Countries have different timings and ways of reporting deaths, though, especially when their infrastructure isn't that good. What is being reported now might have happened a long time ago...

For instance this is when deaths actually happened in SA:

Same with India, which beginning October began to report huge death backlogs that lasted all the way to Omicron:

There are also many other issues just looking at raw data because of inconsistent, non-standardized reporting.

What does "intensive care" mean, for instance? What is a hospitalization?

going to be a fun state of union address from ol joe brandon

Weekly update. Reported case are going down rapidly, most countries are past the Omicron wave.


In total 13.3 million new cases were reported last week (down from 17.4 million) to a total of 421,956,726
Also another 72,143 more deaths were reported (down from 76,627) to a total of 5,892,208

Europe seems to have been hit the hardest with Omicron, declining now finally.

The continents

Europe reported 6.79 million new cases (down from 9.11 million) and 24,180 more deaths (slightly up from 23,782)
Asia reported 4.81 million new cases (down from 4.15 million) and 13,202 more deaths (down from 15,193)
South America reported 1.29 million new cases (down from 1.68 million) and 10,922 more deaths (down from 11,875)
North America reported 1.10 million new cases (down from 2.09 million) and 20,637 more deaths (down from 22,434)
Oceania reported 164K new cases (down from 198K) and 413 deaths (460 last week)
Africa reported 110K new cases (down from 147K) and 2,789 more deaths (2,883 last week)

Corners of the world

USA reported 796K new cases (down from 1.73 million) and 16,294 more deaths (down from 17,476)
Brazil reported 773K new cases (down from 972K) and 5,879 more deaths (down from 6,163)
Japan reported 576K new cases (down from 659K) and 1,281 more deaths (878 last week)
South Korea reported 517K new cases (up from 305K) and 271 deaths (176 last week)
India reported 218K new cases (down from 504K) and 3,250 more deaths (down from 6,869)
Iran reported 152K new cases (down from 241K) and 1,170 more deaths (756 last week)
Australia reported 137K new cases (down from 178K) and 353 deaths (409 last week)
Canada reported 53.4K new cases (down from 70.4K) and 624 deaths (833 last week)
South Africa reported 17.2K new cases (down from 18.8k) and 1,447 more deaths (up from 1,085)

Europe in detail
Germany and Russia have peaked, it looks like everyone should be on the way back down now.

The duality of science:

The Norwegian study has been since peer-reviewed and published, but the Portuguese one hasn't. Same thing with this one showing non-VoCs and Alpha had the same mortality, also from Norway.

What about studies (pre-prints, mostly) showing the opposite? It could be that the ever-declining rate of detection past the summer of 2020 made some countries mistakenly believe VoCs were more deadly than they seemed. Since someplace like Norway lacked massive waves, it might have been more consistent with case detection.

Weekly update, coming down from from the Omicron wave. Only South Korea seems to not have peaked yet.

No updates from the Ukraine anymore, understandably. Cases were still high there, huddling together in bomb shelters is the last thing they could use right now. Terrible situation.

In total 11.3 million new cases were reported last week (down from 13.3 million) to a total of 433,301,743
Also another 64,300 deaths were reported (down from 72,143) to a total of 5,956,508


The continents

Europe reported 5.36 million new cases (down from 6.79 million) and 21,343 more deaths (down from 24,180)
Asia reported 3.97 million new cases (down from 4.81 million) and 13,778 more deaths (slightly up from 13,202)
South America reported 990K new cases (down from 1.29 million) and 9,167 more deaths (down from 10,922)
North America reported 730K new cases (down from 1.10 million) and 17,776 more deaths (down from 20,637)
Oceania reported 206K new cases (up from 164K) and 318 deaths (413 last week)
Africa reported 84.9K new cases (down from 110K) and 1,918 more deaths (down from 2,789)

Corners of the world

South Korea reported 909K new cases (up from 517K) and 500 deaths (271 last week)
Brazil reported 607K new cases (down from 773K) and 5,156 more deaths (down from 5,879)
Japan reported 509K new cases (down from 576K) and 1,557 more deaths (slightly up from 1,281)
USA reported 508K new cases (down from 796K) and 13,900 more deaths (down from 16.294)
Australia reported 159K new cases (up from 137K) and 262 deaths (353 last week)
Iran reported 110K new cases (down from 152K) and 1,559 more deaths (up from 1,170)
India reported 103K new cases (down from 218K) and 2,250 more deaths (down from 3,250)
Canada reported 42.9K new cases (down from 53.4K) and 479 deaths (624 last week)
South Africa reported 14.8K new cases (down from 17.1K) and 847 deaths (down from 1,447)

Europe in detail

Mmm. Looking now at the huge peaks in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, etc. brings to mind some of the 'immunological dark matter' theories: that an undetected, perhaps now extinct, human coronavirus closely related to SARS-CoV-2 might have circulated for years in the Pacific region at low levels, allowing the build-up of cross-immunity before the pandemic. And since Omicron is not only serologically distinct from the previous variants, but also other sarbecoviruses, it's the first variant to break through this 'dark matter' immunity in the region.

