Yesterday, I mentioned the pandemic around the world being like something watched on a split screen. The vaccination picture here in the US is starting to seem like that, too. I read in one source that over half of US adults have gotten at least one dose of vaccine, and this is good. In another source I read that only 34 percent of the US population is fully vaccinated, and this is not good. It's not clear to me if we're winning or losing. The seven-day average number of new cases in the US has decreased by about 80 percent since the January 2021 peak, and that definitely is good.
More and more experts are saying it is unlikely the US will ever achieve the herd immunity once touted as the end-all and be-all. We could end up with regional herd immunity, during which communities or states could impose short-term restrictions accordingly. I do not see that ending well. Someone doesn't want to wear a mask in a restaurant, so they do a quick road trip 40 or 50 miles to another city that does not have such a mask mandate. Right now, the vaccination rollout is in a race against the covid variants. Can enough people be vaccinated that variants have fewer opportunities to develop? If not, the covid rate could go back up again. In the immediate future, summer may contribute to a situational herd immunity because of increased ultraviolet light, but we all know from Game of Thrones that winter is coming.
The situation in India remains much the same, not at all good. The WHO has classified the Indian B.1.617 variant a "variant of global concern." Dozens of bodies are now washing up on the banks of the Ganges River. They are believed to be bodies of covid victims for whom there was no crematory space. US physicians and healthcare workers have created a Doctors in Diaspora group to connect with healthcare providers and patients in India. More and more Indian medical experts are condemning the Indian government's response and calling for nationwide restrictions. Some estimates point to India's suffering more than one million deaths by August; the current death toll is approaching 250,000. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington has a model that suggests the real death toll is currently at 642,000. And frequent talking head Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of Brown University's School of Public Health says it is likely that between two and five million people are infected every day and that the "true" daily death toll is closer to 25,000. He says these calculations are based on the number of cremations taking place.
The situation in India continues to spill over to its neighbors. Cases in Nepal are up by 1,200 percent over the past several weeks, and the percent positivity remains at 47. The shortage of oxygen has reached critical levels. Oxygen manufacturers claim they told the government a month ago that shortages were imminent if a second covid wave started, but the government took no action. China, meanwhile, is setting up a "separation line" on the summit of Mt. Everest to prevent or at least slow the spread of infection from climbers summiting from Nepal.
Coronavirus continues to surge in Japan. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says that it is up to the International Olympic Committee whether to hold or cancel the Tokyo Games in July. In Romania, vaccinations are being offered at Bran Castle, said to be the inspiration for Count Dracula. Along with a vaccination comes a free trip to the "torture chamber." One young woman in Tuscany got more vaccinated than she bargained for and was mistakenly immunized with a whole vial of the Pfizer vaccine, that is, six regular doses. She was kept under medical supervision for 24 hours and will be followed up regularly. She reported a headache and fatigue but noted that she was "still alive."
Continuing the to mask or not to mask debate, Dr. Fauci suggests that people used to wearing masks now may opt to wear them during seasonal spikes in viruses such as influenza. The flu count has been well under normal this year, in large part due to the mitigation measures imposed due to covid. Masks do get a lot of support in some settings, though. Retail workers say they no longer have to keep a neutral face when dealing with unfriendly customers. Masks are also great for people with social anxiety. A Los Angeles screenwriter says a mask gives "emotional freedom" and that "it's almost like taking away the male gaze. There's freedom in taking that power back."
The US Social Security Administration has released its 2020 list of the most popular baby names. There isn't much change from 2019. The top 10 male names, in descending order, are Liam, Noah, Oliver, Elijah, William, James, Benjamin, Lucas, Henry, and Alexander. For females, the top 10 are Olivia, Emma, Ava, Charlotte, Sophia, Amelia, Isabella, Mia, Evelyn, and Harper. You can see the popularity of your or anyone else's name at https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/. The Professor, The Sons, and my DiL= all have names that rated to some extent in the last 20 years. My name? "Jean is not in the top 1,000 names for any year of birth beginning with 2000." I can take that in two ways, and for now choose the way that makes me more of a unique individual.
Fallout from the work-from-home nature of the coronavirus has revealed some interesting migration changes for software and IT workers. The following areas are gaining such workers: Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Denver. The following areas are losing them: Chicago; Austin; Washington, DC-Baltimore; Boston; Seattle; New York City; and the San Francisco Bay Area. Being able to work remotely does have the benefit of meaning one can work from wherever one wants to live.
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