B.1.640.2 has 46 mutations, Covid-eye, Hard to heal Omicron cases

Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News on disease control, CCP, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia

News (1) to (28) / Reporters : Da Furuo, Li Yan, Yan Shu, Amitabh Sindha, Bruce Y. Lee, Lin Huiqin /  https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/1/4/n13480780.htm, https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/ihu-variant-few-cases-limited-spread-7706641/, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/01/04/new-ihu-b16402-covid-19-coronavirus-variant-detected-in-france/, https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/1/3/n13478482.htm,, https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/3790955 

News (1)

France discovers new mutant virus, whether it has stronger transmission power  attracts attention

Image : Video Screenshot

The Central News Agency reported that a new covi variant of SARS-CoV-2, B.1.640.2, was found in southern France. The confirmed case was a French entrant from Cameroon, Africa. Whether the virus has a stronger spread is attracting attention.

According to a report by the Belgian "Latest News" (Het Laatste Nieuws) on Tuesday (4 January 2021), a new covi variant, called B.1.640.2,  was found in southern France. The first case is from Africa. He returns home to southeastern France from Douala, the capital of Cameroon. There are currently at least 12 patients in southeastern France confirmed to be infected with the virus.

News (2)

New covi variant B.1.640.2 has 46 mutations, not clear what these mutations might do

According to the report, according to the preliminary results of scientists from the Méditerranée Infection University Hospital Institute (IHU) in Marseille, this variant has 46 mutations and 37 deletions in its genetic code, many affecting its spike protein. In contrast, the Omicron variant, B.1.1.529 (Covi29) has 37 mutations.

B.1.640.2 (StayGate simplifies it to Covi402) contains two known mutations, N501Y and E484K. The Alpha mutant strain (Covi17) first discovered in the UK also carries the N501Y mutation.

The N501Y mutation can make Covi402 more transmissible while the E484K mutation could mean the new covi variant will be as resistant to covi vaccines as Covi29.

However, Belgian virologist Steven Van Gucht said that new mutant viruses will appear every once in a while. The nature of the virus is continuous mutation and there is no need to worry about the current situation.

Mutations can make little difference, make a virus weaker, or make a virus stronger in different ways. It is not clear yet what B.1.640.2’s set of mutations might do.

News (3)

B.1.640 is Variant Under Monitoring

The World Health Organization classified the B.1.640 variant strain as Variant Under Monitoring in November 2021, which means that the impact on the epidemiology is not yet known. It is necessary to strengthen monitoring and repeated evaluations, and wait for evidence of new mutations. 

News (4)

B.1.640 is an old variant 

 

According to The Indian Express, the B.1.640 variant is not new. It has been around for at least three months. The sudden discussion around it was triggered by the circulation of a week-old study by researchers from IHU, part of France’s Instituts hospitalo-universitaires (IHU, or University Hospital Institutes).

 

The study reports the detection of a new variant in mid-November 2021 among 12 people living in the same geographical area of southeastern France, the first of which had returned from a trip to Cameroon. The researchers said the variant found in these people was very similar to the one they had found earlier and named IHU, unofficially as WHO has not yet designated the Greek alphabet "Pi" after Omicron for B.1.640.

 

The IHU variant that the researchers mention is B.1.640 which, according to global databases, was first discovered way back in January 2021. The new covi variant that the French researchers found among people in November has now been classified as a sub-lineage B.1.640.2. Again, WHO has not designated any Greek alphabet for B.1.640.2 because to do so, there must be evidence this covi variant is more transmissible, more likely to cause severe covid or more able to evade immune protection than previous covi versions.

See also: https://staygate.blogspot.com/2021/11/who-steps-on-thunder-omicron-to-rebel.html

 

News (5)

B.1.640 is not spreading rapidly, one of the sequences from India

 

According to outbreak.info, a website that tracks the prevalence of different variants in genome sequencing databases, at least 400 infections with the B.1.640 variant have so far been identified. It has been detected in at least 19 countries. Interestingly, one of these sequences happens to be from India as well, the only one out of the roughly 90,000 sequences from India deposited in the global databases.

News (6)

B.1.640 most prevalent in Congo

 

The highest number of sequences of this variant has come from France, where 287 cases have been confirmed until now. There are 17 cases from Germany and 16 from the United Kingdom. However, the country where this variant appears to be the most prevalent is Congo, where 39 of the 454 genome sequences done so far belong to the B.1.640 lineage.

See also: https://staygate.blogspot.com/2021/06/most-of-these-who-labels-in-greek-for.html

News (7)

Cyprus hits record high in single-day diagnoses

On 4 January 2022, Cyprus records 5,457 new covid cases in a population of approximately 1 million, surpassing the peak of 5,048 cases on New Year’s Eve and setting a new one-day high.

According to data before the release of the data on Tuesday, Cyprus also recorded the world's highest covi infection rate in the past 7 days: 2,505 cases per 100,000 people. It is followed by Denmark (2,117), Ireland (1,946), Greece (1,762) and France (1,680).

(Note: China and Iran are not included in the above rankings due to the concealment of epidemic data by the CCP and the Iranian government)

The Cabinet is expected to announce new epidemic prevention measures on Wednesday.

