Covid-19 Updates & Info

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dryrunguy
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2416

Post by dryrunguy »

Here is the latest Situation Report released much earlier today. (Today was my brother's funeral.) I haven't read it yet.

::

COVID-19 REBOUND US President Joe Biden once again tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection this week, following several days of negative tests last week. His symptoms are reportedly mild, and he returned to isolation after the positive tests. The phenomenon is commonly referred to as “Paxlovid rebound” or “COVID-19 rebound,” and it occurs in COVID-19 patients who take the drug, test negative for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and then test positive again. The phenomenon was not seen as an issue during clinical trials of the drug but appears to be more frequently reported since Paxlovid became widely available, although it remains unclear what proportion of people experience rebound. Typically, the recurrence of COVID-19 symptoms tends to be relatively mild.

President Biden’s rebound case has called attention to the US CDC’s guidance regarding isolation after COVID-19 diagnosis or a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. The CDC currently recommends isolation for a minimum of 5 days after the onset of symptoms or positive test. To end isolation, those who were symptomatic should wait until their fever has subsided for at least 24 hours and other symptoms are improving—and those leaving isolation should wear a mask in public through Day 10. Notably, the CDC indicates that individuals can test before they end their isolation, but the guidance emphasizes that testing is optional (ie, as opposed to recommended) for anyone who “wants to.” Those who elect to test and obtain a positive result should remain in isolation. The isolation and testing protocol implemented for President Biden went “above and beyond” the CDC recommendations, and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky indicated that the CDC must issue guidance that is feasible for most people to follow. Recent studies have demonstrated that many individuals continue to test positive for 6 days or longer, and most can shed the virus for 8 days or longer, which could enable them to infect others if they end isolation after 5 days. In light of this evidence, some experts have called on the CDC to revisit its guidance to slow transmission, particularly in light of the current Omicron surge.

PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL HARASSMENT Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of public health officials in the US have received personal threats and harassment. A study, published July 29 in JAMA Network Open and led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, set out to examine the share of US adults who thought it was acceptable to threaten or harass public health officials because of business closures and the basis for those beliefs. Overall, the study suggests that 1 in 5 survey respondents feel that threatening or harassing public health authorities is acceptable. From November 2020 to July and August 2021, the share of surveyed US adults who believed that harassing or threatening public health officials over pandemic-related closures rose from 20% to 25% and 15% to 21%, respectively, according to the study. The most significant increases were among respondents who identified as male, Hispanic, and Republican. Increases also were observed among those with higher incomes. The study identified a concerning uptick in support of these attacks among economically advantaged groups, as well as individuals who are historically more trusting of science. Researchers emphasized that restoring trust in public health officials and the entire public health workforce will require tailored approaches to reach diverse groups.

Such harassment and threats can have devastating consequences. In Austria this week, national leaders appealed for solidarity and medical representatives urged greater protections for healthcare providers after a physician who received death threats and harassment from people opposed to COVID-19 vaccination committed suicide.

IMPACTS ON US HEALTH Beyond the immediate health risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we are beginning to gain more clarity about the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on US residents’ health. Notably, more than 1 million people in the country have died of COVID-19, and an additional 350 people are dying of the disease each day. But other health indicators have worsened during the pandemic, as people missed routine appointments, changed their habits, felt isolated or stressed, or experienced loss. Overall, deaths and death rates from heart disease and stroke increased in the US over the past 2 years, with some studies suggesting COVID-19 can increase the risk for both, even after recovery. Drug overdose deaths, excessive alcohol consumption, serious mental illness, gun-homicide rates, and hospital-associated antimicrobial resistant infections all increased in 2020.

Additionally, millions of people in the US have post-COVID-19 conditions, also known as long COVID. The US CDC estimates that nearly 1 in 5 individuals who have had COVID-19 continue to report long-term symptoms lasting 3 months or longer. Many of them have left their jobs because they have symptoms, such as fatigue or brain fog, that hinder their ability to perform daily or work tasks. Under federal guidance, people with long COVID can qualify for disability, meaning employers must offer accommodations to their workers. But many people with long COVID say negotiating accommodations or finding support from social assistance programs remains difficult. Some experts advocate for a better definition of the condition to facilitate diagnosis, more robust educational campaigns to warn people of the risk for long COVID, and more support for people with the condition. More than 100,000 US residents are diagnosed with COVID-19 everyday, some for a second or third time, and evidence suggests people who are infected more than once are at greater risk of long-term health consequences. It will be years before we fully understand the disease’s impacts on the public health, employment, and health coverage landscapes.

RACIAL/ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN VACCINATIONS The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected racial and ethnic populations in the US, with substantial racial and ethnic inequities in COVID-19 mortality persisting, particularly in rural areas. Several recent studies examine racial and ethnic disparities in US COVID-19 vaccine distribution and uptake. According to a study published in the August issue of Health Affairs, researchers used CDC data to illustrate that uptake rates for the first COVID-19 vaccine dose were higher among Hispanic and Asian populations than among White and Black populations, while booster uptake was higher among Asian and White populations than among Black and Hispanic populations.

Many factors could influence this disparate uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, including systemic and structural inequalities in vaccine rollout and distribution. A study published July 28 in PLOS Medicine found that healthcare facilities were less likely to serve as vaccine administration locations if they were in urban counties with large populations of Black residents or rural counties with large populations of Hispanic residents. Additionally, racial and ethnic populations may be skeptical about getting vaccinated due to a long history of discriminatory and predatory medical research and practices in the US. According to another recent study published in Social Science & Medicine, vaccine hesitancy was higher among Black adults than among White adults and US-born Hispanic adults, largely due to lack of trust in the government’s communication about risk, concerns that vaccines were developed too quickly, beliefs that vaccines would give people COVID-19, and fears that vaccines may cause infertility. The study also suggests that foreign-born Hispanic adults were not more hesitant to get vaccinated than US-born White and Hispanic adults, which counters perceptions that immigrants may be less likely to opt for vaccination out of fear of being deported. These recent findings suggest that a concerted effort is needed to combat structural inequities in vaccine rollouts, for COVID-19 and other diseases, as well as to address the misinformation and mistrust that underlines vaccine hesitancy among racially and ethnically diverse communities in the US.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING In order to help prevent the further spread of SARS-CoV-2 in overcrowded housing conditions caused by evictions, the US CDC imposed a nationwide temporary federal moratorium on residential evictions for nonpayment of rent in September 2020. The moratorium ended in August 2021 after the US Supreme Court ruled to end a temporary stay on a lower court ruling seeking to overturn the rule, ending protections that had kept millions of people in their homes during the pandemic. Despite the moratorium, at least 4 corporate landlords attempted to aggressively push nearly 15,000 renters out of their homes between March 2020 and July 2021, according to a US House subcommittee investigation report. During the period covered by the report, the Eviction Lab at Princeton University documented 495,216 eviction actions.

As the pandemic progressed, many renters left urban areas to move to midsize cities—what became known as “Zoom towns”—leaving landlords with no choice but to slash rents to attract tenants. Some renters moved into those lower-priced, but often not rent-controlled, homes, only to have their rents increase immensely over the past year, often by 30-65%. Now, with a shortfall of 1.5 million homes and skyrocketing rents and home prices in communities nationwide, the US Treasury this week announced state, local, and tribal governments will have more flexibility to use COVID-19 funds from the American Rescue Plan to fill financing gaps for affordable housing projects, which could help increase the housing supply for families hit hard with high rent and inflation. The new rules allow the use of rescue funds to finance long-term affordable housing loans that extend at least 20 years and offer affordable units to households earning 65% or less of the area’s median income over the same period; to be directed to 6 additional federal housing programs; and to finance the development, repair, or operation of existing affordable rental housing units.

