27th Aug 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=468 lockdown_exit

Covid-19 UK: Number of Britons falling ill with virus every day rises by a fifth in a week to 52,000

Daily Mail Latest hospital data shows there were 818 patients admitted with virus on August 22 a small 1.7 per cent rise. Symptomtracking study found number of Britons falling ill with Covid every day rose by a fifth last week. England and Wales were today told to brace for a Scotlandlike surge in Covid cases in schools next week https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9928751/Covid-19-UK-Number-Britons-falling-ill-virus-day-rises-fifth-week-52-000.html 26th Aug 2021

Australia records largest daily Covid-19 infection rise since pandemic began

The Times Australia reported more than 1100 new coronavirus infections today the largest daily increase since the pandemic began amid growing alarm over the spread of the virus through remote Aboriginal towns. It is the fourth time in six days that Australia has broken its oneday case record and came as Sydneys stretched hospitals erected emergency tent accommodation to cope with surging cases that have helped to fill 80 per cent of intensive care beds in New South Wales. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/australia-records-largest-daily-covid-19-infection-rise-since-pandemic-began-hpt0sqhxv 26th Aug 2021

S.Korea reports highest daily COVID-19 deaths for 2021, as severe cases rise

Reuters South Korea reported 20 COVID19 deaths for Wednesday the highest daily count this year as the number of severe cases more than doubled since the current and worst wave of infections began in July. While total case mortality rates remain low at below 1 and no major strains on its healthcare system is reported yet South Korean authorities have been trying to secure more ICU beds for severe patients which are on the rise along with record new infections. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-reports-highest-daily-covid-19-deaths-2021-severe-cases-rise-2021-08-26/ 26th Aug 2021

With more than 100,000 people in the hospital with Covid-19 in the US, this August is worse than last, expert says

CNN More than 100000 people are hospitalized with Covid19 in the US the first time that level has been reached since January as medical workers say theyre once again struggling to treat waves of patients. The latest figure amid a summer surge in Covid19 cases driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant is also more than double what it was on the same day last year when vaccines were not available as they are now. Hospitals and researchers have been saying the vast majority of this years hospitalized patients are unvaccinated. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/26/health/us-coronavirus-thursday/index.html 26th Aug 2021

Virus surge breaks hospital records amid rising toll on kids

The Associated Press Kentucky and Texas joined a growing list of states that are seeing record numbers of hospitalized COVID19 patients in a surge that is overwhelming doctors and nurses and afflicting more children. Intensive care units around the nation are packed with patients extremely ill with the coronavirus even in places where hospitalizations have not yet reached earlier peaks. The ICU units at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Georgia typically have room for 38 patients and doctors and nurses may have only two or three people who are very sick said Dr. Jyotir Mehta medical director of the ICU. On Wednesday the ICU had 50 COVID19 patients alone roughly half of them relying on ventilators to breathe. https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-1766777633776b9490d1db6879cfb6ce 26th Aug 2021

100,000 more COVID deaths seen unless US changes its ways

The Associated Press The U.S. is projected to see nearly 100000 more COVID19 deaths between now and Dec. 1 according to the nations most closely watched forecasting model. But health experts say that toll could be cut in half if nearly everyone wore a mask in public spaces. In other words what the coronavirus has in store this fall depends on human behavior. Behavior is really going to determine if when and how sustainably the current wave subsides said Lauren Ancel Meyers director of the University of Texas COVID19 Modeling Consortium. We cannot stop delta in its tracks but we can change our behavior overnight. https://apnews.com/article/science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-6df4471c64e40e7e319ae368d4c1db0b 26th Aug 2021

WHO: COVID-19 vaccination triples in Africa but still low

The Associated Press COVID19 vaccinations in Africa tripled over the past week though protecting even 10 of the continent by the end of September remains a very daunting task the Africa director of the World Health Organization said Thursday. Meanwhile the continent saw 248000 new confirmed cases over the past week with at least 24 countries seeing a surge in infections driven by the delta variant. This is a preventable tragedy if African countries can get fair access to the vaccines Matshidiso Moeti told reporters. https://apnews.com/article/africa-health-coronavirus-pandemic-united-nations-95bdaafae5b433cd23b71c954ab941fc 26th Aug 2021

New Zealand's Ardern says lockdown working to limit Delta spread

Reuters New Zealands Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the strict nationwide lockdown enforced to stamp out COVID19 was helping limit the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant even as the number of new cases rose on Thursday. New Zealand reported 68 new cases on Thursday taking the total number of people infected in the latest outbreak to 277. Of the total cases 263 are in Auckland and 14 are in the capital Wellington. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealands-ardern-says-lockdown-working-limit-delta-spread-2021-08-26/ 26th Aug 2021

