News roundup for Fri, Dec 31, 2021

Huge wildfires in Colorado during December have forced the evacuation of two towns, each home to tens of thousands of residents. Strong wind gusts are fueling fast-moving fires, and traffic congestion has brought some evacuation routes to a standstill.

Renewables currently supply about 20% of the U.S. energy grid. A Stanford study suggests that with expanded wind, solar, water, and storage capacity, the U.S. could achieve a fully renewable grid by 2050, with better stability than today. This would require significant investment in clean energy infrastructure. On a positive note, the U.S. is banning surprise medical bills from emergency rooms, where patients may face charges from out-of-network doctors they didn’t choose. Some routine care is also now protected under the new law. Globally, there are 285.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 7.3 million added last week alone. Over 5.4 million people have died worldwide. In the U.S., there have been 54.7 million cases, with over 2.1 million added in the past seven days. More than 844,000 Americans have died from the virus, including around 10,000 in the last week. The U.S. continues to lead in daily case increases, followed by India, Brazil, the UK, and Russia. On Wednesday, the U.S. reported over 465,000 new cases, many of which were delayed due to holidays.

Despite these data dumps, the U.S. is still hitting new peaks in infections. Hospital systems are once again reaching breaking point, with beds filling up rapidly across the country.

As variants continue to spread, Israel is testing a fourth dose of the COVID vaccine. Meanwhile, pediatric cases in the U.S. are rising sharply, likely due to the Omicron variant.

While Omicron may help push Delta out, concerns remain about potential hybridization. Omicron has already picked up genetic material from other coronaviruses.

The CDC recently recommended that asymptomatic individuals isolate for only five days, sparking debate over whether this is based on science or industry pressure. Many experts are concerned about the risks of returning to work while still contagious.

In contrast, the CDC has issued a warning advising people to avoid cruise ships, regardless of vaccination status. For those who ignore the advice, Mexico remains a possible destination if they contract the virus.

Some people claim very few die from COVID, but the reality varies greatly depending on location and health condition. In Mississippi, for example, the mortality rate among hospitalized patients is 14.9%, and it rises to over 63% for those on ventilators.

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