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Welcome to our Dec. 31 stay-at-home-drinking-better-champagne-and-partying-with-your-pod New Year’s issue of Revitalize. In two sections we offer:

  • Our report on the data and links to what you must read. As we state below in an intro to a must-listen podcast "We are in what is one of the most difficult moments in the pandemic with so many questions as to Omicron, testing, and the impact on our workplaces and schools" in addition to the Osterholm podcast we offer the best of the best to answer your questions.
  • Our annual best of articles, pods, and panels, as well as books, music, and other needed support for your professional and emotional practice; this suggestion of what to read and listen to closes the issue.

For the end-of-year 2021 issue we preface our numbers with the Dec. 28 New York Times state of the virus, which as we would expect is a summary as to the impact of Omicron:

  • Despite reporting inconsistencies caused by the holidays, caseloads have continued to increase rapidly as the Omicron variant spreads. Deaths and hospitalizations have remained relatively steady.
  • The country is averaging more than 260,000 new cases a day, surpassing the peak levels from last winter. Infection rates are especially high in parts of the Northeast and Midwest.
  • Though breakthrough infections are common with Omicron, scientists say vaccinated people, especially those who have received booster shots, have protection against severe cases and death.
  • Early research suggests that Omicron is far more infectious than other forms of the virus but may cause less severe illness. Experts have warned that hospitalizations are still likely to rise because of the variant’s rapid spread.
  • Washington, D.C., is reporting more recent cases per capita than any state. It is averaging about 2,000 cases a day, compared with fewer than 100 cases a day in early December.
  • Case rates are extremely high across much of the Northeast, including in New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Infection levels are also spiking around Miami and Chicago, as well as in Puerto Rico.

We ask you to immediately use the link to The New York Times “Why Covid death rates are rising for some groups,” which testifies to the decline among over 65 due to vaccinations and now boosters and the deaths and hospitalization due to vaccination denial.

Now to the data: On Dec. 30, 2021 in the U.S. the seven-day daily average number of new cases is 301,472, which is an increase of 153 percent, with a total of 53,657,706 cases. The seven-day daily average number of new hospitalizations was 77,851; the 14-day change in hospitalization was an increase of 14 percent. The seven-day daily average number of new deaths was 1,207, the 14-day change in new deaths was a decrease of seven percent, and the U.S. death total has reached 821,302. Seventy one percent of the U.S. population over the age of 12 is fully vaccinated, 83 percent have had one jab, 95 percent of the population who are over 65 have had at least one jab.  

After a two-week hiatus, this week's issue offers The New York TImes summary comparative data from Dec. 30, 2021 for Canada, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. Please go to The New York Times International Covid Map page for country data. 

  • An average of 25,445 cases per day were reported in Canada in the last week. Cases have increased by 442 percent from the average two weeks ago. Deaths have decreased by 1 percent.
  • An average of 130,350 cases per day were reported in United Kingdom in the last week. Cases have increased by 128 percent from the average two weeks ago. Deaths have decreased by 36 percent.
  • An average of 105,224 cases per day were reported in France in the last week. Cases have increased by 110 percent from the average two weeks ago. Deaths have increased by 32 percent.
  • An average of 54,566 cases per day were reported in Italy in the last week. Cases have increased by 194 percent from the average two weeks ago. Deaths have increased by 44 percent.
  • An average of 69,709 cases per day were reported in Spain in the last week. Cases have increased by 185 percent from the average two weeks ago. Deaths have increased by 3 percent.
  • An average of 26,515 cases per day were reported in Germany in the last week. Cases have decreased by 47 percent from the average two weeks ago. Deaths have decreased by 38 percent.

We are in what is one of the most difficult moments in the pandemic with so with so many questions as to Omicron, testing, and the impact on our workplaces and schools we believe you must immediately link to Imperfect Situations and Imperfect Solutions, which is the title of what is a new-to-Revitalize podcast: The Osterholm Update: COVID-19. As we were building the issue we turned to one of our best resources Dr. Michael Osterholm who with his host Chris Dall “discuss eight major issues surrounding the rapid spread of the Omicron variant and his stance on the new CDC quarantine and isolation guidelines.”  

NBC News is our resource for and we link to "What you need to know about at-home rapid tests and their results: The omicron variant has made at-home Covid tests hot-ticket items. While access and cost are struggles, the new variant could also affect the tests' sensitivity.”

