The COVID-2019 Thread

[harrybarracuda]

Good news if they can turn it into an effective human treatment.


"Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have created a new COVID-19 therapeutic that could one day make treating SARS-CoV-2 infections as easy as using a nasal spray for allergies. The therapeutic uses short snippets of synthetic DNA to gum up the genetic machinery that allows SARS-CoV-2 to replicate within the body.

In a new study published online in the journal Nature Communications, the team shows that these short snippets, called antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), are highly effective at preventing the virus from replicating in human cells. When administered in the nose, these ASOs are also effective at preventing and treating COVID-19 infection in mice and hamsters.


“Vaccines are making a huge difference, but vaccines are not universal, and there is still a tremendous need for other approaches,” said Anders Näär, a professor of metabolic biology in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology (NST) at UC Berkeley and senior author of the paper. “A nasal spray that is cheaply available everywhere and that could prevent someone from getting infected or prevent serious disease could be immensely helpful.”

Because the ASO treatment targets a portion of the viral genome that is highly conserved among different variants, it is effective against all SARS-CoV-2 “variants of concern” in human cells and in animal models. It is also chemically stable and relatively inexpensive to produce at large scale, making it ideal for treating COVID-19 infections in areas of the world that do not have access to electricity or refrigeration."

New inhaled COVID-19 therapeutic blocks viral replication in the lungs | Berkeley News

[misskit]

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health will consider ending hospitel and hotel isolation in September as the Covid-19 situation gradually improves in Thailand.


Dr. Thares Krasanairawiwong, director-general of the Department of Health Service Support, stated that the department is preparing a proposal for the ending of the isolation measure to Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for consideration. He explained that the reason for discontinuing these practices is because the country now has out-patient self-isolation (OPSI) and home isolation measures that provide an efficient treatment system for Covid patients.


According to the director-general, a recent survey revealed that the number of hospitels has dropped significantly, but over 3,000 beds remain unoccupied. Meanwhile, the number of hotels for self-isolation practices has decreased, but nearly 1,500 are still available for patients.


In response to the department’s proposal, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) stated that it is prepared to comply with the policy.


NHSO secretary-general Dr. Jadej Thammatacharee stated that a coordination system via its hotline number, as well as its walk-in service via the OPSI and home isolation system, is available to the public. He also noted that patients can receive assistance through the telemedicine system through mobile applications such as MorDee, Clicknic, and Good Doctor Technology.


Public Health Ministry to Consider Ending Hotel and Hospitel Isolation Measures

[harrybarracuda]

Didn't even know they were still doing that.

[misskit]

COVID Antiviral Use Requires Prescription

BANGKOK (NNT) - Medical experts are reiterating that antivirals for treating COVID-19 must only be used with a doctor’s prescription, while also noting the potential risks associated with purchasing such drugs without a prescription.


Dr Somsak Akksilp, director-general of the Department of Medical Services (DMS), explained that COVID prescriptions generally fall into four categories. The first consists of patients who are asymptomatic and so will not be prescribed antivirals, although doctors may consider prescribing green chiretta pills. The second category comprises patients with mild symptoms, such as sore throat and coughs, who are not at risk of developing severe symptoms. This group may be prescribed favipiravir pills.


The third category consists of the ‘608’ group of people at heightened risk of developing severe symptoms from COVID-19. These cases may exhibit mild symptoms and pneumonitis. Doctors will consider issuing one of several antivirals in these cases, such as favipiravir, molnupiravir, Paxlovid or remdesivir. The fourth category involves patients experiencing pneumonitis, high fever, coughing or low blood-oxygen levels. These patients must be admitted to hospital where a doctor will consider prescribing remdesivir for five days. Severe symptoms may prompt remdesivir to be prescribed for 10 days along with anti-inflammatories.


Dr Kumthorn Malathum, deputy director of Ramathibodi Hospital, said Paxlovid cannot be issued to all patients as it may react with other medication. Migraine patients, for example, can suffer gangrene if taking migraine medication with Paxlovid. Prescribing Paxlovid to diabetic patients could also have harmful side effects.

