As the mutations march on, with BA2.12.1 25% more transmissible than BA.2, which was 30%+ more transmissible than Omicron BA.1, which was 50% more transmissible than Delta, let's just pretend we're finishedhttps://t.co/mFxh9DbFg9 by @JoelAchenbach
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 1, 2022
Indeed. If we were still using just transmission levels, would as many folks feel comfortable unmasked as they do now? Do they even know many areas are back into high transmission metrics? https://t.co/UMwzS6NcQg
— Dr. Tara C. Smith (@aetiology) April 30, 2022
======
Pandemic progress to its lowest death rate, and we have the means to get this much lower
For context, the approximate average number of worldwide deaths per day for heart disease is 49,000, cancer 27,000, and seasonal flu 1,800 pic.twitter.com/519z5CeUXt— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 1, 2022
China reports 7,822 new COVID cases on May 1, down from previous day https://t.co/Dbm8W65FKK pic.twitter.com/OCKXTqu2qP
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 2, 2022
China's Shanghai was dealt a blow as authorities reported 58 new COVID cases outside quarantine areas while Beijing pressed on with testing millions of its people on a May Day holiday https://t.co/RQn1Biwy8V pic.twitter.com/0bhKokCU4Y
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 2, 2022
… China is the world’s biggest buyer of meat, bringing in more than 9 million tonnes last year, worth about $32 billion, and the financial hub with a thriving dining scene accounts for the largest chunk of imports.
Traders rely on Shanghai’s ideal location for distributing product around the country, but since an outbreak of COVID-19 cases forced a lockdown in the city at the end of March, moving chilled or frozen products has become a costly headache.
“Unloading containers is actually ok. The real issue is logistics out of the harbour, getting trucks and drivers to pick up the product,” said Soeren Tinggaard, Vice President at the Pinggu Retail & Foodservice business for pork processor Danish Crown.
Frequent COVID tests, lengthy quarantines and long clearance times to enter Shanghai have kept many drivers away, while fewer refrigerated trucks are available because of special licensing requirements.
Other food products, including dairy and edible oils, have also been stuck in the Shanghai port, while beef imports into the city have dropped 23% year-on-year in March. Taken together with other cities under COVID-19 restrictions, the data suggests food exporters like Brazil, the United States and Australia are facing pressure on their trade with the world’s second-biggest economy…
The Shanghai port congestion has also impacted customers elsewhere in China.
“Since April 1, I haven’t got a single piece of meat,” said a Beijing-based trader who normally receives about 3 million yuan ($453,995.16) worth of beef each month from Shanghai.
A two-tonne shipment of chilled U.S. beef worth about 400,000 yuan that arrived more than a month ago is becoming a concern, said the trader.
“If it’s still there after 70 days, most of my customers won’t want it anymore,” he said, declining to be identified because of the sensitivity of speaking out about COVID measures…
Some traders are rerouting product to other ports in China, but deliveries are slow and even then, costs are mounting as cities roll out their own stepped-up COVID protocols.
For trucks arriving into Beijing, product goes to designated central warehouses where it is tested for COVID-19. Once released, some importers have been told they must hold it for up to 14 days and carry out more COVID tests.
Tianjin requires COVID tests on all chilled and frozen foods, including one test on the inside of the packaging, said another Beijing importer. For a bag of Wagyu beef worth about 2,000 yuan, that’s a lot of money down the drain…
I'll test twice a week to save one life a week, why not? Some people spend an hour donating blood every few months. Lots of people give 10 minutes of salary to charity every week. It's literally 10 minutes a week to avoid mass death and disability in my city.
— Naomi Wu 机械妖姬 (@RealSexyCyborg) May 1, 2022
Africa's first COVID-19 vaccination plant, touted last year as a trailblazer for an under-vaccinated continent frustrated by sluggish Western handouts, risks shutting down after receiving not a single order, a company executive said on Saturday. https://t.co/aPPI3x25qS
— Reuters Health (@Reuters_Health) May 2, 2022
======
A high resolution study of #SARSCoV2 infectiousness: poor correlation with symptoms, extensive variability in shedding ?? @NatureMicrobiol https://t.co/pIoUR5taR1
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) April 28, 2022
======
New York City is drafting new rules that would allow eateries to make outdoor dining permanent. That’s just one of the ways the pandemic has shaped the way the city uses its roadways — giving more space to people, and less to cars. https://t.co/zzGAEDIc03
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 1, 2022
Here are the people who helped end the travel mask mandate & none had any expertise in public health: A vaccine critic, a right-wing Florida judge & 2 clueless travelers. The mask rule on planes had been targeted by the travel industry & Republicans https://t.co/PkyeIVUoyU
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) May 1, 2022
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Sunday / Monday, May 1-2Post + Comments (51)