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COVID19 Updates: 12/30/2020

China:  Study: Number of infections in Wuhan was ten times higher According to a Chinese study, the number of corona infections when the pandemic broke out in Wuhan was possibly ten times as high as previously stated. According to the study by the Chinese Center for Disease Control (CDC), around 4.43 percent of Wuhan's eleven million residents had developed antibodies against the novel coronavirus by April. According to the study, this corresponds to around 480,000 corona infections in the metropolis by April. That is almost ten times as many as the approximately 50,000 cases officially named so far.

Switzerland:  SWISS CANTON SAYS IS AWARE OF A PERSON WHO RECEIVED A COVID-19 SHOT AND LATER DIED, SAYS HAS REFERRED MATTER TO SWISS DRUGS REGULATOR SWISSMEDIC. LINK

Tennessee:  Ambulances left waiting hours to drop off patients at Memphis hospitals, firefighters’ union says LINK

Arkansas:  Marion, Arkansas police chief dies after COVID-19 battle LINK

UK:  Hundreds more people dying at home than normal, latest ONS coronavirus report shows LINK

RUMINT (UK):  I’m told a major London hospital has told its senior medical staff to brace themselves for the peak in admissions which they believe still won’t come for another fortnight.  I’m also told that in one London hospital, psychiatric nurses and other mental health staff have been redeployed to provide support to staff on ICU. One staff member tells me: “Nurses are walking off the wards in tears, some have resigned. They are dealing with PTSD... .from the multiple traumatic deaths they are witnessing and then having to go back for more. We need everyone to be more cautious. People need to avoid mixing and stay at home. We can’t take much more of this. From an anaesthetist at a London hospital: At various points over the Xmas wkend every CPAP machine (assists breathing, often used to see if patient can cope without intubation, sedation and ventilation) was in use across entire trust. This is a very bad situation to be in. ITU is being covered partly by nurses who are NOT trained in ITU nursing. In some instances paediatric nurses. Many of these people are doing a great job under almost impossible circumstances. But they are not trained for this. The wards are completely overloaded with covid patients. Every night was worse, every night trying to work out how many we could take to to ITU and who would have to cope on the ward for longer. Morale is very low. We all feel the government is continually since April about 2-4 weeks behind what is obvious on the ground. Anaesthesia and intensive care doctors are getting desperate text messages to help with hospitals that are at the epicentre - East London.” To add some empirical context to these experiences consider a few things 1) NHS had been increasingly struggling in winter before 2) A&E wait times have been getting worse for yrs 3) staff shortages were a problem per-pandemic- eg we went into this with 40,000 nursing vacancies. This is why the Nightingales aren’t being used. Because there just aren’t enough staff to fill them. In the spring we rode it out because a) it was spring and b) staff were fresher. 9 months on they are physically and mentally spent and it’s winter. They’re pushing water uphill. The fact that winter would be so bad for the NHS was predictable and predicted. It’s why people like Andrew Heyward said in Nov that Xmas relaxation would add fuel to the fire. It’s also why some public health experts said that early December return to the tiers was a mistake. I’ve seen a lot of you say that you want to see all this on TV. Believe me, so would I. I’m trying to negotiate access to hospitals but securing it isn’t easy. Rest assured, am doing my best. In meantime am technically still on holiday so returning to that for a few days to gear up for what is going to be a v important few months ahead. NHS staff please do keep getting in touch via DM to tell me what’s happening in your hospital. As ever, always in confidence. Do not listen to idiots who say this is all fake or exaggerated. There is a real crisis going in some of our hospitals right now.

Louisiana:  Asked if Congressman-Elect Letlow had any underlying conditions that would have made his death more likely, Dr. G.E. Ghali said: "None. All COVID related."

