View allAll Photos Tagged SARSCoV2
Boeing 737-48E(SF)
Only one of four aircraft flying over Ireland at time of shooting.
Away from the pavement
Dublin - Ireland
31 October 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – To ensure that our healthcare system does not collapse Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, in concert with the regional governments, announced yesterday evening strict lockdown measures. The measures that were positioned as our last chance to avoid an unprecedented tragedy will become effective on Sunday night, and will remain in force until 13 December. In summary, we are no longer allowed to receive visitors at home, with the exception of one “cuddle contact”. Outdoor gatherings are limited to a maximum of four people. Non-essential shops will be closed and non-medical professions requiring close contact (i.e. hairdressers, estheticians, etc.) will be shut down. Schools will remain closed until 15 November and teleworking will be made mandatory. In contrast to the lockdown earlier this year we are still allowed to take the car to go for a walk somewhere in a forest, 30 km from where we live as long as we do it safely. We are in lockdown, but the good news is that we can still go for a walk, we can meet some people if everyone wears a mask, keeps their distance and stays outside, we even can go fishing if we want...:-) The measures imposed are not going to make life easy, but they are definitely necessary. Let’s hope that we start seeing the impact of our efforts in the weeks to come. Stay Safe, Stay Healthy! – Damme, Belgium
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Street photography from Glasgow, Scotland.
Previously unpublished shot from March 2017. Captured well before Covid19 came into our lives, yet at this time even influenza could cause debilitating long term disease although this was much rarer and little understood.
Today, 17th March, is the 2nd International Long Covid Awareness Day with the theme this year being "Confront Long Covid".
Today, of all days, the global mainstream media is choosing to push a non-peer reviewed opinion piece by a single Australian public health doctor calling for the term 'Long Covid' to be abolished because it invites fear of Covid. This is like asking to abolish the term AIDS because it creates fear of HIV. Removing fear does not remove the disease.
The same mainstream media hardly ever publishes any of the thousands of peer reviewed papers on SARS-CoV-2, Covid-19 and Long Covid. The evidence out there published by leading scientists and clinicians around the world is mounting daily. Covid-19 is and has never been 'just a cold or flu'. Remember, even HIV infection has so-called 'mild' initial flu-like symptoms.
SARS-Cov-2 is a serious infection. Spread by airborne aerosols that hang in the air for hours, it is a multi-systemic infection that damages the immune system, in a similar way to HIV infection, and causes damage to blood vessels, the brain and bodily organs. It increases your risk of clotting that leads to heart attacks, strokes and pulmonary emboli. Many of these deaths in the weeks and months after infection are not being correctly attributed to Covid but the rate of increase with these directly correlates with the timeline of Covid-19 infection variant waves.
Long Covid is the result of permanent damage caused by SARS-CoV-2. Bearing in mind that even 'mild' infection has been proven to cause permanent damage to internal organs, blood vessels and the brain. So called 'mild' Covid-19 results in permanent brain damage, particularly to the pre-frontal cortex, which is responsible for short-term memory and impulse control. It has been shown to age the brain by 7-10 years per infection.
Long Covid is multi-systemic as a direct result of this and lasting symptoms can range from lightly annoying to completely debilitating.
Youth and fitness is no protection. Some of those most severely debilitated by Long Covid, unable to get out of bed, brush their hair or even chew solid food, are young, fit and healthy people with no pre-existing conditions.
Vaccination offers very limited protection. Our vaccines are several variants out of date by the time we receive them. SARS-CoV-2 is evolving so rapidly that it is evading immunity. Prior infection is even more useless in providing protection. The next infection you receive will be a different variant to which you have no immunity.
Long Covid is real. Long Covid is destroying lives. Take a look at the figures around the world for the increase in long term sickness and the 'economically inactive'. Financial institutions are sitting up and taking notice. Insurance companies will refuse health insurance if you have one of many of the Long Covid symptoms following a Covid infection. You are banned from giving blood if you have Long Covid. The corporate capitalist world has a vested interest in covering up Covid and Long Covid to keep the short-term profits rolling in. These systems have the lobbying power over politics. Follow the money.
Each Covid-19 infection causes cumulative damage and increases your risk of developing Long Covid.
Preventing infection is your only way to avoid Covid and Long Covid. The only way to prevent infection is to clean the air. Washing your hands is almost entirely pointless for an airborne disease.
FFP2/3 (N95/99) standard respirators will offer personal protection. Surgical masks, as pictured, are pointless and only protect from direct large droplets.
Ventilation and HEPA filtration of indoor air is essential. The world powers and global elite know this and practice this already.
Millions of people have Long Covid already. Millions more have it without realising because they never adequately tested for Covid or don't realise that their mild 'brain fog' is actually brain damage.
Covid is over though, right?
No. We are still in the middle of the pandemic.
The evidence is out there. I keep up to date with the scientific peer reviewed papers from Harvard, The Lancet, the BMJ etc. and I know two people personally with Long Covid right now. Their lives are significantly ruined by the disease. One with a quality of life worse than that of someone with stage 4 cancer.
A lot of text here I know and I am obviously passionate about the subject. I care. I don't wish to see anyone suffer, least of all with a permanent debilitating disease that destroys quality, and quantity, of life.
I am also angered by disinformation and injustice, of which there is a great deal surrounding Covid-19 and Long Covid. This is why I am sharing this long post on Long Covid Awareness Day.
Please educate yourselves from proper, reliable and peer reviewed sources. Please keep yourselves safe and minimise your risk of exposure.
We used to get actual influenza maybe once in a decade. People are now getting Covid infections 2-6 times a year. This is unsustainable and the walls of false security will crumble. Of course the media will point the finger at other causes, the vaccine, lockdowns and such, but just an ounce of critical thought and scientific research will dispel these.
Be aware. Be safe. Confront Long Covid.
Thank you so much for your time and I am profoundly grateful if you read this huge wall of text. Take care.
10 April 2021: The number of new infections continues to drop. During the week from 31 March to 6 April an average of 3,593 people tested positive for SARCoV-2. The figure is down 23% on the week. The total number of corona patients in Belgian hospitals stands at 3,128. 911 of them are receiving intensive care. As Belgium’s coronavirus infection figures are slowly decreasing, experts are considering “two major scenarios” that could happen after the four-week Easter pause: (1) the figures will have either dropped enough for relaxations from late April or early May, or (2) Belgium will be stuck on a plateau of more than 200 hospital admissions per day which would be a lot higher than after the second wave. Right now, it is still guessing where the wind will be coming from. On display today is the work of French artist Daniel Buren: Le Vent Souffle Où Il Veut. The One hundred flagpoles with the same number of weathervanes are positioned along the harbor channel in Nieuwpoort – Nieuwpoort, Belgium.
5 October 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – The number of people testing positive for the novel coronavirus continues to rise in Belgium. This is also the case with regard to hospitalisations and the number of people dying after having contracted the virus. Almost 2,000 new people per day tested positive for the virus in Belgium over the past week, with a peak of over 3,000 new cases on the same day last Wednesday. As a result, general practitioners are becoming overwhelmed, and hospitals are slowly filling. Beds that were destined for people who had to undergo surgery are being assigned for coronavirus patients again. The University Hospital in Brussels is already transferring patients to hospitals outside the region. The trend doesn’t look good. I understand that many of us are experiencing ‘coronavirus fatigue’ and that we get the same message every time but clearly, we all need to be more careful and limit our close contacts to a strict minimum, wash our hands regularly, respect the social distancing rules and continue to wear masks in places where social distancing is not possible. Although a vaccine against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 seems to be on the horizon we still have a long way to go before life will go back to the way it was. Hang in there! – Damme, Belgium.
