Summary
This document provides some basic information and reports on the state of COVID according to reports from October through November 2022.
Doubling Annual Rates
As of Nov 2022, COVID hospitalizations in Canada are at 3,875 which is an increase of 400% compared to the height of the pandemic at the same time in 2020 as shown in the chart below.
So far, the hospitalizations seem to be doubling each year.
Recent News
Below are news articles and videos in chronological order with the most recent at the top. Entry headers include source and date. A few news entries from 2023 are used to provide insights into the ongoing trajectory of the pandemic.
Des Moines Register (9 Jan 2023)
“The new COVID-19 offshoot of omicron, called XBB.1.5, has been dubbed by world health leaders as the most transmissible version of the virus yet and has emerged in the United States with a force. … Everyone is at risk for infection, even those who have so far avoided catching COVID-19, experts say. … Current vaccine rates in Iowa are not enough to reduce spread of the new variant … Symptoms, which can range from mild symptoms to severe illness, can appear between 2 to 14 days after exposure.” [Source: “XBB.1.5, the latest COVID-19 variant, will probably infect everyone. What you should know.” — Des Moines Register, Michaela Ramm, 9 Jan 2023 at 5:30 AM CT]
Al Jazeera (23 Dec 2022)
“India’s gov’t braces for possible surge in COVID-19 cases” — India is gearing up for a possible surge in coronavirus infections as cases spread across China. No flights between the two countries have been suspended, but the government has asked health officials to step up surveillance. India has reported 44 million cases to date – the second-highest in the world. Al-Jazeera’s Pavni Mittal reports from New Delhi, India. [Source]
FRANCE 24 (20 Dec 2022)
“China’s crematoriums ‘packed’ as Covid cases soar” —Crematoriums across China are straining to deal with an influx of bodies as the country battles a wave of Covid cases that authorities have said is impossible to track. Cases are soaring across China, with hospitals struggling and pharmacy shelves stripped bare in the wake of the government’s sudden decision to lift years of lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing. FRANCE 24’s correspondent in Beijing Fabian Kretschmer tells us more. [Source]
Deutsche Welle (18 Dec 2022)
“What can China do to slow its post-lockdown COVID surge?” — COVID-19 cases are surging across China as people take advantage of new freedoms. Nationwide frustration and unprecedented public protests forced authorities to ease quarantine and travel restrictions. But since then more and more people are testing positive. Official figures on infections and fatalities remain low, but some estimates put the likely death toll at more than a million by the end of next year. [Source]
Deutsche Welle (17 Dec 2022)
“Beijing funeral homes overwhelmed by surge in COVID deaths” — The Chinese capital Beijing is seeing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases. And high numbers of workers testing positive for the virus means the city’s funeral homes are overwhelmed. Undertakers say they are short on drivers and workers, so families have to wait longer to cremate their relatives. Local media have reported more coronavirus-linked deaths, even though official tallies do not include the latest victims. China relaxed some of the world’s toughest measures to control the spread of the virus just over a week ago. [Source]
CBS (16 Dec 2022)
“China’s “explosion” of COVID cases started before government eased restrictions, WHO says” — China is facing its biggest public health challenge since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as COVID-19 is once again spreading days after the government abandoned its “zero-COVID” policy. [Source]
NBC (16 Dec 2022)
“People Have ‘Pandemic Fatigue’ And ‘Vaccine Fatigue,’ CDC Epidemiologist Says” — A rise in Covid-19 cases is happening alongside a rise in flu and respiratory infections across the country as the number of Covid-19 cases in the US since the start of the pandemic just topped 100 million. “I get why people are tired of having to think about [vaccines], but unfortunately Covid isn’t going away,” Dr. Barbara Mahon, an epidemiologist with the CDC says. [Source]
NBC (15 Dec 2022)
