COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Mar 2021 12th Mar 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=231 lockdown_exit Nobel Prize economists call for vaccine equity and debt relief
Nobel Prize economists call for vaccine equity and debt relief
Al Jazeera English Nobel Prizewinning economists Joseph Stiglitz and Michael Spence are spearheading calls for urgent action to help poorer countries recover from the economic ravages of the coronavirus pandemic including measures to advance vaccine equity debt relief and bolstering fiscal resources for cashstrapped nations. The proposals were outlined in a new interim report released on Thursday the oneyear anniversary of the global pandemic by the Institute for New Economic Thinkings Commission on Global Economic Transformation cochaired by Stiglitz and Spence. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/3/11/nobel-prize-economists-call-for-vaccine-equity-and-debt-relief 11th Mar 2021 Hospital beds running out in Papua New Guinea as COVID19 surges
Nobel Prize economists call for vaccine equity and debt relief
Al Jazeera English Experts fear minimal testing is disguising true scale of the outbreak and worry this weekends funeral for former Prime Minister Michael Somare could be a superspreader event. Papua New Guinea PNG is facing an exponential increase in the spread of COVID19 with countrywide reports of community transmission and large numbers of hospital workers and patients being diagnosed with the virus. PNGs Joint Agency Task Force reported 1741 cases and 21 deaths as of March 9 nearly double the number of cases reported one month earlier and more than double the deaths reported two weeks earlier. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/12/papua-new-guinea-facing-covid-19-surge 12th Mar 2021 World marks 1 year since pandemic declared
World marks 1 year since pandemic declared
CIDRAP A year ago today when the World Health Organization WHO declared COVID19 spread a pandemic there were more than 118000 cases. Today the global total topped 118 million with levels rising again in some countries but retreating in others. And across the globe countries are rushing to vaccinate their people in attempts to get ahead of the spread of new more transmissible SARSCoV2 variants and others that could evade immunity from natural infection or the vaccine. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/03/world-marks-1-year-pandemic-declared 11th Mar 2021 As pandemic enters 2nd year voices of resilience emerge
World marks 1 year since pandemic declared
Associated Press One year into the COVID19 pandemic the world has seen death economic hardship and anxiety on an unprecedented scale. But it has also witnessed selfsacrifice courage and perseverance. In India Brazil South Africa and other places around the globe people are helping others and reinventing themselves. Ive been adaptable like water said a woman whose dream of becoming a U.S. boxing champion was dealt a blow by the crisis though not necessarily a knockout punch. Their voices and images can inspire even though the future is as uncertain for them as it is for everyone else. https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-india-coronavirus-pandemic-africa-south-africa-4be7213a9354675df6c88235a59bb989 11th Mar 2021 A year on WHO still struggling to manage pandemic response
World marks 1 year since pandemic declared
Associated Press When the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic one year ago Thursday it did so only after weeks of resisting the term and maintaining that the highly infectious virus could still be stopped. A year later the U.N. agency is still struggling to keep on top of the evolving science of COVID19 to persuade countries to abandon their nationalistic tendencies and help get vaccines where theyre needed most. The agency made some costly missteps along the way It advised people against wearing masks for months and asserted that COVID19 wasnt widely spread in the air. It also declined to publicly call out countries particularly China for mistakes that senior WHO officials grumbled about privately. https://apnews.com/article/1-year-who-struggling-coronavirus-pandemic-response-2c173926c95ed3769107c7eaa043fa86 12th Mar 2021 As pandemic enters 2nd year voices of resilience emerge
World marks 1 year since pandemic declared
