Covid-19 Updates & Info

[ti-amie]

It seems some in China have started doing cremations in the street because of the backlog in availability at crematoriums.

https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1 ... 8935719940

https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1 ... 6783805441

[ti-amie]

[Deuce]

^ But... but... but... I was told that the pandemic is finished and COVID-19 is gone!

Was everyone (including the president of the USA) lying?
Or do they just live in a non-existent fantasy world?

[Suliso]

I remember this guy, but I'm afraid his 15 minutes of fame are over. One could headline never ending new variants forever, but it doesn't really change anything. We have decent vaccines, but they don't sterilize and if so the virus is bound to spread. Just like flu does and no one has ever found a way to stop that from happening either.

[ti-amie]

[Deuce]

I remember this guy, but I'm afraid his 15 minutes of fame are over. One could headline never ending new variants forever, but it doesn't really change anything. We have decent vaccines, but they don't sterilize and if so the virus is bound to spread. Just like flu does and no one has ever found a way to stop that from happening either.

There's a lot more than "this guy" warning about this new variant. Many, many medical people are concerned about it.

Yes, we could go on headlining new variants for a long time, encouraging people to protect themselves and others, and trying to get a handle on the new variants of concern as much as possible...
Or we could conveniently stick our heads in the sand and 'comfortably' pretend that everything is fine as the problem persists and grows.
Again - based on medical facts, comparing COVID to the 'flu is irresponsible.

[dryrunguy]

Here's the first Situation Report of 2023. Damar Hamlin got a mention (see the NFL thread if you haven't been following).

::

EPI UPDATE* As of January 5, the WHO COVID-19 Dashboard reports:

• 657 million cumulative COVID-19 cases
• 6.67 million deaths
• 3 million cases reported week of December 26
• 22% decline in global weekly incidence as of December 26
• 10,794 deaths reported week of December 26
• 12% decline in global weekly mortality as of December 26

Over the previous week, incidence declined 73% in Africa; 42% in Europe; 26% in South-East Asia; 20% in the Americas; 16% in the Eastern Mediterranean; and 12% in the Western Pacific.

UNITED STATES
The US CDC is reporting:

• 100.6 million cumulative cases
• 1.09 million deaths
• 402,525 cases reported week of December 28
• 17% decline in weekly incidence as of December 28
• 2,530 deaths reported week of December 28
• 14% decline in weekly mortality as of December 28
• 17% increase in new hospital admissions
• 8.6% increase in current hospitalizations

*Recent holidays might delay data reporting for the WHO and US.

The Omicron sublineage XBB.1.5 experienced rapid growth over the past 2 weeks, accounting for an estimated 40.5% of all new sequenced specimens. BQ.1.1 (27%) and BQ.1 (18%) fall in line next, with various other Omicron subvariants accounting for the remainder of cases.

THE FOURTH YEAR As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its fourth year, many nations are better positioned to manage the disease due to clinical care management, vaccines, and therapies, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a January 4 briefing. Nevertheless, inequities in access to testing, treatment, and vaccination remain, threatening individuals’ health, the global economy, and societies overall, he said, noting that approximately 10,000 people die of COVID-19 worldwide each week. On December 25, the WHO announced it prequalified the first generic version of Paxlovid for production by an Indian manufacturer and said its scientists are closely monitoring and evaluating the emergence of Omicron XBB.1.5, which is quickly spreading in the United States and has been detected in nearly 30 countries. WHO officials also expressed concern over the situation in China, urging health authorities there to regularly share reliable epidemiologic data.

OMICRON XBB.1.5 A new Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5, has quickly become predominant in the United States, accounting for about 40% of all US cases—and 75% in the Northeast region—this week compared to around 4% of cases during the first week of December. XBB.1.5 is a recombinant Omicron sublineage, a fusion of 2 different BA.2 variants—BJ.1 (BA.2.10.1.1) and BA.2.75 (BA.2.75.3.1.1.1)—making it more closely related to the BA.2 subvariants that were predominant in the earlier part of 2022 than to the BA.5 subvariants that were responsible for most cases in the second half of 2022. Its rapid growth has concerned public health officials and healthcare practitioners alike, with WHO officials calling it the most transmissible subvariant detected yet. Though there is not yet much data on the severity of XBB.1.5, so far there is no indication it makes people more sick than previous subvariants. Hospitals in the US are already under significant stress, however, due to an early flu season as well as widespread incidence of other respiratory viruses such as RSV.

