29th Sep 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=507 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

New York Times When New York State officials issued a sweeping coronavirus vaccine mandate for health care workers in August they expressed confidence that it would pressure reluctant doctors nurses and support staff to get the shot. On Monday as the deadline for vaccinations for about 600000 nursing home and hospital workers arrived it seemed that bet had proved to be at least partially correct. With just days or even hours to spare thousands of health care workers got inoculated according to health officials across the state. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/nyregion/vaccine-health-care-workers-mandate.html 28th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Wall Street Journal In late July dozens of Israeli scientists and government health officials were locked in a marathon video call where they examined new data indicating that the effectiveness of the Covid vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE was waning. Infections from the new Delta variant were increasing and growing numbers of people were falling seriously ill even those who had had both shots of the vaccine. Lives were potentially on the line. Within days of the midnight vote that decided to distribute a third shot the first of millions of booster shots were administered months before the U.S. or any other country would take the same step. It was a really tough discussion said epidemiologist Gili RegevYochay who presented key research on the effectiveness of booster shots. But it was a decision that was reached essentially with one voice. https://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-israels-swift-rollout-of-covid-19-vaccine-boosters-11632821987 28th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg New York Governor Kathy Hochul says a Covid19 vaccine mandate for health workers that went into effect this week is working to boost vaccination rates providing a road map to other states that are trying to fight the highly transmissible delta variant. About 92 of nursing home staff in New York had received at least one vaccine dose as of Monday evening up from 82 on Sept. 20 and 71 when Hochul was sworn in on Aug. 24 according to the governors office. And 85 of hospital staff were fully inoculated up from 84 on Sept. 22 and 77 on Aug. 24 according to state data. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-28/new-york-s-covid-19-vaccine-mandates-are-working-officials-say 28th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters School for children in many nations has been underway for more than a month and fears the Delta coronavirus variant would derail inperson learning have largely proven unfounded. In a dozen countries with high vaccination rates in Asia Europe and the United States case rates that surged in August have mostly fallen back according to local data and officials. The jury is out on how much this is due to seasonal factors amid a global decline in cases and how much it is linked to vaccinations and other preventative measures. Public health experts say they will continue to watch for signs of an increase in cases as winter approaches. https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/defying-delta-back-school-goes-better-than-feared-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Sky News Scotlands new vaccine passport scheme for entry into nightclubs and large events will not be enforced until two weeks after it is introduced. From 5am on Friday people going to venues open after midnight with alcohol music and dancing will need proof they have been fully vaccinated against COVID19. But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said venues which fail to obey the new rules will not face punishment for another 17 days. Ms Sturgeon said she had made the change after listening to the reasonable concerns of business. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-scotland-delays-enforcement-of-vaccine-passport-scheme-12420520 28th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

