Omicron
Can you get long COVID after an infection with omicron?
It’s too early to know for sure, but many doctors believe it’s possible to have long-term effects from the omicron variant of the virus.
Long COVID is usually diagnosed many weeks after a bout with COVID-19. Any long-lasting effects typically appear about 90 days after symptoms of the initial infection go away, Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said this week.
Overall, some estimates suggest more than a third of COVID-19 survivors will develop some symptoms of long COVID. Symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, anxiety and other problems. The lingering illness is more likely if you’ve been hospitalized with COVID-19, but research shows it can happen even after a mild infection.
Omicron began its race around the world late last year. The variant generally causes milder illness than the delta version of the coronavirus, but has still overwhelmed hospitals.
READ: Omicron may hit business confidence & economic recovery in Bangladesh: Survey
Van Kerkhove said she hasn’t seen any research indicating that the portion of COVID-19 survivors who get long COVID will change with the omicron variant.
Dr. Linda Geng of Stanford University, who co-directs one of the many clinics specializing in long COVID, said that though she can’t say for sure, a new wave of patients is likely.
“We have to be very cautious and very careful and prepared,” Geng said.
In the meantime, scientists are racing to figure out what’s behind the mysterious condition. Some theories? It may be an autoimmune disorder. Tiny microclots may be causing the disabling symptoms. Or perhaps latent viruses in the body have been reactivated.
READ: Bangladesh's Omicron tally rises to 187
Scientists are also looking at whether vaccines could be part of the answer. A Yale University team is studying the possibility that vaccination might reduce long COVID symptoms. And two other studies offer early evidence that being vaccinated before getting COVID-19 could help prevent the lingering illness or at least reduce its severity.
Bangladesh's Omicron tally rises to 187
The cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 have jumped to 187 in Bangladesh with the detection of 81 fresh infections till Monday, according to GISAID, a primary source that provides open access to genomic data of Coronavirus.
The latest cases were detected at the lab of PRAVA Health that was later submitted by Genomic Research Lab of Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) on Sunday.
Read:Omicron amps up concerns about long COVID and its causes
Bangladesh reported its first two Omicron cases on December 11 last year in two members of the Bangladesh women's cricket team that had been forced to return early from the ICC Women's World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, deep in southern Africa, where the most transmissible variant of SARS-CoV-2 till now is believed to have originated.
The newly detected sub-variant of Omicron, the South African variant of coronavirus, can be even more contagious, warned the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Citing various studies, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that this sub-variant, which has already been detected in 57 countries, might be more contagious than before and if it is more infectious it may create greater risks, DGHS spokesperson Dr Md Nazmul Islam said at the daily briefing on Covid-19 situation on February 2.
Read: Follow health guidelines; new Omicron to be more contagious: DGHS
There is no alternative to abiding by the health protocols to stay safe, the official added.
A different COVID-19 vaccine debate: Do we need new ones?
COVID-19 vaccines are saving an untold number of lives, but they can’t stop the chaos when a hugely contagious new mutant bursts on the scene, leading people to wonder: Will we need boosters every few months? A new vaccine recipe? A new type of shot altogether?
That’s far from settled, but with the shots still doing their main job many experts are cautioning against setting too high a bar.
“We need collectively to be rethinking what is the goal of vaccination,” said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, infectious disease chief at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. “It’s unrealistic ... to believe that any kind of vaccination is going to protect people from infection, from mild symptomatic disease, forever.”
If the goal is preventing serious illness, “we may not need to be doing as much fine-tuning of the vaccines every time a new variant comes.”
The virus is essentially shape-shifting as it mutates, with no way to know how bad the next variant will be. Already a sub-strain of omicron bearing its own unique mutations is circulating. Research is underway to create next-generation vaccines that might offer broader protection against future mutants -- but they won’t be ready anytime soon.
Read: Omicron drives US deaths higher than in fall’s delta wave
The immediate solution: Getting today’s shots into more arms will “reduce the opportunities for the virus to mutate and spawn new Greek letters that we then have to worry about,” said Jennifer Nuzzo of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
WHY IMMUNITY ISN’T PERFECT
The job of blocking infection falls to antibodies, which form after either vaccination or a prior bout with COVID-19, ready to fight back the next time someone’s exposed.
