COVID 19 UPDATES

The following comment inspired the blogmaster to expand the focus on data collection and discussion about the COVID 19 pandemic. Thanks to @Lyall@Amit

Blogmaster

David; re. your 4:41 am post;

You are correct but I have indeed considered that cohort of the population.

The reason that the US experts are beating the drum for testing, testing and more testing is to get a handle on what proportion of the general public has been compromised by the virus in any way and has left its signatures in body fluids including blood in the population. The virus is shed from the infected body as the disease is brought under control. When it is controlled it has been found that it takes around 7 days for all particles to be shed from the body. Infected persons are released back into the community when they test negative twice over a period of 2 days.

Barbados, like all of our island neighbours, did or does not have access to large numbers of tests and had to use what we had very sparingly. Thus, the only measure that we had for gauging the incidence of the virus in the population (and a very imperfect one, at that) might be by comparing the evidence of infection levels hinted at by a comparison of the graphs of the progress of the various Covid-19 outbreaks in our Islands.

Most of the world was in the same position as the Caribbean and used the data obtained by the minimal testing of infected people and their contacts and their contacts to produce the graphs we see on such sites as WHO and Worldometer etc. All these graphs give an imperfect picture and significant underestimation of infection levels in the county or country in which the tests are carried out, but, since they are carried out in the same way in each country they might provide some rationale for guesstimating the comparative levels of the infection in various groups of countries.

The data shows that, starting out at essentially the same levels, there was some divergence in relation to the rate of infection and therefore progress of the various outbreaks in various countries. The graphs for Barbados showed low and declining levels of infection from the beginning, peaking at the level of 13 positive cases per day and thereafter showing a slowly declining trend. The individuals who would have contributed to the declining trend would have been primarily from the contact testing but should also have included other individuals referred by Health professionals or who presented themselves to Government institutions because of concern that their symptoms might point to untimely death due to the dread Covid-19.

Amit, in an earlier post on this blog, reported on his initiative of graphing Covid-19 incidence over weekly periods throughout the epidemic, in several Caribbean Islands. If David thinks it is appropriate and Amit agrees I can post a subset of graphs clipped from his data for 6 Caribbean territories which I think could illustrate some of what I have presented above.

Covid 19

There was 1 more positive case announced today as well as 1 death. A slight uptick of the daily cases line is indicated in the graph by the blue line. The total cumulative number of positive cases from the tests carried out yesterday is 76 – Llyall Small

COVID 19

Attached is the updated C-19 graph for 2020-04-23. There were no additional positive cases from yesterday’s tests and therefore cumulative positive cases remain at 76 – Lyall Small

covid10

covid12

Two new positive cases were identified from yesterday’s tests. There are now 5 cases of contacts with a previously identified individual. The 5 cases are workers from a Government Institution. Tests are ongoing today (25 April 2020) – Lyall Small

Covid11

Updated graph for 26 April 2020. No new +ve cases were found. Cumulative count is still 79 – Lyall Small

covid13

There was one additional +ve case identified today (27 April 2020) from the last tranche of NAB workers moving the cumulative total cases to 80. The graph is still essentially trending downwards – Lyallsmall

Covid-Cumulative 1

Graphing Covid-19 incidence in several Caribbean Islands – Source data: caribbeansignal.com

3,443 thoughts on “COVID 19 UPDATES”


  1. There were 543 new COVID-19 cases, 252 males and 291 females, recorded on Monday, April 11, from the 1 666 tests carried out by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.

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  2. The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory identified 389 new COVID-19 cases,, from the 1 264 tests carried out on Tuesday, April 12.

    389 from 1264

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  3. The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory identified 392 new COVID-19 cases, 159 males and 233 females, from the 1 384 tests carried out on Thursday, April 14.

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  5. RE Coronavirus Persisting in Feces Offers Clues to Long Covid Cause

    JOHN KNOX THE TWO TIME BARBADOS SCHOLARSHIP WINNER SAID THAT HERE ON BU MONTHS AGO AND HE WAS
    MOCKED BY THE BU BETZPAENIC BRIMBLERS.

    IGNORANCE IS CERTANLY BLISS

    WE ALSO HAVE AN EPEDIMIOLOGIST PONTIFICATING…ONE WONDERS HOW MANY PATIENTS HE HAS EVER TREATED FOR ANYTHING …..OR HOW MANY EPIDEMICS PR PAN DEMICS HE HAS EVER MANAGED

    COME ON FELLAS
    1- WASH YUH HANDS
    2- WEAR YOUR MASKS
    3 GET THE JAB ONCE TWICE THRICE AND THEN BOOST UP
    4- JUST DO AS YOU ARE TOLD AND DEN COCK UP AND DED WID DE VIRUS ANYWAY
    OH I NEARLY FORGET STUDY THE EPEDIMIOLOGISTS STATISTICS
    BARE MOCK SPORT IN THE RUM SHOP
    SEEMS I MUSSEE MISS SOMETING IN BOTH MY SOJOURNS IN MEDICAL SCHOOL

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  6. Enclosed are updated graphs. The daily numbers seen this week look bad on face value but they are showing some signs of beginning to peak, especially as the Ro 7-day Reproductive numbers are staying relatively static at around 1.1 this week and Deaths are fluctuating at a relatively low level while Positivity numbers are relatively high, reflecting high Covid-19 levels in the persons who are being tested. Official Isolations are also gradually increasing but at a much lower rate than was evidenced in the earlier Omicron peak which took over from the Delta variant. The new Omicron BA.2 sub variant has now been confirmed to have taken over from the earlier BA.1 as I had conjectured in an earlier post. Its official status here was reported in the Press yesterday. Perhaps the high replacement level might be a blessing in disguise as it might hopefully portend a relatively rapid peaking and subsequent plateauing reduction as Barbados’ Covid status transitions to that of a low level Endemic disease- Source: Lyall Small