Some experts are concerned about XBB.1.5’s potential to evade prior immunity, with research on the related XBB subvariants showing the potential to escape the protections of antibodies resulting from vaccination, prior infection, or treatments, including Evusheld. In addition to being immune evasive, XBB.1.5 contains a mutation at genomic site 486 that is associated with enhanced viral binding to human ACE2 receptors, which could be boosting its transmissibility and causing it to surge. Notably, many experts highlight that vaccination and quick treatment with Paxlovid remains highly effective at preventing severe illness. It is unclear just how large of a surge may be driven by XBB.1.5, but the nation—and the world—is much better positioned at this point in the pandemic with vaccines, treatments, and nonpharmaceutical interventions such as masking helping to prevent infection, severe illness, and death.

US WINTER SURGE Much of the United States is experiencing a winter surge in COVID-19 cases, driven by waning immunity, holiday gatherings, and the emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron XBB.1.5 recombinant subvariant. Around the time of this report’s last publication on December 20, the nation surpassed 100 million cumulative reported COVID-19 cases, according to the US CDC. Federal data also show the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is set to surpass the number reached during the summer 2022 surge, with new hospital admissions particularly high among individuals aged 70 and older who are most vulnerable to severe disease. Hospitals and clinics are feeling pressure from an influx of people with various respiratory illnesses in addition to COVID-19, including other coronaviruses that cause colds, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus. Despite this, only 15% of people over age 5—and only 37.5% of those aged 65 and older—have received an updated bivalent vaccine booster dose. While recent data might not provide a clear picture of where the nation stands—due to reporting delays from recent holidays or severe weather as well as a lack of reporting from people using home tests—levels of SARS-CoV-2 detected in wastewater samples are rising in several regions, particularly in the Northeast, where the XBB.1.5 variant accounts for about 75% of new cases. Though health experts and some government officials, including those in New York City and Los Angeles, are urging people to begin wearing masks again and receive the latest booster, much of the country appears to have moved beyond the pandemic.

CHINA Following a reversal of its “zero COVID” containment strategy in early December after widespread protests, China is experiencing an unprecedented surge in cases. The outbreak appears to have spread first in urban areas, overwhelming healthcare facilities and morgues, and officials are concerned that weaker health systems in more rural areas will not fare well. The true impact of the current surge in cases and the number of resulting deaths is not fully understood due to unreliable data. The WHO has urged China to share more geographically based data on COVID-19 hospital admissions, intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and related deaths. Today, the organization said China supplied data on new COVID-19 hospitalizations showing a nearly 50% increase, from 15,161 new hospitalizations for mainland China during the week ending December 25 to 22,416 for the week ending January 1. China continues to report daily COVID deaths in single figures. The numbers likely are undercounts, based on officials’ use of a narrow definition of COVID-19 deaths, anecdotal evidence from individuals, and reports of deaths among prominent public figures.

In addition to the WHO, health and government officials worldwide are struggling to get a true sense of the situation in China and how to respond. Several countries have introduced—and the European Union recommended—pre-departure COVID-19 tests for travelers arriving from China, moves that the Chinese government and others have criticized as useless or even harmful. Some officials are concerned the large outbreak could provide an opportunity for a new SARS-CoV-2 variant to emerge. According to data from China’s CDC, the Omicron variant—specifically sublineages BA.5.2 and BF.7—is the most dominant based on recent genomic sequencing. The data allay concerns, for now, about the potential for a new variant of concern emerging from the outbreak, but some experts say the situation highlights the need to develop an early warning surveillance system using viral genomic data.

THERAPEUTICS Over the past several years, monoclonal antibodies were critical therapies for millions of people who were at high risk of getting sick from COVID-19 but who did not respond to or could not receive SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. However, new immune-evasive Omicron subvariants have rendered them largely ineffective as treatments for currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, and even prophylactic antibody therapies like Evusheld show diminished efficacy. In 2022, the US FDA rescinded emergency use authorizations for major monoclonal antibody treatments including bamlanivimab, etesevimab, sotrovimab, casirivimab, imdevimab, and bebtelovimab, leaving immunocompromised individuals without many treatment options.

