17th Aug 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=724 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

The New York Times As a remote nation in the Pacific the Marshall Islands had been almost completely spared from Covid19 registering just a handful of cases throughout the pandemic with no community transmission detected. But in just over a week more than 4000 people have tested positive in a population of about 60000 including the countrys secretary of health and human services Jack Niedenthal. He has been providing updates on Facebook and said 75 percent of those tested in Majuro the capital had Covid an incredibly high positivity rate. In an interview on Tuesday Mr. Niedenthal said there was some panic and concern given that the islands about halfway between Hawaii and the Philippines had not recorded a single Covid case last year. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/world/asia/marshall-islands-covid-outbreak.html 17th Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Carnival Cruise Line said booking activity nearly doubled prepandemic levels on Monday after it announced an ease in COVID19 testing requirements for passengers sending its shares more than 3 higher. The companys parent Carnival Corp said on Friday it would drop mandatory testing for guests vaccinated against COVID19 and allow unvaccinated passengers to travel without an exemption in some cases after a similar move by rival Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd https://www.reuters.com/business/carnival-cruise-bookings-soar-after-it-eases-covid-testing-requirements-2022-08-16/ 17th Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

Mint Covid19 cases in India witnessed a huge decline on Tuesday with the country recording 8813 new infections in the past 24 hours taking the cumulative caseload to 44277194 according to the Union Health Ministry data. The countrys overall death toll stands at 527098. Currently Indias active caseload stands at 111252. The country registered daily positivity rate at 4.15 while the weekly positivity rate is 4.79. So far a total of 43638844 people have been recovered from the coronavirus infections since the onset of the global pandemic including 15040 recoveries reported in the past 24 hours. The recovery rate is 98.56. https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-sees-huge-decline-in-daily-covid-19-cases-logs-8-813-new-infections-11660619197880.html 16th Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

CFO Dive A rash of COVID19 outbreaks and a bump in consumer prices saw Chinas economy slump in July with economic authorities reporting slower retail growth and record high youth unemployment. Data released Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics of China showed retail sales grew 2.7 in July down from the 3.1 yearoveryear increase seen in June. Unemployment among 1624 yearold consumers has also continued rising reaching 19.9 in July according to Mondays data topping Junes previous record high of 19.3. Urban unemployment across all age groups decreased slightly to 5.4 a difference of 0.1 percentage points from the prior month. https://www.cfodive.com/news/china-economic-ills-persist-covid-19-lockdowns/629710/ 16th Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Independent First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID19 and was experiencing mild symptoms the White House announced Tuesday. She had been vacationing with President Joe Biden in South Carolina when she began experiencing symptoms on Monday. She has been prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid and will isolate at the vacation home for at least five days. Joe Biden tested negative for the virus on Tuesday morning the White House said but would be wearing a mask indoors for 10 days in line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. He recovered from a rebound case of the virus on Aug. 7. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jill-biden-ap-joe-biden-white-house-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-b2146106.html 16th Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

Belfast Live The Western Trust has eased Covid19 visiting rules in hospitals in Derry Tyrone and Fermanagh by increasing the number of people allowed to visit their loved ones. The new guidance will now allow for two visitors to visit at the same time for one hour per day per patient from four nominated visitors. The Northern Ireland trust said that e xceptions would continue to apply in some areas but its hoped that a move to a further gradual easing of restrictions would continue during the next review on September 5. https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/western-trust-eases-covid-19-24767232 16th Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

Rhyl Journal THE use of masks in clinical settings in Wales is no longer mandatory as of today. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board BCUHB says the change comes amid a reduction in the rates of Covid19 infections over recent weeks. It adds however that the position will be reviewed once more should numbers begin to rise again in Wales. https://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/news/20661113.covid-19-masks-no-longer-needed-clinical-settings-wales/ 16th Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