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  9. Fines for people who fail to wear mask
    Barbados has officially introduced a ticketing system for people not wearing masks in public spaces.
    It could cost those in breach as little as a $100 fine, or as much as $50 000 or a year in prison if the money is not paid in two weeks.
    The new system comes at a time Barbados has identified the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron as the most prevalent in the country, and one which has led to a significant surge in COVID-19 cases.
    The BA.2 variant is highly infectious, and earlier this month led to Barbados’ positivity rate surpassing 28 per cent.
    In a statement released by the Barbados Government Information Service
    yesterday, it was announced that under the new Emergency Management (COVID-19 Protocols) Directive, people may now receive a fixed penalty notice for not wearing a face mask in a public building, public place, or while travelling on a public service vehicle or other public transport, whether as a driver, conductor or passenger.
    Fixed penalty of $100
    Paragraph 33 of the directive states that a member of the Barbados Police Service may inform an individual that “if he does not wish to be prosecuted for the alleged offence in court, he may pay to the clerk of the Magistrates’ Court in the district in which the offence was committed, the fixed penalty of $100 specified in the fixed penalty notice, within the time specified in the notice . . .”.
    It added that a fixed penalty is payable within 14 days from the date of the notice.
    “Where a person upon
    whom a fixed penalty notice is served fails to pay the fixed penalty within the time specified in the notice, the duplicate sent to the Magistrates’ Court . . . shall constitute a charge brought against the person named therein, and the person shall be dealt with according to the law and shall be liable to the penalty specified in Paragraph 32,” the directive explained.
    Anyone who contravenes the directive or fails to comply with any protocol specified by the Chief Medical Officer is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $50 000 or to imprisonment for a term of one year or to both.
    Guilty of an offence
    The fixed penalty notice will be signed by a member of the Barbados Police Service and will state the date, time and place of service of the notice; the provision of the directive creating the offence alleged, and the particulars of the offence as required under the directive; the amount of the fixed penalty, and the time within which the fixed penalty may be paid.
    A person who refuses to answer or who gives a false name or a false address is also guilty of an offence.
    People with a reasonable explanation may be exempted from the wearing of masks under specific conditions as outlined under Paragraph 21 (8) of the directive. For example, by reason of any medical, physical or mental illness or disability when exercising, taking medication, and eating or drinking, among other listed provisions.
    The new directive was issued on April 14 and runs until April 30.
    (BA/PR)

    Source: Nation

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  10. Positivity rate does not matter. That can be manipulated up or down by testing.

    The rate of positive people requiring true hospital care is all that matters.

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    • @CA

      You have been an advocate for the government to build and share more robust comprehensive analytics. Wouldn’t including all data sources available assist with correlation analysis etc even if it helps with procurement of supplies?


  11. That is not what John Knox said. John Knox said that it was in the drinking water.

    Some of us believe that drinking water is different from flood water, waste water or sewage. And I doubt anyone is knowingly drinking water with feces in it.

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  12. I know that you heard of the false starts. What you may not be aware of, is that some folks try to take a victory lap whisky the race is still ongoing.

    I have not read anything stating that covid-19 is present in drinking water. It could happen, but it would represent a failure in the cleaning process.

    Let’s try to keep the discussion honest. You may get a victory lap, but not yet.

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  13. The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory identified 302 new COVID-19 cases from the 840 tests conducted on Monday, April 18.

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  15. @David April 17, 2022 6:57 AM

    My main grouse has to do with the health authorities providing the data not giving us, especially in writing, details on their definitions of the terms they use, methodology used to gather the stats and properly explaining the source data they used to arrive at their decisions. I’ll give two glaring examples:

    1) Our true COVID case numbers are the persons who passed thru primary or secondary or died at home from COVID symptoms. What is a COVID case and how does diagnosing it differ from a case for any other virus?

    Never in our history have we tested people without symptoms for a virus and said they had the disease even though they had no symptoms. Anyone who gets a test and is PCR positive regardless of whether they have symptoms or not is defined as a COVID case. If we were to that for the Flu, that doctor would be in trouble for malpractise because presence of a virus dos not mean you automatically have the disease.

    2) Why do we still have a mask mandate and have gone the other way now and added fines. Science, studies and statistics show cloth and surgical masks have almost no effect on airborne respiratory viruses like COVID i.e. COVID spreads primarily through the air whereas flu spreads mostly by droplets. Masks help with flu but have next to no effect on COVID spread. Only professionally fitted N95 masks work against COVID.

    Health authorities will never bring forward proper statistics because it will show the measures caused all cause mortality to increase and less people would probably have died if they had done nothing and left it up to the people to decide for themselves. Not to mention the future increase in cancer rates and whatever long term effects show up from the particulates in the masks, long term re-breathing oxygen and whatever other fallout from the measure appear later

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    • @CA

      Agree public health officials have a responsibility to communicate information to the public that can withstand public scrutiny. Bear in mind there are many stakeholders who define ‘public’ wanting to use the information to inform decisions. And there is the matter of bolstering public confidence in a pandemic. It seems Barbados health officials followed global health directives on the matter of Covid 19. As you are aware several public health officials were accorded the highest national award and now wear the title honourable.


  16. CA
    WE NEED MORE STATISTICIANS AND EPEDIMIOLOGISTS AND POLITICIANS TO SOLVE THIS COVID THING IN BIMSHIRE
    WUH YOU TINK

    OUR PROBLEM IS WE NOT COUNTING THE CASES PROPERLY…YOU TINK?

