14th Dec 2020 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=160 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

AlJazeera With the United Kingdom rolling out the worlds first approved coronavirus vaccine this week and other clinical trials showing promising results the focus has swiftly turned towards the distribution of the doses worldwide and which countries will get them first and which will be pushed to the back of the queue. On Thursday Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director John Nkengasong warned it will be extremely terrible to see wealthy nations obtaining vaccines and African countries missing out as he called on for an extraordinary United Nations session to discuss this moral issue and avoid a NorthSouth distrust in respect to vaccines which is a common good. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/11/when-will-covid19-vaccinations-start-african-countries 11th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK Tractor trailers loaded with suitcasesized containers of COVID19 vaccine will leave Pfizer Incs manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo Michigan on Sunday morning launching the largest and most complex vaccine distribution project in the United States where the virus is raging. U.S. regulators late on Friday authorized the vaccine from Pfizer and partner BioNTech for use and U.S. marshals will accompany the tightly secured shipments from factory to final destination. We have spent months strategizing with Operation Warp Speed officials and our healthcare customers on efficient vaccine logistics and the time has arrived to put the plan into action Wes Wheeler president of UPS Healthcare said on Saturday. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-vaccines-distribut/historic-us-covid-vaccine-campaign-launches-with-convoy-of-trucks-idUKKBN28N043 13th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Mirror Online New documents have revealed that four participants in the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine trial developed Bells palsy a condition that causes a temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face. The patients were taking part in the US vaccine trial which included 38000 participants. The Bells palsy is believed to be unrelated to the vaccine with cases in the trial occurring at the same rate as in the general population. A document by the FDA said Among nonserious unsolicited adverse events there was a numerical imbalance of four cases of Bells palsy in the vaccine group compared with no cases in the placebo group though the four cases in the vaccine group do not represent a frequency above that expected in the general population. https://www.mirror.co.uk/science/covid-vaccine-four-pfizer-trial-23151047 11th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

STAT When Bruce Y. Lee was helping the U.S. government model delivery plans for H1N1 influenza vaccines he came to expect one constant The schedule would always change. Wed constantly have to update the models as new production numbers came out said Lee a professor at CUNY Graduate School of Public Health Health Policy who developed computational models to guide the national response to the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009. That just became accepted. https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/11/covid19-vaccine-timeline-keeps-slipping-experts-say-it-will-change-again/ 11th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Deutsche Welle Coronavirus vaccines are now being administered in Europe while Africa hopes to start by mid2021. Until then the continent of 54 countries will need to put the necessary logistics such as refrigeration in place. On December 8 2020 the United Kingdom became the first country to begin vaccinating its citizens with the new BioNTechPfizer COVID19 vaccine. Canada and Bahrain have also greenlighted it. The European Medicines Agency EMA will meet on December 29 and is expected to approve the vaccine. But European Union countries are already putting modalities in place to receive and distribute the vaccine. Africas hopes of receiving the vaccine are pinned on the global COVAX initiative which aims to buy and deliver vaccines for the worlds poorest people. https://www.dw.com/en/africas-hurdles-toward-a-covid-vaccine/a-55904651 11th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Sun Star Director General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that vaccine nationalism is moving at full speed leaving poor people around the globe watching preparations for inoculations against the coronavirus in some rich nations and wondering if and when they will be vaccinated. https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1879715/Network/World/UN-chief-warns-vaccine-nationalism-is-moving-at-full-speed 11th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

STAT The rituals of grief and mourning are as old as time the swift Jewish burial and seven days of sitting shiva to honor the dead the Muslim washing and threesheeted shrouding of a body the solemn Mass of Christian Burial with Holy Communion and the promise of an afterlife. All these and other rites of faith and community across the globe have been brutally curtailed by the Covid19 pandemic with effects on the mental and physical health of those left behind that have yet to be grasped. https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/09/drive-by-burials-and-facetime-farewells-grief-in-the-covid-era-will-weigh-on-the-american-psyche-for-years-to-come/ 12th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Bangor Daily News Walgreens expects to receive its first doses of the COVID19 vaccine Dec. 21 and plans to inoculate nursing home residents and workers at more than 30000 longterm care facilities nationwide. The company plans to hire about 25000 people across the U.S. including up to 9000 pharmacists and other health care workers to administer the vaccine to longterm care facilities through a partnership with pharmacy service provider PharMerica the companies said during a panel discussion Friday on the vaccine rollout. https://bangordailynews.com/2020/12/12/national-business/walgreens-to-hire-25000-as-part-of-plan-to-give-covid-19-vaccine-to-nursing-home-residents-and-staff/ 12th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters South Koreas President Moon Jaein warned on Sunday that COVID19 restrictions may be raised to the highest level after a second day of record increases in cases as the country battles a harsh third wave of infection. Presiding over an emergency meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the first time since February Moon urged vigilance and called for an allout efforts to contain the virus. Unless the outbreak can be contained now it has come to the critical point of considering escalating socialdistancing measures to the third level he said referring to the tightest curbs under the countrys fivetier system. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea/south-korea-begins-anti-coronavirus-period-ahead-of-college-entrance-exam-idUSKBN27Z0BS 13th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Reuters The United States expects to have immunized 100 million people with the coronavirus vaccine by the end of the first quarter of 2021 the chief U.S. adviser for efforts on COVID19 vaccines said on Sunday. We would have immunized 100 million people by the first quarter of 2021 U.S. Operation Warp Speed chief adviser Dr. Moncef Slaoui said in an interview with Fox News Sunday. He said the United States hopes to have about 40 million doses of vaccine distributed by the end of December and another 50 million to 80 million distributed in January and the same number in February. The vaccine requires two shots per person https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-usa-immunizations-idUSKBN28N0HH 13th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