JAPAN Japan’s current COVID-19 surge, and largest to date, surpassed 200,000 new cases per day, ranking #1 globally in terms of total daily incidence and #6 on a per capita basis. The surge is driven largely by the BA.5 sublineage of the Omicron variant of concern (VOC), and reportedly, individuals younger than 20 years old represent approximately 30% of new cases in July, and those less than 30 years old accounted for approximately half. For comparison, these 2 age ranges comprise approximately 16% and 26% of Japan’s total population, respectively. While Japan reports relatively high vaccination coverage (including boosters) in older adults, it is much lower among younger adults and children. Only one-third of those aged 12-19 years have received their first booster, and only 17% of children aged 5-11 years have received the original 2-dose course of the vaccine. Despite facing the country’s largest surge, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida indicated that there are no plans to implement national restrictions, and Daishiro Yamagiwa, the government’s COVID-19 response lead, emphasized the importance of balancing COVID-19 protections against economic and social activity. Rather, prefecture governments can issue requests for local populations and businesses to take recommended protective measures, such as voluntary movement restrictions or increased remote work.

Reportedly, the Japanese government is considering changes to its COVID-19 reporting requirements, in an effort to reduce the burden on hospitals and laboratories. Currently, Japan requires all COVID-19 cases to be reported, but potential changes could reclassify COVID-19 under the same category as seasonal influenza. While this shift could ease reporting requirements, it would also limit the ability to identify and quarantine close contacts, which could facilitate further transmission. Additionally, it could eliminate measures for the national government to cover the costs of testing.

Since the onset of the pandemic, Japan’s travel and tourism sector has faced severe impacts. Amid reports of a travel resurgence in many regions, particularly in Europe, Japan has not benefited from a similar windfall. In June, Japan announced decisions to resume international travel, albeit with specific COVID-19 restrictions in place, just in time for the summer travel season. While international travelers would once again be able to enter Japan, restrictions mandate that their activities be part of organized group itineraries, and visitors must remain with designated chaperones throughout their trip. Additionally, travelers also face quarantine measures upon arrival. These measures have reportedly factored into travelers’ decisions, and many have opted for other destinations, including South Korea. Both global and regional travel have been impacted in Japan, and one report indicates that approximately 10% of hotels and travel agencies have shut down over the course of the pandemic. Historically, Japan’s largest tourism market is China, but prolonged national-level quarantine and travel restrictions have resulted in substantial decreases in Chinese tourists.

NEW ZEALAND New Zealand fully reopened its borders on July 31 after more than 2 years of strict pandemic restrictions. The final stage of the country’s phased reopening began in April, when tourists from countries on a visa-waiver list could enter. Now, visitors from all over the world are allowed into New Zealand, including those on student visas and from non-visa waiver countries. Per New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, electronic or paper proof of vaccination is required to enter, as well as a rapid antigen test conducted upon arrival and on the fifth or sixth day post-arrival. Masks are required indoors, including museums, grocery stores, and pharmacies. In a speech on August 1, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern emphasized the reopening was part of a carefully staged plan to keep people safe. As the nation reopened, the Ministry of Health reported 5,312 new COVID-19 cases. Daily new COVID-19 deaths began to increase in February 2022 and remain elevated at an average of 3 deaths per day.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2417

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dryrunguy wrote: Wed Aug 03, 2022 3:33 am PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL HARASSMENT Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of public health officials in the US have received personal threats and harassment. A study, published July 29 in JAMA Network Open and led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, set out to examine the share of US adults who thought it was acceptable to threaten or harass public health officials because of business closures and the basis for those beliefs. Overall, the study suggests that 1 in 5 survey respondents feel that threatening or harassing public health authorities is acceptable. From November 2020 to July and August 2021, the share of surveyed US adults who believed that harassing or threatening public health officials over pandemic-related closures rose from 20% to 25% and 15% to 21%, respectively, according to the study. The most significant increases were among respondents who identified as male, Hispanic, and Republican. Increases also were observed among those with higher incomes. The study identified a concerning uptick in support of these attacks among economically advantaged groups, as well as individuals who are historically more trusting of science. Researchers emphasized that restoring trust in public health officials and the entire public health workforce will require tailored approaches to reach diverse groups.

Such harassment and threats can have devastating consequences. In Austria this week, national leaders appealed for solidarity and medical representatives urged greater protections for healthcare providers after a physician who received death threats and harassment from people opposed to COVID-19 vaccination committed suicide.
That is horrifying.
I know, I know, I know. I side with Pinker in that we live in the best of possible times. BUT: we might be hitting some sort of flipping point, and it has nothing to do with governments. CIVIC attitudes are disappearing. it sounds simple to say "1 in 5", but that is 20%. If that large number of people are Ok with harassing medical personnel simply for dealing with a pandemic, we are in a situation of flipping morality.
And in a country with all the lunatics carrying guns like the USA, this is a recipe for some terrible tragedy eventually happening.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2418

Post by Owendonovan »

These people don't seem to understand that if you blow it all up, there's nothing left.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Post by dryrunguy »

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

::

EPI UPDATE The WHO COVID-19 Dashboard reports 577 million cumulative cases and 6.4 million deaths worldwide as of August 3.* The global weekly incidence dropped 7.14% from the previous week, falling for the first time since the end of May. Global weekly mortality remained stable, rising only 0.34% over the previous week. However, global weekly mortality has continued to increase since mid-June.

At the regional level, the Western Pacific (+20%) and Africa (+5%) regions experienced increases in new weekly cases, while the number of new cases increased or remained stable in Europe (-35%), Eastern Mediterranean (-12%), South-East Asia (-2%), and the Americas (-2%). In the Western Pacific region, the highest increases were in Japan (+42%) and South Korea (+25%). The number of new weekly deaths increased in the Western Pacific (+44%), Eastern Mediterranean (+26%), South-East Asia (+20%), and Africa (+12%) regions; decreased in Europe (-26%); and remained stable in the Americas region.
*The WHO notes the case and death data for the Africa region are incomplete and will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.

UNITED STATES
The US CDC is reporting 91.5 million cumulative cases of COVID-19 and 1,026,723 deaths. The current 7-day moving average of new daily cases is down slightly over last week, dropping to 119,034 on August 2. The average daily mortality remains relatively stable, at 387 on August 2. Daily mortality has risen since the beginning of June, when it was around 275 deaths per day.**

Both new hospital admissions (-1.7% over the past week) and current hospitalizations (-0.4%) remained relatively stable over the previous week, possibly reflecting the slight decrease in daily incidence.

Community transmission in the US is primarily driven by the Omicron BA.5 sublineage. BA.5 is now projected to account for 85.5% of sequenced specimens. The BA.4 sublineage accounts for about 7.7% of cases, while the newly delineated BA.4.6 accounts for 4.1% of cases and appears to represent a growing proportion of BA.4 sublineages. Together, BA.2.12.1 and BA.2 now account for only about 2.7% of cases. According to the data, Omicron variants represent all new cases in the US.
**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 COVID PLATEAU The US appears to have settled into a persistent pattern of high levels of SARS-CoV-2 transmission—around 120,000 new infections per day, which is likely a massive undercount due to a lack of surveillance—and a relatively steady number of daily deaths—averaging between 350-400 per day. The currently high number of infections disrupt society and the economy and could result in millions more people experiencing long COVID. Although the COVID-19 death rate has dropped due to widespread immunity from vaccination or natural infection or both, as well as improved treatments, the virus is still killing hundreds of people each day, rarely dropping below 300 daily deaths. Some estimates predict 100,000, or more, annual COVID-19 deaths, far higher than the number associated with other respiratory diseases. Most individuals dying from COVID-19 now are those who are elderly, immunocompromised, unvaccinated, have lung or heart conditions, or have a combination of factors. Early treatment, in addition to vaccination, appears to provide good protection from death, even among people at higher risk.

