26th Jul 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=708 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Financial Times Sales of Pfizers antiviral drug Paxlovid have leapfrogged a rival pill developed by Merck and now dominate the Covid19 treatments market but slower than expected patient uptake could dent sales over the next six months and beyond. Airfinity a health data analytics group said recent data showed the whirlwind pace of new supply deals Pfizer signed had begun to slow because of the lacklustre rollout of a treatment billed as a key tool to help quell the pandemic. By the end of 2022 there could be a surplus of up to 70mn courses of Paxlovid on the global market following an increase in Pfizers production and weak demand for a treatment that US president Joe Biden is taking to fight his Covid infection. https://www.ft.com/content/0eb0b444-c516-4abf-85a2-8cc9326cf84e 25th Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

STAT News The Biden administration is preparing a sweeping initiative to develop a next generation of Covid19 immunizations that would thwart future coronavirus variants and dramatically reduce rates of coronavirus infection or transmission building on current shots whose impact has been mainly to prevent serious illness and death the White House told STAT. To kick off the effort the White House is gathering key federal officials top scientists and pharmaceutical executives including representatives of Pfizer and Moderna for a Tuesday summit to discuss the new technologies and lay out a road map for developing them. https://www.statnews.com/2022/07/25/white-house-to-launch-effort-to-develop-next-generation-of-covid-vaccines/ 25th Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters EU member states should start preparing now for a new wave of the COVID19 pandemic in autumn and winter the blocs health chief said on Monday saying there had been a worrying increase in outbreaks. European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides also warned there was no room for complacency saying the pandemic was not over. Unfortunately the pandemic has shown a worrying increase in several countries she told Cyprus state radio. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-states-should-act-now-covid-19-waves-winter-official-2022-07-25/ 25th Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters EU member states should start preparing now for a new wave of the COVID19 pandemic in autumn and winter the blocs health chief said on Monday saying there had been a worrying increase in outbreaks. European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides also warned there was no room for complacency saying the pandemic was not over. Unfortunately the pandemic has shown a worrying increase in several countries she told Cyprus state radio. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-states-should-act-now-covid-19-waves-winter-official-2022-07-25/ 25th Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

9News The federal government is expanding Defence force support for Australias coronavirusstricken aged care sector. More than 200 extra military medical personnel will be deployed to aged care homes in coming weeks Defence Minister Richard Marles has announced. The move came after aged care providers and trade unions requested Defence force support for the sector be extended beyond the August 12 end date. https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-australia-update-more-adf-personnel-to-help-aged-care-sector/3f4cd737-89cd-4259-8d1d-ff6e822c1c8e 25th Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg The most educated generation in Chinas history was supposed to blaze a trail towards a more innovative and technologically advanced economy. Instead about 15 million young people are estimated to be jobless and many are lowering their ambitions. A perfect storm of factors has propelled unemployment among 16 to 24yearold urbanites to a record 19.3 more than twice the comparable rate in the US. The governments hardline coronavirus strategy has led to layoffs while its regulatory crackdown on real estate and education companies has hit the private sector. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-25/xi-s-covid-rules-and-tech-crackdown-push-gen-z-in-china-to-bailan 25th Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal President Bidens symptoms are improving after he tested positive for Covid19 last week one of his advisers and his doctor said. Hes doing just fine White House Covid19 coordinator Ashish Jha said Sunday during an interview with CBSs Face the Nation. Dr. Jha encouraged Americans to get vaccinated and boosted and to seek treatment if they contract Covid19. Mr. Biden is taking Pfizer Inc.s antiviral drug Paxlovid which has been approved by federal authorities as a Covid19 treatment. This is a president who is doublevaccinated doubleboosted getting treatments that are widely available to Americans and has at this moment a mild respiratory illness. This is really good news Dr. Jha told ABCs This Week. https://www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-covid-19-symptoms-continue-to-get-better-white-house-says-11658678928 25th Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Hong Kong plans to cut hotel quarantine for arrivals with the introduction of a twocolor health code system local media reported on Monday. The government is considering moving to five days of hotel quarantine after which arrivals will be issued with a socalled yellow health code for two days that would prohibit them from entering highrisk areas where masks can be removed. Another option under consideration is four days of hotel isolation followed by three days of yellow code restrictions according to Sing Tao which cited a person it didnt identify. Hong Kong currently requires sevenday quarantine for arrivals. Separately the South China Morning Post said authorities could even shorten the hotel quarantine to three days as they put the finishing touches to the Chinastyle health code. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-24/hong-kong-to-cut-hotel-quarantine-with-health-code-report-says 25th Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg You cant have your cake and eat it too. Its an expression that warns people not to want things that are inherently incompatible. China would do well to heed this wisdom. In recent years the government launched quite a few ambitious top policies that would fundamentally alter its economy. At the top of mind was its response to the Covid19 pandemic. While the world is living with the virus China still has no tolerance for outbreaks. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-07-24/china-s-choice-covid-zero-or-xi-s-three-red-lines 25th Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters U.S. President Joe Bidens condition since contracting COVID19 has improved considerably and his greatest symptom now is a sore throat his physician said on Sunday. Bidens cough and body aches have diminished since he tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday and he is not experiencing any shortness of breath the physician Dr. Kevin OConnor said in a memo released by the White House. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bidens-health-is-improving-no-close-contacts-tested-positive-covid-2022-07-24/ 25th Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

