#ba.4 subvariant

[covid-safer-hotties]

2,102 people in S’pore have died from Covid-19 since start of pandemic to June 2024: MOH - Published Sept 2, 2024

SINGAPORE - There have been 2,102 Covid-19 deaths here since the start of the pandemic in 2020 to June 2024, the Ministry of Health (MOH) told The Straits Times – a figure that public health experts describe as low.

While the experts say Singapore has done well in the fight against Covid-19, the pandemic nevertheless pushed up the age-standardised death rate – an indicator that allows for a fair comparison of mortality rates over time as it removes the effect of a rapidly ageing population.

Singapore’s age-standardised death rate rose to a high of 5.9 per 1,000 resident population in 2022, up from 5.2 in 2020 and 5.6 in 2021. In 2023, it went back down to 5.6.

The MOH gave ST data on Covid-19 deaths in response to questions on the sharp increases in the total number of deaths over the past few years.

A total of 26,888 people died last year, just 0.01 per cent lower than the 26,891 deaths in 2022, based on the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2023 published by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority in July.

The 2023 figure was 10.7 per cent higher than the 24,292 deaths in 2021. In 2020, 22,054 people died.

An MOH spokeswoman said: “To observe mortality trends over time, age-standardised death rates are used instead of absolute numbers of deaths, as they remove the effect of changing population structure, such as that caused by an ageing population.”

From 2013 to 2020, the age-standardised death rates fell despite the absolute number of deaths increasing due to Singapore’s ageing population, the spokeswoman said. For example, the age-standardised death rate was 6.1 per 1,000 resident population in 2013, but fell almost year on year to 5.2 per 1,000 resident population in 2020.

Meanwhile, the absolute number of deaths rose steadily year on year from 18,938 deaths in 2013 to 22,054 deaths in 2020.

The MOH spokeswoman said the falling age-standardised death rates were likely due to “our preventive health efforts, earlier diagnosis and better treatment of diseases”.

But from 2020 to 2022, the age-standardised death rates increased as they were “driven by the Covid-19 pandemic”, she added.

She said that while Singapore had one of the lowest mortality rates in the world during the pandemic, more people still died during that time.

The increase in the age-standardised death rates in 2021 was mainly due to the Delta wave in the last few months of that year. Before the Delta wave, there were few Covid-19 deaths, the MOH spokeswoman added.

In 2022, the increase in the age-standardised death rates was due to three much larger Covid-19 waves driven by the Omicron BA.1/2, BA.4/5 and XBB variants.

“Although protected by high vaccination coverage, the large number of infections inevitably resulted in more deaths associated with Covid-19,” the MOH spokeswoman said.

From 2022 to 2023, the age-standardised death rates fell again, which reflected a return to pre-Covid-19 trends.

The MOH spokeswoman said the impact of Covid-19 on mortality rates was lower in 2023 as the XBB subvariants and JN.1 waves were smaller than those in 2022.

The top causes of deaths in Singapore in the past five years were cancer, ischaemic heart diseases, pneumonia and cerebrovascular diseases, which are conditions that affect blood flow to the brain, such as stroke.

Associate Professor Alex Cook, vice-dean of research at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said it is unfair to compare the total number of deaths today with the past as Singapore’s population is rapidly ageing. With a larger pool of seniors, more deaths are to be expected.

Hence, the age-standardised death rate is used to enable a fair comparison, either between countries with different age profiles of its populations or between two or more points in time for a particular country, he said.

Considering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore’s age-standardised death rates look “very favourable” compared with other high-income countries, Prof Cook said.

In September 2022, the MOH released a report that estimated that there were 2,490 excess deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic from January 2020 to June 2022.

Excess deaths refer to the difference between the number of deaths from all causes since the pandemic started and the expected number of deaths in the absence of Covid-19.

Of the excess deaths, 1,403 Singapore residents, or Singapore citizens and permanent residents, died of Covid-19.

The remainder died of other illnesses within 90 days of being infected with Covid-19. The report said that Covid-19 aggravated existing illnesses, resulting in death.

