2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)
WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2023.From Westchester County Board of Elections. November 7, 2023 updated 11 P.M. EST:
The three Democratic Party Candidates for the White Plains Common Council have won the three open seats on the White Plains Common Council with 55% of the districts counted.
The three Democratic candidates are currently leading by better than 2 to 1 margins in the votes counted so far as of 10:45 p.m. The Democratic candidates are leading Enrique Jinete and Charles Lederman by 25% of the vote to 10%
Victoria Presser and Jennifer Puja have each won reelection to their seats for second terms, and Jeremiah Frei-Pearson has been elected to the Common Council for the first time.
Benjamin Boykin, unopposed has reelected to the County Legislature representing District 5, (White Plains, Scarsdale, Harrison), has been elected to his sixth term as County Legislator.
Trust in institutions is declining across the globe. However, one group, particularly in the U.S., has seen a significant increase in trust: businesses. (This is true across all generations except Gen Z.)
Trust in businesses (percentage). 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report.
Most employees look to their employers for reliable information: those who say business should deliver more healthcare access and trustworthy information far outnumber thosewho say business is overstepping.
2023 Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report
In other words, businesses are “trusted messengers” to communities.
And for a good reason: people trust who they know. Businesses showed up during the pandemic. They became a key source of information, many recognized the importance of mental health, and some have remained flexible and responsive to employee needs.
Partnering with businesses can make the traditional public health world uneasy. While some businesses do it out of the kindness of their hearts, there is obviously a clear business case for public health action (see more below).
That’s okay. A healthy community is a healthy economy and vice versa. Public health can partner by equipping trusted messengers, like businesses, with the tools, education, and evidence-based resources.
We should start with the current respiratory season.
The business case for public health action
McKinsey estimated that Covid-19 illness was responsible for losing 315 million to 1 billion employee workdays in 2022 alone. Coupled with flu and RSV, work absences because of childcare constraints were at all-time high last year. This impacts productivity, turnover, and burnout.
None of this is going away. Public health action can help. For example:
Increasing vaccine coverage: Flu vaccines reduced work sick days by 1-3 days. In the UK, if 1000 employees are vaccinated for the flu, a business reduces absenteeism by 220 days and should expect a return of £1.03-£5.15 on every pound invested by an employer (depending on the severity of the flu that year).
Upgrade ventilation systems: In a study of 4,000 employees in over 40 buildings, twice as much clean air reduced sick leave by 35%. By investing $40 per person per year to double the ventilation rate, employers can recoup $6,000-$7,000 per person per year in higher productivity.
Build conviction: Educate on the facts. Engage with champions. Approach information apolitically, base actions on science, and act on the same values over time.
Increase convenience and eliminate cost: Nearly 1 in 2 employees state that initiatives targeting convenience and cost would significantly increase their likelihood of getting vaccinated. We see this play out in studies, like providing workers with paid time off to receive Covid-19 vaccines and to recover from potential vaccine adverse effects.
This could look like many things: pop-up vaccine clinics on campuses, paid time off to get vaccinated, ventilation upgrades, mask-friendly environments, a strategy for communication with the workforce, or even just a poster in the bathroom (like this photo someone sent me of an eerily familiar poster).
Need more ideas or support?
This Thursday, I am joining Dr. David Michaels (longest serving Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA), the Health Action Alliance, Ad Council, and CDC Foundation for a business solution-oriented discussion for this upcoming respiratory season.
It’s free and open to anyone! If you attend, you’ll also have access to a document we put together: Breathe Easy: 4 Steps to Respiratory Wellness at Work. (I’m biased, but I think it’s pretty great.)
To strive for a healthier community, an all-hands-on-deck response is required. Businesses are key partners in public health, as they are trusted messengers for many communities. Energy is wisely spent equipping them with tools and information so employees can make evidence-based decisions and live healthier lives.
Love, YLE
“Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH Ph.D.—an epidemiologist, wife. During the day, she is a senior scientific consultant to several organizations, including the CDC. At night she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health world so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support this effort, subscribe below:
Welcome to the Northeast edition of Outbreak Outlook! It is only available to paid subscribers. If you wish to become a paid subscriber and access region-specific information, please click the Subscribe Now button below. Thanks for reading! -Caitlin
Covid-19
Covid-19 hospitalizations in the Northeast decreased slightly in the past week, declining from around 4,900 to 4,700 per day on average.
