11th Feb 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=197 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

7NEWS.com.au A ban on hotel quarantine security guards and other staff working second jobs in Western Australia is set to come into effect from next week. It comes as WA again recorded no new local COVID19 cases after a breach involving a hotel guard plunged more than two million people into lockdown last week. The guard who unwittingly roamed the streets of Perth while infectious had also been employed as a rideshare driver although authorities soon established that he had not worked in that job since becoming infected. https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/wa-bans-covid-hotel-staff-from-second-jobs-c-2134927 10th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Straits Times Australia is considering controversial plans to set up isolated rural quarantine camps for people entering from overseas as the country tries to plug the final gap in its efforts to combat Covid19. The proposal to relocate quarantine facilities away from hotels in dense city centres was first raised by the state of Queensland which imposed a threeday lockdown in Brisbane after a cleaner at a quarantine hotel in the capital was infected with the contagious British strain of the virus. Following the lockdown the states Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk proposed setting up quarantine accommodation at mining camps in regional centres such as Toowoomba and Gladstone. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/australia-considers-plan-to-quarantine-arrivals-in-isolated-rural-camps 10th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

NEWS.com.au Australias COVID19 success is the envy of the world with just 909 deaths more than 12 months after the deadly pandemic first reached our shores. That feat has been breathlessly praised by the international media with the Washington Post reporting in November that we had almost eliminated the coronavirus by putting faith in science and The New York Times celebrating the fact our short sharp responses have repeatedly subdued the virus and allowed a return to near normalcy. It is undeniably a cause for celebration given how seriously the pandemic has devastated other nations with the death toll in the US alone rapidly approaching 465000. https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/coronavirus-lockdowns-costing-australian-economy-millions/news-story/f9067f4694f0acf048aa609e1a0d9613 10th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

koreatimes.co.kr New Zealand announced Wednesday it has approved use of the PfizerBioNTech COVID19 vaccine. Chris Hipkins the COVID19 response minister told reporters during a press conference that the New Zealand Cabinet has confirmed formal approval for the administration of the vaccine developed jointing between U.S. pharmaceutical Pfizer and German biotech BioNTech. The approval came a week after Medsafe the archipelago nations medical regulator gave the vaccine provisional approval. Hipkins said the Cabinet signed off for the vaccine to be administered to those 16 years of age and older and that information about the vaccine including common side effects such as fever muscle pain and fatigue be provided. Patients undergoing some therapies should not receive the inoculation while pregnant women are being advised to discuss the vaccines pros and cons with their physician he said. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/world/2021/02/683_303933.html 10th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters New Zealand will first administer COVID19 vaccines to quarantine personnel front line health workers and airline staff COVID19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said as the government formally approved its use on Wednesday. New Zealands medicines regulator last week provisionally approved the use of the COVID19 vaccine jointly developed by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc and Germanys BioNTech. Now weve reached the crucial stage of approval for the first vaccine we are in a much better position to start having a conversation with New Zealanders about how we plan to proceed Hipkins said in a statement. Authorities expect the Pfizer vaccine to arrive in the country by endMarch but they had expressed concerns about export curbs. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-newzealand/new-zealand-to-inoculate-high-risk-people-first-as-covid-19-vaccine-gets-full-approval-idUSKBN2AA04L 10th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Making the Olympics safe from coronavirus will be difficult for Tokyo without stiff quarantine measures that will also inspire athletes and spectators with the confidence to attend events Australias top tennis official said on Wednesday. The Japanese capital is expected to welcome 11000 athletes at the end of July when it holds the summer Games postponed from last year because of the virus but is not currently considering wholesale quarantine for them. Speaking on the sidelines of the Australian Open the first major Grand Slam event to host crowds the chief executive of Tennis Australia said his experience of organising the contest suggested the Olympics needed rigorous quarantine measures. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-ausopen-olympics-idUSKBN2AA0ZU 10th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The Australian state of Victoria stepped back on Wednesday from plans to let more people return from abroad each week following a cluster of cases linked to a hotel at Melbourne Airport used for quarantining arrivals from overseas. Eight COVID19 infections were linked the hotel after two more people one a guest in quarantine and the other a worker tested positive in the past 24 hours state authorities said. The remaining guests were transferred to another hotel to serve their quarantine and more than 100 workers were also placed in quarantine authorities said. Everyone arriving in Australia has faced a mandatory 14day quarantine period at a hotel including tennis players competing in the Australian Open tournament that got underway in Melbourne earlier this week. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/australias-victoria-keeps-cap-on-arrivals-after-cluster-at-quarantine-hotel-idUSKBN2AA0CN 10th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

