2nd Nov 2020 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=129 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Daily Mail A Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research report released Friday says Donald Trumps rallies may have led to 700 COVID19 deaths. A study of 18 of Trumps massive rallies held between June 20 to September 22 found the events increased subsequent cases of COVID19. Researchers say the rallies may have led to 30000 new virus infections. The communities in which Trump rallies took place paid a high price in terms of disease and death the study said. However the paper has not yet undergone peer review and has not been vetted by experts in public health or epidemiology https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8903173/Trump-rallies-led-700-coronavirus-deaths-30-000-new-infections-report-claims.html 1st Nov 2020

Lockdown Exit

South China Morning Post Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus the head of the World Health Organization WHO has gone into selfquarantine he announced late on Sunday after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for Covid19. I have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID19. I am well and without symptoms but will selfquarantine over the coming days in line with WHO protocols and work from home he wrote on Twitter. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3108004/coronavirus-who-chief-tedros-quarantine-after-contact-tests 2nd Nov 2020

Lockdown Exit

BBC Staff at funeral homes in Spain have gone on strike to demand more workers as coronavirus deaths continue to rise. Unions say more staff are needed to prevent the delay in burials that was seen during the first wave of the pandemic in March. Europe is grappling with a second wave as cases and deaths continue to rise. A number of countries have introduced new measures such as curfews and lockdowns to try and bring infection rates down. On Saturday Austria and Portugal became the latest countries to announce new restrictions. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54772727 2nd Nov 2020

Lockdown Exit

Times of Malta Slovakia on Saturday begins a programme to screen its entire population for coronavirus with antigen tests in what would be a global first but critics have said the plan is poorly thought out. Some 45000 medical workers army and police are being deployed to carry out the tests in the EU member state of 5.4 million people collecting swabs at around 5000 testing points. The world will be watching Prime Minister Igor Matovic said earlier this week adding that the measure would save hundreds of lives. Antigen tests give quick results sometimes within minutes but are not seen as being as reliable as the PCR test for which nasal swabs have to be sent to a lab for analysis. https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/slovakia-begins-mass-virus-testing-in-world-first.828529 30th Oct 2020

Lockdown Exit

BBC A twoweek firebreak in Wales will still end on 9 November regardless of a lockdown in England the Welsh Government has said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a second lockdown for England starting on Thursday lasting a month. He also said the furlough scheme due to end on Saturday will be extended and it will include Wales. But First Minister Mark Drakeford is unhappy it was not extended when they asked for it for the firebreak. Rishi Sunak said he wouldnt extend it in Wales when we asked Mr Drakeford tweeted. Its now clear he could have said yes he added. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54761261 1st Nov 2020

Lockdown Exit

Sky News Wales will not return to a series of localised coronavirus restrictions once its current 17day fire break lockdown ends the countrys first minister has announced. Mark Drakeford said a simpler set of national restrictions would instead replace the current measures rather than the local lockdowns that were previously imposed during the autumn. The current fire break period in Wales which has seen controversy over what supermarkets are allowed to sell under the rules is due to last until 9 November. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-wales-wont-return-to-local-lockdowns-after-17-day-fire-break-ends-12118962 30th Oct 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal Sheri Akerele has been struggling to keep her sons in third and seventh grade focused on online classes as coronavirus fears shut down inperson classes in their school in Atlanta for months. Like many parents she found her children werent absorbing their lessons completely but she could spend only so much of her busy day walking them through their lessons. Luckily she has online backup an experienced teacher who lives in a small town in central India. We get that oneonone attention they need and its affordable she said. Its so hard learning from home. https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-covid-19-closes-american-classrooms-families-turn-to-india-for-homework-help-11603972843 30th Oct 2020

Lockdown Exit

Gulf News Pakistans decision to loosen pandemic restrictions early has helped the nations exports emerge stronger than its South Asian peers. Outbound shipments have grown at a faster pace than Bangladesh and India as textiles which account for half of the total export led the recovery. Islamabad saw total shipments grow 7 per cent in September compared with New Delhis 6 per cent and Dhakas 3.5 per cent. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans administration was the first in the region to ease pandemic restrictions allowing export units to reopen in April a month after locking them down to stem the spread of COVID19. Thats helped draw companies from Guess Inc. Hugo Boss AG Target Corp. and Hanesbrands Inc. to the South Asian nation. https://gulfnews.com/business/pakistans-early-exit-from-covid-19-lockdown-helps-it-win-big-on-exports-orders-1.1604059758117 30th Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

