Thursday, 10 December 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 9th / 10th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 9th / 10th December 2020.

The UK added 20,964 cases today (UP from 14,879 the same time last week) and now has reported a total of 1,787,783 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 369,586 tests yesterday. 

15,242 people were in hospital on Tuesday 8th (slightly UP from 15,236 a week earlier), with 1,243 using a ventilator yesterday, Wednesday 9th (DOWN from 1,315 a week earlier). 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 516 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 63,082 officially reported losses of life in all settings. Up until 27th November, 73,125 people had COVID given as a cause of death on their death certificate. 

Country / Cases / Losses of life (by death certificate):
England 1,531,761 / 62,438
Northern Ireland 56,719 / 1.382
Scotland 103,305 / 5,634
Wales 95,998 / 3,671

Rep. Of Ireland 74,900 cases and 2,102 losses of life (not yet reported today). 

There have now been a total of 69,634,913 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,583,351. Already 48,277,159 people have recovered.

Happy Hannukah Please celebrate safely

Let's start with the bad news, get it out of the way. COVID cases and hospitalisations in the UK are already going back up slightly. Ideally they'd have continued on a downward slope or plateau for another week or so, so this is a bit of a blow, and sadly it's a similar pattern throughout Europe.
When they said COVID would really flourish in Winter, they appear to have been spot on. Buckle up, we can ride this out too. 

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Nerf BUNKR Battle Zone System Review (age 8+) Sent by Trends UK for review.

 Anyone who has read the blog for a while knows we are huge fans of Nerf, and they've teamed up with Trends to bring us the BUNKR Battle Zone System - a selection of inflatables to bring a whole new dimension to Nerf play.  We've been sent the Nerf BUNKR Competition Pack and (plus a new Nerf Ultra 2 Motorised Blaster) to take a look at...

Nerf BUNKR Battle Zone System Review (age 8+) box front

Inside the box are 4 inflatable urban themed obstacles, 4 vinyl repair patches, a set of Nerf BUNKR Cards. I blew one of the inflatables up using my breath, and it wasn't any worse than a small kids paddling pool. It's got a great 3 way valve so that the air doesn't come out unless you want it to - but we did get the airbed pump out for the other 3. 

Nerf BUNKR Competition Pack contents on table

The inflatables are excellent quality, I can't fault them. They have several different valves and plugholes for easily attachment of suitable pumps, and very rapid deflation once you're finished. Seams are well welded and the designs are great. Also - they're massive! Each is 48cm / 19" tall. 
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Tuesday, 8 December 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 7th / 8th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 7th / 8th December 2020.

The UK added 12,282 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,750,241 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 215,981 tests yesterday. 

14,807 people were in hospital on Sunday 6th (down from 15,438 a week earlier), with 1,271 using a ventilator yesterday, 7th December (down from 1,415 a week earlier). . 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 616 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 62,033 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Up until Friday 27th November, the ONS had recorded that 73,125 people had COVID written on their death certificate. 

Rep. Of Ireland 74,682 (+214) cases and 2,099 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 68,266,536 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,556,925. Already 47,256,030 people have recovered.

the NHS will contact you when it's your turn to be vaccinated

Less than a year since the first case was reported to WHO, the first person in the world to get the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine as part of mass immunisation was immunised this morning at 6.30am in England. She was Grandmother Margaret Keenan - Maggie - who is 91 next week. The second was a William Shakespeare from Warwickshire (if that's not poetic, nothing is). Comments have been a joy. "Taming Of The Flu" is definitely pun of the day. I also like the straight up quote: "My long sickness of health and living now begins to mend."

Nicola Sturgeon has announced the new levels for Scottish restrictions which will apply from 6pm on Friday 11th December. Very roughly most areas will drop down a level. 
In areas which are currently Level 4, inessential shops can reopen from 6am Friday morning. 
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Monday, 7 December 2020

(Ad|Review) Christmas Gifts For Uni Students...

Uni Students might also want sensible gifts for their studies, but Christmas is about being frivolous, and I like to treat my 4 grown up uni student offspring to things that'll make them smile and maybe also have a practical side. I have previously been sent some of the following items for review - but I wouldn't also include them in this post if I didn't like them! 