Other therapies have mixed benefits for immunocompromised individuals. Although antivirals are available, they have seen lackluster uptake and are not accessible to everyone; Pfizer’s Paxlovid interacts with other widely prescribed drugs, Merck’s Lagevrio shows lower efficacy, and Gilead’s intravenous remdesivir requires infusions over 3 days in hospital or outpatient settings. Although the US government has strongly promoted antivirals like Paxlovid, misinformation and misconceptions about the drug, as well as worries about side effects and viral rebounding after finishing a regimen, have hampered its uptake. Even convalescent plasma, which can be adapted to different strains, is inconsistently available and difficult to administer.

An FDA spokesperson said the agency will work with pharmaceutical companies on expediting the development of preventive therapies for immunocompromised patients, though it is unknown if the agency will accept fact-tracked data gathered from laboratory studies instead of large-scale clinical trials. Additionally, without the support of federal funding that drove drug development during earlier stages of the pandemic, pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to work on new and more effective antibody treatments. The lack of effective, specialized, and widely used therapies leaves many immunocompromised people with limited options if they become sick with COVID-19.

UNFOUNDED VACCINE RUMORS During a primetime US National Football League (NFL) game on January 2, Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed shortly after suffering a blow to his chest and subsequent cardiac arrest. Hamlin was resuscitated on the field and remains in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital. Although little is known about the true cause of Hamlin’s collapse, cardiologists suspect that the blow to his chest may have disrupted his heart’s rhythm and hindered blood flow to his brain; they note there is no indication Hamlin’s COVID-19 vaccine status played a role. Shortly after the incident, however, unfounded rumors began circulating on social media linking Hamlin’s injury to COVID-19 vaccines, revealing the pervasiveness of false and misleading information 3 years into the pandemic. The November 2022 rollback of Twitter’s ban on COVID-19 misinformation likely helped the rumors spread quickly and widely.

Although certain viral infections and vaccines can lead to myocarditis in some instances, the risk of vaccine-induced cardiac arrest associated with COVID-19 vaccines is inflated. A September 2022 study in the journal Circulation found that the risk of developing myocarditis following a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is low, and an August 2022 study published in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine found that the risk of myocarditis is more than 7-fold higher in persons who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 than in those who were vaccinated. Additionally, a July 2020 study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found that structural abnormalities of the heart muscle or arteries and faulty electric rhythms were the most common causes of sudden cardiac events among competitive professional athletes in the US.

With skepticism surrounding COVID-19 vaccines now threatening other public health priorities, including childhood vaccinations, health officials are struggling to combat misinformation and improve communities’ trust in public health. Experts are concerned that this new wave of misleading information surrounding COVID-19 vaccines threatens the rollout of updated booster doses and ongoing efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases such as measles.

https://covid19.who.int/

[Deuce]

.

This looks like another step in understanding COVID-19...

COVID-19 Autopsies Reveal The Virus Spreading Through The 'Entire Body'

.

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

.

This looks like another step in understanding COVID-19...

COVID-19 Autopsies Reveal The Virus Spreading Through The 'Entire Body'

.

This is scary stuff.

[dryrunguy]

Here's the latest Situation Report. New format. Haven't read it yet.

::

Lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic should inform future pandemic preparedness and response

The world must heed the “harsh lessons” of the COVID-19 pandemic by making “bold investments” in pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement marking the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness on December 27, 2022. Many wonder, however, as the pandemic fades from our collective memory, whether the global community is—or will be—prepared to face the next pandemic.

The abilities to detect and analyze potential biological risks are critical to plan for, predict, and respond to disease outbreaks before they reach pandemic levels. Several factors—including climate change and distrust in public health agencies—are accelerating the threat of another pandemic, and various gaps—such as those in leadership, funding, and surveillance—must be filled in order to bolster our ability to face whatever comes next.

In the United Kingdom, scientists this week launched the Respiratory Virus and Microbiome Initiative, supported by the Wellcome Sanger Institute in cooperation with the UK Health Security Agency, to expand genomic sequencing of various common respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, various types of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other microbes. The program’s goal is to elucidate known threats, detect any worrisome mutations, and potentially alert experts to the emergence of new viruses.

