7th Sep 2020 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=89 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK The quaint sugarcane growing village of Rajewadi in Indias west did not have a single case of confirmed coronavirus until midAugust. Now one in every four people there is positive for the virus with police blaming a local religious event for the spread. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-india-countryside/tiny-village-offers-window-into-indias-surging-covid-19-caseload-idUKKBN25V0JA 5th Sep 2020

Lockdown Exit

AlJazeera There are warnings the world is on the brink of a hunger pandemic. Charity Oxfam says up to 12000 people could starve to death each day because of coronavirusrelated restrictions. In India malnutrition is already a threat to life and the United Nations says the pandemic is making that worse. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/covid-19-outbreak-worsening-malnutrition-india-200904132435543.html 5th Sep 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian It seems our leaders dont want tricky environmental matters elevated to them so they plan to flick responsibility to the states https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/04/under-the-cloak-of-covid-the-government-is-rushing-ill-considered-changes-to-australias-environment-laws 5th Sep 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK Brazil has recorded more than 4 million confirmed cases of coronavirus with 43773 new cases and 834 deaths from the disease caused by the virus reported in the past 24 hours the health ministry said on Thursday. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-brazil-idUKKBN25U35Y 5th Sep 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Indias total coronavirus cases surged beyond 4 million with a record rise on Saturday making it the third country in the world to surpass that mark following the United States and Brazil. India added 86432 cases of the new virus on Saturday a global daily record according to data from the federal health ministry. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-india-cases/india-crosses-four-million-coronavirus-cases-with-record-surge-idUKKBN25W0B0 5th Sep 2020

Lockdown Exit

CTV News While schools and universities across the U.S. monitor coronavirus outbreaks with human testing Utah State University officials announced theyve discovered evidence of the virus a different way. The school found elevated amounts of COVID19 in wastewater samples collected from four residence halls on campus. Officials issued a safety alert on Sunday calling for mandatory testing and quarantine of all 287 students living in Rich Jones Morgan and Davis oncampus residence halls. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/hundreds-of-students-in-quarantine-after-university-in-u-s-finds-covid-19-in-wastewater-1.5092471 5th Sep 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK Indiana University at Bloomington on Thursday urged students living in fraternity and sorority houses to move out citing an alaraming rate of positive Covid19 tests that marked the latest outbreak in the U.S. Midwest and at college campus. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-usa/indiana-university-sees-alarming-spike-in-covid-19-at-frat-sorority-houses-idUKKBN25U2SQ 5th Sep 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian The US is closed for many outside its borders and many within are too scared to fly as Covid continues its deadly sweep across the country. The rate of infection has eased in Florida and elsewhere and Pesquera president of the marketing group Discover the Palm Beaches is hopeful business is improving. But it comes in a year of catastrophic collapse for Floridas tourism. Nobody has seen anything like this in a couple of generations said Pesquera. As the US enters its first coronavirus winter economists and epidemiologists see a pivotal moment a hinge whose swing will determine the direction of the economy and the course of the disease into 2021 and for years potentially generations to come https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/05/america-covid-autumn-winter-coronavirus 5th Sep 2020

Lockdown Exit

Nature.com A wave of activism is sweeping US campuses that have reopened after their summer break amid the COVID19 crisis. Across the country university workers including faculty members and staff who teach in classrooms and laboratories and housekeeping staff who clean dormitories are pushing back against requirements that they show up on campus alongside undergraduates thereby they say risking their own health. One group has filed a lawsuit against the University of North Carolina UNC system which includes 16 institutions across the state claiming that the system has not provided a safe workplace for its staff. Others have staged protests including dieins in which demonstrators have simulated coronavirus deaths to demand remote classes and more COVID19 testing. In one case university faculty members passed a no confidence vote to indicate that their chancellor had neglected their concerns and botched the institutions reopening. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02557-1 5th Sep 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK The CDC on Friday said the number of deaths die to the cornoavirus has risen by 1081 to 186 173 and there were 6132 074 reported cases an increase of 44671 cases from the previous count. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-cdc-idUKKBN25V2HG 5th Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

