Our current state
h/t @MichaelGIsonMD pic.twitter.com/Y9Pe7Xp0aC— Kavita Patel M.D. (@kavitapmd) January 9, 2022
Some states are opening mass vaccination sites because of the #omicron surge. The US is averaging ~650,000 new *known* cases a day, far more than last winter’s peak https://t.co/LFvr1CKxra
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) January 9, 2022
If the U.S.'s daily death toll from COVID stays where it is — doesn't even increase — we'll hit 1 million Americans dead in 100 days.
April 19th.https://t.co/Mm5fP83dfh pic.twitter.com/5oroiQsJrY
— Eric Umansky (@ericuman) January 10, 2022
Omicron is hitting the US much harder than the UK (or South Africa) in large part because we have significantly fewer double-vaxx'd adults and significantly fewer boosted seniors.
(data via @OurWorldInData and @jburnmurdoch) pic.twitter.com/rpWCsDWCyF
— Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) January 9, 2022
WATCH: "We will never get to 70, 80, or 90% of the population vaccinated without a mandate," @ZekeEmanuel says. #MTP
"And for the Supreme Court to take that away in the midst of an emergency seems to me to be very wrong." pic.twitter.com/3T3oCKWBbz
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) January 9, 2022
======
We’ve now set the stage to manufacture >1 billion doses in the coming months for LMICs. But this is happening mostly without the help of the US Govt or other G7 nations. Right now the G7 has no plan. We can help.
— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) January 9, 2022
called it. (It was a very obvious call.) https://t.co/MNvx8zu4ix
— James Palmer (@BeijingPalmer) January 10, 2022
Tianjin, a major Chinese city near Beijing, has placed its 14 million residents on partial lockdown after 40 children and adults tested positive for COVID-19, including at least two with the omicron variant. https://t.co/2GvVJy9Kob
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 10, 2022
Actually Local authorities want anyone who may have symptoms or has reason to suspect they are infected to get tested and treated at facilities controlled by the government. They don’t want patients to be able to hide from them through self-testing and treatment). https://t.co/yzpdX1JQu2
— Dali L. Yang (@Dali_Yang) January 9, 2022
Healthcare and front-line workers along with people above age 60 with health problems are lining up at vaccination centers across India to receive booster shots as infections linked to the omicron variant surge. https://t.co/gkbDfyqk7M
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 10, 2022
India's new COVID-19 cases surge to 179,723 https://t.co/JCgO9Nbwk0 pic.twitter.com/xNNt2Mj49x
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 10, 2022
Philippines logs record 33,169 daily COVID-19 infections https://t.co/Mn4Sz5Yn1C pic.twitter.com/ecE6BSXODF
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 10, 2022
COVID-19 infections in Australia surpassed 1 million, more than half in the past week alone, throwing a strain on hospitals and supply chains. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country must 'push through' the fast-moving Omicron outbreak https://t.co/6wyb0anOu0 pic.twitter.com/lasPjtaBtf
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 10, 2022
With peak yet to come, Europe's healthcare creaks under Omicron's rapid spread https://t.co/PhakVQnPD8 pic.twitter.com/6dHthRXkKl
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 10, 2022
Hungary's daily COVID-19 cases could hit new peak exceeding 13,000 – minister https://t.co/ceBLDPdK9z pic.twitter.com/HIl1xO9FMF
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 10, 2022
Germany's ruling parties say plans to make coronavirus vaccinations compulsory may take months to pass in parliament. Some leaders previously had hoped a mandate could take effect as early as February. https://t.co/Fg6I0OXDNA
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) January 9, 2022
Britain puts private health firms on high alert as Omicron threatens NHS https://t.co/EdVSkMafEJ pic.twitter.com/niF12LYSXd
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 10, 2022
United Kingdom:
Avacta pauses sales of COVID-19 antigen test to boost Omicron sensitivity https://t.co/AeSVnltQ13 pic.twitter.com/zrERNGVDJ2
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 10, 2022
Brazil has 24,382 cases of coronavirus in 24 hours, 44 COVID-19 deaths -ministry https://t.co/tA6OY66hBg pic.twitter.com/YsqV5vVAiY
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 10, 2022
Moderna donates 2.7 million vaccine doses to Mexico as COVID cases surge https://t.co/0qxEYDAj4b pic.twitter.com/yCuyYenhgp
— The Hill (@thehill) January 9, 2022
#Omicron variant’s rapid spread in underscores a political reality: There are two pandemics in Canada ??— one for the rich and one for the poor via @globeandmail @AmitAryaMD #COVID19 #cdnpoli #cdnhealth #sdoh https://t.co/bpfsc4wCA5 pic.twitter.com/WLOnwWMfCg
— André Picard (@picardonhealth) January 8, 2022
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Wow, this blew up! Thanks for paying it forward, lovely humans. ?❤
Here's some great info on how to safely reuse these masks:https://t.co/q6mY0h3rTN
— laurie allee (@laurieallee) January 10, 2022
Is so-called "deltacron" a recombination event or a contaminated sample? This virologist says evidence so far points to contamination ↓ https://t.co/SG2mhtSRac
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) January 9, 2022
If a host cell contains two different coronavirus genomes for example #Delta and #Omicron at the same time, the enzyme can repeatedly jump from one to the other, combining different elements of each genome to create a hybrid virus.
