"COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis" 25th Jun 2021
Overnight News RoundUp
Nearly all COVID deaths in the U.S. are now among the unvaccinated
- Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the USA now are in people who weren't vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been an indication that deaths per day - now down to under 300 - could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine.
- An Associated Press analysis of available government data from May shows 'breakthrough' infections in fully vaccinated people accounted for fewer than 1,200 of more than 853,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That's about 0.1%.
- And only about 150 of the more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in May were in fully vaccinated people. That translates to about 0.8% or five deaths per day on average.
- The AP analyzed figures provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC itself has not estimated what percentage of hospitalizations and deaths are in fully vaccinated people, citing limitations in the data.
- Among them: Only about 45 states report breakthrough infections, and some are more aggressive than others in looking for such cases. So the data probably understates such infections, CDC officials said.
- Still, the overall trend that emerges from the data echoes what many healthcare authorities are seeing around the country and what top experts are saying.
- Earlier this month, Andy Slavitt, a former adviser to the Biden administration on COVID-19, suggested that 98% to 99% of the Americans dying of the coronavirus are unvaccinated.
- And CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said on Tuesday that the vaccine is so effective that 'nearly every death, espcially among adults, due to COVID-19, is at this point, entirely preventable.' She called such deaths 'particularly tragic.'
Nearly all COVID deaths in US are now among unvaccinated
Nearly all COVID deaths in US are now among unvaccinated
Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down to under 300 — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine. An Associated Press analysis of available government data from May shows that “breakthrough” infections in fully vaccinated people accounted for fewer than 1,200 of more than 853,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That’s about 0.1%. And only about 150 of the more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in May were in fully vaccinated people. That translates to about 0.8%, or five deaths per day on average. The AP analyzed figures provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC itself has not estimated what percentage of hospitalizations and deaths are in fully vaccinated people, citing limitations in the data.
UN-backed program trims forecast to supply COVID-19 vaccine
UN-backed program trims forecast to supply COVID-19 vaccine
A public health group that manages the U.N.-backed program to ship COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries is paring back its supply forecast for this year by more than 100 million doses, largely because a key Indian manufacturer has focused on needs at home. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, says it now projects that the COVAX program can supply just under 1.9 billion doses this year -- including about 1.2 billion provided for free to 92 poor countries -- down from original targets of more than 2 billion doses. The shortfall comes because the Serum Institute of India -- a pivotal producer of vaccines for COVAX -- has reverted supplies to needy people in India, as its government scrambled to fight a spike in infections. So far, COVAX has only distributed about 90 million doses, far short of its original plans.
Falling short: Why the White House will miss its vax target
Falling short: Why the White House will miss its vax target
Standing in the State Dining Room on May 4, President Joe Biden laid out a lofty goal to vaccinate 70% of American adults by Independence Day, saying the U.S. would need to overcome “doubters” and laziness to do it. “This is your choice,” he told Americans. “It’s life and death.” As for the ambition of his 70% goal, Biden added: “I’d like to get it at 100%, but I think realistically we can get to that place between now and July Fourth.” He won’t. With the July Fourth holiday approaching, the White House acknowledged this week that Biden will fall shy of his 70% goal and an associated aim of fully vaccinating 165 million adults in the same time frame. The missed milestones are notable in a White House that has been organized around a strategy of underpromising and overdelivering for the American public.
Another NHS Trust issues black alert
Another NHS Trust issues black alert
Another hospital in England has been forced to declare a “black alert” after more than 300 patients descended on its Emergency Department (ED), allegedly causing wait times of up to seven hours. An email sent to staff at Derriford Hospital, in Plymouth, this morning warned that Tuesday had been a “busy evening, with 305 attendances and 109 ambulances in ED yesterday”. The internal message, seen by The Independent, said the hospital was operating above its capacity – at “101.5 per cent occupancy in medicine, and 96 per cent overall” – meaning there were not enough beds on wards to admit some A&E patients to.
