This is Covid 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants, and new hotspots for February 24th, 2022. 

The US full vaccination rate is still quite a way from even 70%, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better. Demand has all but collapsed, especially in states that weren’t so hot on it to begin with. The average number of Americans getting their first shot is down to the lowest point since December 2020. Incentive programs didn’t really work, and government and employer mandates are being challenged in every way they can be challenged.

If you felt like crap the day after getting your second vaccine shot, it may be because the experts gave you some bad advice. US health officials now say some people really need to wait up to eight weeks between the first and second doses. For the rest of us who already got it, we were told to get it in three to four weeks. Not only does the longer interval help avoid side effects, the CDC says it also provides more lasting protection. 

A new report says the government in the UK is getting increasingly certain the pandemic did in fact result from a lab leak in Wuhan, China. In fact, it is now the official view. You’ll remember that theory was rapidly dismissed by world governments and its proponents derided by health experts early in the pandemic. Many still call even trying to find out how the pandemic happened a distraction.

Better late than never? The French pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi said its Covid vaccine, developed with GlaxoSmithKline, delivered positive results after nearly a year of delays and now they’ll seek FDA authorization in the US. The results weren’t just positive. Tests indicated a 100% effectiveness against severe Covid and hospitalization. It doesn’t use mRNA technology; it’s based on recombinant protein tech like Novavax’s vaccine. 

If you start seeing smiling faces on employees of Target, that’s because the store will no longer require its staff or shoppers to wear masks inside its stores. They will keep the one hour each week on Tuesdays when vulnerable guests can shop safely. 

In the United States, cases were down 66%, deaths are down 26%, and hospitalizations are down 43% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since January 14.  

The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Maine, Arizona, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Ohio. 

There are 26,952,312 active cases in the United States.

The top 10 areas with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Manassas Park, VA. Nome Census Area, AK. Pointe Coupee, LA. Perry, KY. Houston, MN. Big Horn, MT. Elmore, ID. Morgan, KY. Glacier, MT. And Aroostook, ME. 

There have been 941,889 deaths in the U.S. recorded as COVID-related.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Rhode Island at 80.5%, Vermont at 80.1%, and Maine at 78.2%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Alabama at 50.1%, Wyoming at 50.5%, and Mississippi at 50.7%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 64.8%.

Globally, cases were down 36% and deaths down 15% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since January 25. 

There are 65,659,102 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: Germany 219,859. South Korea 171,448. Russia 137,642. Brazil 133,626. And Turkey 86,600. 

There have been 5,916,526 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide. 

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