    IF WE COUNT BETTER AND MAKE MORE GRAPHS AND PUT OUT MORE STATISTICS WEEKLY THEN THERE WOULD BE LESS CASES RIGHT? AND THIS WOULD BE STELLAR THERAPY RIGHT? I TRYING TO LEARN HERE.

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  17. I gave up on the stats ages ago.
    Vaccines delivered less than expected
    New variants
    Number of new cases increasing, number of tests decreasing.
    It is not the ball game that we started playing.

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  19. US updates Barbados to Level 1

    THE UNITED STATES has adjusted its travel advisory to Barbados, placing the island on Level 1 status and simply advising its citizens to take normal precautions when travelling here.
    It is a significant upgrade from the US government, which had previously placed Barbados on Level 4, where it warned Americans not to visit due to significantly high levels of the COVID-19 virus, but, should they, to be vaccinated against the viral illness.
    The latest advisory was updated on Easter Monday.
    According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Barbados still has high levels of COVID-19, but Americans were advised to exercise normal precautions. (BA/PR)

    Source: Nation

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  20. @ CA
    One does NOT emphasize ‘good communications’ when there are hidden agendas.

    This covid situation has been a scam from the very start, when the virus and its associated ‘vaccines’ were developed in labs long before simple minded BBs were ‘alerted’ to the pandemic.
    Our Local ‘authorities’ are merely saying WHAT THEY ARE TOLD TO SAY by The WHO /World Bank financiers who control our thoughts and these bodies are in turn controlled by the likes of Bill Gates and his consortium of wealthy demons.

    Any idiot can see the folly of the official line, ….and YET they persists with the folly…. a CLEAR sign of puppets at work…

    Most recent example is the idiot minister announcing boldly that the new position on fines for masks is actually doing citizens a favor … since the REAL penalty has been $50,000….
    HELLO!!! Did he know this during the recent cricket?
    What a JA!!!

    …but then he also said that things were GREAT at GIS at Dodds…..

    FACT!
    More persons – and YOUNGER persons – have been falling down dead for no apparent reason since we started vaccinations, than at any time in recent history….and CERTAINLY more than have ‘died from Covid’. The estimated increase in ALL CAUSE deaths in the USA is 40%, but based on Bushies OWN experience here with acquaintances and friends, it is more that that.

    Lotta shiite … but this is only the beginning.
    Coming soon to a clinic near you…. How to get UN-vaccinated…..

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  23. What would be good to see is an attempt to explain why there is an increase on the percentage of positive cases.
    Who is being tested?
    How are they identified.

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  25. Attached are charts for the week ending 22nd April 2022. The positivity and the raw cases charts show ongoing daily increases but these increases are not reflected in the Reproductive numbers (the Ro) chart which is now slightly above 1, nor the official Isolation numbers which are essentially steady at manageable levels. The protocols therefore appear to be working at this time

    – Source: Lyall Small

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    • @CA

      The article states a bit more than was interpreted by you.

      Virus may be ‘impacting heart’

      THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC could be having a serious impact on cardiovascular health in Barbados, says medical director of the Cardiac Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation Programme of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados Inc., Dr Dawn Scantlebury.
      On Saturday, following a church service at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Jemmotts Lane, St Michael, to commemorate the 37th anniversary of the organisation, she said cardiovascular disease was the No. 1 cause of death and the pandemic could be exacerbating the problem.
      “When I talk about cardiovascular diseases I am talking about heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure and stroke.
      Those are the things that are killing Barbadians and they are not decreasing. COVID-19 has not taken over by any means; COVID-19 has actually increased it,” said Scantlebury, who is an interventional cardiologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
      “Over the years with COVID-19, at least I as a cardiologist found that my patients stopped exercising. They stayed inside, put on weight and as soon as they came back out, I started seeing an uptick in heart disease and so on. And even during the peaks of the pandemic people were so fearful of coming to the doctor, they stayed at home and their diabetes and hypertension got worse.
      “This is anecdotal, I don’t have statistics, but I think all of my colleagues are feeling the pinch of COVID-19 as far as an increase in heart disease.”
      Scantlebury added that closer attention needed to be paid to this development as it did not augur well for the island’s health care system, which is already under pressure, and the economy.
      Challenges
      She said the organisation
      was focusing on behaviours that lead to cardiovascular challenges.
      She explained that people usually developed bad habits, such as abusing alcohol and other drugs, to deal with pressure or stress.
      The cardiologist said that while managing blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar was important, it was more critical to take a step back and assess why people were engaging in unhealthy behaviours.
      Chief executive officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados Inc. Michelle Daniel said this year’s theme was Healthy People For A Healthier Nation, and encouraged Barbadians to engage in at least one healthy activity each day.
      Minister of Health Ian Gooding-Edghill commended the organisation for the hard work it has been doing throughout years, adding that they played a critical role as one of the stakeholders in the health sector.
      (SB)


  28. In summary:
    The article says…
    1- Heart issues are the main killers:
    2 – They are NOT decreasing
    3 – It got worse after Covid
    and that..
    We need to understand why people are “engaging in unhealthy behaviors”

    The ONLY real facts here are that heart disease and stroke are (and always was) the KEY killers, and that they have NOT abated like “Covid deaths” did with Omicron …

    Questions.
    1 – What is the actual EXTENT of the increase, and what are the likely root causes?
    2 – What steps are we taking to understand exactly WHY this is occurring now? …and how to best respond.
    3. What are the ‘unhealthy behaviors’ inferred?
    4 – How come this has ALWAYS been a bigger issue than COVID, but YET the response is DIAMETRICALLY opposite?

