Average daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalization are continuing to fall in the U.S.
Total confirmed cases reported Saturday barely exceeded 100,000, a sharp downturn from around 800,850 on Jan. 16, according to Johns Hopkins University data. https://t.co/ON7H92qE9P
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 21, 2022
Due credit to the anime fans (including the HVAC versions):
An anime convention held in Manhattan last November was not a superspreader event, a new CDC study found. Good air filtration, widespread vaccination and masks indoors prevented the 53,000-person event from causing a major Covid outbreak, the agency said. https://t.co/IT2ZIZVXgk
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 17, 2022
The verdict is in: The #omicron surge accounts for more deaths than the #delta wave. Downplaying the impact of omicron as "mild" is foolhardy ↓ https://t.co/mMtz30tSaU
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 21, 2022
4 health experts on the covid travel precautions we should keep https://t.co/IIbQ9HEasE
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 20, 2022
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Beijing 2022 Olympics organiser reports zero new COVID-19 cases on Feb 20 https://t.co/iyz8Wn9oF0 pic.twitter.com/Lgguw0wlnf
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
Hong Kong set to report 7,533 new COVID-19 cases, new record -TVB https://t.co/Io1NVExYnk pic.twitter.com/vzyBCABDFb
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
Hong Kong rushed to build isolation facilities to house thousands of coronavirus patients as construction crews from mainland China worked in the rain and chilly weather https://t.co/NfcjMHOzpN pic.twitter.com/pfwPVnUm6F
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
In Hong Kong, health officials are still in a pitched battle against #OmicronVariant w/ 6k new cases in 24 hrs. So many people are infected, they're being treated on sidewalks. Health officials plan to build isolation units for 10,000 patients https://t.co/Toc7TSGHPw pic.twitter.com/Q4YmFx0qjP
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 21, 2022
Analysis: Hong Kong's 'zero-COVID' success now worsens strains of Omicron spike https://t.co/dsN8mbpHX0 pic.twitter.com/k8LwgbeKaA
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 20, 2022
… A 60-fold spike in daily infections this month prompted the government recently to modify its COVID-eradication policies, but the authorities continue aiming to wipe out the virus. The impact of zero tolerance will remain for some time, epidemiologists say.
Hong Kong’s strict pandemic policies have limited coronavirus infections to around 40,000 with 259 deaths, far fewer than in other major cities. Asian rival Singapore, with 5.7 million people, has reported more than half a million cases and some 900 deaths.
Under zero-COVID, Hong Kong authorities essentially closed the border and hospitalised even asymptomatic coronavirus-positive people and isolated close contacts with infected people. A person showing little or no symptoms could spend weeks in hospital, then move to an isolation facility for several more weeks before being allowed to return to normal life.
In return, most people in the global financial hub could go about their work and social lives with few restrictions…
Tracing, testing, treatment and quarantine resources still target every infection instead of prioritising high-risk groups, such as the elderly, causing widespread frustration.
Zero-COVID messaging, some epidemiologists fear, may encourage complacency and false hopes among the largely unvaccinated elderly that the city may again become virus-free and stay that way. More than 60% of residents over age 80 have not been vaccinated, although some 85% of the entire population has had at least one shot…
But some health experts forecast daily infections rocketing to as much as 30,000 by the end of March from 3,629 on Friday, far outpacing efforts to increase capacity.
