Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2311

Post by Deuce »

Yes... Many people are confusing what they wish for with what reality is.
When reality is ugly or uncomfortable, people fabricate nice, comfortable illusions. The problems come when they interpret those illusions as reality.

It's not the first time that humans are afflicted with this condition, and it certainly won't be the last...
R.I.P. Amal...

“The opposite of courage is not cowardice - it’s conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow.”- Jim Hightower
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2312

Post by dryrunguy »

Here's the latest Situation Report. There's a lot here. I took particularly interest in the fact that the vaccine manufacturing plant somewhere in Africa hasn't received a single order. It will be difficult to address vaccination inequity if no one wants it--or doesn't know it's there.

::

NEW COVID-19 TESTING TOOLKIT FAQS The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security COVID-19 Testing Toolkit has launched a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) tool to help answer users’ questions about COVID-19 testing. Questions can be browsed by 8 topics or 54 keywords. Questions and answers are regularly updated to reflect new information, federal guidance, and topics of interest. Access the FAQs here: http://covidtestinganswers.org/

BA.4/BA.5 SUBVARIANT IMMUNE EVASION The BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages of the Omicron variant of concern (VOC)—both characterized by L452R and F486V mutations on the spike receptor binding domain—are increasing in prevalence in South Africa, and more countries around the world are detecting the presence of these emerging SARS-CoV-2 subvariants. There is concern that the early signs of another surge in South Africa could indicate that the new subvariants are more transmissible or are capable of evading immune protection conferred by prior infection or vaccination. As of the middle of April, the WHO had not reported any notable changes in transmissibility or disease severity compared with other Omicron subvariants; however, this was based on very limited available data, with fewer than 200 sequences available at that time.

Researchers in South Africa recently published (preprint) findings from analysis of natural and vaccine-induced immune protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The researchers compared the neutralization capacity of blood specimens collected from 39 individuals infected with the BA.1 subvariant during South Africa’s initial Omicron surge—24 unvaccinated and 15 fully vaccinated. The unvaccinated participants exhibited a 7.5-fold decrease in neutralizing capacity against BA.4 and BA.5, compared to BA.1. Vaccinated participants exhibited a better immune response against BA.4 and BA.5, but neutralizing capacity was still decreased by a factor of 2.6-3.2 compared to BA.1. The neutralizing capacity among the vaccinated individuals was significantly better than for the unvaccinated participants.

This study is based on a small number of participants—including only 8 participants who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 7 who received the J&J-Janssen vaccine, and only 1 individual who had received a booster dose—although the differences in immune response were statistically significant. Notably, the researchers only included participants who were previously infected with the BA.1 subvariant and compared the neutralizing capacity against that same subvariant. We would expect the immune response to be stronger against reinfection with the same subvariant, so while the neutralizing capacity was lower against BA.4/BA.5, it could still be sufficient to provide meaningful protection. And with only 1 boosted participant, additional data are needed to evaluate the protection conferred by booster doses.

The WHO and other health experts continue to emphasize that full vaccination and booster doses provide the best protection against circulating and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. This study provides some evidence that immunity conferred by recent BA.1 infection and vaccination may be less effective against the emerging BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants; however, additional research is needed before we can have a clear picture of how well natural and vaccine-induced immunity protect against infection, symptomatic COVID-19 disease, and severe symptoms or death associated with the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

US SITUATION While daily COVID-19 incidence remains relatively low across the US, the 7-day moving average of new cases has increased by about 50% over the last month. In New York City, daily incidence jumped from about 600 daily cases in early March to nearly 2,500 new cases per day, with cases driven by the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron. While hospitalizations and deaths remain low, the city this week entered a higher risk level (medium, or yellow, for virus transmission). If the number of new cases continues to rise, another move to a higher level could trigger reinstatement of certain public health measures, including masking requirements. California also is experiencing a rise in cases, with the state recording a 30% increase in new COVID-19 cases over the last week, as well as a smaller increase in hospitalizations.

The rising case numbers coincide with relaxed public health measures and many states scaling back their frequency of COVID-19 data reporting to only once a week or every 2 weeks. These data reporting delays could produce misleading trends and hinder subsequent interventions. Additionally, shifting testing practices—including the shuttering of public testing sites and more people using at-home tests and subsequently not reporting their results—could be masking a significant number of infections. With these changes in data reporting, capturing the number of people infected in the general population has become nearly impossible. Therefore, epidemiologists have turned to different metrics to better estimate COVID-19’s impact, looking instead at hospital data to estimate severe disease levels in communities and strain on healthcare systems. Others are watching wastewater surveillance to help predict where and when outbreaks might occur. As the nation shifts its response from an acute emergency phase to a more long-term response, and as immunity from vaccination and natural infection wane, the country will continue to rely on these imperfect data to help inform individuals and jurisdictions about their current and future risks of contracting COVID-19.

US FDA VACCINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE On Friday, April 29, the US FDA announced tentative dates for a meeting of its Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) to evaluate applications for Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for multiple SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, including for use in young children. The announcement notes that the submissions are not yet complete, but the FDA anticipates that it will receive full applications from multiple vaccine manufacturers over the coming weeks. On June 7, the VRBPAC is scheduled to meet to discuss the EUA application for use of the Novavax vaccine in adults aged 18 years and older. This would be the first authorization for use of the Novavax vaccine in the US. The FDA reserved June 8, 21, and 22 for the advisory group to meet on the applications to authorize the use of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines in young children. On June 28, the group will follow up on its April 6 meeting to discuss whether the target strains in existing SARS-CoV-2 vaccines should be modified and, if so, what strains should be used in Fall 2022.

The committee will provide recommendations to the FDA regarding these vaccines, and if the reviews are positive, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines could potentially be available for young children (eg, aged 6 months and older) by this summer. Scheduling the meetings in anticipation of receiving the full submissions will mitigate delays in reviewing the data. The FDA has been under growing public pressure due to the absence of a vaccine option for young children, particularly in light of the increased impact on children during the Omicron surge.

Regulatory officials from Health Canada are currently reviewing an emergency authorization application from Moderna for use of its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in children aged 6 months to 5 years. The application was submitted on April 29, and while there is not yet a timeline for the review, Moderna officials reportedly indicated that they hope to complete it “shortly.”

POST-TREATMENT RELAPSE US health authorities are prioritizing research into why and how often some people with COVID-19 who take Pfizer’s antiviral treatment Paxlovid see rebounds in symptoms and viral load levels after completing the therapy. The relapses—when a person who tested positive takes Paxlovid, tests negative after taking the 5-day course of treatment, then tests positive again several days after completing the therapy—appear to be rare, but healthcare providers should warn patients to watch for symptoms after taking Paxlovid and test again if they begin to feel ill. The need to unravel the mystery is urgent, as it presents another hurdle in expanding the Biden administration’s Test-to-Treat initiative aimed at improving access to COVID-19 treatments, including Paxlovid and Merck’s molnupiravir. US NIH officials are working to develop clinical and epidemiological studies that could help shed light on how often viral rebounds occur, who might be at risk for relapse, and whether a longer regimen could knock out the virus instead of what appears to be simply suppressing it. One preprint case study of relapse was posted in late April, describing a fully vaccinated and boosted 71-year-old with asthma who experienced relapse 4 days after completing Paxlovid. Both the US FDA and Pfizer have noted a small number of people in clinical trials who took Paxlovid or a placebo experienced viral load rebound 10-14 days after starting treatment. Because patients in both groups experienced the phenomenon, investigators did not relate it directly to the medication. The scenarios also raise concerns of emerging antiviral resistance if the virus is suppressed and then is able to begin replicating again.

POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS Pfizer’s COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid is falling short of being a possible means of preventing infection following exposure, according to new Phase 2/3 trial data. In a trial of 2,957 adults who were household contacts of a person with COVID-19 but themselves tested negative via antigen test, people who took Paxlovid for 5 or 10 days were only 32% and 37% less likely to subsequently test positive, respectively. In addition to not having a marked impact on reducing the risk of household contacts, these results also are not statistically significant compared with the placebo groups and could be due to chance. The trial, known as EPIC-PEP (Evaluation of Protease Inhibition for COVID-19 in Post-Exposure Prophylaxis), is part of Pfizer’s series of clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Paxlovid. A post-exposure prophylaxis for SARS-CoV-2 would be helpful in preventing infection in people who were exposed to the virus but have not yet developed an infection. In persons with pre-existing conditions or for people who do not want to risk losing time at work, preventing infection following exposure altogether could be a gamechanger. Unfortunately, Paxlovid does not appear to be the drug to provide this outcome. Although many are disappointed in these outcomes, physicians say they are no less hesitant to prescribe Paxlovid for its originally intended purpose of treating people with COVID-19, especially for those at risk of severe outcomes.

CHINA After more than 1 month in strict lockdown, some residents of Shanghai, China, were able to leave their homes today for short walks and to obtain supplies, as a recent COVID-19 surge there shows some signs of waning. However, the capital city of Beijing continued mass testing and announced that schools, gyms, entertainment and theme park venues, and indoor dining will remain closed, as authorities hope to prevent citywide lockdowns like those in Shanghai, which now appear to be easing slightly. Although the number of new cases remains low, Beijing is prepping hospitals and reopening isolation facilities in hopes of preventing the virus’s spread and avoiding widespread lockdowns similar to those implemented in Shanghai. Throughout the pandemic, China has maintained its “zero-COVID” policies, including mass testing and quarantining of infected individuals, leading some public health experts in the country to quietly wonder whether the strategy is tenable over the long-term. Notably, China’s economy—as well as the global economy—are feeling a pinch from the pandemic, and economists are skeptical about whether the country will be able to achieve its 2022 5.5% growth target if the zero-COVID policy continues.

INDIA SUPREME COURT In what some are calling a landmark decision, India’s Supreme Court on May 2 ruled that people cannot be forced to be vaccinated against COVID-19 but simultaneously upheld the government’s vaccination policy, including its ability to regulate issues of public health concern and grant emergency use authorizations to vaccines. The 2-justice panel maintained the government is entitled to implement certain restrictions on individual rights to regulate community public health but said policies cannot be viewed as “arbitrary and unreasonable.” The court called on State and Union Territories to review any current vaccine mandates to ensure that any restrictions on unvaccinated individuals are proportionate with the country’s current COVID-19 situation. According to the ruling, individuals’ bodily integrity and personal autonomy, including their ability to reject vaccination or treatment, are protected under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court also ordered the government to establish without delay a public-facing database to collect and disclose SARS-CoV-2 vaccine clinical trial results, including data on adverse events. In response, the government claimed no one is forced to be vaccinated, and lawyers for Indian pharmaceutical companies Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech International said clinical trial data are already publicly available. India’s daily test positivity rate this week rose above 1.0 for the first time in 2 months, possibly indicating the country could be entering a fourth wave. About 72% of India’s population has received at least 1 dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine but hesitancy remains high in many rural areas.

GLOBAL VACCINATION EFFORTS South African drugmaker Aspen Pharmacare has warned that a plant established to package, sell, and distribute the J&J-Janssen SARS-CoV-2 vaccine under its own brand name—Aspenovax—throughout Africa risks shutting down because the company has not received a single order. Initially touted by the WHO as a “transformative moment” in global efforts to resolve vaccine inequity, the licensing agreement was meant to bolster Africa’s vaccine production and launch a manufacturing plant that could support the making and distribution of other vaccines in the future. Now, those aspirations, as well as the fate of similar vaccine manufacturing initiatives in Africa, are under threat. Some experts speculate that the now widespread availability of free SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses on the continent might have created a sense of complacency. Additionally, many African countries continue to face challenges with last-mile vaccine distribution and administration, including cold chain logistics and healthcare staff shortages. According to the Africa CDC, two-thirds of the continent’s vaccine supply has been administered but only about 16% of the continent’s population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, international aid commitments from many wealthy nations—including several in the European Union, the UK, and the US—to help low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) purchase vaccines or overcome logistical challenges have recently slowed or evaporated. The US is co-hosting a second Global COVID-19 Summit on May 12 to spur new commitments and discuss further efforts to deliver vaccines to “everyone, everywhere.” The US Congress is deadlocked over negotiations to authorize additional funding for both domestic and international COVID-19 efforts, and without that show of support, experts are curious whether the US can maintain its leadership and motivate others to make donations. Additionally, many wealthy nations have an excess of vaccine doses as vaccination campaigns wind down. Denmark has said it will destroy 1.1 million SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses in the coming weeks as they reach their expiration dates and efforts to donate them to LMICs have failed.

In related news, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), a body of experts that monitors the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, released a strongly worded statement last week expressing concern that global vaccine equity and the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on people of African and Asian descent, as well as those belonging to national or ethnic minorities, Roma communities, Indigenous Peoples, are in part attributable to “the historic racial injustices of slavery and colonialism that remain largely unaccounted for today.” CERD also urged nations to support a proposal at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to temporarily waive intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines and therapies.

OMICRON-SPECIFIC VACCINES Global vaccine manufacturers are racing to update their vaccines to target the Omicron variant of concern (VOC) and its subvariant descendants. Although booster shots have been fairly successful in preventing severe outcomes from COVID-19, they have not been nearly as effective in preventing infection altogether as Omicron has swept many areas of the world. Moderna announced that it is aiming for a Fall release of its Omicron-specific mRNA vaccine booster. The company earlier this year began trialing various formulations of Omicron-specific candidates and stated recently they have identified at least 2 strong candidates for further trials and possible authorization. Pfizer also is set to launch human trials for its own Omicron-specific mRNA vaccine candidates soon.

