COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 9th / 10th / 11th April 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 281,269 (average 40,181 per day)
In hospital last Friday 8th April: 20,051
Using a ventilator last Friday 8th April: 355
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,613 (average 230 each day - that is a lot of people, a lot of friends and a lot of relatives)
Tests last 7 days: 3,239,337 (average 462,762 per day)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,493,066 (+1,715) cases and 6,884 (+21) losses of life

World: 499,260,917 reported cases and 6,204,095 losses of life

"The brutal reality for staff and patients is that this Easter in the NHS is as bad as any winter. But instead of the understanding and support NHS staff received during 2020 and 2021, we have a government that seems to want to wash its hands of responsibility for what is occurring in plain sight in local services up and down the country.
No 10 has seemingly abandoned any interest in Covid whatsoever. The Treasury has taken bites out of the already very tight NHS budget, while soaring inflation means the NHS settlement is now worth less. It is now unclear that anyone in the centre of government feels the unfolding NHS crisis is their responsibility.
NHS leaders and their teams feel abandoned by the Government and they deserve better.
We have been promised a ‘living with Covid’ plan yet all we have is a ‘living without restrictions’ ideology."
Very strong words from the NHS Confederation, who are well aware that COVID hasn't all finished and gone away now. In fact the UK now has over 20,000 patients in hospital with COVID.
"In the past week, around 20 accident and emergency departments in England have issued diverts, with patients having to be taken elsewhere."
They are asking for 5 actions:
1. Honesty in Government messaging, which "is tending to mislead the public and discourage them to take steps to reduce transmission".
2. "Reinvigorate" public information, be clearer about rates of infection and impact, "while encouraging people to resume behaviours that have previously been effective in keeping infections down".
3. Review NHS infection prevention control measures and educate and empower staff, to allow more non-COVID patients to be treated - safely.
4. Review "elective and other key NHS targets commensurate with the ongoing pressures caused by this Covid crisis".
5. "Additional funding from government to cover the direct costs of Covid is required given the ongoing pressure from treating Covid patients." E.g. lateral flow testing for staff comes from NHS budget.
The NHS Confederation represent the whole healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including 1.5 million staff and more than 1 million patients a day.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 6th / 7th / 8th April 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 333,347 (average 47,621 per day)
In hospital yesterday 7th April: 20,331 (UP from 19,575 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator yesterday: 357 (thankfully static, 356 a week earlier)
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,475 (almost as many who died on the Titanic, and an average 210 a day)
Tests last 7 days: 3,629,226 (average 518,460 per day)
Vaccination data isn't going to be quite right just now, as the UK give totals, but don't separate 3rd jabs and booster jabs, and give percentages out of people aged 12+, but we are now vaccinating children aged 5+, so none of it is very precise at the moment. 

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,487,164 (+2,843) cases and 6,863 (+20) losses of life.

World: 497,032,257 reported cases and 6,197,139 losses of life.

ON Wednesday the UK Health Security Agency added a massive 2,714 people to England's losses of life from COVID:
“Due to a data processing error, a number of people who died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test were not reported in a timely manner.”
Remember kids, nothing to see here... and no fudging of numbers ever, nope.

Cambridge University Press has published possibly the world's first body image book for older boys age 12+, and I've been sent a copy to review. We are becoming very used to the idea that teenage girls struggle with their body image, but in our media obsessed world, boys do too. In fact around 1/4 of young people with eating disorders are male. Being You looks at how the male body and mental image changes, and restores the confidence which the modern world can very quickly erase. 

The authors of Being You are Dr Charlotte Markey, a pioneer on body image research and author of bestselling The Body Image Book for Girls: Love Yourself and Grow Up Fearless (2020), and Daniel Hart, a psychologist and father of boys. I am a mother of 5 boys myself.

Being You: Body Image Book For Boys is bright, bold and has illustrations throughout by Douglas N. Zacher. Text is broken into chunks, and you can dip in and out, it's not intended as a 'sit down and read through' book. The language is very accessible, and as you might imagine, very blunt at times, covering topics such as masturbation, sexuality, eating disorders, 'bulking up', plastic surgery, depression, alcohol and substance abuse. 

