2nd Sep 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=476 lockdown_exit

WHO Chief, Germany's Merkel Open Global Pandemic Hub in Berlin

Voice of America German Chancellor Angela Merkel and World Health Organization DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Wednesday officially opened the international Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin a center designed to pool the worlds resources to fight future global health emergencies. The hub originally announced in May will be a collection agency for health data from around the world. Equipped with a supercomputer it will collect analyze and disseminate information from international governments and academic and private sector institutions. https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/who-chief-germanys-merkel-open-global-pandemic-hub-berlin 1st Sep 2021

U.K. Plans to Give Third Vaccine Dose to Vulnerable People

Bloomberg The U.K. is set to offer a third dose of Covid vaccines to people 12 and older with severely weakened immune systems following a recommendation from a committee that advises the government. The extra doses should be given to people with leukemia advanced HIV recent organ transplants and others who were significantly immunosuppressed at the time of their first or second shot according to a statement Wednesday from Public Health England. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is still deliberating on the potential benefits of boosters for the wider population and awaiting further evidence to make a decision health authorities said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-01/u-k-plans-to-give-third-vaccine-dose-to-vulnerable-people?srnd=premium-europe 1st Sep 2021

Majority of U.S. companies may mandate COVID-19 vaccine in coming months - survey

Reuters More than half of U.S. companies are planning to impose COVID19 vaccine mandates in the workplace by year end with almost a quarter considering vaccination as a condition for employment according to a national survey of nearly 1000 employers. In the face of a resurgence in COVID19 cases spurred by the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant that has strained the U.S. health care system many companies have come out with mask mandates and changed their vaccination policies. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/majority-us-companies-may-mandate-covid-19-vaccine-coming-months-survey-2021-09-01/ 1st Sep 2021

Opposition to vaccine crumbles: Just 14% of US adults now say they won't take the shot as work mandates kick in

Daily Mail Work mandates biggest driver 43 percent saying this would make them get jab A further 57 of workers said they support vaccine requirements from employer Those who are in hard opposition to the vaccine make up a new low of 14 percent https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9947423/Opposition-vaccines-crumbling-just-fifth-adults-say-wont-shot.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailus 1st Sep 2021

Pfizer starts dosing patients in oral COVID-19 drug trial

Reuters Pfizer Inc and Merck Co Inc announced on Wednesday new trials of their experimental oral antiviral drugs for COVID19 as the race to develop an easytoadminister treatment for the potentially fatal illness heats up. Pfizer said its latest midtolatestage trial will enroll 1140 nonhospitalized adults diagnosed with coronavirus infection who are not at risk of severe illness. Patients in the trial will be given Pfizers pill known as PF07321332 and a low dose of ritonavir an older medication widely used in combination treatments for HIV infection. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-starts-dosing-patients-oral-covid-19-drug-trial-2021-09-01/ 1st Sep 2021

Massive randomized study is proof that surgical masks limit coronavirus spread, authors say

The Washington Post The authors of a study based on an enormous randomized research project in Bangladesh say their results offer the best evidence yet that widespread wearing of surgical masks can limit the spread of the coronavirus in communities. The preprint paper which tracked more than 340000 adults across 600 villages in rural Bangladesh is by far the largest randomized study on the effectiveness of masks at limiting the spread of coronavirus infections. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/01/masks-study-covid-bangladesh/ 1st Sep 2021

WHO: New Coronavirus Variant

Greek Reporter The World Health Organization WHO said on Wednesday it is monitoring a new coronavirus variant known as Mu which was first identified in Colombia in January of 2021. Mu known scientifically as B.1.621 has been classified as a variant of interest the global health body stated in its weekly pandemic bulletin. https://greekreporter.com/2021/09/01/new-coronavirus-variant-mu-resistant-vaccines/ 1st Sep 2021

