Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News on disease control, CCP, India, Singapore, Taiwan, U.S.
News (1)
Chongqing detects new endemic Omicron subtype for the first time
On 17 March 2023, the website of the China CDC releases the latest edition of "China CDC Weekly". The journal reported that on 14 February 2023, Omicron was detected in samples collected and submitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. The Omicron samples are co-infected with strains.
News (2)
The treatment history of the Chongqing covid patient
On 23 December 2022, the patient, aged 67, who has undergone two Sinovac covid vaccine injections, reported poor appetite. On 29 December 2022, she developed fatigue, cough, and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (covi, novel coronavirus) infection. On 4 January 2023, the patient developed chills and fever (body temperature 38.9°C), accompanied by cough. She was admitted to Yunyang County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine but did not improve significantly, and was discharged on 5 January 2023. On 6 January 2023, the patient was admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. From 6 January to 12 February 2023, her 8 nucleic acid tests were covi-positive.
News (3)
The patient's upper airway samples are named YB20230158 and YB20230202, forming a separate clade from two Omicron subvariants
The researchers collected upper airway samples from the patient on 28 January and 7 February 2023, and named them YB20230158 and YB20230202, respectively, which form a separate clade from the Omicron subvariant BA .5.2.48 and BF.7.14. Mutation site analysis showed that both samples contained specific definition sites of Omicron subvariants BA.5.2.48 and BF.7.14, and the patient was co-infected with these Omicron subvariants.
News (4)
BA.5.2.48 is the main covi strain of Chongqing
According to the article, the main covi strain currently circulating in Chongqing is BA.5.2.48 (>90%), followed by BF.7.14 (about 3.8%). Before the news was released, there has been no report on the co-infection of BA.5.2.48 and BF.7.14 in China, especially in Chongqing, where the proportion of BF.7.14 is relatively low.
News (5)
Researchers urge surveillance of covi variants should identify co-infection and recombination cases
The researchers caution that surveillance of covi variants should be promoted as an important strategy for identifying co-infection and recombination cases. Surveillance for covi variants, especially in immunocompromised key populations, is becoming increasingly important as the risk of co-circulation of variants in an area increases.
Ref.: Kim Su etal., Notes from the Field: The First Case of Co-Infection with Omicron Sub-variants BA.5.2.48 and BF.7.14, China CDC Weekly, https://weekly.chinacdc.cn/en/article/doi/10.46234/ccdcw2023.046
News (6)
Reactions to the new Omicron subtype from Chongqing
Editor : Li Muen / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/03/18/a103671276.html / Image : Passengers of a flight from China wait in line to have their covid vaccination documents checked as a preventive measure against covid after arriving at Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris on 1 January 2023. (Julien de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images)
Because the CCP has always covered up the truth about the epidemic, the outside world is skeptical about the official number of cases announced.
On 18 March 2023, the topic about CCP China's first discovery of a new subtype of Omicron was on the hot search list, sparking heated discussions.
Mainland netizens said, "Is the epidemic coming again?" "Is this an early warning?" "Among the children's classmates, there was a second covi-positive test this week. I don't know how to arrange classes next week... ·They now have the covid, and the influenza A...""I, the influenza A patient, was lying on the bed for three days, 40 degrees in two days, and the whole body hurt, as if being paralyzed in bed by someone, and I couldn't raise my hand. You have to use a straw to drink water.”
News (7) to (9) / https://www.chinacdc.cn/jkzt/crb/zl/szkb_11803/jszl_13141/202303/t20230311_264174.html
News (7)
Surveillance of virus variation in CCP China's local covid cases
According to China CDC, from 26 September 2022 to 9 March 2023, a total of 31,109 local cases of novel coronavirus genome valid sequences were reported across CCP China, all of which were mutant strains of Omicron, with a total of 104 evolutionary branches, and the main epidemic strain was BA. 5.2.48 (45.5%), BF.7.14 (23.4%), BA.5.2.49 (10.5%) and DY.1 (8.3%). The composition ratio of 24 evolutionary branches such as BF.7.14.1 is between 0.1% and 2.8%, and the composition ratio of 76 evolutionary branches is less than 0.1% (accounting for 0.9% in total) (Figure 4-1).
Image : Trend chart of national covi variant strains
Description: 1. Sampling date: 26 September 2022 to 6 March 2023.