Emperor 'appears concerned' about COVID-19 spread by Games, says steward
Emperor 'appears concerned' about COVID-19 spread by Games, says steward
Japanese Emperor Naruhito "appears concerned" about the possibility the Olympic Games could cause the coronavirus to spread as feared by many members of the public, the head of the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) said on Thursday. While the emperor's concern was framed as the official's impression rather than something he explicitly expressed, the rare insight into the monarch's thinking on the Games lit up social media, with many wondering whether there would be a formal address on the topic. "The emperor is extremely worried about the current status of coronavirus infections," IHA Grand Steward Yasuhiko Nishimura told a regular news conference on Thursday
States race to vaccine Gen Z against Covid-19
States race to vaccine Gen Z against Covid-19
With more than 84% of all eligible people in Vermont having had at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, no one would blame health officials if they wanted to take it easy, but the easy path is not a part of Dr. Michael Levine's pandemic plans. The Vermont health commissioner says he's proud of the Green Mountain state ranks first in the US for Covid-19 vaccinations, but with the variant threat, Levine wants even more people protected. To do that, he's going to have to figure out how to reach the one demographic that's holding out, not just on him, but on public health leaders throughout the country -- Gen Z. "They're a tough nut to crack," Levine said.
UN urges Belgium to double coronavirus vaccine production
UN urges Belgium to double coronavirus vaccine production
Belgium should double its production of coronavirus vaccines to ensure an equitable distribution of doses in the world, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said during a visit to Brussels on Thursday. Guterres, who met with Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and several other ministers before speaking at the European Parliament, emphasised the disparity between the number of administered vaccines in Europe compared to in Africa.
Bhutan PM says ready to mix COVID-19 doses to deal with vaccine shortages
Bhutan PM says ready to mix COVID-19 doses to deal with vaccine shortages
Bhutan's Prime Minister on Thursday said he "has no problem" in mixing-and-matching COVID-19 vaccine doses to immunize a population of about 700,000 people in the tiny Himalayan nation. Bhutan, nestled between India and China, has one of the world's lowest COVID-19 fatality counts, with just one person dying from the infectious disease since the pandemic began. Prime Minister Lotay Tshering - who is also a practicing urologist - said over 90% of the country's eligible population had received a first dose of AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine and that the deadline to administer the second dose after a gap of 12 weeks was scheduled to end this month.
Pfizer with a side of fries: California Health Department teams up with McDonald's to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations at 70 locations
Pfizer with a side of fries: California Health Department teams up with McDonald's to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations at 70 locations
The California Department of of Health teamed up with McDonald's this week to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations. McDonald's on Monday opened pop-up clinics at more than 70 of its locations in the Golden State. Customers who get vaccinated receive a coupon for one free menu item. The initiative appeared to be a success in its first three days as customers were seen lining up for their turn in the vaccination tent. Since spring, vaccine doses administered in the US have slowed by as much as 90 percent - particularly among young adults. In California, only 48.3 residents have fully been vaccinated with 60.1 receiving their first dose
COVID-19: President Jair Bolsonaro in trouble as Brazil's COVID crisis inquiry becomes box office viewing
COVID-19: President Jair Bolsonaro in trouble as Brazil's COVID crisis inquiry becomes box office viewing
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro loves meeting people; he can't get enough of it, he travels the country looking to shake hands and kiss babies. He likes doing interviews, he'll talk about subjects varied and important to him. There is just one caveat - he hates independent journalists, isn't too keen on foreign ones, and won't talk to anyone who doesn't love him or agree with him on everything - "Trump of the Tropics" pretty much says it all.
Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines will get label warning over rare heart risk, FDA says
Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines will get label warning over rare heart risk, FDA says
Numerous COVID-19 vaccines have faced development delays and safety and supply issues, but the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have enjoyed a relatively unfettered ride to the top of the class. Now, Wednesday’s news that U.S. experts concluded there is a “likely association” between rare cases of heart inflammation and mRNA vaccines has finally presented the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots with a dose of adversity. The FDA said it will move quickly to require the companies to add a label warning that young adults and adolescents are susceptible to the side effect.
Next steps for wastewater testing to help end this pandemic — and prevent the next one
Next steps for wastewater testing to help end this pandemic — and prevent the next one
During the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, cities began tapping their wastewater to look for evidence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Now, more than a year into the pandemic, it’s clear that sewage surveillance carries several advantages over traditional surveillance. Unlike individual testing, wastewater testing captures virus shed by symptomatic and asymptomatic people alike, and can test en masse the 80% of U.S. households connected to a sewer system. Such testing can detect exactly when dangerous viral variants enter a community and provide an early warning to public officials. It can even predict new outbreaks with a lead time of one to two weeks.