In the United States, the US Congress is facing a deadline next year to reauthorize the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, which could provide an opportunity for momentum to instill lessons learned. While lawmakers approved some modest changes as part of a December 2022 pandemic preparedness package—including requiring Senate confirmation of future US CDC directors—a proposal to create a bipartisan commission to evaluate the federal pandemic response, identify gaps, and make recommendations for future actions was dropped. In the US House, now under control of Republicans, a Democrat-formed subcommittee—originally focused on the nation’s poor pandemic response and misinformation surrounding vaccines and treatments—will shift its priorities to examining the origin of SARS-CoV-2, investigating gain-of-function research, and probing federal spending and pandemic-related mandates. Though the CDC is expected to roll out changes in the way it addresses health emergencies, the agency continues to require congressional authority to demand data from states. Meanwhile, several states, private foundations, and academic institutions are exploring ways to institute changes on their own or make recommendations for reform.

US renews COVID-19 public health emergency; WHO advisory committee to meet later this month to consider PHEIC declaration

With various sublineages of the Omicron variant of concern (VOC) circulating worldwide—including the XBB.1.5 subvariant that appears to be increasing in prevalence globally—and China facing a severe COVID-19 outbreak, the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee for COVID-19 is set to meet January 27 for a fourteenth time to consider whether the pandemic still represents a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Several leading experts and WHO advisors say it is too early to end the pandemic emergency phase, particularly in light of the situation in China.

In the US, the Biden administration this week quietly renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency for the eleventh time. Several people familiar with the process say this could be the last renewal, although a decision has not been finalized amid yet another surge in cases. If the emergency declaration is allowed to lapse in the spring, it would mark a significant turning point in the pandemic response, triggering a shift in several significant components of the federal response, such as an end to free vaccinations and tests and the resumption of Medicaid enrollment requirements. Moderna this week said it is considering a commercial price of US$110-$130 per shot for its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, similar to the price Pfizer-BioNTech said it is considering and likely out of reach for many who do not have health insurance. The cost to consumers would be about 4 times the price the federal government paid to secure vaccine doses. In a letter to Moderna’s CEO, US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) chastised the announcement, saying the proposed price tag is “unacceptable corporate greed.”

US government launches new Home Test to Treat initiative, reflecting shift to more at-home health services during the pandemic

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH), in partnership with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), launched a new Home Test to Treat program to provide free at-home rapid tests, free telehealth sessions, and free at-home treatments for COVID-19 in select communities. Berks County, Pennsylvania, will be the first community to pilot the new program, with wider implementation is expected to occur in additional communities that will be selected based on community need, access to healthcare, anticipated COVID-19 incidence rates, and socioeconomic factors. Up to 100,000 individuals may be eligible to take advantage of this program in the coming year. Program leadership hopes the initiative will increase access to COVID-19 health services while potentially reducing community transmission.

The new program model benefits from avoiding some obstacles of the original Test to Treat program launched last year. Some patients faced difficulties accessing the antiviral treatment Paxlovid, including because of a lack of staff at pharmacies able to prescribe the medicine. Additionally, federal subsidies for the treatment are expected to end early this year, and uninsured individuals likely will be confronted with potentially prohibitive price tags.

The new program also reflects the greater shift to at-home health services, associated with high demand from patients and increased health seeking behavior in some cases. A study published January 6 in JAMA Health Forum documented that during the first year of the pandemic, March 2020-December 2020, increases in telehealth services for major depressive disorder, anxiety, and adjustment disorders more than compensated for concurrent drops to in-person appointments, increasing overall mental health service utilization for these conditions. Additionally, there’s been massive patient demand for the expansion of rapid at-home tests for diseases beyond COVID-19, such as RSV and flu.

A useful tool during the pandemic, wastewater surveillance is having a moment

The value of wastewater surveillance rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, experts are wondering what the method’s future may look like beyond COVID-19, particularly since the 2020 launch of the US CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) program, which aggregates data from federal contractors, academic laboratories, state laboratories, and state-contracted commercial laboratories. However, advocates and experts note that while there are numerous advantages to utilizing wastewater surveillance, further evaluation and investment to determine the best applications of wastewater data are needed. An international meeting this week seeks to determine if a global COVID-19 wastewater monitoring system may provide further value, building off existing European Union recommendations and airport wastewater monitoring programs. The WHO this week urged all nations currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks to increase genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 and share those sequences, noting that the number of shared sequences has dropped by more than 90% since the peak of the initial Omicron surge.