Detroit News The state added 23165 cases and 103 deaths from COVID19 on Tuesday including totals from the previous six days a 44 increase from last week according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Michigan reported an average of about 3309 cases per day over the last seven days a doubledigit increase from 2305 cases per day a week prior. On Aug. 9 the state said it had added 16137 cases and 137 deaths from the virus in the previous week. On Monday the state reported that 1004 adults and 33 pediatric patients were hospitalized with confirmed infections an increase from last weeks 969 adults and 22 children. Inpatient records were set on Jan. 10 when 4580 adults were hospitalized with COVID. https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/08/16/michigan-covid-19-spike-state-adds-23165-cases-103-deaths-over-last-week/10337011002/ 16th Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg The new shot targets two separate strains of Covid19 the original version of the virus that emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan along with the BA.1 subvariant the earliest version of omicron. Other versions of omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are now more prevalent but the virus is evolving faster than new vaccines can be formulated and tested and this is the closest match available that has received clearance. Moderna has another shot available that targets the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants which has been ordered by the US but not yet cleared. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-16/moderna-s-mrna-omicron-targeted-covid-vaccine-what-you-need-to-know 17th Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian After dodging the Covid19 pandemic for two years the Marshall Islands is grappling to control the spread of infections which have tripled since the first community transmissions were detected a week ago. The number of positive cases in the north Pacific nation which has a population of about 60000 people has skyrocketed to more than 3000 cases with four Covidlinked deaths and seven hospital admissions. One thousand cases were reported in the capital Majuro on Sunday which was almost double from the previous day said the health secretary Jack Niethendal. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/15/marshall-islands-haven-from-covid-for-two-years-gets-3000-cases-in-space-of-weeks 17th Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

The Indian Express It is no secret that Covid19 can cause other health complications in both adults and children. Almost three years into the pandemic now doctors now have answers pertaining to health situations specifically for kids. That brings us to the question of whether Covid can lead to an increase in hepatitis cases in children. According to Dr Bhavini Shah the head of microbiology at Neuberg Supratech Reference Laboratories there has been a spike in acute hepatitis among children across the world including India in recent times. At the start of April 2022 health experts from around the world have been observing the unexplained outbreak of acute hepatitis in kids. India saw a kind of hepatitis in 37 children two to six weeks after Covid19 infection during an outbreak of the Delta variant the doctor says. https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/covid-19-increase-hepatitis-cases-children-health-8092101/ 16th Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

The Times All over50s are likely to be offered an updated coronavirus vaccine in a booster campaign due to begin within a month. Yesterday Britain became the first country to approve a jab that directly targets the Omicron strain of the virus and officials are confident of having tens of millions of doses of nextgeneration vaccines ready for autumn. Half the population is being urged to have a fourth vaccination to reduce the risk of illness over winter and ease pressure on the NHS. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c294702e-1cbd-11ed-add4-d333562d46fb?shareToken=d90547032f96f77ee7121ba7c72347d1 16th Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

The Independent Britain appears to have just seen off its latest wave of Covid19 infections although experts continue to warn that another could arrive this autumn unless due care is taken. The country saw a 43 per cent spike in coronavirus cases at the beginning of June seemingly caused by people coming together to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee over the course of a fourday weekend. Driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron the strain that spread so rapidly across the UK in December 2021 and January 2022 before gradually falling away cases continued to rise to a peak of around 4.6m cases in midJuly before gradually beginning to decline. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-vaccine-booster-jab-where-boots-b2146004.html 16th Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

CBC.ca On Monday Quebec started offering fifth doses of COVID19 vaccine to residents of longterm care homes and private seniors residences. The Health Ministry said it launched the new vaccine campaign for atrisk people because it expects infections to rise in the fall after schools reopen. It said the recommended interval between booster doses is at least five months. Public Health Director Dr. Luc Boileau has said the government will be intensifying its message around vaccination in the coming weeks as the health system prepares for another COVID19 wave. He has also said Quebecers should continue wearing masks in crowded places and at the onset of COVID19 symptoms. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/long-term-care-covid-vaccination-1.6551539 16th Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