Blood clot risk greater after Covid infection than after vaccination

The Guardian The chances of developing dangerous blood clots after being infected with the virus that causes Covid19 far outweighs the risks of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines according to the largest study of its kind. The sweeping analysis used data from more than 29 million people in England to compare both vaccines with infection from SarsCov2. It weighed up rates of hospital admission or death from blood clots as well as other blood disorders within 28 days of either a positive test or receiving the first jab. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/27/blood-clot-risk-greater-after-covid-infection-than-after-vaccination 27th Aug 2021

Pfizer, BioNTech Expand Covid-19 Vaccine Manufacturing Into Latin America

The Wall Street Journal Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech said they are partnering with a Brazilian pharmaceutical company to help manufacture their Covid19 vaccine in Latin America which could help meet growing demand for the shot in the region. Eurofarma will produce at least 100 million doses annually for distribution in the region Pfizer and BioNTech said Thursday. The doses will be in addition to those reaching Latin America through distribution channels such as Covax the global initiative intended to get vaccines to lowincome countries and donations by the U.S. the companies said. https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-biontech-expand-covid-19-vaccine-manufacturing-into-latin-america-11629974701?mod=business_featst_pos1 26th Aug 2021

Rite Aid to offer free COVID-19 testing to students in New York

Reuters Drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp said on Thursday it would be offering free COVID19 tests to students in public schools in New York state before or at the start of the upcoming school year. The announcement comes as students in the United States prepare to head back to classes while the country grapples with stemming the recent surge in cases caused by the Delta variant of the coronavirus. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/rite-aid-offer-free-covid-19-testing-students-new-york-2021-08-26/ 26th Aug 2021

Illinois requires educators, health workers to get vaccine

Associated Press Illinois health care workers and educators from kindergarten through college will be required to be vaccinated against COVID19 or submit to weekly testing Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday in announcing new safety protocols that also include a fresh statewide mandate for masks to be worn indoors. https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-illinois-2457d5dfa73dfc30f2396fd22b3ab8a3 26th Aug 2021

Pandemic windfall for US schools has few strings attached

The Associated Press As the federal government releases historic sums of pandemic aid to the nations schools its urging them to dream big to invest in seismic changes that will benefit students for generations to come. But many districts say they have more urgent problems to tackle first. In Detroit that means fixing buildings with crumbling ceilings and mold infestations. Like other school systems Detroit is caught between the Biden administrations lofty aspirations and bleak realities. The district is using some of the government money to hire tutors expand mental health services and cut class sizes. But at least half of its 1.3 billion windfall is being set aside to make longneglected repairs. https://apnews.com/article/pandemic-aid-public-school-funding-346d3d4b86f904184e357c34c9754800 26th Aug 2021

Thailand in talks to buy COVID-19 vaccines from European nations

Reuters Thailand is in talks with European countries to purchase millions of doses of COVID19 vaccines a health official said on Thursday as the Southeast Asian nation tries to speed up its inoculation rollout to contain a wave of infections. Authorities in Thailand have been scrambling to shore up vaccine supplies despite the country being the production hub for AstraZeneca shots in the region. Last week the government said it would borrow 150000 AstraZeneca doses from the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-talks-buy-covid-19-vaccines-european-nations-2021-08-26/ 26th Aug 2021

Covid-19 Australia: Brad Hazzard says all NSW health workers must be vaccinated by end of November

Daily Mail NSW healthcare workers must be fully vaccinated for Covid19 by November 30 Public health orders require workers to have at least one dose in next 5 weeks 20 of staff are still not jabbed despite having access to vaccine since February Healthcare staff must provide vaccination proof to employer or face exclusion https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9928415/Covid-19-Australia-Brad-Hazzard-says-NSW-health-workers-vaccinated-end-November.html 26th Aug 2021

NHS planning Covid vaccines for children from age 12, reports say

The Guardian NHS England has been told to prepare to administer Covid vaccinations to all children aged 12 and above as vaccine advisers continue to consider whether to extend the programme according to reports. The planned extension to the vaccination programme would coincide with the start of the new school year. NHS trusts have been told to have plans prepared by 4pm on Friday the Daily Telegraph reported. Children aged 1215 in the UK are currently offered coronavirus vaccines only if they have certain health conditions or live with vulnerable people but distribution of the vaccines has already been extended to that age group by countries such as the US Germany and Israel. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/26/nhs-planning-covid-vaccines-for-children-from-age-12-reports-say 26th Aug 2021

