Monthly Archives: January 2022

US inflation soared 7% in past year, the most since 1982

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Inflation jumped at its fastest pace in nearly 40 years last month, a 7% spike from a year earlier that is increasing household expenses, eating into wage gains and heaping pressure on President Joe Biden and the Federal Reserve to address what has become the biggest threat to the U.S. economy.

Prices have risen sharply for cars, gas, food and furniture as part of a rapid recovery from the pandemic recession that was fueled by vast infusions of government aid and emergency intervention by the Fed, which slashed interest rates. As Americans have ramped up spending, supply chains have been squeezed by shortages of workers and raw materials.

“Inflation ended 2021 very hot,” said Ben Ayers, senior economist at Nationwide. Ayers and other economists say prices may cool off some as snags in the supply chain ease, but inflation will remain elevated throughout 2022.

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COVID: new ‘Deltacron’ coronavirus variant discovered in Cyprus

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A new variant has a similar genetic background to the Delta variant, together with 10 mutations from Omicron.

People wait outside a vaccination centre, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Limassol, Cyprus May 4, 2021

A new coronavirus variant nicknamed “Deltacron” has been discovered in Cyprus, local media reported on Saturday.

The variant has a similar genetic background to the Delta variant, as well as some of the mutations from Omicron, explained Dr. Leondios Kostrikis, the head of the laboratory of biotechnology and molecular virology at the University of Cyprus, according to the Cyprus Mail.

In total, 10 of the mutations from Omicron were found in the 25 samples taken in Cyprus. 11 of the samples came from people who were hospitalized due to the virus, while 14 came from the general population.

Kostrikis theorized that the fact that the frequency of the mutation among hospitalized patients was higher could point to a correlation between the new variant and hospitalizations.

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5 MILLION could skip work next week with COVID, putting strain on businesses and transport

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  • The US recorded 900,832 new COVID cases on Friday, the second highest day ever after record set Monday
  • Deaths jumped to 2,615 for the day, a 22% increase from a week ago on a rolling average basis
  • One expert estimates 5 million people in the US may be calling out sick next week, some 3% of the workforce
  • Disruptions are forcing some businesses into de facto lockdown because they lack the staff to operate
  • Most forecasts suggest that the Omicron surge will not peak in the US until late in January
  • Dr. Fauci said on Friday that the US could soon be regularly recording 1 million new cases of COVID each day
  • Explosion of Omicron-fueled infections in the US is already causing a breakdown in basic services

The United States has posted its second-highest daily total for new COVID-19 cases, as one expert predicts some 5 million Americans could call in sick in the coming week in a major disruption to the economy and essential services.

On Friday, the US recorded 900,832 new COVID cases, second only to the more than 1 million cases recorded on Monday. The nation’s four highest caseload days since the start of the pandemic were all recorded in the past week.

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Record broken with 76,887 new cases

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One of three tests were positive on Friday

As omicron surges statewide, Florida reported 76,887 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the
highest daily number of the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control.

This surpasses the previous record of 75,732 infections set Dec. 30.
The Florida Department of Health reported 397,114 new coronavirus cases this week
among Florida residents to bring the cumulative total to 4,562,954. With 184 more
fatalities on record, 62,688 Florida residents have died.

This week’s 184 deaths reflect an increase from the 162 reported last week, but deaths can
take several days or weeks to be reported. The majority of the newly reported deaths are
people who died before this week.The death count has not reached anywhere near
September levels, where nearly 2,500 new deaths were reported multiple weeks in a row.

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French scientists detect ANOTHER variant linked to Cameroon

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  • Mutant strain has 46 mutations making it more vaccine resistant and infectious
  • But there is little sign that it is outcompeting the dominant Omicron variant
  • Some 12 cases have been spotted to date, linked to travel to Cameroon

Another Covid variant has been found in France, according to scientists.

The mutant strain has 46 mutations that are thought to make it both more vaccine-resistant and infectious than the original virus.

Some 12 cases have been spotted so far near Marseille, with the first linked to travel to the African country Cameroon.

But there is little sign that it is outcompeting the dominant Omicron variant, which now makes up more than 60 per cent of cases in France.

The strain was discovered by academics based at the IHU Mediterranee Infection on December 10, but has not spread rapidly since.

It is yet to be spotted in other countries or labelled a variant under investigation by the World Health Organization.

Professor Philippe Colson, who heads up the unit that discovered the strain, said: ‘We indeed have several cases of this new variant in the Marseille geographical area.

‘We named it “variant IHU”. Two new genomes have just been submitted.’

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NYC will consider race when distributing life-saving COVID treatments

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New York City will take a patient’s race into account when distributing potentially life-saving COVID treatments, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene revealed on their website.

The city will “consider race and ethnicity when assessing individual risk,” reads the agency’s official guidance from Dec. 20, which adds that “longstanding systemic health and social inequities” can contribute to an increased risk of dying from COVID-19.

The guidance applies to both the distribution of monoclonal antibodies and oral antivirals like Paxlovid and Molnupiravir.

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Pandemic 1.0

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Imagine being born in 1900. When you are 14 years old World War I begins and it ends when you 18 with 22 million deaths.

Shortly after, in 1918 a global pandemic, the Spanish Flu kills 50 million people.
You come out alive and free, and you are 20 years old.


Then at 29 years you survived the global economic crisis that started with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange, causing inflation, unemployment and hunger.


At 33 the Nazis come to power in Germany. When you’re 39, WWII starts and ends when you’re 45. In the resulting Holocaust 6 million Jews die. There will be more than 60 million deaths in total.


When you’re 50 years old the Korean War starts. 5 million people died along with 40,000 Americans. 100.000 American soldiers wounded


When you’re 64 starts the Vietnam War and ends when you’re 75. A 10 year conflict that cost almost 60,000 American lives


A child born in 1985 thinks his grandparents have no idea how hard life is,
when in fact they survived various wars and disasters.


A boy born in 1995 and today 25 years old thinks it’s the end of the world when his Amazon package takes more than three days to arrive or when he doesn’t get more than 15 “likes” for his photo posted on Facebook or Instagram.


In 2022, many of us live in comfort, have access to different sources of entertainment at home and often have more than we need. But people complain about everything.
However, they have electricity, phone, food, hot water and a roof over their heads.
None of this existed before. But humanity survived much more serious circumstances and never lost the joy of living. Maybe it’s time to be less selfish, stop complaining and crying.