U.S: 93.1% of infections now blamed on JN.1
The days of the super-variants are not yet numbered.
CBS News https://t.co/VSHx5Iezbv
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) February 6, 2024
… The CDC’s latest biweekly estimate of the variant’s spread was published Friday. It comes as key trends reflecting COVID-19’s spread are now showing signs of slowing, following a peak over the winter holidays.
“Several key indicators are showing decreasing levels of activity nationally,” the agency said Friday in its weekly respiratory viruses report.
Only the South has seen trends of the virus rise in wastewater over recent weeks, according to the CDC’s tally through Feb. 1.
Most parts of the country are also seeing steep slowdowns in COVID-19 cases diagnosed in emergency rooms, except in the South where trends now appear to have roughly plateaued in some states…
Last night's update: 248,733 new cases, nearly 2,600 new deaths https://t.co/UhRXJQbuSW
— BNO News (@BNOFeed) February 5, 2024
This is the 5th week in a row with more than 2,000 new deaths, or 11,788 deaths combined. This is also the 21st week in a row with more than 1,000 new deaths, or more than 35,000 during the same period.
— BNO News (@BNOFeed) February 5, 2024
Biobot update 2/5/2024:
Biobot showing an upswing, though I'm skeptical that it's real. I would guess BB corrects down next week. Explanation follows in subtweets.
🔸1,000,000 new infections/day
🔸1 in every 330 became infected today
🔸1 in every 33 people currently infected pic.twitter.com/5MNpeMs7MW— JWeiland (@JPWeiland) February 6, 2024
Vaccines may work better if arms are alternated for each shot https://t.co/F3sNX67ueI via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) February 6, 2024
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Excess mortality data puts the total deaths from Dec. 2019-Jan2024 at closer to 35 million. That's direct #COVID19 fatalities + an increase in other-cause deaths due to #pandemic pressures on health systems & other factors. #WHO reckons the direct #COVID share may be 21 M. https://t.co/mOOmOG5TT4
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) February 5, 2024
"The virus is rampant. We’re still in a pandemic. There’s a lot of complacency at the individual level, and more concerning to me is that at the government level" @mvankerkhove, WHO COVID response leader
New piece in Scientific American by @meghanbartels: https://t.co/jwbLhXIZvC pic.twitter.com/1QKgHccWKC
— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) February 6, 2024
For four years now, either as a physical virus or as a looming threat, the COVID-causing pathogen SARS-CoV-2 has been the elephant in every room—sometimes confronted and sometimes ignored but always present. While once we dreamed of eradicating COVID, now much of society has resigned itself to SARS-CoV-2’s constant presence—a surrender that would once have been unthinkable.
Worldwide, there were more than 11,000 reported deaths from COVID between mid-December 2023 and mid-January 2024, and more than half of those deaths occurred in the U.S. In that same time frame, nearly one million cases were reported to the World Health Organization globally (although reduced testing and reporting means this is likely a vast undercount). In particular, epidemiologists are monitoring the newest variant of SARS-CoV-2, JN.1, and looking for any signs that it may be more severe than previous strains.
Although the WHO declared an end to the COVID public health emergency in May 2023, the organization has emphasized that the pandemic isn’t over—it’s just entered an endemic phase, which means that the virus will continue to circulate indefinitely. Throughout the past four years, Maria Van Kerkhove, now interim director of the WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, has helped lead the agency’s response to COVID. Scientific American spoke with Van Kerkhove about entering the fifth year of a pandemic that many want to ignore despite its permanent impact on lives around the world.
How would you describe the overall state of COVID at this point in the pandemic?
COVID’s not in the news every day, but it’s still a global health risk. If we look at wastewater estimates, the actual circulation [of SARS-CoV-2] is somewhere between two and 20 times higher than what’s actually being reported by countries. The virus is rampant. We’re still in a pandemic. There’s a lot of complacency at the individual level, and more concerning to me is that at the government level.
Lack of access to lifesaving tools such as diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines is still a problem. Demand for vaccination is very low around the world. The misinformation and disinformation that’s out there is hampering the ability to mount an effective response. So we feel there’s a lot more work to do, in the context of everything else—[we no longer have a] COVID lens only, of course, but using masks for respiratory pathogens that transmit through the air is a no-brainer—plus vaccination, plus distancing, plus improving ventilation. People are living their life; we’re not trying to stop anyone from doing anything, but we’re trying to work with governments to make sure they do that as safely as possible.
