COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 20th /21st March 2021.

The UK added 5,312 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,296,583 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,437,257 tests yesterday.

The counter says 27,630,970 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 2,228,772 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

6,162 people were in hospital on Thursday 18th (DOWN from 8,029 a week earlier), with 830 using a ventilator on Friday 19th March (DOWN from 1,110 a week earlier)..

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 33 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 126,155 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 229,831 (+525) cases and 4,585 (+9) losses of life.

There have now been a total of 123,635,163 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 2,724,508. Already 99,616,614 people have recovered.

"What COVID has done, it's peeled back some of the covers we've had over the existing prejudices in our society, the existing stigmas. I've seen terrible instances of discrimination against people of Asian descent... So on the one hand I'm really, really upset, particularly about the profiling of groups which has been politically motivated. But I'm also heartened by what I believe is still in the heart of most humans: is a desire to connect, a desire to understand, a desire to support each other."
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Dad, and Irishman. 

Over half of the UK's adults have now received at least 1 dose of vaccine. Well done to everyone who has played a part in making this happen so swiftly.
On Saturday the UK vaccinated the most people ever - 756,873. Over 3/4 of a million in one day. They included 56 year old Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.
"Nurses, doctors, pharmacists and countless others delivered 96,834 jabs between 11am and 12pm yesterday, an average of 1,614 a minute or around 27 jabs a second."

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 19th March 2021.

The UK added 4,802 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,285,684 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,437,257 tests yesterday.

The counter says 26,263,732 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 2,011,070 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

6,544 people were in hospital on 17th March, with 879 using a ventilator yesterday, Thursday 18th.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 101 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 126,026 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 229,306 (+510) cases and 4,576 (+10) losses of life.

There have now been a total of 122,662,807 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 2,707,166. Already 98,862,774 people have recovered.

"The available data do not suggest any overall increase in clotting conditions such as deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism following administration of COVID-19 vaccines. Reported rates of thromboembolic events after COVID-19 vaccines are in line with the expected number of diagnoses of these conditions. Both conditions occur naturally and are not uncommon. They also occur as a result of COVID-19.  The observed rates have been fewer than expected for such events."
The WHO statement regarding the Oxford / AstraZeneca Vaccine.
They add that "very rare and unique thromboembolic events in combination with thrombocytopenia, such as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), have also been reported".
"The EMA’s Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment Committee has reviewed 18 cases of CVST out of a total of more than 20 million vaccinations with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Europe. A causal relationship between these rare events has not been established at this time."

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK Briefing with Boris, and World News Update 17th / 18th March 2021.

The UK added 6,303 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,280882 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,635,141 tests yesterday.

The counter says 25,735,472 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 1,879,054 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

Healthcare hasn't been updated today. 7,218 people were in hospital on Monday, with 968 using a ventilator on Tuesday 16th March.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 95 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 125,926 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 228,215 cases and 4,566 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 122,127,611 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 2,696,832. Already 98,376,487 people have recovered.

In case you missed yesterday's UK briefing and associated news - the EU threatened to only export vaccines to countries which haven't got very many already. The UK NHS sent out a letter to vaccination centres warning there may be very few 1st doses over April, so don't book in anyone under 50. And Matt Hancock announced the UK are now vaccinating anyone over 50.

Today Mr Hancock has said the UK will be able to continue with first doses of vaccines all through April, despite any 'delivery bumpiness', including that regarding vaccines from India...

Well, I did complain yesterday that I thought it was awful they hadn't bothered...

Cases: 4,274,579 (+5,758)
Losses of Life: 125,831 (+141)
In hospital: 7,218 (15th March)
Using a Ventilator: 968 (16th March)
First Vaccination: 25,273,226
Second vaccination: 1,759,445

The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine is continuing to make headlines, mainly with the WHO and other health bodies continuing to insist that even if we do prove a link between the cases of blood clotting and vaccination, that miniscule risk (7 in 5 million) is massively overshadowed by the actual risk if you catch COVID - however young and healthy you are. No link has yet been proven, investigations are ongoing.

