17th Mar 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=622 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Omicron linked with croup in babies. The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is causing a dramatic rise in cases of croup a dangerous respiratory condition usually seen in babies and toddlers new data suggest. Croup which causes a distinctive barkinglike cough and highpitched sounds when patients inhale happens when viruses cause swelling in the respiratory tract that makes it hard to breathe. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-linked-rise-croup-babies-tb-vaccine-improves-immune-response-coronavirus-2022-03-16/ 17th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters In Kharkivs regional infectious diseases hospital doctors escort those COVID19 patients they can down to the bomb shelter in the basement when the air raid sirens sound. But the most seriously ill needing constant oxygen supply cannot be moved even if this means leaving them vulnerable to Russian bombardment. The ones in critical condition remain in their rooms. If we bring them down here they will simply die said Pavlo Nartov the hospitals director. Most of our patients are on oxygen supply all the time. They cant be cut off from the oxygen. https://www.reuters.com/world/kharkiv-critical-covid-patients-mercy-russian-bombardment-2022-03-16/ 17th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian The document detailing the compromise position suggests the negotiated form of the waiver has veered substantially away from the initial proposal first raised by India and South Africa in October 2020 which sought to suspend patents for successful Covid vaccines treatments and diagnostics invented by pharmaceutical giants such as Pfizer and Moderna for the duration of the pandemic. The document details a tentative proposal that would still need final agreement from the four negotiators as well as from all WTO member nations to be passed. If passed the compromised version of the waiver will see only patents for Covid19 vaccines suspended for either three or five years and means that treatment and testing formulas will still be subject to intellectual property protections. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/mar/16/global-powers-inch-closer-to-agreement-to-waive-covid-vaccine-patents 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Independent Vietnam on Wednesday scrapped quarantine and other travel restrictions for foreign visitors in an effort to fully reopen its border after two years of pandemicrelated closure the government said. Visitors entering the Southeast Asian country only need to show a negative COVID19 test prior to arrival according to the Health Ministry which said the new measures were effective immediately. Visitors must monitor their own health during the first 10 days of their stay and notify medical professionals in Vietnam if they experience any COVID19like symptoms. Vietnam also reinstated visa exemptions and the issuance of visas on arrival similar to their prepandemic status. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/vietnam-ap-covid-visitors-hanoi-b2036977.html 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Sky News Two years on from the start of the pandemic and despite the fact that almost all COVID restrictions have now been lifted the majority of people are still taking voluntary precautions against infection. According to an ONS attitudes survey released today most adults report taking at least one preventative measure to stop the spread of COVID19. Around fourfifths 81 of people say they are still frequently washing or sanitising hands 76 are still wearing face coverings and 57 are avoiding crowded places. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-most-people-taking-voluntary-precautions-against-infection-ons-survey-shows-12567565 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

CNBC Africa The United States European Union India and South Africa have reached a consensus on key elements of a longsought intellectual property waiver for COVID19 vaccines according to a proposed text reviewed by Reuters. Sources familiar with the talks described the text as a tentative agreement among the four World Trade Organization members that still needs formal approvals from the parties before it can be considered official. Any agreement must be accepted by the WTOs 164 member countries in order to be adopted. Some elements of the consensus deal including whether the length of any patent waivers would be three years or five years still need to be finalized according to the text. It would apply only to patents for COVID19 vaccines which would be much more limited in scope than a broad proposed WTO waiver that had won backing from the United States according to the document. https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/u-s-eu-india-south-africa-reach-compromise-on-covid-vaccine-ip-waiver-text/ 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Germany plans to spend up to 2.861 billion euros 3.14 billion to ensure that COVID19 vaccine makers have enough production capacity available to supply the country with shots in future outbreaks through 2029 the economy ministry said. Germanys cabinet approved plans on Wednesday to sign contracts with BioNTech CureVacGSK WackerCordenPharma Celonic and IDT the ministry said in a statement. The contracts will maintain the ratchetedup production capacities created during the coronavirus pandemic by paying an annual standby fee ensuring enough vaccine can be produced quickly for the population. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-secure-covid-19-vaccine-production-through-2029-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The World Trade Organization WTO praised a provisional deal to waive patent rights for COVID19 vaccines after more than a year of deadlock though drugmakers said the move risked undermining the industrys ability to respond to future health crises. The United States the European Union India and South Africa agreed on Tuesday on key elements for a waiver. It now needs the backing of the 164 members of the WTO which takes decisions based on consensus so rejection by just one country could still block an accord https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/drugmakers-condemn-plan-covid-vaccine-patent-waiver-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Figures showing a global rise in COVID19 cases could herald a much bigger problem as some countries also report a drop in testing rates the WHO said on Tuesday warning nations to remain vigilant against the virus. After more than a month of decline COVID cases started to increase around the world last week the WHO said with lockdowns in Asia and Chinas Jilin province battling to contain an outbreak. A combination of factors was causing the increases including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its cousin the BA.2 subvariant and the lifting of public health and social measures the WHO said. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-says-rise-covid-cases-is-just-tip-iceberg-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Mainland Chinas new local symptomatic COVID19 cases declined for a second consecutive day official data showed on Thursday as a flareup in the northeast the worst since Chinas first outbreak in 2020 centred on Wuhan grew at a slower pace. China reported 1226 new domestically transmitted COVID19 infections with confirmed symptoms on March. 16 data from the National Health Commission showed down from 1860 a day earlier. It marks the fifth day of over 1000 such cases on the mainland. Chinas current case wave is still tiny by global standards but national officials have warned that virus control is becoming increasingly difficult with more than two dozen regions reporting infections recently https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-local-covid-cases-decline-2nd-day-jilin-outbreak-grows-slower-pace-2022-03-17/ 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The World Health Organization WHO has delayed its ongoing assessment of Russias Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine for emergency use because of Moscows invasion of Ukraine an official from the health agency said on Wednesday. The Sputnik V shot widely used in Russia and approved in more than 60 countries is also being reviewed by the European Medicines Agency EMA. We were supposed to go do inspections in Russia on March 7 and these inspections were postponed for a later date Maringela Simo WHO assistantdirector general for Access to Medicines and Health Products said during a press briefing. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-delays-review-russias-sputnik-v-vaccine-ukraine-conflict-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters on MSN.com Global drugmakers condemned on Wednesday an initiative by four World Trade Organization members to introduce an intellectual property waiver for COVID19 vaccines saying it could undermine the industrys ability to respond to health crises in future. https://www.msn.com/en-us/finance/companies/drugmakers-condemn-plan-for-covid-vaccine-patent-waiver/ar-AAV7UnS 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal In a country where one person inadvertently crossing paths with a Covid19 patient can instantly put an entire apartment complex under lockdown for 14 days or more Chinese insurers last year began offering what they called quarantine insuranceget locked down receive a payout. Now as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads rapidly across the country overwhelmed insurers are pulling the plug on the products. On Thursday Chinas Public Mutual Insurance Corp. will become the latest insurer to close itself off to new premium holders following in the footsteps of ZhongAn Online Property Casualty Insurance Co. which stopped selling quarantine insurance on Monday. ZhongAn is an online insurer started by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. cofounder Jack Ma Tencent Holdings Ltd. chairman Pony Ma and Ping An Insurance Group Co. chairman Ma Mingzhe. The disappearance of the new policies reflects the speed with which new infections have swept across a country that has kept daily case counts low since the initial outbreak in Wuhan in early 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-covid-wave-in-china-hits-sellers-of-quarantine-insurance-11647440373 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Last week the U.S. Congress failed to approve 15 billion needed to continue Covid19 precautions even though todays low case counts are likely to rise as they are in Europe with the subvariant called BA.2. Weve learned that some expensive mitigation measures such as deep cleaning are a waste of money and could be scrapped but funding for studying Covid should increase not just for prevention measures and vaccines but for research into the longterm consequences of infection. Some people who got Covid19 early in the pandemic still havent recovered and what looked like long Covid might for some people be a permanent condition if no treatment is found. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-03-16/long-covid-could-reveal-clues-to-alzheimer-s-lyme-disease 17th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian New Zealand is reopening its borders to the world after two years spent closed off by the pandemic. From 13 April vaccinated tourists from Australia will be able to enter the country without isolating. From 2 May vaccinated tourists from other visawaiver countries including the US UK Germany Canada Japan Singapore and others will be allowed entry. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/16/new-zealand-to-open-borders-to-vaccinated-travellers-from-next-month 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

