Coronavirus: we separate myths from facts and give advice

[Anthea]

China records its first death since MAY

China has been battling to contain a resurgence in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, while World Health Organiaation experts prepared to fly to Wuhan to investigate the origins of the pandemic.

Death reported in Hebei province today, where several cities are in lockdown

China also reported its biggest daily jump in Covid-19 cases in around 10 months

National Health Commission said 138 infections noted, up from 115 a day earlier

The latest death, the first in eight months, took place in the Hebei province on Thursday but no further details were given by the National Health Commission.

Infections in the northeastern Heilongjiang province have nearly tripled, underscoring a growing threat ahead of the Lunar New Year on February 12.

The authorities in Heilongjiang Province - with a population of 37.5 million people - declared an 'emergency state' on Wednesday.

The Chinese province of Hebei, which surrounds Beijing, has emerged as a new virus hot spot

The Commission said 124 of the new cases were local infections, 81 of which were reported in Hebei province surrounding Beijing and 43 in Heilongjiang.

Heilongjiang, which has more than 37million residents, declared an 'emergency state' on Wednesday, ordering residents not to leave the province unless absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile, millions were seen lining up in sub-zero temperatures to receive a second round of coronavirus tests in the capital of Hebei province yesterday.

The province, with a population of around 75million, has emerged as the new Covid-19 epicentre in China's latest outbreak of the deadly virus.

Though the recent increases in cases remain a fraction of what the country saw at the height of the pandemic, China put more than 28 million people under home quarantine in January in a bid to curb the spread of the disease.

Residents undergo Covid-19 coronavirus tests at the basement of a residential compound as part of a mass testing programme following new cases of the virus emerging in Shijiazhuang

The new wave of infections comes ahead of next month's Lunar New Year holiday, when hundreds of millions of people typically travel to their home towns.

The resurgence has already prompted some provinces to discourage travel, which could lead to reduced travel and dampen consumption during the long break.

China had largely brought the coronavirus under control since its emergence in Wuhan late in 2019

But recent weeks have seen smatterings of cases, prompting localised lockdowns, immediate travel restrictions and widespread testing of tens of millions of people.

More than 20million people are now under some form of lockdown in the country's northern regions.

All of the 37.5million residents of Heilongjiang have been ordered not to leave the area unless absolutely necessary, and to cancel conferences and gatherings.

Suihua city, a short car journey north and home to more than 5.2million people, was sealed off on Monday after reporting one confirmed case and 45 asymptomatic cases.

Several other small cities near Suihua were also sealed off or placed under travel restrictions, authorities said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, officials in Shijiazhuang ordered the city's roughly 11million residents to undergo a second round of testing as authorities seek to isolate the sources of the outbreak.

Some of the infections have been tentatively linked to wedding gatherings.

The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, rose to 78 from 38 a day earlier.

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Mainland China now stands at 87,844, while the death toll rose to 4,635.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... onths.html

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KRG bans travel to 21 countries

The Kurdistan Region’s interior ministry announced a travel ban to 21 countries on Friday to curb the spread of the new variant of coronavirus in the Region

According to the statement, Kurdishi citizens cannot travel from the Kurdistan Region to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, the UK, the USA, Zambia and the Netherlands.

The ban is almost identical to that announced by the Iraqi government on Wednesday, with the exception of the Netherlands.

Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) banned travel to the UK, South Africa, Australia, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Iran and Japan on December 22.

However, travel to Iran is now from both federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

“Travel will be normalized for the tourists through Haji Omran, Bashmakh and Parwezkhan,” added Friday's statement, referring to three main border crossings between the Kurdistan Region and Iran.

The new measures will take effect from Friday midnight, said the ministry.

Iraqi citizens can return from the listed countries but have to self-isolate for 14 days

Staff of United Nations (UN) organizations, other international organizations, the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) and official delegations will be also be allowed to enter the Region.

Coronavirus cases in both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq have dropped dramatically recently, but fears have grown over the new variant of the virus, which was first found in the United Kingdom.

No case of the new strain of the virus has been recorded in Iraq or the Kurdistan Region but suspected cases have been identified.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/15012021

[Anthea]

A YEAR TOO LATE

UK to close all travel corridors

Prime Minister Boris Johnson: "We will temporarily close all travel corridors from 0400 on Monday"

The UK is to close all travel corridors from Monday morning to "protect against the risk of as yet unidentified new strains" of Covid, the PM has said.

Anyone flying into the country from overseas will have to show proof of a negative Covid test before setting off.

It comes as a ban on travellers from South America and Portugal came into force on Friday over concerns about a new variant identified in Brazil.

Boris Johnson said the new rules would be in place until at least 15 February.

A further 1,280 people with coronavirus have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test, taking the total to 87,291.

The latest government figures on Friday also showed another 55,761 new cases had been reported - up from 48,682 the previous day.

Meanwhile, more than two million people around the world have now died with the virus since the pandemic began, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, the prime minister said it was "vital" to take extra measures now "when day by day we are making such strides in protecting the population".

"It's precisely because we have the hope of that vaccine and the risk of new strains coming from overseas that we must take additional steps now to stop those strains from entering the country."

All travel corridors will close from 04:00 GMT on Monday. After that, arrivals to the UK will need to quarantine for up to 10 days, unless they test negative after five days.

Mr Johnson, who said the rules would apply across the UK after talks with the devolved administrations, added that the government would be stepping up enforcement at the border and in the country.

Travel corridors were introduced in the summer to allow people travelling from some countries with low numbers of Covid cases to come to the UK without having to quarantine on arrival.

Trade body Airlines UK said it supported the latest restrictions "on the assumption" that the government would remove them "when it is safe to do so".

Chief executive Tim Alderslade said travel corridors were "a lifeline for the industry" last summer but "things change and there's no doubting this is a serious health emergency".

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was the "right step" but called the timing of the decision "slow again", adding that the public would be thinking "why on earth didn't this happen before".

The prime minister warned that the NHS was facing "extraordinary pressures", having had the highest number of hospital admissions on a single day of the pandemic earlier this week.

He said that came on Tuesday when there were 4,134 new admissions, while the UK currently has more than 37,000 Covid patients in hospitals.

Mr Johnson said that once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated by mid-February "we will think about what steps we could take to lift the restrictions".

England is currently under a national lockdown, meaning people must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.

Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Also speaking at the No 10 briefing, England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said the restrictions would need to be lifted gradually by "testing what works, and then if that works going the next step".

He said the peak of people entering hospital would be in the next week to 10 days for most places, but "we hope" the peak of infections "already has happened" in the south-east, east and London.

"The peak of deaths I fear is in the future, the peak of hospitalisations in some parts of the country may be around about now and beginning to come off the very, very top," he said.

