COVID-19 Pandemic World Updates

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Covid-19 deaths pass five million worldwide​

More than five million people are known to have died of Covid-19 worldwide, 19 months since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Vaccines have slowed the death rate, but some health experts say the true toll could be far higher.

The milestone comes amid warnings from health officials that cases and deaths in some places are rising for the first time in months.
Nearly 250 million cases of the virus have been recorded worldwide.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the pandemic's real global death toll could be two to three times higher than official records.
In the US, more than 745,800 people have died, making it the country with the highest number of recorded deaths.

It is followed by Brazil, with 607,824 recorded deaths, and India, with 458,437. But health experts believe these numbers are under reported, partly because of deaths at home and those in rural communities.

 

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Europe once again at centre of Covid pandemic, says WHO​

Uneven vaccine coverage and a relaxation of preventive measures have brought Europe to a “critical point” in the pandemic, the World Health Organization has said, with cases again at near-record levels and 500,000 more deaths forecast by February.

Hans Kluge, the WHO’s Europe director, said all 53 countries in the region were facing “a real threat of Covid-19 resurgence or already fighting it” and urged governments to reimpose or continue with social and public health measures.

“We are, once again, at the epicentre,” he said. “With a widespread resurgence of the virus, I am asking every health authority to carefully reconsider easing or lifting measures at this moment.” He said that even in countries with high vaccination rates, immunisation could only do so much.

Europe once again at centre of Covid pandemic, says WHO

Cases at near-record levels and 500,000 more deaths forecast by February

www.theguardian.com

 

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UK first to approve oral antiviral molnupiravir to treat Covid​

Pill can be taken twice daily at home and priority will be given to elderly patients and those with health vulnerabilities

The UK medicines regulator has become the first in the world to approve an oral antiviral pill for Covid in a move that paves the way for tens of thousands of vulnerable patients to receive the treatment from this winter.

Nearly half a million doses of molnupiravir, a pill that can be taken twice daily at home, are due for delivery from mid-November and will be given as a priority to elderly Covid patients and those with particular vulnerabilities, such as weakened immune systems. The drug will initially be given to patients through a national study run by the NHS.

UK is first to approve oral antiviral pill to treat Covid

Pill can be taken twice daily at home and priority will be given to elderly patients and those with health vulnerabilities

www.theguardian.com

 

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Morgue with covid victims in one of the biggest hospitals in Sofia, Bulgaria.

 

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Russia death toll passes 250,000​

A woman is getting tested for Covid-19 at a metro station in Moscow.

Russia on Wednesday reported a record 1,239 deaths from Covid in the previous 24 hours, two days after most of its regions emerged from a week-long workplace shutdown designed to curb the spread of the virus.

It takes the official death toll to 250,454 deaths. Only four other countries have surpassed the grim quarter-million milestone. Officially, the US has reported 757,309 fatalities, Brazil 609,756, India 461,849, and Mexico 290,110, according to data from John Hopkins University.

A further 38,058 coronavirus cases were also recorded across Russia, including 3,927 in Moscow, in the past 24 hours, according to the government’s Covid task force.

New daily cases have retreated slightly in the past four days after hitting a peak of 41,335 on Saturday.

“For now we cannot say with confidence that the situation has stabilised and the infection rate is declining,” the deputy prime minister Tatyana Golikova told a government meeting.

Her assessment was markedly more downbeat than that of the health minister Mikhail Murashko, who had said on Tuesday that the nationwide “non-working days” from 30 October to 7 November had turned the tide in Russia’s fight against the pandemic.

Murashko told parliament on Wednesday that oxygen reserves at hospitals in 12 of Russia’s regions would last for two days or less, unless they were replenished.

At the same time, he said, some regions were already reporting a decline in infections and the vaccination campaign was bearing fruit as only 3-4% of inoculated Russians have been infected.

More than 62 million Russians have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, Murashko said.

Golikova told a government meeting that 22 million more people needed to get inoculated and about 9 million needed to get a booster in order to have 80% of the adult population vaccinated and thus achieve a minimum level of collective immunity.

 

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Morgues fill up in Romania and Bulgaria amid low Covid vaccine uptake​

Morgues fill up in Romania and Bulgaria amid low Covid vaccine uptake

Lack of confidence in government contributing to double-vaccination rates of just 34% and 22%Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage

www.theguardian.com

 

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Merkel: Germany hit by full force of dramatic forth Covid wave​

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Germany is in the grip of a "dramatic" fourth Covid wave, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said on the eve of a crisis meeting with regional leaders.

Daily infections hit a new German record of 52,826 on Wednesday as European governments responded to a surge on much of the continent.

"It's not too late to decide to get a first vaccination," said Mrs Merkel, calling for a faster booster jab drive.
The Netherlands, now under partial lockdown, also reported record cases.
Austria imposed a lockdown on an estimated two million unvaccinated people on Monday and other European states are weighing up their own restrictions.

Sweden is introducing a Covid vaccination pass from 1 December for the first time for concerts and other indoor events involving more than 100 people. "You who are unvaccinated cannot just carry on as normal; your most important contribution is to get vaccinated," said Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren, who accepted the measure was tough but said Sweden was not isolated from the rest of the world.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said anyone who had not been vaccinated (or could show they had had recovered from Covid-19) would be banned from accessing public events or services. From Monday, negative tests would no longer be enough.
Neighbouring Slovakia, where a record 8,342 cases were reported on Wednesday, is planning similar measures: workplaces and non-essential shops will be accessible only to vaccinated staff or to people who could prove they have recovered, says Prime Minister Eduard Heger.

Vaccination rates vary across the continent. Slovak take-up is among the lowest in the EU at 44% while the Czech rate is 58%, in Austria it is 65% and in Germany 68%.

Both Germany and Austria have reported queues at vaccination centres, but they have some of the lowest take-up rates in Western Europe.

Austria also has a very high incidence rate of 971.5 cases per 100,000 people, far higher than Germany's 319.5.

As well as its lockdown for the unvaccinated, some Austrian officials are calling for tighter restrictions for others too, such as a possible night-time curfew.

Although Germany's overall death toll is far lower than that in the UK, 294 deaths have been recorded in 24 hours and Mrs Merkel spoke of an emergency with intensive care beds filling up in hospitals. The UK reported another 201 deaths within 28 days of testing positive for Covid on Wednesday, and a further 38,263 infections.

Many German regions are now only allowing vaccinated people access to most services, including bars, cafes, hairdressers and gyms.

Politically the situation is complicated as the outgoing Merkel government is set to be replaced by a coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and pro-business liberals who aim to present planned Covid measures to parliament on Thursday.

France is being hit by a fifth wave of Covid, according to government spokesperson Gabriel Attal. But there are no plans beyond the current Covid passport as "we are coping better than previously thanks to the vaccines and the health pass".

He said France was light years away from the situation a year ago, and anyone aged 50-64 could now make an appointment for a third Covid vaccination.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59320515

 

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Good evening.

Here is my latest summary for today covering the growing winter covid wave in Europe.

