#MU variant resistance to vaccines

[ralfmaximus]

Huh. Turns out as of October 2021 the coronavirus Mu variant -- horrifying because it is vaccine resistant -- is no longer considered a threat by the WHO & CDC. Why?

Because Delta out-competed it.

[beautiful-story]

Mu: New ‘coronavirus variant’ could be more resistant to fake vaccines (so you better get some variant fake vaccines which we just happen to have made earlier) – David Icke

"Mu: New ‘coronavirus variant’ could be more resistant to fake vaccines (so you better get some variant fake vaccines which we just happen to have made earlier) – David Icke" https://davidicke.com/2021/09/02/mu-new-coronavirus-variant-could-be-more-resistant-to-fake-vaccines-so-you-better-get-some-variant-fake-vaccines-which-we-just-happen-to-have-made-earlier/

This sounds like never-ending story ☘...

[zelda-ffitzgerald3]

There is a speculation that the MU variant may resist the vaccines

They don’t know yet. All in all I think KJ’s mom will be fine.

[butasformeblog]

What Don't You Get? 'Normal Life' Is Over--Now It's A Matter Of Survival--Of The Human Species!!!

"The Mu variant of COVID-19- which scientists fear could be more transmissible than Delta - has now been detected in all U.S. states with the exception of Nebraska.

Florida and California have reported 384 variant cases- the highest numbers among the 49 infected U.S. states.

Los Angeles County reported close to half of the California cases with 167...

The Mu variant- which was identified in Colombia in January - has spread to 41 different countries including the United States, and is also feared to potentially be vaccine-resistant.

The variant became of interest due its potential to become more transmissible and vaccine resistant as discovered by the World Health Organization on August 30...

The Director of LA County Public Health Barbara Ferrer said in a statement: 'The identification of variants like Mu, and the spreading of variants across the globe, highlights the need for L.A. County residents to continue to take measures to protect themselves and others.

'This is what makes getting vaccinated and layering protections so important. These are actions that break the chain of transmission and limits COVID-19 proliferation that allows for the virus to mutate into something that could be more dangerous.'

[mynameismonika]

https://www.dealicopter.com/mu-covid-19-variant-10-things-that-we-know-about-the-latest-who-variant-of-interest/

Covid 19 -WHO says the Mu variant could be more vaccine-resistant. No Covid case of the Mu variant has been detected in India yet.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified yet another ‘variant of interest’ — Mu or B.1.621. This was first detected in South America’s Colombia in January 2021, and it currently has the highest prevalence in Colombia, according to reports.

According to the WHO, a ‘variant of interest’ is one that has genetic changes that affect the characteristics of the virus — transmissibility, disease severity, immune escape etc

[anand1210]

Mu Covid-19 Variant: 10 Things That We Know About The Latest WHO ‘Variant Of Interest’

Covid 19 -WHO says the Mu variant could be more vaccine-resistant. No Covid case of the Mu variant has been detected in India yet.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified yet another ‘variant of interest’ — Mu or B.1.621. This was first detected in South America’s Colombia in January 2021, and it currently has the highest prevalence in Colombia, according to reports.

https://www.dealicopter.com/mu-covid-19-variant-10-things-that-we-know-about-the-latest-who-variant-of-interest/

[mi6-rogue]

Broad immunity to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern mediated by a SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain protein vaccine

