COVID-19 Weekly Update Archive For The Month Of November, 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 and where reporting to public health officials has all but stopped. Currently the only reliable indicators on the state of COVID infections seem to be hospitalization rates and wastewater measurements. It is also not clear whether deaths due to post-COVID complications are incorporated into COVID mortality statistics but it would appear that they mostly are not. With over 2500 Americans identified as COVID deaths each week it is clear the the virus and the pandemic are still with us.

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, May 2022, June 2022, July 2022, August 2022, September 2022, October 2022
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Numbers in parentheses indicate increase or decrease in count from previous Wednesday.

UPDATE WEDNESDAY, November 30, 2022 as of 8 AM
Massachusetts: As of 9/26/22, the New York Times COVID tracker and COVID ActNow no longer report raw case counts for states and instead report counts/100,000, as well as hospital admission rates and vaccination rates. These are better indicators of the state of the pandemic than raw counts, especially since reporting of cases has become so unreliable, and we’ll be reporting them henceforth. Nonetheless, it’s useful to know that as of 9/21/22 there had been 2,030,335 cases of COIVD recorded in Massachusetts and 21, 588 deaths.

MA newly reported cases /100k : 87.2 (+11.5). Hospitalizations/ 100k: 10.6 (+.1.3) . Deaths/100,000.: <1 (NC) Fully Vaccinated: 83.3% (+.2). with booster: 46.2 % (+.2) Community risk level: Medium

Amherst: Total Confirmed Cases in Amherst: 10,431 (+13). Currently Active : 14 (+5). 14 day incidence average 6.4 /100,000 (last week, 7.1).

Amherst Public Schools: Amherst Regional Public Schools have not posted new COVID data since June 18, 2022. Total cases, January 1, 2022 – June 18, 2022: 999.

UMass: UMass relaunched its COVID dashboard this week after a hiatus since May 10, 2022
Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – May 10, 2022. – 4607.
New Positive Cases August 28, 2022- October 1 ,2022: 1189
New Positive Cases For the Week October 2– October 8: 56 (-45)
UMass did not post data for the week of October 9-15
New Positive Cases for the week of October 16-22: 35 (-21)
New Positive Cases for the week October 23-29: 37 (+2)
New Positive Cases for the week October 30- November 5: 28 (-7)
New Positive Cases for the week of November 5-November 12: 16 (-12)
New Positive Cases for the week of November 13-19: 15 (-1)

Sources for other Amherst Area Schools and Colleges

USA And The World
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases in USA – 100,532,711 (+253,031)
Confirmed Deaths USA –1,105,049 (+1,694)
Confirmed Cases Worldwide: 647,611,736 (+3,494,188)
Deaths: 6,639,221 (+9,669)
Source: Worldometers see also: Johns
Hopkins University.

COVID NEWS
Massachusetts Will Give You A $75 Gift Card If You Get Vaccinated Or Boosted
(Boston.com)
Fauci: US Still Certainly In COVID-19 Pandemic
(CNBC)
COVID-19 In Pregnancy Affects Fetal Lung Development
(The Lancet)
Long COVID May Be The Next Public Health Disaster – With A $3.7 Trillion Economic Impact Rivaling The Great Recession
(CNBC)
Holiday Travel With COVID-19, RSV, And The Flu Means It’s Time To Bring Back Mask Mandates
(NBC News)
Lessons We Learned From COVID That Scientists Are Now Applying To The Flu
(NBC News)
Twitter Ends Enforcement Of COVID Misinformation Policy
(AP News)
Bali-bound Cruise Ship Diverted Due To Onboard COVID-19 Outbreak
(Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Beijing In Lockdown As China Hits COVID-19 Case Record
(CBC)
China’s COVID Lockdown Protests. Why Are They Happening? What Is Biden Saying?
(USA Today)
How Zero COVID Changed China And The World
(Vox)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY, November 23, 2022 as of 8 AM
Massachusetts: As of 9/26/22, the New York Times COVID tracker and COVID ActNow no longer report raw case counts for states and instead report counts/100,000, as well as hospital admission rates and vaccination rates. These are better indicators of the state of the pandemic than raw counts, especially since reporting of cases has become so unreliable, and we’ll be reporting them henceforth. Nonetheless, it’s useful to know that as of 9/21/22 there had been 2,030,335 cases of COIVD recorded in Massachusetts and 21, 588 deaths.