— BK Titanji #ILookLikeAScientist (@Boghuma) January 9, 2022
The best thing we can do besides worrying about it and coining variant names that sound like a "Transformers" villain, is ensuring that vaccines are available to everyone and combining vaccination with other strategies that give the virus fewer opportunities to spread.
— BK Titanji #ILookLikeAScientist (@Boghuma) January 9, 2022
Novartis in-licenses COVID-19 treatment ensovibep from Molecular Partners https://t.co/x8Sfc72CqW pic.twitter.com/spFLVUmhQu
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 10, 2022
… The DARPin (Designed Ankyrin Repeat Protein) antiviral therapeutic candidate met the primary endpoint of viral load reduction over eight days in a study in acute COVID-19 ambulatory patients comparing single intravenous doses of ensovibep versus placebo, the two companies said in a statement.
The two secondary endpoints also showed a clinically meaningful benefit compared with a placebo, the partners said.
Novartis will first seek the approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where it is applying for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
DARPins offer a differentiated approach to treating COVID-19 through a single molecule that can engage up to three parts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus simultaneously to neutralize the virus through multiple mechanisms, Molecular Partners said on its website…
======
Because at this point in the pandemic
the shortage is not ventilators or ICU beds
The shortage is in doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare workers
So field hospitals won't help
And we can't conjure up more doctors and nurses in short order https://t.co/LPzxz3Yw8V
— Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) January 8, 2022
“I think many people now come to work sick … because they feel they have no other choice,” Millions of U.S. workers who don't get paid sick days are having to choose between their health and their paycheck as the omicron variant rages. https://t.co/ktTD7GNhu8
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 9, 2022
Meanwhile, in the real world https://t.co/q3yIzxmyEe
— Rai-Ben Franklin (@raibenfranklin) January 8, 2022
If I had to name the most influential factor in making the pandemic worse, it would be this.
Not only did their media war entrench their troops, it's polluted the discourse so the plague bros can declare the pandemic over and others can just ignore it. https://t.co/2ecd6aL4UO
— Cheryl Rofer (@CherylRofer) January 9, 2022
YY_Sima Qian
On 1/9 China reported 97 new domestic confirmed (none previously asymptomatic) & 2 new domestic asymptomatic cases.
Shaanxi Province reported 15 new domestic confirmed cases. 88 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There are currently 1,675 active domestic confirmed cases in the province.
At Yuncheng in Shanxi Province there currently is 1 active domestic confirmed case, a person arrived from Xi’an in Shaanxi.
Guangdong Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (mild), at Shenzhen, a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine. There currently are 22 active domestic confirmed (18 at Dongguan & 4 at Shenzhen) & 1 active domestic asymptomatic (at Foshan) cases in the province. 1 residential compound & 1 residential building at Shenzhen are currently at Medium Risk.
At Guangxi “Autonomous” Region 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 17 active domestic confirmed (all at Dongxing in Fangchenggang) & 1 active domestic asymptomatic (at Chongzuo) cases in the province.
Tianjin Municipality reported 21 new domestic confirmed (17 mild & 4 moderate) & 2 new domestic asymptomatic cases, most are students at a primary school & 2 middle schools, most have been under home or centralized quarantine since 1/8. Another 14 domestic cases are preliminarily positive. There currently are 24 active domestic confirmed & 2 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city, all at Jinnan District. 1 residential building has been elevated to High Risk. 6 residential buildings have been elevated to Medium Risk.
Shanghai Municipality did not report any new domestic positive cases. There currently are 16 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city.
At Jiangsu Province there currently are 1 active domestic confirmed (at Nanjing) & 3 active domestic asymptomatic cases (all at Wuxi) in the province.
