COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 22nd December 2023

 COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 22nd December 2023

World COVID Statistics: 700,057,262 officially reported cases and 6,958,594 losses of life.

"UKHSA estimates that prevalence of COVID in England and Scotland has nearly tripled in the month since the ONS restarted its COVID infection surveillance."

John Roberts, COVID Actuary.

We expected a rise, but yowsers. Aren't we glad we got our surveillance data back... erm... hmm. 

Here from the UKHSA:

"There has been an increase in prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in England and Scotland during the 2 weeks leading up to 13 December 2023."

- England, estimate 4.3%, equivalent to 2,333,000 individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. Around 1 in 24 people. 

- Scotland, estimate 4.1%, equivalent to 215,000 individuals. Around 1 in 24 people.

- Prevalence was higher for individuals aged between 18 to 44 years than for those aged over 65, and was estimated to have increased across all age groups in the 2 weeks up to 13 December 2023.

- In some areas of London prevalence looks like it might (last week) be as high as 1 in every 12 people.

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 10th February 2023

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 10th February 2023

World COVID Statistics: 677,186,916 reported cases and 6,779,665 losses of life.

"Devastating earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria, injuring thousands of people. WHO has activated its emergency medical teams network, now on the ground delivering health care to those in need."

Monday 6th February's earthquakes are so far known to have killed over 22,000 people, injured over 80,000 more, and they have left hundreds of thousands of people homeless in snowy conditions.

Volunteer teams from more than 25 countries are already there, and 95 countries had offered help by this morning. Volunteers include over 30 search & rescue teams, engineers, medical staff, firefighters and vets, and they are still pulling people out alive.

Thank you to all of them.

Anyone wanting to make donations, please use official agencies such as the 15 members of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). DEC agencies work together to ensure the correct sort of aid is targeted exactly where it's needed most. DEC includes many of the big names, including the Red Cross, Save The Children, Oxfam, CAFOD, Christian Aid and International Rescue.

"Over the past few weeks there have been several reports of mammals including minks, otters, foxes and sea lions having been infected with H5N1 avian influenza. H5N1 has spread widely in wild birds and poultry for 25 years but the recent spill over to mammals needs to be monitored closely.

For the moment, WHO assesses the risk to humans as low. Since H5N1 first emerged in 1996 we have only seen rare and non-sustained transmission of H5N1 to and between humans, but we cannot assume that will remain the case and we must prepare for any change in the status quo."

Dr Tedros, head of WHO, with a little warning at Wednesday's Conference On Global Health. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Weekly Update 20th January 2023

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Weekly Update 20th January 2023

World COVID Statistics: 672,686,930 reported cases and 6,740,521losses of life.

"I just think we're really, really, really silly if we think that our health systems are just going to come back online and just start functioning at 100% again.... because our systems have lost elasticity, they've lost resilience, not gained it. And our health workers have been through one of the worst, probably, health experiences of the last 100 years or more. 

We owe them a huge debt of gratitude for what they've done for us over the last 3 years. And I don't think we're repaying that debt with the working conditions, with the protection, with the training or with the pay that they need to be able to take care of themselves and their families."

Dr Mike Ryan of WHO. Seconded. Always. 

"China's COVID prevention and control is still in a time of stress, but the light is ahead, persistence is victory. I am most worried about the rural areas and farmers. Medical facilities are relatively weak in rural areas, thus prevention is difficult and the task is arduous."

Chinese leader Xi Jinping with a warning and clear indication he's worried, in a Lunar New Year speech. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 30th December 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 30th December 2022

World COVID Statistics: 664,199,215 reported cases and 6,694,494 losses of life.

"I’ve worked in A&E for 22 years & seen nothing like this before.

The NHS is in a critical state. We need urgent action for sake of our staff & patients. Steve Barclay, Rishi Sunak, we need you to listen to those who know what’s happening.

Dear MPs

As an A&E Dr, I’m asking for your help. Please do a shift at your local A&E and see the reality of what’s happening to our NHS.

Not a photoshopped PR stunt but a chance to witness reality of our crumbling NHS.

Then demand change"

Dr Rob Galloway, Brighton. 

Ambulance response times are now double what they were 2 years ago. Several areas have currently declared Critical Incidents due to the sheer number of people waiting for an ambulance. Last week the Welsh ambulance service apologised for leaving a 93 year old with a broken hip screaming in agony on her care home floor for 25 hours before an ambulance arrived. It was another 12 hours before she was admitted to hospital. 

No-one I've spoken to seems to be able to access their GP. It took me 36 hours to obtain antibiotics for a 14 year old with a viral chest infection, bacterially infected wound and a high fever. Yesterday people in Greater Manchester were asked not to attend A&E unless you are actually at risk of death. (For goodness sake don't break an arm, and if you do, it's 111 online for advice, or call 111 if you don't have internet access).

The NHS doesn't fall over, it degrades. However you look at it, ignoring any strikes and strike days, the current delays in emergency care are causing a lot of extra people to die. It is visible in our excess deaths. 

The NHS has been chronically underfunded for years. It has been sold off in favour of very expensive renting of what we need from private companies, and staffing has been allowed to drop to bare minimum levels. We didn't invest in health, we then asked people to work solidly for 2-3 years, without reward or adequate incentive, and this is where you end up.