Stretching 120km from the Belgian border to the Baie de Somme the sublimely beautiful Opal Coast – named for the interplay of greys and blues in the sea and sky – features lofty chalk cliffs, rolling green hills, windswept beaches, scrub-dotted sand dunes and charming seaside towns that have been a favourite of British beach lovers since the Victorian era. The coast is dotted with the remains of Nazi Germany's Atlantic Wall, a line of fortifications, artillery emplacements and massive, reinforced concrete bunkers built to prevent the Allied invasion that in the end took place in Normandy – Côte d’Opale, France
Immunization Covid19 Vaccine (SARS-CoV-2 - Coronavirus) | Imunização Vacina Covid19 (SARS-CoV-2 - Coronavirus) | São Paulo/SP - Brasil
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Instagram → @luciano_cres
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Evening near the Oudegracht and Gaardbrug/Gaardbridge. It is more tranquille now because of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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Vroege avond, bij de Gaardbrug. Door de pandemie is het verlatener.
I abide by the Rules
There is a LOT of SNOW to be photographed very close where I live, at the very very close mountains,
BUT, I do follow the Covid _19 rules,
and therefore I only can photograph the little snow close to my flat.
©Angela Lobefaro 2021
ALL Rights Reserved
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26 December 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – Over the past week on average 2,452 people a day tested positive for the coronavirus. The figure is almost identical to that recorded in the previous week. The downside is that the number of hospitalizations remain high with 181 new people on average being admitted every day during the week leading up til Christmas. In Belgium a total of 2,448 Covid patients are being treated in hospital. With an average of over 11,000 people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 over the past week the Netherlands is confronted with a significantly bigger challenge albeit also there the upward trend is slowing down. Nevertheless, it is going to be a while before I can resume my weekly trips to my Groningen office. Today’s picture is an early morning shot of the Amstel in Amsterdam in better times – Amsterdam, the Netherlands
6 January 2021: Update on the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium. During the week from 27 December to 2 January an average of 1,580 people/day tested positive for the coronavirus. This is down 12% on the 7-day rolling average for the previous week. During this period fewer tests have been carried out, therefore, it is possible that some infections are (still) undetected. Given that the current numbers still don’t reflect the full impact of the festive period and the returning holiday makers one may wonder if we are heading towards a plateau that is way too high to consider any relaxations of the lockdown measures soon. Yesterday’s good news was that the government announced to revisit the vaccination campaign after it was criticised for its slowness, as other countries had managed to vaccinate a lot more people. Also, more and more healthcare professionals are calling for changing the vaccination priorities. They argue that health care workers who are in direct contact with care home residents and hospital patients should be prioritised when it comes to deciding who gets the corona vaccine first. That makes a lot of sense to me. Anyway, more information about the sped-up campaign will be given on Friday. Back to memory lane… On this very day, 4 years ago, we were exploring the rural shores of Lake Titicaca by bike – Titilaka, Peru.
16 February 2021: Yesterday’s figures show a further fall in the number of people testing positive for the virus. In the week to 12 February on average 1809 people tested positive each day in Belgium. The figure is down again 19% on the week. Also, for the first time since last October the number of people with COVID-19 that are being cared for in Belgian hospitals has fallen below 1,600. This is a far cry from the more than 7,000 COVID-19 patients that were in Belgian hospitals at the peak of the second wave of the pandemic in early November 2020. All of this should be a source for optimism. However, I guess that we will only be able to be at ease once the at-risk groups and the over 65’s have been vaccinated. Nevertheless, there is finally some light at the end of the very long lockdown tunnel. Whilst spring is knocking at the door, I decided to post another image from the weekend when the dunes were still covered with snow – De Haan, Belgium.
