COVID-19 Coronavirus, Measles, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 30th May 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, Measles, HPAI H5N1 and other virus UK and World News Update 30th May 2025

Until it left the World Health Organisation, the US paid them $2.1b a year. 

"$2.1 billion is the equivalent of global military expenditure every 8 hours;

$2.1 billion is the price of one stealth bomber;

$2.1 billion is 1/4 of what the tobacco industry spends on advertising and promotion every single year.

It seems somebody switched the price tags on what is truly valuable in our world."

Dr Tedros, head of WHO

Norovirus cases in the UK are still incredibly high. Over the last 5 years 31st March to 27th April we've averaged 6,446 confirmed cases (which doesn't include anyone who isn't tested, which is Loooooooads), and this year that figure is 14,959. UK Gov remind us to pretty please STAY AT HOME for 48 hours AFTER you are last ill. Do not prepare food for others, do not go to school or work, do not pass go, do not risk spreading this to the very young, the very old or other vulnerable people who may become very seriously ill. 

"So far this year, nearly 2.9 million COVID cases have been reported in the U.S., causing 200,465 hospitalizations and 14,213 deaths."

BNO News

In the UK around 160 people a day are still currently being admitted to hospital with COVID, and it is officially responsible for around 70 UK deaths a week. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu, Measles and other virus UK and World News Update 16th May 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu, Measles and other virus UK and World News Update 16th May 2025

Reporter: "You just announced a new nominee for US Surgeon General who never finished her residency, and is not a practicing physician. So can you explain why you picked her to be America's top doctor?"

Trump: "Because Bobby thought she was fantastic" ... "I don't know her."

Awesome reasoning. 

Dr Casey Means isn't actually licensed to practise medicine, and is currently an online 'wellness influencer'. (I can't understand why Joe Wicks didn't give it a go, he was super popular with his online PE lessons during lockdown.)

In other news, RFK Jr. has (under direct questioning) announced Matthew Buzzelli (a lawyer with almost no public health or medical experience) is the Acting Director of the US CDC.

Anyone nominated to stand as permanent CDC Director can't be Acting Director, so on 24th March, previous Acting Director Dr. Susan Monarez stood down, after being nominated by Trump. 

Mr Buzzelli hasn't exactly been performing his duties, as he's responsible for signing off vaccines and other policies, and communications with the public, some of which have been in limbo since March or April... (I dunno, is this also news to him? His name isn't even on the CDC website...) 

"The UK had a real opportunity to control spread with effective contact tracing but missed it - not once, but repeatedly over the pandemic."

Christina Pagel, IndieSAGE

The UK COVID inquiry has begun public hearings, and they've been discussing the debacle which was Test & Trace. We didn't move quickly enough. We didn't contact trace with enough speed and weren't ready with enough tests for all suspected cases. If we moved quicker, we'd have had far fewer early cases and we might even have avoided lockdown, or at least made it much shorter. 

The UK Government ignored offers of help from NHS and University labs, and didn't use the skilled personnel they had (community nurses and others already do contact tracing), or other systems put in place rapidly and available to us.

It's true. From where I was sitting it looked like they dithered about trying to make money and/or collect data at the expense of everything else. It was a frustrating and ultimately very costly time. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus, Measles, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 2nd May 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 2nd May 2025

Prescription charges in England are being frozen at £9.90 per item. This will come as some relief to the many millions of people who don't qualify for free prescriptions, but are feeling the cost of living just as badly. 3 month and annual prescriptions are also frozen (and worth it if you have more than 1 prescription a month or 11 a year), as well as wig and fabric support prescriptions.

Free prescriptions stay the same. People registered with a GP and using a pharmacy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland get free prescriptions anyway. 

Despite practically the entire world using 'CDC' as an acronym for Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the UK Department of Health and Social Care have decided to use it for Community Diagnostic Centres. Well, that isn't confusing... tsk. However... 

"Community Diagnostic Centres and crack teams of NHS doctors are making a difference across the country.

- More tests, checks and scans

- More care closer to home

- Waiting lists slashed in areas with high economic inactivity"

Good stuff.