31st Oct 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=745 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Wuhan locked down one of its central districts after Covid cases were found as China persists with a zerotolerance approach to the virus almost three years since the pathogen first emerged in the city. The roughly 900000 residents of Hanyang district were told to stay in their homes from Wednesday a spokeswoman from the areas CDC told Bloomberg News by phone. Another official at Hanyangs health bureau said the lockdown would last until Sunday and that all nonessential businesses had been told to shut. Supermarkets and pharmacies will remain operational. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-26/china-s-wuhan-locks-down-part-of-city-center-as-covid-cases-emerge 28th Oct 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Article reports that investors hoped China would ease its stringent Covid Zero strategy once the pivotal Communist Party congress cemented President Xi Jinpings grip on power. Instead the opposite seems to be happening. Fresh lockdowns are being imposed from Wuhan Covids original epicenter to Chinas industrial belt on the east coast. Schools and dining in at restaurants in the southern manufacturing powerhouse of Guangzhou have been suspended while targeted shutdowns in the metropolises of Beijing and Shanghai continue with apartment blocks and neighborhoods subject to stayathome orders if even a close contact of someone infected has visited. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-28/china-ramps-up-lockdowns-covid-restrictions-across-country 28th Oct 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal Hong Kong will attempt to show it is back in business with a financial summit and premier rugby tournament next week as strict pandemic controls have led to an exodus of talent and business from the city. But with most visitors still being forced to take PCR tests on arrival and banned from bars and restaurants for three days business leaders say the two events intended to serve as marquee attractions for the Asian financial hub are likely to fall flat. The overall feedback we got was Thanks but call us when you are actually opened up Johannes Hack president of the German Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong said of how people feel about business travel to the city. As long as the restrictions are in place no one can come to Hong Kong with the peace of mind that their schedule wont be impacted he added. https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-rules-take-shine-off-hong-kongs-bid-to-reopen-11667036658?mod=lead_feature_below_a_pos1 29th Oct 2022

Lockdown Exit

Sky News Global coronavirus cases are projected to rise slowly in the coming months to about 18.7 million per day by February. The current daily average is around 16.7 million according to the University of Washington report. It is far fewer than last winter when the Omicron variant pushed the estimated peak daily average to about 80 million and the increase is also not expected to cause a big increase in deaths. The universitys Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation IHME forecasts average deaths will rise from about 1660 now to 2748 on 1 February. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-new-report-predicts-how-many-daily-cases-there-will-be-by-february-12730396 26th Oct 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters U.S. President Joe Biden rolled up his sleeve and received an updated COVID19 vaccine on Tuesday using the occasion to urge more Americans to get the booster before the upcoming holiday season especially seniors. Im calling on all Americans to get their shot just as soon as they can Biden said shortly before a doctor gave him the new shot. With some Americans resistant to the vaccines Biden urged them to put partisan politics aside noting that more than 1 million people in the United States have died from COVID19. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biden-get-latest-covid-vaccine-urge-americans-do-same-2022-10-25/ 25th Oct 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Tens of thousands of migrant workers in Shanghai who have long been living on the margins in one of Chinas wealthiest cities are facing renewed threats of eviction after their ramshackle villages were blamed for causing the Covid19 outbreak that led to a monthslong lockdown. Like many other major Chinese cities Shanghai has for years been razing and redeveloping the densely populated neighborhoods known as cheng zhong cun or villages within a city to make room for new residential and commercial complexes to drive growth in the worlds secondlargest economy. This year the demolition in Shanghai is gathering pace. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-10-23/china-s-shanghai-migrant-worker-villages-blamed-for-covid-face-demolition 23rd Oct 2022

Exit Strategies

The Diplomat What will make or break the Thai economy however is the speed and extent of Chinas economic reopening. Thailand is after all heavily reliant on China in all dimensions exports and imports tourism and investment. Needless to say Thailand is extremely vulnerable to the CCPs sudden lockdown orders. Shanghai for instance accounts for 27 percent of Chinese exports to Thailand and when the city was undergoing a strict twomonth lockdown earlier this year many Thai companies pretty much ran out of the materials necessary for the production of electric appliances such as air conditioners and cables. Similarly the export of Thai durians now one of Thailands top exported products to China was temporarily stopped back in April after the Chinese border inspectors detected traces of COVID19. https://thediplomat.com/2022/10/chinas-zero-covid-policy-an-economic-nightmare-for-thailand/ 29th Oct 2022

Exit Strategies

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The lockdown isanecho of previous measureswhich led to a twomonth lockdown of the entire city of 25 million. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-28/shanghai-lockdown-china-covid/101593008 29th Oct 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Optimism among U.S. businesses in China has hit record low levels an annual survey showed on Friday as competitive economic and regulatory challenges compound the stresses already imposed by Beijings ongoing zeroCOVID policies. Just 55 of 307 companies surveyed by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and consultancy PwC China described themselves as optimistic about the fiveyear business outlook. The reading is the lowest in the surveys 23year history and worse than in 2020 when COVID19 first surfaced and during the trade standoff between Beijing and Washington in 2019. https://www.reuters.com/markets/us-business-sentiment-china-hits-record-low-zero-covid-persists-survey-2022-10-28/ 28th Oct 2022

Exit Strategies

South China Morning Post Hong Kong will lift its restrictions on the opening hours of restaurants pubs and various other premises from next Thursday while barbecue sites under government management will also resume operations as the authorities further ease Covid19 socialdistancing measures. The announcement came as the city on Thursday logged 6062 new coronavirus infections the highest since September 19 while the number of serious cases and deaths remained stable. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197447/coronavirus-hong-kong-lift-curbs-opening-hours-restaurants-pubs-and-allow-barbecue-sites-resume 26th Oct 2022

Exit Strategies

The Wall Street Journal The nations schools recorded the largest drop in math scores ever this year with fourth and eighthgrade students in nearly every state showing significant declines according to Education Department data released Monday. In the most sweeping analysis of test scores since the start of the pandemic the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress known as the Nations Report Card also revealed a nationwide plunge in reading that wiped out three decades of gains. Prepandemic declines in academic achievement intensified nationwide and many longstanding gaps in student achievement grew. https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndzai5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZXMvbWF0aC1zY29yZXMtZHJvcHBlZC1pbi1ldmVyeS1zdGF0ZS1kdXJpbmctcGFuZGVtaWMtcmVwb3J0LWNhcmQtc2hvd3MtMTE2NjY1ODQwNjLSAQA?oc=5 25th Oct 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Pfizers plan to as much as quadruple U.S. prices for its COVID19 vaccine next year is beyond Wall Streets expectations and will spur its revenue for years despite weaker than anticipated demand for the new booster shot so far analysts said. The drugmaker which developed and sells the vaccine with Germanys BioNTech said on Thursday evening that it is targeting a range of 110 to 130 a dose for the vaccine once the United States moves to a commercial market next year. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-covid-vaccine-price-hike-seen-giving-revenue-boost-years-2022-10-21/ 23rd Oct 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters Shanghai Disneyland will operate at reduced capacity from Saturday to comply with COVID19 measures the resort said in a statement in another sign of tightening curbs across China as it seeks to contain the spread of coronavirus infections. The amusement park will operate with a reduced workforce on a temporary basis which will have an impact on the operation of certain attractions restaurants and shops it said on its official Wechat account. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-disneyland-reduces-operations-china-tightens-covid-curbs-2022-10-29/ 29th Oct 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters Italian doctors and nurses suspended from work because they are not vaccinated against Covid19 will soon be reinstated new Health Minister Orazio Schillaci said on Friday. The move is motivated by a worrying shortage of medical personnel together with declining cases of Covid19. The new government will also cancel fines imposed on all people aged over 50 who had not got vaccinated he added. A measure is being finalised that will allow the reintegration into service of health staff subject to suspension proceedings for noncompliance with compulsory vaccination before the expiry date of the suspension he said in a statement posted on the ministrys website. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/italy-end-ban-health-workers-not-vaccinated-against-covid-2022-10-28/ 29th Oct 2022

Partisan Exits

The Wall Street Journal China showed no signs of easing its zeroCovid policies that are taking a heavy toll on its economy as fresh cases disrupted businesses in major cities and food supplies in a remote northwestern region. On Thursday the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou which is home to Foxconn Technology Group the largest iPhone assembler said the virus was spreading quickly there and identified 50 affected areas. The city reported 69 cases over the past three days. Foxconn said a small number of its workforce had tested positive for Covid19 but that its operations were relatively stable. It also said a rumor circulating that 20000 workers had tested positive wasnt true. https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-covid-fight-disrupts-businesses-food-supplies-as-cases-spread-11666879925 28th Oct 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg Three years into the pandemic China is sticking to its Covid Zero policy despite heavy economic costs growing unrest and isolation from the rest of the world. Many expected President Xi Jinping to signal a pivot away from what has become a signature policy when he took the podium at the Communist Partys congress this month. Instead he defended the zerotolerance strategy as one that saves lives but offered no steer on when its likely to end. Xis absolute control over the party leadership and China has left experts debating what that means for the future of an approach thats brought misery to millions. The brutal Shanghai lockdown earlier this year overseen by Li Qiang a Xi loyalist and Chinas likely premier from 2023 saw businesses upended and the citys 25 million residents struggle to get even basic necessities. https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZy5jb20vbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIyLTEwLTI3L2V4cGVydHMtcGVzc2ltaXN0aWMtb24tY2hpbmEtZXhpdGluZy1jb3ZpZC16ZXJvLWFueS10aW1lLXNvb27SAQA?oc=5 28th Oct 2022

