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You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Sunday / Monday, Dec. 26-27

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Sunday / Monday, Dec. 26-27

by Anne Laurie|  December 27, 20215:55 am| 39 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

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I just wanted to say thanks on Christmas Eve to the pharmacist who honoured our 5 pm appointment even though she hadn't eaten, then looked at the folks hovering outside hoping for a walk in, and wearily opened another box of Pfizer. True Christmas hero for real.

— JordanHeath-Rawlings (@TheGameSheet) December 25, 2021


I keep thinking of the energy of this woman vs anti maskers/vaxxers who won't do a single damn thing to help their own neighbours.

While this woman sighs, shrugs, and just adds two hours onto a workday on Christmas effin Eve because her neighbours are scared and she can help.

— JordanHeath-Rawlings (@TheGameSheet) December 25, 2021

Glad this blew up. Woods pharmacy in east end Toronto deserves your business.

I wanna say one thing. It's a family owned pharmacy. It's tiny and local and serves a real community. It's not a corporate entity. Nobody was forcing anyone to work. This was strictly a true good deed.

— JordanHeath-Rawlings (@TheGameSheet) December 25, 2021

I’ve seen a lot of Covid in the ER recently.

With so many people getting infected recently, some folks may wonder what’s the point of getting vaccinated at all?

And is there really any value to a booster dose if I’ve had two Pfizer/Moderna or a shot of J&J?

My observations: ?

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) December 27, 2021

Every patient I’ve seen with Covid that’s had a 3rd ‘booster’ dose has had mild symptoms.

By mild I mean mostly sore throat. Lots of sore throat. Also some fatigue, maybe some muscle pain.

No difficulty breathing. No shortness of breath.

All a little uncomfortable, but fine.

Most patients I’ve seen that had 2 doses of Pfizer/Moderna still had ‘mild’ symptoms, but more than those who had received a third dose.

More fatigued. More fever. More coughing. A little more miserable overall.

But no shortness of breath. No difficulty breathing.

Mostly fine.

Most patients I’ve seen that had one dose of J&J and had Covid were worse overall. Felt horrible. Fever for a few days (or more).

Weak, tired. Some shortness of breath and cough.

But not one needing hospitalization. Not one needing oxygen.

Not great. But not life-threatening.

And almost every single patient that I’ve taken care of that needed to be admitted for Covid has been unvaccinated.

Every one with profound shortness of breath. Every one whose oxygen dropped when they walked. Every one needing oxygen to breath regularly.

The point is you’re gonna hear about a LOT of people getting Covid in the coming days and weeks.

Those that have been vaccinated and got a booster dose will mostly fare well with minimal symptoms.

Those getting two doses might have a few more symptoms, but should still do well.

Those who got a single J&J similarly may have more symptoms, but have more protection than the unvaccinated (if you got a single dose of J&J, please get another vaccine dose—preferably Pfizer or Moderna—ASAP!)

But as I’ve witnessed in the ER, the greatest burden still falls on…

The unvaccinated. Those who haven’t gotten a single dose of vaccine.

They’re the most likely to need oxygen. They’re the most likely to have complications. They’re the most likely to get admitted. And the most likely to stay in the hospital for days or longer with severe Covid.

So no matter your political affiliation, or thoughts on masks, or where you live in this country, as an ER doctor you’d trust with your life if you rolled into my emergency room at 3am, I promise you that you’d rather face the oncoming Omicron wave vaccinated.

Please be safe. ❤️

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) December 27, 2021

======

Covid: Travel chaos spills into new week https://t.co/TvBl6dXDyi

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 27, 2021

China's local COVID-19 cases edge higher as Xian remains in lockdown https://t.co/ezil86kTrR pic.twitter.com/DZwPgo4mRO

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 27, 2021

S.Korea authorises emergency use of Pfizer's oral coronavirus treatment https://t.co/Jef5UuJN4l pic.twitter.com/j2sh84lkH3

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 27, 2021

Russia on Sunday confirmed 23,721 Covid-19 infections and 968 deathshttps://t.co/JctSdBO6Wh

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) December 26, 2021

France has recorded more than 100,000 virus cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began. COVID-19 hospitalizations in the country have doubled over the past month as the omicron variant complicates efforts to avoid new restrictions. https://t.co/Z1gNszARh7

— The Associated Press (@AP) December 26, 2021

Belgian artists and event organizers have joined together to protest the government’s new coronavirus restrictions. They say the culture industry has been unfairly targeted by the measures, which shut down most concerts, cinemas and theaters. https://t.co/AMOWHKvuC0

— The Associated Press (@AP) December 26, 2021

In under-vaccinated Congo, fourth COVID-19 wave fills hospitals https://t.co/BJI2kNYDPk pic.twitter.com/Be309dVGqn

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 27, 2021

Mexico's confirmed coronavirus death toll nears 299,000 https://t.co/HJQ0xvW1o4 pic.twitter.com/ymtQKmlJxO

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 27, 2021

Cruise passengers on holiday trip deal with outbreaks: “We’re sailing on a petri dish” https://t.co/0pgOsw6Ieh

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 26, 2021

======

With omicron, it may be harder to tell if you have covid, the common cold or flu https://t.co/YM9qAUpL2e

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 26, 2021

When it comes to #omicron, many who are vaccinated will at some point test positive because of the extreme contagiousness of the variant. The first rule of thumb, if that happens, is not to panic https://t.co/sq0Zn7g8J4

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) December 26, 2021

this was a good, nuanced op-ed piece that i found informative: https://t.co/AiZOjHsaRN

— ? JINGLEBELLSMACHINE ? (@golikehellmachi) December 23, 2021

… Rapid tests are important for managing this pandemic. But they require a nuanced understanding of what they are good for and how to best use them.

A common question is how accurate these tests really are. The data is now clear, including from my own research, that these tests are excellent at detecting people who are contagious. However, these tests do not always pick up the very earliest stages of an infection, before people develop symptoms, or the later stages of an infection, when symptoms have passed. But it’s important to understand that these very early and very late stages are when people are far less likely to be infectious and able to spread the virus to others…

So why is there still such rampant transmission of coronavirus in Britain, given that every person in the country has unlimited access to these tests?

Because rapid tests are excellent at confirming when a person is in a contagious stage of infection, but don’t perform well at identifying people in the very early stages of an infection, how they are used is incredibly important. People in Britain are encouraged to use these tests up to 24 hours before doing an activity. But having a negative rapid test does not necessarily mean that you are not infected with coronavirus. A negative test means you do not have levels of the virus that make you infectious at the very moment you took the test. This can change in a matter of hours if someone is in the early stages of an infection. That’s why you should not rely on a negative rapid test for a week’s worth of events…

… [L]eaders need to make sure people understand what a negative rapid test result means. You may not be infectious in that moment, but you may still have an infection and could be contagious later. It means you should still exercise caution to prevent spreading the coronavirus. If you want to maximize the benefits of rapid testing, take your test immediately before going out, not the day before.

COVID-19 patients have two new at-home treatment options. But the pills from Pfizer and Merck must be taken as soon as possible once symptoms appear, meaning patients must get tested, get a prescription and start the pills in a short window. https://t.co/JMZvb5jl5S

— The Associated Press (@AP) December 26, 2021

… The antiviral pills aren’t for everyone who gets a positive test. The pills are intended for those with mild or moderate COVID-19 who are more likely to become seriously ill. That includes older people and those with other health conditions like heart disease, cancer or diabetes that make them more vulnerable. Both pills were OK’d for adults while Paxlovid is authorized for children ages 12 and older.

WHO SHOULDN’T TAKE THESE PILLS?

Merck’s molnupiravir is not authorized for children because it might interfere with bone growth. It also isn’t recommended for pregnant women because of the potential for birth defects. Pfizer’s pill isn’t recommended for patients with severe kidney or liver problems. It also may not be the best option for some because it may interact with other prescriptions a patient is taking. The antiviral pills aren’t authorized for people hospitalized with COVID-19…

WHERE CAN I GET THE PILLS?

You’ll need a prescription first from a doctor or other authorized health worker. The U.S. government is buying the pills from Merck and Pfizer and providing them for free, but supplies will be limited initially. They’ll be shipped to states where they will be available at drugstores, community health centers and other places. Treatment lasts five days.

Some pharmacists may be able to administer a quick COVID-19 test and prescribe the pills all in one visit. They already do this in many states for flu or strep throat…

Coinfection with SARSCoV2 and human rhinovirus (a common cold pathogen) are associated with more severe health outcomes, according to new research https://t.co/jn4OmDE0QO pic.twitter.com/9W8sak6vVD

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) December 27, 2021

Just today alone, I admitted 4 post-COVID pulmonary emboli. Four. Out of a census of 18 patients.

