6th Apr 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=264 lockdown_exit

Infectious disease expert warns of new Covid-19 wave infecting younger people

Huffington Post Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm warned Sunday of a coming fourth wave of coronavirus infections in the U.S. due in part to a more contagious variant that is spreading and affecting younger people. I believe that in some ways were almost in a new pandemic Osterholm director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota told Fox News Sundays Chris Wallace. The only good news is that the current vaccines are effective against this particular variant B117. In addition to this variant being known to be more contagious and deadly Osterholm said it is more likely to affect children an age group that throughout the pandemic had been largely unaffected by COVID19. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/michael-osterholm-fourth-covid-wave-younger-people_n_6069c9b2c5b6c55118b49245?ri18n=true&ampncid=engmodushpmg00000004 4th Apr 2021

Ontario hastily reverses reopening as new variants usher in a third wave of Covid cases

The Guardian Lisa SalamonSwitzman an emergency room doctor in Toronto had already worked through two deadly surges of the coronavirus pandemic when a new batch of patients recently began arriving that left her unsettled because of their low oxygen levels and their age. Theyre younger than what we saw earlier and they dont really understand how sick they are she said of patients who are in their 40s and 50s. And now its become this huge huge wave. Doctors and epidemiologists in Canadas most populous province have been warning for weeks that the loosening of restrictions a lack of sick pay for essential workers and the arrival of infectious new coronavirus variants would usher in a devastating third wave. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/04/canada-coronavirus-third-wave-variants-ontario 4th Apr 2021

Ontario 'pulling the emergency brake' with third COVID-19 lockdown as cases rise, ICU beds fill

Reuters The Canadian province of Ontario will enter a limited lockdown for 28 days on Saturday as COVID19 cases and hospitalizations rise and more dangerous virus variants take hold the premier said on Thursday. The lockdown for Canadas most populous province will fall short of enacting a stayathome order which new government modeling released earlier on Thursday suggested would be necessary to avoid a doubling to some 6000 new COVID19 cases per day by late April. Ontarios third lockdown since the pandemic began will shutter all indoor and outdoor dining although retailers will remain open with capacity limits Premier Doug Ford said calling the measures pulling the emergency brake on the entire province. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-canada-idUSKBN2BO5RM 3rd Apr 2021

Ontario 'pulling the emergency brake' with third COVID-19 lockdown as cases rise, ICU beds fill

Reuters The Canadian province of Ontario will enter a limited lockdown for 28 days on Saturday as COVID19 cases and hospitalizations rise and more dangerous virus variants take hold the premier said on Thursday. The lockdown for Canadas most populous province will fall short of enacting a stayathome order which new government modeling released earlier on Thursday suggested would be necessary to avoid a doubling to some 6000 new COVID19 cases per day by late April. Ontarios third lockdown since the pandemic began will shutter all indoor and outdoor dining although retailers will remain open with capacity limits Premier Doug Ford said calling the measures pulling the emergency brake on the entire province. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-canada-idUSKBN2BO5RM 3rd Apr 2021

After a year of waves and surges, the pandemic is entering a “tornado” phase in America.

The Atlantic After more than a year of pandemic after months of an aggressive vaccination campaign the United States should finally be better positioned to protect itself against the coronavirus. Nearly all of our longtermcare residents are vaccinated. Tens of millions of other people have been vaccinated and tens of millions more have some level of immunity from previous infection. With more people protected a new surge could behave differently but early signals from the states with rising case numbers suggest that this will not universally be the case. Just look at Michigan the leading edge of this new surge. Cases are going up quickly and hospitalizations are moving in lockstepjust as they have in past surges. This is a bit of a surprise. Given that so many older more vulnerable people have been vaccinated one might expect a divergence in the number of cases and hospitalizations. For the immunized this disease is essentially harmless. Washington State for example has reported just 100 cases and as few as eight hospitalizations among its 1.2 million fully vaccinated people. But for the vulnerable and unvaccinated COVID19 is as devastating as it has always been. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/04/fourth-surge-covid-19-unequal/618493/ 2nd Apr 2021

The pandemic has accelerated the join-up of services and shown the practical benefits of doing so.