Nikkei Asian Review China and India are competing to deliver coronavirus vaccines to Bangladesh in a diplomatic offensive carefully choreographed to expand their influence in the densely populated South Asian nation. Last month Bangladesh cleared the way for privately owned Chinese company Sinovac Biotech to conduct a stage three clinical trial of its CoronaVac vaccine. Dhakabased clinical research institute icddrb will conduct the trial and said Wednesday that a conditional deal is in place for the vaccine to be produced locally. If the CoronaVac vaccine is successful it has been agreed with Sinovac that a local competent vaccine manufacturer in Bangladesh will be selected and enabled through a license from Sinovac to manufacture the vaccine in Bangladesh they told the Nikkei Asian Review in a written response to questions. https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/China-and-India-vie-for-clout-in-Bangladesh-with-COVID-vaccines 5th Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

AlJazeera India became the third country to cross four million coronavirus cases on Saturday also setting a new global record for a daily surge in infections and closing in on Brazils total as the secondhighest in the world. The 86432 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed Indias total to 4023179. Brazil has confirmed 4091801 infections while the United States has 6200186 people infected according to Johns Hopkins University https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/india-coronavirus-cases-top-million-200905060437264.html 5th Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

Yahoo News Researchers in Costa Rica are due to begin trials of an inexpensive coronavirus treatment based on antibodies taken from horses injected with the SARSCov2 the virus that causes COVID19 according to scientists. Developed by University of Costa Ricas Clodomiro Picado Institute ICP the equine antibodies medication is to be tested on 26 patients from midSeptember Roman Macaya president of the Social Security Fund that manages public health centers told Reuters. Costa Rican authorities hope to be able to begin applying the treatment more widely in hospitals if the results from the phase 2 study are encouraging. There are 471 hospitalized coronavirus patients in Costa Rica. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/costa-rica-researchers-trial-coronavirus-113202564.html 5th Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

CIDRAP COVID19 has tripled the rate of depression in US adults in all demographic groupsespecially in those with financial worriesand the rise is much higher than after previous major traumatic events according to a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. Led by researchers from Boston University the study involved data from 1441 respondents to a COVID19 Life Stressors Impact on Mental Health and WellBeing survey which was conducted Mar 31 to Apr 13 when 96 of the country was under coronavirusrelated lockdowns. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/09/depression-triples-us-adults-amid-covid-19-stressors 5th Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian We havent gotten a lot of information about how this is going to roll out said Umair Shah executive director of Texas Harris county public health department which includes Houston. In a fourpage memo this summer the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC told health departments across the country to draft vaccination plans by 1 October to coincide with the earliest possible release of Covid19 vaccine. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/02/us-health-officials-covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine 5th Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

Reuters on MSN.com French health authorities reported 8975 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday setting an alltime high of daily additional infections since the disease started to spread in the country at the end of the winter. The number of people hospitalised for the disease while still well below its April 14 peak of 32292 has gone up for the sixth day running at 4671. The number of people in France who have died from COVID19 infections stood at 30686 and the cumulative number of cases now totals 309156. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/france-reports-8975-new-daily-covid-19-infections-setting-a-record-high/ar-BB18IqZH 5th Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

YAHOO! The French government has shut 22 schools in metropolitan France and the overseas territory of Runion due to fresh cases of Covid19. Education Minister JeanMichel Blanquer insisted that backtoschool had gone smoothly for the vast majority but parent associations are concerned that too much is being left up to families to manage. The health protocol is working assured Blanquer speaking to Europe 1 radio on Friday morning marking the end of the first week since the new school year began. There are 22 establishments which have had to close due to cases or suspected cases of Covid19 he said Twelve of those were in mainland France and 10 in the overseas territory of Reunion Island. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/france-closes-22-schools-due-111946498.html 5th Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

Reuters UK Covid19 has forced the closure of a dozen schools in France just days into the new academic year the government said on Friday as coronavirus cases surge in parts of the country https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-france-education/coronavirus-closes-12-french-schools-in-first-week-of-term-idUKKBN25V0UZ?il=0 5th Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

The Connexion France is now testing over 1 million people per week for Covid19 but around the country there are reports of long waits and rising tensions between medical staff and patients. https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/Long-waits-for-covid-tests-cause-tension-in-France 5th Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