    Every two damn days the bushman getting ’news’ of yet another (comparative youngster) who ‘up and dying just so’……
    No one else cares…?

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  29. The good doctor within her heart knows why but can’t say it out loud and will hide behind no available statistics and anecdotal accounts instead of saying their prettycols terrified the people that trusted them and hang on their word. I know old people who used to be active but were forced by their family to stay home and they died.

    There was absolutely no reason to tell people to stay indoors. The message should have been the opposite, go outside as much as possible and keep or start exercising as the stats from the start showed the overweight, unfit and those with NCDs were most at risk and the best way to address those are to get outside, get some sun, relax and do something.

    Now the chickens are coming home to roost but doctors will not complain too much, more business for their drug pushing ways.

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  30. Barbados recorded 323 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases from 1 092 tests conducted on Sunday, April 24.

    that is about 30% of people tested.

    How are these people treated .What medications are given?

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  32. QEH closes three wards
    THREE WARDS AT the Queen Elizabeth Hospital have been closed following the discovery of 13 COVID-19 cases among them in the past week.
    In a press release issued yesterday, the hospital’s management said its Infection Prevention and Control Department identified the 13 cases among inpatients on Wards B5, C5, and C6.
    “These patients were immediately isolated and subsequently transported to the Harrison Point Isolation Centre for continued care. Following the identification of COVID positive patients on the aforementioned wards, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has taken a strategic decision to temporarily close these wards to visitors to allow for routine quarantining and testing of other patients
    recuperating in these areas. Similarly, to further protect staff and patients, the QEH continues to follow all protocols with regard to the phased mass COVID-19 PCR testing of the employees assigned to these areas. Additionally, as is customary in these cases, the sanitisation of these patient care areas is also being conducted,” the statement read.
    It quoted Juliette Bynoe- Sutherland, executive chairman of the QEH; as assuring the public that “we are putting all the necessary measures in place to address the issue at hand, including using the expertise of Dr Corey Forde, who is leading our efforts”.
    Bynoe-Sutherland indicated that “the cooperation of staff, patients and the public are integral as the hospital seeks to implement the necessary infection prevention and control measures to arrest the spread”. ( PR/AC)

    Source: Nation

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  36. I lost interest in the numbers and have
    simple questions
    Who are they testing?
    Why are they testing them/how are they identified?
    Is it nationwide or just a few locations?

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  41. 4th wave hits

    Men and elderly feeling effects of newest variant
    by BARRY ALLEYNE
    barryalleyne@nationnews. com
    BARBADOS IS NOW in the midst of a fourth wave of the COVID-19 virus, fueled by the presence of the highly infectious BA.2 sub-variant.
    In addition, more Barbadians, especially men, are facing poorer outcomes after contracting the deadly viral illness, and elderly deaths are on the rise.
    This was confirmed yesterday by Chief Medical Officer, The Most Honourable Dr Kenneth George.
    George told the DAILY NATION public health officials remain concerned with the existing circumstances, even though their epidemiological data showed the current fourth wave is not as intense as last December when infections skyrocketed.
    “The situation with respect to transmission rates in Barbados continues to be high,” he said.
    “We are currently in the fourth wave based on our information, and the mean effective reproductive number (RE) is between 0.92 and 1, with a best estimate of 0.96. We want that to be less 1.”
    Cases doubling
    The public health specialist noted that cases are doubling every 17 days, which is of major concern to the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Yesterday, public health officials revealed that 621 new infections were recorded on Tuesday, from 1825 tests conducted by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory. Another person passed away, taking the country’s COVID-19 death tally to 401.
    George added the country’s positivity rate with a sevenday moving average was now between 31 and 32 per cent and remains high.
    “People are having poorer outcomes, especially the elderly. The median age for those dying now is 72 years old. Males are consistently more affected with poorer outcomes than females,” George also revealed.
    In producing the latest epidemiological figures, the chief medical officer also confirmed that the country’s 14-day cumulative rate of COVID-19 is 2 072 cases per 100 000 people in the population and 3667 per 100 000 in the population over a 28-day period, both worrying statistics.
    “What this all suggests is there is again evidence of community spread in Barbados, and poorer outcomes are seen within the elderly population. Unfortunately, for the last week we’ve had eight new deaths, all in the elderly, and this is a significant concern,” George said.
    Mask mandate
    Insisting that government would not be going back to lockdowns or restrictions of movement, the doctor said personal responsibility and adherence to the country’s continued mask-wearing mandate were key to getting out of the latest wave.
    He also advised younger Barbadians who live in residences with elderly people especially those with underlying conditions such as non-communicable diseases or cancer, to wear their masks even when at home. “Maskwearing in households where people are at risk is still a very good option, and a way to be responsible.”
    George also made an appeal for Barbadians over 50 to get a second booster shot, as the Ministry of Health had now endorsed that section of the population to get a fourth dose of any of the vaccinations available on the island.
    He noted that a second booster should be a must for people over 50 who were also dealing with co-morbidities or were immune compromised.
    “The new BA.2 variant is highly contagious, and from what we are seeing, if one member of a household is affected, then chances are the entire household could be affected.”
    George also reiterated that Barbadians who feel sick and may have come down with the virus need to contact authorities in better time, since many were still presenting too late, and that was exacerbating poorer outcomes.