Even if Omicron has lower mortality, if it has similar post-COVID hypercoagulability profiles as previous variants, we're in for major trouble.

— RisetteMD, MPH – Lugal of Uruk and Kish (@MdRisette) December 25, 2021

How is the threat of severe post-COVID side effects not in the national discussion? When a quarter of my admits are post-COVID, that's a problem.

— RisetteMD, MPH – Lugal of Uruk and Kish (@MdRisette) December 25, 2021

======

Stupid & scary: Anger over mask mandates, other Covid rules spurs states to blunt the power of public health officials. Right-wing lawmakers are passing laws restricting health authorities from requiring masks, vaccinations & other public health measures https://t.co/uU1F0ccyWw

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) December 26, 2021

this is the record **for entire pandemic** and **for entire country**

Fla a jaw-dropping 32k cases in one day https://t.co/Brj1MNNp8K

— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) December 26, 2021

NBA virus numbers are still rising, expanded testing begins.@bytimreynoldshttps://t.co/6SWlKTHCgW

— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) December 26, 2021

I find it ironic how the people getting fake vaccination cards are literally the same people who complain about undocumented immigrants using fake documents.

— Santiago Mayer (@santiagomayer_) December 25, 2021

I'm not anti-stoplight. I might have stopped at one. I wanted to wait and see how they worked. But then you said I also had to drive the speed limit. And then insisted I also needed a seat belt. I'm done. https://t.co/mKsMw6Y9gT

— William D. Adler (@williamadler78) December 26, 2021

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Reader Interactions

39Comments

  1. 1.

    Cermet

    December 27, 2021 at 6:07 am

    Well, relative to Omicron being less serious then Delta, the science indicates it has trouble infecting lung cells; also, it does poorly fusing cells together in the lungs (a process that aid’s infection). so these factors make it more of a upper respiratory infection. It can still (and does) cause blood clotting so can be a serious problem for many who already have other health issues.

  2. 2.

    Elizabelle

    December 27, 2021 at 6:23 am

    I am sick of seeing tools like the elderly white people protesting about “forced vaccines.”  They are able to stand up because smarter and better people lined up for polio vaccines, most likely during these tools’ lifetimes.  Fuck their feelings.

    The media overcovers them.  It’s “controversial”, but it also makes it seem like there are way more of them than there are.

    Stop amplifying these a-holes.  Just stop. [I speak there to media editors; not to you, Anne Laurie.  Although:  it is not a pleasure to see a photo of those jackasses out protesting.]

  3. 3.

    Spanky

    December 27, 2021 at 6:46 am

    Testing.

    I got nothing to add, just curious that no one else did either.

  4. 4.

    OzarkHillbilly

    December 27, 2021 at 6:52 am

    Belgian artists and event organizers have joined together to protest the government’s new coronavirus restrictions. They say the culture industry has been unfairly targeted by the measures virus, which shut down most concerts, cinemas and theaters.

    FTFT.

  5. 5.

    NeenerNeener

    December 27, 2021 at 6:55 am

    Monroe County, NY:

    There were 320 new cases of COVID-19 on 12/26.

  6. 6.

    Elizabelle

    December 27, 2021 at 6:55 am

    LOL.  These anti-vaxxers  … have an unfortunate name.  Look for them in a reddit thread, I guess.

    Wally Korona and Gail Korona join protesters in April, in Great Falls, Mont., objecting to a health-care system’s requirement that workers get coronavirus shots.

  7. 7.

    Cameron

    December 27, 2021 at 6:59 am

    @Elizabelle: “Give corona back to the Koronas!”

  8. 8.

    Amir Khalid

    December 27, 2021 at 7:08 am

    Malaysia’s Ministry of Health reports 2,757 new Covid-19 cases today in its media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 2,743,936 cases. It also reports 19 deaths as of midnight, for an adjusted cumulative total of 31,334 deaths – 1.14% of the cumulative reported total, 1.16% of resolved cases.

    Based on cases reported yesterday, Malaysia’s nationwide Rt is at 0.90.

    247 confirmed cases are in ICU, 96 of them on ventilators. Meanwhile, 4,620 more patients have recovered, for a cumulative total of 2,669,654 patients recovered – 97.3% of the cumulative reported total.

    Seven new clusters were reported today, for a cumulative total of 6,110 clusters. 223 clusters are currently active; 5,887 clusters are now inactive.