Partisan Exits

Financial Times Carnival has borrowed 2bn through a bond offering that used a dozen of its ships as collateral as it works to refinance its huge debt pile amassed during the pandemic. The worlds largest cruise operator was able to borrow more than the 1.25bn it had initially planned to raise and at a lower interest rate than Carnival was prepared to stomach just hours earlier according to two people briefed on the deal. https://www.ft.com/content/bb89b17f-aac9-45cb-865c-5995a7594d9c 26th Oct 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg Persistent worries about catching Covid kept about 3 million Americans out of the workforce reducing the nations economic output by 250 billion in the first half of 2022 according to new research on a phenomenon dubbed Long Social Distancing. Close to 60 of respondents to a monthly survey of tens of thousands of adults said they wouldnt completely return to preCovid activities like riding crowded subways and elevators and were staying out of the labor force as a result. Those not working or looking for a job in part due to infection fears totaled about 2 of the labor force which translated to the 3 million figure the researchers found. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-25/covid-social-distancing-is-still-a-thing-reducing-the-us-workforce-by-3-million?srnd=premium-uk 25th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Business Standard Researchers have identified in humans a panvariant neutralising antibody named S2X324 whose neutralizing potency was largely unaffected by any of the Omicron strains of the coronavirus according to a study. The scientists show that this monoclonal antibody prevents binding to the receptor on host cells that the pandemic coronavirus usually commandeers. They also suggested that combining this antibody with others in a cocktail might reduce the chances of the virus becoming antibody treatment resistant. The international team from University of Washington and Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Humabs BioMed SA of Vir Biotechnology in Switzerland looked at several aspects of the effects of exposure to earlier forms of the SARSCoV2 spike antigen or immuneprovoking protein on the immune systems reaction to the Omicron variants. https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/scientists-identify-in-humans-neutralising-antibody-to-omicron-variants-122102900690_1.html 30th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Good Housekeeping Dr. Martinello adds that the immune response to a COVID19 illness is more than just antibodies against SARSCoV2 virus. We also have a cellular response and its actually an area of immunology that were not as easily able to test for as we are for antibodies he explains. We dont know yet how well our cellular immunity is going to be able to respond. Staying up to date on vaccines is crucial at this point as there is more than enough evidence to suggest that vaccines significantly reduce risk of serious illness even if they dont always prevent infection https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiV2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lmdvb2Rob3VzZWtlZXBpbmcuY29tL2hlYWx0aC9hNDE3OTE0NTcveGJiLWNvdmlkLW5pZ2h0bWFyZS12YXJpYW50LXN5bXB0b21zL9IBAA?oc=5 30th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Slate Why the EuropetoU.S. trend persists is complex say experts I spoke with and they emphasized that theres no definitive answer. There are a lot of hypotheses out there that could explain it says Lauren Ancel Meyers director of the COVID19 Modeling Consortium at the University of Texas in Austin. One major factor is global travel patterns. Europe is a linchpin of global travel meaning waves that begin elsewhere in the world may tend to be channeled through Europe before reaching the United States. Based on common airline routes it makes sense that COVID would have initially spread from Asia to Europe first. It also makes sense that delta which originated in India would have spread to the UK before reaching the United States as India and the UK have closer travel ties. https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiTmh0dHBzOi8vc2xhdGUuY29tL3RlY2hub2xvZ3kvMjAyMi8xMC9vbWljcm9uLXZhcmlhbnQtZXVyb3BlLWJxLXVzLXBhdHRlcm4uaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5 30th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters A European Medicines Agency EMA committee on Friday recommended adding heavy menstrual bleeding to the list of side effect of mRNA COVID19 vaccines made by Moderna MRNA.O as well as Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. Reports of heavy periods bleeding characterised by increased volume andor duration that interferes with the quality of life have been observed during clinical trials from cases in the real world and in medical literature the EMA said. https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMikQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5yZXV0ZXJzLmNvbS9idXNpbmVzcy9oZWFsdGhjYXJlLXBoYXJtYWNldXRpY2Fscy9lbWEtcGFuZWwtbGlzdHMtaGVhdnktbWVuc3RydWFsLWJsZWVkaW5nLXNpZGUtZWZmZWN0LW1vZGVybmEtcGZpemVyLXNob3RzLTIwMjItMTAtMjgv0gEA?oc=5 28th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The U.S. National Institutes of Healths 1 billion RECOVER Initiative has picked Pfizer Incs antiviral drug Paxlovid as the first treatment it will study in patients with long COVID organizers of the study said on Thursday. The complex medical condition involves more than 200 symptoms ranging from exhaustion and cognitive impairment to pain fever and heart palpitations that can last for months and even years following a COVID19 infection. https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMidmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnJldXRlcnMuY29tL2J1c2luZXNzL2hlYWx0aGNhcmUtcGhhcm1hY2V1dGljYWxzL3VzLWdvdmVybm1lbnQtdGVzdC1wZml6ZXJzLXBheGxvdmlkLWxvbmctY292aWQtMjAyMi0xMC0yNy_SAQA?oc=5 28th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

