COVID-19 Weekly Update Archive For The Month Of January, 2022

by Art and Maura Keene

As Of Monday, May 24, 2021 The Indy’s COVID-19 Daily Update became the COVID-19 Weekly Update. As of Wednesday July 14 ,2021 the Weekly Update moved to Wednesdays. Each Wednesday we will post the latest confirmed case counts for Coronavirus (COVID-19) for Massachusetts, for the nation and for the globe.  

Making Sense of the Numbers
Authorities caution that the confirmed case count is a substantial underestimate of the actual number of cases.  

We rely on well-vetted sources to produce our daily update and draw mostly from the following: Center for Disease Control (CDC), Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Johns Hopkins University, Yale School of Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Washington Post, New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, STAT News, and the Twitter feeds and/or blogs of Andy Slavitt, Greg Gonsolves, Ezekiel Emanuel, Marc Lipsich, and David Wallace-Wells.

Archives
The Indy began posting COVID-19 Daily Update on March 18, 2020. Here are links to archives of previous months’ posts. March  April , May,  June,  July,  August,  September,  October,  November,  December,  January, February, March 21, April 21, May 21, June 21, July 21, August 21, September 21, October 21, November 21, December 21
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Henceforth, numbers in parentheses will indicate increase or decrease in count from previous Wednesday.