9News.com.au A highpowered international businessman who landed in Adelaide from COVIDstricken France will quarantine at a suburban home instead of a medihotel. He has been granted an exemption by authorities. PierreEric Pommellet is the global CEO of Naval Group the company contracted to build Australias submarines in South Australia. https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-french-ceo-allowed-to-quarantine-outside-medi-hotel-in-adelaide/264d2dc1-7b1e-4383-b541-6f7fdad420df 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Bahrain has authorised Russias Sputnik V COVID19 vaccine for emergency use Bahrain TVs twitter account said on Wednesday. Bahrain already uses the PfizerBioNTech vaccine one manufactured by Chinese statebacked pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm and the OxfordAstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-bahrain-vaccine-int-idUSKBN2AA1GW 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Sky News South Africa wants to swap a 500000dose order of the AstraZeneca vaccine for a different treatment. The COVID jabs have yet to arrive in the country but the health minister said he hoped to arrange an exchange or even sell the treatment on. It comes as scientists advising the World Health Organisation have recommended the use of the AstraZenecaOxford vaccine in adults of all ages. South African officials have suspended the rollout of the jab in their country after a small trial suggested it may offer less protection against the variant that originated there. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-south-africa-wants-to-swap-500000-dose-astrazeneca-order-for-another-vaccine-12214352 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Independent Former President Barack Obama took to Twitter Tuesday to urge Americans especially Black Americans to get the coronavirus vaccine as soon as they are eligible. Mr Obama addressed misinformation about the vaccine and asked Americans to trust the science behind the drugs. There is a lot of disinformation out there but heres the truth You should get a Covid vaccine as soon as its available to you. It could save your lifeor a loved ones Mr Obama wrote on the tweet. His tweet included a link to a New York Times opinion piece that included 60 Black health experts warning Americans about vaccine disinformation and the importance of the drugs in the fight against the coronavirus. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/barack-obama-black-americans-covid-vaccine-b1799982.html 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Financial Times The NHS is planning a mass campaign of booster jabs against new variants of coronavirus as early as the autumn in what the vaccines minister suggested would become an annual effort to prevent Covid19 as the virus keeps mutating. Highstreet pharmacists and retired doctors who were not enlisted in the first phase of the vaccination programme could be involved in the effort to protect the UK against new strains according to people familiar with the logistics. Nadhim Zahawi the vaccines minister told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show that the government was expecting annual inoculations to take place every autumn in much the same way as fluprevention adding Where you look at what variant of virus is spreading around the world you rapidly produce a variant of vaccine and then begin to vaccinate and protect the nation. https://www.ft.com/content/26b256d0-d021-46ac-ae3d-e3ea823c033d 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