USA Today Three semitrucks loaded with the U.S.s first doses of a COVID19 vaccine rolled out of the parking lot of the Pfizer manufacturing plant early Sunday morning met with cheering crowds of local residents who said they were proud of their hometowns contribution to science and helping to bring the end to the coronavirus pandemic. The caravan of FedEx UPS and Boyle Transportation trucks led and tailed by unmarked police cars pulled out of the parking lot about 825 a.m. headed to airports and distribution centers on a historic journey. Millions of doses of the companys coronavirus vaccine were inside those trucks and could be injected into the arms of the American people as early as Monday morning. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/12/13/pfizer-covid-19-vaccines-kalamazoo-michigan/6529215002/ 13th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Eleven hospitals in Kentucky will receive doses of a Covid19 vaccine developed by Pfizer perhaps as soon as Monday. Dr Nichelle Jadhavs hospital is not one of them and she is confused. And she is not alone. Jadhavs experience is one likely being replicated across the country as states begin distributing a vaccine with plans that vary widely lack federal funding are often opaque and will not reach everyone even in early limited populations. The US Food and Drug Administration FDA on Friday evening authorized a vaccine for emergency use with the manufacturing partnership of pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech expected to begin an initial shipment of 2.9m doses hours later. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/13/us-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-hospitals 13th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC Continuing mass testing in Wales could be a massivescale of waste of resources a leading public health expert has said. Figures show less than 1.5 of people were testing positive as part of pilots in Merthyr Tydfil and the lower Cynon Valley. Dr Angela Raffle said there was little evidence to suggest it helped cut transmission. First Minister Mark Drakeford said mass testing has a part to play. Dr Raffle a senior lecturer in population sciences at Bristol University said mass testing was incredibly resource intensive. We simply dont know whether youll find enough cases who would have transmitted a lot and who dont transmit Covid19 simply because you found them she said. And we dont know whether telling lots of people theyre negative could actually undermine any potential benefit. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55283183 13th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

New York Times UPS and FedEx usually compete fiercely for business. Now the rivals are working side by side to ship the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech the first of the vaccines to win U.S. government approval. The two shipping companies said they had put plans they had been working on for months into action after the Food and Drug Administration gave the vaccine emergency authorization late Friday. At a news conference on Saturday Gen. Gustave F. Perna the chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed the federal effort to bring a vaccine to market said that boxes were being packed at Pfizers plant in Kalamazoo Mich. and would be shipped to UPS and FedEx distribution hubs where they would be dispersed to 636 locations across the country. Pfizer said shipping would start early Sunday morning. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/business/ups-and-fedex-say-plans-to-ship-the-vaccine-are-underway.html 13th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The Washington Post In Philadelphia public health officials think block captains may be more effective than football stars in persuading people to get coronavirus vaccines. Researchers in the Navajo Nation anticipate that directives about the shots will have to be reworded to resonate with Native people. And in Atlanta where a federally funded project has been working with community leaders to increase minority participation in clinical trials physicians have a lesson to learn in how to talk to patients about vaccines. Memo to docs More empathy. Less authority. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/covid-vaccine-communication-campaign/2020/12/10/c825ad18-34e9-11eb-a997-1f4c53d2a747_story.html 12th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Sweden faces a shortage of healthcare workers as the number of resignations ticks up after a relentless year of caring for Covid patients. Sineva Ribeiro the chairwoman of the Swedish Association of Health Professionals says the situation is terrible. Even before the first wave of the pandemic back in March there was a shortage of specialist nurses including at ICUs she said in a phone interview. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-12/swedish-covid-workers-are-quitting-leaving-icus-short-staffed 12th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail Doctors told to prioritise those from ethnic minorities if they run shot of vaccine Several GPs in Manchester Yorkshire Sussex and Lincolnshire have opted out Some 280 of Primary Care Networks set to administer the vaccine next week Follows initial PfizerBioNtech vaccine rollout in 70 hospital hubs last Tuesday https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9045867/Dozens-GPs-opt-Pfizer-vaccine-rollout-week.html 12th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian If people arent cautious then we will pay for our Christmas parties with January and February lockdowns said Prof Devi Sridhar the chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh. With a vaccine just weeks away why risk infecting vulnerable and elderly people we love Prof Susan Michie a member of the governments Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours SpiB and the Independent Sage group of experts agreed. One has got to respond to the situation as it is not the situation as wed like it to be she said reiterating that people should think carefully about whether to meet up with others and if they do only meet outside. If we really want to keep our loved ones safe the best thing is not to see them. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/11/scientists-warn-against-christmas-gatherings-uk-despite-relaxed-rules-covid 11th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Evening Standard The coronavirus pandemic has driven a record drop in global carbon emissions researchers have found. They warned however that greener measures are needed as economies recover to start delivering the annual emissions cuts required to to curb climate change. Britain saw one of the biggest drops in emissions at 13 per cent the analysis showed. The country saw major reductions in transport the largest source of climate pollution for the country and was hit by two waves of restrictions. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/covid-drives-record-emissions-drop-2020-b253925.html 11th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

