https://apnews.com/article/mo-state-wire-michael-brown-coronavirus-pandemic-health-89fa995c59397228d8d56e1ab45890ab


Unvaccinated Missourians fueling surge. Majority of ICU in quoted hospital under 40 years of age (153 in ICU over these 2 hospitals alone - up from 31 in ICU last month)

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) As the U.S. emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, Missouri is becoming a cautionary tale for the rest of the country: It is seeing an alarming rise in cases because of a combination of the fast-spreading delta variant and stubborn resistance among many people to getting vaccinated.

Intensive care beds are filling up with surprisingly young, unvaccinated patients, and staff members are getting burned out fighting a battle that was supposed to be in its final throes.

The hope among some health leaders is that the rest of the U.S. might at least learn something from Missouri's plight.

"If people elsewhere in the country are looking to us and saying, 'No thanks' and they are getting vaccinated, that is good," said Erik Frederick, chief administrative officer at Mercy Hospital Springfield, which has been inundated with COVID-19 patients as the variant first identified in India rips through the largely non-immunized community. "We will be the canary."

The state now leads the nation with the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections, and the surge is happening largely in a politically conservative farming region in the northern part of the state and in the southwestern corner, which includes Springfield and Branson, the country music mecca in the Ozark Mountains where big crowds are gathering again at the city's theaters and other attractions.

While over 53% of all Americans have received at least one shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most southern and northern Missouri counties are well short of 40%. One county is at just 13%.

Cases remain below their winter highs in southwestern Missouri, but the trajectory is steeper than in previous surges, Frederick said. As of Tuesday, 153 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at Mercy and another Springfield hospital, Cox Health, up from 31 just over a month ago, county figures show.

These patients are also younger than earlier in the pandemic 60% to 65% of those in the ICU over the weekend at Mercy were under 40, according to Frederick, who noted that younger adults are much less likely to be vaccinated and some are pregnant.

He is hiring traveling nurses and respiratory therapists to help out his fatigued staff as the rest of the country tries to leave the pandemic behind.

"I feel like last year at this time it was health care heroes and everybody was celebrating and bringing food to the hospital and doing prayer vigils and stuff, and now everyone is like, 'The lake is open. Let's go.' We are still here doing this," he said.

There are also warning signs across the state line: Arkansas on Tuesday reported its biggest one-day jump in cases in more than three months. The state also has low vaccination rates.

Lagging rates especially among young adults are becoming an increasing source of concern elsewhere around the country, as is the delta variant.

The mutant version now accounts more than 20% of new COVID-19 infections in the U.S., doubling in just two weeks, the CDC said Tuesday. It is responsible for half of new cases across a swath that includes Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

"The delta variant is currently the greatest threat in the U.S. to our attempt to eliminate COVID-19," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert. He said there is a "real danger" of local surges like the one in Missouri in places with deep vaccine resistance.

To help counter the threat, administration officials are stepping up efforts to vaccinate Americans ages 18 to 26, who have proved least likely to get the shot when it's available to them.

Elsewhere around the world, Britain, with an even higher vaccination rate than the U.S., has postponed the lifting of remaining restrictions on socializing in England because of the rapid spread of the variant. Israel, another vaccination success story, is reacting by tightening rules on travelers.

In Missouri, Republican Gov. Mike Parson has taken the position that it is better to ask people to take "personal responsibility" than to enact restrictions.

Missouri never had a mask mandate, and Parson signed a law last week placing limits on public health restrictions and barring governments from requiring proof of vaccination to use public facilities and transportation.

Missouri Health Department spokeswoman Lisa Cox said the agency is encouraging people to get vaccinated, but confessed: "This is the Show-Me State and Missourians are skeptical."

Frederick said some people in the heavily Republican state are resistant because they feel as if Democrats are pushing the vaccine.

"I keep telling people, while we are busy fighting with each other, this thing is picking us off one by one," he said. "It takes no sides. It has no political affiliation. It is not red. It is not blue. It is a virus. And if we don't protect ourselves, we are going to do a lot of damage to our community."

