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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

White supremacy is terrorism.

I’m more christian than these people and i’m an atheist.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

Their shamelessness is their super power.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

People identifying as christian while ignoring christ and his teachings is a strange thing indeed.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

How any woman could possibly vote for this smug smarmy piece of misogynistic crap is beyond understanding.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

No one could have predicted…

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

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You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / COVID-19 Coronavirus (& H5N1) Updates: July 3, 2024

COVID-19 Coronavirus (& H5N1) Updates: July 3, 2024

by Anne Laurie|  July 3, 20244:39 am| 40 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19, Foreign Affairs

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Testing was a huge problem at the start of the Covid pandemic. ⁦@CDCgov⁩ is moving to get on top of the testing needs for #H5N1 now — in case the need arises. ⁦@MeganMolteni⁩ reports. https://t.co/2weNuGWQoV

— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@HelenBranswell) July 2, 2024

FDA finds H5N1 bird flu in half of tested samples but confirms flash pasteurization kills virus

The FDA collected and tested 275 bulk samples of raw milk collected from farms in four states where herds had tested positive for H5N1, or bird flu. https://t.co/Qm3PERT1As

— SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) July 2, 2024

HHS awards Moderna $176 million to develop mRNA H5 avian flu vaccine

Moderna's work on a prepandemic vaccine began last year, and the new award has an option for large-scale production, if needed.https://t.co/lSFcYKqKwQ pic.twitter.com/EGXY7ImrWR

— CIDRAP (@CIDRAP) July 2, 2024

US: Signs of avian flu found in San Francisco wastewater

"Signs of H5N1 bird flu virus have been detected at three wastewater sites in California’s Bay Area, according to sampling data."

Los Angeles Timeshttps://t.co/4jM6YV8NPd

— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) June 30, 2024

USDA spells out financial assistance to offset H5N1-linked milk losses

The USDA said it will start accepting applications for compensation on July 1.https://t.co/kPURTvcz0q pic.twitter.com/fZCnT14d6S

— CIDRAP (@CIDRAP) June 27, 2024

***********

A summer wave of Covid-19 has arrived in the US

Covid-19 levels have been rising in the United States for weeks as new variants drive what’s become an annual summer surge.https://t.co/SDjKmwu8eK

— SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) July 1, 2024


Ratio of people currently infected by region:

Midwest: 1 in 136 ⬆️
South: 1 in 76 ⬆️
Northest: 1 in 189 ⬆️
West: 1 in 43 ⬆️ pic.twitter.com/m7KSOPk47K

— JWeiland (@JPWeiland) June 28, 2024

Last night's update: 88,862 new cases, 474 new deaths https://t.co/MJpdO4IyHj

— BNO News (@BNOFeed) July 1, 2024

So far this year, more than 3.6 million COVID cases have been reported in the U.S., causing 296,706 hospitalizations and 31,641 deaths.

— BNO News (@BNOFeed) July 1, 2024

Covid is now endemic for humans, so it will hang around like influenza. The pandemic phase, which they’re referring to, is over. We have vaccines and even medicine to deal with it now. That doesn’t mean it is being ignored, but that we aren’t letting it control our lives. https://t.co/MEgV9loorV

— Matt Winfough ???????????? (@MattWinfough) June 26, 2024

======

… COVID does not circulate with predictable seasonality, our understanding of acute and long term effects (#LongCOVID) is still weak, there is little effort to prevent the spread. Prevention of infection remains impt even with the overall impact of #COVID19 lower than 20-22, etc

— Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) June 24, 2024

Thailand: New weekly COVID hospitalizations rocket upward to 3,256, hitting new high for 2023-2024

Thailand's new weekly COVID hospitalizations now are more than 6 times the weekly total of 501 from when the current spring COVID surge began in mid-March. https://t.co/VJKisQjKEo

— SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) July 1, 2024

Tokyo: Number of Covid-19 patients increases for 7th straight weekhttps://t.co/yC8yag810j pic.twitter.com/m9AF5nBu9c

— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) June 30, 2024

New Zealand: 387 people hospitalized for Covid-19 on 26th June 2024https://t.co/64Wdgx4aRZ pic.twitter.com/qBlJZDyhag

— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) June 29, 2024

A week since the last update and both new cases of SARS2/COVID-19 and associated deaths keep climbing in Portugal to roughly twice the peak numbers of the last Winter wave. The weekly official number of deaths reached 87 deaths 2 days ago, the highest since July 2022. Not over. pic.twitter.com/Tf7OLB6nFp

— Pedro Lérias 😷 https://t.me/COVIDzeroPortugal (@RPLerias) June 28, 2024

Netherlands: SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, June 19th 2024 v June 26th 2024

RIVMhttps://t.co/WE0PDNzwkr pic.twitter.com/HjF8iFirHL

— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) June 29, 2024

UK: COVID-19 positivity at 13.26%

It's the highest rate since October 2023.