Daily Record West Lothian people aged 65 and over will be in line for a winter booster jab to protect the most vulnerable from Covid19 and ease the pressure on hospitals. Letters with appointment times will begin landing on doormats in the coming weeks so NHS Lothian can get ahead of any potential surge in infections. The booster jabs will be given at the same time as the flu vaccine to those eligible where possible evidence shows that administration of both vaccines together is a safe and efficient way to deliver maximum protection over the winter months. Frontline health and social care workers are also eligible for the winter booster jab with the online portal to book vaccination appointments available from 22 August. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/west-lothian-residents-aged-65-27750826 16th Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

STAT News For the health officials who steer vaccination campaigns its going to be a complicated fall. The U.S. plan to roll out updated Covid19 boosters will not only coincide with the logistical tangle of the regular flu shot drive but will also face questions about when people should get the new shots to provide themselves with the best protection through our third Covid winter. Its a balancing act that health officials run into every year with flu. Vaccinating tens of millions of people takes weeks. People also need a few weeks after their shot for their immune systems to be fully primed. And yet vaccinators dont want to put shots in arms too early either. https://www.statnews.com/2022/08/16/a-complicated-fall-vaccine-campaign-updated-covid-boosters-flu-shots-and-how-to-time-the-jabs/ 16th Aug 2022

Partisan Exits

Sky News Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made clear there will be a Royal Commission into Australias COVID19 response says Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell. Just not now Mr Clennell said. https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/albanese-confirms-there-will-be-a-royal-commission-into-covid19-response/video/928523924ec57871dcaf526eab7dc2fd 16th Aug 2022

Partisan Exits

ABC News An audit by the AFL has revealed five clubs breached COVID protocols through the season. Each club has been hit with a fine with Sydneys 100000 penalty the heaviest. The breaches are in regard to discrepancies surrounding RATs https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-16/afl-covid-fines-sydney-st-kilda-richmond-brisbane-collingwood/101339886 16th Aug 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg Pfizer Inc. Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said he tested positive for Covid19 and is receiving Paxlovid the treatment made by his company. Bourla said hes feeling well although experiencing very mild symptoms according to a statement Monday. Hes received four doses of Covid vaccine also made by Pfizer in collaboration with BioNTech SE. The CEO is one of many people who have contracted Covid despite receiving full vaccination and boosting. The mutating coronavirus has continually found ways to at least partially evade immunity induced by shots and previous infections although usually causing milder cases. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-15/pfizer-ceo-bourla-tests-positive-for-covid-with-mild-symptoms 16th Aug 2022