At the back is a huge glossary of terms used, and frankly that alone is a very useful tool for helping young people have the language to explain themselves and their worries.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 4th / 5th April 2022

UK Daily Statistics - bear in mind that most people no longer qualify for free testing, and they'll be starting to run out of stockpiled lateral flow tests:
Cases last 7 days: 425,303 (average 60,757)
In hospital yesterday 4th April: 20,398 (UP from 19,118 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator yesterday: 351 (DOWN from 363 a week earlier)
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,174 (average 167 per day)
Losses of life total: 166,148
People with COVID listed as a cause on their death certificate up until 25th March: 187,929
Tests last 7 days: 4,148,840 (average 592,691 per day)
Vaccinations 1st dose: 52,837,997 (91.9% of UK age 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 49,488,642 (86.1%)
Boosted / 3rd dose: 38,881,391 (67.6%)
(Although hospitalisations/ventilator use is up, it is a smaller rise than last week. Are we reaching the peak of this wave? Let's hope so... )

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,477,112 (+2,738) cases and 6,805 (+6) losses of life.

World: 493,330,951 reported cases and 6,181,214 losses of life.

Now that free testing has ended in England, the UK NHS list of COVID symptoms has been expanded. (Obviously those 2 things are entirely unrelated, I've no idea why I put them together like that.):
"Symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) in adults can include:
- a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- shortness of breath
- feeling tired or exhausted
- an aching body
- a headache
- a sore throat
- a blocked or runny nose
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick or being sick"
Close inspection reveals the list for children is EXACTLY THE SAME, so that's handy.
Obviously any or even all of those symptoms still doesn't mean you have COVID, but you are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have symptoms of COVID including a high temperature, or don't feel well enough to go to work or do normal activities.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 2nd and 3rd April 2022

UK Daily Statistics don't update over weekends, so you won't see them here or in the figures at the bottom.

World: 491,255,721 reported cases and 6,175,357 losses of life.

The UK vaccinations programme has opened up for kids aged 5-11 - so you can book appointments from Monday (tomorrow). Lots of walk-in appointments are adult 18+ or 16+ only, so you will be lucky if you can turn up at a walk-in with a minor next Wednesday and get them vaccinated. Check in advance. And remember it looks plausible there is a very slightly increased chance of heart inflammation as an adverse injection reaction for youngsters if they have had COVID within the last 2 or 3 months, so wait 12 weeks after a positive test before vaccinating young people aged under 18. 

Vaccination is advised by religious leaders of all major denominations. If you're invited to get your Spring booster vaccine, or if you haven't yet come forward for your first or second dose or booster vaccine this Ramadan, please come forward.

The UK Health Security Agency is studying XE - which is what we are now calling the 'recombinant mutation' of BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron strains. Hundreds of cases have now been identified - 637 up until 22nd March. As we had over 4 million COVID cases in the UK last week, and they were almost entirely Omicron BA'1 and BA.2 anyway, I'm not going to panic for a long while yet... 

The Independent have been investigating the prosecutions for breaking COVID restrictions in the UK, and have discovered that almost a third have actually been wrongful.
More than 800 miscarriages of justice identified already, but there may be thousands of cases, because not every one has been checked. If the Government Ministers can 'get away with it', you should too.... even though I might personally think you behaved with reckless abandonment... 

"The World Health Organisation (WHO) has suspended the supply through United Nations agencies of COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin manufactured by India-based firm Bharat Biotech. In a statement, the international body said the vaccine is safe and the suspension is "to allow the manufacturer to upgrade facilities and address deficiencies found in an inspection"."
There have been questions over the vaccine manufacturing facilities in the past, and they have returned.
"The risk assessment to date does not indicate a change in the risk-benefit ratio of the vaccine. The data, available to WHO, indicate the vaccine is effective and no safety concern exist."
They just need to bring their manufacturing up to 2022 specs. Sort it out lads!! 

As the Russians pull back out of parts of Ukraine, we are seeing the true horrors of war in what is left behind, and it is grim to the point of sobbing/vomit. This war is rare in that religion does not feature, and nor does language or ethnic origin. I don't believe in a God, and more wars have been fought supposedly in the name of religion than for any other reasons, but when you look at what their books and leaders actually say, I believe most religions have moral standards we should aspire to, and modern day leaders who seek peace and tolerance for all people. 