Preliminary report; The SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic has fuelled the generation of vaccines at an unprecedented pace and scale. However, many challenges remain, including: the emergence of vaccine-resistant mutant viruses, vaccine stability during storage and transport, waning vaccine-induced immunity, and concerns about infrequent adverse events associated with existing vaccines. Here, we report on a protein subunit vaccine comprising the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, dimerised with an immunoglobulin IgG1 Fc domain. These were tested in conjunction with three different adjuvants: a TLR2 agonist R4-Pam2Cys, an NKT cell agonist glycolipid alpha-Galactosylceramide, or MF59 squalene oil-in-water adjuvant. Each formulation drove strong neutralising antibody (nAb) responses and provided durable and highly protective immunity against lower and upper airway infection in mouse models of COVID-19. We have also developed an RBD-human IgG1 Fc vaccine with an RBD sequence of the highly immunoevasive beta variant (N501Y, E484K, K417N). This beta variant RBD vaccine, combined with MF59 adjuvant, induced strong protection in mice against the beta strain as well as the ancestral strain. Furthermore, when used as a third dose booster vaccine following priming with whole spike vaccine, anti-sera from beta-RBD-Fc immunised mice increased titres of nAb against other variants including alpha, delta, delta+, gamma, lambda, mu, and omicron BA.1 and BA.2. These results demonstrated that an RBD-Fc protein subunit/MF59 adjuvanted vaccine can induce high levels of broad nAbs, including when used as a booster following prior immunisation of mice with whole ancestral-strain Spike vaccines. This vaccine platform offers a potential approach to augment some of the currently approved vaccines in the face of emerging variants of concern, and it has now entered a phase I clinical trial. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.05.22278425v1?rss=1%22&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr Read more ↓

[senior70]

Understanding the Variants of the Covid Virus

All viruses – including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, evolve over time. When a virus replicates or makes copies of itself, it sometimes changes a little bit, which is normal for a virus. These changes are called “mutations”. A virus with one or more new mutations is referred to as a “variant” of the original virus.

When a virus is widely circulating in a population and causing many infections, the likelihood of the virus mutating increases. The more opportunities a virus has to spread, the more it replicates – and the more opportunities it has to undergo changes.

This key fact is what is being deliberately ignored by the selfish, socially irresponsible anti-vac contingent who insist loudly that their personal “rights” supersede those of the majority. Their selfishness makes them wholly culpable for the opportunities for the virus to mutate, and their selfishness places all of us, the majority, in potential imminent danger. 

Most viral mutations have little to no impact on the virus’s ability to cause infections and disease. But depending on where the changes are located in the virus’s genetic material, they may affect a virus’s properties, such as transmission or severity, and, given time, may affect its ability to generate a variant which can resist a vaccine. 

Most of us outside the medical and immunology community have been confused by the changing naming of the virus and its variants. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, first mutated into what was named the Alpha variant, initially called the UK variant, or, in immunological circles, officially as  B.1.1.7. There followed the Beta variant (B.1.351), also initially called the South African variant, the Gamma variant (P.1), initially called the Brazil variant, and the Delta variant (B.1.617.2), initially called the India variant. 

These four variants are together are referred to as VOCs, that is Variants of Concern. The WHO summarizes them as :-

Alpha (B.1.1.7) the variant first reported in the UK spreads more easily and can cause more severe illness. Alpha also includes the Q.* sublineages.

Beta (B.1.351) the variant first reported in South Africa, spreads more easily than older strains and has numerous sublineages. Some current treatments and vaccines may not work as well on cases of this variant.

Gamma (P.1) the variant first reported in Japan but later identified as originating in Brazil, which may be able to re-infect people who have had COVID-19. Gamma includes two sublineages P.1.1 and P.1.2. Some current treatments may not work as well on cases of this variant. 

Delta (B.1.617.2) is a sublineage of B.1.617, which was first detected in India. Delta spreads more easily and may lead to more severe disease, particularly for unvaccinated people. Delta includes the AY.* sublineages.

It is, of course, difficult for a layman to understand the intricacies of “lineages” and “sublineages” but suffice it to say that it is not unlike the family tree research one might find on Ancestry. The diagram included here is of the “Haplotype network of 130 sublineages”. It is not for us to understand but it demonstrates for us the complexity of work in the field of immunology.  

 There is also a growing list of VOIs, that is “Variants of Interest”, few of which have been mentioned in the news articles read by many of us. VOIs do not necessarily develop into VOCs but some can be expected to. The WHO summarizes them as :-

Eta (B.1.525) which was first detected in Nigeria in late 2020.

