A February 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 29 January, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stood at 101.6 million according to Johns Hopkins University. In addition to this, the recorded number who have died totalled 2,195,871.

Covid-19 hot spots

Here are those countries / regions which are currently showing high levels of infection:

The US continues to be the country with the highest numbers confirmed cases and deaths related to Covid-19 globally with figures at around 25,793,302 and 433,719 respectively. The daily infection rate has fallen steadily after a peak in late December to around 285,000 new cases per day and new deaths are projected at around 2939 a day (7 day average) according to Worldometer.

India is the second worst-hit country in the world pandemic after the United States based on case counts.  The health ministry's 29 January figures reported 18,855 infections and 163 deaths in the past 24 hours - bringing the overall case count above 10.7 million and the death toll to 154,010. This is the lowest figure in 8 months and follows a steady decline since mid-September

In South America, Colombia and Brazil continue to see high levels of infection. There have been at least 9 million cases of the coronavirus in Brazil and 221,547 deaths.  In Colombia, a leading politician and defence minister, Carlos Holmes Trujillo recently died with Covid-19, one of 52,913 deaths and over 2 million infected people.

New waves and Variants

The United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa have identified new variants of COVID 19, all more infectious and potentially more deadly.  These have had particular effects on the UK, which on 26 January passed 100,000 deaths due to Covid-19, and Brazil where the most vulnerable communities have been affected as ICU’s are overwhelmed and oxygen supplies are running low.  The South African variant is of concern as it may reduce the efficacy of some vaccines, as well as being more transmissible.

Vaccines

12 months after the start of the pandemic it is worth reflecting that to bring this pandemic to an end, a large share of the world needs to be immune to the virus. The safest way to achieve this is with a vaccine. It is therefore right to thank God for the work of the many scientists who have defied expectations and, less than 12 months after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, risen to the challenge and developed vaccines that protect from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

As of 28 January 86.7 million doses of various vaccines have been administered worldwide across 62 countries according to Ourworldindata.  There are currently 6 vaccines being administered across the globe - The pharmaceutical organisations Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca have developed vaccines being widely distributed in western nations. Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute has agreed to sell its Sputnik V vaccine to a number of countries while two Chinese manufacturers, Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech, have signed deals with more than a dozen countries.

Additionally, new vaccines continue to emerge and add to potential worldwide capacity.  A coronavirus vaccine developed by the US firm Novavax has been shown to be 89 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19 in clinical trials. Janssen, a subsidiary of US firm Johnson & Johnson, announced that its Covid-19 vaccine showed 66 per cent efficacy in an international trial. These results are based on a single dose of the vaccine, which makes it easier to administer than the two-shot vaccines that have already been approved. The company has said it will sell its vaccine on a not-for-profit basis.

Vaccines provide optimism for the future, however Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, outlined the ‘hope and hardship’ currently facing the continent where 25 million vaccine doses have been administered in 35 countries in the region, but 25 European countries are in partial/full nationwide lockdown due to high COVID19 transmission & new variants. He highlights the paradox of communities across Europe sensing an end is in sight with the vaccine but, at the same time, having to adhere to restrictive measures in the face of a new threat, which is causing tension, angst, fatigue and confusion.

Whilst this may be a problem for the rich western countries of Europe, the challenges of worldwide vaccine supply and the potential for vaccine inequality have been acutely highlighted in recent days.  Dr Margaret  Harris from the World Health organisation stated "Currently we are seeing squabbles amongst the cake by a few countries whilst there are lots of workers in countries that haven't even got access to the crumbs.” Most of the vaccines currently being distributed around the world have been used by 10 countries, and only two middle or low income countries have started to vaccinate.

Hope still rests on the COVAX  initiative - established by the World Health Organization, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi) – which by mid-December 2020 had reached its target of securing two billion doses of various coronavirus vaccines for the world’s poorest nations according to the World Health Organisation’s Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Nonetheless, he still fears that ‘the world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure – and the price of this failure will be paid with lives and livelihoods in the world’s poorest countries.’

There are also concerns about the prioritisation and take-up rates for vaccinations among ethnic minorities. According to the British Medical Journal, globally, ethnic minority communities have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19.  It goes on to highlight vaccine hesitancy among a range of communities, identifying lower levels of confidence in vaccination in several South Asian and other developing countries compared with Europe and the need for ‘Cultural Competence’ within Healthcare systems.  In the USA, new President Biden has moved to address the disparity in levels of vaccination and wider healthcare for concerns for Black and Latino Americans.

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 flatten the curve, prevent and lessen the impact of second and third spikes, manage the wave of new variants and finally arrest this epidemic.

We release wisdom, skill, and integrity upon our leaders.
We pray that leaders and nations will see their moral duty to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
We pray for protection, wisdom and strength, for those working to bring treatment and comfort to the sick and their families.
We pray release and healing from mental illnesses as a result of the lock-downs.
We pray special grace and help for the vulnerable and lesser-developed nations.
We pray for refugees and displaced peoples. We pray against domestic violence and other crimes that have become rampant during lockdowns.
We give thanks that safe, effective, and affordable vaccines are being released.  We pray for the continued development of a range of vaccines to supply the whole world.  We pray that the vaccine will be accessible to all nations and plead generosity of spirit from the wealthier economies.
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

iHop Kansas Prayer Room

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

Further data on Europe and the world: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/geographical-distribution-2019-ncov-cases