VACCINATION UPDATE: Another 3 million vaccines reported administered today.
81 million people w at least one dose
-32% of adults (17% are fully vaccinated)
38 million seniors w at least one dose
-69% of seniors (42% are fully vaccinated)— Andy Slavitt (@aslavitt46) March 21, 2021
COVID-19 cases have decreased for past 9 weeks in U.S. Current 7-day moving average of new cases (53,200) decreased 78.7% compared with highest peak on Jan 11, 2021, (249,389), and 20.9% compared with the 2nd highest peak on July 23, 2020 (67,277). https://t.co/jH13nI59sH pic.twitter.com/RZbvAphNxh
— Global Biodefense (@GlobalBioD) March 21, 2021
For nearly 2 weeks, we've been stuck at 50K new cases daily
in that time, we've vaccinated an additional 20M Americans
So why flat?
Its a race between vaccinations and variants
And we're running even
Opening up too fast helps the variants
I want vaccinations to win pic.twitter.com/UD8cR3OXXb
— Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) March 21, 2021
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Covid: The countries that nailed it, and what we can learn from them https://t.co/Id0PRqxuAS
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 22, 2021
I have reported on Covid for the past year – now my mission was to find out from global leaders and senior health officials across four continents what their priorities were in tackling the virus.
What has emerged strongly for me are four key areas which have been most effective in containing the spread of the virus and preventing deaths.
– Early and effective action to control borders and monitoring of arrivals
– Testing, tracking and tracing everyone suspected of being infected
– Welfare support for those in quarantine to contain the virus
– Effective leadership and consistent and timely public messagingNo-one can claim to have got everything right. But the steps listed below highlight which policies from around the world have proved effective. Piece them together and you have the blueprint for a “pandemic playbook” – a manual for managing future infectious disease outbreaks….
A year on from lockdown, India reports worst daily rise in COVID-19 in months https://t.co/GjhyfWFUbG pic.twitter.com/vUzFcWLeoq
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 22, 2021
Taiwan premier gets AstraZeneca shot as island starts vaccine campaign https://t.co/iasByV4Svi pic.twitter.com/j8nmpUVuz2
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 22, 2021
Europe and South America continue to head in the wrong direction @OurWorldInData
Think? pic.twitter.com/O64O6jXVhm— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) March 21, 2021
Experts say sharp rise in India Covid cases 'alarming' https://t.co/E1llUFwb82
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 22, 2021
BREAKING NEWS. The Department of Health on Monday, March 22, 2021, records 8,019 new coronavirus cases, the country’s HIGHEST ONE-DAY TALLY YET. This brings total active cases to 80,970, the highest reported since August 15, 2020.
COVID-19 updates: https://t.co/olWQ4wuXz7 pic.twitter.com/wXRwhXjbBz
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) March 22, 2021
Greece orders private sector doctors to assist against COVID-19 https://t.co/qG0WwdHVkM pic.twitter.com/T8NgA6dBBj
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 22, 2021
The EU has no need for Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, an executive in charge of the bloc’s vaccination rollout said Sundayhttps://t.co/TNItojfi3o
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) March 22, 2021
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 7,709: RKI https://t.co/NNpB19Y3nX pic.twitter.com/ol6NcIVJ5i
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 22, 2021
A music festival has been taking place in the Netherlands ???
It's part of an experiment to see if there's a safe way to allow large-scale social gatherings to restart, without increasing the spread of Covidhttps://t.co/Fga187JKPT pic.twitter.com/1lQ3C19nrn
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 21, 2021
Coronavirus: Covid nurses' song of hope from Italy https://t.co/XqOKic9fOF
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 22, 2021
Summer holidays abroad 'unlikely', warns UK government adviser https://t.co/HMnCVylMoN
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 20, 2021
Ireland's quarantine hotel system due to start this week https://t.co/Iro5miC3KQ
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 21, 2021
Australia accelerates the pace of COVID-19 vaccination rollout https://t.co/xmykv20Shh pic.twitter.com/lDSBYkAW2I
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 22, 2021
Covid: Brazil's Bolsonaro calls governors 'tyrants' over lockdowns https://t.co/rL7iOkXtTH
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 22, 2021
Royal Caribbean has announced its return to the high seas starting in June.
