Moorestown, New Jersey, United States
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
“I have no idea what's awaiting me, or what will happen when this all ends. For the moment I know this: there are sick people and they need curing.”― Albert Camus, The Plague
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. –
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, stated by Sherlock Holmes.
VIRAL INFLECTION
The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19’s Origins
Throughout 2020, the notion that the novel coronavirus leaked from a lab was off-limits. Those who dared to push for transparency say toxic politics and hidden agendas kept us in the dark.
JUNE 3, 2021
Additional reporting by Lili Pike, with research assistance from Stan Friedman.
Click to see the full document SBU
Click to see the full document LAUER, MICHAEL (NIH/OD) [E]
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Click to see the full document SEC Ford
Click to see the full document WHO Report analysis
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/the-lab-leak-theory-inside-the-fight-to-uncover-covid-19s-origins
U.S. Deaths Top 600,000; N.Y. Lifts Restrictions: Virus Update
Amid falling vaccination rates, the US maintains global records for both total cases and deaths.
Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World
Health authorities around the world are fighting a pandemic of Covid-19, a pneumonia-like illness, that has spread to more than 180 countries and territories—affecting every continent—since January 2020.
SARS-CoV-2′s claimed natural origin is undermined by issues with genome sequences of its relative strains
Coronavirus sequences RaTG13, MP789 and RmYN02 raise multiple questions to be critically addressed by the scientific community
Yuri Deigin, Rossana SegretoFirst published: 27 May 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.202100015
Yuri Deigin and Rossana Segreto contributed equally to this study.
Evidence for increased breakthrough rates of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in BNT162b2-mRNA-vaccinated individuals
- Talia Kustin, Noam Harel, […] Adi Stern
Nature Medicine (2021)
The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan?
By Nicholas Wade | May 5, 2021
https://thebulletin.org/2021/05/the-origin-of-covid-did-people-or-nature-open-pandoras-box-at-wuhan/
SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617 emergence and sensitivity to vaccine-elicited antibodies
Posted May 18, 2021.
Isabella Ferreira, Rawlings Datir, Steven Kemp, Guido Papa, Partha Rakshit, Sujeet Singh, Bo Meng, Rajesh Pandey, Kalaiarasan Ponnusamy, V.S. Radhakrishnan, The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), The CITIID-NIHR BioResource COVID-19 Collaboration, Kei Sato, Leo James, Anurag Agrawal, View ORCID ProfileRavindra K. Guptadoi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.08.443253
WSJ NEWS EXCLUSIVE
Intelligence on Sick Staff at Wuhan Lab Fuels Debate On Covid-19 Origin
Report says researchers went to hospital in November 2019, shortly before confirmed outbreak; adds to calls for probe of whether virus escaped lab
By Michael R. Gordon , Warren P. Strobel and Drew Hinshaw May 23, 2021 2:57 pm ET
Three Wuhan Institute of Virology researchers became sick enough in November 2019 that they sought hospital care, according to a U.S. intelligence report that could add to calls for a fuller probe of whether the Covid-19 virus may have escaped from the lab
https://twitter.com/WSJ/status/1396545972503777283
Did the coronavirus leak from a lab? These scientists say we shouldn’t rule it out.
For many scientists, challenging the idea that SARS-CoV-2 has natural origins is seen as career suicide. But a vocal few say it shouldn't be disregarded or lumped in with conspiracy theories.
by
March 18, 2021
THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN VIA AP IMAGES
China’s ‘Bat Woman,’ at the Center of a Pandemic Storm, Speaks Out
Shi Zhengli, a top virologist, said in a rare interview that speculation about her lab in Wuhan was baseless. But China’s habitual secrecy makes her claims hard to validate.
By Amy Qin and Chris Buckley
June 14, 2021Updated 10:21 a.m. ET
Why so many Covid-19 variants are showing up now
•Jun 16, 2021 Vox
Like any virus, SARS-CoV-2 has been mutating constantly since the beginning of the pandemic. Until November of 2020, though, that didn’t seem to matter. That’s when scientists in the United Kingdom noticed an alarming change: The virus had mutated in a way that made it more transmissible. Within a month, similar reports were emerging from places around the world. Suddenly, it seemed the virus was changing at an alarming rate. SARS-CoV-2 hasn’t actually been mutating faster, though. Instead, by letting it spread around the world, we’ve just given it more and more opportunities to mutate as it replicates. The result is that, after countless random mutations, there are signs that the virus is beginning to adapt to our natural defenses. And because it’s completely normal for a virus to change over time, we shouldn’t expect it to stop. The only real way to stop those changes is to stop giving the virus so many opportunities.
Evidence for increased breakthrough rates of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in BNT162b2-mRNA-vaccinated individuals
- Talia Kustin, Noam Harel, […]Adi Stern Nature Medicine (2021)
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01413-7#article-info
The Delta variant is serious. Here’s why it's on the rise.
The virus variant that caused infections to spike in the U.K. is now spreading in the U.S., and experts are very worried.
BYSANJAY MISHRAPUBLISHED JUNE 16, 2021
SARS-CoV-2 is well adapted for humans. What does this mean for re-emergence?
View ORCID ProfileShing Hei Zhan, View ORCID ProfileBenjamin E. Deverman, View ORCID Profile Yujia Alina Chandoi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.01.073262
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.01.073262v1
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: a review of SARS Lab Escapes
How China’s ‘Bat Woman’ Hunted Down Viruses from SARS to the New Coronavirus
Wuhan-based virologist Shi Zhengli has identified dozens of deadly SARS-like viruses in bat caves, and she warns there are more out there
- By Jane Qiu on June 1, 2020
- Editor’s Note (4/24/20): This article was originally published online on March 11. It has been updated for inclusion in the June 2020 issue of Scientific American and to address rumors that SARS-CoV-2 emerged from Shi Zhengli’s lab in China.
How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love the Lab-Leak Theory*
Uncanny similarity of unique inserts in the 2019-nCoV spike protein to HIV-1 gp120 and Gag
Prashant Pradhan, Ashutosh Kumar Pandey, Akhilesh Mishra, Parul Gupta, Praveen Kumar Tripathi, Manoj Balakrishnan Menon, James Gomes, Perumal Vivekanandan, Bishwajit Kundu:
This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?].
Abstract
We are currently witnessing a major epidemic caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The evolution of 2019-nCoV remains elusive. We found 4 insertions in the spike glycoprotein (S) which are unique to the 2019-nCoV and are not present in other coronaviruses. Importantly, amino acid residues in all the 4 inserts have identity or similarity to those in the HIV-1 gp120 or HIV-1 Gag. Interestingly, despite the inserts being discontinuous on the primary amino acid sequence, 3D-modelling of the 2019-nCoV suggests that they converge to constitute the receptor binding site. The finding of 4 unique inserts in the 2019-nCoV, all of which have identity /similarity to amino acid residues in key structural proteins of HIV-1 is unlikely to be fortuitous in nature. This work provides yet unknown insights on 2019-nCoV and sheds light on the evolution and pathogenicity of this virus with important implications for diagnosis of this virus.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.30.927871v1
Evidence mounts Wuhan lab studied live bats despite denials
Jerry Dunleavy Mon, June 14, 2021, 3:37 PM
The Science Suggests a Wuhan Lab Leak
The Covid-19 pathogen has a genetic footprint that has never been observed in a natural coronavirus.
By Steven Quay and Richard Muller June 6, 2021 11:59 am ET https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-science-suggests-a-wuhan-lab-leak-11622995184?mod=hp_opin_pos_2
No one can find the animal that gave people covid-19
Here’s your guide to the WHO-China search for the origins of the coronavirus.
by Antonio Regalado archive page
March 26, 2021
https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/26/1021263/bat-covid-coronavirus-cause-origin-wuhan/
China needs system to track coronavirus variants, says top virologist
Guan Yi warns that world must prepare to live with Covid-19, which needs close monitoring to respond to mutant strains and develop vaccines accordingly.
18 Jun 2021 - 10:00AM
June 18, 20215:23 AM EDT Last Updated 4 hours ago
Britain reports steep rise in weekly Delta variant cases
Reuters
New details on COVID origins and Wuhan lab l GMA
Jun 14, 2021 Good Morning America
Terry Moran reports on what lead researchers are learning about COVID-19 while studying inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Gravitas: What was China's Batwoman up to at the Wuhan lab?
•Jun 15, 2021 WION
The lab leak theory is gaining traction. As American sleuths investigate the Wuhan Lab angle, China's Batwoman Shi Zhengli has claimed that her lab didn't engage in any risky research. But, fresh reports are challenging her claims. Palki Sharma tells you more.
Every Victory–BiotecHOPE
Every Victory–BiotecHOPE
May 23, 2021 2:00 PM ETABBV, AMGN...
Summary
- the virus impact on Latin America, Brazil, India, Nepal, and many other countries brings such devastating and depressing news that it is difficult to feel upbeat about any biotech victories.
- In the time of many medical advances the bitcoin “Crypto” issue is irrelevant.
- I have been adding long positions in (MRK)(GILD)(AMGN)(JNJ)(ABBV)(AZN)(LLY) since September 2020.
- upbeat biotech/medical news is still not enough to counter the ongoing politico attacks against the biotech and bio-pharma community.
- “We will lift our eyes, we won't fear the fight"
- https://seekingalpha.com/instablog/5205071-danwatson888/5594643-every-victory-biotechope
Covid-19 Ranged From Illinois to Massachusetts Before States Reported First Cases
Blood samples show people in five U.S. states were infected early, including some in December 2019
By Betsy McKay June 15, 2021 9:00 am ET
Scientists Report Earliest Known Coronavirus Infections in Five U.S. States
Blood drawn from nine people in the earliest days of the pandemic tested positive for the infection. But some experts questioned the results
Trial results for a new Regeneron treatment have buoyed hopes that doctors could soon have a new way to tackle severe hospital cases.
AUTHORIZED FOR FDA EMERGENCY USE ONLY
REGEN-COV™ (CASIRIVIMAB AND IMDEVIMAB)
https://www.regeneron.com/medicines/casirivimab-imdevimab
Experts say waiving patents won’t help poorer nations acquire the technical complexity of manufacturing coronavirus vaccines.
- Pandemic aid for Maryland residents who fell behind on electric and gas bills will be forthcoming
- Potentially fatal black fungus cases reported in covid-19 patients in Oman, as infections there surge
- Moscow mayor mandates 60% of hospitality workers must be vaccinated
The places that were best at keeping Covid at bay are now struggling with their exit strategies.
Despite being one of the first countries to develop a jab, Covid cases are sharply rising in Russia.
What are the Delta Covid variant symptoms? - BBC News
•Jun 16, 2021 BBC News
The Delta variant of coronavirus, first identified in India, has changed how the virus is spreading, and the measures governments have to take to stop it. It has also changed the symptoms with a headache, sore throat and runny nose now the most commonly reported.
Pfizer had evidence the mRNA vaccine could stop the novel coronavirus. But it would do little good unless the company could quickly take new nanoparticle technology from lab to mass production, a feat never before accomplished.
https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/pfe/dividend-history
Monoclonal antibody therapy, given by drip, can save some of the sickest hospital patients.
Some groups of children may be vaccinated - but not all, the UK's vaccine experts are expected to say.
By Adam Taylor
THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION OF THE PANDEMIC IS SHIFTING
We understand how this will end. But who bears the risk that remains?
By Ed Yong JUNE 9, 2021
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/06/individualism-still-spoiling-pandemic-response/619133/
U.S. Pumps $3.2 Billion Into Covid-Fighting Antiviral Effort
Delta variant brings new pandemic threat to Germany
The good summer weather and strong vaccination numbers can obscure the dangers that the coronavirus still poses. Public health officials in Germany want to avoid a repeat of the false sense of security in summer 2020.
https://www.dw.com/en/delta-variant-brings-new-pandemic-threat-to-germany/a-57941352
Which vaccines are approved? How many people have been vaccinated? Here's all you need to know.
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
Gravitas: Caught On Camera: Bats locked up inside the Wuhan lab
•Jun 14, 2021 WION
Two videos have emerged that reveal what Chinese researchers were up to in Wuhan. One of them shows how bats were stored inside the Wuhan Lab. In the second clip, Peter Daszak can be heard explaining how Chinese researchers were manipulating viruses. Palki Sharma has more. #Gravitas #WuhanLab #Bats
China’s ‘Bat Woman,’ at the Center of a Pandemic Storm, Speaks Out
Shi Zhengli, a top virologist, said in a rare interview that speculation about her lab in Wuhan was baseless. But China’s habitual secrecy makes her claims hard to validate.
By Amy Qin and Chris Buckley
June 14, 2021Updated 10:21 a.m. ET
Shi Zhengli, A Virologist in Wuhan, Speaks Out Against 'Lab Leak ...
Nature-based or lab leak? Unraveling the debate over the origins of COVID-19
Accomplished scientists and public health officials stand on both sides.
ByKaitlyn Folmer,Sony Salzman,Sasha Pezenik,Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, andLucien Bruggeman June 14, 2021, 1:46 PM
https://abcnews.go.com/US/nature-based-man-made-unraveling-debate-origins-covid/story?id=78268577
New details on COVID origins and Wuhan lab
Mon, June 14, 2021, 3:22 AM ABC News·
Terry Moran reports on what lead researchers are learning about COVID-19 while studying inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
https://news.yahoo.com/details-covid-origins-wuhan-lab-072259777.html
First on CNN: HHS watchdog announces review of NIH grants that likely includes money connected to Wuhan lab
By Kristen Holmes and Priscilla Alvarez, CNN
Updated 10:30 AM ET, Tue June 15, 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/15/politics/nih-grants-review/index.html
- Jun 14, 2021, 09:19 PM (IST) New Delhi, Delhi, India
People who had been infected by the virus already have greater antibody response in comparison to those who have had no prior infection
While the move would mark another turning point in the transition out of the pandemic, it could also bring an end to provisions that have, for months, protected residents from some of the economic fallout of widespread lockdowns. By Rebecca Tan and Julie Zauzmer
Brian King Andrea Rishworth and Ruchi Patel, The Conversation Jun 14
How much difference could the G7 offer of a billion vaccines make to tackling the pandemic?
Vaccination rates are vastly different depending on which district you live in.
Taiwan Covid-19 vaccines may be too late for US emergency approval
Former health official flags competition problems for home-grown shots as global brands complete phase 3 clinical trials.
Another Guangdong City Launches Mass Covid-19 Testing
The southern Chinese city has lifted lockdowns in 11 areas of five districts following a drop in new cases
Jun 15, 2021 02:52 PM
Hong Kong may relax quarantine restrictions for fully vaccinated: commerce chief
Commerce secretary Edward Yau tells conference attendees city actively looking for ‘leeway’ in ways to loosen rules for those with two jabs, pointing to existing ‘vaccine bubble’ as example.
ABC News·
By Aaron Blake
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/15/jon-stewart-lab-leak-colbert/
Coronavirus digest: Chinese virologist denies COVID lab leak theory
The Wuhan-based scientist says claims the virus came from her lab are baseless. Meanwhile, India has begun easing restrictions after cases fell below a million for the first time in two months. 15.06.2021
https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-chinese-virologist-denies-covid-lab-leak-theory/a-57893880
Delta COVID variant wreaks havoc in Southern China
•Jun 14, 2021 CBS This Morning
The COVID-19 Delta variant has devastated Guangzhou, China for weeks as authorities race to respond. Ramy Inocencio reports. Each weekday morning, "CBS This Morning" co-hosts Gayle King, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil deliver two hours of original reporting, breaking news and top-level newsmaker interviews in an engaging and informative format that challenges the norm in network morning news programs.
The Delta variant is likely to delay England’s plan to reopen fully. Here’s the latest on Covid-19.
Cover Story: Guangzhou’s Battle Against a Potent Virus Variant
Medical workers in Guangzhou infected with coronavirus
Officials still hunting source of Hong Kong teen’s Alpha variant infection
Girl’s positive test broke city’s 42-streak of zero untraceable cases, and authorities are testing everything from rats to frozen food to find origins of 17-year-old’s infection.
Novavax says large study finds its vaccine about 90 per cent effective
The study, which involved nearly 30,000 people in the US and Mexico, showed the shot was highly effective against Covid-19 and also protected against variants, Novavax said.
AstraZeneca vaccine has good risk-benefit profile for over 60s, says European Medicines Agency
It was reported the European Medicines Agency (EMA) task force chief had said countries should avoid giving the vaccine to people over 60 amid blood clot fears. 14 Jun 2021 - 4:42AM
- In a trial, the company’s vaccine demonstrated an overall efficacy of 90.4 percent, on par with the vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
- Despite the impressive results, the vaccine’s future in the U.S., awash in other shots, is uncertain, and it might be needed more in other countries.
Vaccinated people were completely protected against severe and even moderate cases of illness by the two-shot regimen in a 30,000-person trial conducted when variants had begun to complicate the pandemic.By Carolyn Y. Johnson
Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Demonstrates 90% Overall Efficacy and 100% Protection Against Moderate and Severe Disease in PREVENT-19 Phase 3 Trial
Jun 14, 2021 at 6:00 AM EDTDownload PDF
- 93% efficacy against predominantly circulating Variants of Concern and Variants of Interest
- 91% efficacy in high-risk populations
- 100% efficacy against variants "not considered Variants of Concern/Interest"
- All COVID-19 hospitalizations/death occurred in the placebo group
- Company to host investor conference call today at 8:30 am ET
GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), today announced that NVX-CoV2373, its recombinant nanoparticle protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, demonstrated 100% protection against moderate and severe disease, 90.4% efficacy overall, and met the primary endpoint in its PREVENT-19 pivotal Phase 3 trial. The study enrolled 29,960 participants across 119 sites in the U.S. and Mexico to evaluate efficacy, safety and immunogenicity, with an emphasis on recruiting a representative population of communities and demographic groups most impacted by the disease.
https://ir.novavax.com/news-releases/news-release-details/novavax-covid-19-vaccine-demonstrates-90-overall-efficacy-and
Novavax vaccine impact more likely to be felt overseas, at least initially
Jun. 14, 2021 9:25 AM ET Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor1 Comment
- With strong phase 3 efficacy results released this morning, Novavax's (NASDAQ:NVAX) COVID-19 is poised to join other authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3706018-novavax-vaccine-impact-more-likely-to-be-felt-overseas-at-least-initially
- https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/NVAX
Opinion
A Vaccine the World Badly Needs Looks Better Than Ever
Novavax’s shot has been beset by delays and setbacks, but new data suggests it is a highly effective shot that could play a big role in the global pandemic fight.
By Max Nisen June 14, 2021, 11:15 AM EDT
Life In Caracas
In World’s Worst Vaccine Line, the Wait Lasts Hours and Gets You Nothing
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from Houston hospital workers that challenged a vaccine mandate.
Bob Menendez and Susan Collins
We need a commission to study America’s Covid-19 response.
Will China drop its coronavirus travel restrictions any time soon?
“We don’t want to be so restrictive to children that they aren’t able to enjoy themselves and have fun,” one pediatrician said.
UPDATED ON JUN 14, 2021 06:25 PM IST
June 21 was supposed to mark England's “freedom day.”By Jennifer Hassan, Paul Schemm and Adam Taylor
Moscow orders strict lockdown as COVID cases surge | DW News
•Jun 13, 2021 DW News
Moscow's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has ordered many businesses to send workers home to head off a surge in COVID-19 cases. Infections have doubled in the last few days. It's the first time this year that tough measures have been imposed in the Russian capital. Throughout the pandemic, President Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia has handled it better than most. But the intensive care units in Moscow's hospitals tell a different story. More than three quarters of COVID-19 beds are full. The mayor has now ordered a 'week off' - work-free days with pay for all non-essential workers - as authorities try to slow the spread. Doctors are glad some social distancing measures are back. But as cases surge they're worried by what they see. Some Muscovites are also worried, but for different reasons. Out enjoying the early summer, the new restrictions are a reminder that life isn't back to normal yet. As Moscow prepares for a week at home, doctors and politicians agree that the only way out is to ramp up the vaccine drive.
The G-7’s 1 Billion Pledge for New Vaccine Doses Comes Up Short
G-7 Commits to 1 Billion Extra Covid Shots in Final Communique
The Americans who have died of covid-19 in recent days and weeks passed away even as their families, friends and neighbors emerged from 15 months of isolation and fear. By Marc Fisher, Fenit Nirappil, Annie Gowen and Lori Rozsa
G7 calls for renewed Covid-19 origins search, respect for rights in Xinjiang
Indonesia sees biggest coronavirus spike since February
Indonesia is nearing 2 million total cases and is bracing for a peak in Covid-19 infections after the Eid al-Fitr festival last month.