In China—where surges in Omicron cases have caused lockdowns in several major cities—vaccine manufacturers already have large-scale trials underway in an attempt to protect larger swaths of the population against Omicron subvariants. China’s Sinopharm has produced an inactivated vaccine specific to the Omicron VOC and is currently testing it in a large clinical trial in Hangzhou province. A similar trial to evaluate Omicron-specific booster efficacy also is approved to begin in Hong Kong. Elsewhere, China’s Abogen Biosciences has obtained approval from the United Arab Emirates to begin a clinical trial there using the company’s Omicron-specific mRNA vaccine. When they are available, data from all of these trials will be essential to determine whether we can better protect the world’s population against current and future Omicron subvariants.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2313

Post by ponchi101 »

Ok. AITA: Sure, no GOV can mandate you to get vaccinated. But you then have to accept that other people have the right to NOT let you come into their business/restaurant/office/place of work or contact with them.
It has got to cut both ways.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Post by ti-amie »

ponchi101 wrote: Tue May 03, 2022 6:23 pm Ok. AITA: Sure, no GOV can mandate you to get vaccinated. But you then have to accept that other people have the right to NOT let you come into their business/restaurant/office/place of work or contact with them.
It has got to cut both ways.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Post by ti-amie »

So far the only side effect of my second booster is a sore arm.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Here's the latest Situation Report.

::

VISUALIZING 1 MILLION DEATHS In the coming days, the official number of US residents who have died of COVID-19 will pass 1 million, although some estimate that threshold has already been exceeded. Globally, the WHO estimates about 15 million people have died due to causes directly or indirectly related to the pandemic. News reporting is applying different lenses to this immense loss, at levels difficult for humans to comprehend. Axios presents a timeline of the pandemic, comparing the numbers of deaths to historical events. Forbes published a series of photos accompanied by various pandemic-related facts. STAT breaks down the death toll into “5 different pandemics,” based on when and where you lived and who you were. The Washington Post notes that at least 9 million people nationwide lost a spouse, parent, grandparent, child, sibling, or friend to COVID-19 and tells the stories of several of those people. On May 9, the Washington National Cathedral rang its largest bell 1,000 times, one toll for every 1,000 US residents who have died of COVID-19. An additional toll rang out to acknowledge the ongoing threats of the virus, the final time the bell will ring to memorialize the pandemic. The White House is expected to commemorate the moment when the nation officially passes 1 million deaths.

US FALL/WINTER SURGE PREDICTIONS The US government has begun to prepare the public for and warn the US Congress of a potential surge in COVID-19 cases this coming fall and winter. Some experts predict as many as 100 million new COVID-19 cases will occur during the colder months. The estimate is based on several variables, including waning immunity, a growing sense of relaxation about the pandemic, and the potential for new variants. On May 8, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha called on Congress to authorize US$22.5 billion for vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics. The White House’s original request of US$30 billion dollars was pared down to US$10 billion in what appeared to be a compromise before negotiations hit a wall over US-Mexico border public health policies. Without additional funding, the administration has said it likely will run out of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines if the nation moves forward with authorizations for a second booster dose for all adults. White House documents suggest the country would need an additional 87 million vaccine doses for adult boosters and an additional 5 million for boosters for children, if authorized. The administration is discussing contingency plans if vaccine supplies run short, with some reporting that boosters could be limited to high-risk groups in the fall if additional funding is not secured.

BOOSTER DOSE EFFECTIVENESS A fourth dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine significantly boosts immune protection, according to data from the COV-BOOST subtrial published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The study evaluated antibody and cellular immune responses of a fourth dose of either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, administered to participants who previously received 3 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or 2 doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford and 1 dose of Pfizer-BioNTech. Participants who received the Moderna booster saw a 16-fold increase in anti-spike IgG titers, the metric used in the study for immunogenicity, while Pfizer-BioNTech recipients’ levels increased 12-fold. Compared to 28 days after the third dose, the Moderna booster more than doubled antibody levels and the Pfizer-BioNTech booster increased levels more than 1.5 times. Participants who received 3 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and a Moderna booster exhibited significantly higher T-cell responses 14 days after the fourth dose compared to 28 days after the third dose, whereas participants who received other vaccine combinations all exhibited similar T-cell responses at the same time point. The researchers suggested there may be a ceiling for antibody levels with mRNA boosters.

Several studies also have evaluated vaccine effectiveness of third dose boosters to Omicron. Researchers with Sweden’s Skane University Hospital conducted a vaccine-registry study across 3 periods of variant dominance: Omicron BA.1, transition period, and Omicron BA.2 beginning in the last week of 2021 through week 11 of 2022. Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines were used in the vaccination program, but Pfizer-BioNTech represented 77% of all administered doses. A total of 593 severe cases were documented during the period, representing 65, 78, and 56 cases each week for the corresponding periods of BA.1, transition, and BA.2 dominance. Severe cases were older during the BA.2 period and had a more even sex distribution compared to those recorded during the BA.1 period. Following 3 doses, vaccine effectiveness remained above 80% through the study period, but decreased from 90% to 54% during BA.2 in participants who received 2 vaccine doses regardless of age, sex, or chronic conditions.

A second study, also published in Eurosurveillance, included a subset of 20 participants from a previous study comparing levels of plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) antibodies against the wild-type and BA.1 SARS-CoV-2 variants. Participants included previously infected and infection-naive individuals who were vaccinated with 3 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or CoronaVac, or 2 doses of CoronaVac and 1 dose of Pfizer-BioNTech, as well as unvaccinated individuals who were previously infected. The researchers, who noted that there are no universally even a single dose of vaccine in participants previously infected elicited higher PRNT antibody responses than even 3 doses of the respective vaccine in infection naive individuals. Breakthrough infections with either BA.1 or BA.2 in previously vaccinated participants appeared to provide broad cross-neutralization against a range of variants of concern. Notably, BA.2 infection in unvaccinated participants produced low levels of PRNT antibody responses indicating they could remain susceptible to infection from other variants.

A third study, detailed in last week’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, analyzed surveillance and vaccination data during Omicron dominance from 15,000 nursing homes in the beginning of 2022 to estimate relative vaccine effectiveness against infection for any additional primary or booster dose compared to primary series vaccination, defined as 2 shots of Pfizer-BioNTech or 1 shot of J&J-Janssen. A relative vaccine effectiveness of an additional primary or booster dose was determined to be 46.9% against infection, suggesting that an additional or booster dose provides greater protection against Omicron infection than primary series vaccination alone. While weekly case rates decreased among all vaccination status groups during the study period, cases were consistently lower among residents with an additional primary or booster dose compared to those with primary series vaccination only or were unvaccinated, suggesting additional doses should be administered to all skilled nursing facility residents when they are eligible.

LONG COVID As many wealthy nations move into recovery phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, some are saying the next crisis will be addressing the millions of people worldwide who experience post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), commonly known as long COVID. Researchers are continuing work to characterize the condition, attempting to answer questions including who might be more susceptible to long-term symptoms, how long symptoms might last, what treatments could provide some relief, and the impact long COVID symptoms have on long-term health. Globally, estimates range from 10% to 80% of COVID-19 survivors who experience at least 1 lasting symptom. Some estimate as many as 1 billion people worldwide could suffer from the poorly understood condition over the next few years. In the US, as many as 24 million people have experienced long-COVID symptoms since the start of the pandemic.

Growing evidence suggests that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 could reduce the risk of developing long COVID, although more research is needed to definitively assess the impact. And a recently reported case series posted to the preprint server Research Square shows some evidence that individuals experiencing long COVID symptoms might be able to use Pfizer’s antiviral treatment Paxlovid as a therapy for the condition. Because Paxlovid is authorized only for people who have recently tested positive for the virus, clinical trials are needed to more thoroughly assess its potential to treat long COVID.

