Notices by Denis - The COVID info guy - (deniscovidinfoguy@aus.social)

🇬🇧 UK: Very painful symptom could be a warning sign of new Covid ‘Nimbus’ variant.

UKHSA reports a nearly 10% rise in COVID-related hospital admissions, with 947 patients admitted by 31 May.

Cases also increased by 6.9%, reaching 1,211 in the week up to 4 June.

"Dr Naveed Asif, GP at the London General Practice, warned that this variant has a distinctive symptom, a severe sore throat known as a “razor blade sensation”

Source: https://archive.md/kC3FB

@auscovid19

"Queensland’s RSV immunisation program cut hospitalisations in babies under 6 months by 75%, preventing 420 cases."

In 2025, QLD has recorded:

🔹14,616 RSV cases (1,724 hospitalisations)
🔹17,612 COVID cases (3,719 hospitalisations)
🔹22,405 flu cases (2,433 hospitalisations)

Source: https://archive.md/ylO90

Data source: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/diseases-infection/surveillance/reports/flu

@auscovid19

Many COVID patients needed 9 months to regain baseline well-being, study suggests.

"It took many US COVID-19 survivors who sought treatment for their infection up to 9 months post-infection to return to their baseline sense of mental well-being, while 1 in 5 still had suboptimal quality of life at 1 year."

Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/many-covid-patients-needed-9-months-regain-baseline-well-being-study-suggests

Report: https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/12/6/ofaf278/8154758?searchresult=1

@auscovid19

Breakthrough discovery links organ failure to long COVID.

"Red blood cells damaged by long COVID and clogging blood vessels have been found to cause organ failure, providing a hard-fought missing link in cardiac science."

#LongCOVID

Source: https://archive.md/TrZ32

@auscovid19

🇹🇼 Taiwan shortens COVID vaccine gap to 2 months for high-risk groups.

"Starting June 11, seniors aged 65 and over, Indigenous people aged 55–64, and immunocompromised individuals may receive a second JN.1 dose after just 2 months due to waning protection and increased risk of severe illness"

Source: https://archive.md/cjKMh

@auscovid19

ACT Weekly Respiratory Surveillance Report: 30 May to 5 June 2025

🔹COVID: 90 (+3.4%)
🔹Influenza: 209 (+6.0%)
🔹RSV: 94 (-12.1%)

Source: https://www.act.gov.au/directorates-and-agencies/act-health/strategies-programs-and-reports/reports/respiratory-illness-reporting-in-the-act

@auscovid19

🇮🇳 India: COVID-19 cases are on the rise, 21 deaths in 48 Hours.

Among the dead: a 22-year-old girl, a 23-year-old girl, and a 27-year-old man.

The surge in COVID-19 cases this year is due to 4 variants – LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB.1.8.1.

Source: https://www.patrika.com/en/national-news/covid-19-resurgence-21-deaths-in-48-hours-active-cases-exceed-4300-19645501

@auscovid19

🇬🇧 UK: Doctors call for return of face masks after new COVID strain reaches UK.

In the UK, cases of the new COVID variant NB.1.8.1 have been reported. WHO is monitoring due to its rapid spread and possible resistance to prior infection or vaccination.

Source: https://archive.md/DTVHw

@auscovid19

We are flying blind on disease surveillance.

"The technology exists to identify new threats from infected animals, laboratory accidents or rogue states — let’s use it"

"Pandemic fatigue is real, but complacency is deadly. The next threat could emerge anywhere, anytime. Investing in smart, scalable surveillance isn’t alarmism — it’s pragmatism."

Source: https://archive.md/QqTBY

Robert DeRosa, 42, was a marathon runner and teacher before long COVID upended his life. He fell ill after a Disney vacation to Florida in February 2020. Now unable to work, he lives with his dad and rarely leaves home. “You feel powerless,” he says. “No one’s fighting for you.”

Source: https://archive.md/n4120

@auscovid19

🇺🇸 USA: "Doctors sound alarm over massive spike in Americans suddenly dropping dead from unexplained heart attacks."

"The COVID virus — which is thought to have infected over 100million Americans — has been shown to cause damage to the heart and blood vessels which may be a factor."

"Researchers at Mass General Brigham, a Harvard-affiliated hospital, found that heart-related deaths gone up to 17% in the years following the Covid pandemic"

Source: https://archive.md/0zvzO

@auscovid19

🇦🇺 Australia: A new COVID variant is driving up infections in Australia.

Genomic sequencing confirms NB.1.8.1 is spreading in Australia, making up under 10% of cases in SA and over 40% in VIC as of 6 May.

In Perth, wastewater data shows NB.1.8.1 is now the dominant variant, indicating wider transmission.

Source: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/a-new-covid-variant-is-driving-up-infections-in-australia-heres-what-to-know-about-nb-1-8-1/tr67z8yql

@auscovid19

🇨🇳 China Faces COVID-19 Resurgence With Symptoms of Sharp, Burning Sore Throat.

On May 19, epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said the current COVID wave features a more intense “razor blade throat” symptom and more frequent coughing than past outbreaks.

Source: https://archive.md/glkjH

@auscovid19

Western Australia: New subvariant NB.1.8.1 driving increase in infections in WA.

NB.1.8.1 is driving more infections in WA, with hospitalisations rising to 38 per day from 31 last week. Vaccines are expected to protect against symptomatic and severe illness from the subvariant.

Source: https://archive.md/K1FH8

🇨🇳 China: New COVID-19 infections are rising again across China, driven by Omicron subvariants NB.1 and XDV.

"People have confirmed that many people have been infected with COVID-19, and many have died, but the authorities have blocked the news."

Source: https://www.aboluowang.com/2025/0517/2220228.html

@auscovid19

🇹🇭 Thailand: 8,446 cases requiring hospital visits reported between April 27 and May 3.

Most patients were aged 30–39 (1,794), with rising cases in children 0–4 (682). Symptomatic individuals are twice as likely to have COVID over flu, with a 67% estimated chance of infection.

Source: https://archive.md/K3VO0

@auscovid19

🇹🇼 Taiwan: Weekly COVID-19 cases in Taiwan surge 78%

"Nearly 6,000 individuals sought medical treatment for COVID-19 last week, marking a 78% from the previous week and the 4th consecutive weekly rise in cases"

"Most the patients were individuals aged 65 or older or those with chronic illnesses, and over 91% of them had not received JN.1 vaccinations"

Source: https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202505070007

@auscovid19

Clinical trial underway for potential Long Covid treatment.

"A clinical trial is underway to assess the effectiveness and safety of Sipavibart, AstraZeneca’s long-acting monoclonal antibody designed to provide protection against COVID-19, as a potential treatment for Long Covid."

Source: https://silc.org/news/clinical-trial-underway-for-potential-long-covid-treatment/

Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37944296/

@auscovid19 #LongCOVID

Air filters in classrooms reduce sick days by more than 10%

"Putting air filters in classrooms seems to boost student attendance, which may be due to them reducing levels of air pollution, pollen, pathogens or all three."

Report: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/EGU25-20302.html

Source: https://archive.md/fJMuT

🇦🇺 Australia: COVID cases are set to soar this winter in Australia due to the highly contagious Omicron strain LP.8.1, which caused major outbreaks overseas and accounted for 3 in 5 COVID cases in the UK in March 2025.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14657785/Covid-cases-australia-vaccine.html