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, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at LaTrobe University, and an editor for the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
Hi everyone
View the latest spreadsheet here
This week’s report has been prepared earlier than usual, so some issues are even harder to understand than usual. So don’t take much notice of changes in the various snapshot and other spreadsheet numbers, for some reason they are a few days out of date (especially Australia’s which for some reason is four days late). Speaking of out-of-date, the press have been telling us for a few days that the USA has passed the one million mark, but this is not yet reflected in the WHO reports. Regardless, this still constitutes a huge proportion of the 6.6 million global deaths.
For people interested in North Korea, the total number of cases may – or may not – be around 350,000 and one death – also all a bit difficult to interpret. They do not report to WHO, so it is hard to see where they sit internationally, but so many cases in a few days in a population of about 25.7 million (about the same as Australia) is quite a lot to say the least. And they might even have beaten Australia’s present top-of-the-table highest attack rate in the world, which itself is understandable given the completely out of control nature of the local situation. I know that all restrictions were lifted to enable businesses to get back to work, but rather a lot are shut because their staff have COVID. Own goal really.
Global case fatality numbers continue to fall, almost down to 2%.
For people interested in the other infection of concern, the first chart of this report shows the ‘flu situation in Australia last week. Going up. Please can all Aussies register with FluTracking and do the weekly questionnaire which takes approximately 20 seconds to complete each Monday morning.
Apologies for no links to interesting papers – no time to hunt out this week.
See you next week when normal-ish process will be resumed.
Bye for now
Priscilla
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. Otherwise, 10 acres of untamed bushland on a hill in South Gippsland, VIC, makes weight-bearing gym exercise and strength training a bit redundant.
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.