The Times Vaccinating 30 million people while dealing with a huge winter wave of coronavirus has under the worst of circumstances shown the NHS at its best. It is not just that the NHS was first in the world to begin delivering the Pfizer and OxfordAstraZeneca jabs but it is the speed and precision of the rollout. With four million people at highest risk already having had their second jab hospitals are now seeing a much quicker fall in coronavirus patients than after the first wave last spring. Vaccination is demonstrably working. We are determined to apply those lessons to the way the NHS supports targeted prevention and tackles other big killers such as cancer heart attacks and strokes as well as mental health. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/simon-stevens-nhs-coronavirus-vaccine-success-shows-our-blueprint-for-the-future-3kf6l20c0 3rd Apr 2021

Israel's dilemma: Can the unvaccinated return to workplaces?

Associated Press After spending much of the past year in lockdown Tel Aviv makeup artist Artyom Kavnatsky was ready to get back to work. But when he showed up for a recent photo shoot his employer turned him away. The reason He had not been vaccinated against the coronavirus. He didnt take me because I didnt get vaccinated Kavnatsky said. Its discrimination and its not all right. The breakneck pace of Israels vaccination drive has made it one of the few countries able to return to much of its prepandemic routine. Bars and businesses hotels and health clubs have all sprung back to life in Israel where some 80 of the adult population is fully vaccinated and new infections and COVID19 deaths have plummeted. https://apnews.com/article/israel-can-unvaccinated-return-to-work-dilemma-coronavrius-7e18cdee3a66018c36a6c61d5bc8a4c1 2nd Apr 2021

UK to pilot use of coronavirus passports at upcoming large gatherings

The Hill The United Kingdom is reportedly planning to test coronavirus status certifications in the next few weeks to determine whether or not people can return to mass gatherings such as concerts sporting events and nightclubs. The Associated Press reports that the trials will collect evidence on how different factors affecting events such as ventilation and social distancing could allow large events to resume citing British authorities. People who attend such events in April and May will need to be tested for the coronavirus before and after attending. British officials are also looking into COVID19 passports that will show whether or not a person has been vaccinated has recently received a COVID19 test or has some form of immunity to the virus either from illness or immunization the AP reports https://thehill.com/policy/international/europe/546405-uk-to-pilot-use-of-coronavirus-passports-at-upcoming-large 4th Apr 2021

UK ministers plan traffic light system to unlock foreign travel

Financial Times Ministers will on Thursday hammer out a framework for reopening Britains overseas travel sector as chancellor Rishi Sunak insisted the country was in a good position to recover strongly from the Covid19 crisis. Travel industry and Whitehall officials expect Boris Johnson UK prime minister will back a traffic light approach to restarting foreign travel depending on infection rates and the prevalence of Covid19 variants in overseas destinations. May 17 has been named as the earliest date for foreign travel aviation sector executives hope Israel and Iceland will be among early holiday destinations on a green list with the US not far behind. https://www.ft.com/content/a5f1d561-08c3-4a88-8630-022f1f36c7a0 2nd Apr 2021

Fully vaccinated people can travel safely again, CDC says

Associated Press Add travel to the activities vaccinated Americans can safely enjoy again according to new U.S. guidance issued Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to say fully vaccinated people can travel within the U.S. without getting tested for the coronavirus or going into quarantine afterward. Still CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky urged caution and said she would advocate against general travel overall given the rising number of infections. If you are vaccinated it is lower risk she said. https://apnews.com/article/cdc-fully-vaccinated-travel-no-quarantine-domestic-us-a657a7e7d12fff68531c5ff0e08ad717 1st Apr 2021

California to allow indoor gatherings as virus cases plummet

The Associated Press California on Friday cleared the way for people to attend indoor concerts theater performances and NBA games for the first time in more than a year as the rate of people testing positive for the coronavirus in the state nears a record low. State officials wont require testing or proof of vaccination for some of those events but they do limit the number of people allowed to attend. Events that do require testing and vaccinations will be allowed to have more paying customers than those that dont. Only people who live in California can attend these live performances. https://apnews.com/article/public-health-california-coronavirus-pandemic-b482a7b3ab13539de1d3e10f9c081553 3rd Apr 2021