• The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, made a televised address urging citizens to get vaccinated against Covid-19, as he warned restrictions for the unvaccinated would be expanded. As of Monday, in addition to restaurants, curbs will also go into effect in other “enclosed spaces” including cinemas, theatres, museums and gyms. The government had decided to also limit Covid passes to seven months for those aged over 60 to encourage people to get a third dose, he said, vowing that inspections would also intensify. In the coming days, Greek hospitals now under intolerable pressure will also be reinforced with private sector doctors being mobilised to assist the national health system. “Greece is mourning unnecessary deaths because very simply it does not have the vaccination percentages of other European countries,” Mitsotakis said.
• AstraZeneca’s antibody cocktail offered 83% protection against Covid over six months, the pharmaceutical firm said. Evusheld has shown promise in preventing severe disease when given early as a treatment to those infected with Covid-19.
• The UK reported another 46,807 Covid cases and a further 199 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
• Hungary will make a booster shot mandatory for all healthcare workers and will require protective mask wearing in most enclosed places from Saturday, Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff said. Gergely Gulyás also told a government briefing that only vaccines can provide protection against coronavirus as case numbers are rising. Hungary has hardly any restrictions in place and the vaccination rate is below the EU average. The steady rise in new Covid infections prompted the Hungarian Medical Chamber on Wednesday to call for strict measures. The chamber called for a ban on mass events and mandatory mask-wearing in enclosed spaces and said that entry to restaurants, theatres and cinemas should be conditional on a Covid immunity certificate.
• Slovakia will impose stricter measures for people who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus amid a surge in infections and hospital admissions that is stretching the health system, the prime minister, Eduard Heger, said. “It is a lockdown for the unvaccinated,” Heger told a news conference shown live on television. Slovakia has one of the EU’s lowest vaccination rates at 45%. Under the new rules, taking effect from Monday and foreseen for three weeks, only people who have been vaccinated or who have had Covid in the past six months will be allowed to enter restaurants, shopping malls, shops with non-essential goods, sports activities and public events. Some services will face further restrictions in most-affected regions even for those vaccinated, with restaurants only being able to serve takeaway. The new rules include the requirement to test unvaccinated people in workplaces in all but the least-affected regions. Heger said vaccinated people would be the first to benefit from an ease in restrictions.
• Saxony, the German region hardest hit by the country’s fourth wave of coronavirus, is considering a partial lockdown. The eastern region, which has Germany’s lowest vaccination rate and highest infection rate, is considering measures such as closing theatres, concerts and soccer games to the public and shutting bars and discos, local media reported.
• Pressure on Austria’s government to impose a full Covid lockdown is growing as its hardest-hit provinces said they would adopt the measure for themselves as infections are still rising despite the current lockdown for the unvaccinated. “If no national lockdown is ordered tomorrow, there will definitely have to be a lockdown of several weeks in Upper Austria together with our neighbouring province Salzburg as of next week,” the governor of Upper Austria, Thomas Stelzer, told the province’s parliament. The conservative-led provincial government of Salzburg confirmed in a statement that it is planning a joint lockdown with Upper Austria. Austria’s governors are holding a meeting on Friday with the conservative chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg, and the health minister, Wolfgang Mückstein.

 

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WHO names new variant Omicron, designates as 'variant of concern'​

Good evening, dramatic covid developments and more bad news today.

The World Health Organization has named a new covid variant B.1.1.529 Omicron and says an advisory group has recommended that it should be designated as “of concern”

In a statement, WHO said preliminary evidence suggests the latest variant carries a “higher risk of re-infection than other variants of concern”.

The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9 November 2021. This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning.

Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs [variants of concern].

The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa.

Why are scientists worried about it?​

The variant has more than 30 mutations on its spike protein – the key used by the virus to unlock our body’s cells – more than double the number carried by Delta.

Such a dramatic change has raised concerns that the antibodies from previous infections or vaccination may no longer be well matched. Purely based on knowing the list of mutations, scientists anticipate that the virus will be more likely to infect – or reinfect – people who have immunity to earlier variants.

 

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People walk the pandemic streets of Warsaw, Poland in November 2021.

Good evening, here is my latest covid depressing news summary for last day of November:

• Israel’s health minister has suggested that individuals fully vaccinated against Covid – and within six months of a booster – may also be protected against the Omicron variant. Without citing any data, Nitzan Horowitz told local reporters: “In the coming days we will have more accurate information about the efficacy of the vaccine against Omicron – but there is already room for optimism, and there are initial indications that those who are vaccinated with a vaccine still valid or with a booster, will also be protected from this variant.” The remarks come amid conflicting information about how effective various vaccines and therapies are likely to be against the new variant.
• All eligible adults in the UK should be offered a Covid booster jab by the end of January as ministers race to increase protection against the Omicron variant, Boris Johnson announced. Shortly before the prime minister’s press conference began, the UK Health Security Agency announced that a further eight cases of the Omicron variant had been discovered in England, bringing the UK total to 22. More here.
• Johnson also said he does not want people to cancel Christmas parties or school nativity plays because of concerns about Omicron. His remarks were markedly at odds with cautionary advice from Dr Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UKHSA, who urged everyone in the UK to cut down their social contact as fears grow that existing vaccines will prove less effective against Omicron. More here.
• All nine cases of the Omicron variant in Scotland trace back to a “single private event” held on 20 November, Nicola Sturgeon told the Holyrood parliament in her weekly Covid update. The first minister told MSPs that all nine were tested on or around 23 November and that none had so far required hospital care, nor had they any recent travel history to the countries in southern Africa where the variant was originally detected. Story here.
• The UK recorded another 39,716 cases of Covid on Tuesday and a further 159 deaths within 28 days of testing positive, according to the latest data from the government’s coronavirus dashboard.
• The US Food & Drug Administration said it was evaluating the effectiveness of authorised Covid vaccines against the Omicron variant and expects to have more information in the next few weeks. The agency is currently evaluating the vaccines to see if and how well they work against the variant, acting commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement. She said if the review shows a modification to the current vaccines is needed, the agency and companies will work together to develop and test such a modification quickly.
• France registered about 47,000 new confirmed Covid cases over the past 24 hours, the highest one-day tally since 8 April at the height of the third wave of the pandemic. During the third wave in the spring, the seven-day average briefly rose above 42,000. On 8 April, France recorded nearly 85,000 infections. Authorities say the vast majority of patients now in hospital with coronavirus have not been vaccinated.
• All travellers, regardless of vaccination status, entering Ireland will have to show negative Covid tests, as part of efforts to slow the potential spread of the Omicron variant. Passengers will have to produce either a negative antigen test taken up to 48 hours before arrival or a PCR test taken up to 72 hours before entry. In either case, the test must be professionally administered. The new rules will apply to those who are double vaccinated or those recently recovered from Covid. Non-vaccinated travellers are already required to have a negative PCR result from a test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival into the country. The housing minister, Darragh O’Brien, said the new measures will initially apply for two weeks.

 

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Beyond Omicron: what’s next for COVID’s viral evolution?​

As the world sped towards a pandemic in early 2020, evolutionary biologist Jesse Bloom gazed into the future of SARS-CoV-2. Like many virus specialists at the time, he predicted that the new pathogen would not be eradicated. Rather, it would become endemic — the fifth coronavirus to permanently establish itself in humans, alongside four ‘seasonal’ coronaviruses that cause relatively mild colds and have been circulating in humans for decades or more.

Beyond Omicron: what’s next for COVID’s viral evolution

The rapid spread of new variants offers clues to how SARS-CoV-2 is adapting and how the pandemic will play out over the next several months.

www.nature.com

 

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Good afternoon. Here is my quick summary of covid news for December 15.

• More than 800,000 Americans have now died from the coronavirus - the highest recorded national death toll from the global pandemic
• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson won backing for Covid passes in England, despite the biggest revolt by members of his own party since he became PM
• The UK government also announced on Tuesday that all 11 countries on its travel red list would be taken off, with Health Secretary Sajid Javid saying the Omicron variant had spread so widely the rules no longer had much purpose.
• Italy has extended a state of emergency until 31 March 2022, citing concerns over Omicron. The measures, which were due to expire at the end of December, give the government more power to limit travel and public gatherings
• The Netherlands says it will close primary schools a week before the Christmas holidays are due to start, in a pre-emptive bid to tackle infections
• Norway has announced a ban on serving alcohol in bars and restaurants, among other measures.
• At a press conference WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the new coronavirus variant Omicron is spreading across the globe at an unprecedented rate and cases of the heavily mutated variant have been confirmed in 77 countries.

Omicron spreading at unprecedented rate, WHO says​

Dr Tedros said he was concerned that not enough was being done to tackle the variant.

"Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems," he said.

The WHO's latest data suggests the variant - first detected in South Africa in November - can better evade existing vaccines and carries a higher risk of re-infection, leading the organisation to say the level of risk remains very high.

A number of countries have introduced travel bans affecting South Africa and its neighbours following the emergence of Omicron, but this has failed to stop it from spreading around the world.

 

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People in the Chinese city of Xi'an have been receiving free food deliveries from the government after all 13 million residents are confined to their homes and cannot leave to buy food or supplies.

Xi'an is at the epicentre of China's current Covid outbreak which has reported 1,600 cases since 9 December and authorities have enacted drastic measures.

 

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UK records more than 150,000 deaths since start of pandemic​

More than 150,000 people in the UK have now died within 28 days of a positive Covid test since the pandemic began.

A further 313 deaths were reported in the government's daily figures on Saturday, taking the total to 150,057.
The UK is the seventh country to pass 150,000 reported deaths, after the US, Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico and Peru.