27 December 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – There’s been a 6% drop in the average daily number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the week to 22 December with 2,378 cases being recorded each day on average. Also, the number of hospitalisations and deaths has fallen. Yesterday, a first batch of 10,000 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech arrived at the University Hospital of Leuven. The hospital will serve as the central hub for distribution of the vaccine across Belgium. Supplies for all of Europe will be furnished from the Pfizer factory in Puurs, Belgium. The rest of the world is supplied by the company’s main plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Belgian government provided yesterday also more details on the roll-out of its vaccination strategy. Care home residents will be vaccinated first. The roll-out of the vaccine to all care homes could take until the end of February. Starting March hospital staff and first line care workers will be immunised. As of May, people over 65 living at home and people with chronic illnesses will be vaccinated. Isn’t that two months later than what initially was announced? Anyhow, the timing of the whole operation will largely depend on the availability of vaccines. It’s unclear to me if this schedule is based on the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine only and if the current plan will be reviewed and hopefully accelerated as soon as the Moderna vaccine has received market approval in the second half of January. Whatever the timing will be there is hope… Today’s picture of somebody cycling through a cold and grey landscape northwest of Ghent depicts the long and cold winter we still have ahead of us – Meetjesland, Belgium
10 July 2021: In recent days the figures relating to the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium have taken a turn for the worse. The number of new infections has been rising for around a week now and yesterday (Friday) the average number of daily hospital admissions rose for the first time in weeks. During the week from 30 June to 6 July an average of 697 people tested positive for the coronavirus. This is 81% up on the figures for the previous week. The total number of patients with COVID-19 that are being cared for in the country’s hospitals stands now at 250. Of those hospitalised 95 are on intensive care wards. The basic reproductive rate for coronavirus in Belgium currently stands at 1.09. Since a large number of people have still not been fully immunized against COVID-19 and since there is no reason to believe that the figures will start falling again in a couple of weeks the situation is very worrying. Belgium is not alone. The number of coronavirus infections is increasing across Europe. In the Netherlands, the number of coronavirus infections is rising sharply, with 6,986 new cases in the past 24 hours. The Dutch government announced yesterday new restrictions to limit the hospitality industry and live events sectors. In summary until a very high % of the population is fully immunized we will need to remain cautious – Bruges, Belgium.
12 January 2021: The latest figures show for the fourth day in a row a rise in the 7-day rolling average for people testing positive for coronavirus. During the week from 2 to 8 January an average of 2,020 people tested positive for the virus each day. This is a rise of 27% of the previous week. Biostatisticians find it hard to finger point the cause of the sharp increase of infections. Is it the impact of the returning travelers or is because more tests were carried out? I guess the coming days will tell. The biggest concern of our virologists is that a mutation like the one we’ve seen in the UK will enter the country on the back of a returning holiday maker. The good news is that the first shipment of the Moderna vaccine arrived in our country yesterday and that the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca most likely will get European conditional market authorization next week. On display today is another seascape of last Saturday’s stroll on the beach of De Haan – De Haan, Belgium.