J&J-JANSSEN VACCINE The US FDA on May 5 limited the authorized uses of J&J-Janssen’s single-dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to only certain adults who are unable or unwilling to get vaccinated with another approved or authorized vaccine. The agency made the decision based on an updated analysis on the risk of J&J-Janssen vaccine recipients experiencing thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a rare but potentially life-threatening condition characterized by blood clots and low platelet counts that occurs 1-2 weeks post-vaccination. FDA officials determined that the known and potential benefits of the J&J-Janssen vaccine outweigh its risks for individuals aged 18 and older who cannot access other vaccines; for whom other authorized or approved vaccines are not clinically appropriate, like those who have had an allergic reaction to another SARS-CoV-2 vaccine; or who would not otherwise get vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. Out of about 18 million doses administered in the US, the FDA has identified 60 cases of TTS, including 9 deaths.

In April 2021, the FDA temporarily paused the use of the J&J-Janssen vaccine after the risk of TTS was identified, lowering vaccine confidence in and demand for the vaccine. Then in December 2021, the US CDC recommended individuals receive one of the mRNA shots instead of the J&J-Janssen vaccine. This most recent move could further diminish confidence in the vaccine, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the single-shot vaccine originally held promise. In response, J&J said the vaccine’s benefits outweigh its risks, especially when compared to being unvaccinated. Experts note that COVID-19 also carries a risk of serious or fatal blood clots, although a different type than those associated with the J&J-Janssen vaccine.

GLOBAL VACCINE & TREATMENT ACCESS COVAX has shipped nearly 1.5 billion SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses to 145 countries worldwide and says it has access to enough doses to help all countries meet their national vaccination targets. While vaccine supplies have ramped up over the past few months, lower demand for the vaccines and complex logistics surrounding their delivery and administration pose ongoing challenges to getting vaccinations in arms. Global efforts have focused primarily on vaccines, but demand for COVID-19 antiviral treatments, diagnostics, and other medical supplies, such as oxygen, is rising in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Critically, COVID-19 treatments must be started within 5 days of initial symptoms, and infections must first be confirmed with testing. Notably, only about 20% of the 5.7 billion SARS-CoV-2 tests conducted globally have been in LMICs—and only 0.4% in low-income nations—according to the WHO-supported ACT Accelerator.

Many global health experts say the obstacles and inequities countries face today are highly—and tragically—reminiscent of those that prohibited the widespread use of HIV therapeutics in LMICs in the early 2000s. Some experts say the concentration of vaccine and medical supply manufacturers centered in only a few high-income countries continues to be a structural driver of inequity. Others are calling on pharmaceutical companies to provide more transparency, technology transfers, and prioritization of LMICs in distribution. Some say additional investments in global organizations such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, would help build off lessons already learned in distributing and administering childhood vaccinations. And still others call for more innovation in the planning and delivery of all immunization services. Notably, an Africa CDC 27-country analysis shows those nations that acted quickly to establish and scale-up vaccination programs saw greater benefit than nations that lagged behind. Additionally, the paper calls on countries to focus on vaccinating the most vulnerable populations to achieve the greatest cost-benefit.

The upcoming second Global COVID-19 Summit is a reminder that even after more than 2 decades of lessons from the HIV epidemic, the global community has a long way to go to resolve inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for the next global health emergency. On May 12, national leaders and representatives of private companies, philanthropies, and non-profit organizations will gather for the summit, co-hosted by the US, Belize, Germany, Indonesia and Senegal and aimed at increasing financing for the COVID-19 response in LMICs.

Ahead of the summit, US President Joe Biden called on upper-middle and high-income nations to pledge US$2 billion for COVID-19 therapeutics, such as the antivirals Paxlovid and molnupiravir, and US$1 billion for oxygen supplies. But President Biden—who is scheduled to deliver remarks, possibly virtually—likely will come to the table without additional US support, as the US Congress has yet to agree on additional COVID-19 aid. Administration officials say that without future financing, the US is at a disadvantage when asking other nations to step up their global response efforts and could face challenges in its domestic response. A group of former heads of state and Nobel laureates are calling on the US to immediately authorize US$5 billion for its global COVID-19 response, and activists are urging President Biden to take a stronger international leadership role. Congressional Democrats were working to pass new COVID-19 spending attached to a proposal for nearly US$40 billion in new Ukraine aid. But after continued disagreement over public health policies on the US-Mexico border, Democrats have uncoupled the proposal for an additional US$10 billion in new COVID-19 spending from the Ukraine aid and put it on a separate track. In a statement, President Biden conceded that new COVID-19 funding could wait but urged Congress to act quickly on the additional pandemic aid.

WHO HEALTH EMERGENCIES PREPAREDNESS A working group formed to propose ways to strengthen the WHO’s preparedness and response to health emergencies last week released a draft report outlining its recommendations. The 56-page document will be considered by the 75th World Health Assembly convening later this month. The draft report proposes, among other suggestions, recommendations on strengthening the International Health Regulations (IHR); a timeline for the regulations’ possible amendment; an evaluation of the status and future of WHO-supported initiatives such as the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator and vaccine technology transfer hub; and a reconsideration of the acronym for public health emergencies of international concern, PHEIC, which some pronounce as “fake.” Public health experts agree that now is the time to prepare for future pandemics. An editorial in The Lancet calls on individual countries to evaluate their responses to COVID-19, learn from their mistakes, and work to strengthen their health systems, and the editorial board of the Washington Post urges international cooperation to form a global and national early-warning system for new and emerging diseases.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Post by ponchi101 »

15 million dead is about 1/500 of the entire world's population, in a span of 2 years. This was not just a flu (or still is not, as this thing continues to roam the planet).
And, my issue with LMIC remains the same. Sure, we don't have the resources to develop the vaccines. But, two years into the pandemic, not one single country in L. America, or any of our Organizations of State, have made plans to manufacture vaccines locally.
I will get my booster around Mid June, just so my GF and I can go back in sync. That would be around 6 months after the 3rd. I gather we will then continue on a 1/2 a year regime, if any.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2318

Post by ponchi101 »

I had not noticed this. By decree, here in Colombia, you cannot go into restaurants, bars or other enclosed spaces without showing proof of vaccination.
No (expletive) exceptions. Because, you know, (expletive) your freedoms.
(Totally in agreement, of course)
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2319

Post by Deuce »

I think pretty much every province in Canada and every state in the U.S. lost the proof of vaccine requirement for restaurants, stores, cinemas, concert halls, and other indoor locations at least a month or two ago. It's good to see that Colombia has more sense.
Is this just for restaurants, or other indoor locations (like stores), as well?

And are masks still required in indoor public places there, as well?
As of this Saturday, I don't think there will be a province or state that still requires masks to be worn in indoor public spaces.
Meanwhile, pretty much all of the doctors, medical experts, infectious disease specialists, etc. who ARE NOT government employees are saying that masks and proof of vaccination should still be required in indoor public spaces.
Because, despite what people are desperately forcing themselves to believe, the COVID-19 virus is still very much alive and circulating and causing many hospitalisations and deaths.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2320

Post by dryrunguy »

Here's the latest Situation Report. Haven't read it yet. I have two proposals going. Things are crazy.

