COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 Update

davidcwrightmd

It’s time for our next 14-day moving average determinations for SARS-CoV-2 for the United States and my thoughts on vaccines and mutant viruses. We use the WORLDOMETERS aggregators data set to make any projections since it includes data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Military, federal prisons and the Navajo Nation.

In the United States, SARS-CoV-2 deaths have increased for the first time in five 14-day periods. There were 43 more deaths per day than in the last 14-day period. In the last 14 days, the number of infections has increased by 8,237 infections per day compared to the preceding 14-day period. Our infections per day have increased for the second time over the last 12 weeks. With travel and multiple holidays and events occurring in the next 60 days, I expect the infections to continue to increase. Unless people get vaccinated and get their third dose of the vaccine we will see further spread of Delta variants like AY4.2 and an increase in deaths particularly in people with risk factors and over the age of 55. Anyone over the age of 5 years can now get vaccinated in the United States at no cost. This should get done immediately. 

A new variant, B.1.1.529 (Omicron), was first seen in South Africa on 11/8/21 with multiple new mutations, deletions and an insertion that is causing a doubling of new infections every 1.3 days in Gauteng, South Africa. In just 26 days, as of 12/03/21, Omicron has been found in 42 countries and 12 states in the United States. Unlike Delta variants in South Africa, Omicron is infecting and hospitalizing patients in all age groups but particularly children under five years of age and adults greater than 60 years of age. Increased vaccinations, vaccines against new mutants, drugs against 3C-like protease, increased mask usage and social distancing, which are part of the Biden SARS-CoV-2 plan, are all necessary to continue to stop further spread of mutants and reduce infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. The Delta variants still account for 99% of new infections in the United States. On 12/03/21, the United States had 147,434 new infections with one state failing to report (Iowa). There were also 1,352 deaths (with six other states failing to report deaths). Florida continues to consistently under-report daily infections and deaths. The number of hospitalized patients had been decreasing in many areas but now 13,714 patients are seriously or critically ill; that number was 11,767 two weeks ago. The number of critically ill patients has increased by 1,947 in the last 14 days, while at least 17,018 new deaths occurred. The number of critically ill patients has increased for the second time in eleven 14-day periods and a large number of patients are still dying each day (average 1,216/day). 

As of 12/03/21, we have had 808,116 deaths and 49,378,049 SARS-CoV-2 infections in the United States. We have had 1,356,453 new infections in the last 14 days. We are adding an average of 678,227 infections every seven days. For the pandemic in the United States we are averaging one death for every 60.4 infections reported or over 16,533 deaths for each one million infections. As of 12/03/21, thirty-one states have had greater than 500,000 total infections, and 35 states have had greater than 5,000 total deaths. Eleven states (Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, New York, Arizona and California) have had greater than 20,000 deaths. Four states (Florida, Texas, New York, and California) have had greater than 50,000 deaths. 

On 11/20/20 in the United States, 3.70% of the population had a documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. California was ranked 41st in infection percentage at 2.77%. In North Dakota 9.18% of the population was infected (ranked #1), and in South Dakota 8.03% of the population was infected (ranked #2). As of 12/03/21, in the United States, 14.94% of the population has had a documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. In the last 12.5 months, over 11% of our country became infected with SARS-CoV-2. On 11/20/20, there were 260,331 (cumulative) deaths in the US from SARS-CoV-2. In the last 12 months, there were 547,885 new deaths from SARS-CoV-2. For nearly nine of those months, vaccines have been available to all adults. During these nine months, 203,345 people have died of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Many of these hospitalizations and deaths could have been prevented by vaccination, proper masking, and social distancing. 