2. The numbers marked in the figure are the effective genome sequence numbers of BA.5.2.48, BF.7.14, BA.5.2.49 and DY.1 clades respectively.
3. "Others" refers to evolutionary branches with a proportion of less than 0.1% of Omicron mutant strains nationwide.
News (8)
The monitoring situation of local virus variants since December 2022
From 1 December 2022 to 9 March 2023, a total of 22,412 local cases of the covi genome valid sequences were submitted across the country, all of which were mutant strains of Omicron, with a total of 59 evolutionary branches. The main prevailing strains are BA.5.2.48 (50.4%), BF.7.14 (26.1%) and DY.1 (8.8%) (Table 4-1). A total of 48 cases of local key mutant strains were found, including 4 cases of BQ.1, 2 cases of BQ.1.1, 1 case of BQ.1.1.17, 1 case of BQ.1.1.38, 2 cases of BQ.1.1.66, 1 case of BQ.1.1.69, 5 cases of BQ.1.2, 2 cases of BQ.1.8, 1 case of DT.2, 2 cases of XBB.1, 1 case of XBB.1.12, 14 cases of XBB.1.5, 1 case of XBB.1.5.5, 5 cases of XBB.1.5.7, 2 cases of XBB.1.9.1, 2 cases of XBB.1.9.2 and 2 cases of XBB.3.
News (9)
Situation of covi variant strains in CCP China: BA.5.2.48 makes up more than 50% of covi variant strains
(1 December 2022 to 9 March 2023)
Omicron evolutionary branch: Constituent ratio (%)
BA.5.2.48: 50.4%
BF.7.14: 26.1%
DY.1: 8.8%
BA.5.2.49: 4.0%
BF.7.14.1: 3.7%
BA.5.2: 1.1%
DZ.1: 1.0%
DZ.2: 1.0%
BA.5.2.50: 1.0%
DY.1.1: 0.6%
BF.7.14.3: 0.5%
BF.7: 0.5%
BA.5.1.32: 0.3%
BA.2.76: 0.1%
BN.1.3: 0.1%
BA.5.2.1: 0.1%
BA.5.2.20: 0.1%
BF.7.14.2: 0.1%
XBB.1.5: 0.1%
Other: 0.4%
Total: 100%
News (10) to (13) / Reporter : Wang Yanqiao / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/03/17/a103670627.html
News (10)
China's "flu" detonates myocarditis, symptoms like covid, high mortality rate
Image : Video Screenshot
Under the wave of so-called "flu" (or "influenza A") that the authorities claimed, many patients developed symptoms of myocarditis. People suspect that the symptoms are similar to that of covid, and may be caused by the covid virus.
On 16 March 2023, the latest data from the CCP Influenza Center announced that the positive rate of influenza virus testing in the north and the south has slowed down but it is still at a high level.
Covi-positive patient: "I found syncope again at night. When I went to the emergency department of the hospital, myocardium enzymes were significantly elevated. This virus is quite powerful, so I really can't be too careless."
A 30-year-old woman: "This disease is not only dangerous to the elderly, but also to young people. Therefore, it is not just a case of severe myocarditis after exercising after recovery from covid." "This disease is not only harmful to the elderly. but also dangerous for young people, so it is not just a case of severe myocarditis when you go to exercise after recovery from covid.”
News (11)
Chinese people suspect the "flu" is covid
Under the wave of the so-called "flu" that the authorities claimed, many patients developed myocarditis, making the public even more suspicious that it may be caused by the CCP's covid virus.
News (12)
Expert: Omicron is more likely to invade the heart, the "covid vaccine" can cause fulminant myocarditis
CCP expert Wang Daowen recently publicly stated that Omicron is more likely to invade the heart than the original strain, and children and young people are the main patients with "fulminant myocarditis", with a rapid onset and a death rate of more than 50% in large hospitals, while the mortality rate in primary hospitals is higher. Wang Daowen also admitted that the "covid vaccine" can cause myocarditis, and even "fulminant myocarditis".
News (13)
CCP's vaccine is a bioweapon of genocide
A netizen posted that his friend had never had a heart attack and received three injections of the covid vaccine but he still died of sudden myocardial infarction after recovery from covid.