The EU have threatened to restrict vaccine exports to any countries which have already achieved a high rate of vaccination - clearly this includes the UK.
This is not the first time this threat has been made, and it's understandable.
Cases are rising across Europe and some countries are having a real nightmare - Paris is rumoured to be running out of hospital beds, and Italy are reporting 20,000+ new cases a day. The EU received only a portion of the vaccines they were due in the first quarter, and only around 10% of EU citizens have yet been vaccinated. Exporting vaccines under those conditions must feel like a kick in the teeth. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 15th / 16th March 2021.

The UK added 5,294 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,268,821 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,573,774 tests yesterday.

The counter says 24,839,906 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 1,663,646 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

7,281 people were in hospital on Sunday 14th March (down from 9,418 a week earlier), with 1,016 using a ventilator yesterday, 15th March (down from 1,356 a week earlier).

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 110 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 125,690 losses of life in all settings. ONS figures up until Friday 5th March show 146,487 people had COVID listed as a cause on their death certificate.

Nation / Cases /Losses of life (until 5th March by death certificate):
England 3,736,240 / 125,276
Northern Ireland 115,181 / 2,838
Scotland 210,605 / 9,710
Wales 206,795 / 7,624

Rep. Of Ireland 227,316 cases and 4,534 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 121,020,477 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 2,676,327. Already 97,597,214 people have recovered.

“While we need to continue to be very closely monitoring this, we do not want people to panic. We would, for the time being recommend that countries continue vaccinating with AstraZeneca.”
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, The World Health Organisation. 

Latest Public Health England figures are showing an increase in cases in 104 of the 315 logical authorities.
Before you panic, it is a little early for school transmission to make a difference, but these figures will reflect some of those secondary school students who were tested before they returned to in-person learning last week. It's not going to be very accurate until that settles, so next week may not look pretty either.  

So, today's big world news is still the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, and mostly it's people running about like headless chickens in a panic over what to do.
People need to feel secure. They need to feel safe, and several countries have paused vaccinations while investigations take place. That is an easy decision if you have no COVID, but could prove really costly in places where infections are spiralling.

I don't know how it was for you, but this last month has felt like a hard one to me. The last of Winter meant the cold, wind and freezing rain was no fun, and we didn't get the quantity of snow that makes for much play.

School from home, while trying to work and run a house, means late nights and tens of thousands of unread emails for me. We had got into a routine of going out for more walks, but really my boys needed younger company.

When it's seeming like the mud is getting thicker and thicker, and you can barely go on, voila.... just like that they're back at school and already a week in. We had the usual lost shoe and 'dead sandwich in bag' discovery this morning, someone panicking about a P.E.kit, then add in bartering about who gets the PlayStation at 4pm, and it feels very much like school from home never happened. Back to a normality. 

The world hasn't stopped turning. The Spring sun is OUT and it sounds like hundreds of birds have chosen my garden to woo suitors and shout about Spring. All at once, the gloom is beginning to lift....

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 13th / 14th March 2021.

The UK added 4,618 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,258,438 positive cases of COVID-19.

The counter says 24,196,211 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 1,584,909 people have received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

8,029 people were in hospital on Thursday 11th, with 1,110 using a ventilator on Friday 12th March.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 52 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 125,516 losses of life in all settings. This is the lowest daily loss of life since October 12th - 5 months ago.

Rep. Of Ireland 226,741 (+383) cases and 4,534 losses of life.

There have now been a total of 120,279,615 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 2,662,612. Already 96,850,479 people have recovered.