ABC.Net.au European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has acknowledged failings in the EUs approval and rollout of COVID19 vaccines. She was speaking to MEPs in the European Parliament following criticism of the slow rollout of vaccines and a plan to curb exports that initially sought to set up a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland causing an outcry in London and Dublin. And yet it is a fact that we are not today where we want to be in the fight against the virus she said. We were late with the approval. We were too optimistic on mass production. And perhaps we were also too certain that the orders would actually be delivered on time. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-10/eu-not-where-it-wants-to-be-in-coronavirus-vaccine-fight/13142124 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail Nearly onethird of U.S. adults say they are not likely to get a coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available to them a new poll suggests. Conducted by The Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research the report found that 67 percent of Americans plan to get vaccine or have already done so. However 15 percent are certain they will not get the jab and 17 percent said they probably will not. Many expressed doubts about the vaccines safety and effectiveness suggesting that substantial skepticism persists more than a month and a half into the U.S. vaccination drive that has encountered few side effects. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9245289/AP-NORC-poll-A-US-adults-skeptical-COVID-shots.html 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News NI must tread carefully when it comes to easing the coronavirus lockdown and some restrictions may remain in place long term Robin Swann has said. The health minister said that despite progress with vaccinations serious uncertainties remain about the future. His comments came amid warnings from health officials that some restrictions could remain in place until next year. If we want a better spring and summer we need to make the utmost effort now added Mr Swann. Northern Ireland reentered lockdown on 26 December as hospitals faced severe pressures in managing a third wave of the virus. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-56011762 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Sky News The prime minister has raised the prospect of people getting a coronavirus vaccine booster jab in the autumn. Boris Johnson said the move would likely be required as the UK battles the emergence of new variants of COVID19. I think were going to have to get used to the idea of vaccinating and then revaccinating in the autumn as we come to face these new variants he told the Commons during PMQs. Mr Johnson said a deal with pharmaceutical firm CureVac for 50 million doses would help in developing vaccines to respond at scale to new variants of the virus. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-boris-johnson-says-well-have-to-get-used-to-idea-of-autumn-booster-jabs-12214246 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News In Britain a maximum 10year jail term for lying about recent travel history has been defended by the government. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the British public would expect pretty strong action and the maximum sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime. It was criticised by former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption who said lower tariffs exist for sex offences. From Monday people arriving in England from red list countries must isolate for 10 days in hotels costing 1750. It follows concerns that existing vaccines being rolled out in the UK may struggle to control new virus variants identified around the world. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56007798 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Financial Times The travel industry has criticised the UK government after ministers warned it was too soon for Britons to book holidays at home or abroad. Grant Shapps transport secretary said on Wednesday that people should not book holidays internationally or domestically until there was a clearer plan for exiting lockdown due to be announced by prime minister Boris Johnson later in February. Britons should do nothing at this stage he said adding that under current lockdown restricitons anyone in the UK is currently banned from leaving the country for a holiday. https://www.ft.com/content/96b59a7a-e981-411a-a449-01c6c1b745c8 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Evening Standard A cautious reopening of schools from March 8 can be done without sparking another wave of Covid19 researchers said today. The findings raise hope that Boris Johnson will be able to proceed with an easing of the lockdown from next month. The Prime Minister is due to set out his roadmap on February 22 with the reopening of schools said to be a priority. Experts from University College London Oxford university and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine say there is tentative evidence that it will be safe to start reopening schools with the best option being to start with primary schools and secondary pupils in exam years. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/schools-safe-reopen-march-uk-remains-lockdown-covid-b919259.html 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Guardian The UK currently has no plan to eliminate coronavirus from our shores. Lockdown will minimise contacts and protect the NHS. Rapid distribution of vaccines will protect the vulnerable until all adults receive the vaccine in the longer term. Then we can treat the virus like seasonal flu with booster doses to protect against new variants. At Mondays press briefing the deputy chief medical officer for England Jonathan VanTam confirmed as much. So the national strategy has not changed. In early February 2020 UK advisers on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies Sage against World Health Organization advice took the view that coronavirus like influenza could not be stopped. Ignoring UK coronavirus experts and effective country responses in Asia they followed the rulebook for pandemic influenza. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/10/support-self-isolation-uk-covid-vaccination-effort-virus-replicate-mutations-vaccines 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Peru launched its COVID19 vaccination campaign on Tuesday with newly arrived doses of Chinas Sinopharm vaccine as the South American country struggles to control a fierce second wave of infections that has forced a lockdown in the capital Lima. Peruvian President Francisco Sagasti was vaccinated later in the day and urged vaccine skeptics to get inoculated. A survey by Ipsos Peru last month showed 48 of Peruvians would refuse to be vaccinated citing fears of side effects. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-peru-vaccine/update-1-the-best-shield-peru-launches-inoculation-drive-with-sinopharm-vaccine-idUSL1N2KG019 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters British people should not book a holiday domestically or abroad until more is known about the success of Britains COVID19 vaccination programme transport minister Grant Shapps said on Wednesday. Under new border restrictions people arriving from countries where coronavirus variants are spreading will have to pay for 10 days of quarantine in hotels. Anyone who breaks the rules could face a heavy fine or a 10year jail term. Addressing the shrinking chance that anyone was considering booking a holiday Shapps said it would be the wrong thing to do as going on holiday is illegal under current restrictions he said. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-shapps/not-yet-clear-whether-britons-can-take-holidays-this-year-minister-idUSKBN2AA0PY 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Cambodia launched its coronavirus inoculation drive on Wednesday using 600000 vaccine doses donated by China with the sons of longserving Prime Minister Hun Sen and government ministers among the first recipients. The Southeast Asian nation of about 16 million has managed to limit the spread of the disease reporting just 478 infections and no deaths although a rare cluster of cases emerged in November. Hun Sen had vowed to take the first dose but later said that at 68 he was above the age to get the vaccine made by Sinopharm. His sons and the justice and environment ministers were among the first to get it instead. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-cambodia-vaccine/cambodia-launches-covid-19-vaccinations-with-shots-for-pms-sons-ministers-idUSKBN2AA0D0 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Millions of people in Japan will not receive Pfizers coronavirus vaccine as planned due to a shortage of specialist syringes an oversight that could frustrate the countrys inoculation programme. Standard syringes in use in Japan are unable to extract the sixth and final dose from each vial manufactured by the US drugmaker according to the health minister Norihisa Tamura. Japan has secured 144m shots of the Pfizer vaccine enough for 72 million people on the assumption that each vial contained six doses. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/10/japan-pfizer-vaccine-doses-wrong-syringes?utm_term=Autofeed&ampCMP=twt_gu&amputm_medium&amputm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1612930967 10th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

STAT News As Covid19 vaccines are being rolled out across the U.S. Americans seem to be heaving a collective sigh of relief. Yes it will take months to get the vaccine to everyone. Yes there were tremendous gaps in the Trump administrations plans to distribute the vaccines including promising doses that didnt exist. But it seems as if there is light at the end of the tunnel. As long as we maintain social distancing keep wearing masks and washing our hands it feels to many as though we can hold on until we get vaccinated. Im sorry to be writing the words that follow but here they are We cant vaccinate our way out of this pandemic. And the myopic focus on achieving herd immunity through mass vaccination may even make it tougher for America and the world to defeat Covid19. https://www.statnews.com/2021/02/10/vaccines-alone-wont-end-pandemic/ 10th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