ITV News Two new strains of Covid have been designated the UK Health and Security Agency UKHSA has said. The strains labelled BQ.1 and XBB are Omicron variants have not been designated as variants of concern meaning they are not thought to be at particular risk of accelerating the spread of the illness. However studies being conducted at the University of Oxford on behalf of the UKHSA showed significant reductions in neutralisation against several of the newly emergent variants. This could lead to waning immunity among the population which could in turn fuel future waves of SARSCoV2 infection the agency said in a statement to ITV News https://www.itv.com/news/2022-10-28/two-new-covid-strains-designated-by-uk-health-agency 28th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CNBC Patients with mild Covid defined as those not hospitalized were 2.7 times more likely to develop blood clots according to the study published in the British Medical Journal on Monday. Patients hospitalized with Covid were 27 times more likely to develop blood clots 21 times more likely to suffer heart failure and 17 times more likely to have a stroke according to the study. The risk of cardiovascular disease for mild and severe cases was highest in the first 30 days after infection. https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNuYmMuY29tLzIwMjIvMTAvMjUvcGVvcGxlLXdoby1jYXVnaHQtbWlsZC1jb3ZpZC1oYWQtaW5jcmVhc2VkLXJpc2stb2YtYmxvb2QtY2xvdHMtYnJpdGlzaC1zdHVkeS1maW5kcy5odG1s0gEA?oc=5 27th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal A possible convergence of flu RSV and Covid19 has doctors worried. Flu cases are rising earlier than usual and pediatric hospitals are seeing surges of respiratory syncytial virus commonly known as RSV. There are also signs that Covid19 cases are increasing in parts of the country as Americans head into the cooler months. Covid19 precautions earlier in the pandemicand their neardisappearance latelyare a big part of the reason flu and RSV are staging a comeback doctors say. Measures such as masking and social distancing suppressed rates of other viruses too leaving those of us who havent had a recent infection with lower levels of protection now. Its very clear that because people are relaxing Covid precautions that its very likely we will also see an increase in influenza at the same time says Jay Varma director of the Cornell Center for Pandemic Prevention and Response in New York City and a physician and epidemiologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. All three viruses share similar symptoms such as cough sore throat runny nose and fever making it hard to tell what you have without a test. You can test for Covid19 at home and most health professionals can test for flu and RSV. https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiUGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndzai5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZXMvcnN2LWZsdS1jb3ZpZC10cmlwbGVkZW1pYy1kb2N0b3JzLXdvcnJ5LTExNjY2NzM2OTc10gEA?oc=5 27th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Covid19 at any level of severity is linked to an increased risk of dangerous blood clots that start in patients veins and travel to the heart lungs and other parts of the body according to a UK study that highlights the pandemics role in driving up rates of cardiovascular disease. Nonhospitalized Covid patients were 2.7 times more likely to develop dangerous clots called venous thromboembolisms and were more than 10 times more likely to die than individuals who avoided the disease scientists at Queen Mary University of London found in a study of almost 54000 people followed for an average of about 4 12 months. The increase in risk was highest in the first 30 days after the disease began but could remain elevated even longer the researchers said. https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMifWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZy5jb20vbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIyLTEwLTI0L2NvdmlkLXMtaGVhcnQtZWZmZWN0cy1pbmZlY3Rpb25zLXJhaXNlLWNsb3R0aW5nLWRlYXRoLXJpc2tzLWluLWxhcmdlLXN0dWR50gEA?oc=5 26th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Hill The omicron variant of COVID19 has once again evolved spawning new versions of itself with slight mutations that could make the virus more transmissible or more dangerous. With each new subvariant comes a new mixture of letters and numbers. BA.5 is still the dominant variant in the U.S. according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but two new subvariants are rising up the ranks BQ.1 and BQ.1.1. https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMic2h0dHBzOi8vdGhlaGlsbC5jb20vaG9tZW5ld3MvbmV4c3Rhcl9tZWRpYV93aXJlLzM3MDI5MDUtb21pY3Jvbi1tdXRhdGVzLWFnYWluLXdoYXQtd2Uta25vdy1hYm91dC0zLW5ldy1zdWJ2YXJpYW50cy_SAQA?oc=5 26th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Bivalent booster shots from Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. failed to raise levels of protective proteins called neutralizing antibodies against the dominant omicron strains any more than four doses of the original Covid vaccine according to an early independent study on a small group of people. Researchers at Columbia University and the University of Michigan compared levels of neutralizing antibodies in blood samples from 21 people who got a fourth shot of the Moderna or PfizerBioNTech SE bivalent boosters against antibody levels in 19 people who got four shots of the original vaccines. Three to five weeks after a fourth shot those people who received the new boosters aimed at BA.4 and BA.5 variants had similar neutralizing antibody titers as those receiving a fourth monovalent mRNA vaccine the authors conclude in a manuscript posted on the preprint server