Sky News Contacttracing apps reduce transmissions and deaths even at very low levels of adoption according to a new study from the University of Oxford and Google. The study provides reassurance regarding the value of coronavirus contacttracing apps which some had suggested would need to be used by 60 of the population to be effective. But the research emphasises that digital notifications to people who may have been exposed to the virus still work best when complemented by manual contact tracing when researchers take histories from patients to find out who they had been in close contact with. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-even-limited-use-of-contact-tracing-apps-has-effects-says-study-12062286 3rd Sep 2020

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail Australia should drive new COVID19 cases to zero public policy think tank says The Grattan Institute report said shortterm pain will pay off on the other side Zero cases means Australia can avoid reimposed lockdowns and more deaths https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8694319/Australia-attempt-drive-coronavirus-cases-ZERO-former-health-boss-says.html 3rd Sep 2020

Partisan Exits

Raw Story According to Dr. Jonathan Reiner George Washington University professor of Medicine dont hold your breath on Trumps claims. First of all no vaccine will be distributed before Election Day he said frankly. Even if we identify a vaccine which looks both safe and effective the distribution plan will be really complex. First of all these vaccines require subzero storage. So you need a supply chain that can do that. Well have to pick who gets the vaccine first. Health care workers the elderly nursing homes people at risk. There is an elaborate plan that will go into this. So its will take a while to get the vaccine into people and vaccination will take probably two years to vaccinate the country. https://www.rawstory.com/2020/09/no-there-will-be-no-19-vaccine-before-election-day-and-itll-take-two-years-to-vaccinate-the-us-doctor/ 7th Sep 2020

Partisan Exits

Hindustan Times PM Modi who promised that we will defeat coronavirus in 21 days must explain why India failed when other countries seem to have succeeded Chidambaram said in a tweet. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-must-explain-why-india-failed-chidambaram-targets-govt-on-covid-19-economy/story-kucwbm1BOgBNjG1sfEnupK.html 5th Sep 2020

Partisan Exits

Channel NewsAsia Singapore Protesters against a COVID19 lockdown defied police in Australias hotspot on Saturday Sep 5 prompting over a dozen arrests even as the state of Victoria continued its gradual improvement in stemming new cases due to the nearly five weeks of restrictions. Ignoring official warnings and public health orders several hundred people gathered at an illegal protest promoted by several virus related conspiracy theory groups online calling for an end to lockdown measures. It is not safe it is not smart it is not lawful. In fact it is absolutely selfish for people to be out there protesting state Premier Daniel Andrews told a news conference. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/australia-protest-coronavirus-covid-19-victoria-cases-13084810 5th Sep 2020

Partisan Exits

Associated Press on MSN.com Critics of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are again speaking out against the leaders stance on the coronavirus pandemic this time rejecting his view that vaccination for the virus shouldnt be mandatory. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/brazil-leader-rapped-for-stirring-doubt-on-covid-19-vaccine/ar-BB18IQNp?li=BBnb7Kz 5th Sep 2020

Partisan Exits

Reuters UK U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday that the Trump administration would not cut corners in making a vaccine for the coronavirus available although it wants to move as fast as possible to deliver something that is safe and effective. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccine-pence-idUKKBN25V1ZZ 5th Sep 2020

Partisan Exits

The Local France The controversial French professor who vigorously defended the antimalaria drug hydroxychloroquine to help beat coronavirus has been targeted by an ethics complaint that could see him face sanctions or barred from practising a medical association said on Thursday. The Marseillebased Didier Raoult is accused in the complaint by medical peers of spreading false information about the benefits of hydroxychloroquine. US and Brazilian presidents Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro seized upon Raoults promotion of hydroxychloroquine and have trumpeted its benefits since the pandemic erupted. But the method and conclusions of Raoults studies were challenged from the start by critics and other scientists who said they had not been peer reviewed and were observational not controlled. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200903/french-professor-faces-being-struck-off-over-his-claims-of-coronavirus-cure 5th Sep 2020