Biden Falls Short on U.S. Vaccine 'Arsenal' Pledge, Experts Say

The New York Times Congress appropriated 16 billion to ramp up Covid19 countermeasures but a new report found that the Biden administration had spent very little of it on expanding vaccine manufacturing capacity. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/us/politics/biden-coronavirus-vaccine.html 25th Aug 2021

WHO: COVID-19 vaccination triples in Africa but still low

The Associated Press COVID19 vaccinations in Africa tripled over the past week though protecting even 10 of the continent by the end of September remains a very daunting task the Africa director of the World Health Organization said Thursday. Meanwhile the continent saw 248000 new confirmed cases over the past week with at least 24 countries seeing a surge in infections driven by the delta variant. This is a preventable tragedy if African countries can get fair access to the vaccines Matshidiso Moeti told reporters. https://apnews.com/article/africa-health-coronavirus-pandemic-united-nations-95bdaafae5b433cd23b71c954ab941fc 26th Aug 2021

Brain fog, total exhaustion: One Big Law associate's COVID battle

Reuters As law firms grapple with returntooffice plans Big Law associate Andrew Kinsey offers a powerful example of why rushing back might be unwise. Kinsey has spent the last two weeks fighting a COVID19 infection sharing his symptoms in real time in a series of oftenalarming tweets. For example on the seventh day of his illness he wrote It took 15 minutes of slowly changing positions waiting moving again waiting ... but I got from the bed to my chair without throwing up or having to rest for 20 minutes. It sounds pathetic but this is a huge step. https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/brain-fog-total-exhaustion-one-big-law-associates-covid-battle-2021-08-26/ 26th Aug 2021

Music industry weighs vaccine mandates, but politics collide

The Associated Press The coronavirus vaccine gave the live entertainment industry hope for a rebound in 2021. Now as COVID19 cases surge and hospital beds fill up it feels like March 2020 all over again. Tom DeGeorge runs the popular Crowbar club in Tampa Florida that once hosted about 300 concerts a year mostly touring bands. He managed to stay afloat and reopen last fall hosting about six shows a month. But with cases surging in Florida show cancellations have racked up and attendance has plummeted. https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-lifestyle-health-arts-and-entertainment-coronavirus-pandemic-ab306f0473b79731a3b8cd7680afd37f 26th Aug 2021

YouTube has removed 1 million videos for dangerous COVID-19 misinformation

TechCrunch YouTube has removed 1 million videos for dangerous COVID19 misinformation since February 2020 according to YouTubes Chief Product Officer Neal Mahon. Mahon shared the statistic in a blog post outlining how the company approaches misinformation on its platform. Misinformation has moved from the marginal to the mainstream he wrote. No longer contained to the sealedoff worlds of Holocaust deniers or 911 truthers it now stretches into every facet of society sometimes tearing through communities with blistering speed. https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/25/youtube-has-removed-1-million-videos-for-dangerous-covid-19-misinformation/ 26th Aug 2021

Detroit highlights the tension over COVID vaccine mandates

Reuters Public support for stronger measures to require COVID vaccinations is strong according to a new ReutersIPSOS poll but for Detroit automakers the debate over vaccination policy is far from over. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/gm-require-us-salaried-employees-report-vaccination-status-2021-08-26/ 26th Aug 2021

mRNA vaccines trigger backup immune response; some cancer drugs may help

Reuters A new study may help explain why mRNA vaccines by PfizerBioNTech and Moderna are more effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths than they are at preventing infection. Testtube experiments on blood samples from 61 fully vaccinated adults showed that by six months vaccineinduced antibodies that can immediately neutralize the virus had declined. But socalled memory B cells which produce new antibodies if they encounter the virus later on had increased and become better at recognizing viral variants according to a report posted on Monday on bioRxiv ahead of peer review. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mrna-vaccines-trigger-backup-immune-response-some-cancer-drugs-may-help-2021-08-25/ 26th Aug 2021

Reliance Life Sciences seeks nod to start human trials of COVID-19 vaccine - ET

Reuters Indias Reliance Life Sciences has applied for regulatory approval to begin early stage human trials of its COVID19 vaccine candidate The Economic Times reported on Thursday. The unlisted firms parent Reliance Industries did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/reliance-life-sciences-seeks-nod-start-human-trials-covid-19-vaccine-et-2021-08-26/ 26th Aug 2021