One problem: Mutations change the appearance of the spike protein that covers the coronavirus much like a crook switches disguises to evade capture. That’s why omicron was more able to slip past that first defense than earlier variants -- its spike coating was harder for existing antibodies to recognize.
Also, the immune system isn’t designed to be in a constant state of high alert, so the antibodies that fend off infection do wane over time. Several months after two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, people had little protection against an omicron infection — a result of both waning antibodies and the variant’s mutation.
Thankfully, different immune system soldiers called T cells are key to prevent an infection from turning into severe illness — and that protection is lasting longer because T cells are recognizing other parts of the virus that don’t mutate as easily.
A THIRD DOSE MATTERS
After a booster, protection against symptomatic disease from omicron is about 70% -- not as good as the 94% protection seen with earlier variants that more closely matched the vaccine yet highly effective. Importantly, the booster also further strengthened protection against serious illness.
Researchers are closely tracking if infection-fighting antibodies stick around longer after a third dose -- but at some point, those levels are guaranteed to wane again. So-called memory cells can make more the next time the body senses they’re needed.
Still, Israel is offering a fourth dose to some people, including those 60 and older, and mulling giving the additional booster to all adults.
The debate is whether repeated boosting really is the best approach — especially since scary new variants are less likely to form once more of the world’s population gets initial vaccinations.
Endless boosting just to keep antibody levels constantly high is “not a public health strategy that works,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Pfizer and Moderna are testing omicron-specific boosters in some American adults, although it’s far from clear if authorities would abandon a vaccine recipe proven to save lives for a tweaked version in hopes of fewer breakthrough infections. Brewing a single shot with two kinds of vaccine is technically possible but, again, they’d have to prove the mixture doesn’t weaken the original protection against severe illness.
NEW APPROACHES IN THE PIPELINE
Whatever happens with omicron, it’s clear the coronavirus is here to stay and the U.S. National Institutes of Health is funding about $43 million in projects to develop so-called “pan-coronavirus” vaccines that promise to protect against more than one type. One possibility: Nanoparticles that carry pieces of spike proteins from four to eight different versions of the virus rather than the single type in today’s vaccines.
It’s a tantalizing idea, but NIH infectious diseases chief Dr. Anthony Fauci called it a years-long endeavor. “I don’t want anyone to think that pan-coronavirus vaccines are literally around the corner,” he said.
A possibly more direct approach: Creating COVID-19 vaccines that can be squirted into the nose to form antibodies ready to fight the virus right where we first encounter it. Nasal vaccines are harder to develop than injected versions but attempts are underway, including a large study just announced by India’s Bharat Biotech.
Read:Third COVID wave looms in Indonesia as omicron spreads
PROTECTION VARIES GLOBALLY
Complicating any possible change to vaccine strategy is the grim reality that only 10% of people in low-income countries have received at least one vaccine dose. Also, recent studies show that some types of vaccines used around the world appear easier than others for omicron to evade, meaning booster strategies may need to be tailored.
Yale University researchers found no omicron-targeted antibodies in the blood of people given two doses of vaccine made by China’s Sinovac. Following those initial shots with a Pfizer booster -- a very different kind of vaccine -- helped but not enough, only increasing antibody levels to the amount seen by Pfizer recipients who didn’t get a booster.
Overshadowing all of these questions is that “we don’t know how to predict the next strain,” said Dr. Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University, a former Food and Drug Administration vaccine chief. He wants to see a global strategy that defines the trigger for any vaccine change. “Otherwise we are going to have a confused public, again.”
Omicron amps up concerns about long COVID and its causes
More than a year after a bout with COVID-19, Rebekah Hogan still suffers from severe brain fog, pain and fatigue that leave her unable to do her nursing job or handle household activities.
Long COVID has her questioning her worth as a wife and mother.
“Is this permanent? Is this the new norm?” said the 41-year-old Latham, New York, woman, whose three children and husband also have signs of the condition. “I want my life back.’’
More than a third of COVID-19 survivors by some estimates will develop such lingering problems. Now, with omicron sweeping across the globe, scientists are racing to pinpoint the cause of the bedeviling condition and find treatments before a potential explosion in long COVID cases.
Could it be an autoimmune disorder? That could help explain why long COVID-19 disproportionately affects women, who are more likely than men to develop autoimmune diseases. Could microclots be the cause of symptoms ranging from memory lapses to discolored toes? That could make sense, since abnormal blood clotting can occur in COVID-19.