Continued Lockdown

Nation Thailand Preliminary results of the family income and expenditure survey for 2021 released by the Philippine Statistics Authority PSA on Monday showed that the poverty rate had worsened to 18.8 per cent from 16.7 per cent in 2018. https://www.nationthailand.com/international/ann/40018946 16th Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal The 56yearold in Montclair N.J. was looking for a reprieve from a persistent residual tastelike your mouth is just clenched around a grapefruit rindthat came after she took Paxlovid Pfizers antiviral drug to treat Covid19. Ms. Witten is one of many people who have scouted remedies for what is informally known as Paxlovid mouth a taste that can linger for as long as you take the drug. Patients who have taken Paxlovid have described it as sunbaked trashbag liquid a mouthful of dirty pennies and rotten soymilk. They have tried to erase the taste with salves from cinnamon to milk to pineapple. They are also trading strategies online. A Pfizer spokesperson acknowledged the side effect called dysgeusia and pointed to a study that found the symptom occurred 5.6 of the time people took the drug. The study was funded by Pfizer and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The company said most patients dysgeusia symptoms were mild. https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-exactly-is-paxlovid-mouth-and-how-do-you-get-rid-of-it-11660606455 17th Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Science Daily Researchers have identified what they believe to be robust metabolic markers of Covid a discovery which could lead to better understanding and treatments for people that suffer from symptoms of the disease months after diagnosis. Scientists from the University of Surrey collected blood samples of hospital patients and found that Covid19 changed peoples metabolism. The team observed that the effects of Covid19 changed over time with the first wave disrupting metabolites differently from the second. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220816120247.htm 16th Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Business Standard Bharat Biotech has submitted data from Phase 3 clinical trials of BBV154 its intranasal Covid vaccine candidate to the drug regulator. It has sought approval both as a primary twodose vaccine and a heterologous booster shot. A heterologous booster implies that the third or subsequent dose of the vaccine is different from its primary dose. Typically the primary dose comprises two shots. The Hyderabadbased company claimed that BBV154 which is stable at 28 degrees Celsius is proven to be safe welltolerated and immunogenic in the subjects under controlled clinical trials. Being an intranasal vaccine BBV154 may produce local antibodies in the upper respiratory tract. These may provide the potential to reduce infection and transmission. Further studies are being planned the company noted on Monday. https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/bharat-biotech-seeks-approval-for-intranasal-coronavirus-vaccine-122081500813_1.html 16th Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian When the autumn booster programme begins next month many people are likely to receive Modernas new bivalent vaccine designed to protect against the original Covid strain and the more transmissible Omicron variant. As Covid continues to evolve so will vaccination strategies. Here we look at some of the developments in the pipeline. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/15/from-nasal-vaccines-to-pills-the-next-defences-against-covid 16th Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC News A national Covid19 vaccine trial is now calling for pregnant women from across the South. The study taking place at University Hospital Southampton will start to recruit participants later this month. It will look into the immune response to vaccination at different dose intervals either four to six weeks or eight to 12 weeks. Participants will need to be between 18 and 44yearsold and 13 to 34 weeks pregnant on the day of vaccination. Women who have had previous vaccinations can still take part as the trial focuses on boosters the size of the dose and which vaccine works best. The study led by St Georges University of London is backed by 7.5 million of government funding. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-62550755 16th Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Star Online The countrys policy on the usage of Covid19 antiviral drug Paxlovid does not include lowrisk asymptomatic patients says Health directorgeneral Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. The medication was also not for prevention of Covid19 he said. The ministrys policy on administration of Paxlovid for Covid19 was in line with the intent to reduce hospitalisation and deaths he said. The Malaysian policy on the usage of Paxlovid has not included low risk patients who have no symptoms or usage for prevention of infection. Paxlovid is an antiviral and thus has to be started early when the illness is still in the mild category. The usage of Paxlovid is based on risk stratification from real Covid19 patients data who are determined as at high risk of deterioration. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/08/16/health-dg-paxlovid-for-high-risk-covid-19-patients-not-for-mild-cases-or-prevention 16th Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