MA newly reported cases /100k : 75.7 (-14.3). Hospitalizations/ 100k: 9.3 (-.1.6) . Deaths/100,000.: <1 (NC) Fully Vaccinated: 83.1% (+.4). with booster: 46% (+.6) Community risk level: Low

Amherst: Total Confirmed Cases in Amherst: 10,418 (+29). Currently Active : 9 (-11). 14 day incidence average 7.1 /100,000 (last week, 6.7).

Amherst Public Schools: Amherst Regional Public Schools have not posted new COVID data since June 18, 2022. Total cases, January 1, 2022 – June 18, 2022: 999.

UMass: UMass relaunched its COVID dashboard this week after a hiatus since May 10, 2022
Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – May 10, 2022. – 4607.
New Positive Cases August 28, 2022- October 1 ,2022: 1189
New Positive Cases For the Week October 2– October 8: 56 (-45)
UMass did not post data for the week of October 9-15
New Positive Cases for the week of October 16-22: 35 (-21)
New Positive Cases for the week October 23-29: 37 (+2)
New Positive Cases for the week October 30- November 5: 28 (-7)
New Positive Cases for the week of November 5-November 12:16 (-12)

Sources for other Amherst Area Schools and Colleges

USA And The World
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases in USA – 100,279,698 (+305,311)
Confirmed Deaths USA –1,103,355 (+2,724)
Confirmed Cases Worldwide: 644,117,548 (+2,558,290)
Deaths: 6,629,552 (+9,776)
Source: Worldometers see also: Johns
Hopkins University.

COVID NEWS

Harvard Doctors Warn Of Triple Threat For The Holidays
(Boston Globe)
New COVID Variant BQ 1.1 Becomes Dominant Variant In Massachusetts
(Boston.com)
Fauci Sees A Reduced COVID Threat This Winter
(New York Times)
About 15% of US Adults Have Long COVID
(news-medical.net)
COVID Patients Show Clusters Of Plaques On The Brain
(Daily Mail)
MRI Reveals Significant Brain Abnormalities Post-COVID
(Neuroscience News)
Real World Data Show COVID-19 Boosters Increase Protection Against Infection
(Stat News)
COVID Boosters Add Limited Protection From COVID-19 Illness Study Shows
(CNN)
Study Says New COVID Sub-variant Resistant To All Therapeutic Antibodies
(Labiotech.eu)
What COVID Taught Scientists And The Public About The Flu
(NBC News)
With COVID, Flu, And RSV Circulating It’s Time To Follow The Evidence And Return To Mask Mandates
(The Conversation)
How To Make COVID The Last Pandemic
(Vox)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY, November 16, 2022 as of 8 AM
Massachusetts: As of 9/26/22, the New York Times COVID tracker and COVID ActNow no longer report raw case counts for states and instead report counts/100,000, as well as hospital admission rates and vaccination rates. These are better indicators of the state of the pandemic than raw counts, especially since reporting of cases has become so unreliable, and we’ll be reporting them henceforth. Nonetheless, it’s useful to know that as of 9/21/22 there had been 2,030,335 cases of COIVD recorded in Massachusetts and 21, 588 deaths.

MA newly reported cases /100k : 90.0 (-32.1). Hospitalizations/ 100k: 10.9 (-.8) . Deaths/100,000.: <1 (NC) Fully Vaccinated: 82.7% (+.6). with booster: 45.4 (+.3) Community risk level: Medium

Amherst: Total Confirmed Cases in Amherst: 10,389 (+17). Currently Active : 20 (NC). 14 day incidence average 6.7 /100,000 (last week, 7.8).

Amherst Public Schools: Amherst Regional Public Schools have not posted new COVID data since June 18, 2022. Total cases, January 1, 2022 – June 18, 2022: 999.

