3rd Mar 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=613 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Top U.S. health officials on Wednesday laid out a national blueprint to manage COVID19 going forward vowing to prepare for any new variant outbreaks without shutting down schools and businesses and calling for additional funding from Congress. The plan will help move America from crisis to a time when COVID19 does not disrupt our daily lives the White House said one day after President Joe Biden acknowledged the nations fight against the coronavirus had entered a new phase. We must be prepared to respond to a new variant quickly and keep our schools and businesses open the updated National COVID19 Preparedness Plan said citing a need to maintain vaccines and booster shots treatments tests and masks. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-administration-prepares-covid-roadmap-outbreaks-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Barron's President Joe Biden signaled a shift to a new phase of the Covid19 pandemic in his State of the Union address arguing that it is time for Americans to return to normal life. Thanks to the progress we have made this past year Covid19 need no longer control our lives Biden said. The president called for Americans to return to their offices and said that the government would allow easier access to Pfizers Covid19 antiviral pill and send more free Covid19 rapid antigen tests to Americans in their homes. Its time for Americans to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again Biden said. People working from home can feel safe to begin to return to the office. https://www.barrons.com/articles/bidens-sotu-address-covid-19-antiviral-51646230766 2nd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

CNN Americans can order additional free athome Covid19 tests supplied by the US government starting next week. If you already ordered free tests tonight Im announcing you can order another group of tests. Go to Covidtest.gov starting next week and you can get more tests President Joe Biden said during his Tuesday State of the Union address. In January the government launched its effort to provide free rapid antigen tests to any household that requested them through that website or by calling 8002320233. There was a limit of four tests per residential address. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/01/politics/free-at-home-covid-tests-us-order-more/index.html 2nd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Almost two years after India went into the worlds biggest lockdown to slow the spread of COVID19 students headed back to school in Maharashtra state on Wednesday a sign of normal life resuming as infection rates fall. Indias daily coronavirus infections rose by less than 10000 for a third straight day on Wednesday a level last seen in late December before the rapid spread of the Omicron variant data from the health ministry showed. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/two-years-after-worlds-biggest-lockdown-india-surges-back-normal-life-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Throughout the pandemic the government has prominently displayed slogans at Lams news briefings to signal her governments evolving Covid approach. But the sometimes awkward tag lines such as vowing to fight the aggravating virus have prompted ridicule. Theyve also provided a record of Hong Kongs rocky path from early outbreak site to global safe haven to a place with one of the highest Covid death rates in the developed world. From an early promise to battle the virus with confidence against a backdrop of blue skies to trumpeting goals to resume travel and achieve vaccination for all that were never met the slogans have recently grown more defensive. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-02/hong-kong-virus-fight-went-from-confidence-to-reliance-on-china?utm_source=google&amputm_medium=bd&ampcmpId=google 2nd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press Its time for America to stop letting the coronavirus dictate how we live President Joe Bidens White House declared Wednesday outlining a strategy to allow people to return to many normal activities safely after two years of pandemic disruptions. One highlight is a new test to treat plan to provide free antiviral pills at pharmacies to people who test positive for the virus. The 90page National COVID19 Preparedness Plan spells out initiatives and investments to continue to drive down serious illness and deaths from the virus while preparing for potential new variants and providing employers and schools the resources to remain open. We know how to keep our businesses and our schools open with the tools that we have at our disposal said White House COVID19 coordinator Jeff Zients. https://apnews.com/article/state-of-the-union-address-joe-biden-coronavirus-pandemic-health-9605030bcc5997a61b56c17708aeb284 2nd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Pfizer Inc is expected to provide around 10 million courses of its highly effective COVID19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid to low and middleincome countries this year according to an official with the Global Fund a healthcare NGO working to buy the pills from the drugmaker. The Funds head of strategy for policy Harley Feldbaum said Pfizer had committed to at least that many doses and could increase shipments later if organizations involved show they are able to distribute the pills well noting most will be available toward the end of the year. https://www.reuters.com/world/pfizer-provide-10-mln-courses-covid-pill-developing-countries-the-global-fund-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

