As of 09:00 UK time on Wednesday, 4 May 2022, the cumulative number of test results was 510,268,257 (+310,795); the cumulative number of confirmed cases was 22,090,523 (+16,611); and the cumulative number of deaths was 175,546 (+227).
As of today, the entire UK territory is:
A total of 53,189,550 people (+100,869) were vaccinated with the first dose;
A total of 49,730,039 people (+68,013) were vaccinated with the second dose;
A total of 39,254,038 people (+127,501) were vaccinated with the 3rd dose.
Trend chart of increasing confirmed cases in the UK Image source Uk Department of Health
Israel Studies said
Delta variant or "comeback"
Image source JPOST
Researchers at Ben Gurion University (BGU) in Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba, Israel, say in a new scientific paper that the Omicron variant may disappear on its own in the coming months, while the Delta variant will "make a comeback" again.
The findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Science of the Total Environment, are titled "The Evolving Pandemic: The Hidden Cycle of Delta Variants During the Rise of Omicron."
Image credit: PIXABAY
The persistence of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak has led to mutations and the emergence of various variants.
At the end of 2019, the first covid-19 variant, Alpha, appeared, followed by Beta (first in South Africa), Gamma (first in Brazil), Delta (first in India), and the faster-spreading and more infectious variant of Omicron. Among them, the Omicron variant has documented a variety of other subspons of branches, spreading around the world.
Image credit: The Scientist Magazine
Usually, whenever a new variant appears, it goes through a short period of parallel multi-variant infection, and as it gradually becomes the dominant transmission strain, it gradually replaces the previous variant.
However, according to Professor Ariel Kushmaro and Dr. Karin Yaniv, from the experimental team, it is worth noting that while the emergence of Delta replaced the previous variant, the Omicron variant did not eliminate Delta, but rather both variants were simultaneously community-spreading.
Image source Nature
The lab team has developed new research methods that can distinguish COVID-19 variants from wastewater and continue to provide analysis of signs of COVID-19 activity even as PCR and rapid detection drops on people.
Monitoring of Beersheba's sewage from December 2021 to January 2022 noted signs of "disturbing" transmission between the Omicron and Delta variants.
Image credits
If the predictions come true, the tide of infections caused by the Delta variant could re-emerge this summer, or another new threatening variant could emerge, the study said.
In any case, the team recommends wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance as a "representative tool for observing and containing pandemics."
Image credit: SanFrancisco Chronic
According to the research results, the Delta variant has the characteristics of short incubation period, fast transmission speed, high viral load, long nucleic acid negative time, more likely to develop into critical illness and higher fatality rate.
Image credit: WileyOnlineLibrary
The Elizabeth Line will open on May 24
According to TfL, the Elizabeth line from Abbey Wood to Paddington will officially open to passengers on May 24, and you will see a new purple route in the subway system!
Image credits SOPA/GettyImages/SkyNews
On 23 February 2016, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited the Bond Street Station Engineering Tunnel.
In recognition of the Queen's contribution to the UK and the love of people around the world for the Queen, Crossrail officially announced on the same day that it would rename Crossrail to Elizabeth Line, or "Queen Line" for short. The color also chooses the Queen's Lucky Purple!
Image source AP
The Elizabeth Line was originally scheduled to start operations in December 2018, but due to rising costs, the £18.8 billion project was eventually postponed until this month to connect Reading and Essex Essex through central London. Cut the journey time from Abbey Wood to Paddington in south-east London by almost half to 29 minutes.
But when it opens, the train won't run on Sundays or stop at Bond Street.
The stop stop is | Image source TFL
Image source ExcelLondon
The central London section is available every 5 minutes from 6:30 to 23:00, with the full schedule not officially announced until May 2023.
The time comparison after the opening of the Elizabeth Line | Image credit: CrossrailEvans
How powerful is that? The neck length is directly and simply and rudely put the data
1) Currently the largest infrastructure project in Europe
2) 10,000 people working on the project at the same time during the peak period (neck length is deeply suspicious)
3) Has spent more than 100 million hours of working time (neck length again suspected)
4) It can increase the capacity of Existing Public Transport in London by 10% and carry 15 million more people
5) It will receive at least 200 million visitors per year
6) Drive from West London to East London for 118 kilometres
7) Build 10 new stations and upgrade 31 existing stations
8) The most expensive £14.8 billion infrastructure project (now up to £18.8 billion)
9) 57 km of new tracks were built
Image credit SkyNews
Shop prices are coming in 2011
The fastest rate of rise
A report published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, a joint study by the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, shows growing evidence that those who have received severe COVID-19 care are more likely to suffer from persistent cognitive problems.
These cognitive problems are similar to the effects of aging between the ages of 50 and 70, equating to the loss of 10 IQ points.