7 November 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – There is some encouraging news from the Covid front. Belgium is seeing a slight fall in the number of infections and there are initial indications that the number of people being hospitalised is also falling. The number of patients in intensive care continues to rise, but the rate of increase is slowing. The lockdown efforts are starting to pay-off but the way down is still long and we are going to have to stick to the current regime for a long time before we enter safer waters. Meanwhile, the US set a daily record for new cases for the third straight day, with more than 129,000 new cases on Friday. Whilst Joe Biden is edging closer to victory many people in Europe wonder if he also will be able to govern and take the necessary actions to get the country back on track. At the moment, it seems likely that the Senate — which is wildly unrepresentative of the American people — will remain in the hands of the republicans who will undoubtfully sabotage Biden in every way it can. The skewed electoral system in the US means that Trump’s party will still be in a position to cripple the next president’s ability to deal with the huge epidemiological, economic and environmental problems the country face. To cheer me up I continue to capture scenes from my hometown – Reep, Ghent, Belgium
23 October 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – As the number of infections continue to go up, experts and politicians alike are divided on whether or not Belgium should return to lockdown. Some argue that a short but strict lockdown would avoid a much longer semi-lockdown period that will eventually exhaust and frustrate everyone and proclaim that it would have a less sever socio-economic impact. Others argue for stricter measures but only in areas and regions where the biggest difference can be made to break the infection chain. Some also stress that the effects of the measures that went into force on Monday are not visible yet and that as a minimum we should wait for the impact these measures made before implementing additional restrictions. Net-net, we do not know and only can speculate what the government will decide later tonight. Meanwhile, all Belgian hospitals have been told to postpone non-urgent surgeries and to reserve 60% of their intensive care beds for Covid-19 patients. Yesterday, it also became public that Sophie Wilmès, who took over Belgium’s premiership last year and steered the country through the first wave of the pandemic and currently holds the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, was admitted into the ICU. Clearly, young or old, rich or poor we all can get infected. Wondering what the next days will bring I wandered through the streets enjoying the scenery of the city in the beautiful warm sunny glow of the evening – Portus Ganda, Ghent, Belgium
26 October 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – On Saturday 590 patients with COVID-19 were admitted to Belgian hospitals. This is the second highest daily number of hospital admissions since the start of the public health crisis caused by the coronavirus. The highest number of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital in one day so far was on 28 March when 629 patients were admitted. Meanwhile, there is a consensus among most virologists and some political parties that tougher measures are necessary to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2 with some of them even using the word “lockdown”. Despite this outcry and despite that most European countries are returning to tougher restrictions the Flemish government decided not to further tighten the coronavirus measures for the time being. The Flemish Prime Minister, Jan Jambon from the right-wing populist party NVA, asked if he should start spraying his own house with water because it might catch fire. I’m seriously questioning the Flemish government’s cavalier approach to the worst health crisis in a century. What will it take before they decide that the house IS on fire? Anyhow, in my search for beauty in the ugly and mondain I continue to picture Ghent in the gold light of dusk – Portus Ganda, Ghent, Belgium.
11 December 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – Measured in comparison with the previous week the corona figures continue to fall, but the drop in the average number of new cases per day and the number of hospitalisations is hardly falling. Each day around 2,000 new cases are confirmed across Belgium and in Flanders the number of cases is rising again. Data suggests that infections are especially passed on within households. The virus usually reaches households as a result of close contacts with friends and relatives at home and outdoors or via colleagues at work. Mobile phone data show an increase in mobility and an increased mobility often heralds an increase in the number of cases. All of these findings underpin the need for homeworking. The figures also reveal a big increase among the young: up 33% in the 0-10 age category, up 41% among teenagers. Under 20’s account for 14% of all cases. Despite these findings, virologists don’t believe that schools are the engine of infection because studies show that the virus is transmitted more readily from child to adult and from adult to child than among children themselves. Nevertheless, the reopening of schools involving 2 million children must have been playing a role albeit not at the same level as people working less from home. I’ll definitely stop the occasional corona proof trips to the office and shelter at home for the rest of the year enjoying the beauty of my hometown. On display today is another vignette of the fiery dragons warming up the city during this unprecedented crisis – Ghent, Belgium
My wife got cabin fever and we found that we still had some yeast (which is currently in short supply in Bavaria for some reason) in the house - and here's the result.
