A TALE OF MANY NARRATIVES: The latest COVID headlines
Look out for this headline. Health Impact has taken the item down to double check and expand on the data
‘Huge red flag’: Medical researchers bury data showing 82% miscarriage rate in vaccinated women
Fauci: Vaccine Hesitancy Will Create “Two Americas”
From the Guardian, one of the main drivers of the Agenda
Masks may still be advised in some areas, as NHS bosses warn reopening may push up hospital admissions
Ministers are planning to remove all mandatory mask and social distancing restrictions in England on 19 July, but national guidance may still encourage caution in high-risk areas such as public transport.
A number of key scientific advisers including England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, and the government’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, are said to be behind ministers’ plans to lift restrictions, though they have cautioned that the NHS may come under pressure in the winter.
However, hospital bosses fear the reopening date will lead to a new spike in admissions due to Covid. NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts in England, warned it could lead to the cancellation of surgery and other care.
Third wave of infections will continue ‘for longer than expected’ because of England’s Euro 2020 run but Covid is now ‘more like a bad cold’ thanks to vaccines, says top expert
- King’s College London study estimates there were 25,210 new cases a day in the country last week
- This is up by almost a third from the previous seven-day spell when there were almost 19,122 infections a day
- Professor Tim Spector said Britain could expect its cases to rise further in the coming weeks
Covid is now more like a ‘bad cold’ thanks to the effect of vaccines, a top epidemiologist has claimed after data showed symptoms of the disease are becoming milder across the board despite rising cases.
King’s College London‘s Covid symptom study estimated there were 25,210 new cases every day in the UK last week, up by almost a third (31 per cent) from the previous seven-day spell.
There said there was a 50 per cent increase in the number of partially or fully vaccinated people catching the virus — but in most cases their symptoms were mild. More than 80 per cent of infections were among the unvaccinated.
Professor Tim Spector, who leads Britain’s biggest Covid surveillance study, said people catching the virus after being vaccinated suffered a milder form of the disease similar to a cold, with sneezing emerging as a new symptom.
‘While rates of Covid infection are high, it’s reassuring to see vaccinations protecting the vulnerable and deaths remain very low,’ he said
Surgeon General warns unvaccinated people ‘you’re in trouble’ as Delta variant spreads in the US
- Vaccination makes a big difference against the Delta variant, the US Surgeon General said Wednesday
- “If you are not vaccinated, then you’re in trouble,” Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN.
- The Delta variant is becoming dominant in the US, but vaccines are still effective.
1 July, 2021
Vaccination confers a “high degree of protection” against the Delta variant, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said on Wednesday.
However, those who skipped getting fully vaccinated “are in trouble,” he told CNN’s Erica Hill.
As of Tuesday, the Delta variant made up 26,5% of new COVID-19 cases in the US, according to the CDC.
Some analyses suggest that it may already be the dominant variant in the US, after surging to prominence only a few months after it was discovered in India.
“The good news is that if you’re vaccinated, and fully vaccinated – that means two weeks after your last shot – then there is good evidence that you have a high degree of protection against this virus,” Murthy said.
Although no vaccine is 100% effective, the chances of fully vaccinated people getting sick or transmitting the virus “are low,” he said.
“But if you are not vaccinated then you are in trouble,” he said, adding: “This is a serious threat and we’re seeing it spread among unvaccinated people.”
Murthy’s remarks are in line with findings from the UK, where the variant makes up more than 95% of cases.
British data shows that two doses of a vaccine are highly protective against developing even mild symptoms after catching the Delta variant: 88% for the Pfizer vaccine, and 60% for the AstraZeneca vaccine.
One dose of either is less protective against developing mild symptoms of the disease: 33% in both types.
However, a single dose of either vaccine offers substantial protection against developing a worse version of COVID-19. The AstraZeneca shot offers 71% efficacy against hospitalization, while the Pfizer shot offers 94% protection, data from the UK shows.
Laboratory experiments also suggest that the Moderna vaccine remains effective against the Delta variant, although real-world data has not been published.
No data has been published about Johnson & Johnson vaccine efficacy against the Delta variant. But in another interview with CNBC’s “The News with Shepard Smith” on Wednesday, Murthy said that there are “reasons to be hopeful” that it remains protective.