'Easy' to adjust vaccines

A ban on travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde entering the UK came into force on Friday morning as a result of a new, potentially more infectious variant of coronavirus linked to Brazil.

The government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told the press briefing that some of the new variants may be able to "get round" the Covid vaccines but it was "really quite easy" to adjust the vaccines to deal with mutations in the virus.

New variants causing concern have previously been identified in the UK and South Africa, with many countries imposing restrictions on arrivals from both nations.

Public Health England said a total of 35 genomically confirmed and 12 genomically probable cases of the Covid-19 variant which originated in South Africa have been identified in the UK as of 14 January.

Earlier, a leading scientist said one of the two variants first detected in Brazil had been found in the UK - but not the variant that was causing concern.

"I think it is likely that the vaccine we have now is going to protect against the UK variant and is going to provide protection I suspect against the other variants as well," said Sir Patrick. "The question is to what degree."

Latest figures show that more than three million people in the UK have now received the first dose of a vaccine - 3,234,946 - an increase of 316,694 from the previous day.

Sir Patrick said he expected the vaccines would reduce transmission of the virus but that "we shouldn't go mad" as jabs are rolled out because a risk would remain.

"Just because you've been vaccinated doesn't mean you can't catch this and pass it on, it means you're protected against severe disease," he added.

Meanwhile, the latest estimate of the UK's R number - which is the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to on average - is 1.2 to 1.3, compared with 1-1.4 last week.

But in London, where tight restrictions came in earlier, the R number is lower - between 0.9 and 1.2.

In Wales, new laws for shoppers and staff are to be introduced after "significant evidence" coronavirus is being spread in supermarkets.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55681861

[Anthea]

This is interesting because it shows how virus slowly spreads:

SVG records first death
record high 62 cases

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on Friday, recorded its first COVID-19 death, a 49-year-old female with multiple pre-existing conditions

The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) said that the woman presented to the hospital services on Thursday evening, Jan. 14, with difficulty breathing.

She was confirmed to be positive for COVID-19 on admission, rapidly deteriorated and died at 5 p.m. today, Jan. 15, NEMO said.

There are now 24 persons admitted with COVID-19.

Further, NEMO announced that 62 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed overnight, 61 of which are nationals with no history of recent travel.

These cases were detected during contact tracing, testing of persons with flulike symptoms and exit screening.

There are now 316 local cases under investigation, NEMO said, referring to the cases that have been detected since Dec. 28, 2020 among nationals with no recent travel history.

NEMO further said that the new cases detected overnight include one adult non-national who arrived with a negative PCR test and tested positive on arrival.

There are now, 339 active COVID-19 cases in the country, and 110 persons have recovered from the illness.

A total of 450 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“All positive case will continue to be isolated until cleared,” NEMO siad.

Comments:

People who has contact with mustique and other neighboring island where there is a big inflow of travelers and mail and people who works in the Grenadines is bringing the covic -19 to the mainland. You all check it out. My sister in law has covic, where in the world she gets it from. Her children works in mustique. Please check it out.

The authorities are to be blamed they would not shut down the blasted ports of entry let it spread dead people you will get if I get it all in do is the pray for God’s forgiveness of my sins you hear me because maybe I might recover yes that will be great but also death may come so that’s the only life insurance I may need because the authorities here fooling around yes big fools why they don’t follow Kim Jung UN man all of them out guys stop there and beg people to be safe and spread it over the country dead people soon

This world following America too much they Americans dying out like flies and you guys are not seeing and using alto own blasted head to think for alto self stay there and listen to foolish Americans people like Dr Fauci all yo stay there follow Kim Jung UN no one any choices once you are positive there you go whether you like it or not why you guys don’t give me a position to exercise some authority even the PM would have to listen to me because I shall just once loud and clear for everyone to hear then I make my decisions you guys are so damn foolish well stop there and plead use the guns shoot to kill when anyone die throw their body in the gutter and burn alyo are afraid only God’s forgiveness is required and that is all that’s needed God forgives that’s all that matters use the defense of ” Necessity” it will save lives people will not even peep outside their windows

Is this the really first death of covic or the first death they’re telling us about asking for a friend

And the number continues to grow,and will never get better until we start closing border. Stay safe, and don’t be fearful, but be careful.

The key part about this news is PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. What were the “conditions”? Too bad SVG Health Officials have apparently “banned” hydroxychloroquine. My father-in-law at 80 years old had many pre-existing conditions. they wanted to put him on a ventilator (which is normally a death sentence) instead he took hydroxychloroquine, LIKE MANY THOUSANDS IN THE WORLD and less than 2 days later his Covide-19 was gone.In clinical tests Big Pharma gave far in excess of the drug to near-death very sever cases and they died. BIG PHARMA DOES NOT CONTROL HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AND IT IS VERY CHEAP. That is why they have gone to such lengths to prevent the public from accepting it.

If people do not see that there are multiple agendas being used concerning Covid-19 then we are all going to suffer much more than just the big FEAR campaign, “social distancing” and masks.

The headlines of this IWN article will probably attract many “reads”, so it is a good place to comment. Before you read this linked article, first scroll to the bottom to see the accomplishments of the author, before you think the “hype” is all “conspiracy theory”:
https://www.globalresearch.ca/we-are-at-war-2/5733672

Keep in mind, the FIRST casualty of any war is always TRUTH.

https://www.iwnsvg.com/2021/01/15/svg-r ... -62-cases/

[Anthea]

We Are at War - Global Research
By Peter Koenig

We are at war. Yes. And I don’t mean the West against the East, against Russia and China, nor the entire world against an invisible corona virus



No. We, the common people, are at war against an ever more authoritarian and tyrannical elitist Globalist system, reigned by a small group of multi-billionaires, that planned already decades ago to take power over the people, to control them, reduce them to what a minute elite believes is an “adequate number” to inhabit Mother Earth – and to digitize and robotize the rest of the survivors, as a sort of serfs. It’s a combination of George Orwell’s “1984” and Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”.

Welcome to the age of the transhumans. If we allow it.

Vaccination

That’s why vaccination is needed in warp speed, to inject us with transgenic substances that may change our DNA, lest we may wake up, or at least a critical mass may become conscious – and change the dynamics. Because dynamics are not predictable, especially not in the long-term.

The war is real and the sooner we all realize it, the sooner those in masks and those in social distancing take cognizance of the worldwide “anti-human” dystopian situations we have allowed our governments to bestow on us, the better our chance to retake our sovereign selves.

Today we are confronted with totally illegal and oppressive rules, all imposed under the pretext of “health protection”.

