Category Archives: Covid-19

One year ago this week, the Chinese Communist Party was on the verge of its biggest crisis in decades. The coronavirus had brought the city of Wuhan to a halt. In the following days, the governments efforts to conceal the pandemic would become public, sparking an online backlash of the kind the Chinese internet hadnt seen in years.

Then, as the blows landed faster than the Chinese propaganda machine seemingly could handle, a number of liberal-minded Chinese began to think the unthinkable. Perhaps this tragedy would impel the Chinese people to push back. After decades of thought control and worsening censorship, perhaps this was the moment that the worlds largest and most powerful propaganda machine would crack.

It wasnt.

A year later, the partys control of the narrative has become absolute. In Beijings telling, Wuhan stands not as a testament to Chinas weaknesses but to its strengths. Memories of the horrors of last year seem to be fading, at least judging by whats online. Even moderate dissent gets shouted down.

People in China should be bowing their heads this week in memory of those who suffered and died. Instead, the China internet is afire over the scandal of a Chinese actress and her surrogate babies, a tabloid controversy egged on by Chinese propaganda.

Anyone looking for lessons about China in the coming years needs to understand the consequences of what happened in 2020. The tragedy showed Beijing has the ability to control what people in China see, hear and think to a degree that surpasses even what pessimists believed. During the next crisis whether it be disaster, war or financial crisis the party has shown it has the tools to rally the people, no matter how ham-handedly Beijing deals with it.

This week I looked through my Chinese social media timelines and screenshots from a year ago. I was shocked by how many posts, articles, photos and videos have been removed. I was also surprised to remember the sense of hope at that moment despite intense anger and grief.

The shift was especially palpable the night that Dr. Li Wenliang, who was silenced after warning of the outbreak in late 2019, died of the virus.

That night, numerous Chinese people waged what amounted to an online revolt. They posted videos of the Les Misrables song Do You Hear the People Sing? They shared one of Dr. Lis quotes repeatedly: A healthy society should not have just one voice.

Even one of Chinas propaganda directives warned that Dr. Lis death was an unprecedented challenge. Young people told me that the official news media had lost credibility.

One of my followers on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform, apologized for attacking me before. I used to think that people like you were evil, he wrote. Now, he added, I know that we were fooled.

A middle-age intellectual told me that he expected the population of liberal-minded Chinese people those who want greater freedom from Beijings controls to expand from his estimate of 5 percent to 10 percent of the total population to 30 percent to 40 percent.

Jan. 24, 2021, 8:21 p.m. ET

As these hopes rose, others tried to tamp down enthusiasm. One political scientist guessed the share of liberal-minded Chinese internet users would shrink, not grow. In three months, she predicted, the Chinese public would be celebrating the glorious victory over the outbreak under the leadership of the great Communist government.

Unfortunately, she was correct.

To reclaim the narrative in the early days of the pandemic, as my colleagues have reported, the Chinese government began a tremendous behind-the-scene effort to make sure that the censors took control at even the most local level. They listened and read just about everything people posted. Then the censors either addressed the problems or silenced the dissenters. Chinese officials say the police investigated or otherwise dealt with more than 17,000 people who they said had fabricated or spread fake pandemic-related information.

After 11 weeks, the lockdown in Wuhan ended. By the summer, a photo of a crowded Wuhan swimming pool appeared on the home pages of many websites around the world. China emerged as a success story while the infection cases and death tolls in the United States and many other Western countries skyrocketed. The contrast made the effectiveness of the partys strong hand an easy sell.

The Chinese Communist Party has a long history of controlling history. In the United States, historical narratives shift and compete, leading to arguments and sometimes even violence, but constantly illuminating new perspectives and bringing greater understanding of what underpins the national identity. In China, by contrast, the government has successfully taught its people that the country is nearly ungovernable unless a strong hand controls the narrative.

The Communist Party has strict narratives about its most serious mistakes, including the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Immediately after the Cultural Revolution, the so-called scar literature memoir-style novels by those who suffered during that troubled time became a popular genre. The party quickly realized the danger of letting the public share its individual traumas and banned the books.

Under Xi Jinping, the party has become even less tolerant of unorthodox historical ideas. In 2016, Yanhuang Chunqiu, a monthly history magazine in which moderate-minded retired officials published articles, was forced to surrender its editorial power to the authorities.

The narrative about the current pandemic is no exception. Journalists, writers and bloggers whose portrayals of the outbreak differ from the official version have been jailed, disappeared or silenced.