Associated Press One year into the COVID19 pandemic the world has seen death economic hardship and anxiety on an unprecedented scale. But it has also witnessed selfsacrifice courage and perseverance. In India Brazil South Africa and other places around the globe people are helping others and reinventing themselves. Ive been adaptable like water said a woman whose dream of becoming a U.S. boxing champion was dealt a blow by the crisis though not necessarily a knockout punch. Their voices and images can inspire even though the future is as uncertain for them as it is for everyone else. https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-india-coronavirus-pandemic-africa-south-africa-4be7213a9354675df6c88235a59bb989 11th Mar 2021 Biden to urge vigilance and offer hope on anniversary of lockdown
Biden says well ahead of goal of delivering 100 million vaccine shots in 100 days
Reuters President Joe Biden will mark the oneyear anniversary of the U.S. coronavirus lockdown on Thursday with a primetime speech commemorating losses from the pandemic while expressing hope for the future as vaccinations increase. The Democratic president who campaigned on a promise to curb the coronavirus more effectively than his Republican predecessor Donald Trump has warned Americans since his January inauguration that more deaths and pain were coming from the deadly virus. But with the vaccinated population slowly increasing Biden is conveying fresh hope even as he urges people to continue to be cautious against further flareups. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-biden/biden-to-urge-vigilance-and-offer-hope-on-anniversary-of-lockdown-idUSL1N2L83C5 11th Mar 2021 Biden says well ahead of goal of delivering 100 million vaccine shots in 100 days
Biden says well ahead of goal of delivering 100 million vaccine shots in 100 days
Reuters U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that his administration is on track to reach his goal of delivering 100 million COVID19 vaccination shots well ahead of schedule. Biden had promised to deliver 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office but said he now thinks the U.S. will hit that mark on his 60th day in office. Biden made the remarks in a national address on Thursday. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-coronavirus/biden-says-well-ahead-of-goal-of-delivering-100-million-vaccine-shots-in-100-days-idUSKBN2B4057 12th Mar 2021 Biden aims for quicker shots independence from this virus
Biden says well ahead of goal of delivering 100 million vaccine shots in 100 days
The Associated Press One year after the nation was brought to a nearstandstill by the coronavirus President Joe Biden pledged in his first primetime address Thursday night to make all adults eligible for vaccines by May 1 and raised the possibility of beginning to mark our independence from this virus by the Fourth of July. He offered Americans fresh hope and appealed anew for their help. Speaking in the White House East Room Biden honored the collective suffering of Americans over the past year in his 24minute address and then offered them a vision for a return to a modicum of normalcy this summer. We are bound together by the loss and the pain of the days that have gone by he said. We are also bound together by the hope and the possibilities in the days in front of us. https://apnews.com/85d1ae52bc61abffd3ae91c324e58308 12th Mar 2021 Former U.S. presidents to urge Americans to get coronavirus vaccine in new ads
Biden says well ahead of goal of delivering 100 million vaccine shots in 100 days
Global News Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama George W. Bush Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will star in two new public service announcements PSA for the coronavirus vaccine alongside former First Ladies Michelle Obama Laura Bush Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter the Ad Council announced on Thursday. The science is clear. These vaccines will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease said President Bush in one of the PSAs with Obama and Clinton urging Americans to get vaccinated. Thats the first step to ending the pandemic and moving our country forward said Obama. https://globalnews.ca/news/7689972/coronavirus-vaccine-presidents-ads/ 11th Mar 2021 APNORC poll 1 in 5 in US lost someone close in pandemic
1 in 5 in US lost someone close in pandemic
Associated Press About 1 in 5 Americans say they lost a relative or close friend to the coronavirus highlighting the division between heartache and hope as the country itches to get back to normal a year into the pandemic. A new poll from The Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research illustrates how the stage is set for a twotiered recovery. The publics worry about the virus has dropped to its lowest point since the fall before the holidays brought skyrocketing cases into the new year. But people still in mourning express frustration at the continued struggle to stay safe. https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-1-in-5-us-lost-someone-pandemic-211cc9f31d859fb3a7c7c4d487ba65a9 10th Mar 2021 12 per cent of active COVID19 cases are children