Non-obedience is punishable by huge fines; military and police enforced rules: Mask wearing, social distancing, keeping within the allowed radius of our “homes”, quarantining, staying away from our friends and families.

Actually, the sooner, We, the People, will take up an old forgotten characteristic of human kind – “solidarity” – and fight this war with our solidarity, with our love for each other, for mankind, with our love for LIFE and our Love for Mother Earth, the sooner we become again independent, self-assured beings, an attribute we have lost gradually over the last decades, at the latest since the beginning of the neoliberal onslaught of the 1980s.

Slice by tiny slice of human rights and civil rights have been cut off under false pretexts and propaganda – “security” – to the point where we, drowned in propagated dangers of all kinds, begged for more security and gladly gave away more of our freedoms and rights. How sad.

Now, the salami has been sliced away.

We suddenly realize, there is nothing left. Its irrecoverable

We have allowed it to happen before our eyes, for promised comfort and propaganda lies by these small groups of elitists – by the Globalists, in their thirst for endless power and endless greed – and endless enlargements of their riches, of their billions. – Are billions of any monetary union “riches”? – Doubtfully. They have no love. No soul, no heart just a mechanical blood-pump that keeps them alive, if you can call that a “life”.

These people, the Globalists, they have sunk so deep in their moral dysfunction, totally devoid of ethics, that their time has come – either to be judged against international human rights standards, war crimes and crimes against humanity – similar as was done by the Nuremberg Trials after World War II, or to disappear, blinded away by a new epoch of Light.

As the number of awakening people is increasing, the western Powers that Be (PTB) are becoming increasingly nervous and spare no efforts coercing all kinds of people, para-government, administrative staff, medical personnel, even independent medical doctors into defending and promoting the official narrative.

It is so obvious, when you have known these people in “normal” times, their progressive opinions suddenly turning, by 180 degrees, to the official narrative, defending the government lies, the lies of the bought “scientific Task Forces” that “advise” the governments, and thereby provide governments with alibis to “tighten the screws” a bit more (Ms. Merkel’s remarks) around the people, the very people the governments should defend and work for; the lies and deceptive messages coming from “scientists” who may have been promised “eternal, endless ladders of careers”, or of lives in a hidden paradise?

What more may they get in turn for trying to subvert their friends’, peers’, patients’ opinions about the horror disease “covid-19”? – Possibly something that is as good as life itself – and is basically cost free for the avaricious rich. For example, a vax-certificate without having been vaxxed by the toxic injections, maybe by a placebo – opening the world of travel and pleasurable activities to them as “before”.

By the way, has anybody noticed that in this 2020 / 2021 winter flu-season, the flu has all but disappeared? – Why? – It has conveniently been folded into covid, to fatten and exaggerate the covid statistics. It’s a must, dictated by the Globalists, the “invisible” top echelon, whose names may not be pronounced. Governments have to comply with “covid quotas”, in order to survive the hammer of the Globalists.

Other special benefits for those selected and complacent defender of the official narrative, the placebo-vaxxed, may include dispensation from social distancing, mask wearing, quarantining – and who knows, a hefty monetary award. Nothing would be surprising, when you see how this tiny evil cell is growing like a cancer to take over full power of the world – including and especially Russia and China, where the bulk of the world’s natural resources are buried, and where technological and economic advances far outrank the greed-economy of the west. They will not succeed.

What if the peons don’t behave? – Job loss, withdrawal of medical licenses, physical threats to families and loved ones, and more.

The Globalists evil actions and influence-peddling is hitting a wall in the East, where they are confronted with educated and awakened people.

We are at war. Indeed. The 99.999% against the 0.001%.

Their tactics are dividing to conquer, accompanied by this latest brilliant idea – launching an invisible enemy, a virus, a plandemic, and a fear campaign to oppress and tyrannize the entire world, all 193 UN member countries.

The infamous words, spoken already more than half a century ago by Rockefeller protégé, Henry Kissinger, comes to mind:

“Who controls food supply controls the people; who controls the energy can control whole continents; who controls money can control the world.”

Quoted below are some lines and thoughts of a 1 January 2021, RT Op-Ed article by Helen Buyniski entitled “Civil war, medical discrimination, spy satellites and cyborgs! How 2021 could make us yearn for 2020”. The article may point us in a direction of what may happen in 2021, that we certainly do not yearn for:

“People everywhere are eager to bid farewell to 2020, a year in which our lives were turned upside down by power-mad elites who seized the Covid-19 pandemic as a chance to go full police state.

But be careful what you wish for…. merely putting up a new calendar does nothing to address [the mounting repression and tyranny], which seem certain to reach a breaking point.

Humanity has been pushed to the limit with arbitrary rules, enforced poverty, and mandated isolation — it will only take a spark or two for things to explode.”

And it continues –

”As vaccines are rolled out to the general public, the divide between those obeying the rules and the dissidents will only grow. Those who decline to get the jab will be treated as pariahs, banned from some public spaces and told it’s their fault life hasn’t gone back to normal, just as so-called “anti-maskers” have been.”

And more glorious prospects

“Anyone who isn’t thrilled by the idea of ingesting an experimental compound whose makers have been indemnified from any lawsuits, will be deemed an enemy of the state, even separated from their children or removed from their home as a health risk. Neighbors will gleefully rat each other out for the equivalent of an extra chocolate ration, meaning even the most slavishly obedient individuals could end up in “quarncentration camps” for upsetting the wrong person.”

Yes, we are in the midst of war

A war that has already ravaged our society, divided it all the way down to families and friends.

If we are not careful, we may not look our children and grandchildren in the eyes, because we knew, we ought to have known what was and is going on, what is being done, by a small dark power elite – the Globalists. We must step out of our comfort zone, and confront the enemy with an awakened mind of consciousness and a heart filled with love – but also with fierce resistance.

If we fail to step up and stand up for our rights, this war goes on to prepare future generations – to abstain from congregating with other people.

They are already indoctrinating our kids into keeping away from friends, school colleagues, peers, and from playing in groups with each other – as the New Normal.

The self-declared cupula – the crème of the crop of civilization – the Globalist evil masters, already compromised and continue to do so, the education systems throughout the globe to instill into kids and young adults that wearing masks is essential for survival, and “social distancing” is the only way forward.

Must see Video

Children of the Great Reset

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ncE5yYQvJY (6 min. video).

Breaking the Social Fabric. Towards Totalitarian Rule

They, the Globalists, know damned well that once a civilization has lost its natural cohesion – the social fabric is broken, the very fabric that keeps a civilization together and dynamically advancing, they have won the battle. Maybe not the war, since the war will last as long as there is resistance. The “dynamic advancing” – or simply dynamics itself – is their nightmare, because dynamics is what makes life tick – life, people, societies, entire nations and continents. Without dynamics life on the planet would stand still.