"Once again, some potentate is provoking and fomenting conflicts, ordinary people sense the need to build a future that, will either be shared, or will not be at all.  Now in the night of the war, let us not allow the dream of peace to fade!"
Pope Francis.
Without a shadow of a doubt my favourite Pope, although not my actual favourite religious leader. That title goes to the current Dalai Lama, whose latest tweet reads:
"The fact that inner peace is the principal characteristic of happiness, explains the paradox that while we can all think of people who remain dissatisfied, despite having every material advantage, there are others who remain happy, despite the most difficult circumstances."
And words from Muslim leader, his Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad:
"It is not just one country. In fact many countries will become embroiled in this conflict if it continues, and the horrifying consequences will last for generations to come...(he asks that they find Godliness)... and not play with human lives for the sake of fulfilling their worldly desires."
We all dream of peace.  

Photos and video that showed crying young children isolated from their families at a Shanghai hospital have really upset local people. There has been nothing to suggest they are not real, and they do seem to fit in with China’s response to COVID, by isolating everyone who is (or may be) infected.

What is currently coming out of Ukraine is truly grim, especially from areas which have been cut off for weeks. Earlier today Zelenskyy said:
"Mothers of Russian soldiers should see that. See what bastards you've raised. Murderers, looters, butchers."
War is always ugly. 

I've had a crazy weekend, as yesterday, out of the blue, we were served notice to move out of our rented home after 15 years! Bit of a shocker. Where do you even start? Thankfully not too much news today, but my surprise moving will no doubt affect how much I can cover over the next 8 weeks, so fingers crossed the slow news situation remains, or I'll have you guys guest posting for me while I frantically pack... 

Ramadan Mubarak and blessings to everyone observing the holy month. I hope you have a fantastic time. Please remember COVID still exists, and it is still harshest on our older and weaker populations. Don't take unnecessary risks, and open windows whenever possible.

Some people. They look like numbers here, but they are all people.

Countries / Cases / Losses of life (since midnight GMT. In larger countries,  such as the USA and India, some states /provinces have yet to report today):

S. Korea 13,639,915 (+264,097) 16,929 (+339)

France 25,895,586 (+132,114) 142,475 (+68)

Germany 21,588,614 (+128,639) 130,529 (+187)

Italy 14,792,227 (+72,224) 159,666 (+129)

Vietnam 9,716,282 (+65,619) 42,563 (+37)

Australia 4,633,278 (+54,667) 6,367 (+26)

Japan 6,606,464 (+53,544) 28,200 (+103)

Thailand 3,684,755 (+28,029) 25,321 (+96)

Brazil 29,995,638 (+20,473) 660,192 (+127)

Austria 3,873,448 (+19,043) 15,957 (+52)

Russia 17,880,038 (+17,949) 369,404 (+340)

Netherlands 7,897,928 (+16,918) 22,006 (+12)

Greece 3,067,354 (+15,823) 27,623 (+52)

Malaysia 4,234,087 (+14,692) 35,069 (+56) 

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Sources: 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-vaccine-programme-expanded-to-children-aged-five-to-11-12580105

https://twitter.com/i/events/1509145347561603083?t=U5-LqS9n5qAQebTuPVNYMw&s=09

https://twitter.com/NHSEngland/status/1510572907143045130?t=SE64kzGBAiYKnY_FgbcBbg&s=19

https://twitter.com/CrazyBigBoy1/status/1510353289996558340?t=Pl4l40KhUJ6rrH5Oq2iMGQ&s=19

https://t.co/aUMllqFBRL

https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/1510210434309128196?t=oETQX68O9Cu5_wk_6OYQ2g&s=19

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-new-omicron-xe-variant-symptoms-tests-b2049494.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/new-omicron-variant-xe-contagious-symptoms-latest-b2049858.html

https://twitter.com/i/events/1510632789082664962

Shanghai is struggling to contain an outbreak of highly contagious Omicron. 

https://twitter.com/WilliamYang120/status/1510424170835763209?t=42PWfgHnfN1zN5JdX6iqQQ&s=19

Photo: AFP via Getty Images. https://t.co/Ae4CNCZicV

Amendment: I typed blood clots rather than heart inflammation and have corrected. Many links on this page: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jcvi-update-on-advice-for-covid-19-vaccination-of-children-and-young-people/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-of-children-and-young-people-22-december-2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 30th / 31st March / 1st April 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 527,550 (average 75,364 per day)
In hospital yesterday 31st March: 19,575 (up from 17,440 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator yesterday 31st March: 356 (up from 302 a week earlier)
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,116 (average 159 per day)
Tests: 4,671,510 (average 667,358 per day)
Vaccinations 1st dose: 52,803,065 (91.8% of UK age 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 49,439,759 (86%)
Boosted / 3rd dose: 38,823,674 (67.5%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,465,150 (+5,725) cases and 6,786 (+33) losses of life.