    2,594 new cases today are local infections. 163 new cases today are imported.

    The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) administered 64,283 doses of vaccine on 26th December: 850 first doses, 1,411 second doses, and 62,022 booster doses. As of midnight, the cumulative total is 56,814,549 doses administered: 25,975,901 first doses, 25,582,524 second doses, and 5,452,251 booster doses. 79.5% of the population have received their first dose, 78.3% their second dose, and 16.7% their booster dose.

  9. 9.

    Elizabelle

    December 27, 2021 at 7:18 am

    And now three BTS members have tested positive, after some sold out shows in the US.  Get better soon!  WaPost:

    Three members of K-pop juggernaut BTS have been infected with the coronavirus, according to their management agency — the latest celebrities to announce they tested positive amid the global spread of the omicron variant.

    The septet returned this month to South Korea from the United States, where it had its first concerts since the beginning of the pandemic.

    RM, 27, and Jin, 29, tested positive for the virus Saturday evening, the Big Hit Music agency said in a statement. Another member, Suga, 28, was diagnosed Friday, a day after returning from the United States, according to the agency.

    All three had been in quarantine after returning from the United States and had not come in contact with any other members of the group.

    Big Hit Music said all three BTS members who tested positive received their second dose of a coronavirus vaccine in August.

    RM and Suga did not exhibit any symptoms, while Jin showed a light fever and flu-like symptoms. They are self-isolating at home as per the country’s health guidelines, the agency said.

    … The South Korean pop group endorsed coronavirus vaccination during a speech in September at the United Nations. In November, the group traveled to Los Angeles in November to stage concerts and perform at the American Music Awards.

    Earlier this month, Big Hit Music announced that the band members are taking an “extended period of rest,” citing the need to get “reinspired and recharge with creative energy.”

  10. 10.

    Elizabelle

    December 27, 2021 at 7:19 am

    @Cameron:   Yeah.  No sympathy for these Koronas.

    But I do feel badly for the various Greek restaurants named Cafe Omicron …  at least they’re more easily remembered, now.

  11. 11.

    tom

    December 27, 2021 at 7:24 am

    “We are sailing in a petri dish.”

    Why on Earth did you think going on a cruise was a good idea? You bought the ticket, you take the ride.

  12. 12.

    New Deal democrat

    December 27, 2021 at 7:26 am

    Good news: cases in South Africa have continued to decline, now off 1/3rd from peak 9 days ago. Deaths up slightly at roughly 5x recent low.

    Bad news: US cases just shy of 200,000, with many States not reporting. We are likely to break last winter’s record (250,000) by New Year’s Day. The Northeast is still taking the brunt, for the moment. Deaths are still stable at roughly 1300, but surely will rise in the next week or two.

    Canada is also fully engulfed, with Quebec nearly as bad as the worst US States.

    From now till the end of January is likely to be just awful. The other day I wrote that if US cases rise in the next 20 days as they did in the previous 10, that will be 400,000 cases/day. That may be conservative for the worst day.

    Personally, I am doing one last mammoth grocery run this morning, and then hunkering down.

  13. 13.

    YY_Sima Qian

    December 27, 2021 at 7:34 am

    On 12/26 China reported 162 new domestic confirmed (5 previously asymptomatic) & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases.

    Shaanxi Province reported 152 new domestic confirmed cases (151 mild & 1 moderate). There are currently 651 active domestic confirmed cases (including 4 serious) in the province.

    • Xi’an reported 150 new domestic confirmed cases (all mild).  82 are traced close contacts already under home or centralized quarantine, 1 at fever clinic & 67 from mass screening. There currently are 635 active confirmed cases in the city. 1 university dormitory is currently at High Risk. 4 sites have been elevated to Medium Risk. 115 sites are currently Medium Risk.
    • At Yan’an there currently are 7 active domestic confirmed cases in the city.
    • Xianyang reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (mild), a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine since 12/22. There currently are 8 active domestic confirmed case in the city.
    • Weinan reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (moderate), already under centralized quarantine since 12/20.

    At Yuncheng in Shanxi Province there currently is 1 active domestic asymptomatic case remaining, a person arrived from Xi’an in Shaanxi.

    Guangdong Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed case. There currently are 29 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.

