Author Topic: General Covid 19 news  (Read 96130 times)

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Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #450 on: April 21, 2021, 02:35:09 pm »
The age groups which recorded the most positive Covid-19 cases in Wales recently
According to statistics, around 10% of positive cases identified recently were amongst young children under 10

More than half of people who caught Covid-19 recently were under 40, according to an analysis of figures.
Data collected shows that there were significantly more cases among'st younger people.

This is perhaps no surprise given social factors and that the vaccination programme only recently began to be rolled out to this age group.

The demographic most affected were 20 to 29 year olds, who accounted for 17% of recent positive cases.
And 10% of cases were among those aged under 10, potentially reflecting high levels of testing in schools.

The table below, created by WalesOnline, shows a breakdown of the latest positive coronavirus cases including whether the tests were carried out in a hospital or elsewhere within the community:

Age Group   Hospital   Community   Total   %
<10   0   52   52   10%
10-19   0   64   64   12%
20-29   5   87   92   17%
30-39   5   83   88   16%
40-49   4   64   68   13%
50-59   5   66   71   13%
60-69   3   23   26   5%
70-79   12   17   29   5%
80-89   30   10   40   7%
90-99   7   4   11   2%

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/health/age-groups-recorded-most-positive-20431399

Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news .....Bala ....42 cases of coronavirus
« Reply #451 on: April 21, 2021, 04:22:07 pm »
Public health officials are managing a Covid-19 outbreak connected to a Bala bakery.

Gwynedd’s Incident Management Team has today confirmed that 42 cases of coronavirus have been linked to town’s Cake Crew production facility.

According to officers the bakery, which employs 330 people, is working with agencies including Gwynedd Council, the health board and Public Health Wales.

A linked case has also seen one pupil test positive at the town’s Ysgol Godre’r Berwyn, resulting in close contacts self-isolating in order to contain any potential spread.

In a statement the Incident Management Team (IMT) said: “An IMT comprising of representatives from the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Gwynedd Council, Public Health Wales and Shropshire Council, has been established to manage an outbreak of Covid-19 at the Cake Crew food manufacturing facility in Bala.

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-bakery-hit-covid-20435895


Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #452 on: April 22, 2021, 01:13:35 pm »
CORONAVIRUS was not the leading cause of death in England and Wales in March for the first time since October, new figures show.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows Covid-19 was the third leading cause of death in both countries that month, accounting for 9.2 per cent of all fatalities registered in England and 6.3 per cent in Wales.

The virus was the leading cause of death each month from November to February.

The leading cause of death in March was dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in England, accounting for 10.1 per cent of all deaths registered that month.

cont  https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19251402.coronavirus-no-longer-leading-cause-death-england-wales-new-figures-show/

Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #453 on: April 28, 2021, 01:28:12 pm »
A single dose of a coronavirus vaccine can reduce household transmission of the virus by up to half, a study shows.

Those given a first dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines - and who became infected three weeks later - were between 38% and 49% less likely to pass the virus on than unvaccinated people, PHE found.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the study's results as "terrific news".
He has urged "everybody to get their vaccines as soon as they are eligible".

In the study, protection against Covid was seen from about 14 days after vaccination, with similar levels of protection regardless of age of cases or contacts, PHE said in a statement.

It added that this protection was on top of the reduced risk of a vaccinated person developing symptomatic infection in the first place, which is around 60 to 65% - four weeks after one dose of either vaccine.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, said: "Vaccines are vital in helping us return to a normal way of life. Not only do vaccines reduce the severity of illness and prevent hundreds of deaths every day, we now see they also have an additional impact on reducing the chance of passing Covid-19 on to others."

But, while she said the findings were "encouraging", she said it was important people continue to act like they have the virus, "practise good hand hygiene and follow social distancing guidance".

Households are high-risk settings for transmission, meaning the study provides early evidence on the impact of vaccines in preventing onward transmission.

cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56904993

Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #454 on: April 29, 2021, 10:17:17 am »
An extra 60 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus jab have been secured by the UK Government for a booster vaccination programme in the autumn.

Officials are preparing a booster programme based on clinical need to ensure people have the strongest possible protection against the virus, according to the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

This additional stock of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab – which has been rolled out in the UK since December – will be used alongside other approved vaccines for the booster programme.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Our vaccination programme is bringing back our freedom, but the biggest risk to that progress is the risk posed by a new variant.
“We’re working on our plans for booster shots, which are the best way to keep us safe and free while we get this disease under control across the whole world.

“These further 60 million doses will be used, alongside others, as part of our booster programme from later this year, so we can protect the progress that we’ve all made.”

The Government said it will publish further details on the booster programme in due course, with the policy informed by advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

It will also assess the results of clinical trials which have studied the use of different combinations of approved vaccines.

It comes as people aged 42 and over in England were called to come forward to get their vaccine, while one in four (25%) UK adults have had their second coronavirus jab.


Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #455 on: May 05, 2021, 10:46:46 am »
Nice to see............

Young people queue around the block for Covid-19 vaccines after health board jab offer
People under 30 were invited to book in for a jab at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Tuesday

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/young-people-queue-around-block-20525886?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #456 on: May 06, 2021, 10:27:18 am »
The number of Covid patients in Welsh hospitals is now the lowest it has been since the pandemic began.

There were 227 Covid patients on average in hospital beds each day in the last week, NHS Wales recorded.

Confirmed and suspected cases have seen a 30% drop in a month and are now down 94% from the second peak seen in late-December.

Last Sunday saw the lowest number - 84 - for "active" confirmed or suspected cases in hospital beds.

cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56998892?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #457 on: May 10, 2021, 03:04:34 pm »
The coronavirus alert level is being reduced in Wales and the rest of the UK.

The nation will move from level 4 to level three as the number of cases continues to fall.