Retooled booster vaccines, tailored to the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, might provide additional protection when they become available in late summer or early fall, and the Biden administration is urging US residents who are not up to date on their vaccinations and booster doses—around 70% of the population as of July 21—to get those shots now. Several new studies suggest that people who received 3 or 4 vaccine doses are better protected against infection with Omicron than those who received 2 doses. But at the same time, the US CDC is expected to release updated guidance for COVID-19 community control, including easing quarantine recommendations for people who are exposed to the virus, such as those who are unvaccinated or not up to date on their vaccines; de-emphasizing 6 feet of social distancing; and downplaying the use of regular screening tests in schools. Some wonder how the new guidance—which remains under review but could be released this week—meshes with stubbornly high new infections and deaths. Additionally, no one knows what variant might emerge in the future, or how much existing levels of immunity might wane over time.

LONG COVID RESEARCH & SERVICES On August 3, the Biden administration announced new government initiatives to address the long-term health impacts of COVID-19, often referred to as long COVID, in 2 reports: the National Research Action Plan on Long COVID and Services and Supports for Longer-Term Impacts of COVID-19. The National Research Action Plan outlines what is currently known about long COVID—including defining 2 technical terms, post-COVID-19 conditions (PCC), broadly equivalent to long COVID, and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), focused on the direct effects of the virus—and directs future research toward certain vital areas. The Services and Supports report acts as a guide for those with long COVID to access services and care; additionally, it acts as a guide for healthcare providers seeking more information about how to care for their patients. These reports have been anticipated by the millions of US residents diagnosed with long COVID and their healthcare providers who are searching for answers. An estimated 7 to 23 million US residents have experienced long COVID, often with debilitating and life-interrupting symptoms.

While advocates say these actions are a good step forward, many raise concerns that they are inadequate to address the real-time needs of those with long-term symptoms. In a memorandum posted in April, US President Joe Biden emphasized the need for a whole-of-government approach to addressing the research gaps and assistance needs for individuals with long COVID. The memorandum also recommended the US HHS set up an Office of Long COVID Research and Practice but did not provide specifics on how to do so or how such an office would be funded. Relatively little is still known about the incidence of long COVID and any underlying factors that might predispose someone to experience long-term conditions. The US CDC estimated in May that 1 in 5 adults had a health problem that may be attributable to a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Aside from incidence, new research suggests long COVID appears to manifest in 3 different forms: nervous system problems (brain fog, fatigue, headaches), respiratory problems (chest pain, shortness of breath), and other myriad symptoms (heart palpitations, muscle aches, changes to skin and hair, etc.). Individuals with long COVID and their advocates hope the new action plans will help improve our understanding of long COVID and effective treatments or cures.

CARDIAC COMPLICATIONS As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, more people around the world are experiencing SARS-CoV-2 infections, some multiple times. Many individuals are able to recover from the disease, due in part to widespread implementation of vaccines and therapeutics. However, research evidence and clinical experience suggest that COVID-19 can drastically alter health after infection. Post-COVID conditions, sometimes called long COVID, can include a wide variety of symptoms and complications, but many experts are showing concern over research suggesting SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a higher risk of post-infection cardiovascular problems. In one study published earlier this year using records from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), researchers found individuals with COVID-19 have an increased risk of incident cardiovascular issues, ranging from heart attack, heart inflammation, blood clots, and stroke, within the first year following infection. Unpublished analysis of the VA data from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) predicts that COVID-19 may have led to 12,000 extra strokes and 44,000 extra heart attacks in 2020 and 18,000 extra strokes and 66,000 extra heart attacks in 2021. A preprint study posted to medRxiv on July 7 indicates that risk factors for cardiovascular complications may include prior cardiovascular disease, pre-existing conditions, older age, and hospitalization for COVID-19. Therefore, COVID-19 may be capable of worsening the cardiovascular prognosis of individuals already experiencing poor health.

The mechanism for cardiovascular damage may be related to the virus spike protein binding with human ACE2 to enter cells. ACE2 is a cellular protein that is found on many cell types throughout the human body. This means that the virus can thrive in a wide variety of human tissues. In the cardiovascular system, blot clots that form to heal damage done by the virus may also be responsible for much of the observed complications. Plaques can also accumulate after infection, leading to a higher risk of stroke and heart attack. Additional ongoing research hints that SARS-CoV-2 may also damage the heart by activating the TLR4 immune system signaling pathway. More research is needed, but understanding the mechanisms of injury can help scientists develop preventive and therapeutic strategies. The growing body of evidence suggesting that COVID-19 can have long-term impacts on human health highlights the need for continued measures to prevent infection and heightened awareness of and resources for the management of complications.

NASAL VACCINES Scientists worldwide are hard at work designing the next generation of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and boosters. When they were first authorized, mRNA vaccines were approximately 95% effective at preventing symptomatic infection, but that efficacy has waned as new viral variants emerge and spread. The currently approved and authorized vaccines continue to remain effective at reducing rates of hospitalization and death, but each novel emerging variant brings fears that it could better escape immunity from vaccination or natural infection. US health officials stated during a recent summit at the White House that the next generation of vaccines should focus on the development of a pancoronavirus vaccine and various delivery mechanisms, including nasal delivery.

A report published July 19 in Science Immunology shows that currently available mRNA vaccines are not very good at eliciting immune responses in the respiratory tract of vaccinated individuals compared to people with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, using an animal model, the study suggests that coupling mRNA shots with an adenovirus vector booster administered intranasally could provide a much higher level of protection against the virus entering the body through mucosal tissue and establishing infection. The Indian biotechnology company Bharat Biotech recently reported the completion of clinical trials using an adenovirus vector intranasal vaccine (BBV154) as a booster dose. The trial included 4,000 participants, and no adverse events were reported. Bharat Biotech is hopeful the Drug Controller General of India will authorize the vaccine this month.

VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS AMONG CHILDREN Since many countries authorized Pfizer-BioNTech’s mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, marketed as Comirnaty, for the 5- to 11-year-old age group, researchers continue to study the vaccine’s efficacy in that age group, particularly in the wake of the rise of Omicron variant predominance. Recently published studies appear to reinforce evidence that Comirnaty remains highly effective at preventing hospitalizations and severe outcomes from COVID-19, but its effectiveness against symptomatic infection wanes over time and against Omicron subvariant infections. A study in Singapore estimated vaccine effectiveness in 5- to 11-year-old children to be 82.7% against hospitalizations but 65.3% against PCR-confirmed infections during the initial Omicron wave. These approximations are echoed in a preprint out of Canada in which researchers estimated a range of 29-65% effectiveness against Omicron infections but 68-100% effectiveness against hospitalization due to Omicron. Interestingly, another study in the European Union found that vaccine effectiveness was higher among the youngest in this age cohort compared to the oldest. Children aged 5-6 years appeared to be more protected against symptomatic infection compared to those aged 10-11 years, with children aged 7-8 years falling between the 2 groups. Depending on the starkness of this difference moving forward, it could be valuable to investigate the tolerance and protectiveness of higher dosages in older children. Still, these studies taken together demonstrate the continued importance of vaccinating children to protect them against severe disease as we wait for Omicron-specific vaccines to become available.

MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES Eli Lilly & Co plans to begin commercial sales of its COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment, bebtelovimab, to states, hospitals, and other healthcare providers this month. Most COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines have been distributed at no cost through the US government, but the federal supply of bebtelovimab is running out and the government has no funds to purchase more, unless the US Congress moves to appropriate additional money. The move likely is the first test of how accessible COVID-19 treatments and vaccines will be once they are shifted to a commercial market. Bebtelovimab is available for use under US FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 among certain children and adults.

In a research letter published in JAMA, researchers from the Netherlands report that a large proportion of high-risk COVID-19 patients treated with the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab—one of a few such treatments to maintain neutralizing activity against Omicron BA.1—developed spike protein mutations associated with resistance to the treatment. The study included a small sample size and lacked a control group but provides additional evidence that treatment of high-risk patients with a single monoclonal antibody is associated with mutation development. The researchers called for further investigations into combination therapies and continuous genomic surveillance of immunocompromised patients during treatment. As of April 5, sotrovimab was no longer authorized by the FDA to treat patients in the US due to inactivity against Omicron BA.2, which was predominant at the time.

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

#2420

Post by ponchi101 »

At 400 deaths/ day (rounding up) and 300 days/year, that means the USA can expect a 12,000 death toll yearly, if no more changes take place.
That is about twice the yearly influenza death toll (around 6,000).
Of course, that is if the death toll is accurately counted.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Post by dryrunguy »

My former boss (the anti-vaxxer who thinks ivermectin is an antiviral) will miss at least a few days of work this week because she has COVID. She was on vacation last week.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Post by dryrunguy »

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

::

OMICRON-ADAPTED VACCINES The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced today that it has started a rolling review of an Omicron-adapted vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. This update follows a large push from national governments for vaccine companies to develop a variant-adapted version of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to protect individuals against more transmissible variants, including the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. Pfizer and BioNTech expect to begin clinical trials later this month using an enhanced vaccine candidate targeting the original strain identified in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, which are the dominant drivers of outbreaks in Europe. The companies said they would be able to begin delivering doses as early as October. The EMA’s rolling review constitutes an ongoing process in which the agency will assess data as it becomes available. Notably, US FDA officials previously said they anticipate an updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be available as early as September, and the agency has indicated that it would approve the variant-adapted vaccine while trials are ongoing. However, both the EMA and FDA will still require clinical data from this month’s trial to guide their decisions on the companies’ candidate targeting BA.4/5. Pfizer and BioNTech also are testing vaccine candidates encoding for Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. Both the US and European Union are hoping to use updated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for fall booster campaigns.

The Biden administration on July 29 announced an agreement to purchase 66 million doses of a version of Moderna’s Omicron-adapted vaccine booster, with intentions to distribute the shots this fall and winter. In July, Moderna announced that its bivalent Omicron (BA.1) booster (mRNA-1273.214) elicited higher neutralizing antibody responses than the currently available booster and said it is simultaneously developing a booster specific to BA.4/5 (mRNA-1273.222). The US government previously purchased 105 million doses of a Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine for use later this year, although it is unclear which version of the companies’ booster candidate is covered under the agreement.

US EMERGENCY DECLARATION The Biden administration is deliberating whether to once again extend the COVID-19 public health emergency, which facilitates federal assistance for pandemic-related healthcare coverage and access to vaccines and treatments. The deadline to announce a decision is August 15, if the US Department of Health and Human Services is to give states 60 days’ notice before allowing the declaration to expire. If approved, the proposed extension could last into 2023, beyond the November elections and into the pandemic’s fourth year. Reportedly, debate surrounding the declaration has grown more contentious, with some officials pushing for the declaration to expire in October after the expected rollout of updated booster vaccines. The US government has repeatedly renewed the emergency declaration since first instituted in January 2020.

US PANDEMIC VIEWS According to a national survey conducted July 12-18 by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, the majority of Americans (54%) say they rarely or never wear a mask indoors around people outside their household to help prevent COVID-19, and 41% say they have returned to their normal, pre-pandemic lives. Among these individuals, the majority are aware of the risks of infection but say they have adjusted to the “new normal,” with a growing number having returned to pre-pandemic routines and activities. In another poll from Axios and Ipsos conducted July 15-18, 29% of respondents said they believe the pandemic is over. The results varied by political affiliation: 48% of Republicans said the pandemic is over, compared with only 9% of Democrats. Despite this, 4 of 5 respondents agreed with the statement, "We will never fully be rid of the coronavirus in my lifetime." Although the number of new COVID-19 cases has risen significantly with the emergence of the BA.5 Omicron subvariant, reported mask use continues to decline and these polls suggest growing numbers of US residents are returning to their pre-pandemic lives, with limited precautions.

POST-COVID SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN Researchers led by the CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response Team published a report on post-COVID-19 symptoms and conditions in children in the August 5 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The researchers compared the symptoms of 781,419 children with confirmed COVID-19 to 2,344,257 children without COVID-19 from March 1, 2020, to January 31, 2022. Children with confirmed COVID-19 were more likely than were those without COVID-19 to develop certain post-COVID conditions, including blood clots in the lung (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]=2.01), heart muscle inflammation (1.99), venous blood clot (1.87), acute renal failure (1.32), type 1 diabetes (1.23), blood clotting or bleeding disorders (1.18), type 2 diabetes (1.17), and abnormal heart rhythms (1.16). Additional symptoms were associated with COVID-19, including smell and taste disorders and malaise or fatigue. Still, the incidence of these conditions remained uncommon in the post-COVID pediatric population. Notably, children who had COVID-19 reported lower rates of respiratory, mental health, muscle, and sleeping disorders than those without COVID-19. Reasons for the observation are thought to include the fact that the general population for this study was selected from patients with a healthcare encounter possibly related to COVID-19. As a result, the general population may have been less healthy than patients with COVID-19 at baseline.

LONG COVID DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT Post-COVID-19 symptoms and conditions, which can linger for months or years in both children and adults, are often referred to as long COVID. However, there is no test for the condition, and there is little agreement around a standard definition for the condition, which is estimated to affect 1 in 5 to 1 in 8 COVID-19 patients. Treatments typically involve symptom management, but researchers are beginning to hone in on the condition’s pathology and begin clinical trials on medicines that target the immune system, blood clots, or lasting fragments of the virus itself. Some researchers are examining the similarities between long COVID and an older condition known as ME/CFS, or myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. The US government recently released a set of reports that sketch out an action plan to address long COVID, including calling for the establishment of a new office at the US HHS, new funding, and additional focus on the condition from the private sector. Though the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is hard to predict, it is becoming increasingly clear that individuals with long COVID may face health challenges for years to come.

DISRUPTIONS TO ROUTINE HEALTHCARE During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns prevented many US residents from accessing routine, and sometimes emergency, healthcare. Among households that had a serious illness in the past year, about 1 in 5 respondents to a new poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said they had trouble accessing care during the pandemic. Some experts are concerned these disruptions, which continue to occur, could have lasting impacts on people’s health as well as the nation’s healthcare system. The poll found the difficulties accessing healthcare hit some racial/ethnic minority populations harder. Among those households with a serious illness in the past year, 35% of Native American households, 24% of Black households, 18% of Latino households, 18% of White households, and 10% of Asian households had difficulty accessing care when they needed it. The survey, conducted from May 16 to June 13, 2022, also examined other problems facing racial/ethnic minorities, including issues concerning finances, housing, neighborhood conditions, and personal safety.