Weekly update. Reported deaths passed the 6 million world wide.

In total 10.4 million new cases were reported last week (down from 11.3 million) to a total of 443,707,325
Also another 52,849 more deaths were reported (down from 64,300) to a total of 6,009,357


The continents

Asia reported 4.48 million new cases (up from 3.97 million) and 13,380 more deaths (13,778 last week)
Europe reported 4.46 million new cases (down from 5.36 million) and 17,801 more deaths (down from 21,343)
South America reported 566K new cases (down from 990K) and 6,192 more deaths (down from 9,167)
North America reported 531K new cases (down from 730K) and 13,954 more deaths (down from 17,776)
Oceania reported 310K new cases (up from 206K) and 292 deaths (318 last week)
Africa reported 55.7K new cases (down from 84.9K) and 1,050 more deaths (down from 1,918)

Cases in Oceania are rising again since New Zealand has fallen to Omicron. Their first big outbreak. The wave is expected to peak at 30K cases a day.

Corners of the world


South Korea reported 1.29 million new cases (up from 909K) and 797 deaths (500 last week)
Japan reported 460K new cases (down from 509K) and 1,594 more deaths (1,557 last week)
USA reported 363K new cases (down from 508K) and 11,286 more deaths (down from 13,900)
Brazil reported 303K new cases (down from 607K) and 3,076 more deaths (down from 5,156)
Australia reported 170K new cases (down from 159K) and 258 deaths (262 last week)
Iran reported 56.3K new cases (down from 110K) and 1,427 more deaths (slightly down from 1,559)
India reported 51.6K new cases (down from 103K) and 1,396 more deaths (down from 2,250)
Canada reported 40.2K new cases (down from 42.9K) and 431 deaths (479 last week)
South Africa reported 11.8K new cases (down from 14.8K) and 372 deaths (847 last week)

Europe in detail

Waiting for Germany to come down while some countries are rising slightly again.

Strange days when the pandemic is focused on New Zealand, Vietnam, South Korea... Germany continues to face waves strangely late compared to neighboring countries. Maybe there are just more delays in reporting?

Also, Hong Kong is getting mauled really badly by Omicron. Most of the elderly are non-vaccinated, and those who are have taken the Sinovac shot... if the same is true for the rest of China and Omicron escapes to the mainland, oh man.

Though it would be poetic if the pandemic ended in the country where it began.

Just as in Japan, the Olympics are a catalyst for the pandemic in China. Who knows what the actual numbers are but the officially reported ones are the highest since the very start of the pandemic.

Maybe the numbers are still high in Germany since they have the capacity to keep measuring? A lot of countries restricted testing so reported numbers went down a lot sooner than the actual numbers. In Germany reported deaths are in step with the reported cases while in most places reported deaths peaked far later than reported cases. Or it can be that Germany opened back up a bit too early.

It's not over yet, cases are slowly rising again in countries that opened back up. The virus should run out of people to infect you would think. Atm there are still over 7,000 people dying each day from Covid-19. And who knows what damage the pandemic is doing in Ukraine on top of the war casualties.

https://time.com/6153254/ukraine-russia-war-covid-19/

Ukraine was struggling to control the COVID-19 pandemic even before Russian troops advanced on the country. It was slower to launch its COVID-19 vaccination campaigns than other European countries, and while the government encouraged citizens to get immunized, most people struggled to find a way to get the shot, didn’t feel the need to get vaccinated, or didn’t trust the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

Just before the invasion on Feb. 24, only 35% of the Ukrainian population had been vaccinated.


My wife was finally well enough to get the booster shot, which promptly knocked her out again. Yet 3 days later it's already much better. Still a nasty reaction, pain everywhere, swollen all over, much worse than I had. I guess better than the real thing.

We're dropping mask requirements here in Ontario on the 21st. I guess they're not that effective anymore anyway. Just got to stay away from anyone coughing...

Life is slowly returning back to normal. My supermarket has ditched the line up and alternating check out lines to give people time to pack, it's a free for all again. Cart cleaning was abandoned last year already and now the left over diy cleaning station is usually out of cleaning supplies. A shame, it was a lot more organized with clean carts, one way traffic in isles and one line up, wait to be called for the next available checkout lane.

What will take much longer to return to normal is getting a doctor, dentist or optometrist appointment. All still overbooked. A friend of my wife has to wait until August to see a doctor to get a badly needed prescription change approved... But as long as you don't get sick, get a tooth ache or need new glasses, things are getting back to normal. I do still need new glasses but have learned to see without them lol.

A heads up for the Americans, gas prices at the pump have increased 30 cents per liter here since the sanctions. During the pandemic it was down to 75 cents a liter, now it's 1.83 per liter and is expected to hit 1.95 a liter on Thursday.