The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an editor for the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
Hi all
View the latest spreadsheet here
Remember when there was general panic when we reached one million cases, total? Well we still have half a million most days, and the world now shrugs its collective shoulders. It’s worth remembering though that one person’s mild cold is another person’s fatal chest infection, which applies to flu as much as COVID, and other major infections.
For people interested in conspiracy theories, I read that yesterday (10/10/22) was supposed to be the day when all of us clots who had the various COVID vaccines would have their blood clots activated, presumably via the G5 network chips with which we were all apparently injected. I’ll keep you all posted about that one, I do love a good conspiracy theory. Meanwhile all research I have come across over the past months shows that clots are more significant in unvaccinated people who get COVID than in vaccinated people (either from the vaccines themselves or from COVID).
Epidemiology
Several countries have really had big increases this week, with Germany leaning the way (nearly half a million); China with one third of a million; France, Italy, and Japan all heading to a quarter of a million. Micronesia has reported a quarter of its total cases in the last seven days.
Vaccinations
Slightly better news this week. Worldwide about another 1% have completed the first course, but with a larger increase in Africa/Low Income countries than others, and long may this trend continue. Booster coverage administrations seem to be being maintained too.
Papers
Some depressing news this week (see attached paper) from the Oxford-based UK PANORAMIC clinical trials group, showing that perhaps treatment with the COVID treatment drug Molnupiravir might not prevent much at all.
There will probably be no blog next week as I will be on the road. But I’ll be back in two week’s time.
About Dr Priscilla Robinson and The CODE COVID-19 International Update
Dr Robinson is a public health epidemiologist with particular interests in international health and communicable diseases, and public health competencies. She has worked in health departments in England and Australia, has managed public health teaching programmes, and taught and researched many aspects of public health epidemiology and policy in many countries. She is an adjunct Associate Professor at LaTrobe University, and to stop herself being bored is an editor of PHAA’s journal ANZJPH, and holds board positions (almost all unpaid) on various NGOs, journals, and at her local hospital.
The CODE Update is a regular Intouch feature to keep readers informed of COVID-19 developments around the world.
The CODE Update originally began at the start of the SARS CoV-2 pandemic as Priscilla’s way of explaining to her friends and family around the world what was happening, and counter their experiences of information overload and misinformation. The update provides links to practical materials and papers written for people who are not versed in the language of outbreaks and epidemic curves. Published weekly, it includes a short commentary to provide context to the numbers included in the spreadsheets.
Note: While every attempt is made to transcribe all data faithfully, every now and again mistakes are made and not noticed until the next Update. Also, on occasion, numbers are revised after posting at the source databases.
We hope you will find these updates to be a helpful tool, and the links to current information useful.