Today a statement signed by Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton and his counterparts in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland said: "Following advice from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and in the light of the most recent data, the UK Chief Medical Officers and NHS England National Medical Director agree that the UK alert level should move from level 4 to level 3.

"Thanks to the efforts of the UK public in social distancing and the impact we are starting to see from the vaccination programme, case numbers, deaths and Covid hospital pressures have fallen consistently.

"However Covid is still circulating with people catching and spreading the virus every day so we all need to continue to be vigilant. This remains a major pandemic globally.

"It is very important that we all continue to follow the guidance closely and everyone gets both doses of the vaccine when they are offered it."


cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/coronavirus-alert-level-lowered-wales-20563546

Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #458 on: May 11, 2021, 10:16:17 am »
A couple of contradictory stories here..............

Hundreds of students self-isolating after covid case connected to North Wales school
All students and staff affected by the case have been asked to self-isolate
cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/hundreds-students-self-isolating-after-20560407


Scrapping masks in Welsh secondary schools being 'actively considered'

Scientists are considering whether Wales can follow the lead of England in removing the rule
cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/scrapping-masks-welsh-secondary-schools-20568856?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

Offline Ian

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #459 on: May 11, 2021, 10:47:09 am »
Indeed.  The egregious Johnson is rushing ahead with relaxation, without giving sufficient time to study the effects of those relaxations. That puts pressure on Scotland and Wales to do likewise.  Part of me wants the Scots to become independent and then we could join them.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #460 on: May 14, 2021, 10:17:05 am »
Almost half of young adults have received a first coronavirus vaccine in some Welsh health board areas.

In north Wales, 44% of people aged 18-29 have been given a first dose, while in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan 46% have been vaccinated.

An average of 36.6% of people under 30 in Wales have had the jab as the roll-out moves at different speeds across Welsh health boards.

One vaccine centre manager said young people were "coming in their droves".                   $good$

cont   https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57102251

Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #461 on: May 16, 2021, 03:07:11 pm »
MORE THAN two million people in Wales have said yes to a Covid-19 vaccine, latest figures released today reveal.

The official figures also show that almost three million total doses of the vaccine have been administered in Wales in just six months.

This means 80% of all adults in Wales have received their first vaccine and one in three adults have received their second dose to complete the course

cont  https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19306650.significant-vaccination-milestone-passed-wales/


The UK has "increasing confidence" that Covid-19 vaccines work against the Indian variant of the virus, the health secretary has said.
Scientists believe that the variant is more transmissible and cases of it nearly tripled to 1,313 in the past week in England.
But Matt Hancock said early lab data showed vaccines remained effective.
He said the majority of those in hospital in Bolton - a hotspot for the Indian variant - were unvaccinated.

On Friday Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the variant could pose "serious disruption" to the final stage of lockdown easing in England on 21 June.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Hancock said that it was "quite likely" that the variant would become the dominant strain in the UK.
He said: "What that reinforces is the importance of people coming forward for testing and being careful because this isn't over yet.

"But the good news is because we have increasing confidence that the vaccine works against the variant, the strategy is on track - it's just the virus has gained a bit of pace and we've therefore all got to be that bit more careful and cautious."

cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57134181

Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #462 on: May 17, 2021, 10:01:49 am »
FACILITIES from the decommissioned field hospitals across North Wales will now be spread across the region, officials have confirmed.

When the pandemic broke out in Wales, health boards made additional provision across the country to keep pressure off the main hospitals coping with the virus.

In North Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board set up three sites in the region. One at Deeside Leisure Centre in Flintshire, a second at Venue Cymru in Llandudno and a third at Bangor University.

In total, the three rainbow hospitals provided an additional 1,000 hospital beds as well as facilities to help people recovering from the virus rehabilitate closer to home and take pressure off the main hospital units in the region.

It was confirmed this March that all three hospitals would be handed back to their original owners later this year.

BCUHB’s executive director of planning and performance Mark Wilkinson previously said that the Deeside facility would close as a hospital on March 26

Mass Vaccination Centres at Deeside Leisure Centre and Llandudno’s Venue Cymru would be returned by July 31.

He added that a “gradual decommission” of the Bangor University site would begin in April and will be completed by September.

Addressing queries about what will happen to the medical equipment across the region, the director of estates and facilities at BCUHB, Rod Taylor, said: “Equipment from our three Rainbow Hospitals will be reallocated to support health board services across North Wales and will benefit our patients for many years to come.”          


Offline SteveH

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Re: General Covid 19 news
« Reply #463 on: May 19, 2021, 12:30:54 pm »
Children as young as 12 in Wales expected to get the coronavirus vaccine later this year
Clinical studies have shown the Pfizer jab is safe for those aged 12 and over and the First Minister will press ahead if the licence to use the vaccine on that age group is authorised

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/children-young-12-wales-expected-20628719

Offline SteveH

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Re: international Covid 19 news
« Reply #464 on: May 20, 2021, 02:00:28 pm »
This is sad and shocking.

India's holiest river, the Ganges, has been swollen with bodies in recent days.

Hundreds of corpses have been found floating in the river or buried in the sand of its banks. Those who live close to where they have washed up, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, fear they are Covid-19 victims.

India has been overwhelmed by a devastating second wave of the pandemic in recent weeks. It has recorded more than 25 million cases and 275,000 deaths, but experts say the real death toll is several times higher.

The bodies on the river banks, taken together with funeral pyres burning round-the-clock and cremation grounds running out of space, tell the story of a death toll unseen and unacknowledged in official data.

The BBC spoke to local reporters, officials, and eyewitnesses in some of the worst affected districts of Uttar Pradesh and found that behind the story of the floating bodies lies traditional beliefs, poverty, and a pandemic killing people at lightning speed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-57154564