EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS COVID-19 PANDEMIC

From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

          DAY  USA  WORLD    Brazil    India    South Africa

2020

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

2021

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

2022

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    6          316      1627         335           35       12 

Aug    4          311       2138         258          70         ?

Sep    1           272       1732         174            ?         ?

Oct     6          281       1305         119            9         ?

Nov    3          167         980           16            ?         ?

        25            88         985           71             3        ?  

Dec    3          149       1029         131            3         ?

          8          194       1320         104             6       86

        15           147       1295         124             4         ?

        22          289       1637         165             9         ? 

        28          296       1768         337            2         ?

2023

Jan    4           346      1534         207             ?         ?

Feb   1            221       1261         126             ?         ?

Mar   1           119         618           81              1         ? 

Apr    5          121         371              ?             ?         ? 

May   3           37         414            48           20        ?

Summary:

• Clearly, this pandemic is showing signs of phasing down.
• For this week, I'll only look at weekly trends.
• Total cases this past week (in parentheses, weekly cases/million population)
• #1  S. Korea  93,998  (1832)
• #2  Japan  68,711  (624)
• #3  India  41,260  (29)...of course, how good is their reporting???
• #4  Brazil  38,553  (179)
• #5  Russia  38,337  (264)
• #6  USA  34,337  (102)
• #7  France  32,078  (489)
• #8  Vietnam  15,107  (153)
• #9  Australia  13,126  (506)
• #10  Indonesia  11,257  (40.3)
• World  481,350  (60)
• South Korea is the worst by far, three times higher than #2 Japan.  And Japan is more than 10 times worse than the World.
• The USA is a comfortable 102 new cases for the week/million population, but almost double that of the World average.
• Deaths in the last 7 days per million population.
• #1  San Marino  59
• #2  Denmark  6
• #3  New Zealand  6
• #4  Croatia  6
• #5  Guadeloupe  6
• #6  Germany  4
• #7  Hong Kong  4
• #8  France  3
• #21  USA  1
• #46  Thailand  0.1
• 
  So how is China doing?
• Declared victory over COVID-19 on February 16.
• No new subvariants.
• The Chinese new year period from January 21 to 27 did not exacerbate the covid problem.
• Approved two new domestic anti-COVID vaccines.
• Admitted that 80% of their population caught this virus.  The U.S. percentage is 32%, and that of the World is 9%.
• Removed PCR test requirements on April 29.  Still need to take an antigen test within 48 hours of boarding.  Self-testing okay.
• Will no longer need to show test certificate for vaccinations.
• Masks no longer required for public transportation.
• Has resumed issuing visas to foreigners.
• CBS News reported this week that:
• During the 5-day May Day public holiday period, 240 million took a trip, beating pre-pandemic figures for these days.
• Many top tourist attractions are sold out.
• International travel remains low.
• Revenge spending saw retail and food service companies 21% higher on the first week of golden week than the previous year.

Here are some interesting factoids about this covid pandemic:

• 11 surprising facts about COVID-19.   
• One of them is that asymptomatic people were serious spreaders because the affected individual did it unintentionally, and victims took fewer precautions because of that.  According to a 2021 JAMA Network Open modeling study, 60% of all transmission is caused by the asymptomatic.   It should be far higher today because of vaccinations and herd immunity.  During one surge in Shanghai, the asymptomatic rate was 97%!!!
• People with type A blood may be more susceptible to infection.  Worse, these individuals showed a higher risk of developing respiratory failure.  Those with type O blood were more resistant.
• Vaccines have been shown to be very efficient in preventing serious illness and death.

• 
  13 things to know about Pfizer's Paxlovid.  If you are infected and can take the pill within 5 days, there is an 89% reduction in the risk of for severe symptoms.
• 9 things to know about Merch's Molnupiravir.  However, the risk reduction for severe symptoms is only around 30%.

President Joe Biden terminated the national covid emergency a few weeks ago.  Way back in February China declared the coronavirus pandemic is over.  No word yet from the World Health Organization.

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