DW (English) Just a few short weeks ago coronavirus infections in Japan were hovering around the 10000casesaday level and there was optimism across the nation that the worst of the health crisis was over and that the summer holidays would be more carefree than the last two years. As it has done in the past however the virus has mutated and caused a spike in infections. On Saturday authorities recorded a record 200975 new cases. Health experts say the seventh wave to wash over Japan is of the highly transmissible BA.5 omicron subvariant of the virus with 17 of the nations 47 prefectures reporting recordhigh case loads. On Monday officials confirmed that there have been a total of 11.39 million confirmed cases in Japan a nation of 125.8 million and 31902 fatalities. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called for maximum caution among the public but his government has stated that there are no plans at present to reintroduce the states of emergency that punctuated the first two years of the outbreak in Japan. https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-japan-struggles-with-record-setting-seventh-wave/a-62584197 25th Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters The Chinese city of Shenzhen told 100 major companies including iPhone maker Foxconn to set up closedloop systems as it battles COVID19 according to a document attributed to the local government circulating online on Monday. While Reuters could not independently verify the document a notice at a Shenzhen office of oil giant CNOOC Ltd seen by Reuters said that the building would be closed for seven days until July 31 with staff to work from home and continue with daily COVID testing. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-puts-iphone-maker-cnooc-into-shenzhen-closed-loop-battle-covid-bloomberg-2022-07-25/ 25th Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Unlike many others at the organisation the pair are continuing their volunteer work well after lockdowns have ended. Its given me a purpose and the best thing is I met my nextdoor neighbours Bergman says. Hazels agrees that their friendship has been a lovely outcome of her volunteering experience. We laugh and we have fun and were all doing a good thing she says. They were drawn to volunteering during Melbournes early Covid restrictions as it was a permitted activity that allowed them to escape lockdowns. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/may/25/exhaustion-and-burnout-states-look-to-boost-volunteer-numbers-as-demand-increases 25th Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

South China Morning Post While other world leaders were photographed being vaccinated to boost takeup rates Beijing had previously stayed silent on the topic. Zeng Yixin from the National Health Commission says party and state leaders have a high level of trust in the vaccines produced by our country. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3186345/china-confirms-leaders-have-been-given-covid-shot-show 25th Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

BBC News President Xi Jinping and other top politicians have been given domestically produced Covid vaccines China has said. The news was released as part of a campaign to increase vaccination rates especially of boosters. The deputy head of Chinas National Health Commission Zeng Yixin said it showed the leaderships confidence in the Chinese vaccines. Health information about these figures is not usually shared with the public. Mr Zeng said the countrys leaders had all taken the homegrown Covid19 vaccination jabs. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-62279377 25th Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

