Covid-19 News and Discussions

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Global excess deaths​

 

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New COVID-19 data from Virginia wastewater​

 

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'High' COVID levels show virus may no longer be an emergency in B.C. but it's still a threat

While experts agree the public health emergency in B.C. is no longer be needed, COVID-19 still poses a serious and potentially deadly threat

vancouversun.com

'High' COVID levels show virus may no longer be an emergency in B.C. but it's still a threat​

Infectious disease expert estimates that one in 52 British Columbians currently has COVID

Author of the article:

Local Journalism Initiative
Michelle Gamage
Published Aug 12, 2024 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 5 minute read

While vaccines help prevent serious acute illness and chances of developing long COVID, but they don't prevent transmission. iStock/Getty Images Plus

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B.C.’s has ended the COVID-19 public health emergency, but experts warn that COVID-19 still poses a serious and potentially deadly threat to the public.


“COVID is still a major, ongoing health issue and crisis,” said Tara Moriarty, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, an infectious disease expert and co-founder of the COVID-19 Resources Canada database.


By Moriarty’s calculations, one in 52 British Columbians currently has COVID. According to recent federal wastewater testing from mid-July, B.C. has “high” COVID-19 activity levels.



This can have major implications for public health because hospitals don’t have mandatory masking requirements.



Think of a hospital waiting room where at least one person is likely to be infected, or how many patients or staff might be infected in a major Canadian hospital that has 500 beds and thousands of staff, Moriarty said.



She estimates that around 40,000 Canadians died in 2022 due to COVID and that 2023 had a similar number of deaths. These deaths are reported as “excess mortalities” through Statistics Canada.



“Excess mortalities” are adjusted for things like population growth, toxic drug deaths and cancer rates, which means the unexpected deaths that remain are likely due to COVID-19, Moriarty said.



B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henrysaid the public has a “high protection rate” against COVID-19 thanks to “hybrid immunity,” vaccinations, the widespread normalization of staying home when sick, wearing masks and covering your cough.

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Hybrid immunity comes from a combination of vaccines and past COVID infections and, according to Health Canada, and offers higher protection than immunity from infection or vaccination alone.



Relying on immunity instead of mitigation measures is a problem because hybrid immunity only ever offers temporary protection and Canadians aren’t keeping up to date with their vaccinations, said T. Ryan Gregory, an evolutionary biologist and professor in the department of integrative biology at the University of Guelph.



Moriarty also warned against relying on hybrid immunity, pointing to a 2023 study that found hybrid immunity wanes over time and can’t protect against new COVID variants.



Vaccines help prevent serious acute illness and chances of developing long COVID, but they don’t prevent transmission. According to the federal government, 23 per cent of British Columbians have been vaccinated with the XBB.1.5 vaccine, which was first distributed in the fall of 2023 and offered again through this spring’s 2024 campaign.



This represents one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, where the national average is 18 per cent vaccinated — but it’s still less than one-third of B.C.’s population, and that COVID strain is no longer dominant, Gregory said.

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The B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s website reports that nearly 100 per cent of COVID cases in B.C. in June were from the JN.1 variant.



Low vaccination rates and no other mitigation measures mean that this highly infectious disease will keep spreading.



“The more cases you have, the more you’re going to end up with new variants evolving,” Gregory said. This increases the chances that a variant will evolve to get around existing immunity, he said, adding that “there is no automatic tendency for viruses to become milder or seasonal.”

Wastewater testing​

Devon Greyson, an assistant professor in the school of population and public health at UBC, said ending the public health emergency is a procedural, bureaucratic move that signals B.C. is ready to start looking at long-term policies rather than emergency temporary ones.



The Public Health Act has emergency measures that give a public health officer temporary powers in a crisis to do things more quickly with less deliberation, they said, adding that this is not something you want on an ongoing basis in a democratic society.

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Public health experts will be reviewing policies brought in under emergency orders and seeing what should be scrapped — closing bars and restaurants, for example — and what should be extended, they said.



