Here’s what to know December 19, 2021

DETROIT – Michigan reported 12,649 new cases COVID-19 and 254 virus-related deaths Friday — an average of 6,325 cases over a two-day period.

Of the 254 deaths announced on Friday, 159 were recorded during a review of the files.

Wednesday’s update brings the total number of confirmed COVID cases in Michigan to 1,420,838, including 25,824 deaths. These figures are up from 1,408,189 cases and 25,570 deaths, from wednesday.

Testing has grown to around 50,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate at 16.53% Friday – a decrease compared to last week. Hospitalizations have been steadily increasing for several weeks and are at the height of the pandemic.

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The states 7-day moving average for daily cases was 5,788 on Friday. the 7-day average death was 108 on Friday. The death rate in the state is 1.8%. State also reports “active cases”, which were listed at 248,500 on Friday.

Michigan reported more … than 10.8 million doses the COVID-19 vaccine administered as of Friday, with 67.9% of 16+ residents have received at least one dose, while 62.4% of 16+ residents are considered fully vaccinated.

Throughout the people of Michigan, 62.6% received at least one dose of COVID vaccine.

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According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 50 million cases have been reported in the United States, with more than 804,900 deaths reported by the virus. Globally, more than 8.6 billion doses of vaccine have been administered, including more than 487 million doses in the United States alone.

In the world, more than 273 million people have been confirmed infected and more than 5.3 million died, according to Johns Hopkins University. The real numbers are certainly much higher, due to the limited testing, the different ways nations count the dead, and the deliberate underreporting of some governments.

Coronavirus headlines:

Trends in COVID cases and deaths by Michigan County

SEE: Tracking Coronavirus Cases and Outbreaks in Michigan Schools

8 Michigan Takeout COVID: Omicron, Fourth Push, “Deeply About Direction”

Officials provided an update on COVID-19 Situation in Michigan Friday after first case of the omicron variant has been identified in the state.

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Elizabeth Hertel, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, as well as MDHHS medical director, Dr Natasha Bagdasarian, spoke at the briefing.

They were joined by Dr Michael Tsimis, MD, Maternal Fetal Medicine Physician at Spectrum Health, and Dr Paolo Marciano, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn.

Read and watch here.

Michigan COVID-19 hospitalizations for adults and children at record high

The number of patients in Michigan hospitals for COVID-19 has surpassed the spring wave and reached a new high, according to new data.

The MDHHS updated its hospitalization data on Monday after a five-day vacation break, showing 4,386 in hospitals across the state with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

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7 takeaways from an expert’s COVID update on Metro Detroit: “I consider this our 4th push”

A Beaumont Health the expert provided a worrying update on COVID and hospital trends in the Detroit metro area, calling it a “fourth push” and sharing three reasons he thinks the numbers are on the rise again.

Nick Gilpin, infectious disease physician and medical director of infection prevention for Beaumont Health, hosted a virtual briefing on November 11 to discuss what he sees in Detroit Metro.

Find out more here.

Where to find COVID-19 vaccines for children

Parents are looking at where to get their young children vaccinated against COVID-19 after the CDC gives final green light to adolescent doses of Pfizer in children aged 5 to 11.

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Doses should be available at your local pharmacies, doctor’s offices, hospitals, and clinics now or very soon. Like COVID-19 vaccines for adults, they are free.

EXPLANATOR: What you need to know about vaccines for children aged 5 to 11

We keep track of all the information we get about available clinics and doses for children 5-11 years old in the blog for live updates here.

Data shows Michigan schools without a mask warrant saw 62% more coronavirus spread

As the number of COVID cases continues to rise in Michigan, new data reveals that school mask warrants appear to be working to slow the spread of the virus.

It’s one of the most, if not the most, controversial issues within the pandemic – mask warrants, especially in schools. Anger and frustrations overflowed inside, outside and at board meetings. But new data supports the use of masks in schools.

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See the data here.

Michigan adopts new definition of COVID outbreak in schools, raising threshold

Michigan health officials are adopting a new definition of COVID-19 outbreaks in schools that raises the threshold from two to three school-associated cases.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) obtains such definition of the Council of State and territorial epidemiologists – see it here. The new definition changes the threshold to at least three cases within a group, compared to two previously.