Chinese city leaders under scrutiny over surge in coronavirus cases
Disciplinary task force set up to hold local cadres to account for flurry of cases.
Indian stores offer Covid-19 deals for vaccinated customers
India’s high rate of vaccine hesitancy is impeding the government’s aim to inoculate 300 million people by August.
13 Jun 2021 - 9:00AM
Andy Slavitt: “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”
Uncontrolled Spread
Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic
https://www.harpercollins.ca/9780063080010/uncontrolled-spread/
Advanced mRNA vaccine for Covid-19 nears completion of regulatory reviews as drugmakers start preparing Shanghai factory
- Cover Story: Guangzhou’s Battle Against a Potent Virus Variant
- Over 90% of Beijing Adults Have Recieved a Covid-19 Vaccine Dose
Taiwan scrambles for vaccines after Covid-19 breaches its defences13 Jun 2021 - 3:04PM
Sorrento Receives Authorization From the UK Regulatory Agency to Conduct a Phase 2 Clinical Trial for COVI-DROPS in an Outpatient Setting
June 11, 2021 at 4:11 PM EDTDownload PDF
- Large Phase 2 efficacy trial cleared to start in the United Kingdom in newly diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.
- COVI-DROPS is administered by intranasal drops and the antibody is active against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as the UK/Alpha and India/Delta variants, currently prevalent in the UK and US.
SAN DIEGO, June 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRNE, "Sorrento"
By Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. | Business World
Some 2% of coronavirus tests in the U.S. are coming back positive, far below the percentage while the pandemic was raging.
- WHO Chief Urges China to Cooperate With Probe Into Covid-19 Origins
- India Prepares for More Surges
- Tracking Vaccine Distribution in U.S.
- Many Indian cities lift restrictions, despite worries from public health experts
- Analysis: Those vaccine pledges for lower-income countries at the G-7? Experts say they just aren’t enough.
"Declassify It": GOP Senators Demand Wuhan Virology Lab Information Be Released
•Jun 11, 2021 Forbes Breaking News
In a Senate GOP press conference yesterday, Republicans demanded that information into the Wuhan Institute of Virology and gain of function research be declassified.
Understanding China’s Covid Propaganda
Beijing wants questions unresolved so it can sell its people on the foreign-origin possibility
By Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. June 11, 2021 5:17 pm ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/understanding-chinas-covid-propaganda-11623446278?mod=hp_opin_pos_2
China’s ‘Bat Woman,’ at the Center of a Pandemic Storm, Speaks Out
Shi Zhengli, a top virologist, said in a rare interview that speculation about her lab in Wuhan was baseless. But China’s habitual secrecy makes her claims hard to validate.
By Amy Qin and Chris Buckley
June 14, 2021 Updated 10:21 a.m. ET
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/14/world/asia/china-covid-wuhan-lab-leak.html
G7 to pledge 1 billion vaccines for global rollout | DW News
Jun 11, 2021 DW News
World leaders gathering in south west England will announce a plan to help vaccinate poorer countries by the end of next year. At the G7 summit in Cornwall, they will pledge to provide one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines. The move aims to address criticism that wealthy nations have secured the vast majority of vaccines against coronavirus for themselves. Meeting UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the summit, President Joe Biden said the US would donate 500 million vaccine shots. In many African countries very few people have received even one dose. And just a month ago India was breaking records with its numbers of new cases and deaths, and a shortage of vaccines. The South Asian country has been one of the worst affected by the pandemic. So can this vaccine offer make a real difference?
June 10, 20212:34 PM EDT United States
Heart inflammation in young men higher than expected after Pfizer, Moderna vaccines -U.S. CDC
Michael ErmanManojna Maddipatla
What you need to know about Hong Kong’s Covid-19 vaccination drive for children
Children aged 12 and above can begin booking BioNTech shots from Friday and receive the jabs as soon as Monday.
Malaysia extends lockdown; Pakistan province to block phones of unjabbed
The shutdown, due to end on June 14, will continue until June 28.
The American Academy of Pediatrics called on parents to get their children up to date on shots before they return to the classroom.By Lena H. Sun
As Covid-19 Becomes Endemic, Singapore Will Shift Focus From Daily Cases to Their Clinical Condition
Change is already happening, with the authorities looking at the condition of people who are infected
Jun 11, 2021 04:57 PM
State policies regarding vaccinations will play a key role in whether schools can require Covid-19 vaccinations in a way similar to how many require shots for infectious diseases such as measles.217 min
- Covid-19 Deaths This Year Have Exceeded 2020 Toll
- U.S. Suspends J&J Vaccine Shipments as States Face Surplus of Expiring Doses
- States Pile On Covid-19 Vaccine Incentives
By Monica Gandhi and Jeanne Noble | Commentary
India reports the world's worst single-day COVID-19-death toll | DW News
•Jun 10, 2021 DW News
India reported 6,148 new deaths from coronavirus on Thursday. It represents the highest single-day death toll from the virus in the world. The sharp spike in numbers has been attributed to the eastern state of Bihar correcting its figures. Authorities revised the state’s earlier total from about 5,400 to more than 9,400 coronavirus-related deaths to account for patients who succumbed to the virus at home or at private hospitals. The increase in numbers surpassed the 5,444 virus-linked deaths recorded in the US on February 12. With a caseload of over 29.2 million infections and nearly 360,000 fatalities, India remains the world’s second-worst affected country after the United States. However, experts maintain that the figures are massively undercounted.
Sam Fazeli
G7 plans 1 billion extra shots to end pandemic in 2022
G7 leaders were to vow enough coronavirus vaccine doses to help cover 80 per cent of the world’s adult population, according to a draft communique.
U.S. is in discussions with Moderna on buying Covid vaccine doses for other nations
PUBLISHED WED, JUN 9 20214:30 PM EDTUPDATED WED, JUN 9 20215:36 PM EDT Meg Tirrell
Johns Hopkins University Epidemiologist Gypsyamber D'Souza explains how the U.S. can reach coronavirus herd immunity and what happens if that goal is missed.
PM Narendra Modi says all adults in India will now get free vaccines - but wasn't that the case before?
Delhi and Mumbai are among the major cities that are easing weeks-long restrictions.
FDA advisory panel meets to discuss Covid vaccines in infants and children
Moderna asks FDA to clear Covid vaccine for adolescents 12 to 17
EU and U.S. to call for a deeper probe into Covid origins
COVID-19 vaccine: What parents and kids need to know | COVID-19 Special
•Jun 9, 2021 DW News
Vaccines are turning the tide in the pandemic in Europe and the US. Attention has turned from adults to children. Some say they should get the jab too. But shouldn't the limited supply of vaccines go to people in poorer countries? After all, kids rarely develop severe cases of COVID. Some parents have voiced safety concerns. Pharma firms say the shots are safe for minors. Is it time to vaccinate the young?
With millions of children now eligible for a coronavirus vaccine, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend children get inoculated. By Lindsey Bever
By Laurie McGinley, Christopher Rowland and Isaac Stanley-Becker
The coronavirus has changed and changed again, getting more transmissible each time.
The US is set to confirm it will give 500m doses of the Pfizer vaccine to the international Covax scheme.
Opinion by Stephen Marche
EU flags another rare blood condition as side effect of AstraZeneca jab
The European Medicines Agency’s safety committee said that capillary leak syndrome must be added as a new side effect to labelling on the shot. 11 Jun 2021 - 10:01PM
UK takes swipe at countries using vaccine diplomacy to secure influence
Foreign minister Dominic Raab said there was no doubt some countries were using jabs as diplomatic tool to buy influence.
11 Jun 2021 - 8:06PM
Cover Story: Guangzhou’s Battle Against a Potent Virus Variant
J&J Shot’s Shelf Life Extended by FDA After Fear of Spoiling
CDC Advisers to Meet on Heart Inflammation Link to Covid Shots
A Scientist Who Said No to Covid Groupthink
By Adam O’Neal | The Weekend Interview
As Western economies roar back to life, a fresh wave of Covid-19 clusters in Asia—where vaccination campaigns remain in their early stages—is creating new bottlenecks in the global supply chain.
“It was evident that the pandemic affected everyone differently, and kids who needed the most support often felt the hardest to reach," said Angela Chan, a Philadelphia teacher.
Kristen A. Graham, Melanie Burney, and Maddie Hanna
As Philly’s indoor mask mandate expires, gym goers welcome it, while some others are still adjusting
Ellie Rushing Jun 11
Bethany Ao and Aparna Nathan Jun 11
Stacey Burling Jun 10
Inside India's Catastrophic Second Wave
•Jun 8, 2021 Bloomberg Quicktake
The seeds of this year's massive coronavirus death toll in India were sown by a premature declaration of victory after the first wave in 2020, a series of government mistakes and rampant misinformation on social media.
By Laura H. Kahn | Biosecurity
SARS-CoV-2′s claimed natural origin is undermined by issues with genome sequences of its relative strains
Coronavirus sequences RaTG13, MP789 and RmYN02 raise multiple questions to be critically addressed by the scientific community
Yuri Deigin, Rossana Segreto First published: 27 May 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.202100015
Yuri Deigin and Rossana Segreto contributed equally to this study.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bies.202100015
#Gravitas #UnitedStates #Wuhan
Gravitas: Did the United States suspect a lab leak in Wuhan last year?
•Jun 8, 2021 WION
Did the United States suspect a lab leak in Wuhan last year? A new report now claims that in May 2020, American experts at a top laboratory found a lab leak "plausible". WION's Palki Sharma tells you more about the American assessment.
New details on COVID origins and Wuhan lab
Mon, June 14, 2021, 3:22 AM
Terry Moran reports on what lead researchers are learning about COVID-19 while studying inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology. ABC News·
https://news.yahoo.com/details-covid-origins-wuhan-lab-072259777.html
#covidUK #deltavariant #coronavirus
Delta variant: Is the UK facing a fourth wave of coronavirus infections? | DW News
•Jun 9, 2021 DW News
Authorities have said the prevalence of the delta variant is responsible for the sharp rise in cases in England. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a difficult decision on whether to reopen the country on June 21. That's the day Johnson's government said people could look forward to a lifting of all limits on social contacts. The UK started easing lockdown restrictions in mid-April. But a coronavirus variant known as "Delta" has put further reopening in doubt, as cases of the mutation rise. Delta was first identified in India. It is now the dominant strain among the average 5,000 daily cases being reported in Britain.
Delta variant has 60 per cent transmission edge over Alpha: UK expert
Epidemiologist Neil Ferguson said that up to a quarter of the Delta variant’s transmissibility edge over Alpha might come from its immune escape from vaccines.
The variant, known as Delta, is believed to be 40% to 50% more transmissible than the variant that emerged in U.K., highlighting the need for global vaccination.3 min
- Study Finds Slightly Elevated Risk of Bleeding Disorders After AstraZeneca Vaccine
- J&J CEO Says Vaccine Will Be Important Tool to Contain Pandemic
India’s Serum Institute is at the centre of global Covid-19 vaccine shortage
Several nations, including Nepal, entered into direct contracts with Serum and are now racing to find new suppliers.
9 Jun 2021 - 11:47AM
While the rapidly mutating virus is spreading farther and faster, current vaccines, testing and control measures are still effective, experts say
- In Depth: Asia’s Ruined Run of Pandemic Success
- Cover Story: Guangzhou’s Battle Against a Potent Virus Variant
PM Narendra Modi says all adults in India will now get free vaccines - but wasn't that the case before?
Delhi and Mumbai are among the major cities that are easing weeks-long restrictions.
The southern metropolis closed farmers markets and entertainment and culture venues in medium and high-risk areas in ongoing efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19. The city reported 115 cases, including 106 confirmed cases and nine asymptomatic cases, as of Tuesday. The government has taken measures to meet the needs of residents living in locked-down areas
Jun 09, 2021 05:58 PM
The Wall Street Journal’s trackers show trends in Covid-19 cases and death, totals for countries around the world, as well as vaccine distribution in the U.S.
Merck Announces Supply Agreement with U.S. Government for Molnupiravir, an Investigational Oral Antiviral Candidate for Treatment of Mild to Moderate COVID-19 June 9, 2021 6:45 am ET
U.S. government commits to purchase approximately 1.7 million courses of Molnupiravir upon issuance of Emergency Use Authorization or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
KENILWORTH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced it has entered into a procurement agreement with the United States government for molnupiravir (MK-4482). Molnupiravir is currently being evaluated in a Phase 3 clinical trial, the MOVe-OUT study, for the treatment of non-hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and at least one risk factor associated with poor disease outcomes. Merck is developing molnupiravir in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
For more information on the molnupiravir clinical trial please visit https://merckcovidresearch.com/.
The ‘unknown’ Covid deaths in rural India – BBC News
Jun 8, 2021
The second Covid wave ravaged India as hospitals and then crematoriums ran out of space. While cities were first hit, the second wave of coronavirus soon reached rural parts of the country, where hundreds died due to poor or no access to good healthcare. Most of them were not even able to get a Covid test. Experts now believe the number of deaths in rural India is much higher than has been recorded in official statistics. The BBC visited villages in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, one of the worst-hit, to investigate alleged under-reporting of these deaths.
#Gravitas #AnthonyFauci #Covid19
Gravitas: Covid origins: Did Fauci know the virus is "engineered"?
•Jun 7, 2021 WION
In January 2020, A leading infectious disease expert wrote an email to Anthony Fauci - claiming that the virus shows some "unusual features" that "potentially looked engineered".
EU and U.S. to call for a deeper probe into Covid origins Silvia Amaro
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer
The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan?
By Nicholas Wade | May 5, 2021
https://thebulletin.org/2021/05/the-origin-of-covid-did-people-or-nature-open-pandoras-box-at-wuhan/
Bat virus? Bioweapon? What the science says about Covid-19 origins
Speculation about the emergence of the new coronavirus is spreading almost as quickly as the pandemic
Scientists believe some pathways are more probable than others
Simone McCarthy and Stephen Chen in Beijing Published: 11:00am, 11 Apr, 2020
Wuhan pneumonia: new strain ‘bears close similarity to Sars’ as Hong Kong health minister assures public city is prepared
Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan says Hong Kong has plenty of beds and protective gear, but appeals to retailers not to jack up prices of masks Victor Ting Published: 1:21pm, 11 Jan, 2020
Wuhan virus kills fourth patient, infects hospital staff amid fear of ‘super-spreader’
Priority now to stop emergence of ‘super-spreader’, with one carrier already infecting more than a dozen medical staff, specialist says
Authorities in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, report a fourth death and 15 infections among hospital staff
Gigi Choy and Alice Yan Published: 9:40pm, 20 Jan, 2020
The central Chinese city of Wuhan reported more than 130 cases of the virus over the weekend alone.
Coronavirus could attack immune system like HIV by targeting protective cells, warn scientists
Researchers in China and the US find that the virus that causes Covid-19 can destroy the T cells that are supposed to protect the body from harmful invaders
One doctor said concern is growing in medical circles that effect could be similar to HIV
Stephen Chen in Beijing Published: 5:30am, 12 Apr, 2020
The virus is “simply a piece of bad news wrapped up in protein,”
Coronavirus can survive long exposure to high temperature, a threat to lab staff around world: paper
French scientists had to bring the temperature to almost boiling point to kill virus
Results have implications for the safety of lab technicians working with the virus
Stephen Chen in Beijing Published: 4:00pm, 14 Apr, 2020
How Li Wenliang's death sparked Chinese demand for freedom of speech How It All Started: China's Early Coronavirus Missteps
Covid origin: Why the Wuhan lab-leak theory is being taken seriously
Published 5/27/2021
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57268111
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer
INVESTIGATIONS JAN. 4, 2021
The Lab-Leak Hypothesis
For decades, scientists have been hot-wiring viruses in hopes of preventing a pandemic, not causing one. But what if …?
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/coronavirus-lab-escape-theory.html
The (very strong) case for COVID-19 leaking from a Chinese lab
If it wasn't a lab leak, the fact that a novel coronavirus just happened to emerge in Wuhan would be one of history's greatest coincidences
Author of the article:Tristin Hopper
Publishing date: May 28, 2021
https://nationalpost.com/news/the-very-strong-case-for-covid-19-leaking-from-a-chinese-lab
Gravitas Plus: The Lab Leak Theory
•Premiered Jun 5, 2021 WION
18 months & 3.7 million deaths later, the Lab Leak Theory is being taken seriously. Is there new evidence now? Why did the world wait so long? Why were our reports labelled “fake” & “misleading?” On Gravitas Plus, WION's Palki Sharma decodes the politics & possibility of a Made In China virus.
The Science Suggests a Wuhan Lab Leak
The Covid-19 pathogen has a genetic footprint that has never been observed in a natural coronavirus.
By Steven Quay and Richard Muller June 6, 2021 11:59 am ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-science-suggests-a-wuhan-lab-leak-11622995184?mod=hp_opin_pos_2
China’s Bat Hunter and Bat Woman under scrutiny as coronavirus lab-leak theory gets another look
MAY 24, 2021
How the Liberal Media Dismissed the Lab-Leak Theory and Smeared Its Supporters
China’s Bat Hunter and Bat Woman under scrutiny as coronavirus lab-leak theory gets another look
#Gravitas #COVID19 #WuhanVirus
Gravitas: Covid-19 Origins: Was the virus "manipulated" in a lab?
•May 31, 20214 WION
A new study claims that the virus was "manipulated" in a lab. While British spies are saying that the possibility of a lab leak is "feasible". WION's Palki tells you how a hunt for the origins of the Wuhan virus has intensified.
Stephen L. Carter
#Newsnight #BBCNews #Coronavirus
Covid-19: Did the pandemic start in a Wuhan lab? - BBC Newsnight
•Jun 9, 2021 BBC News
More than 18 months on from the start of the pandemic, the claim Covid-19 may have leaked from a Chinese laboratory is gaining traction. Why are the origins of Covid-19 still a mystery? After the virus was first detected in China, authorities linked early Covid cases to a seafood market in Wuhan, leading scientists to theorise the virus first passed to humans from animals. But in recent weeks the controversial claim that the pandemic might have leaked from a Chinese laboratory - once dismissed by many as a fringe conspiracy theory - has been gaining traction. Now, US President Joe Biden has announced an urgent investigation that will look into the theory as a possible origin of the disease. So what do we know about the competing theories - and why does the debate matter? Newsnight’s Mark Urban reports.
By Laura H. Kahn | Biosecurity
Underreported cases and a spreading Delta variant: Is India opening up too soon? | COVID-19 Special
•Jun 15, 2021 DW News
A second wave of COVID-19 hit India hard. But case numbers look like they're falling. Restrictions are easing. Shops, businesses and public transport are opening in Delhi. People in Mumbai can catch a movie at the cinema. So is India ready? The country's vaccination drive remains sluggish. And testing isn't widespread. Experts warn case numbers and deaths are being underreported. They say it's too soon to lift restrictions. The construction sector was one of the first to open. It relies largely on migrant labour. Deprived of any means to earning a living during the lockdown, many construction workers went back to their villages. They are now returning to the capital hoping to find work. But does the city have enough to offer them so they can again earn their livelihood?
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
Why the China Covid lab-leak theory is being taken seriously - BBC News
•May 28, 2021 BBC News
Nearly a year and a half since Covid-19 was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the question of how the virus first emerged remains a mystery. But in recent weeks the controversial claim that the pandemic might have leaked from a Chinese laboratory - once dismissed by many as a fringe conspiracy theory - has been gaining traction. Now, US President Joe Biden has announced an urgent investigation that will look into the theory as a possible origin of the disease. China's foreign ministry accused the US of "political manipulation and blame shifting", rejecting any link between Covid-19 and a virus research lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Ros Atkins explores what the US investigations are covering.
Faye Flam
The mutation, a combination of the Indian and UK variants, is described by officials as "very dangerous".
Find Covid Origin or Face Another Pandemic, U.S. Experts Warn
PUBLISHED ON MAY 30, 2021 11:14 PM IST
The claim Covid-19 may have leaked from a Chinese laboratory is gaining traction. Here's what we know.