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Weekly Update 4th November 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Weekly Update 4th November 2022

World COVID Statistics: 637,112,203 reported cases and 6,602,562 losses of life.

Latest ONS random sampling for the week ending 24 October is a mixed bag: 

"The percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) decreased in England, continued to decrease in Wales, continued to increase in Northern Ireland and the trend in the percentage of people testing positive was uncertain in Scotland."

- England, estimate 1,593,900, equating to 2.92% of the population, or around 1 in 35 people.

- Wales, estimate 77,500, equating to 2.55% of the population, or around 1 in 40 people.

- Northern Ireland, estimate 61,200, equating to 3.34% of the population, or around 1 in 30 people.

- Scotland, estimate 141,400, equating to 2.69% of the population, or around 1 in 35 people.

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 21st October 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 21st October 2022

World: 631 million reported cases and 6.5 million losses of life.

"COVAX did not fail because it was badly designed. We failed because of the greed of the north. We failed because of the greed of the pharmaceutical industry. We failed because of self-interest in certain member states, who were not prepared to share"

Dr Mike Ryan of the World Health Organisation at the World Health Summit 2022.

An actual scuffle broke out in UK Parliament on Wednesday, when MPs were voting on Fracking. All the Tories were ordered to vote for fracking, which upset a lot of them, especially MPs who had literally campaigned to have it banned. Photos emerged of people being physically manhandled in to cast their vote, although apparently that was fine because they didn't actually have guns. Over 30 Tories survived without voting by hiding in a cupboard. Priti Patel and the actual Prime Minister Liz Truss were among them. Boris was abroad  on holiday in the Caribbean. 

Thursday lunchtime Liz was up before the 1922 Committee to plead her job, just as Boris did merely weeks earlier.

Within 2 hours she made her 89 second long resignation speech outside Downing Street and the UK is yet again being led by an invisible force. 

Liz has the shortest ever time in office at just 45 days. Truly record-breaking.

3 Prime Ministers during one term in office is a weeny bit unusual, and hints towards some failures within the present incumbents. Calls for a General Election are going to be long and loud. 

The UK is still reporting higher numbers of deaths than usual, 10% higher in the latest report for the week ending 7th October.

"Calculated excess deaths (1,031) were significantly higher than the number of deaths mentioning COVID on the death certificate (400). This is consistent with the general pattern of recent months."

COVID Actuaries. 

Why? The after-effect of the pandemic is multi-pronged, and although we can say these people probably died because we had a pandemic (and we know some of them died because scans or treatments were delayed), we can't yet seem to openly admit these figures are partly because some people catch COVID and never fully recover. 

Paul Mainwood

An elderly patient with a chest infection has died in an ambulance outside Fairfield Hospital in Bury, Greater Manchester. There were no beds inside to transfer them to, and despite antibiotics and other treatment in the ambulance, they suffered a fatal heart attack.

This was inevitable with patients regularly being held in ambulances in car parks for 8 hours or more, and is horrific for the patient, their relatives and the ambulance staff. 

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) have published a study titled "Nurse staffing and inpatient mortality in the English National Health Service: a retrospective longitudinal study". 

It takes information from "19,287 ward-day observations with information on 4,498 nurses and 66,923 hospital admissions in 53 inpatient hospital wards for acutely ill adult patients for calendar year 2017".

They were looking to see if you were more likely to survive on wards staffed with experienced nurses. No surprises, they found that you were. 

"On average, an extra 12-hour shift by an RN (Registered Nurse) was associated with a reduction in the odds of a patient death of 9.6%. An additional senior RN (in NHS pay band 7 or 8) had 2.2 times the impact of an additional band 5 RN."

So yeah, the reason we pay experienced people more, is because there is no substitute for experience. Sadly our experienced NHS nurses are leaving in droves. They're over-worked, exhausted, disrespected and no end in sight, who can blame them?

In the UK Autumn COVID Boosters can now be booked by people who fall into the following groups:

- aged 50 and over

- pregnant

- at higher risk due to a health condition 

- immunosuppressed

- a frontline health and social care worker

- a carer

This month's UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is attempting to restore worldwide faith in the UK Government and fiscal policy by destroying everything Kwasi Kwarteng did as quickly as possible. Real life Ctrl + Z (the "please God let me undo that" buttons). Sadly this includes the energy price cap. Bizarrely Putin has been rambling on about this too, he thinks placing a cap means you drive demand and meet the cap very quickly, and push prices over the top. Leaving it to fluctuate naturally ends in lower prices all round. In his opinion. 

So, yeah. No universal energy price cap after April in the UK. We have yet to see where that'll take us. Fingers crossed.

Jeremy Hunt's cuts is a very hard phrase to say correctly isn't it? 

(Just ask Robert Peston.)

The UK ONS have released data on reinfections, and 'natural immunity', which looks at the level of infection that protects you in the future. Basically a very mild case of COVID won't give you the same protection as a more severe case. The implication of this is that, as with lots of other infectious diseases, some people will get infection after infection until one day they get it bad. As we know COVID can cause damage each time you get it, it isn't something we really want to catch repeatedly. (I'd be remiss if I didn't mention school children, care home residents, repeat visitors to hospitals and healthcare workers at this point.) 