The Associated Press As a medical student in North Korea Lee Gwangjin said he treated his fevers and other minor ailments with traditional herbal medicine. But bad illness could mean trouble because hospitals in his rural hometown lacked the ambulances beds even the electricity at times needed to treat critical or emergency patients. So Lee was skeptical when he heard recent North Korean state media reports that claimed such socalled Koryo traditional medicine is playing a key role in the nations fight against COVID19 which has killed millions around the world. North Korea is using Koryo medicine a lot for COVID19 but its not a sure remedy said Lee who studied Koryo medicine before he fled North Korea in 2018 for a new life in South Korea. Someone who is destined to survive will survive with such medicine but North Korea cant help others who are dying. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-south-korea-north-herbal-medicine-4d852893a81b60c4bf759e52a5d27615 25th Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Chinas Covid19 cases fell to the lowest in a week even as officials in the financial hub of Shanghai and the gaming enclave of Macau ramped up mass testing. China reported 680 cases for Sunday down from 869 on Saturday and the lowest daily tally since July 17. Still authorities continue to roll out testing blitzes to catch flareups and stamp out outbreaks. In Macau all residents must perform daily rapid Covid tests on themselves and report the results to the government for the next week with mass laboratory tests slated for the coming weekend. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-25/china-covid-cases-drop-as-macau-shanghai-ramp-up-mass-testing 24th Jul 2022

Partisan Exits

ABC News During the outbreak 37 of Newmarch Houses 97 residents contracted COVID. The facility is owned and run by Anglicare Community Services. One witness said his mothers breathing apparatus was not operating when he went to visit https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-25/newmarch-house-inquest-covid19-outbreak/101267658 25th Jul 2022

Partisan Exits

News.com.au Deemed the alternative Covid vaccine there were high hopes for Novavax in Australia when the more traditional formula got the tick of approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration TGA in January. Due to its similar composition to hepatitis B tetanus and diphtheria vaccines a large amount of interest was shown for Novavax or Nuvaxovid by those who were reluctant to take either AstraZeneca Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Additionally experts like TGA boss Adjunct Professor John Skerritt believed the increased interest would see vaccination rates rise from 95 per cent fully vaccinated to at least 98 per cent. I would have had several hundred emails from individuals and groups who have said for whatever reason we would like to have this particular vaccine this just gives them further choice Professor Skerritt said upon Novavaxs approval in January. https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/not-even-vaccinehesitant-aussies-waiting-for-novavax-really-wanted-the-jab/news-story/7ecb3d3a4ca52d7f6077464875abeaa6 25th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Pharma Letter Australias Therapeutic Goods Administration TGA has provisionally approved the Biocelect on behalf of US biotech Novavax Nasdaq NVAX COVID19 vaccine Nuvaxovid for use in individuals aged 1217 years. The decision follows provisional approvals on 19 January 2022 for the use of Nuvaxovid in adults on June 9 2022 the Nuvaxovid booster dose for use in adults. As with adults the vaccine should be administered in adolescents intramuscularly https://www.thepharmaletter.com/article/tga-provisionally-approves-covid-19-vaccine-nuvaxovid-for-use-in-12-17-year-olds 25th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News A research team reports discovering a neutralizing monoclonal antibody that it says has the potential to become a universal coronavirus therapy against SARSCoV2 and all its variants of concern including Beta Gamma Delta Epsilon and Omicron. In multiple animal models the mAb shows effectiveness against the SARSCoV the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome that emerged in China in 2002 and MERSCoV the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome that appeared in Saudi Arabia in 2012 according to the scientists who had that it also shows effectiveness against several common cold coronaviruses. https://www.genengnews.com/topics/translational-medicine/are-we-getting-closer-to-a-potential-universal-coronavirus-monoclonal-therapeutic/ 25th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Vox.com Tracking BA.5s rise is complicated somewhat because of an increase in athome rapid testing to confirm infection rather than testing in a clinical setting which would make its way to health authorities and paint a fuller picture of the data. While the number of cases is nowhere near the level of infections due to omicron last winter the weekonweek total of hospital admissions overall has trended up steadily over the past month according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.vox.com/2022/7/24/23275962/ba-5-covid-variant-strain-public-health-response 25th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