Partisan Exits

Global News Critics of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are again speaking out against the leaders stance on the coronavirus pandemic this time rejecting his view that vaccination for the virus shouldnt be mandatory. Bolsonaros first such comments came Monday when he told a supporter No one can force anyone to get a vaccine. He repeated it Thursday night during a live broadcast on Facebook adding his opposition to administering vaccines that are yet to be proven on Brazilian soil. https://globalnews.ca/news/7318037/brazil-bolsonaro-vaccine-reaction/ 4th Sep 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Financial Express In an ideal world people should be able to do the right things and focus on the right areas as a default approach. However the reality is quite different. Despite there being ample emphasis on personal hygiene and no lack of medical as well as scientific evidence to highlight its importance hygiene practices failed to make a major impact in India. Eventually a pandemic of the magnitude of Covid19 made people notice this need and take steps to adopt personal hygiene practices. This realization and the importance of basic hygiene practices such as washing hands dawned suddenly. Hand sanitizers face masks disinfectants etc. are crucial components of our defense against the virus until a vaccine is found. https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/health/covid-19-impact-on-personal-hygiene-industry-and-its-future-in-india/2075673/ 5th Sep 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters UK Protestors against a Covid19 lockdown defied police in Australias hotpsot on Saturday prompting 15 arrests even as the state of Victoria continued its gradual improvement in stemming new cases due to the nearly five weeks of restrictions https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-australia-idUKKBN25W04C 5th Sep 2020

Continued Lockdown

Sky News A ban on Australians leaving the country because of the coronavirus pandemic has been extended until midDecember. The Human Biosecurity Emergency Period has been in place since March and prevents Australian citizens or permanent residents from leaving the nations shores. It can only be circumvented with permission from the government which must be approved beforehand. Residents of other countries offshore freights and boats essential workers and government officials are excluded from the measure which also prevents international cruise ships with 100 or more passengers from docking on the countrys ports. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-australia-extends-ban-on-people-leaving-the-country-until-december-12062622 5th Sep 2020

Continued Lockdown

Bloomberg Brazil which has suffered one of the worlds worst pandemic tolls has responded to the crisis by distributing so much cash directly to citizens that poverty and inequality are approaching national historic lows. Some 66 million people 30 of the population have been getting 600 reais 110 a month making it the most ambitious social program ever undertaken in Brazil a shocking shift under President Jair Bolsonaro who railed against welfare dismissed the virus and now finds himself newly popular. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-02/brazil-hands-out-so-much-covid-cash-that-poverty-nears-a-new-low 5th Sep 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Washington Post Alessandro Souza is a gold hunter. He chases it deep into protected Indigenous lands in the Amazon rainforest traveling days by foot and canoe and doesnt emerge until his pockets are full. Sometimes hes gone two months. Sometimes six. The only certainty is that hell be back because hunting gold is his business and business is booming. Todays market quote Souza messaged his WhatsApp group Goldminers Without Borders one recent day Gold was going for nearly 1800 an ounce. Souza posted an arrow pointing skyward. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/in-the-amazon-the-coronavirus-fuels-an-illegal-gold-rush--and-an-environmental-crisis/2020/09/03/0a4c62e6-e624-11ea-970a-64c73a1c2392_story.html 5th Sep 2020