(Also a good excuse to place that Laguiole knife into a photo 😁)
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Stretching 120km from the Belgian border to the Baie de Somme the sublimely beautiful Opal Coast – named for the interplay of greys and blues in the sea and sky – features lofty chalk cliffs, rolling green hills, windswept beaches, scrub-dotted sand dunes and charming seaside towns that have been a favourite of British beach lovers since the Victorian era. The coast is dotted with the remains of Nazi Germany's Atlantic Wall, a line of fortifications, artillery emplacements and massive, reinforced concrete bunkers built to prevent the Allied invasion that in the end took place in Normandy – Côte d’Opale, France
29 December 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – The corona statistics for Belgium keep improving. For the week ending on 25 December 1843 new infections on average per day were reported, that is a drop of 27%. Other good news was that yesterday the first Belgians were vaccinated. Despite Belgium not officially launching vaccinations until 5 January approximately 300 residents and staff members of three nursing homes were inoculated to trial the launch of the vaccination campaign. Also, after criticism emerged about the slow vaccination process discussions surfaced that our country is considering going for just one dose with a second one only being delivered about six months later, instead of a couple of weeks. This approach would have two major benefits: the first one is that a larger part of the population can have the vaccine in a shorter period of time. This means that the whole of the Belgian population could be vaccinated before summer. Second, herd immunity would grow at a much faster rate and the coronavirus would have less chance to spread further and to mutate, reducing the risk of a new and potentially more dangerous or more contagious version. Experts are now investigating what the medical consequences could be of this alternative strategy. Whilst I’m wondering what the outcome of this interesting debate will be, I’m continuing to capture Ghent during this unprecedented holiday season. On display is the Castle of the Counts (Gravensteen) one Ghent’s most renown landmarks – Ghent, Belgium.
1 January 2021: Update on The Corona Pandemic – In the week ending on December 28, on average 1701 people tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 per day. The number is 30 percent down on the week. Good news, but the real test is coming in the second and third week of January, experts say, when we will see the impact of returning holiday makers who may import the virus, of the start of the second school term and of the Christmas and New Year's family gatherings. Cleary, we don’t know what 2021 will hold but we are wishing all of you a happy, prosperous and healthy journey! Today’s picture of a Bolivian highland landscape was taken in January 2017 when we were travelling through the Eduardo Avaroa National Park.
13 November 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – The Belgium government will meet later today to take stock of the situation and assess the first results of the latest measures against the coronavirus. Even though the virus’ spread is slowing down, and the figures for infections and hospitalisations are “encouraging,” no relaxations of the rules are excepted. Over the past two weeks there were still 1,332.3 confirmed infections per day per 100,000 inhabitants. A couple of weeks ago Belgium has been hitting the international press with some of the highest cumulative cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Europe and a record number of hospital admissions. This morning I read in the newspaper that we are now fascinating the world with our “Cuddle Contacts”. International media have commented on this interesting part of our lockdown strategy. The British Daily Telegraph explained to its readers that a “Cuddle Contact” was somebody from outside your household, who in the interests of general sanity, that you are allowed to be in contact with despite corona and the many, many restrictions and that can be admitted to your home without the need to socially distance. The Sun asked its readers who they would designate as their “Cuddle Contact” if Boris Johnson would hit on the idea. The North American news outlet Vice headlined “Everybody get a Cuddle Buddy in Belgium’s new Lockdown”. The Italian and yes, even the Chinese press had similar articles… The Belgian complex state structure and its polarized political landscape may not be winning any beauty contest anytime soon for its initial approach to the coronavirus pandemic but as a minimum the Belgium government cares about the mental wellness of its population… :-) To avoid that I’m becoming too cynical I will continue my search for beauty in the empty streets of the paradoxical and complex
country I’m in a love-hate relationship with – Ghent, Belgium.
The remains of the Mulberry Harbour off Arromanches, seen here at sunset.
These dark shapes on the horizon are Phoenix caissons—massive concrete blocks towed across the Channel from England and sunk to form a breakwater. Together, they turned this stretch of coast into a floating harbor, critical for bringing in troops, vehicles, and supplies just after the D-Day landings in June 1944.
Today, they’re part of the landscape. At a distance, they almost look like ruins from another world. But they remind us just how much planning and effort went into securing the beaches—and how much of that effort is still visible, 80 years later.