TIME Indias ASHA program is likely the worlds largest army of allfemale community health workers. They are the foot soldiers of the countrys health system. Established in 2005 a key focus of the program was reducing maternal and infant deaths so all recruits are women. They have also played an essential role in Indias efforts to eradicate polio and increase immunization according to numerous studies. But even as health authorities have leaned on ASHAs to quell the spread of COVID19 in rural areas where a substantial number of new cases have been reported many of these health care workers say the government is failing them. Pay was meager to begin with but some workers have reported not being paid for months. Their hours have increased dramatically but pay rises when they have come have not reflected the increased demands. Many ASHAs have also complained about not being provided adequate protective equipment for their highrisk work. https://time.com/5904706/india-female-healthcare-workers-covid19/ 28th Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Some fabric face coverings on sale in supermarkets and highstreet pharmacies could be giving people a false sense of security by letting the vast majority of large particles pass through them an investigation by the consumer magazine Which has revealed. Three of the masks the magazines researchers tested failed to capture 93 of bacterial particles meaning that these particles could be inhaled or exhaled by the mask wearer. However it was found that the bestperforming face coverings were as good as surgical masks at blocking bacterial particles preventing more than 99 of them from penetrating the fabric. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/30/face-mask-test-which-best-at-limiting-spread-covid 30th Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

The Wall Street Journal Sheri Akerele has been struggling to keep her sons in third and seventh grade focused on online classes as coronavirus fears shut down inperson classes in their school in Atlanta for months. Like many parents she found her children werent absorbing their lessons completely but she could spend only so much of her busy day walking them through their lessons. https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-covid-19-closes-american-classrooms-families-turn-to-india-for-homework-help-11603972843?mod=e2tw 30th Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

The New York Times It is an idea that may never have been tried in widescale vaccine distribution Citing principles of equity and justice experts are urging that people living in communities hardesthit by the pandemic which are often made up of Black and Hispanic populations get a portion of the first limited supply of coronavirus vaccines set aside just for them. A committee of experts advising Dr. Robert R. Redfield the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering the idea. But as it comes into focus its underlying concepts and execution must be further defined and the approach may then face legal and political challenges even as the medical system grapples with the anticipated logistical hurdles of distributing new vaccines. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/30/health/covid-vaccine-racism.html 30th Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

Sky News Exports of flu vaccine from the UK will be restricted to protect supplies the government has announced. It comes amid an increase in global demand during the coronavirus pandemic. A statement from the Department of Health and Social Care said There is sufficient national supply of flu vaccine with deliveries to providers continuing over the coming months. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-uk-restricts-flu-vaccine-exports-to-protect-supplies-12119131 30th Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian The race for a Covid vaccine is reaching a crucial stage with the glimmer of a possibility that one of the leading contenders will be approved by Christmas. In an interview with the Guardian Kate Bingham who heads the UKs vaccine taskforce said the UK was in a very good place. But there are still hurdles to clear in the coming weeks. The Guardians health editor Sarah Boseley explains the challenges ahead. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/30/its-possible-the-race-to-approve-a-covid-vaccine-by-christmas 30th Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

Ars Technica Earlier this year the federal government made a major change to how data on the pandemic is reported taking the aggregation of hospital data away from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and shifting it into the CDCs parent organization the Department of Health and Human Services HHS. At the time there were worries that this represented an attempt to limit the publics ability to see how bad the pandemic wasworries that were reinforced when the data was no longer made public as it came in. But some recent reporting indicated that the change was primarily the work of White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Deborah Birx who wanted greater control over the data gathering and processing. Still regardless of the motivation the data flowing in to HHS only made its way out to the public via weekly summaries. https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/10/someone-leaked-the-covid-hospitalization-data-taken-from-the-cdc/ 31st Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Taking over a successful family business right before a pandemic would be enough to make anybody anxious. But Samantha Atkin is somehow unflappable. In Bramley a suburb of Leeds the 28yearold runs Carols Confectioners a bakery and sandwich shop that specialises in Jewish bread. It is one of the many cafes pubs and restaurants that offered free meals to children during the halfterm holidays. We watched it on the news and there was just absolutely no way in the position were in to not make a sandwich for a child Atkin said. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/31/the-leeds-bakery-that-gave-away-200-meals-to-families-struggling-to-feed-children 2nd Nov 2020

Partisan Exits

Reuters UK Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro a longtime critic of stayathome measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic said on Thursday that it was crazy for countries to start locking down again to control second waves of the virus. Most Western countries and parts of Latin America have reported their highest singleday surges in the past few weeks. Many governments with the notable exception of the United States have started taking stronger measures to bring the spread of the virus under control. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-brazil-bolsonaro-idUKKBN27F066 1st Nov 2020

Partisan Exits

Reuters The French government promised on Sunday to protect the nations beloved independent shops that fear losing their business to international giants such as Amazon as it sought to quell opposition to a new coronavirus lockdown. In common with other European nations suffering from an upsurge in the novel coronavirus France has entered a second strict lockdown which includes closing nonessential stores for at least 15 days. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-france/france-faces-lockdown-resistance-as-small-shops-pay-the-price-idUSL1N2HN09T 1st Nov 2020

Partisan Exits

NBC News A group of parents in Florida is suing the Sarasota County school board for requiring students to wear face masks which are recommended by federal health officials to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The suit was filed last week in a Sarasota County court by parents Amy Cook Gustavo Collazo Nicholas Eastman and Catherine Gonzales after the school board approved an emergency 90day mask mandate that extends its policy through to the end of the year. The policy requires students attending inperson class to wear masks with a few exceptions for most of the school day according to the Sarasota HeraldTribune. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-parents-sue-school-board-over-mandate-requires-students-wear-n1245496 31st Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

Daily Mail Nazir Afzal submitted evidence to suggest Dominic Cummings may have lied. The evidence relates to the chief aides controversial trip in April to Durham. Mr Afzals dossier is based on new eyewitness claims said to be wholly inconsistent with account that Mr Cummings gave when he admitted travelling https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8899061/Dominic-Cummings-face-prosecution-breaking-lockdown-says-former-prosecutor.html 31st Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

ABC News It shouldnt be surprising that in the midst of a pandemic we still find ourselves mired in politics. I suppose the stakes are too high for us not to be The hardship the loss of life the preventable deaths the economic destruction the psychological toll. But lets be blunt for a moment Daniel Andrews plays a mean game of chicken. The Victorian Premier with his health officials has pursued a virusreduction strategy that has put him in the political crosshairs for months. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-31/victoria-coronavirus-lockdown-over-still-divided/12833300 31st Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

Daily Mail Almost three in four people are more concerned about the impact of lockdown. The results come from a poll of 2000 adults by the Recovery group. Recovery put forward its five reasonable demands as they call for ministers to balance the need to tackle Covid with the impact its policies are having https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8899147/Three-four-worried-impact-lockdown-catching-coronavirus-poll-finds.html 31st Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

CNN On Wednesday the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced rules for insurers to cover the cost of administering a Covid19 vaccine when one is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Yet on the campaign trail former Vice President Joe Biden has been warning that if the Affordable Care Act is overturned as the Trump administration is attempting to do vaccines would not necessarily be covered by insurance and that many people will have to pay for them out of pocket. Overturning the ACA could mean that people have to pay to get Covid19 vaccine once its available Biden said Wednesday. Thats right. The law that says insurers are required to cover vaccines for free is the Affordable Care Act. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/30/politics/joe-biden-aca-coronavirus-vaccine-fact-check/index.html 31st Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

POLITICO.eu Hungary will get a first shipment of coronavirus vaccines in December or January and will be able to declare victory over the pandemic by next spring Prime Minister Viktor Orbn said today. Orbn said Hungary was talking to China and Russia and could have access to two or three different vaccines by early next year Reuters reported. As yet there is no clinically proven vaccine against the coronavirus. Orbn said in a radio interview that there were enough hospital beds and ventilators to treat coronavirus patients and he believes the key is to obey the existing rules ... and that masks must be worn. https://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-to-get-coronavirus-vaccine-in-winter-says-orban/ 30th Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg A coronavirus vaccine may be available as soon as the end of the year but that will mean nothing if people dont trust it says Jerome Adams U.S. Surgeon General a job known as the nations doctor. Many people dont and time is running short to convince them otherwise. Adams a key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force said he spends his days nights and weekends racing to boost vaccine confidence. It is a daunting challenge given that overcoming the pandemic hinges on vaccine use and the administration he works for has at times undermined confidence that a shot will be safe and effective. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-30/trump-s-surgeon-general-battles-rising-covid-vaccine-skepticism 30th Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

Yahoo News UK As the coronavirus pandemic has progressed and the need for a vaccine has become more urgent and apparent the number of Americans who say they would take such a vaccine keeps falling. In particular Black Americans who have been among those hit hardest by the pandemic are resistant to the idea. A new Yahoo NewsYouGov poll found that only 27 percent of Black Americans and 46 percent of white Americans plan to get a coronavirus vaccine if and when one becomes available. The perceived politicization of the vaccine process and unprecedented pace of Operation Warp Speed has led to doubts nationwide. Until very recently President Trump was predicting that a vaccine could arrive ahead of Election Day Nov. 3 contradicting members of his own coronavirus task force who have repeatedly given less optimistic time frames that have turned out to be more realistic. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/the-long-shadow-of-racism-in-medicine-leaves-black-americans-wary-of-a-covid-19-vaccine-182658548.html 30th Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

