Latest COVID 🦠
Latest Weekly UK COVID-19 Data. Recent data indicates a decline in COVID-19 levels across the UK, signalling the end of the latest wave. However, COVID may not become seasonal, leaving the possibility of future waves.
▪ UK ANALYSIS
Recent data show a decline in COVID levels across the UK, suggesting the end of the latest wave. England has seen a decrease in daily case rates, except in London where numbers are stable. In Scotland, COVID hospital admissions and wastewater levels are falling but still high compared to Winter 2023/24. Wales and Northern Ireland are also experiencing decreases in cases and hospital admissions. Although this wave appears to be ending, COVID may not become seasonal, so future waves are possible.
— ENGLAND DATA ONLY. | Credit: Dr Joe Pajak
▪ Variant Data
▪ VARIANT GLOBALLY -- ANALYSIS
Key observations: The KP3-family variants represent 80% of all variants in the UK, while the JN-family variants are in decline.
The newly identified XEC variant, a recombinant of KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, is spreading rapidly across multiple countries. As of 9 August, it exhibits an estimated growth advantage of 97%, significantly outperforming the current prevalent variant, which has a 42% growth advantage. XEC’s growth rate is 4.6% per day (32% per week), according to Mike Honey, making it the fastest-growing variant observed. The XEC variant’s unique mutations may enhance its transmissibility and immune evasion, emphasising the need for early identification and monitoring of its potential impacts.
▪ COVID Death Data
▪ COVID DEATH ANALYSIS
Last week, there was again an increase in weekly deaths. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 (240,429) still underscores the pandemic’s continuing impact and the need for sustained public health interventions and support for affected individuals, the most vulnerable and their families.
▪ COVID Free Aerosol Transmission Estimator
▪ FREE TOOL FOR EVERYONE
Try this FREE risk assessment tool to estimate indoor airborne transmission of COVID-19 around you.
▪ COVID Twitter
"#COVID19 is still very much with us. The virus is circulating in all countries.
— United Nations Geneva (@UNGeneva) August 6, 2024
Governments need to provide their populations with the tools to protect themselves
As individuals it is important to take measures to reduce risk of infection & severe disease."
- @mvankerkhove pic.twitter.com/rnHCE7HiXq
"We seem to have memory-holed not just the suffering of Covid-19 but also the initial burst of inspiring if imperfect solidarity it produced"—@dwallacewellshttps://t.co/oLkFlBLwJb pic.twitter.com/xCGxQXZCrH
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 11, 2024
About 400 million people worldwide have had long Covid, presenting a global economic cost of $1 trillion a year, a new report estimates. (Authors are @zalaly @EricTopol @VirusesImmunity @swulfie @ahandvanish @LisaAMcCorkell @leticiasaurus) https://t.co/b3LEBwOpca
— Pam Belluck (@PamBelluck) August 9, 2024
A new #LongCovid comprehensive review @NatureMedicine https://t.co/WT5oSq6kfQ
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 9, 2024
by @zalaly @ahandvanish @LisaAMcCorkell @leticiasaurus @swulfie @VirusesImmunity and me
This thread by Ziyad takes you through the essential pointshttps://t.co/hFbsn8j3bs pic.twitter.com/wpDQNNuxXT
'Around 400 million people globally have Long COVID, costing the global economy about $1 trillion every year. Long COVID is disabling on an individual level, and because of its multisystemic nature, it puts strain on health systems and on the economy.'https://t.co/mYiLERjmfi
— 🇪🇺 Dr Joe Pajak CSci FRSC #SARSCoV2 is airborne (@JoePajak) August 11, 2024
COVID was not supposed to play a major role in the Olympics anymore — but Paris 2024 has shown that for the athletes, it's still an issue. https://t.co/HRYpqdMHWZ
— ABC News (@abcnews) August 11, 2024
NIH special population guidelines for #COVID will be removed on August 16th. Immune Compromised, HIV, Pregnancy, Transplant, Influenza co-infected, and Cancer patient guidelines will disappear from their main site. Screenshot and download immediately!https://t.co/aUouFNtSiO
— Amy Mitchell (@amymitchellart) August 11, 2024
'New estimates published in @TheLancet show that at least 1.6 million European lives have been directly saved by COVID-19 vaccinations, with 60% of those lives saved when Omicron became the dominant strain, and those numbers may be an undercount.' @CIDRAPhttps://t.co/9o46YDMasV
