This set focuses on the younger age groups, where there is an increase in reported hospitalizations, but based on statements by national “experts” like Dr. Fauci, and the stories from around the country, it is almost certainly largely due to incidental positive tests. The state of Minnesota has to come clean on this now. Dave’s notes:
1. All data is taken from the Minnesota Weekly Report, available here: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/stats/index.html. The Minnesota Weekly Report lists cumulative totals for tests on Page 9, and for cases, hospitalizations, and deaths on Page 22. These cumulative totals are tabulated each week and differences are taken to plot the weekly changes. All data is on a date reported basis, rather than an actual date of event basis, including cases
2. Fig. 1: Reported testing was lower this week for the young age groups.
3. Fig. 2: Cases in the young age groups reached a new high in all age groups, far exceeding the late 2020 surge in cases.
4. Fig. 3: ICU hospital admissions in the young age groups increased to a total of 10, led by 5 admissions in the 0-4 age group and 4 in the 15-19 age group. Meanwhile the 10-14 age group had only 1 admission and none in the 5-9 age group. The 0 to 4 age group is almost certainly RSV-related.
5. Fig. 4: Non-ICU admissions were sharply higher, exceeding the late 2020 peak in admissions. A serious issue is the refusal of the Minnesota Department of Health to disclose how many of these admissions were incidental to Covid.
6. Fig. 5: Total ICU and Non-ICU admissions largely mirror the Non-ICU admissions curves, due to the larger numbers of Non-ICU admissions.
7. Fig. 6: Deaths in children reported by Minnesota are thankfully very low. We have very little information about underlying conditions involved with these individuals.
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at 
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Overcast
PocketCasts
Radio Public
Stitcher
Anchor
RSS - Posts
We’re starting to lock back down here in Western Massachusetts. Amherst and Smith Colleges have announced they will begin the semester remotely. Amherst has banned spectators from its indoor athletic events, and Amherst and Smith, as well as the local high school have banned cloth masks- you must wear an N 95 or whatever the hell they’re called, or be, and I’m not making this up, double masked. My hand surgery has been postponed till who knows when, Municipalities are debating whether to redefine fully vaccinated as 3 jabs.
Oh and the MIAA, the governing board for high school athletics in the state has reaffirmed that all winter indoor athletes, mainly hoops and hockey, must wear masks while they are playing. The mask requirement for pupils in class has been extended to at least mid February, The MTA, the teachers’ union, is lobbying heavily for a return for remote classes; so far sausage-spined RINO governor Charlie BakerParker is resisting- we’ll see if that continues.
My wife had NPR on while she was cooking dinner the other night- it was a non stop 45 minutes of CoronaPanic. My local Hampshire county daily paper is all panic, all the time. Two of our neighbors, who normally walk their dogs with my wife refused to do it this week because we had been to Michigan and back over the weekend. And yes, we’re all vaccinated.