U.S. Cases Drop by Half in May; India Passes Peak: Virus Update
Guangzhou Locks Down Neighborhood as Variant From India Reported
The (very strong) case for COVID-19 leaking from a Chinese lab
If it wasn't a lab leak, the fact that a novel coronavirus just happened to emerge in Wuhan would be one of history's greatest coincidences
Author of the article: Tristin Hopper Publishing date: May 28, 2021
After months of being dismissed as a fringe conspiracy theory, official support is starting to build for the notion that the COVID-19 pandemic is not a freak accident of nature, but was rather the result of an accidental escape from a Chinese virology lab.
https://nationalpost.com/news/the-very-strong-case-for-covid-19-leaking-from-a-chinese-lab
Guangdong in high gear to quash coronavirus outbreak
- Authorities ramp up screening for pathogen to contain cases as key political events loom
- Infections raise questions for possible reopening of border with Hong Kong
City districts shut as Chinese province continues Covid-19 battle Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
India's wealth and tech divide mean that only some people get to grieve online in the country's deadly second covid wave.
Malaysia Doctors May Have to Decide Who Lives Amid Record Cases
Taiwan’s coronavirus outbreak ‘spreading from first hot zones’
Health minister says more cases are being reported outside Taipei and New Taipei City.
30 May 2021 - 6:31AM
France Is Ready to Start Cutting Back Crisis Aid, Minister Says
Egypt Bets on Ancient Finds to Pull Tourism Out of Pandemic
Health authorities observe 11.86 cases of side effects per 100,000 Covid-19 shots
May 29, 2021 09:02 PM
Marie McCullough, Bethany Ao, Tom Avril, and Stacey Burling May 28
As Europe reopens, The Washington Post spoke with some of the people who dedicated themselves to helping others during the coronavirus pandemic.
Stacey Burling May 28
COVID-19 Is Surging in Southeast Asia
Thanks to early adoption of public health measures, countries in Southeast Asia have fared relatively well in the pandemic. But now, many are facing exponential increases in case numbers—and the situation may get worse, with a knock-on effect from India
How the World's Most Prevalent COVID-19 Vaccine Is Made
Breaking Down What COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Means
Companies can require employees to get COVID-19 shot: EEOC
May 29, 2021 11:54 PM ETBNTX, JNJ...By: Dulan Lokuwithana, SA News Editor344 Comments
- Employers can require their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the latest update to the guidance issued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3701444-companies-can-require-employees-to-get-covid-19-shot-eeoc
05-28-2021
EEOC Issues Updated COVID-19 Technical Assistance
Provides Additional Information on Vaccinations
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today posted updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing questions arising under the federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws. The EEOC also posted a new resource for job applicants and employees, explaining how federal employment discrimination laws protect workers during the pandemic. These publications are provided to help employees and employers understand their rights and responsibilities at work during the pandemic.
https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-issues-updated-covid-19-technical-assistance
I’m Not Scared to Reenter Society. I’m Just Not Sure I Want To.
What's behind the resurgence of the Wuhan lab theory? | DW News
May 27, 2021 DW News
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a deeper investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, Biden said the majority of the US intelligence community had "coalesced" around two likely scenarios: that the virus was transmitted to humans via contact with an infected animal, or it emerged from a lab accident. Some Biden administration officials have harbored strong doubts about the lab leak theory. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser, said Wednesday that he and other scientists "believe that the most likely scenario is that this was a natural occurrence, but no one knows that 100% for sure." "I believe we do need the kind of investigation where there's open transparency and for all the information that's available, to be made available and to scrutinize," Fauci said at a Senate hearing. China wholly rejects the theory that SARS-CoV-2 escaped from a lab, and the Chinese Embassy in the US called the idea a "conspiracy theory" in statement released shortly after Biden's announcement. The embassy added that " some people are turning to their old playbook" and indulging in "irresponsible behaviors" The WHO launched its own investigation earlier this year, but could not determine the animal source. There have been concerns that China was not as cooperative with the investigation as they could have been. However, the team determined that a lab leak was "extremely unlikely." The virus has since spread to virtually every country around the world, killing more than 3 million people, according to Johns Hopkins University.
President Biden orders review of claims Covid came from Chinese lab - BBC News
•May 27, 2021 BBC News
President Biden has ordered a review of intelligence about where the Covid-19 virus originated from. It follows renewed speculation in America that the virus leaked from a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where it was first identified. The World Health Organisation is preparing further studies into its origins, having previously said it was “highly improbable” that it came from a lab. China has accused the US of playing politics with coronavirus.
China accuses the US of "political manipulation" over investigations into the origins of the pandemic.
France joins Austria and Germany in introducing restrictions due to the spread of the Indian variant.
US urges WHO to carry out second phase of coronavirus origin study in China
The initial investigation was ‘insufficient and inconclusive’, the US says, calling for independent experts to be given full access to original data and samples.
The History of Lab Leaks Has Lots of Entries
Smallpox, anthrax and influenzas have escaped facilities — sometimes with deadly consequences.
By Stephen Mihm May 27, 2021, 9:00 AM EDT
"Why Did You Dismiss The Lab-Leak Theory?": Rubio Grills Fauci On Past Statements Of COVID-19 Origin
•May 27, 2021 Forbes Breaking News
At yesterday's Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on NIH funding, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) asked Dr. Anthony Fauci about the origins of COVID-19 and his past statements downplaying the lab-leak theory.
By Annie Linskey, Shane Harris and David Willman
- Facebook’s reversal on banning claims that covid-19 is manmade could unleash more anti-Asian sentiment
- Analysis: What a proven coronavirus lab-leak theory would mean
Facebook reverses ban on posts claiming Covid-19 came from Chinese lab
The decision follows Biden’s call for a further probe into theories about the coronavirus’ origins, including the possibility it was released from a facility in Wuhan.
The relief of being vaccinated against the coronavirus is being replaced by a new worry: Is immunity a ticking clock? Should they plan a family wedding this fall? Will everyone need booster shots? When? By Carolyn Y. Johnson
Carolyn Y. Johnson, Washington Post May 27
Central government is ‘very worried’ about reports of triple-digit increases in infections over 11 consecutive days
May 27, 2021 08:38 PM
Mary Adamson, For The Inquirer May 27
Sanjay Mishra, The Conversation May 27
Sinopharm finally publishes Covid-19 vaccine trial data
Interim Phase 3 results suggest two products have efficacy rates well above 50 per cent but there is little data on the elderly and other vulnerable groups. 27 May 2021 - 10:08PM
Taiwan working on ‘room temperature’ DNA vaccine for Covid-19
Scientists say a vaccine using the radical new technology could be ready to enter human clinical trials by the end of the year after tests on mice and hamsters.
By Dan Keating and Leslie Shapiro
Emergency likely to be extended to June 20
3:11 pm, May 27, 2021japan coronavirusThe government intends officially to decide on Friday to extend to June 20 the coronavirus state of emergency that is in effect for nine prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with Health, Labor and...
1,413 people seriously ill with COVID-19 in Japan
6:17 pm, May 26, 2021japan coronavirusA record 1,413 people were seriously ill with COVID-19 nationwide on Wednesday, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. The number increased by 119 from the previous day. It was the 26th day in a row, counting from May 1...
‘I don’t really trust it’: Russians reject Sputnik jab despite Putin’s pleas
U.K. Approves Single-Shot J&J Vaccine Adding to British Arsenal
Brazil Let 70 Million Shots Get Away and Sealed Its Covid Fate
City of London Awakens as Subway Traffic Hits Pandemic-Era High
The History of Lab Leaks Has Lots of Entries
Smallpox, anthrax and influenzas have escaped facilities — sometimes with deadly consequences.
By Stephen Mihm May 27, 2021, 9:00 AM EDT
No matter where the inquiry leads, the history of lab safety shows, at the very least, that leaks of pathogens have happened in the past — sometimes with deadly consequences. It also shows that even transparent, thorough investigations into the origins of an outbreak can end in uncertainty.
Brazilian study indicates Sinovac shot benefit when majority of population vaccinated
May 31, 2021 10:40 AM ET Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (SVA) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor4 Comments
- A study study from Brazil found that the COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac (NASDAQ:SVA) can effectively manage the the disease when at least 75% of the population is vaccinated, G1 reports.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3701474-brazilian-study-indicates-sinovac-shot-benefit-when-majorit-of-population-vaccinated
Nepal runs out of hospital beds, oxygen, vaccines | COVID-19 Special
May 31, 2021 DW News
Nepal is in lockdown, battling its worst surge in COVID-19. The health care sector is totally overwhelmed. The government's desperately calling for help from abroad and even the help of international tourists, a record number of whom have registered to climb the world's most famous mountain this year. The season's coming to an end, but the climbers could still do the people of Nepal a huge favor.
Ramaphosa Tightens South Africa’s Virus Curbs as Cases Jump
Loni Prinsloo and S'thembile Cele
China’s southern Guangdong province in high gear to quash Covid-19 outbreak
•May 31, 2021 South China Morning Post
China’s southern Guangdong province has expanded mass-testing campaigns to five districts, following an outbreak that began on May 21, 2021. The latest infection cases have been linked to variants first detected in India and the UK. On May 30, the province reported 20 new coronavirus cases, 16 of which were asymptomatic. China’s national vaccine drive, meanwhile, gained momentum, with 100 million shots administered over the span of five days alone, pushing the country past the 600 million-dose mark.
#Coronavirus #Healthcare #Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic's long-term impact on healthcare systems | COVID-19 Special
May 28, 2021 DW News
Even as many parts of the world start to open up again, front line workers are struggling to cope with the silent toll of the COVID-19 pandemic - burnout.
From academic research centers to scientific journals, health workers and scientists fighting the pandemic say they are hitting a wall. Some health-care workers have already thrown in the towel and taken up a completely different job. For the doctors and nurses who can soldier on, there's still a lot of work. There may be light at the end of the tunnel, but the crisis isn't over.
‘Death all around’: bereaved Indians search for solace amid Covid-19
Few in India have been untouched by the deadly second wave of coronavirus infections. In the absence of physical outlets to grieve for their loved ones, many have turned to virtual communities, helplines and tribute sites.
31 May 2021 - 11:08AM
Dangers of social media and isolation in a pandemic explored in new short film
Indian children battle grief and guilt as Covid-19 claims parents
Malaysia goes into total lockdown amid worsening Covid-19 outbreak
Jun 1, 2021 South China Morning Post
Malaysia began a two-week nationwide lockdown on June 1, 2021, to battle a surge in Covid-19 infections in the country. Only essential businesses such as banks, supermarkets and medical clinics are allowed to open, while travelling across the country remains banned. As of May 31, Malaysia had reported 12 consecutive days of more than 6,000 daily infections, according to the World Health Organization. The Malaysian government also announced a 40 billion ringgit (US$9.7 billion) stimulus package to cushion the economic impact of the lockdown.
German Risk Level Cut; Variants Get Greek Letters: Virus Update
Vietnam discovers new Covid-19 strain, hybrid of Indian and British variants
•May 29, 2021 FRANCE 24 English
Vietnam has discovered a new coronavirus variant that’s a hybrid of strains first found in India and the U.K., the Vietnamese health minister said Saturday.
Vietnam’s Health Ministry says its recent outbreaks were fueled by a new highly contagious coronavirus variant. The government imposed a two-week-long lockdown of Ho Chi Minh City and plans to test the city’s entire population.By Miriam Berger
A Covid outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City triggers new social distancing rules and mass testing.
COVID on the rise in Russia with slow uptake on vaccines | DW News
•May 31, 2021 DW News
Has the vaccine uptake in Russia been sluggish? A Russian news agency says that COVID-19 is spreading faster than at any time since last October. Moscow's mayor says, the capital has lower rates of vaccination than any major European city. DW's Emily Sherwin went to a specially built facility in Moscow to find out whether doctors ready are for another wave of infections.
China’s first Covax vaccines roll off Sinopharm factory lines
10 million doses made in initial batch for WHO-led global sharing scheme.
China reports world’s first possible human case of H10N3 bird flu
Health authorities say infection in Jiangsu man had an animal origin and risk of transmission is low.
The infectious disease expert’s correspondence from March and April 2020, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, offers a peek into his world during the frantic early days of the coronavirus crisis. By Damian Paletta and Yasmeen Abutaleb
Central bankers know how to create a recovery, but can they manage the boom?
Transplants Force Patients to Amass Vaccinations to Beat Covid
Moderna Seeks Full FDA Approval for Its Covid-19 Vaccine
Haiti malnutrition surges amid Covid and violence
Severe acute childhood malnutrition is expected to more than double this year, Unicef warns.
WHO Gives Virus Variants New Names, Drawing From Greek Alphabet
WHO renames Covid variants with Greek letters
The variant first detected in the UK becomes Alpha, with South Africa, Brazil and India also renamed.
A Covid outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City triggers new social distancing rules and mass testing.
EMA recommends additional capacity at Pfizer's vaccine manufacturing site in Belgium
Jun. 01, 2021 11:57 AM ET Pfizer Inc. (PFE), BNTX By: Aakash Babu, SA News Editor1 Comment
- The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended the approval of additional manufacturing and filling lines at Pfizer’s (PFE -0.3%) vaccine manufacturing site in Puurs, Belgium.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3701816-ema-recommends-additional-capacity-at-pfizers-vaccine-manufacturing-site-in-belgium
- https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BNTX
- https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PFE
India’s poorest suffer Covid with almost no health care - BBC News
•May 28, 2021 BBC News
At least 300,000 people are now known to have died in India's second wave of coronavirus. But the true death toll could be several times higher especially in rural areas where the virus is now spreading. Access to healthcare there is almost non-existent. Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Orla Guerin from Beer Har, one of the poorest areas in India.
Sinovac obtains WHO emergency use listing for COVID-19 shot
Jun. 01, 2021 11:59 AM ET Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (SVA)
By: Dulan Lokuwithana, SA News Editor2 Comments
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted an emergency use listing for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech (NASDAQ:SVA) making it the second Chinese coronavirus vaccine to win the WHO nod.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3701817-sinovac-obtains-who-emergency-use-listing-for-covid-19-shot
Why it's not impossible that COVID-19 escaped from a lab
•Feb 4, 2021 National Post
There is absolutely no evidence for the lab escape theory whatsoever but there is compelling reason to believe that this whole pandemic is not natural, and is actually due to an accidental lab escape.
The (very strong) case for COVID-19 leaking from a Chinese lab
If it wasn't a lab leak, the fact that a novel coronavirus just happened to emerge in Wuhan would be one of history's greatest coincidences
Author of the article: Tristin Hopper Publishing date: May 28, 2021
https://nationalpost.com/news/the-very-strong-case-for-covid-19-leaking-from-a-chinese-lab
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
Gravitas: US seeks 'Phase 2' of investigation into COVID-origins
•May 26, 2021 WION
The Lab Leak Theory is getting bigger & serious. The US is seeking 'Phase 2' of an investigation into Wuhan Virus origins. WHO's top virologist Marion Koopmans says a 'follow-up' probe is needed. Where are things headed? Palki Sharma gets you a report.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JunF_PYnNEA
By The Editorial Board | Review & Outlook
By Adam Taylor
Stephen Mihm
BY BEN LEONARD
China accuses the US of "political manipulation" over investigations into the origins of the pandemic.
Facebook has ended its ban on posts asserting Covid-19 was man-made or manufactured, reflecting a deepening debate over the origins of the pandemic.
- How Brain Weighs Risk as Covid-19 Restrictions Ease
- Why Plan to Vaccinate World Against Covid Unraveled
- Biden Calls for Intelligence Report on Covid-19 Origins
- Covid Treatment From Vir, GlaxoSmithKline Approved
The ongoing discussions on Capitol Hill represent a remarkable bipartisan agreement that Congress should investigate the origins of a virus that has killed 3.5 million people worldwide.
BY ANDREW DESIDERIO AND ERIN BANCO
Two inactivated vaccines prevented symptomatic infections by 72.8% and 78.1%, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association
May 27, 2021 05:14 PM
By Pamela Constable and Taniya Dutta
While export-oriented sectors have been pushed to their limits, large amounts of slack remain for those targeting Chinese consumers
May 27, 2021 02:32 PM
Japan Extends Emergency; Shots for German Children: Virus Update
Sinopharm finally publishes Covid-19 vaccine trial data
- Interim Phase 3 results suggest two products have efficacy rates well above 50 per cent but there is little data on the elderly and other vulnerable groups
- More than 200 million doses have already been administered worldwide and a vaccine made by the firm’s Beijing subsidiary has been approved by the WHO
May 27, 202112:16 AM EDT Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
Sinopharm's two COVID-19 shots effective, study says
Reuters
Balancing act for WHO on next phase of research into virus origins Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
India shelves local trials for vaccines to hasten imports as shortage bites
The government said it was in talks with Pfizer for ‘earliest possible’ imports and also had discussions with J&J and Moderna.
Beijing blocked Taiwan’s deal to buy BioNTech vaccines, Tsai says
‘Taiwan was close to sealing the deal with the German plant, but because of China’s intervention, we still can’t sign the contract,’ island’s president tells ruling party.
27 May 2021 - 7:40AM
Influencers say they were offered money to discredit Pfizer vaccine. In France, some suspect Russia.
They say they were approached online and asked to tell their large followings that the Pfizer vaccine is dangerous and has sparked more deaths than the one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. By Jennifer Hassan and Rick Noack
The worst Covid-19 hot spot in North America is Manitoba, Canada. Here’s the latest on the pandemic.
Vir Rallies After Covid Antibody With Glaxo Wins U.S. Clearance
New Hunt for Covid Origin; Melbourne to Lock Down: Virus Update
Covid Long-Haulers Baffle Doctors With Symptoms Going On and On
Robert Langreth
GSK and Vir Biotechnology Announce Sotrovimab (VIR-7831) Receives Emergency Use Authorization from the US FDA for Treatment of Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19 in High-Risk Adults and Pediatric Patients
05/26/21 at 6:57 PM EDT PDF Version
– Treatment with sotrovimab resulted in an 85% reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death in high-risk adult outpatients compared to placebo, based on interim results from Phase 3 COMET-ICE trial –
– In vitro data indicate sotrovimab maintains activity against all known variants of concern, including the variant from India –
– Sotrovimab will be available for appropriate patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in the U.S. in the coming weeks –
– Discussions with global regulators regarding authorizations in additional countries continue to advance –
LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO, May 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) and Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIR)
Moderna says 2 million more COVID-19 doses will arrive by the week of June 14
Massachusetts-based company has said it would deliver 14.3 million shots in the first six months of 2021
John Paul Tasker · CBC News · Posted: May 27, 2021 12:18 PM ET |
Biden orders urgent new report on Covid origins - BBC News
•May 27, 2021 BBC News
US President Joe Biden has ordered intelligence officials to "redouble" efforts to investigate the origins of Covid. He said the US intelligence community was split on whether it came from a lab accident in China or emerged from human contact with an infected animal. Mr Biden asked the groups to report back to him within 90 days. China has rejected the laboratory theory.
Biden urges new investigation into COVID origins | DW News
•May 27, 2021 DW News
Joe Biden says US intelligence agencies are unsure whether the virus was transferred to humans from an animal or whether it leaked from a lab. However, he is calling for a "transparent, international investigation." Biden's announcement comes after recent reports said some researchers at a virology lab in Wuhan, where the pandemic is suspected to have started in December 2019, were ill one month earlier. China wholly rejects the theory that SARS-CoV-2 escaped from a lab, and the Chinese Embassy in the US called the idea a "conspiracy theory" in statement released shortly after Biden's announcement.
#Coronavirus #IndianVariant #Pandemic
How dangerous is the Indian variant of the coronavirus? | COVID-19 Special
•May 24, 2021 DW News
The WHO has labeled a subtype of the COVID-19 virus first discovered in India as a "variant of concern." B.16-17.2 is thought to spread more easily. The subtype is responsible for the majority of new cases in parts of England. Germany has banned all travelers from the U-K, except its own residents, due to concerns about the strain. But there is some good news. The vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca are thought to be highly effective against the variant, after two doses.
India’s capital considers coming out of lockdown as Covid-19 infections ebb
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is under pressure from shopkeepers to open up in New Delhi, which now has 1,500 new cases per day, down from 28,000 in April. But experts are urging caution.
More than 20,000 Hongkongers could be hidden carriers of Covid-19: study
Chinese University findings show an estimated rate of two hidden patients for every confirmed infection in city. While ratio is smaller than other places worldwide, it also means natural immunity in the population is low.
Malaysia now has more Covid cases per million people than India
The second virus wave seems to be slowing down, but it is far from clear whether it has crested.
French social media influencers say they have been offered money to discredit the anti-Covid vaccine.
Without mentioning China, the US health secretary says experts must be allowed to evaluate the virus source.
More than year into Covid-19, do people in your dreams wear masks or socially distance?