World: 489,186,080 reported cases and 6,168,935 losses of life.

"For the NHS, Covid is far from over. Hospital admissions now higher than the January peak. Staff sickness high. New variants emerging. But reflecting on conversations with staff today in the hospital, they aren't giving in just yet. Too much to fight for"
Luke O'Shea, Director of Innovation, University College London Hospitals, with a reminder that COVID is doing pretty much the same thing that it has been for the last 2 years. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 28th / 29th March 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 574,027 (average 82,003 per day)
In hospital yesterday 28th March: 19,118 (UP from 16,272 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator yesterday 28th March: 363 (UP from 299 a week earlier)
Losses of life last 7 days: 1,051 (average 150 a day, UP from 119 average a week earlier)
Tests: 4,952,823 (average 707,546 per day)
Vaccinations 1st dose: 91.8% of UK age 12+
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 85.9%
Boosted / 3rd dose: 67.4%

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,442,877 (+5,263) cases and 6,721 (+11) losses of life.

World: 484,179,897 reported cases and 6,153,536 losses of life.

For 2 years many publications removed paywalls for anything regarding the pandemic, and made their reporting and articles free to read and open access to all. Some of those paywalls and limits on access to information are returning. Sad times guys, but at least we got the 2 years.

Good news regarding UK hospital admissions. I say good, I actually mean bad, but much better than it was. We have been seeing a huge increase week on week, but it has slowed down considerably. Whoot!
The COVID Actuaries Response Group keep track and tell us over the past 7 days:
"Strongest growth is currently being seen in ventilator beds, and the total beds figure has risen by over 1,300 to 15,170"
Overall it seems fairly obvious more people get symptoms with Omicron, but less are severely ill, so the rise in ventilator beds and ICU admissions is a bit of a bugger. It could be due to immunity in our most vulnerable people beginning to wane already - which makes getting those Spring Booster Jabs even more important. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 26th / 27th March 2022

There Are No Longer UK Daily Statistics At Weekends

World: 481,648,252 reported cases and 6,147,422 losses of life

Abuse of scientists is running high because of frustrations around COVID:
"Science (Magazine) asked 9585 researchers who have published on COVID-19 to fill out an online survey about their experiences. Of 510 who responded, 38% reported at least one type of attack, ranging from insults to death threats, delivered on social media, by email or phone, or sometimes even in person."

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 23rd / 24th / 25th March 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases last 7 days: 599,244 (average 85,606 per day, up from 78,885 a week earlier)
In hospital yesterday Thursday 24th: 17,440 (up from 14,671 a week earlier)
Using a ventilator on Wednesday 23rd: 302
Losses of life last 7 days: 950 (average 136 per day)
Total losses of life: 164,454
Tests last 7 days: 5,098,534
Vaccinations 1st dose: 91.7% of UK aged 12+
Vaccinations 2nd dose: 85.8%
Boosted / 3rd dose: 67.3%

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,422,945 (+9,147) cases and 6,710 (+17) losses of life.

World: 478,839,027 reported cases and 6,136,057 losses of life.

"We all want to move on from the pandemic. But no matter how much we wish it away, this pandemic is not over."
Dr Tedros, Head of WHO

Wednesday was a National Day Of Reflection, in memory of all those lost over the 2 years since the UK first went into lockdown because of COVID. I didn't know about it in advance, so I didn't mention it - and I apologise to anyone who wishes they had known.
End of life charity Marie Curie has created online Walls Of Remembrance where you can leave a dedication to those you loved who have fallen victim to COVID. 

Last October we were invited over to take a good look around People's History Museum in Manchester, but then my 11 and 13 year old boys caught COVID and our plan was put on pause. This February half term we jumped on the tram into Manchester for a day looking at the history of the people who helped make our world what it is today. 

People's History Museum is really easy to get to, just a short walk from a couple of different tram stops, right in the centre of Manchester. 

It is a challenging museum. It asks you to think about what you see. I like that, and my children have been raised to question, so I'm stunned I haven't ever taken them before. I think life just got in the way for us, so this visit was definitely overdue...