Leeds Live Leeds residents have spoken out on their refusal to take the coronavirus vaccine once offered to them. A recent Leeds health watch survey found that only 77 per cent of people in the city would take the coronavirus vaccine Leeds City Council has confirmed. In a press briefing held by Leeds City Council on last week to update the public on the citys continuing fight against Covid19 the council confirmed it has now vaccinated over 100000 people in Leeds. The Covid19 vaccine has gone through rigorous testing to ensure it is safe with extensive studies taking place before they are rolled out for public use. Approval for the vaccines we have are only given if the regulatory body is happy. Its an extremely regulated and safe process. https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/leeds-vaccine-refusers-speak-theyve-19805312 10th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

Forbes Some 23 of Republicans said they would definitely not get vaccinated while another 21 said they probably wont get the Covid19 vaccine when it is made available to them. Four in ten noncollege graduates also say they definitely or probably wont get immunized. Only 7 of Democrats said they would refuse to be vaccinated with 82 having already been vaccinated or planning to do so. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/02/10/nearly-1-in-4-republicans-definitely-wont-get-covid-19-vaccine-survey-finds/ 10th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

BBC News Care home staff were not given personal protective equipment PPE early in the pandemic because the government prioritised the NHS MPs have said. The Commons Public Accounts Committee said care homes received only a fraction of the PPE needed. Between March and July 2020 the Department of Health and Social Care provided NHS trusts with 1.9 billion items of PPE the equivalent to 80 of estimated need. The adult social care sector was given 331 million items just 10 of its need. At the same time about 25000 patients were discharged to care homes from hospitals without being tested for Covid19. Last month our political editor Laura Kuenssberg interviewed a care home owner who said Covid hit the home like a missile last year. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56006745 10th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

Washington Post While thousands of families grieved the loss of loved ones and the United States coronavirus death toll surpassed 350000 in early January and continued to rise a film parroting false claims about the pandemic began to spread to millions of social media users. The video called Planet Lockdown racked up more than 20 million views and engagements according to the social media monitoring tool CrowdTangle in late December and January. It went largely unnoticed by the social media platforms playing host to the misinformation until the liberal media watchdog group Media Matters for America published a detailed accounting of the films spread on Monday. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/02/10/planet-lockdown-coronavirus-facebook-youtube/ 10th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

Wales Online A senior Conservative MP has accused the Government of ripping out the goalposts on the timetable for lifting coronavirus restrictions in England. Sir Charles Walker the vice chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee criticised Transport Secretary Grant Shapps for his comments advising against booking holidays. Asked if he thought the goalposts had been moved he told BBC Radio 4s The World At One programme They have not so much moved as been ripped out and carried off to another playing field. It is just not acceptable behaviour. This is becoming an extended exercise in almost studied and deliberate cruelty for a nation now that is increasingly anxious and under pressure. People need to see their children they need to see their parents they need to see the people that they love they need to have something to look forward to. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/exercise-deliberate-cruelty-senior-tory-19810504 10th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

Daily Mail Professor Ferguson a former Sage adviser urged ministers to learn lessons He added face masks and social distancing would likely be in place all year Extop adviser was sacked after breaking social distancing to see married lover https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9244711/Britain-locked-late-autumn-Professor-Neil-Ferguson-says.html 10th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

POLITICO.eu Protests against the German governments coronavirus restrictions led to an increase in infections toward the end of the year a study published on Tuesday has found. Since the summer Germany has seen several major demonstrations against coronavirus measures with participants often not respecting socialdistancing and maskwearing rules. The study by the Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research ZEW and the Humboldt University of Berlin looked at two rallies organized by the socalled Querdenken group in November 2020 in Berlin which attracted more than 10000 people and in Leipzig which was attended by some 20000 people. https://www.politico.eu/article/anti-corona-restrictions-protests-responsible-for-coronavirus-outbreak-study-shows/ 10th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

FRANCE 24 Health care workers in Bolivias region worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic began a 48hour strike on Tuesday to demand a lockdown to battle the rise in infections. Emergency services and hospitals attending Covid19 patients are not striking but all other specialist medical care has been suspended said Luis Aguilera the regions medical college president. Our leaders have not listened to the request to reduce the Covid19 epidemiological curve said Aguilera who is demanding a regionwide lockdown. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210209-doctors-on-strike-in-bolivia-to-force-coronavirus-lockdown 10th Feb 2021

Continued Lockdown

The Independent German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the country s 16 state governors are to decide Wednesday whether to extend a lockdown beyond midFebruary as overall infection numbers are declining but concern is high over cases of new variants. Germanys second lockdown began in November and was extended and toughened before Christmas as numbers of COVID19 patients threatened to overwhelm hospitals. It is set to end on Feb. 14 but authorities are expected to extend it again keeping bars restaurants and most stores closed among other things. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/merkel-state-governors-to-decide-on-lockdown-extension-angela-merkel-lockdown-country-cases-ap-b1800183.html 10th Feb 2021