See also: If interested in learning more about wastewater surveillance, consider listening to this episode of a new Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security podcast series, The BWC Global Forum: Biotech, Biosecurity & Beyond.

Growing body of evidence supports Omicron-targeting bivalent booster’s benefits over original boosters; some experts question need among younger, healthy populations

A growing body of evidence from lab tests and real-world data suggest the bivalent vaccine boosters targeting the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants provide broad and better protection than the original boosters against severe COVID-19 outcomes. A recent report in the US CDC’s MMWR shows that a bivalent booster dose provided 73% additional protection against COVID-19 hospitalization among immunocompetent adults aged 65 and older, compared to past monovalent mRNA vaccination only. Among the study population, a bivalent booster dose received after ≥2 monovalent mRNA doses provided strong protection against COVID-19–associated hospitalization during a period of Omicron BA.5 or BQ.1/BQ.1.1 predominance. Newer CDC data show that during November 2022, there was a 90% reduction of hospitalizations for people aged 65 and older who had the bivalent booster compared to those who were unvaccinated, a 13.5-fold increased risk of hospitalization for unvaccinated individuals, and a 2.5-fold risk among those who were vaccinated but not a bivalent booster. An Israeli study found similar results—the Omicron-adapted booster provided an 81% reduction in hospitalization among people aged 65 and older who had received the shot.

Another recent MMWR study looking at younger adults aged 18 and older found the bivalent booster was 38-57% effective against hospitalization, consistent with, but at a lower magnitude, than protection among older adults. CDC data also support the bivalent booster’s effectiveness in young adults aged 18-49 years, showing monthly rates of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations were 29.9 times higher in unvaccinated individuals in this age group and 3.2 times higher in vaccinated individuals who did not have an updated booster. Some experts—including Dr. Paul Offitt, a member of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee—say some of these data support booster dosing only among those most likely to need protection against severe disease, such as older adults, people with multiple comorbidities that put them at high risk for serious illness, and those who are immunocompromised. To date, only 15.4% of the US population aged 5 years and older have received the updated booster, including 38.1% of those aged 65 and older.

Most long COVID symptoms resolve 1 year after infection, Israeli study shows; more research needed into multiorgan involvement

The vast range of symptoms known as post-COVID conditions, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, or, most commonly, long COVID, can persist for a long time in some people. While more research is needed on exactly how SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts the body, many scientists and doctors are coming to understand that COVID-19 can affect multiple organ systems, as well as cognition and mental health.

A study posted online in the journal Neuropsychology analyzed data from neuropsychological evaluations of 110 adults who had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection 12 months prior to enrollment to identify demographic and clinical predictors of cognitive dysfunctions and complaints. Based on the findings, about half the study participants had abnormal performance in at least 1 of 3 cognitive tests, and lower educational background and acute infection-related headache and sleep disturbance were critical predictors of cognitive dysfunction.

Among more than 4,100 US children and adolescents hospitalized with post-COVID multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), deaths, length of stay, adverse drug reactions, and the proportion of Black patients rose along with the number of organ systems involved, according to a study published January 5 in JAMA Network Open. In related news, the US NIH announced it has awarded 8 research grants to refine new technologies for early diagnosis of severe illnesses resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection in children, including MIS-C.

For a study published January 11 in the journal BMJ, Israeli researchers examined nearly 2 million patient records, concluding that long COVID symptoms resolve within the first year after infection for most people with mild cases. Notably, several common symptoms of long COVID, such as fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and dysautonomia/POTS, were not included in the study, presenting a major limitation.

What we're reading

VACCINATION DISPARITIES COVID-19 vaccination rates among US children aged 5 to 17 years vary widely, with the highest coverage among Asian youth and the lowest among Black children, according to a study published in the US CDC’s MMWR. The authors state that providers and trusted messengers should provide culturally relevant information and vaccine recommendations to increase overall vaccination coverage and address disparities.

