Worldwide attempts to control COVID-19 with vast vaccine distribution and restrictions, including lockdowns, are paying off with reduced cases and deaths from peaks in January.
Feb.14 (UPI) — Worldwide attempts to control COVID-19 with vast vaccine distribution and restrictions, including lockdowns, are paying off with reduced cases and deaths from peaks in January. In the past week, there were 2,766,623 newly reported infections worldwide, including 324,165 on Monday, which was the lowest since 321,203 Oct.13, according to tracking by Worldometers.info. The previous week there were 3,210,403 newly reported global cases. Infections hit a peak of 5,083,656 the week of Jan.3-9, including a record 845,695 in one day on Jan.8. Fatalities also have slowed but not quite as dramatically. In the past week, there were 80,164 when the high was 14,163 on Wednesday. One week earlier, the total was 89,225. The peak was 98,937 from Jan.9-16. On Jan.20, the single-day record was 17,594. The total number of deaths so far Sunday was 2,409,199 and infections had reached 109,313,202. The three nations with the most deaths are on the Western Hemisphere: No.1 United States with 484,409, No.2 Brazil with 238,647, No.3 Mexico with 173,171. India had been No.3 until two weeks ago with its total now 155,642. India, with nearly 11 million cases, is second behind the United States, which has 27.6 million, followed by Brazil at 9.8 million. Europe remains the continent with the most deaths at 766,053 and less than 200,000 behind North America with 32,222,143. But they have dropped over the past two weeks. Cases decreased from 1,085,293 to 910,050 in a week and deaths went from 43,009 to 29,371. In Europe, six nations are in the top 10 for most deaths: No.5 Britain at 117,116, No.6 Italy at 93,577, No.7 France at 81,814, No.8 Russia at 80,126, No.9 Germany at 65,438 and No.10 Spain at 64,747. Also in the top 10 is Poland in 16th with 40,807. Numbers have been declining despite the presence of the more transmissible B.1.1.7 variant COVID-19 variant that originated in Britain. Researchers, examining 10 existing studies, suggested that the B.1.1.7 variant is linked to more hospitalizations and deaths. However, researchers found the «absolute risk of death per infection remains low.» Britain reported a high of 1,820 deaths on Jan.20 with a high of 1,052 Tuesday compared with 1,449 the previous week on Feb.2. Sunday’s rise was 258. New cases have been dramatically dropping from a peak of 68,053 Jan.8 to 10,972 reported Sunday. Britain remains in its third lockdown, including closed schools and universities. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes to soon ease some of the restrictions, including opening schools in England on March 8, because it is nearing its goal of 15 million vaccinations. A total of 14.7 million of the 66.7 million people in Britain have had shots. Britain was the first country to authorize the vaccine jointly produced by U.S.-based Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech in December. The nation also approved the other main vaccine, U.S.-based Moderna, but supplies are not expected to be available in Britain until later in the spring. «I’m optimistic, I won’t hide it from you,» he said Saturday while visiting a plant in Billingham, Teesside, where the Novavax vaccine will be manufactured. I’m optimistic, but we have to be cautious. Our children’s education is our number one priority, but then working forward, getting non-essential retail open as well and then, in due course as and when we can prudently, cautiously, of course we want to be opening hospitality as well.» France, with a similar population of 6.54 million has overtaken Britain for the most second doses: 617,715 compared with 530,094. But France is much farther behind in total vaccines with around 2,840,000. France reported 167 deaths Sunday after 932 on Nov.13 that was the most since a record of 1,437 in April. In addition, there were 16,546 cases after a record 86,852 on Oct.31. Italy, which at one time was the world’s epicenter, reported 221 deaths Sunday, compared with a record 993 Dec.3 and 11,068 cases after record 40,896 on Nov.13. Italy has a new prime minister to handle the crisis, Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, was sworn in Saturday. «Mario Draghi was the Italian who saved Europe, and I think now he is the European who can save Italy,» former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told the BBC’s Newshour program. Before Giuseppe Conte left office, Italy had extended the travel ban between regions past Monday until Feb.25. Starting Sunday, the health ministry has designated Abruzzo, Liguria, Tuscany and the autonomous province of Trento orange zones.
