Attached: 1 image Here's the latest variant picture with a global scope. DeFLuQE variants continue to grow, dominating FLiRT and FLuQE variants. FLiRT and FLuQE variants have been overtaken by XEC.*, growing to around 14%. #COVID19 #Global #DeFLuQE #FLiRT #FLuQE #XEC 🧵
RT @KatePri14608408
⚠️HALF!!! Let that sink in!!
🇮🇱Long-COVID symptoms for half of Israelis who caught COVID.
More than half reported at least one long-COVID symptom even a year after they were sick.
@NjbBari3
@DavidJoffe64
@EnemyInAState
@MeetJess
@LettersfromTim
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-04-19/ty-article/.premium/long-covid-symptoms-linger-for-half-of-israelis-who-caught-virus/00000187-9b24-d6e9-a997-9faf48160000
Everyone in Japan wears masks voluntarily. Why?
In 1918, Japan put a lot of effort into educating the public, providing masks for free, and mandating them in public spaces. They continued to do so, even when places like the US stopped.
The result? Long-term behavioral change.
What Japan did in 1918 was so effective in changing long-term behavior that 100 years later everyone in Japan wears masks voluntarily despite there being no mandates these days.
https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/100-years-and-counting-mask-wearing-japan
Here's the latest variant picture for the United States:
The new XBB.1.5 "Kraken" sub-lineage is showing rapid growth against the BQ.* lineages, up to 7% nationally.
The parent XBB.1 "Hippogryph" lineage sparked a recent wave in Singapore, but has not been as successful elsewhere. The XBB.1.5 sub-lineage has picked up a Spike F486P mutation, among others.
Recent sample sizes are very small. Fairly representative sample sizes area available up to 16 December.
If this year taught us anything, it's that:
1) Workers keep America going, not billionaires.
2) Corporate profits don't trickle down to workers.
3) Poverty is a policy choice.
4) Health care is a human right.
5) Strikes work.
I hope we act on these lessons in the new year.
Scientists are exploring how inflammation and sleep are connected.
“But this wasn’t a restful sleep. Infected people had difficulty falling asleep, woke up more, and had a more restless sleep especially when they were most symptomatic.”
“Up to six months after an infection, 41 percent reported sleep disturbances; an additional 7 percent reported disturbances that were severe.”
The estimates for the % of the population currently infectious now range from 2.8% for QLD up to 6.6% for South Australia.
Inputs are unchanged:
- Median Infectious Period (days) = 10.
- Under-reporting Factor = 10
Mike Honey
Tal Barenboim
Dr. Lucky Tran 
Robert Reich