News (8)

Reuters: U.S. reports nearly one million diagnoses in a single day on Monday

According to Reuters statistics, the United States reported on Monday (4 January local time) that there were 987,856 new covi infections in a single day, almost double the peak of 505,109 cases a week ago.

This latest figure includes some cases on Saturday and Sunday, when many states did not report the number of cases.

In the past week, the number of covid patients hospitalized in the United States has risen by nearly 50% and has now exceeded 100,000. This is the first time this threshold has been reached since the surge in infections in the winter a year ago.

According to Reuters statistics, the average daily death toll in the United States has remained stable throughout December and early January, at about 1,300, but the number of deaths usually lags behind the number of cases and hospitalizations.

The Omicron variant (Covi29) seems to spread more easily than the previous variant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday that as of 1 January, the variant is estimated to account for 95.4% of confirmed covid cases in the United States.

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the evidence so far suggests that Omicron causes milder symptoms but public health officials still warn that the sheer number of Omicron cases may overwhelm hospitals, some of which are already struggling to cope with the influx of covid patients.

News (9)

The number of diagnoses in a single day in France approaches 272,000, the highest in Europe

France reported on Tuesday (4 January) that there were 271,686 new covid cases in a single day, a new single-day high.

This number is the highest among European countries. The United Kingdom reported 218,724 cases that day, and Germany reported 30,561 cases.

News (10)

Greece's number of confirmed diagnoses in a single day breaks 50,000, setting a new record

Greece reported on Tuesday that there were 50,126 new covi infections in the past 24 hours, setting a new record for the highest number of new confirmed cases in a single day. The previous record was 40,560 cases set on December 31.

The number of new deaths in a single day dropped from 78 on Monday to 61.

According to Reuters statistics, as recently as 27 December, only 9,284 new covid cases were recorded.

News (11)

Sweden's king and queen contracted covid

The Swedish royal family said in a statement on Tuesday that King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia both tested positive for covid.

The statement said, "The king and queen were completely vaccinated with three shots. As far as the current situation is concerned, the symptoms are mild and they feel good."

News (12)

Spain's 14-day covi infection rate hits record

The Spanish Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday  that the country’s 14-day covi infection rate hit a record, rising from 2,295.8 cases per 100,000 people recorded the previous day to 2,433.9.

The occupancy rate in the intensive care unit reached 21.3% on Tuesday, slightly higher than Monday’s 21.2%, but still well below the peak of 45% recorded in February last year.

The Spanish Ministry of Health reported that the number of deaths from covid patients in the past 7 days was 308.

News (13)

President of Mauritania has mild covid symptoms

The Office of the President of Mauritania stated that President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani showed mild symptoms on Tuesday (4 January ) after testing positive for covid.

The President’s Office issued a statement on Facebook saying that Ghazuani, who came to power in August 2019, was diagnosed with covid after developing fever.

Mauritania recorded 490 new covid cases on Monday, the highest number in a single day since the pandemic began.

According to data from the World Health Organization, out of the 4.6 million population of this West African country, 862 people have died from covid.

News (14)

UK diagnosed over 218,700 cases in a single day, breaking 200,000 for the first time

The number of new covid cases in the UK in a single day reached a new high, with 218,724 cases reported in the past 24 hours, exceeding 200,000 for the first time.

Data show that England alone reported 148,725 cases on Tuesday (4 January), which was higher than the 137,541 cases the day before, but lower than the peak of 162,572 cases reported on New Year's Day. These figures do not include reinfection cases.

In the past 7 days, the number of infections has risen by 50.9%.

So far, the total number of confirmed cases in the UK has reached 13,641,520.

In the past 24 hours, another 48 people died from covi infection, bringing the total number of deaths to 148,941.

News (15)

Over 170,800 confirmed cases in Italy in a single day hit a new high

The Italian Ministry of Health said that the country reported 170,844 new covid cases on Tuesday, a new high in a single day, compared with 68,052 the day before; at the same time, the number of new deaths in a single day also rose from 140 to 259 people.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in February 2020, Italy has recorded 138,045 deaths from covi infection, and also reported 6.57 million confirmed cases.

The number of covid patients hospitalized (excluding intensive care patients) reached 12,912 on Tuesday, up from 12,333 the day before.

An additional 153 people were admitted to the intensive care unit, compared with 103 people on Monday. The total number of intensive care patients increased from 1,351 to 1,392.

News (16)

Covi29 now accounts for 95% of new covi infections in the U.S.

According to estimates published by the CDC on Tuesday (January 4), the Omicron variant caused 95.4% of new covid cases in the United States last week, significantly higher than the previous week .

The estimated proportion of Covi29 cases has risen rapidly in the past four weeks:

In the week ending 11 December 2021, accounting for 8.0% of new cases:

In the week ending 18 December 2021, accounting for 37.9% of new cases:

In the week ending 25 December 2021, accounting for 77.0% of new cases;

As of the week of 1 January 2022, it accounted for 95.4% of new cases;

The rest are almost all cases of Covi72.