As of 12/03/21, California was ranked 41st in infection percentage at 12.50% and 9.74% of Californians were infected in the last 12 months. And now let’s look at the top 26 infected states (all greater than 16%, which is not a list that you’d like to be on in 2021. North Dakota was at 21.53% (ranked #1), Alaska was at 20.03% (ranked #2), Tennessee was at 19.37% (ranked #3), Wyoming 19.37% (ranked #4),  South Dakota was at 19.02% (ranked #5), Utah at 18.77% (ranked #6), South Carolina was at 17.90% (ranked #10), Rhode Island was at 18.39% (ranked #7), Montana was at 17.98% (ranked #9), Iowa was at 18.08% (ranked #8), Florida was at 17.43% (ranked #14), Arkansas was at 17.63% (ranked #12),  Kentucky was at 17.79% (ranked #11), Alabama was at 17.28% (ranked #16), Mississippi was at 17.32% (ranked #15), Idaho was at 17.27% (ranked #17), Arizona was at 17.43% (ranked #13) Oklahoma was at 16.94% (ranked #19), Louisiana was at 16.622% (ranked #21), Wisconsin was at 17.13% (ranked #18),  West Virginia was at 16.66% (ranked #20), Indiana was at 16.61% (ranked#22), Kansas was at 16.28%(ranked #23), Minnesota was at 16.24% (ranked#25) and Nebraska at 16.22% of the population infected (ranked #2). Forty-two states now have greater than 12% of their population infected. Only one state has less than 7% of their population infected: Hawaii (6.21%). Hawaii, Vermont, and the US Virgin Islands still remain the safest places in the United States. Although Hawaii has just had its first patient with an Omicron (B.1.1.529) SARS-CoV-2 infection. 

The table below shows that if we rank the US states with the highest death rates per million population within the world rankings, we see that Mississippi has the sixth highest COVID-19 deaths per million in the world. Alabama, New Jersey and Louisiana would be tied at the 7th highest number of deaths per million in the world, followed by  Arizona, NewYork tied at 9th, Florida at 11th, Arkansas, Massachusetts and Rhode Island tied at 12th. The United States as a whole ranks 20th in the world for deaths per million population (2,390 deaths per million). California ranks 35th in the USA (and 36th in the world). If we look at the death rates per million in South Korea (73), Iceland (102), Japan (146), and Israel (879), they suggest that treatment outcomes are somehow different in these four countries. The same phenomenon can be seen in Scandinavia, where the death rate in Sweden is 1,486 per million, compared to 199 per million in Norway and 245 per million in Finland. The United States should take a closer look at how countries with low death rates (like South Korea, Iceland, Japan, Finland, and Norway) are preventing COVID-19 infections and treating COVID-19 patients. 

State or Country COVID-19 Deaths per million populationRank in USARanked within World
Mississippi3,460    1st6th
New Jersey  3,2013rd7th tied
Louisiana3,1894th7th tied
New York 2,9946th9th tied
Alabama3,2982nd7th tied
Arizona3,0775th9th 
Massachusetts2,82811th12th tied
Rhode Island  2,776   12th12th tied
Arkansas2,883 8th12th tied
Florida2,8709th11th
California1,898 35th35th
USA2,42120th
Peru5,9881st
Bosnia-Herzegovina  3,9023rd
North Macedonia  3,6965th
Hungary3,6496th
Montenegro3,6964th
Bulgaria4,1852nd
Gibraltar2,94010th
Czechia3,1227th
Brazil2,86611th
San Marino2,73312th
Georgia3,0818th
Sweden1,48656th
Israel87986th
Canada77894th
Finland245136th
Norway199141st
Japan146153rd
Iceland102163rd
South Korea73169th
Data from Worldometers

A New Drug for SARS-CoV-2 Treatment

Pfizer has developed a reversible inhibitor of C3-like protease of SARS-CoV-2. The drug inhibits this key enzyme that is crucial for virus production. The compound, called Compound 6, is part of the drug combination PAXLOVID™ (PF-07321332; ritonavir), which just successfully completed a Phase 2-3 trial in humans in multiple countries. The preliminary results were announced on 11/5/21 by Pfizer. The results show that 89% of the hospitalizations and deaths were prevented in the drug treatment arm. The drug was administered twice a day for five days. No deaths occurred in the treatment group, and ten deaths occurred in the placebo group. The study was stopped by an independent data safety monitoring board, and the FDA concurred with this decision. Pfizer applied for an Emergency Use Authorization for this drug on 11/15/21.  I would anticipate that the drug would be approved in the next 21 days. In my opinion, this agent, if approved, will markedly alter the course of every coronavirus infection throughout the world. 

