22nd Apr 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=646 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press A U.K. patient with a severely weakened immune system had COVID19 for almost a year and a half scientists reported underscoring the importance of protecting vulnerable people from the coronavirus. Theres no way to know for sure whether it was the longestlasting COVID19 infection because not everyone gets tested especially on a regular basis like this case. But at 505 days it certainly seems to be the longest reported infection said Dr. Luke Blagdon Snell an infectious disease expert at the Guys St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust. Snells team plans to present several persistent COVID19 cases at an infectious diseases meeting in Portugal this weekend. Their study investigated which mutations arise and whether variants evolve in people with super long infections. https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-infectious-diseases-1987841b2ed3f2b35d2e9153a6b9375c 22nd Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg This weeks lifting of mask requirements on airplanes and in many parts of the country on public transportation is a major turning point in the U.S. pandemic response. From now on it seems avoiding or minimizing Covid19 infection will be a personal endeavor not a societal one. This is for some people a welcome shift toward normalcy and for others a cause for anxiety and confusion. Many occupy an awkward middle space between not wanting to throw in the towel and also wanting to break free of some restrictions. About 42 of adults in the U.S. have gone back to some but not all of their prepandemic activities according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-04-21/how-to-avoid-getting-covid-in-a-mostly-mask-free-world 21st Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Hong Kong reopened gyms beauty parlours theme parks and cinemas for the first time in more than four months on Thursday as authorities relax some of the worlds most stringent COVID restrictions that have weighed on residents and businesses. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/hong-kong-reopens-venues-extends-dining-hours-covid-cases-fall-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Shanghai authorities said on Thursday tough restrictions would remain in place for now even in districts which managed to cut COVID19 transmission to zero prolonging the agony for many residents who have been stuck at home for most of this month. That sober assessment prompted by an unexpected rise in the number of cases outside quarantined areas came after health officials earlier in the week had fuelled hopes of some return to normal by saying that trends in recent days showed Shanghai had effectively curbed transmissions. At a regular press conference an official from the Chongming district an outlying island area said most curbs would be kept in place although it has reported zero cases outside quarantined areas and 90 of its 640000orso residents were now in theory allowed to leave their homes. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-people-not-free-fly-out-homes-covid-cases-tick-back-up-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Sky News The governments coronavirus hotel quarantine system which was originally expected to break even cost the taxpayers almost 400m its own spending watchdog has found. A report by the National Audit Office NAO found that despite the Department for Health and Social Care DHSC previously estimating that the cost of running the hotel quarantine service would be met by the price people were charged to stay in the rooms the taxpayer has subsidised half of the schemes total 786m cost. The NAO report adds that the overall cost of the scheme to the taxpayer is likely to be even higher as DHSC cannot ensure that everyone who stayed in a quarantine hotel has paid their bill with the government owed 74m from outstanding hotel costs and COVID test purchases as of 1 March 2022. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-hotel-quarantine-scheme-cost-taxpayers-almost-400m-despite-being-estimated-to-break-even-governments-own-watchdog-finds-12594517 21st Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Hong Kong reopened gyms beauty parlours theme parks and cinemas on Thursday for the first time in more than four months as authorities relaxed some of the worlds toughest COVID19 curbs which have weighed on people and businesses. Some in the global financial hub flocked to salons and massage parlours while others visited temples and churches which had also been shut. Many schools have also resumed inperson learning after months of online instruction. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/hong-kong-reopens-venues-extends-dining-hours-covid-cases-fall-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Associated Press Hong Kong relaxed pandemic restrictions on Thursday with Disneyland and museums reopening and nighttime restaurant dining resuming as the citys worst COVID19 outbreak appears to be fading. Enthusiastic visitors ran into Disneyland the moment the gates opened after a threemonth closure. Popular theme parks were ordered to close in January as Hong Kongs fifth wave of the coronavirus took hold. Nearly 1.2 million people in the city of 7.4 million were infected in less than four months and nearly 9000 have died. https://apnews.com/article/covid-travel-health-business-shanghai-0597fb955b1952f7453d18650a82df13 21st Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Associated Press Cambodia on Thursday reduced the required quarantine period from two weeks to one for arriving travelers who are not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus acting after recording consistently low numbers of new infections in recent days. The Health Ministry also said that travelers arriving by air who have not been fully vaccinated must take a rapid antigen test on the last day of their quarantine. Arrivals by land mostly Cambodian workers in neighboring countries are required to take rapid antigen tests on arrival as well as on the last day of quarantine. Cambodia had already opened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers on Nov. 15 in an effort to revitalize its tourismreliant economy. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-travel-lifestyle-pandemics-c5f69236782146955e0bddce7f2f78c4 21st Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Associated Press California workplace regulators are poised to extend mandatory pay for workers affected by the coronavirus through the end of 2022 more than two months after state lawmakers restored similar benefits through September. The decision expected Thursday again pits management against labor as the sevenmember Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board renews revised workplace safety rules that would otherwise expire in early May. https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-california-pandemics-dd46ec5a5ccaa2781f869b4daf614e87 21st Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Article reports that Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. is in talks with African leaders about how to raise demand for Covid19 vaccines after the continents biggest drugmaker warned a lack of orders may force it to stop making the shots. Discussions are underway and I assure you its been elevated to the highest level on the continent John Nkengasong director of Africa CDC said at a briefing on Thursday. Im sure more details will be provided in coming days once we have more details from Africas political leadership. Nkengasong last week appealed to African countries to place orders with local manufacturers including Durban South Africabased Aspen which makes doses on behalf of Johnson Johnson and in March said it agreed to make the shots under its own brand. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-21/aspen-in-talks-with-african-leaders-on-low-covid-vaccine-orders 21st Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Belfast Telegraph Only 1.39 of children aged five to 11 in Northern Ireland have been vaccinated against Covid19 health bosses have said. The Public Health Agency PHA has created a vaccination toolkit to support uptake as it said safety concerns may be a driving factor for the low uptake in youngsters here. The vaccine has been available to children deemed to be at risk from the virus and those who live with someone who is immunocompromised since December but was opened up to all five to 11 year olds in February. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-northern-ireland-health-bosses-take-action-due-to-poor-uptake-of-vaccine-in-young-kids-41571002.html 21st Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

CNN Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to mull over what the future of Covid19 booster shots might look like and they acknowledge that entirely different vaccine formulations could be needed. At their meeting Wednesday the members of the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices discussed their next steps around recommending additional booster doses of Covid19 vaccines for the general public. Currently additional booster doses are recommended only for certain people with weakened immune systems and adults 50 and older. https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/20/health/cdc-acip-meeting-covid-booster-shots/index.html 21st Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters.com The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday moved to revoke Arizonas ability to police workplace safety within the state after it refused to adopt a federal rule requiring COVID19 protections for healthcare workers. OSHA in a proposal published in the Federal Register said Arizonas failure to enforce the emergency COVID19 rule last year was the latest in a decadelong series of instances where the state shirked its duty to adopt safety standards at least as strict as comparable federal requirements. https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/after-rejecting-covid-rule-arizona-could-lose-oversight-workplace-safety-2022-04-20/ 21st Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters.com South Korean presidentelect Yoon Sukyeol is at odds with a decision by the outgoing government to lift nearly all coronavirus curbs this week vowing to reconsider a plan to exempt all patients from quarantine requirements from May. In a major step this week towards a return to normal life the government of President Moon Jaein lifted almost all its social distancing curbs such as midnight curfew for restaurants and a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/incoming-skorean-leaders-team-review-lifting-covid-curbs-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters.com The Biden administration said Thursday it is extending a requirement that nonU.S. citizens crossing land or ferry terminals at the U.S.Mexico and U.S.Canada borders must be vaccinated against COVID19. The requirements were first adopted in November as part of reopening the United States to land crossings by foreign tourists after the borders had been closed to most foreign visitors since March 2020. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-extends-covid-vaccine-requirements-non-citizens-land-borders-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