Fang Fang, a Wuhan-based novelist, became the most vilified figure on the Chinese internet in 2020. Her crime? Documenting her lockdown experiences in an apolitical account in an online diary.

People online call her a liar, a traitor, a villain and an imperialist dog. They accuse her of maligning the government and causing the Chinese people to lose face in the world by publishing an English translation of her diary in the United States. One man called on the government to investigate her for the crime of subverting the state power. One high-ranking medical scientist chastised her for lacking patriotic emotions.

No publisher is willing or able to publish her works in China. The social media posts and articles that support her are often censored. A few people who spoke up for her publicly were punished, including a literature professor in Wuhan who lost her Communist Party membership and her right to teach.

I think Fang Fang wrote about what happened, said Amy Ye, the organizer of a volunteer group for disabled people in Wuhan. In fact, I dont think she included the most serious situations. Her diary is very moderate. I dont understand why even something like that couldnt be tolerated.

This demand for a single narrative carries risks. It silences those who might warn the government before it does something foolish, like stumble into a conflict or interfere with Chinas economic growth machine.

It also conceals the true feelings of the Chinese people. On the street, in person, most Chinese will be happy to tell you whats on their minds, perhaps in exhaustive details. But China became a more opaque place in 2020. Online censorship became even harsher. Few Chinese people are willing to take the risks of speaking to Western news media. Beijing expelled many American journalists.

This single narrative also means that people who dont fit into it risk getting left behind.

Ms. Ye, the Wuhan volunteer group organizer, doesnt believe that Wuhan could claim a victoryover the pandemic. My whole world has changed, and it will probably never go back to what it used to be, she said.

Shes still struggling with depression and the fear of getting out of her apartment. An outgoing person before the pandemic, she has attended only one social gathering since the end of the lockdown in April.

All of a sudden we were locked up at home for many days. So many people passed away. But nobody was held accountable, she said. I would probably feel better if someone could apologize that they didnt do their job.

I cant forget the pain, she said. Its engraved in my bones and my heart.

Read the rest here:

How Beijing Turned Chinas Covid-19 Tragedy to Its Advantage - The New York Times

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Health officials explain the UK variant strain of COVID-19 after Oregons first positive in Multnomah Co. - KPTV.com

San Diegans are remembering a local father, coach and musician who died after contracting coronavirus.

Jayme Mejia was a dedicated father of eight children and heavily involved in his community. Before the pandemic, his reggae band, JamKwest, were playing music venues all over San Diego County.

They would do the Del Mar Fair, theyd be at Balboa Park all the time doing shows for Bob Marley Day, said Robert Mejia, Jayme Mejias son.

Jayme Mejias passion inspired his son Robert Mejia to start his own music and film company.

He was just really loving, said Robert Mejia. He just made sure that all eight of us had the best father."

Jayme Mejia was born and raised in San Diego and worked in construction to support his family. While his children celebrate his accomplishments, they are also mourning.

In December, Jayme Mejia tested positive for COVID-19.

Everything was fine for about nine days, then he starts breathing really heavy, said Robert Mejia.

Jayme Mejia was rushed to the hospital after suffering breathing problems and was quickly put on a ventilator. His family says Jayme suffered from diabetes.

While in the hospital, Jayme Mejia also suffered kidney failure. Despite the grim outlook, it appeared that after a few days his condition was improving.

All of a sudden he was off the ventilator and he was up so, I thought he was ok and then boom he passed away from a heart attack, said Robert Mejia.

On January 11, Jayme Mejia said his final goodbye to the love of his life, his high school sweetheart, Lekicia.

He woke up and got to tell my mom he loved her. At least he didnt die on the ventilator. We got to talk to him one last time, said Robert Mejia.

Jayme Mejias family remembers him for also taking care of other peoples children. During the holidays, he would dress up as Santa and hand out gifts to families in need.He was also active in coaching youth sports.

He would get off work and pick up other peoples kids to make sure they got to practice, said Robert Mejia.

Credit: Mejia family

Jayme Mejias son fears his father contracted COVID-19 while coaching basketball and is concerned about the push to restart organized sports.

For most kids, they can get through it, but its mostly for the older people and underlying conditions that are going to get hurt from it you know.

Robert Mejia hopes lessons can be learned from his fathers death while keeping his dads legacy alive.

Jayme Mejias family has set up a GoFundMe to help with final expenses.

Read more:

Father of 8 Dies After Being Hospitalized With COVID-19 - NBC San Diego

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The Tennessee Department of Health hasconfirmed additional cases and deaths related to COVID-19 across the state for Saturday, January 16.