Continued Lockdown

MercoPress Indigenous and environmental organizations in Brazil launched an app on Friday aimed at alerting indigenous communities to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in their lands. The application maps and periodically updates the situation regarding the pandemic in cities within a 100 kilometer radius of indigenous lands said the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon COIAB and the Amazon Environmental Research Institute IPAM in a joint statement. The app called Covid19 Indigenous Alert aims to help indigenous people identify areas with high infection rates. Provided free on the Android system the app uses data from Brazils health ministry people working in the indigenous health system leaders from indigenous organizations and the COIAB network. https://en.mercopress.com/2020/09/05/indigenous-communities-in-brazil-equipped-with-a-covid-19-alert-to-keep-track-of-the-pandemic 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC Australia says it will secure almost 85 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine if two promising trials prove successful. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country had struck two deals that would allow free doses to be rolled out in 2021 if they were approved for use. Mr Morrison estimated the cost to be A1.7bn 0.9bn 1.24bn. Australias 25 million people could begin receiving doses from January but there were no guarantees he said. However the agreement puts Australia at the top of the queue if our medical experts give the vaccines the green light the prime minister said. One vaccine is from Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca while the other is a local one from the University of Queensland and CSL https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-54052430 6th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Indian pharmaceutical companies will be among the largest producers of a coronavirus vaccine once it is available and will ensure supplies to friendly nations in the neighborhood said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. Indias relations with Nepal Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have never been better contrary to impressions Shringla said Friday at a foreign policy seminar in New Delhi. The South Asian nation which is engaged in a border confrontation with China since early May continues to remain open to dialog with Beijing he said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-04/india-to-make-covid-19-vaccine-available-to-friendly-neighbors 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Nature.com As scientists edge closer to creating a vaccine against the SARSCoV2 coronavirus Indian pharmaceutical companies are front and centre in the race to supply the world with an effective product. But researchers worry that even with Indias experience as a vaccine manufacturer its companies will struggle to produce enough doses sufficiently fast to bring its own huge outbreak under control. On top of that it will be an immense logistical challenge to distribute the doses to people in rural and remote regions. Indian drug companies are major manufacturers of vaccines distributed worldwide particularly those for lowincome countries supplying more than 60 of vaccines supplied to the developing world. Because of this they are likely to gain early access to any COVID19 vaccine that works says Sahil Deo cofounder of Indias CPC Analytics in Pune which is studying vaccine distribution in the country. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02507-x 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Lancet Experts have questioned shortcomings and lack of clarity in vital registration testing practices and classification of COVID19 deaths. Patralekha Chatterjee reports from New Delhi. India has had 36 million cases of COVID19 the third most in the world after the USA and Brazil with 65288 officially confirmed deaths from the disease as of Sept 1 2020. The Indian Government says that the national recovery rate has reached 77 and the case fatality rate is down to 18 due to timely and effective clinical management of the patients in critical care according to an official statement on Aug 30. However experts who spoke with The Lancet have pointed to several sources of uncertainty in Indias COVID19 mortality data. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31857-2/fulltext 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail A nineyearold boy has been admitted to Monash Hospital with a rare disease. PIMSTS is a potentially deadly COVIDrelated illness which effects children The young boy is the first patient in Australia to contract the mysterious illness https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8699741/Nine-year-old-boy-Australian-struck-rare-COVID-related-illness.html 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

ABC News A rare inflammatory condition found in children and associated with COVID19 has emerged in Australia with one case confirmed so far. The illness known as Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome PIMSTS was first recorded in areas with large coronavirus outbreaks overseas earlier this year. The condition is mentioned alongside Kawasaki disease which is also rare and potentially severe because it has similar symptoms. Experts stress the illness is very rare but the emergence of the condition earlier this year and the deaths of children overseas has prompted concerns. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-04/pims-ts-kawasaki-covid-19-children-disease-australia-explained/12627610 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail Wastewater testing has found traces of coronavirus in South Australias sewage. The state recorded one new case for the first time in 12 days on Saturday. Victorian woman tried to travel through Adelaide Airport to Alice Springs. She tested positive to coronavirus in hotel quarantine late on Friday evening https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8700525/Coronavirus-South-Australias-sewage-state-records-case-12-days.html 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