And that’s what they want – a Globalist dictator, controlling a small population of serfs, or robotized slaves, that move only when told, own nothing and are given a digital blockchain controlled universal income, that, depending on their behavior and obedience, they may use to buy food, pleasure and comfort. Once the slaves are dispensable or incorrigible, their electronically controlled brains are simply turned off – RIP.

This may turn out to be the most devastating war mankind has ever fought.

May We, the People, see through this horrendous sham which is already now playing out, in Year One of the UN Agenda 21 /30;

And may We, the People, the commons, win this war against a power-thirsty elite and its bought administrators and “scientists” throughout the world – and restore a sovereign, unmasked, socially coherent society – in solidarity.

See the following Global Research articles by Peter Koenig on the “The Great Reset”

The World Economic Forum (WEF) Knows Best – The Post-Covid “Great Global Reset”,

The Post Covid World, The WEF’s Diabolical Project: “Resetting the Future of Work Agenda” – After “The Great Reset”. A Horrifying Future

Die Post-Covid-Welt, das teuflische Projekt des WEF: „Resetting the Future of Work Agenda“ – Nach dem „Großen Reset“. Eine erschreckende Zukunft

COVID and Its Man-Made Gigantic Collateral Damage: The Great Reset – A Call for Civil Disobedience

Covid-19: The Great Reset – Revisited. Scary Threats, Rewards for Obedience….

Peter Koenig is a geopolitical analyst and a former Senior Economist at the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), where he has worked for over 30 years on water and environment around the world. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for online journals and is the author of Implosion – An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed; and co-author of Cynthia McKinney’s book “When China Sneezes:Clarity Press – November 1, 2020).

Peter Koenig is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/we-are-at-war-2/5733672

[Anthea]

How The Covid-19 Vaccines Work

Researchers are testing 64 coronavirus vaccines in clinical trials on humans. Here are explanations about how some of the leading vaccines work

How the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Works

The vaccine, known as Comirnaty, has been approved or authorized for emergency use in several countries, including the United States. Clinical trials showed the vaccine has an efficacy of 95 percent.

How Moderna’s Vaccine Works

The vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, has been authorized for emergency use in the United States, the European Union and other countries. Clinical trials showed the vaccine has an efficacy of 94.5 percent.

Adenovirus-Based Vaccines

How the Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine Works

The vaccine, known as AZD1222 or Covishield, is authorized for emergency use in Britain, India, Mexico and other countries. Clinical trials showed the vaccine has an efficacy of 62 to 90 percent, depending on dosage.

How the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Works

The vaccine, called Ad26.COV2.S, is in Phase 3 trials and has not been authorized by any country. Trial results are expected in January.

How the Gamaleya Vaccine Works

The vaccine, known as Sputnik V or Gam-Covid-Vac, is a combination of two different Adenoviruses, Ad26 and Ad5. The vaccine is in use in Russia, Belarus and several other countries. A Phase 3 trial showed an efficacy of 91 percent.

Protein-Based Vaccines

How the Novavax Vaccine Works

The vaccine, known as NVX-CoV2373, is in Phase 3 trials. The vaccine has not been authorized by any country.

Inactivated Coronavirus Vaccines

How the Sinopharm Vaccine Works

The vaccine, known as BBIBP-CorV, is approved in China, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Sinopharm says the vaccine has an efficacy rate of 79.34 percent.

How the Sinovac Vaccine Works

The vaccine, known as CoronaVac, is authorized for limited use in China. Trials in Brazil found an overall efficacy of just over 50 percent, the minimum threshold set by many regulatory agencies for authorizing a coronavirus vaccine.

How Bharat Biotech’s Vaccine Works

The vaccine, known as Covaxin, is authorized for emergency use in India, despite a lack of published Phase 3 trial results. The vaccine’s efficacy is not yet known.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/202 ... obal-en-GB

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How a £20 gadget could save lives

One of the mysteries of Covid-19 is why oxygen levels in the blood can drop to dangerously low levels without the patient noticing. It is known as silent hypoxia

As a result, patients have been arriving in hospital in far worse health than they realised and, in some cases, too late to treat effectively.



But a potentially life-saving solution, in the form of a pulse oximeter, allows patients to monitor their oxygen levels at home, and costs about £20 (online from Amazon and local chemists)

They are being rolled out for high-risk Covid patients in the UK, and the doctor leading the scheme thinks everyone should consider buying one.

Oxygen levels

A normal oxygen level in the blood is between 95% and 100%.

"With Covid, we were admitting patients with oxygen levels in the 70s or low-or-middle 80s," said Dr Matt Inada-Kim, a consultant in acute medicine at Hampshire Hospitals.

He told BBC Radio 4's Inside Health: "It was a really curious and scary presentation and really made us rethink what we were doing."

Dr Inada-Kim became the national clinical lead of the Covid Oximetry@home project.

A pulse oximeter slips over your middle finger and shines a light into the body. It measures how much of the light is absorbed in order to calculate oxygen levels in the blood.

In England, they are being given to people with Covid who are over 65, younger but have a health problem, or anyone doctors are concerned about. Similar schemes are being rolled out across the UK.

People measure and record their oxygen levels three times a day.

If oxygen levels drop to 93% or 94%, then people speak to their GP or call 111. If they go below 92%, people should go to A&E or call 999 for an ambulance.

Studies, which have not been reviewed by other scientists, have shown even small drops below 95% are linked to an increased risk of dying.

Dr Inada-Kim said: "The point of this whole strategy is to try to get in early to prevent people getting that sick, by admitting patients at a more salvageable point in their illness."

Chris Harris, who is 70, was one of the first patients to benefit from the scheme.

He was being treated for a urinary infection in November last year, but then when he developed unexpected flu-like symptoms his GP sent him for a Covid test. It was positive.

"I don't mind admitting I was in tears, it was a very stressful, frightening time," he told Inside Health.

His oxygen levels dropped a couple of percentage points below the normal zone, so after a call with his GP, he went to hospital.

At this point he was still feeling fine, but things changed the day after he was admitted.

"My breathing started to get a little bit laboured, I had a high temperature as the days went on, [my oxygen levels] were progressively getting lower, they were in their 80s," he told me.

Chris was treated, did not need intensive care and has made a full recovery.

He said: "I may have gone [to hospital] as the very last resort and that's the frightening thing. It was the oxygen meter that forced me to go, I would have just sat it out thinking I would recover.

"I am extremely lucky and very, very grateful."

His GP, Dr Caroline O'Keefe, says she has seen a massive increase in the number of people being monitored.

