The Florida Department of Health reported 44 deaths between December 31, 2021 and January 6, 2022.  Shhh.  Don’t tell anybody as it appears to be a secret.

All the media is reporting is on the huge number of cases.  Florida recorded 397,114 cases of COVID-19 last week.  And we all know that number does not reflect the true number of people who are walking around asymptomatic or with mild cold symptoms and never got tested.  Plus, there are probably thousands more who tested positive with a home kit and never reported that data to the Florida Department of Health.  (I know I never reported my positive test.  Who’s got time for that?)  Heck, in Miami-Dade alone we had 110,806 reported new cases of COVID-19 last week.

Only 44 Fatalities in Florida from COVID last week

Here’s the point, despite all the media hysteria on the increased numbers of COVID cases, far less people have required hospitalization, and as you can see below, far fewer people are dying.  Just 44 deaths…across the entire State of Florida.  Of course, every life is precious, but we were losing over 2,500 Floridians per week during the peak of the Delta variant last summer.  And that was with millions of people vaccinated.  To have that number come down to just 44 fatalities as the OMICRON variant spreads like wildfire is incredibly positive news.

Who’s most at risk?

Those most at risk are seniors.  The Case Fatality Rate for those 65 and over is 8.2%.  However, you might remember that the Case Fatality Rate used to exceed 9% for this age group.  The fact that the CFR has dropped to 8.2% is a testament to people getting vaccinated, people getting early treatment (like monoclonal antibodies), and people catching the less deadly OMICRON variant.

If you’re worried about OMICRON and your child, don’t be.  Since the start of the pandemic two years ago, Florida has only lost 31 kids under the age of 16 due to COVID.  Nearly every case was associated with a child that had a comorbidity issue.   As you can see, nearly 600,000 Floridian children have tested positive for COVID-19 over the last two years.  And that doesn’t include kids who never showed any serious symptoms to worry parents and get tested.  The Case Fatality Rate for kids under 16 is 0.0052%.

COVID is here to stay

We used to think that the vaccine would bring the end of COVID.  Clearly, that was not the case.  The virus appears to be taking its natural course.  We only hope the virus continues in this trend of being more virulent and less deadly.  That’s a good thing.

Unfortunately, we don’t have good data on whether or not catching the OMICRON variant of COVID gives you long lasting protection against the deadlier ALPHA or DELTA variants.  In fact, very little research has been done on natural immunity.  In other words, if you’re one of the thousands of people who caught OMICRON are you now better protected?  And if so, how long does it last?  Do you need boosters anyways?

The best answer to these questions is to talk to your own doctor who understands your personal health history and your strengths and weaknesses.

We do know that COVID is incredibly cruel to those who are diabetic and overweight.  We encourage everyone to look at their own state of health.  Create a fitness plan that can improve your cardiovascular strength along with a vitamin, diet, and supplement plan that is approved by your doctor.

COVID isn’t going away any time soon.  We need to learn to live healthier in order to better protect ourselves from what many say will become an endemic disease.

And just as doctors recommend you get your seasonal flu shot, you’ll be asked to get your seasonal COVID booster.  It appears this will be the new normal.

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