Thread by @TWMCLtd

Wednesday's #Covid19 megathread makes an early start as there's so much news to bring you!

#Omicron takes centre stage in Europe with a raft of records (recap coming up), but #UK ministers are increasingly confident the NHS won't be swamped despite England's lack of restrictions

It turned out to be a terrible Tuesday, not just in #UK, which was just one of TEN European countries to hit all time high daily #Covid19 infection numbers.

#Cyprus #France #Greece #Iceland #Italy #Malta #Montenegro #Portugal and #Spain the others to set new records.

Concern in #Norway. The #Omicron wave looked to be beyond the peak; is it making a comeback or is it still delayed Christmas cases?
4,702 new #Covid19 infections, fewer than 100 down on last Weds.

Better health data. 315 in hospital, down 13 since y'day, although 120 are in ICU

News from the #USA that backdated reporting has taken #Covid19 cases on Christmas Eve to a new national record of 307,220.

However the all-time high may be broken today. Already 298,810 infections logged as I type with a few more counties yet to report.

Just two of the 50 #USA set new state records today.

#Illinois counted 20,804 #Covid19 infections, while little #RhodeIsland diagnosed 2,379

Numerous other states went close including #NewYork with 40,057

U.S. is already at an all time infection rate of 797 AD/M

#Canada the latest to set a new national record.

26,951 new #Covid19 infections diagnosed.

#Quebec reports a record 12,833 new cases
#Ontario had an all-time high of 9,826 yesterday and 2nd highest daily total of 8,825 today.
#BritishColumbia announces record 2,552 on 26/12

#Argentina's exponential rise continues, today hitting 30,000 daily cases for the first time since early June.

33,902 new #Covid19 cases means a 262% increase on last Wednesday
19 Covid deaths.

An early alert for #Brazil - unmistakeable signs it too is starting the #Omicron wave, a week behind Argentina.

8,430 new #Covid19 cases declared today. The numbers are still relatively small, but the 133% increase shows what's to come in January.
130 further deaths

It took only 40 minutes for #USA to set the new all-time record.

As #California's daily #Covid19 cases went over 25,000 for the first time in 11 months, it helped take the national tally to just over 308,000 in the last 24 hours.

https://twitter.com/TWMCLtd/status/1475985081038774282

** BREAKING **

The World has again smashed the record for total global new #Covid19 infections in a single day.

The previous high of just over 1m was set on 23 December. Tuesday brought a host of new records, including #USA which pushed the daily figure to just over 1.2m

Big all-time record now in #Australia

The PM is about to speak on the day over 18,000 new #Covid19 infections have been confirmed so far today with still two regions yet to report.

#NSW smashes its own record with 11,201 new cases.
8 Covid deaths in #Aus today

* BREAKING *

Big numbers from #Scotland: a record 15,849 daily cases of #Covid19

Also a remarkably high positive test rate of 28.9% but as always, this is likely to be higher over holidays.

A large rise in Covid patients in hospital too, up 14% in a day to 649.

* BREAKING *

#France becomes the first European country to hit 200,000 #Covid19 cases in a single day.

The French Health Minister Olivier Véran has just told a parliamentary committee that there will be 208,000 infections when the official figures are released this evening.

All 3 Baltic States see case rises today, but for the time being all have lower infection rates than a week ago. It's not known if all Christmas backlog is cleared.

#Estonia 880 (+21% vs last Weds), 4 deaths
#Latvia 1319 (+76%), 24 died
#Lithuania 1948 (+17%), 17 dead

Alert for #Austria as #Covid19 cases rise.
You may have seen Austria recovering from the huge #Delta wave yet tightening restrictions, preparing for #Omicron.

Is this the arrival of the new variant? Today 3,251 new #Covid19 cases, almost exactly 1,000 higher than a week ago.

#Slovenia too reports a rise in #Covid19 cases. But as with Austria above, and others, we need to be cautious with data bouncing around during the holiday period.

1,863 more infections there today, almost 50% higher than last Weds. 10 more Covid deaths.

#Finland's new #Covid19 cases fall a little today, but there's widespread belief lagged cases are in the system, and the health situation's getting worse.