Malta, Norway - Rates of COVID-19 cases among children rising
Times of Malta Over one in 10 current COVID19 cases are children with the highest number in the 1117 age group prompting Church and independent schools to hold out while monitoring the situation closely. Among the active cases 83 children are aged up to five years 85 are between six and 10 and 175 are in the 1117 age group adding up to around 12 per cent according to the Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci who was on Tuesday taking questions from Times of Malta readers. https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/12-per-cent-of-covid-19-cases-are-children.857032 10th Mar 2021 Norway rates of infection in children and young people rising
Malta, Norway - Rates of COVID-19 cases among children rising
News in Norway Infection has suddenly been spreading most among children and youth especially those aged 10 to 19. With most elementary schools open teachers have been exposed to the virus on a whole new scale. Even children under the age of six have been testing positive after new strains of the virus have spread at local day care centers. That also boosts the risk of infection spreading to their parents and grandparents. The teachers and other school employees have been uneasy for a long time and this is all very demanding Andersen said. Theyre at high risk especially from the new virus mutations causing the most trouble at present and theyre also afraid theyll infect others. https://www.newsinenglish.no/2021/03/10/many-relieved-by-oslos-stricter-rules/ 12th Mar 2021 India sees worst COVID19 increase since Christmas as western state battles surge
COVID-19 Infection rates rising
Reuters India reported its worst singleday increase in COVID19 cases since late December on Thursday as the western state of Maharashtra battled a fresh wave of infections and imposed a lockdown in one of its most densely populated cities. A total of 22854 new coronavirus cases were reported in the last 24 hours the health ministry said. It was the highest daily rise since Dec. 25 according to a Reuters tally. Deaths rose by 126 to reach 158129. Fatalities have been rising by a daily average of roughly 100 since early February. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-india/india-sees-worst-covid-19-increase-since-christmas-as-western-state-battles-surge-idUSKBN2B31MC?il=0 10th Mar 2021 Hungary hails Sinopharm COVID19 shot as new infections hit a record high
COVID-19 Infection rates rising
Reuters Hungary said on Thursday it was paying the equivalent of about 37.50 per dose for Chinese company Sinopharms COVID19 vaccine and 9.95 per dose for the Russian SputnikV vaccine adding it was publishing the purchase contracts to push for more transparency. Hungarys government stands for making vaccine contracts public Prime Minister Viktor Orbans chief of staff Gergely Gulyas wrote on Facebook attaching 30 pages of documents that appeared to be the vaccine contracts. We ask the European Commission that it also publish the contracts signed by Brussels Gulyas added. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-hungary/hungary-hails-sinopharm-covid-19-shot-as-new-infections-hit-a-record-high-idUSKBN2B30YP 11th Mar 2021 Covid19 Brazil experts issue warning as hospitals close to collapse
COVID-19 Infection rates rising
BBC News Health systems in most of Brazils largest cities are close to collapse because of Covid19 cases its leading health institute warns. More than 80 of intensive care unit beds are occupied in the capitals of 25 of Brazils 27 states Fiocruz said. Experts warn that the highly contagious variant in Brazil may have knockon effects in the region and beyond. Brazil is a threat to humanity Fiocruz epidemiologist Jesem Orellana told the AFP news agency. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56342303?fbclid=IwAR23fFTztomS9k-glYK2c8QzOd7e7IgUthrFx-OA49NT8OgWIFfVUW6lLlQ 11th Mar 2021 Cambodia reports first COVID death amid new outbreak
COVID-19 Infection rates rising
AlJazeera Cambodia has reported its first death from the coronavirus amid its biggest COVID19 outbreak so far after a 50yearold man succumbed to the virus after testing positive less than two weeks ago. With just 1124 coronavirus infections recorded in total Cambodia has among the fewest cases in Asia although a sharp rise in infections since February 20 has seen its overall tally more than double. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/11/cambodia-reports-first-covid-death-amid-new-outbreak 11th Mar 2021 Brazils hospitals buckle in absence of national virus plan
COVID-19 Infection rates rising