After we posted our special holiday issue, Rebecca found a great article by Dylan Scott of Vox, it was then and is now a must read. Please link to "How to make sense of the case and hospitalization data as omicron takes off" that explains why “both metrics are important, but all of our data doesn’t matter if we don’t do anything with it.” We stay at Vox and link to reporter Eleanor Cummins' great reporting on and analysis of “the physical and psychic consequences of the pandemic with no end are shaping up to be devastating” in the linked "Welcome to Covid-19’s 'junior year.' It’s not pretty."

We turn to long term care facilities in both a New York Times article "As Omicron spreads, some nursing homes struggle to boost residents" and a New York Times The Daily podcast, "A Nursing Home’s First Day Out of Lockdown: An Update."

Kaiser Health News closes the first half of the issue in a link to "As patients fell ill with Covid inside hospitals, government oversight fell short."

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We start our “best of” with two links to two of our science and medicine resources. In The Atlantic top ten of the year they cite and we link to Ed Yong’s "Why health care workers are quitting in droves." JAMA offers our medical article we should of, could of, and now can read in "The most talked about articles in 2021."

As a bridge to books and music, we remind you of our two panels at Village Well in Culver City and remind you to buy your books at your local books store. Earlier in this year a LA council member, Long Beach’s vice mayor, and Culver City’s Mayor joined Rebecca and Jerry to explore the pandemic’s impact on towns and cities in Reinventing the City: Possibilities for progress at the Village Well.  Before that, two doctors and one nursing home administrator offered Lessons from the California trenches of a global health crisis.

We turn to the curator’s families for a look at books and music. 

Caroline Calvert is the nom de plume for an attorney and writer of Turtleneck Season, our favorite substack. Sure to inspire a healthy bedside stack, check out Turtleneck Round-Up Season: Books that made me feel something in 2021.

Music picks come from Gabe McDonough (“Mister Rebecca Anderson”) who creates collaborations between many of the world's biggest artists and brands. Today he is Partner/Executive Producer/Music Supervisor at MAS - Music and Strategy and our go-to resource for anything music and culture. A music year -end list to rule them all from Gabe:

I am more interested in mining everyone else's loves than in planting the flag for my personal preferences. While varied, the global best-of music lists find consensus in Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders, Dry Cleaning, Olivia Rodrigo and Adele.

My personal tastes lock in pretty close to the editorial staff at Aquarium Drunkard, so throwing their playlist of the years’ best on shuffle is a great way to hear highlights from records that I read about but didn’t hear, or just plain missed. Reissues, new stuff, folk, rock, indie, and jazz still make make the musical side roads most interesting for me.

If you're exploring new music in ‘22, some of my favorite portals for new sounds are Los Angeles’ Weirdo Music Forever, North Carolina’s New Commute, and the Generally Weekly newsletter. All three have spotify playlists that are updated regularly, and will serve you up artists that you’ll read about in The Times (LA, NY and/or London) six months later. Enjoy.

From Toronto, Canada and Culver City, this is the 2021-year-end issue of Revitalize:
One more time:
We wish you a joyous, safe, and healthy holiday. 
Best Wishes for 2022.  
–the Revitalize crew
and our partner firms
‌
Revitalize: The week in health-care news you need
Why Covid death rates are rising for some groups. The overall rate of Covid-19 deaths has declined since vaccines became widely available in April, yet nearly a quarter million people in the United States have died from the virus in the past eight months. The virus is now responsible for a higher share of deaths from all causes for younger Americans and white Americans than it was before all adults were eligible for vaccines.

Imperfect Situations and Imperfect Solutions. In this week's episode, Dr. Osterholm and host Chris Dall discuss eight major issues surrounding the rapid spread of the Omicron variant and his stance on the new CDC quarantine and isolation guidelines.
 
What you need to know about at-home rapid tests and their results
The omicron variant has made at-home Covid tests hot-ticket items. While access and cost are struggles, the new variant could also affect the tests' sensitivity.

How to make sense of the case and hospitalization data as omicron takes off. Both metrics are important, but all of our data doesn’t matter if we don’t do anything with it.

Welcome to Covid-19’s “junior year.” It’s not pretty.
The physical and psychic consequences of the pandemic with no end are shaping up to be devastating. What are Americans to do?
As Omicron spreads, some nursing homes struggle to boost residents.
Medical experts say the government should do more to get booster shots into long-term care residents in New York.

A nursing home’s first day out of lockdown: An update.
Residents in West Virginia shared their feelings about being allowed to mix again after months of isolation.
 
As patients fell ill with Covid inside hospitals, government oversight fell short.
 
10 Must-Read Stories From 2021: Why health care workers are quitting in droves. About one in five health-care workers has left their job since the pandemic started. This is their story—and the story of those left behind.

The most talked about articles in 2021.

Books that made me feel something in 2021.
Jerry Seelig, CEO
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