“The J&J vaccine has proven to be quite effective against preventing hospitalizations and deaths with all the variants that we’ve seen to date,” he said.
Third wave of infections will continue ‘for longer than expected’ because of England’s Euro 2020 run but Covid is now ‘more like a bad cold’ thanks to vaccines, says top expert
- King’s College London study estimates there were 25,210 new cases a day in the country last week
- This is up by almost a third from the previous seven-day spell when there were almost 19,122 infections a day
- Professor Tim Spector said Britain could expect its cases to rise further in the coming weeks
1 July, 2021
Covid is now more like a ‘bad cold’ thanks to the effect of vaccines, a top epidemiologist has claimed after data showed symptoms of the disease are becoming milder across the board despite rising cases.
King’s College London‘s Covid symptom study estimated there were 25,210 new cases every day in the UK last week, up by almost a third (31 per cent) from the previous seven-day spell.
There said there was a 50 per cent increase in the number of partially or fully vaccinated people catching the virus — but in most cases their symptoms were mild. More than 80 per cent of infections were among the unvaccinated.
Professor Tim Spector, who leads Britain’s biggest Covid surveillance study, said people catching the virus after being vaccinated suffered a milder form of the disease similar to a cold, with sneezing emerging as a new symptom.
‘While rates of Covid infection are high, it’s reassuring to see vaccinations protecting the vulnerable and deaths remain very low,’ he said.
‘ZOE Covid study data shows symptoms are more mild and are similar to those of a bad cold, with a runny nose, headache and a sore throat among the top symptoms for all groups. Sneezing has also emerged as a symptom among partially and fully vaccinated people.’
The ZOE symptom study also estimated the R rate — which monitors the spread of the virus — is now 1.1 meaning the UK’s outbreak is growing. Cases are rising fastest in the West Midlands, South East and Yorkshire and the Humber, they predicted.
Separate data from Test and Trace today showed Covid cases rose by 43 per cent in England last week, after 79,248 people tested positive over the seven days to June 23. There were 55,577 cases in the previous week.
Scottish health officials linked almost 2,000 cases to the football yesterday, two-thirds of which were among fans who travelled to London to watch their team’s crunch tie with England.
The country’s cases are doubling every seven days and yesterday public health chiefs recorded 3,887 positive tests, the highest number north of the border since the pandemic began.
There are now escalating fears that England’s infection numbers will follow suit, particularly after the Three Lions qualified for the final stage of the tournament. But hospitalisations and deaths are still flat with just one in 100 NHS beds in England occupied by virus patients compared to one in six at the start of the second wave in December.
King’s College London ‘s Covid symptom study estimated there were 25,210 new cases every day in the UK last week, up by almost a third (31 per cent) from the previous seven-day spell. Their figures rely on daily reports from a million Britons
Scientists working on the app also said the UK’s R rate had crept up slightly to 1.1 per 100,000 in the week to June 26 (pictured), in a sign the Covid outbreak is again growing. The red line represents the R rate
Cases are accelerating across England’s regions and rising fastest in the West Midlands (80 per cent rise in a week, green line), the South East (52 per cent, pink line) and Yorkshire and the Humber (37 per cent, red line). Professor Tim Spector, who leads the app, warned staycations and the Euros were fuelling an uptick in Covid cases
Pictured above is the Covid infection rates across Cornwall and Devon over the latest two weeks. Over the week ending June 11 (left) Cornwall had 60.9 cases per 100,000 people and Devon had 21.7 per 100,000. But two weeks later (right) the rate had more than tripled in Devon to 91.1 per 100,000, and more than doubled in Cornwall to 153.9 per 100,000
Separate data from Test and Trace today showed England’s Covid cases rose by 43 per cent last week, from 55,577 to 79,248 people testing positive for the virus in the seven days to June 23
Professor Spector today called for the NHS symptoms list to be expanded — which only includes a temperature, new cough and loss of taste and smell — saying it was leading to many infections not being missed.
‘Cases are being missed and increasing the spread because people are unaware (they have symptoms of the virus),’ he said.
