Here we go again: The Omicron surge hasn’t yet peaked in some parts of the world, and already a new variant is making news. Dubbed BA.2, this variant is a close relative of the original Omicron strain, with some additional mutations. It has so far been found in four U.S. states—California, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington—as well as South Africa, Denmark, India, and the U.K.
But what does BA.2 mean for the trajectory of the pandemic? It’s too soon to tell, reports my colleague Alice Park.
Viruses mutate all the time, and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is no exception. Though some mutations make the virus more transmissible or virulent, not all changes end up being significant. The World Health Organization has not yet decided whether BA.2 is a variant of concern. It’s also too early to know how it stacks up against previous versions of the virus—and, perhaps more importantly, the vaccines that fight it.
While a lot of questions are yet to be answered, there is reason to have faith in COVID-19 vaccines, Alice writes. Some variants, like Omicron, do cause more breakthrough infections among fully vaccinated people than earlier strains of the virus. But when it comes to preventing severe disease and death, the vaccines have held up time and time again.
If you get infected, that vaccine-induced protection could mean the difference between a mild case and ending up in the hospital. So, if nothing else, the emergence of BA.2 serves as an excellent reminder to get vaccinated if you haven’t already and boosted if you’re eligible.
More than 366.2 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 3 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 5.6 million people have died. On Jan. 27, there were more than 3.6 million new cases and 10,314 new deaths confirmed globally.
Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending, in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
And here's every country that has reported over 5 million cases:
The U.S. had recorded more than 73.4 million coronavirus cases as of 3 a.m. E.T. today. More than 878,000 people have died. On Jan. 27, there were 517,199 new cases and 2,356 new deaths confirmed in the U.S.
Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of Jan. 28, 12 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
For the last couple years, a person’s political affiliation has been a strong predictor of their attitude and behaviors toward the pandemic in the U.S. But, for better or worse, people across parties finally agree on something: approximately 75% of people in the U.S. say they are “tired” and “frustrated” by the pandemic and think everyone in the U.S. is likely to get COVID-19 eventually, according to new data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Differences remain, though. Half of Democrats said the pandemic is currently the most important issue the U.S. faces, while a similar percentage of Republicans think inflation is.
Officials in many countries are looking forward to endemicity—the point at which COVID-19 becomes a routine illness, like a common cold or flu. Researchers in Malawi told NPR that their country, and others in Africa, may have already reached that point After testing samples from Malawi’s national blood bank for COVID-19 antibodies, the researchers concluded that up to 80% of the population had been infected by the virus prior to Omicron’s arrival, and thus had some level of immunity to it. Similar results have been reported in Kenya, South Africa, and Madagascar, potentially representing a “turning point in this pandemic,” one scientist told NPR.
Multiple European countries are choosing to relax pandemic restrictions even as Omicron spreads, prioritizing economic recovery and a return to “normal” life in light of the variant’s relative mildness. England yesterday stopped requiring face masks and immunity passports to enter certain venues, and Denmark plans to drop all COVID-19 restrictions by Feb. 1, CNBC reports. The Netherlands, which has some of Europe’s strictest policies, will also allow some businesses to reopen on Wednesday.
More than a year after vaccines were first authorized, about 15% of the U.S. adult population still hasn’t had a single dose. U.S. Census data from December 2021 found that among adults who remain unvaccinated, 42% say they do not trust the shots. But, as STAT explores, some people (and prominent public figures) don’t hold the same skepticism for treatments—even those that are experimental or proven not to work against COVID-19 . The cycle has repeated over and over again, first with hydroxychloroquine and more recently with ivermectin. The explanation, according to STAT’s Lev Facher? “Most people see doctors’ role as treating illnesses, not preventing them.”
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com. If you have specific questions you'd like us to answer, please send them to covidquestions@time.com.
If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, click here.
Today's newsletter was written by Jamie Ducharme and edited by Mandy Oaklander.
沒有留言:
張貼留言