COVID-19 IN ANIMALS A recent report published July 23 in Scientific Data describes a dashboard that monitors COVID-19 cases in animal populations. The online dashboard, called SARS-ANI, is an open-access curated global dataset of SARS-CoV-2 events in animals containing a wide variety of information, including total number of infection events, number of animal species described, number of countries where animal infections have been reported, clinical signs of infection categorized by animal, a SARS-CoV-2 variant breakdown by animal, and more. The majority of animal cases have occurred in mink, with cats and dogs following closely behind. Cases of COVID-19 also have been reported in wild and captive animals, such as deer, gorillas, hippos, hyenas, and marmosets. A separate online dashboard tracking COVID-19 in animals around the world reports that cases have also occurred in certain avian populations, such as swans.

The detection of so many COVID-19 cases in animal populations raises questions about how the pandemic will look in the future. The SARS-CoV-2 virus can mutate in an animal just like it can mutate in humans, so it is entirely possible that SARS-CoV-2 could circulate widely within a population of animals before spilling back into humans to cause a completely new variant through a process known as zoonotic transmission. Additionally, an expansion of the virus into more avian populations could enhance the ability of new variants to be transported and emerge in unexpected places. One of the other concerning aspects of COVID-19 in animals is potential establishment of “viral reservoirs.” Viral reservoirs are animal populations that maintain low levels of circulating virus within their species, which could allow the virus to jump back to humans years or decades after the last human case. One of the reasons smallpox was successfully eradicated was the absence of animal or insect viral reservoirs. The presence of COVID-19 in animals means that a “One Health” approach is needed to properly address the pandemic. One Health focuses on treating the health of humans, animals, plants, insects, and the environment as a connected web.

CHINA China’s tourism-dependent island province of Hainan on August 8 expanded lockdowns amid a growing COVID-19 outbreak during the summer school holiday. The tropical resort of Sanya began an indefinite lockdown on August 6, confining about 80,000 vacationers to their hotel rooms. Tourists who test negative 5 times over 7 days can leave, but many flights to the area have been canceled. Additionally, 4 other cities and 4 counties in Hainan—a total population of about 7 million—began lockdowns of 2 or more days on August 7 and August 8. Hainan reported 471 new COVID-19 cases on August 8, out of a total of 939 new local and imported cases nationwide. It is the province’s largest outbreak since the pandemic began.

In related news, the Chinese autonomous region of Tibet has imposed various restrictions in its capital city Lhasa, as well as in its second-largest city, Shigatse. Residents in the 2 largest cities and other areas will undergo mass testing. Until now, the region had remained COVID-19-free for more than 900 days, the best record of enforcing China’s “zero COVID” policy. The region reported 22 new cases on August 8. The fresh lockdowns came as Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese city, announced it will reduce mandatory hotel quarantine for international travelers from 1 week to 3 days, followed by 4 days of at-home surveillance, beginning Friday.

NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA According to analysis from the New Zealand Herald, COVID-19 became a leading cause of death in the country, tied with heart disease, in the week ending July 17. During that week, 836 people died nationwide, and nearly 15% of those deaths were attributed to COVID-19. Experts expressed concern that at the same time the nation is experiencing its highest COVID-19 mortality impact, public attention to the pandemic appears to be at its lowest levels. Overall, New Zealand’s cumulative death rate from COVID-19 remains low—at 316 per million population—compared with the US and UK, with 3,062 and 2,753 deaths per million population, respectively. Public health officials predict COVID-19 will continue to be a significant contributor to overall mortality for the foreseeable future—with annual COVID-19 deaths at about 5 times influenza deaths—and could have a significant impact on the country’s life expectancy.

In Australia, modelers with the Actuaries Institute Covid-19 Mortality Working Group estimate that COVID-19 was the primary cause of 7,100 deaths in the country from the beginning of this year through the end of July, making the virus the third most common cause of death this year so far. Only ischemic heart diseases and dementia, which caused about 10,000 deaths each, beat out COVID-19, with deaths from cardiovascular disease (primarily stroke; about 5,500 deaths) and lung cancer (5,400 deaths), following behind.

THAILAND Beginning in October, Thailand will downgrade COVID-19 from a “dangerous” communicable disease, similar to plague and smallpox, to one that “need monitoring,” a group that includes influenza and dengue. In an announcement, Thailand Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the action reflects the readiness of the nation’s public health system, public acceptance of “self-protection behavior,” and the availability of treatments. Thailand’s number of newly confirmed daily COVID-19 cases has remained relatively stable since mid-July. While the number of daily deaths is elevated, officials said they expect to see a decline in both cases and deaths by mid-August.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Interesting about Tibet.
“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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Just read it. The section on US Pandemic Views says it all. What I saw at my brother's funeral last week demonstrated these sentiments on steroids. There were probably 50 or 60 people who attended the funeral. My middle brother, his partner, and I were the ONLY people wearing masks. I'd even venture to guess very few of those in attendance had EVER worn a mask.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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dryrunguy wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:54 pm Just read it. The section on US Pandemic Views says it all. What I saw at my brother's funeral last week demonstrated these sentiments on steroids. There were probably 50 or 60 people who attended the funeral. My middle brother, his partner, and I were the ONLY people wearing masks. I'd even venture to guess very few of those in attendance had EVER worn a mask.
Was there any discussion about what caused your brother's death at all?
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ti-amie wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:57 pm
dryrunguy wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:54 pm Just read it. The section on US Pandemic Views says it all. What I saw at my brother's funeral last week demonstrated these sentiments on steroids. There were probably 50 or 60 people who attended the funeral. My middle brother, his partner, and I were the ONLY people wearing masks. I'd even venture to guess very few of those in attendance had EVER worn a mask.
Was there any discussion about what caused your brother's death at all?
Well, everyone knew. At least everyone in the family, which was 95% of the people who attended. (My brother didn't have any friends. The people who attended were there for my mother and his two adult children.) But I didn't hear anyone talking about it.
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Here's the latest Situation Report. Two words of note: Florida, Korea.

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EPI UPDATE The WHO COVID-19 Dashboard reports 584 million cumulative cases and 6.4 million deaths worldwide as of August 10.* The global weekly incidence (August 1) increased 3.9% from the previous week. Global weekly mortality fell 7.9% over the previous week, representing the first notable decline since the end of May.

At the regional level, the number of new weekly cases rose in the Western Pacific (+29%) region and fell or remained stable in the Africa (-46%), Americas (-22%), Eastern Mediterranean (-22%), Europe (-7%), and South-East Asia (-3%) regions. The number of new weekly deaths increased in the Eastern Mediterranean (+19%) region and decreased or remained stable in the Africa (-73%), Europe (-15%), the Americas (-10%), South-East Asia (-1%), and the Western Pacific (+4%) regions.
*The WHO notes the case and death data for the Africa region are incomplete and will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.

UNITED STATES
The US CDC is reporting 92.3 million cumulative cases of COVID-19 and 1,030,010 deaths. The current 7-day moving average of new daily cases is down over last week, dropping to 107,077 on August 9 from 121,260 on August 2. The average daily mortality remains relatively stable, at 395 on August 9. Daily mortality has risen since the beginning of June, when it was around 280 deaths per day.**

Both new hospital admissions (-0.8% over the past week) and current hospitalizations (-2.6%) remained relatively stable over the previous week, possibly reflecting the slight decrease in daily incidence.

Community transmission in the US is primarily driven by the Omicron BA.5 sublineage. BA.5 is now projected to account for 87.1% of sequenced specimens. The BA.4 sublineage accounts for about 6.6% of cases, while the BA.4.6 sublineage accounts for 4.8% of cases. Together, BA.2.12.1 and BA.2 now account for only about 2.9% of cases. According to the estimate, Omicron variants represent all new cases in the US.
**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.