“White House Announces ‘Covid-19 Winter Preparedness Plan’” — The White House is preparing to roll out its new Covid-19 preparedness plan, including the return of free at-home testing, as cases spike in parts of the country ahead of the holiday season. NBC News’ Carol Lee breaks down what the Biden administration is saying about a potential winter surge of cases and how long the program is likely to be in place. [Source]
BBC (14 Dec 2022)
“China’s hospitals under strain as Covid cases rise” — China’s hospital systems have come under increasing pressure following a rise in Covid cases. It comes after the government’s decision to abandon its zero-Covid strategy following widespread protests in several cities. The situation has become so bad that doctors and nurses who have contracted the virus are being told to turn-up for work because of staff shortages. [Source]
Deutsche Welle (14 Dec 2022)
“Is the rushed dismantling of COVID restrictions premature?” — China says it will stop reporting asymptomatic cases of COVID-19, as they’re now impossible to track. It’s another step in the dismantling of Beijing’s zero-Covid policy. The U-turn is bringing with it a wave of illness and the World Health Organization is warning that China is facing tough times ahead. [Source]
TODAY (12 Dec 2022)
“COVID, Flu Cases Are On The Rise: How To Protect Your Health” — With the holidays bringing people together, there are growing concerns over the rise in hospitalizations related to flu and COVID cases. NBC’s Stephanie Gosk reports for TODAY, and Dr. Natalie Azar shares advice for protecting your health. [Source]
ABC – Australia (10 Dec 2022)
“How is Australia in the grip of another COVID wave?” — Omicron infections and hospitalisation numbers are rising in Australia as the country prepares for a fourth COVID wave. Professor Nancy Baxter, head of the School of Population and Global Health from the University of Melbourne says there are several factors contributing to this growth. ABC News provides around the clock coverage of news events as they break in Australia and abroad, including the latest coronavirus pandemic updates. It’s news when you want it, from Australia’s most trusted news organisation. [Watch on YouTube]
ABC (10 Dec 2022)
“COVID and flu cases on the rise” — Major cities like Los Angeles and New York have put indoor mask recommendations back in place with COVID-19 and flu cases on the rise. [Source]
NBC (10 Dec 2022)
“Phase Three Of The U.S. Tripledemic” — New fears about holiday gatherings follow a Thanksgiving flu surge. Covid is also spiking, with nearly half a million cases reported last week. Officials in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York issued mask advisories, recommending them in public settings. Meanwhile, parents are struggling to find pediatric cold and flu medicine. [Source]
CBC (9 Dec 2022)
“U.S. rocked by surge of flu, RSV, as COVID-19 begins to climb” — U.S. public health experts are blaming a surge of the flu and RSV, as COVID-19 cases slowly begin to climb. [Source]
NBC (8 Dec 2022)
“Flu Cases Soaring As U.S. Hospitals Struggle With Tripledemic” — The CDC says flu hospitalizations this season are up to 78,000 across the nation as tripledemic fears rise. NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez reports from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston on how staff are combating a shortage of one pediatric medication. [Source]
NBC (7 Dec 2022)
“U.S. Hospitals Overwhelmed By Covid, RSV And Flu” — Hospitals nationwide are once again at full capacity with a trifecta of illnesses: Covid, RSV and the flu. NBC News’ Tom Costello reports on the surge in viruses and how the CDC is responding. [Source]
NBC (6 Dec 2022)
“Flu Surge Hits Hospitals As Covid, RSV Still Spread” — Covid-19, RSV, and the flu infection numbers are currently spiking, generating concerns over a growing health crisis as winter approaches. NBC News’ Perry Russom reports from Chicago on how the “tripledemic” is hitting hospitals across the U.S., even forcing some to implement new visitor restrictions. [Source]
VOX (6 Dec 2022)
“The US has never recorded this many positive flu tests in one week” — VOX, by Karen Landman, 6 Dec 2022 at 2:40 EST. [Source]
- Excerpt: This flu season’s ferocious start has given way to record-shattering levels of transmission — and massive strains on the American health system. In the week ending November 26, more than 34,000 positive flu tests were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from labs around the US, as shown in the orange line on the chart below. That’s more positive flu tests than have been reported in any single week during any flu season on record, going back as far as 1997.