Miss You Loads. 

Is anyone ever too old for a soft toy? Uni students this year especially have to cope by themselves far more than in the past. They haven't been able to nip home, and physical contact might be a bit lacking. 

Moonpig gift delivery review Sloth stock image

I recently did a review for Moonpig, and sent my 21 year old Uni student this Sloth which warms in the microwave for a very fair £10. Other creatures are available. It's the closest thing to a hug - and it really doesn't have to be pink or fluffy. 

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Sunday, 6 December 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 5th / 6th December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 5th / 6th December 2020.

The UK added 17,272 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,723,242 positive cases of COVID-19. 

14,556 people were in hospital on Thursday 3rd, with 1,274 using a ventilator on Friday, 4th December.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 231 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 61,245 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 74,246 (+298) cases and 2,099 losses of life. 

There have now been a total of 67,192,860 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,539,553. Already 46,470,892 people have recovered.

Richard RP131 on Titter table showing top 25 authorities and case numbers

Russia have delivered their Sputnik V vaccine to clinics, and on Saturday morning started mass immunisation. They say they've got 2m doses in this first batch. First on their list are doctors and medical workers, teachers, and social workers - the people deemed to have highest risk of catching COVID. (The UK are prioritising risk of death.)
Rumours are that the Navy are also being immunised before they leave port. 
This vaccine has not yet completed Phase 3 trials - although so far everything seems okay. They're getting a lot of side eye and tutting from regulatory bodies around the world. 

Latest ONS data shows we have a lot of new cases of COVID among the age group 11-17 (high school). While I can see this is true myself (4 of my 12 year old's friends have tested positive in the last fortnight), remember we just had a lockdown. Most people didn't go out - but schoolchildren did. 

SAGE advisory member Professor Robert West of University College London has said that we should carefully consider taking high school pupils out of school early,  to protect vulnerable family members over Christmas. 
I have to agree. The mental health aspect of infecting your own relatives, and at best feeling like you've "ruined Christmas" is massive. Spending the rest of your life feeling responsible for the demise of a family member far more so. 
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Friday, 4 December 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 4th December 2020.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 4th December 2020.

The UK added 16,298 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,690,432 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 389,476 tests yesterday. 

14,917 people were in hospital on Wednesday 2nd, with 1,261 using a ventilator yesterday, 3rd December. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 504 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 60,617 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 73,228 cases and 2,080 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 65,944,911 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,519,156. Already 45,652,023 people have been reported as recovered.

041220 potential case rates in England following lockdown

“The decisions we make right now can change the course of the next six months. The steps that we take now mean life or death for us and mean life or death for our families. As we enter into this critical holiday period right now, really consider what you do over this period, and who you interact with. If you can modify your contact patterns, you can modify the virus's ability to spread."
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organisation. 

"The fight against climate change is a truly global challenge, and it's one we're only going to win if every country on every continent does its bit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So I'm very happy to say that we in the UK are going to lead by example, going further and faster than ever before, with a new target to cut emissions by at least 68% by 2030. 
That's considerably more ambitious than the targets set by other major economies, and it will set us on course to hit net zero by 2050."
Boris Johnson, UK PM. This is the reduction from 1990 to 2030, so we're 3/4 of the way there already, and it's impressive stuff. Nice one. 
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Thursday, 3 December 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 2nd/3rd December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 2nd/3rd December 2020.

The UK added 14,879 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,674,134 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 352,990 tests yesterday. 

15,236 people were in hospital on Tuesday 1st, with 1,315 using a ventilator yesterday, 2nd December. 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 414 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 60,113 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 73,228 (+162) cases and 2,080 (+6) losses of life. 

There have now been a total of 65,225,729 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,506,493. Already 45,187,474 people have recovered.

031220 weekly positives by upper tier authority England

Some harsh milestones today - the UK official total losses of life has surpassed 60,000 people (ONS report almost 70,000). The number of losses of life worldwide has surpassed 1.5 million. The USA has exceeded 100,000 people currently in hospital with COVID (this has doubled since early November).

