Data Snapshot
UW Medicine Hospitals:
King County: The county reported 2,121 new positive cases and 9 new deaths on Dec. 7.
Washington: The state reported 184,404 cases and 2,941 deaths as of Dec. 6.
United States: The CDC reports 14,636,914 cases and 281,253 deaths as of Dec. 7.
Global: WHO reports 67,210,778 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,540,777 deaths as of Dec. 8.
*Numbers update frequently, please follow links for most up-to-date numbers.
COVID-19 Literature Situation Report
COVID-19 Literature Situation Report is a daily (M-F) newsletter put together by the Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness that provides a succinct summary of the latest scientific literature related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Takeaways: COVID-19 Literature Situation Report Dec. 4, 2020
- From March-August 2020, data from the COVID-NET indicated that more than 1 in 5 younger adults (ages 18-49) without underlying conditions who were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the US experienced severe illness requiring ICU-level care. More
- Immunogenicity data from 24 participants obtained 119 days after initial vaccination with the Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (mRNA-1273) indicates that the vaccine produced high levels of binding and neutralizing antibodies that declined slightly over time, but remained elevated in all participants 3 months after the booster vaccination. More
- Among patients with a median age of 60 who were evaluated at 8-12 weeks following hospital admission for COVID-19, the proportion of people with persistent symptoms was 59% among those with mild illness, 75% for moderate, and 89% for severe. More
You can read more literature reports from the COVID-19 Literature Surveillance Team, an affiliated group of medical students, PhDs, and physicians keeping up with the latest research on SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19. Here’s their latest report: Dec. 7 | Daily COVID-19 LST Report.
UW Medicine in the News
New York Times: ‘Natural Immunity’ From Covid Is Not Safer Than a Vaccine
Featuring: Marion Pepper, immunology
“I’m young, healthy and at low risk of Covid. Why not take my chances with that rather than get a rushed vaccine? The experts were unanimous in their answer: Covid-19 is by far the more dangerous option. ‘It’s clear that one is less problematic for the body to recover from them than the other — there’s more risk with natural infection,’ said Marion Pepper, an immunologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.”
New York Times: Here’s Why Vaccinated People Still Need to Wear a Mask
Featuring: Marion Pepper, immunology
“The coronavirus vaccines, in contrast, are injected deep into the muscles and quickly absorbed into the blood, where they stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies. This appears to be enough protection to keep the vaccinated person from getting ill. Some of those antibodies will circulate to the nasal mucosa and stand guard there, but it’s not clear how much of the antibody pool can be mobilized, or how quickly. If the answer is not much, then viruses could bloom in the nose — and be sneezed or breathed out to infect others. ‘It’s a race: It depends whether the virus can replicate faster, or the immune system can control it faster,’ said Marion Pepper, an immunologist at the University of Washington in Seattle. ‘It’s a really important question.’”
CNBC: Covid-19 deaths could nearly double in U.S. by April despite rollout of vaccines, report warns
Featuring: Christopher Murray, IHME
“IHME researchers forecast that the expected vaccine rollout only reduces the death toll by 9,000 before April 1 and said a rapid vaccine rollout targeting high-risk individuals could save 14,000 more lives. ‘Mass scale-up of vaccination in 2021 means we have a path back to normal life, but there are still a few rough months ahead,’ IHME Director Christopher Murray said in a statement. ‘We must be vigilant in protecting ourselves at least through April, when, as our projections indicate, vaccines will begin to have an impact.’ Researchers also said that increasing mask-wearing to 95% can save 66,000 lives by April 1 and urged states to implement mandates to mitigate the spread and relieve pressure on the healthcare system. ‘Especially in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s crucial for governments to impose or re-impose mandates that limit gatherings and require masks’” Murray said. ‘Where the winter surge is driving spikes in infections, there will be many people who can still become infected and possibly die before the vaccine is fully rolled out.’”
Tweet of the Week
“We’re all so exhausted working to fight this COVID-19 and to be able to have this vaccine in our horizon is kind of the beginning to an end, possibly, of the pandemic,” Elaine Huang said. @Harborviewmc @UWMedicine @SimoneReports https://t.co/JKAmbVmEGX
— UW Medicine Newsroom (@uwmnewsroom) December 8, 2020