News (17)

Israel's preliminary study on the fourth dose of covi vaccine

                                               

                                                                                   Image : Web Screenshot

An Israeli preliminary study showed that the fourth shot of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can increase a person's antibodies five times in one week.

This research is still in its preliminary stages and has not been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal.

"This is good news." Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said. "This is an indicator that the fourth dose will largely protect vaccinators from infection (and) to a certain degree from severe symptoms."

News (18)

Top scientists: About 10-15% of Omicron cases in the UK are re-infections

According to Dr. Neil Ferguson, a top British scientist, data show that approximately 10% to 15% of Omicron cases in the UK are reinfections. He is a member of the British Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergency Situations (SAGE).

On Tuesday (4 January), he told BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) Four that the fact that the variant was "substantially less severe" was "undoubtedly helpful" for the UK.

"Otherwise we will see more cases in the hospital." He said: "Vaccines can protect against serious diseases and serious consequences, but that doesn't mean that these weeks are for the National Health System (NHS). It won't be difficult."

Ferguson also said that he is "cautiously optimistic" that the London case may have stabilized.

News (19)

Latest covid figures in major cities in India

                                         

                                                                             Image : Web Screenshot

According to Indian officials, Mumbai and New Delhi have recorded a total of at least 16,341 new cases of covid in the past 24 hours.

Delhi’s current positive rate is 8.37%, with 5,481 new cases, and the government announced further restrictions on Tuesday (4 January) afternoon.

"We need to control the spread as much as possible... I call on citizens not to leave their homes on Saturdays and Sundays." Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said at a press conference.

Starting this weekend, all institutions in Delhi will be closed on weekends except for basic services.

The Mumbai Municipal Corporation confirmed on Tuesday that there were 10,860 new cases in the city in the past 24 hours. The city currently has more than 47,000 active cases.

India is expected to start administering booster injections on January 10 for medical staff, front-line workers and people over 60 with health problems.

According to data from the Indian Ministry of Health, India has administered at least 1.4 billion doses of vaccine.

News (20)

CDC supports FDA's decision to provide boosters in 5 months

The CDC on Tuesday (4 January) supported the decision of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to complete Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccination regimen/ The time required between the initial vaccine series and the booster shot has been shortened from six months to five months.

CDC also agreed with the FDA's call to authorize children aged 5 to 11 with low immunity to receive the third dose of the primary series of vaccines, which is consistent with their recommendations for adults with moderate or severe immunity.

In the same announcement on Monday, the FDA also authorized the expansion of the enhanced vaccine qualifications to 12 to 15-year-olds. The CDC Immunization Practice Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss this issue.

News (21)

New York City Mayor makes repeated orders to ask children to return to school

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly emphasized that children should study in school. As Covi29 surged, he said that he and the chairman of the city’s largest teachers’ union were at "the same starting line" and "in step."

Adams told CNN on Tuesday (January 4) that the chairman of the Federation of Teachers (UFT) “understands that more than 100,000 black and brown poor children in this city are homeless and have no access to high-speed broadband; he understands that hundreds of thousands of children There is no food to eat at home, and their stable diet comes from the school. He understands that when we closed the school before, suicide attempts increased."

Adams admitted that although he and UFT Chairman Michael Mulgrew may have different opinions, he will not fall into "hysteria."

"It's very clear that the safest place for children now is on campus," the mayor said.

News (22)

Germany relaxes travel restrictions on nine countries

Germany has relaxed restrictions on travel from the United Kingdom, South Africa and seven other southern African countries. After the Covi29 appeared, Germany implemented travel restrictions on these countries.

On Tuesday (4 January), these nine countries were removed from Germany's list of "virus mutation areas". Airlines are largely limited to transporting German citizens and residents from the countries on this list. Regardless of the vaccination status, all arriving in Germany must self-quarantine for 14 days.

The German National Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced last Thursday (30 December) that it plans to lower the risk profile of these countries, but said at the time that "short-term changes" are possible.

These nine countries have now been added to Germany's list of "high-risk areas", which has far fewer restrictions. People from these areas must self-quarantine for 10 days if they have not recently recovered from COVID-19 or been vaccinated. If the test is negative, it can be reduced to 5 days.

News (23)

Okinawa epidemic enters its sixth wave, Tokyo and Osaka diagnosed in a single day hit a new high in nearly three months

Image : Web Screenshot

Covid cases have increased significantly in some areas of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture has surged 225 confirmed cases on 4 January. The prefecture governor, Tamaki Dunny, believes that the epidemic has entered the “sixth wave”; Tokyo and Osaka Prefectures also saw new cases today that set a new high in the past three months.

The Central News Agency reported that according to the self-statistics of Japan's "Yomiuri Shimbun", there have been more than a thousand new confirmed cases across Japan today. This is the first time since 6 October 2021 that the number of new cases has been increased in a single day after about three months. Thousands of cases.

Japanese TV station reported that Okinawa Prefecture surged 225 confirmed cases today, a sharp increase from the 130 cases on the 3rd. It is also the first time since 16 September 2021, that there are more than 200 new cases in a single day after about three and a half months. When Yucheng saw the rapid rise of the epidemic, he said that he had to think that the epidemic had entered the sixth wave.