She said: "On Christmas Day we were monitoring 44 patients, today I have 160 patients who I am monitoring daily. So we are certainly busy."

"We've had to quadruple the size of our team in the last two weeks."

Overall, NHS England has supplied around 300,000 pulse oximeters for the home-monitoring scheme.

Life-saving?

Dr Inada-Kim says there isn't definitive proof that the gadget saves lives and it could take until April to know for sure. However, the early signs are all positive.

"What we think we can see are the early seeds of a reduction in the length of stay after a hospital admission, an improvement in survival and a reduction in the pressures on the emergency services," he said.

He is so convinced of their role in tackling silent hypoxia that he said everyone should consider buying one.

"Personally I would, and I know a number of colleagues who have bought pulse oximeters to distribute to their loved ones," he said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55733527

[Anthea]

German paper AstraZeneca vaccine

The German newspaper behind claims that the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is only effective in 8% of over-65s has doubled down on its claims and stated there was no mix-up in its reporting

Business paper Handelsblatt yesterday published the story containing a claim based on unnamed political sources which was rejected by the manufacturers and the UK and German governments.

Some German media outlets reported the suspected source of the error - a mix-up with the figure of eight per cent of trial participants who were aged 56 to 69.

Today a new Handelsblatt article declared it was 'impossible to mix up the numbers'.

Others believe it is possible that eight per cent was the lowet possible figure taken from a wide range of estimates on efficacy.

A new article published on Handelsblatt's website quoted a senior source who declared it was 'impossible to mix up the numbers,' after others attempted to debunk a claim in the paper yesterday that AstraZeneca's vaccine is only effective in eight per cent of patients over 65

The article, which was published shortly after 6pm, is titled 'Controversy over Astra-Zeneca vaccine.'

The piece quotes a high-ranking official from Germany's Federal Ministry of Health, who is quoted as saying: 'It is impossible to mix up the numbers. According to the data we have so far, the effectiveness in people over 60 is less than ten percent.'

Journalists at the German publication claim it reported on 'internal calculations by a federal authority in the department of the Ministry of Health,' which claimed preliminary data suggest the AstraZeneca vaccine was only effective in eight per cent of over volunteers over 65.

Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told The Times it was possible that eight per cent represented the 'misleading,' bottom of a range of estimates.

He said: 'The randomised data on immunogenicity does not suggest that there will be notably lower efficacy at older ages for the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine.'

German newspaper Handelsblatt continued to run this this headline prominently on its website today, saying: 'Setback to coronavirus vaccine: AstraZeneca vaccine appears to hardly work on seniors'. The story has been debunked by the manufacturers and UK and German authorities

Handelsblatt was still running the original story today with the headline: 'Setback to coronavirus vaccine: AstraZeneca vaccine appears to hardly work on seniors'.

A subheading noted that Germany's health minister Jens Spahn had been 'circumspect' about the claim, without mentioning the ministry's subsequent denial.

Gregor Waschinski, one of the journalists behind the story, stood by it on Monday night and said it was confirmed by 'multiple sources familiar with the German vaccination policy'.

Mass-market paper Bild, which also ran a story last night casting doubt on AstraZeneca's vaccine, has similarly not retracted its claims.

Under the headline of 'massive storm over AstraZeneca vaccine', the paper said on Tuesday the German government still feared EU regulators would not approve the vaccine for older people.

German paper Bild, which also questioned the effectiveness of the vaccine, ran this story today with the headline 'Massive storm about AstraZeneca vaccine' above a picture of German health minister Jens Spahn

The paper did report that AstraZeneca and the health ministry had denied the claims, without going into detail about the suspected mix-up.

But it also quoted a scientist suggesting that over-65s should not be given the vaccine in any case because of doubts over the trial data.

Other German news outlets pointed out the apparent error more prominently, with Der Spiegel saying on its homepage: 'Did the newspaper make a mistake? That's what the health ministry suspects'.

Berlin paper Berliner Zeitung ran the story under the headline: 'AstraZeneca vaccine: Claims about effectiveness apparently based on an error'.

Public broadcaster ZDF said that 'media reports saying that the AstraZeneca vaccine is unsuited to seniors are seemingly wrong'.

However, it added that 'questions remain' about the jab's effectiveness, pointing to previously-raised doubts about some of AstraZeneca's trial data.

Other news organisations such as broadcaster ARD and newspaper Die Welt reported the claim and denial without coming down on one side or the other.

The German health ministry had said this morning that 'two things appeared to have been mixed up' in Monday night's reports.

'About eight per cent of the participants in the AstraZeneca effectiveness trial were between 56 and 69, only three to four per cent were above 70. But you can't derive eight per cent effectiveness from that,' a health ministry statement said.

Oxford University and AstraZeneca have hit back against claims their vaccine is only eight per cent effective, saying this is 'completely incorrect'

Health minister Spahn would not be drawn on the specific claims but told ZDF that he expected the vaccine to be approved by EU regulators on Friday.

In Britain, Number 10 sources told MailOnline that the eight per cent effectiveness claim was 'rubbish'.

It is understood that the issue came up at a Cabinet meeting this morning, and Boris Johnson said it was 'not correct'.

Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told the meeting that data showed a good immune response among all older patients.

Sir Patrick also agreed with the suggestion that the publications could have mixed up the effectiveness with the the eight per cent of trial participants.

An AstraZeneca spokesman said the reports were 'completely incorrect', saying it had published data in medical journal The Lancet demonstrating that 'older adults showed strong immune responses to the vaccine'.

Oxford University said there was 'no basis for the claims of very low efficacy', pointing to peer-reviewed publications showing similar immune responses in younger and older adults.

'Furthermore, the preliminary efficacy data in older adults supports the importance of this vaccine for use in this population,' the university said.

Professor Adam Finn, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol who worked on the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said he had 'no idea' where the eight per cent claim had come from.

The row comes amid a feud between AstraZeneca and the EU over an unexpected delay in delivering millions of doses to the bloc.

Last Friday the pharma giant said it would not meet its commitments to the EU because of unexplained 'reduced yields' in its European supply chain.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said today that vaccine companies 'must deliver' and 'honour their obligations' as the European Commission demands answers.

The stand-off has led to calls for export controls so that the EU can monitor vaccine shipments leaving for other countries.

Spahn said today that he was in favour of 'vaccines leaving the EU needing a licence, so that we at least know what is being produced, what is leaving Europe - and if it is leaving Europe, whether there is then a fair distribution'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ticle.html

[Anthea]

UK orders Valneva vaccine

The UK has ordered an extra 40 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine from the French pharmaceutical company Valneva, that should become available later in the year and into 2022

Click image to enlarge:


The government says it will give flexibility should people need revaccinating next winter or beyond.