Steve Edwards, CEO of Cox Health, lamented in a tweet that while a number of major news organizations have contacted the hospital about the rise in cases, Fox News was not among them.

"Fox," he tweeted, "is the most popular cable news in our area you can help educate on Delta, vaccines and can save lives."

Lisa Meeks, 49, of Springfield, is among those who haven't been vaccinated. She said that she is a Christian and that God gave her a strong immune system.

"As of right now, nobody knows anything long term or short term about these vaccines because they are brand new," she said, despite months of real-world evidence that the vaccines are highly safe and effective. "And so people are now basically the lab rats."

An offer of free beer from Mother's Brewing Co. in Springfield for those who get vaccinated drew a disappointing 20 to 50 people to each of the first three clinics.

"We keep trying," said Jeff Schrag, owner and founder of Mother's Brewing. "It is a game of inches."

As immunizations slow, the delta variant has become the predominant form of the virus in the region. Aaron Schekorra, a spokesman for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said it makes up 93% of the random sample of cases that the county is sending for analysis, up from 70% three weeks ago.

He said that unvaccinated people gathering for graduation celebrations and Memorial Day festivities also fueled the spread of the virus. The events came just as the community lifted its mask mandate.

"My concern," he said, "would be that this is a preview of what is to come in other parts of the country that don't have higher vaccination rates."

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My buddy had a good friend from Houston die from covid last week. Big anti-vaxxer. Said if God says it's my time it's my time.

So senseless when a great vaccine is out there available for free.

If you're vaccinated, then you have nothing to worry about. Personal choice is still a thing.

PJYoung said:

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NEW: Out of more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. in May, only 150 were among people who were fully vaccinated - AP

— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) June 24, 2021

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Pretty staggering stat. Gotta wonder how many needless deaths are in that group due to stubbornness/vaccine refusal. Shame, but their choice I suppose. Families will have to live with it.

Forum Troll said:

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PJYoung said:

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NEW: Out of more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. in May, only 150 were among people who were fully vaccinated - AP

— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) June 24, 2021

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Pretty staggering stat. Gotta wonder how many needless deaths are in that group due to stubbornness/vaccine refusal. Shame, but their choice I suppose. Families will have to live with it.

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How many of those deaths got early treatment or even knew it existed? You really can't say they should have gotten the shot when it is likely that they didn't get early treatment either. There is no doubt that people have died because the MSM and big tech censored treatments in favor of pushing the vaccine. Shame.

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You really can't say they should have gotten the shot

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Los Angeles County says nearly all coronavirus cases over the past 6 months were in those who weren't vaccinated:

- Cases: 99.6% unvaccinated
- Hospitalized: 98.7% unvaccinated
- Deaths: 99.8% unvaccinated

— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) June 25, 2021

Forum Troll said:

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PJYoung said:

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NEW: Out of more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. in May, only 150 were among people who were fully vaccinated - AP

— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) June 24, 2021

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Pretty staggering stat. Gotta wonder how many needless deaths are in that group due to stubbornness/vaccine refusal. Shame, but their choice I suppose. Families will have to live with it.

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Like the many deaths due to the annual flumany never ever ever get that annual shot. Because it is Covid, it gets inordinate attention now. Is dying from the flu and not getting that shot any different?

It continues to be more than a little irritating when people try to suggest a vaccine with a near-perfect ability to prevent a disease outright and after-the-fact drug treatments that, at best, remain anecdotally helpful are equal alternatives.

They're not.

Implying alternative treatments that might be help you if hospitalized are comparable to not getting sick in the first place is terribly misleading.

Fitch said:

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It continues to be more than a little irritating when people try to suggest a vaccine with a near-perfect ability to prevent a disease outright and after-the-fact drug treatments that, at best, remain anecdotally helpful are equal alternatives.

They're not.

Implying alternative treatments that might be help you if hospitalized are comparable to not getting sick in the first place is terribly misleading.

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If you are referring to me, I was not implying they should be treated if they are hospitalized. I was saying that they should be treated to prevent hospitalization. That is the part that is so frustrating to me. This is not a wait and hope for the best virus. Of course that works for many but I would seek treatment at first symptom.

