21st May 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=329 lockdown_exit

Britain to work with WHO on 'pandemic radar' to track diseases

Reuters Britain will work with the World Health Organization WHO to develop a pandemic radar system to identify new coronavirus variants quickly and track emerging diseases globally to ensure the world is never caught unawares again. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the plan for a new Global Pandemic Radar ahead of a G20 Global Health summit on Friday in Rome where he will speak. Johnsons office said it would involve a network of surveillance hubs that could watch out for outbreaks and share data on variants and vaccine resistance. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-work-with-who-pandemic-radar-track-diseases-2021-05-20/ 21st May 2021

WTO chief calls for diversification of vaccine production

The Associated Press The head of the World Trade Organization said Thursday it is of paramount importance to diversify vaccine manufacturing and to have more production taking place in Africa and Latin America to contain the pandemic. On the eve of a global health summit in Rome WTO DirectorGeneral Ngozi OkonjoIweala told European Union legislators that normal market forces for exports and imports couldnt apply when it comes to the lifeordeath issue of COVID19 vaccines as many of the worlds wealthiest nations were hoarding the shots for their own population when the crisis hit their home turf. She said the world has the capacity to manufacture some 5 billion vaccine doses overall but that as the virus has spread we require twice and three times that. So the capacity was not there. https://apnews.com/article/europe-coronavirus-pandemic-health-global-trade-business-68611c8bebfc9e381a6ea242bc87048d 20th May 2021

EU presents WTO plan to boost COVID vaccine output

Al Jazeera English The European Union has put forward a plan it believes will help boost the production and availability of COVID19 vaccines more effectively than a proposed waiver of patent rights now backed by the United States. Under pressure from developing countries demanding a waiver of intellectual property IP rights for vaccines and treatments the EU presented on Wednesday an alternative focused on export restrictions pledges from vaccine developers and the flexibility of existing World Trade Organization WTO rules. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/19/eu-presents-wto-plan-to-boost-covid-vaccine-output 20th May 2021

China says providing vaccines to almost 40 African nations

The Associated Press China said Thursday it is providing COVID19 vaccines to nearly 40 African countries describing its actions as purely altruistic in an apparent intensification of what has been described as vaccine diplomacy. The vaccines were donated or sold at favorable prices Foreign Ministry official Wu Peng told reporters. Wu compared Chinas outreach to the actions of some countries that have said they have to wait for their own people to finish the vaccination before they could supply the vaccines to foreign countries in an apparent dig at the United States. We believe that it is of course necessary to ensure that the Chinese people get vaccinated as soon as possible but for other countries in need we also try our best to provide vaccine help said Wu who is director of the ministrys Africa department. https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-africa-china-business-coronavirus-pandemic-ad395006fe0c4daf0e13c3be02f07cc7 20th May 2021

Latin America poised to benefit as U.S. raises exports of COVID-19 shots -sources

Reuters Latin America is poised to receive millions of U.S.made COVID19 shots in the coming weeks as the United States emerges as a top exporter of vaccines against the novel coronavirus according to two people familiar with the matter. The United States is considering prioritizing countries within its own hemisphere for the 80 million domesticallymade vaccine doses it has pledged to send abroad one person familiar with the matter said. Meanwhile Pfizer Inc has begun exporting millions of its U.S.made shots largely to countries in Central and South America a second person familiar with the matter said. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/exclusive-latin-america-poised-benefit-us-raises-exports-covid-19-shots-sources-2021-05-20/ 21st May 2021

COVID-19: Ursula von der Leyen says EU will reach vaccination targets 'without sealing itself off from the world'

Yahoo News UK The EU will reach its vaccination targets without sealing itself off from the world the EU Commission president has said in what has been interpreted as a snipe at the UK and US. Ursula von der Leyen said critics of the EU vaccination campaign should keep in mind that the EU had exported 220 million jabs almost as many as it has used for its own citizens. She added Others are keeping their entire vaccine production all to themselves but the EU will reach its vaccination targets without sealing itself off from the world. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/covid-19-ursula-von-der-120500113.html 20th May 2021

EU grapples over COVID-19 passes for summer travel

Reuters The European Union reached a deal on Thursday on COVID19 certificates designed to open up tourism across the 27nation bloc this summer the centreright European Peoples Party EPP said. European Parliament lawmakers and current EU president Portugal representing the blocs 27 members sealed the agreement after a fourth round of negotiations on Thursday afternoon. The certificate will take the form of a QR code on a smartphone or paper letting authorities determine the status of a visitor based on records in their home EU country. The certificate would show if a person had received a vaccine had a recent negative test or had immunity based on recovery. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-grapples-over-covid-19-passes-summer-travel-2021-05-20/ 20th May 2021

UAE and Bahrain offer Sinopharm coronavirus booster shots amid questions on Chinese vaccine efficacy

The Washington Post The United Arab Emirates said that it will offer an additional dose of the Chinesedeveloped Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine to people who have already received two shots of the vaccine more than six months ago. The decision marks a significant expansion in the UAEs booster shot program which is among the first in the world. The country had previously administered a third Sinopharm shot to some people whose immune systems did not create enough antibodies after vaccination. In March a top researcher at G42 an Abu Dhabibased firm that held latestage trials of the Sinopharm vaccine said very few people would be likely to need the booster. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/19/uae-sinopharm-third-dose-booster/ 20th May 2021

Egyptian gov't mulls giving 3rd coronavirus vaccine dose

Egypt Independent Egypt is considering administering a third dose of coronavirus vaccination in anticipation of virus mutations that have appeared in other countries Advisor to the Egyptian President for Health Affairs Mohamed Awad Tag Eddin. Tag Eddin added in a telephone interview on MBC Masr on Wednesday evening that China has announced that those who received two doses of its Sinopharm vaccine must receive a third dose. The United Arab Emirates one of the first countries to use Sinopharm announced earlier this week that it will be administering booster shots of the vaccine. https://egyptindependent.com/egyptian-govt-mulls-giving-3rd-coronavirus-vaccine-dose/ 20th May 2021

UK’s Indian Covid variant surge fuelled by test-and-trace failures, report finds

MSN News UK The surge in the Indian Covid19 variant was fuelled by failures in Englands testandtrace system a report has found. Eight local authorities did not have access to the full data on positive tests in their areas for three weeks in April and May it says. The number of missing cases was highest in Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire where a recent surge in infections was linked to the Indian variant. The other areas affected by the apparent technical glitch were Blackpool York Bath and North East Somerset Bristol North Somerset SouthendonSea and Thurrock the BBC revealed. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/uk-s-indian-covid-variant-surge-fuelled-by-test-and-trace-failures-report-finds/ar-AAKbWS7?ocid=msedgdhp 20th May 2021

Biden, saying 'silence is complicity,' signs COVID hate crimes bill into law

Reuters President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law the COVID19 Hate Crimes Act that overwhelmingly passed Congress in a rare show of bipartisanship following a spate of highprofile attacks on Asian Americans in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Silence is complicity and we cannot be complicit. We have to speak out. We have to act Biden told lawmakers. Thats what youve done. And I cant thank you enough. Im proud today. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-saying-silence-is-complicity-signs-covid-hate-crimes-bill-into-law-2021-05-20/ 21st May 2021

'Herculean efforts' to roll out Novavax jab, vaccine maker says

9News Vaccine manufacturer Novavax is making Herculean efforts to have its COVID19 shot ready for Australia the companys chief commercial officer says. John Trizzino told Today the twodose vaccine should be ready for approval by Australian regulators later this year. Were working diligently and have been for over oneandahalf years now. It has been a Herculean effort to get to this point Mr Trizzino said. https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-vaccine-novavax-shot-ready-for-australia-later-this-year/f2194f1d-f130-46e0-8610-a43143f73930 20th May 2021

Coronavirus: Canada-wide study to investigate mix-and-matching vaccine doses

CTV News A new Canadawide study will look at the effect of using different COVID19 vaccine doses in Canadian adults to determine if mixing and matching vaccines yields a strong immune response and how long the response lasts. The study announced Thursday will investigate the use of different vaccines for first and second doses in 1300 adult participants. The study will be conducted in conjunction with the COVID19 Immunity Task Force Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group Canadian Immunization Research Network and Dalhousie University. As questions of vaccine interchangeability arise and alternative dosing intervals are being used in public health programs our objective is to determine what are the effects of different dosing intervals of the vaccines on immunity and safety said Dr. Joanne Langley coprincipal investigator of the study and professor at Dalhousie University said in a press release. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/canadian-study-to-investigate-mix-and-match-covid-19-vaccines-1.5435930 20th May 2021

Pfizer, BioNTech to deliver 60 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses to Turkey

Reuters U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE said on Thursday they would supply Turkey with 60 million additional doses of their COVID19 vaccine. The latest agreement includes an option for 30 million extra doses which would bring the total number of doses to be supplied to Turkey to 120 million the drugmakers said in a joint statement. All of the doses will be delivered in 2021 the companies added. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-pfizer-turkey-idUSKCN2D112O 20th May 2021

S.Korea says to run mix-and-match trial of COVID-19 vaccines

Yahoo News UK South Korea on Thursday said it will conduct a clinical trial that mixes COVID19 vaccine doses developed by AstraZeneca Plc with those from Pfizer Inc and others. The decision comes as a growing number of countries look into using different COVID19 vaccines for first and second doses amid supply delays and safety concerns that have slowed their vaccination campaigns. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/korea-says-run-mix-match-112105143.html 20th May 2021

Italy to introduce 20% tax break for R&D of drugs including COVID-19 vaccines

Reuters Italy will introduce tax breaks of 20 for companies conducting research and development for innovative drugs including COVID19 vaccines provided they grant non exclusive licenses according to a draft decree seen by Reuters. These companies will be entitled to a tax credit equal to 20 of the costs they incurred from June 1 2021 to Dec. 31 2030 on condition they commit to grant licenses to third parties in the European Economic Area on nondiscriminatory market terms the draft showed. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-r-d-decree-idUSKCN2D1121 20th May 2021

BioNTech says vaccine likely to be effective against India variant

Reuters BioNTech SE said on Thursday the COVID19 vaccine it developed with Pfizer should be roughly as effective against the new coronavirus variant first detected in India as it has been shown to be against the South African variant. The company said in a statement Chief Executive Ugur Sahin felt encouraged by recent findings in a scientific paper based on blood analysis of vaccinated individuals which showed that the antibodies elicited by the vaccine were able to neutralise the Indian variant. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biontech-ceo-says-vaccine-70-75-effective-india-variant-2021-05-20/ 21st May 2021

FDA recommends not using syringes from Chinese firm after safety issues with vaccine injections

Reuters The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday asked healthcare providers to stop using certain syringes and needles manufactured by Chinese medical device maker Guangdong Haiou Medical Apparatus Co. At least one pharmacist that Reuters spoke to said the syringes had been shipped for use with the Pfizer Inc BioNTech SE COVID19 vaccine. An FDA spokesperson said the devices stopped being shipped in COVID19 vaccination kits as of March 22. The agency does not believe that stopping use of these syringes will cause vaccination delays. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fda-recommends-against-use-syringes-needles-by-chinese-firm-after-safety-issues-2021-05-20/ 21st May 2021

UK increasingly confident COVID-19 vaccines work against Indian variant

Reuters Britain is increasingly confident that vaccines work against the coronavirus variant first found in India Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday with a leading epidemiologist saying it may be spreading less quickly than first feared. Johnson has warned that the emergence of the B.1.617.2 variant might derail his plans to lift Englands lockdown fully on June 21 but on Wednesday he said the latest data had been encouraging. We have increasing confidence vaccines are effective against all variants including the Indian variant he told parliament https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/indian-variants-transmissibility-edge-might-be-smaller-than-feared-uk-expert-2021-05-19/ 20th May 2021

Covid-19: Why prioritising prevention matters in a pandemic of cures

The BMJ Prevention is better than cure. Simple. Clear. Logical. Except that it is easily overcomplicated clouded and misplaced. When we forget that prevention is better than cure primary care becomes an easy scapegoat even though the pandemic has reinforced its importance in improving baseline population health reducing health inequalities delivering a vaccination strategy and keeping people out of hospital. We might forget the mammoth efforts of general practice to reconfigure careand then reverse some of that reconfigurationthe extra burden and complexity created by limitless digital access of patients to health professionals3 and the ingenuity and partnership now needed between primary and secondary care to clear a 4.7 million person waiting list with 160m of innovation funding. Or that preventing racism in general practice and in hospitals in doctors education training assessment and disciplinary procedures is better for patients an issue that the UKs General Medical Council is now promising to tackle head on. https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1275 20th May 2021

Japan health panel approves Moderna, AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines

Reuters Japanese regulators recommended the approval of COVID19 vaccines developed by Moderna Inc and AstraZeneca PLC on Thursday paving the way for the country to speed up its slowmoving vaccination campaign. The recommendations by a health ministry panel precede official approval by the government as early as Friday health minister Norihisa Tamura said on Thursday. Tamura likened the approval of the new vaccines to building extra railway tracks telling reporters It means that the vaccination rollout will be smoother. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-likely-approve-astrazeneca-moderna-vaccines-nhk-2021-05-19/ 20th May 2021