As these theories and others are tested, there is fresh evidence that vaccination may reduce the chances of developing long COVID.
It’s too soon to know whether people infected with the highly contagious omicron variant will develop the mysterious constellation of symptoms, usually diagnosed many weeks after the initial illness. But some experts think a wave of long COVID is likely and say doctors need to be prepared for it.
Read:Third COVID wave looms in Indonesia as omicron spreads
With $1 billion from Congress, the National Institutes of Health is funding a vast array of research on the condition. And clinics devoted to studying and treating it are popping up around the world, affiliated with places such as Stanford University in California and University College London.
WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?
Momentum is building around a few key theories.
One is that the infection or remnants of the virus persist past the initial illness, triggering inflammation that leads to long COVID.
Another is that latent viruses in the body, such as the Epstein-Barr virus that causes mononucleosis, are reactivated. A recent study in the journal Cell pointed to Epstein-Barr in the blood as one of four possible risk factors, which also include pre-existing Type 2 diabetes and the levels of coronavirus RNA and certain antibodies in the blood. Those findings must be confirmed with more research.
A third theory is that autoimmune responses develop after acute COVID-19.
In a normal immune response, viral infections activate antibodies that fight invading virus proteins. But sometimes in the aftermath, antibodies remain revved up and mistakenly attack normal cells. That phenomenon is thought to play a role in autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis.
Justyna Fert-Bober and Dr. Susan Cheng were among researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles who found that some people who have had COVID-19, including cases without symptoms, have a variety of these elevated “autoantibodies” up to six months after recovering. Some are the same ones found in people with autoimmune diseases.
Another possibility is that tiny clots play a role in long COVID. Many COVID-19 patients develop elevated levels of inflammatory molecules that promote abnormal clotting. That can lead to blood clots throughout the body that can cause strokes, heart attacks and dangerous blockages in the legs and arms.
In her lab at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, scientist Resia Pretorius has found microclots in blood samples from patients with COVID-19 and in those who later developed long COVID. She also found elevated levels of proteins in blood plasma that prevented the normal breakdown of these clots.
She believes that these clotting abnormalities persist in many patients after an initial coronavirus infection and that they reduce oxygen distribution to cells and tissue throughout the body, leading to most if not all symptoms that have been linked to long COVID.
IT CAN HIT NEARLY ANYONE
While there’s no firm list of symptoms that define the condition, the most common include fatigue, problems with memory and thinking, loss of taste and smell, shortness of breath, insomnia, anxiety and depression.
Some of these symptoms may first appear during an initial infection but linger or recur a month or more later. Or new ones may develop, lasting for weeks, months or over a year.
Because so many of the symptoms occur with other illnesses, some scientists question whether the coronavirus is always the trigger. Researchers hope their work will provide definitive answers.
Long COVID affects adults of all ages as well as children. Research shows it is more prevalent among those who were hospitalized, but also strikes a significant portion who weren’t.
Retired flight attendant Jacki Graham’s bout with COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic wasn’t bad enough to put her in the hospital. But months later, she experienced breathlessness and a racing heart. She couldn’t taste or smell. Her blood pressure shot up.
In the fall of 2020, she became so fatigued that her morning yoga would send her back to bed.
“I’m an early riser, so I’d get up and push myself, but then I was done for the day,” said Graham, 64, of Studio City, California. “Six months ago, I would have told you COVID has ruined my life.”
Hogan, the New York nurse, also wasn’t hospitalized with COVID-19 but has been debilitated since her diagnosis. Her husband, a disabled veteran, and children ages 9, 13 and 15 fell ill soon after and were sick with fever, stomach pains and weakness for about a month. Then all seemed to get a little better until new symptoms appeared.
Hogan’s doctors think autoimmune abnormalities and a pre-existing connective tissue disorder that causes joint pain may have made her prone to developing the condition.
POTENTIAL ANSWERS
There are no treatments specifically approved for long COVID, though some patients get relief from painkillers, drugs used for other conditions, and physical therapy. But more help may be on the horizon.
Immunobiologist Akiko Iwasaki is studying the tantalizing possibility that COVID-19 vaccination might reduce long COVID symptoms. Her team at Yale University is collaborating with a patient group called Survivor Corps on a study that involves vaccinating previously unvaccinated long COVID patients as a possible treatment.