PR Newswire.com Reparixin inhibits the action of interleukin 8 IL8 one of the inflammatory signaling proteins that is thought to be associated with the lung injury seen in patients with SARSCoV2 infection. Consequently this action is aimed to be useful in the treatment of COVID19 pneumonia patients. The treatment is based on Reparixin oral tablets 1200 mg TID till 21 days in case of confirmed improvement after 7 days. REPAVID19 will enroll 48 for Phase 2 111 for Phase 3 with severe COVID19 pneumonia randomized 21 in the Phase 2 and the results will inform the study design for the Phase 3. The study involves a minimum of 10 Brazilian centers. Following successful completion of Phase 2 Domp has prepared a rapid transition into a Phase 3 program to begin once data from Phase 2 are positively evaluated and to be extended to multiple US centers. https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/covid-19-brazilian-health-regulatory-agency-anvisa-authorizes-dompe-s-repavid-19-a-phase-2-clinical-trial-for-treatment-of-severe-patients-807595621.html 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP In global COVID19 developments Brazil passed the 4millioncase mark and World Health Organization WHO officials said more developed countries have joined the COVAX initiative a promising sign for a tool designed to support vaccine development and allocate doses fairly. The global total today climbed to 26427137 cases and 870948 people have died from their infections according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/09/brazils-covid-19-total-tops-4-million-global-vaccine-plan-gains-steam 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters UK Seven months after Brazil declared a state of emergency because of the new coronavirus pandemic the countrys Health Ministry has distributed less than a third of the 22.9 million available RTPCR test kits O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper reported on Friday. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-brazil-idUKKBN25V1OY 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Channel NewsAsia Singapore Once COVID19 vaccines become available Singapores approach will be to protect those at higher risk or people who may be more likely to be exposed to infection said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Friday Sep 4. He was responding to a question from Member of Parliament Murali Pillai on what the Governments strategy is for vaccinating Singaporeans and residents. MP Ang Wei Neng had also asked what the countrys COVID19 vaccine plans are. In his written reply Mr Gan said Our vaccination approach aims to protect individuals who are more vulnerable or at higher risk from the disease as well as those who may be more likely exposed to infection while progressively expanding the coverage of vaccination to our population. Mr Gan noted that the vaccination strategy and schedule would depend on several factors including the suitability of different vaccines for different groups as well as the quantity of vaccines available. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-vaccine-singapore-high-risk-groups-priority-13083220 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Huffington Post UK Two earlyphase Russian coronavirus vaccine trials have produced promising results with participants experiencing no serious adverse effects and evidence of an antibody response. Controversy greeted the announcement last month that Russia had approved the worlds first Covid19 vaccine before it had completed final phase 3 clinical trials. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/russian-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-yields-promising-early-results_uk_5f520720c5b62b3add3ee117 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters UK U.S. drugmaker Pfizer should know in October if a Covid19 vaccine it is developing works CEO Albert Bourla said on Thursday Potentially placing it at the centre of a bitter U.S. presidential politics dispute ahead of the Nov 3 election. https://uk.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-drugs/update-2-pfizer-sees-covid-19-vaccine-data-in-thick-of-u-s-election-fight-idUKL8N2G04AV 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Indian Express A new study published in the journal JAMA Network suggests airborne transmission in a bus in China led to one infected individual spreading of COVID19 to 23 other fellow passengers. Analysing community transmission in Chinas Zhejiang province the study reports that 128 individuals took two buses on January 19 2020 60 in bus 1 and 68 in bus 2 on a 100 minute round trip to attend a 150minute worship event. The source patient was a passenger on bus 2 and both the buses had central air conditioners functioning in indoor recirculation mode. Among these 128 individuals 15 were men 113 were women with a mean age of 58.6 years. On bus 2 24 individuals turned out to be positive after the event while none of the individuals in bus 1 were affected. Seven others who turned positive after the outdoor event had all come close to the index patient. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/coronavirus-airborne-transmission-in-public-transport6583221/ 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The BMJ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC has told public health departments in all 50 US states and five large cities to get ready to distribute a covid19 vaccine by 1 November two days before the US presidential election on 3 November. President Donald Trump said on 27 August during the Republican convention that a vaccine might well be ready by the end of October. On the same day Robert Redfield head of the CDC sent the letter alerting public health departments.Health and human services secretary Alex Azar said in a television interview It has nothing to do with elections. This has to do with delivering safe effective vaccines to the American people as quickly as possible and saving peoples lives. Several public health experts including Anthony Fauci head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases previously said that it was more likely that a vaccine would be available in 2021. However Fauci said on 1 September that a vaccine might be available earlier if the independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board decides that the ongoing clinical trials show overwhelmingly positive results. On 3 September Moncef Slaoui the White Houses chief vaccine programme adviser said it was extremely unlikely but not impossible that a vaccine would be available by late October. https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3478 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Pharmacy Business Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche said Friday September 4it had received the green light in the United States for emergency use of a diagnostic test differentiating between coronavirus and influenza. Amid fears the flu season will place additional burdens on health system authorities are keen to see tests which can distinguish coronavirus from other seasonal illnesses notably flu. https://www.pharmacy.biz/us-backs-roches-covid-19-flu-differentiation-test/ 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP After news broke earlier this week that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked states to prepare for vaccine distribution as early as the end of October many skeptics feared the vaccine was being rushed as part of Trumps reelection campaign. There is a very very low chance that the trials that are running as we speak could read before the end of October and therefore there could beif all other conditions required for an emergency use authorization are met and approved said Moncef Slaoui PhD chief adviser for Operation Warp Speed in an interview with National Public Radio. I think its extremely unlikely but not impossible and therefore its the right thing to do to be prepared in case. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/09/us-officials-assure-covid-vaccine-decisions-wont-be-political 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Nature.com A wave of activism is sweeping US campuses that have reopened after their summer break amid the COVID19 crisis. Across the country university workers including faculty members and staff who teach in classrooms and laboratories and housekeeping staff who clean dormitories are pushing back against requirements that they show up on campus alongside undergraduates thereby they say risking their own health. One group has filed a lawsuit against the University of North Carolina UNC system which includes 16 institutions across the state claiming that the system has not provided a safe workplace for its staff. Others have staged protests including dieins in which demonstrators have simulated coronavirus deaths to demand remote classes and more COVID19 testing. In one case university faculty members passed a no confidence vote to indicate that their chancellor had neglected their concerns and botched the institutions reopening. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02557-1 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters UK A coronavirus vaccine that Sanofi is developing with GlaxoSmithKline is likely to be priced at less than 10 euros per shot if it is approved for use Sanofis chief in France said on Saturday. the price is not totally set...We are assessing production costs for the coming months...We will be below 10 euros Olivier Bogillot told France Inter radio https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-sanofi/sanofi-france-chief-future-covid-19-vaccine-seen-below-10-euros-idUKKBN25W0EO 5th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail US Surgeon General Dr Jerome Adams said it is not probable that a COVID19 vaccine will be ready by November 1 two days before the election. He said CDC guidance telling states to prepare for vaccinations to arrive by the end of October were sent so they are ready in case of an early approval. Vaccine czar Dr Moncef Slaoui told NPR there is a very very low chance of a shot being ready by Halloween and promised to resign if there is undue interference https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8698715/US-Surgeon-General-vaccine-czar-say-covid-shot-election-improbable.html 4th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Nature.com There are 321 confirmed COVID19 vaccine candidates 32 of which have already entered clinical trials. Plus Indias vaccine production paradox https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02563-3 4th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Times A coronavirus vaccine being developed by a partnership involving one of Britains biggest drug companies has begun human trials. Glaxosmithkline and Sanofi of France are enrolling 440 healthy adults in the trial at 11 locations in the United States to test the safety immune response and tolerability of the treatment. The results are expected as soon as early December which would be the cue for a larger latestage trial before the end of the year. If the trials are successful the companies plan to seek regulatory approval for the vaccine in the first half of next year. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/glaxo-and-sanofi-start-human-trials-in-the-us-of-coronavirus-vaccine-k6x23ns5c 4th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Atlantic The stairs have become my daily Everest. Just six months ago the steep climb to my fourthfloor walkup in Brooklyn was a nuisance only when I was carrying bags of groceries. Now every time I mount those 53 steps no matter how slowly even if Im emptyhanded my heart rate shoots up to marathonlevel. I can actually feel the thudthud in my throat. Sometimes I have to pause between landings to lie on the floor and stick my feet up in the air to avoid passing out. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/09/covid-19-heart-pots-myocarditis/616021/ 4th Sep 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters UK The technology institute fo the Brazilian state of Parana which has signed an agreement to produce Russias Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine said on Friday it plans to conduct Phase III trials on 10000 volunteers in Brazil at the start of next year https://in.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-brazil/brazils-tecpar-to-test-russian-covid-19-vaccine-on-10000-people-in-early-2021-idUKS0N2FM034 4th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

