Framingham’s rate of known new Covid-19 cases rose 27% this week for the most recent 14-day period, according to data released today by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. And, that follows a 49% rise reported last week.
The city had 21.5 cases per 100,000 people, the DPH reported – highest since April 22.
Test positivity rose to 3.17%, the first time it’s been above 3% since April.
Number of tests was down 5.7% from the previous week, meaning this week’s increase in known cases was not directly due to more tests.
As cases rise, there’s almost certainly an increase in people who will suffer from a wide range of severe long-term effects from the virus, syndromes known under the umbrella of “long Covid”. If you’re interested in this, or want to understand why we need to pay attention to cases as well hospitalizations and fatalities (both of which are of course extremely important!), I highly recommend this presentation by Professor Jeremy Nicholson:
Dr. Nicholson has been studying Covid since early 2020. He is a world renowned expert in “metabolic phenotyping and systems medicine”. Phenomes, as he explains it, are “a description of who we are physically and chemically - our phenomes are determined between our genes and environment.” ).
His lab has discovered that many different biological systems do not return to pre-Covid “normal” after even mild cases; and that risks for many people for everything ranging from heart disease to dementia to Parkinsons increase after so-called “mild” cases. Despite his resume, this presentation is extremely understandable for lay people.
Vaccinations
84.1% of Framingham residents have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to state data. That number is likely to rise in the near future as recently eligible 5- to 11-year-olds get their first shots. The state DPH also reported that 72.2% of Framingham residents are fully vaxxed. (Fully vaccinated is still defined as one shot of J&J or two doses of an mRNA vaccine, even though guidance now is that anyone who received J&J should get a second shot and many who got Pfizer and Moderna should get a third dose).
Vaccination Rates by Community
Covid-19 Known New Infections Prior 14 Days by Community
See latest Covid-19 data coverage at http://www.district2framingham.com/tags/covid19/.
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