“Is there something about Michigan this is prompting the spike in infections? No, it’s the same dynamics happening elsewhere. They just seem to be happening in Michigan first.
“Restaurants and bars are pushing their permitted 50 percent maximum capacity (capped at 300 patrons). Much of the clientele in those restaurants appears to young people – and young people are increasingly among the hospitalized in Michigan. From March 5 to March 27, more than half of all covid cases in Michigan were people under age 39.
“Anecdotally, I can report that people here have lately become much more casual about wearing masks.
“It feels as though we haven’t learned the lessons of 2020. Or that the sense of coronavirus vaccines coming to the rescue has made us forget those lessons.”
– Abdul El-Sayed, The Washington Post (April 01, 2021)
In some terrifying news, Michigan is currently losing the battle against COVID-10. It is a dangerous hotspot for the virus. And it's on track to potentially see a surge in cases "that's even greater than the one we saw in the fall," said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state's chief medical executive.
How bad is it right now? Covid-19 cases per million people are four times higher what they were in mid-February. The percent of positive tests are also four times higher than the numbers then.
Faced with the country’s highest rate of new coronavirus infections, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on April 9 urged a two-week suspension of in-person high school classes, all youth sports and indoor restaurant dining.
She stopped short of ordering restrictions, instead asking for voluntary compliance to slow the spread of Covid-19.
High schools should shift to virtual learning, both school and non-school youth sports should be paused, people should choose outdoor dining or takeout instead of indoor seating, and they should avoid gathering with friends indoors, she said.
(The Associated Press. “Michigan governor urges halt of high school classes, youth sports.” April 10, 2021.)
Michigan has the worst rate of new Covid-19 cases in the U.S. over the previous two weeks. Related hospitalizations had more than quadrupled in a month and were 90 percent of the statewide peak from a year ago, leading some hospitals to postpone non-emergency surgeries. The seven-day average of new daily deaths has been rising for two weeks.
“Because we are seeing so many cases a day, our public health system is overwhelmed,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive. “We are not able to get information on many cases, nor are we able to identify their close contacts.”
The B.1.1.7 variant, first discovered in the U.K., is driving up transmission numbers. The variant is very communicable but does appear to be preventable by the current vaccines.
The variant is found in the more densely populated areas of the state, with more than half the B.1.1.7 variants identified stemming from an outbreak within the Michigan Department of Corrections, according to the state health department.
COVID fatigue, along with some modest relaxation of the public health guidelines – such as relaxing distancing measures and other health restrictions – is a real concern in light of the continued evolution of the new strains of the virus.
Further, with more children back in school, and participating in sports programs, school-related COVID-19 cases are increasing in the state, according to state data. Children ages 10-19 now have the highest COVID-19 case rate in Michigan, a rate that "is increasing faster than that of other age groups."
A dire warning: Children aren't immune to COVID-19. They can get sick, just like adults do. They can be hospitalized, the same as adults. And rarely, they can even die.
That's the message doctors at several of Michigan's children's hospitals want people to hear as the state confronts yet another massive surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, which reached 3,953 on April 12, surpassing the state's November/December spike.
"The state is at a record high for hospitalizations for pediatrics during the entire pandemic and our hospital reflects that," said Dr. Rudolph Valentini, a pediatric nephrologist at Children's Hospital of Michigan and group chief medical officer for the Detroit Medical Center.
(Kristen Jordan Shamus and Christina Hall Michigan at 'record high' for COVID-19 hospitalizations of children.” Detroit Free Press. April 13, 2021.)
And, it appears that the big wave of infections among children has now spilled over into a surge of COVID cases among their parents and others around them. So even while children and teens are rarely hospitalized for coronavirus, Lee said the number of recent hospitalizations for people under 60 is of great concern.
Considering the encouraging trendlines among senior citizens, it appears vaccinations offer the best road out of the current surge, experts agree. But right now, it’s a race between the vaccine and the variant.
Emily Toth Martin, a University of Michigan epidemiologist. said the variant is all the more reason people should double-down on coronavirus mitigation strategies until they are vaccinated.
“It’s like you’re running a race and the other runner starts running 50% faster,” she said. “You want to catch him while you still have a chance.”
(Julie Mack. “Michigan’s COVID-19 numbers increasing at ‘troubling’ pace. What’s going on?” Michigan Live. March 27, 2021.)
“Really what we need to do in those situations is shut things down, I think if we tried to vaccinate our way out of what’s happening in Michigan we would be disappointed that it would take so long for the vaccine to work,” said CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
Neighboring Ohio
Meanwhile Ohio is being proactive. The Governor's office told 3News last week 5,000 additional doses went to Lucas and Cuyahoga Counties and will send extra this week too.
(Monica Robins and Laura Caso. “Vaccinating Ohio: Michigan becoming COVID-19 epicenter; Ohio is on alert.” WKYC. April 12, 2021.)
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said what is happening in Michigan should be a warning. DeWine said …
“We do not want to be in a situation where Michigan is today, and we have a few weeks – we're a few weeks behind them. So the way we stop this – the way we first slow it down – and then, the way we stop it is shots. That is the only way to do it.”
(Pete Grieve “Gov. DeWine warns of Michigan-like surge in Ohio, urges residents to get vaccinated.” Spectrum News 1. April 12, 2021.)
Vaccines are becoming readily available in Ohio, particularly in regions outside of the state's major metropolitan areas, according to appointment trackers.
DeWine continued …
“This week, for the first time, we're starting to see ... openings where people who have not been able to get it so far, clearly have the ability to get it. This is the time to get it. Now, you really have an opportunity to get it. If you've been discouraged before because you couldn't get it. It's available now. Go get it.”
Many providers, even in some rural counties, are still working through waitlists or seeing appointments fill within hours, according to officials.
Dewine had a message for the young:
“For our young people, I would say particularly those who are teenagers, those who are in high school, getting this vaccine may ensure that you can have a good baseball season without an interruption. For athletes or anybody who's in theater, or anything else connected with school, having the shot may make it so that they do not have that interrupted.”
(Pete Grieve “Gov. DeWine warns of Michigan-like surge in Ohio, urges residents to get vaccinated.” Spectrum News 1. April 12, 2021.)
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