The UK NHS is preparing for "what could be the worst Winter on record". We're told they are setting up "war rooms" or control hubs as would probably be a more appropriate name. The aim is to have a live view of where we have any vacant beds, in order to find space for as many people as possible (and stop them dying in the hospital car park or being turned away).

As yet we honestly have no idea how bad a Winter we will have, but assuming no measures against COVID, more damp and mold because of increased energy costs, waning immunity after 2 Winters indoors, and a large dose of complacency from the crowd, it is anticipated we may have a very bad year for respiratory infections, pneumonia and flu. Models predict we could even have half the UK's NHS hospital beds filled with people struggling to breathe.

Be sensible, make best use of fresh air and cardigans.

The UKs Health And Social Care Committee (HSCC) have just published their latest report on General Practice, or Doctor's surgeries as we usually call them.

It found that there are massive flaws, including no continuity of care (seeing a doctor shouldn't be like booking a taxi with a stranger) and an exodus of experienced GPs. Only 23.2% of GPs work full time, and we are 6,000 GPs short.

Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of the RCGP (Royal College of General Practitioners) presented evidence:

"... one of the reasons some GPs feel unable to work more hours is due to the workload and pressures they are under". 

The HSCC realise that ordering Doctors to take more patients isn't going to fix a lack of Doctors, and will likely just make the current problems worse.

Lurking under the cloud of impending Winter doom, scientists are getting very agitated about which variants will take over - it will make all the difference. Exciting variants include:

- XBB, which is a combination of 2 Omicron variants (BA.2.75 and BJ.1) that is causing a (relatively small) surge in Asia, notably in Singapore and Bangladesh, and Maharashtra in India. It is on paper the most immune-evasive variant yet, although we have yet to see if that will prove true in real life. Early signs are better than predicted at this point.

- BA.2.75.2.

- BQ.1. The USA is experiencing an 'uptick' partly due to BQ.1 (finally, they get their own variant). They also have an issue with BQ.11. Watch this space... 

- BF.7. Belgium gets their own variant too.  

- BA.2.3.20

In the UK BA.2.75.X, BF.7 and BQ.X are all variants which "show evidence of a positive growth rate compared to BA.5". Basically they are low in number at the moment, but all are spreading more rapidly than the rate of our usual Omicron BA.5. Smaller, but faster. The strains currently designated a Variant Of Concern are all of those which start with Omicron BA.1, BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5. 

"From UK data, BQ.X, BA.2.75.2 and BF.7 are the most concerning variants in terms of both growth and neutralisation data at present; there is also supportive animal model data for BA.2.75."

You got all that? Good. This is why I don't spend ages on variants, it's a full time job just to track what's out there. 

Laurie Garrett

Hoax Of The Week:

mRNA vaccines for Heart Regeneration are hitting the news in some quarters (anti-vaxxers). I don't get it? It's like seagulls round chips. Something is public knowledge for years, then someone spots it and drags it out like news, and they all flock. Yes. Pfizer and Moderna and AstraZeneca are all DRUGS MANUFACTURERS. They weren't sitting round waiting for a pandemic, they were busy inventing new and more expensive drugs. 

And no, they haven't given us all something that causes heart damage and then offered us a cure. If they were genius evil villains then they'd be offering us all a cure for all the things COVID can cause, not just one. 

What's the difference in protection if you get your booster? Latest research about severe COVID and hospitalisation is in a new paper published in The Lancet (not yet peer reviewed). They found that using UK NHS figures, between 8th Dec 2020 and 28th Feb 2022:

"16,208,600 individuals completed their primary vaccine schedule and 13,836,390 individuals received a booster dose. Between 20th Dec 2021 and 28th Feb 2022, 59,510 (0·4%) of the primary vaccine group and 26,100 (0·2%) of those who received their booster had severe COVID-19 outcomes. The risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes reduced after receiving the booster (rate change: 8·8 events per 1000 person-years to 7·6 events per 1000 person-years)."

Older adults (≥80 years vs 18–49 years), those with comorbidities, males and people with certain underlying health conditions remained at high risk despite getting their first booster. People who had a COVID infection (at least 9 months before) were at reduced risk of reinfection.

Good news/bad news there. Remember though that we now have bivalent boosters especially designed for Omicron, and before vaccinations the rate of severe COVID was 10 times what it is now. 

Footage is emerging of schoolchildren in China wearing white disposable suits and boarding busses to go to COVID quarantine. 

"A recent preprint purported to show that SARS-CoV-2 is of synthetic origin, but it is so deeply flawed that it wouldn’t pass kindergarten molecular biology."

Kristian G Anderson of the Anderson Lab at Scripps Institute.

He goes to to explain they are getting over-excited about finding small virus mutations which will also occur naturally - and gives examples from the COVID GitHub database.

"The study is a clear example of motivated reasoning with a heavy dose of technobabble to make it sound legitimate - but it’s nothing more than poppycock dressed up as science."

He isn't all mean, he had a kind word for them:

"By all means, analyses such as these are valuable and worth doing - I myself did a bunch back in Jan/Feb, 2020. However, let’s make sure we have an actual scientific approach to them and don’t make up complete nonsense ‘studies’ to try and bolster a preferred narrative."

