Weekly update. Japan is getting hit the hardest atm, BA.5 is the suspect driving the sharp increase in cases.
In total 6.67 million new cases were reported last week (up from 6.07 million) to a total of 566,348,681
Also another 14,382 more deaths were reported (up from 11,458) to a total of 6,385,837
Europe might be peaking in its current wave, but its hard to tell with reporting changing all the time.
Europe reported 2.91 million new cases (down from 3.04 million) and 4,711 more deaths (up from 3,839)
USA reported 897K new cases (up from 766K) and 2,953 more deaths (up from 2,459)
The continents
Asia and South America are picking up speed.
Corners of the world
Japan, South Korea and Iran are shooting up, Brazil starting to go up faster as well.
https://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2022070801227
Tokyo, July 8 (Jiji Press)--The BA.5 omicron coronavirus variant, which is behind a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Japan, is expected to replace the Ba.2 variant as the dominant strain in the country by the end of July. Health ministry and other officials are on high guard because BA.5 is believed to be more infectious than BA.2 and to more easily evade immunity acquired by vaccination.
The BA.5 variant, detected in South Africa in February, was confirmed in Japan for the first time in May, at airport quarantine. One of BA.5's characteristics is high infectiousness. British health authorities said that BA.5 is likely to be spreading 35 pct faster than BA.2. With BA.5 replacing BA.2 globally, the World Health Organization said Wednesday that the number of new COVID-19 cases worldwide rose nearly 30 pct in the past two weeks.
While parts of the world are still dealing with BA.2, other parts getting into a BA.5 surge, BA.2.75 is coming next and seems to be out competing BA.5 in India
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/coronavirus/ba-2-75-boston-doctors-on-whether-we-should-worry-about-the-competing-omicron-subvariant/2772044/
As the U.S. battles the rapidly spreading BA.5 omicron subvariant, a new mutant that could compete with the highly contagious strain is on the horizon.
Scientists say the variant – called BA.2.75 – may be able to evade immunity from vaccines and prior infection. The latest mutant has been spotted in several distant states in India and appears to be spreading faster than other variants there. It’s unclear whether it could cause more serious disease than other omicron variants, including the prominent BA.5.
Experts say the transmission rates of the BA.2.75 variant are showing an exponential increase, particularly in India. It makes up about a quarter of the cases there and seems to be competing with BA.5 as the dominant strain. Some health officials expect cases will continue to grow, but how the subvariant might impact the U.S. remains to be seen.
The population in India has a different immunity than those in the U.S., Boston doctors said, because different vaccines were given at various times and different variants circulated at various times. Those variables result in fluctuating levels of infection-induced immunity.
At home: Canada reported 36.9K new cases (up from 24.5K) and 355 deaths (190 last week)
Random Covid screening will be back at the airports next Tuesday and talk about bringing mask backs is back as well
(the last mask mandates were just absolved a week ago)
As always politics can't agree on what's more important, keeping people safe or to keep the money safe
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canada-resuming-mandatory-random-covid-19-testing-for-air-travellers-1.5987380
“There was no science shared to test fully vaccinated travellers, no science shared to pause the testing, and no science shared about re-establishing the random testing,” wrote transport critic Melissa Lantsman in an email on Thursday to CTVNews.ca. “Once again, the Liberal government is playing political games that will make our already congested and delayed airports and travel even more inconvenient for travellers without actually keeping Canadians any safer.”
“Unnecessary policies like random testing and the ArriveCAN app are hurting Canada’s recovery,” she also wrote.
NDP health critic Don Davies said he supports re-introducing measures to detect certain variants of COVID-19 and to trace how they’re getting into Canada.
“As the Liberals have not always applied these measures in an effective or efficient manner, it is important to ensure that any random testing program for international travellers is situated offsite as many transportation stakeholders have called for,” he wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca on Thursday.
Approximately four or five per cent of travellers entering Canada will be selected for random testing, providing a sample of the overall population, the minister’s office told CTV News. There is no change at land borders, where mandatory random testing was never put on pause.
Europe in detail
BA.4 and BA.5 are fueling the current wave in Europe
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-62175000
Data is a week behind now though in the UK.
Great summer so far, not. Next to Covid, we're also dealing with a drought and heat wave. Can't even go outside during the middle of the day with UV 8+. We have a 3 month deficit for rainfall now, no moisture left in the ground to put any moisture in the air. Clear blue skies are pretty, but the sun hurts :/