2,584 positive tests confirmed, 10% fewer than last Weds. Also 22 deaths.

Covid patients in hospital up 12% in a day to 343

It's looking very much as though two more Balkan countries are being sucked in by #Omicron.
Despite caution with Christmas figures, both nations have higher infection rates than a week ago

#Croatia 5,768 new #Covid19 cases (+36%); 41 dead
#Romania 1,271 (+38%); 33 deaths

#Malta sets yet another daily infection record.

1,337 new #Covid19 cases (+130%)

Malta has now become one of the few countries ever to reach a 7 day rate of over 2,000 AD/M.

Also another national record in #UAE today.

The Emirates confirms 2,234 positive tests for #Covid19 in the last 24 hours. The first 2000+ total for 6 months.

At least the daily increases are beginning to slow a little in % terms. Today up just the 236%!

1/2
In #Denmark another national record.

Some backlog, but the top line numbers still looking worse than we hoped with 23,228 new #Covid19 cases. That's 11,000 higher than a week ago.

The best indicator is to look at the 7-day avg, which is now 2,402 vs 1,824 a week ago

2/2
#Denmark reports 16 more #Covid19 deaths. The rate is still thankfully low, but definitely nudging up.

675 Covid patients in hospital right now, 9 higher than y'day. Patient numbers up 28% in 4 days.
77 people are in ICU (up 6 since y'day) and 52 (+3) on ventilators

The update from Denmark is not good and allied with Norway's lurch towards a possible uptick, could lead me to revising the projected UK peak, which I hoped was just about a week away.
But as always, holidays distort reporting, so I need more data!

Today's daily #Covid19 update from the #UK is expected to be delayed an hour until around 5pm GMT.

The @UKHSA does somehow manage to say both that there are another 40,000 #Omicron infections in the country and that Omicron now accounts for 90% of all #Covid19 cases in the #UK

UK will soon report over 130,000 new infections - the figures never add up.

#Netherlands could be on the verge of an #Omicron invasion too.

New #Covid19 cases up nearly 20% today to 15,708.
Yes, I am aware of vagaries of reporting this time of year, but the 7 day rate is now back as high as it was on Christmas Day.
49 Covid deaths.

* BREAKING *

Massive new record in #Portugal.

For the second successive day a national high, with today's total of new #Covid19 cases almost 10,000 higher than 24 hours ago.

26,867 new infections, 200% above last Weds.
#Lisbon confirmed almost 12k cases.
12 more Covid deaths.

* BREAKING *

The records keep on coming - #Greece next to shatter its all time high.

28,828 new #Covid19 cases, an almost unbelievable increase of 412%

Greece has brought forward a raft of new restrictions, but like #England, I think they've missed the boat now.

1/2

2/2

From tomorrow at 6am, #Greece no longer allows more than six together is bars, restaurants etc. Everyone must be seated and all venues must close by midnight each night, although there's an exception for New Year's Eve when they may stay open until 2am
#Covid19 #Omicron

Next new record comes in #Montenegro

1,507 new #Covid19 cases confirmed, not far off 5 times the number last Wednesday. It's enough to push the Balkan country to a new 7 day high infection rate of 1,116 AD/M

3 deaths.

** BREAKING **

More people have been admitted to hospital in #England with #Covid19 in a day than on any other day since 5th of February

1,751 new admissions were recorded on 27 Dec, the latest day for which data is available.
The total is 65% higher than the week before.

* BREAKING *
The total number of #Covid19 patients in hospital in #England today is up by almost another thousand since yesterday.

10,462 is the new figure - 48% above last Wednesday's total.

Here's the regional data for #Covid19 patients in hospital in #England:

#London 3,310 (+63% in a week)
#East 925 (+46.8%)
#Midlands 1,687 (34.3%)
#Yorkshire+NE 1,226 (+43.6%)
#NorthWest 1,530 (+55.6%)
#SouthEast 1,176 (+41.7%)
#SouthWest 608 (+23.8%)

#Covid19 patients in #England needing Mechanical Ventilation (MV) beds is up today, but only a little.

