This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots for October 22nd, 2021.

Pfizer says a booster shot of its vaccine boosts prevention of symptomatic cases back up to 95.6%. And this data was compiled when Delta was the prevalent strain.

The CDC seems to be booster backers. Yesterday we told you they’ve decided mixing and matching boosters and original vaccines is okay. And, after saying those who got the Pfizer vaccine months ago are already eligible for a booster, they’ve added Moderna and Johnson & Johnson takers to that eligibility. The government says getting first shots to the unvaccinated is still the priority.

And so far, the public seems to be open to booster shots, certainly more than the number of people who are still considering getting the initial doses. The CDC reports there are 1.3 times as many boosters administered each day compared with first shots. And the FDA may soon lower the age range on its emergency use authorizations for boosters, depending on safety data.

Infections and deaths in Ukraine surged to all-time highs yesterday. Its vaccine inoculations are among the lowest in Europe. With a choice of four vaccines, only about 15% of the population is fully vaccinated. Only Armenia has a lower level. Restrictions are in place for public places and public transport.

Our question for today, are new variants of the coronavirus just going to keep emerging? Well, experts at Penn State say yes. But only if the virus can keep finding infectable people, because inside people is where new variants are made. Over half the world is still unvaccinated, so there are plenty of bodies to mutate in. However, these experts say that doesn’t necessarily mean new variants will be more dangerous. Why? It needs to adapt to us in order to spread more widely. Killing us doesn’t help it. Still, emerging variants are closely watched to see if they evade the protection we develop from vaccination and infections.

In the United States cases were down 25%, deaths are down 15%, and hospitalizations are down 19% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since September 13.

There are 9,522,759 active cases in the United States.

With not all states reporting daily numbers, the five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: New Hampshire 33%, Michigan 24%, Colorado and Minnesota 13%, and Wyoming and Montana 6%.

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Goshen, WY. Bethel Census Area, AK. Stark, ND. Kodiak Island Borough, AK. Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK. Pecos, TX. Inyo, CA. Fremont, WY. Humboldt, NV. And Glacier, MT.

There have been at least 733,064 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 70.6%, Connecticut at 70.1%, and Rhode Island at 70%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are West Virginia at 40.9%, Idaho at 43%, and Wyoming at 43.2%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 57.1%.

The five countries with biggest 24-hour increases in the number of fully vaccinated people: Taiwan up 4%. Uzbekistan and India 2%. And Australia and New Zealand 1%.

Globally, cases were down 8% and deaths were down 9% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since October 8.

There are now under 18 million active cases around the world, at 17,863,755.

The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 80,835. The U.K. 52,009. Russia 36,339. And Turkey 28,465.

There have been at least 4,928,934 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.

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