COVID Antiviral Use Requires Prescription

[harrybarracuda]

The chinkies are still kicking the Covid can down the road. What's happening with their mRNA knock off Hoohoo? Why won't you tell us?

BEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Several COVID-hit Chinese cities from the country's east to west imposed fresh restrictions and lockdowns on their populations on Thursday to contain flare-ups that are again threatening to disrupt local economies.
Reducing people's unnecessary movement for a few days - a softer type of lockdown - as soon as dozens of new cases emerge is a key practice of China's "dynamic COVID-zero" strategy. The aim is to avoid turning efforts to halt an outbreak into the extended nightmares seen in Shanghai and Wuhan.

The uncertainty over how long such smaller lockdowns may last - because Omicron's high transmissibility makes it harder to clear infections - has hurt business confidence and made people less willing to travel.
The eastern export and manufacturing hub Yiwu said on Thursday it would enter three days of "silent management", with most of its residents banned from leaving designated areas and some confined to their homes.

Yiwu's 1.9 million people joined millions of others across several cities whose movements are restricted largely to their residential compounds, unless they have to go out for matters such as COVID tests, grocery shopping or hospital visits.
Companies whose employees can work on closed campuses are still allowed to operate, while all public venues in Yiwu were to be closed during the three days, excluding hospitals and other places offering essential services.

In China's western region of Xinjiang, three cities in the Aksu area from Thursday allowed employees to leave their homes for work while restricting everyone else to necessary movements only. It is not clear when the measures will be lifted.
Key districts in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi, meanwhile, have been in a five-day lockdown starting on Wednesday.
Clusters in the tourism hotspots Hainan and Tibet continued to expand, with affected cities under lockdowns.
Mainland China reported 1,993 domestically transmitted new coronavirus cases for Aug. 10 - 614 symptomatic and 1,379 asymptomatic - the National Health Commission said on Thursday.
There were no new deaths, keeping fatalities at 5,226. China has confirmed 232,809 cases with symptoms as of Aug. 10, including local transmitted ones and those among arrivals.
China's capital Beijing reported two local cases for the previous day, while financial hub Shanghai and southern technology hub Shenzhen reported zero new local infections. read more

Several cities in China add COVID curbs as millions still under lockdown | Reuters

[harrybarracuda]

Meanwhile....

The nation’s top public health agency on Thursday relaxed its Covid-19 guidelines, dropping the recommendation that Americans quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said people no longer need to stay at least 6ft (about 2 metres) away from others.

The changes are driven by a recognition that more than two and a half years since the start of the pandemic an estimated 95% of Americans ages 16 and older have acquired some level of immunity, either from being vaccinated or infected, agency officials said.

CDC ends social distancing and contact quarantining Covid recommendations | Coronavirus | The Guardian

[harrybarracuda]

There were chaotic scenes at an Ikea store in Shanghai on Saturday, with shoppers trying to escape as authorities tried to quarantine them.

Health officials were attempting to lock the store in Xuhui district down as a customer had been in close contact with a positive Covid case.

Videos show the guards closing the doors at one point, but a crowd forced them open and made their escape.

Shanghai endured a severe two-month lockdown earlier this year.

Since then, in line with the country's strict "zero-Covid" strategy, the city of 20 million people has ordered flash lockdowns of areas where positive cases or their close contacts have been detected.

Many have been locked down in unusual locations - including hot pot restaurants, gyms and offices.

The Ikea store's sudden shutdown was ordered because a close contact of a six-year-old boy who tested positive after returning to Shanghai from Lhasa in Tibet had visited, Shanghai Health Commission deputy director Zhao Dandan said on Sunday.

He did not say when the close contact was believed to have been at the store.

(Amusing video at the link - Harry)

Shanghai Covid: Ikea shoppers flee attempt to lock down store - BBC News

[hallelujah]

Some good news.

Covid vaccine designed to target two variants approved for use in UK | Coronavirus | The Guardian

[Little Chuchok]

Cardiovascular Effects of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents Thai Study (Not yet peer-reviewed)

Cardiovascular Effects of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents[v1] | Preprints

This study focuses on cardiovascular effects, particularly myocarditis and pericarditis events, after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine injection in Thai adolescents.