Epsilon (B.1.427 and B.1.429) variants first reported in California, USA. Both spread more easily, and some current treatments and vaccines may not work as well on cases of this variant. In July 2021, Epsilon was downgraded to alert status and is no longer a variant of interest.

Iota (B.1.526 and B.1.526.1), variants first detected in New York in late 2020.

Kappa (B.1.617.1), a sublineage of B.1.617, the variant first detected in India.

Lambda (C.37), first detected in Peru.

Theta (P.3), which may have similar properties to Gamma and Beta. In July 2021, Theta was downgraded to alert status and is no longer a variant of interest.

Zeta (P.2), a variant first detected in Brazil in early 2020. Some treatments and vaccines may not work as well on this variant. In July 2021, Zeta was downgraded to alert status and is no longer a variant of interest

Mu includes B.1.621 and C.1.2. Mu is a relatively recent variant and is being closely monitored. 

B.1.618, a variant first detected in India that is also referred to as the “triple mutant”.

There is a third category of variants that represent a highly serious threat. There have been no variants of this category listed to date, but one that developed vaccine resistance would likely be upgraded to this category.

Again it needs to be stressed, that somewhat in the way many species of animal depend on a set of environmental characteristics which we refer to as their “habitat”, viruses also thrive in habitats suitable to them. We know, to our cost, that depriving species of their habitat leads to them becoming “endangered” and ultimately “extinct”. 

If only the vocal anti-vac contingent would understand this analogy and take it seriously. If the viral “habitat” is reduced through vaccination, the virus will have a greatly reduced opportunity to thrive and mutate. 

Ultimately, as with so many former deadly and highly contagious diseases such as smallpox, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chicken pox, shingles, diptheria, pertussis, and tetanus, all of which affected huge populations, the diseases and infections become rare and in some cases eradicated altogether. 

The concept of “Herd Immunity” has been well demonstrated by the reduction of these former deadly diseases to a minor presence. Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.

The argument of the anti-vac contingent that, though members of the herd, they have the “right” to act in a manner that is detrimental to the well being of the herd, is misguided and misconceived. That we, the majority, should be held hostage and gravely endangered by the selfish ignorance of this vocal rabble should not be tolerated any longer. 

There are currently 12 variants and there are 24 letters of the Greek alphabet. Let us not have to use the remaining 12, particularly Omega.

It is well time for the coming backlash to gather force and to exclude the unvaccinated from the activities of the herd.

senior70

September 2021.

#127

[medicomunicare]

Mu coronavariant changing status: not single but "unique" for antibody and vaccine resistance