Moderna vaccine creates a protective immune shield for children as young as 12, says drug maker
Global conflict in 2020 hampered efforts to control covid-19 spread, U.N. official says
Global coronavirus cases decline, but India variant on the rise, WHO says
Taiwan’s Tsai accuses Beijing of blocking BioNTech vaccine deal
EU Demands AstraZeneca Court Order to Supply Vaccine Doses
U.K. Backtracks on Travel Curbs; EU Attacks Astra: Virus Update
Lauran Neergaard, The Associated Press May 25
Half of U.S. adults are now fully vaccinated against Covid
PUBLISHED TUE, MAY 25 20219:44 AM EDT UPDATED TUE, MAY 25 20212:48 PM EDT Kevin Breuninger
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/25/covid-news-half-of-us-adults-fully-vaccinated-white-house-says.html
WHO Seeks More Data on Second Chinese Covid-19 Vaccine up for Approval
Agency has asked Sinovac for details on CoronaVac’s safety and the manufacturing process before deciding whether to recommend it for global use
By Chao Deng and Drew Hinshaw May 26, 2021 4:58 am ET
The pharmaceutical industry is backing Germany, Japan and other countries that have opposed waiving Covid-19 vaccine patents, after the Biden administration threw its support behind the proposal.47
- WHO Seeks More Data on Sinovac Shot
- France Suspects Russian Role in Campaign to Discredit Pfizer Vaccine
The heads of the six largest U.S. banks are set to testify before Congress, where they likely will face conflicting pressures from Democrats seeking action on racial disparities in lending and Republicans who say banks should avoid taking positions on social issues.
- U.S., China Take Opposing Positions on Inquiry Into Covid-19 Origins
- Republicans Prepare $1 Trillion Infrastructure Offer
- Half of U.S. Adults Are Fully Vaccinated
China is ‘feeling the heat’ as experts begin to favour Wuhan lab leak theory
•May 26, 2021 Sky News Australia
China is “feeling the heat” as the theory COVID-19 leaked from a lab in Wuhan gains momentum, according to Sky News host Andrew Bolt. “Last year, we had so many people saying that’s just a conspiracy theory,” Mr Bolt said. “Finally, a lot of experts now saying actually, it does now look like this virus maybe did escape from that Chinese lab. “The head of that lab in Wuhan… this week helped put out a report insisting this virus is probably natural; it has features of a bat virus but actually is closer to what you’d expect if it had then infected an animal known as the pangolin. “But this study admits it’s still not clear how the virus then jumped again from pangolins to humans.” Mr Bolt spoke with Flinders Medical Centre Director of Endocrinology Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, who said opinions have now swung “very much” against China regarding the origins of COVID-19. “I think most scientists are waking up to the fact that they were bamboozled last year,” Professor Petrovsky said. “By people who had very close connections with China which were pushing this agenda to label anyone that suggested the possibly even of this being a laboratory leak was somehow a bad scientist or a conspiracy theorist.”
U.S. Intel Report: Researchers At Wuhan Lab Fell Ill In November 2019
•May 24, 2021 NBC News
A U.S. intelligence report says three researchers at Wuhan Institute of Virology sought treatment at a hospital just before the Covid-19 pandemic began. This comes after a joint study by WHO and China controversially dismissed claims the virus may have leaked from the lab.
Krystal and Saagar: NEW Evidence Emerges For Lab Leak Hypothesis As Fauci Does TOTAL 180
• The Hill May 24, 2021
Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti discuss the media's change in coverage of the coronavirus "lab leak theory."
Wuhan lab releases details of other bat viruses for the first time
Wuhan laboratory adds another branch to bat coronavirus family tree
Details of new lineage that contains distant relatives of the virus that causes Covid-19 suggest current discoveries may be the ‘tip of the iceberg’
The facility has found itself at the centre of strongly denied claims about lab leaks
Simone McCarthy Published: 12:00pm, 25 May, 2021
The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been studying coronaviruses found in bats.
Fact CheckerAnalysis
Opinion | India’s positive spin on Covid-19 crisis lies at the heart of its disaster
India took less than a month to record its last 100,000 deaths but experts warn the toll is much higher.
Beijing offers Covid-19 vaccines, expertise to epidemic-hit Taiwan
Mainland says it is willing to send doses for most ‘Taiwan compatriots’.
Hong Kong to offer Covid-19 vaccinations to visitors from mainland China
Some 40,000 holders of two-way permits and 13,000 asylum seekers will be eligible to receive shots under the city’s Covid-19 vaccination scheme.
Covid: Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs work against Indian variant - study
By Dulcie Lee & Alex Kleiderman BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57214596
United States advises against travel to Japan, two months ahead of Olympics
The State Department issued its highest possible caution, ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel’. The same level of warning was issued for Sri Lanka. 25 May 2021 - 6:59AM
It comes amid heightened scrutiny and pressure to call off the Tokyo Olympics due to be held soon.
Hong Kong eases stance to adopt mainland China’s rules on quarantine-free travel
The list of risk levels for mainland places published by the National Health Commission will be used for the Hong Kong government’s ‘Return2HK’ scheme.
25 May 2021 - 10:52AM
By The Washington Post staff
States and cities across the U.S. are debating the future of online learning. Here’s the latest pandemic news.
New Variant Poses Threat as Global Vaccine Drive Falters
Covid Long-Haulers Baffle Doctors With Symptoms Going On and On
Reversal in Rankings; France Considers U.K. Curbs: Virus Update
Thailand Unveils $16 Billion Borrowing to Fund Covid Relief
May 25, 2021
Moderna's COVID vaccine effective in adolescents; eyes June data submission
May 25, 2021 8:31 AM ET Moderna, Inc. (MRNA), PFE Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) Pfizer Inc. (PFE) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor
- Moderna's (NASDAQ:MRNA) COVID-19 vaccine met its primary endpoint in a study of adolescents, leading to 100% efficacy against the virus after two doses.
The company will submit for regulatory authorization in early June.
- The drugmaker said its Covid-19 vaccine was powerfully effective in adolescents. It plans to apply for F.D.A. authorization.
- Federal regulators authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this month for 12- to 15-year-olds. Here’s the latest on Covid-19.
Opinion by Barkha Dutt
By Soo Youn
MasksU.S. CurvePhotos
Can a homegrown vaccine end Brazil's COVID crisis? | COVID-19 Special
•May 27, 20211 DW News
16 million COVID cases, nearly half a million deaths and no end in sight. Brazil is still struggeling with the coronavirus pandemic. Health experts worry government mismanagement will only make it more difficult to find a way out of this crisis. So far only 15 percent of Brazilians have got their first vaccination shot. A new study shows another 15 percent of the population already has antibodies, suggesting infection at some point and possibly some immunity. We'll crunch the numbers with an epidemiologist in Brazil and take a look at the countries efforts to develop home-grown vaccines.
US travel advisory and surging Covid-19 cases in Japan fail to deter Tokyo Olympics organisers
May 25, 2021 South China Morning Post
The US issued a “do not travel” advisory for Japan on May 24, 2021, just two months ahead of the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and with public opposition to the Games mounting, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, local organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) continue to follow the official line that the Games will go ahead on July 23.
U.S. officials say China hasn’t been ‘completely transparent’ in Covid probe
Rich Mendez TUE, MAY 25TH 2021
Vaccine distribution in crisis with only 1% inoculated in Africa | DW News
•May 23, 2021 DW News
Pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and BioNTech have pledged to deliver 1-billion doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to poorer nations this year, and another 1 billion next year. At a G20 summit in Rome on Friday the European countries made their own pledges to donate a combined 100-million doses by the end of the year. Some of those will go to African countries through the COVAX initiative. These commitments come as global health authorities warned the world is at a crisis point with the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Rich countries have significant access to the vaccines, and developing countries are struggling to catch up. In the meantime the vaccine rollout remains sluggish on the continent where there is not enough supply. So when the southern African nation Malawi burned nearly 20,000 doses of vaccines, it raised a lot of questions. Especially because the government's decision to burn the vaccines went against advice from the WHO and the African CDC. Both organizations advised Malawi not to destroy COVID-19 vaccines saying even though they had passed their expiration dates - they were still safe to use. In the Malawian capital Lilongwe, the burning of the vaccines was made a ceremony of sorts. It was an event put on for the cameras. 20,000 doses of Malawi’s Covid-19 vaccine allocation, laid out to be destroyed. The health minister personally led the exercise, to send a message to the public that has been skeptical of the vaccines. Malawi's health experts are also trying to assure the public of the vaccines safety and efficacy. Malawi, like many other nations, is short of Covid-19 doses. So far only a tiny fraction of its 18 million people have been vaccinated. Malawi has reported just over a thousand Covid-19 deaths. The government is having to work hard to convince people to get vaccinated.
Doctors throughout the Indian diaspora, including in the United States, are trying to fill a medical void from afar through organized and unofficial channels. By Fenit Nirappil
India’s COVID-19 death toll passes 300,000, world’s third-highest
- New York City will no longer have a remote option come fall, a major step toward fully reopening the nation’s largest school system.
- Across the U.S., there are fewer than 30,000 new daily coronavirus cases for the first time since June. Here’s the latest on Covid-19.
Singapore Approves Covid Breath Test With One-Minute Result
Germany Suffers 300 Billion-Euro Hit From Covid Fallout, Research Group Says
China Slams U.S. for Hyping Covid-19 Source Theory: Virus Update
Jason Laughlin and Oona Goodin-Smith
Spending and foot-traffic data suggest higher vaccination rates haven’t been the primary driver behind the early economic recovery, but this dynamic will likely change in coming months as more people are vaccinated.
PFIZER INITIATES STUDY EXPLORING COADMINISTRATION OF ITS 20-VALENT PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINE CANDIDATE ALONG WITH A THIRD DOSE OF THE PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE IN OLDER ADULTS
Monday, May 24, 2021 - 06:45am
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced that the first enrolled subjects have received their immunizations as part of a new study in adults ages 65 or older exploring the coadministration of the company’s 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (20vPnC) candidate following a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, currently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The primary objective in the trial is to describe safety when both vaccines are co-administered, with follow up six months after vaccination. Secondary objectives are to describe immune responses produced by each of the vaccines.
The trial will include 600 adults who will be recruited from the pivotal Phase 3 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine trial and will have received their second dose of the vaccine at least six months prior to entering the coadministration study. The participants are being randomized to one of three groups:
- 20vPnC plus Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine booster, which is a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
- 20vPnC plus placebo
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine booster plus placebo
Questions over whether Covid-19 originated from lab fuels debate
•May 24, 2021 CNBC Television
A source confirmed to NBC news that three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology got so sick in November 2019 they needed hospital treatment. Rumors that Covid-19 originated from a lab are now gaining momentum. Eunice Yoon joins 'The News with Shepard Smith' to report.
The U.S. should be playing a larger role in getting to the bottom of the theory that Covid-19 first leaked from a virology lab in Wuhan, China, Atlantic Council senior fellow Jamie Metzl told CNBC on Monday. “Right now, the World Health Assembly is meeting, and the United States should be doing everything possible with our allies to demand a comprehensive investigation into Covid origins with full access to all the records, samples, and personnel in China and beyond,” Metzl, a former national security official in the Clinton administration, said on “The News with Shepard Smith.” “If China wants to thumb its nose at the rest of the world, in spite of more than 3 million people dead, let them make that statement,” he said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that determining the origins of Covid-19 is up to an international investigation led by the World Health Organization, and that the U.S. cannot lead a probe on its own. Metzl organized last year a group of scientists and academics to call for a deeper investigation into Covid’s origins. He told host Shepard Smith that it’s “critically important” to find answers about the pandemic’s origins because if we don’t, it puts everyone “unnecessarily at risk.” The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. A previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report found that researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care after falling ill “with symptoms consistent with both Covid-19 and common seasonal illness,” The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, quoting from the report. The World Health Organization has repeatedly said the virus most likely jumped from bats to humans through another animal. It has described the theory that the virus leaked from a lab as “extremely unlikely,” but has not ruled it out. Metzl said he thinks the theory is a “likely hypothesis.” “Why would you have a bat coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan and not in southern China, where the horseshoe bats are located? And what we know that they do have in Wuhan, is China’s only level 4 virology institute, with the world’s largest collection of bat coronaviruses, that was doing aggressive research designed to make those pathogens more dangerous,” Metzl said.
Gravitas | COVID Origins: What happened inside the Wuhan Lab in November 2019?
•May 24, 2021 WION
What happened inside the Wuhan Lab in November 2019? A report claims that 3 researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology had to be taken to a hospital. Palki Sharma tells you more. #Gravitas #WuhanLab #WuhanVirus
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan?
By Nicholas Wade | May 5, 2021
Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus arrive by car at the Wuhan Institute of Virology on February 3. (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)
Did the coronavirus leak from a lab? These scientists say we shouldn’t rule it out.
For many scientists, challenging the idea that SARS-CoV-2 has natural origins is seen as career suicide. But a vocal few say it shouldn't be disregarded or lumped in with conspiracy theories.
March 18, 2021 THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN VIA AP IMAGES
No one can find the animal that gave people covid-19
Here’s your guide to the WHO-China search for the origins of the coronavirus.
by Antonio Regalado archive page
March 26, 2021
https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/26/1021263/bat-covid-coronavirus-cause-origin-wuhan/
U.S. should dig deeper into theory that Covid originated in a Wuhan lab, ex-Clinton official says
PUBLISHED MON, MAY 24 20218:17 PM EDT
The world had a chance to avoid the pandemic—but blew it, finds report
In a new report, independent experts detail the ‘toxic cocktail’ of poor choices and systemic failures that created the current pandemic catastrophe.
by Cassandra Willyard May 13, 2021
SP - Sao Paulo - 04/28/2021 - COVID-19 SAO PAULO, VILA FORMOSA CEMETERY - Coveiro wearing personal protective equipment is seen in front of open graves in the cemetery of Vila Formosa, east side of the city of Sao Paulo, in this Wednesday (28). The number of deaths related to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is close to 400 thousand in Brazil, with the State of Sao Paulo being the most affected by the disease. Photo: Ettore Chiereguini / AGIF (via AP)AP
May 25, 20219:01 AM EDT World
U.S. agencies examine reports of early COVID-19 infections in Wuhan lab Mark Hosenball
Covid Vaccines By the Numbers
Apr 02, 2021 06:35 PM CHINA
Charts of the Day: Covid Vaccines By the Numbers
By Shen Xinyu and Lin Ting
The global pace of Covid-19 vaccine development and rollouts has accelerated since January, ushering in a new phase of pandemic prevention through active immunization against a disease that has infected 130 million worldwide and killed nearly 3 million.
#Documentaries #CoronavirusPandemic #DocumentarySpecial
The Virus That Shook the World: Part One (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
Apr 26, 2021 FRONTLINE PBS | Official
Filmed in 21 countries, the panoramic story of the coronavirus pandemic’s first year as seen through the eyes of people all across the world. Part one of a two-part series. Drawing on extensive personal and local footage, “The Virus That Shook the World” tells the story of people across the globe who have experienced the pandemic and its consequences in different ways — from a food blogger in Wuhan, China; to a filmmaker in a remote Indigenous village in Brazil; to a musician and puppeteer in Delhi, India. From series director James Bluemel and series producer Alice Henley, the two-part special shows how the impacts of the disease that has now killed more than 3 million people have overlapped and differed across cultures, races, faiths and privilege; how various governments have responded; and how the pandemic has exposed existing inequities and social problems.
#Documentaries #CoronavirusPandemic #DocumentarySpecial
The Virus That Shook the World: Part Two (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
•Apr 27, 2021 FRONTLINE PBS | Official
How the first year of the coronavirus pandemic unfolded, as seen through the eyes of people all across the world. Part two of a two-part series. Filmed in 21 countries and drawing on extensive personal and local footage, “The Virus That Shook the World” tells the story of people across the globe who have experienced the pandemic and its consequences in different ways — from a food blogger in Wuhan, China; to a filmmaker in a remote Indigenous village in Brazil; to a musician and puppeteer in Delhi, India. From series director James Bluemel and series producer Alice Henley, the two-part special shows how the impacts of the disease that has now killed more than 3 million people have overlapped and differed across cultures, races, faiths and privilege; how various governments have responded; and how the pandemic has exposed existing inequities and social problems.
The 'ignored characters' of the pandemic and why their premonitions were pushed aside
•May 6, 2021 PBS NewsHour
A new book shows that there were a handful of researchers, scientists and public health officials who seemed to have an early, prescient understanding of how bad the pandemic would hit the U.S., and what we could do to avert it. Michael Lewis' "The Premonition" describes this unusual group and how they tried their best to get those in positions of power to pay heed. William Brangham reports.
The Real Story Behind Vaccinating the World
•Apr 30, 2021 Bloomberg Quicktake
For months, developed economies have hoarded coronavirus vaccines and the raw materials needed to make them. Now, outbreaks in developing nations could give rise to new virus mutations that may circumvent existing vaccines. One global initiative, Covax, has spent the last year trying to prevent that catastrophic outcome. Here’s how.
Gravitas: W.H.O'S HYPOCRISY ON NAMING VIRUS VARIANTS
•Apr 21, 2021 WION
Last year, the W.H.O rejected linking country and city names with the virus. Now it is silent when variants are being named after their country of origin. WION's Palki Sharma decodes W.H.O's double standard on virus nomenclature
Vaccine Makers’ Shares Fall as U.S. Backs Patent Waiver
By Gearoid Reidy and Ishika Mookerjee May 6, 2021, 1:32 AM EDT Updated on May 6, 2021, 7:34 AM EDT
- Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna drop in U.S. premarket trading
- Evercore urges caution, says U.S.’s sway remains to be seen
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-06/asian-vaccines-maker-shares-slammed-as-u-s-backs-ip-waiver?srnd=premium
U.S. backs waiving patent protections for Covid vaccines, citing global health crisis
PUBLISHED WED, MAY 5 20213:09 PM EDTAmanda Macias Kevin Breuninger Thomas Franck
KEY POINTS
- The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it supports waiving intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines.
- Such a waiver could remove obstacles to ramping up the production of vaccines in developing countries.
- The move comes as coronavirus infections surge to their highest levels in countries that have struggled to procure or distribute vaccines.
Who will invest in future therapies when the White House helps other governments steal?
By The Editorial Board | Review & Outlook
White House weighs temporarily lifting intellectual property shield on Covid-19 vaccines
PUBLISHED FRI, MAR 26 20215:06 PM EDT UPDATED FRI, MAR 26 20215:44 PM EDT
KEY POINTS
- The White House is weighing whether to temporarily lift intellectual property protections on Covid-19 vaccines and treatments.
- The move would allow other countries to replicate existing vaccines.
- Concerns have grown about the fact that the U.S. and a handful of other wealthy countries hold the right to a disproportionate amount of the global supply.
Pressure mounting on Biden administration to waive COVID-19 vaccine patents
Apr. 21, 2021 2:41 PM ET Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor7 Comments
- As poorer countries struggle to vaccinate their citizens, calls are growing for the Biden administration to waive COVID-19 patents in a bid to increase vaccine production.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3684145-pressure-mounting-on-biden-administration-to-waive-covid-19-vaccine-patents
Open Letter: Former Heads of State and Nobel Laureates Call on President Biden To Waive Intellectual Property Rules for COVID Vaccines
Chairwoman Maloney Announces Oversight Committee Hearing with AbbVie CEO
Apr 29, 2021 Maloney Testifies at Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing Examining Proposals to Lower Drug Prices
Washington, D.C. (Apr. 29, 2021)
Abbvie CEO Richard Gonzalez to testify before House committee in drug pricing probe
Apr. 30, 2021 10:52 AM ET AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor1 Comment
- Abbvie (NYSE:ABBV) CEO Richard Gonzalez will testify before the House Oversight Committee next month regarding the company's pricing practices.
- Gonzalez will appear on May 18 starting at 10a ET.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3688726-abbvie-ceo-richard-gonzales-to-testify-before-house-committee-in-drug-pricing-probe
- https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/ABBV
The Health 202: House Democrats are pushing forward their drug pricing bill again
Paige Winfield Cunningham with Alexandra Ellerbeck
Democrats are pushing forward with an aggressive measure to lower drug prices, even as its future remains murky.
The Health 202: House Democrats are pushing forward their drug pricing bill again
By Paige Winfield Cunningham May 4, 2021 at 7:35 a.m. EDT with Alexandra Ellerbeck
Saagar Enjeti: New Details REVEAL Fauci, Media Coverup Of Lab Leak Hypothesis
•May 10, 2021 The Hill
Saagar Enjeti details the "lab leak hypothesis" and how demonstrates the way "the culture war in America corrupts basic facts."
The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan?