Continued Lockdown

CNBC A draft document emerged early Wednesday outlining plans between Chancellor Angela Merkel and state officials to maintain the lockdown. The reopening of schools is a priority for the German leadership although the countrys federal system means that individual states are expected to be able to decide how to do this. The reopening of shops and hotels could begin next month in areas where the infection rate is low too. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/10/germany-lockdown-on-concerns-over-new-coronavirus-variants.html 10th Feb 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Germany will extend restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus until March 7 though schools and hair salons may open sooner Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of the 16 federal states agreed on Wednesday. The number of new daily infections in Germany has been falling prompting some regional leaders to push for a timetable to ease the lockdown which has been in place since midDecember. But concerns are growing about the impact of more infectious variants of the virus on case numbers. There is a lot of uncertainty around the mutants and it is clear they will gain the upper hand.... That is why we have to get the case numbers down down down Merkel told journalists in a news conference. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-idUSKBN2AA0VJ 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times Official data from the UKs vaccination campaign show that a single dose of the BioNTechPfizer jab offers good protection against Covid19 boosting the governments approach of extending the gap between doses. Although not enough evidence is available to draw definitive conclusions about the impact of the vaccination campaign on deaths and hospitalisations several people with access to government data said indications showed it was reducing cases in the groups prioritised to receive the jab. https://www.ft.com/content/eb311423-dd2f-48f8-af57-8d8f0103c313 11th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Wired.co.uk In each warm body it infects the virus behind Covid19 has the potential to change. It can become more deadly more transmissible or more resistant to the vaccines on which we are all pinning so much hope. Mercifully the biology of SarsCoV2 means that such changes happen slowly and almost always fail to catch on. But mutations like pandemics are a numbers game. Every new person infected provides another opportunity for the virus to adopt a new form. So far SarsCoV2 has infected at least 106 million people worldwide and taken on many thousands of mutations. Most of those changes are slow and inconsequential evolutionary dead ends that nobody will ever realise existed. But in some people the virus hits the jackpot. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/chronic-infection-uk-coronavirus-variant 11th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Scotsman on MSN.com New data gathered by researchers in Israel suggests that the PfizerBioNTech Covid vaccine is reducing the viral load of the virus. Israel has already vaccinated around one in three residents after beginning its vaccine deployment program on 20 December. According to a paper which was published on Monday 8 Feb positive test results of patients aged 60 and over had up to 60 per cent smaller viral loads on the swab compared to the 40 to 59 age group. The paper explains that this is because by this point at least 14 days have passed since more than 75 per cent of the over60s age group received their first dose in comparison to the 25 per cent of 40 to 60 year olds. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/medical/pfizerbiontech-vaccine-could-reduce-covid-19-viral-load-what-it-means/ar-BB1dyHo7 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg on MSN.com Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is in talks with Covid19 vaccine makers about helping to produce and distribute shots as demand rises for immunizations. The generic drug giant is offering to dedicate its manufacturing capacity in the U.S. Europe and beyond to aid with massimmunization efforts geared at combating the pandemic Chief Executive Officer Kare Schultz said Wednesday. We have a large worldwide network of manufacturing capabilities from creating underlying drug substances to putting solutions into sterile vials known as the fillfinish process he said in an interview. There are a limited number of facilities that can do this kind of manufacturing and it takes time to build them. https://www.msn.com/en-us/finance/companies/teva-is-in-discussions-to-help-make-covid-19-vaccines-ceo-says/ar-BB1dzrIH 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent Coronaviruses similar to that which causes Covid19 may be circulating in bats and pangolins in Southeast Asia a study has found. In a breakthrough that provides clues for those investigating the origin of the pandemic scientists said high levels of neutralising antibodies against coronaviruses were present in the animals in Thailand. A team from Singapores DukeNUS Medical School found SARSCoV2 the virus that causes Covid19 neutralising antibodies in Rhinolophus bats in a Thai cave and in a pangolin at a wildlife checkpoint in the south of the country. The findings published in the journal Nature Communications indicate more coronaviruses are likely to be discovered across Southeast Asia which has a large and diverse bat population the researchers said. Such viruses have now been found across a wide expanse measuring 4800 km from Japan and China to Thailand. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/coronavirus-covid-bat-pangolin-china-b1800344.html 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Forbes In a study of more than 1 million people in England between June 2020 and January 2021 researchers identified chills loss of appetite headaches and muscle aches as additional symptoms linked with having Covid19. Some symptoms vary by age with headaches most reported in children and teens between 517 years old who are less likely to report classic Covid19 symptoms and adults over 55 reporting appetite loss. https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/02/10/study-links-four-new-symptoms-to-covid-19-infection-including-headaches-and-loss-of-appetite/ 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent US government researchers have found wearing two masks was better than one when preventing the spread of Covid19 according to a Centres for Disease Control and Prevention CDC study. In a lab experiment two artificial heads were placed six feet from each other and studied on how many coronavirussized particles were expelled and inhalled while wearing a variety of face coverings. Researchers found that wearing one mask either cloth or surgical prevented 40 per cent of incoming droplets from being breathed in. When adding a surgical mask underneath a cloth mask 80 per cent of incoming droplets were stopped. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/cdc-study-finds-two-masks-are-better-than-one-vs-covid19-masks-researchers-cdc-masks-us-b1800437.html 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian on MSN.com AstraZeneca has unveiled plans to build a new Covid19 vaccine manufacturing facility in partnership with IDT Biologika at the German firms Dessau site in a move aiming to speed up production and defuse a row with the EU over vaccine supply. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/astrazeneca-to-build-new-covid-19-vaccine-facility-in-germany/ar-BB1dzxz9 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC News The risk of coronavirus transmission from sharing sports equipment is lower than once thought a study suggests. Researchers led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine applied live virus particles to nine types of sports equipment and a control material. They concluded it seems unlikely that sports balls and accessories are a major cause for transmission. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last June that cricket balls are a natural vector of coronavirus. The Strike study found the virus was least transferrable on absorbent materials like cricket gloves and tennis balls compared with nonporous equipment like racing saddles and rugby balls. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56007908 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The BMJ I want to set the record straight about some serious misinformation surrounding covid19 death certification and mortality statistics. I will paraphrase some of the claims that I have heard repeatedly in the media People are not dying from but with covid19. Deaths classified as from covid19 result from largely false positive polymerase chain reaction PCR test results deaths are mostly from other causes and underlying conditions death numbers are grossly inflated there is no excess mortality compared with other years or months and this is no different from a normal flu season. Lets see shall we According to the Office for National Statistics ONS the total number of deaths with covid19 recorded on the death certificate in England and Wales has now passed 100000. The governments daily press releases however report deaths within 28 days of a positive test resulta definition repeated faithfully by broadcast and print journalists and on social media. This approach probably underrecognises the real number of deaths from covid19 by around 20. https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n352 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