    Source: Nation

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  42. Epidemiologist backs Booster shots as she Warns “full” vaccination Not adequate protection

    Article by Kareem Smith
    Published on
    May 5, 2022

    https://barbadostoday.bb/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Dr-Lynda-Williams-730×456.png

    As the number of daily recorded COVID-19 cases spiked over 600 on Wednesday, president of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) Dr Lynda Williams warned that neither “full” vaccination nor natural immunity will provide optimum protection from new sub-variants of the virus.

    The epidemiologist issued the warning as she also pointed out that people continued to succumb to the virus while others are suffering from its debilitating long-term effects.

    The latest COVID-19 update provided on Wednesday indicated that there were 621 new cases recorded from testing the previous day. It was also reported that 152,018 persons – about 56.1 per cent of the total population, or 66.6 per cent of the eligible population (those 12 years and older) – are now fully vaccinated.

    However, Dr Williams suggested that the “fully vaccinated” designation may require some adjustment.

    “The majority of countries are defining [fully vaccinated] as the two shots whenever they were received, but there are some countries that have decided to treat it like any vaccine and require that vaccines be up-to-date, meaning that you’ve had the shots and boosters according to what is currently recommended,” she told Barbados TODAY.

    Earlier this week, local public health officials announced that a second round of booster shots would be made available, despite underwhelming uptake of the first booster doses.

    Within scientific circles, it is widely accepted that immunity from the first two doses of COVID-19 vaccinations wanes significantly after six months. Nevertheless, persons who received their first two doses more than a year ago are considered “fully vaccinated”.

    On one hand, Dr Williams acknowledged that a decision to adjust the designation would have far-reaching implications for many COVID-19 protocols, including those for entry into the country.

    But she noted that the refusal to require booster shots for “fully vaccinated” designation would also bear implications for the health of the nation as new sub-variants of COVID arise.

    “If [the new variants] are able to evade immune systems, it would mean that having had COVID on one occasion will not protect you from having it again and having the vaccines that we had before may mean that we need more boosters to deal with the sub-variants,” the BAMP president said.

    “But it’s an evolving process and there is no one person or country that has the answers to these things, and certainly other international agencies – PAHO [Pan American Health Organisation], the WHO [World Health Organisation] and any other international agencies – are taking all of these things into consideration, because the pandemic is actually moving faster than we are able to keep up with it,” she added.

    On Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer of the National Cultural Foundation Carol Roberts-Reifer revealed a change in COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for participants in the Grand Kadooment and Foreday Morning jumps in this year’s Crop Over Festival.

    Fully vaccinated revellers will no longer have to be tested while unvaccinated revellers must present a negative rapid antigen test taken no more than 24 hours before the event.

    While Dr Williams said it was too early to make definitive pronouncements on the Crop Over protocols, she maintained that the previous protocol of vaccination and testing “made more sense” given the current vaccine designations.

    “To my mind, it would make more sense to make sure that people are vaccinated and tested,” said Williams.

    “There are definitely implications for that, but because of the ability of that fully vaccinated definition to mean that a person got two shots early last year, that does have implications going forward for where we are.

    “Of course, we always said that the vaccine does not prevent you from carrying the virus, it means that you would carry less of it if you are vaccinated. But because of the variation and when people got the vaccine, being vaccinated and tested before events makes more sense,” she added.

    Dr Williams also recommended that less invasive tests like the anterior nasal swabs and throat swabs be made available to the population.

    She stressed that although societies are learning to live with COVID, many are still dying daily while others are suffering from the long-term effects of the virus.

    “People are being made unable to work because they have long-COVID and this has economic implications as well. More NCDs [non-communicable diseases] are being diagnosed because people have COVID. There are people who need to be shielded who are being exposed all the time to COVID and they always have the risk of severe disease. So, it’s not something that we can just take and shrug over and say ‘no big deal’,” said Dr Williams.

    “It’s not just a cold, it’s not just a flu. This is something that has implications both now and in the future,” she added.
    kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

    Source: Barbados Today

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  44. Dr Williams should do us all a favor and shut her trap if she don’t know what the Hell she is talking about….
    If neither ‘full vaccination nor natural immunity’ is capable of providing protection, how does the answer get to be more BOOSTERS?
    Is this some kind of ‘trial and error’ scheme with the public’s health?
    This is the same joker who was on and on about universal testing and vaccination as THE solution – based ONLY on ‘studies’ done by the same demons who created the vaccines (and the market for them via the damn virus) like Pfizer.
    Steupsss…
    If you DON’T know …just say so, or at least HUSH!!….and leave the parroting to the PAHO puppets…

    At least Fauci has had the common decency to go away….but then he is not clueless … just wicked….and badly bruised by the scrutiny he has had to face.
    Bushie shudders to think of the price that Karma will extract from his donkey…

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    • Bajans ‘against mix’

