"COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis" 30th Aug 2021
Overnight News RoundUp
One Minute Overview
At a Children’s Hospital, a Wave of Young Patients Struggling to Breathe - The crush of Covid-19 cases at Children’s Hospital New Orleans grew so dire this month that the state called in a federal “surge team” of emergency responders to help. The care that pediatric specialists are trained to provide to the sickest patients has been disrupted by the Delta variant, transforming quiet I.C.U.s into chaos.
Vaccinating 12 - 15-year-olds could save up to 6,500 lives, doctors say, as pressure grows on jab watchdogs to give the go-ahead - A new study by Exeter University says vaccinating 12 -to 15-year-olds is urgent.
Researchers claim it would cut the number of Covid deaths and hospitalisations by a fifth
UK vaccine watchdogs under pressure to approve the roll-out of jabs for children
Coronavirus masks: Masks should be worn by primary school children says Professor Luke O'Neill - Irish Immunologist Luke O’Neill is calling for primary school children to wear masks in the classroom in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Primary school students are not mandated to wear masks upon return to school this year with officials viewing it as too challenging for young children and a potential source of stress for pupils. Currently, secondary school students must wear masks at school when indoors. Prof O’Neill believes that if mask wearing in primary schools was even “30pc effective” then it would have a “significant impact” on breaking the chains of transmission in the younger age groups.
Israel offers COVID booster vaccine for ages 12 and above - Israel has begun offering a COVID-19 booster to children as young as 12, and its prime minister says a campaign that began a month ago among seniors has slowed a rise in severe illness caused by the Delta variant. Announcing the decision on Sunday, top Israeli health officials said the effectiveness of the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine waned six months after administration, making a booster necessary.
Fauci backs COVID-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. school children - Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said on Sunday he supports COVID-19 vaccine mandates for children attending schools as the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to fuel a surge in cases in the nation. 'I believe that mandating vaccines for children to appear in school is a good idea,' Fauci told CNN’s 'State of the Union' program. 'We've done this for decades and decades, requiring polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis' vaccinations.
Scientists Warn Covid Set to Grow Exponentially in U.K. Schools - The U.K. government’s scientific advisers said Covid-19 cases are likely to rise exponentially among children when schools resume next month after the summer holidays. Most U.K. children haven’t been vaccinated against coronavirus and it would be “sensible” for the government to plan for “high prevalence” in schools by the end of September, according to a document dated Aug. 11 that was released on Friday by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.
At a Children’s Hospital, a Wave of Young Patients Struggling to Breathe
At a Children’s Hospital, a Wave of Young Patients Struggling to Breathe
The crush of Covid-19 cases at Children’s Hospital New Orleans grew so dire this month that the state called in a federal “surge team” of emergency responders to help.
Vaccinating 12 - 15-year-olds could save up to 6,500 lives, doctors say, as pressure grows on jab watchdogs to give the go-ahead
Vaccinating 12 - 15-year-olds could save up to 6,500 lives, doctors say, as pressure grows on jab watchdogs to give the go-ahead
A new study by Exeter University says vaccinating 12 -to 15-year-olds is urgent
Claim it would cut the number of Covid deaths and hospitalisations by a fifth
UK vaccine watchdogs under pressure to approve the roll-out of jabs for children
Coronavirus masks: Masks should be worn by primary school children says Professor Luke
Coronavirus masks: Masks should be worn by primary school children says Professor Luke O'Neill
Immunologist Luke O’Neill is calling for primary school children to wear masks in the classroom in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Primary school students are not mandated to wear masks upon return to school this year with officials viewing it as too challenging for young children and a potential source of stress for pupils. Currently, secondary school students must wear masks at school when indoors. Prof O’Neill believes that if mask wearing in primary schools was even “30pc effective” then it would have a “significant impact” on breaking the chains of transmission in the younger age groups.