Requiring vaccination evidence is an interesting marketing ploy. But will all variants have vanished by then? https://t.co/YTvKa52Do8
— delthia ricks ?? (@DelthiaRicks) March 20, 2021
"Governments are going to insist" on vaccines for international travellers, Qantas boss Alan Joyce sayshttps://t.co/ZYrTUxC293
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) March 21, 2021
EXPLAINER: Tokyo Olympics march on without fans from abroad.
by @stephenwadeap
https://t.co/QytAmpfHYo— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) March 21, 2021
… IOC President Thomas Bach said Saturday he was “sorry” when the decision was announced. In truth, what matters to the IOC — like any sports business that relies for most of its income on selling broadcast rights — is getting the Olympics on television. Broadcast rights in the latest four-year Olympic cycle accounted for 73% of the IOC’s income. That broadcast income amounts to about $4 billion with American network NBC paying about half.
The IOC must get the 11,000 athletes into the venues and in front of cameras. Japanese residents will fill the stands to whatever level is allowed. The decision on venue capacity will come next month.
But barring fans from abroad has created collateral damage and lots of questions…
The torch relay opens on Thursday from northeastern Fukushima prefecture. It’s a giant test that starts four months ahead of the opening ceremony. The relay is set for 121 days with 10,000 runners crisscrossing Japan…
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New book pic.twitter.com/JxBWzeM63Q
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) March 21, 2021
US trial of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine confirms shot is safe and highly effective https://t.co/QjlYVNAcVD
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 22, 2021
New York has joined a growing list of states that have confirmed at least 1 case of a worrisome coronavirus variant, P.1, first found in Brazil. P.1 is highly contagious & has infected people who had already recovered from the coronavirus. https://t.co/MkpljP6zpB
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) March 21, 2021
We should have been prepared for #LongCovid.
The medical community should have been advocating for #longhaulers.
Instead, the biggest scandal in modern medicine led to their marginalization.
My latest for @VICE on why: https://t.co/4P38ZzymPY
— Alan Levinovitz (@AlanLevinovitz) March 18, 2021
Vaccinated mothers pass covid antibodies to babies in utero & through breast milk, according to preliminary research https://t.co/IlCS7EbrGb pic.twitter.com/ULuWa3JI00
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) March 21, 2021
"With this type of backlog, it will take several weeks to work through." A trade bottleneck born of the COVID-19 outbreak has U.S. businesses anxiously awaiting goods from Asia, while dozens of container ships sit off California's coast, unable to unload. https://t.co/oU50QTNTEy
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 22, 2021
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States that quickly expanded coronavirus vaccine eligibility have vaccinated smaller shares of their population than those that moved more methodically, according to an analysis by AP and the nonprofit group Surgo Ventures. https://t.co/o4GleL2rPl
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 21, 2021
I'm not convinced many people of color are vaccine hesitant. Average poll (Kaiser an exception) shows they are as likely to want it as white people, but they have been less likely to have gotten it so far. Suggests an access problem more than anything else https://t.co/0gjo3eViOb
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) March 21, 2021
As the coronavirus made an end-of-the-year surge in New York, few nursing homes escaped unscathed. But some were especially devastated by COVID-19. At least 15 homes each saw at least 30 patients die between November and early February. https://t.co/UVTg86tuga
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 20, 2021
Miami Beach officials have extended an 8 p.m. curfew for at least another week. The decision followed over 1,000 arrests as unruly spring breakers gathered by the thousands, fought in the streets, destroyed restaurant property and refused to wear masks. https://t.co/texCxkDkpf
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 21, 2021
Ron DeSantis: Thanks pic.twitter.com/rST5iG2rke
— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) March 22, 2021
Aziz, light!
Got my first Pfizer nine hours ago. I’m happy to report that the injection site hurts like hell.
I wonder if we will ever truly return to normal.
Mary G
The OC did great again – 113 new cases. Fifth lowest county in the state according to the LAT.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
@Aziz, light!: The world we knew before 2020 is gone beyond recovery. We’re just in a fight to determine what replaces it.
Mel
First Pfizer dose yesterday afternoon!
Baud
After spending last year doing so much worse than the rest of the world, all of a sudden we seem to be doing much better than everyone else.
Joey Maloney
@Aziz, light!: I suspect this coronavirus will become endemic. There will be annual boosters, like for influenza, formulated to protect against the best guess of what will be that winter’s dominant variant. For Westerners, the biggest visible change will probably be prevalent public masking.
But I think we’re several years away from that. India, South America, the USA, and Europe have to get their shit together first.
NeenerNeener
Monroe County, NY stats:
New cases = 128
Deaths at 1194 now
1.8% positivity
29.2% vaccinated with at least 1 shot
106,270 people fully vaccinated
216,594 people with at least 1 jab
I talked to one of my friends yesterday; she got her first Moderna jab on 3/10 and has since developed that really red, swollen “covid arm”. She’s pretty sure now that what her GP treated as a sinus infection a year ago was actually the ‘rona, since it involved a splitting headache for 3 weeks and the loss of taste and smell.
