VDH: COVID cases and deaths up, hospitalizations down – Vermont Biz

December 14, 2023

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine COVID-19 cases rose and hospitalizations fell last week. There were also 8 fatalities reported by the Vermont Department of Health, for a pandemic total of 1,075. Fatalities had been running at about five per week during the fall, mostly among the very elderly.

The VDH reported December 6, 2023, that COVID-19 hospitalizations were down 6 last week to a statewide total of 41. COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. Reported cases last week were 353, up 63 for the week.

VDH reported 15 COVID-related deaths in March, 20 in April, 10 in May, 10 in June (these are fewest since the summer of 2021), 11 in July, 15 in August, 17 in September, 25 in October, 19 in November and 1 so far December (there were 33 in October 2022 and 47 in October 2021 and zero in October 2020, which was the last month since the beginning of the pandemic to record no COVID-related fatalities).

Of the total deaths to date, 864 have been of Vermonters 70 or older. There have been 3 deaths of Vermonters under 30 since the beginning of the pandemic, as of December 2 (the most recent data available).

CDC states that already an estimated 97% of Americans have some level of immunity, from either vaccination or infection or both, which they said will help keep down new transmission and lessen serious outcomes.

(see data below)

Report Timeframe: November 26 to December 2, 2023

The hospitalizations dataset contains day-level data reported from all Vermont hospitals each Tuesday. Reported numbers are subject to correction.

The number of reportable COVID-19 cases is still available in this report, below. Laboratory-confirmed and diagnosed COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 outbreaks must still be reported to the Vermont Department of Health.

There were 8 outbreaks last week, 1 at schools, and 7 at long-term care facilities (LTC).

Vermont Department of Health recommendations: Preventing COVID-19 (healthvermont.gov)

Vermont has the second lowest fatality rate in the US (124.2 per 100K; Hawaii 101.6/100K). Mississippi (434.9/100K) and Oklahoma (431.8/100K) have the highest rates. The US average is 289.9/100K (CDC data).

There has been a total of 1,158,185 COVID-related deaths to date in the US (CDC) and 6,985,964 globally (WHO).

Following an analysis of COVID-19 data, the VDH reported in January 2023 a cumulative 86 additional COVID-associated deaths that occurred over the course of the pandemic but had not been previously reported. Most of those deaths occurred in 2022.

COVID-19 Update for the United States

Early Indicators

Test Positivity

% Test Positivity

11.5%

(November 26 to December 2, 2023)

Trend in % Test Positivity

+0.9% in most recent week

Emergency Department Visits

% Diagnosed as COVID-19

1.9%

(November 26 to December 2, 2023)

Trend in % Emergency Department Visits

+4% in most recent week

These early indicators represent a portion of national COVID-19 tests and emergency department visits. Wastewater information also provides early indicators of spread.

Severity Indicators

Hospitalizations

Hospital Admissions

22,513

(November 26 to December 2, 2023)

Trend in Hospital Admissions

+17.6% in most recent week

Deaths

% of All Deaths in U.S. Due to COVID-19

3.0%

(November 26 to December 2, 2023)

Trend in % COVID-19 Deaths

+25% in most recent week

Total Hospitalizations

6,544,614

CDC | Test Positivity data through: December 2, 2023; Emergency Department Visit data through: December 2, 2023; Hospitalization data through: December 2, 2023; Death data through: December 2, 2023. Posted: December 11, 2023 3:38 PM ET

The Delta variant took off in August 2021, which resulted in the heaviest number of deaths before vaccines and their boosters helped alleviate serious COVID cases. Multiple Omicron variants are now circulating and appear more virulent than previous variants, but perhaps not more dangerous, according to the CDC.

AP April 5, 2023: WHO downgrades COVID pandemic, says it's no longer a global health emergency

Walk-in vaccination clinics run by the state closed on January 31, 2023. Learn more

Vermonters are reminded that all state COVID testing sites were closed as of June 25, 2022. PCR and take-home tests are available through doctors' offices, pharmacies and via mail from the federal government. The federal government officially ended its pandemic response as of May 11, 2023. See more information BELOW or here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/testing.

Starting May 11, 2023, the CDC and Vermont Department of Health will no longer use the COVID-19 Community Level to measure COVID-19 activity in the U.S. and Vermont. Instead, Vermont's statewide COVID-19 level will be measured by the rate of COVID-19 in people being admitted to the hospital, per 100,000 residents.

Focusing on hospitalization data is a better estimate of how COVID-19 is impacting the community now that reported COVID-19 cases represent a smaller proportion of actual infections. This also allows us to compare Vermonts hospitalization levels with other parts of the country.

The Delta variant caused a surge in COVID-related fatalities last fall and into the winter.

The highest concentration of deaths was from September 2021 through February 2022. Overall, December 2020 and January 2022 were the worst months with 72 fatalities each.

The US confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on January 20, 2020.

Vermonters ages 6 months and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the safer way to build protection from serious illnesseven for those who have already had COVID-19. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines (CDC)

COVID-19 vaccines are free and widely available. Anyone can get vaccinated in Vermont, including those who live in another state, are non-U.S. citizens, or who have no insurance. See Vermont's current vaccine rates

Know your rights when getting free vaccines.

You are considered up-to-date if you are over the age of 6 years old and have received a bivalent (updated) COVID-19 vaccine.Learn more about kid vaccines

If you are unable or choose not to get a recommended bivalent mRNA vaccine, you will be up to date if you received the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine doses approved for your age group.

Find more on recommended doses from CDC

COVID Vaccine Information for Health Care Professionals

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