Israel offers COVID booster vaccine for ages 12 and above
Israel offers COVID booster vaccine for ages 12 and above
Israel has begun offering a COVID-19 booster to children as young as 12, and its prime minister says a campaign that began a month ago among seniors has slowed a rise in severe illness caused by the Delta variant. Announcing the decision on Sunday, top Israeli health officials said the effectiveness of the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine waned six months after administration, making a booster necessary.
Fauci backs COVID-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. school children
Fauci backs COVID-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. school children
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said on Sunday he supports COVID-19 vaccine mandates for children attending schools as the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to fuel a surge in cases in the nation. "I believe that mandating vaccines for children to appear in school is a good idea," Fauci told CNN’s "State of the Union" program. "We've done this for decades and decades, requiring polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis" vaccinations.
Scientists Warn Covid Set to Grow Exponentially in U.K. Schools
Scientists Warn Covid Set to Grow Exponentially in U.K. Schools
The U.K. government’s scientific advisers said Covid-19 cases are likely to rise exponentially among children when schools resume next month after the summer holidays. Most U.K. children haven’t been vaccinated against coronavirus and it would be “sensible” for the government to plan for “high prevalence” in schools by the end of September, according to a document dated Aug. 11 that was released on Friday by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.
UK Covid deaths surge 27% in a week with more than 30k new cases for 11th day in row
UK Covid deaths surge 27% in a week with more than 30k new cases for 11th day in row
Covid cases across the UK have risen by 32,406 with a further 133 lives lost to the virus in the last 24 hours. That is a week on week rise in fatalities of 27 percent and is the eleventh day in a row of more than 30,000 infections. Last Saturday saw 31,783 cases and 104 deaths. Today saw an almost two percent rise in cases on this time last week.
Covid cases in England are 26 times higher than a year ago
Covid cases in England are 26 times higher than a year ago
Coronavirus infections in England are now 26 times the levels that were experienced this time last year, according to the Office for National Statistics. Scientists described the figures as “sobering”. They warned that the reopening of schools in England this week was likely to trigger further rises in Covid cases – with more to follow when students return to universities and colleges. A fresh wave of infections could, in turn, lead to new social restrictions being imposed as winter approaches.
Covid Spreads in Clusters. We Need to Track Them.
Covid Spreads in Clusters. We Need to Track Them.
A fourth surge of Covid-19 is filling hospitals around the United States, fueled by the relaxing of mitigation measures, the more transmissible Delta variant and lagging vaccination rates. In states and counties where Delta is surging, contact tracers are overwhelmed. But monitoring the spread of the virus remains vital to getting it under control. The public health response to a Covid-19 outbreak in Provincetown, Mass., in July offers an object lesson in how Delta changes the playing field and what’s needed to manage the pandemic’s next phase
Kraft Heinz to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for office employees
Kraft Heinz to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for office employees
Kraft Heinz Co said on Friday all U.S. employees will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to offices in January, as the fast-spreading Delta variant batters the United States. The packaged-food maker's announcement comes days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE vaccine, a certification that public health officials hope will convince unvaccinated Americans that the shot is safe and effective.
Biden Floats Faster Access to Vaccine Booster Shots
Biden Floats Faster Access to Vaccine Booster Shots
The White House played down the president’s remarks, saying the administration had not changed its original proposal to administer a third shot to most vaccinated adults eight months after the second.
Take-up of second Covid jab in England levelling off
Take-up of second Covid jab in England levelling off
Singapore has fully inoculated 80 percent of its 5.7 million people against COVID-19, according to officials, becoming the world’s most vaccinated country and setting the stage for further easing of curbs. “We have crossed another milestone, where 80% of our population has received their full regimen of two doses,” Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Calls for medical staff to be prioritised for residency
Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Calls for medical staff to be prioritised for residency
The Government is being told to act swiftly on immigration because delays are leading to the loss of urgently needed medical staff during the Covid-19 outbreak.
An immigration lawyer wants a fast-tracked work to residence process for doctors and nurses, saying medics are the soldiers in the pandemic frontline. Kamil Lakshman said there was a lack of urgency about immigration policy, especially given what was at stake with doctors and nurses.
