Coronavirus COVID-19 Thread

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today Wednesday 3rd of February:

- World: 104,142,856 confirmed cases and 2,260,683 confirmed deaths.

- World: Passes 104 million cases, we passed 103 on Monday meaning another million in the last 2/3 days.

- UK: Prime Minister leads a round of doorstep clapping for Captain Sir Tom Moore as The Queen leads tributes.

- UK: County of Essex stands down major incident status, which had been in place since December due to pressure on its hospitals.

- UK: 1000 doses of Pfizer vaccine delivered to a hospital in Stratford Upon Avon, but not transferred to the fridge for 2.5 hours - resulting in the whole batch being rendered useless at the cost of £12,000.

- Oxford/AsteraZeneca: Early research data suggests the vaccine not only defends people against becoming ill from the virus, but also reduces asymptomatic infection - meaning transmission levels could be red

- Europe: Multiple countries limit Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to those who are 65 years old or lower due to lack of trials evidence for high efficiency in the elderly.

- Switzerland: Refuses to approve Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine vaccine, requesting more data on safety and efficiency: “The data currently available do not point to a positive decision regarding benefits and risks,”

- World: Covax vaccine accessibility scheme aims to deliver more than 330 million doses in the first half of 2021.

- Germany: Vets have trained Sniffer Dogs to detect COVID in human saliva samples, with an accuracy of 94%.

- Tanzania: Officials have to set the record straight after rumors circulated on social media that hospitals had become overwhelmed.

- Australia: Mere days before Australian Open due to begin hotel worker in Melbourne tests positive, resulting in 500 people including players, officials and support staff needing to self isolate.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Thursday 4th of February:

- World: 104,520,297 confirmed cases and 2,271,794 confirmed deaths.

- UK: 10.5 million people have now received at least one dose of vaccine, however poor weather hampering operations is "concerning".

- UK: Study of 40,000 people finds no evidence of side effects outside of the normal scope of vaccinations: 37% had lingering discomfort local to the injection site and 14% had symptomatic reactions such as fever, aches or chills raising to 22% with the second dose.

- UK: Announces past the peak of this wave, with cases, hospitalizations and deaths all declining, however population warned that the numbers although falling are still high.

- UK: Donations of blood plasma from people who have recovered from COVID have been suspended as trials indicate it has no significant impact on death rates "While the overall result is negative, we need to await the full results before we can understand whether convalescent plasma has any role in particular patient sub-groups,"

- UK: The executive editor of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) says world leaders should be held accountable for the "Social murder" of their populations following mishandling of pandemic: "Politicians must be held to account by legal and electoral means, indeed by any national and international constitutional means necessary. State failures that led us to 2 million deaths are ‘actions’ and ‘inactions’ that should shame us all ... At the very least, Covid-19 might be classified as ‘social murder’."

- Canada: Defends position being on the list to recieve vaccines from Covax scheme intended to get doses to countries who cannot afford/access them. "Our top priority is to ensure Canadians have access to vaccines," [...] "Covax's objective is to provide vaccines for 20% of the populations of all member states, both self-financing and those who will receive donations."

- Shell Oil: Reports a net loss of £16 billion for 2020 as demand slumped.

- WHO/China: Investigation team in Wuhan has "Very frank" discussion with cities scientists about source of the virus, including discussion theories on if it escaped from a lab there.

- Europe: Report indicates an early travel lockdown could have had a real impact as was found a million international travelers lead to 3.4% rise in the death toll in Wave 1 "Our assessment of available data indicates that very early restrictions on international travel might have made a difference in the spread of pandemic in western Europe, including the UK."

- Ukraine: A fire in an intensive care ward kills four, three of whom were on ventilators.

- China: To send 150,000 doses of vaccine to Syria as aid.

- India: Confirms it will continue to provide humanitarian COVID related aid to Myanmar, following the civilian elected leaders being overthrown in a military coup at the beginning of the week.

- US: New treasury secretary says there are tough months ahead: “We really need to make sure that our financial markets are functioning properly, efficiently and that investors are protected.”

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

- US: New treasury secretary says there are tough months ahead: “We really need to make sure that our financial markets are functioning properly, efficiently and that investors are protected.”

"Citizens, please stop participating in your market, you're making all of us good ole boys uncomfortable"

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Friday 5th of February:

- World: 105,142,821 confirmed cases and 2,291,061 confirmed deaths.

