COVID-19 Update January 5, 2023

The U.S. has a new dominant COVID-19 variant, XBB.1.5, which is reportedly twenty-five times as contagious as the original strain of coronavirus. Meanwhile, seniors and people of color bear the burden of high rates of transmission and death as a result of the virus.

New research demonstrates that the death toll of COVID-19 in communities of color across the country is likely much worse than data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows. When people die at home from ambiguous symptoms that are not directly associated with the virus, those deaths are not classified as COVID deaths, according to the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. The disparity in classifications increases within marginalized communities.

Over the last full week of 2020, the Navajo Department of Health reported 152 new COVID-19 cases and two new deaths, according to the Office of the President and Vice President of the Navajo Nation. From President Johnathan Nez:

According to our healthcare professionals, cases of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus continue to be of great concern across the country. With the mask requirement in place here on the Navajo Nation, our health experts recognize that our protocols continue to lessen the spread of these viruses and to save lives. As we approach the New Year holiday, we continue to encourage all of our Navajo people to take precautions especially when traveling. We are in this together and we continue to pray for good health for all of our people.

Across Arizona, there were 6,187 new cases of COVID-19 and 129 new deaths since the week prior, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) COVID-19 data dashboard.

By December 31, XBB.1.5 accounted for more than 40% of cases in the U.S., an increase from 1% in a single month. USA Today reports that the Omicron subvariant does not appear to cause more serious illness than other strains, and treatments like Paxlovid and the bivalent booster appear to remain effective against it.

An editorial in the Wall Street Journal suggests that the vaccine could potentially be fueling the litany of Omicron subvariants that have arisen since the winter surge of 2021. The author cites two studies, including one from the Cleveland Clinic, that appear to suggest that repeat vaccinations could increase the likelihood of contracting COVID. However, neither study is peer-reviewed and the Cleveland Clinic study focuses on hospital employees who work in an environment with far greater risk of exposure than the average American.

Seniors in nursing homes and nursing home staff remain largely unboosted, and AARP is now urging regulators to intervene. AARP wrote a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) asking that it hold nursing homes accountable and continue educating residents and staff on the protections that vaccines provide.

CMS has a long way to go, as sources of misinformation are everywhere. For example, a report issued by Democrats on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus found that a telemedicine platform contributed to spreading misinformation and made millions prescribing discredited treatments to patients, Inside Health Policy reports.

Medicare spending on COVID-19 testing through October 31 in 2022 cleared $2 billion — the highest amount spent on testing since the pandemic began, according to ProPublica. Federal funding for COVID-19 testing is not subject to the financial and regulatory constraints of other tests covered by Medicare. No one will be surprised if federal expenditures include charges for fraudulent and too-expensive tests.