By Nicholas Wade | May 5, 2021
https://thebulletin.org/2021/05/the-origin-of-covid-did-people-or-nature-open-pandoras-box-at-wuhan/
No one can find the animal that gave people covid-19
Here’s your guide to the WHO-China search for the origins of the coronavirus.
by Antonio Regalado archive page March 26, 2021
https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/26/1021263/bat-covid-coronavirus-cause-origin-wuhan/
The world had a chance to avoid the pandemic—but blew it, finds report
In a new report, independent experts detail the ‘toxic cocktail’ of poor choices and systemic failures that created the current pandemic catastrophe.
by Cassandra Willyard May 13, 2021
SP - Sao Paulo - 04/28/2021 - COVID-19 SAO PAULO, VILA FORMOSA CEMETERY - Coveiro wearing personal protective equipment is seen in front of open graves in the cemetery of Vila Formosa, east side of the city of Sao Paulo, in this Wednesday (28). The number of deaths related to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is close to 400 thousand in Brazil, with the State of Sao Paulo being the most affected by the disease. Photo: Ettore Chiereguini / AGIF (via AP)AP The world had a chance to avoid the pandemic—but blew it | MIT Technology Review
Chinese document discussing weaponising coronaviruses provides 'chilling' information
•May 9, 2021 Sky News Australia
Sky News host Sharri Markson has assessed "chilling" details from a document produced by Chinese military scientists, in which they discussed weaponising SARS coronaviruses five years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Ms Markson said the book was written by People's Liberation Army scientists and senior Chinese public health officials in 2015. The documents describe SARS coronaviruses as heralding a “new era of genetic weapons” and said they can be "artificially manipulated into an emerging human - disease virus, then weaponised and unleashed in a way never seen before". The Chinese-language paper is called 'The Unnatural Origin of SARS and New Species of Man-Made Viruses as Genetic Bioweapons'. “The document also talks about the psychological terror that bioweapons can cause, it's chilling,” Ms Markson said. “To be clear ... while intelligence agencies suspect, and they've been investigating this since early last year, that COVID-19 may be the result of an accidental leak from a Wuhan lab, there is no suggestion it was an intentional release. “The significance of this paper is that it offers a rare insight into how senior scientists at one of the PLA's most prominent military universities, where high levels of defence research were conducted, were thinking about biological research.”
Did the coronavirus leak from a lab? These scientists say we shouldn’t rule it out.
For many scientists, challenging the idea that SARS-CoV-2 has natural origins is seen as career suicide. But a vocal few say it shouldn't be disregarded or lumped in with conspiracy theories.
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
COVID-19 deaths in Latin America surpass 1 million as outbreak worsens
•May 22, 2021 Reuters
The death toll from COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean passed 1 million people on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, with the pandemic worsening in the part of the world with the highest per capita death rate. #News #Reuters #LatinAmerica #COVID #Pandemic #Caribbean #COVIDDeathRates #Latam
The normally rare infection has a 50% mortality rate, and is hitting recovering Covid-19 patients.
The country that endured one of the world's longest quarantines is back under restrictions.
The map is speckled with hot spots, but the bulk of the landscape shows “low or moderate” viral burden. By Lenny Bernstein and Joel Achenbach
China renews Fosun BioNTech vaccine offer to coronavirus-hit Taiwan
State news agency repeats earlier proposal to supply doses to the island.
Climbing guide says at least 100 people with coronavirus on Everest
Lukas Furtenbach of Austria gave the first comprehensive estimate amid official Nepalese denials of a Covid-19 cluster.
23 May 2021 - 11:14AM
Vaccine diplomacy: can China stay ahead as US offers 80 million doses to the world?
Beijing has taken the lead through its shipments of more than 265 million doses, as its tussle for influence with Washington runs alongside the world’s urgent need for more inoculations.
22 May 2021 - 3:39PM
Do fake Covid-19 vaccine arrests in China herald global crime wave?
- Interpol warns criminals are trying to scale up trade in counterfeit jabs across the world
- Scams include dark web sales and criminals selling genuine vials to be filled with harmless or potentially dangerous substances
With close to 100,000 children under 16 already inoculated with first coronavirus vaccine doses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, both excitement and familiar hesitancy and equity challenges emerged.
Justine McDaniel, Erin McCarthy, and Maddie Hanna
Singaporeans Told to Expect More Virus Testing, Surveillance
Yoojung Lee
Moderna and Samsung Biologics Announce Agreement for Fill-Finish Manufacturing of Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine
May 22, 2021 at 12:00 PM EDTPDF Version
The agreement will further enable global supply of mRNA-1273, Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine with Samsung Biologics’ fill and finish manufacturing service
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & INCHEON, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2021-- Moderna (Nasdaq: MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, and Samsung Biologics (KRX: 207940.KS), a leading global CDMO providing a fully integrated end-to-end contract development and manufacturing service, today announced a Manufacturing Services and Supply Agreement in which Samsung Biologics will provide large scale, commercial fill-finish manufacturing for mRNA-1273, Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and INCHEON, South Korea, May 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Moderna (MRNA)
#EMA #COVID19Vaccines #WorldNews
EMA: Pfizer, Moderna vaccines effective against COVID-19 variants | COVID-19 Vaccines | Latest News
•May 18, 2021 WION
The EU’S drug agency has approved the storage of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in fridges for up to a month. The European Medicines Agency said this could improve the flexibility in countries’ vaccine rollout.
India’s Covid-19 crisis puts pressure on supply chain shift from China
India’s second wave is threatening to put some small exporters out of business, slow the country’s economic recovery and set back attempts to capitalise on supply chain shifts from China.
A canine coronavirus is found in pneumonia patient in Malaysia
Report in the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases identifies cases in 2018 in hospital patients in Sibu and Kapit; the study showcases a new approach to detect viruses and to try to prevent them from evolving into ones that cause pandemics.
20 May 2021 - 1:13PM
They were once hailed as success stories, but both places are now seeing a steep rise in virus cases.
India's government and its supporters want people to be positive in the Covid crisis. Will it work?
Does Vaccine Still Protect You? Testing Can’t Say For Sure Yet
G-7 Wants Global Certificates; Shangri-La Canceled: Virus Update
The surplus includes more than 50,000 doses in Montgomery, Chester, and Bucks Counties that will go bad in five weeks.
Justine McDaniel and Erin McCarthy
- Philly to lift outdoor mask mandate, ease more COVID-19 restrictions Friday
- Fauci says people are ‘misinterpreting’ the new CDC mask guidance
Penn said it hopes to set an example for other employers.
Pfizer and BioNTech Sign Agreement for Additional Supply to Turkey of 60 Million Doses of their COVID-19 Vaccine
ISTANBUL, TURKEY and MAINZ, GERMANY, May 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) today announced that the BioNTech Europe GmbH has entered into an agreement with Turkey’s Ministry of Health to supply 60 million additional doses of the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine, with an option for an additional 30 million doses. On December 25, 2020, the two companies announced an initial agreement to provide 30 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Turkey. This second supply agreement brings the total number of doses to be supplied to Turkey to up to 120 million, all of which will be delivered in 2021.
Pfizer and BioNTech to Supply the European Union with up to 1.8 Billion Additional Doses of COMIRNATY®
- New agreement to supply 900 million doses to the European Commission (EC), with option to request up to an additional 900 million doses
- Additional dose deliveries beginning December 2021 through 2023
- Pfizer and BioNTech have now committed a total of up to 2.4 billion doses of COMIRNATY® to the EC since the beginning of the pandemic
NEW YORK AND MAINZ, GERMANY, May 20, 2021 — Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) today announced a new agreement with the European Commission (EC) to supply 900 million doses of COMIRNATY®, the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine, to the European Union (EU), with an option for the EC to request up to an additional 900 million doses.
Jeffrey Millstein, For The Inquirer May 19
As India struggles to deal with the virus, China steps in to help its neighbours like Sri Lanka.
Medical experts are concerned that low Covid infection rates may be leading to complacency.
Vaccine diplomacy: can China stay ahead as US offers 80 million doses to the world?
- Washington and its fellow members of the Quad earlier this year raised expectations they would play a key role in vaccine distribution - but India’s second wave put paid to that
- China has taken the lead through its shipments of more than 265 million doses, as its tussle for influence with the US runs alongside the world’s urgent need for more inoculations
‘We weren’t prepared’: Taiwan’s small businesses fret over new virus curbs
New restrictions on gatherings and movement in Taiwan are posing a threat to the island’s vital service sector, which makes up nearly two-thirds of gross domestic product.
22 May 2021 - 6:30AM
Exclusive | Coronavirus: Post investigation exposes undisclosed Vancouver outbreaks
Twelve people were infected and two residents died in one outbreak, which was only revealed after the Post told authorities it had documentation of the incident.
22 May 2021 - 8:21AM
Daily vaccination rate tops 15 million as June target to immunize 40% of the population looms
The Healthcare Divide (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
•May 18, 2021 FRONTLINE PBS | Official
How pressure to increase profits and uneven government support are widening the divide between rich and poor hospitals, endangering care for low-income populations. With NPR and the Investigative Reporting Workshop. This journalism is made possible by viewers like you. COVID has put a spotlight on disparities in American healthcare and the large urban hospitals hit hard by the pandemic. But many of these “safety net” hospitals, whose primary mission is to serve low-income, working-class communities, have been in crisis for years. From FRONTLINE producers Rick Young, Emma Schwartz & Fritz Kramer and NPR correspondent Laura Sullivan, “The Healthcare Divide” explores the growing inequities in American healthcare exposed by COVID-19 — and their consequences. For more reporting in connection with this investigation, visit FRONTLINE’s website: https://to.pbs.org/3bv9rmC #Documentary #COVID #Healthcare
A fresh surge in Covid-19 has forced Taiwan to impose tough restrictions, including shutting down cinemas and entertainment venues, closing schools, limiting public gatherings, and suspending entry of foreign nationals who don’t hold resident certificates. Two deaths and 245 new cases were reported on Tuesday, according to Taiwan Centers for Disease Control
May 19, 2021 07:11 PM
Both countries ease restrictions from Wednesday amid a fall in the number of daily Covid cases.
The intravenous injection is in short supply as hospitals report a spike in cases.
Oxford vaccine leader Prof Andrew Pollard says adults in poorer countries should be protected first.
Nick Triggle Health correspondent
India blasts New Delhi CM Kejriwal for false ‘Singapore variant’ claim
- PM Narendra Modi’s government has distanced itself from Kejriwal’s false assertion that a new coronavirus strain had been found in the city state
- Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar says the chief minister made ‘irresponsible comments’ and did not speak on behalf of the country
No truth to India news reports on ‘Singapore variant’, says health ministry Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
China smashes Covid-19 vaccination records in response to local outbreaks
More than 15 million doses delivered in a single day after photo studio cluster highlights urgent need for wider protection.
19 May 2021 - 1:35PM
Hong Kong may add 12-15 age group to Covid-19 jabs drive if safe, effective
Singapore only a day earlier moved to allow the younger age bracket to choose vaccination; Hong Kong records just one imported case on Wednesday.
All of the vaccines available in the United States meet the E.U. criteria, but those manufactured in China and Russia do not. The bloc continues to try to hammer out details of a “covid passport” to smooth travel between nations. By Michael Birnbaum
A study of 1,800 health care workers showed that the vaccines were working well in the real world.
AstraZeneca/Oxford's third booster shot induces "high antibody response", study shows
May 19, 2021 3:16 AM ET AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) By: Mamta Mayani, SA News Editor7 Comments
- AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) and The University of Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine has shown to boost antibodies to the coronavirus spike protein among participants in a study, reports The Financial Times.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3698071-astrazenecaoxfords-third-booster-shot-induces-high-antibody-response-study-shows
China Is Winning the Race to Vaccinate the World, for Now
AstraZeneca jab followed by second dose of Pfizer vaccine is 'highly safe and effective', Spanish study finds
May 19, 2021 4:55 AM ET Pfizer Inc. (PFE) By: Mamta Mayani, SA News Editor5 Comments
- A study conducted in Spain has found that administering Pfizer's (NYSE:PFE) mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose after the first shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) jab is highly safe and effective, reports Reuters.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3698074-astrazeneca-jab-followed-by-second-dose-of-pfizer-vaccine-is-highly-safe-and-effective-spanish-study-finds
French Cafes Reopen; India Deaths Reach Record: Virus Update
Western governments are increasing orders for booster shots in case of waning immunity and variant threats, but the need isn’t clear yet and much of the world lacks initial doses.56
What Happens When Americans Can Finally Exhale
- DANA STEVENS MAY 19, 2021
- DAVID H. FREEDMAN MAY 19, 2021
How India’s Covid Crisis Got Out of Control | WSJ
•May 19, 2021 Wall Street Journal
India's Covid-19 crisis has resulted in record numbers of cases and deaths. WSJ breaks down the chain of events that led to the fastest-growing wave of infection since the pandemic started, and what it means for the world. Photo: Samuel Rajkumar/Reuters
Pfizer, Moderna Pledge More Covid Vaccines for Poorer Countries
By Fergal O'Brien May 21, 2021, 8:19 AM EDT
- Italy’s Draghi says governments must cooperate on healthcare
- Pledges come as G-20 tries to boost healthcare cooperation
Some Vaccines Help Nations Exit the Pandemic Faster Than Others
How the India Covid Variant Exposed Britain’s Weaknesses
Vaccines Start to Outstrip Demand in EU’s East. That’s a Worry
‘Entire Families’ Wiped Out by Covid’s Carnage in Rural India
•May 18, 2021 Bloomberg Quicktake: Now
After devastating India’s biggest cities, the latest Covid-19 wave is now ravaging rural areas across the world’s second-most populous country. And most villages have no way to fight the virus. In Basi, about 1.5 hours from the capital New Delhi, about three-quarters of the village’s 5,400 people are sick and more than 30 have died in the past three weeks. It has no health-care facilities, no doctors and no oxygen canisters. And unlike India’s social-media literate urban population, residents can’t appeal on Twitter to an army of strangers willing to help. “Most deaths in the village have been caused because there was no oxygen available,” said Sanjeev Kumar, the newly elected head of the farming community. “The sick are being rushed to the district headquarters and those extremely sick patients have to travel about four hours,” he said, adding that many don’t make it in time. It’s a scenario playing out all over India. In interviews with representatives from more than 18 towns and villages in different parts of the country, officials outlined the scale of the carnage — from entire families wiped out to bloated bodies floating down the Ganges River to farmland left untended due to a lack of workers. Many people said the scale of the crisis is much bigger than official numbers reveal, with villagers afraid to leave their homes even if they have fevers and local authorities failing to properly record virus fatalities. India reported a record 4,329 deaths on Tuesday while its total reported cases topped 25 million, according to figures from the Health Ministry.
Revealed: Pfizer’s secret plan to make Covid-19 vaccines in Ireland
Pfizer is advancing plans to begin manufacturing Covid vaccines in Ireland, a move that will increase supply both in Ireland and across Europe. The facility will also make future vaccines to deal with any emerging strains of Covid-19.
18th May, 2021
Pfizer is building a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing plant in Ireland: The Currency
May 18, 2021 5:00 PM ET Pfizer Inc. (PFE) By: Dulan Lokuwithana, SA News Editor8 Comments
- For months Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) has been working to develop a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing plant in Ireland, according to the online publisher The Currency.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3698028-pfizer-is-building-a-covid-19-vaccine-manufacturing-plant-in-ireland-the-currency
Complacency Let Covid Break Down Taiwan’s Only Line of Defense
Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines protective against Indian COVID-19 variants: Study
May 18, 2021 1:52 PM ET Pfizer Inc. (PFE) By: Dulan Lokuwithana, SA News Editor109 Comments
- A new study conducted by a team of U.S. scientists has found that the COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer (PFE +0.1%)/BioNTech (BNTX -2.1%) and Moderna (MRNA +0.7%) remain effective against the coronavirus variants first detected in India.
Pfizer, Moderna vaccines effective against Indian variants: study
Issued on: 17/05/2021 - 19:16Modified: 17/05/2021 - 19:14 Washington (AFP)
Top Vaccine Maker Expects Delays; Argentina Deaths: Virus Update
As Biden pledges 80 million vaccines for world, US expats ask ‘what about us?’
- In a bid to counter China and Russia, the US president has vowed to donate 20 million Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots and 60 million AstraZeneca jabs to countries around the world
- With nearly half of all Americans jabbed, the country has excess doses to give away. Some expats hope these shots will find their way into American arms, overseas
India’s medicine makers in logistical ‘mess’ as coronavirus hits supply chain
World’s largest provider of generic drugs is seeing its pharmaceutical companies stagger shifts as Indian workers fall ill and shipments of crucial supplies from China are delayed.
No truth to India news reports on ‘Singapore variant’, says health ministry
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal claims ‘new strain’ is dangerous to children, but the B.1.617.2 variant he cites is actually the one first detected in India.
A vaccination site in Los Angeles. Allison Zaucha for The New York Times
Early research shows that 15 to 80 percent of people with certain medical conditions, such as specific blood cancers or organ transplants, are generating few antibodies after being vaccinated.By Ariana Eunjung Cha
By William Booth CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS
- Mask or no mask? For Democrats, it’s not as simple as ‘the CDC says.’
- Coronavirus variant from India could quickly become dominant, U.K. scientists warn
Grace Dickinson May 14
JNJ confirms it is working with Indian company to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine
May 18, 2021 1:14 PM ET Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) By: Dulan Lokuwithana, SA News Editor2 Comments
- Johnson & Johnson (JNJ +0.4%) has confirmed to Reuters that it has engaged Biological E. an Indian pharmaceutical company to manufacture its single-dose COVID-19 shot in the country.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3697906-jnj-confirms-it-is-working-with-indian-company-to-manufacture-covid-19-vaccine
India's Biological E. to produce J&J COVID-19 vaccine
Krishna Das
India Covid crisis leaves Covax scheme 140 million doses short - BBC News
•May 17, 2021 BBC News
Covax, the international scheme to ensure equal access to coronavirus vaccines, is 140 million doses short because of India's continuing Covid crisis. The Serum Institute of India (SII), the largest single supplier to the Covax scheme, has made none of its planned shipments since exports were suspended in March. The UN children's agency Unicef buys and distributes vaccines for Covax. It is urging leaders of G7 nations and EU states to share their doses.
Stories of loss and pain as covid-19 separated families from each other in their most vulnerable moments. By Zoeann Murphy
- Will transit riders return after the pandemic changes to the workday?
- It could take a decade to vaccinate Venezuela if slow rollout continues, experts warn
By Lily Kuo and Alicia Chen
Tell us where you live and we’ll show you why people aren’t getting vaccinated.
Singapore aims to give all adults at least one Covid-19 jab by early August
- The move means as many as 4.3 million people could receive their first vaccine dose by the end of July, compared to 3.9 million under the old plan
- Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the interval between first and second doses would be extended to between six and eight weeks to help free up supplies
Australia stands firm on shut border; Tokyo doctors want Olympics axed
PM Scott Morrison says any plans to relax Australia’s border rules for vaccinated travellers will be implemented ‘only when it is safe’.
US to donate 80 million coronavirus vaccine doses in race with China
US president compares vaccine donation plan to World War II-era ‘arsenal of democracy’ effort.
18 May 2021 - 6:32AM
Hong Kong ‘within reach of zero local infections’; one imported Covid-19 case confirmed
A Saturday case still under investigation is all that stands between the city and 24 straight days without an untraceable infection, according to chief executive.
Japan’s economy slumps more than feared amid Covid-19 curbs
Japan’s economy shrank at an annualized rate of 5.1 per cent in the first quarter, heightening fears of another recession.
Hong Kong doctor shortage ‘will get worse’ without action, warns health minister
Biden to Send U.S.-Authorized Vaccines Abroad for First Time
A family's heartbreaking journey between two cities to find a bed for a gasping Covid-19 patient.
U.K. to Approve J&J Soon; Record Deaths in India: Virus Update
Glaxo, Medicago Report Strong Data From Mid-Stage Vaccine Trial
FDA OKs emergency use of Roche's cobas SARS-CoV-2 test in asymptomatic people
May 18, 2021 1:35 AM ET Roche Holding AG (RHHBY) By: Mamta Mayani, SA News Editor2 Comments
- Roche (OTCQX:RHHBY) announces that its cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA for testing individuals without symptoms or reasons to suspect COVID-19.
The European Medicines Agency ruling could help the EU's Covid vaccine rollout.
Study: Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine effective against coronavirus variant detected in India
Two weeks after the second dose, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was 88 percent …
China's Fosun Says Willing to Provide BioNTech Vaccines to Taiwan
By Reuters|May 22, 2021, at 5:26 a.m.