The Threat of SARS-CoV-2 Variants

In response to the need for “easy-to-pronounce and non-stigmatising labels,” at the end of May, the World Health Organization assigned a letter from the Greek alphabet to each SARS-CoV-2 variant. GISAID, Nextstrain, and Pango will continue to use the previously established nomenclature. For our purposes, we’ll be referring to each variant by both its Greek alphabet letter and the Pango nomenclature. 

The WHO has sorted variants into two categories: Variants of Concern (VOC) and Variants of Interest (VOI). The criteria for Variants of Concern are as follows:

  • Increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology; or 
  • Increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; or 
  • Decrease in effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics.  

The WHO categorizes the following five variants as Variants of Concern (VOC):

Source: World Health Organization

The criteria for Variants of Interest (VOI) are as follows:

  • has been identified to cause community transmission/multiple COVID-19 cases/clusters, or has been detected in multiple countries; OR  
  • is otherwise assessed to be a VOI by WHO in consultation with the WHO SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution Working Group. 

The WHO categorizes the following six variants as Variants of Interest (VOI):

Source: World Health Organization

Omicron cases sequenced as of 12/4/21:

Source: GISAID

Delta cases sequenced as of 12/4/21: 

Source: GISAID

B.1.640 cases sequenced as of 12/4/21:

Source: GISAID

Map of Delta sequenced transmissions:

Source: GISAID

Gamma cases sequenced as of 12/4/21:

Source: GISAID

Mu cases sequenced as of 12/4/21:

Source: GISAID

Watching World Data

Over the next few months, we’ll be paying close attention to correlations between the SARS-CoV-2 data, the number of isolates identified in various countries and states, and the non-pharmaceutical interventions (like mask mandates and lockdowns) put in place by state and national governments. Data on infections, deaths, and percent of population infected was compiled from Worldometers. Data for this table for SARS-CoV-2 Isolates Currently Known in Location was compiled from GISAID and the CDC. It’s worth noting that GISAID provided more data than the CDC.