Scientist's hunt for COVID-19's origin finds early virus sequences Chinese team deleted from NIH database
Scientist's hunt for COVID-19's origin finds early virus sequences Chinese team deleted from NIH database
In a world starved for any fresh data to help clarify the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study claiming to have unearthed early sequences of SARS-CoV-2 that were deliberately hidden was bound to ignite a sizzling debate. The unreviewed paper, by evolutionary biologist Jesse Bloom of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, asserts that a team of Chinese researchers sampled viruses from some of the earliest COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China, posted the viral sequences to a widely used U.S. database, and then a few months later had the genetic information removed to “obscure their existence.” To some scientists, the claims reinforce suspicions that China has something to hide about the origins of the pandemic. But critics of the preprint, posted yesterday on bioRxiv, say Bloom’s detective work is much ado about nothing, because the Chinese scientists later published the viral information in a different form, and the recovered sequences add little to what’s known about SARS-CoV-2’s origins.
Heart Inflammation In Teens And Young Adults After COVID-19 Vaccine Is Rare, CDC Says
Heart Inflammation In Teens And Young Adults After COVID-19 Vaccine Is Rare, CDC Says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 323 cases of heart inflammation have been verified in people who received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The cases of myocarditis and pericarditis have been seen mostly in teens and young adults between 12 and 39 years old — mostly after the second vaccine dose. Most people who have experienced this side effect have recovered from symptoms and are doing well, according to data presented Wednesday at a public meeting of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee. Of the 323 cases, 295 were discharged from the hospital, nine remained hospitalized as of last week and 14 were not hospitalized at all. Outcome data was missing for five of the cases. No deaths have been associated with this side effect.
A perfect storm: the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of young people
A perfect storm: the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of young people
Mental health services for children and young people were struggling before the COVID-19 pandemic, but data suggest they are now reaching crisis point. NHS figures, analysed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and published in April 2021, show that 80,226 more children and young people were referred to mental health services between April 2020 and December 2020, up by 28% on 2019. In addition, the analysis revealed that the number of children and young people needing urgent or emergency crisis care — including assessments to see if someone needs to be sectioned because they or others are at risk of harm — had increased by 18% compared with 2019.
The Struggles of India’s Vaccine Giant
The Struggles of India’s Vaccine Giant
When the coronavirus hit, the Serum Institute of India seemed uniquely positioned to help. It is world’s largest vaccine maker, producing 1.5 billion doses a year for diseases from polio to tetanus. Striking a deal with AstraZeneca, its leaders promised to make and deliver a billion doses of vaccine to low- and middle-income nations. Earlier this year, however, a second wave of the coronavirus hit India hard and Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to ban all exports of vaccines. What has this ban meant for the nations that were promised millions of doses, and for the Serum Institute itself?
Afrigen gears up to deliver Africa's first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine
Afrigen gears up to deliver Africa's first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine
Afrigen Biologics expects a decision in mid-July on partners to produce Africa's first COVID-19 vaccine using the mRNA platform, the South African start-up's managing director said. The World Health Organization picked Afrigen for a pilot to give poor and middle-income countries the know-how and licenses to make COVID-19 vaccines, in what South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called an historic step.
Delta COVID variant fuels global surges, complicates reopenings
Delta COVID variant fuels global surges, complicates reopenings
Africa's third wave is picking up speed, with some countries hard hit by the Delta (B1617.2) SARS-CoV-2 variant, as the spread of the more transmissible virus poses new threats to countries that had success cutting their case numbers. Global health officials are worried about the potential for explosive outbreaks in Africa, especially with vaccine distribution inequities that have led to just over 1% of Africa's population being fully vaccinated.
Missouri leads nation in new COVID-19 infections
Missouri leads nation in new COVID-19 infections
Missouri now has the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections, due to a combination of rising Delta variant (B1617.2) activity and one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S. The Associated Press reports that, unlike most of the country, where 53% of all Americans have at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines, some counties in Missouri have vaccination rates well below 40%. Hospital administrators say intensive care unit beds are once again filling, this time with young, unvaccinated adults.