Zhejiang Province did not report any new domestic positive cases. 30 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There currently are 245 active domestic confirmed cases (spread across Shaoxing, Ningbo, Hangzhou & Jinhua) in the province. A factory & a village at Jinhua are currently at Medium Risk. A factory & a village at Beilun District in Ningbo remain at Medium Risk.
At Xiamen in Fujian Province there currently is 1 active domestic confirmed case remaining, a quarantine hotel worker.
Henan Province reported 60 new domestic confirmed cases. 2 domestic confirmed cases recovered. The authorities in the province are slow to release the case summaries, as of 1/9 only cases that tested positive to 1/6 or 1/7 have had their summaries published. There currently are 301 active domestic confirmed cases in the province.
At Yunnan Province 1 domestic asymptomatic case was released from isolation. There currently are 13 active domestic confirmed (8 at Dehong Prefecture & 5 at Kunming) & 6 active domestic asymptomatic (4 at Dehong Prefecture & 2 at Sipsongpanna Prefecture) cases in the province.
At Tongren in Guizhou Province there currently is 1 active domestic confirmed case in the city, a person who returned from Jinghong, Sipsongpanna Prefecture in Yunnan.
Imported Cases
On 1/9, China reported 60 new imported confirmed cases (4 previously asymptomatic), 40 imported asymptomatic cases, 3 imported suspect cases:
Overall in China, 145 confirmed cases recovered (24 imported), 14 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation (13 imported) & 4 were reclassified as confirmed cases (all imported), & 2,001 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 3,404 active confirmed cases in the country (1,084 imported), 27 in serious condition (3 imported), 699 active asymptomatic cases (668 imported), 1 suspect case (imported). 43,224 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.
As of 1/9, 2,899.57M vaccine doses have been injected in Mainland China, an increase of 5.392M doses in the past 24 hrs.
On 1/10, Hong Kong reported 33 new positive cases, 27 imported & 6 domestic (5 traced close contacts & a passenger cabin cleaner at the airport).
YY_Sima Qian
Of the 100 case summaries published by Xuchang in Henan (out of 160 cases to date, covering persons who tested positive up until 1/7), the initial ~ 30 cases are mostly employees at the ceramics factory that appears to be the epicenter of the outbreak, the vast majority are traced close contacts, though ~ half had tested positive shortly after being placed under home or centralized quarantine. Of the next ~ 30 cases, ~ 40% were found via the multiple rounds of mass screening conducted at Yuzhou. The final ~ 40 cases were almost all found from home or centralized quarantine. In all, 16 cases were found via mass screening & have not had likely sources of transmission identified. 88 of the 100 cases have been fully vaccinated, of which 16 had been boosted. Of the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, more than half are elderly people, as well as a pregnant woman.
NeenerNeener
Monroe County yesterday:
NYSDOH says 1705 new cases. Ugh.
Cermet
That staff at hospitals are being worn down isn’t major news and even argued in front of the U.S. inferior corruption … (aka supreme court) is ridiculous. How do those AO’s on the right not care about …oh, their thugs, so they don’t care about human life, only guaranteeing access to power by themselves and cronies. Too bad the Weathermen are defunct.
YY_Sima Qian
Correction for Hong Kong’s numbers on 1/10, 24 new positive cases, 19 imported & 5 domestic (1 from community transmission w/o source of infection identified).
Taiwan reported 60 new positive cases on 1/9, 49 imported & 11 domestic (a growing cluster of Omicron cases follow breach at the Taipei Taoyuan International Airport.
COVID has spread to an elderly care section of a hospital at Yuzhou in Xuchang, Henan Province. As of 1/7 at least 10 residents & caretakers have been infected. The residents are in their 70s & 80s.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
Greece: the peak for daily new cases was 50,126 on January 4, according to Worldometers. Cases seem to be fluctuating at the moment; it may take a few days for the numbers to stabilize, and until then, it’s tough to tell whether cases are dropping from a peak or still rising.
Still, there have been a quarter of a million new infections since January 3, in a country with a population of just under 11 million.
Mandatory vaccination for people over 60 is now in effect, with fines levied against violators, and the government is considering making vaccination mandatory for people over 50.
Still, testing is much better in Greece than in the US. I was in Maryland for two weeks, and I saw lines out the door at urgent care centers that did COVID testing, the only home-test kit I saw was the two-pack I was handed when I got off the plane at BWI (I brought a bunch of test kits with me from Greece), and when I went to get a PCR test mandated for return to Greece, the results took four days instead of the promised two (I had to get a rapid test at the airport before I could check in to my return flight). Meanwhile, testing in Greece is rather more straightforward, home-test kits are readily available at pharmacies, and at least where I’m located, I’ve got a nearby test lab where I can walk in to get a rapid test with a written result within an hour, or if I go before 11 in the morning, I can get a PCR report that same evening, or the next day at the latest.
