5th Oct 2020 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=109 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

The Times The Wuhan Sports Centre which served as an emergency quarantine hospital at the height of the pandemic reopened this week with a 10km run by 2000 people dressed in patriotic red. The Chinese city that was the epicentre of the outbreak is booming again with airlines adding flights to accommodate a surge of travellers for the first extended public holiday since January 23 when it was shut down as the outbreak raged among its 11 million people. Six months after the city lifted its shutdown Wuhan is throbbing with life again. Streets are decked in Chinese flags to mark National Day and to show pride at having prevailed over the virus. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/wuhan-flaunts-victory-over-coronavirus-as-millions-celebrate-chinas-national-day-s26wgps3r 3rd Oct 2020

Lockdown Exit

Wired Now while cases have spiked in other European countries Italy is a picture of relative stability. The country reported just 40.4 infections per 100000 people in the last 14 days. This is far less than Spain 325.9 France 241.8 and the UK 117.9 and even compares well with Germany 32.1 one of the nations that has best dealt with the pandemic. Italys death rate is low too at 0.4 Covid19 deaths per 100000 over the last 14 days compared for instance to Spains 3.3 deaths. While the UK France and Spain have have all had to implement local lockdowns of varying degrees similar measures havent been necessary in Italy at all. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/italy-coronavirus-success 3rd Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian In England headteachers have warned they do not have enough funding from the government to meet the extra costs of the Covid19 crisis leaving school budgets in the lap of the gods. The new president of the National Association of Headteachers NAHT Ruth Davies said schools are being expected to implement Covid safety arrangements without any additional funding at all placing pressure on exhausted school leaders. She called on the government to provide money for items such as personal protective equipment extra cleaning more staff and the physical adaptations made to schools. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/oct/04/exhausted-teachers-warn-they-have-no-additional-funding-to-handle-covid-19 4th Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC In Northern Ireland the PSNI has handed out about 800 spot fines of 60 or more during the Covid19 pandemic but finds itself in a debate over claims of inaction on face coverings. Not a single penalty has been issued in respect of masks in shops or on public transport since they became mandatory. In England and Wales a population of 60m just 89 fines have been handed out showing this law is being enforced with a light touch across the UK. By his own admission it is not a space the Chief Constable Simon Byrne wants his officers to rush into. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-54388838 4th Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

Wales Online The German government has said that people travelling from Wales to Germany have to isolate for 14 days but travellers from England do not. In the advice given to travellers entering Germany the German government said The United Kingdom has been strongly affected by Covid19. In Wales and Northern Ireland there have been more than 50 cases per 100000 inhabitants within seven days which is why the German government has classified these regions as high risk areas. Passengers travelling from Wales and Northern Ireland must therefore undergo a 14day quarantine upon entering Germany. Those who can provide a negative Covid19 test will not have to undergo quarantine. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/drakeford-coronavirus-covid-germany-quarantine-19038916 3rd Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

abc.net.au In Australia completing two weeks of quarantine in a small hotel room has been the norm for returning travellers for months but home quarantine is apparently on the horizon. The announcement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison that some international travellers may soon be able to quarantine at home has given hope to plenty of Australian expats and may encourage more to come home. But with only returning travellers from some safe countries set to be eligible where does that leave the others And what of interstate travellers https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-03/home-quarantine-vs-14-day-hotel-isolation-coronavirus/12721566 3rd Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian New Zealand will not reciprocate quarantinefree trips across the Tasman as the Australian Capital Territory joins Australias travel bubble with the country. On Friday Australias deputy prime minister Michael McCormack announced New South Wales and the Northern Territory would allow Kiwis to bypass the compulsory fortnight of quarantine on arrival from 16 October. On Saturday the ACT joined the scheme. But Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand would stand strong on its pledge to not open up until Australia or specific states and territories recorded a month without community transmission of Covid19. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/oct/03/new-zealand-refuses-quarantine-free-travel-from-australia-as-act-joins-travel-bubble 3rd Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

The Wall Street Journal Certain health workers and first responders should be the first to receive a Covid19 vaccine when one becomes available followed by people with health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe Covid19 disease a special U.S. committee recommended. As supplies of vaccines rise the committee recommended vaccinating groups like teachers childcare staffers and transit workers. Only later should other groups and finally remaining Americans get vaccinated the committee said in a report released Friday by the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine. https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccines-should-first-go-to-health-workers-first-responders-group-recommends-11601647202 2nd Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC People living near Englands border with Scotland say they are angry that Covid19 test and trace apps for the two nations are incompatible. Users living in one nation and travelling to the other can only use one app at a time. Barrister Brian Payne who commutes to Newcastle from the Scottish Borders called it a significant failing. The Department for Health and Social Care DHSC said it was working on a technical solution. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-54384743 2nd Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

Evening Standard With a second lockdown feeling imminent if you are desperate for an overseas holiday a lastminute break could be your best bet. Yet with Turkey and Poland being added to the UKs quarantine list this week our choices of where we can go and not quarantine at either end are quickly diminishing. Just six countries remain which UK visitors can enter without restrictions Sweden Italy Greece San Marino Gibraltar and Germany although the latter has restrictions for passengers from Wales and Northern Ireland. https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/travel-news/countries-to-visit-without-restrictions-uk-a4561576.html 2nd Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