::

EPI UPDATE The WHO COVID-19 Dashboard reports 516 million cumulative cases and 6.3 million deaths worldwide as of May 11. The global weekly incidence decreased for the seventh consecutive week, although at a slower pace, down 9% last week compared to a 16% decrease over the previous week. Europe, South-East Asia, and the Eastern Mediterranean regions continued to report decreasing trends in weekly incidence, while the Americas, Western Pacific, and Africa regions reported increasing trends. The increasing trends are being driven by Omicron subvariants. The trend in reported global weekly mortality decreased for a sixth consecutive week, down 23.5% from the previous week.

Global Vaccination
As of May 4, WHO reported 11.65 billion cumulative vaccine doses administered globally, with 5.2 billion individuals receiving at least 1 dose, and 4.7 billion fully vaccinated. Analysis from Our World in Data indicates that the overall trend in global daily vaccinations increased slightly over the past few days—up to 8.6 million per day on May 11 from a recent low of 8 million on May 8*. However, the number of daily doses is at its lowest level since the beginning of March 2021. The trend continues to closely follow that in Asia. Our World in Data estimates that there are 5.16 billion vaccinated individuals worldwide (1+ dose; 65.5% of the global population) and 4.69 billion who are fully vaccinated (59.5% of the global population). A total of 1.9 billion booster doses have been administered globally.
*The average daily doses administered may exhibit a sharp decrease for the most recent data, particularly over the weekend, which indicates effects of reporting delays. In an effort to reflect the longer-term trends, the numbers reported here may not correspond to the most recent data.

UNITED STATES
The US CDC is reporting 81.9 million cumulative cases of COVID-19 and 995,747 deaths. The average daily incidence has more than tripled over the past 2 weeks, up from 25,292 new cases per day on March 28 to 78,236 on May 10. The daily mortality is remaining fairly stable, at an average of 326 deaths per day on May 10*. If daily mortality continues at this pace, the cumulative mortality will reach 1 million deaths within the next 12-13 days. Notably, new COVID-19 hospital admissions continue to trend upwards, with an increase of 20% over the past week. New cases are being driven by the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, with an increasing proportion of cases due to the BA.2.12.1 sublineage.
*Changes in state-level reporting may affect the accuracy of recently reported data, particularly over weekends. In an effort to reflect the longer-term trends, the numbers reported here may not correspond to the most recent dates.

US Vaccination
The US has administered 580 million cumulative doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. After a slight increase starting in late March, following US FDA authorization of a second booster dose, daily vaccinations are once again declining. A total of 258 million individuals have received at least 1 vaccine dose, which corresponds to 77.8% of the entire US population. Among adults, 89.2% have received at least 1 dose, as well as 27.8 million children under the age of 18. A total of 220.3 million individuals are fully vaccinated**, which corresponds to 66.3% of the total population. Approximately 76.3% of adults are fully vaccinated, as well as 23.3 million children under the age of 18. A total of 101.5 million individuals have received an additional or booster dose. This corresponds to 46.1% of fully vaccinated individuals, including 68.9% of fully vaccinated adults aged 65 years or older. Only 49.4% of individuals eligible for a first booster dose have received one.
*Due to delays in reporting, estimates for the average daily doses administered are less accurate for the most recent several days.
**Full original course of the vaccine, not including additional or booster doses.

SECOND GLOBAL COVID-19 SUMMIT This morning, US President Joe Biden marked 1 million US deaths from COVID-19, saying the nation “must not grow numb to such sorrow.” US flags will be flown at half-staff to remember those lost in the pandemic. Later today at the second Global COVID-19 Summit, President Biden is expected to forcefully call on Congress to take urgent action to pass additional COVID-19 funding, according to unnamed administration officials. A US$10 billion proposal for more funding is stalled in Congress over disagreements regarding pandemic-related immigration policies. Notably, that package only includes money for the domestic response after lawmakers stripped the proposal of global COVID-19 aid in March. The summit—co-hosted by the US, Belize, Germany, Indonesia, and Senegal—is aimed at securing new investments for pandemic responses in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), even as momentum for vaccinating the world dwindles. Only 16% of people in low-income countries have received at least 1 dose of vaccine, whereas 65.5% of the total world population has received at least 1 dose.

The global COVID-19 response needs approximately US$17 billion this year, according to the WHO, but only about US$2 billion has been secured. With no new funding from Congress for international efforts, President Biden is not expected to make significant pledges at the summit. Other nations—including France, Germany, Canada, and the UK—could pledge additional funds. The US is expected to increase its pledge to the new Global Pandemic Preparedness and Health Security fund hosted by the World Bank to US$450 million, up from an initial promise of US$250 million. The US also is expected to offer US$20 million for pilot projects testing the implementation of “test-and-treat” initiatives in LMICs. Additionally, the US will announce that the US NIH will license its stabilized spike protein technology that is critical to manufacturing some types of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and treatments to companies through the WHO-backed Medicines Patent Pool. On May 11, the White House released a fact sheet on its work to strengthen the global health workforce through a new US$1 billion initiative. While the funding is contained in the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget, Congress must first approve the funds.

NORTH KOREA Throughout the pandemic, North Korea has claimed it has never experienced a single case of COVID-19. That assertion has long been widely doubted by international experts who have dubbed the country’s public health measures, including sealing its borders, unsustainable. However, until now, experts have conceded that there has not been any signs of a large-scale outbreak in the country. Today, North Korea announced for the first time that it is in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak with cases in Pyongyang attributed to a lapse in public health measures that allowed the BA.2 Omicron subvariant to sneak in. The outbreak has led to sweeping new public health measures, including health system mobilization, masking among officials, and increased movement limitations among the public. Experts have voiced concern over the newly acknowledged outbreak because of North Korea’s fragile healthcare system and refusal to initiate SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations thus far. Foreign nations have offered or are considering offers of aid to North Korea, including China and South Korea, but it is uncertain if North Korea will accept such offers of assistance at this time.

CHINA’S ZERO-COVID POLICY China’s strict “zero-COVID” approach has been controversial among international public health experts due to its adverse effects on human rights and the Chinese economy, but censure increased when WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on May 10 criticized the strategy as unsustainable due to the transmissibility of Omicron. Chinese officials have called the WHO Director-General’s remarks “irresponsible” and, for now, plan to continue the current approach of strict lockdowns, including limiting movement of residents. Censorship efforts on Weibo and WeChat, Chinese social media platforms, have now been deployed to suppress access to Dr. Tedros’s comments. Adding to the debate, a new modeling study published in Nature Medicine asserts that a relaxation of measures in China leading to a wave of Omicron cases could overwhelm the existing healthcare system and currently insufficient population immunity, leading to more than 1.5 million deaths nationwide.