We’re at the point where the American healthcare system is becoming the punchline to a bad joke.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Well, woke up with a 100’f temp, so maybe my turn in the barrel. On the other hand this seems to be more like cold that the descriptions of Covid I have heard.
vitaminC
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
My breakthrough Covid manifested as a nasty head cold. If you can, get tested and self isolate immediately.
lowtechcyclist
The politicians and right-wing media types who’ve spread lies about masks, vaccinations, and the virus itself should be rounded up and tried for crimes against humanity. They are traitors to the human race, and are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
HeartlandLiberal
My spousal unit was able to meet with doctor at the new hospital here in Bloomington first of last week, for needed review of blood work. Fortunately, stable. But doctor informed us that IU Health, largest conglomerate of health providers and hospitals in the state of Indiana, had just issued orders cancelling ALL elective surgeries. And that hospitals were seeing staff out sick with COVID, while trying to figure out what rooms could temporarily be converted to hospital beds for surge of COVID patients. Here surgery for cochlear implant was cancelled twice in December last year, and is limbo now, may not happen for months.
debbie
Citigroup is telling their employees if they aren’t vaccinated and don’t qualify for exemption, they will go on unpaid leave on the 17th and if they aren’t vaccinated by the end of the month, they’ll be terminated. Tough love, baby.
Geo Wilcox
@HeartlandLiberal: My daughter had her surgery canceled last week. No word on when it can be rescheduled. Fortunately it wasn’t for any urgent health care problems or illnesses so she can wait until the people who really need surgery are taken care of.
Elizabelle
Waving at Amir, and hoping he is feeling much better. Amir, you are missed.
ETA: I have not been around much, so he could be back and I would not know it …
Mousebumples
Got news this am that my 80+ year old grandmother (2x mrna Vax and boosted) tested positive for covid. Sore throat symptoms and fatigue, but otherwise doing well.
It’s everywhere. Stay safe, everybody.
New Deal democrat
Cases have topped out in PR, and are flat in NJ for the past 5 days. Cases still rising in NY and HI. In Canada, the hard hit province of Quebec has also topped out. Deaths in the US at 1600/day, which is high for the past 12 weeks, but no evidence of further rise yet. Deaths continue to rise sharply in Canada, now at an 8 month high. Cases appear to have peaked in the U.K., with deaths still rising. Deaths also continue to rise slowly in South Africa. In short, Omicron isn’t as “mild” as it looked a couple of weeks ago.
Very important thread by Eric Topol:
https://mobile.twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1480245067591786499
While hospitalizations, ICU use, and deaths are lower than with Delta, with proper lags it is apparent that they aren’t that much lower: hospitalizations at about 80% of prior wave, ICU admissions at about 66%, and deaths over 50% (so far).
And Scott Gottlieb, who usually is optimistic, chimes in:
https://mobile.twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD/status/1480248221691699200
“U.S. decoupling between cases, hospitalizations, deaths, while measurable vs prior waves, isn’t as strong as UK; perhaps due to lower U.S. vax/booster rates (50% eligible adults boosted). Our protracted wrangling over boosters may have sowed confusion, sapping consumer interest”
But also cautions:
https://mobile.twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD/status/1480295820180312069
“This graph, which is making rounds today, showing deaths shifted by three weeks from cases on December 17, may still reflect a lot of delta admissions and not yet incorporate total displacement of #Omicron.”
MagdaInBlack
@Elizabelle: I was thinking about him too. I do not recall seeing him comment recently.
Mai Naem mobile
@debbie: that’s good but the Chase and Wells Fargo branches here are dealing with staff shortages. Branches are closed random days. Some, when they are open, are open only in drive thru. Some have the lobbies open but not drive thru. I have no idea whether Chase or WF has an employee mandate but if they don’t, these Citi employees will find new gigs without a problem.
debbie
@Mai Naem mobile:
I’d bet the others will follow Citi’s lead. They’re their own special kind of sheep.
Mai Naem mobile
Local news was reporting that one of the main testing places in the Phx metro area had car lines so long that they wound into the neighborhood in the back of the site. I used to live in this neighborhood so I know the area and for the lines to go into that neighborhood they had to be damned long.