CNN Two coronavirus vaccines are in line to be authorized for emergency use in the United States and a massive transportation network is standing at the ready once they receive government clearance. The delicate mindboggling logistics of distributing the vaccines will be crucial. The challenges of moving millions of doses over thousands of miles and under strict temperature specifications are enormous. Heres what we know about how vaccines will be physically transported from drug manufacturers to medical facilities around the world. https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/11/business/vaccine-distribution-coronavirus/index.html 11th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

The Guardian More than 17 million people are living in areas under tier 2 restrictions that have seen infection rates rise over the last three weeks new research has revealed amid growing concerns that councils are struggling to help people with the costs of selfisolation. With the government due to review the Covid19 measures across England this week an assessment of official data found that more than half of councils in which tier 2 restrictions are in place or high alert areas have seen infection rates rise since the last week of November. The areas cover some 17.5 million people. The research carried out by Labour found that 100 local authorities have seen an increase in cases since 24 November compared with 87 that have seen a decrease. It has raised concerns that more areas could face the most restrictive tier 3 measures from this week. London is in danger of entering tier 3 with some boroughs suffering from the highest rates of the disease in England. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/13/fears-of-new-covid-restrictions-as-councils-struggle-to-fund-self-isolation 13th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

CBS News Ten months into the pandemic renters owe an estimated 70 billion in back rent and if the hold is not extended 30 to 40 million Americans could lose their homes CBS News Nancy Cordes reports. The CDC had put a temporary hold on all evictions to protect public health and prevent the spread of COVID19. However more coronavirus relief spending is again bogged down in Congress and many Americans are already getting warnings that they will be tossed out if lawmakers dont act. In Houston Texas more than 17000 evictions have been initiated since the pandemic began and 300000 or more could be coming if the federal moratorium is allowed to expire. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-40-million-americans-lose-homes-congress-evictions/ 13th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

The Guardian Jair Bolsonaro is facing a furious backlash over what critics are calling his homicidally negligent failure to prepare a coherent coronavirus vaccination programme as Brazils death toll again soars. More than 181000 Brazilians have died from the disease the president calls a little flu with Latin Americas biggest economy now careering into a painful second wave. But Bolsonaros farright administration has been sluggish to explain plans to vaccinate Brazils 212 million citizens betting nearly all of its chips on the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/13/brazil-bolsonaro-branded-homicidally-negligent-over-vaccine-planning 13th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

CBS News Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn sought to reassure the public on Saturday about the thoroughness of the agencys review of Pfizers COVID19 vaccine and that the benefits of theCOVID19 vaccine outweigh any risks after the agency authorized it for emergency use on Friday evening. Efficiency does not mean any cutting of corners Hahn said at a press conference. I will absolutely take this COVID19 vaccine pending availability and distribution because I have complete trust and confidence in the FDAs career staffs evaluation he said. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-chief-hahn-seeks-to-reassure-americans-covid-19-vaccine-i-will-absolutely-take-it/ 12th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

STAT The Covid19 pandemic has served as a stress test for drug regulators across the world. Indias has failed. Amid the desperate scrambles for therapeutics and vaccines to stem the havoc caused by the pandemic drug regulators have had to resist tremendous political pressure to approve unproven therapies. Rick Bright the former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority BARDA the federal agency that helps secure the U.S. from chemical biological radiological nuclear and emerging infectious disease threats left his position alleging in his whistleblower complaint that he faced political pressure to allow the distribution of hydroxychloroquine an unproven drug for treating Covid19 that had been championed by President Trump. https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/11/drug-regulator-india-failed-pandemic-stress/ 12th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

AlJazeera Scepticism towards a COVID19 vaccine has increased in Brazil during the past months a new poll showed on Saturday as the country continues to grapple with high infection and death rates linked to the virus. The Datafolha polling institutes survey found that 22 percent of Brazilians said they would be unwilling to take any COVID19 vaccine up from 9 percent in August. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/12/more-brazilians-sceptical-of-covid-19-vaccine-poll 12th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

Daily Beast As the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizers COVID19 vaccine for emergency use on Friday Dr. Anthony Fauci the nations top infectious disease expert was out for a walk in the dark. Sorry if Im out of breath he said. Im walking. I promise Im not having a heart attack. Hes walking these days he says because his schedule has been so tightly packed in recent weeks that by the time he gets home its too illlit to run. And this day in particular has been extra draining he says primarily because of the anticipation that the vaccine would soon be on its way to states across the country. https://www.thedailybeast.com/anthony-fauci-reveals-his-biggest-covid-vaccine-fear-skepticism 12th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

AlJazeera When 29yearold Shabrez Ali from Bradford was a child his mother was cautious about vaccines.For the longest time my mum didnt want me to take jabs during primary and secondary school Ali who has South Asian origins told Al Jazeera by phone.He was not sure why but guessed it may have been due to some potential conspiracies she might have heard in the past. Since the UK went into its first coronavirus lockdown in March Ali who suffers from an autoimmune condition has barely left the house. He had received a letter from the government urging him to shield because the immunosuppressant drugs he takes made him vulnerable. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/8/why-some-minorities-in-the-uk-fear-a-covid-19-vaccine 8th Dec 2020