UMass: UMass relaunched its COVID dashboard this week after a hiatus since May 10, 2022
Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – May 10, 2022. – 4607.
New Positive Cases August 28, 2022- October 1 ,2022: 1189
New Positive Cases For the Week October 2– October 8: 56 (-45)
UMass did not post data for the week of October 9-15
New Positive Cases for the week of October 16-22: 35 (-21)
New Positive Cases For the week October 23-29: 37 (+2)
New Positive Cases For the week October 30- November 5: 28 (-7)

Sources for other Amherst Area Schools and Colleges

USA And The World
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases in USA – 99,974,387 (+256,151)
Confirmed Deaths USA –1,100,631 (+1,986)
Confirmed Cases Worldwide: 641,238,706 (+2,558,210)
Deaths: 6,618,664 (+10,888)
Source: Worldometers see also: Johns
Hopkins University.

COVID NEWS

Medical Groups Call For RSV Mitigation Measures In Massachusetts
(Berkshire Eagle)
COVID Deaths And Hospitalizations Are Falling In The US
(NBC News)
Two New COVID Sub-variants, BQ.1.11, and BQ.1 Take Over In US
(NBC News)
Biden Would Veto Proposed Senate Measure To End COVID Emergency
(Reuters)
Repeat COVID Is Riskier Than The First Infection Study Finds
(Reuters)
What COVID Does To The Body
(Pandemic Accountability Index)
A Multinational Delphi Consensus To End The COVID-19 Public Health Threat
(Nature)
Long COVID – The Silent Pandemic
(Harvard Medical School News)
As Pandemic Drags On, Americans Struggle For New Balance
(New York Times)
New Purifier May Cut Airborne COVID By 10x
(Science Blog)
Reduce Your Risk Of Getting Sick This Thanksgiving Season
(CNN)
Residents in Southern China Revolt Against COVID Controls
(NPR)
Majestic Princess Cruise Ship Passengers Disembark In Sydney After Massive Onboard COVID Outbreak
(The Guardian)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY, November 9, 2022 as of 8 AM
Massachusetts: As of 9/26/22, the New York Times COVID tracker and COVID ActNow no longer report raw case counts for states and instead report counts/100,000, as well as hospital admission rates and vaccination rates. These are better indicators of the state of the pandemic than raw counts, especially since reporting of cases has become so unreliable, and we’ll be reporting them henceforth. Nonetheless, it’s useful to know that as of 9/21/22 there had been 2,030,335 cases of COIVD recorded in Massachusetts and 21, 588 deaths.

MA newly reported cases /100k : 92.9 (+2.9). Hospitalizations/ 100k: 8.5 (-2.4) . Deaths/100,000.: <1 (NC) Fully Vaccinated: 82.9% (+.2). with booster: 45.7 (+.3) Community risk level: Medium

Amherst: Total Confirmed Cases in Amherst: 10,413 (+25). Currently Active : 26 (+6). 14 day incidence average 5.6 /100,000 (last week, 6.7).

Amherst Public Schools: Amherst Regional Public Schools have not posted new COVID data since June 18, 2022. Total cases, January 1, 2022 – June 18, 2022: 999.

UMass: UMass relaunched its COVID dashboard this week after a hiatus since May 10, 2022
Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – May 10, 2022. – 4607.
New Positive Cases August 28, 2022- October 1 ,2022: 1189
New Positive Cases For the Week October 2– October 8: 56 (-45)
UMass did not post data for the week of October 9-15
New Positive Cases for the week of October 16-22: 35 (-21)
New Positive Cases For the week October 23-29: 37 (+2)
New Positive Cases For the week October 30- November 5: 28 (-7)

Sources for other Amherst Area Schools and Colleges

USA And The World
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases in USA – 99,718,236 (+558,876)
Confirmed Deaths USA –1,098,645 (+5,159)
Confirmed Cases Worldwide: 638,680,416 (+2,532,651)
Deaths: 6,608.888 (+22,172)
Source: Worldometers see also: Johns
Hopkins University.

