All I know is that a lot of symptomatic cases aren't counted, since of all the cases I've heard of lately, non got any official tests. Just the home kit or nothing.

Our oldest relapsed. He went to school on Monday after staying home for a week. At noon the school called to come pick him up. He's been home since and even had a fever again today. He was doing much better but now sounds hoarse, long coughing fits and still sore throat. Our youngest is still going to school. At the bus stop I notice a lot of the older kids are missing. I guess younger kids recover faster than the 10-12 year olds.

Perhaps we have the same strain here as is currently going around the states
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/dominant-coronavirus-mutant-contains-ghost-of-pandemic-past-1.5919639

The coronavirus mutant that is now dominant in the United States is a member of the omicron family but scientists say it spreads faster than its Omicron predecessors, is adept at escaping immunity and might possibly cause more serious disease.

Why? Because it combines properties of both Omicron and Delta, the nation's dominant variant in the middle of last year.

A genetic trait that harkens back to the pandemic's past, known as a "Delta mutation," appears to allow the virus "to escape pre-existing immunity from vaccination and prior infection, especially if you were infected in the Omicron wave," said Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas. That's because the original Omicron strain that swept the world didn't have the mutation.

The Omicron "subvariant" gaining ground in the U.S. -- known as BA.2.12.1 and responsible for 58% of U.S. COVID-19 cases last week -- isn't the only one affected by the Delta mutation. The genetic change is also present in the Omicron relatives that together dominate in South Africa, known as BA.4 and BA.5. Those have exactly the same mutation as Delta, while BA.2.12.1 has one that's nearly identical.

This genetic change is bad news for people who caught the original Omicron and thought that made them unlikely to get COVID-19 again soon. Although most people don't know for sure which variant caused their illness, the original Omicron caused a giant wave of cases late last year and early this year.

So yeah, now it is relevant which strain you were infected by

"The Omicron infection antibody does not appear to protect well against the subvariants compared to Delta," said Dr. Shan-Lu Liu, a study author who co-directs the viruses and emerging pathogens program at Ohio State.

But Liu said the level of protection a Delta infection provides depends partly on how long ago someone was ill. That's because immunity wanes over time.

People who got sick with Delta shouldn't think of themselves as invulnerable to the new subvariants, especially if they're unvaccinated, Long said. "I wouldn't say anyone is safe."

Keep the virus circulating, new strains pop up. The cycle continues.


I've been feeling very tired lately, soar as well. No idea whether my body is fighting off the virus or more likely just exhausted from all the stuff that's been going on. My wife is getting better, but it's up and down and going very slowly. Still no strength to get outside, couple trips to the living room / kitchen a day at most.

Here in Japan, Cases are going back down again. Positivity % is going down too, so it is not due to testing going down.

Covid was all but eradicated last December 2021 with only 1 person having severe symptoms at one point in Tokyo, but it came back with a vengeance. Due to Vaccines, it never reached the previous peak of 297 persons with severe symptoms in August 2021. It only reached 87 persons with severe symptoms in February 2022. Now it is May 2022, and it is back down to 3 persons with severe symptoms.

So Japan has decided to soften the severe quarantine requirements. Now with most western countries, people who travel from Japan to these countries and back no longer have to quarantine or take a Coronavirus test after landing, starting June 1, 2022.

It will be nice to visit my family again without so much hassle when I get back, and can easily travel back to my home. Unfortunately both countries still require pre travel Covid tests, even if vaccinated. I wonder if such a thing would be abolished or eased for vaccinated individuals in the future.

Weekly update, biggest trend is the data becoming less coherent

In total 4.39 million new cases were reported last week (down from 6.11 million) to a total of 530,784,186
Also another 10,632 more deaths were reported (down from 12,335) to a total of 6,309,502

The USA just passed Europe again in the 3-day average, in reported cases for the week close to the same, 756K vs 757K
Europe is still leading in reported deaths, 4,108 last week (5,824 the week before) vs 2,388 in the USA (2,303 the week before)

The continents

Asia is coming back down thanks to a miraculous recovery in North Korea with very few deaths...
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/widespread-disbelief-over-north-korea-s-tiny-covid-19-death-rate-1.5921161

According to North Korea, its fight against COVID-19 has been impressive: About 3.3 million people have been reported sick with fevers, but only 69 have died.