YY_Sima Qian
On 3/21 China reported 0 new domestic confirmed & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases.
Imported Cases
On 3/21 China reported 7 new imported confirmed cases, 8 imported asymptomatic cases:
Overall in China, 11 confirmed cases recovered, 10 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation & 1 was reclassified as confirmed case, and 284 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 161 active confirmed cases in the country (159 imported), none in critical/serious condition, 235 asymptomatic cases (all imported), 4 suspect cases (all imported). 3,364 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.
On 3/22 Hong Kong reported 18 new cases, 11 imported & 7 domestic (2 of whom does not yet have source of infection identified).
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@NeenerNeener:
I have a client who had mild-symptom COVID in December or January who wound up hospitalized for a few days after his first shot at the end of February (Phizer, IIRC). The docs are debating on whether he should get stuck a second time.
gkoutnik
It has occurred to me that in my long life, we have experienced a wide variety of national and global emergencies, disasters, and dangers of all kinds. In only one case has there been a single place I could go to to get accurate, timely, extensive and diverse information on a daily basis.
Thanks again, AL
Baud
This thing will not vanish. It’s not a good expectation to set.
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 1,116 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 334,156 cases. He also reports five new deaths today, for a cumulative total of 1,238 deaths — 0.37% of the cumulative reported total, 0.39% of resolved cases.
There are currently 14,134 active and contagious cases; 156 are in ICU, 60 of them intubated. Meanwhile, 1,495 patients recovered and were discharged, for a cumulative total of 318,784 patients recovered – 95.40% of the cumulative reported total.
10 new clusters were reported today: Taman Tunku and Jalan Usahawan building site in Kuala Lumpur; Batu 22 and Jalan Tenteram in Johor; Jalan Kemajuan in Labuan; Jalan Helang in Selangor; Jalan Gambang in Pahang; Industri Permata in Negeri Sembilan; Rajang in Sarawak; and Jalan Belimbing in Johor.
Rajang and Jalan Belimbing are community clusters. The rest are workplace clusters.
1,108 new cases today are local infections. Selangor reports 402 local cases: 219 in older clusters, two in Jalan Helang cluster, 116 close-contact screenings, and 65 other screenings.
Kuala Lumpur reports 154 local cases: 37 in older clusters, 73 in Taman Tunku and Jalan Usahawan building site clusters, 27 close-contact screenings, and 17 other screenings. Sarawak reports 121 local cases: nine in older clusters, seven in Rajang cluster, 71 close-contact screenings, and 34 other screenings.
Penang reports 88 cases: one in an existing cluster, 38 close-contact screenings, and 49 other screenings. Johor reports 86 cases: 17 in older clusters, 21 in Batu 22 and Jalan Tenteram building site clusters, 20 close-contact screenings, and 28 other screenings. Kelantan reports 44 cases: 14 in existing clusters, 26 close-contact screenings, and four other screenings. Pahang reports 42 cases: eight in older clusters, 19 in Jalan Gambang cluster, five close-contact screenings, and 10 other screenings. Negeri Sembilan reports 41 cases: eight in older clusters, 26 in Industri Permata cluster, four close-contact screenings, and three other screenings.
Perak reports 39 cases: 19 in existing clusters, four close-contact screenings, and 16 other screenings. Sabah reports 36 cases: 24 close-contact screenings, and 12 other screenings. Kedah reports 27 cases: one in an existing cluster, 15 close-contact screenings, and 11 other screenings.
Melaka reports 12 cases: 11 in existing clusters, and one close-contact screening. Labuan reports eight cases: seven in Jalan Kemajuan cluster, and one close-contact screening. Putrajaya reports five cases: one in an existing cluster, two close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. And Terengganu reports three cases: two in existing clusters, and one close-contact screening.
Peris reports no new cases today.
Eight new cases today are imported: four in Kuala Lumpur, three in Sarawak, and one in Selangor.
The deaths reported today are a 52-year-old man in Negeri Sembilan with no co-morbidities listed; a 68-year-old man in Sabah with hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and cronic kidney disease; an 84-year-old woman in Pahang with hypertension and dyslipidaemia; a 69-year-old man with heart disease and dyslipidaemia; and a 44-year-old non-Malaysian man in Kuala Lumpur, DOA with heart disease.
Mousebumples
Wisconsin opens eligibility to adults with chronic conditions today – including overweight with a BMI over 25. (i made a friend’s day yesterday when I told her that age sent her a link to a BMI calculator) Her fiance recently had cancer treatments so she got him a spot this week but thought she’d be waiting until May. Glad to help spread the word!