The news aroused heated discussions among the public, criticizing the CCP's "vaccine" as "a biochemical weapon of genocide."
News (14)
2-year-old child in Chengdu dies of "severe influenza A"; family members question hospital's delay in treatment
Reporter : Li Enzhen / Editor : Wen Hui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/03/18/a103671463.html / Image : Pictured, on August 29, 2022, a staff member sprays disinfectant on a corridor of a school before the new term in Handan, northern China's Hebei Province. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)
Recently, the 2-year-old son of Ms. Zhang, a resident of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, died of a severe case of influenza A. The news attracted public attention.
According to comprehensive land media reports, on 24 February 2023, Ms. Zhang's son was unwell and entered the Jinjiang Campus of the Second Huaxi Affiliated Hospital of Sichuan University for treatment. He was tested for influenza A that night, but the test result was negative. On the morning of the 25th, a puncture was performed, and the result was normal.
At about 5 o'clock on the 26th, Ms. Zhang's son's ECG monitor sounded, and all data values plummeted. At about 1 pm on the 28th, Ms. Zhang's son died after rescue efforts failed. She believes that the hospital did not organize a consultation in time to find out the cause and delayed the treatment time.
Ms. Zhang believes that due to the doctor's wrong treatment and delay, the child's condition deteriorated from the initial stage of influenza A to severe influenza A. During this period, the hospital issued a critical illness notice, which she really could not accept.
At present, relevant departments have stepped in to investigate the matter.
At noon on 18 March 2023, Ms. Zhang told the Health Times that on 26 February, her son Duoduo (a pseudonym) was sent to the PICU due to a drop in blood oxygen saturation and purple face forceps, and was diagnosed with a critical type of influenza A.
Duoduo's admission records showed that when he was admitted to the hospital on February 24, he had a high fever of 39°C, had a good mental response, and was conscious. He was transferred from the emergency department to pediatric neurology for febrile convulsions. In the evening of the 25th, due to the persistent high fever, the doctor performed a spinal tap for Duoduo. Some time after the puncture examination, obvious convulsions occurred, and the body temperature did not drop.
"After entering the PICU, the doctor told us that Duoduo is critically ill with influenza A, and the probability of survival is only 10%." Ms. Zhang said that at 5.46 am on 26 February, the hospital issued a notice of Duoduo's critical illness. After two days of treatment, Duoduo was pronounced dead.
Ms. Zhang believes that in the process of treatment, the hospital did not make timely diagnosis and treatment, forged medical records and other behaviors.
On 18 March 2023, this incident was on the hot search list, arousing public attention.
A mainland netizen questioned, "Do you believe this is influenza A? Believe in it! It happens every year, why is it flooding like this this year? Have you ever thought about it?" Hours, gone, usually looks very healthy." "My father died after contracting influenza A while in the hospital."
"The symptoms of flu are very similar to those of other flu or even covid, so don't be self-righteous." "Before covid, now there are many cases of children and young children dying of influenza A, but this data cannot be released." "Why the previous influenza A was not so severe ? Is this influenza A related to covid?”
Since February, many schools in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Zhejiang and other places have had students infected with influenza A and have suspended classes. Recently, many adults have also developed fever symptoms, and people wondered, "Could this wave of menacing influenza A be a mutant strain of the covid virus?"
"Daily Economic News" previously reported that Tian Geng, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Xuanwu Hospital of Beijing Medical University, confirmed that the hospital's fever clinic found patients infected with covid and influenza A virus every day, "most of them are mainly flu."
According to the report, according to data from sentinel hospitals across the country, within 28 days from 5 February to 5 March, the positive rate of influenza virus surged from 0.7% to 41.6%, a nearly 60-fold increase.
Recently, in Zhejiang, Henan, Xi'an, Qingdao and many other places, patients with "influenza A" developed large white lungs, and even fatal cases occurred. The outside world doubts that the current epidemic may still be covid.
Mr. Xu in Beijing has been infected with covi, and recently he was infected with influenza A. Since the symptoms were the same and the medicines for the treatment were the same, he suspected that he was infected with covid.
Mr. Xu told NTDTV, "I have to go to the hospital again, but my nose is runny, my body hurts, and I don't have any strength at all. It's basically the same. It's covid. They won't tell the truth."