If all are coronavirus cases, that's a fatality rate of 0.002%, something no other country, including the world's richest, has achieved against a disease that has killed more than 6 million people.

...

Every morning, North Korea releases details about the number of new patients with fever symptoms, but not with COVID-19. Experts believe most cases should be counted as COVID-19 because while North Korean health authorities lack diagnostic kits, they still know how to distinguish the symptoms from fevers caused by the other prevalent infectious diseases.

North Korea's daily fever tally peaked at nearly 400,000 early last week; it has nosedived to around 100,000 in the past few days. On Friday, it added one more death after claiming no fatalities for three consecutive days.

"Our country set a world record for having no single (COVID-19) infection for the longest period ... and we've now made an achievement of reversing the tide of the abrupt outbreak in a short period," the main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said Thursday. "This evidently proves the scientific nature of our country's emergency anti-epidemic steps."

It's all propaganda

The most likely course is that North Korea soon proclaims victory over COVID-19, maybe during a June political meeting, with all credit given to Kim's leadership. The 38-year-old ruler is desperate, observers say, to win bigger public support as he deals with severe economic difficulties caused by border shutdowns, UN sanctions and his own mismanagement.

Meanwhile, South America is creeping up again, winter time

Corners of the world

China still doing their thing massaging the statistics.
Iran is either doing really well or doing the same thing, only 231 new cases last week.

Europe in detail

Threads slowly unraveling.


Canada reported 18.3K new cases (down from 25.0K) and 303 deaths (447 last week)
We had a big dip in measuring around Canada day and of all the people I've heard of recently getting Covid-19, none got an official test, none got counted. The ones that did go to the ER just got told to do a home test and quarantine for 5 days. Tracing has been abandoned long ago.

We still don't know where we got it from. My brother-in-law got sick 8 or 9 days after returning from Mexico. Possible from the plane ride but his son could also have caught it in school. Or, 4 days before he and others got sick at his workplace, a regional manager came by commenting them at being one of the few locations that didn't have any Covid illnesses yet. Either he jinxed it, or brought it along...

My wife made it outside for 10 minutes, first time in weeks. She can spend more time out of bed now, baby steps, very weak. Same with my brother-in-law's wife. Our oldest seems to be getting better again after his relapse. He's been home 2 weeks now, had a fever again on Thursday, still coughing a lot. The youngest and his nephew are doing fine. I'm just very tired, not feeling all that good tbh, but no other symptoms.

Ontario currently has 865 people hospitalized for Covid-19 (141 in ICU, 69 on ventilator) 513 were fully vaccinated.

Weekly update. Milestone reached, first time the official weekly death count falls below 10,000.

In total 3.85 million new cases were reported last week (down from 4.39 million) tot a total of 534,630,656
Also another 9,412 more deaths were reported (down from 10,632) to a total of 6,318,914

Big dip in the USA due to memorial day
Europe heading slightly back up despite less and less reporting

The continents

South America, USA and Europe slowly creeping up, Asia, Africa and Oceania slowly heading down

Corners of the world

Canada reported 17.0K new cases (down from 18.4K) and 268 deaths (303 last week)

Europe in detail

Ukraine is no longer reporting at all, half the countries are now updating once or twice a week.
Germany, Spain, Belgium,Netherlands and Austria are slowly trending back up


My wife is slowly recovering. She's no longer stuck in bed but has to take things very slowly. Still bad coughing fits and if she does a bit too much she gets dizzy and gets the urge to vomit and trouble breathing. I would say she's about 30% / 40% of her normal. But it's getting better at least.

The good news
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/iran-marks-first-day-without-covid-deaths-says-health-minister-1.5929831
It will be a while until we reach that milestone here

The bad news
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/shanghai-neighbourhoods-return-to-lockdown-a-day-after-restrictions-eased-1.5931044
Still going on Shanghai

And more of the unbelievable news
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/who-says-covid-in-north-korea-likely-getting-worse-not-better-1.5929325

Deaths would still be above 10,000 if NK was reporting the actual counts, same for Ukraine and likely Russia, and all the other places that are under counting. But that has been the same ish all pandemic, so the milestone stands. Finally less than 10K official deaths per week since this thing started. Next milestone, less than a 1,000 a day!

