COVID-19 Weekly Update Archive For The Month Of May 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 and death count is a substantial underestimate of the actual number of cases and deaths.  This underestimate is thought to be especially extreme under current conditions where the availability of testing and tracking have been greatly reduced.

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, January 22, February 22, March 2022, April 2022
,
Henceforth, numbers in parentheses will indicate increase or decrease in count from previous Wednesday.

UPDATE WEDNESDAY MAY 25, as of 8 AM
Total Confirmed Cases in MA – 1,851,791 (+26,544) Total Deaths: 20,533 (+92) (MA revised their COVID death counts the week of 3/9, removing nearly 4000 deaths previously attributed to COVID from the records).
Total Confirmed Cases in Amherst –9328 (+161) Currently Active – 183 (-189) 14 day incidence average 113/ 100,000 (last week, 83.9 /100,000)
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021.
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – MAY 10, 2022. – 4607. No new data since May 10.
Amherst Public Schools: Cumulative Cases Beginning September 1, 2020-Jamuary 1, 2022: 322. COVID Cases form January 1, – February 28 2022: 465. Number of new cases for February 2022: 90. New cases for March 2022:52 (11 cases were reported before elimination of the mask mandate on 3/11 and 41 after). New cases for April 2022: 113. New Cases For May: 210 Total Since January 1, 2022: 930
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 – 85,241,016 (+767,569)
Confirmed Deaths – 1,029, 524 (+1,739)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide: 529,178,648
Deaths: 6,304,196 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns
Hopkins University.