This prospective cohort study enrolled students from two schools aged 13–18 years who received the second dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Data including demographics, symptoms, vital signs, ECG, echocardiography and cardiac enzymes were collected at baseline, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14 (optional) using case record forms.We enrolled 314 participants; of these, 13 participants were lost to follow up, leaving 301 participants for analysis.

The most common cardiovascular effects were tachycardia (7.64%), shortness of breath (6.64%), palpitation (4.32%), chest pain (4.32%), and hypertension (3.99%). Seven participants (2.33%) exhibited at least one elevated cardiac biomarker or positive lab assessments. Cardiovascular effects were found in 29.24% of patients, ranging from tachycardia, palpitation, and myopericarditis. Myopericarditis was confirmed in one patient after vaccination. Two patients had suspected pericarditis and four patients had suspected subclinical myocarditis. Conclusion: Cardiovascular effects in adolescents after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination included tachycardia, palpitation, and myocarditis.

The clinical presentation of myopericarditis after vaccination was usually mild, with all cases fully recovering within 14 days. Hence, adolescents receiving mRNA vaccines should be monitored for side effects. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05288231

[misskit]

Poll shows more lax social distancing among general public

BANGKOK (NNT) - Thai people have become less cautious about COVID-19, according to a survey, while the numbers of daily Covid hospitalizations and deaths have started to show a decline.


Conducted nationally by the Department of Health Service Support, the survey shows a 4.27% higher engagement in at-risk activities, and an 11.06% decline in mask-wearing awareness; all contributing to a higher risk for COVID-19 spread.


These results came from comparing the data from the first round of survey conducted on 5-31 March with 113,847 respondents, and the latest round on 1-20 July with 28,487 respondents.


According to the department, this survey indicates more physical contact due to the relaxed social distancing and masking measures. The Ministry of Public Health still encourages the general public to keep observing the Universal Protection protocol in a stringent manner.


Around 77.1% of Thailand’s population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with two primary doses, while around 45.2% have already received at least one booster dose.

Poll shows more lax social distancing among general public

[harrybarracuda]

FLOTUS has tested positive.

Jill Biden tests positive for COVID-19 | CTV News

[harrybarracuda]

An ambitious study of people with Long Covid, the mysterious, disabling symptoms that can trail a SARS-CoV-2 infection, has turned up a host of abnormalities in their blood. The clues add to a body of evidence hinting at drivers of the condition and potential treatments worth testing. They also suggest that, as many scientists and patients have suspected, Long Covid shares certain features with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), another condition thought to follow an infection.
The new study, posted as a preprint last week, was modest in size, examining just 99 people with Long Covid. “But it went very deep, it went into granular aspects of the T cells, the antibody response,” says Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, who was not involved in the work. “This is exploratory, but it’s the foundation for much bigger studies.”
The Long Covid patients, most of them struggling with intense fatigue, brain fog, and other symptoms, had low levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that helps the body control inflammation, glucose, sleep cycles, and more. Features of their T cells indicated their immune system was battling unidentified invaders, perhaps a reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 or a reactivated pathogen such as Epstein-Barr virus.

Science | AAAS

[harrybarracuda]

The Covid-19 pandemic sent millions of workers in the US from working in offices to working remotely. As unemployment benefits ended, vaccines rolled out, and reopenings expanded, employers and commercial real estate groups have been pushing to try to get workers back into offices.
But the pandemic further exposed the issues in returning to office, from long commutes to and from work, exorbitant childcare costs, ongoing concerns over exposure to Covid-19 variants and now monkeypox, workers are pushing to keep working from home as an option as employers force a return to the office.

At AT&T, the world’s largest telecommunication company, workers represented by the Communications Workers of America agreed to a work from home extension until the end of March 2023, but workers say the company is forcing many workers to return to the office much sooner than that, while other departments had already been forced back to the office by their managers.
James Bloch, an AT&T employee in Cleveland, Ohio, for 21 years, said the work from home option has been beneficial for workers’ mental health, protection from Covid-19, productivity, attendance and carbon footprint.
“These are extremely stressful times over the last few years and being at home has allowed us to have less distractions, giving us better one-on-one time with our customers and our clients,” said Bloch. “With AT&T technology, they’re a communication company. We have some of the best stuff out there. Let’s use it. We can do the same job from home anywhere that we could do if we were all sitting there together.”

