Fancy an ‘isodate’ this Valentine’s Day? These fun-filled British Valentine’s Day cards lighten the mood with gags about face masks and social distancing https://t.co/o6F8MbmARw pic.twitter.com/hvX8494PtS
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 12, 2021
We’ve hit 50 million #COVID19 vaccine doses given in the US today! So much more hard work ahead to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible. Track our progress at https://t.co/dRiwktRkRd
— Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH (@CDCDirector) February 14, 2021
The US administered 2.0 million vaccine shots today, bringing the total to 52.0 million, or 15.8 doses per 100 people. The 7-day moving average declined slightly to 1.65 million shots per day. 11.5% of Americans have received at least one shot; 4.2% are fully vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/EqoQO79Y9i
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 14, 2021
The US had +86,275 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total to almost 28.2 million. The 7-day moving average fell to below 97,000 new cases per day, its lowest level since November 4. pic.twitter.com/dIASWHF6uQ
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 14, 2021
We are quickly approaching 1/2 million Americans dead of COVID-19. If you had projected this figure last Spring, you would have been hooted at and ridiculed as a ridiculous alarmist. Now … just silence.
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 14, 2021
There's no definitive way to prove 1/2 million Americans deaths from COVID-19 could have been prevented. But I certainly know that one camp – President Trump's – was relentless in minimizing the danger and mocking concern.
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 14, 2021
======
China holiday train travel is down nearly 70% amid calls for people to stay where they are to avoid a new outbreak of coronavirus via @AP https://t.co/ZOTJiArIAO
— Bloomberg Next China (@next_china) February 13, 2021
Covid-19 pandemic: China 'refused to give data' to WHO team https://t.co/lG3BIVsLD9
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 13, 2021
The @WhiteHouse National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan today issued a tough statement about China and the origins of #COVID19 , demanding greater transparency from the #XiJinping regime. pic.twitter.com/JICan34frU
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) February 13, 2021
That doesn't absolve China of other mistakes they made, by the way. But just as they were getting smart, we were getting dumb.
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 14, 2021
Japan Health Ministry says it has approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine https://t.co/yL41XJPtFg pic.twitter.com/NBzazpxs6z
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 14, 2021
Disturbing confirmed account from Israel. Once older folks are vaccinated the virus hit younger populations in their 30s hard. Cautionary tale for those opening up willy-nilly too early https://t.co/Olk3nv8HX3
— Eli Perencevich, MD MS? ? (@eliowa) February 13, 2021
"Currently less than 20% of our patients are over 60 and they have largely not been vaccinated. This is a trend that has been happening for the past two weeks and is only intensifying.
— Irene Tosetti (@itosettiMD_MBA) February 13, 2021
Saudi Arabia extends entertainment, dine-in coronavirus restrictions – SPA https://t.co/5IpTkawffO pic.twitter.com/gzuXFnuWgT
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 14, 2021
Lingering doubts about the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine have led some in Europe to hold out for one of the other jabs. Polish teachers are the latest to complain, report @VanessaGera and @nwinfield. https://t.co/4do7FjI3bQ
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) February 13, 2021
Nearing vaccine target, Britain offers COVID shots to more people https://t.co/vLArax6eeB pic.twitter.com/H4WiElTx7i
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 14, 2021
Daily Mail readers https://t.co/1S2o0tHgh8 pic.twitter.com/rJ8ukf80Vm
— Natalie (@Transsomething) February 13, 2021
New Zealand’s largest city will go into a three-day lockdown and the rest of the country will be placed under heightened restrictions after three unexplained coronavirus cases were discovered in Auckland. https://t.co/HYPp7EPXqP
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 14, 2021
Covid-19: South Africa to reopen border crossings https://t.co/F8ztaCkLSR
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 14, 2021
(WaPo correspondent in) Brazil:
"My wife and I got covid-19. Our doctor prescribed a medication used to treat parasites in livestock." https://t.co/PafH5F21IZ
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 13, 2021
Mexico approves Chinese COVID vaccines. Doses from CanSino Biologics & CoronaVac have been given green lights. Government regulators approved the doses on an emergency basis. Pfizer's mRNA vaccine has been administered to healthcare workers & teachers https://t.co/VDuS6jU54E pic.twitter.com/bBNpfseczm
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 13, 2021
Thread:
Opponents of lockdown and masking launch hate campaign against @NRPublicHealth Medical Officer of Health @mustafahirji, by @GrantRants https://t.co/hhUARwvN0z via @StCatStandard #COVID19 #onpoli
.— André Picard (@picardonhealth) February 13, 2021
======
Researchers propose that humidity in masks may lessen severity of SARSCoV2 https://t.co/MKqaCj6e4S via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 14, 2021
Phase 1 trial for intranasal Covid vaccine in India has been registered: https://t.co/m1nE9xaOZM Called BBV154 there, the trial is for 175 people, randomized to 1 or 2 doses, or placebo. More about this vaccine ⬇️ https://t.co/1oefowsXZX
— Hilda Bastian, PhD (@hildabast) February 13, 2021
Southern California is the origin of a new SARSCoV2 variant. The variant—called CAL.20C—was first discovered in July in Los Angeles County. It reappeared elsewhere in Southern California then spreading elsewhere in the state https://t.co/JXOq7XIQG3 pic.twitter.com/5olNLwckru
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 13, 2021
COVID vaccination potential can't be achieved without increased production, affordable pricing & global availability. Vaccinations in rich countries mean little unless poorer countries have access to vaccines, too https://t.co/L6SddnQAkm pic.twitter.com/gsl6EW2jx6
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 13, 2021
======
Some states are reluctant to sign on to a Biden administration initiative seeking to launch 100 federal vaccination sites, citing questions over vaccine supplies. By @apseanmurphy @geoffmulvihill. https://t.co/xobgfhgfPz
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 13, 2021
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who won praise and an Emmy for his leadership on the pandemic, faces intensifying accusations that he covered up the true death toll of COVID-19 on nursing home residents. https://t.co/Dg2P4qJJuD
— AP Eastern US (@APEastRegion) February 13, 2021
Yeah, that's what 80%+ effectiveness looks like until you achieve herd immunity via widespread vaccination. So what? https://t.co/Ar1rGI644J
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 14, 2021
H/t fellow cynic Raven:
Cheer competition to bring 40,000+ people to metro Atlanta this weekend https://t.co/U4wJnxlPBu
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) February 12, 2021
… The Cheersport Nationals happen every year at the Georgia World Congress Center. This year, participants and spectators will have to share the space with a COVID-19 patient facility already operating there for months…
YY_Sima Qian
On 2/13 China reported 0 new domestic confirmed & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases.
Hebei Province
Hebei Provincial Health Commission reported that 6 domestic confirmed cases recovered & 1 domestic asymptomatic case was released from isolation. There are currently 153 domestic confirmed cases (133 moderate and 20 mild) & 9 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province:
Heilongjiang Province
Heilongjiang Provincial Health Commission reported that 58 domestic confirmed cases recovered & 43 domestic asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently 125 domestic confirmed (85 moderate and 40 mild) & 120 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.:
Jilin Province
Jilin Provincial Heath Commission reported that 4 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There are currently 120 domestic confirmed (2 critical, 7 serious, 80 moderate and 31 mild) & 5 domestic asymptomatic cases:
Imported Cases
On 2/13 China reported 7 new imported confirmed cases, 17 imported asymptomatic cases:
Overall in China, 81 confirmed cases recovered, 58 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation and 1 was reclassified as confirmed case, and 1,021 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 689 active confirmed cases in the country (240 imported), 12 are in critical/serious condition (3 imported), 428 asymptomatic cases (287 imported), 1 suspect case (imported). 11,635 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.
On 2/14 Hong Kong reported 12 new cases, 3 imported & 9 domestic (3 of whom do not yet have source of infection identified).
NeenerNeener
Monroe County, NY yesterday:
New cases = 151. Deaths at 1069
Positivity at 2.3%
338 in the hospital, 75 in the ICU
40% hospital beds available, 33% ICU beds available
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 2,464 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 264,269 cases. He also reports seven new deaths today for a cumulative total of 965 deaths — 0.37% of the cumulative reported total, 0.45% of resolved cases.
There are currently 49,490 active and contagious cases; 260 are in ICU, 111 of them intubated. Meanwhile, a record 4,525 patients recovered and were discharged, over 2,000 more than tested positive today, for a cumulative total of 213,814 patients recovered – 80.9% of the cumulative reported total.
11 new clusters were reported today: Jalan Istimewa Cemerlang, Batu 57, Jalan Usaha Satu, Jalan Tebrau Khas, and Jalan Persiaran Teknologi Kulai in Johor; Jalan Setia building site, Jalan Jelatek, and Jalan Sepuluh in Selangor; Ria Jaya in Kedah; Patikang Ulu in Sabah; and Jalan Badak in Perak.
Patikang Ulu is a community cluster. Jalan Badak is a religious cluster.The rest are all workplace clusters.