And among those who died of Covid-19 in 2021 and the first half of 2022, those who were not fully vaccinated were over-represented.

The report said: “This highlights the importance of the elderly getting vaccinated and boosted to protect them from Covid-19 and its complications.”

Of the 2,102 people who died of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic in 2020 until June 2024, 2,035 were Singapore residents, said the MOH spokeswoman. The remainder were non-residents.

Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said: “It is important to understand that the increase in age-standardised death rate from 2020 to 2022 is not simply because of increased deaths due to Covid-19 infections, but also there were people who passed on because they were unable to seek timely medical attention for their pre-existing chronic conditions.”

At that time, many elective medical procedures were deferred to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed and to minimise the possibility of patients being infected with Covid-19 while hospitalised, he said.

He added: “While this ensured the health system was able to tend to the most urgent cases, this may also mean some cases were only identified at a later stage of disease progression, and thus experiencing a poorer survival rate.”

Public health specialist Jeremy Lim said that Singapore has done well in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.

“About 2,000 deaths directly attributed to Covid-19 is perhaps surprising for it being low. In many other countries, total mortality due to Covid-19 is much higher,” he said.

“Singapore has done well in addressing Covid-19... but even then, some deaths are inevitable.”

[mandysblog85]

Is COVID-19 Really Over? What's Going On?

Written by: Amanda Diallo

Date: May 23, 2024

Is COVID-19 really over? Has it gone away? The answer is no. But the pandemic, yes but not the virus. Sorry ladies and gentlemen, but it's here to stay. It's not only here to stay but it's still evolving (more variants).

What is Covid-19 and what are its symptoms? Well, it is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. It usually spreads between people in close contact. Anyone can get sick with Covid-19 and become seriously ill or die, but most people will recover without treatment. Symptoms also includes loss of taste or smell, sore throat congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

Researchers in China initially named it 2019-nCoV. On February 11, 2020, it was renamed SARS-CoV-2, and the disease was named Covid-19.

From the beginning of the pandemic (early 2020) we had the first variant (the Alpha), then the Beta, Gamma, Delta, and then the Omicron (2022) which was named the worst yet at that time by doctors and the media. It made most of us worry by getting tested before traveling for the holidays, continue our stay-at-home work, and kept our mask on (not all of us).

By 2023 a few more variants made its way, after the first wave of the Omicron, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced the BA.2, BA.4, BA.5 subvariants, by Spring '23 it became the XBB series, we also had the EG.5, then by late '23 the XBB, HV.1, and the FL.1.5.1.

Fast forward to now, we are in 2024. There was the JN.1 variant from late '23 into 2024, but now there's a new Omicron subvariant. What to know about the FLiRT variant.

Well, 28.2% of Covid infections in the US by the third week of May, making it the dominant variant in the nation right now. The FLiRT strains have since been identified in several other countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom.

There are also concerns of a summer uptick as we enter the season.

The point is Covid is NOT over. It's unfortunately here to stay. As far as these variants go, it will keep mutating. So, the best way is to get your booster vaccine and go about your day. Masking is a choice now, I don't mask up as I used to, especially if I'm outside. Most are not, but once in a while I see older individuals doing it indoors, and that's okay. When I enter hospitals and my doctor's office, I masked up. The doctor does too. It's a courtesy and safety type of thing.

I receive my vaccine at least twice a year and try my best to dodge the "RONA". I specifically take the Moderna vaccine for better results. Along with the Covid-19 vaccine, one can also take the flu shot the same day as well.

In the city of Wuhan (China), where it all started in late 2019 (not in a wet market by the way), the WHO declared it a global health emergency in March 2020 right before lockdowns.

In February 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO), in a joint mission with China, attempted to investigate the origins of the pandemic. By 2022, the WHO urged more investigation. The recommendation came after a theory that the virus started elsewhere, and not the marketplace in Wuhan.

Another thing to cover about Covid is long Covid. What is it? Click here to read more.

Brain fog is one of the most common, persistent complaints in patients with long COVID. 