Anne Laurie
@gkoutnik: Even a few years ago, I couldn’t have done this every night — Twitter was not widely enough used by either scientists or reporters as a way of linking to content.
Even a few years from now, I suspect, I wouldn’t *need* to do this ‘by hand’… can’t imagine the format, but I suspect social media will have evolved to the point where we can each ‘curate’ an all-purpose feed around our particular interests!
Cameron
Gov’t check due Wednesday; 2nd vaccination on Saturday. I assume I’ll either get hit by a meteor or eaten by an alligator sometime this week.
Gremcat
Florida opens vaccinations to 50+ today. Got my appointment on Thursday.
arrieve
That article about COVID long-haulers made me so angry. I caught a mystery virus in Africa in 2018, and it was months before I could walk more than a few blocks, and a full year before I felt normal. It affected my heart, so my resting heart rate went from 70-75 to 45-50, making me often shaky, lightheaded and exhausted, but I had doctors tell me it was just stress, and one recommended that I see a psychiatrist because I was just anxious over being retired. Because a well-known symptom of anxiety is that it slows your heart down.
I still have episodes where my heart slows to a crawl but now I know if I just go to bed, I’ll feel better when I wake up. This is one reason, among many, why I was terrified of getting Covid — I never want to go through post-viral anything again. Thousands of previously healthy people have had long-term damage from Covid — why are doctors so resistant? Is it just that they can’t do anything about it?
citizen dave
To AL, continued thanks for this curation. I often look at the post on my phone when I wake up, and will always keep going, thinking, how long is it? So much information. The new variants is making me rethink summer travel.
It also seems we don’t hear enough about treatments and long-haulers in the main press.
Fair Economist
@Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes:
People who have had COVID develop antibodies after one shot comparable to naive individuals getting two, so there’s not much reason for a shot and an obvious potential risk, so I’d say “obviously not”.
Fair Economist
My husband was upgraded to a higher class of essential manufacturing worker Thursday and is getting his shot today. I’m still waiting, not qualified to sign up yet in CA.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Brazil is well in third wave. It’s really hard to shake the feeling that’s were we would be if Useless Daughter Fucker had won.
Sloane Ranger
Sunday’s figures from the UK. We had 5312 new cases. This is a decrease of about 270 from the day before and a reduction of 4.4% in the rolling 7-day average. usual weekend warning applies. New cases by nation,
England – 4459 (down @270)
Northern Ireland – 125 (down 34)
Scotland – 532 (up 44)
Wales – 196 (down 12).
Deaths – There were 33 deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported on Sunday. This is a decrease of 36.9% in the rolling 7-day average. Deaths by nation, England – 26, Northern Ireland – 1, Scotland – 0 and Wales – 6.
Testing – Not updated at weekends.
Hospitalisations – On Thursday, 18 March there were 6162 people in hospital and 830 were on ventilators as of Friday, 19th. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admissions was down by 22.2% as of Wednesday, 17th March.
Vaccinations – As of 20 March, a total of 27,630,970 people had received the 1st dose of a vaccine. The 20th was a record, with 752,308 receiving their 1st dose. 2,228,772 people had received both doses by the same date. This means that 52.5% of all over 18’s in the UK have received 1 dose and 4.2%, both doses.
General – BoJo to speak with EU leaders about the great vaccine row after the EU threatens to stop vaccines made in the EU being shipped to the UK. I’m sure that will go well! Actually given the EU’s (and some European Governments) shilly shallying over the safety of the AstraZeneca version, which had led to 50-60% of Germans and French people not wanting to take it, I think this is an own goal on their part.
Taken4Granite
New Hampshire opened registration to 50+ today. I went through the registration process, but the e-mail to activate my account has yet to hit my inbox (I do not have anything automatically sent to the spam folder; I got burned by that feature a few years ago).
BrianM
Oops. Was supposed to be in the podcast thread.
bluefoot
@arrieve: It’s so bizarre since post-viral syndromes for many diseases are well known. So well known that if you present to your doctor with neurological symptoms and no history of neurological disease, the first thing they ask is if you’ve been sick in the previous 8-12 weeks. Same with viral infections triggering auto-immune syndromes.
J R in WV
@arrieve:
I recall you writing about your mystery illness from Africa. I didn’t realize you were so poorly treated personally by a variety of doctors.
So many of them appear to have no respect for the person-hood of their patients, and are inclined to think they are lying about something, anything, when their expertise fails to arrive at a useful diagnosis. When in reality we still know very little about the rarer flaws and complexities of the human creature. We are not all alike at all~!~
Many doctors are flawed people with their own mental health issues, imagine that!