International COVID-19 Megathread

[Middle-aged Europe]

For someone who had garnered himself a reputation as a COVID lockdown hardliner through his frequent appearances on the talkshow circuit, Germany's newly inaugurated health minister Karl Lauterbach, M.D. (SPD) has come across as rather moderate so far IMO. He plans to exempt anyone who has received a booster shot from test requirements (something he's even criticzed for by some virologists) and he has confirmed that the stabilization and slight drop in recent infection numbers is real and not the result of increasing infection numbers simply becoming undetected due to overwhelmed testing capacities. I guess the old German saying that nothing is eaten as hot as it was cooked is true. Or maybe it's a result of him having to fight hard for that position rcently and possibly only getting it after being put on a leash by Scholz? One wonders...

Anyway, situation in Germany has indeed stabilized a bit with things having never gotten as bad as in Austria (except Saxony which had entered a lockdown all but in name). For now anyway, since everybody waits for the Omicron wave to arrive and until then the goal is to get as many people as possible boostered, since three jabs seem to effective against the Big O as opposed to two.

[It’s so Joever]

Denmark is interestingly seeing omicron cases rise. They already were in a bit of a delta wave, so watching whether omicron replaces delta in Denmark will be interesting. I wouldn’t extrapolate death data from there because of the mixing.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Denmark is interestingly seeing omicron cases rise. They already were in a bit of a delta wave, so watching whether omicron replaces delta in Denmark will be interesting.

I wasn't under the impression that there was still a question about it. Scientific consensus seems to be that Omicron will replace Delta not only in Denmark, but everywhere.

[CumbrianLefty]

Which makes the evidence it might not be as serious as Delta all the more welcome if confirmed.

[President Johnson]

Situation in London seems pretty bad with Omicron.

https://twitter.com/BBCLondonNews/status/1472224209300561920

[Silent Hunter]

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-covid-booster-vaccination-rates-tower-hamlets-newham-hackney-b972414.html

Low vaccination rate won't help.

[morgieb]

So...Netherlands back into lockdown.

I can understand mask mandates and the like. Hell I could even understand closing high-risk venues. But lockdowns? Makes no sense. What's the point?

If it's because hospitalisation numbers are pushing the system under control....why the hell hasn't Mark Rutte pushed for better health spending?

[CumbrianLefty]

Lockdowns increasingly seem to fall into the classic ruling mindset of "we must do something, this is something, therefore we must do it".

[Silent Hunter]

Ironically, Britain with its higher rate of infection and vaccination is probably in a better place than many countries to deal with Omicron.

[Omega21]

Lockdowns increasingly seem to fall into the classic ruling mindset of "we must do something, this is something, therefore we must do it".

Meanwhile in Austria:

Dramatic consequences of the lockdowns for the young people: The load limit has been exceeded. 62 percent of girls and 38 percent of boys suffer mentally badly. One fifth of girls and 14 percent of boys suffer from recurring suicidal thoughts.

https://www.krone.at/2583998

With the constant flashing numbers of today's deaths and infections, some tend to forget about the young lives that are being destroyed in the background.

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

Lockdowns increasingly seem to fall into the classic ruling mindset of "we must do something, this is something, therefore we must do it".

Do you have an alternative solution, if hospitals are at their limits? What should they do or have done?

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has remained among the highest levels of the year and hospitals throughout the country have been ordered to postpone all non-emergency operations for weeks to free up beds in intensive care units.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/dutch-consider-early-christmas-break-schools-limit-covid-19-spread-2021-12-14/

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Some in Germany are now discussing a post-Christmas lockdown....despite the fact that cases are falling, hospitalization is low, vaccinations are up, and deaths are minimal...honestly what is the point? It's a lifestyle for these people.

Bafflingly, a report came out saying that the number of ICU beds....declined by 300 beds over the past year. Who tf is running this?

[Mr. Illini]

Switzerland is imposing a lockdown on the unvaccinated. All public places must verify vaccine status.

I would gladly welcome something like this in the United States.

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

Some in Germany are now discussing a post-Christmas lockdown....despite the fact that cases are falling, hospitalization is low, vaccinations are up, and deaths are minimal...honestly what is the point? It's a lifestyle for these people.

Bafflingly, a report came out saying that the number of ICU beds....declined by 300 beds over the past year. Who tf is running this?

Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.

It would be really stupid not to prepare for this, in case Omicron gets out of control.