Ireland has become the latest country to pause rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, after Norway reported 4 cases of blood-clotting among recipients. All health authorities involved are being clear any pause is while it's checked out, and NOT because they actually see evidence there is an issue.
Astrazeneca say:
“An analysis of our safety data of more than 10 million records has shown no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country with Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca. In fact, the observed number of these types of events is significantly lower in those vaccinated than what would be expected among the general population.”
(We are currently having less operations, long journeys and flights, which could bring down numbers below average.)
Each country which has paused delivery will now undertake their own investigations before vaccinations can resume. The WHO are also investigating, but have advised there is no reason to pause vaccinations while this is ongoing.
Everything I've seen really makes this seem likely to be a panic over nothing, but one that has to be taken very seriously in order to fully reassure the public.
I know personally 2 people who have died from COVID, and many more friends have lost people from their lives. I haven't yet heard a single account of anyone with a blood clotting reaction to vaccination. I can't help but feel that if there was an issue, the UK press and public would have already found it. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 12th March 2021.

The UK added 6,609 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,248,286 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,614,145 tests yesterday (remember all of the secondary school pupils are adding massively to this number).

The counter says 23,314,525 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 1,445,078 people were fully vaccinated (both doses).

8,408 people were in hospital on Weds 10th, with 1,194 using a ventilator yesterday, Thurs 11th March.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 175 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 125,343 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 225,820 (+641) cases and 4,518 (+9) losses of life.

There have now been a total of 119,383,210 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 2,645,889. Already 95,630,168 people have recovered.

"More than 335 million doses of COVID19 vaccines have been administered globally so far, and no deaths have been found to have been caused by covid19 vaccines.
But at least 2.6 million people have been killed by the COVID19 virus."
Dr Tedros, head of WHO.

Today the World Health Organisation (WHO) listed the COVID19 vaccine developed by Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), for emergency use in all countries and for COVAX roll-out.
Excellent news - this is another single dose £10 vaccine, and doses are ready to roll. 

Image source

Cultivating an indoor tea garden is a great way to keep you productive while you're stuck at home. Different types of herbal teas can be used to help with all kinds of health-related issues. This post by Maria Ames explains why she recommends that you invest in these teas and make your indoor space a place for treatment and relaxation.

Research has shown that herbal teas can also boost your immune system and make your skin healthier. They are a great alternative to packaged teas and coffees, and anyone can cultivate a tea garden in the comfort of their homes. Check out these easy-to-care flowers and herbs for a happy and healthier lifestyle.

Chamomile

Chamomile is an easy to grow herb and a well-known herbal tea. Chamomile tea is best consumed before bedtime because of its potential sleep benefits. It also helps you to be more relaxed. If you have diabetes, it is recommended to drink at least one cup of this tea after meals.

Compared to other tea plants, Chamomile does not grow too high and needs only four sun exposure hours. For maintenance, ensure that its soil is moist enough and not over-watered. You can also add organic matter when planting for healthier leaves. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 10th / 11th March 2021.

The UK added 6,753 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,241,677 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,554,080 tests yesterday. This is a little higher than last Thursday, but that will be due to the extra testing of secondary pupils returning to school, and catching far more asymptomatic cases which otherwise would have just spread COVID - it's actually a good thing. It's good to see the mass lateral flow testing working.

The counter says 23,053,716 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 1,351,515 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

8,977 people were in hospital on Tuesday 9th (down from 12,136 the same time last week), with 1,237 using a ventilator yesterday, Wednesday 10th (down from 1,647 the same time last week). 

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 181 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 125,168 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 224,588 cases and 4,499 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)

There have now been a total of 118,908,424 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 2,636,186. Already 94,395,221 people have recovered.

"The information available so far indicates that the number of thromboembolic events in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population."
The European Medicines Agency statement regarding the Oxford / AstraZeneca jab (also known as Covishield). More below.

Exactly 1 year ago today, the COVID outbreak was officially called a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. It was a few weeks later than a lot of us would have liked, partly because it wasn't ever really WHO's 'decision' to make. There wasn't anyone with the official role. WHO's highest warning is to declare a PHEIC - Public Health Emergency of International Concern - which they did on January 30th 2020.