The prime minister said every death "is a profound loss to the friends and communities affected and my thoughts and condolences are with them".
Boris Johnson added that coronavirus had taken a "terrible toll on our country" and "our way out of this pandemic is for everyone to get their booster or their first or second dose if they haven't yet".

Covid: UK records more than 150,000 deaths

The UK is the seventh country to pass this number, after the US, Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico and Peru.

www.bbc.com

 

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Snow leopard at Illinois zoo dies after contracting Covid-19​

A snow leopard at a zoo in Bloomington, Illinois, has died after contracting Covid-19.

Miller Park Zoo announced the death of Rilu, 11, which the zoo previously said “began coughing and had a raspy respiration beginning on 20 November”, in an Instagram post on Thursday.

Noting the animal’s spectacular tail, which was almost as long as its body, the zoo said Rilu produced seven offspring which are now part of its Species Survival Plan.

“Rilu’s personality and beauty will be missed by guests and staff but he will not be forgotten,” said superintendent Jay Tetzloff, adding that masks are required in all indoor spaces at the Bloomington zoo.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most animal Covid infections come from contact with humans “including owners, caretakers or others in close contact”.

Snow leopard at Illinois zoo dies after contracting Covid-19

Rilu, 11, began showing symptoms in November and the CDC says most animal Covid infections come from contact with humans

www.theguardian.com

 

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Queen tests positive for Covid​

The Queen has tested positive for Covid, Buckingham Palace has said.

The monarch is experiencing "mild cold-like symptoms" but expects to continue "light duties" at Windsor over the coming week, the palace said.
"She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines," it added in a statement.

The Queen, 95, had been in contact with her eldest son and heir, the Prince of Wales, who tested positive last week.
It is understood a number of people have tested positive at Windsor Castle, where the Queen resides.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: "I'm sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health."

The announcement comes weeks after the UK's longest reigning monarch reached her Platinum Jubilee of 70 years on 6 February.

The Queen tests positive for Covid

She has mild symptoms and expects to continue "light duties" at Windsor, Buckingham Palace says.

www.bbc.com

 

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Covid has surged in Hong Kong and the City Has run out of coffins​

A funeral industry representative told local media the soaring death toll had seen a crunch in the city’s coffins supply, with only 300 remaining and expected to be gone by the weekend.

Morgues overflowing as Hong Kong suffers deadly Covid wave, only 300 coffins remaining in city | Hong Kong Free Press HKFP

By Holmes Chan and Su Xinqi Workers in PPE gear in Hong Kong carted the bodies of coronavirus victims into refrigerated shipping containers on Wednesday, as the city’s morgues run out of space from a deadly Omicron surge. In under three months since the highly transmissible variant broke...

hongkongfp.com

 

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Anthony Fauci Tests Positive for Covid

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and President Biden's chief medical adviser, has tested positive for Covid-19, the institute said Wednesday.

Fauci, 81, has mild symptoms and has been boosted twice, the institute said in a statement. The institute told CNN that he is being treated with the antiviral medication Paxlovid.

Fauci tests positive for Covid-19 | CNN

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and President Biden's chief medical adviser, has tested positive for Covid-19, the institute said Wednesday.

edition.cnn.com

 

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More than 200,000 Covid deaths have been recorded across the UK, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics released on July 13, 2022.

A total of 200,247 Covid deaths have occurred, with 294 in the last week. The figures include deaths due to Covid-19 as well as those involving the virus.

More than 100,000 deaths had been registered in the UK by early January 2021, less than a year into the pandemic. It has taken more than a year and a half for the death toll to double, with vaccination uptake, better understanding of how to treat the virus and social distancing measures all contributing to fewer deaths.

The UK has one of the highest death tolls in Europe, with a death rate of 2,689 per million people. The rate is higher than in Spain, with a rate of 2,295 deaths per million people, France, with 2,230, and Germany, with 1,704 deaths per million people, according to figures from Our World In Data as of 12 July.

Number of UK Covid deaths passes 200,000, ONS data shows

Figures show deaths per capita are above European average, at 2,689 per million people

www.theguardian.com

 

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US President Joe Biden Tests Positive for Covid​

US President Joe Biden tests positive for Covid

The 79-year-old is experiencing mild symptoms and will continue to work, the White House says.

www.bbc.com