[President Johnson]

Another vaccine approved for Europe. It's a protein vaccine similar to most flu vaccines. Some in the media think it may convince soft vaccine skeptics to get a shot. Novavax is already working on an adjusted version for Omicron.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1472919018164166656

[Former President tack50]

Today Catalonia announced their intention to try and get a 1-5 curfew imposed. Needless to say it is stupid. I expect courts to deny their application anyways but the fact that it's still being considered is bad.

Anyways there will be a big meeting of the regional premiers this wednesday where they might anounce stuff.

[Pericles]

Another vaccine approved for Europe. It's a protein vaccine similar to most flu vaccines. Some in the media think it may convince soft vaccine skeptics to get a shot. Novavax is already working on an adjusted version for Omicron.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1472919018164166656

It's not a one shot vaccine, right?

[FrancoAgo]

right

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

https://twitter.com/MKuefner/status/1473258045589364740

[Mike88]

Portugal update:

The government is expected to announce new measures today. Costa's press conference has been delayed to an unknown hour yet, but the media is already reporting the main measures:

- The "contention week" that was going to start on 2 January, will be anticipated for 27 December and last two weeks until 9 January;
- Mandatory remote working;
- More testing;
- Closure of bars and nightclubs, until 9 January;
- Capacity limitation in shooping malls;

Other measures could also be announced, but only when the PM gives his statement. In the meantime, bars and nightclubs associations are furious with the government and are considering filing a lawsuite against the government.

[Mike88]

Portugal update:

The government is expected to announce new measures today. Costa's press conference has been delayed to an unknown hour yet, but the media is already reporting the main measures:

- The "contention week" that was going to start on 2 January, will be anticipated for 27 December 25 December and last two weeks until 9 January;
- Mandatory remote working;
- More testing;
- Closure of bars and nightclubs, until 9 January;
- Capacity limitation in shooping malls;

Other measures could also be announced, but only when the PM gives his statement. In the meantime, bars and nightclubs associations are furious with the government and are considering filing a lawsuite against the government.

Update:

These measures will start on Christmas day, 25 December. Adding to this, any new year's eve parties in hotels, casinos or restaurants have to have mandatory negative tests. Other public events, sport events, cultural events will continue to be required a negative test, also.

[President Johnson]

New contact restrictions ahead in Germany. While I support the measure, the pandemic is so tiresome. Hopefully this is the last winter we're having this. The vaccine mandate needs to come.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1473351742272294926

[Zinneke]

Hopefully this is the last winter? You mean like last year we did a 6 month autumn-winter curfew because " it won't happen every year"...sorry but I don't believe for a second that we won't see similar case loads every winter/ travel period followed by a government response...how about addressing some structural issues like increasing healthcare capacity? Or prioritising vaccinated people for ICU beds?

Can we just aknowledge that had the big pharma people not found a vaccine (unlikely I know) there would be a case for locking down every single winter until we did, to save healthcare capacity? Instead of actually, increasing it?!

Just an example, Belgium STILL has a numerous fixus for medical students despite the pandemic exposing how strained health workers are.

[urutzizu]

https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/news/corona-staerkerer-anstieg-der-todesfaelle-bei-auslaendern-li.202055

From 2019 to 2020 the number of deaths among the Ages 45-64 increased by
1.1% among Germans
9.0% among Immigrants

In Switzerland
2.6% among Swiss people
12.5% among Immigrants

Sadly the stats for other age groups is not disclosed in the article. But it indicates a massive, probably even greater disparity of the effects of the virus than the racial disparity in the US (which for black, hispanic and native americans according to the CDC is about a factor 2x the death rate of whites). It's interesting, because unlike in the US it is not spoken about much at all in the public debate around the pandemic/restrictions.

[CumbrianLefty]

Hopefully this is the last winter? You mean like last year we did a 6 month autumn-winter curfew because " it won't happen every year"...sorry but I don't believe for a second that we won't see similar case loads every winter/ travel period followed by a government response...how about addressing some structural issues like increasing healthcare capacity? Or prioritising vaccinated people for ICU beds?

Can we just aknowledge that had the big pharma people not found a vaccine (unlikely I know) there would be a case for locking down every single winter until we did, to save healthcare capacity? Instead of actually, increasing it?!

Just an example, Belgium STILL has a numerous fixus for medical students despite the pandemic exposing how strained health workers are.

Yeah, the bottom line is that doing this every winter is not going to be acceptable to most people.