Global situation
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Origins of the pandemic
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Over the past 24 hours, members of the international scientific team on COVID-19 virus origins began traveling from their home countries to China.
Today we learned that Chinese officials have not yet finalised the necessary permissions for the team’s arrival in China.
We are eager to get the mission underway as soon as possible.
China CDC researcher Wu Zunyou
Qingdao outbreak (October)
Virus could survive long trips in a deep freeze and still infect people
Imports from abroad caused the spread and transmission of this outbreak
Background
Top-secret Wuhan Institute of Virology, 11 miles from the market
Specialises in the study of bat-borne viruses
US officials who visited the lab two years ago warned about safety weaknesses and the risks of a new Sars-like epidemic emerging from the site
Working with prominent Western experts and supported financially by the National Institutes of Health
Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger
Officials within China have rejected the theory that the virus originated from a wet market in Wuhan.
Critics fear the probe will be a whitewash given China's influence on the WHO
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There is a growing body of evidence to say that a laboratory leak or accident is very much a credible possibility
Even establishment figures in Beijing have openly dismissed the wet market story
Smoking associated with increased risk of COVID-19 symptoms
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Background
Association between current tobacco smoking
Risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19
Severity of illness
Methods
Demographics
Anthropometrics
Smoking status
Medical conditions
Anyone feeling unwell
Asked about 14 potential COVID-19 symptoms
and about hospital attendance
Association between symptoms was also compared between smokers and non-smokers.
Results
Between March 24th and 23rd April 2020
N = 2,401,982 participants
Mean age 43.6
Female, 63.3%
Overall smoking prevalence 11.0%
(14.1%, 2019)
Feeling unwell, 834,437 (35%), entered one or more symptoms
Current smokers were more likely to report symptoms suggesting a diagnosis of COVID-19
OR = 1.14
More than 5 symptoms, OR = 1.29
More than 10 symptoms, OR = 1.50
Interpretation
Smokers at an increased risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19
Smokers had more severe symptoms
Mario Falchi
Some reports have suggested a protective effect of smoking on COVID-19 risk.
However, studies in this area can easily be affected by biases in sampling, participation and
response.
Our results clearly show that smokers are at increased risk of suffering from a wider range of COVID-19 symptoms than non-smokers
Claire Steves, lead researcher and consultant physician
As rates of COVID-19 continue to rise and the NHS edges towards capacity,
it’s important to do all we can to reduce its effects and find ways to reduce hospital admissions.
Our analysis shows that smoking increases a person’s likelihood to attend hospitals,
so stopping smoking is one of the things we can do to reduce the health consequences of the disease
UK
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Data, 7th Jan 2021
Cases, 58,784 + 60,916 + 62,322 = 2,836,801
Hospitalised, + 2,434 + 3,075 + 3,179 = 30,451 (ventilated, 2,645)
Previous peak, 12 April = 21,683
Deaths, + 830 + 1,041 = 77,346
Deaths, + 3,270 = 82,624
United States
CDC trends
https:/covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_dailytrendscases
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Cases, + 214,378 + 243,346 = 21,070,137
Up 7.8% in 7 days
Testing, + 1,605,799
Up 4.6% in past 7 days
Hospitalizations, 132,476 (23,707) (7,953)
Deaths, 352,123
Injections versus infections
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