COVAX chief 'disappointed' with slow vaccine exports to world's poorest

Euronews A leader of the U.N.backed program to ship COVID19 vaccines to needy people in low and middleincome countries has expressed disappointment about supply delays from a key Indian manufacturer but says he hopes the United States can begin sharing shots soon. Seth Berkley the CEO of Gavi the Vaccine Alliance said doses for health care workers and other highrisk groups in such countries to be delivered through the COVAX program will be set back weeks. He was elaborating on an announcement a day earlier from Gavi and partners that as many as 90 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India will be delayed through the end of April as Indias government grapples with a spike in cases. https://www.euronews.com/2021/03/26/covax-chief-disappointed-with-slow-vaccine-exports-to-world-s-poorest 26th Mar 2021

Hydroxychloroquine and other 'miracle cures' continue to fuel Brazil's outbreak

ABCNews Before the variants were identified misinformation about preventing and treating COVID19 was being spread from person to person including at the highest levels of government. People in Brazil are still denying science Biolchini said. Were talking about hydroxychloroquine and drugs that supposedly help you avoid COVID. This is clearly not what the science says. https://abcnews.go.com/International/hydroxychloroquine-miracle-cures-continue-fuel-brazils-outbreak/story?id=76682504 4th Apr 2021

COVID shows infectious disease is our greatest threat to global security

LinkedIn Early last year the greatest challenges to world peace and international security were widely seen to be threats like nuclear proliferation terrorism and climate change. Outbreaks of infectious disease were simply not on the global security agenda. Today the COVID19 pandemic has demonstrated what a massive oversight that was the speed and ferocity with which it has destabilized the world caught us all off guard and triggered the biggest global crisis of our time. And now global access to COVID19 vaccines is in danger of becoming a new social divider that will only further exacerbate this. The United Nations Secretary General and the United Kingdoms call for vaccine ceasefires to give people living in conflict zones a chance to be protected against COVID19 is one muchneeded solution to this and an example of how vaccines can be a powerful force for peace. But while there is a long established relationship between conflict and infectious disease Yemen and Syria as just two current examples the link between infectious disease and global security goes much deeper. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/covid-shows-infectious-disease-our-greatest-threat-global-berkley/?trackingId=lvJ4AawMoiGVgWYlQKQCMw%3D%3D 25th Mar 2021

India coronavirus: Daily cases surpass 100,000 for first time as country faces surging second wave

The Independent India added more than 103000 coronavirus cases on Monday the first time its daily increase in infections has entered six figures as a key state entered a new lockdown amid a surging second wave. Of the new cases reported on Monday morning 57700 were in the worsthit state of Maharashtra which ordered nonessential shops to shut from today and began enforcing an evening and weekend curfew as well as a ban on large gatherings. https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/india-coronavirus-cases-today-latest-b1826713.html?utm_term=Autofeed&amputm_medium=Social&amputm_content=Echobox&amputm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1617601369 5th Apr 2021

France Enacting National Lockdown After Covid Spike

Forbes France will go under another nationwide lockdown starting on Saturday President Emmanuel Macron said closing down schools for inperson learning nationwide and restricting travel to within 10 kilometers about six miles of residents homes right as many in the country were planning to celebrate the Easter holiday. https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2021/03/31/france-enacting-national-lockdown-after-covid-spike/ 31st Mar 2021

France sees biggest jump in COVID-19 intensive care patients in months

Reuters France reported on Friday that 5254 people were in intensive care units with COVID19 an increase of 145 people in one day and the highest daily increase in five months. The risk of emergency wards being unable to cope was one of the main reasons for President Emmanuel Macron to order a third nationwide lockdown this week after unsuccessfully trying for months to contain the epidemic with a curfew and regional lockdowns. From next week France starts a third lockdown with schools and nonessential businesses closed nationwide for four weeks. Announcing the lockdown on Wednesday Macron said the number of ICU beds will be raised from 7000 to over 10000. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france/france-sees-biggest-jump-in-covid-19-intensive-care-patients-in-months-idUSKBN2BP1EN?il=0 2nd Apr 2021

German intensive care association demands hard lockdown

Reuters Germany urgently needs a twoweek lockdown faster vaccinations and compulsory tests at schools to break a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic the DIVI association for intensive and emergency medicine was quoted as saying on Thursday. Christian Karagiannidis the DIVIs scientific head said about 1000 additional patients had ended up in intensive care since the middle of March. On Wednesday 3680 people were in intensive care in Germany DIVI data show. If this rate continues we will reach the regular capacity limit in less than four weeks he told the Rheinische Post daily. We are not overexaggerating. Our warnings are driven by the figures. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-germany-idUSL8N2LU1M9 4th Apr 2021