India.com As Indias tally of coronavirus cases crossed 4 million All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria asserted that the daily cases will continue to rise for some more months since the country is witnessing a second wave of Covid19 in some of the regions. https://www.india.com/news/india/covid-19-india-witnessing-second-wave-in-some-regions-claims-aiims-chief-says-pandemic-will-not-end-any-time-soon-4132050/ 5th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Indian Express With over 80000 cases and more than 1000 deaths for yet another day the Covid19 tally in India on Friday rose to 3936747 with 68.472 fatalities latest data by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare showed. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/coronavirus-india-unlock-4-0-live-news-updates-covid-19-corona-cases-deaths-vaccine-worldwide-today-update-6581331/ 5th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The New York Times The hit that Indias dreams have taken from the coronavirus pandemic can be found in the hushed streets of Surats industrial zone. You can see it in textile mills that took generations to build but are now sputtering eking out about a tenth of the fabric they used to make. You can see it in the lean faces of the families who used to sew the finishing touches on saris but with so little business are now cutting back on vegetables and milk. You can see it in the empty barbershops and mobile phone stores which shoppers have deserted as their meager savings dwindle to nothing. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/world/asia/india-economy-coronavirus.html 5th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Jakarta Post The percentage of child deaths per total COVID19 deaths is also high in Indonesia. Children accounted for 1.9 percent of all COVID19 deaths in which victims age were provided. Given the high share of children among COVID19 fatalities in the country concerns have been raised over the governments plan to allow more schools in lowrisk areas to reopen https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/09/03/indonesia-reports-higher-covid-19-death-rate-among-children-than-united-states.html 5th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