Kay
@New Deal democrat:
Child safety seats are much more effective than they used to be, but they’re hard to put in correctly – communities all over the country offer a program where a fire department will check your child seat to see if you’ve put it in right. Have to buy it, struggle to put it in – straps are SNUG, gotta tug and wrestle- and then perhaps drive in for a check up. No one talks about blaming the manufacturer or the fire department if you don’t bother.
YY_Sima Qian
@Elizabelle: Amir has not posted in several days, crossing fingers for him…
NotMax
Morocco and Australia both pass the one million total reported cases mark.
satby
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: though the rapid test was negative, pretty sure I had a breakthrough case too, manifested as a really bad cold. My friends with confirmed covid also.
NotMax
Locally,
Ohio Mom
I have a routine colonoscopy scheduled for Friday. It’s at a stand-alone clinic but I am really, really, rethinking it.
A smallish room crowded with nurses and five or six other patients and their loved ones coming to take them home, plus on the very tiny chanced one thing goes wrong, then what? I’m pretty sure the hospitals are full up.
There better not be anything lurking in my colon is all I can say because it’s going to end up staying there for a good long while.
NotMax
FYI.
For those unaware, the Lt. Gov. is also an actively practicing doctor.
satby
So this is day 10 after I first showed symptoms. According to even the old CDC guidance I’m not contagious any more and I’m supposed to go in to work at the doctor’s office today. I still feel crappy, though a highly improved crappy than before; and I just feel so bad for all the doctors and nurses and support technicians who drag themselves in to work every day feeling like this. It will take years to get medical staffing back up to pre-pandemic levels, and there was already a shortage before.
Argiope
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: A temp (low-grade) plus body aches and fatigue were my boosted breakthrough symptoms. I’d assume the rona until proven otherwise. May it leave you quickly! Only one fever day for me then pretty much resolved. I never did get a sore throat—I think my immune system took one look at the virus and said Hell No, accounting for the fever, aches & fatigue: that was flipping the cellular immunity switch on. Kicked the virus out with extreme prejudice.
Soprano2
@Ohio Mom: You need to decide in a day or two, because the last thing you want to do is go through the prep and then not have the procedure. I had mine on December 28th, and their protocols are good – everyone masks all the time, and as far as I could tell there were two or three people in the room when they did the procedure, which only took 15 minutes. All of the medical personnel have to be vaxxed in this health care system. Only one person per patient is allowed into the facility, because you have to have a driver. I’d say I was there for about 2 hours total – I felt it was safe, but if your facility is as you describe then it sounds a lot riskier.
Peale
I know Dr. Hotez’s heart is in the right place, but delta arrived way too early for vaccination to be an effective measure, and it lets Modi off the hook for delaying until an Indian developed vaccine was available.
lee
I also have what appears to be a mild head cold. Temp never got over 99.9. Some congestion that is easily treated with pseudoephedrine.
Mine has an interesting back story:
So over the summer we booked a trip to Republic of Ireland to be there for New Years (bucket list trip for the wife).
ROI implemented strict covid protocols in place so while we wouldn’t get to do as much as we wanted we felt pretty safe. So we decided to go ahead with the trip. A lot of what we planned was outdoor activities.
In early November I had a kidney stone that didn’t pass all the way out. It ended up lodged 2cm from my bladder. 23 Dec I had a non-surgical procedure to laser the stone out (use your imagination how they got the laser up there). I had the stent removed 28 Dec. Our flight was 29 Dec.
We also had to have a negative PCR test to allow us into ROI. We had to wait in line for hours to get it done.
So we left.
Lovely trip, lovely country, wonderful people. Everything my wife wanted it to be.
The folks in ROI were strict in their adherence to the government mandated covid protocols (masks everywhere, proof of vaccination to do just about anything, most things closed at 8pm). We felt safer there than back home.
While we were there the US implemented a requirement of a negative test from a private company the day prior to leaving. No worries as there are 2 companies doing testing at the airport each had 2 different locations.
Schedule the tests for the family 9pm Friday night before our flight at 10:40am Saturday morning. Here’s where the fun begins….
Antigen tests for everyone.
Me: Not-Detected
Oldest: Not-Detected
Wife: Detected
Youngest: Detected
No one had a single symptom. So we retested and wife and youngest 2nd tests came back Not-Detected.
We fly out Saturday morning. By the time we land I’m feeling a bit run down. Not sure if it it is the jet lag or something else.
Sunday morning around 3am I wake up with a fever of 99.9 & congestion. Takes some meds, they kick in and I go back to sleep. Yesterday I felt fine other than a bit of congestion. Again last night I woke up around 1:30am with slight fever of 99.3. More meds and back to sleep. This morning a little congestion but feel fine.
