World Health Organization Director for Europe Hans Kluge speaks during a press conference at a vaccination center in Bucharest, Romania, April 7, 2021.

 

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization said Tuesday that coronavirus cases have tripled across Europe in the past six weeks, accounting for nearly half of all infections globally. Hospitalization rates have also doubled, although intensive care admissions have remained low.

 

In a statement on Tuesday, WHO’s Europe director, Dr. Hans Kluge, described COVID-19 as “a nasty and potentially deadly illness” that people should not underestimate. He said super-infectious relatives of the omicron variant were driving new waves of disease across the continent and that repeat infections could potentially lead to long COVID.

 

WHO said the 53 countries in its European region, which stretches to central Asia, reported nearly 3 million new coronavirus infections last week and that the virus was killing about 3,000 people every week. Globally, COVID-19 cases have increased for the past five weeks, even as countries have scaled back on testing.

 

(more)

 

https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-united-nations-world-organization-06bccc307fa13d428e59babf4b9d8403

 

 

Will Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 (Centaurus) be the next COVID threat?

July 18, 2022 – Will Omicron’s newest subvariant, BA.2.75, be the next one to worry about?

 

It was first found in early June in India. As of July 17, it had been found in 15 countries, including seven states in the U.S., according to an Arkansas State University professor who has been tracking the variant.

 

The World Health Organization says it is watching the variant closely.

Infectious disease experts say there’s no cause for alarm – yet – but the variant should be watched.

 

(more)

 

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20220718/will-omicron-subvariant-ba275-be-the-next-covid-threat

 

 

‘Not just another wave’: Australia’s Covid hospitalisations reach record levels in several states

Experts warn of worse to come, with most states likely several weeks away from peak hospitalisation rates

"Hospitals across the country are “bursting at the seams” as the number of people being admitted with Covid-19 reaches record levels in several states.

 

Western Australia recorded its highest number of Covid hospitalisations to date on Thursday, with Queensland also expected to surpass its January peak in coming days.

 

Meanwhile, hospitalisations in Tasmania and ACT are currently around double what they’ve been in any previous wave of the pandemic."

 

(more)

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/16/not-just-another-wave-australias-covid-hospitalisations-reach-record-levels-in-several-states

 

 

 

 

Outbreaks in China prompt lockdowns and fears of more economic woes

The emergence of more infectious subvariants of the coronavirus has triggered mass quarantines, including 2,000 tourists stranded in a popular beach resort town

 

More than a dozen Chinese cities are grappling with a spate of Covid-19 outbreaks driven by Omicron subvariants, prompting widespread lockdowns and mass quarantines of millions of people that could worsen China’s slumping economy.

 

Just days after China’s economy reported its worst quarterly performance in more than two years, officials have shown no sign of abandoning the “zero Covid” policy that has upended social and economic life in the country.

...

About 264 million people in 41 cities are currently under full or partial lockdowns or living under other measures, analysts at Nomura, the Japanese bank, wrote in a note on Monday. Last week, the figure was about 247 million in 31 cities, they said.

 

(more)

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/world/asia/china-covid-lockdowns-economy.html

 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, onthedarkside said:

Just days after China’s economy reported its worst quarterly performance in more than two years, officials have shown no sign of abandoning the “zero Covid” policy that has upended social and economic life in the country.

some may argue keeping china locked up is a good thing !

Fear mongering over and over.

 

In places like UK and Canada, where in some cities you regularly have to wait for up to at least three weeks for an appointment with a virtual doctor, how many people with what they think are suspicious symptoms will hurry down to the Emergency and get tested, just in case?

 

So, all those people with flu-like symptoms, but who are otherwise ok, will be counted as a "hospitalization".  And encourage WHO bureaucrats to exercise their political muscle once more.

29 minutes ago, blazes said:

Fear mongering over and over.

 

In places like UK and Canada, where in some cities you regularly have to wait for up to at least three weeks for an appointment with a virtual doctor, how many people with what they think are suspicious symptoms will hurry down to the Emergency and get tested, just in case?

