The situation with the coronavirus in the world remains tense: over the past week, the maximum number of coronavirus infections has been recorded on our planet since the end of summer. The number of detected cases reached 4.4 million, which is 300 thousand more than a week earlier. Thus, the incidence rate returned to the level of the end of August. But mortality is not increasing. The leader in the number of infections per week was the United States, which also returned to 1st place in the world in mortality from COVID-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO), based on the results of the first studies, expressed the opinion that the new strain of COVID-19, dubbed omicron, is indeed rapidly spreading among people, including those with high immunity. This is due to the ability of “omicron” to negatively affect the activity of antibodies, which accelerates both the process of infection of an individual and the spread of a new strain among people. WHO Secretary General Tedros Adanom Ghebreyesus, suggested that a new variant of COVID-19, found already in 62 countries of the world, “is capable of influencing the course of the pandemic.” At the same time, the head of WHO refrained from assessing the degree of such influence until the conclusion of virologists.
Doctors and virologists of South Africa, where the omicron was first found, presented preliminary results of observations of patients infected with this strain. According to published data, patients with omicron tolerate the disease much more easily than those with the delta strain. Also, according to statistics, after the identification of the “omicron”, mortality from coronavirus in South Africa did not increase.
Saudi Arabia became the 102nd country in the world to recognize the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus. From the beginning of next year, all those vaccinated with Sputnik V will be able to enter the kingdom, without any additional restrictions. This is especially important for Muslims who will be able to perform the Hajj.
An unusual experiment has begun in China: the mayor’s office of one of the largest cities in the Middle Kingdom, Harbin, has begun paying “bonuses” to those infected with coronavirus. A one-time payment of about $ 1,500 will be received by everyone who independently takes a coronavirus test and gets a positive result. The authorities were prompted to experiment by low rates of the number of cases. Officials suggest that citizens are wary of reporting positive test results, and the number of patients with coronavirus in the city is much higher than statistics show.
The Finnish government continues to implement one of the toughest quarantine packages in all of Europe, Prime Minister Sanna Marin is an active supporter of restrictive measures and the introduction of a state of emergency in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After it became known that the country’s foreign minister was diagnosed with a coronavirus, Marin, who contacted him, according to the rules, had to go into self-isolation. The Prime Minister stopped appearing in her office, but she decided not to deny herself a trip to a nightclub. The act of the head of government provoked a loud scandal in Finland.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now accused of violating quarantine measures. Several months have passed since the two incidents, but only that it became known about him, and the British were so indignant that all this could cost Johnson a political career. In November and December last year, a group of politicians close to Johnson gathered at his residence on London Downing Street. They were having fun, without masks and social distancing, just as Johnson personally called on the nation to comply with strict quarantine conditions.
In the USA and Great Britain, philologists argue: they cannot agree on the correct pronunciation of the word omicron. The new COVID-19 strain received its “name”, according to the WHO classification, it was given the name of the next letter of the Greek alphabet. But in Foggy Albion they prefer to pronounce “omicron” as AH-muh-kraan (amyukraan), but in the New World they say OH-mee-kraan (omicraan). In the meantime, there are controversies, the international center for the study of foreign languages Babbel included “omicron” in the list of the most difficult and difficult to pronounce words of 2021
Coronavirus statistics in the world
Data as of December 11, 2021:
Total cases 269 006 660
Total deaths 5,293,885
USA
For the last 28 days: Sick: 2 792 899 Deaths: 33 761
Total: Cases: 49 775 621 Deaths: 796 215
Germany
In the last 28 days: Cases: 1,485,472 Deaths: 7,606
Total: Cases: 6 463 850 Deaths: 105 202
Great Britain
For the last 28 days: Cases: 1 226 688 Deaths: 3 621
Total: Cases: 10,780,386 Deaths: 146,712
Russia
For the last 28 days: Sick: 948,043 Deaths: 33,427
Total: Cases: 9 782 723 Deaths: 281 571
France
For the last 28 days: Sick cases: 850 991 Deaths: 2 132
Total: Cases: 8 210 151 Deaths 121 156
According to Johns Hopkins University.
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