No one else in the family has any symptoms at all.
Testing in ROI was amazing. If we could have used a test from the HSE we could have walked into any number of places and gotten tested without a wait. Even with the private company it was quick an efficient.
So our ‘joke’ for this trip is ROI was wonderful, the getting there and leaving was horrible.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: My case last August (I am double vaxxed) was pretty much a week or so of bad head cold, started with a mild sore throat, turned into a screaming sinus headache two days later, 100 degree fever for a couple days. Fatigue held on for another week but all in all not bad. I hope you have a really mild case, what ever this turns out to be. If you do not have a pulse oximeter I would recommend you get one. a few friends, or family of friends who got it back at the beginning felt like it was a bad cold, until they became very short of breathe. Feel better soon.
Ken
Worked for teachers, with several states setting aside education and certification requirements in favor of warm bodies that can pass a background check. I know Missouri did this, which pissed off my sister who had just finished six years of part-time school to get her certificate.
Sloane Ranger
Sunday in the UK we had 141,472 new reported cases. This is an increase of 6.6% in the rolling 7-day average but, caution should be used regarding this figure due to weekend office closures leading to possible under-reporting. On the other hand, the number is in line with the last few days, when case numbers have shown a steady reduction. New cases by nation,
England – 121,228 (down @9000)
Northern Ireland – 3760 (up @200)
Scotland – 7561 (down @900)
Wales – 8923 (did not report on Saturday).
Deaths – There were 97 deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported yesterday. The rolling 7-day average is up 30.9%. As with case number, caution should be used regarding this number due to weekend office closures. 84 deaths were in England, 2 in Northern Ireland, 3 in Scotland and 8 in Wales (will also include some Saturday deaths.)
Testing – Not updated at weekends.
Hospitalisations – Not updated at weekends.
Vaccinations – As of Saturday, 8 January, 51,950,528 people have had 1 shot of a vaccine, 47,677,951 have had 2 and 35,499,486. In percentage terms this means that 90.3% of all UK residents aged 12+ have had 1 shot of a vaccine, 82.9% had had 2, and 61.7% had had a 3rd shot/booster.
General – I reported for my volunteer role at my local library today and there has been a COVID outbreak there when I was away. One of the paid staff had just returned to work after having it. She said that it was like having a bad cold but her entire skull hurt for 2 days and she couldn’t lie down comfortably.
In other news, the British press is full of a story about a peer reviewed study from Imperial College which found that T cells from common colds can provide some immunity to COVID-19.
Link here – https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-t-cells-from-common-colds-can-protect-against-coronavirus-infection-study-finds-12512900
It was a very small scale study (about 50 participants) and the researchers caution about reading too much into it, except as an indicator that more research into this might be worthwhile. They say that vaccination is still key. To be fair, the media is also saying this, but only in the text of the article. If you only read the headlines, you’d definitely get the impression that having had a cold protects against COVID-19.
Robert Sneddon
Scotland — 11,800 new cases reported today, down from last week’s 16-18,000 but there’s still a backlog of lab tests. Test positivity rate is about 30%. There were no deaths from COVID-19 reported today in Scotland but with the usual Monday caveat that the register offices are closed over the weekends. Tuesday’s reporting will be more significant and indicative in that regard.
Hospitalisation numbers are up at 1432 and intensive-care beds are at 54, up from the mid-30s of two months ago, before Omicron became the dominant COVID-19 variant in Scotland.
Vaccinations continue after the holidays with about 70% of the 18+ population now having received their third booster jab. Most first vaccinations are happening in the 12-17 year old group, bringing the proportion of 12+ Scots who have received their first vaccination to 91.6%. The 16-17 year old age group recently became eligible for second doses of vaccine and about 50% of them are now double-dosed. The Young Immortals aged 18-39 who have not taken up the option to get vaccinated over the past year or so are remaining stubbornly unvaccinated.
The health minister for Scotland is saying that at the moment there are no plans for a fourth booster shot. This advice may change by the spring, if it does so I will be in the queue ASAP with my sleeve rolled up, no question.
bluefoot
Personal anecdotes: In the last few days, the number of people I know who have COVID has gone way up. Even amongst the vaccinated and boosted, there are people who are bedridden at home right now (these are mostly >50 years old).
A friend had a 4-week bout of COVID, mostly like a bad cold. She got it literally one week before her scheduled booster shot, and doesn’t know how.