Weekly update, WHO says cases and deaths are dropping nearly everywhere, and they go straight back up the week after...

In total 5.10 million new cases were reported last week (up from 3.85 million) to a total of 539,733,561
Also another 10,863 more deaths were reported (up from 9,412) to a total of 6,329,777

Most of the climb in cases is coming from Europe this week, 1.78 million vs 773K last week, and 4,098 deaths vs 3,307 last week.
USA had 796K new cases vs 751K last week, and 2,306 deaths vs 2,151 last week.

The continents

Asia still heading down a bit, Europe shooting up, South America continues to rise slowly.

Corners of the world

Canada reported 16.7K new cases (17.0K last week) and 282 deaths (268 last week)
India is starting to gain some momentum, Brazil slowly rising

Europe in detail

Cases are rising again across the board.

Here we're doing away with the rest of our mask mandates, no longer needed on public transport and in healthcare situations. People are still advised to use them yet they'll probably quickly fade away as they did in other settings.

Random testing for Covid-19 at airports is now suspended
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/great-step-forward-travel-industry-applauds-suspension-of-random-covid-19-testing-at-airports-1.5941945

I guess cases will go back up here as well.

My wife still has nasty coughing fits and sometimes trouble breathing. Long road to recovery. I would say she's now at 50/60% of what she could do before Covid-19. My oldest also still seems winded rather quickly, youngest still complains of stomach/bowel issues. What a lovely disease :(

The US has now gotten rid of the pre flight test requirements.

So now while a lot more convenient for me and my travel plans, it might lead to less testing and tracking of the disease and its variants.

However the CDC basically says it doesn't matter because there is already so much covid in the country and around the world.

^ I mean, it should be fairly evident by now that pre-flight testing has never stopped any variant from coming to the US.

We are likely seeing well over 50% SGTF (BA.4 and BA.5) in Brazil now. It was 44% a week ago.

BA.4 and BA.5 are gaining ground in Europe
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/eu-agency-sees-risk-of-covid-deaths-rising-as-omicron-subvariants-spread-1.5944606

Two new subvariants of Omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, are spreading more quickly than other corovanirus variants in Europe, which could lead to more hospitalizations and deaths as they become dominant, the EU's disease prevention agency said on Monday.

Most EU countries have so far detected low rates of the two subgroups. But in countries where the proportion has risen - such as Portugal, where BA.5 accounted for 87 per cent of cases by May 30 - there have been surges in overall cases, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said on Monday.

BA.4 and BA.5 do not appear to carry a higher risk of severe disease than other forms of Omicron. But an increase in case numbers from higher transmission rates risks leading to an increase in hospitalizations and deaths, the ECDC said.

"The growth advantage reported for BA.4 and BA.5 suggest that these variants will become dominant," it said in a statement on its website.

Week over week cases in the UK are currently growing the fastest (+61%), followed by the Netherlands, Norway (both +50%) and Germany (+47%)

Weekly update. Europe continues to climb, weekly deaths are under 10K again.

In total 3.89 million new cases were reported last week (down from 5.10 million) to a total of 543,620,349
Also another 9,610 more deaths were reported (down from 10,863) to a total of 6,339,387

USA went down a bit in cases 722K cases (796K last week) up a bit in reported deaths 2,590 (2,306 last week)
Europe also went down while climbing in the graph (corrections last week added to the total) 1.30 million new cases (1.78 last week, 773K the week before) Deaths went up in Europe to 4,674 this week (4,098 last week, 3,307 the week before)

The continents

Europe passed Asia again, back on top. Africa had a little growth, the rest stable, slowly declining.

Corners of the world

India continues to grow, the rest stable and slowly declining.

Europe in detail

The general trend is up, even though less and less regular reporting.

Things look fairly quiet and predictable for the time being.