BBC News In Northern Ireland a delay by the executive in agreeing a Covid19 vaccine certification policy has significantly limited the options for easing restrictions the health minister has said. In a letter to the first and deputy first ministers Robin Swann said he was frustrated by the lack of progress. He asked as a matter of urgency that the Executive Office brings forward a paper without further delay. He said people would lose out if that did not happen. The absence of vaccine certification could leave them disadvantaged when they travel to neighbouring jurisdictions where such schemes are mandatory he said https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-58717676?at_custom2=twitter&ampat_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&ampat_campaign=64&ampat_custom4=A404A624-203D-11EC-9EE9-25F04744363C&ampat_medium=custom7 28th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Daily Mail Boris Johnson is meeting a group of families bereaved by coronavirus more than a year after he first promised to do so with the PM to be told by campaigners If wed been listened to other lives might have been spared. The Prime Minister held a private meeting with members of the Covid19 Bereaved Families for Justice group in the Downing Street garden this afternoon with each person attending carrying an A4 photo of the lovedone they lost. Families have asked for it to take place outdoors with social distancing and said they would tell Mr Johnson how their loved ones caught the virus and died and repeat their calls for a public inquiry to start. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10037357/Boris-Johnson-meets-members-Covid-19-Bereaved-Families-group-time.html 28th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Sydney residents who are not vaccinated against COVID19 risk being barred from various social activities even when they are freed from stayathome orders in December New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned. Under a roadmap to exit lockdown in Australias biggest city unvaccinated people are already subject to delays in freedoms that will be gradually granted to inoculated residents between Oct. 11 and Dec. 1. Berejiklian said people who choose not to be vaccinated could be barred entry to shops restaurants and entertainment venues even after the state lifts all restrictions against them on Dec. 1. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/sydneys-unvaccinated-warned-social-isolation-when-lockdown-ends-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters A Brazilian hospital chain tested unproven drugs on elderly COVID19 patients without their knowledge as part of an effort to validate President Jair Bolsonaros preferred miracle cure a lawyer for whistleblowing doctors told senators on Tuesday. At least nine people died of COVID19 during the trials at the Prevent Senior hospital chain from March to April 2020 but their charts were altered to hide the cause of death lawyer Bruna Morato told a Senate inquiry. Prevent Senior rejected the accusations as unfounded and said it had rigorously reported all deaths. It added in a statement that 7 of the 56000 COVID19 patients it treated had died a better record that other public and private hospitals. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/brazil-hospital-chain-hid-covid-19-deaths-whistleblowers-lawyer-tells-senate-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Independent The top diplomat of Yemen s internationally recognized government said Monday his conflicttorn country needs millions more coronavirus vaccines to ensure some of the worlds poorest are not left behind. In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak said the roughly 1 million doses Yemen was given are not enough to vaccinate even the most vulnerable portions of its population. Yemen has a long way to go toward vaccinating the majority of its some 30 million people most of whom are facing multiple humanitarian crises including poverty hunger and poor access to adequately run hospitals. Yemens government has received just roughly 500000 doses so far this year through the COVAX initiative and the rest through direct donations from other countries. These amounts are still not enough to cover the targeted groups Bin Mubarak said. We hope that the donating countries will contribute to increasing the number of vaccines so that no one is left behind. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/yemen-saudi-arabia-united-nations-general-assembly-houthi-sanaa-b1927924.html 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

ABC News Australia is clawing its way up from the bottom of the pack of wealthy nations in the COVID19 vaccination race. After months spinning its wheels near the start line we are now roaring towards the vaccination levels that will allow a safer reentry into the world. But there is still a distance to go. Of all the nations home to at least 500000 people Australia currently ranks 48th on partial vaccination levels according to the latest data compiled by Our World In Data. Australia is 56th in the world for full vaccination coverage. Among the relatively wealthy OECD nations Australia still ranks near the bottom of the pack. But the nation is now clambering upwards with one of the fastest vaccination speeds in the world. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-28/australia-covid-vaccine-rate-among-worlds-fastest/100495578 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Washington Post For almost a year Whitney Kuhn has been trying to escape the grip of longhaul symptoms after contracting covid19. And she has not stopped worrying about how to protect her 10yearold son Tyler from the illness she experienced. She has been too anxious to go on family vacations visit relatives for the holidays or even take Tyler to the grocery store. She has pulled him from basketball his favorite sport and other extracurriculars. And when he had to return to school she could only hope his classmates wore their masks the right way. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/09/27/kids-covid-vaccine/ 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Washington Post A federal appeals court Monday made way for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio D to implement a coronavirus vaccine mandate for all school employees ruling against four educators who had sued to stop it. The court decision marks a major victory for the nations largest school system which employs 150000 people and educates over 1 million students in a city gutted by the coronavirus last year. Unlike most other cities New Yorks mandate does not allow employees to submit to regular testing as an alternative to getting a vaccine. The citys mandate would have required all school employees to show proof of at least one shot by midnight Monday. But on Friday a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit issued an injunction temporarily halting the requirement. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/09/27/nyc-schools-covid-vaccine-mandate-staff/ 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Al Jazeera English Cuba has begun commercial exports of its homegrown COVID19 vaccines sending shipments of the threedose Abdala vaccine to Vietnam and Venezuela. Cuban President Miguel DiazCanel announced the arrival of vaccines in Vietnam on his Twitter feed on Sunday. The official Cubadebate news website said the shipment included 900000 doses bought by Hanoi and 150000 more donated by Cuba. Vietnams President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Cuba last week and toured the laboratory that produces the vaccine announcing an agreement to buy at least five million doses. As two of the last five Communist countries in the world Cuba and Vietnam have maintained longstanding ties. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/28/cuba-begins-commercial-exports-of-its-covid-19-vaccines 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Egypt is now providing immediate COVID19 vaccinations at youth centres across the country without prior online registration a step aimed at encouraging vaccinations and relieving pressure on hospitals and health units amid a fourth wave of infections. Nearly 270 youth centres are now open for citizens to get the vaccines the health ministry said bringing the total number of vaccination sites across the country to 1100. The move is part of the Together We Are Assured campaign launched by the health ministry in midSeptember that allows citizens to register and receive vaccinations immediately after complaints of a large time difference between the two steps. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/egypt-allows-immediate-covid-19-vaccination-amid-fourth-wave-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