The "Ryukyu News" reported that Yucheng said today that it has raised the prefecture's epidemic prevention alert level to level 2 and called on the public to reduce opportunities for interpersonal contact.

Speaking of the current epidemic, Tamaki believes that it has “entered the sixth wave”; it is expected that the Okinawa Prefecture Government will hold another meeting of the Headquarters for Epidemic Prevention Measures on the 6th, urging the central government to issue “key measures to prevent spreading” for Okinawa Prefecture.

The Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) reported that Tokyo has added 151 confirmed cases of COVID-19 today. Since October 3, 2021, there have been more than 150 new cases in a single day after about three months.

Tokyo added 103 confirmed cases on the 3rd, and more than 100 new cases have been added in a single day for two consecutive days; today there are 151 new cases, an increase of 105 cases from last Tuesday; about 57% (86 people) of 151 cases today Two doses of vaccine have been given.

Osaka Prefecture added 124 confirmed cases on 4 January, which is the first time since 14 October 2021, that there are more than 100 new cases in a single day in the past three months.

Hiroshima Prefecture added 109 new confirmed cases today, and more than 100 new cases have been added in a single day since 15 September 2021; Tottori Prefecture added 4 new confirmed cases today, since the zero-clearance continued after 12 November 2021. There are new cases again.

News (24)

Image of commuters waiting for buses at Taoyuan Airport : Researcher's Picture

The newly diagnosed cleaner changed to board the bus by herself as it was announced a day after Taiwan added 4 domestic and 30 new inbound cases

   

Image : In the Taoyuan Airport Wuhan pneumonia cluster case, a new cleaner was diagnosed as case 17266. Chen Shizhong, the commander of the Central Epidemic Command Centre, said that the case voluntarily took the same bus as Case 17230, Case 17238 and Case 17239. He is not a fixed rider, so he was not listed as a carpooler at the beginning, and frankly said that there was a discrepancy in the declaration list. "We have to figure it out after a while." (Provided by the command centre)

In the Wuhan pneumonia cluster case at Taoyuan Airport, a new cleaner was diagnosed as case 17266. Chen Shizhong, the commander of the Central Epidemic Command Center, said that the case was changed on its own. The same commuter vehicle in Case 17230, Case 17238 and Case 17239 was not a fixed rider in this car, so the cleaner was not listed as a rider at the beginning, and frankly said that there was a discrepancy in the declaration list. "We also figured it out for a while."

Case 17266 is a 50-year-old woman of nationality, and the same workplace staff as Case 17230, Case 17238 and Case 17239 are responsible for road surface cleaning and garbage removal on the outside of the terminal. In response to the clustering case, it was originally listed for airport outsourcing personnel. The subject was examined, but due to symptoms such as dry cough and throat discomfort on 3 January, she went to the examination station by herself yesterday and was diagnosed with a Ct value of 16.

After case 17266 was diagnosed, further investigation revealed that case 17266 had boarded the same commuter bus as Case 17230, Case 17238 and Case 17239 from 25 December 2021 to 4 January 2022, and the main seats were concentrated on the right and back four quarters in 1 block.

Chen Shizhong explained that the buses these cleaners boarded were not waiting randomly and boarding randomly. Instead, they had a fixed time, route, and seat. There was one carrot and one pit. Therefore, the list of transportation vehicles used by the three confirmed patients did not contain 17266. She changed her route by herself in the past few days, which made her declaration unclear. However, even if the case did not go to the screening station yesterday, it has been scheduled for all cleaning staff this morning.

Chen Shizhong pointed out that there are discrepancies in the declaration list, "We have to figure it out for a while." Therefore, the forward command post was established. It is hoped that from the outsiders, the relevant problems can be made clearer, in addition to dealing with the current problems. In addition, I also look forward to discovering the problem, and then doing some diligent deeds.

In response to the media's inquiries about the mode of infection on the buses, Chen Shizhong said frankly that "it's difficult!" He would do everything. In the past, there were cases of suspected infection on the epidemic prevention bus when the home inspection personnel were moving, mainly in terms of contact time. The probability is the highest.

As for the overall transmission path of the case, Chen Shizhong pointed out that everyone is highly interested in the possibility of transmission, but the information is not enough to determine. Luo Yijun, deputy leader of the medical response group of the command center, said that in addition to changes in the Ct value, it is still necessary to look at the date of onset, because the time of onset also has a high reference value. For the time being, they do not predict who will be diagnosed first.

Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Centre announced on 4 January 34 new confirmed covid cases including 4 locals and 30 overseas immigrants. Case 17,230 was announced on 3 January, when there were no new local cases and no new deaths among the confirmed cases. On 5 January 2022, there is only one new domestic covid case, Case 17266, while there are 25 inbound covid cases.

The command centre stated that Cases 17238-17240 are of nationality, 1 male and 2 females, both in their 50s, who have been vaccinated with 2 doses and are contacts of 17230. Cases 17238 and 17239 are both workers in the same workplace who took the same class of transportation vehicle when commuting. Case 17239 has symptoms of fatigue, cough, and runny nose since 1 January; Case 17240 is an epidemic prevention taxi driver who has a cough on 1 January. Symptoms, 3 people were diagnosed today after being arranged by the health unit for inspection. Related epidemic investigation, contact list and prevention and control work are currently in progress.