UKHSA data dashboardhttps://t.co/8elA8RgTm1 pic.twitter.com/pzslcYJNsP

— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) June 28, 2024

Ireland: The highest number of Covid patients in ICU this year https://t.co/VuGQ3hfml7

— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) June 30, 2024

======

NIH announces launch of clinical trial for nasal COVID vaccine

Nasal vaccines have the potential for reducing transmission and preventing milder illness.https://t.co/38nrqWT9Pc

Photo: NIAID/Flickr cc pic.twitter.com/5BoXiLCX3h

— CIDRAP (@CIDRAP) July 2, 2024

US: LB.1 now makes up 17.5% of new cases in the United States and is on track to surpass KP.2 and KP.3.

A preprint study in Japan suggests that LB.1 may be more infectious and better at evading immunity than KP.2 due to a mutation called S:S31del.1
https://t.co/4UImujxqah

— SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) July 2, 2024

Explaining the relative resistance of children to Covid infections: enhanced nasal mucosal immunity built from often asymptomatic viral and bacterial infections, tracked with biomarkershttps://t.co/8KFw2IBSQe @JExpMed @EllenFoxman @TimothyAWatkins @YalePediatrics @YaleMed pic.twitter.com/23cT9KpIkV

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) July 1, 2024

Cannabis Use Linked to Severe COVID-19

Cannabis use increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Analyzing records of 72,501 patients, researchers discovered that cannabis users were significantly more likely to require hospitalization and ICU.
https://t.co/97OZ0a8vGh

— SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) June 28, 2024

======

There is no need to cite meaningless positive rate metrics for Puerto Rico, where the Depatyment of Health has never stopped producing actual case counts. Cases have been averaging about 2,500/day, which is >2x taller than e.g. the Alpha or Delta waves.https://t.co/BqbBPtyYMj

— midnucas #FueraLUMA 🇵🇷 (@midnucas) July 1, 2024

COVID infections rising in Florida

Wastewater surveillance, which is one of the more reliable ways of tracking COVID spread after testing dropped off, shows that COVID levels are rising in the Midwest, Northeast and South. https://t.co/9Udcfng1bS

— SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) July 2, 2024

Washington state faces summer Covid-19 surge

For the week of June 16, the Washington PH Respiratory Illness Data Dashboard recorded a 5.9% change in COVID-19 hospitalizations and a 15.4% increase in COVID-19 emergency visits compared to the week prior. https://t.co/TgAKJTdtRB

— SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) July 1, 2024

I wrote today's @ScienceBasedMed article on the political weaponization of the lab leak theory that has been the focus of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic and a recent New York Times opinion piece on the eve of Dr. Fauci's hearing.https://t.co/YERHQGs11F pic.twitter.com/4NeEiCEm1Q

— Allison Neitzel (@AliNeitzelMD) June 27, 2024

“A weak immune system is like having an open border for your body,” said one ad for vitamins. As a rule, anti-vaxxers are happy to put anything in their bodies if it comes from a pitchman and not a devil in a white coat. https://t.co/hTVWRU2zIh

— Christopher Hooks (@cd_hooks) June 24, 2024

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Reader Interactions

40Comments

  1. 1.

    satby

    July 3, 2024 at 5:12 am

    That Texas Monthly article really captures the crazy of that bunch. Follow the money, always.

  2. 2.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 5:14 am

    Just seeing the name of that piece of shit “Plandemic” makes my blood boil.  Talk about psy-ops, the success of that one came way too close to home (former friend shocked me with teh stupid, causing me to recoil in horror before ceasing all contact of any manner).  That jab about taking anything offered by a pitchman is spot on!  Made me feel a little better to laugh about it.

    “Devil in a white coat” 😆

    I pray for poetic justice to befall the creators of anything to do with planning that piece of shit and the sequel.

    Too many people still think Covid is a hoax or that sufferers are faking.

  3. 3.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 5:22 am

    @satby: it is paywalled for me, probably best for my blood pressure today (this whole week month).

  4. 4.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 5:25 am

    So glad I purchased “too many” N95 masks.  Always have a fresh one at the ready.  I fantasize that everyone else is also wearing one out of an abundance of caution and empathy for their fellow human beings all living creatures.

  5. 5.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 5:31 am

    @TBone: Essential oils. Remember that big fad? 🙄🙃 Aforementioned stupid friend bought me one of those appliances that sprays “essential” vapor in the Before Time.  As soon as she left, I took much pleasure in the sound of it hitting my garbage can. If I wanted my home to smell like lavender, I’d have a bouquet in a vase.

