COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 4th / 5th October 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,967,985 (+33,869)
In Hospital yesterday 4th Oct: 6,747 (DOWN from 7,000 a week earlier)
Using A Ventilator yesterday 4th Oct: 769 (DOWN from 831 a week earlier)
Losses of Life: 137,152 (+166)
Tests: 940,981
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,994,530 (+37,671)
Vaccinations 2nd Dose: 45,021,381 (+29,337)
Up until Friday 24th September, 160,824 people have had COVID listed as a cause on their death certificate.

Rep. Of Ireland: 394,519 cases and 5,249 losses of life (not yet reported today).

World: 236,364,710 reported cases and 4,826,202 losses of life.

"The health advice has been that to date, we've managed to largely control the outbreak, but as you can see, with this outbreak - and with Delta - the return to zero is incredibly difficult. And our restrictions alone are not enough to achieve it quickly.
In fact, for this outbreak, it's clear that long periods of heavy restrictions has not got us to zero cases. But that is okay.
Elimination was important because we didn't have vaccines.
Now we do, so we can begin to change the way we do things.
We have more options, and there's good cause for us to feel optimistic about the future, but we cannot rush.
That's why we need to continue to contain and control the virus as much as possible while we make our transition from a place where we only use heavy restrictions, to a place where we use vaccines and everyday public health measures.
We need to keep using the tools we have.
We need to vaccinate. We need to test. We need to find cases.
We need to isolate them and actively control any outbreak now and in the future."
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Prime Minister. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 2nd / 3rd October 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,900,680 (+30,439)
Losses of Life: 136,953 (+43)
Tests: 1,040,967
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,928,952
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 44,969,396

Rep. Of Ireland: 392,575 cases and 5,249 losses of life.

World: 235,607,128 reported cases and 4,814,231 losses of life.

Daily first vaccine doses in the UK are around the 27,000 mark, which really is quite low, and the UK Government are keen to get more people to come forward. School vaccinations begin in earnest next week, which should make a big difference to those numbers - and hopefully give us the percentage protection we need to start reducing cases among the general population.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update Friday 1st October 2021

(Some UK data is delayed today)
UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,842,613 (+35,577)
Losses of Life: 136,789 (+127)
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,863,490
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 44,901,832

Rep. Of Ireland: 390,989 (+1,057) cases and 5,249 losses of life.

World: 234,772,640 reported cases and 4,801,177 losses of life.

"The world missed the target set by WHO of vaccinating 10% of all people in all countries by the end of September.
Vaccinating the Earth equitably is a moral, epidemiological, and economic necessity. #VaccinEquity"
The World Health Organisation.

German pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. have released interim data (the trial wasn't due to finish yet) from their antiviral pill study for Molnupiravir - and it's fabulous. It reduced hospitalisations and deaths by half in people who had mild to moderate illness (recently infected people, within 5 days of symptoms starting, when it could still go either way). This hasn't yet been peer-reviewed, but the world is all over it like a rash. If there are any flaws we'll soon know, but it's looking great so far.
Because the safety data is all there, and the efficacy findings are so positive, it starts to become unethical to give patients the placebo, and the trial doesn't need any more proof that it works.
"7.3% of patients who received molnupiravir were either hospitalized or died through Day 29 following randomization (28/385), compared with 14.1% of placebo-treated patients (53/377). Through Day 29, no deaths were reported in patients who received molnupiravir, as compared to 8 deaths in patients who received placebo. At the recommendation of an independent Data Monitoring Committee and in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recruitment into the study is being stopped early due to these positive results. Merck plans to submit an application for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the U.S. FDA as soon as possible based on these findings and plans to submit marketing applications to other regulatory bodies worldwide."
At Day 29 the reduction in risk of death was looking far better than 50%, but some patients are still in hospital, so we can't yet say what the final outcome will be. (Hopefully positive all round - fingers crossed for them all.)
If Molnupiravir is approved, it will be the first oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19. Nice. 

I was recently sent a copy of Misty Ricardo's Curry Compendium by Richard Sayce for review. This is a mighty cookbook, which is full of recipes, hints and tips, but possibly more importantly, explanations and alternatives. It doesn't just give you the 'how to', it covers the 'why', and 'what difference will it make?'

Very differently to any cookbook I've ever used before, many of the recipes also feature a QR code, which will take your smartphone straight to the accompanying YouTube video, so that you can cook along with Richard himself...

Richard Sayce is the man behind Misty Ricardo's Curry Kitchen, and this is a compendium cookbook full of British Indian restaurant recipes which featured in his previous books. I may not get out to a restaurant very often, but take away Indian is a massive treat in our house, and I cook a curry from scratch around once a week, so this has to be a winner for us. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 29th /30th September 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,807,036 (+36,480)
In Hospital yesterday Weds 29th: 6,853
Using A Ventilator yesterday: 813
Losses of Life: 136,662 (+137)
Tests: 1,115,605
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,829,118 (this would be 89.8% of UK population aged 16+, but we are vaccinating 12+ now, so it's not the actual percentage.)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 44,867,373