Continued Lockdown

iNews London is in danger of being moved into to tier three after significant rises in Covid19 cases in several of the citys boroughs. Public Health England PHE data shows 22 of the capitals 32 boroughs have infections rates higher than the national sevenday average of 150 per 100000 people. Government officials will meet to review the tier system on 16 December and decide which areas should move up or down. These changes will then come into force from Saturday 19 December. They will only be in place for four days before restrictions are relaxed nationwide over Christmas but will return on 28 December. https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/london-tier-3-when-go-into-date-covid-tiers-review-lockdown-rules-restrictions-change-791321 13th Dec 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Financial Express Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan today said that the COVID19 vaccine will be provided free of cost in the state once it is available. Kerala on Saturday recorded 5949 new COVID19 cases and 32 deaths. The number of total cases in the state has jumped to 6.64 lakh and the death toll to 2594 the Chief Minister said. No one will be charged for the vaccine. This is the stand of the government the Kerala Chief Minister told reporters at Kannur. https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/health/covid-19-vaccine-to-be-provided-free-of-cost-in-kerala-says-cm-pinarayi-vijayan/2148738/ 12th Dec 2020

Continued Lockdown

Evening Standard France is set to introduce a nighttime curfew and delay the opening of cultural venues as the nation struggles to curb the spread of Covid19. Jean Castex the French Prime Minister said on Thursday that infection rates were not falling as fast as was hoped following the countrys lockdown which began in late October. Its current lockdown will be lifted as planned on 15 December which is when the daily 8pm to 6am curfew will begin. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/france-nighttime-curfew-covid19-b249790.html 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE received authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on Friday to begin distributing their Covid19 vaccine. As the shot goes into use across the U.S. heres what we know and dont know. Who is authorized to receive the vaccine The FDA authorized the vaccine to be administered to people 16 and older to prevent Covid19. https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-fda-review-11605715625 13th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

ABC News Bahrain said Sunday it approved the use of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine following its earlier approval of a vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. Separately Kuwait has granted emergency use for the Pfizer vaccine. Bahrains staterun news agency said the Sinopharm vaccine would be available in the island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf. It offered few details though on study results of the vaccine in line with the United Arab Emirates which last week announced the vaccine was 86 effective. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bahrain-approves-chinese-covid-19-vaccine-74699175 13th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Mirror on MSN.com New documents have revealed that four participants in the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine trial developed Bells palsy a condition that causes a temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face. The patients were taking part in the US vaccine trial which included 38000 participants. The Bells palsy is believed to be unrelated to the vaccine with cases in the trial occurring at the same rate as in the general population. A document by the FDA said Among nonserious unsolicited adverse events there was a numerical imbalance of four cases of Bells palsy in the vaccine group compared with no cases in the placebo group though the four cases in the vaccine group do not represent a frequency above that expected in the general population. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/medical/covid-vaccine-four-pfizer-trial-participants-developed-facial-paralysis-fda-says/ar-BB1bQoKp 13th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Times China has already vaccinated more than a million people even though its experimental vaccines have yet to be proven to work or be safe. It has done this by offering vaccines that are still in their testing stage for emergency use. Initially they were given to employees of stateowned enterprises who were being sent abroad and frontline healthcare workers. In October clinics in one province began allowing people to register and receive an unapproved vaccine at a cost of 46 for a double dose. People were reported to have travelled hundreds of miles for a shot at immunity. China has been doing all this without official regulatory approval. Instead it has given people experimental vaccines under an emergency programme launched in July. This approach runs counter to that of many western countries where experts have said that complete testing is necessary. Furthermore Chinese companies have not released any data on their vaccines safety or efficacy. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fears-over-safety-of-chinese-coronavirus-vaccines-6lddbt5vc?shareToken=5d7f0d21f760ed9738739b612c81c2e2 12th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent The Mexican governments medical safety commission approved the emergency use of the PfizerBioNTech coronavirus vaccine Friday making Mexico the fourth country to do so. Assistant Health Secretary Hugo LpezGatell said Mexicos approval came after Britain Canada and Bahrain. Mexico is set to receive 250000 doses of the vaccine enough for 125000 people because each person requires two shots. LpezGatell has said that frontline health workers will get the shots first. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/mexico-approves-emergency-use-of-pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-vaccine-mexico-coronavirus-vaccine-coronavirus-government-b1770548.html 12th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