Iwasaki, who is also an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which supports The Associated Press’ Health and Science Department, said she is doing this study because patient groups have reported improvement in some people’s long COVID symptoms after they got their shots.
Study participant Nancy Rose, 67, of Port Jefferson, New York, said many of her symptoms waned after she got vaccinated, though she still has bouts of fatigue and memory loss.
Two recently released studies, one from the U.S. and one from Israel, offer preliminary evidence that being vaccinated before getting COVID-19 could help prevent the lingering illness or at least reduce its severity. Both were done before omicron emerged.
Read: Omicron drives US deaths higher than in fall’s delta wave
Neither has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, but outside experts say the results are encouraging.
In the Israeli study, about two-thirds of participants received one or two Pfizer shots; the others were unvaccinated. Those who had received two shots were at least half as likely to report fatigue, headache, muscle weakness or pain and other common long COVID symptoms as the unvaccinated group.
UNCERTAIN FUTURE
With few clear answers yet, the future is murky for patients.
Many, like Graham, see improvement over time. She sought help through a long COVID program at Cedars-Sinai, enrolled in a study there in April 2021, and was vaccinated and boosted.
Today, she said, her blood pressure is normal, and her sense of smell and energy level are getting closer to pre-COVID levels. Still, she wound up retiring early because of her ordeal.
Hogan still struggles with symptoms that include agonizing nerve pain and “spaghetti legs,” or limbs that suddenly become limp and unable to bear weight, a condition that also affects her 13-year-old son.
Some scientists worry that long COVID in certain patients might become a form of chronic fatigue syndrome, a poorly understood, long-lasting condition that has no cure or approved treatment.
One thing’s for sure, some experts say: Long COVID will have a huge effect on individuals, health care systems and economies around the world, costing many billions of dollars.
Even with insurance, patients can be out thousands of dollars at a time when they’re too sick to work. Graham, for example, said she paid about $6,000 out of pocket for things like scans, labs, doctor visits and chiropractic care.
Pretorius, the scientist in South Africa, said there is real worry things could get worse.
“So many people are losing their livelihoods, their homes. They can’t work anymore,” she said. “Long COVID will probably have a more severe impact on our economy than acute COVID.”
Bangladesh's Omicron tally now stands 106
The cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 have jumped to 106 in Bangladesh, with 37 more infections being detected till Sunday, according to GISAID, a primary source that provides open access to genomic data of Coronavirus.
The latest cases were detected at the lab of PRAVA Health that was later submitted by Genomic Research Lab of Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR).
Read: Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 29 more deaths with 8,345 fresh infections
On January 23, five more cases were found to be Omicron positive, pushing the tally of the new Coronavirus variant, through highly time-consuming and scarcely available genomic sequencing, to 69.
Bangladesh reported its first two Omicron cases on December 11 last year in two members of the Bangladesh women's cricket team that had been forced to return early from the ICC Women's World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, deep in southern Africa, where the most transmissible variant of SARS-CoV-2 till now is believed to have originated.
Omicron is gradually replacing Delta through community transmission in Bangladesh, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said on January 21.
The variant is spreading at the community level, and its symptoms have similarities with that of seasonal flu, DGHS spokesperson Dr Md Nazmul Islam said.
Covid situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged 29 more Covid-linked deaths with 8,345 fresh cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
The daily positivity rate slightly declined to 21.50 from Saturday’s 23.83 percent after testing 38,247 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,589 while the caseload mounted to 1,861,532.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained static at 1.54 percent.
Read: Follow health guidelines; new Omicron to be more contagious: DGHS
However, the recovery rate slightly increased to 86.09 percent with the recovery of 8,159 more patients during the 24-hour period.
In January, the country reported 322 Covid-linked deaths and 2,13,294 new cases while 19,112 recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS.
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its earlier highest daily positivity rate at 33.37% reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.
Global Covid cases top 387 million
The overall number of Covid cases has surpassed 387 million as Omicron infections keep rising across the globe.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 387,549,471 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,710,191 Friday morning.
The US has recorded 75,954,167 cases so far and 896,496 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.
Russia has confirmed 155,768 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the highest daily increase to date, taking the nationwide tally to 12,284,564, the official monitoring and response centre said on Thursday.