    • Dongguan reported 1 new domestic confirmed case, a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine. There currently are 26 active domestic confirmed cases, a secondary cluster spilled over from Xi’an in Shaanxi. 4 residential compounds, 1 residential building unit & 5 residential buildings are currently at Medium Risk.
    • At Guangzhou there currently are 3 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases, an airport worker & a family cluster seeded by an imported positive case.

    Guangxi “Autonomous” Region reported 7 new domestic confirmed cases (5 previously asymptomatic). There currently are 19 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.

    • Fangchenggang reported 7 new domestic confirmed cases (5 previously asymptomatic). There currently are 19 active domestic confirmed c cases in the city, a cluster seeded by a smuggling operation. A Medium Risk village is currently at High Risk. 1 village is currently at Medium Risk.
    • At Chongzuo there currently is 1 active domestic asymptomatic case, infected by an imported positive case that had bypassed border control)

    At Hulun Buir in Inner Mongolia “Autonomous” Region 25 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 160 active domestic confirmed cases remaining (157 at Manzhouli & 3 at New Barag Right Banner). All areas in the city are now at Low Risk.

    At Heilongjiang Province 1 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There currently are 5 active domestic confirmed (all at Harbin) & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases (at Heihe) remaining.

    At Shanghai Municipality 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 5 active domestic confirmed & 2 active domestic asymptomatic cases remaining. 1 residential compound is currently at Medium Risk. 

    At Wuxi in Jiangsu Province there currently are 2 active domestic asymptomatic cases remaining.

    Zhejiang Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed case. 3 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 478 active domestic confirmed cases in the province.

    • At Ningbo there currently are 72 active domestic confirmed cases remaining. All areas of the city are now at Low Risk.
    • At Hangzhou 3 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There currently are 28 active domestic confirmed cases remaining.
    • Shaoxing reported 1 new domestic confirmed case, a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine. There currently are 376 active domestic confirmed cases in the city. 4 communities & 1 supermarket are currently at High Risk. 2 sub-districts, 12 villages, 2 residential buildings & 5 corporate campuses remain at Medium Risk.

    At Tianjin Municipality there currently is 1 active confirmed case in the city, part of the transmission chain from Shaoxing in Zhenjiang.

    At Suzhou in Anhui Province there currently is 1 active domestic confirmed case in the city, part of the transmission chain from Zhejiang. 1 village is currently at Medium Risk.

    At Chengdu in Sichuan Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed case, a logistics worker at the airport. There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed cases in the city, a quarantine hotel worker & an airport logistics worker.

    At Xiamen in Fujian Province there currently is 1 active domestic confirmed case remaining, a quarantine hotel worker.

    At Dalian in Liaoning Province 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed cases remaining.

    At Rizhao in Shandong Province there currently are 3 active domestic asymptomatic cases remaining.

    At Chongqing Municipality 1 domestic asymptomatic case was released from isolation. There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed cases remaining.

    At Henan Province1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 22 active domestic confirmed (20 at Zhengzhou & 2 at Zhoukou) & 2 active domestic asymptomatic cases (both at Zhoukou).

    Yunnan Province did nor report any new domestic positive cases. 1 domestic asymptomatic case was released from isolation. There currently are 28 active domestic confirmed & 14 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.

    • Kunming did not report any new domestic positive cases. There currently 4 active domestic confirmed cases in the city, a family cluster connected to outbreak elsewhere in China. 1 residential compound is currently at Medium Risk.
    • Dehong Prefecture did not report any new domestic positive cases. 1 domestic asymptomatic case was released from isolation. There currently are 24 active domestic confirmed & 13 active domestic asymptomatic cases at the prefecture.

    Imported Cases

    On 12/26, China reported 38 new imported confirmed cases (15 previously asymptomatic), 31 imported asymptomatic cases, 4 imported suspect cases:

    • Guangxi “Autonomous” Region (location not specified) – 12 confirmed (11 previously asymptomatic) & 6 asymptomatic cases, no information released
    • Shanghai Municipality – 11 confirmed cases, 3 Chinese nationals returning from the US, 2 from the UK (via Copenhagen) & 1 each from Argentina (via Zürich), Panama (via Paris CdG), Congo-Brazzaville (via Paris CdG), Ethiopia, Ghana (via Amsterdam Schiphol), & Mali (via Addis Ababa); 2 suspect cases, no information released
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 3 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Canada, Japan & the UAE; 6 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Serbia & Sri Lanka, & 4 foreign nationals coming from Ethiopia
    • Foshan in Guangdong Province – 2 confirmed cases, 1 each coming from Ecuador & the UK, off flights that landed at Guangzhou 
    • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Singapore & the Ukraine
    • Qingyuan in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, coming from Turkey, off a flight that landed at Guangzhou 
    • Beijing Municipality – 2 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Sweden & the UK (via Stockholm)
    • Tianjin Municipality – 2 confirmed cases (1 previously asymptomatic), 1 Chinese national each returning from the Philippines & the South Sudan (via Dubai)s
    • Changsha in Hunan Province – 2 confirmed & 1 asymptomatic cases, no information released
    • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 2 confirmed (both previously asymptomatic) & 3 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Cambodia
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 1 confirmed case, coming from Australia; 3 asymptomatic cases, 2 coming from Spain & 1 from Uganda; 2 suspect cases, no information released
    • Zhengzhou in Henan Province – 1 confirmed case (previously asymptomatic), no information released
    • Yunnan Province (location not specified) – 5 asymptomatic cases, 4 Chinese nationals returning from Laos & 1 from Myanmar; all via land border crossings
    • Kunming in Yunnan Province – 1 asymptomatic case, coming from Indonesia
    • Yantai in Shandong Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning from South Korea
    • Harbin in Heilongjiang Province – 1 asymptomatic case, coming from South Korea

    Overall in China, 53 confirmed cases recovered (21 imported), 16 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation (10 imported) & 20 were reclassified as confirmed cases (15 imported), & 5,921 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 2,158 active confirmed cases in the country (738 imported), 13 in serious condition (3 imported), 495 active asymptomatic cases (468 imported), 6 suspect cases (all imported). 52,281 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.

    As of 12/26, 2,769.53M vaccine doses have been injected in Mainland China, an increase of 11.436M doses in the past 24 hrs.

    On 12/27, Hong Kong reported 9 new positive cases, all imported (from South Africa, France & the UK). To date, the city has reported 58 cases w/ Omicron Variant, almost all imported.

  14. 14.

    NorthLeft12

    December 27, 2021 at 7:44 am

    Anne you are a treasure. I can’t thank you enough for these informative posts.

    Just reminiscing about previous Christmas celebrations versus the last two.

    Christmas Eve is usually an indoor gathering of twenty-five, now seven. Christmas Day was about fifteen, this year five. And Boxing Day was twenty, and yesterday we had eleven…outside on my sister-in-law’s patio, physically distanced and with masks too.

    But it was really pretty wonderful to see all this family, especially compared to last year. The biggest loss was not being with my youngest daughter and her family (three grandsons) as they are isolating due to a close contact the middle son had on the last day of school. They can’t get a PCR test for him until after the ten day isolation period is over. We stopped by on Christmas morning and passed on some gifts and Christmas Eve leftovers and chatted outside for thirty minutes or so.

    BTW, the middle son and the rest of the family are all fine; no symptoms and negative rapid tests too.
    I am honestly feeling a lot more optimistic about where we (Canada) are heading on the pandemic than I did last Christmas.

  15. 15.

    rikyrah

    December 27, 2021 at 7:54 am

    Cruise ship= Floating Petri Dish

    What THE PHUCK did they expect?

  16. 16.

    rikyrah

    December 27, 2021 at 7:58 am

    Close friend of my sister.

    Both of her kids have COVID.

    ONE is a fully vaccinated and boosted pharmacist.

     

    The other is an unvaccinated Hotep.

     

    We shall see how this turns out ??

  17. 17.

    NotMax

    December 27, 2021 at 7:59 am

    @Elizabelle

    But I do feel badly for the various Greek restaurants named Cafe Omicron

    Whereas if you smoke a Corona corona while drinking a Corona….

    :)

  18. 18.

    rikyrah

    December 27, 2021 at 8:07 am

    @Elizabelle: 
    ????????

  19. 19.

    brantl

    December 27, 2021 at 8:22 am

    I wonder if  Spam is selling like hotcakes?

  20. 20.

    Ken

    December 27, 2021 at 8:27 am

    Cruises should add a warning to their sales agreement — nothing complicated, just copy the first sentence or two from the wikipedia section on the etymology of “quarantine”.

  21. 21.

    Soprano2

    December 27, 2021 at 8:27 am

    @New Deal democrat: I’ve seen more than one person say that we should start worrying more about hospitalizations and deaths and less about total case counts, because a lot of vaccinated people who are protected from the worst of Covid are going to be getting infected with omicron. When it finally gets here, it’s going to be bad because there are still so many unvaccinated people in my area.

