Coronavirus Update – April 23, 2021

What a mixed bag of news we have today…

Great news – 25,000 Hancock County residents are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and another 10,000 have received their first injection!  To top this off, another 4,000 are registered for their first vaccination giving us a total of nearly 40,000 people who are on their way to immunity.

Less great news – the lower level for herd immunity is 70%, or 56,000 residents of Hancock County.

———————–

Great news – nearly one billion doses of vaccine have been administered worldwide and 223 million people are fully vaccinated

Less great news – this is only 2.9% of the global population

———————–

Great news –daily new cases of COVID-19 in the US remain far below the all-time (though they are slowly drifting higher)

Less great news – new cases of COVID-19 worldwide are at their highest level ever as noted in the chart below (and attached)

———————–

Great news – new cases of COVID-19 in Indiana remain very low compared to the holidays

Less great news – our friends to the north in Michigan are having a much different experience as noted in the graph below (and attached)

So, what are we to make of this mixed bag of news??

• If we wait for herd immunity via spread of the disease we will continue to have the situations we see in India, Argentina, Ethiopia, Germany, and Michigan.
• The vaccine is the only way to achieve herd more quickly, but it requires people to make the decision to actually get it
• We currently have very easy access to the vaccine and it will become easier next week when walk-in service becomes available in most vaccination sites in our state.
• If the number of people requesting the vaccine over the next several weeks tails off rapidly, many of the vaccination sites will reduce hours or close altogether making it more difficult to access the shot
• It is likely the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will gain FDA approval later this year and this will trigger vaccine mandates for international travel, for school attendance, and in many workplaces (including hospitals)

With nearly one billion doses given so far, the track record is among the best we have ever seen for a vaccine.  Effectiveness is even higher than experienced during the trials (95% for Pfizer and Moderna) and serious side effects are exceptionally low.  The list of well-founded reasons to wait to receive the vaccine is very short.  Plus, uptake of the vaccine and removing masks are contingent processes.

Bottom-line: the virus is making a resurgence worldwide and the opportunity for mutations and subsequently new variants is growing.  The vaccine not only offers personal immunity it nearly eliminates the ability for mutations to form in vaccinated people.  It is incredibly important for all of us to be vaccinated as quickly as possible. 

Should you have questions regarding the vaccine or the vaccination process, please visit our website at https://coronavirus.hancockregionalhospital.org/.

All the Best

Steve