The US CDC has authorised the Novovax Vaccine as a mix and match booster for Americans aged 18+ who previously had the Pfizer or Moderna jab.

This is a classic vaccine, more similar to the Oxford AstraZeneca jab, and mixing vaccine types has proven more effective time and time again. Novovax is also particularly effective against Omicron B5, and it can be given to people who can't use mRNA vaccines. 

If we do have power cuts (seems likely) then a battery-operated camping lantern is a very safe thing for kids to carry and tends to be less hilarious than a torch. If you use candles then tealights floating in a cereal bowl look very pretty, and when the cat/child/dressing gown sleeve knocks them over, you've a large chance they'll be put out before they hit the floor. Be careful. 

We have more on the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Uganda, and it's taken a turn for the worse. Officials have imposed lockdowns in 2 areas and the US CDC have stepped up a response level in case of any imported cases.

This is the Ebola-Sudanese variant, for which there is no vaccine. It's possible around 25% of people who catch it may have no symptoms, but around 50% of people who have symptoms will not survive. 

Trump Of The Day:

Podcast celebrity Tucker Carlson claimed that the US CDC were about to vote on adding COVID vaccination to the childhood Immunisation schedule, which would make it compulsory for school. The CDC themselves corrected him with the following:

"Thursday, CDC's independent advisory committee (ACIP) will vote on an updated childhood immunization schedule. States establish vaccine requirements for school children, not ACIP or CDC."

Naughty Tucker. Try and keep it real.

Professor Xi Chen of Yale School of Public Health has warned that China currently have such a low rate of vaccination, and so few people have caught COVID, they would face an "Imminent public health crisis" if they allowed COVID to spread at all. They have no choice, they can't give up on Zero COVID, they are far from prepared for it. 

Scientists Get Naughty:

Researchers at Boston University in the USA have made a SARS-CoV-2 virus that has the spike of Omicron BA.1 and the remaining genome of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. 

(This kind of thing has merit because it can be used when testing potential treatments and vaccines.)

However, they are in big trouble because their research was funded by the US government via the National Institute for Health (NIH), but they did not ask the NIH for permission to create this potentially more dangerous variant. Unsurprisingly you need to have all of the authorisations signed and dotted, you aren't allowed to just create super mutant virus whenever you feel like it...  

People Get Stupid:

The rise of anti-vaccine sentiment has a knock on effect to all a host of infectious diseases which we currently protect ourselves against by vaccinations. Tragically this is becoming evident in the USA already, outbreaks of Polio (New York) and Measles (Minnesota). 

The reason you don't fear these diseases is because you don't have to.

It is the weekend - Hurrah! It's also a week off for a lot of children, and a week of juggling for parents. Don't try and do too much, slow down and take a breather. Enjoy the Autumn light and the last of the warmth. Winter's coming.

Get Outdoors, Breathe Fresh Air, Save The NHS.

Some people. They look like numbers here, but they are all people.

Officially reported COVID Cases / Losses of life YESTERDAY in the full 24 hours up until midnight GMT:

Germany 35,098,062 (+92,293) 152,278 (+178)
France 36,475,518 (+56,793) 156,256 (+69)
Italy 23,254,633 (+40,560) 178,359 (+84)
Taiwan 7,341,940 (+39,782) 12,128 (+92)
Japan 21,894,638 (+36,110) 46,085 (+71)
USA 99,037,439 (+25,626) 1,092,409 (+175)
S. Korea 25,219,546 (+25,369) 28,922 (+23)
Russia 21,345,154 (+10,067) 389,266 (+90)
Austria 5,380,340 (+9,968) 20,980 (+5)
Singapore 2,046,123 (+8,176) 1,659 (+5)
UK 23,855,522 (+8,105) 192,682 (+143) Chile 4,696,888 (+6,375) 61,495 (+36) Hong Kong 1,858,720 (+5,433) 10,306 (+9)
Brazil 34,818,774 (+5,096) 687,544 (+66)

Sources: 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Images:

https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1582793708851937284?t=hPUvkDb2SxY2HNMUUw6XDQ&s=19

https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1582431319778365441?t=9PvO2c-9EOPU9o5Foaa7wQ&s=19

https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1582620060149026817?t=eXPlzoGwoR1vCb2rFRnKBg&s=19

https://twitter.com/PaulMainwood/status/1582661988768882688?t=U8aqoqJzsxFXzbFN8cJ2FQ&s=19

https://twitter.com/Laurie_Garrett/status/1580334138380328961

WHO Quote

https://twitter.com/kakape/status/1581988824460451840?t=ohfDJl7pkWhbIqXIhXCzfg&s=19

https://twitter.com/COVID19actuary/status/1582406764456456192?t=YwpfKoRqWiFUKF8rzdvj8A&s=19

https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/early/2022/10/11/bmjqs-2022-015291

"New Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announces universal energy price cap will now only last until April as he reverses almost all of Liz Truss' mini-budget" https://twitter.com/i/events/1581955545841471488?t=-fTVvnP2R83cHUPuOqT5-g&s=09

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveycharacteristicsofpeopletestingpositiveforcovid19uk/19october2022