The command centre stated that on 4 January 2022, there were 30 new inbound cases, 16 males and 14 females, aged between under 5 and over 70, from the United States (22 cases) and France (1 case), Norway (1 case), South Africa (1 case), United Arab Emirates (1 case), Britain (1 case), Poland (1 case) and Uzbekistan (1 case) entered the country, and the other 1 case (Case 17233) in the investigation entered Taiwan between 20 November 2021 and 3 January 2022.

According to statistics from the command centre, a total of 17,129 confirmed cases have been confirmed in China as of 4 January, including 2,469 overseas immigration, 14,606 local cases, 36 Dunmu fleets, 3 aircraft infections, 1 unknown case, and 14 cases under investigation.

News (25)

Australian Prime Minister: Saying goodbye to the lockdown years, the number of confirmed cases rises and does not look back

There are more than 30,000 new diagnoses in Australia every day, but Australian Prime Minister Morrison said that even if the number of new diagnoses across the country increases, Australia will not resume the days of lockdown.

The Central News Agency reported that Scott Morrison said on Monday (3 January) that although the number of newly diagnosed cases in Australia has risen with the Covi29 invasion, since Omicron is a different variant strain, the “number” of confirmed cases is not the focus of government attention.

Morrison believes that the Australian government should deal with Omicron in a brand-new contingency manner; he described it as if it were necessary to "shift gears" at any time while driving.

Morrison emphasized that the days of lockdown are over and Australia must move forward and will not go back.

Morrison pointed out that the most important thing at the moment is how the medical system should cope with the current shocks. Therefore, the regulations implemented in Australia must be reasonable to allow people to return to work.

The Australian government revised the definition of COVID-19 "close contacts" on 30 December 2021. According to the latest regulations, only a person who has been in the same space with a confirmed patient for up to 4 hours at the same time can be regarded as a "close contact." In this regard, Morrison said that the government's intention is to allow more medical staff to return to work.

Morrison predicted that the Australian government will further revise relevant regulations this week so that more medical staff can be dispatched. He pointed out that since the beginning of summer (Australia is located in the southern hemisphere, it is currently summer), Australian medical staff have been working hard, they need to rest and vacation; therefore, the Australian government is committed to coordinating with private hospitals to try to fill the shortage problem of public medical institutions. 

According to the latest figures released by the Australian Department of Health, as of 9 pm on 2 January, there were 32,354 newly confirmed cases in Australia within 24 hours; there are currently 148 covid patients receiving treatment in the intensive care unit in the country, 51 of them need to use respirators.

News (26)

During the holiday period, the number of new cases in Belgium soars by 52%

According to the latest data released by the Belgian public health agency, the number of new cases in the country increased by 52% during the holidays.

The Belgian Institute of Public Health (Sciensano) revealed that between 24 and 30 December, there were an average of 10,126 new infections per day.

During this period, a total of 456,826 people were tested, of which 72,364 were positive, which means that the positive rate was 15.84%.

News (27)

British Minister of Education: Covi29 spreads among people over age of 50

The Secretary of State for Education Nadhim Zahawi said on Monday that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading among people over 50 years old, but the data does not indicate that further restrictions are needed, because the elderly are vaccinated with boosters. The ratio is very high.

"We have seen some infections in people in their 50s," he told BBC Radio. "They were given a booster (vaccine)-90% of people over 50 had a booster."

He said the government will assess the situation in England on Wednesday, "There is nothing in the current data that convinces me that we need to make more restrictions."

News (28)

South Korea confirms the first batch of Omicron deaths on 3 January 2022

Image : Web Screenshot

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea has reported two deaths related to the Omicron variant (Covi29).

South Korean officials said on Monday (3 January 2022) that they are believed to be the first deaths related to Omicron in South Korea.

Yonhap News Agency reported that the health authorities in Gwangju, 329 kilometers south of Seoul, said that the two recent deaths of covid patients in the city were both in their 90s and tested positive for Covi29.

The two patients died on 27 and 29 December 2021, and earlier they tested positive for covid at a senior care hospital in Gwangju.

In addition, South Korea has recorded 3,129 newly confirmed cases and 36 deaths in the past 24 hours.

News (29) to (31) / Reporter : Luo Tingting / Editor: Fan Ming / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/01/05/a103313010.html

Image : On 2 December 2021, a community in Shanghai was closed due to the epidemic. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

News (29)

Shanghai continues to see new cases, its epidemic arouses public concern

Shanghai has notified the emergence of new cases for two consecutive days, arousing public concern. 

On 4 January 2021, Shanghai officials notified 4 new local asymptomatic infections. All 4 patients were close contacts and were diagnosed during isolation. 45 close contacts have been traced, all of whom have been quarantined. But officials did not report which virus the patient was infected with.

On 3 January, Shanghai officials also notified two cases of local asymptomatic infections. The two cases were 51 years old and 59 years old, and both were foreigners who came to Shanghai. Forty-two close contacts of the two patients have been quarantined, and no other information has been notified by the authorities.