Since the COVID-19 outbreak first began in late December 2019, the evolution of the causative agent SARS-CoV-2 has led to the emergence of four variants of concern including the alpha (B.1.1.7) lineage that first emerged in the UK and the beta (B.1.351), gamma (P.1) and delta (B.1.617.2) lineages that were identified in South Africa, Brazil and India, respectively. Five variants of interest have also emerged, including the Eta (B.1.525), Iota (B.1.526), Kappa (B.1.617.1), Lambda (C.37), and Mu (B.1.621) lineages discovered in Nigeria, New York, India, Peru, and Columbia, respectively. The most recently recognized of these variants is the Mu (B.1.621) lineage, which was classified as a new variant of interest by the WHO on August 30th. By this point, the lineage had been detected in 39 countries. In Colombia, where the variant was first isolated in January, a huge surge in COVID-19 occurred between March and August, with cases reaching a peak of 33,594 per day on June 26th.Although the P.1 (gamma) variant of concern was dominant during the initial phase of this surge, B.1.621 outcompeted P.1 and all other variants in May and has driven the epidemic in Colombia since then. Researchers in Japan have warned that the Mu (B.1.621) variant appears to be highly resistant to neutralization by sera from convalescent or vaccinated individuals. The B.1.621 variant, first isolated in Colombia in January this year (2021), was classified as a variant of interest by the WHO on August 30th. The resistance that emergent variants have so far exhibited can be attributed to several mutations that have arisen in the viral spike protein – the primary structure involved in mediating the infection of host cells. The majority of B.1.621 variants harbor the following eight spike mutations: T95I, YY144-145TSN, R346K, E484K, N501Y, D614G, P681H, and D950N. Several of these mutations are commonly seen in variants of concern, including E484K (present in B.1.351 and P.1), N501Y and P681H (present in B.1.1.7), and D950N (present in B.1.617.2). Now, Dr. Kei Sato and colleagues have conducted a study showing that the variant was more resistant to neutralization by serum-mediated neutralization than all other variants of interest or concern that have been identified to date. To assess the sensitivity of B.1.621 to neutralization by convalescent or vaccinated sera, Sato and colleagues generated and compared different pseudoviruses harboring the spike proteins of B.1.621 or the other variants of concern and interest. Virus neutralization assays revealed that B.1.621 was 12.4 times more resistant to sera taken from eight COVID-19 convalescents who were infected between April and September 2020 than the parental virus was. The variant was also 7.6 times more resistant to sera obtained from ten individuals who had been immunized with Pfizer-BioNTech’s BNT162b2 vaccine compared with the parental virus. A direct comparison of all the pseudoviruses revealed that B.1.621 was more resistant to serum-mediated neutralization than all of the other currently recognized variants of interest and concern. This includes the South African beta (B.1.351) lineage that had been recognized as the most resistant so far. In their research, scientists wrote that the Mu variant shows a pronounced resistance to antibodies elicited by natural SARS-CoV-2 infection and the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. Since breakthrough infections are a major threat of newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, they strongly suggest further characterizing and monitoring this genetic variant. Edited by Dr. Gianfrancesco Cormaci, PhD, specialista in Clinical Biochemistry. Scientific references Sato K et al. bioRxiv 2021 Sept 6:459005. Shi P et al. bioRxiv 2021 Sept 2:458704. Read the full article

[xtruss]

Sobi Arthritis Drug Cuts Death Risk; Heart Drugs May Help Prevent COVID-19 Blood Clots

— Nancy Lapid | September 10, 2021

(Reuters) — The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that have yet to be certified by peer review.

The word "COVID-19" is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration taken November 9, 2020. Reiters/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationArthritis drug cuts death risk in high-risk patients

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients at high risk for becoming critically ill and dying had significantly better outcomes if they received the anti-inflammatory drug anakinra, researchers have found. To test the drug, sold as Kineret by Sweden's Sobi Inc, the researchers looked for patients with high blood levels of a protein called suPAR, which is linked to higher odds of needing mechanical breathing assistance and death from COVID-19. The 594-patient trial tested anakinra, which blocks the effects of inflammatory proteins IL-1-alpha and IL-1-beta, against a placebo. The risk of death was 55% lower in patients who received anakinra, and 80% lower for the sickest patients in the trial, the researchers reported in Nature Medicine go.nature.com/38SadbN. "The clinical benefit with anakinra treatment was already apparent from day 14, and this is of clinical importance because the first 14 days is the period during which a patient is expected to worsen. Anakinra benefit was maintained until day 28," they said. They note that measuring suPAR allows for a more personalized treatment approach, but its use to guide COVID-19 treatment could be problematic because the tests are not available in every hospital.

Heart Drugs Might Help Prevent COVID-19 Blood Clots

Drugs that prevent blood clots after procedures to unclog heart arteries might also be useful for clot prevention in patients with COVID-19, new data suggests. The coronavirus is known to affect genes that control platelets, fragments in the blood that form clots. The inflammatory proteins generated by the virus cause platelets to become "hyperreactive" and form clots more easily and more often. In test tube experiments described on Wednesday in Science Advances bit.ly/3nnEszT, researchers found that anticoagulants used after coronary stenting - clopidogrel, sold as Plavix by Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi, and ticagrelor, sold as Brilinta by AstraZeneca - keep COVID-19 patients' platelets from becoming over-activated by blocking the P2Y12 protein on their surface. If additional studies confirm their findings, these P2Y12 inhibitors "may represent a particularly attractive therapy" for reducing the risk of inflammation-related blood clots in COVID-19, the authors say.