Two of my siblings are public school teachers and the situation in schools is ridiculous. The prevailing paradigm seems to be keep schools open at all costs. Teachers who have tested positive but are asymptomatic are asked to come in since there aren’t enough substitutes. Classes are being doubled up since so many teachers are out, so now the kids are <3 ft apart. Kids who are symptomatic and test positive are sent home, but the rest of the class isn't, and aren't tested. It's crazy.
A doctor I know in Madison, WI says the hospitals are completely full, including the EDs. That includes the pediatric units.
In the middle of all this, I am enraged at how politicized the pandemic response has become and despair about the immediate future.
bluefoot
@debbie:
One of my family members works for Citi and he says not only do they have a vaccine mandate, they also have weekly onsite testing. They are taking it seriously.
Soprano2
@Ken: Yes, it’s the insulting “Teaching can’t be that hard, almost anyone could do it, isn’t it just babysitting” attitude so many people have.
Matt McIrvin
I got my 15yo her booster shot on Sunday at the city vaccination clinic at the Citizen’s Center, where they advertised having all vaccines including pediatric Pfizer. I wasn’t 100% sure it would happen, since the mayor’s office had posted a notice a few days earlier saying they were awaiting state DPH guidance on the change in booster eligibility, and I hadn’t heard anything more on that. But I was able to book an appointment for her and got no pushback.
We’d been hoping to do it at an earlier clinic on Friday afternoon, so that she could burn off any side effects over the weekend, but the snowstorm that day had other ideas. When she got her second shot, she seemed fine the next morning and went to school, then got so tired by midday that I had to bring her home. I’m hoping that the booster effects are milder as they were with most people we know. But given that her school is trying to remain open, I wanted to get her that booster sooner rather than later.
Soprano2
@bluefoot: Sounds like the situation in MO re: schools. The state government is actively telling schools that they cannot do any Covid abatement things, like masks or making exposed students quarantine. Only students who have Covid are sent home, and masks are optional but the school strongly recommends them. It’s going to be brutal for a few weeks.
Kent
18 years ago and 15 years ago when our last two daughters were born, both times in two different hospitals in two different states we were escorted to our cars by a nurse who personally inspected our infant car seat and made damn sure that it was attached correctly.
But yes, people need to fucking step up and be responsible.
Kent
Not just a red state thing. Oregon waived certification requirements last fall for substitute teachers. And FYI, lots of substitute teachers are in classrooms long term, like for the whole school year, when the school can’t or won’t be bothered to find a permanent replacement.
As a teacher I can tell you this is a concerning trend. We doing to start doing that for doctors and nurses next? I mean, why not?
Jinchi
Our fully-vaccinated teenager tested positive yesterday, almost certainly due to exposure at school on Friday. Which is sad in part because he’s been the strictest about following the rules of masking and social distancing and we stayed home for the holidays. So far, his symptoms are flu-like (fever, muscle soreness and exhaustion) and the rest of the family are still testing negative with no symptoms. Fingers crossed that he recovers quickly.
So take care everyone. Find some high quality masks if you can, and get everyone vaccinated and boosted.
bluefoot
@Soprano2:
It’s all crazy. My siblings are in different parts of NYS. Each has a HEPA filter running in their classrooms, and keeps the windows partly open (which necessitates the students keeping their jackets on). Their hope is to keep transmission down. But the situation is so insane.
Kent
Our oldest 23-year old daughter is working in Jackson Wyoming this winter at the big ski resort there. If you look on the NYT map, Jackson (Teton County) is the blackest of black zones with a current case rate of 573 per 100,000. She says no one is masking or doing anything at all to recognize Covid exists. Of course she caught Covid within 1 week of arriving there and sharing a small house with 3 other ski resort workers. Despite having had the J&J last spring and getting a double Moderna boost this fall for 3 shots total. At least we assume it was Covid, she was tested 4 days ago but hasn’t gotten results back yet but now is feeling better and going back to work today and the encouragement of her boss. Symptoms were just ordinary cold with congestion and minor fever. She was out 5 days so is good to go as far as the resort is concerned. My wife who is a physician just threw up her hands and said “you damn well better wear a mask to work even if no one else does” and my daughter just said “yah, mom”
That is where we are at.
Kay
@Kent:
The wheedling and begging and making excuses for is a wholly new approach to public health and is used ONLY for this vaccine. Remember when it was just incessant badgering culminating with a mandate for the holdouts? What was wrong with that? Seemed to work.
It isn’t that the old approach didn’t work- the new approach is a big flop.
I attended a public high school where they once towed a car involved in a drunk driving accident onto the football field, and yelled at us for 20 minutes. No one asked us to pretty please stop piling into cars drunk or blamed the county sheriff for ineffective messaging.
