By Bob Tannenhauser
The Upper West Side continues to show higher COVID positivity rates than the city as a whole, according to the weekly data reported by the Department of Health.
The average seven-day positivity rates for the period ending May 10th were 11.21% for zip code 10023, up slightly from 11.04% the prior week; 8.74% for zip code 10024, down from 11.91% the prior week; 8.6% for zip code 10025, up from 7.62% the prior week; and 14.36% for zip code 10069, down slightly from 14.61% the prior week.
The number of newly reported people testing positive for this period was 159 out of 1,418 people tested for zip code 10023; 119 out of 1,362 people tested for zip code 10024; 235 out of 2,731 people tested for zip code 10025; and 28 out of 195 people tested for zip code 10069. [This does not take into account unreported self tests.]
For New York City, the daily average positivity rate for the last seven days was 8.04%, compared to the 28-day daily average of 8.51%. Total average daily cases increased to 3,613 for the seven-day period, up from the 28-day daily average of 2,940. Daily average hospitalizations decreased to 54 from 60, and daily average deaths decreased to three from four, for the 28-day daily average.
The current alert level remains medium. “New York City was one of the few places in New York State where transmission rates have not risen high enough to trigger a higher alert level, according to CDC data,” The New York Times reported.
I can imagine future researchers finding this article and wondering “Positive for what?” Or maybe “Wow, the UWS was just full of optimistic people! And apparently it was contagious.”
Thanks for the laugh! COVID added.
I’m completely at loss trying to interpret the statistics. Highest vaccination rate and highest positivity rate? I also checked the link someone provided earlier, where’s grouping by age – the biggest number citywide are young people in their 20s, followed by 75+?
Do we have any statistics that don’t involve only vaccination but masks? Personally I think the fact that people stopped wearing masks thinking vaccination protects them has a lot to do with number of cases.
This isn’t rocket science. The UWS has an older population, one that is more anxious to get tested at the first sign of symptoms and when they’ve had possible or known exposure. Other neighborhoods have much higher populations of young people who are less likely to get tested at the sign of a cold.
Yes, if you look at test rate by ZIP code, Manhattan has higher test rate than the other boroughs, and UWS is amongst the highest in Manhattan.
Which means that COVID is very widespread, but is more detected in our neighborhood because we test more.
Absolutely agree.
How many twenty-somethings are rushing to test if they may presume they’ve got spring allergies?
If people tested at the first sign of a cold meaning lots of people without covid were testing then the positivity rate would be lower not higher.
Thanks uwsmath. People tend to interpret numbers the way they want to.
If the number (but not the rate) of positive tests increased dramatically, that would be indicative of more people being tested for whatever reason but not necessarily an indicator of a surge.
It makes sense to me:
Older people are rushing off to get tested when they have cold symptoms. The symptoms are similar and they are not taking chances that it is COVID. Better to make sure one way or the other.
Younger people are thinking “Cold” not COVID and that either way isn’t a threat to them.
Of course the COVID threat is also for the people they come in close contact with. But that’s too much thinking.
Between the lesser effects of the omicron variant and the even lesser effects of that variant when it does infect a vaccinated person, the number of cases isn’t as important as the hospitalization rate.
Hospitalizations are up, but not nearly as fast as the infection rate. Over the last 28 days the UWS is averaging 2 hospitalizations a day.
Citywide? As of April 30 the unvaccinated are 10 times more likely to get infected, 20 times more likely to be hospitalized, and infinitely more likely to die (meaning that no vaccinated people have died in the City for about a month – so even 1 death among the unvaccinated makes that comparison infinite).
https://gothamist.com/news/coronavirus-statistics-tracking-epidemic-new-york
You’re right, theoretically.
But I know several people who were not hospitalized yet are having severe short-medium-long term aftereffects. Lots of people who had it twice and found out because they were symptomatic enough to be tested. All of them were vaccinated and mostly boosted once or even twice. Some are over 60 but some are not.
How do we count those people? The pure number of infected people may be unnecessarily alarmist, but only counting the dead or hospitalized is underestimating the damage.
I also have a number of friends and family who have had breakthrough cases, including some well into their 80s. And not all are mild colds. But…
People can choose how much or how little they want to do based on accurate data.
Is living a fuller life- theater, concerts, dining, a poker game – all of it or some of it, worth the risk?
Accurate data and understanding of the risks is key. The fact that being vaxxed and boosted means that the odds of serious illness is remote is worthwhile information.
I assume some people self test at home and prove positive but don’t report it to medical officials or anyone representing the city. They don’t want to lose work or be stigmatized by their neighbors. The actual rates as a result would be a lot higher, especially in UWS neighborhoods where people can afford test kits.
Didn’t we already spike weeks ago. This is so disheartening. Wondering if it’s possible to get stats on those who’ve had Omni in Dec/Jan catching Omni 2 or is this all new cases of those who didn’t have the original Omni from this past winter?
The stats are not really accurate. How many people are home testing? What percent of those home tested are calling their doctor versus just deciding to self quarantine because they are symptomless? We should be more concerned about those that show symptoms and/ or are hospitalized. A bad “cold” can spread fast. Masking helps in any case
Eventually COVID will visit everyone. Now most have some resistance and we now have new antiviral drugs.
Just move on with your life. All will be good.
Don’t worry too much about COVID.
The verient is not dangerous apparently and people aren’t dieing it seems.. Why not report that people are testing positive are not dieing! .. It’s becoming similar to catching a cold. .. We have if for a week and then it’s gone. Big deal!