Mu Variant’s Escape From Antibodies May Inform Vaccine Research

The ability of the Mu variant of the coronavirus to escape from antibodies and vaccines can aid in preparations against other emerging variants, Japanese researchers say. The variant has driven outbreaks in Colombia and is now classified as a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organization, although it appears unlikely to overtake the far more prevalent Delta variant. In test tube experiments, researchers found that Mu is "highly resistant" to antibodies in blood samples from COVID-19 survivors and from people who got the mRNA vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech. In fact, the spike used by the virus to break into cells was more resistant to neutralization than all other currently recognized variants of interest and variants of concern, the researchers reported on Tuesday on bioRxiv bit.ly/3yXq4QV ahead of peer review. Dr. Eric Topol of the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California, who was not involved in the research, noted in a tweet here on Wednesday that Delta's high infectiousness surpasses Mu's ability to escape from antibodies. Nevertheless, study coauthor Kei Sato of the University of Tokyo said understanding how variations in spike proteins affect the potency of neutralization antibodies is important for developing new vaccines and predicting breakthrough infections.

U.S. data underestimated COVID-19 nursing home deaths U.S. government data underestimated COVID-19 cases and nursing home deaths at the beginning of the pandemic, a new study suggests. A comparison of federal numbers to those tallied by individual states, published on Thursday in JAMA Network Open, finds that the U.S. government missed 43.7% of COVID-19 cases and 40% of deaths in nursing homes early in the health crisis because these figures were not tracked until May 24, 2020. “Because of the delay in federal reporting, roughly 68,000 cases and 16,000 deaths in nursing homes were missed,” said coauthor Karen Shen of Harvard University. Those represent 11.6% of COVID-19 cases and 14.0% of COVID-19 deaths in nursing home residents in 2020, the study estimated. “The catastrophe of being a resident in a long-term care facility with multiple impairments was almost a death sentence” early in the pandemic, said Dr. John Rowe, a professor of health policy and aging at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health who was not involved in the research. “The finding that there were 14% more just underlines that fact.”

[butasformeblog]

OMG! Impending Apocalypse?

BAFMnotes: The Question Now Comes Down To Each Individual: Do You Have The Will, The Patience And The Maturity To Do What Is Necessary To Protect Yourself And Your Loved Ones From This Virus? Americans, So Far, Have Shown They Do Not!

"Since being discovered in Colombia in January, the mu variant of COVID-19 has spread to nearly four dozen countries and has made its presence known in Hawaii and Alaska. It has so far been found in 49 states with Nebraska being the only state to not have a mu variant case detected.

Health officials believe mu is even more transmissible than the delta variant and has the potential to resist vaccines."

Washington Post:

"The key factor for Swann as she creates models projecting how the virus is likely to play out is the role children play in spreading the disease. The path to normal life is through getting children vaccinated, she said, and that is not likely to happen in large numbers until early next year.

"Children transmit viruses to each other, to their families, to their communities," Swann said. "The first step toward normalcy is getting children vaccinated, at least for ages 5 and up. Right now, unfortunately, what we're seeing in Florida is many, many children getting infected."

[Julie] Swann (systems engineer, advisor CDC and NIH) sees several possible routes back to normal life, including letting the virus burn through the population, focusing on masking and hybrid schooling, or a return to lockdowns. But her preferred pathway is mass vaccination of children - which can only happen after the vaccines are approved for the 5-to-11 age group, a step that's not expected until at least later this year - along with masking and increased testing.