Al Jazeera English Brazils hospitals are faltering as a highly contagious coronavirus variant tears through the country and the only attempt to create a national plan to contain COVID19 has fallen short. For the last week Brazilian governors sought to do something President Jair Bolsonaro obstinately rejects cobble together a proposal for states to help curb the nations deadliest COVID19 outbreak yet. The effort was expected to include a curfew prohibition of crowded events and limits on the hours nonessential services can operate. The final product presented on Wednesday was a onepage document that included general support for restricting activity but without any specific measures. Six governors evidently still wary of antagonising Bolsonaro declined to sign on. Piaui states Governor Wellington Dias told The Associated Press news agency that unless pressure on hospitals is eased growing numbers of patients will have to endure the disease without a hospital bed or any hope of treatment in an intensive care unit. We have reached the limit across Brazil rare are the exceptions Dias who leads the governors forum said. The chance of dying without assistance is real. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/11/brazils-hospitals-buckle-in-absence-of-national-virus-plan 11th Mar 2021 AstraZeneca further cuts target for supply to EU in first quarter to 30 million vaccines document
Latest vaccine news
Reuters AstraZeneca cut its supply forecast of COVID19 vaccines to the European Union in the first quarter to about 30 million doses a third of its contractual obligations and a 25 drop from pledges made last month a document seen by Reuters shows. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-eu-astrazeneca/astrazeneca-further-cuts-target-for-supply-to-eu-in-first-quarter-to-30-million-vaccines-document-idUSKBN2B402Y?il=0 12th Mar 2021 Denmark Norway suspend AstraZeneca vaccine over blood clot fears
Latest vaccine news
AlJazeera Denmark will not use AstraZenecas COVID19 vaccine for two weeks after reports that some recipients had developed serious blood clots and in one case may have died as a result the countrys authorities said on Thursday. They did not say how many reports of blood clots there had been but Austria has stopped using a batch of AstraZeneca shots while investigating a death from coagulation disorders and an illness from a pulmonary embolism. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/11/denmark-suspends-use-ofastrazeneca-vaccine-after-blood-clot-repor 11th Mar 2021 OxfordAstraZeneca EU regulator says no indication vaccine linked to blood clots
Latest vaccine news
BBC News There is no indication that the OxfordAstraZeneca Covid19 vaccine is linked to an increased risk of blood clots the EUs medicines regulator says.It said the number of cases in vaccinated people was no higher than in the general population. The statement came after a number of countries including Denmark and Norway suspended the use of the jab. The suspension followed reports that a small number of people had developed clots after receiving the vaccine. There were also reports that a 50yearold man had died in Italy after developing deep vein thrombosis DVT following a dose of the jab. There is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine the European Medicines Agency EMA said on Thursday. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56357760 11th Mar 2021 Seven European countries clamp down on AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine as safety worries threaten rollout
Latest vaccine news
Fierce Pharma AstraZenecas COVID19 vaccine rollout has gotten off to a rocky start in Europeto put it mildly. First a supply shortfall triggered a public backandforth between executives and government officials. Then several countries expressed doubts about how well the vaccine works in people over 65. Now seven countries are raising safety concerns. Denmark Norway Austria Estonia Latvia Lithuania and Luxembourg have halted some or all of their AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccinations over fears of blood clots France24 reports. Previously Austria had stopped using a single batch of the vaccine after a clotting issue turned up in one recipient. In the wake of the news Estonia Latvia Lithuania and Luxembourg stopped using vaccines from the same batch France24 reports. Denmark and Norway temporarily stopped all vaccinations with AZ shots according to the report. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/another-european-country-has-halted-its-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-usage-what-s-going 11th Mar 2021 AstraZenecas COVID19 vaccine faces distrust in Europe even as it gets rave reviews in neighboring UK survey finds
Latest vaccine news