bioRxiv.org. https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMif2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZy5jb20vbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIyLTEwLTI1L25ldy1ib29zdGVycy1mcm9tLW1vZGVybmEtYW5kLXBmaXplci1hcmVuLXQtYmV0dGVyLXRoYW4tb2xkLW9uZXMtc3R1ZHktc2hvd3PSAQA?oc=5 26th Oct 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Fall waited with dozens of mothers and babies in the flooded courtyard of Bundung Hospital. Then a doctor emerged with bad news. The hospital had run out of measles vaccines and it wasnt clear when they would receive more. After what health experts call the biggest backslide in a generation 26 large or disruptive measles outbreaks have sprung up worldwide according to the World Health Organization. A devastating outbreak in Zimbabwe has killed more than 700 children this year chiefly among religious sects that do not believe in vaccinations. Now African health systems remain especially vulnerable due to a lack of funds and manpower particularly in countries where conflict and malnutrition make children more vulnerable to deadly infection according to Reuters interviews with more than a dozen disease experts doctors and global health officials. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-disrupted-measles-vaccinations-africa-now-cases-are-surging-2022-10-24/ 24th Oct 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Japan Times Six cases of the highly transmissible coronavirus variant XBB have been detected in Tokyo according to the metropolitan governments COVID19 infection monitoring committee. XBB a virus formed from a combination of the omicron subvariants BA.2.75 and BA.2 was first reported by Singapore in September and has since been confirmed in 35 countries. The subvariant features several mutations in its spike protein the part of the coronavirus that latches onto cells to gain entry giving it an exceptional ability to evade immunity acquired through past infections or vaccination. But its severity is not yet known the monitoring committee said Thursday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/10/28/national/xbb-subvariant-tokyo-cases/ 29th Oct 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian Chinese cities from Wuhan in central China to Xining in the northwest are doubling down on Covid19 curbs sealing up buildings locking down districts and throwing millions into distress in a scramble to halt widening outbreaks. China on Thursday reported a third straight day of more than 1000 new Covid cases nationwide a modest tally compared with the tens of thousands a day that sent Shanghai into a fullblown lockdown earlier this year but enough to trigger more curbs and restrictions across the country. Wuhan site of the worlds first Covid19 outbreak in late 2019 reported about 20 to 25 new infections a day this week. The city has registered 240 cases over the past 14 days. Local authorities ordered more than 800000 people in one district to stay at home until 30 October. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/27/china-locks-down-part-of-wuhan-nearly-three-years-after-first-covid-case-emerged 29th Oct 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Pfizer Inc.s Paxlovid antiviral was prescribed to Black and Hispanic Covid19 patients at much lower rates than those who were White according to a study that calls into question efforts to bolster access to drugs that fight the coronavirus. From April to July as Paxlovids use peaked Black US patients received it about a third less often than White patients according to the report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stark disparities were also seen among Hispanic patients who were nearly 30 less likely to get Paxlovid than White patients. Asian people were prescribed the drug about 19 less frequently than White counterparts. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-27/pfizer-s-pfe-paxlovid-given-less-often-to-black-hispanic-people 28th Oct 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Daily global COVID19 infections are projected to rise slowly to about 18.7 million by February from the current 16.7 million aveage daily cases driven by the northern hemispheres winter months the University of Washington said in an analysis. Far fewer infections are expected than last winters estimated peak daily average of about 80 million cases in January of 2022 that was driven by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant according to the report. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/no-surge-expected-global-covid-cases-this-winter-ihme-report-2022-10-25/ 25th Oct 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Costa Cruises a unit of cruising giant Carnival Corp. that targets the nascent Chinese market is canceling all future Asia departures amid waning expectations Beijing will ease its zerotolerance Covid policy and border restrictions any time soon. Port stops in China Hong Kong Taiwan Singapore Japan and South Korea will be canceled since international cruises in those locations still havent resumed the Genoa Italybased company said in a statement adding that its reorganizing its business in the region. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-24/carnival-cruise-unit-pulls-asia-trips-as-china-covid-zero-bites 25th Oct 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Le Monde Detected in France in September a new subvariant of Omicron named BQ.1.1 is continuing its inexorable progression seemingly set to supplant the BA.5 variant of Omicron which is currently in the majority. BQ.1.1 derives from the sublineage BQ.1 which itself originated from BA.5. The new variant appears to have emerged in Nigeria in July. It has since spread to Europe including France Belgium Denmark and Italy as well as to other countries including Japan the United States and Australia. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2022/10/25/a-new-omicron-variant-bq-1-1-is-spreading-throughout-france_6001720_114.html 25th Oct 2022