READ MORE: https://www.yahoo.com/news/scientists-path-covid-endgame-remains-232022995.html

[brendanaurabolt]

The Lambda and Mu Variants: Two confirmed Vaccine-resistant Strains now in the U.S.

The Lambda and Mu Variants: Two confirmed Vaccine-resistant Strains now in the U.S.

Like one medical researcher quipped last month, we are going to see more of the Greek Alphabet than we’d like before this Pandemic is over. The Delta Variant first discovered in India is now the dominant strain worldwide and has been for two months. This is how and why when it seemed the U.S. was beginning to turn the page by the beginning of July, the Delta Variant changed everything. The World…

[covid19updater]

COVID19 Updates: 09/08/2021

RUMINT (US):  A friend of mine posted tonight on social media about a friend of hers who had died. The woman was very young, and no cause of death was listed, so my first thought was that it was some sort of tragic accident. I went to the Go Fund Me that was linked, and it turned out she died of Covid. The woman was young (under 30, I think), wore masks, and was fully vaxxed. She left behind two young kids. She was a fit, healthy-looking young woman. I don't know anything about whether there were underlying conditions or not, but her family and friends all seemed quite shocked by her passing. The Go Fund Me was to provide something for her children. Every time I listen to someone like Chris Martenson, or others like him, who say that Delta is actually not as bad as the media makes it sound, I almost become convinced ... until I hear something like this, and it reminds me that this variant is infecting and sometimes killing young, cautious, vaxxed people.

World:  Study: Mu variant is more vaccine evading "Mu variant is highly resistant to sera from..[Pfizer]-vaccinated individuals. Direct comparison of different spike proteins revealed that Mu spike is more resistant ..than all other currently recognized variants LINK

World: Op/Ed:  Remember: the desensitization to death and suffering that the 1918 flu brought paved the way for fascism in the 1920s and 1930s.

Europe:  Notices of Liability for COVID-19 Vaccine Harms and Deaths Served on All Members of the European Parliament LINK

India:  New "Pandemic Potential" Brain-Destroying-Virus With 75% Death Rate Spreading In India LINK

US:  U.S. COVID update: Many states reporting holiday weekend backlogs - New cases: 303,843 - Average: 154,645 (+19,837) - In hospital: 100,700 (+434) - In ICU: 26,094 (+84) - New deaths: 2,265

Australia:  #Australia's 1,721 new #Covid19 cases is the second worst ever total, almost 500 up on last Weds. 1,480 infections in #NSW, 221 in #Victoria while #ACT has the other 20. Today was also 2nd highest daily death toll for 364 days as another 10 fall victim to #Coronavirus

World:  Some people have 'superhuman' ability to fight off COVID-19, study finds LINK

Germany:  TOP GERMAN PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL SAYS  IF WE DO NOT VACCINATE MORE PEOPLE, THE FOURTH WAVE OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC COULD HAVE A MASSIVE MOMENTUM THIS FALL

Japan:  THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT IS SOLIDIFYING ITS PLANS TO PROLONG THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN MOST PLACES UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER - NHK

Czech Republic:  The Czech Republic on Wednesday recorded 588 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily tally since May 25, as government officials predict a continued rise in cases;

Europe:  EMA: ASTRAZENECA COVID-19 VACCINE PRODUCT INFORMATION WILL BE UPDATED WITH GUILLAIN-BARRÉ SYNDROME (GBS) AS A SIDE EFFECT

Germany:  The head of Germany’s CDC, Lothar Wieler, warned of a drastic 4th coronavirus wave this fall as the number of Covid ICU patients, many of them younger, has nearly doubled in the past two weeks. Wieler, who leads the Robert Koch-Institute, urged Germans to get vaccinated.