#India #Coronavirus #BlackFungus
India sees rise in rare 'black fungus' infections | COVID-19 Special
•May 17, 2021 DW News
In India, some COVID-19 patients are developing a rare, but dangerous infection - dubbed "black fungus" or mucormycosis. Typically starting in the airways, it spreads through the body, affecting the sinuses or lungs. Then bones and body tissue. The fungus can also attack the eyes and brain. If left untreated, it can be fatal. It's important to note that black fungus is extremely rare. In India, it normally affects around 900,000 people a year, according to one study. That's less than one percent of the population. But now big hospitals are reportedly diagnosing it in patients every second day in this ongoing second coronavirus wave. COVID-19 patients are especially at risk, because their immune system is weakened. And that may be contributing to the rise in cases of black fungus in India.
The largest single supplier to the international Covax scheme has made no shipments since March.
A botched-up plan for procuring jabs has dried up stocks and sent prices soaring on the private market.
Biden to Send U.S.-Authorized Vaccines Abroad for First Time
New York to Ease Mask Mandate as Cuomo Says ‘Let’s Get Back to Life’
WEF Cancels Singapore Meeting as Pandemic Haunts Global Event
More Than 1.45 Billion Shots Given: Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker
Covid Is Airborne, Scientists Say. Now Authorities Think So, Too
A certain kind of failure is baked into the E.U.’s DNA.
The relaxed guidelines have some vowing to party like it’s 2019, while others worry for their health.
By Austyn Gaffney, Heather Kelly and Annie Gowen
Taiwan’s Covid-19 infections surge with 333 new local cases
Authorities order month-long ban on non-residents and transit visitors entering Taiwan with exceptions for humanitarian cases.
Indonesia faces virus ‘time bomb’ after Eid; Thai prison cluster widens
Thailand reported 9,635 new daily infections on Monday, the highest-single day increase since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
PHASE 3 DATA PRESENTED AT ATS 2021 SHOW REGEN-COV™ (CASIRIVIMAB WITH IMDEVIMAB) REDUCED RISK OF HOSPITALIZATION OR DEATH BY 70% IN NON-HOSPITALIZED COVID-19 PATIENTS
TARRYTOWN, N.Y., May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --
Patients treated with REGEN-COV had 4-day shorter duration of symptoms and significantly reduced viral load compared to placebo
Similar efficacy observed with both doses (1,200 mg and 2,400 mg); U.S. FDA is currently reviewing request to add lower 1,200 mg dose to EUA
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) today announced the presentation of detailed results from the Phase 3 pivotal trial showing REGEN–COV™ (casirivimab with imdevimab) significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization or death, shortened symptom duration and reduced viral load in non-hospitalized patients (outpatients) with COVID-19. These data were presented at the 2021 American Thoracic Society International Conference (ATS 2021) in the Breaking News: Clinical Trial Results in Pulmonary Medicine Scientific Symposium, which features late-breaking information on leading clinical trials in pulmonary and critical care medicine.
COVID in India: Loss of trust in Modi government has people looking online | DW News
•May 14, 2021 DW News
In India, the number of recorded COVID-19 infections has surpassed 24 million. 4,000 or more deaths were reported for the third consecutive day. Criticism has raged over the government's handling of the crisis. Everywhere there are shortages of oxygen and medical supplies. Hospitals and medical staff, as well as crematoriums and mortuaries - are all overwhelmed. Multiple states have started implementing lockdowns in an attempt to curb the spread. The first few weeks into the second wave saw people struggling desperately to get access to basic medical requirements. Thousands of people died, reportedly because they couldn't get medical aid on time. In many places, social media has served as a lifeline to provide help for people who feel abandoned by their government.
A botched-up plan for procuring jabs has dried up stocks and sent prices soaring on the private market.
As the UK returns to normal, there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful, despite the variants.
Singapore keeps students home amid fears B.1.617 variant ‘affects children more’
- The 38 cases reported on Sunday mean Singapore has racked up 193 domestic infections this month, compared to 55 in April and just nine in March
- Many new cases in recent weeks have tested positive for the B.1.617 coronavirus variant that appears to be more transmissible
Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble likely to be delayed after spike in Covid-19 cases Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
By Austyn Gaffney, Heather Kelly and Annie Gowen
Staff Reports May 15
Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention
Updated May 15, 2021 Summary of Recent Changes Updates as of May 15, 2021
- CDC recommends schools continue to use the current COVID-19 prevention strategies for the 2020-2021 school year.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/operation-strategy.html
- COVID-19 numbers continue to drop in Philadelphia
- ‘I just don’t want to get burned’: Gov. Murphy doubles-down on indoor mask mandate
- New Jersey to require all schools to open full time next fall
- Gov. Wolf gets second dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Pfizer/ BioNTech win European backing to relax storage requirement of COVID-19 shot
May 17, 2021 12:51 PM ET Pfizer Inc. (PFE)
By: Dulan Lokuwithana, SA News Editor2 Comments
- The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended a longer storage time for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer (PFE +0.5%) and BioNTech (BNTX +0.6%), a move that could accelerate the region’s vaccine rollout.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3697256-pfizer-biontech-win-european-backing-to-relax-storage-requirement-of-covid-19-shot
- https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BNTX
- https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PFE
More flexible storage conditions for BioNTech/Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine
17/05/2021
EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended a change to the approved storage conditions of Comirnaty, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, that will facilitate the handling of the vaccine in vaccination centres across the European Union (EU).
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/more-flexible-storage-conditions-biontechpfizers-covid-19-vaccine
Clover Bio's COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows immune response against SARS-CoV-2 variants in mouse model
May 18, 2021 12:50 AM ET
Dynavax Technologies Corporation (DVAX)
By: Mamta Mayani, SA News Editor8 Comments
- Clover Biopharmaceuticals announces positive preclinical data from its second-generation, protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, a modified B.1.351 Spike (S)-Trimer (B.1.351 S-Trimer).
US CDC drops mask mandate for fully vaccinated Americans
•May 14, 2021
South China Morning Post
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on May 13, 2021, that fully vaccinated people are no longer required to wear masks outdoors or to physically distance themselves in most places. The agency said the updated guidance will encourage Americans to get vaccinated and allow life to start returning to normal. But the new guidelines have received mixed public reaction.
Telling vaccinated people they can discard their masks signals the power of the shots, but critics say the move was hasty and difficult to implement with a majority of Americans still unprotected.
By Isaac Stanley-Becker, Ben Guarino, Frances Stead Sellers, Ariana Eunjung Cha and Lena H. Sun
In an intensely polarized nation, some worry that the maskless among them will not truly have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. By Marisa Iati
CORONAVIRUS
When it comes to masks, restaurateurs across the country are grappling with overlapping state rules. By Emily Heil
The retailer joins Costco and Trader Joe’s in easing restrictions after a shift in CDC guidelines. By Abha Bhattarai
Thai taxi drivers turn to holy amulets to protect them from coronavirus
The tradition of collecting, buying and selling the amulets is so popular that Bangkok even has a dedicated market in its historic quarter.
WHO says India a ‘huge concern’ as Covid-19 deaths continue upswing
During the past week, the South Asian nation has added about 1.7 million new cases and more than 20,000 deaths.
Taiwan closes cinemas, libraries as local Covid-19 infections rise to 180
Taipei and New Taipei City move to alert level three, which restricts the size of gatherings to five people indoors and 10 outdoors.
By Lori Aratani
CDC’s Big Mask Change Went From Science to Secret to Surprise
China Cancels Everest Climbs Over Fears of Virus From Nepal
Largest CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Study in Health Workers Shows mRNA Vaccines 94% Effective
Geographically diverse population included across 33 sites in 25 U.S. states
Embargoed Until: Friday, May 14, 2021, 1:00 p.m. ET Contact: Media Relations (404) 639-3286
COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States
Ellie Silverman and Christian Hetrick May 14
Sarah Gantz May 14
CDC Chief Says Any U.S. Vaccine Mandates to Be Set Locally
Craig Torres and Yueqi Yang
Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says science, not pressure, drove the agency's change on mask-wearing.By Dan Diamond
India's brutal Covid wave brings tragic scenes to small town hospital as death toll passes 250,000
May 13, 2021 South China Morning Post
India saw another record 4,205 fatalities from the coronavirus on May 12, 2021, raising the total death toll to 250,000. It was the deadliest day in the country since the pandemic began, as Covid-19 continues to spread from cities to rural India. On May 11, four people died within a one-hour period in a small town hospital in Bijnor.
CDC’s Mask U-Turn Puts Business in a Bind
CDC Lifts Most Mask Guidance in Key Step Back to Normal
Singapore Moves Back Toward Lockdown as Virus Cases Rise
Londoners Eye a Return to City Center as Rental Viewings Soar
U.K. May Move Up Second Dose; German Cases Drop: Virus Update
- Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus may stop covering their faces or maintaining social distance in most settings, the agency said.
- The advice was a milestone in the pandemic but caught state officials and businesses by surprise and raised a host of questions. Here’s the latest on Covid-19.
- Fully vaccinated people can shed masks in many cases, CDC says
- Analysis: CDC mask guidance catches up with vaccine reality
- ‘Better days are ahead’: Maskless Biden marks milestone in virus battle
- New Zealand extends its vaccination program to the Pacific
- India set to use Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine amid scientists’ concerns
The relaxation of restrictions incentivizes people to get the shots and helps paves the way for a full reopening of society.
By Yasmeen Abutaleb and Laurie McGinley
Fully vaccinated people riding on buses, trains and planes must continue to wear their masks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday, even as it said they could do without in almost every other indoor setting. By Ian Duncan
India’s Covid-19 drug makers see Chinese raw material prices soar
Ingredients for drugs like ivermectin that are used to treat disease have risen by 200 to 300 per cent, industry groups say.
Singapore reimposes tighter restrictions after surge in local cases
Authorities have banned dining in at restaurants and restricted gatherings to two people, while urging employees to work from home.
Marie McCullough, Ellie Silverman, and Aubrey Whelan May 13
People who are fully vaccinated don’t need to wear a mask or physically distance during outdoor or indoor activities, with few exceptions, federal health officials said, the fullest easing of pandemic recommendations so far.
- U.S. Moves Closer to Full Reopening
- Union Head Calls For In-Person Teaching
- Latest: New U.S. Infections Edge Up
Gallery: Nepal Sees Surge in Covid-19 Cases, Deaths
Rate of vaccinations slowing down in US | DW News
•May 13, 2021 DW News
The US has been a success story when it comes to vaccinating its population against COVID-19. But the pace is beginning to slow. The state of Mississippi is last in COVID-19 vaccinations. Only 26 percent of the state population is fully vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy poses a major problem.
Volunteers are filling the gaps in India’s fight against COVID-19 | COVID-19 Special
•May 13, 2021 DW News
As India records high daily death tolls, the second wave of the coronavirus has shown no sign of slowing down. Many remains of the dead are unclaimed after cremation. Volunteers collect these remains and perform the last rituals for the victims, so they can achieve salvation.
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
Covid: The race to vaccinate the world - BBC News
•May 12, 2021 BBC News
More than a billion Covid-19 vaccines have gone into arms around the world. We take a look at how five countries - the UK, the US, Canada, India, and Chile - are faring in their vaccination efforts, and what it means for ending lockdowns.
Sujata Hingorani often takes short videos to capture the emotions of a space. She found herself using those skills to record the struggle of her mother and father, who were partially vaccinated but died nine days apart as finding adequate care became nearly impossible. By Ruby Mellen
- President of second-largest U.S. teachers union calls for full return to school in fall
- In Britain, concerns grow that variant found in India may be more transmissible than U.K. variant
- The passenger refused to wear a mask, was abusive to attendants and then blew his nose in a blanket. FAA has fined him $10,500.
Gov. Larry Hogan (R) also said the indoor mask mandate will be lifted when 70 percent of Maryland adults have received one dose of vaccine, expected by Memorial Day weekend.By Ovetta Wiggins, Rebecca Tan and Rachel Chason
- The C.D.C.’s authorization for 12- to 15-year-olds cleared the way for the world’s first mass inoculation effort in youngsters.
- Desperate for vaccines in India, regional leaders are struggling to stretch supplies. Here’s the latest on Covid-19.
Teen Vaccine Drive Turns to Schools, Doctors to Get Shots Out
CureVac, GSK Report Positive Lab Data for Next-Generation Shot
Singapore reports 24 Covid-19 cases, Hong Kong says travel bubble still on
- City state confirms largest daily jump in infections since July as Changi Airport cluster balloons to 42
- Reasons for optimism, says Alex Cook, the vice-dean for research at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
As Singapore tightens curbs, families hope Hong Kong travel bubble will go ahead Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
Vaccination drives stutter as new Covid-19 waves hit Vietnam, Thailand
As Vietnam tells disease prevention staff to prepare for 30,000 infections, Thailand has seen cases rocket to 88,000 from just 7,000 at the start of the year. 13 May 2021 - 2:35PM
‘This is too sad’: virus stifles Eid celebrations for Asia’s Muslims
Indonesians and Malaysians were banned for a second year from travelling to visit relatives, as thousands defied lockdown in Bangladesh’s capital, and Filipinos hunkered down in their homes. 13 May 2021 - 2:08PM
‘Little evidence’: do we really need Covid-19 vaccine booster shots?
Top scientists says there is growing evidence that a first round of global vaccinations may offer enduring protection against the virus and its variants.
‘You cannot do anything’: Indian American doctors struggle with COVID-19 crisis back home
Insufficient domestic production and unstable supply from overseas threaten the quality of life of patients with easily treatable conditions
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to issue an emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine among children ages 12 to 15 next week. Sarah Gantz May 4
Do India reinfections pose a challenge to vaccines?
Mixing Covid jabs grows cases of mild side-effects
Coronavirus vaccines protect pregnant women, a new study suggests, and do not seem to damage the placenta.
As India’s Covid Crisis Rages, Its Neighbors Brace for the Worst
A prayer for a family member lost to Covid-19 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Monirul Alam/EPA, via Shutterstock
India coronavirus: 'My city is under siege from Covid'
•May 12, 2021 BBC News
The BBC's Vikas Pandey has called Delhi home for more than a decade - but life in India's capital has changed beyond recognition under a deadly second wave of Covid-19 infections. For more than a month now, people have been desperately trying to find help for their loved ones amid acute shortages of hospital beds, crucial drugs and oxygen. But thousands have died, many without receiving the treatment they needed. Here Vikas Pandey, along with his colleague Anshul Verma, take us on a journey through the city, and the daily struggle of finding medical care, oxygen cylinders and even a space at a crematorium. Additional footage: Reuters and AFP news agencies
Coronavirus: India’s death toll passes quarter-million mark
As the nation hit the grim milestone, images on social media showed bodies floating in the Ganges River – prompting outrage and speculation that they had died from Covid-19.
India envoy asks China to help stop price surging of Covid-19 supplies
- New Delhi’s representative in Hong Kong says soaring prices and cargo flight disruptions are slowing arrivals of medical goods
- Second wave of pandemic has India scrambling for oxygen concentrators and other basic supplies
12 May 2021 - 12:23PM
India thought it beat Covid, but the virus had other plans. Here's how complacency led to catastrophe.
Chinese firms see surge in demand from India for medical oxygen devices Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
Late-stage trial of Chinese mRNA Covid-19 vaccine to begin in Mexico
It is the first shot developed in China using the same technology as the Pfizer and Moderna jabs.
U.K. to Hold Public Inquiry Into Pandemic From Spring 2022
Repeated Covid-19 tests just ploy to force us to get jab, Hong Kong helpers say
City leader Carrie Lam drops plan requiring 370,000 helpers be inoculated, but brings in second round of testing this month.
12 May 2021 - 10:20AM
Radical vision unveiled to make Covid-19 the world’s last pandemic
Multibillion dollar response mechanism and global cooperation treaty among key recommendations to prevent next outbreak.
Coronavirus variant from India found in at least 44 countries: WHO 12 May 2021 - 11:57AM
The World Health Organization report stopped short of holding countries and leaders to account. The experts said that the rules on emerging infectious threats are inadequate, that the WHO could have acted faster and that many governments ignored warnings.By Emily Rauhala
- Pope Francis greets audience at the Vatican for first time in six months
- Thousands of Germans becoming aggressive, faking personal details in bid to receive coronavirus shots
- Cases ‘exploding’ in Asia and the Pacific, warns Red Cross as charity calls for ‘global solidarity’
Japan to vaccinate Olympic athletes before Tokyo Games
For some families that took this most extreme of steps — switching counties, states or even countries in search of in-person schooling or sports amid the pandemic — the results surpassed their hopes, and they don’t want to let go. By Hannah Natanson
China Sinovac Shot Seen Highly Effective in Real World Study
While city officials and unions are eager to see public safety workers vaccinated, they are hesitant about forcing the issue.
Pfizer asks UK regulator to approve Covid vaccine for use in 12 to 15-year-olds
On Monday, US Food and Drug Administration hailed approval of vaccines for age group as 'significant step' in fight against Covid
By Henry Bodkin, HEALTH AND SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT11 May 2021 • 9:06pm
Pfizer has asked the UK regulator to approve its vaccine for use in young teenagers as US watchdogs signalled their approval for the step....
May 11, 20212:56 PM EDT Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
Britain open to talks over vaccine waivers with U.S, others at WTO Alistair Smout
By William Wan, Lena H. Sun and Laura Meckler
Pfizer-BioNTech Covid Shot Cleared for Adolescents in U.S.
Riley Griffin and Robert Langreth
Moderna Announces New Supply Agreement with Australia for 25 Million Doses of its COVID-19 Vaccine
May 12, 2021 at 7:00 AM EDTPDF Version
25 million doses includes 10 million doses of mRNA-1273 to begin delivery in 2021 and 15 million doses of updated variant booster candidate to begin delivery in 2022
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 2021-- Moderna, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRNA)
https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-announces-new-supply-agreement-australia-25-million
Brazil Is Running Out of Ingredients for Astra, Sinovac Shots
U.S. Identifies 28 Blood-Clot Cases After Use of J&J Shot
C.D.C. Advisers Endorse Pfizer Vaccine for Children Ages 12 to 15
By Lena H. Sun
India: Bodies of suspected COVID-19 victims wash up on Ganges riverbanks | DW News
•May 11, 2021 DW News
Locals in the northern Indian state of Bihar found dozens of dead bodies on the banks of the river Ganges, media reported on Monday. The bodies, which floated down from Uttar Pradesh, were of coronavirus victims whose families could not afford the costs of cremation, authorities said. India has become the world's worst coronavirus hotspot with around 4,000 people currently dying every day, according to official figures. The official total death toll has almost reached a quarter of a million. Cases began to soar following religious gatherings and political rallies that had been permitted by the government. The country has also been ravaged by the B.1.617 COVID-19 variant that appears to be more contagious. The appearance of the bodies has lent more weight to the suggestion that the number of COVID-19 deaths in India is being underreported — especially now that infections have spread out of the cities and into rural areas with fewer hospitals and poorer record-keeping.
Singapore may have to ‘learn to live’ with Covid-19, minister says
- Coronavirus task force co-chair Lawrence Wong says that unlike bigger countries such as China and Australia, the city state cannot shut itself off forever
- Singapore is ‘on a knife’s edge’, he warns, amid a rise in domestic cases and variants of concern that could affect planned travel bubble with Hong Kong
Singapore conducts mass testing at air and sea ports after more unlinked cases Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
More Covid-19 testing for Hong Kong helpers ordered, mandatory vaccination shelved
Philippine consul general questions logic of employers living in the same home not facing the same compulsory screening requirement.
Taiwan back on coronavirus alert as local clusters grow
The island reintroduces social distancing and mask rules after two new groups of cases emerge.
Chinese firms see surge in demand from India for medical oxygen devices
Beijing has encouraged companies to help meet the country’s urgent need for supplies amid a devastating second wave, but factories say there is now a shortage of components.
11 May 2021 - 7:21AM
Southeast Asian economies struggle as coronavirus challenges persist
Disappointing quarterly figures from the Philippines and Malaysia on Tuesday add to recent weaker signals from Indonesia and Thailand. Only Singapore and Vietnam have shown year-on-year expansions in the first quarter.
Coronavirus: cases double in world’s most vaccinated nation
Of those people fully inoculated in Seychelles, 57 per cent received Sinopharm shots. Meanwhile, health authorities in Thailand and the Philippines have confirmed their countries’ first cases of the virus variant that was reported first in India.
- The F.D.A.’s authorization of Pfizer’s vaccine for children 12 to 15 is a milestone. But immunizing them involves new challenges.
- States, counties and school districts are trying to figure out the most reassuring and expedient ways to reach younger adolescents and their parents.