OMICRON NOMENCLATURE Do we really need to be keeping track of the “alphabet soup” of Omicron variant offspring? Do nicknames like “Kraken” help keep it all straight or add another layer of complexity? Does keeping up with the sublineage help people take actions to protect themselves and others, such as getting booster vaccines or wearing masks, or does it confuse such messaging? The Atlantic, STAT, and Fortune examine these questions.

SITUATION IN CHINA China is in the midst of what could be the world’s largest COVID-19 outbreak, but there are no reliable data about who has been infected, hospitalized, or died. The government stopped reporting daily COVID-19 data on January 9, saying it will switch to monthly reports. Both the Washington Post and the New York Times this week published pieces helping to visualize what appears to be a serious situation, using satellite imagery, photos, and videos.

VACCINE DELIVERY IN LMICs An initiative that helped bring COVID-19 vaccines to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership, is winding down in June. The partnership—among Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; UNICEF; and the WHO—was never meant to be permanent, will continue to support countries’ vaccination campaigns in the coming months, and help examine how to improve future vaccine deliveries, according to reporting by Devex.

Epi update*

As of January 12, the WHO COVID-19 Dashboard reports:

• 661 million cumulative COVID-19 cases
• 6.7 million deaths
• 3 million cases reported week of January 2
• 7% decline in global weekly incidence as of January 2
• 11,467 deaths reported week of January 2
• 9% decline in global weekly mortality as of January 2

Over the previous week, incidence declined 33% in Europe; 27% in South-East Asia; 7% in the Americas; 1% in the Eastern Mediterranean; and 1% in Africa, and increased 3% in the Western Pacific.

UNITED STATES
The US CDC is reporting:
• 101.1 million cumulative cases
• 1.09 million deaths
• 470,699 cases reported week of January 4
• 14% increase in weekly incidence as of January 4
• 2,731 deaths reported week of January 4
• 7.6% increase in weekly mortality as of January 4
• 8.6% decrease in new hospital admissions
• 3.7% increase in current hospitalizations
*Recent holidays might delay accurate reporting of data for the WHO and the US.

The Omicron sublineages BQ.1.1 (34%), XBB.1.5 (28%), and BQ.1 (21%) account for a majority of all new sequenced specimens, with various other Omicron subvariants accounting for the remainder of cases.

[ti-amie]

SIGH

But it's over right?

/s

[ponchi101]

VACCINE DELIVERY IN LMICs An initiative that helped bring COVID-19 vaccines to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership, is winding down in June. The partnership—among Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; UNICEF; and the WHO—was never meant to be permanent, will continue to support countries’ vaccination campaigns in the coming months, and help examine how to improve future vaccine deliveries, according to reporting by Devex.

In the meantime, Colombia is debating which Jet fighter to buy from Europe, to replace aging planes in the Air Force. Because, you know, the ongoing wars with Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama and Peru demand a modern air force.
Setting up facilities to produce their own vaccines? Nah, getouttahere!
So when we get another major outbreak, don't send us crap. Really.

[ti-amie]

China Reports Nearly 60,000 Covid-Linked Deaths Since Lifting Restrictions
The unexpected disclosure was made as the country faces mounting criticism for providing unreliable data on its latest coronavirus outbreak.


Covid-19 patients on stretchers in a hospital in Tianjin, China, in December. There have been widespread scenes of overflowing hospitals in the country recent weeks.Credit...Noel Celis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

By David Pierson and Olivia Wang
Jan. 14, 2023
Updated 4:26 p.m. ET

China said on Saturday that it had recorded nearly 60,000 fatalities linked to the coronavirus in the month since the country lifted its strict “zero Covid” policy, accelerating an outbreak that is believed to have infected millions of people. The disclosure was the first time China has provided an official measure of the Covid wave now sweeping the country, and represents a huge spike in the official death toll.

Until Saturday, China had reported a total of just 5,241 Covid deaths since the pandemic began in the city of Wuhan in late 2019. That measure was narrowly defined as deaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure caused by Covid. The new figure released Saturday included those who had Covid, but also died from other underlying illnesses.

China has faced mounting criticism from other countries and from the World Health Organization for not providing reliable data about the extent of its Covid outbreak and about the number of deaths across the country despite widespread scenes of overflowing hospitals, morgues and funeral homes in recent weeks.

Before the announcement, China said that only 37 people had died of Covid since Dec. 7, the day it ended its “zero Covid” policy.