Fierce Pharma AstraZenecas COVID19 vaccine is facing a wave of mistrust in Europebut thats a striking difference from its stellar reputation in the U.K. A recent survey from YouGov found that 81 of Britons believe the AZ vaccine is safe on par with a similar 79 of U.K. citizens who trust the Pfizer vaccine. However in Germany only 43 think the AZ vaccine is safe and in France just 33 consider it safe. The YouGov study pointed to an initial problematic German media report that pegged the AZ vaccine at only 8 effective among people aged 65 and older. The claim was later disproved but the public relations crisis had already begun. It was further exacerbated by supply issues. https://www.fiercepharma.com/marketing/yougov-poll-finds-distrust-astrazeneca-vaccine-europe 11th Mar 2021 Europe OKs Johnson Johnsons COVID19 vaccine but deliveries wont start till April
Latest vaccine news
Fierce Pharma Europes COVID19 immunization campaign has been challenged by early supply problems and now safety concerns for AstraZenecas shot. A fourth vaccine is now on its waythough its not going to fix the supply shortfall immediately. European Commission officials on Thursday endorsed JJs coronavirus shot for use in member countries making the vaccine the first onedose option to score an approval there. The vaccine wont be available now though JJ said it expects to begin European deliveries in the second half of April. Meanwhile JJ is scaling up its EU supply chain with aims to deliver 200 million doses to the continent this year. Worldwide the company is pushing to produce 1 billion doses in 2021. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/europe-approves-johnson-johnson-s-covid-19-vaccine-first-one-dose-option 11th Mar 2021 AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine doses have better efficacy when given 12 weeks apart study finds
Latest vaccine news
ABC.Net.au Waiting three months between the first and second dose of the AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine results in high efficacy backing current recommendations from Australian authorities new research shows. The study which involved more than 17000 participants and was published recently in The Lancet found the vaccine which most people in Australia will receive had an 81 per cent efficacy rate when a second dose was given three months after the first. https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2021-03-11/covid-19-vaccines-astrazeneca-doses-efficacy-rate/13202050 11th Mar 2021 EU drugs regulator clears JJs singleshot COVID19 vaccine
Latest vaccine news
Reuters Europe approved Johnson Johnsons single dose COVID19 vaccine on Thursday paving the way for the first shots to be delivered in a month as the bloc seeks to speed up a stuttering inoculation campaign and boost its supplies. The COVID19 shot is the fourth to be endorsed for use in the European Union after vaccines from PfizerBioNTech AstraZenecaOxford University and Moderna and is recommended for those over 18 years of age the European Medicines agency EMA said. Its the first singledose COVID19 vaccine. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-eu-johnson-johnson-idUSKBN2B31SW?taid=604a2396b7d77200018e38c2&amputm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amputm_medium=trueAnthem&amputm_source=twitter 11th Mar 2021 Novavax vaccine 96 effective against original coronavirus 86 vs British variant in UK trial
Latest vaccine news
Reuters Novavax Incs COVID19 vaccine was 96 effective in preventing cases caused by the original version of the coronavirus in a latestage trial conducted in the United Kingdom the company said on Thursday moving it a step closer to regulatory approval. There were no cases of severe illness or deaths among those who got the vaccine the company said in a sign that it could stop the worse effects of new variants that have cropped up. The vaccine was 86 effective in protecting against the more contagious virus variant first discovered and now prevalent in the United Kingdom for a combined 90 effectiveness rate overall based on data from infections of both versions of the coronavirus. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccines-novavax/novavax-vaccine-96-effective-against-original-coronavirus-86-vs-british-variant-in-uk-trial-idUSKBN2B32ZO 11th Mar 2021 Pfizer says COVID19 vaccine 97 effective against asymptomatic infection
Latest vaccine news