Boris

https://twitter.com/MetroUK/status/1583096075099189249?t=t6WuftHowBWZddJMlQnV1w&s=19

https://news.sky.com/story/nhs-england-setting-up-war-rooms-to-prepare-for-toughest-winter-on-record-12723831

https://twitter.com/BBCHughPym/status/1582441715428134912?t=PkBdLcqbFYKmvAXmzMOSFw&s=19

https://twitter.com/Bluebazza58/status/1582852571831537664?t=PbOGYAYs5OzWG7E5F6YUfQ&s=19

https://www.astrazeneca.com/what-science-can-do/topics/next-generation-therapeutics/entering-a-new-era-in-vascular-and-cardiac-regeneration-research.html

Severe outcomes

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01656-7/fulltext

Anti-vax

https://twitter.com/PeterHotez/status/1582090161411698688?t=veTm9Xa2CjxxOg2QIvKQ1Q&s=19

Variants

https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/critical-intelligence-unit/sars-cov-2-variants

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sars-cov-2-variants-of-public-health-interest/sars-cov-2-variants-of-public-health-interest-9-september-2022

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1109820/Technical-Briefing-46.pdf

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/xxb-likely-the-most-contagious-variant-of-covid-19-all-you-need-to-know-11666185210408.html

https://twitter.com/i/events/1580941505405095939

The USA might be about to provide the next exciting COVID variants 

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1580749470580453376?t=-2EioQG440k6e5636-cYPg&s=09

Variants and Winter 

https://twitter.com/PeterHotez/status/1581616475097661442?t=WWik9WOHMQansP5ITnRKVQ&s=19

https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/critical-intelligence-unit/sars-cov-2-variants

Note on XXB

"Is there really a COVID ‘nightmare variant’ spreading? Here’s what experts say" https://twitter.com/i/events/1582764882247577601?t=nL9nD_TIvkpRUdIQfpKwvA&s=09

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/19/fda-authorizes-novavaxs-covid-shots-as-mix-and-match-booster-to-pfizer-or-moderna.html
https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1582876769308135425?t=bpNmQTKmhCRZiAIkFkI5LA&s=19

Scientists

https://twitter.com/florian_krammer/status/1582308971695640576?t=m2aKl44IE-KTxw6jTv990g&s=19

https://www.statnews.com/2022/10/17/boston-university-researchers-testing-of-lab-made-version-of-covid-virus-draws-government-scrutiny/

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1581344011792838656?t=7STXAWthhejfIfhDYGsBjA&s=19

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmhealth/113/report.html

https://twitter.com/YaleSPH/status/1583096039518924803?t=kWyLrtUs-KQq0xXSZMjNKg&s=19

https://twitter.com/HelenaVesty/status/1583159634340503553?t=GP35NlZAXO4BKvQ68q7XpA&s=19

https://twitter.com/songpinganq/status/1582812794839216128?t=uYl-1cIL_gTgPX0EmJ91Kg&s=19

https://twitter.com/K_G_Andersen/status/1583252858740219906?t=Ujgw_82T8LRfnhQl_taULw&s=19

https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1582765356275228673?t=xevtAhUMYBrWk2RE2HABFw&s=09

Obesity and Mortality covered last week:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/obesityandmortalityduringthecoronaviruscovid19pandemicengland24january2020to30august2022/24january2020to30august2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 22nd July 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 22nd July 2022

UK: 23,212,565 reported cases and 182,727 losses of life (within 28 days of a positive test) as of July 15th. 

World: 573,017,988 reported cases and 6,398,940 losses of life.

"The UK Commission on Covid Commemoration has been established to secure a broad consensus from across the whole of the United Kingdom on how we commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic and mark this distinctive period in our history at a national and community level. The Commission is expected to report to the Prime Minister [whoever that may be] by the end of March 2023."

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update Friday 17th June 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update Friday 17th June 2022

UK COVID Statistics:

Total Cases 

England 18,908,381

Wales 875,497

Scotland 2,449,840

Northern Ireland 713,294

Lost their life within 28 days of a positive test:

England 156,186

Wales 7,517

Scotland 12,389

Northern Ireland 3,445

Admitted to hospital with COVID in the 7 days to Friday 10th June: 4,780

In hospital on Monday 13th June: 5,918

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,578,284 cases and 7,409 losses of life (not yet reported today).

World: 543,316,589 reported cases and 6,338,474 losses of life.

The ONS UK Random sampling (week ending 11/12 June) shows an increase, and it's big - cases are up 43% from last week.

"The latest data from our COVID19 Infection Survey show infection rates increased in all four UK countries, likely due to continued growth of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants."

(These are the variants which have battered South Africa and they are more transmissible than any others to date.)

"COVID19 infection rates increased in all English regions, except for the North East where the trend was uncertain."

Infections have increased across all age groups.

Hospitalisations are still highest in the North East (the North East has maintained a high level of hospital admissions pretty much throughout the last year, so they've suffered enough, they really don't need any more).

"COVID19 hospital admission rates increased in all age groups, remaining highest in those aged 85 years and over."

It isn't all such bad news. If you want reassurance about how well vaccinations are working at preventing severe COVID:

"Our COVID19 insights interaction tool shows infection levels are at similar levels to the Alpha wave peak in January 2021. However, during this time hospitalisations were 6 times higher and deaths involving COVID19 were over 32 times higher."

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 10th June 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 10th June 2022

Latest UK Govt. COVID Dashboard Statistics:
Cases in the 7 days to 19th May: 57,625 (average 8,232 per day)
Admitted to hospital with COVID in the 7 days to 3rd June: 3,624
In hospital Monday 6th June: 5,237
Total losses of life within 28 days of a positive test to 20th May: 177,977
Total losses of life with COVID listed as a cause to 27th May: 196,418
Tests in the 7 days to 19th May: 1,546,244 (average 220,892 per day)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,570,519 cases and 7,383 losses of life.

World: 539,390,879 reported cases and 6,328,761 losses of life.

""Hospital admissions with COVID are rising again across England, up 10% week-on-week."
Welcome to the next wave."
Professor Kit Yates, Mathematical Biologist and IndieSAGE member, quoting yesterday's COVID Actuaries Response Group (CARG) weekly report. The UK Government might be releasing figures in the least understandable way ever, but that doesn't mean we can't see through it.
Admissions rose last week in all English regions except London, with the fastest increase in the South East, which is up 28%. Nationally bed occupancy is up by 8%.
Hospital deaths with COVID are still falling, down 9%, but as we are well aware, any increase in hospital admissions will inevitably be followed by a rise in the number of people succumbing.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 7th June 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 7th June 2022

UK COVID Latest Govt. Dashboard Statistics:
Cases in the 7 days to 2nd June: 57,615 (average 8,230 per day)
Admitted to hospital with COVID in the 7 days to Sunday 29th May: 3,652
In hospital Thursday 2nd June: 4,891
Total losses of life within 28 days of a positive test to 20th May: 177,977
Total losses of life with COVID listed as a cause to 20th May: 195,962
Tests last 7 days: 1,546,244 (average 220,892 per day)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,565,970 cases and 7,347 losses of life up until yesterday.

World: 536,108,391 reported cases and 6,321,883 losses of life.

“What we are detecting now is not the new transmissions that are happening, new transmissions are happening that we don't know anything about. And that really worries me."
Boghuma Kabisen Titanji, Cameroonian medical doctor and clinical researcher, talking to Kai Kupferschmidt, science journalist about Monkeypox. It has a very long incubation period, which makes it stealthy. Average is 7-14 days, but it can be 3 weeks before an infected person develops any symptoms. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 31st May 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 31st May 2022

UK COVID Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 57,602 (average 8,228 per day)
Admitted to hospital with COVID in the 7 days to May 24th: 3,946
In hospital Thursday 26th: 5,584
Using a ventilator on Sunday 22nd May (this is the latest number): 175
Total losses of life within 28 days of a positive test up to 22nd May: 177,977
Total losses of life with COVID listed as a cause up to 20th May: 195,962
Tests last 7 days: 1,546,244 (average 20,892 per day)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,561,632 cases and 7,271 losses of life (not yet reported today).

World: 532,349,235 reported cases and 6,312,535 losses of life.

"UKHSA has procured over 20,000 doses of a safe smallpox vaccine (called Imvanex, supplied by Bavarian Nordic) as part of our rapid response to rising monkeypox cases."
I see the UK Health Security Agency are determined to beat everyone else to this vaccine too. Vaccines for smallpox, unlike COVID vaccines, are still useful once a person has been exposed, so close contacts of confirmed monkeypox cases in the UK are being vaccinated already (and the same is true in many/most affected countries, including the USA).

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update Friday 20th May 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update Friday 20th May 2022

UK COVID Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 58,786 (average 8,398 per day)
Admitted to hospital with COVID in the last 7 days: 5,074
In hospital yesterday: 6,729 (substantially down from 9,619 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator yesterday: 191 (down from 203 a week earlier)
Losses of life last 7 days: 789
Total losses of life within 28 days of a positive test: 177,890
Total losses of life with COVID listed as a cause: 194,550
Tests last 7 days: 1,566,809 (average 223,829 per day)
Vaccinations 1st dose: 53,337,395
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 49,844,562
Boosted / 3rd dose / Spring Boosters: 39,474,656

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,551,835 cases and 7,244 losses of life.

World: 526,114,020 reported cases and 6,297,640 losses of life.

"UKHSA have confirmed 11 new cases of Monkeypox in the UK. This morning I updated G7 Health Ministers on what we know so far. Most cases are mild, and I can confirm we have procured further doses of vaccines that are effective against Monkeypox."
Sajid Javid, UK Health Secretary.

"In Downing Street there is a sense of injustice and considerable upset that the 126 Partygate fines have been levied disproportionately on women and junior officials. One source said: “the majority of [those fined] are very junior diary managers etc on 24k-ish and these fines are really stacking up for them. Typically they are getting fined for events they were at with their males bosses who seem to have got away no problem. Pretty clear also that people who bothered lawyering up [like the PM] are fine. There is a lot of very angry and upset people.”
Robert Peston, ITV's Political Editor. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 13th May 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 13th May 2022

UK COVID Statistics - we are missing updated figures for Northern Ireland, as they are delayed:
Cases last 7 days: 76,867 (average 10,981 per day - UP slightly on 10,829 a week earlier)
Admitted to hospital with COVID in the last 7 days: 6,020
In hospital yesterday: 9,619 (down from 10,763 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator yesterday: 203 (down from 253 a week earlier)
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,389 (average 198 a day - UP from 186 a week earlier)
Total losses of life within 28 days of a positive test: 176,708
Total losses of life with COVID listed as a cause: 193,713
Tests last 7 days: 1,821,189 (average 260,169 per day)
Vaccinations 1st dose: 53,264,512
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 49,780,389
Boosters / 3rd doses / Spring Boosters: 39,345,313

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,535,451 (+524) cases and 7,203 (+27) losses of life.