Jha outlines ways to make schools safe from coronavirus

Associated Press on MSN.com School districts across the country need to follow four rules to ensure that students and their teachers remain protected from the coronavirus this fall pandemic expert Dr. Ashish Jha said. They are Vaccinations for all who are eligible proper ventilation and related mitigation measures in buildings regular testing and masks he said Thursday in the latest edition of the COVID What Comes Next podcast hosted by The Providence Journal. For me this is personal said Jha dean of Brown Universitys School of Public Health because he has children in public schools said. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/jha-outlines-ways-to-make-schools-safe-from-coronavirus/ar-AANMymQ 26th Aug 2021

Covid-19: Pandemic had severe impact on young people, says report

BBC News The coronavirus pandemic and restrictions have had a severe impact on children and young people. That is according to a report from the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People NICCY. More than half 52 of 16yearolds who took part in the research felt their mental and emotional health had worsened during the pandemic. Insufficient consideration was given to how children and young peoples lives would be affected it said. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-58334583 26th Aug 2021

All theories on origins of Covid-19 outbreak still ‘on the table’, says WHO

The Guardian The World Health Organization has said all theories on the origins of the Covid19 outbreak including the possibility of laboratory leak are on the table and urged Chinese scientists to carry out their own investigations. WHO officials were answering questions from the press after a classified US intelligence report delivered to the White House on Tuesday was reported to be inconclusive on the question of the origins of the pandemic in part due to a lack of information from China. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/25/us-intelligence-biden-inconclusive-report-covid-origins-wuhan-lab-animals 26th Aug 2021

China Livzon Pharma affiliate's COVID-19 vaccine candidate enters phase III trial

Reuters A potential COVID19 vaccine developed by a biotech firm affiliated with Chinas Livzon Pharmaceutical Group Inc Livzon has entered a latestage trial Livzon said late on Thursday. A Phase III trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the candidate named V01 in people aged 18 and over has started recruiting participants in the Philippines Livzon said in a filing. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-livzon-pharma-affiliates-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-enters-phase-iii-trial-2021-08-26/ 26th Aug 2021

Inovio to start COVID-19 vaccine trial after Brazil regulator's nod

Reuters Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Thursday it would start a large study for its experimental COVID19 vaccine in the next few weeks after the drugmaker received authorization from Brazils regulatory agency. The company is currently working on importing the vaccine to Brazil and expects dosing of trial participants to begin in September Chief Executive Officer Joseph Kim told Reuters. Inovio started developing its COVID19 DNA vaccine INO4800 last year but fell behind rivals after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA put the Phase 3 portion of its midtolate stage trial on hold for more information on the vaccine delivery device. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/inovio-start-covid-19-vaccine-trial-after-getting-brazil-regulator-approval-2021-08-26/ 26th Aug 2021

Heart inflammation risk boosted slightly by vaccine, more by COVID-19 -study

Reuters The use of Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SEs 22UAy.DE widely used COVID19 vaccine marginally increases the risk of heart inflammation but the risk is higher among those infected with the coronavirus https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/heart-inflammation-risk-boosted-slightly-by-vaccine-more-by-covid-19-study-2021-08-25/ 26th Aug 2021

Experts on WHO team say search for COVID origins has stalled

The Associated Press The international scientists dispatched to China by the World Health Organization to find out where the coronavirus came from said Wednesday the search has stalled and warned that the window of opportunity for solving the mystery is closing fast. Meanwhile a U.S. intelligence review ordered up by President Joe Biden proved inconclusive about the viruss origin including whether it jumped from an animal to a human or escaped from a Chinese lab The Washington Post reported Wednesday. https://apnews.com/article/science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-united-nations-f08a2972ae5a59cc425a89a36c3389d1 26th Aug 2021

India sees surge in COVID cases after harvest festival

AlJazeera India has logged 46164 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours with experts saying festival celebrations in the southern state of Kerala were behind the whopping increase in infections. It was the first time since July 7 that the countrys singleday infections went past the 45000 mark coronavirus data on the Johns Hopkins Universitys website showed on Thursday. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/26/india-surge-covid-kerala-onam-festival 26th Aug 2021

Two more Paralympic athletes test positive for Covid-19 in Tokyo village

The Guardian Two more athletes have tested positive for Covid19 in the Paralympic village with officials awaiting information to confirm if a cluster of infection has broken out after a first case was discovered on Tuesday. The news came as ParalympicsGB announced a member of their coaching staff part of the wheelchair tennis team has the virus and is in isolation. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/25/two-more-paralympic-athletes-test-positive-for-covid-19-in-tokyo-village 26th Aug 2021