Mint Data suggest PfizerBioNTech vaccine prevents asymptomatic Covid19 infection. Lower COVID19 disease incidence rates observed in individuals fully vaccinated with the PfizerBioNTech vaccine. Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE said on Wednesday that realworld data from Israel suggests that their COVID19 vaccine is 94 effective in preventing asymptomatic infections meaning the vaccine could significantly reduce transmission. According to the analysis unvaccinated individuals were 44 times more likely to develop symptomatic COVID19 and 29 times more likely to die from COVID19 than those who had received the vaccine. https://www.livemint.com/science/health/pfizer-jab-97-effective-against-symptomatic-covid-study-11615464854591.html 11th Mar 2021 EU Drug Regulator Approves JJ SingleDose Covid19 Vaccine
Latest vaccine news
Wall Street Journal The European Union expanded its list of approved Covid19 vaccines to four options but the addition of Johnson Johnson s singleshot vaccine Thursday appears unlikely soon to accelerate Europes lagging rollout. The European Medicines Agency said that the JJ vaccine is safe and effective against Covid19 and hours later EU authorities formally authorized its use. Distribution is set to begin in the second quarter. The EMAs decision to recommend authorization of the JJ vaccine follows U.S. approval late last month. The JJ vaccine has the potential to significantly bolster vaccination drives over time. It can be kept in refrigerators instead of freezers making it easier to store and distribute than some vaccines already approved and recipients need only one dose rather than the two administered for other vaccines often many weeks apart. Trials found JJs vaccine had a high impact in preventing serious illness but was 67 effective overall when moderate cases were included. Side effects were usually mild or moderate the EMA said. https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-drug-regulator-approves-j-j-single-dose-covid-19-vaccine-11615470095 11th Mar 2021 German coronavirus vaccine inventor being investigated
Latest vaccine news
DW (English) The German magazine Der Spiegel gave Winfried Stcker a physician and entrepreneur from the northern city of Lbeck quite a lot of publicity in early April 2020. The report tells the story of an ingenious inventor who developed an effective vaccine against the coronavirus in his private laboratory. He had already vaccinated about 100 volunteers with it he told the magazine. The vaccine showed no side effects the report claimed. It was also apparently 97 effective in those vaccinated. This the report stated had been proven in serological tests. The vaccine could reportedly easily be produced in large quantities and it would soon be possible to vaccinate everyone in Germany. But instead of receiving the necessary support from German regulatory authorities they filed formal criminal charges against him. And thats how they thwarted him according to the Spiegel report. https://www.dw.com/en/german-coronavirus-vaccine-inventor-being-investigated/a-56828943 11th Mar 2021 Single Covid vaccine dose less effective for cancer patients study finds
Latest vaccine news
Financial Times Cancer patients given a single coronavirus vaccine develop significantly inferior protection against the illness than those who receive a booster shot according to a UK study that called for a reassessment of the gap between jabs for vulnerable individuals. Three weeks after receiving a first dose of the BioNTechPfizer vaccine sufficient antibody levels to combat the virus were detected in 39 per cent of patients with organ cancer and 13 per cent of those with blood cancer found researchers at Kings College London and the Francis Crick Institute. This compared with 97 per cent of those who were cancer free. When a second shot was given however the effectiveness of the vaccine jumped to about 95 per cent after two weeks in organ cancers patients the study found. There was insufficient data to reach a conclusion on blood cancer patients. The researchers did not test the effectiveness of any other coronavirus vaccine. https://www.ft.com/content/6db6daa5-650a-411d-a8e4-5b7967a54a4b 11th Mar 2021 Investigation Drugmaker bullied Latin American nations
Investigation: Drugmaker ‘bullied’ Latin American nations
Al Jazeera English Drugmaker Pfizer employed highlevel bullying against at least two Latin American countries during negotiations to acquire vaccines according to a recent investigation including requesting the nations put sovereign assets as collateral for payments. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism TBIJ a UKbased nonprofit media organisation in an investigation unveiled in February said the pharmaceutical companys negotiation technique led to a monthslong delay in reaching a deal in one country and the total failure to reach an agreement with two others Argentina and Brazil. According to the yearlong investigation which relied on unnamed officials Pfizer bullied nations during talks. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/11/investigation-pfizer-bullied-latin-american-nations 11th Mar 2021