May prayer report looking at the opportunities and challenges of vaccinations, Covid-19 Hot Spots and some suggested Prayer Pointers with links to resources:
As of 25th April, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stood at 146.5 million according to Johns Hopkins University. In addition to this, the recorded number who have died totalled 3,100, 822. From a peak of worldwide daily cases in early January, numbers declined steadily until mid-February when they started to rise again, and are now close to exceeding the January peak.
Covid-19 hot spots
Here are those countries / regions which are currently showing high levels of infection.
The current wave of infections is causing devastation in India. India is the second worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic after the United States. The overall case count now stands at 16,960,172 cases, and 192,311 deaths. Having previously peaked in September, cases have grown exponentially since mid-February with a current average of nearly 350,000 new cases each day and 2676 daily deaths, with the health system on the verge of being overwhelmed.
Brazil has also seen great suffering in 2021. Cases have increased since early February, peaking at the start of April at over 100,000 per day. The current daily average of 79,000 cases per day is slowly declining, but still exceeds that of the first wave in July 2020. Total cases have exceeded 14.3 million with 389,392 deaths. Having peaked at 4249 daily deaths on 8th April, the figure still remains extremely high with over 3000 daily deaths still being reported, currently higher than the reported figure in India. Argentina and Colombia have also both seen significant recent increases in cases.
The US continues to be the country with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths related to Covid-19 with figures at around 32,045,235 and 571,921 respectively. Thankfully the daily infection rate has fallen dramatically from a 7 day rolling average high point of nearly 250,000 cases in early January to 53,363 cases late April (John Hopkins) and daily deaths were reported as 724 on 24 April .
A growing number of European countries continue to see high numbers of cases as they struggle to vaccinate their populations at a fast enough rate to reduce the impact of new waves. Cases continue to rise in Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, but have become stable or started to fall in France and Italy.
New waves and Variants
New variants of COVID 19 continue to be the source of discussion and focus, not least as their interaction with the vaccination programmes and new waves of infection become a greater priority. The BMJ reported that on average one new mutation emerges each week and that this will continue without knowing when or where they will occur. This raises particular questions regarding the transmission and severity of variants, how the pandemic might develop over the coming months, and the implications for international law and travel. For governments, understanding their impact on vaccine efficacy and the implications for policy is a real challenge.
The variant that emerged in the UK has been identified as the B.1.1.7 variant. It accounted for a significant surge in cases and deaths in the UK, having been demonstrated to be approximately 1.5 times more transmissible than the original strain. There is also evidence to suggest it causes increased mortality and hospitalisation, particularly in the over-65 age group. This same variant has become significant in the new waves in Europe and is also contributing to rising cases elsewhere in the world.
Thankfully it appears that at least 3 of the main vaccines continue to provide protection against this variant.
It is feared that the P1 or ‘Brazilian’ variant is a significant cause of the rising cases in South America. Research has suggested it may be twice as transmissible as earlier strains and may evade up to nearly half of immune defences built during previous infections. Whilst it is not clear if the variant makes people sicker or is more deadly than other strains, researchers estimate that coronavirus infections were 1.2 to 1.9 times more likely to result in death after P.1 emerged than before.
There has been recent focus on a new variant B.1.617 that was first detected in India in October. Scientists do not yet know whether this variant is more infectious or resistant to vaccines however given the terrible situation in India, it is being kept under observation.
Vaccines
The vaccination programme remains the most likely vehicle for ending the pandemic. As of late April, more than 1.03 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, equal to 13 doses for every 100 people. Vaccines have now been administered in approximately 180 countries. Vaccines are concentrated in high income countries - about 55% of people who have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine were from high income countries, and at least 53% were from Europe and North America, yet these countries only represent 16 percent of the world’s population. A team at Duke University’s Global Health Innovation Center estimate that the world’s poorest 92 countries will not be able to reach a vaccination rate of 60 percent of their populations until 2023 or later.
Since the last report, issues have emerged regarding side-effects of vaccines, most notably blood clots. This has added another layer of challenge for countries as they develop, administer and seek to retain public support for their vaccination programmes. Some countries have adjusted their programmes to only use certain vaccines with specific age groups and genders based on the risk/benefit profiles for that country. It is important to note that the World Health Organisation continue to support the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying in a recent statement that it “continues to have a positive benefit-risk profile, with tremendous potential to prevent infections and reduce deaths across the world.”
In terms of approved vaccines, the RAPS website provides a good overview of the current situation. The approval by US authorities of the Janssen Biotech vaccine now means that there are 13 vaccines with some form of regulatory approval, of which 8 are being used widely across the world. 6 new vaccines are currently in Phase 3 trials, with a further 51 in earlier stages of development. This is unprecedented and something we should all give thanks for, not least when considering the partnership work between scientists, public and private organisations, which is a source of great optimism.
Government Policies
The start of 2021 has seen a number of countries returning to various levels of lockdown in order to deal with rising cases, as highlighted by this ‘government response stringency’ index. It is clear that many governments are nervous to relax restrictions too quickly after lifting restrictions last summer led to new waves of the virus. Countries are also considering the introduction of vaccination certificates or passports which could be used to allow individuals access to services, leisure and travel. Whilst there is a degree of public support for this in certain countries, many, including church leaders in the UK, have rejected this approach as likely to lead to greater inequality. With conflicting scientific advice, violent anti-lockdown protests, economic turmoil, huge backlogs in other health treatments, it is no surprise that these remain incredibly difficult times in which to govern and lead.
Let’s Pray… Let us continue to declare that the novel coronavirus is defeated by the blood of Jesus.
We pray for divine intervention and for God's name to be glorified even as each nation and government tries its best to prevent or control the emergence of new waves of infection and finally arrest this epidemic.
We pray that individuals, leaders and nations focus on the needs of others rather than themselves, and that cooperation and compassion lie at the heart of the world’s response to the crisis.
We pray for our scientists. In particular we pray for those assessing and communicating risks associated with vaccines, that they be filled with wisdom and understanding. We pray too for those investigating, sequencing and analysing new variants.
We release wisdom, skill, and integrity upon our leaders, particularly as they grapple with the complexities, challenges and many voices that seek to influence them.
We pray that leaders and nations will see their moral duty to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and back this up with action not just words.
We pray for protection, wisdom and strength, for those working to bring treatment and comfort to the sick and their families.
We pray for individuals struggling to decide whether to receive the vaccine. We ask that their fears be settled and that the information they receive be truthful and honest.
We pray release and healing from mental illnesses as a result of the lock-downs.
We continue to release faith, hope, and love over the peoples of the world. May the Church seize this opportune time to manifest Jesus our Lord and Savior to those who are seeking answers and peace.
Join in Online Prayers: World Prayer Centre, Birmingham, UK – Virtual House of Prayer
247 Prayer Coronavirus Prayer Room Additional Prayer Resources for Coronavirus
God and the Pandemic – Tom Wright
Beyond the Pandemic - Rev Dr Clifford Hill
A coronavirus prayer from Pete Greig
19 Things to Do in response to Coronavirus
Prophecy Today UK’s Responses to Coronavirus
PrayerCast Video and Prayer Briefing
CSM Nigeria Article
Lausanne Resources
Operation World EBook on the impact on Mission
WW11 Veteran Gets 180k Praying
On a lighter note… 50 countries affected by Covid 19 sing Amazing Grace in this video
Reporting from John Hopkins University: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality