Americans ignore US COVID surge: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/15/covid-19-coronavirus-us-surge-complacency . When politics replaces science, the results are always predictably bad.
China should monitor excess mortality: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-01-16/who-recommends-that-china-monitor-excess-covid-19-mortality . The WHO recommendation relates to monitoring excess mortality, not excess COVID mortality. As readers know, I believe excess mortality calculations will prove the most reliable way to measure COVID mortality, because it eliminates the politics of misclassifying COVID deaths.
China to boost COVID spending: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2023-01-16/china-to-boost-spending-for-covid-prevention-treatment . The savings from the eliminating the wasteful Zero COVID program should more than pay for appropriate COVID policies.
WSJ: Exercise reduces the effects of COVID: https://www.wsj.com/articles/exercise-helps-blunt-the-effects-of-covid-19-study-suggests-11673814263 . Of course, the exercise must be performed before contracting the disease. The flip side of this coin is that people wit comorbidities often have more severe cases of COVID.
From an alert reader: Medication delivered by toothpaste: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25474857/ . The reader mentioned she had spoken to a participant with asthma who had received his medication by toothpaste. The participant said his life had been changed by this approach, almost fully eliminating his asthma symptoms.
WSJ: US medical residents join union movement: https://www.wsj.com/articles/medical-residents-unionize-over-pay-working-conditions-11673832067 . As working conditions grow as a friction point between workers and companies, the union movement will benefit.
China’s population declines: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/chinas-population-declines-first-time-decades-rcna65928 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-population-declined-in-2022-for-first-time-in-decades-11673921036 . This of course primarily reflects the reduced birth rate in China. The comment in the first article about COVID’s role cannot be true unless China has been totally lying about the effectiveness of Zero COVID and its ability to control outbreaks. Even if China has been lying, this does not change my opinion about the severity of the current tsunami of cases following the end of Zero COVID.
WSJ: China’s economic slowdown continues: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-economic-growth-fell-to-near-historic-lows-as-covid-took-a-bite-11673921199 . The ongoing COVID tsunami there indicates that Q1 growth will also be anemic.
China looks for economic spark from Lunar New Year travel: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-01-17/chinas-lunar-new-year-travel-offers-spark-of-economic-rebound-from-covid-crunch . What an appalling, uneducated viewpoint! This small spark will come at the cost of spreading the current tsunami of cases to the rural elderly, who lack quality medical care or hospitals. So we all know what will happen. The Chinese government does as well.
WSJ: Global supply chains being rerouted: https://www.wsj.com/articles/globalization-changing-markets-trade-11673627929 . As we have contended for quite some time, the world is shifting to a “two axes” distribution model. As is also well-known, China currently dominates the production of certain items crucial for the transition to clean energy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/opec-cartel-has-nothing-on-chinas-clean-energy-monopoly-11673883488 .
Russia refuses to publish list of those killed in Ukrainian strike on barracks: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/01/12/in-russias-samara-region-a-steady-trickle-of-funerals-for-soldiers-killed-in-makiivka-a79907 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/dozens-of-russian-draftees-died-in-a-ukrainian-strike-putins-war-machine-rolled-on-11673864038 . This strongly suggests that more than 89 died. The Ukrainians claim 400 were killed and 300 wounded.
WSJ: Russia-Belarus joint military exercises on Ukrainian border: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-and-belarus-stage-military-exercises-on-ukraines-border-in-show-of-force-11673873197 .
WSJ: Italy’s most wanted, a long-time Mafia boss, arrested in Sicily: https://www.wsj.com/articles/italian-police-arrest-most-wanted-sicilian-mafia-boss-11673876355 .
Losing GOP candidate in New Mexico arrested for shootings at Democratic officials’ homes: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3815570-former-gop-new-mexico-candidate-for-state-house-arrested-in-shootings-targeting-elected-officials/ . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/losing-new-mexico-candidate-arrested-over-shootings-at-democrats-homes-11673928801 .
WSJ: Lasers can redirect lightning strikes to safer locations: https://www.wsj.com/articles/lasers-can-guide-dangerous-lightning-strikes-to-a-safer-path-study-shows-11673884829 . But this won’t happen anytime soon. A redirected lightning strike will likely cause some damage. So there is no insurer willing cover this type of risk.