The Times A verdict on the legality of past lockdown rules is crucial as the government is pushed to impose further measures to stop the spread of coronavirus senior judges have been told. Lawyers for Simon Dolan an entrepreneur and former racing driver told the Court of Appeal yesterday that another national lockdown would seem to be the inevitable consequence if the most recent measures to try to reduce the infection rate fail to do so. Mr Dolan is arguing in a judicial review that the UKs lockdown rules were among the most onerous restrictions to personal liberty in almost four centuries. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/simon-dolan-coronavirus-lockdown-restrictions-were-unlawful-entrepreneur-tells-judges-f3zl8sfjr 30th Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

Xinhua The COVID19 pandemic has adversely affected the mental health of 75 percent of Australians aged 18 to 24 according to a poll published by Ipsos and Nine Entertainment newspapers on Friday. By comparison 65 percent of those polled aged 25 to 39 said the pandemic and restrictions have impacted on their mental wellbeing 49 percent of those aged 40 to 54 and 35 percent of those aged 55 and over. Ian Hickie a professor of psychiatry at the University of Sydney said the education and social lives of young people have been most disrupted by the pandemic worldwide. The University of Sydney has published modelling that projected a 30percent rise in the suicide rate for Australians aged 1824 over the next five years. In Victoria the state hardesthit by the pandemic it was projected to rise 36.7 percent. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-10/30/c_139478442.htm 31st Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

Nursing Times Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has become the first mental health provider to sign a pledge supporting the principles of the Nursing Times Covid19 Are You OK campaign. The Yorkshire mental health trust signed up to support the campaign after its director of nursing Cathy Woffendin responded to a call made by Nursing Times to an initial group of trusts. It becomes the fourth trust overall to back Covid19 Are You OK and the third one from Yorkshire to do so. https://www.nursingtimes.net/covid-19-are-you-ok/first-mental-health-trust-signs-up-to-nursing-times-wellbeing-campaign-30-10-2020/ 31st Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

GP Online More than 200 GPs a month are seeking mental health support as COVID19 drives up pressure on the NHS and demand for help is rising fastest among doctors in primary care figures from a confidential support service suggest. https://www.gponline.com/hundreds-gps-month-seek-mental-health-support-covid-19-pressure-bites/article/1698461 31st Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

BBC Half of students in Scotland said money worries or financial pressures had affected their mental health before the Covid pandemic struck. Research by the National Union of Students also found 72 of undergraduates said they had most concerns in their first year. The union argues the effects of the pandemic on the sector make these issues more important than ever. Universities Scotland said the mental health of students was paramount. The NUS research which was carried out in January and February involved 3097 college and university students. It found almost half of students claimed coping with course workload had a negative impact on their mental health. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54706305 31st Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

Sky News One in six children in England has a probable mental disorder according to an NHS study. The Mental Health and Young People Survey highlights how the coronavirus lockdown has made conditions like depression anxiety and sleeping problems worse among boys and girls. The study is based on data collected in July from 3570 children and young people who took part in a similar survey in 2017. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-lockdown-contributing-to-rise-in-mental-illness-in-children-nhs-says-12111190 31st Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

HuffPost UK Mind received up to 500 helpline calls a day in October twice the usual number for this time of year. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/second-pandemic-warning-mental-health-crisis_uk_5f9acd74c5b6aab57a101254 30th Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

ChronicleLive A survey of North East GPs revealed that 80 said the pressure of dealing with the Covid19 outbreak has left them with mental health problems. The research was carried out by the North East Cumbria Regional LMC which also revealed that 61 of GP practices had seen morale deteriorate while 60 of doctors said the chance of them leaving the profession retiring early or emigrating had increased compared to before the pandemic. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/alarming-impact-covid-19-crisis-19191823 30th Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

iNews One in 12 people is no longer speaking to a friend or family member because of disagreements about the pandemic. When and how the UK should emerge from lockdown restrictions has divided not only the nation but also families and friends even leading to some relatives refusing to talk to each other research has revealed. People who rely on social media for coronavirus information are more likely to have been involved in confrontations and reports to the authorities over lockdown rules the study by Kings College London KCL and Ipsos Mori also found. They are at least five times as likely to say they have been reported and four times as likely to have been confronted for not wearing a face covering. A small minority have challenged others about following the rules too carefully the researchers found and one in 12 is no longer speaking to a friend or family member because of disagreements about the pandemic. https://inews.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-lockdown-rules-relatives-refuse-speak-arguments-research-740589 29th Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian University students are struggling with loneliness and anxiety due to campus lockdowns with the risk that their mental health will deteriorate further unless urgent action is taken counsellors and charities are warning. Nightline a phone line run by 2951 student volunteers that reaches 1.6 million of their peers has reported higher demand than usual for this time of year as selfisolation takes its toll on students mental health. We normally see significant numbers of calls dealing with loneliness and this year that number is higher says Brendan Mahon a Nightline trustee. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/oct/28/i-was-just-sat-in-my-room-all-day-lonely-students-seek-mental-health-support 28th Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