Teesside firm that will produce Novavax coronavirus vaccine in new £7.9 million partnership

Teesside Live The company making the new Novavax coronavirus vaccine on Teesside has signed a partnership worth nearly 8 million to improve the development of medicines for a range of diseases. Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies which is producing doses of the Covid jab at its facilities in Billingham will partner with the universities of Edinburgh Manchester and York to boost the development of biological drugs used to treat conditions such as cancer haemophilia and arthritis. The 7.9 million collaboration announced today by business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng will involve state of the art tools and synthetic biology to refine the production of biological drugs from cells and increase their costeffectiveness. https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/teesside-firm-produce-novavax-coronavirus-20308027 3rd Apr 2021

COVID-19: Chris Whitty warns virus measures needed for another two years to combat threat of variants

Sky News Coronavirus safety measures are likely to still be necessary for another two years Englands chief medical officer has said. Professor Chris Whitty said it could take up to two years for the world to build up a bank of vaccines and technologies capable of rapidly dealing with COVID19 variants and outbreaks. While he said these tools will eventually find a way through there still remains a level of risk that needs to be managed before then https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-chris-whitty-warns-virus-measures-needed-for-another-two-years-to-combat-threat-of-variants-12263319 2nd Apr 2021

Troubling

Reuters Around 70 of coronavirus patients tested at a Tokyo hospital last month carried a mutation known for reducing vaccine protection Japanese public broadcaster NHK said on Sunday. The E484K mutation nicknamed Eek by some scientists was found in 10 of 14 people who tested positive for the virus at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Medical Hospital in March the report said. For the two months through March 12 of 36 COVID patients carried the mutation with none of them having recently travelled abroad or reporting contact with people who had it said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-japan-idUKKBN2BR03W?taid=606955e7a0a3570001acc770&amputm_campaign=trueanthem&amputm_medium=trueanthem&amputm_source=twitter 4th Apr 2021

Emergent plant that ruined Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses had prior FDA violations

The Washington Post In April last year an investigator from the Food and Drug Administration reported problems he had discovered at a Baltimore plant operated by Emergent BioSolutions a major supplier of vaccines to the federal government. Some employees had not been properly trained. Records were not adequately secured. Established testing procedures were not being followed. And a measure intended to prevent contamination or mixups was found to be deficient. Soon after the inspection Emergents Baltimore plant was given an important role in Operation Warp Speed the governments program to rapidly produce vaccines to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Emergent was awarded 628 million by the government and also secured deals totaling more than 740 million with Johnson Johnson and AstraZeneca to produce coronavirus vaccines for both companies at the Baltimore site. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/04/01/emergent-jj-vaccine-plant-inspection/ 2nd Apr 2021

Dutch temporarily halt AstraZeneca shots for under-60s

Associated Press The Dutch government said Friday it is temporarily halting AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccinations for people under 60 following reports of very small number of people suffering unusual blood clots after receiving the shot. The Dutch decision comes three days after authorities in Germany also stopped using the AstraZenecas vaccine in the under60s citing fresh concerns over unusual blood clots reported in a tiny number of those who received the shots. Earlier Friday a Dutch organization that monitors vaccine side effects said it had received five reports of blood clots with low blood plate counts following vaccinations. All the cases occurred between seven and 10 days after the vaccinations and all the people affected were women aged between 25 and 65 years. https://apnews.com/article/netherlands-halt-astrazeneca-vaccine-for-under-60-2d2f99fc0c522661012b70d2e390f429 2nd Apr 2021

Epidemiologic Evidence for Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during Church Singing, Australia, 2020

CDC.gov An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection occurred among church attendees after an infectious chorister sang at multiple services. We detected 12 secondary casepatients. Video recordings of the services showed that casepatients were seated in the same section 15 m from the primary casepatient without close physical contact suggesting airborne transmission. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/6/21-0465_article?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_333-DM54062&ampACSTrackingLabel=Latest%20Expedited%20Articles%20-%20Emerging%20Infectious%20Diseases%20Journal%20-%20April%205%2C%202021&ampdeliveryName=USCDC_333-DM54062 1st Apr 2021