Pfizer Booster Shot Lowered Coronavirus Infection Risk in Study

Bloomberg A third shot of the Pfizer Inc.BioNTech SE Covid vaccine provides added protection against the coronavirus during a delta outbreak according to early data from Israel where boosters began rolling out incrementally in midJuly. People who received the supplemental dose had a 48 to 68 lower risk of infection a week to 13 days later compared to those who got the standard twodose regimen a preliminary analysis of data from Maccabi Healthcare Services found. The protection increased with time with a 70 to 84 reduced risk of testing positive two weeks to 20 days after getting a third shot. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-01/pfizer-booster-shot-lowered-coronavirus-infection-risk-in-study 1st Sep 2021

What the data reveals about children and Covid-19 in the US

CNN As students and staff return to school the highly transmissible Delta variant of Covid19 has caused cases hospitalizations and death rates to soar across the country. Children under 12 are particularly vulnerable to infection as they are not yet eligible for vaccination including the FDAapproved Pfizer vaccine. Contrary to research early in the pandemic children are just as likely to become infected as adults. According to the CDC Covid19 infection rates for adolescents aged 5 to 17 were as high as in adults 18 to 49 and higher than rates in adults over 50. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/01/us/us-covid-kids-data/index.html 1st Sep 2021

Australia aims to 'live with virus' instead of eliminating it

Reuters Australian authorities on Wednesday extended the COVID19 lockdown in Melbourne for another three weeks as they shift their focus to rapid vaccination drives and move away from a suppression strategy to bring cases down to zero. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews flagged a staggered easing of the tough restrictions once 70 of the states adult residents receive at least one dose a milestone he hopes to reach at least by Sept. 23 based on current vaccination rates. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/covid-19-cases-rise-australias-victoria-lockdown-extension-looms-2021-09-01/ 1st Sep 2021

Why some COVID-19 infections may be free of symptoms but not free of harm

National Geographic UK Eric Topol was worried when he first saw images of the lungs of people who had been infected with COVID19 aboard the Diamond Princess a cruise ship that was quarantined off the coast of Japan in the earliest weeks of the pandemic. A study of 104 passengers found that 76 of them had COVID but were asymptomatic. Of that group CT scans showed that 54 percent had lung abnormalitiespatchy grey spots known as ground glass opacities that signal fluid buildup in the lungs. These CT scans were disturbing wrote Topol founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute with coauthor Daniel Oran in a narrative review of asymptomatic disease published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. If confirmed this finding suggests that the absence of symptoms might not necessarily mean the absence of harm. https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2021/09/why-some-covid-19-infections-may-be-free-of-symptoms-but-not-free-of-harm 1st Sep 2021

Moderna to recall COVID-19 doses in Japan after stainless steel contaminants found

Reuters Moderna Inc and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd on Wednesday said they are working with Japanese authorities to recall three batches of COVID19 vaccine after an investigation found stainless steel contaminants in some vials. Japanese authorities had suspended use of these batches of Moderna shots containing 1.63 million doses last week after being notified of the contamination issue. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japan-finds-stainless-steel-particles-suspended-doses-moderna-vaccine-2021-09-01/ 1st Sep 2021

Two FDA officials who oversee coronavirus vaccine reviews to depart

The Washington Post A pair of senior Food and Drug Administration officials who oversee the agencys reviews of coronavirus vaccines are retiring the agency said Tuesday. Marion Gruber who leads the Office of Vaccines Research and Review will depart the FDA at the end of October. Philip Krause Grubers deputy will leave the agency in November. Peter Marks director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research told staff that he would serve as the acting head of the vaccine office as the agency searches for a permanent replacement according to an internal memo shared with The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/09/01/fda-vaccine-officials-depart/ 1st Sep 2021

Australian health authorities warn against mixing Covid vaccine types

The Guardian The evidence is strongest for receiving two doses of the same Covid19 vaccine rather than mixing different types medical authorities have said amid concerns that some people may be cancelling their second AstraZeneca dose in the hope of securing a shot of Pfizer. As outbreaks of the Delta variant affect New South Wales and Victoria people are being urged by state premiers and health authorities to get vaccinated as soon as possible with whatever vaccine is available and to show up to their existing first and seconddose appointments. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/sep/01/australian-health-authorities-warn-against-mixing-covid-vaccine-types 1st Sep 2021

