OMICRON IS DECLINING IN THE USA

South Africa, which first showed signs of the Omicron variant in November, has already declined 80% from their December 17 peak.  Next to get hit, the UK, peaked on January 5, and has dropped 42% since then.  Areas of the USA are also reaching their peak and declining.

Mind you, much of the world is suffering, including the USA, averaging 800,000 cases per day over the past week, three times the level of a  year ago.  However, those stricken with the Omicron variant do not get as sick even if unvaccinated, while those who had a booster, hardly get ill at all.  Perhaps mild cold symptoms.  Yet, because Omicron is said to be from 3 to 5 times more contagious, our hospitals just recorded a record high of 156,000 hospitalizations.  Interestingly enough, in Miami, half of the city's hospitalizations are people who were admitted for something else, and then tested positive.

If you want to come to Hawaii and avoid quarantine, you will need to show proof of a COVID-19 booster shot.  This policy will begin on February 1.

We have had a week and more of new mostly Omicron cases/day averaging around 4,000.  China has a population 1000 times greater than Hawaii.  Their equivalent new cases/day would thus be 4 million/day.  Yesterday they had 223 new cases and no new deaths.  223 is 0.000223/million.  I don't know if they have relaxed quarantining any of those three cities with a combined population of 20 million, which means they're still all locked down.  

There are ways to eliminate this pandemic effectively.  We don't because of something called democracy.  Mind you, autocratic Russia is not doing all that well.  Total deaths/million population:

• USA  2619
• Russia  2205
• China  67

But Japan is that country in jeopardy.  

• This past Friday I reported that they had 12,243 new cases, around double the day before.  
• I said that the World Bank was predicting 400,000 new cases/day in March.  
• I thought, probably not that high, and that peak would be reached sooner.  
• So what has happened so far?  
• On Sunday the new cases number jumped to 22,707.
• Then yesterday, this was up to 26,881.
• Mind you, this is still only around 213/million.  
• Hawaii had 4700 new cases, or 3357/million, ten times higher than Japan.
• The U.S. had 389,553 new cases, or 1166/million.
• Australia had 74,612 new cases, or 2870/million.
• Denmark had 26,965 new cases, or 4649/million.
• Keep a watch on Japan and how its government reacts to this potential crisis.

To close on COVID-19, get vaccinated and boosted.

Jimmy Kimmel just published a new book, Dot got a Shot.  An illustrated children's book aimed at kids whose parents won't let them get vaccinated.  Watch him reading his publication.  It's so new you can't yet get it on Amazon.com.

-