German authorities are urging even fully vaccinated individuals to get tested regularly as part of the fight against the spread of the coronavirus. Denmark plans to lift all pandemic-related restrictions on February 1, despite the high level of infection. An unvaccinated patient in Boston was denied a heart transplant. China has lowered PCR testing requirements for participants in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. This and other news about the coronavirus situation in the world are in our traditional roundup.
According to Johns Hopkins University, there are currently nearly 400 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide and 5.6 million deaths from this virus.
Two-thirds of those infected with the omicron variant had previously been infected with the coronavirus, according to a large-scale study conducted as part of the UK’s REACT (Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission) program. REACT is one of the largest studies dedicated to the development of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. It is being conducted by a group of scientists at Imperial College London on behalf of the UK Department of Health. The research began before the release of Omicron” and has involved a total of approximately 2 million volunteers. The latest conclusions are based on the results of 100 thousand PCR tests conducted during the first two weeks of 2022. The omicron variant of the coronavirus was detected in 4 thousand people, 65% of whom reported having had Covid-19 before. According to scientists, this is very important knowledge that not only helps to better understand what the virus is and how it works, but also allows to define a strategy to combat it in case of the emergence of new strains.
Dutch authorities will begin easing restrictions on Wednesday, even as the overall number of infections in Europe continues to rise. Since December 18, the country has been living under strict restrictive measures. Bars, restaurants, museums, theaters and gyms were closed. Supermarkets and pharmacies were open for a limited number of hours. The government acknowledges that all these measures have not had the desired effect of slowing the spread of the disease. Currently, about 60,000 new cases are registered in the Netherlands every day. Prime Minister Mark Rutte says that the loosening of restrictions is a significant risk, but that the authorities are willing to take the risk in light of the reduction in mortality and hospitalizations. The country has also been gripped by a wave of protests. Mass demonstrations in the streets of major cities have ended in clashes with police. A week ago, some cafes, beauty salons and museums in various cities opened for 24 hours as a sign of protest.
Many protests against COVID restrictions in the Netherlands have turned violent. According to the new regulations, bars and restaurants will be able to open and operate until 22:00. However, entry will be strictly limited to those with a negative COVID-19 test or a vaccination pass. Nightclubs are closed. The number of spectators at cultural and sports events should not exceed 1250 people. The next review of COVID restrictions in the Netherlands is scheduled for March 8, barring unforeseen circumstances.
The Danish Ministry of Health has proposed to the country’s parliament that all coronavirus restrictions be completely lifted starting next week. According to the head of the department, Magnus Hoynik, the authorities based their decision on the opinion of the expert scientific council under the country’s government. If Parliament approves the proposal, Denmark will return to pre-pandemic life from February 1.
As of February 1, Austria will end the so-called “targeted lockdown” of the unvaccinated. It was introduced in November last year and meant that unvaccinated people were only allowed to leave their homes in certain cases, such as to buy food. According to the authorities, the measure has been lifted because the country’s health system is no longer in danger of being overburdened. Last week, the lower house of the country’s parliament voted to introduce mandatory vaccination for citizens over the age of 18. The law is expected to take effect on February 4.
In Northern Ireland, the requirement to show a vaccination pass to enter pubs, restaurants and cinemas will be abolished from Wednesday. They will only be needed for visiting nightclubs that are planned to open in the near future and for attending events with a large number of people. The rule of maintaining social distance is also lifted, but the authorities recommend continuing to work from home if possible. The recent easing of restrictions was based on the opinion of government experts who believe that the peak of Omicron infections in Northern Ireland has passed.
We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. Episodes End of story. Podcast advertising. Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston denied 31-year-old DJ Ferguson a heart transplant because he had not received the Covid-19 vaccine. At least that is one of the reasons for the denial. According to his father, the hospital administration removed the young man from the list of patients awaiting surgery, despite his urgent need for a transplant. Ferguson’s father also said that vaccination goes against his son’s principles and beliefs, and that he simply does not believe in its effectiveness. Hospital officials claim that the decision was based on institutional policy. “Given the shortage of donor organs, we strive to ensure that the patient undergoing transplantation has the highest chance of survival,” said the official response from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, BBC. Judging by the careful wording of the statement, it is likely that there were other reasons besides the lack of vaccination that led to the refusal of the operation. However, the hospital declined to comment further. His representative explained that when selecting candidates for transplantation, the person’s habits, lifestyle before hospitalization and, more recently, vaccination against COVID-19 are taken into account, especially for those whose immune system is already weakened. The combination of these factors increases the chances of successful surgery, recovery and survival with the new organ. Brigham and Women’s Hospital adds that the majority of its 100,000 patients awaiting organ transplants will not receive surgery within five years due to a shortage of donor material.
“Before the start of the Games, the staff serving the Olympic Park must wear full protective gear”. Chinese authorities have simplified the COVID-19 testing protocol for participants in the Winter Olympics, which open in Beijing on February 4. A person is considered contagious if several indicators in their analysis exceed certain values, and these values are currently artificially lowered for athletes. In the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee, their mission is to “ensure zero transmission, not zero infection. This strategy is designed to allow as many athletes as possible to compete. At last year’s Summer Games in Tokyo, many Olympians were forced to withdraw at the last moment. In addition, the isolation period for those who had contact with the infected person during the Olympics has been reduced from 14 to seven days. Since the beginning of January, more than 3000 athletes and delegation members have arrived in China and 106 cases of coronavirus have been identified. Meanwhile, outside the Olympic venues, restrictive measures are being tightened due to the increase in illness. Local lockdowns are in effect in several districts of Beijing. All residents of the multi-million city must be tested before the start of the Olympic Games. In some areas with unfavorable epidemiological situations, residents must be tested daily. Recently, anyone who buys a cough or fever-reducing medicine at a pharmacy is also registered. They must undergo a PCR test within three days of purchase.