Friday Stats and More

Based on the Centers for Disease Control’s COVID Data Tracker website, here is the FEHBlog’s weekly chart of new COVID-19 cases and deaths over the 14th week of 2020 through 5th week of this year (beginning April 2, 2020 and ending February 3, 2021; using Thursday as the first day of the week in order to facilitate this weekly update):

and here is the CDC’s latest overall weekly hospitalization rate chart for COVID-19:

The FEHBlog has noticed that the new cases and deaths chart shows a flat line for new weekly deaths because new cases greatly exceed new deaths. Accordingly here is a weekly chart of new COVID-19 deaths over the same period April 2, 2021 through February 3, 2021:

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are dropping, but deaths are not as yet. because deaths are considered to be a lagging indicator. The chart does point to the importance of vaccinating the elderly as soon as possible.

Here is a COVID-19 vaccinations chart for the past month which also uses Thursday as the first day of the week:

The CDC’s Fluview informs us that “Seasonal influenza activity in the United States remains lower than usual for this time of year.” Moreover, “46%: That’s how much U.S. sales of over-the-counter cold, flu, and cough medicine declined in the five week period ending Dec 26, 2020 from the same period last year, according to data from Nielsen, reported by Bloomberg.” These statistics suggest that Americans generally are following the social distancing and masking rules. Nevertheless the CDC recommends how to celebrate Super Sunday safely.

In Capitol Hill news, the Senate last night approved the Democrat’s budget resolution with Vice President Harris breaking the 50-50 vote from the Senators. The Wall Street Journal reports that today

The House approved a budget bill advancing President Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief plan, as Mr. Biden met with top House Democrats and lawmakers dived into crafting the details of the relief package.  The 219-209 vote marked a further step under budget reconciliation, a process that would allow Democrats to pass the relief package without Republican support in the Senate. Now, Democrats will turn to ironing out the details of the package over several weeks, including deciding who will be eligible for $1,400 direct payments and whether or not to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour

The Journal also reports that a New York State court has ordered local authorities to certify the election of Republican Claudia Tenney in the last undecided U.S. House of Representatives race from the 2020 election. “Ms. Tenney is the second New York Republican to unseat an incumbent Democrat in 2020. She will be the 212th GOP House lawmaker, bringing the margin of Democratic control in the House to nine members.”

In healthcare news

  • The American Health Association reminds us that this February commemorates the 57th Heart Month.

Heart disease continues to be the greatest health threat to Americans and is still the leading cause of death worldwide, according to the AHA’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2021 Update. The update, published in the association’s flagship journal Circulation, reports that nearly 18.6 million people across the globe died of cardiovascular disease in 2019, the latest year for which worldwide statistics are calculated. That’s a 17.1% increase over the past decade. And 523.2 million cases of cardiovascular disease were reported in 2019, a 26.6% increase over 2010.

During American Heart Month, the AHA and other organizations reinforce the importance of heart health, the need for more research and efforts to ensure that millions of people live longer and healthier. In most cases, heart disease is preventable when people adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, treating high blood pressure, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week and getting regular checkups. 

  • Health Payer Intelligence informs us that

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) has introduced a value-based care program that focuses on improving health outcomes for members with kidney disease through coordinated and patient-centered care. The initiative, launched on January 1, is the newest feature in the industry-leading Blue Premier value-based care model. Eligible Blue Cross NC members can enroll in the Blue Premier Advanced Kidney Care program at no additional cost.