The nationwide death toll increased by 667 to 333,357, while the number of recoveries increased by 10,337,008 to 10,390,732
Also read: Aid reaching disaster-hit Tonga brings first virus outbreak
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 41,950,501 Thursday, as 147,183 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, the federal health ministry's latest data showed.
Besides, 1,100 deaths from the pandemic since Wednesday morning took the total death toll to 500,087.
Meanwhile, Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since last January, registered 26,099,735 cases as of Tuesday, while its Covid death toll rose to 630,001.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported 33 more Covid-linked deaths with 11,596 fresh cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
The daily positivity rate further dropped to 25.86% from Wednesday's 27.43% after testing 44,843 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
On Wednesday, Bangladesh reported 36 more Covid-linked deaths with 12,193 fresh cases.
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,494 while the caseload mounted to 1,835,776.
Among the new deceased, 22 were men and 11 women.
Eighteen deaths were reported in Dhaka division, while six in Khulna, four in Rajshahi, two each in Chattogram and Sylhet, and one in Rangpur divisions.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate further declined to 1.55%.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 33 more deaths with 11,596 fresh infections
However, the recovery rate also declined to 86.13% with the recovery of 5,955 more patients during the 24-hour period.
In January, the country reported 322 Covid-linked deaths and 2,13,294 new cases while 19,112 recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS.
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its earlier highest daily positivity rate at 33.37% reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.
Bangladesh’s total tally of Omicron cases reached 69 with the detection of five more cases till January 23, according to GISAID, a global initiative on sharing all influenza data.
On December 9 last year, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing.
The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.
Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.
Follow health guidelines; new Omicron to be more contagious: DGHS
The newly detected sub-variant of Omicron, the South African variant of coronavirus, can be even more contagious, warned the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
There is no alternative to abiding by the health protocols to stay safe, DGHS spokesperson Dr Md Nazmul Islam said at the daily briefing on Covid-19 situation on Wednesday.
Read: DGHS shortens isolation period for Covid patients to 10 days
Nazmul Islam said the sub-variant of Omicron has already been detected in 57 countries in the world.
Citing various studies, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that this sub-variant might be more contagious than before and if it is more infectious it may create greater risks, the official added.
Nazmul said it is necessary to act responsibly, including following the hygiene rules, so that the number of infected people cannot increase further.
The pressure on the ICU, HDU and oxygen supply in hospitals will increase with the rise in the number of patients. "We’re ready to tackle this pressure," said the official.
Central oxygen lines have already been set up in 119 hospitals and more than 29,000 oxygen cylinders, 2,000 high-flow nasal cannula and 2,300 Oxygen concentrators are being used, he said.
"If we look at Covid-linked deaths as per age, the highest number of deaths was reported among people of the 61-70 age group," he said.
Meanwhile, as per division-wise deaths, the highest 12,451 deaths were reported in Dhaka division which is more than 43.80 per cent of the total deaths.
Read: Omicron replacing Delta through community transmission: DGHS
Besides, Dr Nazmul added that efforts are on to find out how many people among the deceased were vaccinated and how many not.
In January, the country reported 322 Covid-linked deaths and 73% of them were unvaccinated, said Dr Nazmul.
Among the 322 deaths during the period, 234 were unvaccinated patients while 18 received the first dose, 68 the second dose and 2 the third dose, he added.
Global Covid cases top 377 million
The overall number of Covid cases has surpassed 377 million as Omicron infections keep rising across the globe.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 377,870,012 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,672,065 Tuesday morning.
The US has recorded 74,928,013 cases so far and 886,627 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 41,466,711 on Monday, as 209,918 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.
Also read: Global Covid cases top 374 million amid Omicron spread
Besides, as many as 940 deaths were recorded since Sunday morning, taking the toll to 496,268.
Meanwhile, Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since last January, registered 25,454,105 cases as of Sunday, while its Covid death toll rose to 627,365.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged 31 more Covid-related deaths, with 13,501 fresh cases in 24 hours till Monday morning.
The daily positivity rate rose again to 29.77% from Sunday’s 28.33% after testing 45,358 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
On Sunday, Bangladesh saw its highest fatalities in the past four months -- 34 deaths with 12,183 fresh cases.
The country last reported 31 Covid-related deaths on September 28 last year, with 1,310 cases, taking the positivity rate to 4.49%.