The Associated Press Boston urged people to start wearing masks Thursday and the Biden administration weighed its next legal step in what is shaping up to be a highstakes court fight over the abrupt end of the national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit. The Boston Public Health Commission noted a rise in hospitalizations as well as a 65 increase in cases and an even larger spike in COVID19 levels in local wastewater samples. It also stressed that the guidance was merely a recommendation not an order. The country is wrestling with how to deal with the next phase of the pandemic and find the right balance in enacting health measures at a time when many Americans are ready to move on after two exhausting years. https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-pandemics-public-fececc439c7ae04949a2542464702c29 21st Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Al Jazeera English The administration of US President Joe Biden has extended a COVID19 vaccination requirement for nonUS citizens crossing land or ferry terminals at the United Statess borders with Mexico and Canada. In a statement on Thursday the Department of Homeland Security DHS said the extension followed a consultation with federal health agencies including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/21/us-extends-covid-vaccine-requirement-at-land-borders 21st Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

STAT News umerous advocacy groups and institutional shareholders are chiding Pfizer for arguing that its intellectual property is a human right and would be violated if the Dominican Republican government issues a compulsory license for its Covid19 pill. Advocates say the company invoked human rights in a recent hearing in which it attempted to convince the Dominican government not to issue such a licence for its pill Paxlovid. https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2022/04/20/patent-pfizer-covid19-patent-paxlovid-dominican-republic/ 20th Apr 2022

Partisan Exits

Al Jazeera English British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a blow to his authority when lawmakers ordered a parliamentary investigation into his past denials that he broke coronavirus restrictions by attending illegal gatherings during the pandemic. Johnson on Thursday faced stinging criticism from his own Conservative party and an influential former ally called on him to quit over what has become known as the Partygate scandal which has caused widespread public anger. The investigation will look into whether Johnson knowingly misled the Parliament of the United Kingdom ordinarily a resigning offence if proven. But a bullish Johnson on a twoday trip to India insisted he was not going anywhere. In India Johnson vowed he would not quit and intended to fight the next general election still likely at least two years away. I understand peoples feelings he told Sky News. But he said of stepping aside I dont think that is the right thing to do. What I am determined to do is make sure we continue with our agenda. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/21/uk-lawmakers-approve-probe-into-pm-boris-johnsons-partygate 22nd Apr 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters British police should be allowed to complete their investigation into potential COVID lockdown breaches in government offices before parliament launches its own investigation Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday. Im very keen for every possible form of scrutiny and the House of Commons can do I think whatever it wants to do but all I would say is I dont think that that should happen until the investigation is completed he told reporters during a visit to India. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-johnson-says-lawmakers-probe-into-covid-breaches-should-come-later-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters U.S. law enforcement officials have charged 21 people across the country with healthcare schemes amid the pandemic as part of the administrations larger effort to thwart people from leveraging COVID19 for fraud the Department of Justice said on Wednesday. The latest charges include cases involving filing false Medicare and other billing claims kickbacks and money laundering the department said adding the alleged actions led to more than 149 million in COVID19related false billings to federal programs and theft from federallyfunded pandemic assistance programs. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-charges-21-people-with-covid-related-fraud-2022-04-20/ 21st Apr 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a blow to his authority on Thursday when lawmakers triggered an investigation into whether he had misled parliament and an influential former ally called on him to quit. Johnson has been fighting for political survival for months after he told parliament that his Downing Street office had followed all lockdown rules during the COVID pandemic only for an internal report to find it had held alcoholfuelled parties at that time. Police have since fined Johnson. He denies deliberately misleading parliament which is a resigning matter and says he did not realise he was breaking the rules. He has apologised for his conduct. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-johnson-seeks-defuse-showdown-over-whether-he-misled-parliament-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Continued Lockdown