2,461 new cases today are local infections. Selangor reports 1,102 local cases: 55 in older clusters; 98 in Jalan Setia building site, Jalan Jelatek, and Jalan Sepuluh clusters; 714 close-contact screenings; and 235 other screenings. Johor reports 492 cases: 73 in older clusters; 251 in Jalan Istimewa Cemerlang, Batu 57, Jalan Usaha Satu, Jalan Tebrau Khas, and Jalan Persiaran Teknologi Kulai clusters; 65 close-contact screenings; and 103 other screenings.
Sarawak reports 161 cases: 68 in existing clusters, 42 close-contact screenings, and 51 other screenings. KL reports 152 local cases: 17 in existing clusters, 40 close-contact screenings, and 95 other screenings. Sabah reports 116 cases: one in an older cluster, two in Patikang Ulu cluster, 89 close-contact screenings, and 24 other screenings.
Kedah reports 92 cases: 11 in older clusters, 55 in Ria Jaya cluster, five close-contact screenings, and 21 other screenings. Kelantan reports 88 cases: 55 in existing clusters, 21 close-contact screenings, and 12 other screenings. Perak reports 85 cases: 28 in older clusters, 11 in Jalan Badak cluster, 24 close-contact screenings, and 22 other screenings. Penang reports 56 cases: 26 in existing clusters, 13 close-contact screenings, and 17 other screenings. Terengganu reports 51 cases: four in existing clusters, 13 close-contact screenings, and 34 other screenings. Negeri Sembilan reports 40 cases: 12 in existing clusters, 21 close-contact screenings, and seven other screenings.
Melaka reports 11 cases: two in existing clusters, six close-contact screenings, and three other screenings. Pahang reports 10 cases: five in existing clusters, three close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. Putrajaya reports four cases: two close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. And Labuan reports one case, a close-contact screening.
Perlis reports no new cases today.
Three new cases are imported: two in KL, one in Selangor.
The deaths reported today are a 63-year-old man in Sarawak with hypertension and dyslipidaemia; a 52-year-old woman in Sarawak with diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and gout; a 73-year-old woman in Sarawak with diabetes, hypertension, and heat disease; a nine-year-old boy in Sabah with medullablastoma; a 62-year-old man in Penang with hypertension; an 83-year-old woman in Selangor with a chronic eye disease; and a 60-year-old man in Selangor with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease.
YY_Sima Qian
So far, Anglosphere MSM has been throwing doubt on the China-WHO joint investigation into the origins of COVID-19, largely based on interview with one member of the international team – Prof. Dominic Dwyer. I do not doubt the professor’s sincerity, nor that Chinese authorities withheld certain raw data from the international team that could have proven embarrassing to the regime and undermined its preferred narrative. However, other members of the international team have given differing assessments of the collaboration. Dr. Thea Fischer has stated openly that the NYT misrepresented her in their reporting and quoted her out of context. Dr. Marion Koopmans was decidedly unimpressed with the snap judgment out of the US State Department. Dr. Peter Daszak has been the most vocal in pushing back the quickly gathering MSM conventional wisdom. Unsurprisingly, their opinions have not been given much play in Anglosphere MSM, while Chinese media have been playing them for all they are worth. Dr. Dwyer has not yet made further clarifications, although he too has emphasized that the endeavor is a scientific investigation, not an exercise to assign blame.
Surely everyone can wait until the actual report comes out, which was the original response from White House press secretary Jen Psaki and the State Department spokesman Ned Price. The media coverage has triggered a change in tone. Unfortunately, expecting foreign pressure to force China (of today) to be more transparent is naive, unless it is unified pressure by most of the world. Alas, every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic has become fodder in geopolitical rivalry, eagerly embraced by all parties.
On a side note, Dr. Peter Daszak has collaborated for years with Dr. Shi Shengli at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in studying bat coronaviruses (including gain of function research, partially funded by the NIH), and worked together to find the zoonotic host of the original SARS virus in Yunnan, China, more than 10 years after the epidemic. To some, that makes him a conflict of interest; to others, it makes him uniquely qualified.
Raven Onthill
Also, this:
Raven Onthill
it looks to me very much like the states that don’t want federal vaccine sites want to selectively vaccinate, probably keeping the vaccine from BIPOC and undocumented people. That’s going to be a mess.
rikyrah
The cheer thing????
DA phuq???
rikyrah
@Raven Onthill:
Keep telling that truth????
rikyrah
@Raven Onthill:
That
That
That
IN-PERSON CONFERENCE???
Raven Onthill
@YY_Sima Qian: when Covid was first emerging, Chinese authorities deceived the WHO team. The Chinese authorities are not trustworthy and skepticism is warranted.
