COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Sunday/Monday, Jan. 17-18

14Comments

1. 1.

   OzarkHillbilly

   January 18, 2021 at 5:32 am

   Blech.

2. 2.

   NotMax

   January 18, 2021 at 5:37 am

   Total reported cases worldwide grimly on the path to pass 100,000,000 before the month is out.

3. 3.

   NeenerNeener

   January 18, 2021 at 5:47 am

   Monroe County, NY yesterday:

   393 new cases, back at mid-November levels. 752 hospitalized, 145 in the ICU. 802 deaths over the last year. 33% of hospital beds available, 23% of ICU beds available. 6.7% positivity.

4. 4.

   YY_Sima Qian

   January 18, 2021 at 5:58 am

   On 1/17 China reported 93 new domestic confirmed, 104 new domestic asymptomatic cases.

   Liaoning Province did not report any new domestic positive cases:

   • At Dalian, there are currently 5 domestic confirmed cases & 1 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. There are 3 communities currently at Medium Risk in the city.
   • At Shenyang, 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There are currently 13 domestic confirmed and 1 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 1 residential compound was re-designated as Low Risk. There are 1 building and 1 residential compound currently at Medium Risk in the city.

    

   Beijing Municipality reported 2 new domestic confirmed cases, both at Daxing District in the southern part of the city. 1 case was found via mandatory testing of those who need to travel outside of the city, and the other is a trace close contact of the 1st case. It remains to be seen if there has been cryptic community transmission in that part of the city, and what connections there might be to the outbreak at Hebei Province. All residents in the area (but not the entire district) are being mass screened, to be completed today. There are 6 villages remain at Medium Risk.

    

   Hebei Province:
   Hebei Provincial Health Commission reported 54 new domestic confirmed (27 previously asymptomatic) & 6 new domestic asymptomatic cases. There are currently 769 domestic confirmed cases (7 critical, 23 serious, 615 moderate and 124 mild) and 182 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province:

   • Xingtai reported 2 new domestic confirmed & 1 new domestic asymptomatic cases, all at Longyao County. All 3 cases had tested positive during the mass screening in the city on 1/14, they were batched into the same group of 10 samples. However, the test lab at Jinan in Shandong that was contracted with the testing failed to report the positive batched sample on 1/14, only did so on 1/16.  That prompted testing of the 10 individuals in the batch, discovering the family cluster. There are currently 50 domestic confirmed and 9 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 1 communities was elevated to Medium Risk. 3 communities, 5 residential compounds, 2 offices and 1 village are at Medium Risk.
   • Gu’an County in Langfang did not report any new domestic positive cases. There is 1 domestic confirmed case there. 1 residential compound was elevated to Medium Risk.
   • Shijiazhuang reported 52 new domestic confirmed cases (27 previously asymptomatic) & 5 new domestic asymptomatic cases. 41 of the confirmed cases at Gaocheng District (27 previously asymptomatic already under isolation, 3 traced close contact already under centralized quarantine, 9 from mass screening already under home or centralized quarantines), including 37 at the epicenter township; 5 at Xinle District (3 previously asymptomatic and 2 from mass screening); 1 at Yuhua District (previously asymptomatic); 1 at Zhengding Country (previously asymptomatic); 2 at Chang’an District (both traced close contacts); 2 at the New Development Zone (both previously asymptomatic). No information have been released for the asymptomatic cases. Currently, there are 718 confirmed cases and 173 asymptomatic cases. 1 community at Xinle District was elevated to High Risk. 7 residential compounds and 1 residential building were elevated Medium Risk. There are 1 district, 28 residential compounds, 5 villages and 1 residential building at Medium Risk in the city. There are 1 community and 1 district at High Risk.

    

   Heilongjiang Province:
   Heilongjiang Province reported 7 new domestic confirmed (1 previously asymptomatic) & 81 new domestic asymptomatic cases, all are F1 or F2 close contacts of previously reported positive cases:

   • Suihua reported 7 new domestic confirmed (1 previously asymptomatic) & 76 new domestic asymptomatic cases. Wangkui County reported 74 asymptomatic cases, Anda reported 4 confirmed cases, Beilin District reported 2 confirmed cases, Hailun reported 1 confirmed case (previously asymptomatic), and Qinggang County reported 2 asymptomatic cases. All cases are traced F1 or F2 close contacts of cases from epicenter village in Wangkui, and were already under centralized quarantine. There are currently 139 domestic confirmed & 217 domestic asymptomatic cases there. The epicenter township of Wangkui County remain at High Risk.
   • Harbin reported 2 new domestic asymptomatic cases, both at Songbei District. 1 is a person who returned from Wangkui County on 1/3, and the other is a close contact of the case. There are currently 5 domestic confirmed & 3 domestic asymptomatic cases there. 4 residential building units are a Medium Risk.
   • Qiqihar reported 3 new domestic asymptomatic cases, all at the Medium Risk village in Ang’angxi District. All are F1 or F2 close contacts of positive cases at epicenter village in Wangkui. There are 20 domestic asymptomatic cases there. 1 village is at Medium Risk.
   • Yichun did not report any new domestic positive cases. There are 2 domestic asymptomatic cases there.
   • Daqing did not report any new domestic positive cases. There are 1 domestic confirmed & 1 domestic asymptomatic cases there.
   • Mudanjiang did not report any new domestic positive cases, there are 4 domestic asymptomatic cases there.
   • At Heihe, 1 confirmed case recovered from the recent outbreak, 5 domestic confirmed cases remain. 4 residential residential compounds were re-designated as Low Risk. There are 1 residential compound and 2 buildings still at Medium Risk.

    

   Jilin Province
   Jilin Province reported 30 new domestic confirmed cases (27 previously asymptomatic) & 17 domestic asymptomatic cases, there are currently 40 confirmed and 90 asymptomatic cases there.:

   • Songyuan did not report any new domestic positive cases. There are 3 domestic asymptomatic cases there.
   • Tonghua reported 17 new domestic confirmed (14 previously asymptomatic) & 17 new asymptomatic cases. All of the new positive cases are traced F1 or F2 close contacts of positive cases already under home or centralized quarantine, in the same transmission chain caused by the super spreading traveling health products salesman from Harbin. There are currently 24 domestic confirmed & 74 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 14 residential compounds were elevated to Medium Risk.
   • Changchun reported 13 new domestic confirmed cases (all previously asymptomatic). There are currently 16 domestic confirmed & 12 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. The epicenter township at Gongzhuling was elevated to Medium Risk. 3 residential compounds were also elevated to Medium Risk.
   • Meihekou did not report any new domestic positive cases. Currently there is 1 domestic asymptomatic case there.

    

   On 1/17, China reported 16 new imported confirmed cases, 11 imported asymptomatic cases, 2 imported suspect cases:

   • Shanghai Municipality – 4 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Gabon (via Addis Ababa & Paris CdG), Serbia  (via Vienna), Switzerland and Sri Lanka; 2 suspect cases, no information released
   • Xi’an in Shaanxi Province – 3 confirmed cases (2 previously asymptomatic), 2 Chinese national each returning from Pakistan and 1 from Portugal
   • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 2 confirmed cases (both previously asymptomatic); 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national each returning from Italy
   • Changsha in Hunan Province – 2 confirmed (both previously asymptomatic) & 1 asymptomatic cases, no information released
   • Beijing Municipality – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Serbia (via Copenhagen)
   • Tianjin Municipality – 1 confirmed & 1 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning from Spain
   • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Malaysia
   • Fuzhou in Fujian Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national each returning from Japan
   • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Mozambique (via Nairobi); 3 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from France, Tanzania (via Cairo) and Ghana (via Cairo)
   • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Mozambique
   • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 1 confirmed case (previously asymptomatic), a Chinese national returning from Algeria
   • Zhengzhou in Henan Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, no information released
   • Nanjing in Jiangsu Province -2 asymptomatic cases, no information released

    

   Overall in China, 13 confirmed cases recovered, 12 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation and 61 were reclassified as confirmed cases, and 1,519 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 1,301 active confirmed cases in the country (284 imported), 43 are in serious condition (2 imported), 788 asymptomatic cases (254 imported) and 3 suspect cases (all imported). 34,231 traced contacts are currently under quarantine.

   On 1/18, Hong Kong reported 107 new cases, 5 imported and 102 domestic (42 of whom do not have sources of infection identified).

5. 5.