The lack of transparency prompted several countries, including Japan and South Korea, to impose travel curbs on Chinese visitors after China reopened its borders last Sunday. Experts also warned that playing down the severity of the outbreak could lead people within the country to take fewer precautions.

China recorded 59,938 Covid-related deaths from Dec. 8 to Jan. 12, Jiao Yahui, an official with China’s National Health Commission, said at a news conference in Beijing. That figure included 5,503 people who died of respiratory failure directly caused by Covid. Another 54,435 fatalities were linked to other underlying illnesses, Ms. Jiao said.

Ms. Jiao said China was unable to release the data on Covid-related deaths sooner because it required a comprehensive examination of hospital reporting.

“We organized experts to conduct a systematic analysis on the death cases, so it took a long time,” Ms. Jiao said.

It was unclear whether the new figures mean that China has changed the way it discloses Covid deaths to include people with underlying diseases whose conditions were worsened by the virus. Officials have maintained that China’s official toll counts only those who died from pneumonia or respiratory failure caused by Covid. Other countries, such as the United States and Britain, count Covid deaths more broadly.

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Experts said it was too soon to determine whether China had changed tack, but they welcomed the move to provide more data.

“We cannot make a judgment now, but it is obviously more reliable than the previous data saying there were only several deaths,” said Jin Dongyan, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong. “I hope the government will be more transparent now.”

China has narrowly counted deaths from infectious diseases for a long time, including SARS in 2003 and seasonal flu. But during the Shanghai lockdown in the spring of 2022, the authorities made an exception and used a looser definition to justify the lengthy confinement of residents. Of the 588 Covid deaths the Shanghai city government reported at that time, one was ascribed to a heart attack, and the rest to “underlying conditions” or “tumors.” Despite this inconsistency, the National Health Commission has never expunged those deaths from the national toll on Covid deaths.

Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, said the actual death toll in China, like that in every country, was almost certainly higher. He said that China could have provided more reliable data on death and infection rates if it had tested hospital patients more vigorously.

“The one thing which is a bit surprising is that China has so much testing capacity but hasn’t been using it to confirm Covid in hospitalized patients,” Mr. Cowling said.

The National Health Commission’s data confirmed longstanding fears that China’s older population would be hit hard by an outbreak because so many did not receive enough vaccine doses. Of the nearly 60,000 fatalities, 56.5 percent involved someone at least 80 years old.

Covid deaths are a particularly sensitive political issue in China, because Xi Jinping, the country’s top leader, had championed a strategy of harsh lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing to try to contain the virus. Mr. Xi boasted that the model could be adopted by other countries after it proved successful in suppressing transmission early in the pandemic.

As the highly infectious Omicron variant picked up steam last year, however, that strategy became untenable. As cases steadily rose across the country, protests erupted in November as more people grew weary of the Covid restrictions. Already under major economic strain, China then abruptly reversed its “zero Covid” policy without providing an opportunity for the country to stock up on medicine.

Officials have said in recent days that infections have peaked in major cities, though concern is growing about how the current coronavirus wave will affect the nation’s countryside, which has a far weaker health care system compared with China’s cities.

Understand the Situation in China

The Chinese government cast aside its restrictive “zero Covid” policy, which had set off mass protests that were a rare challenge to Communist Party leadership.

Rapid Spread: Since China abandoned its strict Covid rules, the intensity and magnitude of the country’s outbreak has remained largely a mystery. But a picture is emerging of the virus spreading like wildfire.

Rural Communities: As Lunar New Year approaches, millions are expected to travel home in January. They risk spreading Covid to areas where health care services are woefully underdeveloped.

Digital Finger-Pointing: The Communist Party’s efforts to limit discord over its sudden “zero Covid” pivot are being challenged with increasing rancor on the internet.

Economic Challenges: Years of Covid lockdowns took a brutal toll on Chinese businesses. Now, the rapid spread of the virus after a chaotic reopening has deprived them of workers and customers.

A Failure to Govern: China’s leadership likes to brag about its governance of the country, but its absence in a moment of crisis has made the public question its credibility.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/14/worl ... eaths.html

[Deuce]

When 'information' is all over the place like this, what's truly happening with COVID in China is really anyone's guess.
I think the only truth is that nobody knows.