The UK has secured 407 million doses of different coronavirus vaccines - more than enough for the entire population.

Valneva's jab is still being tested in trials

Although those will take time to satisfy regulators before it can be rolled out, manufacturing at a site in West Lothian, Scotland, has already begun.

The site is already supporting 100 new highly-skilled local jobs for scientists and technicians.

Doses ordered

The jab is expected to be given as two doses and contains a dead version of coronavirus that cannot cause disease, but should teach the body's immune system how to fight it.

The government said it signed a deal to almost double its initial order for 60 million doses.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: "This latest deal is yet another weapon in our national arsenal against this terrible disease, and will ensure we have sufficient supplies to protect the British public in 2021 and beyond.

"Backed with major investment from the UK government, Valneva's site in Scotland will be a vaccine production powerhouse, working flat out to ensure we can quickly deploy jabs across the UK if their candidate is approved, while supporting top quality, local jobs."

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said any surplus vaccine could be distributed globally.

"If approved, Valneva's vaccine will not only help tackle Covid-19 here in the UK, but aid our mission to ensure there is a fair supply of vaccines across the globe.

"No-one is safe until the whole world is safe."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55887264

One would have assumed that prior to ordering a vaccine, all governments would do extensive research on vaccines and buy the most tested vaccine with the best results

Having 7 vaccines does NOT inspire confidence in any of them

By far the worst thing to come out of all the different vaccines, is the FACT that even in a world-wide situation such as this pandemic, countries and scientific organisation are NOT working together for the betterment of mankind but for GREED

[Anthea]

Switzerland demands more data before
Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine approval

The vaccine won European Union approval last week but German and Austrian medical experts last week recommended it should not be used on people aged 65 or over and Poland said yesterday it would only use the vaccine for people aged 18 to 60 following a recommendation from the country’s medical council

The Swiss regulator Swissmedic said it was demanding more efficacy and quality data.

The country separately announced it had ordered millions more Covid-19 vaccine doses from other manufacturers.

Switzerland, which has already ordered 5.3 million doses from AstraZeneca, said it was awaiting results from trials of the shot in North and South America involving tens of thousands of people, after earlier trials did not produce clear data including on efficacy in older people.

“As soon as the results have been received, a temporary authorisation according to the rolling procedure could be issued at very short notice,” Swissmedic said in a statement, adding it was necessary to get additional data about safety, efficacy and quality. “The data currently available do not point to a positive decision regarding benefits and risks,” it said.

AstraZeneca reiterated that its vaccine was being reviewed on a rolling basis by Swissmedic, to speed up the approval process, and that it would share information with the regulator as quickly as it became available. “We are confident that our vaccine is effective, well-tolerated, and can have a real impact on the pandemic,” the company said.

AstraZeneca and its partner, Oxford University, have defended their vaccine that is approved in about 50 countries, saying it had 76% efficacy against symptomatic infection for three months after a single dose, which increased if the second shot is delayed.

The Swiss government said it had signed a deal with Germany’s Curevac and the Swedish government for the delivery of 5m vaccine doses, a preliminary pact with US vaccine maker Novavax for 6m doses, and secured a further 6m doses from Moderna.

These new orders bring total Swiss vaccine orders to more than 30 million doses, enough to vaccinate its 8.6 million population about twice over under a two-dose regimen. Further talks with additional developers are taking place for even more shots, the government said.

Expert: European leaders endangering their people's health by attacking UK vaccine rollout

Leaders in Europe are recklessly endangering their own public’s health by using self-serving point-scoring to attack Britain’s coronavirus vaccine rollout, UK health experts have warned.

Kent Woods, a former chief of both the UK and European Union medicines regulators, told AFP:

This can only be negative on the vaccine takeup in France, in Germany and others. This is bad for public health. Forget the politics. This is a threat to public health and people in the public eye need to be very cautious in the messages they make.

The key point to make is that the views coming out from politicians in Europe are in striking contrast to the scientific view reached by the European regulator, which has representation from all 27 EU member states. These are politically driven rather than scientifically driven.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said in interviews published on Friday that the Oxford University-AstraZeneca jab underpinning the UK campaign was “quasi-ineffective” for those over 65.

He was echoing claims that first aired in Germany but which have been contradicted by the European Medicines Agency.

“This is the very age range we need to get this out to. It seems bizarre to exclude the very patients who need it most,” Woods said.

On Monday, France’s Europe Minister Clement Beaune said Britain was taking “a lot of risks” with its rollout, highlighting its extended gap of up to 12 weeks between first and second doses.

However, UK scientists back the government’s plan as a means of inoculating as many high-risk people as possible, and the efficacy of one dose was vindicated by research published yesterday by Oxford University.

Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said Macron’s intervention was “extremely unhelpful, ill-founded and inaccurate”.

It’s not going to encourage the French population to line up in a queue. I assume they’re wrapped up in the recent history of EU-UK politics rather than any real public confidence issues.

They’ll be picked up by the anti-vaxxer groups who do their utmost to undermine public confidence with social media posts and memes.

UK experts took issue also with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen who, in defending the EU’s slow rollout, implied yesterday that Britain had cut corners in its vaccines approval process.

“The waters have got really muddied,” Head argued, after Brussels locked horns with AstraZeneca and the British government over the UK-based company’s vaccine delivery schedule. “We’ve had so much good news on the vaccination front that it would be a shame to spoil it with political posturing.”

Robert Dingwall, a professor of medical sociology at Nottingham Trent University, said:

But Dingwall, who has collaborated with French sociologists on research, said sceptics in France would also seize on their own leaders’ words.

It’s important that people like Macron and Beaune think further ahead when (vaccine) take-up will become very important for the restoration of anything near normal life.

If France lags, that will have a devastating impact on the French economy.

The Eurovision Song Contest in the Dutch city of Rotterdam cannot go ahead as normal this year because of coronavirus and is likely not to have a live audience, the organisers said today (via AFP).

Efforts are being made to make sure as many artists as possible can perform live for the event, which is due to have its grand final at the Rotterdam Ahoy venue on 22 May.

The glitzy annual musical pageant, which has millions of viewers in Europe and as far afield as Australia, has already been postponed from 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Organisers are taking a “determined yet realistic approach” due to Covid-19 and have “ruled out that the 65th contest can take place ‘as normal’ in 2021”, they said in a statement.

“The Eurovision Song Contest will definitely make its welcome return this May despite the pandemic but … it is regrettably impossible to hold the event in the way we are used to,” added Martin Oesterdahl, the contest’s executive superviser.

Organisers are now focused on a “socially distanced event” with as many artists as possible performing live but either no audience or a limited one. It will also feature strict safety measures including frequent Covid testing, they said.