Stretching 120km from the Belgian border to the Baie de Somme the sublimely beautiful Opal Coast – named for the interplay of greys and blues in the sea and sky – features lofty chalk cliffs, rolling green hills, windswept beaches, scrub-dotted sand dunes and charming seaside towns that have been a favourite of British beach lovers since the Victorian era. The coast is dotted with the remains of Nazi Germany's Atlantic Wall, a line of fortifications, artillery emplacements and massive, reinforced concrete bunkers built to prevent the Allied invasion that in the end took place in Normandy – Côte d’Opale, France
27 September 2020: According to yesterday’s figures an average of 1,540.7 people per day tested positive for Covid-19 in Belgium during the past week. The trend of new infections per day increased by 40% over the 7-day period from 16 to 22 September. On Monday 21 September, the last complete daily figure available, 2,165 new infections were recorded. In total, 620 patients are currently in hospital. Of those patients, 109 are in intensive care. Belgium is still a yellow zone today, but certain places – like Brussels – are red. And stricter measures are in order. Nevertheless, the general face mask obligation – which was abolished during the most recent meeting of the national security council – will not be reinstated. However, having a mask with you when going out in public will be required. Understand who can but it is clear that Brussels needs to urgently implement stricter measures to keep up with the spread of the coronavirus in the region – Regentschapsstraat, Brussels, Belgium
10 April 2021: The number of new infections continues to drop. During the week from 31 March to 6 April an average of 3,593 people tested positive for SARCoV-2. The figure is down 23% on the week. The total number of corona patients in Belgian hospitals stands at 3,128. 911 of them are receiving intensive care. As Belgium’s coronavirus infection figures are slowly decreasing, experts are considering “two major scenarios” that could happen after the four-week Easter pause: (1) the figures will have either dropped enough for relaxations from late April or early May, or (2) Belgium will be stuck on a plateau of more than 200 hospital admissions per day which would be a lot higher than after the second wave. Right now, it is still guessing where the wind will be coming from. On display today is the work of French artist Daniel Buren: Le Vent Souffle Où Il Veut. The One hundred flagpoles with the same number of weathervanes are positioned along the harbor channel in Nieuwpoort – Nieuwpoort, Belgium.
5 January 2021: Life looked a little different 4 years ago. This very day we were travelling from Cusco to Lake Titicaca. This picture was taken at the border between the Cusco and Puno Region. The elevation at this point is 4,335 meter. Today, we are monitoring coronavirus statistics and are anxiously waiting to be vaccinated. Here’s today’s update of the Corona Pandemic in Belgium. During the week from 26 December to 1 January an average of 1,581 people/day tested positive for the coronavirus. This is down 14% on the 7-day rolling average for the previous week. The figures are heading in the right direction albeit at a slower pace and the level at which the virus is circulating remains very high. If the trend continues at this pace it will be 20 January before the 7-day rolling average for positive tests is down to 800/day and the 7-day rolling average of 75/day for hospital admissions won’t be reached for another 7 weeks. These were the targets the government set at the end of November to start considering any relaxations of the current measures. Meanwhile, there is a growing concern that vaccinations are starting off too slowly. By Sunday night only 700 people had received their corona vaccine, while 10,000 doses have been delivered. Belgium is receiving 87,500 doses of the Pfizer vaccine each week, but by the end of this week no more than 6,000 people will have been inoculated whilst abroad, especially in Germany, vaccinations are proceeding apace. How come? Experts are saying that they want to upscale the process in a way that ensures quality and that they don’t want to make any mistakes and waste vaccines. We Belgians seem to need more time to master the skills necessary to transport, store and defrost the vaccines than our neighboring countries. Understand who can? Anyhow, it looks like we’re confined to our homes for a while and long distance travelling is a distant dream.
