Covid shots make it far less likely to get a life threatening infection. That's the most important thing to consider. So, if one hasn't had Covid, that should be good enough reason to get the shot for most.

 If someone has had Covid, it isn't as clear-cut due to some protection from antibodies for a period of time. If someone is immuno-suppressed, it also isn't clear. Also, there are some other exceptions.

 Bottom line: if you want to reduce your chance of dying from Covid, it is a no brainer to get the shot for most. End of story.

That’s a very interesting article. I think they are saying the rising counties are urban while the falling counties are more rural. The possibility of transmission is higher in the urban areas.

This is the important takeaway I feel:

”The California Department of Public Health reported Friday that between January 1 and July 14, 99% of the state’s cumulative cases have been among unvaccinated people. For the week of July 7-14, the average daily case rate per 100,000 among unvaccinated Californians was 13 while the rate for the vaccinated was 2, the CDPH said.”

This is a combination of rural and urban areas. This of course doesn’t mention the reduced hospitalization rate for the vaccinated compared to the unvaccinated, merely the infection rate.

Thank you for your responses. The Delta is a quickly spreading virus.   It seems logical that it would spread in densely populated areas quicker than the old Covid

However, I would expect rising rates also in rural areas, although at a slower rate.

In the extreme, I would expect rural rates to remain the same.

But falling rates among the unvaccinated ???? I don’t get it

Lag time I’m  guessing.

Rural areas have always had something that makes COVID spreading less likely at all times of year.

1. Less concentration of people

In addition, this time of year, ALL areas have another additional factor to cut down on COVID.

2. Weather.........COVID and all virus's love dry air. For a doubling of the absolute humidity, the amount of a virus that can survive after 1 hour is cut by 50%.... or one half. This is why the flu season has always been in the Winter, when the air is drier and rates plunge in the Summer, when the air is more humid.

So rural have these 2 factors working in their favor.

Urban area's only have the weather.....which can be offset by the MUCH greater concentration of people.

From your article:

"That doesn’t mean the vaccines don’t work — rates for infection and hospitalization remain vastly higher among the unvaccinated. So what’s going on? Experts point to two things: the extraordinary ease with which the virus’ now-dominant delta strain spreads, and the fact that no vaccine offers impenetrable protection.

“I am not so surprised that transmission rates are not neatly tracking immunization rates,” said Dr. Stephen Luby, a medical professor specializing in infectious diseases at Stanford University.

“There are a number of issues that contribute to transmission,” Luby said. “In high density urban settings, for example, even with a higher level of vaccine coverage, there can still be a lot of exposure to unvaccinated folks and potentially to folks who are vaccinated but are asymptomatically shedding the delta variant.”

The soaring case rates spurred action and pleas this past week from public health officials in the Bay Area and politicians in some of the most vaccine-resistant parts of the country. Health officials in Santa Clara, San Francisco and Contra Costa counties urged employers to require vaccinations for all workers. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell implored the unvaccinated to get their shots and ignore “demonstrably bad advice,” while the Republican governor of Alabama — the least-vaccinated state in the country — said “it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks” for the virus’s continued surge.

The delta variant, which devastated India in the spring, is highly contagious and has since spread globally and throughout the U.S. and California where it accounted for 82.8% of sequenced viral specimens as of Wednesday, up from 48.8% a month earlier"r.

I didn’t want bring up all the explanations made in the linked article. Bui since you listed them all, I guess I have to address them….

The question was, how is it possible for the numbers to rise in vaccinated areas and fall in unvaccinated areas?

Esplanation 1:

Rural areas have always had something that makes COVID spreading less likely at all times of year. Less concentration of people

GunterK: This explains the increase in vaccinated urban areas. Rural areas should also show an increase, although at a slower rate.This does not explain a drop in unvaccinated areas.

Explanation 2:

Weather.........COVID and all virus's love dry air. For a doubling of the absolute humidity, the…..[snip]

GunterK: California hasn’t seen any moisture since the beginning of the pandemic.  Doesn't answer the question

Explanation 3:

[snip]. So what’s going on? Experts point to two things: the extraordinary ease with which the virus’ now-dominant delta strain spreads, and the fact that no vaccine offers impenetrable protection.

GunterK: This is avoiding the question.

Explanation 4: .

“There are a number of issues that contribute to transmission,” Luby said. “In high density urban settings, for example, even with a higher level of vaccine coverage, there can still be a lot of exposure to unvaccinated folks and potentially to folks who are vaccinated but are asymptomatically shedding the delta variant.”

GunterK: He is almost blaming vaccinated people and “shedding” for the problem.   That's why numbers are going down in other areas???.

Explanation 4:

The soaring case rates spurred action and pleas this past week from public health officials in the Bay Area and politicians in some of the most vaccine-resistant parts of the country. Health officials in Santa Clara, San Francisco and Contra Costa counties urged employers to require vaccinations for all workers.

GunterK:  Requiring employees to be vaccinated…. does this explain the decreasing rates in unvaccinated areas?

