It was a fairly calm week, so let’s get to it. This week’s numbers:

• Cases: 306,769 (+4,615)
• Deaths: 4,314 (+152)
• Seven-day rolling average: 595 (-213/day)
• Positivity rate: 4.9% (-2.2%)
• Cases per 100k: 41.7 (-2.8)
• Hospitalizations: 820 patients; 289 in ICU
• Vaccinations: 1,483,257 first dose (89% of eligible population, 74% total); 1,226,944 fully vaxxed (73% of eligible, 61% total)
• In L’s classes: none this week (cumulative: 5 students, 6 staff)
• Week 5 for our school: 13 students, 2 staff (cumulative: 56 students, 4 staff)

There really isn’t a lot of news this week. Statewide, the number of kids with covid during the first month that classes were back in session is almost the same as the cumulative total for the entire 2020-21 school year. Yikes. Last month, 12.5% of all covid cases were for ages 9 and under, which is really high compared to previous variants of the disease. Hospitals and specialists in town are seeing an alarming number of teens (who previously had covid) with severe blood clots, especially clots in the lungs. The number of deaths in the US reached a grim milestone this week too – we’ve now surpassed the number of US Spanish Flu deaths. Border patrol stopped shipments of millions of fake vaccine cards. And on a more personal level, another friend of mine has contracted covid. She’s fully vaccinated and her symptoms are mild, but a loved one of hers, also fully vaccinated, is in the hospital with covid pneumonia.

(cases separated by vaccination status)

In better news, my family all got their flu shots this week, and as of yesterday, I qualify for the covid booster shot. I was originally supposed to qualify for my third dose starting October 1st, eight months after my second, but the CDC ruled that six months was sufficient. Sadly, they also ruled against third doses for people without underlying conditions, which leaves my husband and sons helpless for now. At least they got their vaccines later (March, April), so they still have more immunity from them! As for mine, my doc told me that she had very little reaction to the first two doses but this one knocked her on her butt for a few days, so I anticipate I’ll have some more major side effects again. We’ll see. And last but not least, the library system in town is going back to seven-day service next week, for the first time since March 2020! I mean, they were almost back to normal, with Mondays added a month or two back, and this will just add Sunday as well. But it’s nice to have a bit more normalcy anyway!!