THE LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PANDEMIC

            From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

    DAY   USA  WORLD    Brazil    India    South Africa

June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82

July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572

Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130

Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82

Oct     21      1225      6849         571        703       85

Nov    25       2304    12025        620        518      118

Dec    30       3880    14748       1224       299      465

Jan     14       4142      15512        1151        189      712

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398

Mar      2       1989     9490        1726       110      194

April     6        906    11787         4211       631       37

May     4        853     13667        3025      3786     59 

June    1        287    10637         2346      3205      95

 July    7         251      8440        1595        817      411

Aug     4         656    10120        1118        532      423 

Sept   22      2228      9326          839       279     124

Oct      6       2102      8255          543       315       59

Nov    3        1436      7830         186        458       23

Dec     1       1633      8475          266        477       28

Jan     7        2025      6729         148         285     140

Feb     2        2990   12012          946        991      175

Mar     2        1778     7756          335         173       28 

Apr     1         439      4056         290         52        12

May    5         225      2404        151            ?        64 

June    2        216      1413          130          10        31 

July    7         320       1958        297          38         9 

Aug   4         311        2138          258          70         ? 

         11         290       1994         173          49         ?

        18          264      1950         202           ?         ?

        25          245      1909         197          68        ?

        31          403      1989         115           37        ? 

Sep    1          272       1732         39             ?         ?

Summary:

• U.S. remains #1 in new deaths, with Japan #2 and Germany #3.
• Japan remains #1 in new cases with 100,729, #2 South Korea 85,484, #3 USA 50,403.
• Regarding most new cases/million population, small entities dominate the top, but regarding major countries:  #3 Taiwan  1727, #5 South Korea 1716, #6 Hong Kong 1336, Hungary #8 1072, #10 Japan 802, #15 Germany 498, #18 Singapore 382, #19 Australia 381, #20 New Zealand 379, #22 Russia 379, USA 150, #51 UAE (Dubai) 42.
• Total deaths/million population?  #1  Peru 6357, #2 Bulgaria 5506, #3  Bosnia/Herzegovina 4970, #4 Hungary 4931, USA 3206, #65 South Africa 1676, World 835, #130 S. Korea 530 #138 Taiwan 424, #146 Japan 331, #153 UAW 231, China 0.3
• Total cases/million population?  #5 Iceland 592,746, #9 Austria 541,306, #19 Israel 497,463, #27 S. Korea 463,191, #40 Germany 383,869, #52 Singapore 311,277, USA 289,165, #74 Taiwan 231,904, #95 Japan 156,290, #119 UAE 100,325, World 78,496, #226 China 171
• Where not to go today, Active Cases/million:  many small islands at the top, #5 Iceland 373,178, #9 Greenland 161,253, #22 Hong Kong 32,715, #23 S. Korea 32,367, #27 Taiwan 23,797, #36 Singapore 12,830, #36 Japan 11,778, USA 8909, #112 Israel 1,007, #216 China 4.

Note that those Asian countries leading the world today on new cases/day are doing well in total deaths/million population?  Why?  

• The mortality rate at the beginning the pandemic was close to 2%, and today has dropped to 1% and could well end up at 0.1%.  However, even at the low rate, the death factor is ten times worse than the seasonal flu.  
• The CDC reports that the mortality rate of the flu combined with pneumonia is 0.016%.

• Just like COVID, the older you are, the higher the mortality rate.
• Without pneumonia, only 0.0018%.
•  These Asian countries had very few cases when people were dying at a higher rate.  
• More recently, with vaccinations and advanced treatments, few are perishing.  
• South Korea's mortality rate is 0.1%. Japan is at 0.2%.  The USA is at 1% because many of our deaths occurred quite early.

Note how ridiculously low China's numbers are.  Tomorrow, my blog will explain why this is happening and the long term repercussions anticipated.

The latest info about long COVID is that those most under stress, anxiety and depression have an increased risk of developing the long haul symptoms. 

• Published in Journal of the American Medical Association this week, a Harvard team looked at 55,000 Americans and Canadians from April 2020 to November 2021.
• 3000 had Covid, and 1400 suffered from long Covid.  That's a scary 47%, although another study has this figure at 19%.  So something does not jive.
• Simply, those who reported psychological distress had a 32% to 46% increased risk of long Covid.
• Apparently, pre-conditions such as obesity, asthma and hypertension were not as influential.
• Why?  Stress can cause inflammation, leading to a suppressed immune response.
• The bottom line message is that it is never harmful to reduce stress in your life.
• The older I get, the more I tend to overreact to any problem, something I need to try to overcome.

This pandemic has dropped world longevity.  This fall was particularly tragic for Native Americans, for from 2019 to 2021 life expectancy tumbled from 71.8 to 65.2.  How bad is that?  This ethnic group now lives as long as the average American did in 1944!  The cause?  Poverty and lack of health care.  There is also a tendency to live in multi-generational homes, spreading the infection potential.  The following from the New York Times this morning.

Why don't I provide you the NYT reference for the above so you can yourself read the details?  Every morning they send me a summary, but when I try to get to the source, the newspaper won't allow access and asks me to subscribe.  Here is another graphic from them.

Why are Asians always lowest (which is good) in the USA on a variety of lifestyle measures?

The NFL kicks off today:  

• One potential issue for each of 32 teams
• Tonight’s opening matchup.

There are two hurricanes, one in the Atlantic, Earl at 105 MPH, but heading away from the USA, and Kay in the Pacific at 80 MPH, and predicted to threaten Baja, but move west away from land.  Hurricane Earl could get up to Category 4 strength.

Hurricane Kay was once up to 85 MPH, but is already weakening.

In the West Pacific, Tropical Typhoon Muifa has formed, will strengthen to Category 2 status, and follow the path of Typhoon Hinnamnor, with a track between Taiwan and Okinawa, then turning north towards South Korea and Japan.

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