In conclusion, COVID-19 is not done with us. So, try your best not to catch it (if haven't by now) and yes, you can get the virus more than once.

Recently Dr. Fauci's (retired) former top adviser Dr. David Morens testified about the origins of COVID-19.

It's also known that the COVID-19 pandemic was the deadliest disaster in the country's (US) history. Over 1.1 million US deaths alone have been reported.

Read more on the FLiRT subvariant.

[drxicareforu]

The Fast-Spreading New COVID-19 Subvariant XBB Is Part of a ‘New Class’ of Omicron

For the beyond a while, Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have overwhelmed Coronavirus cases in the U.S. In any case, presently, there’s a class of new Coronavirus subvariants on the ascent and one specifically is getting a lot of consideration. It’s called XBB — or Griffin — and there’s an opportunity it could overwhelm all the other things out there. For more

[decentralvaccine]

New Studies Cast Positive Light On Covid 19 Vaccines

Two new studies published Wednesday report good news about the updated Covid-19 vaccine, with one suggesting it is more effective than the previous monovalent vaccine and the other showing that even though it targeted an earlier strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, its protection is holding up against current variants.

The findings suggest the updated vaccine, which targets both the original SARS-2 virus and the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, is performing better than some critics of the decision to update the vaccine concluded, based on studies that only compared the levels of neutralizing antibodies each induced.

[trylkstopocket]

Covid BF.7 Variant Explained!! New Variant Symptoms & Precautions

sssamiti.org

Covid BF.7 Variant Symptoms and Precautions: There is a havoc in China due to the Corona virus as hundreds of people are dying everyday. Hospitals are over crowded every day. Covid is wreaking havoc in China since the restrictions were relaxed in December. Omicron’s sub-variant bf.7 is now the reason for increasing cases in this country. The infectivity rate in this variant is quite high as the R value of the BF.7 variant is 18.

That is, a person infected with this variant can spread the virus to 18 people. This is the reason why Covid is spreading so fast in China. Here in this article we will update you about Covid BF.7 Variant, New Variant Symptoms & Precautions so read this carefully.

Since the beginning of November, cases of corona virus are increasing worldwide. The matter is under control in India now, but China is struggling very badly with it. According to some estimates, due to the recent increase, China is at risk of death of about two million people. An epidemiologist has even tweeted that 60% of China’s population could be infected in the next few months.

Corona outbreak in China is causing concern for many countries, but there is no serious threat in India. There were restrictions related to Covid in China till a few months ago. Due to poor medical policy, the situation in China is getting worse. Omicron’s bf.7 variant is also making a serious impact there. While this variant had arrived in India several months back but it had no effect here.

Covid XBB 1.5 Variant

Avatar 2 Box Office Collection

How does the new variant get the name BF.7?

BF.7 is actually short form. Full name is: BA.5.2.1.7. This is a sub-variant of Omicron’s BA.5 variant. Omicron’s BA.5 variant has the highest number of reported cases worldwide. About 76.2% of the total cases. However, the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants did not spread much in India. We have the highest number of BA.2.75 cases.

The corona virus is mutating and mutations can create many variants and sub-variants. This process is called convergent evolution. These sub-variants have been given names like BA.2.75.2, BF.7 and BQ.1.1. These names are determined by the fact that which sub-variant is derived from which variant.

How dangerous is the sub-variant Omicron?

The reports that are coming in China indicate that BF.7 is more dangerous than the rest of the Omicron sub-variants. It has the highest transmissibility as it spreads rapidly. A person infected with BF.7 can infect many people.

The remaining variants of Omicron can infect an average of 4 people and the incubation period of the variant is also less. The incubation period is the time between exposure to the virus and the appearance of the first symptoms. Meaning, as soon as you come in contact with BF.7, you can catch it immediately.

Has BF.7 arrived in India as well?