BREAKTHROUGH CASES Cases of COVID-19 are beginning to rise again in the United States, and hospitalizations also are on the rise, especially in areas such as New England and Puerto Rico. Previous surges have been characterized by much higher rates of hospitalization and death among unvaccinated populations when compared to the vaccinated. However, the gap between these 2 groups is narrowing. Breakthrough infections among the vaccinated have become increasingly common, and elderly populations seem to be bearing the brunt of this trend. Many US residents aged 65 and older received their first 2 primary series vaccine doses approximately 1 year ago in the summer of 2021, and nearly one-third have yet to receive their first booster dose. As a result, the Delta surge in 2021 was characterized by younger populations being at higher risk of hospitalization and death, while this year’s Omicron surge was marked by a shift back toward elderly populations once again being at a higher risk.

However, elderly populations will not be the only group at risk for breakthrough infections if a new surge occurs later this year. Vaccine uptake has slowed in the US, and less than half of all eligible US residents have received their first booster dose. Waning immunity, slow vaccine and booster uptake, increasingly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants, and a lack of pandemic funding in the US could put nearly 100 million individuals at risk of COVID-19 later this year.

US HOSPITAL STRAIN COVID-19 caseloads in the United States are rising again and are projected to continue rising over the next several weeks. Approximately 15,000 COVID-19 positive patients are currently receiving care in US hospitals, and about 2,600 new patients are being admitted daily. This rate of new hospitalizations represents a nearly 20% increase over last week. Additionally, about 5,000 new deaths are anticipated over the next 2 weeks, as the nation rapidly approaches the harrowing number of 1 million dead from the pandemic. These increasing numbers are especially troubling because more than half of US adults have at least one underlying health condition that puts them at an increased risk of hospitalization or death.

The increase in COVID-19 caseloads is further complicated by a lack of federal funding to treat uninsured COVID-19 positive patients. A US$20 billion program that covered testing, treatment, and vaccination for uninsured individuals has run out of money, and Medicaid coverage for certain individuals promised under a 2020 coronavirus relief bill could soon end. According to a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation, between 5.3 million and 14.2 million people could lose Medicaid coverage when the nation’s public health emergency ends. Once that declaration ends, states will begin removing people no longer eligible for Medicaid from the program, a move that was prohibited under the 2020 bill. Even the new test-to-treat initiative, which provides treatment using federally funded doses of Paxlovid, could become inaccessible for many due to the costs associated with necessary medical consultations. Though the nation came close to universal health coverage for COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic, it appears those safety nets are drying up, putting many US residents at risk of forgoing necessary healthcare and experiencing significant financial hardships due to rising costs.

MASK MANDATES Despite the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across the country, localities and federal authorities have generally not reinstated mask mandates, instead recommending the measure in appropriate circumstances, such as crowded events or public indoor spaces. Several school districts across the country—including some in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—are the exceptions, reinstating mask mandates for staff and students. Some authorities attribute the move away from mandates to a lack of desire among the public to return to masking, which could result in a lack of compliance with the public health tactic. Experts also have noted that while cases are rising, protection from severe disease due to vaccination has remained strong and health systems are not currently overwhelmed; however, if metrics related to those outcomes were to change, perhaps a return to mask mandates would be more appropriate.

Additionally, recent legal challenges to public health measures, such as the overturned federal mask mandate for transit systems, also serve as a deterrent to reinstating mitigation requirements. Some experts worry that the shift away from mask mandates came too soon and contributes to inequity in the COVID-19 response with those who are immunocompromised, children too young to be vaccinated, low-income workers, and communities of color bearing the brunt of the consequences of lifted mandates. Others have also voiced concerns that the decisions to drop pandemic requirements could be politically motivated as midterm elections approach.

VACCINE QUALITY CONTROL INVESTIGATION Emergent BioSolutions, which was contracted by the US government to produce hundreds of millions of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses, last year concealed quality control problems from US FDA inspectors weeks prior to announcements that the company destroyed millions of doses due to a contamination incident, according to a joint report from the US House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the US House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. The yearlong investigation uncovered evidence showing that 400 million doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines—significantly more than the 75 million previously revealed—were destroyed because of quality control failures. Emergent disputes allegations it intentionally misled FDA investigators and the claim that 400 million vaccine doses were rendered unusable. Despite regulatory concerns over the company’s SARS-CoV-2 vaccine production, Emergent maintains a federal contract to develop anthrax vaccines.

US FIREARM DEATHS Firearm deaths are a continuing and growing public health problem in the United States. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the firearm homicide rate in the US reached its highest level since 1994, according to analysis published in the CDC’s Vital Signs. In 2020, 79% of all homicides and 53% of all suicides in the US involved guns, with the firearm homicide rate increasing about 35% from 2019 to 2020 and the firearm suicide rate remaining relatively stable but high. Notably, firearm-related deaths increased disparities along racial, ethnic, and income divides, but no group was affected more than Black people. Black boys and young men ages 10 to 24 had firearm homicide rates 21 times that of White males of the same ages. Counties with the highest poverty level in 2020 had firearm homicide rates 4.5 times as high and firearm suicide rates 1.3 times as high as counties with the lowest poverty level. The study did not examine reasons for the dramatic increase in firearm homicide rate but recognized the reasons likely are complex. The CDC acknowledged stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic—including disruptions and changes to services and education, mental stress, social isolation, and economic stressors—could have contributed to the increase.

Another study—published May 9 as a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine—also blames the COVID-19 pandemic for racial and ethnic disparities in estimated excess deaths from external causes between March and December 2020. The researchers, led by University of California scientists, suggest that structural racism is the fundamental cause of these disparities, but also propose the opioid epidemic contributed to higher rates of murder, suicide, vehicle crashes, and drug overdoses among American Indian/Alaska Native and Black individuals than among White and Asian/Pacific Islander individuals. Both of the studies underscore the urgency of addressing structural determinants of violence, mental health, substance abuse, and transportation safety, particularly among racial and ethnic minority groups.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (Español: 1-888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

BARICITINIB The US FDA on May 10 granted full approval to Lilly and Incyte's Olumiant (baricitinib) for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized adults requiring supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The FDA first authorized the drug for certain COVID-19 patients in November 2020, and it will continue to be available under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for hospitalized pediatric patients aged 2 to less than 18 years who require various forms of oxygen support. Baricitinib, which is already approved to treat moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, a class of drug that can modulate immune cell function and the production of blood cell components. According to Lilly, nearly 1 million COVID-19 patients in about 15 countries have been treated with baricitinib.

RESEARCH ROUNDUP The research roundup provides quick synopses of COVID-19-related research.

From The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, a study of nearly 1,200 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, followed up at 6 months, 12 months, and 2 years post-discharge to determine the persistent health effects of COVID-19. While physical and mental health improved over time, 68% of participants reported experiencing at least 1 original COVID-1 symptom at 6 months, and 55% reported at least 1 original symptom 2 years later. Around half of participants had symptoms of long COVID such as fatigue and sleep difficulties at 2 years, and those participants reported poorer quality of life, reduced ability to exercise, more mental health problems, and increased use of healthcare services than those without long COVID symptoms. Additionally, recovered patients tended to be in poorer health 2 years after discharge compared with the general population.

