Coronavirus vaccine and Delta variant updates for 8-17-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for August 17th, 2021.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>For the first time since February when things were pre-vaccine, the US reported more than 900,000 cases last week. Cases are on the rise in 46 states. Just yesterday the US reported 382 deaths.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, reported its worst day of the pandemic yesterday with 478 new infections and seven deaths. Two of the dead had gotten one dose of a two-shot vaccine. The rest were unvaccinated. Australia has one of the slowest vaccine rollouts among wealthy countries. Meanwhile Japan’s state of emergency has been extended through Sept. 12 as cases continue to surge.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The CDC added four places to their list of the highest-risk destinations for travelers. The newcomers are Dominica, the Island of Jersey, Montenegro, and Turkey</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>With half of America rejecting the vaccines, testing for COVID is taking on a renewed sense of importance. And scientists at the National Institutes of Health believe they’ve developed a new, better, cheaper, and faster way to do it. The existing way involves amplifying viral RNA to detectable levels. But the RNA has to be extracted first, which is the time-consuming part. The new way can not only directly test RNA without extraction, it also inactivates the virus, making things safer for lab personnel.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The NFL’s Atlanta Falcons may or may not have a conference championship to boast about this year, but they do now have the distinction of being the first team in the league to reach 100% vaccination. The team had the NFL’s first in-season positive COVID test and another COVID shutdown a month after that, but they have clearly turned things around. There is, however, no trophy for this.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In the United States cases were up 64%, deaths are up 113%, and hospitalizations are up 70% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since July 5.&nbsp