AlArabiya The United Arab Emirates released a list on Friday of all the locations where residents and nationals can receive the Sinopharm COVID19 vaccine. Residents across the UAE will now be able to volunteer to be vaccinated after Abu Dhabis voluntary vaccination campaign was extended to include Dubai and the UAEs five other emirates this week. The vaccine which was developed by Chinas stateowned Sinopharm was approved after it showed 86 percent efficacy in trials according to regulators. https://english.alarabiya.net/en/coronavirus/2020/12/12/Coronavirus-Coronavirus-Where-to-get-the-COVID-19-Sinopharm-vaccine-in-the-UAE 12th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it authorized the use of Pfizer Incs COVID19 vaccine on Friday with the first inoculations expected within days marking a turning point in the United States where the pandemic has killed more than 292 https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-vaccines-pfizer/us-fda-authorizes-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-for-emergency-use-idUKKBN28M03H 12th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Times GPs who run short of vaccine for patients aged over 80 have been told to prioritise elderly people from ethnic minorities and those who have severe underlying health conditions. The first vaccines are set to be given by GPs on Tuesday from about 280 sites. They have been told to start contacting patients who can expect to hear about appointments today and tomorrow. However there is concern that dozens of practices have opted out of the programme citing a lack of resources and fears that other patient care might be affected by the focus on Covid19. In NHS guidance those not taking part have been told to cooperate with local health chiefs to ensure their patients still have access to the vaccine. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-vaccine-minority-groups-and-the-very-ill-given-priority-c2nxj8862 12th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian A coronavirus vaccine being developed by GlaxoSmithKline and its French partner Sanofi will be delayed until the end of next year after trials revealed it failed to produce a strong immune response in older people. The drug companies hoped to have regulatory approval for the candidate vaccine in the first half of 2021 but interim results from a phase 12 trial showed an insufficient response in the over50s the age group most vulnerable to severe Covid19. The results released on Friday are a stark reminder that despite a flurry of positive results from vaccines produced by PfizerBioNTech NIHModerna and Oxford UniversityAstraZeneca developing effective vaccines at speed is no simple task. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/11/gsk-sanofi-covid-vaccine-delayed-end-next-year 12th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT Johnson Johnson is cutting the size of its pivotal U.S. Covid19 vaccine trial the only major study testing a single dose of a Covid vaccine from 60000 volunteers to 40000 volunteers. The change is being made possible by the fact that Covid19 is so pervasive across the country according to a person familiar with the matter. The more virus there is in the U.S. the more likely it is that participants will be exposed to it meaning researchers will be able to reach conclusions based on a smaller trial. Changing the size of the study does not indicate that results will come on a different timetable or anything about whether they will be positive or negative https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/09/johnson-johnson-cuts-size-of-covid-19-vaccine-study-due-to-prevalence-of-disease-in-u-s/ 12th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Mirror Online British engineers have invented a miniature Covid19 vaccine factory that can make 30000 doses a day. Experts at Kings College London designed it to manufacture vaccines such as the PfizerBioNTech inoculation. It could end the logistical problems of delivering the frozen vaccine from factories on the continent to UK communities. Plans are on track to submit the gamechanging factory in a box technology for regulatory approval by as early as March. It is estimated that 60 of the devices could make enough doses to immunise the nation in a matter of weeks. The innovative machine was designed by Professor Makatsoris Harris. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/engineers-develop-mini-covid-vaccine-23158236 12th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Mirror Online With coronavirus cases around the world now at over 68 million scientists have been working around the clock to develop a vaccine. A vaccine developed at the University of Oxford was initially tipped as the front runner in the fight against Covid19. Yesterday the results of the Oxford vaccines Phase III trial were announced showing an overall vaccine efficacy of 70.4. However the efficacy was found it increase to 90 when participants were given a low first dose followed by a larger second dose of the vaccine. While this suggests that giving a low first dose could be the best way to roll out the vaccine one expert has warned that this tactic runs the risk of leaving people unprotected between doses. https://www.mirror.co.uk/science/oxford-covid-vaccine-could-leave-23138911 12th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail A strategy meeting of 175 senior managers at Biogen Inc was held at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in late February. In a recent study of 772 patients researchers found one distinct strain in more than onethird of patients linked back to the conference. The strain was found in at least 29 states including Florida North Carolina and Indiana and countries such as Australia Slovakia Sweden At least 99 people at the meeting tested positive for COVID19 and researchers now believe the conference is responsible for up to 330000 global infections https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9043429/Boston-Biogen-conference-175-people-led-300-000-infections-world.html 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Five key genes are linked with the most severe form of COVID19 scientists said on Friday in research that also pointed to several existing drugs that could be repurposed to treat people who risk getting critically ill with the pandemic disease. Researchers who studied the DNA of 2700 COVID19 patients in 208 intensive care units across Britain found that five genes involving in two molecular processes antiviral immunity and lung inflammation were central to many severe cases. Our results immediately highlight which drugs should be at the top of the list for clinical testing said Kenneth Baillie an academic consultant in critical care medicine at Edinburgh University who coled the research. https://uk.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-genetics/update-1-five-key-genes-linked-to-severe-covid-19-found-suggesting-drug-targets-idUKL1N2IR1QR 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Nigeria may be on the verge of a second wave of COVID19 infections the health minister warned on Thursday as another official said the country expects to roll out a vaccine by April next year. Osagie Ehanire speaking at a news conference in the capital Abuja said 1843 cases were recorded last week compared with 1235 two weeks before that. We may just be on the verge of a second wave of this pandemic he said. His comments came a day after South Africa said it had officially entered a second wave. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nigeria/nigeria-warned-of-possible-new-covid-19-wave-authorities-eye-vaccine-in-early-2021-idUKKBN28K2US 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC UK and Russian scientists are teaming up to trial a combination of the OxfordAstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines to see if protection against Covid19 can be improved. Mixing two similar vaccines could lead to a better immune response in people. The trials to be held in Russia will involve over18s although its not clear how many people will be involved. Oxford recently published results showing their jab was safe and effective in trials on people. The researchers are still collecting data on the effectiveness of the vaccine in older age groups while waiting for approval from the UK regulator the MHRA. AstraZeneca said it was exploring combinations of different adenovirus vaccines to find out whether mixing them leads to a better immune response and therefore greater protection. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55273907 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT One of the worlds leading vaccine manufacturers has suffered a major setback in its work to produce a Covid19 vaccine. The problem will push the timeline for deployment of Sanofi Pasteurs vaccine if it is approved from the first half of 2021 into the second half of the year the company said Friday. The news is not just disappointing for Sanofi and its development partner GlaxoSmithKline which is providing an adjuvant used in the vaccine. The companies have contracts with multiple countries including the United States and Britain as well as the European Union. Sanofi had hoped to start a Phase 3 trial of the vaccine this month and had projected it could produce 100 million doses of vaccine in 2020 and 1 billion doses in 2021. https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/11/sanofi-suffers-major-setback-in-development-of-a-covid-19-vaccine/ 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT In a widely anticipated meeting a World Trade Organization council failed to act on a controversial proposal to temporarily waive some provisions in a trade agreement governing intellectual property rights which would make Covid19 medical products more easily accessible especially by lowincome countries. During the closeddoor session which took place on Thursday several wealthy nations reiterated arguments that patent rights do not create barriers to wider access and affordability. The U.S. for instance suggested a more targeted approach in which a license could be granted to a generic manufacturer to make a specific product for distribution in certain countries. https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2020/12/11/wto-patents-covax-who-south-africa-india/ 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times The US government is offering to help increase production of the PfizerBioNTech Covid19 vaccine as it tries to secure another 100m doses of the jab that regulators are reviewing. Operation Warp Speed the government programme to accelerate the development of a vaccine is trying to double its preorder of doses after soaring demand has led to a shortage according to people familiar with the matter. Operation Warp Speed is trying to help Pfizer obtain more raw materials and equipment under the Defense Production Act to ensure it can produce the extra doses by June 2021 according to one of the people. https://www.ft.com/content/3c21ae81-3504-4d11-8784-c1b67458a0ca 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The New York Times Australia on Friday canceled a roughly 750 million plan for a large order of a locally developed coronavirus vaccine after the inoculation produced false positive test results for H.I.V. in some volunteers participating in a trial study. Of the dozens of coronavirus vaccines being tested worldwide the Australian one was the first to be abandoned. While its developers said the experimental vaccine had appeared to be safe and effective the false positives risked undermining trust in the effort to vaccinate the public. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday said that his government would compensate for the loss of 51 million doses it had planned to buy from the Australian consortium in part by increasing orders of vaccines made by AstraZeneca and Novavax. The government has said it plans to begin inoculating citizens by March https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/world/australia/uq-coronavirus-vaccine-false-positive.html 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Canoe.com Peru suspended trials for Chinas Sinopharm COVID19 vaccine due to a serious adverse event that occurred with one of the volunteers for the study the Peruvian government said in a statement on Saturday. The health ministry said the event is under investigation to determine if it is related to the vaccine or if there is another explanation. https://canoe.com/news/world/peru-suspends-sinopharm-covid-19-vaccine-trial-after-adverse-event 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Mirror Online An experimental Covid19 vaccine developed by Britains GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi has been found to show an insufficient immune response in clinical trial results in a blow to efforts to fight the pandemic. The two companies said they planned to launch another study next year hoping to come up with a more effective vaccine by the end of 2021. The results showed an immune response comparable to patients who recovered from COVID19 in adults aged 18 to 49 years but a low immune response in older adults. Thomas Triomphe Executive Vice President and Head of Sanofi Pasteur said We care greatly about public health which is why we are disappointed by the delay announced today but all our decisions are and will always be driven by science and data. https://www.mirror.co.uk/science/covid-vaccine-glaxosmithklines-jab-found-23150314 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters There were no cases of severe allergic reactions to Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech SEs COVID19 vaccine candidate during clinical trials a Pfizer executive said at a regulatory conference on Friday. A latestage trial testing the potential vaccine excluded participants who had a prior history of severe allergic reactions to any vaccine or to the constituents of PfizerBioNTech vaccine said Dr. William Gruber Pfizers senior vice president of vaccine clinical research and development. Weve not had any anaphylactic episodes related to the vaccine Gruber said during a panel meeting of independent advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccines-cdc/no-cases-of-allergic-reactions-recorded-during-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-trial-company-executive-idUSKBN28L2Q8 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The New York Times The Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizers Covid19 vaccine for emergency use on Friday clearing the way for millions of highly vulnerable people to begin receiving the vaccine within days. The authorization is a historic turning point in a pandemic that has taken more than 290000 lives in the United States. With the decision the United States becomes the sixth country in addition to Britain Bahrain Canada Saudi Arabia and Mexico to clear the vaccine. Other authorizations including by the European Union are expected within weeks. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/health/pfizer-vaccine-authorized.html 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