Image credit BSIP/GettyImages
The scientists analyzed data from 46 people who received COVID-19 hospital care between March and July 2020, who were on average 6 months after receiving severe COVID-19 care, using the Cognitron platform for detailed computerized cognitive testing. Compared with the control group, the recipients had lower accuracy and slower reaction times.
By comparing the patients to 66,008 members of the general public, the researchers estimated that the degree of cognitive loss was on average similar to that of aging that lasted for 20 years between the ages of 50 and 70, which equated to the loss of 10 IQ points.
Image credit SkyNews
This is consistent with previously observed reductions in brain glucose consumption within the brain's prefrontal network, which is responsible for functions such as attention, complex problem solving, and working memory, which were observed after COVID-19 infection.
The effect is more pronounced for those who need to use a ventilator. Meanwhile, the researchers warn that even those who are not hospitalized may have signs of minor brain damage.
Brain scan images | Image credit: ScienceAlert
A previous study conducted in the UK found that around one in seven people reported symptoms including cognitive difficulties 12 weeks after testing positive. Even mild cases can lead to persistent cognitive symptoms, but up to three-quarters of hospitalized patients report cognitive problems after six months.
COVID-19 can lead to persistent cognitive and mental health problems, and patients who recover will still experience symptoms months after infection. Reported symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, memory confusion, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Image credit: TheTimes
Professor David Menon, senior author of the study and at the University of Cambridge, said cognitive impairment is common in a variety of neurological disorders, including dementia and even routine aging, but the cognitive problems caused by COVID-19 are different from these.
In follow-up tests of some patients, very slow improvements were observed at the latest ten months after acute infection. But some of them will most likely never fully recover.
Image credit from Columbia University
Shop prices for ten years
The fastest rate of rise
Global food prices have now reached an all-time high, rising 13 percent in the last month alone, with prices for edible oil and cereals even higher. As costs ferment through the supply chain, further upward pressure will be put on UK food prices in the coming months.
Annual uk shop price inflation accelerated to 2.7% in April from 2.1% in March, the highest inflation rate since September 2011.
Image source YahooNewsUK
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said rising energy prices and the conflict in Ukraine would continue to affect retail prices. Non-food products, particularly furniture, appliances and books, have seen the highest rate of inflation on record.
According to the latest BRC-Nielsen Store Price Index, food inflation rose to 3.5 percent in April from 3.3 percent in March, the highest since March 2013, and non-food inflation rose to 2.2 percent from 1.5 percent in March, the highest inflation rate since 2006.
Image credit: PoliticsHomes
Environment Minister George Eustice said it would "undoubtedly put pressure on the budgets of households already facing soaring energy bills". He suggested that consumers could help cope with rising food prices by choosing lower-priced "value brands" in supermarkets.
He believes that there are 10 large supermarkets and 4 major supermarkets that are "very competitive" in terms of prices, especially on some lower-cost household items, which help to drive down prices.
Image credit SkyNews
More than half are still in the UK
Secondary school students continue to wear masks
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), although wearing a mask is no longer a mandatory requirement, more than half of secondary school students in the UK still choose to continue wearing a mask.
Image credit: USNews
A survey on school pandemic responses found that 65 percent of middle school students said they wore masks in school hallways or common areas, and 61 percent said they wore masks during class.
However, primary and secondary principals have very different attitudes towards masks. 61% of secondary school principals said masks should be used compulsorily. In contrast, 97% of primary school principals believe that this should not be mandatory.
Image credit SkyNews
Data collected from January-February 2022 also found that the number of secondary school students wearing masks in the classroom had fallen from 80% to 50% after the UK government stopped enforcing the mask order on 20 January.
Image credit Jana Asenbrennerova 2022
In addition, the average number of covid-19 daily admissions in England fell to less than 1,000 for the first time in two months.
As of May 1, the number of hospital admissions was less than half of the peak period for infections of the Omicron variant BA.2 subsponsion, when the average at the end of March was 2,116. The current average seven-day hospitalization for COVID-19 patients is 950, down 25% from the previous week.
Image source ukri
Wales is expected to lift the remaining COVID-19 restrictions on schools next week to "reflect the shift of the coronavirus from epidemic to endemic disease".
In line with the latest public health guidelines published at the time of the last three-week review, the Welsh Government has written to the Principal to ensure that school guidance is in line with the rest of society.
Welsh Chief Secretary Mark Drakeford said the remaining restrictions in the region would be lifted on May 9 as long as the public health situation remained stable. School restrictions will also take effect on the same day.
Image source BBC
Update on the latest developments in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis
The mayor of Mariupol said on Wednesday, May 4, that new armed clashes had erupted at the Azovstal factory that day, which had been attacked by heavy artillery, tanks and air forces, leaving hundreds of civilians and the last Ukrainian defenders of the city trapped inside the factory.
It is reported that 30 children are trapped in the factory, still waiting for new negotiation procedures and evacuation tasks.