771 now in MVs, 13 higher than y'day (2%), but still lower than 2 days ago and only 26 higher than last Weds.

Please bear in mind any recent cases/admissions won't need MV yet

And another one..

#Switzerland breaks its national #Covid19 case record.

Y'day I reported the likely arrival of #Omicron
The rise was too much to be just Christmas backlog.

Today an all time high 17,575 new infections, 53% higher than last Weds.

57 deaths, highest since Jan

Two things about the new #Switzerland record above:

1) The previous wave only peaked 3 weeks ago, so these numbers are even more astonishing. I imagined built-in protection.

2) My thoughts about #Austria earlier in this thread are vindicated - expect records there too soon.

No #Covid19 record for #Serbia yet, but it's likely on its way.
1,804 new infections, up 42%. A third successive increase.

20 Covid deaths reported.

#Omicron takes charge in the #DominicanRepublic now

911 further #Covid19 cases reported in #DomRep today. That's almost quadruple the figure at this time last week.
8 new deaths.

Any winter holidays should be safe - I don't foresee UK govt imposing any travel restrictions.

New record in #Luxembourg now.

Astonishing day, we can only hope all these countries manage to keep serious illness and deaths down.

Luxembourg hits 4-figures for the first time ever with 1,053 new #Covid19 cases and 1 new death.
Infections today up 75%.

#Andorra holds the record for the highest 7-day #Covid19 infection rate ever seen during the pandemic.

The peak was 3,008 AD/M just 3 weeks ago. Yet #Omicron has just arrived and is already pushing cases back up. 283 infections today, up 70%

* BREAKING *

#Italy becomes the 9th European nation so far today to break its national #covid19 record.

Difficult to see #UK + #Spain avoiding a record too in the next hour or so.

Italy registers 98,030 new cases, up 170% on last Wednesday's total.
136 more Covid deaths

Speaking of #Italy, I haven't verified this shocking claim, but it has been published as you can see.

I think the story says 55% of all #Covid19 beds in Lazio district (capital) are occupied by Under 5s.

Immense thanks to @naomimorris1980 for the tip

https://twitter.com/francofontana43/status/1476066087485718529

*** BREAKING ***

Massive new #Covid19 record for #UK

183,037 new cases. Last Wednesday saw 106,122

There is likely Christmas lag. More to follow...

#UK's deaths down from 140 a week ago to 57 today, but there is still a lag over Christmas in the reporting procedure.

Let's have a look at the "inflated" #Covid19 infections though...

The regional #Covid19 case data by country gives a big clue to the reason why the #uk daily figure of 183k is much higher than expected

#England 138,287 (last Wed 95,795)
#NIreland 22,972 (for 5 days, last week 3,231)
#Scotland 15,849 (some Xmas lag) (5,967)
#Wales 5,929 (4,662)

The #UK govt data shows there were actually slightly fewer #Covid19 tests in today's data. However if there was some lag from previous days, that could adversely affect the positive test rate.

Thanks to my Italian speaking followers who clarify this is the situation in just ONE hospital in Rome.
But it is another in a growing series of concerns over children in the Omicron wave.

https://twitter.com/TWMCLtd/status/1476250252252434440

#Sweden not hitting records yet but may also do so soon.

9,103 new #Covid19 cases. That's 94% up on a week ago. The 7-day infection rate goes above 500 AD/M for the first time since April.

11 deaths

#Kenya now and good news. #Covid19 cases have been lower over Christmas as you'd expect.
Today is likely the first day where a direct comparison with a week ago is relevant.

And there are 31 fewer infections today.
3,297 new cases and 8 deaths.

Many parts of Africa still suffering though.

#Zambia has just hit a new all time record for daily #Covid19 cases.

5,255 new infections, up 84%. However I think there are some lagged cases today.

10 new deaths

Only one #USA state has reported so far today and it's already a record breaker.

#Pennsylvania confirms 17,520 new #Covid19 cases and 304 deaths

For #Turkey it's a 92% rise in #Covid19 cases.
36,684 infections and 142 deaths on the report today.