Deutsche Welle (4 Dec 2022)
“China eases COVID-19 curbs after largest protests in decades” — COVID-19 curbs are being relaxed in China following some of the biggest displays of public anger in decades. Residents in Beijing and beyond have been welcoming the first signs of normalcy after years of tough restrictions. On Saturday, authorities began dismantling some of the testing facilities in the capital. However, they insist that they’re not abandoning the country’s ‘zero-COVID’ policy, just implementing it more flexibly. [Source]
France 24 (3 Dec 2022)
“France: Flu adds to bronchiolitis and Covid woes” — Respiratory viruses including bronchiolitis and the flu are circulating at high levels in France, raising concerns about co-infection. [Source]
PBS (27 Nov 2022)
“How scientists use wastewater to track the spread of COVID” — As the newest dominant COVID subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 emerge, scientists are looking beyond traditional methods to track its spread. One important tool in their arsenal is wastewater surveillance. Special correspondent Cat Wise reports from California, one of the first states to test wastewater for COVID. [View]
BBC (26 Nov 2022)
“Covid lockdown protest break out in China city after deadly fire” — Fresh protests have broken out in China over its Covid restrictions, after an apartment block fire killed 10 people in the city of Urumqi. Authorities have denied that strict Covid rules prevented residents from escaping the fire, which has seemingly sparked further unrest in the country. Footage shared on Chinese social media appeared to show demonstrators confronting officials, breaking down barriers, and shouting “end the Covid lockdown”. Beijing continues to pursue a zero-Covid policy, despite record infection numbers and growing public anger. The western Xinjiang region, including its capital Urumqi, has been under restrictions since early August. [Source]
Deutsche Welle (26 Nov 2022)
“Protests grow throughout China over COVID-19 lockdowns” — Unrest is growing in China over strict COVID-19 lockdown measures. Protests have broken out in several parts of the country, including in the Xinjiang region, where many people have been barred from leaving their homes for more than three months. Protests in the regional capital Urumqi came after an apartment block fire killed ten people. Some residents say the restrictions on movement hampered rescue efforts. Growing frustration over the lockdowns almost three years after the pandemic broke out is increasingly putting Beijing’s ‘Zero-Covid’ policy under pressure. [Source]
ABC News Australia (25 Nov 2022)
Video only available on YouTube. [Source]
“China’s widening COVID-19 curbs trigger public pushback” — As China’s coronavirus cases rise Beijing is still sticking to its zero-covid policy, locking down cities and enforcing harsh restrictions such as daily mass testing in some areas. East Asia correspondent Bill Birtles tells The World frustration appears to be growing among residents who are struggling to go about their daily lives. Video only available on YouTube. [Source]
CBS (25 Nov 2022)
“White House officials urge Americans to get the COVID-19 booster shot” — The White House this week launched a six-week sprint aimed at convincing Americans to get their updated COVID-19 vaccine before the end of the year. CBS News Contributor Dr. Céline Gounder and Editor-at-Large for Public Health at Kaiser Health News joins “CBS Mornings” to discuss concerns about a post-holiday covid surge, boosters and treatments. [Source]
NBC (25 Nov 2022)
“‘Tripledemic’ Has ‘Been Concerning For Several Weeks,’ Dr. Kavita Patel Says” — Concerns over a so-called “tripledemic” continue to loom as cases of COVID-19, the flu and RSV are surging and overwhelming some hospitals. “It’s pretty concerning and it’s been concerning for several weeks … almost every children’s hospital in the country is either at or over capacity,” Dr. Patel said. [Source]
Al Jazeera (24 Nov 2022)
“Why does Beijing persist with its strict zero-Covid policy?” — China’s zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19 involves widespread lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing. But nearly three years after the pandemic was first identified in Wuhan, cases have surged to a new high. The outbreaks have forced shutdowns in large swaths of the country, despite the strict policy being eased earlier this month. The repeated lockdowns have led to rare displays of public anger. Factory workers with Foxconn have fought with security forces at the world’s largest iPhone manufacturing plant. Why does Beijing persist with its strict zero-covid policy while the rest of the world is moving on? Presenter: Cyril Vanier [Source]
ABC News (17 Nov 2022)
“The challenging struggle of long COVID” — ABC News’ Phil Lipof looks into the stories of those suffering from long-lasting symptoms of COVID-19 and the medical challenges of treating these patients in the U.S. [Source]
Sky News (15 Nov 2022)
“How long COVID ruined my life (and why it won’t go away)” — Sky News technology correspondent Rowland Manthorpe has been out of full-time work with long COVID since spring 2021. In this episode of Off Limits he finds out why treatments are so hard to find and, using video diaries and frank interviews with himself and family, gives an intimate view into life with long COVID, exhaustion and all. [Source]
Deutsche Welle (12 Nov 2022)
“The long-term impact of COVID-19” — The latest research on long-term damage from COVID-19 vaccinations from Germany, the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on blind people in Uganda and how a cinema project in Venezuela has brought people closer together. [Source: Deutsche Welle]
NBC Bay Area (12 Nov 2022)
“COVID Cases Rise as Winter Approaches” — COVID numbers in San Francisco are going up. This is expected by health experts as we approach the winter months. Gia Vang reports. [Source: NBC Bay Area]
Paramount (12 Nov 2022)
“Majestic Princess Unloads With 800 COVID Cases Onboard” — The Majestic Princess is about to leave Sydney bound for Melbourne, after unloading more than 800 passengers infected with COVID-19. [Source: Paramount – 10 New First]
CNBC (11 Nov 2022)
“Why Everyone Is Getting Sick” — If it seems like everyone around you is getting sick, you’re not imagining it. Flu season is hitting the United States unusually early and much harder than it usually does. Covid precautions led to much lower rates of flu-like illnesses compared to before the pandemic. But now that much of America has abandoned preventative measures such as masking, more people than before Covid are getting sick with seasonal illnesses. [Source: CNBC]
CNN (11 Nov 2022)
“Flu season already hitting hard across half of the US and children’s hospitals are still feeling the pressure from respiratory illnesses” — CNN, Deidre McPhillips, 11 Nov 2022 at 8:50 AM. [Source: CNN]
- Excerpt: “About half of the US – 22 states, along with Washington, DC, New York City and Puerto Rico – is reporting high or very high respiratory illness activity, as flu season sweeps through the country weeks earlier than usual. Multiple respiratory viruses are circulating nationwide – including flu, RSV and the virus that causes Covid-19 – and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tweeted Thursday that flu is contributing to a “significant proportion” of that circulation.”