The states with the largest drops were New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, which fell by 900-1,100 daily admissions. New York and Massachusetts also saw smaller declines of 200-400 each.
Meanwhile, admissions were relatively flat in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Maine.Vermont was the only state that increased, rising by around 100 more per day. Overall, the Northeast experienced a modest decline of about 200 average daily hospital admissions over the past week.
Despite this good news, I have concerns about the weeks ahead. In other regions of the country, I am seeing early signs of increased Covid-19 activity. This aligns with patterns seen in previous years, where activity typically remains elevated through the autumn months and peaks in January. Based on these observations, I would expect Covid-19 hospitalizations to begin rising in Northeastern states in the coming weeks. I will continue monitoring the situation closely and update you on any new developments.
Respiratory diseases
Influenza-like illness
Influenza-like illness is climbing in the Northeast region. Around 2.5% of visits to the doctor are for fever and cough or sore throat in the region, which is similar to the overall national rate.
However, patterns differ widely among states in the region. While the overall regional trend is drifting upward, it’s mostly New York and New Jersey affected right now. New York has the highest rate at 3.9%, up slightly from 3.8% last week.New Jersey follows at 3.6%.
New York City has launched a new public health campaign to raise the city’s average life span to 83 years. Life expectancy fell to 78 in 2020, in part due to the pandemic. In 2019, it was 82.6. The campaign will target six drivers of premature deaths: Covid-19, chronic and diet-related diseases, drug overdoses, suicides, violence, and maternal mortality. By 2030, officials are aiming to reduce deaths from Covid-19 by 60%.
Other Northeastern states have substantially lower rates, all under 2%. New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont have especially low rates, all holding below 1%.
At the national level, among children ages 0-4, 9% of visits to the doctor were for ILI symptoms, up from 8% twoweeks ago.
In comparison, doctor visits for ILI symptoms was significantly lower in older age groups: only 4.2% in the 5 to 24 age range, and for adults above 24, the rate was even lower, at 2% or less.
Quick update about the plots below: I heard you, readers—the grey lines are getting the boot. Meanwhile, I’m crafting a nice new state-by-state visualization. Hang tight, updates are coming soon!
RSV
Last week, I reported that RSV was increasing across the Northeast, with notable increases in test positivity in several states, including Massachusetts (up to 7.2%), New Hampshire (3.6%), and Connecticut (3.1%). CDC data have not been updated since then (most recent data is from October 21).I will be watching for updates to see how viral spread is shifting in the Northeast.
This year is the first year that RSV vaccines are available for infants and older adults to lower their risk of acquiring severe illness. Shortages in the vaccine for infants have led the CDC to alter its recommendations to prioritize vaccination for those infants most at risk of serious complications of infection; the vaccine for older adults is separate and unaffected by this shortage.
Other Respiratory + Stomach Bugs
Seasonal coronavirus activity in the Northeast remains low, but it does appear to be starting its typical seasonal increase.
Human metapneumovirus activity appears to be low in the Northeast, coming down after a bit of a blip a couple weeks ago.
Adenovirus and parainfluenza virus activity appears to be trending upward slightly, but the data have not been updated since October 21 and are only available at a national level.
Norovirus (stomach bug) activity is bouncing around a little bit. Last week I noted that it had been increasingly bit by bit over the course of the previous month. This week, it’s back down again. Currently levels are not too consequential either way, but I’ll keep an eye on it.
Food recalls
New this week:
Multiple brands of eye drops, including some additional brands (more info)
Multiple brands of Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree, including some additional (more info)
Previously reported:
Fresh diced onion products by Gills Onions (more info)
If you have food allergies, you may wish to review these FDA safety alerts and USDA alerts for foods with undeclared allergens.
In Other News
Massachusetts has reported its sixth human case of West Nile virus this year. The patient, a man in his 70s, was likely exposed in Middlesex County, which is known to have a moderate risk of West Nile virus. As temperatures decrease throughout the autumn, the risk of West Nile and other mosquito-borne viruses will decrease, but risk will remain until all areas have experienced a hard frost (<28 degrees F). Health officials urge people to continue to take precautions against mosquito-borne illnesses in the meantime: use mosquito repellent, and wear long-sleeve shirts and pants.
West Nile virus is asymptomatic for most people. When symptoms occur, they include fever, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. In rare cases, severe illness can develop, with older adults being at higher risk.
