COVID-19 News and Discussions

[wjfox]

Global death toll now above 4 million, according to John Hopkins University.

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps ... 7b48e9ecf6


"...a loss roughly equivalent to the population of Los Angeles."

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/08/worl ... llion.html

[caltrek]

Africa Suffers 'Most Dire Pandemic Week'
by Jessica Corbett
July 9, 2021

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/ ... demic-week

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) Underscoring the desperate need to dramatically increase equitable access to coronavirus vaccines on a global scale, Africa just saw its worst pandemic week yet and conditions across the continent are only expected to get worse in the weeks ahead.

With the ultra-contagious Delta variant spreading, Africa recorded over 251,000 new Covid-19 cases during the week that ended July 4—a 20% jump from the previous week and a 12% rise from the high point in January, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday.

As Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO's regional director for the continent, put it: "Africa has just marked the continent's most dire pandemic week ever. But the worst is yet to come as the fast-moving third wave continues to gain speed and new ground."

"The end to this precipitous rise is still weeks away," Moeti warned. "Cases are doubling now every 18 days, compared with every 21 days only a week ago. We can still break the chain of transmission by testing, isolating contacts and cases, and following key public health measures."

According to BBC News:

• There are 23 countries on the continent that have so far experienced a third wave of infections, with Senegal and Malawi the latest two to be affected.

• Of those, 13 are experiencing a more severe wave than before, the Africa CDC says, with Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Zambia, Rwanda, and Tunisia the worst hit.

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[Yuli Ban]

Global death toll now above 4 million, according to John Hopkins University.

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps ... 7b48e9ecf6


"...a loss roughly equivalent to the population of Los Angeles."

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/08/worl ... llion.html

Global death toll now AT LEAST 4 million. Almost certainly much higher.

In fact, it all makes COVID-19 the 8th deadliest epidemic in history:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_epidemics

[Yuli Ban]

Woman, 90, In Belgium Dies After She Was Infected With 2 Covid Variants At Same Time

A 90-year-old woman who died after falling ill with Covid-19 was infected with both the Alpha and Beta variants of the coronavirus at the same time, researchers in Belgium said Sunday, adding that the rare phenomenon may be underestimated.
The unvaccinated woman, who lived alone and received at-home nursing care, was admitted to the OLV Hospital in the Belgian city of Aalst after a spate of falls in March and tested positive for Covid-19 the same day.

While her oxygen levels were initially good, her condition deteriorated rapidly and she died five days later.

When medical staff tested for the presence of any variants of concern they found that she was carrying both the Alpha strain, which originated in Britain, and the Beta variant first detected in South Africa.

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[Ken_J]

this tweet is worse than useless. It's vaguery allows conspiracy nuts to loudly shout, 'See, proof that covid was a fraud.'

[weatheriscool]

FDA to announce new warning on Johnson & Johnson vaccine related to rare autoimmune disorder
Source: Washington Post

The Food and Drug Administration is preparing to announce a new warning for the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine saying the shot has been linked to a serious but rare side effect — Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which the immune system attacks the nerves, according to four individuals familiar with the situation.

About 100 preliminary reports of Guillain-Barré have been detected after 12.8 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine were administered, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. These cases have largely been reported about two weeks after vaccination and mostly in men, many aged 50 and older. Available data do not show a pattern suggesting a similar increased risk with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, after more than 321 million doses of those vaccines have been administered in the United States. The Guillain-Barré cases will be discussed as part of an upcoming meeting of CDC advisers, the agency said.

Guillain-Barré syndrome usually occurs at a rate of about 60 to 120 cases each week, according to CDC data. While the cause of the syndrome is not fully understood, it often follows infection with a virus, including influenza, or bacteria. Each year in the United States, an estimated 3,000 to 6,000 people develop the illness.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... 2p7ZoWYqSs

[wjfox]

[raklian]

[weatheriscool]

COVID-19 case count spikes hit almost every state
Source: the hill




By Justine Coleman - 07/12/21 06:16 PM EDT

Most areas of the country are seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases as variants of the virus serve as a painful reminder that the pandemic is not over despite eased restrictions.

Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have documented an increase in average daily cases over the past two weeks. But nine in particular, including seven in the South, have seen cases at least double in that time period, according to data from The New York Times.

In Los Angeles County, officials recorded more than 1,000 new cases for three consecutive days this week for the first time since March. Arkansas also reported more than 1,000 new cases for a third straight day on Friday.

“The majority of states have large swaths of population that are still not protected,” said Amber D’Souza, a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

.................................

Overall, the U.S. is now averaging more than 19,000 new cases for the first time since the end of May, marking a 60 percent increase compared with two weeks ago.


...................................

During that same period, vaccination rates have plummeted to an average of 500,000 a day, the lowest level since President Biden took office................................................................

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5 ... very-state

[weatheriscool]

10 children on life support as Mississippi sees surge in delta variant cases
Source: wapt.com

JACKSON, Miss. —

Concern about the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant is rising in Mississippi.

State health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said in a tweet Tuesday that 12 children are in the ICU and 10 are on life support because of a surge in delta variant cases.