AT&T workers fight return to office push: ‘We can do the same job from home’ | AT&T | The Guardian

[harrybarracuda]

Most people who were infected with the Omicron variant didn't even realise they had COVID-19, according to a new study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in the US.

The lack of public awareness about being infected means that people can't take steps to prevent themselves transmitting the virus further, which is a major stumbling block for addressing new waves of the pandemic.

"More than one in every two people who were infected with Omicron didn't know they had it," said Dr Susan Cheng, a corresponding author of the study which is published in JAMA Network Open.

Previous studies have estimated that at least 25% and potentially as many as 80% of people infected with the coronavirus may not experience symptoms, the researchers say.

This "low level of infection awareness has likely contributed to the fast spread of Omicron," added Dr Cheng

Scientists at Cedars-Sinai have been conducting research into the effects of COVID-19 and the impact of vaccines for more than two years.

At the beginning of the study they began collecting blood samples from healthcare workers, and then in the autumn of 2021 they began collecting samples from patients too.

Of the 2,479 healthcare workers and patients who had given blood samples around the beginning of the Omicron surge, the researchers found 210 people who were infected with the variant based on newly positive levels of antibodies in their blood.

The researchers then surveyed the study participants to get updates on their health status, and during these surveys only 44% of participants who had the antibodies were aware of being infected.

The majority were not only unaware of any infection, but only 10% reported having any symptoms at all - and those that did believed they were caused by a cold or another infection.

"We hope people will read these findings and think 'I was just at a gathering where someone tested positive' or 'I just started to feel a little under the weather, maybe I should get a quick test'," said Dr Cheng.

"The better we understand our own risks, the better we will be at protecting the health of the public as well as ourselves," she added.

Most people with Omicron didn't even realise they had COVID-19, study finds | Science & Tech News | Sky News

[misskit]

Study finds Long Covid heightens risks for neurological and mental conditions

BANGKOK (NNT) - A respected medical lecturer has pointed out findings from a major study on the effects and risks associated with Long Covid. The study found Long Covid is associated with risks of developing neurological and mental conditions.


Chulalongkorn University lecturer Thira Woratanarat wrote about issues with Long Covid on his Facebook page. He cited a study from Oxford University, published in The Lancet Psychiatry medical journal. The study assessed Long Covid issues from data produced by about 1.3 million people worldwide. The study evaluated the risks of Long Covid affecting the brain, nervous system, and mental health.


Assoc. Prof. Thira elaborated on key discoveries brought about by the study. Firstly, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was found to contribute the same Long Covid risks as those presented by the Delta or earlier strains. Said risks are associated with the brain, nervous system, and mental health. Secondly, people who contract COVID-19 are at risk of emotional setbacks such as depression and anxiety. However, said risk will gradually reduce over 2-3 months until it reaches the same level as that for the normal population. Thirdly, the study found that people who contracted Covid face a heightened risk of developing neurological issues. The study determined that said risk prevails over a period of two years. Dr. Thira noted the period might actually be longer than two years if the study is continued into the future.


Dr. Thira said the study is of global interest as it illustrates the significance of Long Covid. He added a wide range of neurological and emotional conditions may arise due to Long Covid and the elevated risks for these conditions may last for more than 2 years.


The medical lecturer said each country needs to come up with support systems for people afflicted with the aforementioned conditions. People who were previously infected should frequently assess their health in terms of cognitive ability, memory, attention span, and emotion. If these do not match the pre-Covid norm, the individual should consult a doctor.


Dr. Thira added that keeping from getting infected with Covid is the best path to take. He said wearing masks correctly is key to this effort.