WGN (11 Nov 2022)
“Doctors concerned over COVID-19 increase ahead of Thanksgiving” — Doctors are concerned after an increase in COVID-19 cases around the area. [Source: WGN]
South China Morning Post (10 Nov 2022)
“China’s zero-Covid policy under pressure as infections rise in major cities” — Covid-19 infections have been rising sharply in China despite increasingly intense controls, testing and lockdowns. More than 8,000 cases were reported in the country on November 9, 2022. The southern city of Guangzhou saw daily case numbers increase from double digit figures in late October to over 2,000 within two weeks. With lockdowns being ordered in many cities, there is growing public discontent and doubts about whether the nation’s zero-Covid policy will work against the more infectious Omicron variant of the virus. [Source: South China Morning Post]
CBC (9 Nov 2022)
“Concerns grow over triple threat of surging respiratory illnesses” — The Ontario Medical Association is urging people to wear masks indoors and get their flu and COVID-19 shots as concern builds that a spike in flu cases could overwhelm a health-care system already seeing an influx of RSV and COVID patients. [Source: CBC]
CNBC (9 Nov 2022)
“Why Long Covid Could Cost The U.S. $3.7 Trillion” — Long Covid is not just changing the lives of those affected, but it is proving to have a significant impact on the American labor force and economy. About a quarter of the roughly 16.3 million working-age Americans currently suffering from long Covid are out of work, and according to one estimate, long Covid could cost America as much as $3.7 trillion. Many of those suffering are either running out of disability insurance through their employers or getting denied Social Security Disability Insurance or SSDI – an effect that’s expected to be long-lasting. In December 2021, Congress allocated $1.15 billion to the National Institutes of Health to study the long term effects of the disease. But many experts are saying that is not nearly enough. [Source: CNBC]
Fortune (8 Nov 2022)
“COVID cases are on the rise again this autumn. Here are the symptoms to look out for” — Fortune, Erin Prater, 8 Nov 2022 at 5:44 PM CST. [Source: Fortune]
- Excerpt: “U.S. cases of COVID are again ticking up from the high plateau they’ve sat at most of the year. Transmission of the virus is ‘substantial’ or ‘high’ in nearly 75% of U.S. counties, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When COVID cases fail to drop into low-level valleys after mountainous peaks, it’s tough to tell when a new wave is starting. But as cases of once globally dominant BA.5 taper off, new variants like the BQ family are gaining ground in the U.S. and elsewhere. That means a coming wave of cases, experts say—or a sustained high wall of cases, potentially, if frequent waves of Omicron variants overlap each other.”
