THE LATEST ABOUT COVID-19

The pandemic is over, and because of vaccinations, the mortality rate for COVID-19 is approaching that of the seasonal flu.  The World weekly case count dropped 25% this past week.  Then again, some countries are faring better than others.  For example, regarding the weekly case % change over the past week:

• #1    Costa Rica  +92,800%
• #2    Guinea Bissau  +26,400%
• #3    Estonia  +23,900%
• #14  Canada  +534%
• #25  Brazil  +73%
• #30  Thailand  +39%
• #36  South Korea +14%
• #44  Denmark  +2%
• #45  Mexico  -2%
• #70  Germany  -30%
• #89  USA  -55%

Deaths in the past week per million population.

• #1    New Zealand  11
• #2    Denmark  8
• #3    Hong Kong  4
• #4    Germany  4
• #14  Canada  1
• #17  S. Korea  1
• #25  USA  0.7

Okay, but what about China?  Still, pretty much careful about sharing any data.  However, as of 11 May 2023:

• On May 3, the U.S. Department of Transportation increased the number of round-trip Chinese airlines flights from 8 to 12 per week.
• Domestic travel during China's Labor Day Holiday this year exceeded that of 2019.
• Otherwise, China has pretty much returned to normal.
• Fast-lanes were introduced in China on May 15 to speed up border inspections.

From the 28 February 2023 The Atlantic on the matter of asymptomaticity.

• Enthusiasm for masking and testing has plummeted; isolation recommendations have been pared down, and may soon entirely disappear. “We’re just not communicating about asymptomatic transmission anymore,” says Saskia Popescu, an infectious-disease epidemiologist and infection-prevention expert at George Mason University. “People think, What’s the point? I feel fine.”
• Just to understand one matter you should know:  After you have been infected, you don't show symptoms on average, for 4-6 days.  However, you are dangerous from day ONE, so symptomless transmission was the norm.
• However, the asymptomatic rate, which was once around 25% to 45%, is now probably double that.  Thus these individuals are the prime source of new transmissions.
• For the great majority, the symptom of covid is more like the seasonal flu.  More and more, symptoms are so mild that it might be unnoticeable.
• People are not wearing masks anymore, and anywhere.  Thus, this disease will stick with society for a longer while.  Blame these asymptomatic people, although they don't realize they are the spreaders.
• 
  The more people are vaccinated, symptoms will get even milder.
• I will take the latest booster (I think this will be my sixth shot) tomorrow.
• As early as January of 2022, the medical profession indicated that death for fully vaccinated adults were already very rare, unless they had risk factors.
• More than a year ago, the CDC looked at more than 1.2 million fully vaccinated adults.
• 2246 got infected anyway, a rate of of around 0.2%.
• Only 36 died, or 0.003%...only 1 in 33,333 cases.
• Of those who died, 78% had four or more risk factors.
• Vaccines were 95% effective in stopping hospitalizations for those 64 and younger, but only 80% for those 65 and older.
• Moderna vaccine recipients were less likely to face death compared to those taking the Pfizer injection.  Part of the reason is that Moderna's dosage was higher.
• 
  However, the effectiveness of vaccination over time, so it is particularly important for elders and the immuno-compromised to take boosters when made available.  I will, tomorrow.
• When this article was written more than 16 months ago only 79% were partially vaccinated.
• Today, 70% of Americans are fully vaccinated, but 93% of those 65 and older.  Only 50% of Whites and 44% of Blacks.
• Vaccination rates vary by where you live.
• More fully vaccinated in the northeast, except for New Hampshire at 69%.  Rhode Island is highest at 86%.
• Lowest in the south:  Alabama 53%, Mississippi 53% and Louisiana 54%
• Hawaii is at 80%

Dr. Anthony Fauci retired at the end of this year.  He was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for almost 40 years.  Here is an interview conducted earlier this year on his thoughts about covid.

In February, Xi Jinping of China claimed victory over covid.  In April, President Joe Biden said our national emergency about covid will expire on May 11.   In May, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, finally declared that while covid remains a global threat, the pandemic is over.  Click on these links to watch them make these declarations.

Can't resist sharing President Donald Trump's 10 most outrageous lines on COVID-19.  Here are 10 times Trump downplayed the coronavirus.  Finally, Business Insider's report that one year into this pandemic, he was responsible for 40% of American covid deaths which were avoidable.  Watch the full story of Trump and COVID-19.

For a more upbeat ending, photos of my plants and flowers: orchids, arugula/green onions, calamansi and Hawaiian chili peppers.

-