This 'n' that

WI COVID deaths in last week: 10

December 14, 2022

Dear Friends:

Every so often, we build up a store of "this and that" information to share with you. And so we will, after a quick update on where things stand these days.

Respiratory Illnesses

Nationwide, the "worst influenza outbreak in nearly a decade is well underway," according to Becker's Hospital Review. Cases in Wisconsin are also climbing rapidly, but appear to have slowed in the past week.

Things are somewhat less clear with COVID and RSV. COVID cases are definitely increasing, as are hospitalizations. Most—but not all—experts think things will get worse before they get better.

RSV may have peaked nationally, and has been on the decline in Wisconsin since the middle of November.

All of this may seem like good news, and it is, modestly. But COVID and flu in particular remain dangerous diseases, killing 10 Wisconsin residents each in the past week. As we reported last Thursday, both the new COVID boosters and this year's flu shots are well matched to strains in circulation. This week, we're learning that COVID vaccinations may have saved up to 3.5 million lives in the U.S.

Bottom line: there is still a considerable threat from respiratory diseases this winter. Meanwhile, vaccinations are safe, effective and potentially life-saving, for you and for your loved ones. Get them.

Other Items

In case you missed it (and apparently a number of you did?), here's last week's newsletter on What To Do About Christmas.

Adults who have contracted COVID were 50% less likely to be hospitalized after taking Paxlovid, according to the CDC. If you don't know where to get Paxlovid, or don't have a primary care physician who can prescribe it, go to the State of Wisconsin's telehealth portal to get access.

I know I've mentioned our new tool for building a custom mitigation table before, but both times, it's been buried in the article. I wanted to highlight it directly today, because it is so cool (if I do say so myself). If you're not sure what I'm talking about, it's the table that appears at the bottom of our COVID Risk Map page, giving you suggestions based on the level of threat in your county. You can see what I'm talking about below, then go make your own and download it as an image.

Multi-colored table laying out suggested mitigations and congregational expectations, depending on the level of COVID threat in a particular community.

Women and racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in COVID clinical trials, according to a study published in JAMA. That could lead to ineffective strategies for preventing and treating COVID.

Applications for medical fellowships in infectious diseases have "plummeted" recently. A combination of grueling work, low pay, and abuse and even death threats from the public have discouraged potential applicants. This is not great for the inevitable next pandemic.

Last but not least, we've recently been in conversation with the Wisconsin DHS Coverdell Stroke Program, which is dedicated to "improving community awareness and the quality of stroke care."

According to the Coverdell Program, up to 80% of strokes are preventable with lifestyle choices such as healthy eating, getting regular exercise, and quitting smoking.

But it's also important to recognize the symptoms of a stroke or TIA and to respond to them quickly. I've included their BE FAST posters below that identify the symptoms and what to do when you see them. Raise your community awareness by sharing them in your newsletter or as a poster!

You can find more information and resources at the Coverdell website.

We'll be back next week with another respiratory update, which we'll keep up through the end of the year. Until then,

Stay safe and stay together,

Rev. Daniel Schultz

WCC Community Health

Program Director