COVID -19, Global Update, June
Margaret from Queensland, Don’t talk on trains
Brazil
Cases, + 17,000 = 1,083,391
Deaths, 50,591
Testing 20 times less than needed
President Jair Bolsonaro, mass protests
Two health ministers (both doctors) have left their posts
São Paulo, 12,500 deaths
Rio de Janeiro, 8,800
Spreading faster in deprived neighbourhoods
Remote areas, such as indigenous communities, x2 death rate
Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina
US
Cases, 2,2291,355
Deaths, 120,121
COCID Tracking Project and the Antiracist Research and Policy Center
COVID data Racial tracker
25,176 block lives lost so far
13% of the US population and 23% of deaths where race is known
Black people are dying at a rate more than 1.5 times higher than their population share
Washington state
Some hospitals overwhelmed
Florida
Cases + 1,000 per day for last 14 days
May need to shut down again
NYC
Reopening continuers as cases drop
South Korea
Battling second wave
Around Seoul
Seoul will reimpose stronger measures if new daily cases remain above 30
Complacency of citizens on physical distancing
Increase in public transportation usage
KCDC
Country could see as many as 800 new cases a day by mid-July
R = 1.8
Driven by small but persistent outbreaks stemming from a holiday in May
We originally predicted that the second wave would emerge in fall or winter
Our forecast turned out to be wrong
As long as people have close contact with others, we believe that infections will continue
UK
Cases, 306,761
Deaths, + 15 = 42,731
New cases + 3,612
25% down on last week
R = 0.8
4th July, announcement Tuesday
Saliva antigen test
No swab, spitting into a pot
Looking for RNA fragments (Optigen test)
14,000 GP staff in trail for 4 weeks, (Southampton University)
Could identify asymptomatics
Could get under 1 hour
Indicate self-isolation for 14 days
Pakistan
Cases, + 4,471 = 181,088
Deaths, + 89 = 3,661.
Around 30,000 tests a day, (50,000 recommended WHO)
“smart lockdown” on infection hotspots
Rawalpindi, not enough police to enforce lockdowns in hotspots
Hospitals are turning patients away
Continues lifting restrictions
India
Cases, 435,282
Deaths, 13,699
Infections soar in rural areas
Migrant workers fleeing major cities
98 of 112 of the country’s poorest districts
Iran
Cases, 207,525
Deaths, 9,742
High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency among Iranian Population
Defined as serum 25(OH) D less than 20 ng/mL (less than 50 nmol/L)
Meta-analysis of 48 studies identified n = 18,531
Males, 45%
Females, 62%
Pregnant women, 60%
Significantly different in various geographical regions
Germany
Cases, 191,768
Deaths, 8,899
R = 2.88
Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases
Saturday = 1.79, to 2.88
7-day ‘r’ value = 2.03
Mainly due to local outbreaks in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
1,300 workers at a meat-processing plant infected
Are case numbers increasing outside of outbreak contexts?
Meat packing plants in the USA and Canada
Many workers black or brown
Somalis gravitate to this type of work
Chemicals used for processing meat in the USA may affect respiratory health
Crowded conditions: people work elbow to elbow
Poor ventilation
Lack of natural light
Limited access to hygiene
Workers who are foreigners or migrants often live in dormitory-style residences
Take a crowded van or bus to work
Access to fresh food
