From Worldometer (new COVID-19 deaths yesterday):
DAY USA WORLD Brazil India South Africa
- Well, this pandemic seems to be lingering, with definite hotspots here and there.
- The U.S. had the most deaths yesterday with 305, #2 Germany 222, and #3 UK 227.
- Germany was #1 with 166,960 cases, #2 U.S. 71,798 and #3 South Korea 49,499.
- Interestingly enough, Taiwan, with a population of 24 million, which has largely escaped this COVID virus, and is #111 in deaths, had 28,365 cases yesterday.
- Only a few weeks ago on April 18 they reported a single-day high of 551 new cases. They were fearing reaching 1000 by the end of April.
- On April 27 they topped 10,000 new cases for the first time.
- Their vaccination rate is quite high, and only seven people had died this year.
- 99% of those infected in this wave are either asymptomatic or not seriously ill.
- Yesterday Taiwan had 28,365 new cases and 5 new deaths.
- China, with the largest world population of 1.44 billion, is #108 in total deaths, with 5,128.
- The U.S. has had slightly more than one million deaths.
- Worldometer has the World at 6.3 million deaths.
- WHO just reported that countries are undercounting COVID deaths, and India alone had 4.7 million deaths. The World death toll is 15 million.
- Interestingly enough, 57% were males.
- 43% females.
- These countries have the worst undercounts:
- One more graphic shows excess deaths compared to the norm for 2020/21. Note that 2022 is not included, and this year China, Japan and Australia are being especially affected by COVID-19:
- China reported 16 new deaths yesterday.
- Only reported 362 new cases yesterday.
- China is not counting asymptomatic cases, which happen to waver around 98% more recently in the country. Thus, 362 really means 18,100 new cases yesterday for China.
- Shanghai peaked at 27,605 cases three weeks ago, is now down to "only' 10,000 new cases/day, and is beginning to ease their lockdown.
- However, Beijing is nearing that feared total lockdown, with cases rising. Already mass transit is being limited and there are indoor ban for restaurants, theater and malls.
What is prolonging this pandemic? A wide variety of Omicron subvariants:
- In South Africa, they are BA.4 and BA.5.
- BA.2 is haunting the USA, with BA.2.121.1 soon to overtake.
- China shows BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.21.1.
- The scary one is BA.2.12.1, for this strain is infecting vaccinated people in China.
- However, those Chinese vaccines are not as effective as those in the West.
- Yet, most experts contend that other subvariants could develop to overcome any vaccine.
- The current reading of the future has the pandemic continuing into the mid-summer, with fewer hospitalizations and deaths.
- Plus, Pfizer's Paxlovid and AstraZeneca's Evusheld should materially reduce serious infections.
15 Craigside has joined the COVID crowd, as one resident and at least 8 staff infections have quarantined 16 apartments. Subsequently, I don't go down to eat in the dining room and need to pay $1.50/meal for pick-up. Seems unfair under these conditions, for I pay for those meals anyway. The good news is that no one is dying. We received our second booster last week.
It can be worse, for a Carnival cruise ship from Miami docked on Tuesday in Seattle with at least 100 testing positive. Everyone was supposedly vaccinated. I've long been advocating for a full booster requirement, as those two (or one J&J) vaccinations lose effectiveness. A Fortune article way back in January indicated that all 92 U.S. cruises with passengers reported COVID cases.
What is this?
Chicago welcomes the seasonal Spring gnat swarm. They could be gone by Sunday, and should surely dissipate by the following weekend. Of course, this is not the only city with this problem, as these midges, chironomids or lake flies are merely living their life cycle. Canada, Louisiana and any site with large freshwater bodies of water or swamps have them. There are 4000 species, and some do bite. And you don't want breathe in too many of them.
Well, what about something positive? Today was once Boy's Day in Japan, and those koi displays were floated. They combined both sexes and now have a national holiday on May 5 and call it Children's Day, but symbolically retained those fish displays. Not a holiday in Hawaii, but the Arcadia family of companies, of which we are one, note this occasion.
Of course, today is also Cinco de Mayo, and my dinner tonight will be an upgraded Mexican Tacos, with copious amounts of Margarita. As tomorrow is also the Kentucky Derby, which features Mint Julep, I'll perhaps begin tonight with something called Mint Julep Margarita. Finally, today happens to be a special once in a lifetime day calling for mucho gala festivity. As I said on May 1, THIS WILL BE A GREAT WEEK.
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