I have spent many years in nursing though. Can't count the number of people I have taken care of for preventable issues.

Most ailments that people show to hospitals for is preventable in some way. Take up your frustrations with society in general. This is nothing new.

Obviously everyone on here makes perfect diet, exercise and activity choices and is invulnerable to injury or disease. Because it's TexAgs.

When the unvaxxed get the next lockdown they desperately want, this board will be hopping again. Much like certain politicians, they love being the powerless opposition so they can do all of the complaining and bear no responsibility.

94chem said:

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When the unvaxxed get the next lockdown they desperately want, this board will be hopping again. Much like certain politicians, they love being the powerless opposition so they can do all of the complaining and bear no responsibility.

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The unvaxxed are not seeking a lockdown.

Fitch said:

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It continues to be more than a little irritating when people try to suggest a vaccine with a near-perfect ability to prevent a disease outright and after-the-fact drug treatments that, at best, remain anecdotally helpful are equal alternatives.

They're not.

Implying alternative treatments that might be help you if hospitalized are comparable to not getting sick in the first place is terribly misleading.

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Thank you for the official narrative.

It was a global comment but, yes, your post was the catalyst for mine. If the context was mistaken I certainly apologize. Having now re-read your post I think I better understand the comment about early treatment preventing unnecessary deaths.

Having said that, if I were to remove the qualifier of "hospitalized" my general point would still stand. I frequently see the argument that a vaccine is unnecessary because Invermectin, HCQ and other drug courses are equally able to manage the disease. I just find the argument falls flat.

Another aspect of the treatment vs. vaccines discussion that often gets forgotten is the the potential costs of treatment.

Yes, there is some evidence that we have treatments available that help prevent severe disease course and death. But what of the hit your finances? If you're lucky enough to stay out of the hospital altogether, the costs of the medications don't seem too bad. But if you have to get admitted to the hospital at some point, or God forbid, end up in an ICU for any length of time, the hospital bills will be a huge burden. Very possibly enough to significantly push back retirement dates, or wipe out your kids' college funds, even for relatively high-earners.

Personally, I'm not willing to gamble that impact on my family when a vaccine is free and nearly 100% effective at preventing any need for hospitalization.

94chem said:

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When the unvaxxed get the next lockdown they desperately want, this board will be hopping again. Much like certain politicians, they love being the powerless opposition so they can do all of the complaining and bear no responsibility.

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Could you be any more disconnected with reality?

94chem said:

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When the unvaxxed get the next lockdown they desperately want, this board will be hopping again. Much like certain politicians, they love being the powerless opposition so they can do all of the complaining and bear no responsibility.

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The unvaxxed never wanted a lockdown to begin with.

Your side was screaming for lockdowns; patriots were fighting to stay open.

Your narrative is false and you should be ashamed

94chem said:

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01agtx said:

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94chem said:

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When the unvaxxed get the next lockdown they desperately want, this board will be hopping again. Much like certain politicians, they love being the powerless opposition so they can do all of the complaining and bear no responsibility.

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The unvaxxed never wanted a lockdown to begin with.

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Riiiiggghht. And Republicans like having a majority in Congress. Any more fables you'd like to tell?

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Lol. I'm pretty sure the first people to line up for the shot were heavy maskers and pro lockdown people. Most of the people without the shot have been living life like normal the entire time.

Pinche Abogado said:

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Your side was screaming for lockdowns; patriots were fighting to stay open.

Your narrative is false and you should be ashamed

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Don't have a side. Never wanted lockdowns. Been living life mostly normal the whole time. Ski trip to Colorado, camping trip to Missouri, road trip to Michigan, daughter in state championship in cross country, 6 kids at in-person school the whole year.

My, have we set the bar low for "patriot."

94chem said:

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When the unvaxxed get the next lockdown they desperately want, this board will be hopping again. Much like certain politicians, they love being the powerless opposition so they can do all of the complaining and bear no responsibility.

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You seriously think there is a chance of another lock down?