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The source of a repeat infection is a mutated form of the virus. In one case the viral genome belonged to a different strain of the coronavirus the second time. Mutations are the likely cause of the new infections in Netherlands, Belgium, and Hong Kong.

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This report in FR24 says the UK reopening by June 21 is at risk as the new delta variant is leading to a rise in covid cases. Covid is growing at 3% a day, with the R ratio at between 1.0 and 1.2 for the second week in a row, says the UK Health Ministry. With new more contagious variants what looks cautiously optimistic in one week can look very different in a 2-3 week period after that especially as complacency creeps in and essential protocols are neglected.

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This WSJ Exclusive report shows 1.89 million breakthrough infection cases in the US and at least 72,000 hospitalizations, 20,000 deaths among fully vaccinated people in the US this year. The WSJ reviewed medical record data for 21 million fully vaccinated people, and an array of state reports to put together this analysis. It shows people with weaker immune systems and elderly are more susceptible for breakthrough infection and hospitalization. It also shows that vigilance is necessary in following covid protocols for social distancing, masks, hand washing, as the figures show smaller but yet significant percentage of people at ages younger than the elderly are getting breakthrough infections and getting hospitalized. 3.35% of people 35-49 years who were fully vaccinated but with waning immunity from taking the shots early on and lacking booster shots to build immunity back up again, and who are breakthrough infections, are hospitalized in this WSJ analysis of EPIC's Health data. For people 50-64 years this is 7.45%. The importance of getting the booster shots has never been greater. ...

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Germany's national broadcaster DW.com looks into the details of the vaccination drive in countries around the world, including Germany, and finds that there is more to the story than meets the eye in headlines about safety in vaccinations. Many headlines do not tell the whole story carefully. DW revewed reports from Italy, Austria, South Korea, Germany, Spain, the USA, Norway, Belgium and Peru, and found that in most cases health authorites have not found causal links between the vaccination and deaths.  As of March 15 it says 360 million people have been vaccinated in 120 countries, or about 9.25 million a day.  DW.com cites the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) which states: 'there is no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine. Information available so far indicates that the number of thromboembolic events in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population." As of March 10, 2021 30 cases of blood clots are recorded for 5 million people vaccinated with Astra Zeneca vaccine in the European Economic Area.  The Paul Ehrlich Institute which is in charge of vaccination in Germany has looked into 113 reported deaths in 46 years to 100 years old patients in Germany. Of these 113 deaths PEI finds that 20 died of the Covid 19 infection as it takes 14 days after the second dose for full protection, and 43 died of pre-existing conditions or other infections. For the patient population it says "they were seriously ill patients with many underlying diseases." PEI says "based on the data we have we assume they died of their underlying disease- in a coincidental time with the vaccination." A virologist at the Technical University of Munich, says that the deaths after vaccination are below the expected number of deaths without the vaccination.  ...

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WSJ's Vibhuti Agarwal and Shan Li describe the situation of families in New Delhi during the coronavirus surge that is affecting India in April, 2021. WSJ says the outbreak in India has implications for the world- threatening to extend the duration of the pandemic into 2022, with the possibility of new mutations bringing new dangers from the virus. Public complacency, relaxation of restrictions and failures in compliance with covid protocols after weariness with the long social and economic isolation, elections, and the force of a new variant, have led to the situation in India, with over 300,000 cases of infections daily.

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French effort to "systematically" require use of face masks in office and work environments. The High Council for Public Health is asking the government to make it mandatory for face masks to be used in all office spaces starting in September to cut the rising coronavirus cases which have reached 3000 a day. They are already mandatory in public transport and in shops. There is a clear link in the contaminated air and the rise in cases.

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Is aging linear or non linear happening in spurts as life's events, a trauma, adversity, immunity levels covid infection or other infection take place in people's lives. Research leans to molecular changes that are linear for a white and then shift to nonlinear and in a spurt change the outcome of one's health. Living well involves being aware of such spurts and counteracting them with improved lifestyle behaviours in food, exercise, sleep and recreation.

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AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria says it is critical to do three things to prevent a possible third wave from becoming a serious threat in India. The three steps are- to adopt covid appropriate behaviours such as mask wearing, social distancing and washing hands and to not fall into the habit of thinking that the virus has gone away when it is spreading and developing into new mutations. To do testing, tracing and micro containment zones quickly to isolate infection prone areas and prevent transmission. Gene sequencing analysis would enable understanding variants quickly to respond. And to vaccinate rapidly the entire Indian population, a program which is being tackled by the federal government.

These tasks are critical also to let the economy recover and let all segments of society recover soon from the pandemic. It is through mutual responsibility and fulfilling one's duty by every citizen that this becomes possible.

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The P1 coronavirus variant from Brazil is seen in 200 of 877 cases in ski resort in Whistler, British Columbia. Helath officials have little knowledge of how this variant entered Canada's western province. This report says the housing shortage for hospitality workers is worsening the pandemic with 6-8 hospitality workers living together and no chance to limit the spread.   The decision by the state health officials not to screen with testing for which variant is responsible for an infection of covid is coming under criticism, as reported in The Guardian. This allows the variant to spread with no knowledge about where it is happening so that countermeasures can be taken. In the absence of this type of screening and testing one is flying blind, says this report. Recent steps to contain the spread in India advocated by prime minister Modi in India give micro-containment a big role, with screening and testing and detection of incidence of mutation becoming critical. To do this the health system has to be well prepared and have full support and direction from a unified authority bringing together every arm of government at the federal, state and local levels. Response has to be very quick and resource allocation proper from testing labs, people on the ground, vaccine supplies, and vaccination drive effective. ...

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Germany faces the possibility of a pandemic surge of the unvaccinated, something that is happening today in the southern United States.  For days the percentage of people that are fully vaccinated remains at 62%. Some vaccination centers are closed. A vaccination center outside the train station in Cologne offers passersby free vaccinations. Berlin's Social Democrat mayor Michael Muller is very frustrated. He says "I am now coming to a point where I think we have exhausted what we can do in politics."  At 62% the rate of fully vaccinated people in Germany is too low to prevent a surge of the Delta variant in the way that it has hit the southern US, and California. Vaccination rates of close to 85% are needed to tackle the risk of another surge in highly contagious delta variant. Not everyone remaining is die hard opposed to vaccines. The Robert Koch Institute estimate is that 5 to 10% of people are in that die hard category. The remaining 20-30 % are people who have various other concerns and fears, hesitancy, that may be changed.  The chairman of the World Medical Association Frank Ulrich Montgomery favors a vaccine mandate, what he calls a 2G rule, that should be introduced in Germany requiring vaccination to attend events, sports, restaurant visits, adopted nationwide. German government has rejected idea of mandatory vaccination of health personnel, that was adopted in France. Vaccination drives are regionally based. Some are ineffective such as the Deutsche Bahn train system vaccination drive for commuters that only had a few hundred doses of J&J vaccine and ran out quickly in Berlin. One prick J&J some say is better for vaccine skeptics. Vaccine skeptics think they may get away without getting covid infection. How does one get over this misconception? Others including members of the Greens party say vaccine needs to be delivered where people are- transit points, bus stops, doses offered in evening and early morning hours, trying new ways to reach people and inspire confidence. Germany now ranks behind France but ahead of Bulgaria in terms of vaccination percentage in September 2021, not a good situation. ...