— 🇪🇺 Dr Joe Pajak CSci FRSC #SARSCoV2 is airborne (@JoePajak) August 10, 2024
▪ COVID Latest News & Studies
The Paris Olympics is the first Games that let COVID run free, and it impacted how the event played out | ABC Australia
Long COVID science, research and policy | Nature
Noah Lyles' collapse underscores our collective COVID denial | Salon
About 400 Million People Worldwide Have Had Long COVID, Researchers Say | New York Times
Urgent COVID comeback warning as new variant KP 3.1.1 on rise with Olympians struck down | Mirror
▪ COVID Article Archives
COVID cases still rising and could go higher later in the summer, scientists warn | iNews
COVID outbreak spreads among Australian Olympic team | InQueensland
A Long COVID Definition -- A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences | National Academy of Sciences
JCVI advises on eligible groups for autumn COVID-19 vaccination | UKHSA
Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for ventilation and indoor air quality | Science
Rapid response to: COVID inquiry report: We planned for failure | bmj
First COVID inquiry report ‘shows criminally negligent’ attitude of previous governments | Disability News Service
MHRA approves Comirnaty JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine for adults and children from infancy | MHRA
How worried should we be about the new FLiRT and LB.1 COVID variants? | BreakingNews.ie
COVID deaths rise as booster vaccine take-up falls | BBC News
Driver's brain fog from COVID-19 linked to Cork crash that claimed lives of elderly couple | Irish Examiner
Long-Term Health Effects of COVID-19 -- Disability and Function Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection | National Academy of Sciences
Are We Headed for Another Summer COVID-19 Wave? | Time
A Long COVID Definition -- A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences | National Academy of Sciences
Three-year outcomes of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 | Nature
An Object Lesson From COVID on How to Destroy Public Trust | New York Times
Three-year outcomes of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 | Nature
Relative efficacy of masks and respirators as source control for viral aerosol shedding from people infected with SARS-CoV-2: a controlled human exhaled breath aerosol experimental study | Lancet
COVID can cause new health problems to appear years after infection, according to a study of more than 130,000 patients | Fortune
Post-Acute Cardiovascular Outcomes of COVID-19 in Children and Adolescents: An EHR Cohort Study from the RECOVER Project | medRxiv
The COVID Inquiry is Ignoring the Biggest Lesson: COVID-19 is Airborne | Byline Times
Up to 5.8 million kids have long COVID, study says. One mother discusses the "heartbreaking" search for answers. | CBS News
Is It COVID, Spring Allergies or a Cold? | New York Times
New COVID-19 Wave In Singapore, Minister Advises Wearing Of Masks After 25,900 Cases Recorded In A Week | News18
COVID patient testing, isolation of sick staff cut in-hospital viral spread, modeling study suggests | University of Minnesota
Hundreds of patients died after catching COVID in Victorian hospitals, new data shows | ABC News
An incomplete picture: understanding the burden of long COVID | The Economist
Updated estimates of Long COVID in England and Scotland show that it remains a serious issue | Christina Pagel
Exploring findings from the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study | ONS
The persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in tissues and its association with long COVID symptoms: a cross-sectional cohort study in China | The Lancet
Evidence from whole genome sequencing of aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 almost 5 hours after hospital room turnover | American Journal of Infection Control
NHS rolls out new variant COVID vaccine as virus continues to kill 100 a week | The Mirror
Indoor airborne risk assessment in the context of SARS-CoV-2 | WHO
W.H.O. Broadens Definition of Airborne Diseases | New York Times
Host-microbe multiomic profiling reveals age-dependent immune dysregulation associated with COVID-19 immunopathology | Science
Rishi Sunak spent £2m on focus groups for ‘eat out to help out’ scheme | The Guardian