      By Colville Mounsey
      colvillemounsey@nationnews.com

      The unavailability of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine may be hampering Barbados’ push to get people boosted in the midst of Barbados’ fourth wave of the virus.
      Joint coordinator of the Barbados National Vaccination Programme, Dr Elizabeth Ferdinand, told the Weekend Nation that some people were expressing reluctance to mix the vaccines they receive.
      She said that even though the science had shown it was perfectly safe for people to be boosted with Pfizer even though they were fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca, people preferred to wait until AstraZeneca is available.
      “People are still a little concerned. It is not something that we are accustomed to doing, mixing and matching, but this is a different disease and this is a different type of vaccine, so we have to use what we have. It has been safe so far and has been done all over the world. They actually say that it gives you a better boost, so it is safe,” she said.
      Barbados ran out of AstraZeneca in March when the last batch expired.
      Ferdinand said she was unhappy with the pace of uptake for boosters in recent months, with it being even slower in the last two weeks. She added this was especially concerning in light of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
      Last month she revealed that to close 100 000 people had not returned for their third shot from the 150 000 vaccinations performed.
      “I am not happy with the amount that are coming up for either last week or this week. I am encouraging more people to come forward to get their third shot and even those persons who have not had their first. We do not have any AstraZeneca, so the only vaccines we can offer for people who have had AstraZeneca before and want to have a booster is Pfizer. They can come and they can get their booster. I want to reassure people that it is safe to do so,” she said.
      Several attempts to reach Chief Medical Officer The Most Honourable Dr Kenneth George to find out whether more AstraZeneca jabs were on order were unsuccessful.
      Ferdinand’s counterpart, Major David Clarke, said that currently, people over 50 were coming forward for the second booster while first booster and first doses had slowed to a trickle.
      “The numbers have slowed to a trickle for persons coming for first boosters. Most persons have been coming for boosters and there has been a keen interest in the second booster for persons over 50 years old. Right now, those numbers are in the low hundreds and it is based on eligibility. A number of companies have also called to inquire about second boosters,” he said.
      Ferdinand said that while current guidelines for second boosters speak to people over 50 and the immune-compromised, special consideration would be given to those with comorbidities who fall just below the recommended age.


      Source: Nation


    • Eye on the elderly

      By Barry Alleyne
      barryalleyne@nationnews.com
      With COVID-19 numbers continuing to rise, public health officials are feverishly working on a set of initiatives to protect the most vulnerable.
      They will be focused on Barbadians over 50 years old, especially those who are in nursing homes or stuck at home dealing with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and hypertension.
      COVID-19 Public Advisor David Ellis told the Weekend Nation health officials have now been forced to take a two-pronged approach to fight the pandemic since it was clear there had been a deterioration in the treatment and health status of elderly Barbadians due to a change in how they accessed health care over the last 24 months.
      Last week, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley indicated Ellis would be used to champion the new battle to lower the incidence of NCDs in the country, while still battling the pandemic.
      “We are having various discussions and what is of immediate concern is that we cannot separate COVID-19 from NCDs. All indications are that the NCD situation has worsened over the two years that people could not go to their doctor or their clinic,” Ellis said.
      Magnitude of problem
      “It has really exposed to us the magnitude of the NCD problem that we face in the country. There is an urgent need for us to pay more attention to this matter. I am working to see how we can raise awareness about how people can better look after themselves. The focus now has to be on people who are at home and see how specialists like doctors and nutritionists could address those concerns.”
      He said though many people were dealing with COVID-19 fatigue, a lot were still coming down with the viral illness, as indicated by the recent surge due to the Omicron subvariant.
      “But there are still some people who are operating as though once you get vaccinated and boosted, then you are okay. That’s not true. We have seen there is something called long-COVID, where people continue to suffer from effects associated with the virus. We have to pay attention to protocols and behaviour, especially around the elderly of
      Barbados,” the veteran journalist said.
      Ellis added that based on the evidence before them, health officials could no longer battle COVID-19 and NCDs on separate fronts.
      He also admitted that the carefree behaviour of many young people who have recognised that the Omicron sub-variant of COVID-19 may not lead to their death, but could potentially lead to the infection of elderly Barbadians, is creating more headaches.
      “If you look at the statistics that have been coming out, you see the impact Omicron is having on the elderly population of the country. We have to do more in our homes and in nursing homes to protect the elderly.”
      He said the Government will now be running on two tracks at the same time. “We are dealing with COVID-19 and NCDs because we’ve had to pay a high price for people with a fear of going into certain spaces. A lot of people out there have gotten sicker because they haven’t been able to go to their various clinics and doctors.” He added that more attention has to be paid to the behaviour of people who are looking after elderly people at various institutions across the country.
      “Many of the people who are getting sick don’t even leave home. It is the people, younger people, who have freed up their minds as it relates to COVID-19 and are putting people at risk, which could well be a major problem. There are many people today who have the mindset they don’t care about COVID-19 and they ‘done wid it’ and will live their lives, and then they take it home.”
      He said dealing with such behaviour will call for a lot of education and information being disseminated to the public, and this was what they were contemplating.
      Ellis noted, however, that it was still too early to publicise the details of what the next project will entail.

      Source: Nation


  45. A total of 455 people have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) from the 1 487 tests conducted by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.

    A 71-year-old female who was fully vaccinated and an 83-year-old male who was unvaccinated, passed away this morning, Saturday, May 7. There are now 405 deaths as a result of the virus.

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  46. Enclosed are the updated charts for Covid-19 to 6th May. We are still in the throes of Covid with Covid incidence still fluctuating at a high level along with gradual small increases in Official isolations. Positivity numbers are still high while Ro reproductive numbers are oscillating around 1.0. Overall strict adherence to the protocols continues to be necessary. There are no obvious signs of plateauing in the outbreak yet. (Source: Lyall Small)

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  47. Barbados Today is reporting that the “Coroner’s office confirms 24 more COVID-19 deaths”

    “The COVID-19 death toll in Barbados now stands at 430. In a statement today, the Ministry of Health and Wellness said an additional 24 persons were found to have died from viral illness, following testing conducted by the Coroner’s Office on persons who passed away suddenly in the community before being tested or accessing appropriate care.”
    Source: Barbados Today May 9, 2022.

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  49. ” COVID-19 has claimed the life of a 44-year-old woman.
    The unvaccinated woman died on Friday, May 13. Her death has brought the number of COVID-19 related deaths in Barbados to 433.”

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  51. An 82-year-old American male passed away as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) on Sunday, May 15.