The Scotsman Some 13 per cent of doses given were wasted compared to an average of just 1.5 per cent from September to January. Just half of those aged 18 to 29 have received a booster jag while the figure for all adults is 78 per cent below the Scottish Government benchmark of 80 per cent. In response to a significant increase in Covid patients NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has banned all but essential visiting in several wards at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Royal Alexandra Hospital from Thursday. NHS Lanarkshire has already taken this step. The majority of vaccine doses wasted in February around 21000 were due to passing expiry dates according to a new report from Public Health Scotland PHS. https://www.scotsman.com/health/covid-scotland-27000-vaccine-doses-wasted-in-a-single-month-3613872 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

EURACTIV Exactly two years since the restrictions were first introduced Health Minister Ernst Kuipers declared that it is now safe to relax the measures. People are still advised to frequently wash their hands and isolate themselves when coming in contact with people who tested positive. Teleworking COVID travel certificates and having a negative test result to attend an event will no longer be mandatory. The new measures will come into effect next Wednesday 23 March. However the Netherlands is still facing a rise in COVID19 hospitalisation cases. As of Tuesday 291 people were admitted to hospitals. There are currently 1952 hospitalised cases 156 of which are in ICUs. This is not an isolated case as much of the EU is seeing a spike in cases. https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/netherlands-relaxes-covid-19-rules-despite-rising-infection-rate/ 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

The Independent Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday announced plans to fully lift coronavirus restrictions on March 21 as new infections driven by the highly contagious omicron variant slow. The COVID19 restrictions currently in place in 18 prefectures including the Tokyo area will end on Monday as planned Kishida said at a news conference on Wednesday as his government seeks to cautiously expand consumer activity to help the badly hurt economy get back on track. It will be the first time Japan has been free of virus restrictions since early January. Daily caseloads have steadily declined in Japan in recent weeks after surging to new highs exceeding 100000 in early February. New cases have fallen by about half. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-japan-covid-tokyo-experts-b2037007.html 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

ABC News After dropping nearly all coronavirus restrictions last month Britain is now ending some of its most widespread COVID19 testing and monitoring programs a move some scientists fear will complicate efforts to track the virus and detect worrisome new variants. Officials have largely dismissed those concerns despite a recent uptick in cases across Europe insisting that high immunization rates will help dampen future waves of disease. Based on how quickly new variants have arisen some experts suggest the next one could arrive as early as May. They warn that U.K. authorities should be using the time to prepare rather than winding down their pandemic defenses. Mark Woolhouse an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh called it an unfortunate pattern that has been seen repeatedly throughout the outbreak. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/uk-easing-covid-19-testing-monitoring-case-uptick-83474592 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters The U.S. government will run out of supplies of COVID19 treatments known as monoclonal antibodies as soon as late May and will have to scale back plans to get more unless Congress provides more funding the White House said on Tuesday. Raising the alarm about depleted funding for the U.S. pandemic response the White House said the government also would not have enough money to provide additional COVID19 booster shots or variantspecific vaccines without a new injection of cash. The White House has requested 22.5 billion in immediate emergency funding to fight the pandemic but after objections from Republicans and some Democrats the money was removed from the latest government funding bill passed by lawmakers last week https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-will-run-out-key-covid-19-treatments-without-more-funds-white-house-says-2022-03-15/ 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters The U.S. Senate voted 57 to 40 on Tuesday to overturn a 13monthold public health order requiring masks on airplanes and other forms of public transportation drawing a quick veto threat from President Joe Biden. Last week the White House said it would extend the current COVID19 mask requirements at airports train stations ride share vehicles and other transit modes through April 18 but pledged a new review. The order was set to expire on Friday. The mandate has drawn significant opposition from Republicans who note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC said last week that 98 of Americans live in places where it is safe to ditch indoor masks. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-says-biden-would-veto-bill-overturn-transport-mask-mandate-2022-03-15/ 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters India on Wednesday started administering doses of the COVID19 vaccine to young people aged 12 to 14 as public and private schools reopened. The government aims to swiftly expand vaccine coverage by also dropping a restriction on booster doses for those older than 60 only if they had a comorbidity condition. Today is an important day in Indias efforts to vaccinate our citizens Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. The children estimated by the government to number 50 million will receive the Corbevax vaccine made by Biological E a domestic firm that secured emergency approval for its use in children. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-rolls-out-covid-vaccine-doses-children-aged-12-14-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters New Zealand is bringing forward the opening of its international borders to some travellers after more than two years of COVID19 isolation with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying an influx of tourists will boost the nations economy. The change means the end of some of the toughest border controls in the world during the COVID pandemic imposed as the government tried to keep the coronavirus out comes months ahead of the previous schedule. New Zealands policies helped keep infections and deaths low. But with the Omicron variant now rampant criticism has grown as business particularly tourism and agricultural sectors see little value in staying shut off from the world. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-pm-ardern-announces-border-reopening-earlier-than-previously-2022-03-15/ 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Japan plans to buy a combined 145 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines with an eye to rolling out a fourth shot Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday citing a government source. Japan has not made a decision on the fourth vaccine doses as the country currently delivers its first booster shots or third doses. Local media reports have said another booster rollout could start this summer https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japan-buy-145-mln-pfizer-moderna-covid-vaccines-4th-shots-kyodo-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Japan said on Wednesday it is lifting COVID19 restrictions imposed on Tokyo and 17 other prefectures as a wave of infections caused by the Omicron variant ebbs. An Omicron wave led to record infection rates in the capital and throughout Japan in February the nations deadliest wave of the pandemic so far. Tokyo logged 10221 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday down 13.6 from a week earlier. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a news conference that quasiemergency restrictions would be lifted as of March 21 and the country would slowly start returning to normal since new infections had dropped substantially. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-set-remove-most-covid-restrictions-new-infections-ebb-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters The World Trade Organization WTO praised a provisional deal to waive patent rights for COVID19 vaccines after more than a year of deadlock though drugmakers said the move risked undermining the industrys ability to respond to future health crises. The United States the European Union India and South Africa agreed on Tuesday on key elements for a waiver. It now needs the backing of the 164 members of the WTO which takes decisions based on consensus so rejection by just one country could still block an accord. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/drugmakers-condemn-plan-covid-vaccine-patent-waiver-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin tested positive for COVID19 on Wednesday night in Washington complicating plans to appear alongside U.S. President Joe Biden at St. Patricks Day events at the White House. Martin had been at an Irish gala event on Wednesday night held at the National Building Museum in Washington. Biden spoke at the event but a White House official said the president did not have close contact with Martin while there. Others at Martins table included U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and singer Carole King. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/irish-pm-micheal-martin-tests-positive-covid-pa-media-2022-03-17/ 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Covid19 infection appears to be linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes a study suggests. But Diabetes UK said there is still work to do to unpick the link between the two conditions. Researchers from Germany have associated the two ailments in a new paper which explores peoples risk of being diagnosed with type 2 after they have had Covid. The study published in the journal Diabetologia examined data from more than 1000 GP surgeries in Germany caring for a population of almost nine million patients. Between March 2020 and January 2021 there were 35865 people with a documented case of Covid19. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-16/covid-linked-to-type-2-diabetes-in-study 17th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

