This is Coronavirus 411, the latest on Omicron and other COVID variants and new hotspots for December 6th, 2021.

At least 12 U.S. states have now identified Omicron cases, but US health officials remain more concerned about Delta. It’s accounting for 99.9% of all new infections and those infections are going up. Results from studies to gauge the severity and transmissibility of Omicron are expected in a few weeks. Cases of Omicron remain mild but that is not true of Delta.

In Brussels, Belgium, police turned water cannons and tear gas on protesters against the tightening of COVID restrictions that aim to counter a surge of coronavirus infections. Thousands participated after the government tightened rules for the third week in a row. But an avalanche of new cases has strained the country’s health services.

The company’s President says Moderna could have a vaccine booster shot that targets the Omicron variant ready for authorization by March. Although the drumbeat of messaging has been that the existing vaccines protect fine against Omicron, he told the Financial Times he thinks the existing vaccines will be less effective against it than they’ve been against Delta and they’ve already started work on a new booster.

A new analysis in The American Journal of Cardiology has revealed a possible link between the vaccines and elevated risk of Myopericarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. The CDC had almost 2,000 reports of the condition just in 2021 in people who got the vaccine. This is mostly happening in men 25 to 44, but most cases with clinical symptoms seem to resolve within six days.

Speaking of men and COVID, a study out of Colorado State suggests men spread coronavirus particles more frequently than women or children. The study was originally to see how the performing arts could safely return to the stage. After doing things like making subjects sing “Happy Birthday” over and over, they learned singing spreads more virus than instruments, adults emit more particles than kids, people who talk loud emit more virus, and men emit more than women, theoretically because they have bigger lungs.

In the United States cases were up 19%, deaths are up 5%, and hospitalizations are up 18% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since November 29.

The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Wyoming, Montana, Kentucky, Michigan, and West Virginia.

There are 9,637,520 active cases in the United States.

The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Delaware 62%, Connecticut 60%, Rhode Island 55%, Indiana 49%, and Illinois 45%.

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Allen, KS. Bennington, VT. Koochiching, MN. Sullivan, NH. Jackson, IA. Benton, MN. Waseca, MN. Mille Lacs, MN. St. Clair, MI. And Socorro, NM.

There have been at least 788,363 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 73.5%, Rhode Island at 73.3%, and Maine at 72.9%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Wyoming at 46%, Alabama at 46.4%, and Mississippi at 47.1%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 59.6%.

Globally, cases were up 13% and deaths were up 2% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.

There are once again over 21 million active cases around the world, at 21,146,420.

The five countries with the most new cases: The U.K. 43,992. France 42,252. Germany 35,983. The United States 35,065. And Russia 32,602.

There have been at least 5,255,544 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.

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