News:
New Omicron Sub-variant Spreading Rapidly In Massachusetts
(NBC Boston)
Pfizer Warns Of Constant Waves Of COVID As Complacency Grows
(Financial Times)
People Who Rebound With COVID After Paxlovid Treatment May Be Highly Contagious Study Finds
(Boston Globe)
How Rapid Reinfection Has Changed The COVID Fight
(The New Republic)
You Are Going To Get COVID Again…And Again….. And Again
(The Atlantic)
Pfizer Says Three COVID Vaccine Doses Produce Strong Response In Young Children
(New York Times)
What Parents Should Know About COVID Vaccines For Kids Under Five
(CNN)
CDC: One In Five Adult COVID Survivors In US May Develop Long COVID
(New York Times)
COVID Can Cause Ongoing Damage To Heart, Lungs, And Kidneys Study Finds
(The Guardian)
The Promising Treatment For Long COVID We’re Not Even Trying
(The Atlantic)
How The Omicron Response Can Help Prepare Us For The Next Wave
(Brookings.edu)
Monkeypox and COVID Are Different In A Good Way
(NPR)
What’s Sending Kids To The Hospital With Hepatitis?
(Science)
What Vaccine Aparthied Portends For Global Climate Future
(New York Times)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY MAY 18, as of 8 AM
Total Confirmed Cases in MA – 1,825,247 (+32,475) Total Deaths: 20,441 (+84) (MA revised their COVID death counts the week of 3/9, removing nearly 4000 deaths previously attributed to COVID from the records).
Total Confirmed Cases in Amherst –9167 (+371 ) Currently Active – 372 (+75) 14 day incidence average 83.9/ 100,000 (last week, 52.2 /100,000)
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 4607 (+287)
Amherst Public Schools: Cumulative Cases Beginning September 1, 2020-Jamuary 1, 2022: 322. COVID Cases form January 1, – February 28 2022: 465. Number of new cases for February 2022: 90. New cases for March 2022:52 (11 cases were reported before elimination of the mask mandate on 3/11 and 41 after). New cases for April 2022: 113. New Cases For May: 159 Total Since January 1, 2022: 879
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 – 84,473,447 (+648,787)
Confirmed Deaths – 1,027,285 (+2,271)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide: 524,262,429
Deaths: 6,293,036 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:
The New Omicron Variant BA.2.12 Is Dominating Massachusetts. Now What?
(Boston Globe)
New York City Reaches High Alert Level As COVID Cases And Hospitalizations Continue To Rise
(New York Times)
Case Numbers Don’t Matter And Other Fatal COVID Fallacies
(The Nation)
FDA Authorizes First COVID Booster For Children Ages 5-11
(NPR)
What To Do Now If You Test Positive For COVID-19
(CNN)
Biden Administration Makes Eight More Free COVID Tests Available To All US Households
(CNN)
How Often Can You Be Infected With Coronavirus?
(New York Times)
Future COVID Variants Will Likely Reinfect Us Multiple Times/Year
(Yahoo News)
Stop Dismissing The Risk Of Long COVID
(Washington Post)
Don’t Be Fooled By The Myths About Kids And COVID Flourishing On Social Media
(The Advocate)
Why COVID Is A Key Suspect In Severe Hepatitis Cases Among Kids Worldwide
(CBC)
Better Ventilation In Schools Could Reduce COVID Risks And Boost Learning. Why Aren’t We Doing it?
(Grid News)
One Million Americans Have Died Of COVID. How Did It Happen?
(The Guardian)
We Need A Definitive Exit From Our COVID-19 Pandemic. Here’s The Roadmap
(The Guardian)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY MAY 11, as of 8 AM
Total Confirmed Cases in MA – 1,792,772 (+25,951 ) Total Deaths: 20,357 (+65) (MA revised their COVID death counts the week of 3/9, removing nearly 4000 deaths previously attributed to COVID from the records).
Total Confirmed Cases in Amherst –8796 (+263 ) Currently Active – 297 (+78) 14 day incidence average 52,2/ 100,000 (last week, 49.7 /100,000)
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 4320 (+156)
Amherst Public Schools: Cumulative Cases Beginning September 1, 2020-Jamuary 1, 2022: 322. COVID Cases form January 1, – February 28 2022: 465. Number of new cases for February 2022: 90. New cases for March 2022:52 (11 cases were reported before elimination of the mask mandate on 3/11 and 41 after). New cases for April 2022: 113. New Cases For May: 88 Total Since January 1, 2022: 808
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 – 83,778,660 (+538,559)
Confirmed Deaths – 1,025,104 (+3,523)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide: 518,586,237
Deaths: 6,280,556 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:
COVID Wastewater Testing Begins In Amherst
(WWLP)
MA Wastewater Testing Shows Highest COVID Spike Since February As Cases Surge Across The State
(MassLive)
Mask Mandate Returns To Northampton Schools
(Daily Hampshire Gazette)
Group Protesting Reinstated Mask Mandate In Amherst Schools
(Western Mass News)
Omicron BA.2.12 Variant Has Taken Over Massachusetts
(Boston Globe)
Growing Share Of COVID Deaths Are Among Vaccinated People But Boosters Lower The Risk
(CNN)
GOP Blocks COVID Funding As White House Warns Of Surge
(Washington Post)
WHO: 14.9 Million Excess Deaths Associated With COVID-19 in 2020 And 2021
(World Health Organization)
What You Should Know About Paxlovid As A COVID Treatment
(Time)
Four Questions About Long COVID Experts Wish They Could Answer
(Vox)
COVID Variants Will Not Become Less Virulent With Time, Experts On The Increasingly Dominant BA 2-12.1 Variantx)
(Mint)
New Zealand, Once COVID Free, Now Tops 1 Million Cases
(The Guardian)
Surviving The Pandemic Is Half The Battle. Long COVID Could Affect A Billion In Just A Few Years
(Fortune)
One Million Deaths Was A Choice
(Politico)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY MAY 4, as of 8 AM
Total Confirmed Cases in MA – 1,766, 821 (+19,865 ) Total Deaths: 20,292 (+54 ) (MA revised their COVID death counts the week of 3/9, removing nearly 4000 deaths previously attributed to COVID from the records).
Total Confirmed Cases in Amherst –8533 (+230 ) Currently Active – 219 (+109) 14 day incidence average 49.7/ 100,000 (last week, 49 /100,000)
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases: 2565 through May 15, 2021
UMass: Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – 4164 (132)
Amherst Public Schools: Cumulative Cases Beginning September 1, 2020-Jamuary 1, 2022: 322. COVID Cases form January 1, – February 28 2022: 465. Number of new cases for February 2022: 90. New cases for March 2022:52 (11 cases were reported before elimination of the mask mandate on 3/11 and 41 after). New cases for April 2022: 113. New Cases For May: 19 Total Since January 1, 2022: 739
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 – 83,240,101 (+450,385)
Confirmed Deaths – 1,021,581 (+2,753)
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases Worldwide: 514,760,422
Deaths: 6,266,169 Source: Worldometers see also: Johns Hopkins University.

News:
UMass Boston To Resume Mask Mandate On May 9
(UMass Boston Office Of The Chancellor)
Southern Berkshire School District Considers Mask Mandate After Sudden Uptick In New COVID Cases
(WAMC)
COVID’s Toll In US Reaches 1 Million Deaths
(NBC News)
COVID Cases On The Rise In US. Hospitalizations Remain Low
(Yahoo Finance)
Several Journalists Test Positive For COVID-19 Following White House Correspondents Dinner
(CNN)
New Coronavirus Surge In Puerto Rico Took Hold Soon After Restrictions Were Lifted
(New York Times)
Beijing Steps Up COVID Curbs As Virus Spreads In China
(Reuters)
Coronavirus Mutations Are Not Slowing Down
(Washington Post)
BA.4 and BA.5, Two New Omicron Variants Sweeping South Africa Detected In US
(Fortune)
What We Know and What We Don’t Know About Long COVID
(The Economist)
COVID Re-infections On The Rise
(Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
COVID Symptoms May Return After Taking Paxlovid
(NBC News)
What To Know About The Risk Of Viral Rebound After Taking Paxlovid
(Advisory Board)
Ed Yong: Normal Led To This. On Two Years Of Covering The COVID Pandemic. (lecture video)
(Yale Law School).