Greyson said one policy they hope sticks around is wastewater testing, which is one of the “best ways” to keep tabs on the prevalence of infectious diseases like COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, influenza and polio, and even sexually transmitted infections.



Not everyone agrees the program is worth it. Ontario ended its wastewater testing program on July 31.

Health care workers no longer need to be vaccinated for COVID-19​

Ending the public health emergency also means that as of July 26, health care workers in B.C. are no longer required to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and any worker laid off during the pandemic because of their vaccination status can return to work.



Instead of a ban, B.C. will have a provincial database that tracks the vaccination status of public health care workers for major diseases like COVID-19, the flu, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, whooping cough and chickenpox.


This will allow public health to know who needs to mask up, have modified duties or be excluded from work in the event of an exposure or outbreak, Henry said.



Gregory said the database is a good idea for some diseases, in particular for some vaccines that do protect people from infection. But when it comes to COVID-19, he said, the vaccine doesn’t prevent transmission.



“Relying on vaccinations as the measure of whether people are likely or not to transmit (COVID) to vulnerable patients is a very dangerous strategy,” Gregory said.



Instead, he added, it would be best if everyone wore masks in public health settings whenever possible.



Mitigation measures such as properly worn N95s, HEPA air filtration, ventilation and avoiding high-risk areas like indoor crowded spaces are “all variant proof,” Gregory said. “No variant has evolved to circumvent an N95.”



The Health Ministry was asked how many public health workers might be able to return to work now that the ban is lifted but did not respond by publication time.

 

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Another COVID-19 wave gaining momentum; several states in India cross 5% positivity rate threshold

The global risk of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased, with a rise in cases worldwide. Notably, new waves of COVID-19 infections have been recorded in the Unit

www.downtoearth.org.in

Another COVID-19 wave gaining momentum; several states in India cross 5% positivity rate threshold​

The biggest problem with a high positivity rate is that increased transmission can result in the mutation of COVID-19 into deadlier strains

A high positivity rate indicates greater transmission and suggests that more people in the community may be infected with the coronavirus but have not yet been tested. iStock

Vivek Mishra


Published on:
13 Aug 2024, 6:34 am
The global risk of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased, with a rise in cases worldwide. Notably, new waves of COVID-19 infections have been recorded in the United States, Europe, and the Western Pacific region.

As shown in the Union Health Ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard, several states in India, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, and West Bengal, are experiencing a positivity rate of over five per cent.

The seriousness of the situation is highlighted by a statement from a top COVID-19 expert at the World Health Organization (WHO), who expressed concern by saying, “I am very worried.”

Also, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health noted that a higher positivity rate is increasingly concerning. Generally, a positivity rate higher than five per cent is considered a threshold for serious concern. For instance, the WHO has previously recommended that decisions related to easing restrictions should be made only if the positivity rate remains below five per cent for at least two weeks.

A high positivity rate indicates greater transmission and suggests that more people in the community may be infected with the coronavirus but have not yet been tested.

On August 6, 2024, the WHO released a statement expressing concern about the potential emergence of more severe forms of the coronavirus.

Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove from WHO told journalists in Geneva, “COVID-19 is still with us,” and it is spreading in all countries.

She added, “Data from our surveillance system based on sentinel monitoring in 84 countries shows that the percentage of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been increasing over the past several weeks. Overall, test positivity is more than 10 percent, but it varies across regions. In Europe, the positivity rate is more than 20 percent.”

Olympics amidst pandemic​

A recent example of the growing and concerning spread of COVID-19 is the situation at the Olympics in Paris, where over 40 cases have been reported.

On August 6, 2024, the WHO warned that COVID-19 infections are increasing worldwide—including among Olympic participants—and that there is no imminent prospect of a decrease.