News-Medical.Net Study finds COVID associated with abnormal placental pathologies in nearly 50 of cohort. The features of the newly emerging SARSCoV2 Omicron BA.2.75 subvariant. Inhaled aprotinin found to reduce viral load in mildtomoderate COVID19 https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220816/How-efficient-is-backward-contact-tracing-in-COVID-19.aspx 16th Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC News In the mid 1980s Jonathan Heeney was a PhD student at the US National Institutes of Health NIH Maryland when he was told to fly to Oregon on the opposite side of the country to investigate a mysterious new disease which was causing a surge of sudden deaths in a group of captive cheetahs. For Heeney it proved to be his first known encounter with a coronavirus. We eventually determined that this was a coronavirus which had jumped from domestic cats into these cheetahs he says. And because cheetahs were a new host it caused a lot of death and destruction. So that was my introduction to them. Four decades on and Heeney is at the helm of DIOSynVax a biotechnology company based in Cambridge UK who recently received a 42m 34m41m grant from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations CEPI the foundation backed by Bill and Melinda Gates the Indian and Norwegian governments and the World Economic Forum among others. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220815-the-hunt-for-a-universal-covid-19-jab 16th Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg A next generation coronavirus booster jab which may only need administering once a year has been approved for use in adults. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency MHRA has authorised Modernas bivalent vaccine which targets the original Covid strain and the Omicron variant. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-15/-next-generation-moderna-coronavirus-booster-jab-approved-for-use-in-adults 15th Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Egypt Independent Minister of Health and Population Khaled AbdelGhaffar said on Monday that the epidemiological situation of the coronavirus in Egypt is currently stable. We are in a safe stage and we have had a decrease in the last two weeks in the number of community cases by up to 50 percent in infections and 26 percent in deaths he explained. The Minister of Health explained that the hospital occupancy rate of coronavirus patients is currently very low the lowest point since the beginning of the pandemic. He added that his ministry had reserved considering the current situation as a sixth wave as it has already declined in a short period. https://www.egyptindependent.com/egypts-covid-19-situation-remains-stable-cases-down-50-minister/ 16th Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

CTV News Atlantic Nova Scotia is reporting a rise in COVID19 cases and hospitalizations for the month of July while the number of deaths decreased compared to previous months according to the provincial governments monthly COVID19 summary. During July health officials say nine people died from COVID19 six fewer than what was reported for the month of June. Of the nine deaths six people were aged 70 and older and three were living in a longterm care facility. https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-s-reports-increase-in-covid-19-cases-hospitalizations-for-month-of-july-decrease-in-deaths-1.6027922 16th Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Xinhua Chinas service sector a key driver of its economic growth has sustained recovery momentum in July despite a resurgence of sporadic COVID19 cases and a weak property market. The services production index grew 0.6 percent year on year last month data from the National Bureau of Statistics NBS showed. In the first seven months the index dropped by 0.3 percent year on year narrowing 0.1 percentage points from that of the first six months. https://english.news.cn/20220816/dfc82b9e9be8476ba7f76032aa7a7518/c.html 16th Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Xinhua The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 530 locallytransmitted confirmed COVID19 cases of which 426 were in Hainan Province the National Health Commission said Tuesday. Altogether 1838 local asymptomatic carriers were newly identified on the day including 785 in Hainan 629 in Tibet Autonomous Region and 248 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said the commission in its report. A total of 117 COVID19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Monday. The total number of COVID19 patients discharged from hospitals after recovery reached 224688 on the Chinese mainland as of Monday. https://english.news.cn/20220816/01295785dae04e7f80b4036cf9a9fb49/c.html 16th Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Shanghai reported three new domestically transmitted asymptomatic coronavirus cases for Aug. 15 down from five a day earlier while no local symptomatic cases were reported versus one the day before the city government said on Tuesday. No cases were reported outside quarantined areas compared with one the day before. Shanghai recorded no COVID19related deaths for Aug. 15 unchanged from a day earlier. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-reports-3-new-local-asymptomatic-covid-cases-no-symptomatic-aug-15-2022-08-16/ 16th Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg China reported more than 2000 new coronavirus infections for a fourth day as outbreaks flare across the country raising the prospect of more disruptive restrictions in line with its Covid Zero strategy. Nationwide there were 2368 cases for Monday near the highest level since May. More than half the infections are in the tropical island of Hainan where an outbreak has stranded more than 150000 tourists who have faced lockdowns frequent testing and a dearth of flights. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-16/china-covid-cases-hold-near-three-month-high-on-holiday-hotspots 16th Aug 2022

New Lockdown

ABC News Authorities tried to lock people in a Shanghai building and Ikea store over COVID19 concerns. Video clips shared online show a large group of people trying to leave. China has recently reported an increase in coronavirus cases https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-16/shanghai-covid-19-ikea-store-lockdown/101339164 16th Aug 2022