We don’t know everything about this virus. Even in year five, there’s still a lot of research that needs to be done…
Are there any other things you’d like people to know about COVID right now?
I think it’s important that we continue to talk about it. We understand you don’t want to hear about it. I don’t want to talk about it. But we need to because there’s more we can do. We cannot prevent all infections. We cannot prevent all deaths. But there’s a hell of a lot more that we can do to really keep people safe and save them from losing a loved one.
China: JN.1 variant dominant as Covid rises again.
Cases expected to rise due to the Spring Festival holidays in mid-February.
Times of India:https://t.co/QGXd02bDa9
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) February 6, 2024
Alarming Surge in Japan’s COVID-19 Cases; 10 Weeks Straight Increase, Half Aged 14 and Underhttps://t.co/DdTaUyAhW0
— SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) February 3, 2024
Russia: Covid still increasing in Moscow
6,505 people caught COVID-19 in Moscow last week. 585 people were hospitalized, 5,134 recovered and 18 patients died.
A week earlier, 5,066 cases were reported.
Interfaxhttps://t.co/e9TROqTTYe
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) January 31, 2024
Greece: 161 Covid test stations now open for free rapid tests
A full list of all 161 testing stations that are now operating in Greece is published.https://t.co/uPsD5bEkph
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) February 6, 2024
Sicknote Britain: Numbers long-term ill hits another record high of 2.8m in the wake of Covid
Some 2.813million people were in the category in the three months to November, according to revised official figures.https://t.co/W1toiMXI3J
— SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) February 6, 2024
Brazil: 7 municipalities recommend the use of facemasks in healthcare facilities in Mato Grosso
Seven cities have a very high risk of Covid contamination, and 39 municipalities are considered high riskhttps://t.co/7x1YedTaHx
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) February 6, 2024
Canadian COVID Forecast: Feb 3-16, 2024
SEVERE: CAN, AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, North, NS, ON, PEI, QC, SK
VERY HIGH: none
HIGH: none
ELEVATED: none
MODERATE: none
LOW: noneAbout 1 in 19 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected. pic.twitter.com/rijbKytWqp
— Tara Moriarty (@MoriartyLab) February 4, 2024
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#Covid infections make insomnia more likely, especially in people w/ anxiety or depression, according to new research from scientists in Vietnam. Team found substantial insomnia among non-hospitalized Covid survivors who had histories of depression/anxiety https://t.co/CFAs9oJN8F
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) February 5, 2024
Cognitive slowing may be a hallmark of #LongCovid. Pronounced cognitive slowing was evident when #LongCovid patients took a 30-second test measuring simple reaction time. Marked slowing was evident among these patients compared w/ age-matched controls https://t.co/gsGZZyuYFt
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) February 5, 2024
In a prospective study of cognitive deficits after Covid, about half recovered at a median follow up of 2 years https://t.co/A0XjIjYQ3q #LongCovid 12% of participants under age 35 had cognitive deficits at baseline; reinfections did not have an adverse effect pic.twitter.com/8j0m6Jxa25
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) February 3, 2024
An early estimate from @CDCgov suggests the fall #Covid shot has a vaccine effectiveness of 54%. About equally protective against XBB.1.5 viruses (what it targets) and JN.1 viruses, which have taken over since the vaccines was made. https://t.co/Mhjiky95IM
— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@HelenBranswell) February 1, 2024
Here's a simplified translation of the findings by @UCLA and collaborators https://t.co/5JoUwXzX47 pic.twitter.com/gILNq0BX2A
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) February 2, 2024
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US government failure to protect frontline workers from COVID led to thousands of deaths
And it still continues to this day. https://t.co/fVS0d33eXB
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) February 2, 2024
A dangerous ‘side effect’ of pandemic anti-vaxx propaganda:
Antivaxxers are trying to bring back measles—and they're doing a great job. Europe has had >30k cases. By the way, measles can be fatal. That's why a vax was developed. Below a measles map indicating states where measles cases have been confirmed https://t.co/90FhlCFJlS pic.twitter.com/h4oiMpmbKQ
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) February 6, 2024
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: February 7, 2024Post + Comments (29)