Rep. Of Ireland: 389,932 (+1,267) cases and 5,249 losses of life

World: 234,304,776 reported cases and 4,791,753 losses of life

Today's Surveillance Report from the UK Health Security Agency (honestly, they are a room full of number crunchers, not men in black) shows that during the week 20th to 26th September 2021, the picture was very similar to last week. Cases are slightly up, but hospitalisations down, which has to be a bit of a win:
- Case rates are highest in those aged 10 to 19 years old and lowest in over 80s.
- Case rates are highest in the East Midlands and lowest in London.
- Hospital admissions are still highest among those aged 85 and older and have decreased since last week.
- The North East has the highest amount of hospital admissions this week.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 27th / 28th September 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,736,235 (+34,526)
In Hospital Yesterday Monday 27th: 7,000
Using A Ventilator Yesterday: 831
Losses of Life: 136,375 (+167)
Tests: 1,010,007
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,765,726 (89.7% of UK adults aged 16+ - although we are now vaccinating young people aged 12+)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 44,799,748 (82.4%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 387,218 (+1,497) cases and 5,209 losses of life

World: 233,338,734 reported cases and 4,773,711 losses of life

Social distancing rules in English hospitals are being changed, so that patients can be treated 1m apart rather than the current 2m. It's hoped this will enable more bed space to be released, in order to plough through the backlog of elective patients more quickly (elective is anything that's not urgent). 1 metre is the WHO recommendation.
It won't mean twice as many beds in each ward, patients weren't crammed in like sardines before the pandemic, so don't panic if you are vulnerable and due in hospital soon. Any clearing of a backlog will also heavily depend on hospitals actually having the staff available to make it possible.
The other changes they are making are:
- Removing the need for a negative PCR and 3 days self-isolation before selected elective procedures. Selected patients in low risk groups who are fully vaccinated, asymptomatic, with a negative lateral flow test on the day of their procedure will no longer need to have a negative PCR and isolate for 3 days, unless they are a contact of a confirmed case.
- Re-adopting standard rather than enhanced cleaning procedures. Enhanced cleaning can be discontinued in agreed low risk areas and providers can revert to standard cleaning procedures between patients. It's not entirely clear what benefit it offers in practicality, and scrupulous hand hygiene seems to have a far bigger effect.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 25th / 26th September 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,664,230 (+32,417)
Losses of Life: 136,168 (+58)
Tests: 1,063,394
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,722,414 (89.6%)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 44,739,473 (82.3%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 383,218 cases and 5,209 losses of life.

World: 232,468,443 reported cases and 4,759,808 losses of life.

Even the UK Government's SAGE Government advisory panel are surprised that UK hospital admissions are going down, because they expected a peak around 2,000 people. They aren't quite sure how this is happening, but clearly it's a great thing.
The scientific response surely has to be, 'shush, no-one touch anything. Keep doing what you're doing'...

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 24th September 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,601,487(+35,623)
In Hospital on Thursday 23rd: 7,124
Using A Ventilator on Thursday 23rd: 916
Losses of Life: 135,983 (+180)
Tests: 1,063,394
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,705,771 (89.6% of UK adults)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 44,644,887 (82.1%)
Up until Friday 10th September, 158,664 people had COVID listed as a cause on their death certificate.

Rep. Of Ireland: 380,720 cases and 5,209 losses of life (not yet reported today).

World: 231,605,504 reported cases and 4,745,680 losses of life.

"The UKHSA’s best estimate for R in England is between 0.9 and 1.1. R is estimated to be between 1.2 and 1.5 for Scotland, 1.1 and 1.3 for Wales, and 0.9 and 1.1 for Northern Ireland."

During its most recent week (ending 3 September), the ONS COVID infection survey estimates that an average of 754,600 people had COVID-19 in the community in England, Scotland 117,300, Wales 46,800, Northern Ireland 31,800. (Community only - doesn't include prisons, care homes or hospitals.)

COVID UK and World News Update 22nd / 23rd September 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,565,867 (+36,710)
In Hospital on Tuesday 21st: 7,588
Using A Ventilator on Tuesday 21st: 943
Losses of Life: 135,803 (+182)
Tests: 969,173
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,674,154 (89.6% of UK aged 16+)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 44,600,070 (82.1%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 380,720 (+1,354) cases and 5,209 losses of life

World: 231,117,855 reported cases and 4,736,455 losses of life

The UK Government have learnt a few lessons from the pandemic, and have been in consultation about how to improve things for British workers.
They have made a proposal to make the right to request flexible working a day one entitlement - meaning employees can go to their boss and reasonably ask for flexibility over when and where they work - obviously this isn't possible for everyone.
The Government will also introduce "a day one right to one-week’s unpaid leave for carers balancing a job with caring responsibilities"- if you are a carer and have a disaster which keeps you off work, or need to attend an important meeting, you really shouldn't be risking your job for it.

Over the years one of my children has collected several LEGO NINJAGO dragons, so the LEGO NINJAGO Empire Temple of Madness set 71712 took his eye immediately. We were sent this set for review, and no surprises, the 12 year old was on it like a shot... 

This is an 810 piece set, which is recommended for builders aged 9 and over, and we agree with that assessment. My 12 year old had no problem building independently, and was not at all disappointed with either the build or the final model.