From JAMA Psychiatry, a cohort study of data from more than 8 million adults in England quantifying the risks of new-onset neuropsychiatric conditions and new neuropsychiatric medication prescriptions after discharge from hospitalization due to COVID-19 or other severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) during the pandemic. Relative to the general population, the COVID-19 and SARI survivors were at a higher risk of subsequent diagnosis of neuropsychiatric conditions, but the absolute risks were low. There were no significant differences in rates of newly diagnosed disorders or new prescriptions when the SARI and COVID-19 survivor groups were compared. The researchers posit that disease severity, not the causative agent, could be more strongly associated with elevated risks of neuropsychiatric disorders following recovery from severe respiratory disease.

From the New England Journal of Medicine, a study examining the effectiveness of the 2-dose primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 2 doses of the J&J-Janssen vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. This study used a test-negative design to measure vaccine effectiveness among individuals in South Africa. The researchers note that after 2 doses, both vaccines were equally effective against severe disease from the Omicron variant, underlining the importance of continued vaccination campaigns.

From the New England Journal of Medicine, a study examining the safety and efficacy of a plant-based adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The Phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled trial included 24,141 participants and showed that the tested vaccine, CoVLP+ASO3, was effective against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants. The study reported 69.5% efficacy in preventing symptomatic infection and 78.8% efficacy in protecting against moderate-to-severe disease.

From the New England Journal of Medicine, a study examining the efficacy and confirming the safety of the experimental ZF2001 vaccine. The randomized, placebo-controlled trial included 28,873 adult participants in Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Ecuador, and China. The safety analysis of the 3-dose regimen concluded it is safe. Additionally, the researchers found that the vaccine efficacy of the full regimen at 6 months was 75.7% against symptomatic COVID-19, 87.6% against severe-to-critical disease, and 86.5% against death.

From The Lancet Regional Health, a study examining the clinical characteristics of maternal COVID-19 deaths that occured in Latin America between March 1, 2020, and November 29, 2021. The observational study looked at maternal deaths across 8 Latin American countries, for a total of 447 deaths. The study provides an important clinical picture of maternal health in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes challenges including access to intensive care.

From Open Forum Infectious Diseases, a study examining the impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). This retrospective study used data from 1,578,719 patients to match a pool of 25,225 patients who completed a primary series vaccination with a similar pool of patients who had not received complete vaccination. The study found that complete vaccination was protective against several prolonged COVID-19 symptoms tied to PASC.

https://covid19.who.int/
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2321

Post by dryrunguy »

Here's the latest Situation Report. Haven't read it yet.

::

BA.4/BA.5 SUBVARIANTS On May 12, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reclassified the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages from variants of interest to variants of concern (VOC). BA.4 and BA.5 were first identified in South Africa in January and February 2022, respectively. Since their identification, they have spread to other parts of the world, including to Portugal, where BA.4/5 currently account for around 37% of cases. Similar to other Omicron subvariants, such as BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 appear to be significantly more transmissible than previous variants. BA.5 has an estimated growth advantage of 13% over BA.2 under laboratory conditions. Even individuals previously infected with an Omicron variant do not appear to be well protected against infection from BA.4/BA.5. Notably, BA.4/BA.5 contain enough mutations in key sites to evade both naturally acquired immunity and previous vaccinations. Fortunately, BA.4 and BA.5 do not appear to cause more severe disease than previous variants, although more studies are needed to solidify this observation. In the US, BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 still remain the dominant subvariants at this time, but it is likely that more cases will result from BA.4/BA.5 infection as the summer approaches and as more cases are imported from South Africa and Europe.

VACCINE BOOSTERS FOR CHILDREN The US FDA today authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years, administered at least 5 months after completing the 2-dose primary series. In a statement, the FDA said that although COVID-19 is largely less severe in children than in adults, more children have gotten sick and been hospitalized during the Omicron wave, and the agency acknowledged that children also can experience long-term effects of COVID-19, even after mild disease. The US CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is expected to discuss its recommendations for the booster dose at a meeting on May 19. The FDA has authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use in individuals aged 5 years and older and has approved the vaccine, under the brand name Comirnaty, for those aged 16 years and older. Booster, or third, doses are now authorized for anyone aged 5 years and older. Less than one-third of the 28 million 5- to 11-year-old children in the US have received 2 doses of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

In related news, Moderna last week released data showing its 2-dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is safe and effective in inducing strong immune responses and preventing COVID-19 in children aged 6 to 11 years. The data, from an ongoing Phase 2/3 clinical trial, were published May 11 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Also last week, Moderna submitted a request to the FDA for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its vaccine for children ages 6 to 11 years. The company already has submitted requests for its vaccine to be authorized for children 6 months to 6 years old, as well as adolescents. An FDA advisory committee is expected to discuss updates to the EUAs of both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to include younger populations at upcoming meetings in June.

SEVERE ACUTE HEPATITIS IN CHILDREN Growing evidence suggests fragments of SARS-CoV-2 can linger in the gastrointestinal tract for months after acute infection. Some researchers believe these viral “ghosts” could be associated with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), often called long COVID, but more research is needed to draw firm conclusions. Additionally, researchers are examining whether these viral reservoirs could be associated with hundreds of cases of severe acute hepatitis cases of unknown origin among young children. At least 450 children in 20 countries have been diagnosed, 11 have died, and more than 2 dozen have received liver transplants. Most of the children with severe acute hepatitis do not show active SARS-CoV-2 infection and are unvaccinated. However, between 75-95% of cases in the US and UK have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and about 60-70% test positive for adenovirus,a family of viruses that is not known to attack the liver but can cause everything from pinkeye to common colds. These results have led some experts to hypothesize that SARS-CoV-2 and a type of adenovirus could both be culprits.

On May 14, a team led by researchers from Case Western Reserve University Medical School posted a study to medRxiv (preprint) showing that children infected with SARS-CoV-2 were at significantly increased risk of elevated liver enzymes and bilirubin than children who had non-COVID other respiratory infections (ORIs). They theorize that children with severe hepatitis of unknown origin could have recovered from mild or asymptomatic COVID-19, causing SARS-CoV-2 particles to linger in their gastrointestinal tracts. If the children were subsequently infected with an adenovirus or a different virus, the lingering SARS-CoV-2 particles could prompt immune system overreaction leading to high amounts of inflammatory proteins that could then cause liver damage. The researchers suggested that children with severe acute hepatitis be evaluated for SARS-CoV-2 particles in their stool, as more data need to be collected to test the theory.

US EMERGENCY DECLARATION The number of new US COVID-19 cases is at its highest level since November, when the initial Omicron surge began. Experts say the true size of the wave is unknown, but people can expect the number of new cases in their communities to be 5 to 10 times the official counts. Cases—which are being driven by the BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 subvariants—are rising across the nation, but the Northeast and Midwest regions are experiencing surges that are now higher than during last summer’s peak caused by Delta. Most of New York state, including New York City, has moved to or is close to a “high alert” level, under which people are urged to wear masks indoors and take other precautions. Hospitalizations are up nationwide as well, and while the average number of new daily deaths are falling, an average of 260 people continue to die of COVID-19 each day. The US CDC released data showing that more than 1 million people have died with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

The administration of US President Joe Biden is expected to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration past mid-July. The declaration allows the US to grant emergency use authorization (EUA) of therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines, and other medical tools, as well as provide those products at no cost to millions of residents and extend Medicaid benefits to allow millions to receive health coverage. However, the US Congress has stalled on negotiations over new funding to address the virus. While the nation is in a different place in the pandemic than in earlier periods, the government has run out of money to purchase additional vaccine doses, oral antiviral courses, and other treatments, as well as to develop next-generation vaccines and therapies. Without new funding, the government will have to limit access to no-cost vaccines and treatments, and funding for pandemic-era Medicaid coverage already has expired. And soon, those countermeasures will be bought and sold through regular healthcare systems, meaning the costs will be passed on to consumers and the potential for inequitable access widens.