US:  U.S HITS NEW DAILY HIGH WITH 3,725 VIRUS DEATHS

Texas:  NEW: At least three shipments of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Texas with signs that the shots had strayed from their required temperature range, prompting a delay in other deliveries

California:  LA doctor identifies case of coronavirus-related psychosis in patient LINK

COLORADO: HAS 24 ADDITIONAL SUSPICIOUS CASES OF COVID UK VARIANT

US:  CDC says new Covid strain in U.S. could further stress 'already heavily burdened' hospitals

California:  As COVID slams LA’s hospitals, patients are “piled in administrative hallways, stuffed in the corners, hanging over chairs,” said one healthcare worker. “It was like practicing Civil War medicine. It was the worst shift of my life.”

South Africa: December 30 Confirmed cases: 1,039,161 (+17,710 in 24 hrs) Deaths: 28,033 (+465 in 24 hrs)

US:  Dawn Wells, ‘Gilligan’s Island’s’ Mary Ann, Dies of COVID at 82 LINK

OHIO: TO NO LONGER ORDER QUARANTINE FOR COVID-EXPOSED STUDENTS

China:  BREAKING - China's President Xi Jinping ordered tight controls on coronavirus research hampering experts from identifying the origins of #COVID19, the AP has found.

Georgia: COVID-19, 12/30 Along with cases, growing hospitalizations and positivity approaching 20% are bad signs. Deaths starting to manifest. Cases: 654,743, +9,450 Deaths: 10,846, +67 Current Hospitalizations: 4,560, +123 PCR Positive %: 19.9%

California:  *NEWSOM SAYS U.K. VIRUS STRAIN FOUND IN CALIFORNIA: NBC REPORTER

World:  Exactly 1 year ago today: An 'urgent notice' from the Wuhan Health Commission is shared on social media, reporting cases of unidentified pneumonia in connection with a seafood market. It was the first word about the COVID-19 outbreak.

California:  Several #frontlineworkers at @LLUMedCenter test positive for #COVID19 even after receiving the first round of the @pfizer shot. #NBCLA

Germany:  #BREAKING Germany faces 'difficult times' with virus in 2021: Merkel

US:  New US cases raise fears UK Covid variant is already widespread LINK

UK:  London doctor is 'taken aback' by number of young people with NO PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS now suffering in hospitals with Covid LINK

RUMINT (UK):  Big shift in the UK government tonight. Schools could be shut for six months as new varient begins its agressive assault on young and healthy people. Army is to begin helping police in London with law enforcement. Hospitals are now overwhelmed and they are keeping the numbers quiet.

UK:  NHS hospital staff illness or absence up to three times usual level LINK

France:  France to deploy 100,000-strong force to police New Year’s Eve - as it happened LINK

US:  COVID update: Nearly 3,900 new deaths - New cases: 224,638 - Positivity rate: 14.4% (-1.3) - In hospital: 125,220 (+534) - In ICU: 23,069 (+231) - New deaths: 3,884 - Vaccinated: 2.6M (+461,982)

Washington:  Coronavirus infects nearly 150 Costco employees at Washington state store, location to remain open LINK

UK:  Birmingham hospital issues alert as it cannot maintain safe nurse staffing levels in intensive care LINK

Germany: COVID update: More than 1,000 new deaths for second day in a row - @risklayer - New cases: 28,130 - Positivity rate: 13.1% - In hospital: 27,846 (-49) - In ICU: 5,631 (-14) - New deaths: 1,052

Colorado:  BREAKING: Advocate Aurora now says an employee at its Grafton hospital intentionally removed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from a refrigerator resulting in nearly 500 doses having to be thrown away

Texas: The Dallas Area’s Two Largest Airports Have Been Temporarily Closed To All Flights, At Least In Part Due To COVID-19’s Spread Among Air Control Staff. LINK

Florida:  Nikki Fried to Gov. DeSantis: Mobilize the Florida National Guard to distribute COVID-19 vaccines LINK

World:  New Covid variant linked to higher viral load in respiratory samples LINK

Argentina:  Argentina begins COVID vaccine campaign with Russian shots LINK

Thailand:  Thailand becomes first country to ban eating and drinking on domestic flights due to COVID-19 LINK