IMMUNE EVASION Immune escape, or immune evasion, is driving the COVID-19 pandemic’s extended life cycle. As the virus continues to infect humans, it will mutate and likely adapt to find its way around existing levels of vaccine-induced and natural immunity. The scientific community is not surprised that SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve to evade our ever-changing immune systems, as many other viruses do the same. But because SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus to humans, attention is focused on emerging new variants and global anxiety is heightened, wondering what variant lies around the corner.

Currently, there are many questions about whether the Omicron subvariants BA.2.75 or BA.4.6 will cause the next wave of infections. BA.2.75, which has been circulating widely in India for more than a month and has been detected in at least 20 other countries, does not currently appear likely to outcompete BA.5, the global leader of SARS-CoV-2 variants. BA.4.6, which is growing in prevalence in the US and Europe, appears to be just as transmissible as BA.2.75, but it remains unclear whether either subvariant will become predominant. Scientists continue to worry that either one of these Omicron subvariants, or an as-yet undetected variant, could gain global, regional, or local dominance. This cycle of new variant-driven waves, each with increased immune evasion, describes the global experience with COVID-19 to date, and many assume the pattern will continue into the future. This is what allowed BA.4 and BA.5 to spread widely despite widespread recent infections with the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants.

In addition to increased variant surveillance, more must be done to help further prepare for future increases in COVID-19 cases. The first priority is to address current infections by reducing transmission of circulating virus, limiting its chances to adapt and evade existing levels of immunity. However, limiting transmission is increasingly challenging, as many countries roll back mitigation measures and as funding for testing and vaccination programs dwindles. Many appear to be placing hope in the next generation of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, which are expected to protect against a wider array of viral lineages. Several studies, including one conducted in non-human primates published this week in Science Translational Medicine, suggest that these vaccines may be a possibility, and they may be able to provide protection that extends to other coronaviruses, so-called pancoronavirus vaccines. While those vaccines remain a distant goal, manufacturers continue to work on current vaccine platforms that enable the fast production of variant-specific boosters. The CEO of Moderna recently compared the future of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to the iPhone’s constant updates, with new generations developed as more data and technologies become available.

NOVAVAX VACCINE Last month, the US FDA granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine made by US-based manufacturer Novavax. Many public health advocates hoped that the vaccine’s authorization would lead to an increase in vaccinations among unvaccinated populations, having faith that the more traditional protein-based vaccine technology would ease concerns surrounding vaccination with vaccines using newer mRNA platforms. However, in the month since the EUA was issued, only about 7,400 doses have been administered in the US, with only 2,300 people receiving a 2-dose primary series using Novavax. According to the US CDC, 332,000 doses of the vaccine have been distributed nationwide. Originally, the vaccine was available at only 385 locations, although that number has grown to 986 sites. Notably, more than 53,000 locations have been used to provide other vaccinations throughout the pandemic. The limited uptake of the Novavax vaccine has received criticism given the large investment the company received from Operation Warp Speed. While it is too early to decide the fate of the vaccine in the US, Novavax recently reset its sales expectations, halving its forecast to US$2 billion to US$2.3 billion from US$4 billion to US$5 billion.

PEDIATRIC VACCINATIONS Efforts to vaccinate young children against COVID-19 in the US got off to a sluggish start and continue to lag. Results of a survey published August 3 in JAMA Network Open indicate that only about half of the 2,031 parents of young children aged 6 months to 4 years surveyed intend to vaccinate their children at some point, and only about one-fifth said they intend to do so within 3 months of the child’s eligibility. The research team surveyed the parents in early February 2022, about 4 months prior to the US FDA’s decision to issue an EUA for this youngest age group. According to the survey, 45.6% of the respondents would “definitely” or “probably” vaccinate their child after eligibility, and 66% said they plan to wait 3 months or longer before deciding whether or to vaccinate their child. Just over one-third of the participants said they did not know if they would seek vaccination. Overall, only 4-5% of children in this age group have been vaccinated since the EUA, with concerns over vaccine safety driving the scarce uptake.

Looking at older pediatric age groups, a study published August 8 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases examines the effectiveness of the 2-dose primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in preventing symptomatic infection and severe disease among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years living in Brazil and Scotland between August 2021 and April 2022. The test-negative, case-control study found that protection against symptomatic infection from a 2-dose series administered at least 21 days apart peaked at 14-27 days after the second dose and then began to wane. However, protection against severe COVID-19 disease remained high at 98 days or more after the second dose during the Omicron-dominant period, suggesting that booster doses for this age group should be considered.

TRANSPORTATION MASK REQUIREMENTS A group of 23 state attorneys general filed a brief in a US federal appeals court this week claiming the CDC lacks the authority to impose a nationwide transportation mask mandate to address COVID-19. Led by Florida’s State Attorney General, the group called CDC’s actions an “overreach” and expressed their support of an April ruling by a Florida federal judge who blocked the transportation-related mask mandate requiring travelers to wear masks on planes, trains, buses, ride-share vehicles, and in transit stations. Additionally, 17 Republican US lawmakers filed a similar brief the same day. The US Department of Justice appealed the April ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, filing a May 31 brief saying the mask requirement "falls easily within the CDC's statutory authority.” The Biden administration stopped enforcing the order following the April ruling.

VACCINE PRODUCTION IN AFRICA According to the Africa CDC, only 20% of adults on the continent have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but demand for vaccination has fallen. South Africa-based Aspen Pharmacare produces the J&J-Janssen vaccine for member states in Africa, which comprises almost 30% of vaccines acquired in the region, and in March finalized a deal to produce its own Aspenovax vaccine for African markets. However, the company has not received any orders for the Aspenovax shot, this week saying it will have to shut down or convert its production lines beyond this month if it does not receive orders. However, the Africa CDC, which does not want the continent’s vaccine manufacturing capacity shuttered, last month said it is in detailed discussions with buyers to generate demand for Aspenovax.

Vaccine hoarding by high-income nations deprioritized low- and middle-income countries’ (LMICs) access to vaccines during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, many donors from high-income countries established COVID-19 response as a top funding priority, treating it as a once-in-a-century threat to public health. Global health experts have questioned this reprioritization of funding, arguing the money would be better spent on a holistic approach to healthcare and disease, as COVID-19 is one of many public health priorities that LMICs need donor support to address. A new study, published in The Lancet Global Health, highlights the disruptions the COVID-19 pandemic had on essential health services in Kenya, including access to cervical cancer screening, testing for HIV and malaria, tuberculosis therapies, and routine immunization. Donors’ shift in focus to COVID-19, and restrictions on how that funding can be used, illustrates a missed opportunity to more effectively address pressing public health concerns on the continent.

NORTH KOREA Since May, North Korea has reported more than 4.7 million cases of patients with “fever” and 74 related deaths, widely believed to be COVID-19. After not registering any new fever cases since July 29, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on August 10 gave a speech in which he “solemnly declared a victory” over the virus, despite the nation’s limited testing capacity. North Korea and Eritrea are the only 2 countries without a SARS-CoV-2 vaccination program, and North Korea’s hospitals are poorly equipped, lacking reliable electricity and modern medical technologies. At a meeting on COVID-19 policy attended by thousands of unmasked officials, Kim vowed “deadly retaliation” against South Korea, which he blames for causing the outbreak. North Korean defectors to South Korea and activists often send balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets, and sometimes food, medicine, and money, across the border, which leaders believe brought the virus into the country. Kim called such actions an “influx of rubbish” and threatened to “wipe out” South Korean authorities, who responded by calling the claims “groundless” and “rude and threatening.” Regional experts said the meeting announcing an end to the fever outbreak could be a signal to China that North Korea is ready to reopen trade. Also at the meeting, Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong said the leader was “seriously unwell” with fever as the nation faced the outbreak, but she did not specify that his fever was caused by COVID-19.