Singapore vaccinates 80 percent of population against COVID-19
Singapore vaccinates 80 percent of population against COVID-19
Singapore has fully inoculated 80 percent of its 5.7 million people against COVID-19, according to officials, becoming the world’s most vaccinated country and setting the stage for further easing of curbs. “We have crossed another milestone, where 80% of our population has received their full regimen of two doses,” Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
Apple Pushes Staff to Get Vaccinated
Apple Pushes Staff to Get Vaccinated
Apple Inc. is making its strongest push yet for employees to get vaccinated, urging all U.S. workers to get shots as soon as possible now that the Food and Drug Administration has started formally approving the injections. The iPhone maker launched a new internal web page, sent a memo to employees and is hosting internal talks as part of the campaign. “Apple is asking everyone who has access to the vaccine and is able to get vaccinated to do so as soon as you can,” the company said in the memo, which was sent to staff Thursday evening.
No Jab, No Entry at Eateries Under Sydney Proposal to Stem Virus
No Jab, No Entry at Eateries Under Sydney Proposal to Stem Virus
Unvaccinated people may be denied entry to restaurants, bars and other hospitality venues under a reopening proposal in Sydney where delta cases are surging despite a lockdown, according to local media. The New South Wales government is consulting with industry groups on a plan to require all hospitality staff and patrons for proof they have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine when the state begins to emerge from lockdown after reaching 70% vaccination rate, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Under the proposal, vaccination certificates and QR codes now used to check-in to venues may be merged, the report said, citing unnamed industry sources that confirmed the plan.
More Companies Weigh Penalizing Employees Without Covid-19 Vaccinations
More Companies Weigh Penalizing Employees Without Covid-19 Vaccinations
Companies unwilling to require employees to get vaccinations are increasingly considering healthcare-benefit surcharges and other more aggressive measures to make their workplaces safer from Covid-19, employment and benefit experts say.
What started as a campaign of encouragement and lobbying by many employers is now turning into a more forceful effort, with businesses considering measures that penalize employees who remain unvaccinated.
Cuba to deploy China's Sinopharm alongside homegrown vaccines
Cuba to deploy China's Sinopharm alongside homegrown vaccines
Cuba, which to date had deployed exclusively its homegrown COVID-19 vaccines, will start also using the Sinopharm vaccine of its Communist-run ally China in its bid to battle one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world. Health authorities will apply two doses of Sinopharm combined with a Cuban booster in the central province of Cienfuegos from Sunday, Vicente Verez, the head of the Cuban Finlay Vaccine Institute, was cited as saying
Hospitals in U.S. South Run Low on Oxygen Amid Covid and Storm
Hospitals in U.S. South Run Low on Oxygen Amid Covid and Storm
Hospitals in the Southeast are running low on oxygen, with the worst-hit left only 12 to 24 hours worth, said Premier Inc., a hospital-supply purchasing group. This comes amid the region’s struggle over the summer with high numbers of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. Now Hurricane Ida is set to hit the Gulf Coast in the coming days. Premier has notified the White House, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Health and Human Services department about the scarcity of oxygen in the region, said Blair Childs, Premier’s senior vice president of public affairs.
Large Number of Tennis Players Unvaccinated, Andy Murray Says
Large Number of Tennis Players Unvaccinated, Andy Murray Says
Andy Murray said a large number of professional tennis players remain unvaccinated ahead of the U.S. Open, which begins Monday in New York. “A lot of the tour is not vaccinated,” the British player said at a pre-tournament press conference. “I can see it’s going to become an issue over the coming months.” No more than half the players have been vaccinated, the Telegraph reported, citing people close to the tour. The U.S. Open announced Friday that anyone attending the two-week event must show proof of at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Murray has been vaccinated and contracted the virus earlier this year. On Monday, he’s scheduled to play Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, who recently said he wouldn’t take the vaccine unless it becomes mandatory on tour.