 

So, all those people with flu-like symptoms, but who are otherwise ok, will be counted as a "hospitalization".  And encourage WHO bureaucrats to exercise their political muscle once more.

The criteria for "hospitaliasation' is to be admitted to hospital. WHO does not have the authority to dictate to NHS or politicians,. Accordingly both your claims are erroneous. 

6 minutes ago, simple1 said:

The criteria for "hospitaliasation' is to be admitted to hospital. WHO does not have the authority to dictate to NHS or politicians,. Accordingly both your claims are erroneous. 

I normally don't bother engaging with hair-splitting responses like this, but I did not claim that WHO had the authority etc etc.  Rather, they hold a press conference in Geneva or some such place and utter dire warnings that you ignore at your peril (different from exercising authority).

And, (2), if one is actually seen by a doctor in Emergency you have been "admitted" to hospital, even if you go home the same day. 

Sorry if it's confusing.

1 hour ago, blazes said:

I normally don't bother engaging with hair-splitting responses like this, but I did not claim that WHO had the authority etc etc.  Rather, they hold a press conference in Geneva or some such place and utter dire warnings that you ignore at your peril (different from exercising authority).

And, (2), if one is actually seen by a doctor in Emergency you have been "admitted" to hospital, even if you go home the same day. 

Sorry if it's confusing.

You don't normally engage in hair-splitting responses but here you are splitting hairs.  It's not generally a good idea to ignore information from the WHO.   They don't give it lightly.   As for people being admitted to the hospital and discharged the same day, I have never known anyone who was in the hospital only a part of a day with the exception of people who were admitted and then died. I suspect part day admissions are a rare event.   

 

1 hour ago, Credo said:

You don't normally engage in hair-splitting responses but here you are splitting hairs.  It's not generally a good idea to ignore information from the WHO.   They don't give it lightly.   As for people being admitted to the hospital and discharged the same day, I have never known anyone who was in the hospital only a part of a day with the exception of people who were admitted and then died. I suspect part day admissions are a rare event.   

 

Clearly you don't know what you are talking about.

 

Also, you seem to have forgotten the extent to which the  WHO is a vassal of the Chinese Communist Party.

3 hours ago, blazes said:

I normally don't bother engaging with hair-splitting responses like this, but I did not claim that WHO had the authority etc etc.  Rather, they hold a press conference in Geneva or some such place and utter dire warnings that you ignore at your peril (different from exercising authority).

And, (2), if one is actually seen by a doctor in Emergency you have been "admitted" to hospital, even if you go home the same day. 

Sorry if it's confusing.

oz dept of health definition:

 

Admission: The process whereby the hospital accepts responsibility for the patient’s care and/or treatment. Admission follows a clinical decision based upon specified criteria that a patient requires same-day or overnight care or treatment.

 

WHO is not a vassal of PRC government. It's beyond boring for members of the right wing to repeatedly post this tripe.

 

10 hours ago, blazes said:

Clearly you don't know what you are talking about.

 

Also, you seem to have forgotten the extent to which the  WHO is a vassal of the Chinese Communist Party.

Oh, I see you followed the anti-WHO koolaid and that they were controlled by China.  They weren't and they aren't.  China was ground zero for Covid so information on the virus came from them.   

A conspiracy post removed.

22 hours ago, blazes said:

 

And, (2), if one is actually seen by a doctor in Emergency you have been "admitted" to hospital, even if you go home the same day. 

Sorry if it's confusing.

Obvious BS. 

 

People are admitted to a hospital when they have a serious or life-threatening problem (such as a heart attack). They also may be admitted for less serious disorders that cannot be adequately treated in another place (such as at home or in an outpatient surgery center).

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/special-subjects/hospital-care/being-admitted-to-the-hospital

 

"You are classified as an inpatient as soon as you are formally admitted. For example, if you visit the Emergency Room (ER), you are initially considered an outpatient. However, if your visit results in a doctor's order to be formally admitted to the hospital, then your status is transitioned to inpatient care.

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/medicare/coverage/differences-between-inpatient-outpatient-and-under-observation/#:~:text=You are classified as an,is transitioned to inpatient care.