COVID Update: Wednesday, May 5

Former Councilmember John Duran has been doing daily COVID updates on his Facebook page since March 2020. Many members of the community have found them helpful. They are republished here with his permission.

273 new COVID cases announced in LA County yesterday along with 18 additional deaths.   Positivity rate and hospitalizations remain low and unchanged. 

THE PROBLEM WITH MEN ……

Oh I could go on and and on – but here is the information from a recent Time magazine article:

In the USA, 13 men have died of COVID for every 10 women (according to the Sex, Gender and COVID project at University College London).     There is one way to reduce this disparity – all 3 approved vaccines in the US have all been shown to reduce a patient’s risk of dying or being hospitalized with COVID to almost zero. 

However, men – the great resisters.   As of May 3rd, 38.5% of the US male population has been vaccinated compared to 43.3% of US women according to the CDC.

The fact that men are under vaccinated may come down to behavioral differences.   Women are more proactive on health care for themselves and their families.   During the 2019-2020 flu season, 52% of women in the USA got their flu shot compared to just 44% of men.

Some of it is also politics.  Men are more likely to identify as Republicans who are less likely to want the vaccine.    A poll by NPR in March found that only 50% of Republican men planned on getting a vaccine compared to 60% of men generally and 92% of male Democrats.    So Democratic men are getting vaccinated – Republican men are not in equal numbers. 

There are also different economic pressures at play during the pandemic.   When families are pressured between work and family, men tend to choose work and women tend to choose caregiving.   Men are less likely to take time off from work to get vaccinated.  

Going to have to meet the guys where they are at.   They want convenience, hassle free and immediacy.    Get the vaccines into the warehouses, fields, factories and offices where they work. 

WELCOME TO THE YELLOW TIER

Both Los Angeles and San Francisco counties have entered the yellow tier.  Really miraculous that our 2 big cities have pulled off the right numbers to do this. 

In the yellow tier, movie theaters, restaurants, fitness centers and churches/synagogues/mosques can increase indoor capacity to 50%.    Offices can resume work indoors.   Museums, zoos, retail, hair and nail salons, playgrounds, malls can reopen indoors with modifications. 

The biggest change under yellow is that bars can reopen indoors at 25% capacity for the first time since last summer.  

All of this portends a huge economic rebound on the horizon.  The relaxation details will be released today and go into effect tomorrow.   California now has the LOWEST COVID cases of any State in the nation.   People are going out.   I am eating at restaurants again.  Indoors.  I am playing Monday night poker with my buddies again.  In person.  We are all double vaxxed.   Hotel occupancy in Los Angeles has gone from 20% to 50% this past month – which means people are traveling again. 

This is no time to reverse what has been working.    More people need to be vaccinated.  Especially men.   Especially Republican men.   I have a few of those in my family/friend circle.  Unsure what I will say.    Hmmmm.     Maybe talk to their wives.  LOL.

Truly, a tale of 2 cities – from 2020 to 2021.    It was the worst of times and then became the best of times……  80 degrees and sunny in LA Today…… enjoy.   Chin up.  Move ahead.   It’s going to be OK…. in fact, it’s going to be great …. the State will fully reopen by June 15th……