‘So it’s crucial that we all recognise cold-like symptoms as possible Covid and get tested. While Covid doesn’t kill in the numbers it once did, it is still a dangerous and unpredictable disease that can leave people with long lasting symptoms.’
Professor Spector has repeatedly called for the symptoms list to be expanded. SAGE scientist Professor Calum Semple has also urged ministers to expand the list, saying the UK’s narrow definition leads to delays in identifying people suffering from the disease and may miss them altogether, hampering efforts to control its spread.
The epidemiologist also warned Britain’s third wave of infections will continue ‘longer than expected’ because of England’s Euro 2020 success.
He added holidaymakers heading to popular staycation destinations including Cornwall, Devon, Brighton and Bournemouth were also driving spiralling cases.
The top epidemiologist called on Britons to remain ‘extra vigilant’ and continue to follow measures such as wearing face masks and social distancing to limit the spread of the virus.
‘With the summer holidays approaching, we need to remain extra vigilant and avoid unnecessary risks,’ he said. ‘Euro 2020 has the potential to spread the virus among tens of thousands of fans, so I think because of these factors we’ll continue to see high rates for longer than expected.’
The ZOE Covid symptom study uses daily reports from more than a million Britons on whether they feel unwell and have tested positive for Covid to estimate the spread of the virus across the country.
But it relies on participants suffering warning signs of the virus meaning the study misses asymptomatic cases — which trigger no symptoms — thought to make up about a third of all infections.
Those reporting symptoms are also asked to report whether they have been vaccinated, allowing scientists behind the study to monitor infections among those who are jabbed and whether they spark different symptoms.
Scientists have raised fears that Euro 2020 matches could accelerate the spread of Covid in the country, after fans were pictured cramming together in pubs, bars and the street with scant regard for social distancing.
UEFA’s medical chief has admitted it ‘cannot be excluded’ that there could be a local increase in Covid cases linked to matches.
Euro 2020 medical adviser Dr Daniel Koch said on Thursday: ‘It cannot be totally excluded that events and gatherings could ultimately lead to some local increase in the number of cases.
‘But this would not only apply to football matches, but also to any kind of situations that are now allowed as part of the easing measures decided by the competent local authorities.
‘The intensive vaccination campaigns that have been rolled out across Europe and the border controls will help ensure that no new big wave will start in Europe and put pressure on the respective health systems, as was the case during the previous infection waves.’
Experts have told MailOnline that it is highly likely gatherings due to the football will spark an uptick in caes in the coming days, which will only get worse as the further the team progresses in the competition. The next game, against Ukraine, is on Saturday.
England football fans celebrated their 2-0 victory against Germany yesterday in pubs, bars and in the street. Scientists have raised concerns that this could accelerate England’s cases further. (Pictured: Three Lions supporters celebrate in Digbeth, Birmingham)
Celebrations where friends embraced each other were pictured across the country. (Above: Three Lions supporters celebrate the victory at Boxpark in Croydon, London)
This graph shows the number of cases recorded every day in Scotland (purple bars) by the date the test was taken. Experts say this is more reliable because it is not affected by fluctuations in the number of tests that can be processed daily. The graph also shows the daily average for the number of positive tests (green line). Scotland’s cases are doubling every six days at the moment and are higher than the peak of the second wave
Scotland’s Covid hospitalisations have remained flat, however, since cases began to rise (daily hospitalisations are the blue bars, and the average is the blue line). Just 32 people are being admitted to hospital in Scotland with the disease every day, which is almost double the amount last month but still low when compared to previous waves. For comparison, in the darkest days of January there were 195 admissions a day
There are growing fears that England’s Covid cases could follow the same trajectory as Scotland’s following their 2-0 win against Germany yesterday. The above graph shows cases are already rising in the country (blue bars show the number of new cases a day, and the blue line shows the average)
But, like in Scotland, England’s hospitalisations are also still flat. The country is currently averaging around 200 a day, a slight rise from 186 last week. But this remains far below the peak of the second wave in January, when there were more than 3,500 hospitalisations a day. Vaccine-triggered immunity is keeping hospitalisations low
Professor Lawrence Young, a virus expert and molecular oncologist at Warwick Medical School, told MailOnline: ‘You can’t help but let the whole thing be rather tinged with fears that this will result in a surge in infections. People are just letting their guard down and I think a degree of complacency is creeping in.’