20 February 2021: In the week to 16 February on average 1886 people tested positive each day in Belgium. The figure is down 5% on the week. In the same period 118 patients with Covid were hospitalised and 39 fatalities a day were linked to Covid. The figures are down respectively 7% and 4% on the week. Whilst the decrease of the 7-days rolling average for the key indicators continues to decrease, figures from the past few days indicate that we can expect them to raise again in the days to come. Meaning, the plateau phase in the corona figures continues and it will take patience and persistence before we’ll get to the threshold of 800 infections per day. Yesterday, I took a quick peek at the vaccination center in Ghent that opened its doors for first-line care providers such as general practitioners, dentists and home care nurses. The picture confirms that we’re not off to a flying start. The lack of available vaccine doses made it more of a symbolic kick-off. – Flanders Expo, Ghent, Belgium.
11 January 2021: Taking into account the rolling average for seven days, we had 1,816 new infections each day (+13 %), but the number of hospitalisations and fatalities is still going down. However, the latter indicators are always following the trend at a later stage. The big question is whether Belgium can avoid a third wave, and how big the impact will be if we have one. Meanwhile, the cities and municipalities are gearing up to install 120 local vaccination centres. As from March, the whole vaccination process will be sped up when the people above 65 can receive an injection. The government is claiming that with all infrastructure up and running, all people will be vaccinated before summer. Let’s hope they are right. On display today is another picture of Saturday’s hike on the beach. Stay safe, stay healthy! – De Haan, Belgium.
Sinjorino en blanka robo kun papilion
Objektiv Meyer Orestor 2,8/135 (Pentacon auto 2.8/135)
Kamera SONY A5000
Bildflächennutzung ggü. Kleinbild: 43%
Bildflächennutzung ggü. Bildkreis << 25% (Makro)
8 January 2021: 4 years ago, on this very day we woke up in the Eco Lodge in Isla del Sol, Bolivia at an attitude of 4000 m with a breathtaking view on the high Andes and Lake Titicaca. Today we’re confined at home anxiously monitoring the coronavirus figures. The rate at which these numbers are going down is unfortunately slowing and we are bracing for what may happen over the next couple of weeks. During the week from 29 December to 4 January an average of 1,664 people/day tested positive for the coronavirus. This is down 2% on the 7-day rolling average for the previous week. Therefore, it is very unlikely that the government will announce any relaxation of the measures after today’s meeting. We are still far away from the threshold that has been set of 800 infections and 75 hospital admissions per day. The only thing we may expect from today’s gathering is an update on the roll-out of the vaccination campaign. Fingers crossed that, as a minimum, this will provide us with some hope for a return to our normal lives in the not-too-distant future.
17 April 2021: The rays of light we have seen over the past few weeks have given way to some uncertainty. On average during the last seven-day observation period, the week to 13 April, 3,755 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed each day. The figure is up 4% on the week. Hospital admissions are down slightly, but still insufficiently to remove the pressure on the hospitals. Despite that the engine driving the fall is starting to stall, schools will reopen and the ban on non-essential travel will be lifted as of Monday. I’m holding my breath… In time vaccination will help, but for the time being vaccination levels are too low for them to have a substantial impact. Net-net, we did not yet weather the storm. On display is another vignette of life in Ghent during this unprecedented crisis – Citadelpark, Ghent, Belgium.
14 May 2021: More than 40% of the adult population in Belgium have already received their first coronavirus vaccine jab and in a couple of hours from now I’m one of them. While the number of people testing positive for the virus remains more or less stable at a level that is still very high, the significant fall in the number of COVID-19 patients being cared for in the country’s hospitals continues. There are 657 patients being treated in intensive care for Covid-19 and a total of 2,024 people hospitalised with a coronavirus infection, a fall of 18% compared with a week ago. During the week from 4 to 10 May an average of 2,852 people in Belgium tested positive for the coronavirus each day this figure is down 4% on the average for the previous week. The reproduction number continues to stand at 0.91. With the vaccination campaign moving at full speed, everybody is hoping that the dark and rainy days are over. Let’s hope that the Indian mutation of the virus doesn’t spoil the party. Therefore, all eyes are now on the UK, and the progress of the Indian mutation, which is much more present there than it is here. On display today is the skyline of Ghent from the Museum of Industry – Ghent, Belgium.