Your Weekly Pandemic Update:

4th to 10th October 2021

Do we need a third dose of vaccine ?

Yes, If you are in Israel.

Israel is the first country to make a third dose of Covid vaccine ( booster shot) a requirement for it Digital Vaccination Passport.

Under the new guideline, those who have received two vaccine doses will be issued passes valid for six months only. You need a third dose to complete the schedule. A Green pass is needed in Israel to enter into any indoor venue : Restaurant, Bar, Concert, Salon.
CDC of USA recommends Booster (3rd) shot for US citizens
- All 65 years and above
- All 50-64 years with certain medical conditions.

Sweden and Denmark stopped Moderna Vaccine for those born in 1991 and later after reports of cardiac complications.

Message of the Week:

If the world doesn’t share the vaccine, it has to share the virus.

No-one is safe until every one is safe.

The good:

Covid Pill
- Merck comes out with Molnupiravir– an oral pill that reduces the risk of hospitalisation by 50%.
- It is to be taken within 5 days of onset of disease.
- It is meant for only the high risk, unvaccinated cases.
Finally, all the covid numbers ( New cases, new deaths) are falling the world over.
- The numbers of New Cases are down by 17%, death are down by 13% the world over. This downward trend is continuing from August 23, 2021.
Nanobodies:
- Llamas and camels produce an unique antibody against covid-19 that can give long term protections

The Bad:

Covid Deaths cross 48 lakhs. That is not a number. They are 48 lakhs wives, husbands, Sons and daughters of someone.
Covid has now affected more than 23 Crore people in 221 countries making it one of the worst scourge of mankind on record.
WHO reports that there has been 50,000 death every week for the last 50 weeks due to this pandemic.
You can’t predict this virus. When the vaccination reached its highest in USA, UK and Israel, their case numbers also peaked. On the other hand, the virus has gone down in the African nations where vaccination is less than 5%.
Covid among Children:
- ( As pediatric data from our country is not readily available, I’ve relied on CDC and AAP data instead.)
- In USA, there were 8,50,000 new paediatric cases in last 4 weeks averaging 200,000 new cases per week.
- In New York City, there has been 615 children hospitalisation and 22 deaths among kids due to covid in one week ending on 30 September.
Covid Toe: A purple toe with itching and blisters can occur in asymptomatic covid positive children. YouTube link is given below:

WHAT IS COVID TOE ?

The Ugly:

It is now established that Unvaccinated people are 10 times more likely to be hospitalised from the virus.
The vaccine inequality.
- What is the schedule of a Covid Vaccine ? Is it 2 doses or 3 doses schedule ??
- Number of doses are decided not by science but by money. In US, Israel and Italy it consists of 3 doses at 0, 1, 6 months interval.
- For developing nations like India it is two doses.
- For 4% of Africans it is barely one single dose.
- For the rest of poor nations, it is Zero.
- While UK, EU, USA have completed vaccination of two third of their citizens, only 4% of Africans have received just one dose.

Today’s Statistics

1. Our World:

Last updated: ( 9 October, 00.00 GMT )

Total cases – 238 million+ ( 238,114,223)
Active Cases – 18 million + (18,634,373)
- (The number of Active cases is falling since September first week.)
New cases ( 24 hours) – 417,026
Deaths (As Reported) – 48 lakh+ ( 48,59,934) (2%)
New Death ( in the last one week) – 48,591
- The number of new deaths is falling since September first week.

( Source: Worldometer)

1.1 Our world: Top 4 nations

Top Countries with the highest number new cases as reported on:

	COUNTRY	09.10.21
	World	417,206
1	USA	106,298
2	UK	36,060
3	INDIA	19,850

WORLD FIGURES ARE CONSISTENTLY FALLING IN SEPTEMBER

Top Countries with the highest number Deaths till date:

	COUNTRY	09.10.21
	World	48,59,934
1	USA	732,114
2	BRAZIL	600,425
3	INDIA	450,408

WORLD FIGURES ARE CONSISTENTLY FALLING IN SEPTEMBER

2. Vaccination

Singapore and Portugal have fully vaccinated 80% of their citizen.
Portugal lifts all covid restriction after reaching 80% vaccination. Now you don’t need a mask or social distancing to dine in a restaurant in Portugal. Covid test report is also not required.

“Zero Covid” vs “Full Vaccination” strategy:

Countries world over are divided in their approach to control the pandemic. Australia, NZ and china have a Zero Covid approach.

While Australia, NZ have left the Zero Covid Strategy and adopted the “Vaccination and Open up” strategy, China still maintains its Zero Covid Strategy. When a lady tested positive and taken to isolation, the district authority tested her 3 pet cats also. All the cats tested positive and killed immediately

3. Our case numbers

(Detected In the last 24 hours)	New cases	Total /New death
India	19,880	450,408 / 248
Kerala	10,944	26,072 / 120
Maharashtra	2,620	1,39,470 / 59
Tamilnadu	1,359	35,754 / 20
Andhra Pradesh	693	14242 / 6
Odisha	526	8242 / 4

3.1. INDIA

Total number of Confirmed cases in India : 33.9 million+
Number of new cases in India : 19,880
Total number of Death in India : 4,50,408 ( 1.33%)
Number of New Death in India : 248
Total Number of vaccine doses administered: 897 million.
Total Samples tested : 571 million

3.2. ODISHA

( 9th October, 9 AM)

Total number of Confirmed cases: 10,31,044 ( 1 million+)
Number of new cases in Odisha : 526
Number aged between 0-18 years: 68 ( 13%)
Total number of Death in Odisha : 8,242
Number of New Death in Odisha : 4
Total Number of Tests done- 2,05,78,622
Test Positivity Rate- 5.01%
Total Number of Doses of Vaccine administered- 3,22,83,453
Total number of persons received at least One dose crosses 2.30 crores.

3.3. Bhubaneswar

( 8th October, 9 AM)

New Positive cases today: 233
Active cases on date: 3546
Total Number of Death till date: 1028
Total doses of vaccine administered: 24,71,884

4. Points to Ponder

4.1. Snippets

Famous deaths

Dick Farrel (USA): A Vocal Anti-vaccine TV host who urged his listeners not to be vaccinated has died in Covid-19 on 4th August at 65. The link for several Anti Vaxx and Anti- Mask activists who have succumbed to this virus is given below.

On his death bed he had texted famously,

”The virus is no joke. I wish I had gotten the vaccine.”