Staycations are also fuelling a rise in Covid cases, as people from across the country descend on holiday hotspots in Wales and along the South coast.
Devon has seen its infection rate more than triple in two weeks, spiralling from 21.7 to 91.1 cases per 100,000 people by the seven-day spell ending June 25, the latest available.
Cornwall, Brighton and Bournemouth have seen their cases more than double in the latest two weeks. In Bournemouth they surged by 166 per cent (from 51.3 to 136.6 per 100,000), in Cornwall by 153 per cent (from 60.9 to 153.9 per 100,000) and in Brighton by 148 per cent (from 74.6 to 184.6 per 100,000).
For comparison, Covid cases across Britain rose by 138 per cent over the same two weeks (from 72.9 to 157 per 100,000).
One Cornish councillor described the recent rise in cases as a ‘tsunami’ in the wake of the G7 summit held in Carbis bay last month and the start of the holiday season
Scientists behind the ZOE app found infections among Britons who had received either one or both doses rose by 49 per cent in the week to June 26, from 4,023 to 5,982 new daily cases.
Among the un-vaccinated they increased by 27 per cent, from 15,099 to 19,228 new daily cases. The total number of infections was more than four times higher than among those getting vaccines.
More than 44.7million Britons — or 84.9 per cent of adults — have received their first dose, and a further 32.8million — or 62.4 per cent — have got both doses.
ZOE study data predicted Covid outbreaks are surging fastest in the West Midlands (80 per cent rise in a week), the South East (52 per cent) and Yorkshire and the Humber (37 per cent), the app predicted. They added the North West has the most daily Covid cases in the country at 4,732 new infections a day, up 18 per cent in a week.
But separate data shows hospitalisations due to the virus remain in very low numbers, suggesting the NHS is unlikely to be overwhelmed by Covid any time soon.
Top Experts Say COVID-19 ‘Delta Variant’ Symptoms Are Identical To ‘Hay Fever’, Common Cold
Absolutely terrifying!
Top experts have likened the COVID-19 “Delta Variant” to the common cold and hay fever. This comes as people like Anthony Fauci, Boris Johnson, and the WHO are pushing for more social distancing, lockdowns, mask mandates, and vaccinations.
Experts in the United Kingdom have compared the symptoms of the COVID-19 “Delta Variant” to that of hay fever and the common cold, according to various reports. The new strain has reportedly been the cause of 99% of all new COVID-19 cases in the UK. “The main symptoms of COVID-19 appear to have changed — with headaches and sore throats now more common than fevers and coughs, according to a warning by UK experts,” noted the New York Post.
“Allergy sufferers can experience some of the same symptoms as those with Covid, which can cause huge levels of anxiety,” said Dr. Connor Bryant, co-founder of clean air tech MedicAir, according to Mirror. “COVID is acting differently now, it’s more like a cold,” said Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology. “All those are not the old classic symptoms.”
Dr. Fauci continues to assert that “the Delta variant is currently the greatest threat in the US to our attempt to eliminate COVID-19,” which reportedly has accounted for 20% of all new COVID-19 cases in the United States. Fauci maintains that COVID-19 vaccines can protect people from the “Delta Variant,” adding that young, unvaccinated people are “more vulnerable than ever.” (READ MORE: BREAKING: FDA Adds Warning About Myocarditis, Pericarditis Heart Inflammation To Moderna, Pfizer Vaccines)
However, many Americans are skeptical about the COVID-19 vaccinations they’ve received amid reports of the “Delta Variant” infecting individuals after they’ve been fully vaccinated. As was reported by the Wall Street Journal, “About half of adults infected in an outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in Israel were fully inoculated with the Pfizer Inc. vaccine, prompting the government to reimpose an indoor mask requirement and other measures to contain the highly transmissible strain.”
On May 13, Joe Biden told America to “get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do,” prompting hundreds of millions of Americans to eventually receive their COVID-19 vaccines.