CNN As weather grows colder and children spend more time in school a surge of Covid19 cases like the one in the South could be in store for the Northeast but it is not too late to get ahead of it Dr. Anthony Fauci said. It is within our power and within our grasp to prevent that from occurring Fauci director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told CNN on Monday. The way to do it he said is by utilizing mitigation measures such as wearing masks indoors and in schools as well as increasing vaccination rates. The idea of vaccine mandates for schools and businesses has sparked debate through much of the country but with the spread of the Delta variant more leaders are adopting such methods. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/28/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Japan will lift a coronavirus state of emergency in all regions on Thursday for the first time in nearly six months as the number of new cases and deaths falls and the strain on the medical system eases Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said. Daily cases have fallen nationwide from more than 25000 last month to 1128 on Monday but the opening will be gradual with some curbs on restaurants and largescale events staying in place for about a month. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japan-seeks-end-covid-19-state-emergency-this-month-minister-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Associated Press Hospitals and nursing homes around the U.S. are bracing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID19. With ultimatums taking effect this week in states like New York California Rhode Island and Connecticut the fear is that some employees will quit or let themselves be fired or suspended rather than get the vaccine. How this is going to play out we dont know. We are concerned about how it will exacerbate an already quite serious staffing problem said California Hospital Association spokesperson Jan EmersonShea adding that the organization absolutely supports the states vaccination requirement. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-new-york-california-health-d039cd2901289e1b48d8ef6657f157d2 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Independent Seventyeightyearold Joe Biden and 79yearold Mitch McConnell got their booster shots Monday the Democratic president and the Republican Senate leader urging Americans across the political spectrum to get vaccinated or plus up with boosters when eligible for the extra dose of protection. The shots administered just hours apart on either end of Pennsylvania Avenue came on the first workday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for Americans 65 and older and approved them for others with preexisting medical conditions and highrisk work environments. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-jill-biden-f8fb7ffbe139df8d4b94f1a46cc3cea0 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

AlJazeera With one simple decision the Canadian government can save lives. This is the message I want to bring to Canadas newly reelected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. On May 11 of this year the Plurinational State of Bolivia signed an agreement with the Canadian manufacturer Biolyse Pharma to produce 15 million doses of COVID19 vaccines using the Jensen vaccine formula of the North American company Johnson and Johnson. The implementation of this agreement depends on the Canadian government carrying out the necessary procedures so that the vaccines can be produced under the compulsory licensing mechanism established by the World Trade Organization WTO. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/9/28/the-canadian-government-can-save-bolivian-lives 28th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Journal Ireland is to donate 335500 doses of Covid19 vaccines to Uganda it has been announced. This donation is in addition to the one million Covid19 vaccines that Ireland has already committed to donate via Covax which aims to guarantee fair and equitable vaccine access for every country in the world. Along with this donation of vaccines to Uganda Ireland is also donating all of the consumables needed to support the administration of 335500 doses plus a consumables contingency. https://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-donating-covid-vaccines-uganda-5560370-Sep2021/?utm_source=twitter_short 28th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