World: 519,990,677 reported cases and 6,285,251 losses of life.

"A fever whose cause couldn't be identified explosively spread nationwide from late April and more than 350 000 people got fever in a short span of time, and at least 162 200 out of them were healed completely. On May 12 alone, some 18 000 persons with fever occurred nationwide and as of now up to 187 800 people are being isolated and treated. Six persons died (one of them tested positive for the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron.)"
North Korean official media KCNA.
I don't know about you, but by crikey I just want to give them a hug. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 27th/ 28th/ 29th April 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 27th/ 28th/ 29th April 2022

UK COVID Official Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 105,331 (average 15,047 per day)
Admitted to hospital with COVID in the last 7 days: 9,493 (significantly down from  13,752 a week earlier)
In hospital yesterday: 13,027 (down from 16,447 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator yesterday: 302 (down from 339 a week earlier)
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,560 (average 223 per day, significantly down on 1,956 a week earlier)
Total losses of life within 28 days of a positive test: 174,912
Total losses of life with COVID listed as a cause: 191,277
Tests last 7 days: 2,158,217 (average 308,316 per day)
Vaccinations 1st dose: 53,184,869
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 49,727,305
Boosted / 3rd dose / Spring Boosters: 39,248,005

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,516,153 cases and 7,076 losses of life.

World: 512,394,235 reported cases and 6,257,163 losses of life.

"For fans of important things quietly collapsing - it's worth taking a glance at the NHS England ambulance time data.
The headline Category 1s  - "immediate life-threatening": times are rising above standards but don't look utterly terrifying.
Category 2s. These are still critically important; "needing rapid assessment and transport": includes intense chest pain and strokes. So a *mean* [most common average] pushing past an hour is ... terrifying. And in the South West: *mean* was 1hr 53 minutes with 90th %ile waits at 4hr 31 (not a typo). [10% of category 2 people waited 4hr31m or longer.]
Category 3s & 4s are similarly horrific, with SW again the worst (a Cat 3 "urgent problem requiring treatment in an acute setting" having a *mean* of over 6 hours).
All numbers are by some way the worst since the categories were introduced in 2017. "Collapse" seems fair."
Paul Mainwood, Head Of Strategy And Planning at Innocent Drinks, Philosophical Physicist Oxford Uni.
That's the bad news, now the better news... 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 12th / 13th / 14th April 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 12th / 13th / 14th April 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 238,938 (average 34,134 per day)
In hospital yesterday 13th April: 19,028 (DOWN from 20,331 on 7th April / 19,575 on 31st March)
Using a ventilator: 355 (static for the last 2 weeks)
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,984 (average 283 per day - UP and really a lot of people. Hopefully it'll start to slow down soon, as hospitalisations are now falling and deaths lag by around 2-3 weeks)
Tests last 7 days: 2,901,904 (average 414,557 per day)
Vaccinations 1st dose: 52,978,585 (92.1% of UK age 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 49,592,843 (86.2%)
Boosted / 3rd dose: 39,028,451 (67.9%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,498,834 (+1,924) cases and 6,932 (+13) losses of life.

World: 502,498,972 reported cases and 6,215,965 losses of life.

"It did not occur to me that this might be a breach of the rules"
Mr Thicky McThick, the most vacuous man in Britain, explaining how he didn't understand that "no gatherings" during lockdown meant people shouldn't gather.
Oops, no, my error. It's Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, the man who created the rules and then stood at a ridiculously expensive podium and told us all about them - repeatedly. He is either as clever as a house brick, or a complete liar. You choose.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 9th / 10th / 11th April 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 9th / 10th / 11th April 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 281,269 (average 40,181 per day)
In hospital last Friday 8th April: 20,051
Using a ventilator last Friday 8th April: 355
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,613 (average 230 each day - that is a lot of people, a lot of friends and a lot of relatives)
Tests last 7 days: 3,239,337 (average 462,762 per day)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,493,066 (+1,715) cases and 6,884 (+21) losses of life