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

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

::

UK APPROVAL OF BIVALENT VACCINE BOOSTER The UK became the first country to approve a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for use as a booster among adults, as many countries plan late-2022 booster drives to hopefully broaden population immunity to SARS-CoV-2 before winter. The adapted bivalent vaccine is an updated version of Moderna’s original monovalent mRNA vaccine, known as “Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron.” The vaccine targets the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and the Omicron BA.1 variant, a combination which produces significantly more Omicron BA.1-specific neutralizing antibodies than the original monovalent vaccine and may generate BA.4 and BA.5 neutralizing antibodies at a rate 1.69 times higher than the original vaccine, according to trial data from Moderna. The UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published guidance this week for which vaccines should be used during the UK’s fall COVID-19 booster campaign. For adults, the JCVI recommends using either the newly approved Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron vaccine, one of the original Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots, or, in exceptional circumstances, the Novavax Matrix-M adjuvanted wild-type vaccine (Nuvaxovid). The JCVI also offered advice that a single type of booster be used where possible to facilitate deployment and mobilization.

Drug regulators in the EU may meet as soon as September 1 to consider approving a bivalent vaccine that targets the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and BA.1 and could meet later in the month to review a bivalent vaccine using the original strain and BA.5. Meanwhile, US government health officials have indicated they plan to wait for bivalent vaccines capable of targeting the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and the newer BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants. The Biden administration is aiming to begin a COVID-19 booster shot campaign for all adults in September, but there remain many considerations for regulators to work through before recommending a booster. One of these considerations is that vaccine-induced immunity can wane over time, so the timing of a booster campaign is important. However, many experts agree that getting a booster too early is better than not getting one at all.

NOVAVAX BOOSTER EUA APPLICATION Novavax announced August 15 that it has submitted an application to the US FDA for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its recently authorized SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as a booster dose. If authorized, the booster dose could be administered to qualifying adults who previously received full courses of Novavax or other SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The Novavax vaccine is an adjuvanted protein-based vaccine, a more traditional vaccine technology than the platform used in mRNA vaccines. Experts have hoped that this tried-and-true formulation may convince more unvaccinated people to receive their primary courses, although uptake in the US has been slow. Based on clinical trial results, the Novavax vaccine appears to remain relatively effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the Omicron and Delta variants of concern. It is less clear how effective this formulation is against BA.5 specifically, but vaccine experts have been looking forward to Novavax’s EUA booster submission to provide another tool in the fight against the wide variety of Omicron subvariants.

BCG VACCINE The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine continues to offer protection from tuberculosis infection into adulthood when given at birth. The vaccine, which has been in use for nearly 100 years, is routinely given to newborns worldwide but is not part of the standard childhood immunization program in the US. Research has shown that neonatal BCG vaccination confers off-target, nonspecific protection against unrelated infectious diseases in early childhood, and the vaccine has been used in clinical trials to examine its effectiveness to reduce the impact of COVID-19, but with little positive outcome. Now, a small, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in Cell Reports Medicine by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital suggests the BCG vaccine is highly effective in protecting patients with type 1 diabetes from COVID-19. The researchers found that 12.5% of the group that received placebo shots and 1% of the group that received 3 BCG doses met the criteria for confirmed COVID-19, yielding an efficacy of 92%. Additionally, the BCG group had fewer infectious disease symptoms and lesser severity, and fewer infectious disease events per patient, including COVID-19. The study provides a basis for additional research into the BCG vaccine’s broad-based infection protection, including against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

US CDC COVID-19 GUIDANCE Late last week, the US CDC updated its guidance on COVID-19 vaccination, quarantine, isolation, and testing. The new “streamlined” guidance is in response to broader levels of immunity among the population, from previous infection or vaccination or both, and the availability of effective COVID-19 prevention and management tools that can reduce the risk for medically significant illness and death. The guidance places significant onus on individuals to assess their personal risk and take steps to prevent infection, transmission, or serious outcomes for themselves or others. One of the most significant changes is that persons who are exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and not up to date on their vaccinations no longer need to quarantine. Instead, the CDC recommends they wear a mask in indoor settings for 10 days after exposure and take a test on day 5. The CDC also removed its recommendations for social distancing, test-to-stay programs, and cohorting of students in schools.

These changes have been met with varied reactions, from acceptance to outrage. Expressing concern over the relaxed guidance, many public health experts cite continuing risk from the predominant BA.5 subvariant; the risk of future, possibly more virulent, variants; and declining adherence to personal protective measures that might inhibit their reinstatement if a new wave of infections begins. On the other hand, many members of the general public and institutional decision makers welcomed the simplified guidance as a sign that COVID-19 should not continue to overburden daily routines, particularly as we move closer to the fourth year of the pandemic. Though 3 years of heightened precautions is a long time to expect a global population to remain vigilant against disease, many public health experts believe the CDC is sending the wrong signal at the wrong time. Of particular controversy is CDC’s “Community Levels” metric that is being used to influence its decision making. Because this indicator is influenced more by hospitalizations than transmission, certain areas can appear as if there is less circulating virus than there actually is. Some argue that community transmission* should be more heavily weighted in decision making, especially while highly transmissible variants are circulating.
*To see community transmission levels, change the “Data Type” dropdown menu to “Community Transmission.”

SERIAL TESTING The US FDA this week recommended that people use serial testing—taking multiple COVID-19 tests over several days—to reduce the risk of a false-negative result and to help prevent people from unknowingly spreading the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others. People who test negative on an at-home antigen test should take a second or third test to confirm their result, even if they do not have symptoms. Specifically, the FDA recommends the second test be taken 48 hours after the first test. For those without symptoms but with a known exposure, the agency goes further to say that a third test should be taken another 48 hours after the second test to be even more confident of a negative result. Repeated testing is not a new concept, but this updated recommendation demonstrates the need for continued vigilance in driving down SARS-CoV-2 transmission. While not at odds with the US CDC’s new COVID-19 guidance on quarantine and isolation, the FDA’s recommendation does appear to place more emphasis on assuring lower likelihood of person-to-person transmission following exposure.

US SCHOOLS On August 11, the US CDC released new operational guidance for K-12 schools, early education programs, and daycares to support safe in-person learning during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The new guidelines largely loosen protocols and leave more of the decision-making responsibility in the hands of local officials. Notably, several states—including California, Colorado, Washington, and West Virginia—have issued their own guidance or taken steps to facilitate testing and vaccinations at schools. Few districts are implementing vaccination mandates for students, as Americans are divided over whether such requirements are needed.

The CDC’s guidance recommends that school staff and students stay up-to-date on vaccinations, stay home when sick, practice proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, and that schools optimize and improve ventilation and clean surfaces at least once a day. The guidance also discusses masking, testing, quarantine, and other mitigation strategies, particularly in relation to local community levels or outbreaks. Though the CDC notes that wearing well-fitting masks reduces the risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2 in schools—with a recent preprint study providing additional supporting evidence—the agency only recommends masking in schools located in localities where SARS-CoV-2 “Community Levels” are high. Additionally, most students no longer are advised to quarantine if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 but they should wear a mask for 10 days and get tested. The new guidelines also drop the recommendations for routine testing in K-12 schools, although schools located in areas where COVID-19 Community Levels are high may consider implementing screening testing programs. Approximately 40% of counties in the US are currently experiencing high COVID-19 Community Levels, while “Community Transmission” is high in nearly 94% of the country, according to CDC data.