FRANCE 24 Kenya is reporting a decline in coronavirus cases and hospital admissions for Covid19 have fallen sharply but some frontline health workers say infections are going undetected and could even be rising. For several weeks the health ministry has been recording between about 50 and 250 new infections every day a sudden and considerable slump from highs approaching 900 in just late July. The government has responded by easing some of the strictest measures imposed to contain the pandemic. https://www.france24.com/en/20201002-as-lockdown-eases-kenyan-doctors-warn-covid-still-lurking 2nd Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

The Associated Press Millions of distressed Indian manufacturers and traders are counting on the eagerlyawaited OctoberDecember festive season to rescue them from their coronavirus catastrophe. The government began easing a stringent twomonthlong lockdown in June but business still is only a quarter to a fifth of usual and customers are scarce said Praveen Khandelwal general secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders. In August Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 1.46 trillion in infrastructure projects to boost the sagging economy and allocated 2 billion to upgrading the countrys overwhelmed health system. https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-india-narendra-modi-new-delhi-archive-58797dcaf62f46b39f460968f93c366d 2nd Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

Reuters New Zealanders will soon be able to travel to Australia without having to selfquarantine as COVID19 infections slow and Canberra seeks to revive its ailing economy Australian Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said on Friday. New Zealand citizens and residents would be allowed to travel to Australias most populous state of New South Wales and its remote Northern Territory NT from Oct. 16 without having to undergo the twoweek quarantine required of Australians returning from other nations McCormack said. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia/the-beers-are-cold-australia-to-open-up-to-new-zealanders-after-covid-border-shutdown-idUKKBN26N023 2nd Oct 2020

Exit Strategies

India.com In India while the Ministry of Home Affairs MHA has issued new guidelines for Unlock 5 allowing more relaxations outside the containment zones several states on the other hand have extended lockdown in COVID19 hotspots till October 31 to break the chain of coronavirus transmission. https://www.india.com/news/india/unlock-5-0-guidelines-in-india-from-lockdown-extension-till-oct-31-to-school-resumption-heres-what-states-uts-have-decided-4159854/ 2nd Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

BBC Boris Johnsons government has lost control of coronavirus Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said. Speaking to the Observer Sir Keir accused the prime minister of serial incompetence over the virus. He has called for ministers to set out a new road map for dealing with Covid19 until a vaccine is rolled out. A Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister had already set out a package of measures that could be in place for the next six months. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54405718 4th Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

BBC With Donald Trump now in hospital there are growing questions about how he and his wife were exposed to coronavirus. A crowded Rose Garden event is coming under intense focus last weeks ceremony where Mr Trump formally announced his nomination of the conservative Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court. City council member Brooke Pinto told the Washington Post it was disappointing that the White House has flaunted not wearing masks and gathering large crowds. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2020-54401186 4th Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

Reuters UK British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday he expected the next few months of the COVID19 pandemic to be bumpy but that things would look radically different in the spring. Johnson said he knew many people were furious with him over perceived inconsistencies and confusion surrounding the local measures but he was seeking to strike a balance between public health and the wider needs of society and the economy. He denied a suggestion that the local restrictions were not working given infection rates were still rising in the affected areas and there was no end in sight to the measures. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain/johnson-sees-bumpy-covid-winter-but-radical-changes-by-spring-idUKKBN26P0BO 4th Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

The New Yorker The contrast between Trumps airy dismissals of the pandemics severity and the profound pain and anxiety endured by so many Americans has helped define the era in which we live. Hours before he announced the diagnosis Trump claimed in a speech recorded for the annual Al Smith Dinner for Catholic charities that the end of the pandemic is in sight and next year will be one of the greatest years in the history of our country. The Centers for Disease Control and other publichealth institutions have long said that wearing masks is essential to minimizing the spread of the coronavirus. Trump has been of another opinion a delusional one. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/10/12/the-coronavirus-and-the-threat-within-the-white-house 3rd Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

The Economist The Infanta Leonor hospital wedged between a motorway and a suburban railway serves the dense workingclass districts of southeastern Madrid. Last month 402 of its 480 doctors signed a letter to the regional government warning that the hospital was in a state of precollapse with 54 of its 361 beds and all 27 intensivecare spaces occupied by covid19 patients. With 784 cases per 100000 people in the past fortnight Madrid is currently the worsthit region in Europe. This is part of a broader national failure. On July 5th Spains prime minister Pedro Snchez proclaimed that we have defeated the virus and controlled the pandemic. Yet the country is once again Europes coronavirus black spot https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/10/03/spains-poisonous-politics-have-worsened-the-pandemic-and-the-economy 2nd Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

EU Reporter British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government is seeking to avoid a full national lockdown to prevent unemployment soaring into the millions Environment Secretary George Eustice said. Ive not seen any projections of 4 million but certainly we know that there are some 700000 extra people that are already unemployed as a result of this and yes you know the projections are that there are going to be economic impacts Eustice told Sky. Its for precisely that reason that we are trying to avoid full lockdown he said. https://eureporter.co/frontpage/2020/10/02/uk-seeks-to-avoid-national-lockdown-to-stop-unemployment-in-millions-minister-says/ 2nd Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