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Read more here.

Flu expected to circulate more this year due to fewer COVID precautions

While Coronavirus pandemic precautions helped ward off the flu last year, experts fear we may not be so lucky this year.

Precautions and restrictions designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for real has also helped prevent the spread of influenza, a respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses, during the 2020 influenza season. Around the same time last year, health experts feared the United States was experiencing a “twinemia” with COVID and the flu, but that did not happen, likely due to a combination of mask-wearing, social distancing, the closure of most schools, and overall reduced travel.

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But this year, many of those precautions and restrictions are no longer in effect, and the flu is expected to circulate more widely.

Find out more here.

Detroit opens schedule for third dose of COVID vaccination

Detroit has opened the schedule for residents with weakened immune systems to receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.

Residents must have been fully immunized for at least six months and have a weakened immune system to make an appointment for a third dose.

The third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which have been approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will be offered at the drive-thru of the TCF Center to people with an appointment.

Read more here.

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CDC recommends that vaccinated people wear masks in schools and some indoor environments

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that even vaccinated people wear masks indoors in parts of the United States where the coronavirus is on the rise.

The CDC on Tuesday (July 27) cited new information on the capacity of the delta variant spread among vaccinated people. The CDC has also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of their immunization status.

The CDC said that in the United States, most new infections have been in people who have not been vaccinated. But “breakthrough” infections, which usually cause milder illness, can occur in people who are vaccinated.

Find out more here.

Michigan COVID-19 cases reported daily since November 15:

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• November 15 – 7,012 new cases

• November 16 – 7,281 new cases

• November 17 – 7,280 new cases

• November 18 – 8,990 new cases

• November 19 – 8,990 new cases

• November 20 – 5,669 new cases

• November 21 – 5,669 new cases

• November 22 – 5,670 new cases

• November 23 – 8,502 new cases

• November 24 – 8,501 new cases

• November 25 – 5,065 new cases

• November 26 – 5,066 new cases

• November 27 – 5,066 new cases

• November 28 – 5,066 new cases

• November 29 – 5,066 new cases

• November 30 – 8,265 new cases

• December 1 – 8,265 new cases

• December 2 – 9,221 new cases

• December 3 – 9,222 new cases

• December 4 – 5,530 new cases

• December 5 – 5,530 new cases

• December 6 – 5,530 new cases

• December 7 – 7,693 new cases

• December 8 – 7,692 new cases

• December 9 – 5,891 new cases

• December 10 – 5,892 new cases

• December 11 – 5,381 new cases

• December 12 – 5,381 new cases

• December 13 – 5,381 new cases

• December 14 – 5,861 new cases

• December 15 – 5,861 new cases

Michigan COVID-19 has reported deaths daily since November 15:

• November 15 – 32 new deaths

• November 16 – 121 new deaths

• November 17 – 121 new deaths

• November 18 – 64 new deaths

• November 19 – 64 new deaths (71 in the last two days according to civil registers)

• November 20 – 27 new deaths

• November 21 – 28 new deaths

• November 22 – 28 new deaths (32 in the last three days according to civil registers)

• November 23 – 140 new deaths

• November 24 – 140 new deaths (143 of the last two days according to the civil registers)

• November 25 – 28 new deaths

• November 26 – 28 new deaths

• November 27 – 28 new deaths

• November 28 – 28 new deaths

• November 29 – 27 new deaths (57 in the last five days according to civil registers)

• November 30 – 179 deaths

• December 1 – 179 deaths (160 in the last two days according to civil registers)

• December 2 – 138 new deaths

• December 3 – 139 new deaths (169 from the last two days according to the civil registers)

• December 4 – 42 new deaths

• December 5 – 42 new deaths

• December 6 – 43 new deaths (47 in the last three days according to the civil registers)

• December 7 – 175 new deaths

• December 8 – 175 new deaths (185 in the last two days according to civil registers)

• December 9 – 117 new deaths

• December 10 – 118 new deaths (151 in the last two days according to the civil registers)

• December 11 – 53 new deaths

• December 12 – 53 new deaths

• December 13 – 54 new deaths (36 in the last two days according to civil registers)

• December 14 – 165 new deaths

• December 15 – 165 new deaths (230 in the last two days according to civil status registers)

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