This year, the covid epidemic has made a comeback, and there have been outbreaks in many provinces in China. However, Shanghai’s measures of “dynamic zeroing and precise prevention and control” are somewhat different from the one-size-fits-all measures of “closing the city and zeroing” in other cities.

Although the Shanghai epidemic has not subsided, relatively speaking, the lives of Shanghai people have not been affected much. Especially after Xi'an closed the city, the chaos was so many people in Shanghai felt fortunate.

However, the Shanghai epidemic still arouses public concern, especially among the people who went to other provinces after entering Shanghai, the emergence of multiple patients infected with the Omicron variant virus / B.1.1.529 (Covi29) has aroused public concern.

News (30)

Guangzhou expert: Omicron patients are difficult to cure

On 14 December 2021, Guangzhou notified that the first case of Covi29 was found in the local area. The patient was 67 years old and entered from Shanghai. He was diagnosed after returning to Guangzhou from the quarantine period.

The patient is currently being treated in isolation at the Eighth City Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University. Tan Xinghua, director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the hospital, said in an interview with the "Yangcheng Evening News" that the patient’s symptoms were very mild, mainly low-grade fever and cough, and some lung inflammation. After more than half a month of treatment, the viral load has dropped but the nucleic acid has not turned negative.

He said that the current pressure is to find a cure as soon as possible to remove Covi29 from the body of the infected person  and make the nucleic acid turn negative as soon as possible.

Tan Xinghua said that during the course of treatment, it was found that people infected with Covi29 had mild symptoms, decreased viral load, and had a CT value of around 30. However, it is more difficult to completely remove the virus, and it is more difficult to remove than severe cases of the Delta mutant virus strain, B.1.617.2 (Covi72).

The larger the CT value of the virus, the smaller the viral load; the smaller the value, the larger the viral load. According to reports, the CT value of WIV04, the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, is around 32. In addition, Covi29 has strong transmission power, and its infectivity may be more than 10 times that of the original strain or twice that of Covi72.

Tan Xinghua said that it may take longer for Omicron-infected people to turn their nucleic acids into negative. “This means that the patient has to be isolated for a long time, which will bring huge psychological pressure to the patient.”

He also revealed that due to the cumulative number of Omicron cases, it is difficult for the nucleic acid to completely turn negative, and the hospital is now increasing the number of isolation wards. It can be seen that Covi29 is spreading rapidly in Guangzhou but the Guangzhou government has not notified the outside world of the actual number of people infected with Omicron.

News (31)

British expert: Omicron puts the CCP in deep trouble

At present, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and Weihui County, Henan have all notified Covi29 infected persons. Xi'an was closed due to the epidemic, and the Xi'an authorities have not notified any Covi29 infected persons. However, since the CCP has been covering up the epidemic, the actual situation of the epidemic in China has yet to be verified.

Earlier, Chinese virologist Zhang Wenhong stated at the Science Forum of the Greater Bay Area on 12 December 2021 last year that Omicron may have multiple transmission scenarios in the future. Strengthening needles are also ineffective".

Zhang Wenhong warned that Omicron is very difficult to deal with. There are many mutations in the virus, which may bring more serious mutation consequences.

British China expert Charles Parton wrote an article in the Daily Telegraph, pointing out that the CCP has entered a "cleared" dead end and cannot turn back, and Covi29 will put the CCP in deep trouble.

Parton said that even before the emergence of Covi29, the CCP’s extreme "zero-clearing" policy was in trouble. Covi variants such as Omicron, which spread super powerfully, cannot stop even the most totalitarian tools. However, this "zero-clearing" policy has been extremely touted by the CCP. Now Xi Jinping can no longer change the policy, or even import foreign vaccines, otherwise it would be tantamount to admitting his mistake.

News (32)

The U.S. CDC puts Singapore on the unknown level of covid risk, and urges people to avoid going there

Image : Researcher's Picture

The U.S. CDC has listed Singapore as an unknown risk of covid, and urged the public to avoid going there.

It said on its website that, given that Singapore’s COVID-19 situation is unknown, even travelers who have completed the vaccination may face the risk of infection and transmission of covi.

The CDC determines the travel health alert levels of different countries and regions based on the covi data reported by the World Health Organization and other official sources. If the relevant tourist destination does not provide data, the alert level will be listed as "unknown", and travelers are advised to follow the advice of the highest level of travel health alert, that is, the local cases are very high, and people should avoid going for such purposes land.

Prior to this, Singapore was listed as the fourth-risk country by the U.S. CDC.

Ref: https://www.8world.com/singapore/covid-19-us-cdc-travel-advisory-singapore-1691856

News (33)

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology research shows human T cell immune response can effectively cope with Covi29 

Source : XinhuaNet / https://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2022/1/471972.shtm

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology stated on 3 January 2022 that a study conducted by the institution and the University of Melbourne in Australia showed that Covi29 is difficult to escape from the human body through mutations. The virus faces attack of the T cell immune response.

According to the researchers, although Covi29 contains more genetic mutations than other variants, the T cell immune response that humans rely on to defend against the virus can still meet the challenges posed by Covi29.

