Tag Archives: Covid

Um.

last night.

Only three people under 65 died of Covid with no other underlying causes in 2020, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO)?

Anyone?

Free June 15?

State-run Covid Care Concerts have this morning announced a special gala concert at the National Concert Hall, Dublin 2 for frontline health workers.

Hosted by Miriam O’Callaghan, the concert features performances by artists such as Mary Coughlan, Niamh Kavanagh, Iarla Ó Lionáird and, er, Professor Luke O’ Neill alongside a 47-piece orchestra.

Tickets here

This morning.

The youngest children have been most affected by lockdowns and closures during the Covid pandemic, new UK research finds.

Via The Guardian:

The research – published by the Education Endowment Foundation – found parents and teachers concerned that children in England were struggling with their emotional wellbeing as well as their ability to learn language and numeracy skills, after starting in reception classes after the earlier spring lockdown.

Teachers who spoke to the researchers said the disruption had left some infants with “low self-esteem and confidence”, and that more children than previously “feel overwhelmed” by learning.

Others highlighted increased behaviour problems seen when children returned to school, with some “biting, hitting, unable to share”, leading to teachers having to focus more on helping children settle back into school.

Ruth Coleman, headteacher at Highfield school in Ipswich, said: “When children returned to our nursery after the pandemic, many struggled with vital aspects of early years development, such as personal touch, or coping in bigger groups of children.

Younger children most affected by Covid lockdowns, new research finds (The Guardian)

Meanwhile…

RollingNews

This afternoon.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised a booster dose for young children ages 5 to 11 years old.

Via FDA:

Today, we amended the emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, authorizing the use of a single booster dose for administration to individuals 5 through 11 years of age at least five months after completion of a primary series with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

“While it has largely been the case that COVID-19 tends to be less severe in children than adults, the omicron wave has seen more kids getting sick with the disease and being hospitalized, and children may also experience longer term effects, even following initially mild disease,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D.

“Vaccination continues to be the most effective way to prevent COVID-19 and its severe consequences, and it is safe.”

FDA Expands Eligibility for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose to Children 5 through 11 Years (FDA)

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This afternoon.

Meanwhile…

Um.

Meanwhile…

Ah now.

Earlier: ‘An Unexplained Type Of hepatitis’

Good Morning America.

ABC News’ Dr. Jen Ashton on why antibodies ‘surge’ after taking the fourth covid jab.

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Oh.

Meanwhile…

Gulp.

This afternoon.

Shanghai, China.

Shanghai officials will over the next few days further restrict access to food and hospitals in some parts of the city, the most severe phase of its extended lockdown yet.

Via BBC:

Commercial food deliveries are not allowed and access to hospitals for all but emergencies must first be approved.

Neighbours of Covid-19 cases and others living close by are also being forced into government quarantine facilities.

Shanghai is now in its seventh week of city-wide restrictions.

Despite the tougher measures, Shanghai officials insist that people living in half the city’s districts are now free to leave their homes and walk around.

State media has shown propaganda videos of departing medical workers visiting city landmarks together and taking photographs.

Shanghai moves to impose tightest restrictions yet (BBC)

Meanwhile…

The head of the World Health Organization has said China’s zero-tolerance Covid-19 policy is not sustainable given what is known of the disease, in rare public comments by the UN agency on a government’s handling of the virus.

“We don’t think that it is sustainable considering the behaviour of the virus,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a media briefing.

WHO chief says China’s zero-Covid policy not ‘sustainable’ (RTE)

Um.

Getty

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Snap.

This morning.

Via Reuters:

Face masks are set to be no longer mandatory in airports and on flights in Europe, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have said.

The new recommendations will come into effect from 16 May.

“From next week, face masks will no longer need to be mandatory in air travel in all cases, broadly aligning with the changing requirements of national authorities across Europe for public transport,” EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said in a statement.

Europe plans to drop mandatory mask requirements for air travel next week (RTE)

Meanwhile…

Fight!

Meanwhile…

Anyone?