NotMax
@Kent
“… and a Western omelet.”
;)
Taken4Granite
I had been planning to visit my mother, who lives on the opposite coast, toward the end of this month (our instinct that travel during the peak holiday season would be too risky proved correct), but Omicron has killed that idea. Mom now reports that at least two people in her condo complex have COVID, and my nephew had a case during the Christmas holidays.
I would like the pandemic to be over, but that would require millions of alleged adults to actually act like adults, so I don’t think that is happening anytime soon.
My employer has been taking this as seriously as they are allowed (state university in a state which has prohibited COVID vaccine mandates, and while the federal contractor mandate would apply, that appears to still be in judicial limbo). Those who have been vaccinated only have to test every other week, while the unvaccinated have to test twice per week (they aren’t yet saying anything about boostered vs. unboostered, but I expect that to change with or shortly after the beginning of the spring semester in a couple of weeks). The university provides the test kits.
Peale
@Kent:
I nurses and physical therapists, no. But given that we already have chiropracts and homeopaths and functional “doctors”, the value of the M.D. is already degraded.
Marigold
Our county has the highest case count per 100,000 in Ohio this week. *waves foam #1 finger*
I’m just so fucking tired.
Steeplejack
@Ohio Mom:
What about doing one of those at-home tests as an interim measure?
Kay
That was the old, “mean” public health approach which was wildly fucking successful so by all means let’s replace that with suggestions from the Twitter fake-psychologists on how we have somehow failed the unvaccinated by not coming up with a magic string of words that no Right winger finds offensive.
NotMax
@Kay
It’s new! it’s the John Wayne vaccine!
“Duke it out with the virus and win every time!”
//
Kelly
Last week Oregon more than doubled its previous peak infection count. Hospital utilization is high but not yet crisis standards of care. Breakthrough cases about 30%.
SamInWa
So here is my question as someone who could afford actual N95 NIOSH certified masks… how on earth am I supposed to find a trusted source? It’s all just a guess when looking online and who knows what you will get.
For now, I’m using KF94 masks… which are better, but I’d like to have N95 for myself that those around me.
laura
Chiming in with Elisabelle and Magda in Black to wish Amir Khalid a speedy recovery and return to the Jackal fold. We miss you Amir, get well soon and come on back.
laura
@SamInWa: I’ve been wearing this brand since March 2020 when the international shipped a pallet to each of our union locals- then buying them after I retired. I’m impressed by the breathability, the light weight and have ruined several by attempting to eat or drink forgetting I was wearing it: https://airqueen.com/
The fit is really good and they make children’s sizes too. But it ain’t niosh due to the ear loops vs over the back of the head.
gvg
@SamInWa:
I got mine at home depot. Made by 3m so quality is assured. I also would think Honeywell would be good (they had some of those). I had to find the N95S’s which are the small size, as the regular ones were for a bigger face and gapped on the bottom which would have made them ineffective.
WaterGirl
@laura: I am not finding anything about N94 or N95 at that link. Maybe it is there and i am not seeing it?
Steeplejack
@WaterGirl:
The Air Queen masks are KF94, the Korean equivalent of N95 and KN95. They don’t have it on their packaging, but it is mentioned in many descriptions. I bought a 10-pack of Air Queen masks at Amazon (from vendor 1080 Shops) and like them a lot.
ETA: Obviously the Air Queen site would be a legit place to buy them.
Steeplejack
Redacted.
JaneE
Lots of criticism for Newsom on the right for just about everything, but we just found out some of the national guard are coming to one of the testing stations in the next county. To provide some relief for the people who were manning it, to allow for more people to be tested, to cover walk-ins, and to give them some breathing room to hire more people. Sounds reasonable to me, especially since the second half of the new blurb said “don’t come to the ER for testing, you are gumming it up for the real emergencies” just not quite so bluntly.
J R in WV
@gvg:
Industrial respirators are the nuts for this thing. If the big box stores like Lowe’s, Home Depot, Menards etc don’t have them locally, try suppliers like Grainger.
They aren’t cheap, but have a huge variety of material, tools, parts, and protective equipment. They have stores almost everywhere people work.
Mart
Don’t know why Hotez’s Houston group does not get more press. They are sending out the formula for their vaccine which is easy to make and distribute to the world for free. They are working on a billion doses to distribute for free. For profit Moderna is giving 2.7 million doses to Mexico. The Houston group should get all of the Nobel prizes, and all the Academy Awards as well.