Lin Qiang (pseudonym), a Changchun resident, said, "My child had a high fever and vomited for several days. It is covid. Everyone knows that the symptoms are exactly the same, and the lungs are also affected. There are many white lungs. People now are lying flat, the officials don’t care about it, they don’t pay attention to it, and they don’t wear masks anymore.”
During the two sessions of the CCP, Shanghai medical expert Zhang Wenhong admitted in an interview as a member of the CPPCC that the next wave of epidemics may still come. However, he also said that since the virus has been downgraded to "Class B and B control", it will be collectively classified as a fever clinic disease.
News (14) to (15) / https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/covid-xbb-1-16-variant-tracker-finds-high-cases-in-india-know-the-symptoms/photostory/98684471.cms?picid=98684494, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/xbb-1-16-likely-behind-covid-spike-experts/articleshow/98643729.cms?from=mdr
News (14)
The highest number of sequences of XBB.1.16 are from India, Singapore ranks fourth
A new variant of XBB, namely XBB 1.16, is in news currently for driving infection cases in India. As per an international covid tracking platform, the highest number of sequences of this sublineage have come from India (48) followed by Brunei (22), the U.S.(15) and Singapore (14), media reports have said. The prevalence of this covi variant can lead to a fresh wave of infections, reports have predicted.
XBB.1.16, known otherwise as Arcturus, is believed to have originated from Maharashtra, where it has reported 155 covid cases with this strain on a single day along with two deaths. The Indian state of Telegana reported more than 100 cases on Tuesday and Wednesday combinedly. In states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh, the covi-positivity rate is between 5% and 10%.
"In India, XBB.1.16 is showing a high prevalence in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat as per covSPECTRUM. XBB 1.16 has not descended from XBB.1.5 but both have descended from XBB and more recently XBB.1," TOI has reported quoting a top expert from India's genome sequencing network."XBB is currently dominating in India, and the latest uptick in cases in the country could be a result of XBB 1.16 and perhaps XBB 1.5 but a few more sample runs would clear the picture," the expert has told the media.
The new variant is circulating at a faster pace and is already seen as a threat. Going with the previous experience of dealing with the virus, mutants of covid virus are smarter in escaping immunity and are contagious in nature. The Omicron variant, of which the XBB 1.16 is a sub-sub variant, is notorious for its high transmission rate.
News (15)
Indian travellers to Singapore, Brunei and the U.S. detected with XBB.1.16
Most strains isolated from Indian travellers to Singapore, Brunei and the U.S. recently have XBB.1.16. This subvariant could be driving the ongoing spike in covid cases in India. Due to its highly contagious nature, XBB.1.16 could eventually dominate all other covi circulating variants.
News (16)
Symptoms of XBB.1.16 infection
The symptoms of XBB.1.16 infection are headache, muscle pain, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, cough, abdominal pain, discomfort and diarrhoea.
News (17)
XBB.1.16 a variant-of-concern in India
One of the members of World Health Organization's (WHO) Vaccine Safety Net, the department which tracks new covi variants said that, the previous XBB.1 descendant, XBB.1.5, had become dominant across the globe but not in India. According to reports the member was quoted saying, "There is some worry about XBB.1.16 globally because it has certain mutations in the non-spike region of the virus: two ORF9b mutations. ORF9b has been implicated in efficient immune evasion."
According to INSACOG, it is monitoring the circulation of XBB.1.16 in India while in Singapore, the Ministry of Health has yet to disclose the circulation ratio of covi variants as of 18 March 2023.
On 17 March 2023, 76 detections of XBB.1.16 were reported in India including 30 from Karnataka and 29 from Maharashtra.
On 18 March 2023, according to Vipin M. Vashishtha, an editor of books on vaccines, Arcturus has been detected in at least 12 countries. The highest number of XBB.1.16 cases is found in India, followed by the U.S., Brunei, Singapore and the UK.
Vashishtha tweeted, "In India, there is a 281% increase in cases 17% increase in deaths over the past 14 days".