RTE.ie The Department of Health has reported 5452 PCRconfirmed cases of Covid19 and 8644 positive antigen tests recorded through the HSE portal. As of 8am today 1081 Covid19 patients were in hospital with 44 being treated in ICU. In Northern Ireland five more people who had previously tested positive for Covid19 have died the Department of Health said. Another 2391 confirmed cases of the virus have also been notified in the last 24hour reporting period. This morning there were 515 Covid19 patients in hospital with four in intensive care. Taoiseach Michel Martin has said there is concern about the increase in Covid19 cases. https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2022/0316/1286757-coronavirus-ireland/ 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Al Jazeera English A pet sneezes its nose is runny and it seems sluggish. Could it be a normal pet illness like a cold which can be caught by dogs and cats from human owners or could it be COVID19 It is a question that has sat uncomfortably on the minds of many pet owners throughout the pandemic and was resurrected again in January when authorities in Hong Kong culled hundreds of hamsters and other small animals following an outbreak of the Delta variant traced to a pet shop and warehouse. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/16/covid-animals 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The BA.2 subvariant of Omicron was estimated to be 23.1 of the coronavirus variants circulating in the United States as of March 12 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC said on Tuesday. Scientists are tracking a rise in cases caused by BA.2 which is spreading rapidly in parts of Asia and Europe. According to the CDCs data the subvariant now makes up 39 of total cases in regions including New Jersey New York Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. In states such as Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Vermont and Rhode Island the subvariant now makes up about 38.6 of total cases. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/omicron-sub-variant-makes-up-231-covid-variants-us-cdc-2022-03-15/ 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Chinabased Sinovac Biotech Ltds COVID19 vaccine was 38.2 effective in preventing infections during the Omicron wave in children aged three to five years a study in Chile showed. The study published on Tuesday has not yet been peer reviewed. The findings are in contrast to earlier studies that showed the vaccine CoronaVac was 74.5 effective in preventing infections in children aged 6 to 16 years when Delta was the dominant variant. Countries are increasingly recommending booster doses in the face of the circulating Omicron variant which the World Health Organization has said can bypass some protection imparted by vaccines. Most vaccines are still effective against severe infections. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/sinovac-covid-vaccine-38-effective-young-kids-chilean-study-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE an application with U.S. regulators seeking emergency use authorization for a second booster shot of their COVID19 vaccine for people aged 65 and older. The submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration includes data collected in Israel where a second booster is authorized for many people over age 18. read more An analysis of data from over a million adults 60 years and older showed rates of confirmed infections and severe illness were lower among individuals who received an additional booster dose of the vaccine administered at least four months after an initial booster third dose compared to those who received only one booster dose the companies said. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-biontech-seek-us-authorization-second-covid-booster-shot-report-2022-03-15/ 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Europes drug regulator said on Tuesday it had begun reviewing AstraZeneca Plcs application for antibodybased COVID19 therapy a key step towards approval of the treatment in the region but gave no timeline for a conclusion. Infections from COVID19 are still rising in parts of the world including Europe. China posted a steep jump in daily COVID19 infections on Tuesday with new cases more than doubling from a day earlier to hit a twoyear high. AstraZenecas antibody cocktail Evusheld has already been authorised in the United States to prevent COVID19 infections in individuals with weak immune systems or a history of severe side effects from coronavirus vaccines. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/europe-begins-reviewing-application-astrazeneca-covid-drug-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Washington Post The good news is that Hong Kongs spike in coronavirus cases has begun to fade. The bad news is that before it did Hong Kong had one of the highest populationadjusted death tolls seen anywhere in the world since the pandemic began. In a remarkable series of tweets Monday the Financial Timess John BurnMurdoch illustrated the dire situation in Hong Kong since the beginning of February. He contrasted its spike in cases with a similar increase in New Zealand but then pointed out the wide divergence in the number of those cases that resulted in death. Notice that he shifted the case totals to align with the increase in deaths so his graphs depict cases still rising. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/16/even-with-omicron-coronavirus-vaccines-have-been-enormously-effective/ 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Associated Press When their 11yearold son started losing weight and drinking lots of water Tabitha and Bryan Balcitis chalked it up to a growth spurt and advice from his health class. But unusual crankiness and lethargy raised their concern and tests showed his blood sugar levels were off the charts. Just six months after a mild case of COVID19 the Crown Point Indiana boy was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. His parents were floored it didnt run in the family but autoimmune illness did and doctors said that could be a factor. Could his diabetes also be linked with the coronavirus wondered Nolans mom a respiratory therapist. Turns out scientists in the U.S. and elsewhere are asking the same question and investigating whether any connection is more than a coincidence. Its clear that in those who already have diabetes COVID19 can worsen the condition and lead to severe complications. But there are other possible links https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-indiana-diabetes-e1193bc9891e45d589337f7a092f6c4d 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP A new observational followup study in six European countries published in The Lancet Public Health links severe COVID19 to longterm depression and anxiety. University of Iceland at Reykjavik researchers led the study which analyzed symptoms of depression anxiety COVIDrelated stress and poor sleep quality among 247249 adults 4 of whom were diagnosed as having COVID19 from Mar 27 2020 to Aug 13 2021. Participants who were followed up for as long as 16 months average 5.7 lived in Denmark Estonia Iceland Norway Sweden or the United Kingdom. Most severely ill COVID19 patients recuperated at home but some spent time in a hospital. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/03/severe-covid-19-tied-long-term-depression-anxiety 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg The risk of women passing on Covid19 to their newborn babies is low according to a new study. The chance of transmitting the virus while pregnant during labour or after the baby is born is less than 2 researchers said. When proper preventive steps are taken after a mother tests positive such as the use of face masks infection of newborn babies is unlikely they concluded. Academics led by experts from the University of Birmingham reviewed data from 472 global studies which looked at data on 952 mothers and 18237 babies. Across the world just 1.8 of the 14271 babies born to mothers with Covid19 went on to test positive themselves the study published in The BMJ found. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-16/transmission-of-covid-from-mothers-to-newborns-is-rare 16th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Arutz Sheva Israels Health Ministry on Wednesday morning reported that on Tuesday 6310 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed in Israel representing 10.93 of the coronavirus test results received that day. The infection coefficient meanwhile continues to rise and on March 5 the last day for which it is available stood at 0.9. As of Wednesday morning 789 coronavirus patients were hospitalized with 335 in serious condition or worse. That number includes 169 whose condition is critical 151 who are intubated and 23 who are on ECMO heart and lung machines. Since the start of the pandemic 10401 people have died due to coronavirus in Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/324066 16th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Times Hong Kong is running out of coffins as it fights a devastating surge in coronavirus deaths. Kwok Hoibong president of the Funeral Business Association said that the city would use up its remaining 300 coffins in the next two to three days. Families would have to delay funeral services if the problem was not be addressed he added. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-hong-kong-set-to-run-out-of-coffins-within-days-g7wvzhzbf 16th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian Germany has recorded its highest rate of Covid19 infections since the start of the pandemic as maskwearing mandates in shops restaurants and schools will come to an end in many parts of the country this weekend. The countrys disease control agency on Wednesday reported a record incidence rate of 1607 new infections per 100000 people over the past seven days one of the highest in Europe. Germanys Robert Koch Institute has recorded a total of 262593 confirmed new cases and 269 new deaths over the past 24 hours. Experts say the true number of cases could be even higher as testing facilities have reached full capacity and those who test positive with a lateral flow test are no longer required to carry out a PCR test that would show up in the statistics. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/16/germany-hits-record-covid-infection-rate-since-start-of-pandemic 16th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN It has been two years since the Covid19 pandemic became a reality for millions of people in Europe and many of the regions leaders now believe it is time to move on. But as countries shed restrictions cases and hospitalizations are slowly inching up and public health experts are worried about the consequences. Covid19 cases are rising in Britain just two weeks after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted most mitigation measures. Infections were 48 higher last week compared with the one before and hospitalizations were up 17 over the same period CNNs Brenda Goodman and Deidre McPhillips report. The countrys daily case rate about 55000 a day is still less than a third of what it was during the Omicron peak but cases are rising as fast as they were falling just two weeks earlier when selfisolation rules for infected people ended in the UK. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/world/coronavirus-newsletter-intl-16-03-22/index.html 16th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Wednesday the current rebound of daily new COVID19 infections should peak by the end of the month adding France had been right to lift most restrictions put in place to contain the pandemic. Tuesday new cases over 24 hours went beyond the 100000 limit for the first time since a month reaching 116618. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/frances-current-rebound-covid-infections-should-peak-soon-health-minister-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters South Korea reported a record 400741 new daily COVID19 cases the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Wednesday as the country seeks to further ease social distancing rules despite a wave of Omicron infections. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-reports-record-400741-new-daily-covid-cases-kdca-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Hong Kong health authorities reported 29272 COVID19 cases on Wednesday up from 27765 on Tuesday and 217 deaths compared with 228 in the previous 24 hours. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/hong-kong-reports-29272-new-covid-cases-217-deaths-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Chinas public health governance is expected to come under acute pressure in coming weeks as the biggest wave of COVID19 cases since the 2020 Wuhan outbreak stretches medical resources tests the countrys ability to contain infections and strains the economy. In the past 10 weeks China has reported more new local symptomatic cases more than 14000 than in all of 2021 amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant fuelling fears of hard lockdowns of cities and economic instability. Some parts of China are already feeling the crunch as they scramble to test local populations and quarantine the infected under Chinas strict COVID19 playbook despite relatively low caseloads by global standards. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-covid-governance-under-pressure-omicron-spreads-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press The number of new coronavirus deaths reported worldwide fell by 17 in the last week while COVID19 infections rose reversing a decline in cases that first began in January according to the World Health Organization. In the U.N. health agencys weekly report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday WHO said there were more than 11 million new COVID19 infections last week about an 8 rise and 43000 new deaths. The number of COVID19 deaths globally has been dropping for the past three weeks. The biggest increase in cases were seen in the Western Pacific and Africa where infections rose by 29 and 12 respectively. Elsewhere cases dropped by more than 20 in the Middle East Southeast Asia and the Americas. In Europe cases inched up by about 2. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-europe-united-nations-world-health-organization-6f23e3e9d441e2746efc88590530786c 16th Mar 2022

New Lockdown

New Scientist China yesterday reported 5280 new SARSCoV2 cases more than double the previous days count and its highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic. The surge has prompted the introduction of full or partial lockdowns in various cities across the country. China has been pursuing a strict zero covid strategy which until recently had largely kept outbreaks under control. The omicron variant however is more transmissible than previous variants and is probably driving the current surge. Cities across the country are now in full or partial lockdowns. The northeast province Jilin is the worst affected accounting for more than 3000 of Chinas new reported cases on 15 March. Speaking on 14 March Jilins governor vowed to achieve community zeroCovid in a week. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237475-covid-19-news-nearly-30-million-in-china-are-now-living-in-lockdown/ 16th Mar 2022

New Lockdown

Reuters Chinas Jilin province was in a lastditch battle against COVID19 according to a senior Communist Party official as the northeastern region bordering North Korea and Russia accounted for threequarters of Chinas total new cases on Wednesday. Authorities have called for blanket testing in Jilin with provincial Communist Party secretary Jing Junhai urging health departments to ensure not a single person is missed the official Jilin Daily newspaper reported. Jilin registered 1456 new domestically transmitted COVID19 infections with confirmed symptoms on March 15 while new cases totalled 1860 nationwide National Health Commission NHC data showed. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/china-registers-over-1000-new-daily-covid-cases-fourth-day-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

New Lockdown

Reuters The queues of container ships outside major Chinese ports are lengthening by the day as COVID19 outbreaks in manufacturing export hubs threaten to unleash a fresh wave of global supply chain shocks ship owners logistics firms and analysts say. China is experiencing its biggest spike in COVID19 infections since an initial outbreak in the central city of Wuhan was contained in early 2020. The spread of the highlyinfectious Omicron variant this month has led to movement controls across China including in key manufacturing hubs of Shenzhen and Dongguan paralysing factories making goods from flash drives to car parts https://www.reuters.com/business/covid-curbs-bite-chinese-ports-threatening-global-supply-chains-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022