EL PAS in English The Covid vaccine made by AstraZeneca will for now only be administered to essential workers in Spain including teachers law enforcement officers firefighters and members of the armed forces but not supermarket workers. Although the treatment has been approved by European authorities for anyone over the age of 18 the Spanish government is taking a conservative approach first it ruled out people over 80 years of age then it further reduced the target group to those under 55. And on Tuesday a committee of experts advising the National Healthcare System established that individuals under 55 with certain preexisting medical conditions will also be left out at least during the initial phase. https://english.elpais.com/spanish_news/2021-02-10/in-spain-patients-with-serious-conditions-left-out-of-astrazeneca-early-vaccination.html 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times A muchanticipated inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic wrapped up its mission in China on Tuesday with no breakthrough discovery as investigators ruled out a theory that Covid19 came from a lab while failing to identify which animal may have passed it to humans. It remains unclear which species first transmitted Covid19 to humans said Liang Wannian who headed up the Chinese contingent of an inquiry carried out jointly with World Health Organization experts. The WHO mission which China repeatedly delayed was dogged by fears of a whitewash with the US demanding a robust probe into the origins of the pandemic in late 2019 and China firing back with a warning not to politicise the investigation. During the closely monitored mission which included a visit to an exhibition celebrating Chinas recovery reporters were largely kept at arms length from the experts. https://www.ft.com/content/e7f1d6a7-d56e-423f-a7c8-0803af9a6f02 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