Dobbs also said that "pretty much" all cases in Mississippi right now are the delta variant. He said the vast majority of cases, hospitalizations and deaths are of people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 219 new COVID-19 cases and 10 additional deaths on Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 325,072 cases and 7,451 deaths since the pandemic began.

Read more: https://www.wapt.com/article/10-childre ... s/37010954#

[caltrek]

Norwegian Cruise Line Sues Florida Surgeon General Over Vaccine Passport Ban
by Kayla Goggin
July 13, 2021

https://www.courthousenews.com/norwegia ... sport-ban/

Extract:

(Courthouse News) ¬— Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings on Tuesday sued Florida’s surgeon general, asking a federal judge to block the enforcement of a law enacted earlier this year that bans companies operating in the Sunshine State from asking customers if they are vaccinated against Covid-19.
…

Norwegian argues that Florida’s law preventing businesses, schools and government agencies from requiring people to show proof of Covid-19 vaccinations before gaining entry threatens “imminent, substantial, irreparable harms” to the cruise line’s business.

Violating the law and asking for proof of vaccination would cost Norwegian $5,000 per passenger in fines.

The company says cruises will be placed at risk of cancellation and possible Covid-19 outbreak if the ban is enforced, “resulting in a substantial loss of revenue, losses of wages for NCLH’s crew, harm to NCLH’s brand, goodwill and reputation with past and potential passengers, as well as substantial, adverse impacts on interstate and foreign commerce.”

“Worst of all, human life and safety would be placed at undue risk,” the complaint says.

[caltrek]

"Pandemic Is Far from Over": Largest US Nurses Union Urges CDC to Reinstate Federal Mask Mandate
by Andrea Germanos
July 14, 2021

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/ ... sk-mandate

Introduction:

Declaring Covid-19 vaccines "not enough by themselves to combat the pandemic," the nation's largest union of registered nurses on Tuesday called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reinstate the federal mask mandate.

"The Covid-19 pandemic is far from over," the union said in its letter (pdf) to CDC director Rochelle Walensky.

Signed by NNU executive director Bonnie Castillo, the letter points to a number of factors, including the emergence of concerning variants, to warrant updated guidance, which currently states that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or abide by physical distancing requirements.

Among the issues is an upward trend in Covid-19 cases.

"In the United States, the CDC reports a 16.0% increase in daily new cases over the previous week," the letter states. "More than 40 states have seen an increase in daily new cases over the previous two weeks, and more than 25 states have seen an increase in hospitalizations." Beyond national borders, cases are also rising in scores of countries.

[caltrek]

"Stop Blocking Global Covid Vaccines": Protests Greet Merkel's White House Visit
by Jake Johnson
July 13, 2021

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/ ... ouse-visit

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) Ahead of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to the U.S. later this week, public health campaigners on Tuesday floated a large banner in front of the White House calling on the European leader to "stop blocking global Covid vaccines," a reference to her continued opposition to suspending Big Pharma-friendly patent protections.

Organized by a coalition of U.S. civil society groups, Tuesday's demonstration was the first in a series of actions set to take place ahead of and during Merkel's July 15 meeting with President Joe Biden, who has faced criticism for not doing enough to pressure European allies to support a proposed patent waiver for coronavirus vaccines.

Other actions planned this week include a protest at Germany's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City on Wednesday, a "die-in" outside the White House during Merkel's visit on Thursday, and vigils at German consulates nationwide.

"While Americans and Western Europeans increasingly have widespread access to Covid vaccination, huge numbers of people around the world aren't expected to have access to a vaccine for years unless global production is dramatically increased," Arthur Stamoulis, executive director of the Citizens Trade Campaign, said in a statement. "Every day Chancellor Merkel delays global action on Covid vaccines costs thousands of lives and increases the chances of a viral mutation that can evade current vaccines and start the pandemic all over for everyone."

"The Merkel-Biden summit will not be a success," Stamoulis added, "unless Germany agrees to support the TRIPS waiver and help end the pandemic."

[caltrek]

Opinion: The Actual Reason Why Republicans and Their Media are Discouraging People From Getting Vaccinated
by Tom Hartmann
July 14, 2021

https://www.alternet.org/2021/07/gop-vaccines/

Conclusion:

(Alternet) I hope I'm proven wrong on this, but the only possible explanation I can see for all this activity that seems so well-coordinated and largely consistent is that they all think there's something in it for them. And what might that be?

Political power. And, of course, the eventual wealth that often comes with political power, particularly corrupt power. Retired Republicans make a lot of money.

Put simply, I believe these Republicans are trying to promote outbreaks of Covid in America to soften or damage Joe Biden's red-hot economy on the assumption that if the economy tanks then people will vote out Democrats and vote in Republicans in 2022 and 2024.

As Pat Buchanan wrote today: "Are the Democrats headed for their Little Bighorn, with President Joe Biden as Col. Custer? The wish, you suggest, is father to the thought."

They're not just willing to let tens or hundreds of thousands of Americans die just to win the next two elections, they're actively encouraging that outcome.

[raklian]

I couldn't help feeling a smidge of schadenfreude when I saw this.

[wjfox]