Refs: https://www.thehealthsite.com/news/xbb-1-16-variant-of-covid-19-might-be-causing-the-recent-spike-in-cases-says-experts-962302/, https://twitter.com/outbreak_india/status/1636713725842583552, https://twitter.com/vipintukur/status/1636784008217649152
News (18)
The epidemic in the Republic of China is on the decline! Mass transportation mask order is expected to be loosened in mid-April
Image : Mass transportation masking is expected to loosen and there will be answers after the Ching Ming holiday. (Picture/TVBS data screen)
The domestic epidemic situation in Taiwan has steadily declined. Mild cases will be exempted from isolation and notification on 20 March. Luo Yijun, a spokesman for the command center, said that it is currently expected that the number of infections will continue to decline. Is it expected that the mask order for mass transportation will be loosened in mid-April? There are answers.
Image : According to Luo Yijun's analysis, the current Rt value of the covid epidemic is about 0.9. (Picture/TVBS data screen)
News (19)
Taiwan reports 8,026 covid cases on 18 March 2023, 35 new covid deaths
There were 7,825 new local covid cases and 201 inbound cases in the Republic of China (Taiwan) on 18 March 2023; 35 new deaths were added to the confirmed cases. There were 7,825 local cases, a decrease of 7.3% compared with the 8,444 cases announced last Saturday. Luo Yijun said that it is estimated that the number of infected people will still show a downward trend until the Ching Ming holiday.
News (21)
Taiwan promotes exemption from quarantine and notification for mild cases from 20 March 2023
Luo Yijun said that from 20 March 2023, the Republic of China will promote the new system of exempting from isolation and notification for mild cases, and move towards the normalization of life. Symptoms are tested but the trend of covid is not expected to become clear until next Wednesday.
According to Luo Yijun's analysis, the current Rt value of the covid epidemic is about 0.9. After the new system is launched, next Monday to next Sunday will be a buffer period, and still allow covi-positive mild cases to be reported before 19 March 2023 but the number should increase day by day few. In fact, almost all 19 March covi-positive cases will be reported on 19 to 21 March, so the number of announcements should be significantly reduced from 23 March to 5-10% of the current number of announcements, reflecting the actual number of moderate and severe cases . At present, it is necessary to observe the effect of the new system on the road and the effect of the Ching Ming holiday. The earliest is the end of April, and it is also expected to lift the mask order for Taiwanese public transportation in mid-April.
The World Health Organization is expected to lift the covid international public health emergency at the meeting at the end of April 2023.
News (22)
International covid tally after three years
According to WHO, as of 16 March 2023, the world has 780,360,956 confirmed covid cases and 6,873,477 covid deaths. As of 13 March 2023, 13,232,904,667 vaccine doses have been administered.
News (23)
The top 12 countries with confirmed covid cases after three years
According to WHO, as of 16 March 2023, the top 12 countries with confirmed covid cases after three years since the start of the epidemic are the U.S. (102,477,985 confirmed cases), CCP China (99,185,059 confirmed cases), India (44,691,956 confirmed cases), France (38,586,293 confirmed cases), Germany (38,276,190 confirmed cases), Brazil (37,085,520 confirmed cases), Japan (33,336,977 confirmed cases), South Korea (30,662,229 confirmed cases), Italy (25,627,473 confirmed cases), UK (24,423,396 confirmed cases), Russia (22,454,933 cases) and Turkiye (17,004,677 confirmed cases).
CCP China has reported to WHO 120,576 covid deaths only.
News (24)
Covid tally of Singapore as of 16 March 2023
According to WHO, from 3 January 2020 to 16 March 2023, Singapore has reported 2,234,996 confirmed covid cases and 1,722 covid deaths. As of 20 February 2023, 14,901,574 vaccine doses have been administered.
News (25)
Covid tallies of Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia as of 16 March 2023
According to WHO, as of 16 March 2023, Brunei has reported 280,790 confirmed covid cases and 150 covid deaths while Malaysia has reported 5,045,192 confirmed covid cases and 36,967 covid deaths.
According to WHO, as of 16 March 2023, Vietnam has surpassed Indonesia as the Southeast Asia country with the highest number of confirmed covid cases. It has reported a total of 11,527,054 confirmed covid cases to WHO and 43,186 covid deaths, the second high in the region after Indonesia.
266,477,559 vaccine doses have been administered in Vietnam as of 8 March 2023.
Indonesia has reported to WHO 6,740,031 confirmed covid cases from 3 January 2020 to 16 March 2023 and 160,956 deaths. The number of confirmed covid cases, however, appears to be underreported.
Newslink
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