IBTimes UK A muchanticipated inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic wrapped up its mission in China on Tuesday with no breakthrough discovery as investigators ruled out a theory that Covid19 came from a lab while failing to identify which animal may have passed it to humans. https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/covid-origins-still-mystery-who-china-probe-ends-1687801 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters UK Israels swift vaccination rollout has made it the largest realworld study of Pfizer Incs COVID19 vaccine. Results are trickling in and they are promising. More than half of eligible Israelis about 3.5 million people have now been fully or partially vaccinated. Older and atrisk groups the first to be inoculated are seeing a dramatic drop in illnesses. Among the first fullyvaccinated group there was a 53 reduction in new cases a 39 decline in hospitalizations and a 31 drop in severe illnesses from midJanuary until Feb. 6 said Eran Segal data scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot Israel. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-israel-results-insigh-idUSKBN2AA0N0 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Cincinnati Enquirer on MSN.com Ohio will add as many as 4000 previously unreported COVID19 deaths to the states tally during the next week after the Ohio Department of Health discovered reporting errors dating back to October. Most of these deaths occurred in November and December the agency said in a news release already the deadliest two months of the pandemic with 1574 and 2859 deaths respectively. The correction will result in a few days of higherthanaverage death totals the agency warned. The actual date of death will be reflected on the states coronavirus dashboard. https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/ohio-underreported-as-many-as-4000-covid-19-deaths/ar-BB1dAaeM 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times The World Health Organization has recommended the OxfordAstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for use worldwide by all adults including the elderly in a boost for the jab after a series of setbacks. The WHOs Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization Sage said the vaccine could be used by all people over the age of 18 in all countries including places such as South Africa where the circulation of new variants had raised some concerns over its efficacy. Some countries such as France and Sweden have restricted use of the shot to younger adults citing a lack of sufficient trial data for the elderly but WHO officials stressed on Wednesday that not all nations had a choice of which vaccine to use. https://www.ft.com/content/be33aa38-5eff-4069-b104-ba7bdb735c72 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times AstraZeneca has enlisted German drug manufacturer IDT Biologika to help boost production of its Covid19 vaccine and tackle supply shortages in Europe. Relations between the EU and AstraZeneca deteriorated after the pharma group announced last month that it would fall far short on its promise to deliver the bloc at least 100m doses of the vaccine developed with Oxford university in the first quarter. AstraZeneca has since revised its firstquarter delivery forecast up from 31m to 40m doses and announced that it would expand manufacturing capacity in Europe. https://www.ft.com/content/f654d813-5c4c-4d86-827f-c6a73eea9a30 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Washington Post Not long ago talk of the Russianmade coronavirus vaccine provoked mockery. Theres no way in hell the U.S. tries this on monkeys let alone people a Trump administration official told CNN in August referring to initial reports about Russias development of the Sputnik V drug which bypassed traditional steps in testing before its release. Even at home where a history of political opacity and bureaucratic incompetence has left a lingering distrust of authority many ordinary Russians shied away from getting the jab once it was made available to the public in December. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/02/10/russia-sputnik-vaccine-underestimated/ 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC released new data showing the fit of face masksboth cloth and surgicalcan significantly reduce COVID19 transmission by as much as 96.5 if both infected and uninfected people wear them properly. What we know now is everyone needs to be wearing a mask when they are in public or inside with people from outside their households said Rochelle Walensky MD director of the CDC during a press briefing today. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/02/feds-focus-mask-upgrades-covid-19-vaccine-sites 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP The World Health Organization WHO vaccine advisory group today recommended the AstraZenecaOxford vaccine for emergency use a key development that clears the way for lower and middleincome countries to receive their first deliveries from the COVAX program. In other global developments the WHO said in a weekly update that overall cases and deaths show more signs of decline a promising development though cases are rising in some nations and more countries are reporting the detection of variant SARSCoV2 viruses. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/02/who-advisors-recommend-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-emergency-use 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP Residents of US nursing homes with more than 40 nonwhite residents died of COVID19 at 3.3 times the rate of those of those with higher proportions of white residents a study today in JAMA Network Open shows. Using the Nursing Home COVID19 Public File from the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services University of Chicago researchers found that nursing homes with the lowest shares of white residents reported a mean of 5.6 deaths compared with 1.7 in those with the highest proportions as of Sep 13 2020. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/02/covid-deaths-3-times-higher-nursing-homes-more-non-white-residents 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma BioNTech under pressure with its COVID19 vaccine partner Pfizer to manufacture as many doses as possible this year has started production at a former Novartis site it acquired in Germany. The drugmaker has started making messenger RNA at the site kicking off the manufacturing process for its Pfizerpartnered COVID19 vaccine. BioNTech expects to produce up to 250 million doses of its vaccine there in the first half of 2021 and up to 750 million doses annually when the site is fully online. The first vaccines produced there will be ready in early April BioNTech said. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/biontech-underway-mrna-production-at-former-novartis-site-marburg 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma Two weeks after Eli Lilly unveiled data showing its COVID19 antibody cocktail of bamlanivimab and etesevimab slashed the risk of death and hospitalization for highrisk patients the cocktail has won its emergency FDA authorization. Tuesday the FDA authorized the combo for patients who have mild to moderate cases of COVID19 but are at high risk of progressing to severe disease. The company and its manufacturing partner Amgen aim to produce up to 1 million doses of the cocktail by the middle of the year. In the trial of more than 1000 highrisk patients with newly diagnosed COVID19 just 11 patients who received the bamlanivimabetesevimab combo were hospitalized and none died. That compared with 36 hospitalizations and 10 deaths among placebo patients which translates into a 70 reduction in the risk of a COVID19 hospitalization or death. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/lilly-scores-fda-nod-for-covid-19-antibody-cocktail-aims-to-make-1m-doses-by-mid-year 10th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The New York Times The invention of Covid19 vaccines will be remembered as a milestone in the history of medicine creating in a matter of months what had before taken up to a decade. But Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad the director of Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring Md. isnt satisfied. Thats not fast enough he said. More than 2.3 million people around the world have died and many countries will not have full access to the vaccines for another year or two Fast truly fast is having it there on day one. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/health/universal-coronavirus-vaccine.html 9th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN on MSN.com A second wave of the Covid19 pandemic mainly driven by the South African variant is bringing hospitals in Malawi to the brink. CNNs David McKenzie goes inside a hospital in Blantyre Malawi where the doctors are working around the clock to battle the pandemic amid a shortage of vaccines. https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/vaccine-nationalism-is-worsening-covid-19-in-malawi/vi-BB1dtY6a 10th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Sky News The total number of people to have received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in the UK has passed 13 million as another 1001 deaths were reported. Todays official government figure compares to the 1053 deaths recorded on Tuesday. And 13013 new cases of COVID19 were reported up on the 12364 yesterday. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-vaccination-total-passes-13m-as-another-1-001-covid-related-deaths-reported-12214342 10th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

