Perspective: Covid-19
Remembering those we have lost
1,125,366
Mar 30, 2023
U.S. deaths from COVID-19
CDC Covid Data Tracker⩘
Note: Deaths exceeded 1,000,000 in mid-May, 2022 (visualization⩘ ).
Current Community Transmission Level
Boulder County, Colorado
Mar 22, 2023
Substantial⩘
Weekly summary (fridays)
Columns:
- CR - COVID-19 case rate per 100,000 population
- ADM - New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population
- BED - % staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19
- CTL - COVID-19 community transmission level (Low, Moderate, Substantial, High)
2023
FRI CR ADM BED CTL
MAR 31 - 44.76 : 8.1 : 2.4% : Substantial
MAR 24 - 46.29 : 5.8 : 2.2% : Substantial
MAR 17 - 50.58 : 9.8 : 2.2% : Substantial
MAR 10 - 40.16 : 8.6 : 2.0% : Moderate
MAR 03 - 58.55 : 11.1 : 2.6% : High
FEB 24 - 53.04 : 9.3 : 1.9% : High
FEB 17 - 55.79 : 8.1 : 1.7% : High
FEB 10 - 50.58 : 6.6 : 2.5% : High
FEB 03 - 54.87 : 10.3 : 2.6% : Substantial
JAN 27 - 33.72 : 5.0 : 2.0% : Moderate
JAN 20 - 57.33 : 5.5 : 2.8% : Substantial
JAN 13 - 59.78 : 11.1 : 3.2%
JAN 06 - 00.00 : 12.6 : 3.2%
2022
FRI CR ADM BED
DEC 30 - 93.81 : 12.4 : 3.6%
DEC 23 - 109.75 : 14.1 : 4.2%
DEC 16 - 118.64 : 19.2 : 5.1%
DEC 09 - 130.90 : 20.2 : 5.3%
DEC 02 - 129.68 : 25.2 : 4.8%
NOV 25 - 127.22 : 18.2 : 4.0%
NOV 18 - 141.94 : 15.4 : 4.4%
NOV 11 - 108.22 : 13.4 : 3.8%
NOV 04 - 84.31 : 9.1 : 2.0%
OCT 28 - 82.16 : 9.8 : 2.4%
OCT 21 - 76.03 : 9.1 : 2.5%
OCT 14 - 74.80 : 4.8 : 1.4%
OCT 07 - 84.00 : 7.6 : 1.8%
SEP 30 - 90.74 : 6.8 : 1.8%
SEP 23 - 101.78 : 9.3 : 2.1%
SEP 16 - 113.43 : 7.8 : 2.4%
SEP 09 - 103.62 : 6.8 : 2.0%
SEP 02 - 112.20 : 7.8 : 1.2%
AUG 26 - 111.90 : 8.8 : 1.5%
AUG 19 - 125.38 : 9.6 : 2.0%
AUG 12 - 142.86 : 13.1 : 2.3%
AUG 05 - 191.60 : 12.4 : 2.5%
JUL 30 - 199.27 : 16.1 : 3.5%
JUL 22 - 233.30 : 18.2 : 3.0%
JUL 15 - 244.33 : 17.9 : 3.5%
A very good source of ongoing analysis:
Your Local Epidemiologist⩘ , written by Katelyn Jetelina, recipient of the 2022 National Academies Award for Excellence in Scientific Communication⩘
See also: Laura's Pandemic Ponderings⩘
Please help keep us all safer
"I've tried to take to heart the lesson I keep writing about—that the pandemic is a collective problem that cannot be solved if people (or governments) act in their own self-interest. I've tried to consider how my actions cascade to affect those with less privilege, immune or otherwise. Instead of asking 'What's my risk?,' I've tried to ask 'What's my contribution to everyone's risk?'" – Ed Yong, The Atlantic⩘
Don't believe those who claim science proves masks don't work⩘ by Dr. Lucky Tran, The Guardian, Feb 27, 2023.
Cochrane Library statement
The Cochrane Review 'Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses' was published in January 2023 and has been widely misinterpreted. Karla Soares-Weiser, Editor-in-Chief of the Cochrane Library, has responded on behalf of Cochrane:
Many commentators have claimed that a recently-updated Cochrane Review shows that 'masks don't work', which is an inaccurate and misleading interpretation.
It would be accurate to say that the review examined whether interventions to promote mask wearing help to slow the spread of respiratory viruses, and that the results were inconclusive. Given the limitations in the primary evidence, the review is not able to address the question of whether mask-wearing itself reduces people's risk of contracting or spreading respiratory viruses.
The review authors are clear on the limitations in the abstract: 'The high risk of bias in the trials, variation in outcome measurement, and relatively low adherence with the interventions during the studies hampers drawing firm conclusions.' Adherence in this context refers to the number of people who actually wore the provided masks when encouraged to do so as part of the intervention. For example, in the most heavily-weighted trial of interventions to promote community mask wearing, 42.3% of people in the intervention arm wore masks compared to 13.3% of those in the control arm.
The original Plain Language Summary for this review stated that 'We are uncertain whether wearing masks or N95/P2 respirators helps to slow the spread of respiratory viruses based on the studies we assessed.' This wording was open to misinterpretation, for which we apologize. While scientific evidence is never immune to misinterpretation, we take responsibility for not making the wording clearer from the outset. We are engaging with the review authors with the aim of updating the Plain Language Summary and abstract to make clear that the review looked at whether interventions to promote mask wearing help to slow the spread of respiratory viruses.
Statement on 'Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses' review⩘ , Mar 10, 2023.