    At least the thought was there, I should say. She thought her gift was some kind of illness preventative.

  6. 6.

    Matt McIrvin

    July 3, 2024 at 5:33 am

    @TBone: You threw it away? But those oils were ESSENTIAL!

    (I wonder how much of the fad for them was essentially based on a pun)

  7. 7.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 5:34 am

    @Matt McIrvin: 😆

  8. 8.

    lowtechcyclist

    July 3, 2024 at 5:41 am

    @TBone: ​
     

    Too many people still think Covid is a hoax or that sufferers are faking.

    Yeah, all those people pretending to be dead should rise up from their graves any day now. Like the Rapture, only different. //

  9. 9.

    Baud

    July 3, 2024 at 5:49 am

    @lowtechcyclist:

    That was a theme in Marvels Endgame.

  10. 10.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 5:52 am

    @lowtechcyclist: 😂

    but, but

    #sudden death was caused by the vaccines, silly!

    ETA to this day I’ll never forget asking, pleading for an answer to my question from yet another former friend who went anti-vaxx nuts:

    HOW DOES YOUR FEAR OF VACCINES OUTWEIGH YOUR FEAR OF A DEADLY, CONTAGIOUS, AIRBORNE VIRUS?

  11. 11.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 5:53 am

    @Baud: related to Covid? (Obvs I have not seen it).

  12. 12.

    Baud

    July 3, 2024 at 5:56 am

    @TBone:

    No.

  13. 13.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 3, 2024 at 6:07 am

    Ratio of people currently infected by region:

    Midwest: 1 in 136 ⬆️
    South: 1 in 76 ⬆️
    Northest: 1 in 189 ⬆️
    West: 1 in 43 ⬆️

    Hmmmmmm…. These numbers are telling us something but I just can’t put my finger on it.

  14. 14.

    Rachel Bakes

    July 3, 2024 at 6:12 am

    Haven’t seen a summer wave hit so close to home yet-10 people I know in CT have contracted it in the last 2 months. Including my 80+ year old in-laws who had caught it for the first time and had a nasty week (fully vaccinated). Now my fil’s platelet count is staying dangerously low. Was hospitalized for 4 days to try and get it up again, now dropping again. Covid related? Or some fresh hell?

  15. 15.

    Princess

    July 3, 2024 at 6:18 am

    If you thought the old variants were contagious, this one will blow your mind, it spreads so easily.

  16. 16.

    lowtechcyclist

    July 3, 2024 at 6:31 am

    @TBone: ​
     

    #sudden death was caused by the vaccines, silly!

    Yeah, those vaccines that weren’t even available during that first horrible year of the plague.

    I’m sure they must have an answer for that, I just wonder how stupid it is.

  17. 17.

    sab

    July 3, 2024 at 6:36 am

    @TBone: Also, a lot of the essential oils on the market are toxic to cats.

  18. 18.

    sab

    July 3, 2024 at 6:42 am

    @lowtechcyclist: A childhood friend of my husband got Covid for the first time this year. He was fully vaxxed and all that. He had a hospital stay from it and is now home with what seems to be long Covid.  He had been in excellent health for an old (70ish).  Now he can barely manage stairs, even a couple up into the house.

  19. 19.

    eclare

    July 3, 2024 at 6:54 am

    @sab:

    And that is why I mask indoors and am fully vaxxed.  Pisses me off that I can’t get vaxxed again until whenever (under 65).

  20. 20.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 7:04 am

    @sab: 👍

  21. 21.

    New Deal democrat

    July 3, 2024 at 7:05 am

    BIobot’s national update yesterday indicated that “COVID-19 activity and community viral load held steady during week 25. The national average SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration is now 358 copies per mL” vs. 122 copies at the low point in May. Regionally only the South showed a significant increase, while the Northeast was steady at the highest level, close to 500 copies.
     
    Deaths hit a new all-time low of 300 during the week of June 1. Unfortunately, like cases, they are almost certainly going to increase sharply in the next few weeks. Here are the initial and final counts for the last 7 weeks of data:
     
    5/11 141. 303
    5/18  143. 311
    5/25. 108. 316
    6/1. 144. 300
    6/8. 132. N/a
    6/15  148. N/a
    6/22. 187
     
    The next variant update will be on Friday. It should show the KP.x and LB.x variants almost completely replacing this spring’s JN.x variants, but the summer wave won’t peak until after social get-togethers start to decline, and the most effective new variant reaches about 85% saturation. Unfortunately, that is probably a number of weeks from now. By that time, deaths will probably have increased to back over 1000 per week.
     
    The relatively good news is that even so, deaths this year so far are down roughly 1/3rd from even last year.