    Nice for you that you have the luxury of “hunkering down”.

  22. 22.

    Taken4Granite

    December 27, 2021 at 8:49 am

    @rikyrah: Cruise ships, especially the big ones with thousands of passengers and crew, always have been floating petri dishes. Even before COVID, virus outbreaks were a regular thing. If you spend several days, or even several weeks, with the same few thousand people, you will be exposed to any viruses they might be carrying. So if any of those people need quarantining during the journey, so will you.

    Ferries at least serve the useful purpose of transporting people and goods from point A to point B. I would not mind taking a ferry if I thought it safe to travel in general. Cruise ships are a form of package tourism–something that has never appealed to me even without worrying about a pandemic–and in this environment package tourism just seems like a bad idea.

  23. 23.

    Percysowner

    December 27, 2021 at 8:49 am

    @Elizabelle:  Actually all of those elderly people DID stand in line for the polio vaccine. Sabin Oral Sundays (S.O.S.) were in 1960. All over the country people stood in lines to get the sugar cube with the vaccine. I was 7 at the time and stood in line with my parents and grandmother. NO ONE complained, or if they did, the media would have treated them as kooks of the highest order. That’s what so baffling to me about the olds protesting, They’ve DONE it. They’ve seen a deadly disease that left millions with life long physical problems be beaten by standing in line and downing a sugar cube. Heck, I bet even the diabetics came, insulin in hand, for the vaccine. Jeeze guys, get with it.

  24. 24.

    Gvg

    December 27, 2021 at 8:50 am

    The Florida news is false. We are not as high as we were in fall September/October and I don’t understand why that is getting reported. We are rising in cases alarmingly, especially in South Florida which is not near me. Hospitalizations and deaths are still low though. Alarming stories get more clicks though, but undermine long term credibility.

    I live in a University town and our rates are a bit higher than the countryside around us but not terrible right now. I am using this week of holiday break to get things done because I expect it to get bad when the students return for Spring term. They all went home to family all over the state plus out of state and some even overseas….many are from South Florida where it is bad. And the Desantis appointed board forced dropping most restrictions for spring term.

    I want to repeat, Florida has NOT exceeded previous case rates (yet).

  25. 25.

    Gvg

    December 27, 2021 at 8:55 am

    @Percysowner: Mostly it isn’t the really old who are the vaccine kooks, it’s the slightly younger ones or even middle aged. Look at the Villages our Florida magazine central. The really old ones have the highest vaccinated rates in the state. And the young adults of all political views have the lowest. They are the ones who grew up already protected from the great dangers of the past.

  26. 26.

    Percysowner

    December 27, 2021 at 8:55 am

    @Gvg:

    I want to repeat, Florida has NOT exceeded previous case rates (yet).

    Lucky you! Ohio broke it’s record on Friday with over 15,000 cases.

  27. 27.

    sdhays

    December 27, 2021 at 9:37 am

    @rikyrah: I can only assume these people didn’t know what a cruise ship was when they bought the tickets. Maybe they thought it was a type of burrito or something?

  28. 28.

    New Deal democrat

    December 27, 2021 at 10:26 am

    @Gvg:
    “And the young adults of all political views have the lowest.”

    Actually that is not quite true. A few weeks ago I finally saw a graph breaking vaccinations down by both partisanship and age (sorry, don’t recall the site). Young Democrats were as vaccinated as old GOPers, at roughly 70%. Old Democrats were at 90%. And young GOPers? – Young GOPers were at 50% or less.

  29. 29.

    Freemark

    December 27, 2021 at 10:28 am

    @Gvg:

    Because, according to the CDC, Florida has reported record case counts on 12/23 then again on 12/24. 31,758 on the 23rd and 32,850 on the 24th.
    https://data.cdc.gov/Case-Surveillance/United-States-COVID-19-Cases-and-Deaths-by-State-o/9mfq-cb36/data

  30. 30.

    Another Scott

    December 27, 2021 at 10:53 am

    @sdhays: To be fair, we’ve had at least one Juicer here talk about planning to go on a cruise.  Usually one has to plan expensive trips like this months in advance.  Before Omicron, it might have made some sense with the falling infection rates, especially if the cruise lines really were requiring proof of vaccination and negative tests.