The research team analyzed more than 1,500 covi protein gene fragments called "epitopes" that can be recognized by T cells produced by patients who have recovered from covid and those who have been vaccinated, and found that Covi29 is difficult to escape T cells through mutations attack of the immune response.

Researchers said that even if Omicron or other mutant strains can escape the attack of human antibody immune response, the human T cell immune response can still protect the human body from severe infections.

The research team expects that the T cell immune barrier produced after vaccination and booster will continue to protect humans and reduce the chance of being infected by Covi29 or other mutant viruses.

The results were published in the scientific journal Viruses on 2 January 2022.

News (34) to (37) / Reporter : Li Yan / Editor : Lin Yan / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/1/4/n13481365.htm

News (34)

Covi left antibodies to survivors or mistakenly attacked their own organs

Image : Schematic diagram of Omicron variant virus, B.1.1.529 / Covi29 (Shutterstock)

The following are some of the latest research abstracts on the Omicron covi variant Covi29 summarized by Reuters. The results of these studies may be confirmed by further studies, or have not yet been peer-reviewed and certified.

News (35)

Covi leaves survivors with antibodies to self-attack

According to the new research results, even patients who have not been severely infected with covid will have higher antibody levels after several months of recovery, and these antibodies may mistakenly attack their own organs and tissues. 

Of the 177 medical staff who recovered after confirmed to be infected with covi, all of them received durable antibodies. Some of these antibodies may cause chronic inflammation and damage to the joints, skin, and nervous system.

Susan Cheng, of the Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute in Los Angeles, said, “We don’t usually expect such a variety of elevated autoantibodies in these people, or It will remain elevated for six months after a full clinical recovery."

Researchers reported in the journal Translational Medicine on Thursday (30 December) that the patterns of elevated autoantibodies differ between men and women.

"We don't yet know how long the antibody elevation will last six months later/or cause any important clinical symptoms. Monitoring the development of individuals will be crucial." Zheng said her team is investigating autoantibodies. Whether the increase is related to the delay in the symptoms of covid survivors, and plans to do related research on the impact of the new variants on the levels of patients’ autoantibodies.

News (36)

B cell function is weakened but not defeated by Omicron

Researchers believe that although the immune system's "memory B cells" have weakened the effects of antibodies produced by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, they may still play an important role.

Once the human body learns to recognize SARS-CoV-2, whether after infection or vaccination, if there are not enough antibodies in the blood to neutralize the virus, B cells will produce new antibodies. In a study reported on bioRxiv, researchers analyzed the strength of more than three hundred antibodies produced by memory B cells obtained from vaccinated volunteers, including some people who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Matthieu Mahevas and Pascal Chappert of the University of Paris said in a joint email to Reuters, "Omicron seems to escape a large part of the memory B cell pool." The researchers said, but it "seems to still be effectively recognized by 30% of total antibodies and close to 10% of all effective neutralizing antibodies."

Researchers speculate that the powerful proliferation and antibody production of memory B cells may compensate for the reduced effectiveness of these antibodies in "less than two days."

They said that combined with other immune system components, especially T cells, the role of B cells is expected to explain why most vaccine recipients are not so severely infected that they require hospitalization.

News (37)

The activity of the virus variant in the cell makes it more infectious

Researchers found that in addition to spike mutations that help variant strains enter cells, mutations that change the way the virus behaves in cells are also an important factor in the spread of some coronavirus variants.

Nevan Krogan of the University of California, San Francisco said that the findings, published in the journal Nature, indicate that scientists “must start studying mutations other than spikes.” So far, mutations other than spikes have been the main focus of vaccine and antibody drug development.

While studying the Alpha variant, his team discovered a mutation in a non-spike area. The mutation causes the infected cells to accelerate the production of an Orf9B protein, which in turn disables the TOM70 protein that the cells use to send signals to the immune system.

The researchers said that as the level of Orf9B banning TOM70 increases, the immune system does not respond, so that the virus can better avoid detection.

When referring to the increase in Orf9B, Krogan said, "It is very rare for a mutation to 'turn on' a protein. This virus does something very cunning." He said, "The same mutation was found from Delta, and it is certain. Yes, from Omicron (also found) almost the same mutation."

Researchers say this suggests that they may have similar effects on the immune system. This new information may stimulate the development of drugs for the interaction of Orf9b and TOM70.

News (38)

Boy nearly goes blind from covid-eye

Reporter : Ben Cost, The New York Post / https://nypost.com/2022/01/05/boy-nearly-goes-blind-from-covid-eye-it-was-going-to-explode/ Image courtesy : Angela Morey / SWNS

A nine-year-old UK boy named Zac Morey nearly lost his sight after contracting “COVID-eye,” an alleged side effect of covid.

“His eye looked like it was going to explode,” the boy’s mother, Angela, told SWNS of the unfortunate covid complication.

The ocular calamity reportedly began after the Bristol native and her five children tested positive for the disease on 16 December. Zac reportedly experienced flu-like symptoms and spent his quarantine at home playing computer games.

Despite testing negative at the doctor’s office on 22 December, the fifth-grader reportedly developed pain in his left eye. Initially thinking it was caused by his constant screen time, Angela realized something was awry after the peeper ballooned up to alarming proportions over the next few days.