Extending availability to children is considered key to achieving herd immunity but could set off debates about vaccine mandates in schools. By Carolyn Y. Johnson
- Maker of latest experimental vaccine will not seek authorization until July at the earliest
- Tracking the coronavirus vaccine
PFIZER AND BIONTECH RECEIVE FIRST U.S. AUTHORIZATION FOR EMERGENCY USE OF COVID-19 VACCINE IN ADOLESCENTS
Monday, May 10, 2021 - 09:02pm
- In a Phase 3 trial, the vaccine was 100% effective and generally well tolerated in participants aged 12 to 15 years
- Data also submitted to European Medicines Agency (EMA) and other global regulators, with additional authorizations expected in coming weeks
NEW YORK & MAINZ, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for their COVID-19 vaccine to include individuals 12 to 15 years of age. This is the first COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S. for use in this age group.
- Fauci, other top administration officials to testify on covid response before Senate panel
- ‘We are finally coming out of this health crisis,’ French prime minister says
As drug companies expand access to coronavirus vaccines, health officials are working to persuade people who are skeptical or unwilling to get vaccinated.
The number of people signing up for shots fell sharply over the last month.
CDC Limits Review of Vaccinated but Infected; Draws Concern
FDA grants fast track status to Cerecor's COVID-19 treatment
May 11, 2021 8:12 AM ET Cerecor Inc. (CERC) By: Aakash Babu, SA News Editor
- Cerecor (NASDAQ:CERC) announces that the U.S. FDA has granted Fast Track status to CERC-002 for treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3694504-fda-grants-fast-track-status-to-cerecors-covid-19-treatment
By Karel Janicek | AP
Skyrocketing COVID-19 deaths and infections in Nepal | DW News
•May 12, 2021 DW News
The number of COVID-19 cases in Nepal is skyrocketing, pushing the healthcare system to the brink of collapse. Many people worry their country is headed for a crisis like that of neighboring India.
‘I won’t see my kids again’: the black fungus nightmare facing India
- Eye-removals and other life-changing operations are taking place around the clock as surgeons struggle to cope with exponential rise in mucormycosis infections
- The fast-moving infection, driven by use of steroids and oxygen in coronavirus treatments, can take hold just days after a patient thinks they have recovered
Deadly ‘black fungus’ adds to India’s Covid-19 woes Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
An independent review calls the international response to the pandemic a "toxic cocktail".
The BBC's Vikas Pandey has called Delhi home for more than a decade - but Covid has changed everything.
Nurses in Italy have been instrumental in helping to fight Covid-19 - but it's taken a heavy toll.
- CDC advisers meet to recommend coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds
- Virginia pushing for school vaccine clinics after Pfizer authorization
- A frustrated Turkey goes into lockdown — except for the tourists
Philippines Covid surge throws country into disarray - BBC News
•May 9, 2021 BBC News
A second surge of Covid-19 cases in the Philippines is putting renewed pressure on the healthcare system. The country currently has the second highest number of cases in South East Asia, behind Indonesia. And with one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world, a crippling recession has forced thousands on to the streets in search of food.
‘India is a horrifying preview,’ says Red Cross as Nepal’s Covid-19 cases rise
•May 7, 2021 South China Morning Post
Amid a second wave of coronavirus infections, Nepal hit a grim record with 9,196 new Covid-19 cases on May 7, 2021. Experts fear the country may mimic the pandemic catastrophe in India, the second-worst hit nation after the US. Nepal’s health care system is under intense pressure, and the government has been criticised for its poor handling of the outbreak.
Nepal’s record jump in coronavirus cases signals impending crisis
Meanwhile, Vietnam has recorded 176 confirmed coronavirus cases from several outbreaks that have spread to 19 provinces during the past 10 days.
India's rural hospitals unable to cope as coronavirus spreads - BBC News
May 10, 2021 BBC News
As people move from lockdowns in India's big cities to rural areas, Covid-19 continues to spread. But rundown local hospitals and health centres are unable to cope with a crisis that they were never equipped for. BBC India correspondent Yogita Limaye has been inside one to uncover the conditions that patients are facing.
India’s coronavirus patients journey to find oxygen supplies, hospital beds
New Delhi’s health care system has been overwhelmed during India’s second wave, leading to a ‘reverse migration’ as patients flee the capital seeking treatment.
Malaysia to enter new Covid-19 lockdown as PM warns of national crisis
- Movement Control Order will begin on May 12 and end on June 7
- Social activities including dining out are banned and interstate travel is forbidden except for medical or other approved reasons
India’s Covid surge shows why world may not reopen at once: Chinese expert
Shanghai doctor admits to changing his view, now believing countries will open ‘in a conditional way, within regions, rather than globally’.
Taiwan to send pilots into quarantine in bid to stop Covid-19 outbreak
Health minister says it’s the only way to break the chain of transmission, while China Airlines says it will try ‘as much as possible to maintain flight operations’.
Study finds Pfizer vaccine stands up well against Covid-19 variants
Real-world data suggests the jabs can prevent severe cases in infections caused by two strains of the virus.
- Graduates return for in-person ceremonies after a year spent online
- Britain’s Boris Johnson set to lift more restrictions as vaccines soar and cases plummet
Between 500 and 800 bodies have been stored in the trucks since April 2020.By Brittany Shammas
Fauci Says ‘No Doubt’ U.S. Has Undercounted Covid Deaths
- Experts now say the coronavirus is spreading too easily and vaccinations are happening too slowly for herd immunity to be within reach anytime soon.
- That means if the virus continues to run rampant, it is on its way to becoming an ever-present threat. Here’s the latest on the pandemic.
Why BioNTech chose Singapore as its Asia Pacific vaccine hub
News is a boost for the city state’s drive to build its biomedical sector, with the firm citing its ‘perfect business climate’ and talent pool as key attractions. Meanwhile, it is seen as unlikely to resort to vaccine nationalism, expert says.
BioNTech to Build Covid-19 Vaccine Facility in Singapore By 2023
BioNTech to Establish Regional Headquarters for Southeast Asia and First mRNA Manufacturing Facility in Singapore
https://investors.biontech.de/news-releases/news-release-details/biontech-establish-regional-headquarters-south-east-asia-and
Pfizer and BioNTech Initiate Rolling Submission of Biologics License Application for U.S. FDA Approval of their COVID-19 Vaccine PDF Version
NEW YORK and MAINZ, GERMANY, May 7, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX)
Johnson Confirms Indoor Mixing Allowed in England From May 17
Kitty Donaldson
Unused Shots Pile Up as Mistrust Mars Hong Kong Vaccinations
Iain Marlow and Felix Tam
#Germany #Coronavirus #Lockdown
How Germany lost control of its coronavirus response | DW Analysis
May 9, 20211 DW News
In mid-2020, Germany was hailed the world’s shining star of coronavirus containment. Now, while countries like the UK and Israel are going back to normalcy, Germany has been under some form of lockdown for over six months. How did Germany, a country known for its efficiency, love of planning and rationality lose control of its COVID-19 response?
Coronavirus: Singapore to test thousands as infections rise
The number of infections unlinked to current clusters has continued to rise in Singapore and could jeopardise a planned travel bubble with Hong Kong.
AstraZeneca Weighs Seeking Full U.S. Approval for Covid Shot, Skipping Emergency-Use Application
British drugmaker faces challenges gathering data; may wait to apply for full approval by the FDA, which takes longer
By Jenny Strasburg and Thomas M. Burton Updated May 7, 2021 6:01 pm ET
U.S. Cases Fall; EU Hasn’t Renewed Astra Contract: Virus Update
CDC Limits Reviews of Vaccinated but Infected, Spurring Concerns
Chinese province delays quarantine cuts after Taiwan case surge
Fujian says it will postpone start of trial scheme that was to begin on Monday.
9 May 2021 - 2:16PM
Vaccinated arrivals from low-risk areas must isolate 7 days instead of 14 as authorities encourage more vaccine uptake
May 08, 2021 08:48 AM
The combination of an enormous wave of coronavirus cases and one of the biggest mass gatherings on the planet has fueled criticism that India’s government should have curtailed or canceled the Kumbh Mela event. By Joanna Slater and Niha Masih
- Even as fears of the coronavirus abate, many students are still opting out of in-person learning as school leaders try to woo — or push — them back.
- No matter the reason, some see the resistance to returning as a social and educational crisis for children that must be combat
Of all the students who suffered learning loss during the pandemic, one grade level has educators very concerned: kindergartners. They are taught the building blocks of how to be students, social skills not easily learned remotely.
Hundreds of thousands of government employees worked at the polls in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh after unions tried to have the vote postponed.
The 10-day halt in administering the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine last month has made it more difficult to inoculate hard-to-reach and hesitant people and is complicating efforts to reach community vaccination goals, experts said.
Cancer patient given wrong vaccine in mix-up can have BioNTech jabs
Health authorities make an exception on mixing vaccines, provided the 55-year-old Scotsman waives liability.
9 May 2021 - 10:26AM
The coronavirus could turn sewage surveillance into a mainstream public health practice.
#India #Coronavirus #VaccinePatent
Could vaccine patent waivers end India's COVID crisis? | DW News
•May 8, 20211 DW News
India has reported a new record daily coronavirus death toll. More than 4,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. Once again, over 400,000 new infections have been recorded. Critics say these official figures undercount the full extent of the crisis. Many fear that religious gatherings are causing the virus to spread even faster. EU leaders meeting in Portugal are focusing on relations with India on day two of their summit. They're set to discuss the dramatic situation there with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bloc members are skeptical over a US proposal - strongly supported by India - to waive patent rights on COVID-19 vaccines. While some countries favor the plan, larger EU states are firmly opposed - pushing instead for greater vaccine production. Council President Charles Michel says the US must make the first move. Meanwhile, in some places in India, it is hard to believe the country is in crisis. In the southern city of Hyderabad Muslims celebrating the end of Ramadan are out shopping - some feeling lax about safety rules. Many mosques remained shut over coronavirus fears - despite the weekend's Islamic holidays and preparations for the Eid festival. Still, others ignored official warnings and let people gather for prayer in large numbers. Gatherings like these are driving India's second coronavirus wave. It has been much more infectious, partly due to new variants of the virus. As the number of those testing positive surges, so does the death count. Relatives are desperate to get help for their infected loved ones in time. Burial sites and crematoriums are overwhelmed. Many are now forced to bring the bodies to makeshift cremation sites instead. For now, India continues to count its losses to the pandemic in more fire and smoke.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/08/world/asia/india-covid-deaths-crematories.html
Reopening guidelines in Washington remain tighter than in neighboring suburbs and other cities nationwide, threatening to send business elsewhere.By Emily Davies
After a year when nothing had gone right, a small army of parent volunteers hoped to make the night one to remember. By Hannah Natanson
World Turns to China for Vaccines After India, U.S. Stumble
Fat shaming, BMI and alienation: COVID-19 brought new stigma to large-sized people
The pandemic has brought into stark focus the long battle between the medical establishment and the fat acceptance movement.
‘I don’t know how I can survive.’ Women have been hit hardest by COVID’s economic toll
Asian Angle | Economies chasing zero Covid-19 infections are trapped by their own success
Donald Low
EU agrees to a potential 1.8 billion dose purchase of Pfizer vaccine
The French president spoke out after the US backed a proposal to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines.
We uncover the conditions that patients face in health centres unequipped for a crisis like Covid.
Germany skeptical over vaccine patent waiver | DW News
May 7, 2021 DW News
Germany is skeptical about calls to lift coronavirus vaccine patents. Some experts believe sharing the formula of vaccines can mean faster inoculations. The US is backing the idea. The European Union says it’s open to discussion. But the German government says it's essential to support innovation by protecting intellectual property.
- A doctor from NYC traveled to his Indian hometown to help with Covid-19 crisis
- D.C. businesses say virus restrictions continue to hamper recovery
- CDC acknowledges coronavirus can spread by air, which experts have long said
Organization’s validation of the shot’s safety, efficacy and quality paves the way for its broader rollout globally
- The World Turns to China for Vaccines After India, U.S. Stumble
- Sinopharm’s Vaccine Nears Emergency-Use Approval by WHO
Oxygen on Taobao: Chinese help Indian expats send Covid aid home
- As India is engulfed by a second wave, Chinese are helping Indian expats source oxygen concentrators from factories or Taobao and send them home
- China is the world’s biggest manufacturer of oxygen concentrators, but deteriorating ties between Beijing and New Delhi means sourcing them has become complicated
8 May 2021 - 12:30PM
Covid-19 races through rural India as deaths hit another grim record Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
The importance of airborne transmission was clear long before the W.H.O. acknowledged it.
EU Secures 1.8 Billion Doses; Waivers in Focus: Virus Update
Pfizer CEO Says Lower-Income Countries Didn’t Order Vaccines
Riley Griffin
Indian Virus Variant Found in Three African Countries, CDC Says
William Clowes
Singapore to cut foreign worker entry approvals; Japan extends emergency
Meanwhile, Vietnam reported its first death in a patient who received AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine.
7 May 2021 - 11:03PM
The reputation of all COVID-19 vaccines hinges on improving perceptions of the Johnson & Johnson shot.
KATHERINE J. WU MAY 7, 2021
My Take | AstraZeneca team deserves Nobel Peace Prize
Western governments hoard vaccines and Big Pharma does it all for profit, but British group developed the Covid-19 jab purely for science and humanity.
SCMP Columnist Alex Lo
Appointment-free COVID-19 vaccinations now on offer in L.A.
California high schoolers are saying no thanks to reopened campuses
Temple in India converted into care centre as coronavirus cases skyrocket
•May 7, 2021
South China Morning Post
Volunteers in India’s western city of Ahmedabad have converted a temple into a 50-bed care centre as the country fights its second coronavirus wave. The surge in infections has strained India’s health system, causing hospitals to face a shortage of beds. Many other religious sites have also offered to house and take care of Covid-19 patients.
Doctors in India are reporting a rash of a rare infection in Covid patients which is making them blind.
The French president spoke out after the US backed a proposal to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines.
India shatters global record as COVID-19 cases surge again | DW News
May 7, 2021 DW News
India reported a record high of more than 414,000 new infections and over 3,900 deaths over the past 24 hours. The new figures take the country's total case count to nearly 21.5 million and total recorded fatalities to over 234,000. And there's no end in sight to this crisis. Hospitals are buckling under the pressure. There is a lack of beds and a lack of staff. But the one factor that has made this second wave more devastating than last year's emergency is the lack of oxygen.
India records 4,000 coronavirus deaths in one day for first time
Meanwhile, India’s economy is still reeling from last year’s pandemic-induced recession and the poorest workers are braced once again to bear the brunt.
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
At least 13 killed in Indian hospital fire as country gripped by new coronavirus variant
Apr 23, 2021 South China Morning Post
A fire at a hospital treating Covid-19 patients killed at least 13 people in India on April 23, 2021. The blaze, which broke out near the city of Mumbai, came as the country recorded the world’s highest daily Covid-19 cases for the second day running amid the spread of a new coronavirus variant. The mutation, officially known as B1617, was first detected in India in October 2020. It is not yet clear whether the variant is more infectious or resistant to vaccines.
Canada bans flights from India and Pakistan amid Covid-19 wave in region
The news comes hours after India reported a global record of more than 314,000 new infections in the previous 24-hours.
23 Apr 2021 - 6:22AM
Singapore to ban non-resident visitors from India starting Friday
India arriva l ban comes after delay to expected Thursday announcement on launch date of Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble.
22 Apr 2021 - 7:41PM
Covid-19 hospital fire kills 13 as India’s world record surge continues
The blaze at the Vijay Vallabh hospital near Mumbai was the latest accident to hit a facility in India crowded with coronavirus patients.
23 Apr 2021 - 3:18PM
China and US reach 200 million vaccine shots, Beijing battles tight supply
The pace of jabs in China picked up at the urging of the government but the country may not meet its goal of 40 per cent of the population vaccinated by July.
23 Apr 2021 - 12:25PM
- The country’s Supreme Court ordered the government to come up with a national oxygen distribution plan as coronavirus cases continue to climb.
- India had over 330,000 new cases in 24 hours, the health ministry said Friday, the second consecutive day it has set a global record for daily infections.
EU Sees Vaccine Rollout on Target; Japan Emergency: Virus Update
- The country reported more than 330,000 cases. It was the second consecutive day on which it set a global record for new infections.
- Japan declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and Osaka as cases continued to rise. Here’s the latest on Covid-19.
With few new clotting cases, U.S. officials could soon lift the pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson shots.
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were shown to be effective against a New York variant of the virus.
How Covid Upended a Century of Patterns in U.S. Deaths
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine: benefits and risks in context
23/04/2021
Vaxzevria (formerly COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca) is authorised in the EU to prevent COVID-19, which can cause severe disease and death. The disease can also have long-term consequences in people of all ages, including in otherwise healthy people.
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine-benefits-risks-context
Increase in vaccine manufacturing capacity and supply for COVID-19 vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna
ShareNews 23/04/2021
EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has adopted two important recommendations that will increase manufacturing capacity and supply of COVID-19 vaccines in the EU.
India plans to import JNJ's COVID-19 vaccine by July end
Apr. 23, 2021 6:51 AM ET Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
By: Mamta Mayani, SA News Editor2 Comments
- Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE:JNJ) single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be imported to India by June-July 2021 - report.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3684994-india-plans-to-import-jnjs-covid-19-vaccine-by-july-end
The health of our bodies might depend on it.
India's hospitals buckle under record Covid surge – BBC News
•Apr 23, 2021 BBC News
India's healthcare system is buckling as a record surge in Covid-19 cases puts pressure on hospital beds and drains oxygen supplies. Families are left pleading for their relatives who are desperately ill, with some patients left untreated for hours. On Friday India reported 332,730 new cases of coronavirus, setting a world record for a second day running. Deaths were numbered at 2,263 in 24 hours. Dr Ramanan Laxminarayin, Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy in Delhi told the BBC the system was on the verge of collapse and had already collapsed in many places.
Families of Covid patients are pleading for hospital care as emergency rooms and wards overflow.
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- Why India is running out of oxygen again
- Why second Covid wave is devastating India
- How India failed to prevent a deadly second wave
Real-world data found the AZ and Pfizer jabs worked equally well in over-75s and younger people.
The WHO appeal comes after Malawi and South Sudan said they planned to destroy some 70,000 doses.
India's hospitals in 'apocalyptic' battle against COVID-19 | DW News
•Apr 23, 2021 DW News
India has reported the world's highest daily count of new Coronavirus cases for a second straight day. More than 330,000 new infections were recorded in the last 24-hours there. In response, Canada is banning all flights from both India and Pakistan, and the UK is also putting new restrictions on travel to and from India. The unprecedented spike comes after coronavirus case numbers first rose to 100,000 per day by last September, and then dropped off again through the winter. Experts say that new virus variants and recent superspreader gatherings have contributed to the latest surge. Ambulances lined up outside hospitals that can't take any more patients. Oxygen shortages that have pitted different states against each other. Doctors and nurses pushed to the limit as they scramble for resources . Lines are hours-long at testing sites. After many months of relatively few cases, this comes as a shock. Epidemiologists say India missed crucial opportunities to prepare for a second wave. The government didn't hire more doctors and nurses - and it allowed massive public gatherings - which may have been superspreader events. Last week the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it would allow a greatly expanded list of vaccines to be used. But it faces the mammoth task of vaccinating a population far bigger than the European Union and the United States combined.
The country has been far slower than others including the UK and the US to immunise its population.
#WSJ #Chinavaccine #Chinesevaccine
Why China Is Considering Mixing Covid-19 Vaccines | WSJ
•Apr 22, 2021 Wall Street Journal
Chinese Covid-19 vaccines offer relatively low levels of protection compared with some of their foreign rivals. Here is why China is joining other countries in considering mixing and matching vaccines as a key to overcoming multiple vaccination challenges at once. Illustration: Ksenia Shaikhutdinova
Johnson & Johnson Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Phase 3 Data Published in New England Journal of MedicineSingle-dose vaccine prevented hospitalization and death across all study participants, 28 days after vaccination
Vaccine shown to be effective against severe/critical COVID-19 disease as early as seven days after vaccination, with efficacy continuing to increase eight weeks post-vaccination
Vaccine also shown to be consistently effective against symptomatic infection, including in South Africa and Brazil where there was a high prevalence of rapidly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 21, 2021 – Johnson & Johnson (the Company) today announced publication in the New England Journal of Medicine of primary data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE clinical trial for its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). The publication of the primary analysis follows the topline efficacy and safety data announced in January, showing the trial met all primary and key secondary endpoints, and found that the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine prevented hospitalization and death across all study participants 28 days after vaccination.