    With Omicron exploding and Delta still out there, well, I hope he can get a refund…  :-(

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  31. 31.

    Fair Economist

    December 27, 2021 at 11:04 am

    @YY_Sima Qian: Is the Xian outbreak Delta or Omicron? I assume Delta, because China can do the sequencing, and I figured if it were Omicrom we’d be buried in OMICRON REACHES CHINA clickbait. But I’d like to actually know.

  32. 32.

    jonas

    December 27, 2021 at 11:07 am

    @tom: Not sure what they were thinking, except that the policy of having everyone be vaccinated* and tested** before boarding sounded pretty good. Oh well.

    *except for all the young children and people claiming exemptions they let sail anyway because, hey, if you have a religious exemption to vaccination or are 5 years old, you can’t possibly spread Covid.

    ** which is completely worthless because if you’ve just been infected, a test isn’t going to catch it for a few days.

  33. 33.

    Cermet

    December 27, 2021 at 11:16 am

    Well, while the science articles I used to get my information on the severity of Omicron might be accurate, this is still going to take a toll on the unvaccinated. This will certainly help the Dem’s in Pennsylvania and possibly in Michigan for the presidential election in 2024 I can’t help but wonder why these deaths could help thugs; I mean yes, economic conditions will be less but by late 2023 these effects will be gone. Its like they can only see a short time frame like corporations for their economic  concerns. But it will have little impact on the midterms no matter which way it went.

  34. 34.

    jonas

    December 27, 2021 at 11:33 am

    I just don’t know how doctors and healthcare workers are going to make it through another winter like this. Omicron may not cause as serious illness as Delta, but if just about everyone catches it, that’s a lot of hospitalizations and deaths (at least for the unvaxxed). At some point, the system’s going to break and we’ll start seeing triaging based on vaccination status. I don’t see how they can cope otherwise.

  35. 35.

    YY_Sima Qian

    December 27, 2021 at 11:44 am

    @Fair Economist: Still Delta. China sequences every case. If it were Omicron the escalation in cases would have been even higher from the mass screenings (as community transmission has occurred for ~ 2 weeks before the outbreak was discovered), and Xi’an would likely have faced a Wuhan style lock down (everyone confined to homes, with necessities delivered).

    I am curious as about the very high rate of mild cases at Xi’an. It has been a trend w/ recent Delta outbreaks in China, such as the one at Zhejiang Province. It may be due to the ongoing mass boosting campaign in the country since Oct., as well as ongoing vaccination of the > 3 yrs. and catching the stragglers among the elderly. While the Chinese inactivated whole varion vaccines, even boosted, are not likely to be all that effective at preventing infection, they should still be very effective against hospitalization & death.

  36. 36.

    Peale

    December 27, 2021 at 12:28 pm

    I’m imagining the Terracotta army in Xian responding to the situation in Xian. Probably 1/2 of them complaining that they can’t go anywhere, while the other 1/2 is telling the complainers that they haven’t gone anywhere for 2,000 years anyway so quit grousing. While a few of them that once were on display at the Guggenheim are wishing that everyone would just shut up so they can watch “The Show Must Go On” reruns. No one likes that clique – they’ve been putting on airs telling everyone about that one time they went to New York for the past 15 years and its getting on everyone’s nerves.

  37. 37.

    FelonyGovt

    December 27, 2021 at 1:01 pm

    We have tickets to a hockey game on Thursday night and are anxiously awaiting to see if it’s postponed by the NHL since so many players and coaches are in Covid protocol. Even if it’s not postponed, we are seriously considering whether we want to be in an indoor arena (even though vax status is checked at the door) with lots of other people, many of whom won’t wear masks.

  38. 38.

    J R in WV

    December 27, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    A L — thanks for all the info you accumulate and share in these posts.

  39. 39.

    Another Scott

    December 27, 2021 at 5:40 pm

    Interesting thread by UK hospital administrator:

    How’s NHS doing at moment in relation to omicron and other pressures? New thread based on latest data. Note that we prefer to use numbers of covid-19 patients in hospital, rather than new admissions, as two days more up to date and better represents whole picture…1/19

    — Chris Hopson (@ChrisCEOHopson) December 27, 2021

    tl;dr – positive cases are up, but total hospital admissions are unchanged (incidental infections). Covid patients are not needing oxygen as much as last year. Staff is overstretched and causing big issues now, and bigger issues are expected if case numbers rise further.

    (via dsquareddigest)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

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