The BMJ More than two fifths of doctors in the UK say that their mental health is now worse than before the pandemic a BMA survey has found. The association received responses from 6610 doctors working across England to a snapshot survey it conducted in October. Of the 6550 doctors who responded to a question about their mental wellbeing 43 said that they were currently experiencing work related depression anxiety stress burnout emotional distress or other mental health condition and that it was worse than it had been before the pandemic started. A further 12 said they had a work related mental health problem but it was no different than it had been before the pandemic while 39 said they did not have a work related problem and 6 preferred not to say. Of 6559 doctors who responded to a followup question a third 32 said that their health and wellbeing were slightly worse than it had been during the first wave of the pandemic and 10 said it was much worse. More than a third 37 said it was the same while 21 said it was better. https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4148 27th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CNN The spread of Covid19 among members in a household after one person is infected is common and occurs quickly after illness onset according to a new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The person exposed or suspected of having Covid19 should be isolated before getting tested and before test results come back to protect others in the home said the study published Friday in the CDCs Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/30/health/household-spread-covid-19-wellness/index.html 2nd Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT News The ambitious drive to produce Covid19 vaccine at warp speed seems to be running up against reality. We all probably need to reset our expectations about how quickly were going to be able to be vaccinated. Pauses in clinical trials to investigate potential safety issues a slowerthanexpected rate of infections among participants in at least one of the trials and signals that an expert panel advising the Food and Drug Administration may not be comfortable recommending use of vaccines on very limited safety and efficacy data appear to be adding up to a slippage in the estimates of when vaccine will be ready to be deployed. Asked Wednesday about when he expects the FDA will greenlight use of the first vaccines Anthony Fauci moved the administrations stated goalpost. https://www.statnews.com/2020/10/29/it-may-be-time-to-reset-expectations-on-when-well-get-a-covid-19-vaccine/ 31st Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Hill We plan to go into children as soon as we possibly can but very carefully in terms of safety Jerald Sadoff senior advisor with Johnson Johnsons vaccine division said according to Reuters. Sadoff said the company also has plans to test the vaccine in children younger than 12 if its shown to be safe among those 12 to 18. The vaccine is one of four currently in latestage clinical trials. https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/523698-johnson-johnson-to-test-coronavirus-vaccine-in 31st Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CNN When Rosa Inchausti and her colleagues started testing wastewater in Tempe Arizona it was 2018 and they were not looking for coronavirus. They were tracking the opioid epidemic. But because they were set up to sample the city sector by sector they were able to switch gears and begin sampling sewage for evidence of coronavirus. We were ready for this Inchausti told CNN. Now the city is regularly sampling sewers to keep an eye on the pandemic. And things are not looking good in parts of Tempe. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/28/health/covid-sewage-testing-spike/index.html 31st Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

NPR The Department of Health and Human Services has released the contract of pharmaceutical industry veteran Moncef Slaoui a key adviser to Operation Warp Speed after questions from the press members of Congress and advocacy groups. Operation Warp Speed is the Trump administrations multibilliondollar push to develop and manufacture hundreds of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine. Slaoui has been instrumental in guiding the effort but the terms of his employment raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/10/30/929284620/after-months-of-questions-key-operation-warp-speed-advisers-contract-emerges 30th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

PMLive.com The UKs Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency MHRA has begun a rolling review of Modernas mRNAbased COVID19 vaccine. The vaccine candidate mRNA1273 will be reviewed on a rolling basis meaning that the MHRA will begin an independent assessment of the vaccine using information submitted by Moderna. The MHRA will then accept and consider new evidence when it becomes available until the application is sufficient to warrant authorisation of the shot. https://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/uks_mhra_begins_rolling_review_of_modernas_coronavirus_vaccine_1355357 30th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters UK The European Union will wait for latestage efficacy and safety data before approving a coronavirus vaccine to ensure there is broad acceptance of any shot German Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday. Most important for acceptance is that we make clear from the beginning that we will wait for clinical trials in Phase III before approval Spahn said following a videoconference of EU health ministers. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-eu-vaccine-idUKKBN27F2D5 30th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

NPR Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met virtually Friday to review whats known about potential coronavirus vaccines. The main issue is who should get a vaccine first. https://www.npr.org/2020/10/30/929609201/advisers-to-cdc-discuss-potential-coronavirus-vaccines 30th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma Regeneron suspended testing its antibody cocktail in patients on highflow oxygen or ventilation after an independent data monitoring committee flagged safety concerns. Two other cohorts in the trialwhich focuses on hospitalized patientsare continuing as planned and a separate trial in outpatients will also continue. The CDC asked states to come up with vaccine distribution plans by Tuesday as WHO announced its not convinced the frontrunner shots actually work in the elderly. Plus smartwatches and Fitbits could help spot COVID19 cases and support public health efforts to slow the diseases spread a new study found. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/coronavirus-tracker-novavax-boasts-billion-plus-shot-capacity-by-2021-russia-s-world-first 30th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

ITV News A study has been launched to establish the risk of Covid19 to domiciliary care workers across Wales. The pandemic is thought to have had a significant impact on the health of 20000 workers offering care to the elderly or people with lifelimiting conditions in their homes. The study led by Cardiff University will assess the health of public and private care workers including Covid19 infection itself mental health and other illnesses. Earlier this year carers told ITV News they were under extreme pressure with extra responsibilities due to a lack of district nurses and GPs available to see patients in the community. Health professionals have also issued stark warnings about the potential crisis if carers mental health needs arent addressed. https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2020-10-30/study-launched-to-establish-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-health-of-wales-care-workers 30th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

YAHOO! The handful of drugmakers dominating the global coronavirus vaccine race are pushing the boundaries of vaccine technology. The next crop under development feature more conventional proven designs. The world will need several different vaccines to fight the COVID19 pandemic given the sheer size of global need variations in effects on different populations and possible limits of effectiveness in the first crop. Many leading candidates now in finalstage testing are based on new largely unproven technology platforms designed to produce vaccines at speed. They include messenger RNA mRNA technology used by Moderna Inc MRNA.O and Pfizer Inc PFE.N with partner BioNTech SE 22UAy.F and inactivated cold virus platforms used by Oxford UniversityAstraZeneca Plc AZN.L Johnson Johnson JNJ.N and CanSino Biologics 6185.HK whose vaccine has been approved for military use in China. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/next-crop-covid-19-vaccine-040645453.html 29th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Supply Chain Digital The agreement outlines a framework for all transportation and supply chain services that will be needed to deliver COVAXXs vaccine candidate UB612 worldwide once approved by regulatory authorities. COVAXX is currently developing UB612 through a high precision synthetic peptide platform that activates both Bcell and Tcell arms. The investigational vaccine has been manufactured to replicate natural biology and preclinical studies have outlined high immunogenicity and levels of neutralising titers against SARSCOV2. The technology platform has been successful in commercialising blood diagnostics as well as safe and effective vaccines for infectious disease in animal health and has been tested in a number of clinical trials for other indications to date. https://www.supplychaindigital.com/supply-chain/maersk-and-covaxx-partner-supply-global-covid-19-vaccines 28th Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian Months after the Kremlin said it had the coronavirus pandemic under control record numbers of Russians are falling ill and dying of the disease every day pushing the countrys health services to breaking point while Vladimir Putin has ruled out a new nationwide lockdown. The official daily tally of new cases rose above 18000 for the first time on Friday when 355 deaths were also reported. Critics say the death toll indicated by tallies of excess deaths could be far higher. The increases have mirrored those in European countries such as France and Spain but the brunt of the outbreak has been borne by farflung regions that rarely make the evening news. As opposed to the spring outbreak when Moscow St Petersburg and the Caucasus region were worst affected the new rise has been driven by the diseases spread across the Urals Siberia and the border with Kazakhstan where colder weather has already driven many people indoors. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/01/russias-remote-regions-struggle-to-cope-with-burgeoning-covid-cases 1st Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian Nearly half of Slovakias entire population took Covid19 swabs on Saturday the first day of a twoday nationwide testing drive the government hopes will help reverse a surge in infections without a hard lockdown. The scheme a first for a country of Slovakias size is being watched by other nations looking for ways to slow the virus spread and avoid overwhelming their health systems. The defence minister Jaroslav Na said on Sunday 2.58 million Slovaks had taken a test on Saturday and 25850 or 1 tested positive and had to go into quarantine. The EU country has a population 5.5 million and aims to test as many people as possible except for children under 10. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/01/half-slovakia-population-covid-tested-covid-one-day 1st Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Mail Liverpool Lancashire Nottinghamshire Warrington Greater Manchester Bradford and Leeds all affected. Even some places in Tier Two lockdowns treating more coronavirus patients than at peak six months ago. Dominic Raab today hinted Government could introduce a new Tier Four set of even stricter restrictions https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8896725/19-NHS-trusts-treating-Covid-19-patients-April-analysis.html 31st Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters COVID19 infections are rising so persistently in the United Kingdom that unless something can be done to reduce infections the reasonable worst case scenario of 80000 dead could be exceeded scientists said on Friday. Britain has recorded more than 20000 new coronavirus cases a day on average over the last week but the government has resisted a new national lockdown even as France and Germany reintroduce countrywide restrictions. British government scientists said that numbers were heading in the wrong direction. They said the reasonable worst case planning scenario for the winter of reaching 500 deaths a day and a toll of over 80000 is in danger of being exceeded unless infection numbers are cut according to papers published by the governments science advisers on Friday. https://uk.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-britain/update-2-britain-resists-full-lockdown-in-face-of-rising-cases-and-falling-support-idUKL8N2HL2O2 31st Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Yahoo Finance As COVID19 numbers continue to spike across the U.S. New Jersey became the first state to mandate safety protocols to protect workers from the coronavirus. We cant wait any longer New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy tells Yahoo Finance. Were doing it now frankly because the federal government should be doing it and they havent done it. The executive order goes into effect at 6 a.m. on Nov. 5. It requires employers in both the public and private sector to among other things conduct daily health checks of workers such as temperature screenings and visual symptom checking. Employers must also notify workers when there is possible exposure to the virus and provide them with breaks throughout the day to wash their hands. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nj-gov-on-a-covid-19-lockdown-if-we-have-to-shut-the-whole-place-down-we-will-205402414.html 31st Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

South China Morning Post Scepticism about vaccines is not what the world needs with the Covid19 pandemic a continuing threat and in some places at its worst yet. Immunisation remains the best chance of ending restrictions and reopening economies and hopes are pinned on a handful of drugs in the final stages of testing. Public anxiety over dozens of deaths in South Korea linked to seasonal influenza shots is therefore worrying. Authorities everywhere have to allay concerns to prevent a health crisis from being made worse by a reluctance or even refusal to get jabs. Health experts have warned that the approaching flu season could exacerbate the pandemic. The South Korean government ordered 20 per cent more vaccines than usual and have launched a free immunisation programme. https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3107886/fears-must-be-eased-search-coronavirus-vaccine 31st Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

AP.com Even as a new surge of coronavirus infections sweeps the U.S. officials in many hardhit states are resisting taking stronger action to slow the spread with pleas from health experts running up against political calculation and public fatigue. Days before a presidential election that has spotlighted President Donald Trumps scattershot response to the pandemic the virus continued its resurgence Friday with total confirmed cases in the U.S. surpassing 9 million. The number of new infections reported daily is on the rise in 47 states. They include Nebraska and South Dakota where the number of new cases topped previous highs for each state. https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-business-virus-outbreak-iowa-archive-02ebe5d729ecea85e727120464f62e25?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amputm_medium=AP&amputm_source=Twitter 30th Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

AOL.co.uk Germany will impose an emergency monthlong lockdown that includes the closure of restaurants gyms and theatres to reverse a spike in coronavirus cases that risks overwhelming hospitals Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday. We need to take action now she said adding the situation was very serious. Effective Nov. 2 private gatherings will be limited to 10 people from a maximum of two households. Restaurants bars theatres cinemas pools and gyms will be shut and concerts cancelled. People will be asked not to travel for private nonessential reasons and overnight stays in hotels will be available only for necessary business trips. https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2020/10/28/germany-to-go-into-circuit-break-lockdown-as-coronavirus-surges/ 28th Oct 2020

New Lockdown

Metro Retail and hospitality leaders have laid bare the difficulties they face over the next month as they rush to put measures in place to cope with the devastating blow of a second lockdown. The British Retail Consortium described the latest restrictions as the nightmare before Christmas https://metro.co.uk/2020/11/01/businesses-say-second-second-lockdown-is-nightmare-before-christmas-13515754/ 1st Nov 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters UK The onemonth lockdown for England announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson this weekend could be extended as Britain struggles to contain a second wave of the COVID19 pandemic a senior cabinet member said on Sunday. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain/uk-minister-says-lockdown-in-england-could-be-extended-idUKKBN27H16A 1st Nov 2020

New Lockdown

The Sydney Morning Herald Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered a sweeping national lockdown after being told the second wave striking England is more severe than the governments worstcase scenario and could collapse the health system. Unless we act we could see deaths in this country running at several thousand a day Johnson said in a hastily convened press conference on Saturday night. No responsible prime minister can ignore the message of those figures. https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/panicked-johnson-orders-new-lockdown-second-wave-on-course-to-kill-85-000-20201031-p56aem.html 1st Nov 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters UK British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering imposing new national lockdown measures next week amid concerns that hospitals across the country are overwhelmed by a resurgence in COVID19 cases The Times newspaper reported on Friday. The new restrictions could be introduced on Wednesday and remain in place until Dec. 1 the Times said. Johnson is expected to hold a news conference on Monday to announce the new measures under which everything could be closed except essential shops and educational settings the newspaper said. However the new measures were still under discussion and no final decision had been made the Times added citing a senior government source. Cabinet Office officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-lockdown/britain-may-impose-new-national-lockdown-from-wednesday-times-idUKKBN27F36J 31st Oct 2020