Study finds Long Covid heightens risks for neurological and mental conditions

[harrybarracuda]

A study from Houston Methodist found some patients with lingering COVID-19 symptoms aren't getting enough blood to their heart when exercising or doing physically strenuous activities.
The ability of endothelial cells, which play a key role in dilating the arteries and helping get blood to the heart, was diminished by 20 percent among the 101 long COVID patients who participated in the study.
“When a patient exercises, they need a little bit more blood delivered to the heart to be able to provide blood to the entire body," said Dr. Mouaz Al-Mallah, a cardiologist and co-author of the paper. "But in some patients with COVID, we noted that it’s not increasing to the degree that it should be."
The majority of long COVID patients in the study reported symptoms doctors suspect could be cardiovascular-related. Through PET scans, they found these patients were twice as likely to have unhealthy endothelial cells that line the side of the heart and blood vessels.
"This may potentially explain why some patients are having chest pain and shortness of breath because when they need more blood, their heart is not getting that extra blood," Al-Mallah said.
Patients with unhealthy endothelial cells are at higher risk of heart failure, of needing unplanned catheterization and bypass surgery, and of death.

New study offers clues as to how long COVID affects the heart – Houston Public Media

[misskit]

Your man is stepping down, Nid.


White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci to step down in December after more than 50 years of public service

The nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, plans to step down from his roles running the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and advising the White House as its chief medical advisor at the end of the year, he announced Monday.


Fauci has become a household fixture during the Covid-19 pandemic, battling back misinformation — sometimes from the highest levels of government. His steadfast commitment to science, challenging former President Donald Trump on everything from the use of hydroxychloroquine to mask mandates, made him a quasi-celebrity in the process.


The 81-year-old has advised seven U.S. presidents, starting with Ronald Reagan through the HIV/AIDS epidemic, West Nile virus, the 2001 anthrax attacks, pandemic influenza, various bird influenza threats, Ebola, Zika and, most recently, Covid and monkeypox.


Fauci, who also runs the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, said he has no intentions of retiring.


“After more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field,” Fauci said in a statement. “I want to use what I have learned as NIAID Director to continue to advance science and public health and to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats.”


He first joined the National Institutes of Health in 1968 at age 27 where he quickly rose through the ranks and eventually took over as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1984. Former President George W. Bush awarded Fauci the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008.


Fauci called leading the NIAID through so many extraordinary health threats the “honor of a lifetime.”


“I am very proud of our many accomplishments. I have worked with – and learned from – countless talented and dedicated people in my own laboratory, at NIAID, at NIH and beyond,” he said. ’To them I express my abiding respect and gratitude.”


Fauci was one of the very first people President Joe Biden said he called after he was elected was to office.


“During my time as Vice President, I worked closely with Dr. Anthony Fauci on the United States’ response to Zika and Ebola,” Biden said in a statement Monday. “I came to know him as a dedicated public servant, and a steady hand with wisdom and insight honed over decades at the forefront of some of our most dangerous and challenging public health crises.”


During his tenure, Fauci never shied away from conflict. His Senate hearings were often peppered with terse exchanges with members of Congress, particularly with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who he once accused of inciting death threats against him and his family.


“What happens when he gets out and accuses me of things that are completely untrue is that all of a sudden that kindles the crazies out there and I have threats upon my life, harassment of my family and my children with obscene phone calls, because people are lying about me,” Fauci told the Senate health committee at a January hearing.


At the height of the pandemic, Fauci was fielding more than 2,000 emails a day and working 24/7 on just three to four hours of sleep a night, he told friends and old colleagues in a trove of emails obtained through public records’ requests by several media outlets.


Fauci was everywhere in American culture over the last 2½ years. Brad Pitt played him on “Saturday Night Live.” The Atlantic called the then 79-year-old a “heartthrob” in an April 2020 article titled “America is Thirsty for Anthony Fauci.”


His face adorned holiday ornaments, socks, donuts, T-shirts and fan art. Restaurants named drinks after him. The managers of Capo Italian Deli credit their Fauci Pouchy cocktail, vodka, elderflower and mint lemonade sold in an type of IV drip pouch, with helping to keep the restaurant afloat during the pandemic.


“Our society is really totally nuts,” Fauci wrote in reaction to a piece documenting “Fauci Fever” and the online “sexualization” of the then-80-year-old virologist.


