Not all COVID is the same. If you had COVID-19 last year, or if you caught Alpha (B.1.1.7) this spring, you can still get Delta (B.1.617.2). Vaccination, not perfect, is still the best defense we have against hospitalization and death. Delta spreads more than twice as readily as Alpha does. (Alpha’s R0 was 2.7; Delta’s is 6 or higher). Our home state of FL is surging with one COVID death per hour or higher. Florida’s Positivity test rate is over 10%.
We’re still heavily overweight the healthcare sector for all the reasons we continue to discuss. The speech I gave at the Rocky Mountain Economic Summit explained why. It can be read here: https://www.cumber.com/market-commentary/david-r-kotoks-remarks-rocky-mountain-economic-summit.
Here’s a partial list of sources for further reading. Be safe and careful.
"Why do new SARS-CoV-2 variants spread more easily?” https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/07/15/why-do-new-sars-cov-2-variants-spread-more-easily
“Delta variant increases risk in hospitalizations: study,” https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/558372-delta-variant-increases-risk-in-hospitalizations
“Viral infection and transmission in a large well-traced outbreak caused by the Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant,”
https://virological.org/t/viral-infection-and-transmission-in-a-large-well-traced-outbreak-caused-by-the-delta-sars-cov-2-variant/724
“White House: Florida accounts for 20 percent of all new COVID-19 infections,” https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/563402-white-house-florida-accounts-for-20-percent-of-all-new-covid-infections