News Medical The UK bilaterally donated 1 million doses of the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh. The vaccine consignment arrived in Bangladesh on 23 February 2022. This bilateral donation from the UK will reinforce Bangladeshs fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the countrys economic recovery. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220302/UKs-bilateral-donation-of-1-million-vaccine-doses-will-reinforce-Bangladeshe28099s-fight-against-COVID-19.aspx 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Seattle Times Hawaii plans to lift its COVID19 quarantine requirement for travelers this month meaning that starting on March 26 those arriving from other places in the U.S. wont have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to avoid sequestering themselves for five days. Hawaii is the only U.S. state to implement a coronavirus quarantine program of this kind. Gov. David Ige said at a news conference the requirement saved lives and was a major factor in limiting the spread of COVID19 in the islands. Hawaii has one of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the nation. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/hawaii-to-lift-covid-19-travel-quarantine-rules-this-month/ 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Global News An Ontario judge says he is not prepared to accept as fact that vaccinating children against COVID19 is whats best for them simply because its encouraged by the government noting a number of factors including the childrens own preferences must be taken into account. In a decision issued last week Superior Court Justice Alex Pazaratz rejected a fathers motion to have his two younger children ages 12 and 10 vaccinated despite their mothers and their own objections and cautioned against dismissing certain viewpoints without evidence. https://globalnews.ca/news/8653214/ontario-judge-covid-vaccines-children/ 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

CNN The White House will roll out a new strategy laying out the next phase of its response to the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday two administration officials told CNN outlining a vision that involves fewer disruptions to daily life while preparing for the unpredictable potential of another gamechanging variant. The White Houses coronavirus response team and the administrations leading health officials will announce the National Covid19 Preparedness Plan during an event on Wednesday the officials said. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/01/politics/biden-next-phase-covid-response/index.html 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

abc.net.au The day before Western Australia reopens to the world the state has recorded 1766 new local cases of COVID19 with the hospital system put on red alert and Premier Mark McGowan announcing a 72 million support package for affected businesses. Another four cases were found in travellers bringing the total number of new infections to 1770. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-02/wa-records-1766-new-local-covid-19-cases-day-before-reopening/100874570 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Global News The decline of COVID19 cases deaths and hospitalizations across Canada has led many provinces to aggressively lift public health restrictions yet data shows those declines have begun to plateau. Ontario Alberta and Manitoba ended several measures on Tuesday including vaccination requirements for businesses and capacity limits. Other provinces including Quebec and Atlantic Canada eased restrictions a day earlier with Saskatchewan ending them entirely on Monday. https://globalnews.ca/news/8653458/covid-canada-measures-plateau-omicron/ 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Pharmaceutical Technology Numerous states and countries have begun lifting Covid19 mandates even though there are more deaths due to the virus now than there were during the majority of the pandemic. For the past month there have been more than 2000 Covid19 related deaths a day in the US reported which has been the highest count since the first winter Covid19 surge before vaccines were available. At present Covid is attributed to 20 of all deaths worldwide. The demographics have now changed to younger and unvaccinated individuals dying compared with older individuals who accounted for most of the casualties before vaccines were available. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/comment/covid-19-mandates-lifted-cases-climb/ 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Indias production and exports of Russias Sputnik COVID19 vaccines are expected to slow further following U.S. sanctions on Russias sovereign wealth fund that promotes the shot globally three Indian pharmaceutical industry sources told Reuters. The Russian Direct Investment Fund RDIF had billed India as one of Sputniks biggest production hubs and markets though local sales have stagnated at 1.2 million doses out of 1.8 billion doses of various vaccines administered in the country. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/indias-output-exports-russias-sputnik-vaccine-risk-due-ukraine-crisis-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday said his administration has launched a new initiative that will allow Americans to get tested for COVID19 at a pharmacy and immediately receive free pills if they test positive. Were launching the Test to Treat initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy and if theyre positive receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost Biden said during his State of the Union speech. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biden-announces-new-covid-initiative-that-gives-americans-free-pills-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Germany will provide a further 1.5 billion to a global initiative for better access to coronavirus vaccines for poorer countries Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Tuesday. The global COVID19 pandemic has not been overcome Lindner told reporters after a virtual meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven leading economies. Germany would also provide an additional 224 million euros for logistics on the ground or incountry delivery costs Lindner said. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-pledges-more-funds-covid-vaccines-poor-countries-2022-03-01/ 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters The Biden administration will announce on Wednesday a national preparedness plan for COVID19 mapping out how to move forward safely and get back to our more normal routines the White House said in a statement. To be unveiled by top White House COVID19 advisers including Dr. Anthony Fauci the plan comes as coronavirus infections decline in the United States and masking and social distancing guidelines are eased. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/white-house-unveil-covid-19-preparedness-plan-wednesday-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters UK Britain confirmed that a requirement for health workers to have a COVID19 vaccination would no longer be introduced in April and care home workers would no longer be required to have the shots from March 15. Health minister Sajid Javid in January said that the government intended to revoke the regulations subject to consultation. On Tuesday the health ministry said that following the consultation the requirement would be dropped https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-revokes-mandatory-covid-shots-health-workers-2022-03-01/ 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Associated Press Germany is removing all countries currently on its list of highrisk areas as part of a rethink of its coronavirus travel rules that will take effect on Thursday. The countrys disease control center the Robert Koch Institute said that from now on Germanys list will only include places where high infection rates are linked to variants of COVID19 that are more virulent than the currently dominant omicron variant which in many cases leads to relatively mild illness. That change will result in the current list of highrisk areas which contains dozens of countries and territories being wiped clean from Thursday on. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-germany-e7ff3f772a4e3dca7576d0338e72c932 2nd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Hong Kongs government said any decision to impose a COVID19 lockdown would take into account the global financial hubs status and ensure basic needs and it urged anxious residents who thronged supermarkets this week not to panic. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/hong-kong-urges-residents-fretting-over-covid-measures-not-panic-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