The total COVID-19 case count for Tennessee is 680,847 as of January 16, 2021 including 8,355 deaths, 2,805 current hospitalizations and 605,596 are inactive/recovered. Percent positive today is 14.80%. For the full report with additional data: https://t.co/jlAz8a6Upp. pic.twitter.com/HKp4bCa1vd

The health department reported 4,808 new cases, bringing the state to 680,847 total cases. Of those cases, 584,387 are confirmed and96,460 are probable.

TDH also confirmed 44 additional deaths, bringing Tennessee up to8,355 total deaths.

Out of the confirmed positive cases, 605,596 are listed as inactive/recovered, an increase of 2,658 in the last 24 hours.

There are 2,805 people currently hospitalized in the state.

Tennessee has processed6,000,691 tests. The latest update added 28,318 tests to the states total.

Vaccine Tracker

TDH released its latest COVID-19 vaccination report on Friday. The statesvaccine dashboard shows 330,775 vaccinations have been given out so far in Tennessee.

Tennessee county health departmentsare now booking appointments online for people 75 years and older who wish to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Appointments for Tennesseans eligible under the Phase 1 rollout of the vaccine can sign up for anappointment online.

And to see what the vaccine availability is in your county, click here.

Mass COVID-19 vaccination sites are popping up across the country but not here in Tennessee.Places like Nissan Stadium in Nashville will not be used as a mass vaccination super site, at least for now. The Tennessee Department of Health said mass vaccination centers are not on its radar at this time. The Metro Nashville Public Health Department told News 2 large venues could cause huge crowds and become super spreader events if not managed properly.

COVID-19 in Nashville

Metro Schools will continue to hold all classes in the virtual environment after the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday, January 18. A release from MNPS states the decision to continue online classes is due to the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 throughout Nashville and the state of Tennessee.

Earlier this week, the department announced a new initiative to ensure no doses of COVID-19 vaccine are wasted by implementing a standby list that went into effect on Tuesday. If you are interested in participating in the Standby List, youre asked to email the health department at COVID19VaccineStandby@nashville.goveach day the standby list is operational.

Davidson County began phase 1a2 of vaccination efforts Thursday.Click here to pre-register.

Stay with News 2 for continuing coverage of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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COVID-19 in Tennessee: 4,808 new cases, 44 deaths reported on January 16 - WKRN News 2

The father of U.S. Congressman Garret Graves, John Graves, passed away Saturday afternoon from complications dealing with COVID-19, according to the congressman.

In a press release from Garret Graves he said:

Thank you to all of the awesome friends and complete strangers who have been praying for my father and our family.You are never ready for this, but Dads passing caught us all by surprise.He has one of those awesome American Dream stories that inspired our entire family.His father died when he was young, he worked multiple jobs to help the family, worked his way through college and eventually owned his own business that trained so many engineers across south Louisiana.We ask for prayers and privacy during this time of grieving.

The Graves family will provide additional details later on services as they become available.

See more here:

US Congressman Garret Graves' father dies from complications of COVID-19 - WBRZ

Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., January 16, that there were 7,166 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 761,777.

There are 4,848 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19, near double the peak in the spring. Of that number, 1,010 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is availablehere.

The trend in the 14-day moving average number of hospitalized patients per day has increased by nearly 4,800 since the end of September.

Statewide percent positivity for the week of January 1 January 7 stood at 14.4%.

The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.

As of 11:59 p.m. Friday, January 15, there were 231 new deaths reported for a total of 19,188 deaths attributed to COVID-19. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

Mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home. Consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

There are 76,245 individualswho have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable casesand 637 individualswho have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 3,455,231 individuals who have tested negative to date.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 59,243 resident cases of COVID-19, and 11,157 cases among employees, for a total of 70,400 at 1,513 distinct facilities in all 67 counties. Out of our total deaths, 9,985 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 21,475 of our total cases are among health care workers.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Pennsylvania hospitals began receiving shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 14 and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 21.

Through Jan. 14:

A spreadsheet of facilities that have received vaccine can be found here.

Statewide The Wolf Administration has since noon, Jan. 15:

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at http://www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts.

MEDIA CONTACT: April Hutcheson, ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov

# # #

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Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19: 4,848 Patients Hospitalized and 1,010 Patients in the Intensive Care Unit - Pennsylvania Pressroom

South Carolina's primary health agency has already spent nearly $120 million to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, state legislators last were told last week. In 2021, COVID-19 could cost the state triple that amount.