Contact Tracing for Covid-19 — A Digital Inoculation against Future Pandemics

nejm.org Outbreaks of coronavirus disease 2019 Covid19 emerged in the United States and in European countries in February 2020. Urgent action was called for since experts estimated that 30 to 70 of people in these Western countries could become infected a frightening projection at a time when the Covid19 mortality rate was estimated to be substantially higher than we now know it to be. In March 2020 Michael Ryan executive director of the Health Emergencies Program of the World Health Organization WHO implored countries to act noting that when it comes to epidemic response speed trumps perfection but the greatest error is not to move. At the time the only tools for containing Covid19 were social distancing testing case isolation and contact tracing. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2102256 20th May 2021

India battles rash of

Reuters India India has ordered tighter surveillance of a rare fungal disease hitting COVID19 patients officials said on Thursday piling pressure on hospitals struggling with the worlds highest number of daily infections of the novel coronavirus. Mucormycosis or black fungus usually infects people whose immune system has been compromised causing blackening or discolouration over the nose blurred or double vision chest pain breathing difficulties and coughing blood. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-battles-rash-black-fungus-cases-hitting-covid-19-patients-2021-05-20/ 20th May 2021

India's largest vial maker expects sales to triple on COVID-19 vaccine ramp up

Reuters India Indian drug vial maker Schott Kaisha is expecting annual vial sales for COVID19 shots to more than triple as vaccine production including by one of its top customers Serum Institute increases in response to a monster second wave of infections. An IndoGerman joint venture between specialty glass makers Schott AG and Kaisha the company expects to sell 380 million vials for COVID19 vaccines in 202122 up from 113 million a year earlier Director Rishad Dadachanji said in an interview. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-largest-vial-maker-expects-sales-triple-covid-19-vaccine-ramp-up-2021-05-20/ 20th May 2021

COVID-19: EU Commission signs third contract with Pfizer-BioNTech

Biopharma-Reporter The European Commission today announced that It has reserved an additional 1.8 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by PfizerBioNTech on behalf of all 27 EU countries from the end of 2021 to 2023. https://www.biopharma-reporter.com/Article/2021/05/20/COVID-19-EU-secures-further-supplies-from-Pfizer-BioNTech 20th May 2021

COVID causes orphan crisis in India; experts fear neglect, abuse

AlJazeera Three days after their father died of coronavirus sixyearold twins Tripti and Pari were found sleeping next to their mother unaware that she had also become a victim. Thousands of children have lost one or both parents in the new pandemic wave ravaging India where there were already millions of orphans. The prospect of a surge of abandoned minors worries many. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/20/covid-causes-orphan-crisis-in-india-experts-fear-neglect-abuse 20th May 2021

Many deaths in India’s Goa as gov’t fails to ensure oxygen supply

AlJazeera In the early hours of May 12 Yunus Khans family watched helplessly as the 30yearold coronavirus patient choked for breath while on a ventilator at the governmentrun Goa Medical College and Hospital GMCH in the coastal states Bambolim town. According to his 21yearold brother Abdul Khan Yunus had been making progress. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/20/many-deaths-in-indias-goa-as-govt-fails-to-ensure-oxygen-supply 20th May 2021

Nearly 1 million excess deaths in 29 nations during pandemic

CDRAP Nearly 1 million more people than normal died in 29 highincome countries during the COVID19 pandemic in 2020 according to a time series study yesterday in BMJ. University of Oxford researchers led the study which involved calculating weekly excess deaths for each included country in 2020 adjusting for age sex and seasonal and annual mortality trends in the previous 5 years. They estimated that 979000 more people than expected died of all causes during the pandemic with rates generally increasing with advancing age. All countries except for Demark New Zealand and Norway had more deaths than expected especially in men. But the excess death rate in the United States was higher among women than men in the 85 and older agegroup. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/05/nearly-1-million-excess-deaths-29-nations-during-pandemic 20th May 2021

Malaysia sees another record in COVID-19 infections, deaths

Reuters Malaysia reported a new daily record in coronavirus infections and deaths on Thursday as the country deals with spike in the number and severity of new cases. It announced 59 COVID19 fatalities on Thursday a record toll for the third day this week while its 6806 new cases was the second straight day of record infections. The latest numbers pushed Malaysias total cases to 492302 the third highest in Southeast Asia behind Indonesia and the Philippines. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/malaysia-sees-another-record-covid-19-infections-deaths-2021-05-20/ 20th May 2021

Covid-19: What went wrong in Singapore and Taiwan?