Medical Xpress Vaccine hesitancy may be more attributed to partisan media exposure and an individuals preexisting attitudes rather than a lack of information about vaccine effectiveness according to a Washington State University study. The study published in Current Psychology experimentally tested the intertwined relationships among message frames partisan media use and attitudes on vaccine intention. In general the findings show that those who consumed lower amounts of conservative media and held positive vaccine attitudes were higher on vaccine intention. Among people who consumed a higher amount of conservative media and held negative vaccine attitudes the messages that talked about individual benefits of getting the vaccine resonated more. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-partisan-media-exposure-covid-vaccine.html 2nd Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

Sky News Protesters have fought police with fire extinguishers and pitchforks as officers moved to end an antivaccine mandate protest in New Zealands capital three weeks after it began. The protesters had been outside Wellingtons parliament buildings for 23 days when police in riot gear moved in early on Wednesday morning. Protesters used projectiles shields fire extinguishers and pitchforks to fight police as officers began dismantling protesters tents and towing away up to 50 vehicles. https://news.sky.com/story/new-zealand-police-move-to-end-three-week-covid-vaccine-mandate-protest-12555310 2nd Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters A federal appeals court has delivered a new setback to the Biden administration in a COVID19 dispute keeping in place a lower court order that blocked the U.S. Navy from considering the vaccination status of 35 special forces personnel in making deployment decisions. The ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday night spurned arguments from the U.S. Justice Department that the Navys deployment decisionmaking was outside the scope of cases that the courts are allowed to consider and rule on. The appeals panel said the judiciary had the power to weigh the plaintiffs religious freedom objections including a divine instruction not to receive the vaccine. https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-appeals-court-blocks-bidens-navy-vaccine-policy-covid-2022-03-01/ 2nd Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