The Dutch government has “given assurances” that all artists and delegations will be able to enter the Netherlands, the organisers added.

A second option is for the hosts and interval acts to go live from Rotterdam but with recorded performances from all competitors, and again with no audience or a small one.

A third option is for a “lockdown Eurovision Song Contest” with recorded performances by both hosts and artists, and no audience. A final decision will be taken in coming weeks, organisers said.

The Netherlands won the right to host Eurovision after the Dutch singer Duncan Laurence stormed to victory in the 2019 contest in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

A total of 65,000 fans had been expected to attend nine different shows including the final at Rotterdam’s Ahoy venue.

Duncan Laurence of the Netherlands celebrates with the trophy after winning the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest grand final with the song Arcade in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 2019. In the rear is Israeli Netta Barzilai the winner in 2018.

Summary of recent developments

The Covax facility scheme aims to distribute at least 330m doses in the first half of 2021, its co-leaders announced on Wednesday. It has also struck a deal with the Serum Institute of India for up to 1.1bn doses of AstraZeneca and Novavax’s vaccines for $3 per dose for low- and middle-income countries.

Travellers visiting Sweden will have to present a negative coronavirus test taken within the last 48 hours from Saturday, the government announced on Wednesday.

Indonesia has launched out a coronavirus breath screening scheme at train stations in the hope it can identify cases using the rapid method to bring down transmission in a country fighting one of the worst epidemics in Asia.

The Ukrainian government is preparing to end a nationwide lockdown and allow health authorities to relax restrictions in areas where coronavirus infection levels are lower, prime minister Denys Shmygal announced on Wednesday in a statement reported by Reuters.
The Danish government has announced plans to introduce a digital document with which people will be able to prove they have an up-to-date coronavirus vaccine.

AstraZeneca and Oxford University are aiming to develop a next-generation vaccine to tackle new variants as early as by the autumn, a senior executive at the manufacturer has told Reuters.

Russia is planning to step up production of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine abroad, the Kremlin announced on Wednesday, as many European countries experience teething problems in their rollouts.

Indonesia has launched out a coronavirus breath screening scheme at train stations in the hope it can identify cases using the rapid method to bring down transmission in a country fighting one of the worst epidemics in Asia.

The breathalyzer, known as GeNose, was developed by the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM), and offers results in two minutes after the participants blows into a bag, Reuters reported.

UGM researchers said it detects the the presence of the coronavirus in the respiratory tract with at least 95% accuracy.

“This tool adapts the function of the human nose or of the sniffer dog’s nose, which is to recognise the smell, or in this case to recognise the smell of the breath of a person who is confirmed with Covid, compared to people who are not,” he said.

Subjects with positive results are then required to take a confirmatory PCR test.

It is hoped that the machine will be able to assist in the southeast Asian country’s battle against the virus. Indonesia is faring the worst in the region, with about 1.1 million infections and over 30,000 deaths, stretching its hospitals.

Foreign visitors to show negative Covid-19 test to enter Sweden

Travellers visiting Sweden will have to present a negative coronavirus test taken within the last 48 hours from Saturday, the government announced on Wednesday.

The move is aimed at keeping new, more transmissible variants of the virus from spreading, according to Reuters. Restrictions are already in place for people coming from Britain, Denmark and Norway, as well as for all other travellers from outside the European Union.

“From Saturday 6 February, foreign citizens who want to enter Sweden will have to show a negative Covid-19 test,” prime minister Stefan Lofven told a news conference. “Without that they won’t be able to enter the country.”

The government said there would be exceptions to the rule, such as cross-border commuters and foreign citizens resident in Sweden.

An upmarket hotel in South Africa has introduced robots into its lobby as a way to help reduce the risk of coronavirus infection in a country that has recorded more than 1.45 million cases and nearly 45,000 deaths.

“Welcome to Hotel Sky,” the robot greets guests. “I am not a person, I am a virtual agent. You can ask me a question.”

Three robots ride the elevators and navigate the corridors of the 453-room hotel in Johannesburg, carrying luggage or delivering room service orders, according to AFP.

The robots were designed in 2019 as a key part of the experience offered by the hotel, which only welcomed its first guests after the pandemic had struck.

Denmark has recorded an increase in the proportion of coronavirus cases of the more transmissible variant, health authorities said, despite its overall infection numbers falling.

The variant first detected in the south-east of England is expected to be the dominant variant by mid-February, Reuters reported, with numbers steadily increasing in recent weeks.

Just 4% of all positive tests analysed for their genetic material had the mutated variant in the first week of the year, jumping to 13.3% in the fourth week of January and 16.5% last week.

The rising figures stand in contrast with the general decline in infections observed in Denmark, the general infection rate is on the decline in Denmark, which has seen a steep fall in the numbers since it imposed a harsh lockdown measures in mid-December.

The country has gone from recording several thousands of daily Covid-19 infections in December to only 425 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the State Serum Institute,.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/ ... 7e5846799f

[Anthea]

UK past this peak but still high

The UK is "past the peak" of the current wave of the pandemic but infection rates are still high, England's chief medical officer says

Prof Chris Whitty said the number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths were on a "downward slope" but that did not mean there would not be another peak.

Boris Johnson praised the "colossal" effort to vaccinate 10 million people, including 90% of those aged over 75.

But the NHS was still under "huge pressure", the prime minister said.

Speaking at a Downing Street briefing, Prof Whitty said while the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 had reduced "quite noticeably", it was still above that of the first peak in April 2020.

"So this is still a very major problem, but it is one that is heading the right way," he said.

Prof Whitty said infection rates were "coming down but they are still incredibly high".

If the rate was to increase again "from the very high levels we are at the moment the NHS will get back into trouble extraordinarily fast", he added.

His comments were echoed by the prime minister, who warned the level of infection was still "forbiddingly high" and that it was too soon to relax current restrictions.

On Wednesday the UK recorded a further 1,322 deaths reported within 28 days of a positive test for coronavirus, bringing the total number of people who have died by this measure to 109,335, while a further 19,202 new cases were recorded.

Mr Johnson told the briefing: "Though today there are some signs of hope - the numbers of Covid patients in hospital are beginning to fall for the first time since the onset of this new wave - the level of infection is still alarmingly high."

There are also about 32,000 Covid patients in hospital, he added.

The prime minister said he hoped schools in England would be able to begin reopening from 8 March, as evidence showed the coronavirus vaccines reduced "death and serious illness" from the main strains of the disease.

But he insisted the government would not be opening schools any earlier than this date, despite First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying that schools in Scotland would begin a phased reopening from 22 February.