YY_Sima Qian
Despite the all out effort by the CCP regime to turn the page (as evidenced by the traditional Chinese New Year Gala in China Central Television, where the travails and sacrifices a year ago are not emphasized in this year’s programming), signs of last year devastation in Wuhan still show through.
Apparently, there is a tradition in Wuhan area to light fresh incense and place fresh flowers (white and yellow chrysanthemum preferred) at the graves, at the stroke of mid-night that hail in the Chinese New Year, of those families and friends that had passed away in the previous year. This year, white and yellow chrysanthemums sold out at flower markets across the city early in the evening of Chinese New Year’s Eve, and there were heavy traffic heading out toward the cemeteries in the outskirts.
One of the local state owned media decided it to spin the chrysanthemums shortage as consequence of people choosing flowers due to the restrictions on fireworks. The response on Chinese social media has been some variation of “are you really that obtuse?!”
This is the 3rd Chinese New Year I have spent in Wuhan with my wife’s family, during which both of my wife’s maternal grandparents passed away, and this tradition had never come up in discussion. Perhaps it is one of those slowly fading traditions that suddenly finding new relevance, in light of the individual, familial and collective trauma a year ago, hurried and simplified funerals delayed to just before Tomb Sweeping Festival in early Apr., and the regime’s determination to move on (surely rankling those who had suffered loss).
Raven Onthill
@rikyrah: thanks. The whole thread is worth reading. And a big long raspberry to the conference organizer who, Dr. Ding lauds as honest, but who could have simply paid attention to the known medical data about the virus. Here’s another one of these tech boys, for whom my already low respect has fallen even lower.
YY_Sima Qian
@Raven Onthill: Skepticism is more than justified, but the Anglosphere MSM coverage is further muddying the picture, rather than clarifying. The coverage has already doomed the credibility of the WHO report before it comes out. Similar kind of coverage last Feb. also undermined the credibility and influence of the Joint China-WHO Mission studying COVID-19. It turned out to be unfortunate, because the report offered great many lessons for the rest of the world, much of which went unheeded. How many people know such a mission existed, let alone what the key findings were?
mrmoshpotato
Rah rah sis boom YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!
Raven Onthill
@YY_Sima Qian: Well, I was referring to last February’s report after all. It was not hard to know.
But, also, the New York Times has been for every damnfool war of my lifetime. And been a few years, maybe a decade later, after thousands have died, they say “Oops, we were wrong.” They helped swing the 2016 election to Trump and I have not forgotten that.
NYT is one of the largest journalistic businesses in the world and they do some excellent reporting, but the prejudices and limitations of their publisher and their senior editorial staff also produce horrors.
Raven Onthill
@mrmoshpotato: White privilege. It’s a hell of a drug.
Sloane Ranger
Yesterday in the UK we had 13,308 new cases. This is around1800 less than the day before and a decrease of 27.3% in the rolling 7-day average. This is the first reduction in new cases per day in 4 days but the usual weekend warnings apply about admin delays possibly leading to under reporting. New cases by nation,
England – 11,697 (down @1600)
Northern Ireland – 303 (down @100)
Scotland – 908 (up @70)
Wales – 400 (down @200).
Deaths – There were 621 deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday. This is a reduction of 26.1% in the rolling 7-day average. New deaths by nation, England – 544, Northern Ireland – 10, Scotland – 45 and Wales – 22.
Testing – Not updated.
Hospitalisations – There were 23,341 people in hospital on Thursday, 11 February and 2943 on ventilators as of Friday, 12th. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admissions is down by 25.9%.
Vaccinations – As of 12 February, 14,556,827 people had received the 1st dose of a vaccine and 534,869, their 2nd dose.
YY_Sima Qian
@Raven Onthill: I think it is fairly well established that the Chinese national health authorities obfuscated with the WHO’s Beijing office and HQ in Geneva in early to mid-Jan. 2020, even while the Wuhan and Hubei authorities were obfuscating with experts sent from Beijing. Only the lab confirmed cases were published, which was the tip of the iceberg (particularly then).
However, I don’t see any of the conclusions or recommendations from the Joint Mission report last Feb. as result of deception from the CCP regime. Other than not publishing the count for asymptomatic cases (which were not being published until 4/1/2020). It is true that the Chinese government delayed the entry of the international team until mid-Feb., by which time the epidemic outside of Hubei Province was already under control and inflection had already reached within Hubei. By the time the international team left at the end of Feb., the epidemic within Hubei was also being suppressed. The CCP regime made sure that they had a much more favorable picture (and reality) to present to the international team. Always trying to control the narrative.