The funds allocated to help pay for the effort are not going to be enough to carry the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control through the state's largest-ever vaccination and testing campaigns unfolding this year.

Darbi MacPhail, the chief finance and operations officer for DHEC, told state legislators during a hearing the agency had spent $119.6 million on COVID-19 by Jan. 10. She also shared with them a projection that the virus will cost South Carolina $352.6 million this year.

The federal government has already committed to offset the majority of that expense. But DHEC is asking the state to find a way to chip in $62.6 million as well, given all of the relief funding has been used up.

How much it all really ends up costing will depend in part on whether the disease continues to run rampant or if cases decline to a more manageable level.

Here is how the biggest costs break down:

At $53 million, testing has been easily the largest expenditure so far. DHEC has processed more than four million tests since the pandemic began, Dr. Linda Bell, the agency's chief epidemiologist, said. Bell commended her agency's 4,000-person staff for logging more than 1 million work hours in COVID-19 response.

DHEC reported its vaccination effort had only cost $131,000 by Jan. 10. But as the inoculation initiative ramps up and continues over the entire year, it will cost a projected $106.9 million.

Staff costs totaled $29.8 million, while protective gear and other medical supplies have cost $12.2 million since the state's first case was found in early March.

MacPhail said it is imperative the General Assembly steps in to ensure neither testing nor vaccination efforts fall off as the state grapples with the worst of the pandemic it has seen to date.

"What we are anticipating is such a huge demand for the vaccination at the same time as we are having to do testing," MacPhail said. "We need to make sure we have resources readily available."

Both the state House and Senate must agree to allocate that amount of money to the agency. Then it would have to pass Gov. Henry McMaster's desk.

The costs, both in dollars and hours spent, are going to continue for years, MacPhail said during the House committee meeting. One federal grant that has been awarded provides funding over four years, a hint at the length of time public health experts anticipate the coronavirus will be top of mind.

By comparison, the agency's full request for funds not related to COVID-19 was about $10 million this year.

Reach Mary Katherine Wildeman at 843-607-4312. Follow her on Twitter @mkwildeman.

Continued here:

Here's what COVID-19 has cost SC's health agency - Charleston Post Courier

Switzerlands system of direct democracy will be put to the test again later this year, this time with a referendum on whether to roll back the governments powers to impose lockdowns and other measures to slow the Covid-19 pandemic.

The landlocked Alpine nation of 8.5 million people is unusual in providing its people a say on important policy moves by offering referendums if enough people sign a petition for a vote. Last year, Swiss voted on increasing the stock of low-cost housing, tax allowances for children and hunting wolves.

The idea is to provide citizens a check on the power of the federal government, and it is a throwback to the fiercely independent patchwork of cantons, or districts, that were meshed in the medieval period.

Now, the country is set for a referendum on whether to remove the governments legal authority to order lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions after campaigners submitted a petition of some 86,000 signatures this weekhigher than the 50,000 requiredtriggering a nationwide vote to repeal last years Covid-19 Act.

The ballot could come as soon as June, and it appears set to mirror disputes in the U.S. and elsewhere over how far governments should go to limit social interactions in a pandemicor whether to lock down at all.

Read more here:

Switzerland to Hold Referendum on Covid-19 Lockdown - The Wall Street Journal

PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) Four more COVID-19 deaths were reported, as active cases in the state remain below 5,000. The last time South Dakota had fewer than 5,000 active cases was on October 8.

On Saturday, 341 new total coronavirus cases were announced bringing the states total case count to 105,278, up from Friday (104,937). Total recovered cases are now at 98,808, up from Friday (98,576).

The death toll is now at 1,633. New deaths reported on Saturday were 3 men and 1 woman in the following age ranges: 60-69 (1), 70-79 (1) and 80+ (2).

Active cases are now at 4,837, up from Friday (4,732).

Current hospitalizations are at 209, down from Friday (227). Total hospitalizations are at 6,039, up from Friday (6,023).

Total persons negative is now at 285,242, up from Friday (284,571).

There were 1,012 new persons tested reported on Saturday. Saturdays new person tested positivity rate is 33.6%.

The latest seven-day all test positivity rate reported by the DOH is 11.4%. The DOH calculates that based on the results of the PCR test results but doesnt release total numbers for how many PCR tests are done daily. The latest one-day PCR test positivity rate is 13.5%.

40 South Dakota counties are listed as having substantial community spread, while 17 South Dakota counties are listed as moderate community spread and 9 South Dakota counties are listed as minimal community spread.