The New York Times For months the veterinary center in West Point Miss. had watched its supplies of the drug dwindle. Dr. Karen Emerson the veterinarian who owns the hospital started the year with one 500milliliter bottle of ivermectin which she uses to kill parasites in dogs chickens and other patients. But as the bottle emptied and her staff tried to find more they were able to obtain only a 50milliliter vial. Everyone else told them None available. So Dr. Emerson began rationing the medicine to give to snakes and other exotic animals for which she had no other deworming treatment. She told dog owners to pay for a more available replacement drug that can cost seven times as much. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/technology/ivermectin-animal-medicine-shortage.html 28th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

Reuters Ford Motor Co became the second Detroit automaker to ask U.S. salaried employees to reveal their vaccination status against COVID19 in a bid to comply with wider federal guidelines. Ford said salaried employees were required to submit their vaccination status against COVID19 by Oct. 8 but the process was voluntary for its hourly employees represented by the United Auto Workers UAW union. The automakers move comes as the Biden administration pursues sweeping measures to increase vaccination coverage in the United States while pushing large employers to have their workers inoculated or tested weekly https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/ford-says-us-salaried-employees-required-disclose-covid-19-vaccination-status-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

CNN A Connecticut doctors state physician and surgeon license has been suspended for providing blank signed exemption forms related to the Covid19 vaccine Covid testing general vaccines and medical opposition to wearing facial masks the state Department of Public Health said. Connecticuts Medical Examining Board suspended the license through a unanimous decision last week the department said in a news release. Retired physician Sue Mcintosh of Durham who is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics was giving signed forms to people without physically meeting them or examining them the department said. She would provide the exemption forms to anyone who provided a selfaddressed stamped envelope requesting one they said. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/28/us/connecticut-doctor-license-suspended-covid-forms/index.html 28th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

Sky News The findings by researchers at the University of Oxford University College London UCL and the University of Cambridge follow the governments confirmation earlier this month it would widen the vaccination programme to all 12 to 15yearolds. More than 27000 students in England aged between nine and 18 took part in the survey which showed that 50 were willing to have a coronavirus vaccination 37 were undecided while 13 wanted to opt out. Just over a third 36 of nineyearolds were willing to have a jab compared with 51 of 13yearolds and 78 of 17yearolds. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-younger-children-more-hesitant-than-older-teenagers-to-get-jabbed-as-researchers-call-for-better-vaccine-messaging-12419906 28th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

Reuters A new Austrian political party that opposes lockdowns compulsory maskwearing and other coronavirus restrictions hopes to spread across the country after surprisingly securing seats in one of Austrias nine provincial parliaments on Sunday. People Freedom Fundamental Rights MFG a newly created party that campaigned online and with a tour of bars and restaurants stunned many observers by securing 6.2 of the vote in Upper Austrias election on Sunday above the 4 threshold required to enter the provincial parliament. The province of Upper Austria home to Linz the countrys thirdbiggest city and bordering Germany and the Czech Republic is home to much of Austrias heavy industry. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/new-austrian-anti-lockdown-party-seeking-more-seats-after-election-coup-2021-09-27/ 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Sanofi SA wont proceed with the development of one of its experimental Covid19 vaccines saying it didnt make sense to go forward in an alreadycrowded market. The decision comes despite promising early results for the shot. The French healthcare giant said Tuesday that the vaccinea socalled mRNA shot that uses the same technology as shots developed by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. produced neutralizing antibodies against the virus in earlystage clinical trials. But it said it had decided not to proceed with larger studies called Phase 3 trials which would be required to win regulatory approval. Thomas Triomphe head of Sanofis vaccine business said it didnt make sense to pursue the mRNA vaccine when the market was already well served. Instead Sanofi will pivot its mRNA research efforts toward other infectious diseases. It is already conducting earlystage clinical trials on an experimental mRNA shot against flu. https://www.wsj.com/articles/sanofi-targets-2022-initiation-of-clinical-studies-for-an-influenza-vaccine-with-modified-mrna-11632809526 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters South Africas president and the head of Oxfam heaped pressure on World Trade Organization members and manufacturers to allow fairer access to COVID19 vaccines on Tuesday including through a waiver on intellectual property rights. At a WTO public event on trade and COVID19 also attended by German vaccine maker BioNTech Cyril Ramaphosa said a waiver on patents was needed to save millions of lives during the pandemic https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/wto-chief-says-trade-must-do-more-address-devastating-vaccine-inequity-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