#SanMarino also among the records this week.
Now confirmed that yesterday saw an all time daily high of 154 new #Covid19 infections.
Another 117 cases today takes the 7-day rate to a new all time high of 2,386 AD/M

#Cyprus becomes the 12th European nation to set a new #Covid19 record.

This time the 3k mark is breached.
3,002 new cases which is a 240% rise on last Weds.

5 more deaths, all aged 74 or older.
The positive test rate today 2.52%

#Ireland - 13th Euro country to break its record

And a massive new high too.
16,428 new #Covid19 infections confirmed, up 160% on last week

568 Covid patients in hospital, with 93 in ICU.
Twice this week daily hospital admissions have exceeded 100, levels not seen since January

#France's #Covid19 case count confirmed as the all-time European high of 208,099

The 7-day infection rate ⬆️ to 1,612 AD/M

185 more deaths. Another 1,949 Covid patients were admitted to hospital today.
17,856 are now in hospital with 3,469 in ICU wards 3,147, up 10.2% in a week

In Europe, still awaiting Spain and Germany.

1/3
While I wait let me address one thing. I get so many messages from people sometimes literally screaming "incidental cases of #Covid19" about the hospital figures.

They mean some people are in hospital for something different..

2/3
..but happen to catch #Covid19 while in hospital. This is true of course. But it was ever thus. Do you think in March 2020 this was not happening? Or Jan 2021? So figures are comparable.

Also, at start of a wave the numbers contracting while already in hospital will rise..

3/3
..as quickly as the general population, and these are "instant" hospitalisations. So this distorts the % of "incidental" Covid patients right now.
Those ill specifically because of #Covid19 are starting to be admitted now so the balance will change. It's just maths!

One more thing on "incidental" #Covid19 cases. These patients still need isolating, extra cleaning and care. It adds to the work of Healthcare workers.

With excellent vaccines the numbers seriously ill and dying with, mercifully, be much lower, but don't brush off #Omicron

In each of the last 3 days the number of #Covid19 hospital admissions in #UK of children under 6 has more than doubled.

That sounds dramatic, but look at the graph and the blue line does not stand out

Also numbers small & some (or all) of these may be admitted for other reasons

#Spain makes it 14 European countries to break the national record.

But the numbers are lower than I expected, meaning either lagged cases today, yesterday's 99k was boosted by catching up with lagged cases, or Spain's growth is slowing (unlikely yet)

100,760 new #Covid19 cases

Today's total in #Spain is about 40% up on last Wednesday and only 1,000 higher than yesterday.

But 10,411 #Covid19 patients are now hospitalised in Spain with 1,773 in ICU
78 more have died.

Maybe Macron is actually trying to help the Brits after all? Protecting us from the even higher rates of infection in #France?

Any #UK citizens are apparently no longer able to drive through "Le Red Zone"

https://twitter.com/LeShuttle/status/1476245791027179524

#Germany's #Covid19 cases continue to fall, but not by so many now.
Indeed a member of the Government has said cases are under-reported.

41,947 new infections, just 7% lower than a week ago.
384 further Covid deaths.

** BREAKING **

#USA smashes its all time #Covid19 record yet again as new cases soar over 400,000 today with quite a few states and counties still to report

Incidentally yesterday's record total, with late submissions, has been revised upwards to 329,107. But that's now history

Among the highlights (or lowlights) in the #USA's surge today.

All of these set new State record #Covid19 case numbers (and more on next page):

#NewYork 67,129
#Florida 46,923
#NewJersey 26,473
#Illinois 21,098
#Ohio 20,320
#Georgia 19,124
#Michigan 14,675

And more states of the #USA setting all-time #Covid19 case records today, the worst in U.S. history by a mile (so far)

#Massachusetts 16,165
#Virginia 12,112
#Maryland 10,873
#Louisiana 9,378
#Missouri 7,109
#RhodeIsland 3,193

So 13 state records and #PuertoRico a record 8,230

** BREAKING **

Global #Covid19 record smashed for second successive day.

Yesterday a total of 1,292,965 new #Covid19 infections were reported from midnight to midnight GMT, as logged by @Worldometers

Already today 1.5m new infections around the world, led by #USA with >416k