As for NYT (and not just the NYT) on China (and not just China), I find their reporting to be an inconsistent mixture of excellent investigations, lazy/shoddy/myopic work, and outright propaganda from whatever source in the US government with whatever agenda. Sensationalist and misleading headlines, poorly supported by the articles themselves, are a common scourge.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Raven Onthill: Oh that’s to damn funny. That reminds me of my programmer brother in laws sarcastic label for incompetent coworkers “he’s and idea guy”
Scout211
If anyone is still in the market for a KN95 mask, I found one that I really like, and according to the write-up on Amazon and a Newsweek article from December, they are FDA approved.
Here is the Amazon link: Powecom KN95
Here is the Newsweek article: https://www.newsweek.com/best-n95-kn95-masks-sale-that-are-fda-cdc-approved-1551545
I find them to be comfortable and hug the face well.
YMMV, but I give them a thumbs up.
Platonicspoof
@YY_Sima Qian:
Just wanted to say I really appreciate all of your reporting from China.
Much more credible than me trying to figure out by myself how much U.S. media coverage is filtered, if only by being half a world away.
gwangung
@Scout211: I go directly to the US distributor, http://www.bonafidemasks.com, where the prices are better. While they deliver via USPS, I generally get them promptly.
The Moar You Know
That’s appalling.
The first sport in my local high school district that got shut down was dance and cheer.
100% of the kids and coaches got COVID. Not one exception. ALL of them. This is going to be a superspreader event from hell.
Matt McIrvin
The results coming out of Israel’s mass vaccination seem to imply “the vaccines work hella well… but only if you’ve actually got them.”
YY_Sima Qian
Some more details being shared by the leader and members of the international team of the joint China-WHO study, what information were shared and analyzed, what information were requested but not shared, etc. The quality of the headlines, other than Science Magezine (unsurprisingly the best article of the three), leaves much to be desired (in terms of what they choose to focus on). However, still interesting insights in the contents, though nothing that truly overturns our best guess estimation of the early dynamics of the outbreak at Wuhan.
Look forward to the actual report.
‘Politics was always in the room.’ WHO mission chief reflects on China trip seeking COVID-19’s origin
WHO scientist does not rule out Wuhan lab leak as Covid origin
CNN Exclusive: WHO Wuhan mission finds possible signs of wider original outbreak in 2019
Scout211
@gwangung:
Thank you! That is definitely less expensive.
J R in WV
@Sloane Ranger:
Sloan Ranger, I wonder if you could remark on this definition of death from coronavirus.
Does this mean if a patient manages to live for more than 28 days before dying in ICU after weeks on a vent, that this death doesn’t count?
Just always wonder about this phrasing of the deaths totals.
Sloane Ranger
@J R in WV:
Yes. That is the case. Here is the official explanation taken from the official website.
“Total number of people who had a positive test result for COVID-19 and died within 28 days of the first positive test, reported on or up to the date of death or reporting date (depending on availability).
People who died more than 28 days after their first positive test are not included, whether or not COVID-19 was the cause of death.”
The “rationale” is that in the early days of the virus they were counting any death which occurred after a positive test as due to COVID. Certain newspapers discovered a handful of people who had tested positive but who had died much later from totally unrelated causes (car accident etc.). This was picked up by certain Tory backbenchers who complained that the death stats were being inflated and making us look bad in international comparisons. The 28 day “window” was the government response. It is, of course, rubbish, which is why I always put in the disclaimer.
Yutsano
@YY_Sima Qian: I’m a bit late, but 新年快乐!
sab
Mike DeWine wants to block Akron and Cleveland Public Schools from getting any more vaccine if they do not open by March 1.
The teachers were only eligible to get their first round shots Feb 1. Some of them still haven’t been able to get shot #1. They won’t be fully protected until March 15 at the earliest, more likely April. But DeWine will penalize them if they haven’t opened before they get their second shot by denying them their second shot.
Akron wants to go in person March 15. DeWine says that’s too late.
Chris T.
These guys (the tech-bro types) remind me of the physics guys who think they know everything….
J R in WV
@Sloane Ranger:
OK, thanks for the explanation. As usual, once politicians take over, nothing else makes any sense whatsoever.
Having had my wife spend two months in hospital, after 25 days on a vent in MICU, this is as absurd as any other CoronaViirus BS.
Wife is still up and around on two feet, wishing we had access to vaccinations.
Take care, best wishes, etc. Things should improve from here, regardless of the interference of the politicians…
YY_Sima Qian
@Yutsano: Thank you!