This week's English surveillance report shows cases are DEFINITELY going down and the lockdown has had a good effect. The graph has a nice 'n' shape. It looks to me as if losses of life has also turned. Good stuff. 
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Wednesday, 2 December 2020

COVID UK Data Briefing and vaccine news 2nd December 2020

 COVID UK Data Briefing and vaccine news 2nd December 2020
 
There's sooooo much COVID news today that tomorrow's report would be the size of a cow, so I've done an extra today covering the vaccine news...

The huge news today is that the UK MHRA have approved the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine for use in the UK. We are the first Western country to approve a vaccine, and deliveries are expected next week. 

"The UK was the first country to sign a deal with Pfizer/BioNTech - now we will be the first to deploy their vaccine.
To everyone involved in this breakthrough: thank you.
In years to come, we will remember this moment as the day the UK led humanity’s charge against this disease."
Alok Sharma, UK Business Secretary. 
Don't let the irony pass you by. We are on the very brink of leaving the EU, and our urgent emergency vaccine supplies have been developed in the USA /Germany by a Turkish-led company and manufactured in Belgium. We actually won't even be able to complete this sort of transaction as swiftly in 4 weeks time. 
And then take a moment to consider that Trump attempted to force the hand of manufacturers and regulators in order that a vaccine was ready before the US election a whole month ago, and yet miraculously his urgency has now gone, and the UK have approved it before the USA... 

First vaccine approved Pfizer BioNTech image of bottle and text

There was a UK Coronavirus data briefing this morning with Dr June Raine of the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), Prof Sir Munir Pirmohamed from the Commission on Human Medicine Expert Working Group, and Prof Wei Shen Lim, from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. 
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Tuesday, 1 December 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 30th November / 1st December 2020.

 COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 30th November / 1st December 2020.

The UK added 13,430 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,643,086 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 214,835 tests yesterday. 

15,438 people were in hospital on Sunday 29th (down from 16,158 a week earlier), with 1,415 using a ventilator.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 603 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 59,051 officially reported losses of life in all settings.

Up until Friday 20th November, 69,752 people had COVID listed as a cause of death on their death certificate. 

Rep. Of Ireland 72,544 cases and 2,053 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.) 

There have now been a total of 63,903,886 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,480,308. Already 44,229,797 people have recovered.

Face coverings should cover your nose 2 people with incorrect and correctly worn masks

It is one year since the first known patient showed symptoms of COVID-19 in the Chinese Hubei provincial capital, Wuhan. 
I don't know exactly why that little news story caught my attention, but it did, and I kept my eye on it... 

"Last week saw the first decline in newly-reported COVID19 cases globally since September, due to a decrease in cases in Europe, thanks to the effectiveness of difficult but necessary measures put in place in recent weeks.
This is welcome news, but it must be interpreted with extreme caution. Gains can easily be lost, and there was still an increase in COVID19 cases in most other regions of the world, and an increase in death.
This is no time for complacency, especially with the holiday season approaching in many cultures & countries. We all want to be together with the people we love during festive periods. But being with family & friends is not worth putting them or yourself at risk.
We all need to consider whose life we might be gambling with in the decisions we make.
The COVID19 pandemic will change the way we celebrate, but it doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate."
Dr Tedros, Head of the World Health Organisation. 

The UK's Imperial College REACT study results are looking good. As hoped, the infection rate has dropped by 30% so far because of the lockdown.  (I mentioned this more in the England briefing post yesterday.)
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Monday, 30 November 2020

England Coronavirus Briefing 30th November 2020

 Today's English Coronavirus briefing was with Matt Hancock the Health Secretary,  General Sir Gordon Messenger, the Head of Operations for the Community Testing Programme, and Professor Stephen Powis, Medical Director of NHS England. 

Today the Government published the data behind their decisions regarding COVID and the lockdown. It's been requested often, as sometimes numbers they've quoted haven't quite matched anything anyone is aware of. There hasn't been a huge amount of controversy instantly, so I can't see that there's anything striking there. It's not obvious yet anyway... 

Tomorrow night the national restrictions in England come to an end, to be replaced by the tier system, subject to agreement by Parliament tomorrow afternoon. 

Local UK COVID Tiers from 2nd December UK Briefing 261120

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