    He was fully vaccinated, and his death has brought the number of casualties from the virus to 434.

    Minister of Health and Wellness, Ian Gooding-Edghill, has extended condolences to his loved ones.

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  53. Doc: Be prepared for next wave
    by TONY BEST

    BE PREPARED FOR ANOTHER wave of the deadly coronavirus or for any unknown disease that may cause scores of hospitalisations or even deaths.
    That’s what Dr Wayne Greaves, a Bajan infectious disease expert in the United States, is urging his birthplace to do about its health care system as it seeks to re-open its economy and return its everyday life to normalcy after two years of tight COVID-19 pandemic protocols designed to limit the spread of the disease.
    “We in the scientific community are watching the global picture closely and carefully hoping that things would remain stable for some time but concerned we could still have additional changes in the coronavirus that might pose problems for public health and control,” Greaves, a scientist at a pharmaceutical corporation, told the DAILY NATION.
    “Right now, we are in a phase that seems relatively stable when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic but there are still ongoing cases particularly in people who were never vaccinated. However, in most individuals, the disease has been relatively mild, except for those with factors that put them at greater risks of complications, such as diabetics, obese or have other medical conditions. They must still take considerable care to protect themselves if they are exposed to the virus. But for those people who are younger, in good health and have been vaccinated and boosted, the outcome of infections is relatively mild in general.”
    Greaves, a former professor of medicine at Howard University in Washington DC, said that the current ease of the virus’ intensity in Barbados and other countries which belong to the World Health Organisation gives them a chance to boost their health care infrastructure for “the next epidemic whether it is the coronavirus” or other disease outbreak.
    Specifically, he added, it would give Barbados’ adults who are not living healthy lives “a chance to “modify their lifestyles because we know that it also mitigates the impact of the infection.”
    Just as important, he added, it also gives scientists, including virologists and those in the laboratories a chance to study the virus even more closely and boost the laboratory support services at a time when things are stable. Greaves said it “gives scientists who are tracking the epidemiology of the coronavirus to develop better and more sophisticated systems.
    “We should use this time wisely while things in
    and out of Barbados, the US and other places are stable,” added Greaves.
    “I think Barbados should continue to monitor the situation closely, continue to emphasise vaccinations and provide vaccinations for those who have not been vaccinated or given the boosters,” he said. “Barbados should take the time to improve its overall health infrastructure so that if the virus reoccurs or something worst happens we would be even better prepared. It is not a time to forget about this public health crisis or threat. We in Barbados should recognise that these things can reoccur often without warning in the future. After all, the better you are prepared the better you would be able to handle it.”
    As he sees it, Barbados and its neighbours should recognise that the COVID pandemic “emerged” suddenly and it cost 15 million people around the world in a two year span, one million of them in the US and more than 400 in Barbados.
    “After all, the better prepared you the better you would be prepared to handle it,” meaning the epidemic, advised Greaves. “I would like to see the day when either through vaccination or otherwise worldwide there wouldn’t be any need to worry about entering without being able to show you have been vaccinated and you must wear a mask. Clearly, we are not there yet.”
    Greaves said he didn’t know if it was going to be possible to end the wearing of masks any time soon because “I think viruses are always going to be a threat”.
    In addition, dispensing with vaccinations was around the corner.
    He said: “There will always be individuals who refuse to be vaccinated and never get infected and they will be ready to boast about it,” despite the fact that such a stance was neither sensible nor practical, added the scientist.
    Barbados must continue “to get as many people as possible vaccinated because that will minimise the risks of transmission or minimise the risks of severe disease if a person becomes infected,” Greaves added. “The issue is we shouldn’t overburden our health system in Barbados.”

    Source: Nation

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  56. Here’s the update to Friday May 20th. The Ro reproductive rate is still hovering just below 1.0 and the Official Isolation numbers are still in the medium but manageable range. Positivity, Deaths and disease incidence rates are still quite high. Most people seem to be generally following the protocols

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  61. BAMP warns ease in protocols could have negative impact on COVID fight
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    It would!

    There must now be a serious fall-off in people running to their doctor in fear.
    Shiite…. now it may take a WHOLE year to pay for the damn Mercedes.

    Plan B … monkey pox…??!!

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  62. ALL charts are showing a small but distinct down tick in the areas being followed. The population in general seems to have accepted the official declarations that the virus is now endemic here and are by and large following the protocols on masking, sanitation, etc. Uptake of vaccinations still appears to be sluggish- Source: Lyall Small
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  64. Attached are the selective Covid charts for the week ending 3rd June 2022. All the charts are slowly trending downwards while the populace appears to be maintaining the required vigilance through adherence to the Covid-19 protocols. Meanwhile, I suspect the authorities are on the lookout for any incidence of the largely dissimilar monkeypox virus in any of our trading partner countries and planning strategies for if it gets here.

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  65. The number of positive COVID-19 cases recorded on Sunday, June 5, was 91, 40 males and 51 females. The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory conducted 365 tests.

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  66. A total of 104 people, 43 males and 61 females, tested positive for COVID-19 from the 393 tests carried out on Monday, June 6,

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  67. Attached are the charts for the week ending 10th June. Looks like the epidemic might be in the process of levelling out at a fairly high, but manageable, incidence as seen from the dynamics of the 3 measurements being followed. – Source: Lyall Small

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  69. Wishing PMMIA a speedy recovery.

    “Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has tested positive for COVID 19.”

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  70. 🙂 I am even more impressed with how farsighted this woman is… She saw this coming and had MM ordering vaccines in advance. 🙂 Mia needs to take greater care of herself. These numerous flights and meeting increased her risk of getting covid.

