]

11. OH has it's own covid cases going up.

NT

[progree]

3. California has America's best COVID numbers. Michigan has the worst. Which way is the U.S. heading?

Yahoo News, 4/8/21
(also compares these two states to Florida -- Florida is about in the middle in per capita metrics)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-has-americas-best-covid-numbers-michigan-has-the-worst-which-way-is-the-us-heading-122629141.html

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https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html
In Minnesota, meanwhile, we're number #6 in highest daily new cases per 100k, 7 day moving average:

#1 Michigan: 76
#2 New Jersey: 44
#3 Rhode Island: 38
#4 New York: 38
#5 Pennsylvania: 35
#6 Minnesota: 35
#7 Delaware: 32
#8 New Hampshire: 31
#9 Connecticut: 31
#10 Massachusetts: 30
#11 Florida: 27
#12 Colorado: 26
#13: Alaska: 25
#14: Illinois: 25
#15: Vermont: 24

Notice how Michigan is quite the outlier -- for example, its 76 per 100,000 new case rate is twice that of the #3 state, Rhode Island at 38. (Edited to replace New Jersey with Rhode Island).

It's still the hunger games getting the vaccine in Minnesota, even though I'm 69 and signed up with the vaccine connector a month ago. I played the hunger games to get an appointment a couple of evenings about 3 weeks ago and then said to hell with it. Will try again soon because I've heard that we've (MN) gotten a large number of doses. I read today that demand still far outstrips supply in the Twin Cities metro area where I live.

But since I don't go anywhere except jog and grocery store at their early morning low hours, I've kind of let things drift. Also don't live with anyone. I also don't have a car, not that I'm some low-lifer or anything, I've chosen not to contribute to greenhouse gasses this way for awhile (since June 2019). Also, letting the frontline workers get vaccinated. Yes, I'm very well aware of the lethality of Covid by age.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. New York is still right up there, though likely from the more populated areas

However, I just read today that there were 13 new cases in my upstate mostly rural county, 129 active cases total. It said that most were from work related exposure which I don't really understand since masks and distancing are required just to enter any business, grocery, pharmacy, gas station, bank, anywhere. Front line workers were offered the vaccine first, early on. And it took awhile, but pharmacies started offering the vaccine, that's where I got mine, though the closest one was immediately completely booked, so I got mine in a nearby town, but I didn't mind. And now they're offering the vaccine at both a town (old Sears store at the local mall) and a county site which are going to be needed now that everyone over 16 is now eligible. So New York has done a pretty good job, hope that you're able to get yours soon.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

7. It's mostly NYC and Buffalo with growth of new infections.

At least in terms of new infections per 100k people.

New York has been doing well like most of the states in the northeast, but their big cities are driving most of their increases lately.

Michigan is crazy in comparison, having 9 of the top 10 worst metro areas for new cases per population, among the entire country. And 12 of the worst 15, per CovidActNow.

https://covidactnow.org/?s=1744665

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Yikes! That's pretty scary!

Governor Whitmer should do what Governor Cuomo's done here in New York - the pharmacies have been especially popular among people I know for getting the vaccine - and now additional sites are open in preparation for vaccinating anyone who's 16-and-over who became eligible as of last Tuesday.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

9. It reminds me of when the pandemic first hit the USA...

... last year, with big cities like NYC and Detroit getting hit the hardest initially.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. Well, we know why it first hit the coasts, those returning or arriving from overseas

But Detroit is centrally located, though it is a population center. I agree with those who support making more vaccine available for Michigan since it sounds like it's an emergency.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

6. There's been a big increase among young people...

... in Michigan getting infected by the UK variant, and later being admitted to ICU's.

I'm not sure why it's apparently worse for young people in Michigan compared to other states, but a public health expert there blamed most of it on youth sports.


Young people are driving the latest Covid-19 surge, especially in Michigan
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/young-people-are-driving-latest-covid-19-surge-especially-michigan-n1263199
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In an interview last week with NBC News, Michigan public health expert Marianne Udow-Phillips said the surge in new Covid-19 cases “is directly related to the return of youth sports.”

“It’s not happening on the field,” said Udow-Phillips, who heads the Center for Health Research Transformation at the University of Michigan. “It’s happening in transit and afterward, when people are getting together and eating and not wearing masks. It’s happening at parties and where people are socializing.”

While Michigan public health experts have been urging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to keep the mask mandate and other restrictions in place, an advocacy group for student athletes and their parents called “Let Them Play” has sued the director of the state Health and Human Services Department, Elizabeth Hertel, over a new pandemic order that requires rapid testing for Covid-19 for all youth athletes ages of 13 to 19.
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[Layzeebeaver]

4. SURGE?

Surge thinking is fine when we are talking about US troops being deployed to battle theatres.

But when it comes to caring for our fellow Americans?

As an expat michigander, I'm really worried.

[magicguido]

12. until they develop a vaccine for ignorance....