From Worldometer (new COVID-19 deaths yesterday):
DAY USA WORLD Brazil India South Africa
- Looking better and better for parts of the world.
- However, South Africa, reflecting much of Africa, is showing an ascent of cases and deaths. The 15,500 new cases yesterday only means that a week or two from now the deaths/day rate will remain at around 450.
- Indonesia has risen to #3 in new cases (31,189) and #4 in new deaths (728).
- There has been a general resurgence in portions of the Orient, including Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar.
- Japan had 963 new cases and 14 new deaths.
- Tokyo is showing an uptick, but the Summer Olympics are still on.
- Worse of all is Okinawa, which has seen a recent surge.
- China had 23 new cases and no new deaths.
- Singapore had 10 new cases and no new deaths.
- Taiwan had only 29 new cases, but 17 new deaths, so whatever happened ten days ago has been curtailed.
- What's the difference between the Delta and Delta Plus variants?
The Delta Plus variant (B.1.617.2.1) is a new and slightly changed offshoot of the highly contagious Delta variant (B.1.617.2).
All variants carry clusters of mutations. Delta Plus is different from Delta because it has an extra mutation called K417N. That mutation affects the spike protein – the part of the virus that attaches to human cells it infects.
The Indian government’s Covid-19 genome sequencing body said the Delta Plus variant exhibits several worrying traits such as increased transmissibility, stronger binding to receptors of lung cells, and a potential reduction in antibody response.
- Is it safe to go on vacation?
“Delay travel until you are fully vaccinated,” the CDC says. Fully vaccinated means at least 2 weeks have passed since your last dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
- Could I get coronavirus from the Covid-19 vaccine?
No.
It’s literally impossible to get Covid-19 from any of the vaccines used in the US because none of them contains even a piece of actual coronavirus.
How much does a Covid-19 vaccine cost?“It’s all free. The government is paying for this,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.
- What “underlying conditions” put people at higher risk of bad outcomes with Covid-19?
More than 40% of US adults have at least one underlying condition that can put them at higher risk of severe complications, according to the CDC.
Those conditions include obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, according to the CDC.
People who have cancer, an organ transplant, sickle cell anemia, poorly controlled HIV or any autoimmune disorder are also at higher risk.
Covid-19 patients with pre-existing conditions — regardless of their age — are 6 times more likely to hospitalized and 12 times more likely to die from the disease than those who had no pre-existing conditions, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said.
- I heard you can get Covid-19 through your eyes. Should we wear goggles, too?
Doctors say wearing eye protection (in addition to face masks) could help some people, but it’s not necessary for everyone.
- Doesn’t the flu kill more people than coronavirus?
No. In fact, Covid-19 has killed more people in one year than the flu did during the last five flu seasons combined.
During the 2019-2020 flu season, an estimated 22,000 people in the US died from the flu, according to the CDC.
With Covid-19, the first known US death was in February 2020. By January 27, more than 427,000 people had died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Covid-19 has now taken more than half a million US lives.
There are other reasons why coronavirus can be more dangerous than the flu:
- Coronavirus is twice as contagious as the flu. Research indicates a person with the flu infects an average of 1.28 other people, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said. With coronavirus, “it’s likely between 2 and 3” other people. But mitigation efforts can drastically reduce that number.
- Coronavirus can be spread unknowingly for more days than the flu. People with coronavirus might not get symptoms for 14 days, and some get no symptoms at all. But they can still infect others unknowingly. The incubation period for the flu is shorter, and most people get symptoms within two days of infection.
- How do I prevent my glasses or sunglasses from fogging up when I wear a mask?
First, make sure the top of your mask fits snugly against your skin (to minimize vapor from your breath from going up toward your eyes). Then put your glasses over the snug-fitting top portion of your mask.
If that doesn’t do the trick, soap and water can create a barrier that prevents glasses from fogging up. Here’s how.
- What’s so different about coronavirus that made us shut down the economy? Why did we have to practice social distancing when we didn’t during the SARS and swine flu epidemics?
Unlike SARS and swine flu, the novel coronavirus is both highly contagious and especially deadly, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said.
“SARS was also a coronavirus, and it was a new virus at the time,” Gupta said. “In the end, we know that SARS ended up infecting 8,000 people around the world and causing around 800 deaths. So very high fatality rate, but it didn’t turn out to be very contagious.”
The swine flu, or H1N1, “was very contagious and infected some 60 million people in the United States alone within a year,” Gupta said. “But it was far less lethal than the flu even — like 1/3 as lethal as the flu.”
What makes the novel coronavirus different is that “this is both very contagious … and it appears to be far more lethal than the flu as well.”
- Can you get Covid-19 through sex?
- How can I stay safe in an elevator?
- How safe are public restrooms?
- Are some blood types able to fight coronavirus better than other blood types? (In short, Type A people have a higher risk of infection and more apt to develop severe symptoms, while Type O is best.)
- Can I disinfect my mask by putting it in the microwave? (No, no, no.)
- Can you get coronavirus from touching money?
- Could I infect my pets with coronavirus, or vice versa? Can someone get infected by touching an animal’s fur? Should I get my pet tested for coronavirus?
- Can mosquitoes or houseflies transmit coronavirus?
- Can I use vodka as hand sanitizer? (No. Vodka is typically between 35-46% alcohol, while you want a liquid that is at least 60%. Plus, vodka is too expensive.)
- Does this pandemic have anything to do with the 5G network?
- My teenagers aren’t taking this seriously. Any advice?
- If traveling on a plane, how do I stay safe?
- Did Dean Koontz predict this outbreak in the book “The Eyes of Darkness” almost 40 years ago?
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