The BA.1 and BA.2 sub-variants of Omicron were found in the wave earlier this year. Later on BA.4 and BA.5 also came. However, both of them caused more devastation in European countries. Similarly, very few cases of BF.7 were observed in India. One case of this variant was reported in India in July, two in September and one in November and this variant has been found in Gujarat and Odisha in India.

New Variant BF.7- Symptoms

The symptoms of this variant are similar to those of the other subvariants of Omicron. An infected person may show symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhoea. This sub-variant can cause severe disease in people with weakened immune systems. If someone is having body pain for a long time, then he should get the Covid test done. Apart from this, sore throat, fatigue, phlegm and runny nose can also be symptoms.

Omicron BF.7: Precautions

Physical distance: Corona is caused by coming in contact with an infected person, so it is very important to maintain physical distance from people to avoid it. According to the CDC of America, to avoid infection, keep a distance of at least 6 feet from people in public places. By keeping distance, you can avoid getting droplets from someone who is coughing or sneezing.

Wear a Mask: Do wear a mask when you go out of the house. With this you will avoid drops of infection. Apart from corona virus, the mask also protects against other infections like flu, cold and cough. Throw away the mask after wearing it once. Also use a good quality mask.

Get a booster dose: If you haven’t got the booster dose of Covid yet, get it done immediately. There is no cure for Corona infection, so at this time only the vaccine can save us from its severe symptoms to a great extent.

Avoid going crowded places: To avoid corona infection, you also have to avoid going out and spend maximum time indoors.

Take care of cleanliness: You can also get infected by corona by touching an infected surface or person, so wash your hands to avoid infection. First apply soap on your hands and rub them for few seconds and then wash them with water.

Use a sanitizer: When you go outside use a sanitizer, if soap and water are not available then use a sanitizer.

[rnewspost]

Seroprevalence study demonstrates vaccination could boost impaired humoral immunity against Omicron BQ.1.1 subvariant

Seroprevalence study demonstrates vaccination could boost impaired humoral immunity against Omicron BQ.1.1 subvariant

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* server, researchers conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional seroprevalence study in emergency departments of five hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between August and September 2022. They assessed point seroprevalence and neutralization activity against Wu01, BA.4/5, and BQ.1.1. Study: Impaired humoral immunity to BQ.1.1 in convalescent and…

[newswireml]

BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron: How worried should we be?#BA4 #BA5 #Omicron #worried

BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron: How worried should we be?#BA4 #BA5 #Omicron #worried

Surges of Covid are happening again around the world, driven by some new subvariants of Omicron. #BA4 #BA5 #Omicron #worried

[screenshots123]

With the more recent strains of the virus, the incubation period, or the time between when you're infected to when symptoms appear, has dropped to around 3 days, Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, has said. Most elements with these strains have moved faster compared to others, the doctor noted.

Still, official guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states the incubation period remains 2 to 14 days for all COVID-19 infections. Typically, with BA.4, BA.5 and some BA.5 subvariants, most people are testing positive about 3 days after contracting COVID, although some can still produce a positive test result for up to 10 days, according to health officials.

While newer variants that originated from BA.5, such as XBB and BQ.1.1 are gaining prevalence in the U.S. and across the world, it is currently unknown what differences they pose compared to BA.4 and BA.5 in terms of incubation and testing.

Previously, the average incubation period for infections associated with the alpha, beta and delta variants, was said to be 5 days.

Regardless of the variant, a person with COVID-19 can be contagious 48 hours before they start developing symptoms, according to an article from Harvard Health Publishing at the Harvard Medical School. During this period, people may be more likely to spread the illness, as they may not be aware of the infection and taking the proper precautions.

With BA.5, also known as omicron, most transmission occurs during the 1-2 days before the onset of symptoms, and in the 2-3 days after the fact, the article stated.

If you receive a positive COVID test result, CDC guidance states that you should stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your residence. You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days.

"You should continue wearing a mask and wait at least 48 hours before taking another test," the CDC recommends. "Continue taking antigen tests at least 48 hours apart until you have 2 sequential negative results. This may mean you need to continue wearing a mask and testing beyond day 10."