ABC News Mayottes main tourist office stands nearly empty a lonely tropical outpost overlooking a peopleless port. Its only hospital however is overwhelmed. The demand for intensive care beds is more than quadruple the supply as medical workers fight to contain the French Indian Ocean territorys worst coronavirus outbreak yet. The Mayotte islands are the poorest corner of the European Union tucked between Madagascar and the mainland coast of Mozambique in southern Africa and were the last spot in France to receive any coronavirus vaccines. Local authorities feel forgotten and say their difficulties in fighting the virus reflect longstanding inequalities between Frances majoritywhite mainland and its farflung multiracial former colonies. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/surging-virus-french-african-outpost-reveals-inequalities-75795805 10th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The New York Times In the town of Pontoise which gently slopes upward from the Oise River about 15 miles northwest of Paris Mayor Stphanie Von Euw is laserfocused on her new vaccination center a blocky sandcolored recreational facility where up to 450 shots are administered daily to those over 75 or otherwise at high risk. Ms. Von Euw was energetic on a recent visit chatting with doctors and vaccine recipients. But here in Pontoise as in many other parts of France there is no hiding that a winter of pandemic doldrums has set in. To keep my chin up I try to follow this rule I take one day at a time Ms. Von Euw said across a table covered with chocolate boxes left by recent vaccine recipients. If I look to the future I lose myself. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/world/europe/france-covid-vaccine.html 10th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters The share of people infected with the more contagious coronavirus variant first identified in Britain is on the rise in Denmark authorities reported on Wednesday citing preliminary data. In the first week of February 27 of positive cases analyzed for their genetic material were carrying the B117 variant up from 20 the week before the State Serum Institute SSI said in a report. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-denmark/update-1-denmark-says-cases-of-more-contagious-british-coronavirus-variant-on-rise-idUSL1N2KG18D 10th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters France reported 18870 new confirmed COVID19 cases on Tuesday up from Mondays 4317 but well down from the previous Tuesdays 23337 and hospital numbers fell again after a twoday rise. The sevenday moving average of new infections which evens out daily reporting irregularities stands at 19348 a low since Jan. 20. The total cumulative number of cases increased to 3.36 million the sixth highest in the world. This sevenday moving average has now stayed in a tight 1920020700 range for almost three weeks a trend that seems to warrant the governments decision not to resort to a third lockdown despite health experts calling for it. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-infections/french-new-covid-19-cases-steady-on-average-and-hospitalisations-down-idUSKBN2A92SF 10th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Sweden which has spurned a lockdown throughout the pandemic registered 4070 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday Health Agency statistics showed. The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 138 new deaths taking the total to 12326. The deaths registered have occurred over several days and weeks. Swedens death rate per capita is several times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours but lower than several European countries that opted for lockdowns. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-sweden-cases/sweden-registers-4070-new-covid-19-cases-138-deaths-on-wednesday-idUSL8N2KG4XT 10th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Stat News If the U.S. Covid19 epidemic were a marathon the country might have made it to Mile 20. Its been through a lot and already there are signs things are getting better. But there are building leg cramps that could make this last push which isnt actually all that short really painful. The two existing vaccines are reaching more people and soon the country will likely have a third from Johnson Johnson thats just one dose and comes with easier transport and storage requirements. Cases and hospitalizations have fallen precipitously since their peaks last month and now deaths which are a lagging indicator have turned downward as well. That will ease the burden on health systems and offer a reprieve from what had for months been worsening infection and death data. https://www.statnews.com/2021/02/10/covid-19-cases-are-falling-variant-driven-storm/ 10th Feb 2021

New Lockdown

Reuters Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday announced a full lockdown in the capital Athens and the surrounding region to curb a resurgence in coronavirus cases and ease pressure on badly stretched health services. The new restrictions in the Athens region where half of Greeces population of 11 million lives include closing nonessential shops and schools from Feb. 11 until the end of the month Mitsotakis said in a televised address. I will not hide In the next two months restrictions may be imposed and lifted depending on the level of alarm he said after chairing an emergency meeting with ministers and health experts. But this is also the last mile towards freedom. Authorities registered 1526 infections on Tuesday more than double the number recorded a day earlier half of them in the wider Athens area with COVID19 related deaths reaching 6017 since the coronavirus was first detected. https://cn.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-greece-idCNL1N2KF2B1 10th Feb 2021