UPDATE WEDNESDAY January 26, as of 8 AM
Total Confirmed Cases in MA – 1,571,650 (84,373)
Total Deaths: 21,669 (+670)
Confirmed Cases in Amherst –5938 (+679) Currently Active – 302 (-230) 14 day incidence average 173.5 /100,000
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 2O30 (+310)
Amherst Public Schools: Cumulative Cases Beginning September 1, 2020: 322. COVID Cases Since January 1, 2022: 187 (+167).
Source For Amherst – Town Of Amherst Dashboard
Source For UMass UMass Dashboard
Source For Amherst Public Schools – ARPS Dashboard
Sources for Amherst Area Schools and Colleges.
Source for Massachusetts: NYT Daily Dashboard
Confirmed Cases in USA – 73,449,185 (+4,732,181)
Confirmed Deaths – 894,880 (+17,640)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide:359,968,832
Deaths: 5,636,697 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:
39,909 New COVID Cases In Massachusetts Schools Last Week
(Boston Herald)
Unvaccinated Students In Some Massachusetts Schools Can Go Maskless
(Berkshire Eagle)
Biden Administration Withdraws COVID Testing Regulation Aimed At Large Business
(CNN)
BA-2, The New Omicron Variant Has Arrived In The US. Experts Say Don’t Panic Yet
(USA Today)
BA-2, The New COVID-19 Variant Is Now in 17 States and 49 Countires
(Poynter.org)
Global Cases Rose To 21 Million Last Week, The Most Since The Start Of The Pandemic
(Market Watch)
American Airlines Flight Turns Back Over Atlantic Because Of Passenger Mask Dispute
(New York Times)
Arizona Sues Biden To Retain Anti-mask Rules
(Education Week)
As Schools Debate COVID Safety, Students Stage Walkouts To Voice Demands
(NPR)
Gottleib Doesn’t Expect Vaccines For Kids Under 5 Before March
(CBS News)
What’s Happening With Vaccines For Kids Under 5?
(The Atlantic)
Four Factors That May Increase The Chances Of Long COVID
(New York Times)
Vaccines Reduce The Risk Of Long COVID
(The Guardian)
Counting COVID-19 Cases Doesn’t Capture The Pandemic’s Impact
(New York Times)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY January 19, as of 8 AM
Total Confirmed Cases in MA – 1,487,277 (+121,669)
Total Deaths: 20,999 (+236)
Confirmed Cases in Amherst –5259 (+433) Currently Active – 532(-25) 14 day incidence average 108/100,000
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 1720 (+377)
Source For Amherst – Town Of Amherst Dashboard
Source For UMass UMass Dashboard
Source For Amherst Public Schools – ARPS Dashboard
Sources for Amherst Area Schools and Colleges.
Source for Massachusetts: NYT Daily Dashboard
Confirmed Cases in USA – 68,767,004 (+5,376,128)
Confirmed Deaths – 877,240 (+13,342)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide:335,395,868
Deaths: 5,575,529 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:
Massachusetts COVID Cases On Steep Downward Trend
(CBS Boston)
MA Hospital Leaders Issue Dire Warning Amid Omicron Surge
(MassLive)
Tensions Rise As Massachusetts Schools Change COVID Measures
(Boston Globe)
US Launches Website For Free At-Home COVID Tests
(New York Times)
Omicron Is Not That Mild. 50,000 to 300,000 New US COVID Deaths Projected By March
(USA Today)
What Is Flurona? Everything You Need To Know About The COVID/Flu Combo
(The National Post)
Why An N95 Mask Is The Best For Omicron
(Time)
Omicron Is Putting US Hospitals In A Bind
(STAT News)
US Health Workers Show Signs Of Stress Similar To Combat Veterans
(The Guardian)
Omicron Is Making Bad Jobs Worse
(The Atlantic)
How Do You Even Calculate COVID Risk Anymore? A Guide
(Time)
Could A Universal COVID Vaccine Defeat Every Variant?
(Vox)
There Will Be Another COVID Variant. Here’s What The World Can Do Now
(New York Times)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY January 12, as of 8 AM
Total Confirmed Cases in MA – 1,365,608 (+173,059)
Total Deaths: 20,763 (+353)
Confirmed Cases in Amherst –4826 (+561 ) Currently Active – 557(+386) 14 day incidence average 34.1/100,000
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 1343 (+360)
Source For Amherst – Town Of Amherst Dashboard
Source For UMass UMass Dashboard
Source For Amherst Public Schools – ARPS Dashboard
Sources for Amherst Area Schools and Colleges.
Source for Massachusetts: NYT Daily Dashboard
Confirmed Cases in USA – 63,390,876 (+5,343,698)
Confirmed Deaths – 863,898 (+12,423)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide:314,453,948
Deaths: 5,523,849 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:
Massachusetts Issues New COVID Testing Guidelines
(Boston Globe)
Massachusetts Extends School Mask Mandate Through February
(Boston.com)
Massachusetts Schools Use Dogs To Sniff Out Coronavirus
(CNN)
Wastewater Shows Boston COVID Levels Falling
(NBC Boston)
More National Guard Activated To Help State’s Hospitals
(Western Mass News)
Models Suggest Omicron May Peak In Massachusetts Within Two Weeks
(Boston Globe)
Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s Vaccine or Test Policy
(Reuters)
Hospitals In Half Of US States Near Capacity As Omicron Surge Continues
(The Guardian)
Hospitals Are In Serious Trouble
(The Atlantic)
US Coronavirus Hospitalizations Reach Record High
(CNN)
Pediatric COVID Hospitalizations Soar In US
(The Guardian)
“This Is Not A Virus To Fool Around With” Expert Warns As Return-To-School Debate Rages
(CNN)
Brooklyn Tech Students Stage Walkout Over COVID Cases
(ABC New York)
What To Know About Coronavirus Vaccines For Children Under 5
(Washington Post)
Omicron Devastates Services, Schools, Travel As Workers Are Sick Or In Quarantine
(CNN)
Amazon Is Reducing Its COVID Sick Leave For Workers
(Mother Jones)
America’s COVID Rules Are A Dumpster Fire
(The Atlantic)
Rapid Tests, Omicron and You
(Vox)
How Common Is The Loss Of Taste After COVID?
(Medical News Today)
What To Know About Upgrading Your Mask
(WCVB)
New Coronavirus Vaccine Headed For India Was Developed By A Small Team In Texas. They Expect Nothing In Return
(Washington Post)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY January 5, as of 8 AM
Total Confirmed Cases in MA – 1,192,549 (+112,889)
Total Deaths: 20,410 (+272)
Confirmed Cases in Amherst –4265 (+154) Currently Active – 171 (+54) 14 day incidence average 28.6/100,000
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 983 (+0)
Source For Amherst – Town Of Amherst Dashboard
Source For UMass UMass Dashboard
Source For Amherst Public Schools – ARPS Dashboard
Sources for Amherst Area Schools and Colleges.
Source for Massachusetts: NYT Daily Dashboard
Confirmed Cases in USA – 58,047,187 (+3,848,643)
Confirmed Deaths – 851,475 (+9,314)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide:295,850,800
Deaths: 5,476,857 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:
Massachusetts Hospitals, ICU’s, Maxed Out With Omicron
(Reuters)
Massachusetts School Districts Grapple With COVID-fueled Teacher Shortages, Leading Some To Close
(MassLive)
What Parents Should Know About Sending Kids Back To School During Omicron
(CNN)
As COVID Hits Schools, Parents Scramble To Test Kids
(Time)
Chicago Public Schools Close As Teachers Say Classroom Conditions Unsafe
(New York Times)
Short-staffed NYC Schools Are Asking Teachers With Mild COVID Symptoms To Return To Classroom
(Business Insider)
US Sets Daily Record Of Over 1 Million New COVID Cases
(Bloomberg News)
Omicron Variant Estimated To Be 95.4% Of Current Coronavirus Cases In US
(Reuters)
COVID Surge Threatens To Overwhelm Primary Care Offices
(AP)
A COVID Vaccine For All – CORBEVAX Slated To Reach Hundreds Of Millions In Coming Weeks
(Scientific American)
Israeli Study Shows Five-fold Increase In Antibodies With Fourth COVID Jab
(AlJazeera)
New “Pi” Coronavirus Variant Detected In France
(Forbes)
Everything We Know About Long-COVID
(National Post)
Could Micro-clots Explain The Mystery Of Long COVID?
(The Guardian)
How Long Does Omicron Take To Make You Sick?
(The Atlantic)
Omicron Is Out Past Pandemic Mistakes On Fast Forward
(The Atlantic)
Here’s What To Do If Someone You Live With Tests Positive For COVID
(Boston Globe)
The Is Not The Same Pandemic
(Washington Post)