Vaccine tracking is now being reported by the state. As of Saturday, 28,672 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 26,859 doses of the Moderna vaccine have been administered to 45,796 total persons. Theres been 9,735 persons completed two doses of the Pfizer vaccine and no one has completed two doses of the Moderna vaccine. Vaccine data does not include vaccine given to South Dakota Indian Reservations because that is federally allocated.

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COVID-19 in South Dakota: 341 total new cases; Death toll rises to 1,633; Active cases at 4,837 - KELOLAND.com

As the first week of the new spring semester testing wraps up, we want to thank students and employees for their patience and dedication to this new process. Teams across the university are working hard to get everything ready for the start of class on Jan. 25.

As we move toward the start of the semester, we have received many good questions aboutspring requirementsandhavecompiled them in an extensive set ofFrequently Asked Questions, which you may filter bysix topic areas.

Here are some of this weeks top questions:

Q: Im having trouble getting the app to work. Who do I contact for help?

A:We can help.Please contact theDoITHelp Desk, (608) 264-4357, help@doit.wisc.edu

Q: I took a test and it came back rejected. How can I make sure this doesnt happen?

A: What the lab needs to successfully run your test is the liquid portion of your saliva. Your saliva must be clear and not discolored, free of food and mucus, and cannot contain residues such as those from brushing your teeth or smoking.

In the hour before your test:

You may also want to rinse or gargle your mouth with water to remove any discoloration (such as from coffee) or small pieces of food. Be sure to do this at least one hour before your test.

At your test:

These are the most common reasons saliva samples rejected by the lab:

If you notice any of these things as you are submitting your sample, ask to start over again with a new tube. Its better to redo your test at your scheduled appointment than have to do it over again the next day.

Q. I am having a hard time producing enough saliva for my test. Do you have any tips?

A: In order to run a COVID-19 test on your saliva sample, you will need to contribute 1 mL-1.5 mL of drool.Be careful not to overfill the tube, too. If this happens, its best to ask a member of the test site staff to start again with a new tube.Some tips:

Try starting to pool your drool on your walk or drive to your test, and as you check in, to get the process started.

Q: How long does a saliva test take and when will I get the test results?

A: The testing process should take a few minutes. Results will be available within 24 hours.Resultswill be provided to you on the Safer Badgers app and via themyUHSportal.

Q: What is being done to ensure safety at testing sites?

A: Test sites were evaluated for safety and feasibility by a team including University Health Services; Environment, Health and Safety and Facilities Planning and Management and designed to maintain appropriate physical distancing and low density. Each location is cleaned frequently.

When performed correctly, submitting a saliva sample should not result in creation of aerosols. Sample submission involves drooling into a funnel fitted over a collection tube, so there should be no spitting, forceful throat clearing or other expulsive actions.

We also encourage individuals to wear their face coverings while pooling saliva, in between drooling into the funnel. We ask for patience early on as people adapt to the new approach.

Q: If Ive been vaccinated against COVID-19, do I still need to be tested?

A: While we know that the majority of people who receive the COVID-19 vaccine will have some level of protection against SARS CoV-2, the vaccine efficacy rate is not 100%, which can result in some who are vaccinated contracting and transmitting the virus. Currently, the CDC and WI Department of Health Services recommend that those who receive the vaccine continue to test. The CDC is engaging in research to better define transmission within the population of those who have been vaccinated, but those questions may take six months to a year to answer. Until further research and recommendations by the CDC are available, we are requiring vaccinated individuals to be tested as determined by the campus policies for their population.

Q: Can I take a nasal swab test instead of a saliva-based test?

A: At this time, unless you are a residence hall student or have a medical condition that would interfere with saliva-based testing, you will need to seek on-campus saliva testing.

Q: If I get tested off campus, can I use my results to obtain building access?

A: No, on-campus testing is required for building access.

Q: Does the Safer Badgers app track my location?

A: No, the app does not utilize GPS or geolocation to track your location.

During the setup phase of the app, users will self-select if they wish to use the low energy Bluetooth proximity notification feature. Users can turn this feature off at any time.

Location services are only used for the low energy Bluetooth proximity notification feature of Safer Badgers, to tell you when youve been in proximity to someone who has tested positive. All data is anonymous, meaning as a COVID-19 positive individual, you will not know who is receiving proximity notifications, and as a receiver of a proximity notification you will not know who the notification came from.

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Answers to this week's top COVID-19/Safer Badgers questions - University of Wisconsin-Madison