- World: Passes 105 million cases, we passes 104 million on Wednesday meaning another million in the last 2/3 days.

- US: To deploy 1,100 troops to assist with vaccine drive.

- US: Florida man Police Officer fired, having mocked a colleagues concerns over the virus and mislead an investigation into his actions.

- UK: Temporary mortuary opens at Birmingham Airport to help deal with number of deaths in the area.

- UK: Announces results of data showing all currently approved and in use vaccines are extremely safe.

- UK: 150 students caught at a Halls party, the organizers were charged £10,000 each and attendees was charged £800 each, resulting in £34,000 in fines.

- EU: Bloc officials admit their approach to securing vaccines should have been better and that they should have concentrated harder on mass production.

- Germany: UK variant now accounts for 6% of cases in the country.

- WHO: Implores companies to come together and share their facilities to maximize vaccine production.

- Iran: Has vaccinated roughly 60% of the population and plans to relax restrictions soon.

- Ghana: Politician continues to attend parliament with COVID. 15 politicians and 56 staff contract COVID.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Saturday 6th of February:

- World: 105,583,799 confirmed cases and 2,303,913 confirmed deaths.

- US: String of 13 executions in Indiana may have become a Super Spreader event.

- UK: Expands mass testing for South African variant to Worcestershire as some cases discovered in the county.

- UK: Childs 1st birthday party ends in a combined £11,200 of fines, as police break it up issuing each adult attending an £800 fine.

- UK/France: Prime Minister Johnson and French Leader Macron have a call for the first time since the vaccine row, agree it is vital for the countries to collaborate for success fighting COVID-19.

- Netherlands: Sees one millionth confirmed case.

- Italy: Approves emergency use of monoclonal antibody treatments.

- Germany: In talks with multiple vaccine makers to potentially help fund procurement of raw materials and productions expansion.

- Bolivia: Second wave overwhelms Funeral Homes and Cemeteries as bodies begin to build up.

- Australia: Perth emerges from 5 day snap lockdown.

- Switzerland: 500 people march through the town of Zug to protest COVID restrictions. " Marchers wore placards that read “Wearing a mask is modern slavery”. A loudspeaker droned, “Closeness is dangerous” and “Denounce those you love”. "

- China: One year to the day since Whistleblower Doctor Li Wenliang who bought the epidemic to the attention of the wider world perished from the virus.

 

[Vavrik]

Switzerland: 500 people march through the town of Zug to protest COVID restrictions. " Marchers wore placards that read “Wearing a mask is modern slavery”. A loudspeaker droned, “Closeness is dangerous” and “Denounce those you love”. "

My first thought after reading this, expressed in terms of the above snippet only. "I would eventually like to see a logical explanation for that. Or is it that Switzerland has as many idiots per capita as North America has?"

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

My first thought after reading this, expressed in terms of the above snippet only. "I would eventually like to see a logical explanation for that. Or is it that Switzerland has as many idiots per capita as North America has?"

I gotta say, the one universal language the planet over is the language of self entitled stupidity.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Sunday 7th of February:

- World: 105,962,538 confirmed cases and 2,313,136 confirmed deaths.

- UK: Number of post-code areas mass testing for South African variant raises to 24.

- UK: research indicates Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is less effective against the South African variant, however should still reduce the severity of the infection - work has already begun on modifying the vaccine, with suggestions that a booster shot may be required in Autumn.

- South Africa: Suspends use of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. “These findings recalibrate thinking about how to approach the pandemic virus and shift the focus from the goal of herd immunity against transmission to the protection of all at-risk individuals in population against severe disease,”

- Hungary: Authorizes SputnikV vaccine, 40k doses ready to be rolled out immediately.

- Greece: Claims Prime Minister attended a function with 40 guests met with anger, the countries group limit is 9. “It’s even worse when it has happened on the day that the government has asked citizens to remain indoors from 6pm.”

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - reports from around the world from today, Monday 8th of February:

- World: 106,293,023 confirmed cases and 2,320,254 confirmed deaths.

- World: Passes 106 million cases, we passed 105on Friday meaning another million in the last 3/4 days.

- US: Passes 27million confirmed cases.

- US: Republican Ron Wight passes away while diagnosed with COVID-19, the first sitting congressman to do so. "Despite years of painful, sometimes debilitating treatment for cancer, Ron never lacked the desire to get up and go to work, to motivate those around him, or to offer fatherly advice."