Ingestion of livestock drug for COVID-19 treatment prompts warning from medical health professionals
Ingestion of livestock drug for COVID-19 treatment prompts warning from medical health professionals
Ivermectin, a deworming drug for cows and horses, has been used as a COVID-19 treatment method in Arkansas after lawmakers promoted it on social media. The Arkansas Poison Center reported that 24 people called this year after they ingested the drug. Americans have flocked to take Ivermectin despite warnings from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) not to, because of the danger it poses to human health. An overdose of Ivermectin can cause severe effects in humans ranging from gastrointestinal issues to severe seizures, and even death
Calls Grow to Discipline Doctors Spreading Virus Misinformation
Calls Grow to Discipline Doctors Spreading Virus Misinformation
A tiny number of doctors have had an outsize influence in spreading false information about Covid-19 and vaccines.
Covid Vaccine Mandates Drive Some Nurses to Leave America's Hospitals
Covid Vaccine Mandates Drive Some Nurses to Leave America's Hospitals
Front-line workers were already in tight supply. With almost 1 in 8 nursing professionals not planning to get a shot, the problem’s going to get worse.
Florida Schools’ Covid-19 Mask Mandates Upheld by Judge
Florida Schools’ Covid-19 Mask Mandates Upheld by Judge
A Florida judge said school districts could impose mask mandates and that Gov. Ron DeSantis had overstepped his authority when he banned such rules. Judge John Cooper of the Second Judicial District in Tallahassee sided with parents of school children who had challenged a July executive order by Mr. DeSantis and a subsequent state rule that forbid school districts from implementing mask requirements that don’t allow parents to opt out their children. In an oral ruling Friday, Judge Cooper said the defendants, including the governor and the state Department of Education, improperly sought to draw authority for their actions from a state law enacted earlier this year, dubbed the parents’ bill of rights, which aimed to protect parents’ ability to make decisions regarding their children’s education and health.
Covid-19 Quarantine Rules Threaten Hong Kong’s Role as Finance Hub, Businesses Say
Covid-19 Quarantine Rules Threaten Hong Kong’s Role as Finance Hub, Businesses Say
In an effort to maintain zero locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, Hong Kong has imposed one of the world’s toughest quarantine regimes, confining most arrivals from overseas to a hotel room for as long as three weeks. The strategy is working but has drawn backlash from business groups in the city that say the economic cost is too high and risks the city’s status as one of the world’s top financial centers. Residents, too, have complained that they are unable to go on trips, visit sick relatives abroad or bring their children back from overseas schools and colleges.
Philippines Extends Virus Curbs in Capital Through Sept. 7
Philippines Extends Virus Curbs in Capital Through Sept. 7
The Philippines extended virus restrictions in the capital region until Sept. 7 as the government tries to balance the need to contain the pandemic with boosting the economy. Metro Manila will remain under the so-called “modified enhanced community quarantine,” under which the second-toughest movement restrictions are in place, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in statement on Saturday. While most businesses are allowed to operate, many non-essential industries such as beauty parlors and bars remain shut. The curbs were earlier set to end on Aug. 31
Can you spot the fake receptor? The coronavirus can’t either
Can you spot the fake receptor? The coronavirus can’t either.
As researchers search for new ways to treat covid-19, some scientists are making decoy receptors to lure the virus away from our cells.
Japan Probing Deaths of Two People Who Had Moderna Shots
Japan Probing Deaths of Two People Who Had Moderna Shots
Japan is investigating the deaths of two people who were administered Moderna Inc.’s Covid-19 shots from vaccine batches which have since been suspended. While the relationship between the deaths and the shots is currently unclear, the health ministry will conduct the investigations together with external experts, and continue to assess the safety of the vaccine, according to a statement on Saturday.