Reuters A prolonged slowdown in China would have substantial global spillovers IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday but added that Beijing has room to adjust policy to provide support. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday cut its growth forecast for China this year to 4.4 well below Beijings target of around 5.5 on the risks of widespread COVID19 lockdowns and supply chain disruptions. In a video speech to the annual Boao Forum for Asia Georgieva said Chinas actions to counter its economic slowdown are vital for the global recovery. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/imf-chief-warns-risks-prolonged-china-slowdown-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Shanghai urges cooperation with COVID tests amid rising scepticism By ReutersInvesting.comShanghai turns residences into COVID isolation facilities sparking protest By ReutersInvesting.com UKUPDATE 2Shanghai hopes COVID tide turning with fewer cases outside quarantine areasYahoo FinanceShanghai reports rise in Covid19 deaths for April 20Daily MaverickView Full coverage on Google News https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-keep-covid-curbs-infections-outside-quarantine-rise-again-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

News-Medical.Net The binding responses and temporal dynamics of antibodies elicited against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 SARSCoV2 due to vaccination must be fully understood to design future vaccination strategies. A new study published in PLoS ONE characterizes the antibody response to BNT162b2 the PfizerBioNTech coronavirus disease 2019 COVID19 vaccine. This study analyzes the temporal dynamics of immunoglobulin G IgG and IgM antibody response to five different SARSCoV2 epitopes over a period of six months after vaccination. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220420/Antibody-response-to-Pfizer-BioNTech-COVID-19-vaccine-over-6-months.aspx 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

BioSpace Codiak BioSciences a clinicalstage biopharmaceutical company focused on pioneering the development of exosomebased candidates as a new class of medicines today announced new preclinical data from its pan betacoronavirus vaccine program which aims to protect against all SARSCoV2 variants of concern and potential future strains belonging to the betacoronavirus family. The data which are being presented today at the World Vaccine Congress 2022 in Washington D.C. demonstrate the potential for a novel engineered exosomebased vaccine candidate derived from Codiaks exoVACC platform to induce crossneutralizing antibody protection against multiple strains of coronaviruses and an antigenspecific and comprehensive immune response against structurally conserved regions of multiple coronavirus variants. https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/codiak-presents-new-preclinical-data-supporting-development-of-a-broadly-protective-pan-beta-coronavirus-vaccine/ 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times Novavax has published the first clinical data for a combined Covid19 and flu vaccine with promising initial findings that a twoinone shot could be safe and effective. The trial conducted in Australia studied the combined shot in almost 650 people aged 50 to 70. An initial analysis found that their immune responses were similar to that for Novavaxs standalone Covid19 vaccine and its flu vaccine candidate which is waiting for regulatory approval. The safety profile was also similar to the individual vaccines with no serious adverse events. https://www.ft.com/content/bf129ee9-e5f6-435d-9b0c-7c0a1c3f3e47 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent A UKwide study has found a prolonged immune response from third doses of Covid19 vaccines. The CovBoost study led by the University Hospital Southampton UHS compared immune responses to seven vaccines used as a booster 28 days after participants had received two initial doses of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines. The latest findings published online in the Journal of Infection show strong immune responses are still seen 84 days after third jabs with five of the Covid19 vaccines currently approved for use in the UK AstraZeneca Pfizer Moderna Janssen and Novavax vaccines. Of these vaccines only three Pfizer Moderna and AstraZeneca have been used in the UK booster programme. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/pfizer-astrazeneca-university-hospital-southampton-moderna-university-of-southampton-b2062370.html 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent An analysis of data from 50 studies looking at 1.6 million people suggests that as much as 43 per cent of those infected with the coronavirus experienced postCovid conditions pointing to the need for better diagnosis and care for long Covid patients. PostCovid conditions are clinically defined by the World Health Organisation WHO as mid and longterm symptoms also known as long Covid occurring in individuals after infection with the SARSCoV2 virus. The research published this week in the Journal of Infectious Disease assessed 23 symptoms reported across 36 of the studies and found that shortness of breath sleep problems and joint pain was widely reported by those who had recovered from the novel coronavirus infection. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/coronavirus-infection-recovery-long-covid-b2062154.html 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent Air pollution heightens the risk of Covid19 infection among young adults a new study suggests. Previous studies have shown that areas of poor air quality have more cases of Covid19 pointing to a potential link between the virus and rates of infection. The researchers merged a populationbased project which has followed more than 4000 participants in Stockholm from birth with Swedens national communicable disease registry SmiNet. They identified 425 people who had tested positive for SarsCoV2 between May 2020 and the end of March 2021. The average age of the participants was 26 and 54 per cent were women. https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/covid-air-pollution-link-latest-b2061494.html 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The BMJ Drug regulators are reviewing authorisations for monoclonal antibody treatments just months after they were issued. Elisabeth Mahase asks what the future holds for this class of biologicals The US Food and Drug Administration has removed its authorisation for antiSARSCoV2 monoclonal antibody treatment sotrovimab because of concerns that it is ineffective against the omicron subvariant BA.2 which is now dominant in the US. The UKs Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency MHRA authorised sotrovimab for high risk over 12s with mild to moderate covid19 in December 20212 after reporting that a single dose given as an intravenous infusion over 30 minutes reduced the risk of hospital admission and death by 79 in high risk adults with symptomatic covid19. The regulator has told The BMJ that it is also now reviewing the treatment to see if the benefitrisk balance remains favourable. Laura Squire the MHRAs chief officer for healthcare access and quality said We are in contact with the FDA and are looking closely at the data supporting their decision. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1009 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Medical News Today The U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna announced Tuesday that its updated mRNA COVID19 booster had produced a better immune response in clinical trials against several SARSCoV2 variants including Omicron and Delta. The booster is a type of vaccine scientists call bivalent which works by stimulating an immune response against two different antigens. Moderna designed the new formula to target both the Beta variant which surfaced in South Africa in July 2020 and the original variant of SARSCoV2. The boosters currently in usefrom Moderna Pfizer and otherswere only based on the original variant. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/modernas-new-covid-19-booster-protects-better-against-omicron-other-variants 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CNN When Delta Air Lines referred to Covid19 as an ordinary seasonal virus after a federal judge struck down the Biden administrations mask mandate for public transportation they were partly right there is some evidence that it is seasonal. But it is far from ordinary and its still not the same as the flu. The lifting of the transportation mask mandate marks another turning point in the Covid19 pandemic in the United States and there are many ways to describe the situation at this inflection point. https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/20/health/covid-not-like-flu-yet/index.html 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Medical News Today Recent studies have suggested that COVID19 vaccines may increase the risk of heart inflammation which can be potentially fatal. A metaanalysis synthesizing data from 22 previous studies suggests that the risk of heart inflammation after a COVID19 vaccine was similar to that following vaccination against other diseases. Males and individuals under the age of 30 were at a higher risk of heart inflammation especially after the second dose. These results suggest that the risk of heart inflammation after having a COVID19 vaccine is generally low supporting previous data about their safety. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-vaccines-do-not-heighten-heart-inflammation-risk-in-most-individuals 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Sky News A healthcare worker was infected with COVID19 twice in just 20 days believed to be the shortest time between two infections documented since the pandemic began. The Spanish woman 31 became infected with the Delta variant followed by the Omicron variant of the virus in under three weeks according to a study. Researchers say the case shows that even vaccinated people who have had COVID19 cannot assume they are protected against reinfection. Dr Gemma Recio of the Institut Catala de la Salut in Spain one of the studys authors said it highlights the potential of the Omicron variant to evade previous immunity. https://news.sky.com/story/healthcare-worker-tests-positive-for-covid-19-twice-in-20-days-in-world-first-since-pandemic-began-study-suggests-12594363 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Moderna plans to submit an application to the U.S. health regulator for emergency use authorization EUA of its COVID19 vaccine among kids between the ages of six months to five years by end of the month a company spokesperson said on Wednesday. The Omicron variant was predominant during Modernas pediatric trial and the drugmaker said two doses were around 38 effective in preventing infections in 2 to 5yearolds and 44 effective for children aged 6 months to under 2 years. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-plans-file-eua-covid-19-shot-very-young-kids-by-april-end-2022-04-20/ 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Taiwans government has approved a second COVID19 booster vaccine dose for those 65 and older and third boosters for the immunocompromised as it looks to step up its fight against a spike in domestic infections that has yet to peak. While Taiwan is dealing with a rise in local cases the numbers overall remain small 15544 since Jan. 1 and just four people have died with more than 99 of those infected reporting either minor or no symptoms. Taiwans Centres for Disease Control said late Wednesday it had approved second booster shots for the elderly as well as residents of longterm care facilities. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-approves-second-covid-booster-shot-elderly-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters CureVac and GSKs secondgeneration vaccine candidate targeting two recent COVID19 variants has been shown to be highly effective in preclinical studies on mice CureVac said as it seeks to catch up with rivals development work. A study in mice showed that the bivalent vaccine candidate designed to address the Beta and Delta variants of the coronavirus elicited neutralizing antibody levels that were comparable to the monovalent vaccine candidates targeting only one of the variants. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/curevac-gsks-new-covid-variant-vaccine-effective-animal-studies-2022-04-21/ 21st Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma A U.K.wide study found prolonged strong immune responses 84 days after participants received a booster COVID19 shot. The study led by the University Hospital Southampton UHS and published in the Journal of Infection tested immune responses after seven different vaccines used as a boosters 28 days after receiving two doses of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines. While different initial vaccines yielded different results from the booster the rate that immune cell responses declined after third doses was similar between all the vaccine combinations and doses according to a UHS spokeswoman quoted in the Evening Standard. The study also found that a half dose of Pfizers vaccine prompts similar responses to a full dose at three months which could help in planning global vaccine supply and delivery according to Saul Faust a professor of pediatric immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Southampton and director of the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/covid-19-tracker-pfizer-targets-variant-specific-vaccines-fall 21st Apr 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters COVID19 cases and deaths are declining in the Americas the Pan American Health Organization PAHO said on Wednesday with infections last week having dropped 2.3 and deaths falling 15.2 from the prior week. The broad trend comes even as cases have scaled up in North America with an 11.2 increase last week the organization said noting that in Canada hospitalizations rose by more than 20 as the proportion of Omicron BA.2 cases grew. As borders have reopened and tourism has ramped up cases have also surged in some Caribbean countries and territories with Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Barbados and Saint Martin having recorded the largest relative increases. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/covid-cases-down-americas-even-north-america-faces-increase-paho-2022-04-20/ 21st Apr 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Italy reported 99848 COVID19 related cases on Wednesday against 27214 the day before the health ministry said while the daily number of deaths rose to 205 from 127. Italy has registered 162098 deaths linked to COVID19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020 the secondhighest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. The country has reported 15.86 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID19 not including those in intensive care stood at 10207 on Wednesday down from 10214 a day earlier. There were 44 new admissions to intensive care units up from 38 on Tuesday. The total number of intensive care patients stood at 413 decreasing from a previous 422. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italy-reports-99848-coronavirus-cases-wednesday-205-deaths-2022-04-20/ 21st Apr 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press The World Health Organization says that the number of reported new COVID19 cases worldwide decreased by nearly a quarter last week continuing a decline since the end of March. The Genevabased U.N. health agency said in a weekly report that nearly 5.59 million cases were reported between April 11 and 17 24 fewer than in the previous week. The number of newly reported deaths dropped 21 to 18215. WHO said new cases declined in every region though only by 2 in the Americas. The report was dated late Wednesday and sent to journalists on Thursday. The agency said that these trends should be interpreted with caution as several countries are progressively changing their COVID19 testing strategies resulting in lower overall numbers of tests performed and consequently lower numbers of cases detected. https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-united-nations-world-organization-e486627a345b8173adcfeaf06a604fe4 21st Apr 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press Lu Muying died on April 1 in a government quarantine facility in Shanghai with her family on the phone as doctors tried to resuscitate her. She had tested positive for COVID19 in late March and was moved there in line with government policy that all coronavirus cases be centrally isolated. But the 99yearold who was just two weeks shy of her 100th birthday was not counted as a COVID19 death in Shanghais official tally. In fact the city of more than 25 million has only reported 25 coronavirus deaths despite an outbreak that has spanned nearly two months and infected hundreds of thousands of people in the worlds thirdlargest city. Lus death underscores how the true extent of the virus toll in Shanghai has been obscured by Chinese authorities. Doctors told Lus relatives she died because COVID19 exacerbated her underlying heart disease and high blood pressure yet she still was not counted. https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-business-health-shanghai-76bb35f8313f60258baa83460efdc14c 21st Apr 2022