The Russian side said that the Russian armed forces did not enter the factory, but suppressed the militants within it.
Image credits:pln/alliance/dap/TASS
European Commission President von der Leyen said on Wednesday, May 4 that in addition to proposing a ban on Russian oil imports, the EU was considering a number of other measures against Russia. Among them is the desire to remove Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, and two other companies from the SWIFT system. The system is an information service that connects financial institutions around the world. It also banned three Russian state-owned broadcasters from operating in Europe.
As for the oil ban, von der Leyen acknowledged that it is still a "daunting challenge" to get rid of Russia's dependence on fossil fuels in the short term, but plans to gradually ban the import of Russian crude oil products within 6 months.
Image credit CNN
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced further sanctions against 63 Russian citizens and entities, including Russian media companies and their employees, as well as Russian war correspondents of Russian forces in Ukraine.
According to the UK's Office of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development (FCDO), in addition to asset freezes and travel bans, the newly introduced sanctions legislation means that social media, internet service and app store companies must take action to block content from Russian RT and Sputnik.
In the latest sanctions announcement, the UK also banned the export of services to Russia, such as the provision of PR, management consulting and accounting services to Russian companies.
Image credit source RepublicWorld
World epidemic update
According to the National Health Commission on May 4 (Wednesday), in the past 24 hours, there were 362 new confirmed cases in Chinese mainland and 5,136 asymptomatic infected people. There were 16 new deaths, all in Shanghai.
There were 260 new confirmed cases in Shanghai and 4,722 asymptomatic infected people. The 16 deaths were the direct cause of death, all of which were underlying diseases.
Image credit: Bloomberg
There were 46 new confirmed cases and 5 asymptomatic infected people in Beijing. From May 4, the entrances and exits of some subway stations in Beijing will be closed for management, and the affected interchange stations can transfer within the station.
In addition, there were 9 new confirmed cases in Zhengzhou in a single day, and 24 cases of asymptomatic infection. From 00:00 on May 4, the personnel of Zhengzhou City did not leave Zheng unless necessary. At the same time, the city prohibits dine-in, and all business premises and stores are temporarily closed.
Image credit: VCG via Getty Images
It was announced that Hong Kong, China, will further ease COVID-19 restrictions due to the continuous decline in cases. Carrie Lam, hong Kong's chief executive, said at a news conference that the beach and swimming pool would reopen from Thursday, May 5. In addition, from 19 May, the bar will be open until 2 a.m.; the dining limit will be increased from 4 to 8 people.
As of 00:00 on Wednesday 4 May, There were 313 new confirmed cases and 3 deaths in Hong Kong.
Image credit: Liau Chung-ren/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock
The Costa Rican Ministry of Health has announced that people aged 50 years and older or who are clinically immunocompromised will be offered a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr Roberto Arroba, secretary of the country's Committee on Vaccination and Epidemiology, said the fourth dose of the vaccine was voluntary and appointments could be made within three months of the third dose.
According to the latest data, Costa Rica has confirmed 852,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 8,405 deaths since the outbreak. More than 85 per cent of the country's population received at least one dose of the vaccine, 79 per cent received two doses and 41 per cent received a third booster dose.
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According to the Federal Ministry of Health on Wednesday, May 4, India has reported 3,205 new cases and 31 deaths in the past 24 hours.
The Indian Coalition for Covid-19 Genetic Sequencing (INSACOG) has reportedly confirmed the country's first case of infection with the Omicron variant XE recombinant virus. Earlier, two suspected cases of the recombinant virus were reported in Maharashtra and Gujarat, but neither was confirmed.
Image credit: GettyImages
UK Daily Death/Cure Data Analysis
Trend chart of increasing cases of illness and death in the United Kingdom Image source GOV.UK
England · England
Image source GOV.UK official
Data from 4 May: 8,950 confirmed COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized, bringing the total number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients to 728,925 (+6,343).
There are currently 241 (-63) COVID-19 patients using ventilators in England, and a total of 152,628 (+948) covid-19 patients have died.
Wales region · Wales
Image source Welsh region official
Data from 4 May: 5 deaths recorded in Wales.
Northern Ireland · Northern Ireland
Image source Northern Ireland region official
Data from May 4: A total of 27 confirmed COVID-19 patients were hospitalized (=), and 20,011 confirmed COVID-19 patients (+23) were discharged, and the cure rate is currently 99.8%. There are 1 suspected/confirmed COVID-19 patient in the severe ICU and 15 spare severe ICU beds (-11).
Scotland region · Scotland
Image source Scottish region official
Since 5 March 2021, a total of 62,730 (+242) confirmed COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospital in Scotland. As of midnight on 4 May, 1,245 suspected/confirmed COVID-19 patients had recent hospitalizations (-2), of which 16 (-2) were confirmed to be in the Intensive Care Unit ICU.