Elsewhere, the Welsh government is due to make a decision by the end of the week on whether to reopen its schools after the February half-term.

Prof Whitty said schools in England had been managing to "hold the line" and remain open up until the new, more transmissible variant of the virus hit.

He said it was up to ministers to decide the opening dates for schools but that he was confident the risk to children of getting Covid-19 was "incredibly low".

Meanwhile, he warned that predictions that every adult could offered a first dose of a vaccine by May and a second by August were "at the very optimistic end" due to supply constraints.

Mr Johnson said at the news conference the government would be sticking with its "cautious" approach.

He said ministers would outline a "route map" out of lockdown on 22 February and that the country would be in "a very different situation" to last summer, when disease levels had been reduced but there was no vaccine.

Vaccines are being given to the most vulnerable first. A list of nine high-priority groups which covers about 32 million people - including 90-99% of those most at risk of dying - is being followed, with an aim to vaccinate the first four by 15 February.

There is a lot to be hopeful for. The vaccine rollout is going well. Infection levels and the numbers in hospital are coming down - and there are early signs the same is happening with deaths.

Progress should continue in the coming weeks as the impact of vaccination starts to kick in - deaths could then start falling rapidly.

But the great unlocking will have to be slow.

Why? While the numbers in hospital are coming down, it's from an incredibly high base. There are still 50% more patients in hospital now than there were during the first peak.

The pressures are going to be severe for some time.

What is more, come mid-February when all the over 70s will have been offered the jab, there will still be significant numbers at risk of hospitalisation if they are infected.

Most deaths are in the over-70s, but close to half of hospital cases are in the under-70s. A delicate balance will have to be struck until the over-50s are protected.

Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the results of a study which showed the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine might reduce the spread of coronavirus as "absolutely superb".

The researchers behind the jab have also said that a vaccine to tackle variants of the virus could be ready to deploy by the autumn should they be needed.

A "small number" of cases of the coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa have been found in Birmingham as well as three cases without any travel history in Wales.

It comes after door-to-door testing has been launched to detect the mutation, which is thought to be more infectious but not necessarily more deadly.

The prime minister also led a clap for fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore. The 100-year-old, who raised almost £33m for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden, died with coronavirus in Bedford Hospital on Tuesday

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55924149

[Anthea]

Extent of Covid vaccine side-effects

About one in three people recently given a Covid vaccine by the NHS report some side-effects

None was serious - a common one was some soreness around the injection site, the UK researchers who gathered the feedback found.

Experts say the findings, from about 40,000 people - mostly healthcare workers - are reassuring for the millions having the vaccines now.

Some side-effects are to be expected and not a bad thing, they say.

This is not the disease itself, but the body's response to the vaccine.

Covid vaccines do not contain the pandemic virus and cannot give people the disease.

Instead, they use a harmless version or part of coronavirus to teach the body how to recognise and fight the real thing, should it need to.

The researchers asked for feedback, via an app, from people who had received at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by early January.

The Zoe app team from King's College London found:

37% experienced some local "after-effects", such as pain or swelling near the site of the injection, after their first dose, rising to about 45% of the 10,000 who had received two doses

14% had at least one whole-body (systemic) after-effect - such as fever, aches or chills - within seven days of the first dose, rising to about 22% after the second dose

These after-effects resolved within a few days.

And all of the medical trials and real-world experiences so far suggest the vaccines are safe and effective.

Report concerns

Doctors do say people with a history of significant allergic reactions, rather than general allergies, should not have the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or the similar Moderna vaccine, however, because of a small number of allergic reactions needing treatment

Safety checks will continue around the globe.

And in the UK, people can report concerns to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's Yellow Card scheme.

Dr Anna Goodman, at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, in London, who has been running trials with other coronavirus vaccines, from Oxford-AstraZeneca and Novavax, said side effects may be unpleasant but suggested the immune system was responding to the vaccine.

But people still needed to follow social-distancing rules, because protection may not be 100%.

"Because you have more fever, that doesn't mean you are more immune," she said.

"You can't presume it to.

"Although, it does suggest that your immune system is, of course, doing something."

And people could take paracetamol for mild after-effects, such as a sore arm, she said.

Lead Zoe app researcher Prof Tim Spector said: "Generally, most people should be reassured by this data."

He said anyone who had a fever or other symptoms that could suggest coronavirus should get tested, even if they have been vaccinated.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55932832

[Anthea]

My Question:

How many people have died Covid 19 positive
and
How many people have died because of Covid 19

In the UK it appears that it is classed as a Covid death if a person dies within 28 days of testing positive

[Anthea]

A third suffer covid vaccine side effects

A new study suggests more than a third of people who receive their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine report some side effects - and a more frequent reaction in people who have had Covid

Most of the side effects with the first dose were mild, and included pain or swelling around the site of the injection.

The data from the study suggests people who have previously had Covid-19 are almost twice as likely to experience one or more mild whole body (systemic) side effects, compared to those who have not had the virus (33% vs 19%) from a Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine dose.

According to the latest data from the Zoe Covid Symptom Study app, the most common mild whole body (systemic) side effects were fatigue (9%), headache (8%) and chills or shivers (4%).

Tim Spector, lead scientist on the study and professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, said: "This data set is a unique look at those who have been vaccinated in the real world outside trials, and so far the post-vaccine effects we see are mild and in the minority of people.

"It’s interesting to see that those with previous Covid are more likely to experience these mild after effects than naive subjects.

“This could be good news, as a larger response like this suggests that those getting a first dose after having had Covid are generating a stronger immune reaction and may get greater protection from just a single shot of the vaccine.”

Most mild whole body (systemic) side effects appeared in the first two days after the vaccination and only 3% of people have any after effects beyond three days.

The figures, based on a sub-sample of almost 40,000 vaccine doses, suggest that 37% of people experienced some local side effects after the first dose, and 45% after the second.

While 14% of people reported at least one whole body side effect within seven days from the first dose compared to 22% from the second dose, possibly indicating a stronger immune response after the second dose.

The data found that 13% of vaccinated men, and 19% of vaccinated women, reported at least one systemic side effect within seven days

Under 55s were more likely to experience whole body side effects than those over 55s (21% vs 14%).

Covid-19 vaccines work by using a harmless version or component of the coronavirus to train the immune system, so when the virus is encountered the body is able to fight it off.

This response can feel like some of the symptoms when the body is fighting off a real infection, including headaches, fever, chills or shivers, tiredness (fatigue), muscle or joint pains, diarrhoea and feeling sick (nausea).

Experts say a stronger response may indicate evidence of an increased immune response.

This current data is for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and most of those analysed were healthcare workers.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/pfiz ... 18681.html