News-Medical.Net Researchers at Columbia Engineering and Rover Diagnostics announced today that they have built an RTPCR platform that gives results in 23 minutes that match the longer laboratorybased testsfaster than other PCR tests on the market. It can be adapted to test for a broad range of infectious diseases including not just COVID19 but also flu strep and other viruses that require fast diagnosis. Its targeted sensitivity is higher than other types of tests such as isothermal antigen and CRISPR. And at just two pounds the Rover PCR is easy to carry around and can be used by anyone. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220725/New-RT-PCR-platform-gives-results-faster-than-other-COVID-19-tests-on-the-market.aspx 25th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Charley Ding spent weeks early in the pandemic intubating patients sick with Covid19. The 42yearold anesthesiologist in South Barrington Ill. said he has since watched most of the doctors and nurses he works with get infected at some point. But he has never gotten Covid19 he said. Its probably a combination of being careful maybe being blessed with a good immune system he said. But also just luck. Dr. Ding is a member of a shrinking club of people who are pretty sure they have never been infected with SARSCoV2 the virus that causes Covid19. Geneticists and immunologists are studying factors that might protect people from infection and learning why some are predisposed to more severe Covid19 disease. https://www.wsj.com/articles/think-youve-never-had-covid-19-think-again-11658741403 25th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters China on Monday gave conditional approval to domestic firm Genuine Biotechs Azvudine pill to treat certain adult patients with COVID19 adding another oral treatment option against the coronavirus. The availability of effective COVID vaccines and treatments is crucial in laying the groundwork for Chinas potential pivoting from its dynamic COVID zero policy which aims to eliminate every outbreak however small and relies on mass testing and strict quarantining. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-allow-use-genuine-biotechs-hiv-drug-covid-patients-2022-07-25/ 25th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

ABC News When Lyndall Heather caught COVID19 for a third time this year she initially didnt believe she had it. Just six weeks on from her second COVID infection the Darwin nurse was well within the immune period that precluded her from testing. I just thought its pretty unlikely its probably just the cold she said. But after becoming seriously unwell she went for a PCR test and found out she had contracted a separate COVID19 infection. Even my manager found it confusing. I guess things are constantly changing Ms Heather said. Hampered by long COVID symptoms like fatigue and brain fog Ms Heather said her latest reinfection has left her anxious for the future. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-25/covid-omicron-reinfections-pandemic-spread/101258670 25th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

New Zealand Herald It could take years before our immune systems build up defences against the everchanging virus that causes Covid19 but an immunologist is optimistic well soon have a much smarter booster to fight it. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-building-immunity-against-virus-will-take-years-expert/FEFCNKD5WJI242KOZB3NLZU6LA/ 25th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CNA Should we be worried about the new Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 There is no clear evidence Centaurus evades the immune system significantly or spreads more quickly for now but what we do know suggests it would likely fizzle out like Alpha and Delta says this virologist. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/centaurus-omicron-subvariant-new-ba275-2832146 25th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Sky News The new research has found that the SARSCoV2 coronavirus spike protein is capable of causing heart muscle injury through the inflammatory process setting it apart from previously known coronaviruses. The good news is that the preliminary research suggests the damage caused by the process which is part of the heart muscle cells own natural immune machinery can be reduced by vaccination. Research published in 2020 discovered abnormal changes to the way the heart was pumping in 55 of hospitalised patients with around one in seven showing evidence of severe dysfunction. https://news.sky.com/story/scientists-identify-how-the-coronavirus-spike-protein-causes-heart-damage-12658815 25th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

New Zealand Herald School attendance rates for term 1 plummeted below 50 per cent the lowest in at least a decade as the Omicron outbreak ripped through communities. Record low levels of school attendance hit Mori and Pasifika hardest with fewer than a third of those populations attending school regularly attending more than 90 per cent of the time. The latest Ministry of Education data showed overall 46.1 per cent of all students were attending school regularly. This was down from 72.8 per cent in term 1 2019 preCovid 50.5 per cent in 2020 and 66.8 per cent in 2021. In term 4 last year it was 65 per cent. The Ministry noted the Covid19 Omicron outbreak resulted in high levels of absences for both students and staff. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-school-attendance-rates-plummet-below-50-per-cent/IKDM6GBTMBLKXXAW2WA6X4DSPY/ 25th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Stuff The Ministry of Health has reported 6910 new community cases of Covid19 and 836 current hospitalisations including 27 in intensive care or high dependency units. A further 16 people with the virus have died. All these deaths occurred in the past three days. The sevenday rolling average of community case numbers on Monday is 8498. There has been a recent downturn in numbers suggesting the second wave has peaked. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/129369180/covid19-6910-new-community-cases-836-hospitalisations-and-further-16-deaths 25th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