Regardless of when you end isolation, the CDC guidelines state you should avoid being around people at a higher-risk of severe illness, wear a mask when indoors and avoid places where you are unable to mask until at least Day 11.

But, if you have access to antigen tests, and get 2 sequential negative tests 48 hours apart, you may remove your mask sooner.

Certain tests, however, can stay positive for some time, according to Arwady and other health officials.

"After a positive test result, you may continue to test positive for some time after," the CDC's website states. "You may continue to test positive on antigen tests for a few weeks after your initial positive. You may continue to test positive on NAATs for up to 90 days."

📆 28 Dec 2022 📰 How Long Can You Continue to Test Positive for COVID-19? 🗞️ NBC Chicago

[mi6-rogue]

Enhanced neutralization escape to therapeutic monoclonal antibodies by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-lineages

Preliminary report; The landscape of SARS-CoV-2 variants dramatically diversified with the simultaneous appearance of multiple sub-variants originating from BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-lineages. They harbor a specific set of mutations in the spike that can make them more evasive to therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. In this study, we compared the neutralizing potential of monoclonal antibodies against the Omicron BA.2.75.2, BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and XBB variants, with a pre-Omicron Delta variant as a reference. Sotrovimab retains some activity against BA.2.75.2, BQ.1 and XBB as it did against BA.2/BA.5, but is less active against BQ.1.1. Within the Evusheld/AZD7442 cocktail, Cilgavimab lost all activity against all subvariants studied, resulting in loss of Evusheld activity. Finally, Bebtelovimab, while still active against BA.2.75, also lost all neutralizing activity against BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and XBB variants. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.22.521201v1?rss=1%22&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr Read more ↓

[petnews2day]

BA.4/BA.5 over 4 times more resistant to vaccines

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/YTVS

BA.4/BA.5 over 4 times more resistant to vaccines

Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are currently the dominant strains of new COVID-19 cases in the United States. Researchers have found the two subvariants are over 4 times more resistant to mRNA vaccines than earlier strains of Omicron. The study findings suggest that researchers should remain vigilant about new strains of COVID-19 to develop more […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/YTVS #OtherNews

[followtrendings]

A "New Class" of Omicrons Contains the Rapidly Propagating New Covid-19 Subvariant XBB

A “New Class” of Omicrons Contains the Rapidly Propagating New Covid-19 Subvariant XBB

Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have dominated COVID-19 cases in the United States over the past few months. However, a new class of COVID subvariants is already emerging, and one in particular is receiving a lot of attention. It goes by the name of XBB, or Gryphon, and there’s a possibility it will surpass all other systems. According to William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease…

[lakelandg]

The Fast-Spreading New COVID-19 Subvariant XBB Is Part of a ‘New Class’ of Omicron

The Fast-Spreading New COVID-19 Subvariant XBB Is Part of a ‘New Class’ of Omicron

For the past several months, Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have dominated COVID-19 cases in the U.S. But now, there’s a class of new COVID subvariants on the rise and one in particular is getting plenty of attention. It’s called XBB—or Gryphon—and there’s a chance it could overtake everything else out there. XBB is getting a lot of buzz because it spreads fast—and seems to be able to evade…

[lehighacresgazette]

The Fast-Spreading New COVID-19 Subvariant XBB Is Part of a ‘New Class’ of Omicron

The Fast-Spreading New COVID-19 Subvariant XBB Is Part of a ‘New Class’ of Omicron

For the past several months, Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have dominated COVID-19 cases in the U.S. But now, there’s a class of new COVID subvariants on the rise and one in particular is getting plenty of attention. It’s called XBB—or Gryphon—and there’s a chance it could overtake everything else out there. XBB is getting a lot of buzz because it spreads fast—and seems to be able to evade…

[atlanticcanada]

Health Canada approves first bivalent booster for kids aged 5 to 11

The Pfizer-BioNTech "bivalent" shot protects against the most prevalent subvariants of Omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, and is the first approved for use in children between the ages of five and 11.

from CBC | Nova Scotia News https://ift.tt/saGB76Q