The CDC’s more relaxed guidelines coincide with increased concern about the social, economic, and mental welfare of students who have had limited social interactions over the last few years. Some of the social concerns expressed by parents include students experiencing depression due to extended isolation, students experiencing distress due to missing key social milestones and events, and suicidal ideation in student populations. Economic concerns stem from the pandemic-related disruption in education. Experts estimate that each year of education can add 10% to an individual’s expected lifetime earnings. As a result, disruptions in education due to the pandemic could mean that the current generation of students might be less competitive when they enter the workforce. Concerns about the mental welfare of students have increased due to reports of more emergency room visits linked to mental health among young people, more reports of eating disorders among adolescent girls, and emotional disturbances that can last for years or decades after a traumatic event.

PREGNANCY COVID-19 directly affects people’s health, but the early pandemic also impacted how and when people accessed health care, with lockdowns, workforce shortages, and supply chain issues forcing many to skip or delay routine medical appointments. A retrospective cohort study published August 12 in JAMA Network Open that included more than 1.6 million pregnant patients in 463 hospitals found that the number of live births decreased by 5.2% during the first 14 months of the pandemic compared with the previous 14 months. Additionally, there were increased odds of maternal death during delivery hospitalization (from 5.17 to 8.69 deaths per 100,000 pregnant patients; OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.19-2.58), as well as small but significant increased odds of certain pregnancy complications, including gestational hypertension (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.06-1.11), obstetric hemorrhage (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.10), preeclampsia (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06), and preexisting chronic hypertension (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.09). While it is unclear whether COVID-19 infection directly caused any of the complications, the study’s authors suggested that missed or delayed prenatal visits may have led to some pregnancy complications going undetected or unmanaged and that increased societal stress could have contributed to the increase in hypertension issues.

Prior to vaccines becoming available in late 2020, mis- and disinformation campaigns to discredit the vaccines had already taken hold and especially created uncertainty among pregnant people. Part of what allowed disinformation to flourish was that pregnant people were not included in the initial clinical trials of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, creating a dearth of safety data that led to pregnant people having some of the lowest vaccination rates among adults when the vaccines were first authorized. Subsequently, many pregnant people, or those looking to become pregnant, chose to delay or forego vaccination, sometimes with dire outcomes. Unvaccinated pregnant women with COVID-19 have a higher risk of stillbirth and other pregnancy complications, including maternal death, than those who are vaccinated. Multiple studies have shown that the vaccines are safe before and during pregnancy and that SARS-CoV-2 infection can have deleterious impacts on pregnant individuals, including heart complications.

An observational cohort study—conducted in Canada and published last week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases—found that not only were mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines safe for pregnant women, but vaccinated pregnant women reported fewer serious health events than non-pregnant women in the week following vaccination and a similar number of events as a group of unvaccinated pregnant women. Though there are many scientific, legal, and ethical considerations related to research associated with pregnancy and including pregnant people, researchers are working to identify these challenges and develop strategies to overcome them.

INCARCERATED POPULATIONS Several large California (US) counties are ending initiatives meant to keep more nonviolent offenders out of jail to lower incarcerated populations during the COVID-19 pandemic amid rising crime. Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Clara counties are among those that recently stopped issuing zero bail for people who committed certain nonviolent felony offenses. Similar public health measures instituted nationwide, meant to depopulate jails to avoid COVID-19 outbreaks, brought the US jail population to its lowest level in nearly a decade, according to federal statistics. But rising crime rates are forcing more progressive district attorneys to end such practices, leading to rising jail populations, which remained below their pre-pandemic levels as of the end of 2021. Incarcerated populations have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. In California, nearly half of state prisons had 3 to 4 times more COVID-19 cases than the general population.

WESTERN PACIFIC Officials in the Marshall Islands have declared a national health disaster due to the arrival of the highly transmissible Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant, shifting from a prevention to mitigation strategy. More than 4,000 people have tested positive in a population of about 60,000 in the past week, and the test positivity rate is about 75% in the capital city, Majuro. The Marshall Islands, with a population of about 59,000, was one of the last countries to claim to be COVID-free because of its strict quarantine rules, and until about one week ago, the nation had not recorded a single case of community transmission. About 70% of the nation’s residents are vaccinated. The health disaster declaration provides the government access to emergency funding and the ability to institute several public health measures, including closing schools. While officials have not instituted lockdowns, many people are choosing to stay at home to prevent further community transmission.

Further south in the Pacific Ocean, the number of new COVID-19 cases in New Zealand dropped to its lowest level in 6 months and the average number of hospitalizations is down, showing hopeful signs the winter wave of infections is subsiding. Cases there spiked in mid-July, when deaths from COVID-19 were essentially on par with those from heart disease, the country’s leading killer. About 90% of people aged 12 years and older have completed a primary vaccination series, according to the New Zealand government. In neighboring Australia, there are signs the recent Omicron surge is in decline there as well. However, the number of hospitalizations and the 7-day average of COVID-19-related deaths remain high, and an unknown number of people are suffering long-term impacts of COVID-19 infection. Wait lists for specialized long COVID rehabilitation clinics are now more than 5 months, and experts in Australia are calling for a nationally coordinated approach to address the condition. Infectious disease experts cautioned that while the worst of the winter surge might have passed, there will be future surges and people should continue to wear masks to help mitigate disease transmission. According to the Australian government, 96% of people aged 16 years and older have received at least 2 doses of vaccine.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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dryrunguy wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 5:31 pm NOVAVAX BOOSTER EUA APPLICATION Novavax announced August 15 that it has submitted an application to the US FDA for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its recently authorized SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as a booster dose. If authorized, the booster dose could be administered to qualifying adults who previously received full courses of Novavax or other SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The Novavax vaccine is an adjuvanted protein-based vaccine, a more traditional vaccine technology than the platform used in mRNA vaccines. Experts have hoped that this tried-and-true formulation may convince more unvaccinated people to receive their primary courses, although uptake in the US has been slow. Based on clinical trial results, the Novavax vaccine appears to remain relatively effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the Omicron and Delta variants of concern. It is less clear how effective this formulation is against BA.5 specifically, but vaccine experts have been looking forward to Novavax’s EUA booster submission to provide another tool in the fight against the wide variety of Omicron subvariants.
Oh, yes, of course. The reason why all these people refuse to get vaccinated is because they did not have am adjuvanted protein-based vaccine; that was the problem. They did all their research and that was what they were unconvinced about.
We are all fine, now.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2430

Post by ti-amie »

ponchi101 wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 7:31 pm
dryrunguy wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 5:31 pm NOVAVAX BOOSTER EUA APPLICATION Novavax announced August 15 that it has submitted an application to the US FDA for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its recently authorized SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as a booster dose. If authorized, the booster dose could be administered to qualifying adults who previously received full courses of Novavax or other SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The Novavax vaccine is an adjuvanted protein-based vaccine, a more traditional vaccine technology than the platform used in mRNA vaccines. Experts have hoped that this tried-and-true formulation may convince more unvaccinated people to receive their primary courses, although uptake in the US has been slow. Based on clinical trial results, the Novavax vaccine appears to remain relatively effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the Omicron and Delta variants of concern. It is less clear how effective this formulation is against BA.5 specifically, but vaccine experts have been looking forward to Novavax’s EUA booster submission to provide another tool in the fight against the wide variety of Omicron subvariants.
Oh, yes, of course. The reason why all these people refuse to get vaccinated is because they did not have am adjuvanted protein-based vaccine; that was the problem. They did all their research and that was what they were unconvinced about.
We are all fine, now.
You forgot to put the "/s" for sarcasm after your comment Ponch.
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