New Lockdown

The Times Academics have predicted that Scotlands new Covid19 tiers may have to be replaced with a series of national circuitbreaker lockdowns to suppress the virus. With cases rising across Europe there are concerns that hospitals could be swamped in a deadly second wave unless more drastic action is taken than that laid out by Nicola Sturgeon. The first minister yesterday announced a fivetier virus suppression strategy which will begin from Monday with lowrisk areas such as the Highlands and Islands in Level 1 and highrisk areas such as the Central Belt in Level 3. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/experts-say-coronavirus-lockdown-in-scotland-may-still-be-necessary-82w8kknqc 31st Oct 2020

New Lockdown

BBC France is now in a new national lockdown that will last at least a month as it aims to curb one of Europes biggest coronavirus surges and ease the pressure on its hospitals. There were record traffic jams around Paris on Thursday evening with many people heading for rural accommodation but now the queues are much shorter. The capitals streets are however busier than during the March lockdown. Schools and workplaces remain open but people need permits to leave home. The downloadable exemptions are for essential shopping trips for medical reasons or for getting to work. Homeworking is urged wherever possible. People are also allowed to go out for exercise for a maximum of an hour in their local area. The fine for breaking the rules is 135 122. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54746759 31st Oct 2020

New Lockdown

POLITICO.eu Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced a national reinforced lockdown starting Monday with shops deemed nonessential to close and family visits outlawed. A planned school holiday will be extended until November 15. We took the decision of a reinforced lockdown De Croo said. These are the lastchance measures. At a press conference Friday De Croo said that visits to the homes of family and friends will no longer be allowed and only one close contact will be allowed outside the household. There is an exception for people who live alone who are allowed to have close contact with two people from outside their household. https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium-announces-second-coronavirus-lockdown/ 31st Oct 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters UK Britains government will extend by a month its costly coronavirus wage subsidies to ensure workers who are temporarily laid off receive 80 of their pay Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday as he announced a new Englandwide lockdown. Britain introduced the 80 wage subsidy scheme in March and it had been due to expire on Saturday to be replaced with a more targeted and less generous support. The scheme supported 8.9 million jobs at its peak and had been forecast to cost around 52 billion pounds 67.28 billion over its eightmonth lifespan. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-furlough-idUKKBN27G0TQ 31st Oct 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters UK Amazon is withdrawing advertising for preBlack Friday discounts in France after the government said the campaign was unfair to small shops at time when a coronavirus lockdown has forced them to close. France entered its second national lockdown on Friday to try to contain a surge in infections. The curbs imposed under it include the closure of nonessential stores. A spokeswoman for Amazon AMZN.O said the group had agreed to halt its radio advertising campaign around preBlack Friday sales. A page with discounted items under the header Black Friday ahead of time was live on its French website on Saturday however. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-france-amazon/amazon-drops-french-black-friday-ad-campaign-as-lockdown-starts-idUKKBN27G0DZ 31st Oct 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters UK Portugals government on Saturday announced new lockdown restrictions from Nov. 4 for most of the country telling people to stay at home except for outings for work school or shopping and ordering companies to switch to remote working. A day after daily coronavirus infections hit a record high Prime Minister Antonio Costa said the measures would cover 121 municipalities including the key regions of Lisbon and Porto. The affected areas are home to about 70 of Portugals population of roughly 10 million. The lockdown list includes municipalities where more than 240 new infections have been registered per 100000 people for the past 14 days and will be reviewed every 15 days Costa said in a televised news conference. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-portugal-idUKKBN27G0V8 31st Oct 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters Chinas strict formula of immediate lockdowns and mass testing even at the first signs of infection has been vital to its success in controlling the disease allowing its economy to quickly recover from the crisis officials say. The highly orchestrated strategy described as overkill even by its own proponents is unique among major economies at a time when Europe and the United States are facing a massive surge of new cases and often chaotic policies. At the time the girl was diagnosed the Kashgar region of Xinjiang had reported no new cases for almost 70 days. China has taken the most comprehensive strictest and most thorough control and prevention measures since the COVID19 pandemic started foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday. The facts show Chinas measures are effective. https://lta.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-idUSKBN27F1DY 30th Oct 2020

New Lockdown

Sky News Paris is a strange place to be on this first morning of a new lockdown. Usually here you need to navigate the mass of people the crazy traffic. There are some people and vehicles out there but its the first time Ive see the road around the Arc De Triomphe with free flowing traffic. On the usually busy streets nearby where you expect to queue for a morning coffee the cafes bars and restaurants are shut the area missing the pulse of the people. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-parisians-eager-to-get-rid-of-virus-on-day-one-of-second-lockdown-12118836 30th Oct 2020

New Lockdown

Mirror Online See where your region ranks in the latest soaring case rates in our full list from Public Health England. It comes as sixteen more areas in England enter Tier 2 restrictions from Saturday with 32million people now under Tier 2 or Tier 3. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/28-areas-coronavirus-rates-falling-22927112 29th Oct 2020