YAHOO!Finance As Merck Co and Pfizer Inc prepare to report clinical trial results for experimental COVID19 antiviral pills rivals are lining up with what they hope will prove to be more potent and convenient oral treatments of their own. Enanta Pharmaceuticals Pardes Biosciences Japans Shionogi Co Ltd and Novartis AG said they have designed antivirals that specifically target the coronavirus while aiming to avoid potential shortcomings such as the need for multiple pills per day or known safety issues. Infectious disease experts stressed that preventing COVID19 through wide use of vaccines remains the best way to control the pandemic. But they said the disease is here to stay and more convenient treatments are needed https://finance.yahoo.com/news/focus-covid-19-pill-developers-110000105.html 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Brazil will provide COVID19 vaccine booster shots to all its people over 60yearsold Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said on Tuesday. Queiroga said in a tweet that the decision comes in line with progress in the countrys vaccination program. About 7 million Brazilians could get the booster shot under these conditions he said. Brazil had already started giving booster shots to people over 70yearsold and healthcare workers. According to Health Ministry data about 600000 booster shots have been administered up to now. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-provide-covid-19-booster-shots-all-people-over-60-years-old-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE on Tuesday submitted initial trial data for their COVID19 vaccine in 511 year olds and said they would make a formal request to U.S. regulators for emergency use in the coming weeks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said earlier this month it would look to complete its data review for this age group as quickly as possible likely in a matter of weeks rather than months. That could mean an authorization of the shot for children by the end of October sources have told Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-seeks-fda-clearance-covid-19-vaccine-younger-children-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Indias drug regulator on Tuesday allowed vaccine maker Serum Institute to enrol kids aged 711 years for its trial of U.S. drugmaker Novavaxs COVID19 vaccine as the country prepares to protect children from the novel coronavirus. The South Asian nation has already administered more than 870 million doses to adults among its population of nearly 1.4 billion. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/india-allows-serum-institute-enrol-7-11-year-olds-covid-19-vaccine-trial-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Brazilian Report Developed by the Sao Paulobased Butantan Biological Institute the ButanVac coronavirus vaccine showed an acceptable safety profile and potent immunogenicity in clinical trials held in Thailand. The study showed that there were no vaccinerelated serious adverse events. The vaccine is also being tested in Brazil and Vietnam but trial data from the two countries have not been made available so far. https://brazilian.report/liveblog/2021/09/28/early-data-butanvac-immune-response/ 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC News Half of children and young people aged nine to 18 are willing or eager to be vaccinated against Covid a large survey in England suggests. It is one of the first polls to ask pupils rather than parents their views on teenage Covid jabs. Carried out during the summer term the responses from more than 27000 students at 180 schools reveal half would opt to get protected. More than a third were undecided and just over one in 10 would decline. The findings published in the journal EClinicalMedicine were carried out before the UK recommended all children aged 12 to 15 should be offered one dose of the PfizerBioNTech Covid jab. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58705932 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters As Merck Co and Pfizer Inc prepare to report clinical trial results for experimental COVID19 antiviral pills rivals are lining up with what they hope will prove to be more potent and convenient oral treatments of their own. Enanta Pharmaceuticals Pardes Biosciences Japans Shionogi Co Ltd and Novartis AG said they have designed antivirals that specifically target the coronavirus while aiming to avoid potential shortcomings such as the need for multiple pills per day or known safety issues. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-19-pill-developers-aim-top-merck-pfizer-efforts-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