The World Health Organization is now urging fully vaccinated individuals to continue wearing masks, socially distance, and practice COVID-19 safety measures. “Vaccine alone won’t stop community transmission,” said Dr. Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products. “People need to continue to use masks consistently, be in ventilated spaces, hand hygiene … the physical distance, avoid crowding. This still continues to be extremely important, even if you’re vaccinated when you have a community transmission ongoing.”
Half Of Australia’s Population Locked Down As Delta Hysteria Worsens
Nowhere is the paranoia and overreaction to the (imaginary) threat posed by COVID’s “Delta” variant more intense than in Australia, where tiny clusters of mostly mild COVID cases (most of which have reportedly been identified as instances of the Delta variant) have prompted another wave of lockdowns, involving not just Sydney (the island nation’s most populous city), but six other cities encompassing half of the Australian population (more than 12MM people).
The cities now under lockdown include: Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Townsville and the Gold Coast. And on Wednesday, the outback town of Alice Springs also entered a snap lockdown after cases emerged in South Australia.
Australian authorities now fear the Delta variant could now spread to nearby Aboriginal communities which are already vulnerable due to low vaccination rates. State leaders across the nation said they were “facing a pressure cooker situation” as more cases were discovered, triggering new lockdowns.
With only 5% of the population is fully vaccinated, many have urged the government to accelerate its vaccine rollout.
But messaging around the country’s main vaccine, the AstraZeneca jab, has been contradictory. Already, PM Scott Morrison has moved to expand access, announcing Monday that anyone under 40 who wants the AstraZeneca jab could have it after talking to their general practitioner. His message was swiftly rejected by the Australian Medical Association’s president, who said it took him by surprise and went against expert advice. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization recommends AstraZeneca only for patients in their 60s and older (because of the rare, but still deadly, cerebral blood clots seen in some patients with low blood-platelet counts).
Health officials have been alarmed by the fact that the Delta variant has been found in five of eight states and territories just 2 weeks after it was first isolated in Sydney.
As WSJ explained in a lengthy story tracing the spread of “Delta” across Australia, the outbreak began at a shopping mall in Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Australian authorities even claimed to have caught the “transmission” of the variant on tape.
After the first cases were confirmed, Sydney was quickly locked down for the first time in a year. Still, the outbreak is “small” by global standards. If it weren’t for all the “alarm” about the Delta variant, there likely wouldn’t be a lockdown.
Australia has kept its COVID numbers enviably low by imposing tight restrictions on who is allowed to travel to the country. Except for certain emergency exceptions, almost no foreigners have been allowed in since the start of the outbreak. But countries can’t keep everybody out forever. The lockdowns have become another political black eye for conservative PM Scott Morrison. As we reported yesterday, many Australians are growing increasingly frustrated with what they see as an overreaction. Unfortunately, when everybody looks back at this a year from now, will they be even more furious when the realize how badly public health authorities overreacted?
Depressing Australia – How Do We Actually Oppose the Crushing Oppression?
I live in the heart of Sydney, Australia, and it is truly dystopian.
There is not a single person I see inside a building or public transport not wearing a mask, or have one close at hand.
Except me.
I have an exemption (I got it early in the whole scam), and tell “guards” at shop entrances that “I am exempt” (all that is legally needed, technically) to both mask wearing and track & tracing.
It has worked to date, though I did have to elevate to Customer Service with Westpac bank, to which they changed their “exemption” policies.
Today I was challenged at the Asian grocers. They didn’t want to let me buy anything.
It got heated and I actually had to pull out my exemption letter to cool things down, and get served.
Even then, they were really not happy I wasn’t wearing a mask.
Not a single person I know (except my wife) doesn’t wear a mask.
I’ve been largely isolated from society, my wife is a weirdo at work for being the only maskless…
… and we are ostracized for refusing the vaccines.
The social climate also means anyone getting “angry” is not considered rational. Everyone is “overly nice”, until they’re a complete asshole.
When am I allowed to show my anger publicly, again?
I truly wonder what’s next?
I can find many online that share my views (like GLP… though they could all just be bots), but I seem to be the only one in real life who sees through the BS, or is at least willing to make a stand and speak out against.
I “know” no-one else who is even willing to discuss the current state of the world.
It’s hard.
How do I continue against this tidal wave of oppression
From Chris Martenson
The Delta Variant Spreads Among the Vaccinated. Here’s Why…