Approximately 11,000 top athletes from around the world gathered in Paris for the Olympic Games this summer. Among the 40 people who have tested positive so far is Noah Lyles, who participated in the 200 meters finals. After completing his race, he fell on his back over the finish line and later stated that “definitely, his race was affected by COVID infection.”

Several British and Australian swimmers have also tested positive for COVID-19 during the Olympics. There is ongoing debate about allowing infected athletes to compete.

Science magazine Scientific American reported that, unlike the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics, there are no mandatory tests for athletes in Paris, nor are masks required. The publication mentioned that the French authorities are downplaying COVID-19 as a common cold and flu.

The US Track Federation issued a statement saying that it and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee have followed all guidelines from the Olympics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The statement noted, “After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah decided to compete. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely”.

According to the United Nations website, testing of wastewater samples in the US reveals that the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is two to 20 times higher than current data suggests. The website also noted that “such high rates of transmission in the Northern Hemisphere's summer months are unusual for respiratory viruses, which typically spread more in colder temperatures”.

The WHO has also expressed concern about the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, noting that as the virus evolves and spreads, the risk of more severe strains increases, which may potentially evade detection systems and be resistant to medical interventions.

There is a push for more extensive testing and increasing the coverage of vaccines to prevent COVID-19

Meanwhile, the United Nations has maintained that nasal vaccines are still in development. These may help reduce the risk of future variants, infections, and severe disease.

 

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11 Top COVID Symptoms People Are Experiencing During the Summer Surge

A new strain — LB.1 — is on the rise.

www.goodhousekeeping.com

11 Top COVID Symptoms to Be Aware of During the Summer Surge​

FLiRT, a name being used to describe multiple variants, is the dominant strain right now. But LB.1 is also on the rise.
By Irina GonzalezPublished: Aug 13, 2024

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Watch: What to Know About Long COVID

• There are several COVID variants right now which have the same "set of mutations," and are being referred to as FLiRT. Another strain, LB.1, is also on the rise.
• KP.3.1.1 — which comes from the JN.1 strain — is now the most dominant variant, accounting for an estimated 27.8% of cases.
• The symptoms are similar to other COVID strains. Being sick and experiencing a chronic cough, elevated fever, sore throat or a runny nose should prompt you to get a COVID-19 test to ensure you are not contagious.

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Jump to:​

• What are the FLiRT and LB.1 variants?
• Is there a summer surge?
• What are the symptoms?
• How long do symptoms last?
• Is there a new vaccine?
• How to protect yourself

If it seems like more people around you have gotten COVID in the last couple of months, that's probably true. Right now, cases are on the rise and the COVID-19 FLiRT variants are dominating.

According to the most recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on August 3rd, 27.8% of cases are the KP.3.1.1 strain and 20.1% of current infections are KP.3. Both of these variants stem from the FLiRT family of the coronavirus. Another variant that is not a descendant of FLiRT, named LB.1, makes up an estimated 16% of COVID-19 cases at the moment.

“The FLiRT variant appeared in March,” says Tammy Lundstrom, M.D., J.D., the senior vice president at Trinity Health who led their COVID-19 response. “Throughout the COVID-19 era, new strains have continued to arise. Like other strains, it appears highly transmissible, but it does not appear more virulent at this point.”

While it's great that COVID-19 cases don't seem to be as dangerous as they used to be, it still causes unpleasant symptoms which can be severe for people with certain risk factors. Unfortunately, just 22.5% of American adults had received the most recent COVID-19 vaccine as of May 11, 2024 (when the latest data was released). Could this be contributing to the summer surge we're experiencing? We turned to experts to learn more about the newest variants, important COVID-19 symptoms to be aware of and how to protect yourself and your loved ones.

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What are the FLiRT and LB.1 variants?​

As fun as the name sounds, FLiRT is not the official designation for the dominant COVID-19 variant. That is actually a cheeky nickname for a whole family of different variants (any that start with KP). “The FLiRT variants came to the forefront at the end of April,” says Nikhil K. Bhayani, M.D., FIDSA, an infectious disease specialist and assistant professor at the Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University.