Ukraine:  Ukraine could tighten lockdown restrictions as COVID-19 picture worsens LINK

Idaho:  Idaho hospitals begin rationing health care amid COVID-19 surge LINK

Missouri:  St. Louis children's hospitals near capacity, and not just from COVID LINK

South Korea:  S.Korea planning to live 'more normally' with COVID-19 after October LINK

California:  California’s Central Valley overwhelmed by COVID-19 Delta surge LINK

US:  Just Say It: The Health Care System Has Collapsed LINK

World:  Bad news on #MuVariant—Japanese scientists: "Mu variant is highly resistant to sera from convalescent & [Pfizer]-vaccinated people. Direct comparison of different spike proteins revealed that Mu spike is more resistant…than all other current variants”

Canada:  Alberta nurses say government is scaling back its pay cut proposal amid fourth wave of COVID-19 LINK

Kansas:  Kansas data doesn’t reflect reality as COVID-19 rips through schools LINK

Vermont:  FBI opens criminal probe into 3 troopers over fake Covid-19 vaccination cards LINK

Texas:  Texas Hospital Reports 50 Mu COVID Cases As Delta's Dominance Continues LINK

Indiana:  Union Hospital emergency rooms are filling up with patients LINK

Mississippi:  Nurse walkouts possible statewide as COVID-19 takes a toll on healthcare professionals LINK

US:  From Alaska To Idaho And Beyond, Covid Surges Stress Hospital Systems LINK

Hawaii:  DOH, HAH COVID efforts give hospitals a couple weeks before reaching “crisis point” DOH Director Elizabeth Char, MD, and HAH President and CEO Hilton Raethel shared a joint presentation to the Committee, noting that Hawaii exceeded its ICU bed capacity as of Friday. LINK

US:  COVID Now Leading Cause of Death Among Law Enforcement LINK

Wisconsin:  Wisconsin reports more than 1,000 COVID-19 hospital patients for the first time since January LINK

Colorado:  Nursing homes face staffing shortages, financial problems as they serve growing need LINK

West Virginia:  No ICU beds available: PCH at capacity with COVID-19 patients LINK

Florida:  At West Boca Medical Center, 32 Kids Admitted Over Seven Days For COVID LINK

US:  252,000 children test positive for COVID-19 in past week as classes resume LINK

Washington:  A Washington county has approved an emergency declaration to bring in a refrigeration trailer for the bodies of COVID-19 victims that have overwhelmed the morgue LINK

World:  Why are we seeing more COVID cases in fully vaccinated people? LINK

World:  Is Covid here to stay? A survey of more than 100 scientists found a vast majority expect the coronavirus will become endemic LINK

Jamaica:  GRIEF, HORROR AND DEATH “They say we are low on oxygen, I am telling you, we are running out of medication too. What we have to be doing is writing prescriptions and giving it to the family to fill because there is this great demand for these products” LINK

RUMINT (US):  OK. So now a first for me. TBH, previously I've known no one directly who has died either of the covid19 or the trial vaccination. Now that has changed. 26 year old mum, has child of 9 months, died three days after trial vaccination. Foremost it's a tradgedy for her & close ones.

World:  COVID-19 created lots of supply chain problems — and they're nowhere close to being solved LINK

US:  Supply chain issues impacting ports in Pacific Northwest LINK

World: Op/Ed:  The only thing I seem to recall re. Mu, is all the same people playing that down played Delta down for quite a while too. Perhaps Mu won't succeed. But, it seems very sensible to have the attitude, one will soon.

US:  NEW: White House signals new COVID-19 measures coming for unvaccinated Americans LINK

Canada:  814 new cases of #COVID19 announced in B.C., as the rolling average rises slightly as we continue to be in this bumpy short-term plateau. Active cases rise to 5,550, hospitalizations rise to 261, but no new deaths.

Iowa:  Iowa DPH confirms 18 cases of COVID-19 mu variant LINK

Macedonia:  15 people have reportedly been killed and more than 20 others injured in a fire at a Covid hospital in North Macedonia - #Covid #hospital #Fire

UK:   More than 50 cases of the Mu variant have been detected in the UK LINK

World: Ivermectin causes sterilization in 85 percent of men, study finds LINK