The Associated Press Thick black smoke billowed across the grounds of New Zealands Parliament and sirens blared on Wednesday as retreating protesters against coronavirus vaccine mandates set fire to tents mattresses and chairs. It appeared to be a final act of defiance as police broke up the camp that protesters first set up more than three weeks ago. Police retook control of the Parliament grounds although dozens of protesters remained in nearby streets some hurling objects at officers. Parliaments once carefully manicured grounds were left scarred a childrens slide in ruins. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that in planning the operation police had expected hostility resistance and violence but it was another thing entirely to witness it. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-zealand-riots-0972152b0a9bff50ea0bd22492abce92 2nd Mar 2022

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Japan prepared on Wednesday to extend infection controls in some regions amid high numbers of hospital patients hit by the Omicron variant of COVID19. The central government has received requests from five prefectures including Osaka and Kyoto in western Japan to extend measures set to expire on Sunday Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. Media said 10 prefectures including Tokyo the capital were expected to seek an extension of two to three weeks for the curbs which encompass shorter business hours and limits on the sale of alcohol. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japan-set-extend-covid-curbs-hospitals-battle-infections-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022

Continued Lockdown

The Associated Press Hong Kongs leader on Wednesday said peoples movements may be restricted during mandatory testing this month of the entire population for the coronavirus as health officials reported a record 55353 daily infections and over a hundred deaths. Chief executive Carrie Lam said authorities are still refining the plan but that there would be no complete lockdown that would prevent entry and exit from the city. The extent of it must take into account Hong Kongs circumstances and peoples needs she told reporters. Hong Kong is planning to test its more than 7 million residents as it grapples with soaring numbers of COVID19 cases in its worst outbreak of the pandemic linked largely to the omicron variant. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-travel-health-carrie-lam-pandemics-3ecab23cb37f9aad7eb23411551a2d5b 2nd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Egypt Today Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar will hold a press conference on Tuesday to announce the start of clinical trials for EgyVax the second homemade COVID19 vaccine. The press conference will be attended by Agriculture and Land Reclamation Minister El Sayyed elQuseir Head of the Egyptian Drug Authority EDA Tamer Essam Secretary General of University Hospitals Hossam Abdel Ghaffar as well as representatives of a number of stakeholders. On November 14 the higher education minister announced that the start of the first stage of clinical trials for the first domesticallymade coronavirus vaccine COVI VAX. https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/113333/Higher-education-min-announces-clinical-trials-for-2nd-Egyptian-COVID 2nd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Times of India Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science IISc here and Queensland Brain Institute QBI in Australia have developed a mathematical model that predicts how antibodies generated by COVID19 vaccines confer protection against symptomatic infections. The model can potentially optimise the use of available vaccines and speed up the development of new ones. The reason why predicting vaccine efficacies has been hard is that the processes involved are complex and operate at many interconnected levels said Narendra Dixit Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering IISc and the senior author of the study that has been published in Nature Computational Science. Vaccines trigger a number of different antibodies each affecting virus growth in the body differently. This in turn affects the dynamics of the infection and the severity of the associated symptoms. Further different individuals generate different collections of antibodies and in different amounts he elaborated. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/coronavirus-vaccine-indian-australian-researchers-devise-math-model-to-predict-covid-vaccine-efficacy/articleshow/89937744.cms 2nd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CNN Many vaccinated kids experienced breakthrough infections during the Omicron surge though protection against hospitalization remained stronger a large new governmentfunded study found. The study compared the vaccination status of children ages 5 to 17 who were treated for Covid19 symptoms in emergency departments urgent care centers and hospitals across 10 states between April 2021 and February 2022. Researchers reviewed records on nearly 40000 clinic visits and 1700 hospitalizations. The study was funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and published Tuesday in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The CDC study found vaccinated children ages 5 to 11 the youngest and most recently vaccinated group were about 46 less likely to have Covid19 that resulted in care at an urgent care clinic or emergency room compared with children who were unvaccinated. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/01/health/vaccine-effectiveness-kids-omicron/index.html 2nd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian Phoebe Garrett has attended university lectures without catching Covid she even hosted a party where everyone subsequently tested positive except her. I think Ive knowingly been exposed about four times the 22yearold from High Wycombe said. In March 2021 she participated in the worlds first Covid19 challenge trial which involved dripping live virus into her nose and pegging her nostrils shut for several hours in a deliberate effort to infect her. Still her body resisted. We had multiple rounds of tests and different methods of testing throat swabs nose swabs other types of swabs that Id never done before like nasal wicks where you hold a swab in your nose for a minute as well as blood tests but I never developed symptoms never tested positive Garrett said. My mum has always said that our family never gets flu and Ive wondered if theres maybe something behind that. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/02/scientists-seek-to-solve-mystery-of-why-some-people-do-not-catch-covid 2nd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Pharmaceutical Technology The global Covid death toll has passed 5.9 million with a figure of 5964704 according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile infections have continued past 438 million to a world wide figure of 438535937. Covid19 vaccines protected children and adolescents from severe disease even after the immuneevasive Omicron variant emerged according to findings from US government reports. After Omicron became dominant in the US late last year protection against infection and urgent care visits declined for 5 to 17yearolds whod received primary inoculations according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Tuesday. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/covid-symptoms-reduced-vaccines/ 2nd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA on Tuesday warned people against the use of unauthorized versions of certain COVID19 rapid antigen tests currently being marketed in the United States. These tests have not been authorized cleared or approved by the FDA for distribution or use in the United States the health agency said adding that they may show false results. The warning was issued against unauthorized versions of Celltrion USA Incs DiaTrust COVID19 Ag Rapid Tests SD Biosensor Incs STANDARD Q COVID19 Ag Home Test and ACON Laboratories Flowflex SARSCoV2 Antigen Rapid Test. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fda-warns-against-use-certain-unauthorized-covid-antigen-tests-2022-03-01/ 2nd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc has paused enrollment for an ongoing latestage study of its lead COVID19 vaccine candidate after the shot showed significantly lower levels of antibodies against the Omicron variant in lab testing. The vaccine INO4800 maintained robust Tcell response in the lab tests though leading Inovio to plan changes to the trial design and forecast a delay in reporting preliminary efficacy data from the study. Tcells are a key part of the immune systems second line of defense. The company plans to seek regulatory approval to change the main goal of the study to prevention of severe disease due to COVID19 from the earlier goal of prevention of virologically confirmed COVID19 disease it said on Tuesday https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/inovio-says-covid-vaccine-shows-robust-t-cell-response-against-omicron-lab-tests-2022-03-01/ 2nd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters A small study of patients suffering from persistent symptoms long after a bout of COVID19 found that nearly 60 had nerve damage possibly caused by a defective immune response a finding that could point to new treatments U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. The study involved in depth exams of 17 people with socalled long COVID a condition that arises within three months of a COVID19 infection and lasts at least two months. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/nerve-damage-may-explain-some-cases-long-covid-us-study-2022-03-01/ 2nd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Merck Co.s Covid19 antiviral pill was endorsed by a World Health Organization panel for patients in the early stages of disease who face high risk of hospitalization. The WHO panel of international experts which looked at data from six randomized clinical trials involving more than 4000 patients found a moderate certainty that Mercks molnupiravir reduces the risk of hospital admission and recovery time. The effect on mortality wasnt so clear. The decision was published Thursday in the BMJ medical journal. Mercks pill is used in the U.S. and U.K. to treat Covid patients at high risk of severe illness but its mechanism of action and lesser efficacy have prompted a shift toward Pfizer Inc.s Paxlovid and other drugs. U.S. National Institutes of Health guidelines specify that molnupiravir should be used only when other medications for outpatients cant be given. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-02/merck-s-covid-antiviral-gets-who-backing-for-high-risk-patients 2nd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT News Does the PfizerBioNTech Covid19 vaccine provide less protection to children aged 5 to 11 than to adolescents 12 to 17 A study from New York state released Monday suggests thats the case. But new data from 10 states released Tuesday tell a different story. The data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine arent very protective against infection for either age group in the face of the Omicron variant but that protection against severe illness appears to be holding up equally in both sets of children. They do not suggest more rapid waning or more marked waning among the younger group of children. https://www.statnews.com/2022/03/01/cdc-data-suggest-pfizer-vaccine-protection-holds-up-in-kids-5-11-raising-questions-on-earlier-study/ 1st Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Evening Standard The weekly number of deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales has fallen for the fourth week in a row figures show. A total of 863 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending February 18 mentioned Covid19 on the death certificate according to the Office for National Statistics ONS. This is down 19 on the previous seven days and is the fourth weekonweek fall in a row. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/england-wales-office-for-national-statistics-ons-omicron-b985246.html 2nd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Forbes An updated modeling study in The Lancet shows that number of children globally affected by COVID19associated orphanhood and caregiver death is estimated to have increased dramatically from approximately 2.7 million in April 2021 to a devastating 5.2 million in October 2021. To put those numbers into context the researchers state that is the equivalent of one child every six seconds during the sixmonth period. With the pandemic far from over we have both a moral and public health imperative to protect and support these children from direct and secondary harms. Childrens lives are permanently changed by the loss of a mother father grandparent or other primary caregivers. The loss of a parent is an adverse childhood experience that is linked to a greater risk of dropping out of school lower selfesteem suicide violence sexual abuse and developing anxiety depression and substance abuse problems. These impacts could be compounded further by the circumstances and additional stressors of the pandemic https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2022/03/01/covid-19-has-orphaned-52-million-children/ 2nd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN There have been an estimated 140 million Covid19 infections in the US the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates even though only 74.3 million cases have been reported as of January 31. The data comes from the CDCs nationwide antibody seroprevalence survey in which its working with state local academic and commercial partners to test blood samples for antibodies to the coronavirus triggered by infection not by vaccination. By measuring Covid19 seroprevalence the study provides an estimate of the percentage of the population that was previously infected. The blood samples are submitted to commercial labs for unrelated reasons such as routine medical checkups and identifying information is removed. Every two weeks researchers collected data from these samples which encompass all 50 states Washington DC and Puerto Rico. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/01/health/140-million-covid-19-infections/index.html 2nd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Italy has recorded some 178000 excess deaths mostly attributable to COVID19 during the coronavirus pandemic the National Statistics Office ISTAT and National Health Institute ISS said in a report on Wednesday. The excess death figure measured to the end of January 2022 calculates the difference between the total deaths from all causes since the start of the pandemic and the expected trend based on the 20152019 average. Some 145334 deaths were attributed to COVID19 infections 53 of which occurred in 2020 41 in 2021 and the remainder in the first month of this year. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italy-records-178000-excess-deaths-during-covid-pandemic-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Hong Kong health authorities are expected to report more than 50000 new COVID19 cases on Wednesday setting a record for daily infections in the global financial hub broadcaster TVB reported without identifying the source of the information. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/hong-kong-report-more-than-50000-new-covid-cases-wednesday-tvb-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press The number of new coronavirus cases reported globally dropped by 16 last week marking a monthlong decline in COVID19 infections according to figures from the World Health Organization. In its weekly report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday the U.N. health agency also said that deaths fell by 10 continuing a drop in fatalities first seen last week. WHO said there were more than 10 million new cases and about 60000 deaths globally. The Western Pacific was the only region where COVID19 increased with about a third more infections than the previous week. Deaths rose by 22 in the Western Pacific and about 4 in the Middle East while declining everywhere else. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-pandemics-united-nations-269660a4236ad73527d057fd6b74d816 2nd Mar 2022

New Lockdown

Reuters Hong Kongs government said any decision to impose a COVID19 lockdown would take into account the global financial hubs status and ensure basic needs such as food and urged anxious residents who raided supermarkets this week not to panic. The government said it was still planning and refining details for a compulsory mass COVID testing scheme and would announce details once they had been confirmed. The government statement released late on Tuesday comes amid widespread confusion and chaos with many residents fatigued and frustrated by the mixed messaging and almost daily tweaking of coronavirus rules. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hong-kong-government-urges-residents-spooked-by-citywide-lockdown-not-panic-2022-03-02/ 2nd Mar 2022