MSN.com An experimental Covid19 vaccine developed by Britains GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi has been found to show an insufficient immune response in clinical trial results in a blow to efforts to fight the pandemic. The two companies said they planned to launch another study next year hoping to come up with a more effective vaccine by the end of 2021. The results showed an immune response comparable to patients who recovered from COVID19 in adults aged 18 to 49 years but a low immune response in older adults. Thomas Triomphe Executive Vice President and Head of Sanofi Pasteur said We care greatly about public health which is why we are disappointed by the delay announced today but all our decisions are and will always be driven by science and data. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/medical/covid-vaccine-glaxosmithkline-s-jab-found-to-be-ineffective-in-huge-blow-for-british-firm/ar-BB1bQ5BK?ocid=msedgdhp 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

AlJazeera Pharmaceutical giant AstraZenecas Russian branch has said it would use part of Russias homemade Sputnik V vaccine in further clinical trials a major sign of recognition for a jab that has been viewed with scepticism by the West. Russia was one of the first countries to announce the development of a coronavirus vaccine which it named Sputnik V after the Sovietera satellite. While the jab is yet to complete its third and final phase of testing involving some 40000 volunteers its developers have said interim trial results showed 95 percent efficacy. Today we announce a clinical trial programme to assess the safety and immunogenicity of a combination of AZD1222 developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and Sputnik V developed by Russian Gamaleya Research institute AstraZeneca said in a statement published on its website in English and Russian on Friday. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/11/astrazeneca-to-trial-combination-with-russian-covid-19-vaccine 11th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Deutsche Welle There are growing concerns that African countries wont receive enough doses and that there is not enough capacity for a rollout. This is despite the WHOs COVAX initiative to ensure access of lower income countries like Malawi to COVID19 vaccines. https://www.dw.com/en/growing-concerns-over-covid-19-vaccine-distribution/av-55899539 10th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Nature.com The first formally published results from a large clinical trial of a COVID19 vaccine which scientists hope could be among the cheapest and easiest to distribute around the world suggest that the vaccine is safe and effective. But the data also highlight a number of lingering unknowns including questions about the most effective dosing regimen and how well it works in older adults. The vaccine developed by the University of Oxford UK and the pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca in Cambridge UK has been closely watched in part because it is likely to be simpler to distribute than the two RNAbased vaccines from companies Pfizer and Moderna which need to be stored at low temperatures. The Oxford team is also now the first of these three leading COVIDvaccine developers to publish results from its phase III trials in a peerreviewed journal so far the findings have been disseminated only through press releases. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03504-w 8th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times Demand for ultracold storage freezers has spiked as governments and manufacturers prepare to ship Covid19 vaccines around the world and along the socalled last mile to those most vulnerable to the disease. Unique characteristics of the two leading Covid19 vaccines mean they both have to be transported frozen. The shot developed by US biotech Moderna currently under regulatory review in the US and the EU can survive for six months at minus 20C the temperature of a standard domestic freezer. The vaccine developed by Pfizer and Germanys BioNTech approved for use in the UK this month must in contrast be transported at minus 70C. https://www.ft.com/content/21db2043-26e0-4b6f-a0e9-09e779a86a34 7th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Associated Press Navajo Nation health officials have reported 203 new COVID19 cases and seven more deaths as they implement a weekendlong lockdown for reservation residents. As of Saturday night the tribe has now reported 19420 cases and 718 known deaths since the pandemic began. Navajo Department of Health officials said more than 181000 people on the vast reservation that includes parts of Arizona New Mexico and Utah have been tested for COVID19 and over 10000 have recovered. https://apnews.com/dc4b1bfdcb9b791008dbe51ef34cb892 13th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters South Koreas President Moon Jaein warned on Sunday that COVID19 restrictions may be raised to the highest level after a second day of record increases in cases as the country battles a harsh third wave of infection. Presiding over an emergency meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the first time since February Moon urged vigilance and called for an allout efforts to contain the virus. Unless the outbreak can be contained now it has come to the critical point of considering escalating socialdistancing measures to the third level he said referring to the tightest curbs under the countrys fivetier system. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea-idUSKBN28N01F 13th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK The number of new coronavirus infections in the Netherlands has jumped by almost 10000 in the past 24 hours data released by national health authoriites showed on Sunday marking their biggest jump since the end of October. The increase continues a rising trend seen over the previous week as the effects of a partial lockdown which has been in effect since Oct. 13 seem to have waned. The Dutch government has convened an emergency meeting for Sunday to discuss extra measures to limit the spread of the disease. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-netherlands/new-covid-19-cases-in-netherlands-jump-by-almost-10000-data-idUKKBN28N0F6 13th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters on MSN.com China reported 24 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for Dec. 12 up from 13 cases a day earlier the health commission said on Sunday. There were five local cases and 19 imported infections according to a statement by the National Health Commission. The number of new asymptomatic cases which China does not classify as confirmed cases fell to 14 from 17 a day earlier. As of Saturday mainland China had 86725 confirmed coronavirus cases the health authority said. The COVID19 death toll remained at 4634. https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/wellbeing/china-reports-24-new-covid-19-cases-vs-13-a-day-earlier/ar-BB1bSuAf 13th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Mail Sweden has been hit hard by coronavirus second wave after shunning lockdown Stockholm intensive care units are at 99 per cent capacity with seven beds left Top medic says neighbouring nations which used lockdowns may need to help Sweden has suffered a total of 312000 cases of the virus and 7000 deaths while Finland has seen just 30000 cases and 400 deaths https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9043261/Sweden-coronavirus-Intensive-care-beds-running-low-amid-soaring-cases.html 12th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK South Korea reported 1030 new coronavirus infections on Sunday the second daily record in a row as a country that had initial success controlling COVID19 now battles a harsh third wave. Of the new cases 1002 were locally transmitted. It brings the total to 42766 infections with 580 deaths the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Prime Minister Chung Syekyun on Saturday said further tightening social distancing restriction to the nations highest level would be inevitable if the spread continues which would be practically a lockdown for the first time in Asias fourthlargest economy. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea-idUKKBN28N01F 12th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters on MSN.com The Brazilian government unveiled its longawaited national vaccination plan against COVID19 on Saturday with an initial goal of vaccinating 51 million people or about onefourth of the population https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/brazil-rolls-out-covid-19-vaccination-plan/ar-BB1bSutA 12th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters The United Kingdom recorded 21672 cases of COVID19 on Friday up slightly from the day before and 424 deaths of people who had tested positive for the disease within 28 days official data showed. The UK had recorded 20964 cases on Thursday and 516 deaths. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-cases/uk-records-21672-covid-19-cases-and-424-deaths-idUKKBN28L2IZ 11th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Montreal News on MSN.com Montreals public health director is once again urging people to respect the COVID19 measures in effect and reduce their contacts as the disease spreads at an increasingly alarming rate. Montreal recorded its highest singleday increase in cases Thursday adding 648 new infections. The new cases mostly come from schoolaged children and seniors over 85 living in longterm care centres and residences but the spread is increasing across all age groups. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/montreal-records-largest-single-day-increase-in-covid-19-cases/ar-BB1bP8Q4 11th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Scotsman There is a big responsibility on care home providers to ensure good communication with relatives First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said. Speaking at the coronavirus daily update on Friday Ms Sturgeon said she would investigate the reported case of a woman who first found out about a Covid19 outbreak at the care home of a relative in the North East through the media. It comes after investigations were launched by the Crown Office into outbreaks at two care homes in the North East. https://www.scotsman.com/health/nicola-sturgeon-care-homes-covid-19-outbreaks-must-tell-families-residents-3065599 11th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Evening Express The number of coronavirus cases in Scotlands care homes is much lower than it was during the first wave of the virus Nicola Sturgeon has said. A recent outbreak at Inchmarlo House care home in Banchory Aberdeenshire led to more than 40 cases being detected. It is one of two care homes in the north east where the Crown Office is investigating several deaths. https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/scotland/care-home-covid-19-case-numbers-much-lower-than-during-first-wave-sturgeon/ 11th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