Epidemiologists at the University of Hong Kong have warned that only a costly, months-long, full lockdown would eliminate infections. And while that would return the city to where it was in December, Omicron could strike again, causing renewed chaos, they say…
By me: Hong Kong Departures Climb to Pandemic High as Residents Flee https://t.co/8yRT2QLWEb via @bpolitics
— Danny Lee ? 李嘉洪: x3? (@JournoDannyAero) February 21, 2022
Majority of Japanese unhappy with progress of booster shots – survey https://t.co/cRrW6wquZ3 pic.twitter.com/TVvi8gYofh
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
‘Welcome back world!’: After nearly two years of closures, Australia fully reopened its international borders to travelers vaccinated against the coronavirus https://t.co/D3woGMr4BV pic.twitter.com/0ZtaFngdBx
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
New Zealand's Ardern signals mandates will ease after Omicron peaks https://t.co/OSAhh7I6EI pic.twitter.com/LvPL9UmW95
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
Russia reported 152,337 new Covid-19 infections and 735 deaths over the last 24 hourshttps://t.co/sHQ93oeqkW
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) February 21, 2022
Italy reports 42,081 new coronavirus cases on Sunday https://t.co/yQZrePkjNW pic.twitter.com/Vfp4TtPIFT
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 20, 2022
Italy recommends fourth COVID vaccine dose for immunocompromised https://t.co/n8kF5gwqIO pic.twitter.com/HflCRtMcNO
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 20, 2022
Staff shortage concerns challenge Germany's vaccine mandate https://t.co/6FGYVSQM16 pic.twitter.com/KnyCHpA6F2
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
Boris Johnson set to scrap Britain's COVID restrictions https://t.co/dXemGKXMH0 pic.twitter.com/OHx23vPmC0
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
… As Hong Kong builds isolation units and Europe retains social distancing and vaccine rules, Johnson will announce the repeal of any pandemic requirements that impinge on personal freedoms, a day after Queen Elizabeth tested positive for the virus.
Under the plans, which have been in the works for weeks, Britain will become the first major European country to allow people who know they are infected with COVID-19 to freely use shops, public transport and go to work.
Johnson said on Sunday he did not want people to “throw caution to the wind” and there was no case for complacency, but the vaccine rollout meant the government wanted to move from state mandation to encouraging personal responsibility.
Among adults, 81% have been boosted in England…
Britain’s toll of more than 160,000 fatalities within 28 days of infection is the second-highest in Europe after Russia’s, and it reported an average of around 43,000 cases and 144 deaths a day in the last week.
Medical leaders have urged Johnson not to be “gung-ho” with the nation’s health, and government advisers have said dropping restrictions could lead to rapid epidemic growth as people change their behaviour more swiftly than at previous times in the pandemic…
The "Living with COVID" plan will apply only to England since the other parts of the U.K. set their own public health rules. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to give more details about the plan in Parliament on Monday. https://t.co/tV0J3BoKR2
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) February 20, 2022
UK COVID cases down 25.5% in last week https://t.co/uhqpwgtoTU pic.twitter.com/27pKGIKQ7m
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 20, 2022
Is England ready for its last remaining Covid rule to be ditched? https://t.co/TOjzTljoQV
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 21, 2022
Valneva receives 12.5 mln pound COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing grant in Scotland https://t.co/6iNXwvAfvS pic.twitter.com/sD47WweEGg
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
A half dozen African countries are receiving the technology to produce their own mRNA vaccines as part of a WHO technology transfer program https://t.co/wxnLE6gRqH https://t.co/XU7TZURmgH pic.twitter.com/PXxkryAbGp
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 21, 2022
Throughout the pandemic, Canadians survived far better than Americans, in part because of a substantially improved vaccination and booster rate pic.twitter.com/cwNNf8AQib
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) February 20, 2022
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How #LongCovid exhausts the body. A picture is emerging of the toll long Covid takes on the body. It's largely viewed as a chronic illness w/ a wide variety of symptoms, many of which are not explainable using conventional lab tests https://t.co/q38OBapoT0
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 20, 2022
First cases of co-infection with #delta & #omicron identified during local co-circulation of both SARSCoV2 variants. Scientists in Australia define the phenomenon in a pre-publication study https://t.co/spFHtzr9Ec pic.twitter.com/UuPURLVr95
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 21, 2022
The following are disease prevention & control measures:
• Free & widely available testing
• Free & widely available treatment
• Free & widely available vaccines
• Public health guidance on risk-reduction behaviours (eg masks, ventilation, hand washing, stay home if unwell)— Meaghan Kall (@kallmemeg) February 19, 2022
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National Guard fills in as nursing assistants amid healthcare worker shortage https://t.co/9Hhn1Om9yc pic.twitter.com/AFu4FDyrU3
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
Just to repeat once again: masks are popular and the movement to end them is really fringe — it just happens to be extremely overrepresented in the media https://t.co/IJALAT7mno
— Josh (@jr_foust) February 20, 2022
It’s been two years since the largest free festival and showcase of Louisiana music, food and culture has taken place in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
That changes this April, when the French Quarter Festival returns. https://t.co/ASMxMndO2n
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 20, 2022
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Sunday / Monday, Feb. 20-21Post + Comments (54)