ABC News Australia ranked third in cases per million people in the past seven days. Experts are pleading with the public to wear masks get PCR tests if symptomatic and get boosters. Health workers say they are bearing the the strain of the ongoing pandemic https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-25/covid-19-stats-australia-death-rate-high/101266098 25th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Xinhuanet After days of reporting over 20000 new cases a day Indias daily caseload on Monday slipped to 16866 officials said. According to federal health ministry data released on Monday morning 16866 new cases of COVID19 were reported during the past 24 hours taking the total tally to 43905621 in the country. The cases reported on Monday mark a decrease in comparison to the daily caseload of Sunday 20279. With the reporting of fresh cases Indias active caseload currently stands at 150877. https://english.news.cn/20220725/b6a41661652b49d18ff2f16168c97711/c.html 25th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Chinas southern technology hub of Shenzhen reported 21 new locally transmitted COVID19 infections on Sunday up from 19 a day earlier official data showed on Monday. Of Sundays local infections eight were confirmed to be symptomatic while 13 were asymptomatic the Shenzhen Health Commission said. Of the new Shenzhen cases all except five were found in quarantined areas. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-shenzhen-reports-8-symptomatic-13-asymptomatic-covid-cases-july-24-2022-07-25/ 25th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that there were early signs that new COVID19 cases were falling even as hospitalisations jumped to their highest level since March. New Zealand recorded 6910 new COVID cases on Monday well below average levels over the past week according to data from the health ministry. However the number of people in hospital with COVID jumped to 836 the most since March 29 when 842 COVID patients were in hospital. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nz-prime-minister-says-early-signs-that-covid-19-cases-falling-2022-07-25/ 25th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

UPI News Despite a worldwide 9 decline in COVID19 cases in the past week the virus is spiking in Asia with a 26 gain including surpassing 200000 cases for the first time in Japan. Deaths were down 4 and remain at among the lowest levels since the pandemic was declared in March 2020. On Sunday Japan reported 176554 infections for a total of 11389392 in 11th place with 200975 on Saturday. Deaths were 25 for a total of 31915 in 31st. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2022/07/24/world-coronavirus-19-cases-decline-9-world-asia-up26/6001658669572/ 25th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tested positive for COVID19 for the second time in the last seven months his campaign said Sunday. Patrick 72 tested positive on Saturday and was experiencing mild symptoms according to a campaign statement. Patrick was isolating at his house and planned to work from home this week. His campaign said the twoterm Republican is fully vaccinated and received a booster last year. Patrick had previously tested positive on Dec. 27 and experienced mild symptoms. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-texas-dan-patrick-1590b0f44a798ba6d7790a2342006bdc 25th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Mainland China reported 800 new coronavirus cases for July 24 of which 150 were symptomatic and 650 were asymptomatic the National Health Commission said on Monday. That compared with 982 new cases a day earlier 129 symptomatic and 853 asymptomatic infections which China counts separately. There were zero new deaths keeping the nations fatalities at 5226. As of Sunday mainland China had confirmed 228798 cases with symptoms. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-reports-800-new-covid-cases-july-24-vs-982-day-earlier-2022-07-25/ 25th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters The number of Australians admitted to hospitals with COVID19 hit a record of about 5450 on Monday official data showed as the spread of highly contagious new Omicron subvariants strains the healthcare system nationwide. The figure has grown since late June as the BA.4 and BA.5 strains became dominant since they can evade immune protection whether from vaccination or prior infection while some experts say the latter can be as infectious as measles. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/record-number-covid-hit-australians-hospital-omicron-surges-2022-07-25/ 25th Jul 2022