   Mary G

   January 18, 2021 at 6:06 am

   Here’s how it’s going here in SoCal (link goes to LA Times):

   Omg: So many people have died in Los Angeles County that officials have temporarily suspended air-quality regulations that limit the number of cremations. https://t.co/PKDWLAOLIv

   — Soumya (@skarlamangla) January 18, 2021

   Health officials and the L.A. County coroner requested the change because the current death rate is “more than double that of pre-pandemic years, leading to hospitals, funeral homes and crematoriums exceeding capacity, without the ability to process the backlog.”
   — Soumya (@skarlamangla) January 18, 2021

   There are 2,700 bodies being stored at LA hospitals and the coroners office but crematories are held up by regulatory limits. The “growing backlog of cremation cases within the county constitutes a threat to public health,” officials say.
   — Soumya (@skarlamangla) January 18, 2021

   I heard a few weeks ago as deaths were piling up in LA that mortuaries were only accepting bodies that would be cremated because they didn’t have space to hold any more bodies until burials. But I guess even cremations have become difficult because of the sheer numbers
   — Soumya (@skarlamangla) January 18, 2021

   So as we breathe lousier air, we get to know a few of the molecules coming into our lungs could be our friends and neighbors. This is really hard.

6. 6.

   Amir Khalid

   January 18, 2021 at 7:04 am

   Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 3,306 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 151,740 cases. Dr Noor Hisham also reports four new deaths today, for a total of 605 deaths — 0.37% of the cumulative reported total, 0.49% of resolved cases.

   38,791 active and contagious cases are currently in hospital; 236 are in ICU, 94 of them on respirators. Meanwhile, 2,293 patients recovered and were discharged, for a total of 122,344 patients recovered – 75.7% of the cumulative reported total.

   Nine new clusters were reported today: Sungai Chua lake garden in Selangor; Segamaha complex and Jalan Bukit Bendera in Sabah; Jalan Suria in Johor; Jalan Nipah building site and Era Duta building site in KL; Pulau Lima in Kelantan; Jalan TJ in Negeri Sembilan; and Kafe Genting in Pahang.

   3,299 new cases today are local infections. Selangor has 1,212 local cases: 492 in older clusters, 60 in Sungai Chua lake garden cluster, 360 close-contact screenings, and 300 other screenings. Sabah has 432 cases: 20 in older clusters, 17 in Segamaha complex and Jalan Bukit Bendera clusters, 307 close-contact screenings, and 88 other screenings. Johor has 329 cases: 100 in older clusters, 19 in Jalan Suria cluster, 95 close-contact screenings, and 115 other screenings. KL has 244 local cases: 38 in older clusters, 49 in Jalan Nipah building site and Era Duta building site clusters, 91 close-contact screenings, and 66 other screenings.

   Melaka has 157 cases: 50 in existing clusters, 71 close-contact screenings, and 36 other screenings. Kelantan has 150 cases: 44 in older clusters, one in Pulau Lima cluster, 75 close-contact screenings, and 30 other screenings. Penang has 145 cases: 38 in existing clusters, 45 close-contact screenings, and 62 other screenings. Kedah has 152 cases: four in existing clusters, 66 close-contact screenings, and 72 other screenings. Negeri Sembilan has 126 cases: 59 in older clusters, seven in Jalan TJ cluster, 19 close-contact screenings, and 41 other screenings. Perak has 114 cases: 13 in existing clusters, 63 close-contact screenings, and 38 other screenings. Sarawak has 100 cases: 68 in existing clusters, 12 close-contact screenings, and 20 other screenings.

   Pahang has 84 cases: 39 in older clusters, seven in Kafe Genting cluster, 29 close-contact screenings, and nine other screenings. Terengganu has 20 cases: 10 in existing clusters, nine close-contact screenings, and one other screening. Perlis has 16 cases: 11 close-contact screenings, and five other screenings. Putrajaya has 15 cases: two in existing clusters, five close-contact screenings, and eight other screenings. Labuan has 14 cases: three in existing clusters, six close-contact screenings, and five other screenings.

   Seven new cases are imported. Six were reported in KL, and one in Selangor.

   The four deaths today are a 77-year-old man in Sabah with hypertension, dyslipidaemia, hyperthyroidism, and adrenal insufficiency; a 91-year-old man in Terengganu with diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and gout; a 78-year-old woman in Selangor with hypertension and stroke; and 59-year-old man in Selangor with hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and chronic liver disease.

7. 7.

   Jay

   January 18, 2021 at 8:50 am

   Thank you Anne ,
   And Sima, Amir, Later Sloan, every one who pitches in.