- UK: 10 million surgical gowns (worth £70 million) pulled back from front line use as were not packaged to sterile "double bagged" standard. Investigation of the contract with the US manufacturer indicates there was no indication in the contract that they must be packaged as such.

- UK: Government partners with German company Curevac to work on new and future vaccine versions.

- UK: Government Spokesman indicates it's too early to entertain the notion that "the rule of six" would return soon... which is news to me because I didn't know it had buggered off in the first place. It was bout in with much fanfare, but whenever it was dissolved, either I was not paying attention or they didn't actually tell anyone?

- UK: Mass testing to start in six areas near Manchester as South African variant cases discovered.

- WHO: Cautions against dismissing Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine too soon “It is vastly too early to be dismissing this vaccine [...] “It is absolutely crucial to use the tools that we have as effectively as we possibly can.”

- South Africa: To roll out Oxford/AstraZeneca in a stepped manner to assess its effectiveness.

- Denmark: Schools reopen to youngest pupils.

- Mexico: President returns after contracting virus.

- Austria: Allows hairdressers, museums and zoos to reopen.

- France: Bans hand-made masks in schools, children now required to wear medical-grade masks.

 

[Michael]

weekly vaccination update
EU slowly starting to get their shit together
Israel:
Vaccination program in Israel starts to pay off:

Vaccines are curbing COVID: Data from Israel show drop in infections

The country is the first to see a direct effect of vaccines working in such a large group of people.

www.nature.com

Aplying second dose started on January 10.

Severe cases have been reduced by ~50%

Research from Israel shows mRNA vaccine is ~50% effective in reducing severe cases

In a report published on the pre-print server medRxiv, researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Trento, and the Racah Institute of Physics suggest that the shape of the outbreak in patients over 60 years old has changed because of the vaccinations.

www.news-medical.net

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Tuesday 9th of February:

- World: 106,617,679 confirmed cases and 2,330,065 confirmed deaths.

- US: To alter its stance on world vaccination scheme having previously intentionally isolated “We want to underscore the commitment of the United States to multilateralism and our common cause to respond this pandemic and improve global public health”

- UK: To introduce Quarantine Hotels for incoming travelers from the worlds most risky areas, each incoming traveler will need to pony up close to £2000 to cover their stay, tests and transport.

- Sweden: Restrictions continue to tighten: "The situation with the pandemic looks much brighter than it did a couple of months ago. But ... there is a real risk for a third wave and the situation could, therefore, quickly become worse."

- Germany: Plans drawn up to spend 9 billion Euros on vaccines in response to slow EU rollout.

- Peru: Begins vaccination campaign.

- Ethiopia: Secures 9 million vaccines.

- Nigeria: Fake COVID-19 test center located and closed down, after it had taken medical samples and money from travelers and issued COVID negative certificates without testing the samples.

- WHO: Press conference held on investigation on origins of the virus, indicates a lab leak was extremely unlikely, attention was given to the seafood market the first cluster centered around, and it was commented that the virus may have been circulating in other places before it was discovered in Wuhan in 2019. Further research appears to be needed as local animal populations do not appear to be harboring the virus.

- Sri Lanka: Group of families launch official complaint over enforced cremations of anyone who died with COVID or suspected of dying with COVID, indicating it breaches religious rights and has caused untold misery.

- Mozambique: Newly appointed military chief dies from COVID-19.

- France: Europes oldest person, 117 year old nun Sister Andre, has survived COVID-19 infection having tested positive but had no symptoms.

 

[SoloFlyer]

- France: Europes oldest person, 117 year old nun Sister Andre, has survived COVID-19 infection having tested positive but had no symptoms.

I hear she made it to 117 because she had some good habits.

Get it? Nuns, habits...?

I'll show myself out.

 

[Montoya]

Finally starting to see the tail end of this nightmare

Unfortunately there is still that lag between new cases and deaths which are currently peaking:

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Finally starting to see the tail end of this nightmare

View attachment 20280

Unfortunately there is still that lag between new cases and deaths which are currently peaking:

View attachment 20281

Same for the UK and the latest countrywide lockdown - there was about a 2/3 week delay before infections started to level off then drop, and then the number of sick being administered to hospital then took more time... and then it was another while before the death rate started dropping only after the hospital admissions started to fall. The number of admissions to hospital remained stubbornly high for what felt to be an uncomfortably long time.