KP.2, KP.2.3, KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 are official names of the FLiRT variants that are circulating right now. While FLiRT took over JN.1 as the dominant variant, it's actually a descendant of JN.1. Essentially, the “parent” variant (JN.1) was unseated by several “child” variants. Various variations of JN.1 are still swirling in some capacity, but they make up a smaller percentage of COVID-19 cases. LB.1, another variant that has been circulating this summer, is not a member of the FLiRT family, but another descendant of JN.1.

Is there a summer surge?​

Yes, the wastewater viral activity for COVID-19 — how the CDC tracks trends in infectious disease circulating in a community — is currently listed as “very high,” according to the most recent CDC data. However, a summer surge is not unique to FLiRT.

“Throughout the COVID-19 era, we have seen a rise in infections during summer,” says Dr. Lundstrom. Two reasons for this, according to the CDC, are that people tend to do more traveling during the summer and also congregate indoors with air conditioners on when it's very hot outside.

What are the symptoms?​

The good news is that the FLiRT and LB.1 strains of the coronavirus don’t seem to spark any surprise symptoms. “The symptoms are similar to other COVID-19 strains,” says Dr. Lundstrom. The CDC updated its list of possible symptoms on June 25th, and those include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• New loss of taste or smell
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

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“Like similar recent strains, the incidence of loss of taste and smell are not prominent," adds Lundstrom.

​

• What to Eat When You Have COVID-19
• How to Relieve a COVID-19 Headache

How long do symptoms last?​

It really depends on the person. Typically, people with mild cases will experience symptoms for 5-10 days, however, many may start to feel better sooner than that. According to the CDC, most people with long COVID will start to feel better after three months, although it can last years. It's best to speak to your doctor if any of your symptoms are lingering.

​

• Common Long COVID-19 Symptoms

Is there a new vaccine?​

Our experts said that vaccines still provide good protection against COVID-19, “especially against severe illness and hospitalization,” says Dr. Lundstrom. However, a study published in April found that KP.2 is proving to have “the most significant resistance” to the 2023-24 COVID-19 booster, and that this “increased immune resistance ability of KP.2 partially contributes to the higher” prevalence of infections “than previous variants, including JN.1.”

At the end of June, the CDC recommended that everyone ages 6 months and older receive the updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine, which was tweaked based on the most dominant variants circulating this year. The most updated COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be rolled out this fall. “The World Health Organization is recommending the upcoming COVID booster to be based on the predominant lineage for the year,” adds Dr. Bhayani.

​

• What You Need to Know About the New COVID Booster

However, the CDC and our experts still recommend the current vaccine to protect yourself before the 2024-25 booster is made available in the fall. “Adults over the age of 65 should get the last COVID-19 vaccine available,” says Bhayani. Dr. Lundstrom suggests that older adults “should be vaccinated four months after their last vaccination” and those with compromised immune systems “should get vaccinated two months after their last dose.”

How to protect yourself​

In March, the CDC updated the Respiratory Virus Guidance as COVID-19 cases have decreased over time. “It is still an important health threat, but it is no longer the emergency that it once was, and its health impacts increasingly resemble those of other respiratory viral illnesses, including flu and RSV,” the new guidance states.

“The same precautions will help protect against the spread of most respiratory viruses: wash hands frequently, cover your mouth and nose when sneezing/coughing, stay up to date with vaccinations and stay home when ill to prevent spreading infection to others,” suggests Dr. Lundstrom. However, Dr. Bhayani reminds us that the elderly, individuals with compromised immune systems and kids “should take extra precautions, such as avoiding large crowds and wear masks if COVID-19 cases are on the rise locally.”

If you do get sick, the CDC still recommends staying at home until your symptoms are improving overall, and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). Afterward, you can resume normal activities and “use added prevention strategies over the next five days.”

​