AlJazeera As people across the United States head into the Labor Day long weekend on Friday public health officials are warning not to make the same mistakes they did on previous holidays. The fear is that backyard parties crowded bars and other gatherings could lead to a surge in coronavirus cases across the country which has reported almost 6.2 million cases of the virus and about 187000 related deaths since the pandemic began. I look upon the Labor Day weekend really as a critical point said Dr Anthony Fauci the US governments top infectious disease expert. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/labour-day-weekend-coronavirus-200904194333394.html 5th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN More than 410000 people in the US could die from the coronavirus by January 1 more than doubling the current death toll a new model often cited by top health officials predicted Friday. That would mean 224000 more lives lost in the US over the next four months. https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/04/health/us-coronavirus-friday/index.html 5th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Financial Times The British government is worried about a rise in Covid19 hospital admissions in France and Spain concerned that young people could be infecting the more vulnerable. However health secretary Matt Hancock argued that the implementation of a package of protective measures such as social distancing could prevent a similar surge in cases from occurring in the UK. https://www.ft.com/content/aec7dc39-edae-4b0d-a7e3-bcfd4e688e40 5th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Local France The number of Covid19 patients being admitted to hospital intensive care units and dying are on the rise in France after another 7157 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. The number of new cases of the virus reported in France has been rising exponentially for several weeks now from around 500 cases per day in mid July to 7000 a day in recent days. However until last week although case numbers were rising sharply the number of people getting seriously ill or dying with the virus stayed stable prompting some to hope that the virus had weakened and become milder. But over the last week France has reported a small but steady growth in two key areas the number of Covid19 patients in intensive care and the number of people dying with the virus. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200904/covd-19-deaths-and-hospitalisations-in-france-begin-to-rise-again 5th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Sky News Twentytwo schools have been shut down in France and the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion due to coronavirus as cases soar in the country. More than 12 million pupils returned to classrooms in France on Tuesday but some parents and teachers unions have expressed concern over the reopening of schools as the spread of COVID19 accelerates. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-france-closes-22-schools-due-to-covid-19-as-country-records-europes-highest-daily-infection-rate-12063287 5th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Evening Standard France recorded almost 9000 new COVID19 cases on Friday setting a record since the beginning of the pandemic while more people were also hospitalised as a result of the disease. Health authorities said in a statement that there had been 8975 new confirmed cases almost 1500 higher than the previous March 31 daily peak of 7578 when France was in one of Europes strictest coronavirus lockdowns. The surge in parts of France which is partially due to increased testing has meant a dozen schools have been forced to close just days into the new academic year. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/france-coronavirus-cases-daily-record-a4540896.html 5th Sep 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

AlJazeera Medical school graduates and health workers have protested in Iraqs capital over a shortage of equipment to tackle COVID19 and also a lack of jobs. Coronavirus cases have risen with a record 5000 new infections on Friday. The health ministry says hospitals are overwhelmed with rising numbers. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/iraqis-protest-hospitals-overwhelmed-covid-19-patients-200906162857773.html 5th Sep 2020

New Lockdown

The Guardian Daniel Andrews says Victorias roadmap out of coronavirus lockdown has not been finalised as government and health experts meet before the unveiling of the plan on Sunday. At his press conference on Saturday the Victorian premier announced 76 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths five of which were historical cases from recent days. In New South Wales five further cases were announced on Saturday as the Sydney CBD cluster grew to 61 while one additional case was recorded in Queensland and one in South Australia the states first case in 12 days. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/05/victoria-reports-76-coronavirus-cases-and-11-deaths-as-daniel-andrews-says-roadmap-not-yet-finalised 5th Sep 2020