If it were not for the UK and SA variants sending more people to hospital here, I don't believe there would have been any commitment to another lockdown even if death rates remained higher for a prolonged period. From the looks of it, it seems to have been the number of hospitalized getting close to capacity with multiple health trusts announcing a "serious incident" was that which forced the action in the end... There was one point where London and other areas started sending their sick to Newcastle, where the counties specialist exotic illnesses hospital is located, to create spare capacity.

Perhaps 100,000 fatalities under the care of the health system is a sad statistic, whereas patents dying in the car-park in the back of ambulances that have been parked there for 9 hours unable to hand them over to full wards is an election looser?

I can't say what the motivations for decisions for my countries response to the pandemic have been, but I can say one thing for certain - I sure wish the decisions Jacinda Ardern had taken in NZ had been taken here.

 

[Michael]

Germany is close to their goal too
Also most infection came from the border and then slowly marched towards the inner country.
Need to find a gif or video

 

[Vavrik]

I can't say what the motivations for decisions for my countries response to the pandemic have been, but I can say one thing for certain - I sure wish the decisions Jacinda Ardern had taken in NZ had been taken here.

Yeah, I think a lot of people feel that way. But there is also, we need to keep our economy moving or we could have a recession that would make the 1929 crash look like a picnic. It's a balancing act.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

It's a balancing act.

Indeed, unfortunately my particular country has had the word economic hit and one of the highest number of deaths. About as unbalanced as it's possible to be, heh.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Wednesday 10th of February:

- World:107,048,380 confirmed cases and 2,345,737 confirmed deaths.

- World:Passes 107 million confirmed cases. We passed 106 on Monday, so another million cases in the last 2/3 days.

- WHO: World Health Organization says we will either Win together, or Lose together: "Of the 128 million vaccine doses administered so far, more than three quarters of those vaccinations are in just 10 countries that account for 60% of global GDP. "As of today, almost 130 countries, with 2.5 billion people, are yet to administer a single dose. "This self-defeating strategy will cost lives and livelihoods, give the virus further opportunity to mutate and evade vaccines and will undermine a global economic recovery."

- UK: One in 4 adults have now been vaccinated, still only administering to the most vulnerable groups.

- UK: Three men fined £200 each as they make a round trip of 300 miles from London to Shropshire to go sight-seeing and take a picture of the view... When asked to produce the picture, none of them had one as their phone batteries had gone flat before the

- US: Lawyer goes viral as using video conference app Zoom to attend a virtual court results in the judge seeing a filter of an animated cat rather than the legal representative.

- Asia: Researchers identify COVID-like virus circulating in pat populations across the continent.

- Denmark: Indicates UK variant becoming more dominant."In the first week of February, 27% of positive cases analyzed for their genetic material were carrying the B117 variant, up from 20% the week before"

- Japan: Announces as they don't have enough of the specialist syringes which can extract every dose from Pfizer vaccine bottles, every 6th dose will have to be "basically discarded" resulting in 12 million fewer vaccinations.

- Bahraine: Authorizes SputnikV vaccine for emergency use.

- Europe: Head of the commission admits shortcomings in the blocs response to the crisis and slow vaccination authorization and rollout: "We were late to authorise. We were too optimistic when it came to massive production, and perhaps too confident that what we ordered would actually be delivered on time. "We need to ask ourselves why that is the case and what lessons we can draw.”

- South Africa: Government of South Africa suggests to the COVAX vaccine cooperative selling or swapping 500,000 ordered Oxford/AsteraZeneca doses for another more effective vaccine following results of small trial indicating low efficiency against the local straine.

- Ghana: Parliament shuts down following multiple COVID cases amongst politicians.

- Israel: To reopen leasure facilities to vaccinated people.

- Tanzania: Report raises concern as as Tanzanian president tells citizens to ignore vaccines and not change behavior as God will protect the country. Cases have reportedly been on the rise since January.

- Beer: Heineken to cut 8000 jobs following "unprecedented disruption" caused by the pandemic.

 

[Vavrik]

- Beer: Heineken to cut 8000 jobs following "unprecedented disruption" caused by the pandemic.

WAIT -- There's a threat to BEER now? C'Mon TEST, Save the planet! Drink BEER!

 

[SoloFlyer]

WAIT -- There's a threat to BEER now? C'Mon TEST, Save the planet! Drink BEER!

Drink to save jobs! We have to do our part to help the economy.