IOL News THE second Covid19 wave has been worse than the first for half of the countries that have experienced a resurgence of the virus. This is according to epidemiologist and infectious diseases specialist Professor Salim Abdool Karim speaking at the 2020 Postgraduate Research and Innovation Symposium in Durban yesterday. https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/second-covid-19-wave-could-be-worse-professor-karim-a914afd3-87c9-4a59-9207-a1aadfd0244d 11th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Mail Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said Sunday that the most recent wave of COVID19 cases is much more dire and much more severe than the first wave Confirmed cases reached 18163 on Monday among the reservations population of only 173667. ICU units are reaching capacity as another threeweek lockdown began. Nez warned that healthcare workers will soon be forced to make difficult decisions in treating patients due to a lack of resources. More than 600 residents have now died from COVID19 bringing the death rate to 347 for every 100000 people. The reservation had already been among the hardest hit in the nation registering the highest per capita level of positive test results in May https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9032435/Navajo-nation-president-says-second-COVID-19-wave-severe-first.html 11th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Roya News English Disease Diagnostic Consultant Hussam Abu Farsakh Tuesday said he expects the number of people infected with coronavirus in Jordan will exceed two million by the end of the second wave. Abu Farsakh told Roya that studies say the real number of COVID19 cases may be ten times the number of recorded cases which is the case across the rest of the world. In regard to the coronavirus vaccine Abu Farsakh called on health authorities to conduct an antibody test prior to administering the vaccine to ensure antibodies are not already present in the body. https://en.royanews.tv/news/24005/Expert-predicts-number-of-COVID-19-cases-in-Jordan-to-exceed-two-million-by-end-of-second-wave 11th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

STV News A spokesperson for the IMT said There is now 102 detected cases of Covid19 associated with the outbreak at Inchmarlo House Care Home. We continue to support the home with staffing to ensure the care of residents. A spokesperson for Inchmarlo House said As reported yesterday we acknowledge that the matter of the Covid19 outbreak is in the hands of the Procurator Fiscal and we will of course cooperate fully with the process. The care safety and wellbeing of our residents is always our primary focus and we will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities who are supporting us. https://news.stv.tv/north/more-than-100-coronavirus-cases-recorded-in-care-home-outbreak?top 11th Dec 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters Germanys tightened lockdown measures have eliminated one remnant of seasonal frivolity Gluehwein or mulled wine a staple of Christmas markets usually served in steaming mugs on cold days in town squares round the nation. A blanket outdoor alcohol ban starting midweek was announced on Sunday among measures to curb the coronavirus second wave. Offenders will be fined. https://uk.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-germany-wine/germans-deprived-of-mulled-wine-in-christmas-lockdown-idUKKBN28N0GD 13th Dec 2020

New Lockdown

The Guardian Germany will close most shops from Wednesday until 10 January and ban the sale of fireworks for New Years Eve after Angela Merkel and state leaders agreed to impose a national lockdown in order to regain control of rising coronavirus infection rates before a very difficult Christmas. Nonessential shops excluding food retailers pharmacies and banks but including hairdressing salons and beauty parlours will have to close their doors from 16 December. Schools and nurseries will also be required to offer only emergency care for essential workers for the last three days before the start of the scheduled Christmas holidays with parents asked to look after their children at home whenever possible. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/13/germany-to-close-shops-and-schools-in-tightened-covid-lockdown 13th Dec 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters UK Germany will close most stores from Wednesday until at least Jan. 10 cutting short the busy Christmas shopping season as it tightens coronavirus restrictions and tries to rein in the spread of the disease Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday. I would have wished for lighter measures. But due to Christmas shopping the number of social contacts has risen considerably Merkel told journalists following a meeting with leaders of the countrys 16 federal states. There is an urgent need to take action she said. Only essential shops such as supermarkets and pharmacies as well as banks are to remain open from Dec. 16. Hair salons beauty salons and tattoo parlours will also have to shut. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-germany/germany-to-impose-stricter-lockdown-to-battle-covid-19-idUKKBN28N066 13th Dec 2020