World: 499,260,917 reported cases and 6,204,095 losses of life

"The brutal reality for staff and patients is that this Easter in the NHS is as bad as any winter. But instead of the understanding and support NHS staff received during 2020 and 2021, we have a government that seems to want to wash its hands of responsibility for what is occurring in plain sight in local services up and down the country.
No 10 has seemingly abandoned any interest in Covid whatsoever. The Treasury has taken bites out of the already very tight NHS budget, while soaring inflation means the NHS settlement is now worth less. It is now unclear that anyone in the centre of government feels the unfolding NHS crisis is their responsibility.
NHS leaders and their teams feel abandoned by the Government and they deserve better.
We have been promised a ‘living with Covid’ plan yet all we have is a ‘living without restrictions’ ideology."
Very strong words from the NHS Confederation, who are well aware that COVID hasn't all finished and gone away now. In fact the UK now has over 20,000 patients in hospital with COVID.
"In the past week, around 20 accident and emergency departments in England have issued diverts, with patients having to be taken elsewhere."
They are asking for 5 actions:
1. Honesty in Government messaging, which "is tending to mislead the public and discourage them to take steps to reduce transmission".
2. "Reinvigorate" public information, be clearer about rates of infection and impact, "while encouraging people to resume behaviours that have previously been effective in keeping infections down".
3. Review NHS infection prevention control measures and educate and empower staff, to allow more non-COVID patients to be treated - safely.
4. Review "elective and other key NHS targets commensurate with the ongoing pressures caused by this Covid crisis".
5. "Additional funding from government to cover the direct costs of Covid is required given the ongoing pressure from treating Covid patients." E.g. lateral flow testing for staff comes from NHS budget.
The NHS Confederation represent the whole healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including 1.5 million staff and more than 1 million patients a day.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 30th / 31st March / 1st April 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 30th / 31st March / 1st April 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 527,550 (average 75,364 per day)
In hospital yesterday 31st March: 19,575 (up from 17,440 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator yesterday 31st March: 356 (up from 302 a week earlier)
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,116 (average 159 per day)
Tests: 4,671,510 (average 667,358 per day)
Vaccinations 1st dose: 52,803,065 (91.8% of UK age 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 49,439,759 (86%)
Boosted / 3rd dose: 38,823,674 (67.5%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,465,150 (+5,725) cases and 6,786 (+33) losses of life.

World: 489,186,080 reported cases and 6,168,935 losses of life.

"For the NHS, Covid is far from over. Hospital admissions now higher than the January peak. Staff sickness high. New variants emerging. But reflecting on conversations with staff today in the hospital, they aren't giving in just yet. Too much to fight for"
Luke O'Shea, Director of Innovation, University College London Hospitals, with a reminder that COVID is doing pretty much the same thing that it has been for the last 2 years. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 28th / 29th March 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 28th / 29th March 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 574,027 (average 82,003 per day)
In hospital yesterday 28th March: 19,118 (UP from 16,272 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator yesterday 28th March: 363 (UP from 299 a week earlier)
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,051 (average 150 a day, UP from 119 average a week earlier)
Tests: 4,952,823 (average 707,546 per day)
Vaccinations 1st dose: 91.8% of UK age 12+
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 85.9%
Boosted / 3rd dose: 67.4%

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,442,877 (+5,263) cases and 6,721 (+11) losses of life.

World: 484,179,897 reported cases and 6,153,536 losses of life.

For 2 years many publications removed paywalls for anything regarding the pandemic, and made their reporting and articles free to read and open access to all. Some of those paywalls and limits on access to information are returning. Sad times guys, but at least we got the 2 years.

Good news regarding UK hospital admissions. I say good, I actually mean bad, but much better than it was. We have been seeing a huge increase week on week, but it has slowed down considerably. Whoot!
The COVID Actuaries Response Group keep track and tell us over the past 7 days:
"Strongest growth is currently being seen in ventilator beds, and the total beds figure has risen by over 1,300 to 15,170"
Overall it seems fairly obvious more people get symptoms with Omicron, but less are severely ill, so the rise in ventilator beds and ICU admissions is a bit of a bugger. It could be due to immunity in our most vulnerable people beginning to wane already - which makes getting those Spring Booster Jabs even more important. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 23rd / 24th / 25th March 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 23rd / 24th / 25th March 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 599,244 (average 85,606 per day, up from 78,885 a week earlier)
In hospital yesterday Thursday 24th: 17,440 (up from 14,671 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator on Wednesday 23rd: 302
Losses of life last 7 days: 950 (average 136 per day)
Total losses of life: 164,454
Tests last 7 days: 5,098,534
Vaccinations 1st dose: 91.7% of UK aged 12+
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 85.8%
Boosted / 3rd dose: 67.3%

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,422,945 (+9,147) cases and 6,710 (+17) losses of life.

World: 478,839,027 reported cases and 6,136,057 losses of life.

"We all want to move on from the pandemic. But no matter how much we wish it away, this pandemic is not over."
Dr Tedros, Head of WHO

Wednesday was a National Day Of Reflection, in memory of all those lost over the 2 years since the UK first went into lockdown because of COVID. I didn't know about it in advance, so I didn't mention it - and I apologise to anyone who wishes they had known.
End of life charity Marie Curie has created online Walls Of Remembrance where you can leave a dedication to those you loved who have fallen victim to COVID. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 19th / 20th March 2022

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 19th / 20th March 2022

No UK daily statistics at weekends. .

World: 470,427,307 reported cases and 6,099,458 losses of life.

Scientists in Europe have now identified 2 different Delta/Omicron 'Deltacron' hybrid or 'recombinant' variants, and another variant which is a mix of the 2 different BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron Variants. None are considered to be any extra cause for concern - they don't seem to have, and shouldn't have, any special features - and we already know what Delta and Omicron are like.
They occur when a single person catches both at once, and the 2 viruses both enter a single cell at the same time. It's a rare thing, but when we have 3 million people in the UK catching COVID each week, rare things happen more often.