Deutsche Welle (5 Nov 2022)
“COVID: The positive side of the pandemic” — In Madrid, a group of neighbors have come together to help vulnerable people through the pandemic and beyond. And in good news for business, the new buzz word is “nearshoring” — production is on its way back home. [Source: Deutsche Welle]
CBS News (3 Nov 2022)
“Dr. David Agus discusses COVID-19 wave of BQ variants, spike in RSV infections and more” — CBS News medical contributor Dr. David Agus joined Vladimir Duthiers and Anne-Marie Green to talk about the COVID-19 wave of BQ variant infections and the spread of RSV among children as well as other topics. [Source: CBS News]
FRANCE 24 (3 Nov 2022)
“Long Covid: What have we learned so far?” — Far from being over, the Covid-19 pandemic has created another widespread problem: long Covid, the persistence of symptoms beyond the initial infection. In some cases this can last months and be seriously debilitating. There are 2 million long Covid patients in France. The World Health Organization says there are some 145 million worldwide. However, the French government’s scientific council COVARS has concluded that it’s a psychosomatic problem. Has enough been done to understand long Covid? [Source]
CBC News (1 Nov 2022)
“Rising COVID-19 deaths” — Warnings from doctors as weekly COVID-19 deaths rise once again in Canada. [Source: CBC]
Fortune (1 Nov 2022)
“Scientists have their eyes on several ‘Deltacrons’—new COVID variants with the potential to attack the lungs like Delta and spread as easily as Omicron” — Fortune, Erin Prater, 1 Nov 2022 at 4:00 AM CDT. [Source: Fortune]
- Excerpt: “Earlier this year, all eyes were on ‘Deltacron’ — a Frankenvirus, of sorts, that combined Delta and Omicron, and potentially the worst traits of both. The initial strain, reported in January, failed to take flight. Reports of additional Delta-Omicron hybrids, in multiple locations across the globe, later emerged, then fizzled. But in the waning days of 2022, the Deltacron phenomenon is back—if it ever left. This time it’s in the form of new COVID variants XBC, XAY, and XAW. In a worst-case scenario, a Delta-Omicron hybrid could be as deadly as the Delta variant—which killed about 3.4% of those it infected, nearly double the fatality rate of Omicron…”
Fortune (27 Oct 2022)
“The COVID symptoms you get depend on how many vaccine jabs you’ve had, major study says” — Fortune, Chloe Taylor, 27 Oct 2022 at 7:02 AM CDT. [Source: Fortune]
- Excerpt: “Getting vaccinated against COVID reduces your risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death if you do catch the disease—but according to new research, it could also dictate which batch of the milder, more common symptoms of the virus you end up getting. It’s thought that a large proportion of cases are still asymptomatic. In an update to the ongoing Zoe Health Study, which has collected data from almost 5 million participants since 2020, researchers said they had identified symptoms that had emerged in recent weeks, noting that they appeared to differ depending on vaccination status.”
CBC News (24 Oct 2022)
“Another COVID-19 winter is coming. Here’s how to prepare” — Heading into a third pandemic winter, COVID hospitalizations in Canada are up, vaccine uptake is down and new variants are circulating. But experts say we’re not completely in the dark, and some of the tools to get through it are already in our hands. [Source: CBC]
New York Times (23 Oct 2022)
“A ‘Tripledemic’? Flu, R.S.V. and Covid May Collide This Winter, Experts Say” — New York Times, Apoorva Mandavilli, 23 Oct 2022 / 27 Oct 2022. [Source: New York Times]
- Excerpt: “Cases of flu have begun to tick up earlier than usual, and are expected to soar over the coming weeks. Children infected with R.S.V. (which has similar symptoms to flu and Covid), rhinoviruses and enteroviruses are already straining pediatric hospitals in several states.”
Fortune (18 Oct 2022)
“Fauci says fast-spreading COVID variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are ‘pretty troublesome’” — Fortune, Chloe Taylor, 18 Oct 2022 at 8:13 AM CST. [Source: Fortune]
- Excerpt: “New COVID variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are gaining traction in the U.S. at a ‘troublesome’ rate, according to the White House’s top medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci. … Alongside BQ.1 and BQ.1.1’s rapid infection rates, he voiced concern about the latter’s apparent ability to evade antibody treatments being used for patients at risk of developing severe COVID symptoms.”
5 News (24 Mar 2021)
“Living With Long Covid: Thousands in the UK still suffer months after Covid diagnosis” — It is frightening enough catching Covid. But imagine that you have come through it, that your doctors say you no longer have the disease; that now you should be fine. Only you know that you’re not fine. In fact, you may be one of the tens of thousands of people in the UK with what’s come to be known as Long Covid. It leaves some short of breath, others in wheelchairs, others exhausted and unable to concentrate… It is something many people may have to live with long after the epidemic has passed. Our own colleague Ruth Liptrot still struggles nine months after she was diagnosed with Covid. In the first of her special reports, she spoke to people living with this mysterious illness — and to the scientists who are trying to understand it. While living with LongCovid, Claire Hastie was determined to do something to help others in the same position. She started a Long Covid support group which has brought together thousands suffering from the illness – she joins us to share her experiences. We’re also joined by Dr David Strain and Dr Nathalie MacDermott. [Source]