On Friday, Bangladesh logged its earlier highest daily positivity rate at 33.37% reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,394 while the caseload mounted to 1,798,833.
Also read: Bangladesh reports 31 more deaths as Covid havoc continues
Of the 140 deaths recorded from January 24 to January 30, some 22.1% received Covid vaccines while 77.9% did not, the DGHS said.
Among the new deceased, 20 were men and 11 women.
Sixteen deaths were reported in Dhaka division while five in Khulna, three each in Rangpur and Mymensingh, two in Chattogram, and one each in Rajshahi, and Sylhet divisions.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate further declined to 1.58%.
However, the recovery rate also declined to 87.18% with the recovery of 2,568 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Omicron Cases
Bangladesh’s total tally of Omicron cases reached 69 with the detection of five more cases till January 23, according to GISAID, a global initiative on sharing all influenza data.
On December 9 last year, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing.
The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 infections, since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.
Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.
Global Covid cases top 374 million amid Omicron spread
The overall number of Covid cases has surpassed 374 million as Omicron infections keep rising in different parts of the globe.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 374,326,707 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,662,721 Monday morning.
The US has recorded 74,332,396 cases so far and 884,260 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.
Read:175 officials including MD of Barapukuria Coal Mine contract Covid; coal extraction suspended
Russia’s daily count of new coronavirus infections surged to more than 121,000 on Sunday, an eightfold increase compared with the beginning of the month as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads through the country, reports AP.
The state coronavirus task force reported 121,288 new infections over the past 24 hours — an all-time high and 8,000 more than a day earlier. The country’s infection numbers have rocketed since early January, when only about 15,000 new cases per day were tallied.
The task force said 668 people died of COVID-19 in the past day, bring Russia’s total fatality count for the pandemic to 330,728, by far the largest in Europe.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 41,092,522 on Sunday, as 234,281 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.
Besides, as many as 893 deaths were recorded since Saturday morning, taking the death toll to 494,091.
Meanwhile, Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since last January, registered 25,360,647 cases as of Friday, while its Covid death toll rose to 627,150.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported 34 more Covid-linked deaths, the highest in four months, with 12,183 fresh cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
The daily positivity rate further dropped to 28.33 per cent from Saturday's 31.10 per cent after testing 43,266 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,363 while the caseload mounted to 1,785,332.
Read: In its peak, Covid wave may continue for another 2 weeks in Bangladesh: Experts
Among the new deceased, 19 were men and 15 women.
Twenty-two deaths were reported in Dhaka division while five in Chattogram, four in Rajshahi, two in Mymensingh and one in Sylhet divisions.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate further declined to 1.59 per cent.
However, the recovery rate also declined to 87.69 per cent with the recovery of 2,167 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Third COVID wave looms in Indonesia as omicron spreads
Indonesia is bracing for a third wave of COVID-19 infections as the highly transmissible omicron variant drives a surge in new cases, health authorities and experts said Saturday.
The country reported 11,588 new confirmed infections and 17 deaths on Saturday in the last 24-hour period. It was the highest daily caseload since August when Indonesia was struggling to contain a delta-driven wave.
Indonesia had recovered from last year’s spike that was among the worst in the region, and daily infections had fallen to about 200 by December. But cases are rising again just weeks after the country reported its first local omicron transmission.
READ: Police: Fire, clash at nightclub kill 19 people in Indonesia
“The upsurge will be extremely fast. ... We will see a sharp rise in the near future,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a news conference Friday, adding that the current wave would likely peak at the end of February or in early March.
He said the government dedicated more beds for COVID-19 patients, ramped up tracing and testing and intensified vaccinations in all regions. But some health experts doubt the measures will be enough given the lax enforcement.
Bed occupancy rates in the capital, Jakarta, the epicenter of the omicron outbreak, rose from 5% in early January to 45% on Saturday, said Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria. He said “omicron is moving too quickly” in the city, where more than 80% of the 10 million residents have been vaccinated.
Bed occupancy rates in the capital, Jakarta, the epicenter of the omicron outbreak, rose from 5% in early January to 45% on Saturday, said Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria. He said “omicron is moving too quickly” in the city, where more than 80% of the 10 million residents have been vaccinated.
READ: Strong quake shakes Indonesia’s capital; no tsunami alert