Fauci said in an email at the time that a March 2020 Washington Post article detailing his “cult following” was “truly surrealistic.”


“Hopefully this all stops soon,” Fauci wrote.

Dr. Anthony Fauci to step down in December after more than 50 years of public service

[harrybarracuda]

I hope the trumpanzees and antivax idiots will leave him alone now.

[harrybarracuda]

This June, the Census Bureau finally added four questions about long Covid to its Household Pulse Survey (HPS), giving researchers a better understanding of the condition’s prevalence. This report uses the new data to assess the labor market impact and economic burden of long Covid, and finds that:

• Around 16 million working-age Americans (those aged 18 to 65) have long Covid today.
• Of those, 2 to 4 million are out of work due to long Covid.
• The annual cost of those lost wages alone is around $170 billion a year (and potentially as high as $230 billion).

New data shows long Covid is keeping as many as 4 million people out of work

[misskit]

Japan plans to ease COVID-19 border controls in early September

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday announced plans to ease border controls from early September by eliminating requirements for pre-departure COVID-19 tests for travelers who have received at least three vaccine doses, and he will also consider increasing daily entry caps as soon as next month.


Japan, which has imposed some of the toughest border measures for the coronavirus, currently requires negative PCR test results within 72 hours of departure for all entrants, a practice that has been criticized as cumbersome.


Kishida, after holding virtual meetings with government ministers and medical advisors earlier Wednesday, told reporters in an online news conference that entrants who have received at least one booster vaccine can waive the pre-entry test beginning Sept. 7.

MORE Japan plans to ease COVID-19 border controls in early September : NPR

[harrybarracuda]

Moderna said Friday that it is suing Pfizer and BioNTech, alleging that the two companies copied Moderna's technology to make their Covid vaccine Comirnaty.

"We believe that Pfizer and BioNTech unlawfully copied Moderna's inventions, and they have continued to use them without permission," Moderna Chief Legal Officer Shannon Thyme Klinger said in a statement.

The patent infringement lawsuits were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the Regional Court of Düsseldorf in Germany, according to a news release.

Moderna said it filed patents from 2010 to 2016 for its mRNA technology, which was critical in the company's creation of its own Covid vaccine. The company alleges that Pfizer and BioNTech then copied that same technology for Comirnaty.

Moderna sues Pfizer and BioNTech alleging patent infringement over Covid vaccine

[misskit]

China shuts world's largest electronics market as Shenzhen imposes more lockdowns

Hong Kong (CNN Business)China's southern city of Shenzhen on Monday shut down the world's largest electronics market and suspended public transport nearby as authorities enforced neighborhood-wide lockdowns in response to a small number of Covid cases.


Huaqiangbei, a busy shopping area home to thousands of stalls selling computer components, mobile phone parts and microchips, is among three neighborhoods placed under a mandatory four-day lockdown in Futian district, according the district government.


Residents in those neighborhoods are forbidden to leave their homes except for Covid testing, which they are required to undergo daily until Thursday.


All businesses in the affected areas are shut down through Thursday, except for supermarkets, pharmacies and hospitals. Restaurant dining is also suspended, with only takeaways allowed.


China is one of the last places in the world still enforcing stringent zero-Covid measures, which rely on sweeping digital surveillance, mass testing, extensive quarantines and snap lockdowns.


On Tuesday, Shenzhen, an international technology hub of 18 million people, reported just 35 infections, including 11 asymptomatic cases.

The heavy-handed approach has seen dozens of neighborhoods across Shenzhen identified as "high-risk areas," and placed under strict lockdown orders. Videos shared by residents on social media show metal barriers -- some topped with barbed wire -- erected outside residential buildings, blocking residents from leaving.

MORE Zero-Covid: China shuts Huaqiangbei electronics market as Shenzhen imposes more lockdowns - CNN

[harrybarracuda]

Still no decent vaccines.

Poor old chinkystan, what a mess.

[naptownmike]

Has anyone transited through Japan recently?

I have a layover in Narita soon and am having trouble getting info about the latest covid rules.

I have a vaccine card showing three doses.

[misskit]

If you are transiting through Narita after the 7th of September, looks as though all you will need is your vaccine card.