COVID NEWS

Consequences Of Lifting Universal Masking In Massachusetts Schools: COVID-19 Incidence Among Students and Staff
(New England Journal Of Medicine)
Universal Masking In Schools Works. New Data Show How Well
(Time)
Majority Of Canadians Support Return To Masking In Indoor Spaces
(CTV News)
New COVID-19 Variants May Evade Protections)
(Time)
New COVID Variants Are Here. Here’s What To Know
(New York Times)
The New COVID Boosters Are Incredible And Everyone Should Get One
(New York Times)
New VA Study Suggests Paxlovid May Cut The Risk Of Long COVID
(NPR)
Israeli Long COVID Study: One In Three COVID Patients Fail To Regain Health Months Later
(Times of Israel)
How Many Times Will I Get Sick This Winter? What A Tripledemic Means For Your Body
(The Atlantic)
American’s Morally Obtuse COVID Strategy
(The Atlantic)
China’s Great Zero COVID Guessing Game
(New York Times)
Changes In Life Expectancy Since COVID-19
(Nature)
COVID-19 Conspiracies Are A Gateway To Other Conspiracy Theories, Study Warns
(Science Alert)

UPDATE WEDNESDAY, November 2, 2022 as of 8 AM
Massachusetts: As of 9/26/22, the New York Times COVID tracker and COVID ActNow no longer report raw case counts for states and instead report counts/100,000, as well as hospital admission rates and vaccination rates. These are better indicators of the state of the pandemic than raw counts, especially since reporting of cases has become so unreliable, and we’ll be reporting them henceforth. Nonetheless, it’s useful to know that as of 9/21/22 there had been 2,030,335 cases of COIVD recorded in Massachusetts and 21, 588 deaths.

MA newly reported cases /100k. – 122.1 (+.6). Hospitalizations/ 100k: 11.7 (NC) . Deaths/100,000.: .21 (NC) Fully Vaccinated: 82.5% (+.5 ). with booster: 45.1% (+.1) Community risk level: Medium

Amherst: Total Confirmed Cases in Amherst –10,372 (+17). Currently Active –20 (-1). 14 day incidence average 7.8 /100,000 (last week, 7.8).

Amherst Public Schools: Amherst Regional Public Schools have not posted new COVID data since June 18, 2022. Total cases, January 1, 2022 – June 18, 2022: 999.

UMass: UMass relaunched its COVID dashboard this week after a hiatus since May 10, 2022
Cumulative Positive Cases Beginning September 1, 2021 – May 10, 2022. – 4607.
New Positive Cases August 28, 2022- October 1 ,2022: 1189
New Positive Cases For the Week October 2– October 8: 56 (-45)
UMass did not post data for the week of October 9-15
New Positive Cases for the week of October 16-22: 35 (-21)
UMass has not updated their dashboard since October 22, 2022

Sources for other Amherst Area Schools and Colleges

USA And The World
Source: Worldometers 
Confirmed Cases in USA – 99,159,360 (+241,599)
Confirmed Deaths USA –1,093,486 (+2,160)
Confirmed Cases Worldwide: 636,147,765 (+11,574,794)
Deaths: 6,586,716 (+9,384)
Source: Worldometers see also: Johns
Hopkins University.

COVID NEWS
CDC Data Show Sharp Increases In COVID Cases Caused By BQ1 and BQ1.1 Subvariants
(Boston Globe)
A COVID 19 BQ Wave That Started In New York Has Reached California. It’s About To Engulf The Rest Of The Nation Experts Say
(Fortune)
New Omicron Variants Are Here. What We Know So Far
(Scientific American)
Orange Country Declares Health Emergency Due To Rapidly Spreading Viral Infections
(CBS News)
How Enhanced Ventilation And Air Filtration Can Fight COVID-19
(Forbes)
15% of US COVID-19 Survivors Still Have Symptoms One Year Later
(CIDRAP)
COVID-19 Surges Linked To Spikes In Heart Attacks
(Cedars-Sinai.org)
COVID-19 Takes Serious Toll On Heart Health A Full Year After Recovery
(Science)
Heart Disease Risk Soars After COVID-19, Even With Mild Cases
(Nature)
Long-term Cardiovascular Outcomes Of COVID-19
(Nature)
Immune System-evading Hybrid Virus Observed For First Time
(The Guardian)
Why Everyone You Know Is Sick Right Now
(Vox)