‘Long Hauler’ Study Shows Covid Can Kill Months After Infection
Where Covid Kills the Young: Brazil Shows What May Await Others
Herd Immunity Is Humanity’s Great Hope, and It’s Proving Elusive
Covid Changed Work, But Will That Change Last Forever?
Scientist who helped develop Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine agrees third shot is needed as immunity wanes
PUBLISHED WED, APR 21 20212:15 PM EDTUPDATED WED, APR 21 20215:19 PM EDTBerkeley Lovelace Jr.@BERKELEYJRSHAREShare Article via FacebookShare Article via TwitterShare Article via LinkedInShare Article via EmailKEY POINTS
- The chief medical officer of BioNTech told CNBC that people will likely need a third shot of its two-dose Covid-19 vaccine as immunity against the virus wanes.
- Dr. Ozlem Tureci, co-founder and CMO of BioNTech, which developed a Covid vaccine with Pfizer, said she also expects people will need to get vaccinated against the coronavirus annually, like for the seasonal flu.
Rich countries are refusing to waive the rights on Covid vaccines
Pfizer confirms fake versions of vaccine in Poland and Mexico
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-56844149
EU to strike world's largest vaccine deal with Pfizer
Reuters Francesco Guarascio
Rare J&J Vaccine-Linked Clot Cases More Than Double to 15updated 56 minutes ago
Five Things to Watch as J&J Covid Vaccine Gets CDC Panel Review
Vaccine Makers Warn Bottlenecks, Nationalism Threaten Production
After the First Billion Doses, Here's What Comes Next
New Covid variant detected at Texas A&M lab shows signs of antibody resistance and severe illness
How Brazil’s coronavirus response went from bad to absolute disaster | COVID-19 Special
•Apr 21, 2021 DW News
The coronavirus crisis in Brazil is going from bad to worse. Critics point to government mismanagement for the second highest COVID death toll in the world. Doctors Without Borders calls it a humanitarian catastrophe. It says authorities’ refusal to adopt evidence-based public health measures has sent far too many to an early grave. Last week Brazil accounted for over a quarter of global COVID-19 deaths. Unlike other countries the virus is killing many children. Some doctors blame an extreme immune response to the virus multi-system inflammatory syndrome.
‘Lockdown only as the last option’, says Modi as India faces record-high Covid-19 infections
•Apr 21, 2021 South China Morning Post
India is facing record highs in both new daily Covid-19 infections and deaths. Hospitals across the country are running out of beds and oxygen. Despite rampant outbreaks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked states to avoid imposing lockdowns as the country grapples with a new wave of Covid-19 infections.
India Records World’s Highest One-Day Surge in Covid Cases
India reports record single-day jump in Covid cases, with over 314,000 infections
THU, APR 22ND 2021
#Coronavirus #BBCNews #Newsnight
Coronavirus: Should we be vaccinating children? - BBC Newsnight
•Apr 21, 2021 BBC News
What are the ethics behind the science of vaccinating children? Please subscribe HERE http://bit.ly/1rbfUog Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he expects the vaccination of the country’s children to begin by the end of 2021. Israel is currently leading the world in vaccinating its adult population with more than 60% of the population having received one dose and 56% having received two. But vaccinating children is much more complicated than overcoming any fear they may have over injections. It throws up issues of science and ethics and at the heart is the question, why? Newsnight’s Heath Correspondent Deb Cohen reports.
There will be more than one reasonable way to approach the risks of family activities.
Remote learning has presented unique challenges for students, like Ana Reyes, who are also immigrants and speak English as as second language.
Europe Takes Steps to Reopen as Covid Vaccinations Ramp Up
Do we still need to wear masks outdoors? The “two-out-of-three rule” can help you decide.
By William Wan
Vaccinations declined 11 percent, the biggest downturn in the seven-day average since February.By Dan Keating, Fenit Nirappil and Isaac Stanley-Becker
- E.U. is considering ‘all options’ in battle with AstraZeneca over vaccine shortfalls
- China says it has administered 200 million coronavirus vaccine doses
- Virginia’s largest school district envisions a pre-pandemic normal fall — as much as possible
Even as the city holds firm with its mask mandates, Philadelphians are making their own decisions about whether to mask or not.
Laura McCrystal and Jason Laughlin
Risk Of Everyday Activities Once You’re Fully Vaccinated
We asked seven local experts to rank the safety of everyday activities on a scale of 1-4: 1. Low risk; 2. Low to medium risk; 3. Medium to high risk; 4. High risk.
LOW Running outside without a mask1.01.0Outdoor restaurant1.41.4Outdoor exercise class1.41.4Grocery shopping1.41.4Retail shopping/buying clothes1.41.4LOW to MEDIUM Going to a museum1.71.7Going to a ballgame1.91.9Going to a movie (indoors)2.12.1Taking an Uber/taxi2.12.1Going to church2.42.4MEDIUM to HIGH Going to the gym2.62.6Traveling by plane2.72.7Indoor exercise class3.13.1Indoor restaurant3.63.6» READ MORE: Your post-vaccine activities safety guide, including gyms, shopping, taking an Uber, and more Table:
DOMINIQUE DeMOE / Staff Artist Source: Local experts
https://www.inquirer.com/philly-tips/covid-vaccine-activities-risk-guide-20210417.html
Steven Findlay, Kaiser Health N
India's hospitals locked in desperate fight against COVID-19 | DW News
•Apr 21, 2021 DW News
Authorities in India are scrambling to bolster the health care infrastructure as the latest wave of coronavirus infections stretches hospitals to breaking point. Delhi's government hospitals reported they only had enough oxygen to last another eight to 24 hours while some private ones had enough for just four or five hours. The uncertainty is such that many people are camping out in front of hospitals where their loved ones are being treated.
India Has 2,000 Deaths; Roche Pill Test Delayed: Virus Update
Refilling medical oxygen cylinders for coronavirus patients in Prayagraj, India, on Tuesday. Sanjay Kanojia/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Supply vs Demand: When Will the Scales Tip on COVID-19 Vaccination in the U.S?
Jennifer Kates Follow @jenkatesdc on Twitter , Larry Levitt Follow @larry_levitt on Twitter , and Josh Michaud Follow @joshmich on Twitter Apr 20, 2021
Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 20 April 2021
Data as received by WHO from national authorities, as of 10am CET 18 April 2021
20 April 2021 | Emergency Situational Updates
https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update-on-covid-19---20-april-2021
Where Can You Fly Right Now? U.S. Airlines’ Summer Dreams at Risk
U.S. Seeks New Tactics to Get Reluctant Americans Vaccinated
The accident in an Indian hospital happened when an oxygen tank was refilling the storage tank.
A deadly second wave has overrun hospitals and even crematoriums in India.
Australia and New Zealand have quarantine-free travel, but will other countries follow their lead?
Football fans, museums and restaurants are opening up, but Danes will have to show a corona passport.
With a population larger than Brazil, an Indian state struggles to cope as Covid-19 sweeps through it.
As Covid-19 overwhelms hospitals, Indians seek help from WhatsApp
With beds, ventilators and oxygen drying up, relatives of those infected in India’s second wave of Covid-19 describe a health system in collapse.
China vows to help coronavirus-hit Indonesia close vaccine divide
Beijing will aid Jakarta’s efforts to build a regional vaccine production centre, Xi Jinping tells Joko Widodo.
China’s vaccines put to real-world test against Covid-19
Studies of vaccinated populations in Chile and Brazil show Sinovac can reduce deaths, counter variants
21 Apr 2021 - 11:14AM
Scientists call for new probe into coronavirus origins – with or without China
In an open letter, 24 researchers from Europe, the US, Australia and Japan say the China-WHO study was tainted by politics
Jamie Metzl, who drafted the document, says the world might have to ‘revert to Plan B’ and conduct an investigation without Beijing’s involvement
Reuters+ Published: 1:02am, 8 Apr, 2021
U.S. vaccination pace holds above 3 million shots per day for two weeks straight
Congressional investigation launched into Emergent BioSolutions’ federal vaccine contracts
PUBLISHED TUE, APR 20 20211:03 PM EDT UPDATED TUE, APR 20 20212:14 PM EDT Rich Mendez
FDA asks Emergent to stop making Covid shots while it investigates botched doses APRIL 19, 2021CNBC.COM
#COVID19 #VaccineHesitancy #TodayShow
Vaccine Hesitancy Amid Growing COVID-19 Cases Causes New Concerns | TODAY
•Apr 20, 2021 TODAY
Everyone 16 and older in all 50 states is now officially eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination. But there is mounting concern about vaccine hesitancy, with a number of cities seeing appointments go unfilled while cases of the virus surge. NBC national correspondent Miguel Almaguer reports for
An EU regulator says the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks.
Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-out to Resume in Europe Following European Medicines Agency (EMA) Review
EMA Confirms Overall Benefit-Risk Profile Remains Positive Company to update the COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen Summary of Product Characteristics and Package Leaflet to include important information on very rare adverse event
Johnson & Johnson remains committed to supplying 200 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union, Norway and Iceland
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 20, 2021 – Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ)
https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine-roll-out-to-resume-in-europe-following-european-medicines-agency-ema-reviewema-confirms-overall-benefit-risk-profile-remains-positive
- The move comes after the European Union’s drug regulator said benefits of the company’s Covid-19 vaccine outweighed the risks, calling blood clots “very rare.”
- But the agency said a warning indicating a possible link to the clots should be added to Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. Here’s the latest on the pandemic.
All U.S. states have expanded vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 and older. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said every Canadian who wants a vaccine will have one by the end of September.By Amanda Coletta and Emily Rauhala
By Eva Dou
Allison Steele Apr 19
Krisda H. Chaiyachati, For The Inquirer Apr 19
China set to approve BioNTech vaccine in June - Bloomberg
Apr. 20, 2021 10:14 AM ET BioNTech SE (BNTX) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor11 Comments
- The head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai tells Bloomberg that that Chinese government is set to approve the BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) COVID-19 vaccine in June.
- The comments from Ker Gibbs echo a report last week in The Wall Street Journal.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3683449-china-set-to-approve-biontech-vaccine-in-june-bloomberg
Pressure mounting on Biden administration to waive COVID-19 vaccine patents
Apr. 21, 2021 2:41 PM ET Moderna, Inc. (MRNA)
By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor7 Comments
- As poorer countries struggle to vaccinate their citizens, calls are growing for the Biden administration to waive COVID-19 patents in a bid to increase vaccine production.
Open Letter: Former Heads of State and Nobel Laureates Call on President Biden To Waive Intellectual Property Rules for COVID Vaccines
Opinion by Mili Mitra
India sees highest daily Covid death toll amid deadly second wave - BBC News
Apr 20, 2021 BBC News
India is reeling under a severe second wave of Covid-19 and many states are struggling to cope with the rising numbers. The country recorded 1,761 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest total since the pandemic began. India's capital Delhi is currently in a week-long lockdown after a record spike in cases overwhelmed the city's healthcare system.
The country records 314,835 new daily cases as Delhi hospitals fear running out of oxygen in hours.
The Covid-19 pandemic is accelerating in India beyond anywhere else in the world.
#Israel #Vaccination #Normality
Is it safe for Israel to return to normal life? | COVID-19 Special
•Apr 19, 2021 DW News
The World Health Organization warns cases in many countries are still rising at an alarming rate. Some other nations are confident they're over the worst. DW's correspondent Tania Krämer reports from Israel, where a rapid vaccination program has brought with it some welcome freedoms.
#Gravitas #IndiaVaccination #COVID19Vaccination
Gravitas: India opens Wuhan virus vaccinations to all adults
•Apr 19, 2021 WION
Amid a devastating second wave, India has decided to open vaccinations to all adults. But, how can India and the world crush this surge? WION's Palki Sharma tells you how some countries managed to beat the Wuhan virus.
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
AstraZeneca: EMA rules vaccine is 'safe' for use | DW News
•Mar 18, 2021 DW News
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Thursday declared the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine safe for use after it was suspended by 13 EU member states. The EMA held a special meeting to look into the connection between unusual blood clot disorders discovered in several cases after people had received the AstraZeneca vaccine. Germany, France, Spain and others temporarily halted vaccinations with the British-Swedish shot after EU member states reported 30 cases of blood clot disorders, including a rare and difficult-to-treat condition called cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). Some 5 million people have so far been administered the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the EU.
Germany, France, Italy and Spain will restart vaccine programme after regulator's review.
VideoHow a vaccine gets approved
- At least 17 states have committed in recent days to widening the list of people who may get a coronavirus vaccine.
- The country finds itself at a precarious point in the pandemic as cases plateau, variants spread and restrictions ease.
BioNTech shots should be effective in protecting against Covid-19 strains: experts
The German-made doses should protect people from the variants found in Britain and Brazil, but not enough data available on the Sinovac shots from China to reach same conclusion, say experts advising government.
19 Mar 2021 - 12:41AM9
Europe’s Latest Vaccine Controversy Risks Being a Crisis Too Far
Ian Wishart, Ania Nussbaum and Milda Seputyte
India coronavirus: Can its vaccine producers meet demand?
By Reality Check team
BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55571793
- Tens of millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been sitting in American manufacturing sites. The vaccine has not yet been approved in the U.S.
- The announcement came as the Biden administration has been quietly pressing Mexico to ramp up its efforts to limit the flow of migrants.
What have we learned from the year that lasted a century?
By Nick Miroff, Karen DeYoung and Kevin SieffCORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS
By Erin Cox and Ovetta Wiggins
By Aaron Blake
California logs record-breaking week of COVID-19 vaccinations
The lingering obstacles to vaccinating health-care workers foreshadows the challenge the United States will face as it attempts to get the vast majority of the population vaccinated. By William Wan, Frances Stead Sellers, Naema Ahmed and Emily Guskin
#BBCNews #Atlanta #AtlantaShootings
Atlanta shootings: 'It's scary just to be an Asian American woman' - BBC News
•Mar 18, 2021 BBC News
Crowds protesting against hate crimes against Asian Americans appeared in Washington DC following the Atlanta spa shootings. On Tuesday, eight people at three different parlours in and around the US city of Atlanta were killed. Six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent. Atlanta's police chief, Rodney Bryant, said it was too early in the investigation to conclude that Tuesday's shootings had not been a hate crime. Activists and advocates have pointed to an increase in racially-motivated attacks against Asian Americans throughout the pandemic. In late 2020, the UN issued a report detailing an "alarming level" of racially-motivated violence and other hate incidents against Asian Americans.
Atlanta shootings: 'It's scary just to be an Asian American woman.'
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-56439669
US Congress told shootings were result of rising attacks on Asian-AmericansAsian-American congresswomen say the killings ‘are the aftermath of one year of hateful attacks’; a Texas Republican who objects on free-speech grounds is ‘putting a bull’s-eye on the back of Asian-Americans’, Representative Grace Meng says tearfully.
EU regulator declares AstraZeneca vaccine “safe and effective” - BBC News
•Mar 18, 2021 BBC News
Most of the European countries that suspended the use of the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine have said they will start using it again after the EU's medical regulator declared it “safe and effective”. Italy, Germany, France and Spain are among those resuming use of the jab after a pause over fears of a link to blood clots in a small number of people. The UK's regulator said any link between the jab and clots is unproven and the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh any risks.
UK hit by vaccine shortage with new bookings put on hold - BBC News
•Mar 17, 2021 BBC News
There will be a significant reduction in the availability of coronavirus vaccines from the end of March. The NHS has written to local health organizations urging them not to take any new appointments from the 29th March. Those who already have bookings are not expected to lose their slot. The BBC has been told that fewer batches of AstraZeneca vaccines are available than expected. Despite that, ministers insist that the vaccination targets they set are still achievable. Meanwhile the European Union is continuing to struggle with its own vaccine supply problems, as some countries face a third wave of the pandemic. Huw Edwards presents BBC News at Ten reporting by political editor Laura Kuenssberg, health editor Hugh Pym and Brussels correspondent Nick Beake.
Covid-19: EU warns UK over vaccine exports
By Chris Morris Reality Check Correspondent
https://www.bbc.com/news/45877605
Coronavirus and the challenges for Colombia's remote communities | COVID-19 Special
•Mar 17, 2021 DW News
The Colombian coastal town Tumaco wasn't prepared for the pandemic. The intensive care unit was only built AFTER COVID-19 had reached the city and infected thousands. Far from the capital Bogota, the population here has never been the focus of government decisions. Now it's paying for the lack of health infrastructure like many other remote parts of the country. The coronavirus is riskier for indigenous communities with a lack of health services and clean water as well as high poverty rates.
#Coronavirus #Pandemic #Czechia
How did the Czech Republic get to the world’s worst COVID infection rate? | DW News
•Mar 16, 2021 DW News
The Czech Republic is among the countries in Europe worst affected by COVID-19. The number of people who have died is one of the highest per capita in the world. DW's Alexandra von Nahmen visited the town of Tachov, which has been hit hard by the virus.
#Coronavirus #Pandemic #PeopleWithDisabilities
How the COVID pandemic exacerbated vulnerabilities for people with disabilities | COVID-19 Special
•Mar 16, 2021 DW News
The measures meant to protect us from the corona-virus aren't always inclusive - take social distancing. Not at all easy and sometimes impossible to adhere to for people with disabilities. Roughly one in six people have or experience a form of disability. When it comes to COVID-19, are people with disabilities more vulnerable?
‘The damage is done’: Europe’s caution over AstraZeneca vaccine could have far-reaching consequences
PUBLISHED TUE, MAR 16 20215:47 AM EDTUPDATED WED, MAR 17 20213:54 AM EDT Holly Ellyatt
Minnesota’s numbers are creeping up, as are Maryland’s and New Jersey’s. Many places, including New York City and surrounding counties, are no longer seeing declines, despite intensive vaccination efforts.By Joel Achenbach, Ariana Eunjung Cha and Jacqueline Dupree
- Britain will have given at least one vaccine dose to half its adult population by the end of the week, says minister
- South Asia sees spike in child, maternal deaths during pandemic, U.N. says
Explainer | What are booster shots, and could mixing Covid-19 vaccines boost immunity?
Giving smaller portions in multiple shots is often better than a large dose of vaccine in a single shot.
It’s also possible to generate greater immunity if we use different vaccines, one after the other, rather than repeating the same jab
The Conversation Published: 8:00am, 18 Mar, 2021
Elderly Face Higher Risk of Reinfection After Covid, Study Shows
Trust in AstraZeneca Vaccine Is Shaken in Europe
By Michael Birnbaum, Chico Harlan and Stefano Pitrelli
- CDC announces $2.25 billion to address covid-19 health disparities
- What to know about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine (and why it’s only one shot)
As of 11 March, 3.9 million doses had also been exported from the EU to Canada, and 3.1 million to Mexico. One million doses have been sent to the US, even though it is a major manufacturer in its own right and has not exported any vaccines to the EU.
The US is using export controls under the Defense Production Act, first introduced during the Korean War in the 1950s, to prevent companies exporting vaccine doses or ingredients without federal government authorization.
Covid-19: EU warns UK over vaccine exports
By Chris Morris Reality Check Correspondent
https://www.bbc.com/news/45877605
#WorldNewsTonight #Europe #COVID19Vaccine
Europe faces vaccine crisis | WNT
•Mar 16, 2021 ABC News
More than a dozen countries, including France, Germany and Sweden, have now paused the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Inside Mount Sinai's emergency department and ICU to see ongoing fight against COVID-19
•Mar 10, 2021 CBS This Morning
Nearly a year after New York City became the nation's coronavirus epicenter, "CBS This Morning" was granted extraordinary access to the ongoing fight to save lives. Two doctors who shared the emotional toll inside the hospital in video diaries early in the pandemic showed Mola Lenghi the progress, and continuing peril, of a year on the COVID-19 front lines.
The new single-shot J&J vaccine doesn't need subzero storage, and could help harder-to-reach communities get access to coronavirus protection.
Coronavirus restrictions reimposed across much of Italy as cases rise
•Mar 15, 2021 FRANCE 24 English
Half of #Italy’s regions have gone into the strictest form of #lockdown in a bid to curb the latest spike in coronavirus infections that have brought #Covid-19 hospital admissions beyond manageable thresholds.
Italy faces third wave of COVID-19 after difficult year
•Mar 12, 2021 CBS News
Italy is bracing for a third wave of the coronavirus more than one year after first going into lockdown as an early hotspot of the pandemic. CBS News foreign correspondent Chris Livesay joins CBSN's Tanya Rivero from Rome with more about how the nation has changed its approach to battling COVID-19 over the past year.