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  71. The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory identified 145 new COVID-19 cases, 60 males and 85 females, from the 733 tests conducted on Monday, June 20.

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  72. Well known family physician, Dr Adrian Lorde, is calling on two of Barbados’ most prominent figures, President Dame Sandra Mason and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, to set an example for the public to follow, regarding the COVID-19 protocols.

    Lorde was speaking in a recorded video today after news broke on Monday that had Mottley tested positive for COVID 19.

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  73. David; Attached are the updated Covid-19 charts for the week ending 24th June. The charts show a consistent uptick in the incidence of Covid-19 over the last few days. This might merit increased attention by the authorities, especially as the Ro reproductive number, which has been under 1.0 since mid-may, has now surpassed 1.0 for the past 3 days – Lyall Small

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  74. The Ministry of Health and Wellness is currently managing an outbreak of COVID-19 on a construction site in St Philip as well as at the Psychiatric Hospital in Black Rock, St Michael.

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  75. Health authorities reported on Thursday that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) claimed the life of a fully vaccinated, 89-year-old woman.

    A media release from the Government Information Service (GIS) stated she died on Wednesday, bringing the number of deaths because of the viral illness to 477.

    Health authorities also reported that 326 new cases of COVID-19 were detected among 79 women and 247 men from the 823 tests conducted by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory on Wednesday.

    Of the positive cases, 21 were under the age of 18.

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  76. There were 141 new COVID-19 cases, 70 females and 71 males, recorded on Thursday, June 30, from the 576 tests carried out by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.

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  77. The attached charts continue to show a distinct trend in the wrong direction and appear to be following the English charts. The recent 2 local outbreaks reported by GIS might have contributed to this. There should at least be continued public adherence to the remaining protocols.

    – Source: Lyall Small

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  79. Conspiracy theory
    Absence of information causes conspiracy theories to germinate

    Testing, testing …
    No indication of who or why they are testing. Seem like identification by other than contact tracing.

    Have we allowed ourselves to become laboratory rats in a test tube of an island.
    .

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  82. Tests have identified 210 new COVID-19 cases in Barbados.

    Health authorities said on Wednesday the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory identified 101 males and 109 females had been tested positive for the viral illness from 673 tests conducted on Tuesday.

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  83. Attached are the 3 charts for the week ending 8th July. The charts suggest that there has been a relative stabilization in the incidence of the disease in that the Ro numbers have now dropped below 1 for over 6 days; the official isolations have dropped over the past week; and there has been a noticeable dip in the Covid-19 raw incidence numbers. There is still a need to maintain strict observation of the protocols, especially during this Cropover period and more reports of Monkeypox incidence in the Caribbean- Source: Lyall Small

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  84. The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory identified 144 new COVID-19 cases, 56 males and 88 females, from the 458 tests conducted on Sunday, July 10.

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  86. From the number of people being killed by the damn shiite vaccines, it is VERY likely that Covid 19 can be the last pandemic.
    Who the donkey will be left to get infected…?
    steupsss…
    It was only a Pandemic because his WHO changed the DEFINITION of ‘Pandemic’ to make it one in the first place.

    Bushie is ALREADY tired of the lotta funerals…. mainly of people who just ‘up and dead’ for no good damn reason….
    Gates should really just go away…. albino-centric demon !!

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  87. Barbados recorded 297 new COVID-19 cases, 128 males and 169 females, on Monday, July 11, from the 1 108 tests

    Reply ↓

    • @Hants

      Did you post there is a SUSPECTED case of monkey pox on the island? Person is currently in iso pending results.


  88. Mandatory random testing will resume as of July 19, 2022, for travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated, arriving in Canada by air to the four major Canadian airports, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller to Canada, travellers must have been vaccinated with a primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine accepted by the Government of Canada for the purpose of travel at least 14 calendar days before entering Canada.

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  89. Raw numbers still elevated and climbing but perhaps not alarmingly so. Daily official isolations dropping. Ro reproductive rate numbers fluctuating near and sub 1. Vigilance is necessary given that the new Omicron variant is increasing rapidly in our major trading partner countries amid increasing cropover travel – Source: Lyall Small

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  91. Attached are the updated charts for the week ending 29th July 2022. Ro reproductive numbers are now trending below 1. The other charts are fluctuating in the wrong direction. The incidence chart is continuing to trend upwards with dynamics suggestive of takeover by the new Omicron variant.

    Source: Lyall Small

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  94. Attached are the charts for the week ending 5th August 2022. Every metric reflects an increasing incidence of the disease. Time for all Bajans to carefully step up adherence to the MOH current protocols to protect ourselves and others to the fullest extent – Source: Lyall Small

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  96. No symptoms? No problem.
    Vaccinated or unvaccinated? Same guidance.
    Exposed? No need to even quarantine.
    Students exposed? They can stay in class.

    Haha
    https://www.statnews.com/2022/08/11/cdc-eases-covid-19-quarantine-and-testing-guidelines-as-it-marks-a-new-phase-in-pandemic/

    So finally the corrupt CDC has begun to admit that the approaches to CV 19 defy commonsense. The Dullard admits he was concerned initially with CV19. Until he inspected the facts for himself.

    Most of the noise around cv19 protocols is just mass hysteria used to control the sheeple.

    The only thing left to do now is lock up Fauci and admit publicly that the jabs are totally useless.

    I wonder what the armchair experts will say now?

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  97. South Korea getting hammered with floods.

    Check COVID cases!!

    China getting the flooding too.

    Their COVID stats show they are having problems but I suspect far larger than they report.

    Problems started with flooding, no one can contain COVID once severe flooding happens.

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