BBC News Theyve been hailed as virus success stories places that have seen virtually zero or singledigit Covid cases since the start of the year. But this month Singapore and Taiwan have both seen a sudden and aggressive rise in cases with Singapore logging 248 new cases just last week and Taiwan 1200 local infections. Both places have gone into a heightened state of restrictions limiting the size of social gatherings and closing schools. By global standards these numbers may seem small but for these places these figures would have been unthinkable just months ago. So what exactly went wrong https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-57153195 20th May 2021

UK at start of third wave of Covid-19, Sage expert says

Evening Standard The UK could be at the start of a third wave of coronavirus a professor from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies Sage has said. Professor Andrew Hayward an infectious diseases expert at University College London said he was very concerned about the Indian variant due to its ability to spread quickly. He also said the UK should not waste the opportunity offered by vaccination by allowing people to travel widely. Asked on BBC Breakfast if the country was at the start of the third wave he said I think so. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/indian-sage-university-college-london-government-new-zealand-b936272.html 20th May 2021

Panama says will temporarily close border with Colombia over COVID-19 risk

Reuters Panama will temporarily close its border with Colombia beginning Thursday to prevent the spread of COVID19 and tighten security its government said after Colombia reopened the land and maritime crossings on the border. Panamas government said Colombias decision to reopen the borders puts at risk the significant progress that Panama made to control the COVID19 pandemic and border security. The national government has determined to temporarily suspend the entry into the national territory by land sea and river routes of any person coming from the border with the Republic of Colombia as of May 20 2021 the foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/panama-says-will-temporarily-close-border-with-colombia-over-covid-19-risk-2021-05-20/ 20th May 2021

Two German tower blocks in quarantine after Indian variant found

Reuters Residents of two tower blocks in western Germany have been put under quarantine after a woman was diagnosed with the infectious Indian variant of COVID19 an official said on Tuesday. Several of the 179 residents have since been tested for the coronavirus public health officer Marcus Kowalczyk said adding that sequencing the samples to establish if they too had the Indian variant would take several days. Authorities around Europe are on high alert for the variant which caused devastation in India before establishing a foothold in Britain. Infectious variants are a major threat to governments ability to contain the pandemic. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/two-german-tower-blocks-quarantine-after-indian-variant-found-2021-05-18/ 20th May 2021

Nervous workers struggle to adjust to new mask policies

The Associated Press An abrupt relaxation of mask policies has left workers at supermarkets and other stores reeling as they try to sort out what the new environment means for their own safety and relationship with customers. Kroger the countrys largest grocery chain became one of the latest to announce that starting Thursday workers and customers can stop wearing masks in states where mandates are no longer in effect. Other companies that have adopted similar changes include Amazon Walmart Best Buy Macys Costco Home Depot Trader Joes and Target following updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control. Some workers have taken to social media to cheer but many others protested. Some dont trust customers or their coworkers to be truthful about their vaccination status since most companies are not requiring proof. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-government-and-politics-business-8e7c5ec09ea09842c3aaceaed84bba0b 20th May 2021

'Vax & Scratch' lottery scheme aims to up New York COVID-19 shots

Reuters You gotta get poked to win New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday unveiling a 5 million lottery prize incentive for New Yorkers who get their first COVID19 vaccination shots next week. The Vax Scratch program provides free state lottery scratchoff tickets to New Yorkers age 18 and older who get a first dose of the Moderna or PfizerBioNTech shot or the singledose Johnson Johnson vaccine from May 24 to May 28. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/vax-scratch-lottery-scheme-aims-up-new-york-covid-19-shots-2021-05-20/ 21st May 2021

Vietnam to set up $1.1 bln COVID-19 vaccine fund

Reuters Vietnam plans to set up a 25.2 trillion dong 1.1 billion fund to acquire 150 million COVID19 vaccine doses for its population the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Thursday. The ministry had submitted the plan to the government for approval it said adding that the fund will use money mainly from the state budget. After successfully containing the coronavirus for most of last year Vietnam is battling a new outbreak that is spreading more quickly infecting 1677 people since late April including hundreds of factory workers in northern provinces. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-set-up-11-bln-covid-19-vaccine-fund-2021-05-20/ 20th May 2021