Painless, Silent Organ Damage Seen in Covid ‘Long Hauler’ Study

Bloomberg Kidney damage is painless and silent and its the latest ailment to be identified afflicting a large swath of Covid19 survivors. Injury to the bloodfiltering organ can occur among people who recover from the coronavirus at home and escalates with the severity of Covid a study found. Even nonhospitalized patients with no renal problems have almost a twofold higher risk of developing endstage kidney disease compared with someone who never had Covid. The findings reported Wednesday in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology highlight yet another pernicious burden of the pandemic thats sickened more than 200 million people globally. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-01/painless-silent-organ-damage-seen-in-large-long-hauler-study?srnd=premium-europe 1st Sep 2021

Covid-19: Irish Cabinet agrees to end most restrictions by 22 October

BBC News The Irish Cabinet has agreed on a plan that would effectively end most Covid19 restrictions by 22 October. The cabinet said the easing of rules is dependent on 90 of adults being vaccinated and Covid19 cases remaining manageable. From 6 September large crowds will be allowed to gather for religious ceremonies. Places of worship and outdoor sporting venues will also be allowed to hold 50 capacity from that date. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58400777 1st Sep 2021

COVID-19: Scotland to require vaccine passports for nightclubs and large events, Nicola Sturgeon says

Sky News Nicola Sturgeon says that while events covered by the scheme matter to our economy and to our cultural and social life they are not essential services. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-scotland-to-require-vaccine-passports-for-nightclubs-and-large-events-nicola-sturgeon-says-12396794 1st Sep 2021

France starts COVID-19 booster shot campaign for the elderly

The Independent France on Wednesday started administering booster shots of COVID19 vaccine to people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions as the delta variant spreads in the country. France is the first big EU country to introduce widespread booster shots and several other European countries are expected to follow suit. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/france-covid-paris-people-world-health-organization-b1912475.html?fr=operanews 1st Sep 2021

US Sending Millions of COVID-19 Vaccine Doses to Pakistan

Voice of America As Pakistan deals with a surge in COVID19 cases due to the delta variant the United States will begin moving 4 million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to the country on Thursday a White House spokesperson told VOA. The 4149990 doses sent through COVAX the global vaccinesharing initiative coled by Gavi the Vaccine Alliance the WHO World Health Organization and CEPI Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness are in addition to the more than 9.2 million doses of Moderna and Pfizer vaccine already donated to Pakistan since June. https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/us-sending-millions-covid-19-vaccine-doses-pakistan 1st Sep 2021

CDC asks the unvaccinated not to travel this weekend and says even vaccinated need to weigh the risk

CNN Due to the surge of Covid19 cases the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking unvaccinated Americans not to travel during the Labor Day holiday weekend. The US is surpassing an average of 160000 new cases a day according to data from Johns Hopkins University. With the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant and many students returning to the classroom for a new academic year the rise is concerning officials and health experts. First and foremost if you are unvaccinated we would recommend not traveling CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a White House Covid19 Response Team Briefing on Tuesday. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/01/health/us-coronavirus-wednesday/index.html 1st Sep 2021

Vaccinations in rural India increase amid supply concerns

The Associated Press India has dramatically increased COVID19 vaccination rates in its vast rural hinterland where around 65 of the countrys nearly 1.4 billion people live. But supply constraints remain for the worlds largest maker of vaccines and experts say its unlikely India will reach its target of vaccinating all adults by the end of the year. India opened shots for all adults in May. But the campaign faltered in villages due to vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. That started changing in midJuly and of the nearly 120 million shots administered in the past three weeks around 70 were in Indias villages up from around half in the initial weeks of May. https://apnews.com/article/business-science-health-india-coronavirus-pandemic-cb4f593cfa0dd45a0bb4d9898daf8e25 1st Sep 2021

AlJazeera The German government is looking into whether it could temporarily ease data privacy rules to allow companies to find out whether their employees are vaccinated against COVID19 ministers said on Wednesday. Many countries are making vaccination mandatory for healthcare staff and public sector workers and some companies particularly in the United States have started demanding that employees are inoculated https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/1/german-firms-seek-details-of-employees-vaccine-status 1st Sep 2021