“It was swollen beyond anything I’ve ever seen,” said Zac’s aghast parent. “There was no way he could open it without pulling the skin.”

Angela drove her poor child to the hospital on Christmas Eve, whereupon doctors diagnosed him with orbital cellulitis, a skin infection that some scientists have linked to COVID. However, it’s “indeterminate that COVID-19 is coincidental or a predisposing factor to this presentation,” according to an April 2021 case study.

“The doctors said it was an allergic reaction to the virus that affects children,” said Zac’s distraught mother. She was particularly concerned as doctors said the disease could cause blindness if it ventured too deep into the eye.

Hoping to prevent the worst, physicians administered the patient antibiotics via an IV drip over the next few days.

Thankfully the remedy appeared to do the trick as a subsequent eye test confirmed that Zac’s vision had been fully restored, and he was discharged from the hospital on 26 December.

This is not the first time an eye ailment has been blamed on the coronavirus. In an alarming study from February, French scientists documented so-called nodules in the eyes of patients battling severe covid.

Scientists hypothesized that these orbital protuberances were caused by virus-related inflammation and doctors positioning patients face down to improve oxygenation.

News (39) to (40) / Reporter : Ry Sochan, The Phnom Penh Post / https://phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/pm-indonesias-jokowi-weigh-myanmar-action / Image : SPM

News (39)

Hun Sen and Jokowi weigh Myanmar action

Prime Minister Hun Sen holds out hope of a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar as he prepares for a much-anticipated visit to the country on 7 January 2022 in a bid to bring it back to the ASEAN fold.

The premier expressed his optimism on 4 January 2022 during a telephone call with Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who wished him success and good luck as the ASEAN chair this year.

Hun Sen thanked Jokowi for his support and his recent participation in the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM13) hosted by Cambodia on 25 to 26 November 2021

He also praised Indonesia for having taken the initiative on building the ASEAN community in a number of ways, such as the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific – a document that is important for guiding ASEAN’s external relations, ensuring ASEAN centrality and implementing the bloc’s comprehensive recovery framework.

“[We] thanked [Jokowi] for wishing Cambodia good luck and for supporting the Kingdom as it fulfils its role as the chair of ASEAN in 2022,” Hun Sen said in a Facebook post.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation also issued a press statement on the outcome of the telephone conversation between Hun Sen and Jokowi.

“The two leaders also exchanged views on the current developments in Myanmar and underscored the important need to focus ASEAN’s efforts to assist Myanmar in finding suitable solutions to achieving national reconciliation, durable peace, stability and development,” it said.

Ro Vannak, co-founder of the Cambodian Institute for Democracy, said the meeting between Hun Sen and Jokowi – taking place mere days before the Myanmar trip – was a form of public diplomacy that showed there was solidarity within ASEAN to all of the parties to the conflict within Myanmar and beyond.

Vannak said Hun Sen places a high value on Indonesian input for any discussion on regional issues because Indonesia has played an important role as mediator and facilitator in regional conflicts in the past.

Now, he said, Hun Sen may need the full backing of Indonesia in order to make his trip to Myanmar go smoothly and have fruitful results and that his call with Jokowi may have been to shore-up that support.

“Moreover, [Hun Sen] wanted to show the public that his efforts to find a solution to the Myanmar crisis have been discussed with the major countries in ASEAN, which comes amid resentment by some ASEAN members that would prefer something closer to a diplomatic boycott of Myanmar in light of the military’s coup against the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi,” Vannak said.

News (40)

Cambodia selects theme "ASEAN ACT" to address common challenges

Cambodia officially became the chair of ASEAN for the third time on 1 January. The Kingdom chose as this year’s theme “ASEAN ACT” – with the acronym standing for Addressing Challenges Together.

Foreign minister Prak Sokhonn said on 3 January that Cambodia’s logo design for ASEAN in 2022 incorporated the lotus flower, which embodies the glory and harmony of the peace sustained by all 10 ASEAN member states.

He noted that the lotus has three colours on its leaves which are the three colours of the Cambodian flag, adding that the gold highlights on the logo represent the richness of diversity within ASEAN.

“Our core spirit is togetherness, solidarity and harmony. Our key objectives is to maintain ASEAN centrality and unity, collectively address common challenges, ensure continuity of our works and uphold a human-centred approach. We are ready for this responsibility and we will fulfil this role with pride,” Sokhonn said in a Facebook post.

On 3 January, Sokhonn also virtually delivered a lecture on Cambodia being the chair of ASEAN in a video conference organised by the Singapore-based ASEAN studies centre at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

“This lecture series has been contributing to the outreach efforts by ASEAN to the academic sphere, targeting a wide range of international audiences, including youth and senior demographics. I took this opportunity to discuss our chosen theme, major challenges, key priorities and what to expect this year in general,” Sokhonn said.

See also commentary on Hun Sen's visit to Myanmar: https://www.irrawaddy.com/opinion/guest-column/cambodia-aseans-spoiler-or-savior.html, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/myanmar-ingredients-civil-war-asean-chair-cambodia-2416246