US & AUSTRALIA RESPONSES More than 1 million people have died of COVID-19 in the US since the beginning of the pandemic, more than any other country. For every 100,000 US residents, about 303 people have died of the novel disease, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. But the death toll did not have to be so high. Many public health experts attribute the pandemic’s impact in the US to underinvestment in public health departments, primary healthcare, and long-term care, making people more vulnerable to the virus. Marginalization made some communities more vulnerable to the virus and its impacts. Political polarization of the pandemic also contributed, as did misinformation regarding vaccines, which is partly to blame for the nation’s relatively low vaccination rate among wealthy countries. According to a new estimate from Brown University and Microsoft AI Health, nearly 319,000 deaths could have been prevented if 100% of US adults were fully vaccinated.

Around the globe, Australia’s death rate is about one-tenth of the rate in the US. In other words, if the US had the same death rate as Australia, 900,000 people might have been saved. One important trait differentiates the US and Australian responses: trust. At the beginning of the epidemic, 76% of Australians said they trusted the healthcare system, compared with about 34% of Americans, and 93% of Australians said they felt supported by their friends, colleagues, or communities. Australia’s leadership worked quickly to translate much higher levels of public trust in science and institutions, as well as interpersonal trust, into action, urging individuals to take steps that would prove vital to protecting themselves and their communities. Early in the pandemic, Australia’s politicians and public health officials—who adopted a “one voice” cooperative approach—moved to close borders; quarantine international travelers; implement isolation, surveillance, and contact tracing tactics; and enforce long-term lockdowns. Unlike the US, Australia’s non-partisan response to the pandemic, national health insurance program, smaller gaps in income inequality, and a concept of “mateship”—of not wanting to let down one’s neighbor—helped the nation comply with public health guidance and vaccination requirements. All of these measures helped Australia weather the pandemic and reach a vaccination rate of more than 95% among people aged 16 years and older, which is proving vital during its latest surge of cases due to the Omicron variant.

NORTH KOREA The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea, continues to experience what it says is an “explosive” outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 reporting nearly 1.5 million people have become ill with fever, believed to be COVID-19, and 56 have died since late April. The nation lacks test kits to confirm whether the fevers are due to SARS-CoV-2 infections, and its 26 million people remain unvaccinated. As of today, the nation said at least 663,910 people were in quarantine. North Korea Leader Kim Jong Un, who has berated officials for delays in pandemic responses, this week mobilized the nation’s military to help distribute medications and support healthcare workers to trace potential patients. Experts feel the death toll likely is underreported and will surge over time. The WHO expressed concern over the North Korean outbreak on May 16, saying it is ready to support the country’s pandemic response.

SECOND GLOBAL COVID-19 SUMMIT The second Global COVID-19 Summit—co-hosted by the US, Belize, Germany, Indonesia, and Senegal and held on May 12—garnered new financial commitments totaling US$3.2 billion, including US$2.5 billion for COVID-19 response efforts and US$712 million in new pledges for the pandemic preparedness and global health security financial intermediary fund (FIF) at the World Bank. Leaders from more than 35 nations and representatives of the private sector, philanthropy, and civil society made commitments, both financial and non-financial. Many public health experts praised the meeting’s outcomes for being better than expected, but others expressed concern that complacency played a role in preventing the summit from reaching its goal of raising US$10 billion to support vaccination access and US$3 billion to improve access to treatments and oxygen.

Without new funding from the US Congress, US President Joe Biden only announced relatively small commitments at the meeting. The US pledged an additional US$200 million for the FIF, bringing its total commitment to total US$450 million, as well as US$20 million for pilot projects to bring testing and treatment to low-income countries. Additionally, the US NIH announced it finalized an agreement to share 11 COVID-19-related technologies to the WHO’s COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to help improve access to tools needed to manufacture and develop vaccines, treatments, and tests. However, it is unclear how quickly the deal will result in improved access to existing or new products.

In related news, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US, and the High Representative of the European Union on May 13 endorsed an action plan on COVID-19, with a focus on improving access to, delivery, and production of vaccines, particularly in low-income countries.

US MEAT INDUSTRY In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the largest meatpackers in the US successfully lobbied members of then-US President Donald Trump’s administration and pushed “baseless” claims of meat shortages to keep their processing plants operating, prioritizing profits over the health of thousands of workers, according to a report based on an investigation conducted by the US House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. The report alleges meatpacking executives knew the acute risks of COVID-19 to workers in their plants but worked with the Trump administration to force workers to remain on the job. An estimated 334,000 COVID-19 cases nationwide have been tied to meatpacking plants, and at least 269 meatpacking workers died of COVID-19. The investigation, based on a review of 151,000 pages of documents, showed that although meat production slowed to about 60% of normal levels during spring 2020, 4 of the nation’s largest meat processors collectively increased their profits 120% compared with before the pandemic and at least 2 companies significantly increased their pork exports to China during the first 3 quarters of 2020, belying claims of shortages. Meatpacking corporations and trade groups said the report “distorts the truth” of their efforts to protect employees during the pandemic.

AT-HOME VIRAL RESPIRATORY INFECTION TEST The US FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the first non-prescription, at-home test that can detect various respiratory viral infections. The test—which requires nasal swabs to be collected at home and sent by mail to Labcorp, the test’s manufacturer—can detect influenza A and B (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2. Once processed, the user can access their test results via an online portal. This is the first of what many public health experts hope is an expansion of at-home diagnostics.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2322

Post by ponchi101 »

So.
The USA, which accounts for roughly 5% of the world population, has 1MM deaths, of about 5MM acknowledged by world authorities as the planet's toll.
Which there is NO WAY can be realistic. it just points out to the level of undercounting around the world. Even with the lousy American health system, and the no-longer-just-an-american-issue of overweight people, the numbers don't match.
Triple that count to 15MM, and it means this thing has killed 1/500 people around the world. Not trivial at all.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2323

Post by ti-amie »

“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2324

Post by ponchi101 »

What measures will be taken? Mask mandates again? Restrictions for people that are not vaccinated?
As I wrote earlier. Here things have relaxed a bit, but proof vaccination is required to go indoors, and people are still wearing their masks when outdoors.
I got a SMS from my health provider. I am scheduled for my 3rd dose on May 28th. Most likely a typo because I already got it, so I will shot up for my 4th.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2325

Post by ti-amie »

We just found out that my daughter's sister-in-law has Covid. She went to Florida (!) to visit her in-laws, one of whom is a cancer survivor.
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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