   Still alive,

   Victory!!!!!

8. 8.

   Sloane Ranger

   January 18, 2021 at 8:55 am

   Yesterday in the UK we had 38,598 new cases. This is about 2,700 less than the day before and the rolling 7-day average is down by 22.5%. Caution should be used with these figures as weekend warnings apply. New cases by nation,

   England – 35,263 (down @2,500)

   Northern Ireland – 822 (up @120)

   Scotland – 1341 (down @400)

   Wales – 1172 (up @40).

   Deaths – There were 671 deaths yesterday within 28 days of a positive test. This is an increase of 23.1% in the rolling 7-day average. New cases by nation, 598 in England, 25 in Northern Ireland, 0 in Scotland and 48 in Wales.

   Testing – Not updated at weekends.

   Hospitalisations – Not updated since yesterday’s report.

   Vaccinations – A total of 3,857,266 people had received their 1st dose of a vaccine on 16 January and 449,736 had received their 2nd dose.

   That’s all folks.

9. 9.

   trnc

   January 18, 2021 at 9:04 am

   @Laurie_Garrett
   Here’s where we stand today: The USA is, of course, Number One in #COVID19 cases and deaths. Moreover, we’ve had more than twice the case and death toll of the world’s #2 country. In fact, we are doing worse than combined #2-5, India, Brazil, Russia, UK.

   I feel like a jerk for pointing this out, but no, not according to the chart she included at the time she took the screenshot. We’re worse than 2-4, which is bad enough, of course. I wish people would be more careful with their data points.
   /rant

10. 10.

    John Barleycorn

    January 18, 2021 at 10:32 am

    @Mary G:

    i appreciate your reports, as I have family in the area. Today’s just tears me up (both readings work).

    We will get through this.

11. 11.

    Lyrebird

    January 18, 2021 at 10:46 am

    @YY_Sima Qian: Thanks for sharing this information.  I am probably way too late for you to read this, as usual.  At at any rate, we have extended family there, and we do not want to ask them about any sensitive topics by email.

12. 12.

    The Pale Scot

    January 18, 2021 at 11:44 am

    With a HEPA 11 rated filter you better off will a surgical mask and one of those frame thingys that hold it tight to your face. A HEPA of 13 or higher is needed to catch viral particles

13. 13.

    J R in WV

    January 18, 2021 at 2:01 pm

     

    I want to thank Anne Laurie, Sloan, YY Sima, and Amir in particular, as well as all the Jackals who report on their local situation. West Virginia seems to be holding on pretty much as has been. Glad Gov. Justice (Big Coal Man!!) instituted a mask requirement early on, and has held to that requirement solidly so far.

    Our vaccination program is a shambles, though, in spite of statistics published with little real world evidence to back up those numbers. Walgreens is in charge of vaccinations in my rural county. They are the only big commercial full-service pharmacy in the county, and appear to be detached from new rule-making by the Gov or by the CDC.

    And of course Boone county next door evidently injected several dozen people without bothering to READ THE FUCKING LABELS  on the vials they were using!!! I can’t imagine setting up a vaccination station and NO ONE looked at the vials before starting to inject people!

    So people were shot up with Remdesivir anti-body treatment worth a lot of money, but worthless to prevent infection with Covid-19 virus.

    I can promise you that I will look at vials used to inject me with anything, if I’m conscious at all.

14. 14.

    YY_Sima Qian

    January 18, 2021 at 8:51 pm

    @Lyrebird: You are welcome! The data I am posting are all from published data via health commissions and CDCs from municipal to national levels. Therefore, there are nothing in there that might be deemed sensitive, and indeed they are much discussed on Chinese social media. Criticism of local or provincial government actions are not sensored, either. Criticism of national leadership, or the CCP regime in general, are sensitive and subject to rapid removal, but that has always been the case.

    What I think are currently strongly discouraged are discussions of initial failures and obfuscations in Wuhan and Hubei back in early to mid-Jan., the horrors of late Jan. to mid-Feb. in Wuhan and Hubei due to collapse of health care system, questioning the reported case counts (despite the fact that the seroprevalence survey results published by China CDC unsurprisingly suggests there were hundreds of thousands of cases in Wuhan), potential origins of the virus, etc. People are not concerned about discussing these topics face to face or on the phone, in my experience, but they are more reticent on WeChat and certainly emails.