“Nearly 10,000 more people than usual have died in the past four months from non-Covid reasons, as experts called for an urgent government inquiry into whether the deaths were preventable. Fears are growing that NHS delays at the height of the pandemic left large numbers of people with previously treatable conditions suffering illnesses that have now become fatal. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that England and Wales registered 20,823 more deaths than the five-year average in the past 18 weeks. Only 11,531 deaths involved Covid. It means that 9,292 deaths – 45 per cent – were not linked to the pandemic.” – Daily Telegraph
Covid vaccine research targeted by hackers
“British spies have contended with a record number of cyberattacks in the UK over the past year, with many targeting coronavirus research and vaccines. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a division of GCHQ, said it had helped to mitigate 777 incidents between September last year and the end of August, about 20 per cent of which were aimed at organisations linked to the health sector and vaccines. The NCSC said the growth in reported incidents was partly down to its work to identify cyberthreats but that it had also had to respond to a rise in cyberattacks, particularly ransomware. Ransomware is a form of cyberattack that locks files and data on a user’s device and demands payment in exchange for their release, and has been used as part of a number of attacks in recent years, including the 2017 WannaCry attack on the NHS.” – The Times
Unvaccinated Germans ‘face lockdown within days’
“Germany could introduce lockdown curbs on unvaccinated people within days amid rapidly rising coronavirus infections. Those who refuse the jab could be limited to meeting just one person from outside their household and barred from non-essential travel as soon as Friday in the region of Saxony. Under existing rules, the measures will come into force automatically if more than 1,300 hospital beds in the region are occupied by Covid patients for three consecutive days. Bed occupancy crossed the threshold on Monday, and the rules will come into force at the end of the week if numbers do not drop by Wednesday. Saxony and Bavaria are among a number of German regions that already require proof of vaccination for people to enter restaurants, bars, nightclubs, cinemas and leisure centres.” – Daily Telegraph
Biggest rise yet in obesity among young children
“Obesity among primary school children rose last year as the Covid-19 pandemic left more of them stuck at home. There was a 4.5 percentage point increase in the proportion of children in reception classes, aged four and five, who were obese, from 9.9 per cent in the 2019-20 school year to 14.4 per cent in 2020-21. There was a similar rise in year six pupils, aged 10 and 11, from 21 per cent to 25.5 per cent, according to the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). The increases are the biggest annual rise since the programme began in 2005. In both age groups, boys were more likely to be obese than girls, and children living in the most deprived areas were much more likely to be obese than those in the least deprived areas.” – The Times