Wealthy nations far short of COVID vaccine donation target

CIDRAP Two people who led an independent review of the worlds response to COVID19 raised deep concerns today about the slow pace of vaccine donations by highincome countries to lowerincome countries. In other developments the World Health Organization WHO today released a list of 24 new toolssuch solarpowered oxygen concentratorsthat can help battle current and future pandemic threats. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/08/wealthy-nations-far-short-covid-vaccine-donation-target 31st Aug 2021

In Indonesia, drone deliveries provide lifeline for isolating COVID patients

Reuters A group of drone enthusiasts in Indonesia are using their aerial skills to help during the pandemic by providing a contactless medicine and food delivery service to COVID19 patients isolating at home. Armed with five drones the sevenmember team have been working around the clock in Makassar the capital of the South Sulawesi province since early July to provide deliveries. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-drone-deliveries-provide-lifeline-isolating-covid-patients-2021-09-01/ 1st Sep 2021

Most highly allergic people can be safely immunized against COVID-19

Medical Xpress Most highly allergic individuals can be safely immunized against COVID19 according to a study published online Aug. 31 in JAMA Network Open. Ronen Shavit M.D. from Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer Israel and colleagues describe immunization of highly allergic individuals with the PfizerBioNTech BNT162b2 COVID19 vaccine in a prospective cohort study conducted from Dec. 27 2020 to Feb. 22 2021. A total of 8102 patients with allergies underwent risk assessment using an algorithm that included a detailed questionnaire 429 patients were considered highly allergic and immunized under medical supervision. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-09-highly-allergic-people-safely-immunized.html 1st Sep 2021

Coronavirus: UK daily deaths above 200 for first time since March

BBC News The number of daily deaths within 28 days of a positive test recorded in the UK rises above 200 for the first time since 9 March. The figure of 207 could be partially affected by the bank holiday causing a lag in reporting. Vaccine passports are to be required for entry to nightclubs and many large events in Scotland from later this month Nicola Sturgeon says https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-58406184 1st Sep 2021

India’s Economic Figures Belie Covid-19’s Toll

The New York Times The coronavirus continues to batter Indias damaged economy putting growing pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to nurture a nascent recovery and get the country back to work. The coronavirus which has struck in two waves has killed hundreds of thousands of people and at times has brought cities to a halt. Infections and deaths have eased and the country is returning to work. Economists predict that growth could surge in the second half of the year on paper. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/31/business/economy/india-economy-covid.html 1st Sep 2021

Doctors dismayed by patients who fear coronavirus vaccines, but clamor for unproven ivermectin

The Washington Post Oklahoma doctor Matthew Payne regularly encounters covid19 patients in his hospital who say they had feared coronavirus vaccines and thought they had found a safer approach taking ivermectin a medicine long used to kill parasites in animals and humans. There is surprise and shock when they initially get sick and have to come to the hospital said Payne a hospitalist at Stillwater Medical Center. Theyll say Im not sure why I feel so bad. I was taking the ivermectin and I will say It doesnt do any good. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/09/01/ivermectin-covid-treatment/ 1st Sep 2021

Philippines health workers protest neglect as COVID-19 strains hospitals

Reuters Scores of healthcare workers protested in the Philippine capital on Wednesday to demand an end to what they called government neglect and unpaid benefits as pressure builds at hospitals fighting one of Asias longestrunning coronavirus epidemics. Protesters wearing protective medical gear gathered at the Department of Health DOH and held placards demanding their risk allowances and hazard pay and the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-health-workers-protest-neglect-covid-19-strains-hospitals-2021-09-01/ 1st Sep 2021

North Korea turns down Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine doses

Reuters on MSN.com North Korea has rejected roughly three million COVID19 vaccine doses developed by Chinas Sinovac Biotech saying the shots should be sent to harderhit countries the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/north-korea-turns-down-sinovac-covid-19-vaccine-doses-wsj/ar-AANYJsK 1st Sep 2021