  22. 22.

    sab

    July 3, 2024 at 7:07 am

    @eclare: Agreed. I never did stop masking. There are still a few of us wandering around in public spaces.

  23. 23.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 7:08 am

    @lowtechcyclist: I never even got an answer to my question, just a Gish gallop of rage and reproach 🙄

    The Internet is a toxic substance for the gullible and those who failed science.  The same people that fail to understand that there are, in fact, limits to free speech, and that it protects from government impingement, not social consequences!

  24. 24.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 7:11 am

    @Princess: 😭 I found out the hard way.  So did my cats.  Hubby is somehow impervious, praise be!

  25. 25.

    TBone

    July 3, 2024 at 7:14 am

    @Rachel Bakes: I had “sticky blood” with my first infection.  Nurse couldn’t get blood out of any vein and stuck me five times in different locations before success was finally achieved.  Of course, I don’t know why they wanted blood – testing wasn’t even available yet at that time…

    Covid can affect any part of your body (I still have Covid toes too).

  26. 26.

    Ramalama

    July 3, 2024 at 7:23 am

    @TBone: Like you, I can’t even with a name like Plandemic.

    But I’m reminded of a very compelling story I listened to on This American Life about a woman who tried to reason with her brother about COVID. Pretty devastating. I was not going out of my way to know stories about COVID when I listened to it, probably under a shutdown, but I did and “enjoyed” it? Was glad I listened? Was better for having listened to it? Not really hitting it. But I recommend it to everyone. The original is called Family Dig. And made into a mini-series called We Were Three.

  27. 27.

    WereBear

    July 3, 2024 at 7:33 am

    @TBone: Yes, we just checked our supply. We go out midweek to avoid the weekend visitors.

    And no reason not to wear it in the supermarket. I’ve been slacking off but picked up my game lately.

  28. 28.

    brantl

    July 3, 2024 at 7:34 am

    I think there should be a law stopping adults from giving kids raw milk. If they want to drink it themselves, go to it, lemming off that cliff, but don’t take the kids with you, you morons. Of course, the kids might grow up to be morons, too.

  29. 29.

    WereBear

    July 3, 2024 at 7:35 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: That’s some stats with significance. With certain regions 2 or three times other regions…

  30. 30.

    eclare

    July 3, 2024 at 7:45 am

    @sab:

    I do go out to eat with my elderly aunt, but that’s it without a mask.

  31. 31.

    Baud

    July 3, 2024 at 7:48 am

    @brantl:

    There’s child endangerment laws, but I’m not really in favor of micromanaging parenting.  That’s what the fascists want to do in banning trans care.

  32. 32.

    WereBear

    July 3, 2024 at 7:48 am

    Heads up on fat-soluble thiamine, which has shown promise in chronic fatigue and long virus syndromes. I’ve been taking befothiamine for a year. Metabolic derangement leads to the damage, and abundant thiamine is an important supply to do that.

    Hit the pork! Highest content.

  33. 33.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 3, 2024 at 7:56 am

    @Ramalama: ​ This American Life is “Must listen” radio. The first episode I heard was a spot on narcissistic liars and I was blown away by how they captured the beating heart of my ex.

    @WereBear: How can anybody look at that and say, “We’re doing it right!” More likely they’ll just say, “It’s all a lie! Get off that bed you lazy layabout! It’s just a cold!”

  34. 34.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 3, 2024 at 8:01 am

    @Baud: And posting the 10 commandments in Kindergarten rooms.

  35. 35.

    Baud

    July 3, 2024 at 8:12 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Ain’t no commandment against gender-affirminng care. Check and mate.

  36. 36.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 3, 2024 at 8:27 am

    @Baud: Oh ye of little faith, give the god botherers enough time and they will find a bible passage they can interpret as banning it.

  37. 37.

    Wapiti

    July 3, 2024 at 8:34 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: The progressive schools already post stuff like “Be Kind”, which is a little New Testamenty for the god botherers.

  38. 38.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 3, 2024 at 8:54 am

    @Wapiti: Eeeewwww… Will no one think of the bullies?

  39. 39.

    Matt McIrvin

    July 3, 2024 at 10:31 am

    @TBone: The correct answer is usually “fear of the virus is what YOUR tribe does; fear of the vaccine is what MY tribe does”. Those emotional allegiances can outweigh a lot.

  40. 40.

    Ramalama

    July 3, 2024 at 12:45 pm

    @OzarkHillbilly: Yeah! TAL was on the ipod playing through my tin-tin car speakers when I drove from Boston to Montreal (and back) on my weekly drives with rideshare peeps, many of whom were foreigners. Bos-MTL had no good travel options other than 2 regular drivers, me and a guy who made the same trip but opposite. Europeans in particular learned a shite ton about ‘Merica from that podcast. (Note: I drove more Europeans)

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