CNN Within a day of testing positive for covid19 in June Miranda Kelly was sick enough to be scared. At 44 with diabetes and high blood pressure Kelly a certified nursing assistant was having trouble breathing symptoms serious enough to send her to the emergency room. When her husband Joe 46 fell ill with the virus too she really got worried especially about their five teenagers at home I thought I hope to God we dont wind up on ventilators. We have children. Whos going to raise these kids But the Kellys who live in Seattle had agreed just after their diagnoses to join a clinical trial at the nearby Fred Hutch cancer research center thats part of an international effort to test an antiviral treatment that could halt covid early in its course. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/27/health/covid-treatment-pill-khn-partner/index.html 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

CNN Pfizer and BioNTech said Tuesday they have submitted Covid19 vaccine data on children ages 5 to 11 to the US Food and Drug Administration for initial review but are not yet seeking emergency use authorization. A formal submission to request EUA for the vaccine is expected to follow in the coming weeks the companies said in a statement. Submissions to the European Medicines Agency and other regulatory authorities are also planned they said. This is the first submission of data to the FDA for a Covid19 vaccine for younger children. The PfizerBioNTech vaccine is approved for people age 16 and older and has an EUA for people ages 12 to 15. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/28/health/pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-ages-5-to-11/index.html 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

NPR Pfizer and BioNTech are another step closer to seeking authorization for young children to receive the COVID19 coronavirus vaccine submitting data to the Food and Drug Administration that shows a robust antibody response and favorable safety outcomes in kids ages 5 to 11 who received the twodose regimen in clinical trials. The companies plan to submit a formal request for emergencyuse authorization of the vaccine for that age range in the coming weeks they said Tuesday. News of the data submission comes a week after Pfizer announced promising results from the trials which have been closely watched by parents eager to protect their children from the coronavirus. COVID19 has now killed more than 690000 people in the U.S. with millions more sickened by the disease. https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/09/28/1041100773/pfizer-fda-kids-covid-coronavirus-vaccine-authorization-results 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian Smokers are 6080 more likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid19 and also more likely to die from the disease data suggests. A study which pooled observational and genetic data on smoking and Covid19 to strengthen the evidence base contradicts research published at the start of the pandemic suggesting that smoking might help to protect against the virus. This was later retracted after it was discovered that some of the papers authors had financial links to the tobacco industry. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/sep/27/smokers-much-more-likely-to-be-admitted-to-hospital-with-covid-19-study-suggests 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Sanofi is dropping plans for its own mRNAbased COVID19 vaccine because of the dominance achieved by BioNTechPfizer and Moderna in using the technology to fight the pandemic the company said on Tuesday. The move highlights the challenges of competing in particular with pioneer BioNTech which rose from obscurity through its alliance with pharma major Pfizer last year. They have delivered close to 1.5 billion doses so far to become the Western worlds largest COVID19 vaccine maker. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/frances-sanofi-announces-positive-update-mrna-based-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Sky News More than one in 10 secondary school students and over a third of school staff who have had COVID19 have suffered ongoing symptoms new research has found. Staff and pupils commonly reported weakness and tiredness while staff were more likely to experience shortness of breath according to a small study of schools in England. The Office of National Statistics ONS estimates that 35.7 of staff and 12.3 of students who previously tested positive for COVID19 reported experiencing ongoing symptoms more than a month after contracting the virus. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-one-in-10-secondary-school-pupils-with-coronavirus-suffered-ongoing-symptoms-ons-research-finds-12420369 28th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Wired.co.uk The major problem is that the rise of more infectious strains of SarsCoV2 have quashed hopes of herd immunity even in countries with high vaccine uptake. Scientists such as Francois Balloux who directs the UCL Genetics Institute say that this outcome was inevitable as soon as Covid19 became a truly global pandemic. I believe the opportunity for global eradication was gone very very early in the pandemic says Balloux. You can eliminate it locally but as long as theres a focus somewhere in the world whether thats Iran Afghanistan Somalia it will eventually come back. As of February 2020 it was clear that elimination would not be possible. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/covid-19-endemic-disease 28th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Romania reported a record number of daily coronavirus infections as it suffers the consequences of having the European Unions secondleastvaccinated population. More than 11000 new Covid19 cases were recorded in the past 24 hours data released Tuesday showed. Large cities including Bucharest are approaching infection rates that will lead to new restrictions including a weekend curfew and online schooling. With the government struggling to boost the number of intensivecare beds available for virus patients another 208 deaths were also reported since Monday. That brings total fatalities to more than 36000 with the worst toll coming in the past three months. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-28/romania-reports-most-daily-covid-19-cases-since-pandemic-began 28th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