And a real strange one…

Republican governor of Alabama said “it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks” for the virus’s continued surge.

So, we see an increase in vaccinated areas and a decrease in unvaccinated areas…. and it’s time to blame the unvaccinated ones!!!!

That’s itt!!!! As long as we can blame somebody, we don’t have to answer any difficult questions.

Thank you all for trying to explain this very strange happening to me. Somehow, I just don’t see a logical explanation.

If it wasn’t for the source, one could almost call it “disinformation”.., far right garbage.

Gunter,

I don't have more hours to devout to patiently correctly your total misinterpretations that have numbered well into the dozens and even huge contradicts of your own data somethings that proves yourself wrong.

1. On this one, you continue on that path with no intention to learn anything, just with one of the biggest examples of being blinded by cognitive bias that I've seen in my life.

2. Either that, or you are intentionally trying to see if your junk "Gunter" science can outlast the constant corrections...........using authentic science with supporting links and data...........that you 100% ignore...........then go on, never learning 1 iota of useful science and repeat the same misinterpretations as before.

3. The 3rd possibility is that you are trying to test how far you can go to get censored, with me vowed to never censor under most circumstances, while you spew out anti science, Gunter science, that is a huge reason what's given COVID the current life line to come back because of people telling other people crap like you push and making them afraid to get vaccinated. 

4. Regardless, you have set the record for being the biggest troll ever here on one topic. Not the worse troll but the worst on one topic.

5. I thought that I knew you before and still think that you're a great person and friend but something went off in your head, possibly related to Trump's loss and your anti government position. Absolutely from your far right and anti vax sources capturing your brain and using it for their agenda. Sadly, these low lifes are targeting and using good, patriotic people like you with their propaganda and junk science.

I only have time left, after that response to show just one of your blatant Gunter "blinded religion" science interpretation below:

GunterK: "California hasn’t seen any moisture since the beginning of the pandemic.  That doesn't answer the question"

metmike: I said NOTHING about rainfall but you want to twist it to that to put up yet another absurd argument in order to totally reject authentic science to continue to justify your positions......as if rainfall would have any effect. This is the statement:

"2. Weather.........COVID and all virus's love dry air. For a doubling of the absolute humidity, the amount of a virus that can survive after 1 hour is cut by 50%.... or one half. This is why the flu season has always been in the Winter, when the air is drier and rates plunge in the Summer, when the air is more humid."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Incredibly, Gunter even disagrees with a meteorologist of 39 years who has studied the meteorological affects on COVID and virus science....on the meteorology!

Give me a few minutes and I'll go back to my threads that show that science from 2020.

Game changing?-Summer kills COVID-19 Started by metmike - April 23, 2020, 10:36 p.m.

https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/51095/

    Coronavirus and weather-Wonderful News!            

                            29 responses |           

                Started by metmike - March 23, 2020, 10:58 p.m.            

https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/49391/

                Warm weather and CV            

                            14 responses |                

                Started by pj - May 21, 2020, 2:54 p.m.            

https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/52562/

metmike, I don't know why you are going off on a tangent about the weather. I would not dare challenge your knowledge about weather and climate.

weather and humidity was clearly mentioned above

I only mentioned, that, out here, in CA, the weather has barely changed since the advent of the virus, and I cannot understand how weather and humidity would explain why infections for unvaccinated people would go down, while infections for vaccinated people go up..

This whole original post was a question about a strange claim made by another entity. There is no intent of pushing "Gunter science" or "junk science"

I guess, some things cannot be explained easily. Let's leave it at that.

"I guess, some things cannot be explained easily. Let's leave it at that."

This is true for some things but you want to get away with assuming that the weather in the Winter is the same as the weather in the Summer so that it can't be a factor.....because it might explain what you, yes YOU told us you didn't understand and wanted help explaining.............then YOU rejected the explanations...........Go figure. 

It's doesn't take a meteorologist to prove to you that there is more warmth and humidity in the Summer. Your blatant cognitive bias is leading you into a very dark cerebral place Gunter!

For those that actually want to learn something, I provided these links from above:

https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/72762/#72796

ok, metmike... I concede... it's the weather...the seasons

That's why the Delta has increased its infections of vaccinated people,  but not of unvaccinated people.

I concede. I accept your answer... It must be my "cognitive bias" and my brainwashing  that prevented me from undertanding this very simple principle.

Now, since this is settled, I will not comment on it anymore..

Initially, acting dumb in stating that it's been dry(no rain this ) year, when I referred to absolute humidity,  then

acting like there has been no change from Winter to Summer weather. 

Then, acting offended because I call you out on that weather bullsheet.

This is all self imposed stuff that you are doing to yourself Gunter.

Again, nobody is saying that this entirely explains everything but if you want to ask questions about something you pretend to be seeking some explanations for......... and claim that its a SERIOUS question(your terminology), then at least pay attention to the answers.

https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/72762/#72796

Your responses to my explanations tell us that  you learned  exactly zero and then you responded in a  sarcastic manner ..........when I called you out on that.