Sydney faces 'scariest period' in pandemic amid Delta outbreak
Sydney faces 'scariest period' in pandemic amid Delta outbreak
Australia's most populous state, New South Wales (NSW), reported a double digit rise in new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 for the third straight day as officials fight to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant. "Since the pandemic has started, this is perhaps the scariest period that New South Wales is going through," state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.
Vaccinated Israelis may need to quarantine because of Delta variant
Vaccinated Israelis may need to quarantine because of Delta variant
Israel empowered health officials on Wednesday to quarantine anyone deemed to have been exposed to an especially infectious variant of COVID-19, even if they were previously vaccinated or recovered from the disease with presumed immunity.
The decision followed a warning by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday over new outbreaks caused by the Delta variant, with daily infections rising after weeks of low plateau credited to Israel's record mass-vaccination drive.
Africa CDC says continent not winning against 'brutal' COVID-19 pandemic
Africa CDC says continent not winning against 'brutal' COVID-19 pandemic
Africa is not winning its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as a third virus wave sweeps the continent and countries struggle to access enough vaccines for their populations, Africa CDC director John Nkengasong said on Thursday. The COVAX programme co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO) for fair distribution of vaccines is planning a shake-up as it has been shunned by rich countries and failed to meet the needs of the poorest, internal documents seen by Reuters show
ACT Health Minister says 'very real threat' of COVID-19 entering the ACT amid growing Sydney outbreak
ACT Health Minister says 'very real threat' of COVID-19 entering the ACT amid growing Sydney outbreak
There are currently no known cases of COVID-19 in the ACT. ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith is urging Canberrans to prepare for a return to restrictions in the event of a local infection. There are currently 1,400 ACT residents who are subject to stay-at-home orders in the capital
Africa battles new COVID-19 wave hitting faster and harder
Africa battles new COVID-19 wave hitting faster and harder
Africa is facing a devastating resurgence of COVID-19 infections whose peak will surpass that of earlier waves as the continent’s countries struggle to vaccinate even a small percentage of the population, top health officials said Thursday. “The third wave is picking up speed, spreading faster, hitting harder,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said Thursday “With rapidly rising case numbers and increasing reports of serious illness, the latest surge threatens to be Africa’s worst yet,” she said
Portugal’s Lisbon rolls out new COVID curbs as cases surge
Portugal’s Lisbon rolls out new COVID curbs as cases surge
Authorities in Portugal’s Lisbon region are reintroducing coronavirus restrictions due to a surge driven by the delta variant, which now accounts for more than seven in 10 new infections in the capital. Two months after Portugal began to ease a prolonged lockdown, the country reported 1,556 new infections on Thursday – the highest number since February 20. More than 1,000 of them were in the Lisbon region, where some 2.8 million people live, with officials warning that hospital admissions are increasing at a “worrying” level.
Another NHS Trust issues black alert
Another NHS Trust issues black alert
Another hospital in England has been forced to declare a “black alert” after more than 300 patients descended on its Emergency Department (ED), allegedly causing wait times of up to seven hours. An email sent to staff at Derriford Hospital, in Plymouth, this morning warned that Tuesday had been a “busy evening, with 305 attendances and 109 ambulances in ED yesterday”. The internal message, seen by The Independent, said the hospital was operating above its capacity – at “101.5 per cent occupancy in medicine, and 96 per cent overall” – meaning there were not enough beds on wards to admit some A&E patients to.
Londoners are still way behind everyone else in the UK on getting both Covid jabs
Londoners are still way behind everyone else in the UK on getting both Covid jabs
London continues to lag behind the rest of England for people who are fully vaccinated, latest data shows. In the capital, only around 83 per cent of over-50s had received both doses of vaccine by June 20 - which was way behind all the other regions in the country who have over 90 per cent. The lowest borough is Westminster (64.3%), followed by the City of London (66.3%), Camden (68.9%) and Kensington & Chelsea (70.9%). The areas of London estimated to have the highest percentage of over-50s fully vaccinated are Bromley (91.7%), Richmond upon Thames (91.6%) and Sutton (90.4%).