Coronavirus news, updates, hotspots and information for 5-24-2021

This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for May 24th, 2021.

There was a time anyone who suggested the novel coronavirus escaped from a lab in Wuhan was branded a conspiracy theorist, so certain was the reporting that it emerged naturally. Now none other than Dr. Anthony Fauci says he’s not convinced. He joins the rising number of voices calling for a real investigation into the virus' origins. For example, the Wall Street Journal reported three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care in November of 2019, months before the outbreak was disclosed. Their source was a previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report.

New cases in the United States have dropped to rates not seen since June, sparking optimism vaccinations are limiting severe cases and virus spread. Increasingly, pre-pandemic life has largely resumed, with states that have stuck to restrictions preparing to drop them. Health experts however continue to say not enough Americans have been vaccinated to eliminate the potential for new variants to extend the pandemic.

Late last week, Taiwan moved to its second highest COVID alert level after a surge of cases. And because the country last year recorded zero cases of community transmission for eight straight months, and now it’s in the hundreds, people are asking what happened? Many say its Taiwan’s very slow vaccine rollout, and that Australia should take heed because it too is having a slow rollout.

There’s an image you might have been given about what kind of people are reluctant about the vaccines. Which is fine provided that image includes young mothers. A study out of Northwestern, Harvard, and Rutgers shows parents are more likely to resist the vaccine vs other adults across all racial groups. 73% of black parents expressed being vaccine hesitant or resistant. And the study found young mothers are the most vaccine resistant among all groups.

In India, an extreme example of vaccine hesitancy and the result of vaccine misinformation. A team of health officials arrived in a village in Barabanki to administer vaccinations, and numerous citizens jumped in the river and started swimming away to avoid them. Only 18 people took the shot. Others believed they were about to be injected with poison.

In the United States cases were down 39%, deaths are down 14%, and hospitalizations are down 22% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since April 14.  

There are now 5,790,318 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky. 

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Chattahoochee, GA. Livingston, MO. Charlton, GA. Linn, MO. Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK. Koochiching, MN. Alamosa, CO. Karnes, TX. Lincoln, WA. And Dukes, MA. 

The five states with the highest risk levels and most daily new cases per capita over 7 days are Delaware, Colorado, Wyoming, Michigan, and Maine.

There have been 589,890 deaths in U.S. recorded as Covid-related, with a current national fatality rate of 1.79%.

The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: Alabama 32. Illinois 25. California 22. Texas 19. New York 18. Maryland 17. Florida and Kentucky 11. South Carolina 10. And Pennsylvania and Virginia 9. 

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s had at least one dose, Vermont at 68.1%, Hawaii at 64.4%, and Massachusetts at 64.3%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Mississippi at 33.2%, Louisiana at 34.9%, and Alabama at 35.4%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 38.9%.

Globally, cases were down 25% and deaths down 6% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since May...

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