What is the economic benefit of annual COVID-19 vaccination from the adult individual perspective? | The Journal of Infectious Diseases
COVID-19 shatters decades of global health progress, slashing life expectancy | News-Medical.Net
Long COVID leaves telltale traces in the blood | UKRI
COVID-19 Virus Can Persist in the Body More Than a Year after Infection | PolyBio
Ventilation during COVID-19 in a school for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities | PLOS
NHS hospital capacity during COVID-19: overstretched staff, space, systems, and stuff | the bmj
Long COVID still has no cure — so these patients are turning to research | Nature
COVID boosters are a gamechanger – if they are free for everyone | The Guardian
COVID Linked to Lower IQ, Poor Memory and Other Negative Impacts on Brain Health | People
Clearing the air: Long COVID sufferers advocate for a healthier world | Texas Observer
COVID-19 Leaves Its Mark on the Brain. Significant Drops in IQ Scores Are Noted | Scientific American
How COVID lockdowns hit mental health of teenage boys hardest | The Guardian
Young and old: how the COVID pandemic has affected every UK generation | The Guardian
Thousands of disabled people died after ‘COVID treatment withheld’, inquiry to probe | iNews
Deaths involving COVID-19 by disability status: a retrospective analysis of 29 million adults during the first two waves of the Coronavirus pandemic in England | The Lancet Public Health
The History of COVID-19 Immune Evasion and the Increasing Pace of Evolution | TACT
As the pandemic turns four, here’s what we need to do for a healthier future | PUBLIC SQUARE UK
Impact of COVID on the UK's Economy and Health Service | Bob Hawkins
Long COVID after breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection | Nature
‘Hypervaccinated’ man reportedly received 217 COVID jabs without side-effects | The Guardian
Prospective Memory Assessment before and after COVID-19 | The New England Journal of Medicine
Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores | PUBLIC SQUARE UK
Save lives in the next pandemic: ensure vaccine equity now | Nature
Cognition and Memory after Covid-19 in a Large Community Sample | The New England Journal of Medicine
COVID-19 may have small but lasting effects on cognition and memory | Imperial College London
What were the death tolls from pandemics in history? | OurWorldInData
Long COVID ‘brain fog’ may be due to leaky blood-brain barrier, study finds | The Guardian
Doctor behind brilliant new COVID drama reveals why she’s burning with rage | Metro UK
Prevalence of persistent SARS-CoV-2 in a large community surveillance study | Nature
COVID-19 protesters demand changes to infection control guidelines as ITV series airs | London News Online
Fewer people than ever will receive a COVID booster this spring. The UK needs a new strategy | The Guardian
The forgotten pandemic? | Cherwell
COVID cases and hospitalisations fall sharply – what the latest data tell us | iNews
What SARS-CoV-2 Does to the Body | Pandemic Accountability Index
Rampant COVID Poses New Challenges in the Fifth Year of the Pandemic | Scientific American
Patients denied latest COVID vaccine after having booster jab earlier in rollout | iNews
'The virus is still evolving at an incredible rate': How widespread is COVID now - and how many people are dying with it? | Sky News
The New COVID-19 Shot Is Surprisingly Effective Against the Latest Variant | The Time
'The NHS sold out its staff': Doctors whose lives were devastated by long COVID to sue health service | Sky News
UK government wasted nearly £10bn on unused COVID PPE, figures show | The Guardian
COVID-19: Doctors instruct law firm in bid for compensation after developing long COVID | bmj
WHO leader says COVID-19 is "still a pandemic" | Salon
Study shows Omicron variants evade immune system like predecessors, suggesting key evolutionary trait in SARS-CoV-2 | News-Medical.Net
Should we be worried about the new COVID-19 variant? | UKHSA
UK COVID rates mapped in every region of England - check full list for your area | Mirror
Vaccines reduce the risk of long COVID in children | Nature
Is It Dangerous to Keep Getting COVID-19? | Time
Lack of virus exposure due to COVID may be driving ‘never-ending’ colds, experts warn | The Independent
Should we wear masks again? UK virus cases rise as Spain restores COVID rules | iNews