AlJazeera India has reported its lowest daily numbers of COVID19 infections deaths in more than six months. The death toll of 179 COVID deaths reported on Tuesday is the lowest daily figure since the middle of March and takes the total to 447373. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/28/india-reports-lowest-daily-covid-cases-deaths-since-march 28th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

BBC News Four more coronavirusrelated deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland on Monday. Deaths are measured by recording those who died within 28 days of receiving a positive result in a test for coronavirus. The total number of deaths linked to Covid19 in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic is 2552. Another 1078 cases of coronavirus were reported on Tuesday up from 903 on Monday. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-58718471 28th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Sky News The UK has recorded another 37960 coronavirus cases and a further 40 related deaths in the latest 24hour period. The figures compare with the 32417 cases and 58 deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported on Sunday. This time last week the UK recorded 36100 daily cases and 49 coronavirusrelated deaths with 7774 COVID patients in hospital at the time. The latest available data showed there were 6865 people with the virus in hospital on Friday. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-uk-records-another-37-960-coronavirus-cases-and-40-related-deaths-12419828 28th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN Russia reported its highest Covid19 death toll in a single day on Tuesday with 852 coronavirusrelated deaths recorded in the past 24 hours according to the countrys coronavirus response center. The previous alltime high was recorded four days ago on September 24 when 828 deaths were registered. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the countrys regions had seen an increase in coronavirus cases while speaking to journalists on Tuesday. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/28/europe/russia-covid-19-death-toll-record-intl/index.html 28th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Premier Jason Kenney promised Albertans the best summer ever when he lifted most COVID19 public health restrictions on July 1 but a surge in infections has overwhelmed the provinces hospitals and left him fighting to save his political career. The western Canadian province is often called the Texas of the North for its oil and gas wealth cowboy culture and conservative independent mindset. As in Texas COVID19 has run rife in Alberta which has the highest rate of active infections among Canadas 10 provinces at nearly four times the national average. It and neighboring Saskatchewan also have the countrys lowest vaccination rates. https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/after-government-pledge-best-summer-ever-covid-swamps-alberta-hospitals-premier-2021-09-28/ 28th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Associated Press Around 72 of adults in the 27nation European Union have been fully vaccinated against COVID19 but a stubbornly low uptake of the shots in some eastern EU nations now risks overwhelming hospitals amid a surge of infections due to the more contagious delta variant. Bulgaria and Romania are lagging dramatically behind as the EUs two leastvaccinated nations with just 22 and 33 of their adult populations fully inoculated. Rapidly increasing new infections have forced authorities to tighten virus restrictions in the two countries while other EU nations such as France Spain Denmark and Portugal have all exceeded 80 vaccine coverage and eased restrictions. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-bulgaria-bucharest-a7541bb8eb92fdc7756983cbf2371a6c 28th Sep 2021