Singapore Hits 80% Vaccine Threshold Seen as Key to More Easing
Singapore Hits 80% Vaccine Threshold Seen as Key to More Easing
Singapore has outpaced most advanced economies to fully vaccinate 80% of its population against Covid-19, paving the way for the small but wealthy city-state to forge ahead with reopening in an approach that’s closely watched by the rest of the world still figuring out how to live with the virus. “We have crossed another milestone, where 80% of our population has received their full regimen of two doses,” Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post on Sunday. “It means Singapore has taken another step forward in making ourselves more resilient to Covid-19.”
Delta Won't Send Us Back to Baking in Sweatpants
Delta Won't Send Us Back to Baking in Sweatpants
A resurgence of Covid cases hasn’t stopped shoppers from wanting to go out. But things are going to get complicated for retailers.
Israel offers COVID booster vaccine for ages 12 and above
Israel offers COVID booster vaccine for ages 12 and above
Israel has begun offering a COVID-19 booster to children as young as 12, and its prime minister says a campaign that began a month ago among seniors has slowed a rise in severe illness caused by the Delta variant. Announcing the decision on Sunday, top Israeli health officials said the effectiveness of the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine waned six months after administration, making a booster necessary.
Coronavirus vaccine: How nasal vaccines will be administered and why it can defeat delta variant
Coronavirus vaccine: How nasal vaccines will be administered and why it can defeat delta variant
The emergence of COVID-19 variants has posed a new challenge in front of the medical community to look for more efficient vaccines to minimise the risk of infection. The vaccines currently being administered across the globe have been found to be less effective on the variants, forcing several vaccine developers to look for stronger versions. Of all the vaccines being tried and tested, a nasal vaccine shot developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, the makers behind Covaxin is considered to be a game-changer, if approved after clinical trials.
Why Is It Taking So Long to Get a Covid Vaccine for Kids?
Why Is It Taking So Long to Get a Covid Vaccine for Kids?
As kids around the country head back to school, there has been disappointing news this week for parents of children under 12. While many health experts had hoped for an early fall approval of a vaccine for young children, two of the nation’s top public health officials said it’s not going to happen. “I’ve got to be honest, I don’t see the approval for kids 5 to 11 coming much before the end of 2021,” said Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, on the NPR program “Morning Edition.”
Researchers Ready Lab-Grown Covid-19 Delta Variant for Human Trials
Researchers Ready Lab-Grown Covid-19 Delta Variant for Human Trials
U.K. company is growing the highly contagious variant under tight lab controls for use in challenge studies
Unvaccinated teacher infected half her students with Covid, CDC finds
Unvaccinated teacher infected half her students with Covid, CDC finds
An unvaccinated teacher in a California elementary school infected half her students and 26 people in total when she contracted the Covid-19 Delta variant, researchers for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found.
US Covid Surge: Florida Morgues ‘Out of Space for Bodies’, Oxygen Crunch in Hospitals
US Covid Surge: Florida Morgues ‘Out of Space for Bodies’, Oxygen Crunch in Hospitals
Amid a new Covid-19 surge in the US, the state of Florida is going through a major crisis as hospitals and funeral homes are running out of space for bodies. Worse, oxygen shortage is leading to fears that there may be more avoidable deaths.
Florida has reported an average of 227 Covid deaths a day this past week, according to a New York Times database. The average new known cases (23,314 a day) went 30 per cent higher than the state’s previous peak in January. There are now more than 17,000 people hospitalised with the virus in Florida, reported US News. Covid-related hospital admissions tripled in the past month in the state.
Russia Doubles Number of Covid-19 Deaths in July in Record Month
Russia Doubles Number of Covid-19 Deaths in July in Record Month
Russia’s death toll from Covid-19 in July grew to 50,421, the highest monthly total since the epidemic began, amid spreading infections from the Delta variant and continued public resistance to vaccination campaigns. The number of deaths associated with the virus last month was more than double initial figures reported by the government’s Covid-19 task force, according to Federal Statistics Service data released late Friday. Total fatalities linked to the epidemic rose to nearly 370,000 through July, among the world’s highest, after the statistics service revised up June’s data slightly too.