LocationTotal Infections as of 12/03/21New Infections on 12/03/21Total DeathsNew Deaths on 12/03/21% of Pop.InfectedSARS-CoV-2 Isolates Currently Known in LocationNational/ State Mask Mandate?Currently in Lockdown?
World265,161,705(8,234,681 new infections in 14 days; an increase of 1,142,190 infections from the preceding 14 days)705,5745,258,046(102,708 deaths in 14 days; an increase of 5,145 deaths from the preceding 14 days).7,9153.40%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)Iota/B.1.526 (USA-NYC)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Zeta/P.2 (Brazil)A lineage isolateV01.V2 (Tanzania)APTK India VOC 32421Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)BV-1 (Texas, USA)Kappa/B.1.617.1 (India)Lambda/C.37 (Peru)Theta/P.3 (Philippines) Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia)C.1.2 (South Africa 2% of isolates in July 2021)R1 (Japan)Omicron/B.1.1.529 (South Africa November 2021)NoNo
USA49,878,049
(ranked #1) 1,356,453 new infections in the last 14 days)		147,434
(ranked #1)		808,116
(ranked #1)17,018 new deaths in the last 14 days)		1,35214.94%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)Iota/B.1.526 (USA-NYC)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Zeta/P.2 (Brazil)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)BV-1 (Texas, USA)Theta/P.3 (Philippines) Theta/P.3 (Philippines) Kappa/B.1.617.1 (India)Lambda/C.37 (Peru)Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia)R1(Japan)         Omicron/B.1.1.529 (South Africa November 2021)NoNo
Brazil22,129,409(ranked #3)   10,627615,454(ranked #2)2,22910.30%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Zeta/P.2 (Brazil)Lambda/C.37 (Peru)Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia) Omicron/B.1.1.529 (South Africa November 2021)NoNo
India34,624,360(ranked #2)8,603470,530(ranked #3)4152.47%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)APTK India VOI 32421Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Kappa/B.1.617.1 (India)Iota/B.1.526 (USA-NYC) Omicron/B.1.1.529 (South Africa November 2021)NoNo
United Kingdom10,349,647(ranked #4; was #6 fourteen weeks ago)50,584145,424 (ranked #7 in world)14315.17%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Theta/P.3 (Philippines) Kappa/B.1.617.1 (India)Lambda/C.37 (Peru)Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia)C.1.2 (South Africa)Omicron/B.1.1.529 (South Africa November 2021)NoNo
California, USA4,978,179(ranked #14 in world)8,54775,013 (ranked #20 in world)9012.59%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Zeta/P.2 (Brazil)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Theta/P.3 (Philippines) Kappa/B.1.617.1 (India)Lambda/C.37 (Peru) Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia) Omicron/B.1.1.529 (South Africa November 2021)NoNo
Mexico3,894,364(ranked #15)3,146 294,715(ranked #4)2872.97%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Kappa/B.1.617.1 (India)Lambda/C.37 (Peru)Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia)Omicron/B.1.1.529 (South Africa November 2021)NoNo
South Africa3,004,203(ranked #18)
Exponential growth of Omicron occurring in South Africa. Children under 5 are infected.Quadrupling of daily infections in last four days.		16,055 on 12/3/21,11,535 on 12/2/21,8,561 on 12/1/21,4,373 on 11/30/21,789 on 11/19/21339 on 11/5/2189,940254.97%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Kappa/B.1.617.1 (India)       C.1.2 (South Africa, July 2021)Omicron/B.1.1.529 South Africa, November 2021)NoNo
Canada1,802,359(ranked #26)3,48729,757204.71%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Kappa/B.1.617.1 (India)Lambda/C.37 (Peru)Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia)Omicron/B.1.1.529 (South Africa November 2021)Yes, except Alberta ProvinceNo
Poland3,67,452(ranked #16)26,96585,1264709.58%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia)NoNo
Turkey8,861,386(ranked #6)21,49577,41718710.34%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Lambda/C.37 (Peru)Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia)NoNo
Russia9,736,037(ranked #5)32,930278,857(ranked #5 in world)1,2176.66%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)NoNo
Argentina5,337,692(ranked #10)2,382116,6394211.65%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Gama/P.1 (Brazil)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Lambda/C.37 (Peru)NoNo
Colombia5,076,378(ranked #13)2,299128,685509.82%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Iota/B.1.526 (USA-NYC)Lambda/C.37 (Peru)Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia)NoNo
Peru2,241,027(ranked #22)1,606201,326(ranked #6)446.665%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Iota/B.1.526 (USA-NYC)Lambda/C.37 (Peru)Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia)NoNo
Indonesia4,257,243(ranked #14)245143,85881.53%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)Theta/P.3 (Philippines) Iota/B.1.526 (USA-NYC)Kappa/B.1.617.1 (India)NoNo
Iran6,069,559(ranked 8th; was 12th fourteen weeks ago)3,603130,066787.16%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)NoNo
Spain5,202,858(ranked 11th) 13,73888,1593711.12%B2 lineageAlpha/B.1.1.7 (UK)Delta/B.1.617.2 (India)Beta/B.1.351 (SA)Gamma/P.1 (Brazil)Epsilon/B.1.427 + B.1.429 (USA)*Eta/B.1.525 (Nigeria/UK)Iota/B.1.526 (USA-NYC)Kappa/B.1.617.1 (India)Mu/B.1.621 (Colombia)Omicron/B.1.1.529 South Africa November 2021)NoNo

What Our Team Is Reading This Week

Published by davidcwrightmd