Evening Standard Pariss top restaurateurs vented their anger today as the French capitals celebrated hospitality industry faced having to shut down to contain a surge in coronavirus infections. Health minister Olivier Veran has already ordered bars and restaurants in Marseille to shut for two weeks and last night warned that Paris could be placed on maximum alert from Monday meaning similar measures there. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/paris-chefs-protest-restaurants-coronavirus-lockdown-a4561651.html 2nd Oct 2020

Partisan Exits

Reuters Turkeys top medical association and the main opposition party on Thursday criticised a decision by President Tayyip Erdogans government to only publicly disclose new coronavirus cases if the patient is showing symptoms. Members of the Turkish Medical Association TTB and of the Republican Peoples Party CHP said the policy acknowledged late on Wednesday by the health minister hides the true scale of the pandemic and was meant to keep the economy moving. In a press conference Health Minister Fahrettin Koca appeared to acknowledge the government did not publish the full number of daily positive COVID19 cases when he said it only tallies those who are symptomatic. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-turkey/doctors-group-says-turkey-hid-the-truth-by-reporting-only-those-with-covid-19-symptoms-idUSKBN26M71J 2nd Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Age The residents of a Melbourne aged care home with no active coronavirus cases have been told that if they leave to visit a doctor they must stay in their rooms for a fortnight upon their return. It is one of many homes across the city to introduce strict resident lockdowns to cut the risk of infections after coronavirus swept through Victorian aged care where 637 have died with COVID19. But some families and aged care experts warn forced isolation is taking a huge toll on the elderly who are not the main risk of introducing coronavirus to homes and may be as much about protecting the reputation of home operators as it is their residents. https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/go-to-your-room-for-two-weeks-lockdown-toll-on-aged-care-residents-20201002-p561k8.html 3rd Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Australian Victorian retail spending plunged 13 per cent in August as Melbournes lockdown forced businesses to close and shoppers to stay at home. The states heightened restrictions which included curfews in the states capital and limits to how far residents could move from their homes helped end a threemonth retail recovery as national turnover dropped by 4 per cent in the month according to seasonally adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/melbournes-lockdown-drove-a-sharp-drop-in-national-retail-turnover-in-august/news-story/a83ec5dc0198062290fe38828a1ba652 3rd Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Sydney Morning Herald COVID19 has killed 890 people in Australia 802 of whom were over 70 669 of whom were in governmentsupported aged care. Estimates vary on how many would have died had we not locked down. Its easier to estimate the negative effects of lockdown because we dont see the positive effects says Flinders University health economist Professor Jonathan Karnon. Australians mental health has worsened and the number of children in hospital with anorexia has dramatically increased. But the number of suicides in Victoria has remained steady. How much of the mental health toll can be slated to lockdowns versus the general anxiety of a onceinageneration pandemic The virus does seem to pose longterm health risks to even the young and healthy but we wont truly know what those are for years. The same is true for lockdowns longterm damage to childrens education and the job prospects of university graduates looking for jobs amid a recession. https://www.smh.com.au/national/numbers-show-lockdowns-are-a-no-brainer-letting-people-die-isn-t-20200922-p55y3z.html 3rd Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Police in Australias coronavirus hotspot state of Victoria stepped up patrolling on Saturday as hundreds of people in the city of Melbourne breached stringent lockdown restrictions and flocked to beaches on the warmest weekend in months. Under the restrictions nearly five million people in Melbourne Victorias capital may exercise or socialise outdoors for a maximum of two hours a day but must stay close to home. People must wear masks in public places. But television and social media footage showed crowds many people without masks at some of Melbournes beaches as temperatures soared ahead of summer in the southern hemisphere. https://www.reuters.com/article/instant-article/idUSKBN26O027 3rd Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian While much of England has enjoyed a return to some semblance of normality this summer with the strictest coronavirus restrictions lifted swathes of northern England have had just a few weeks respite from curbs. These northern boroughs and towns came out of lockdown with the rest of the country on 4 July but just weeks later had local measures introduced preventing them from to differing degrees seeing family opening businesses and visiting pubs or restaurants. There is an overwhelming feeling in these areas of having been forgotten of lockdown prejudice being left under restrictions when others have enjoyed the little freedom the country may experience this year. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/02/the-land-that-time-forgot-months-of-lockdown-grate-in-northern-england-coronavirus 2nd Oct 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Conversation AU The following five charts provide a snapshot of how COVID19 is affecting Australians aged 1824. Though the health impacts of the coronavirus fall most on the elderly it is young adults that have been hit hardest by the economic and psychological costs of the pandemic response. The data for the charts comes from results gleaned from two major surveys run by the Melbourne Institute at the University of Melbourne. https://theconversation.com/5-charts-on-how-covid-19-is-hitting-australias-young-adults-hard-147254 2nd Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Motley Fool Pfizer and Moderna are the two U.S. companies likely to first announce results from latestage testing of their respective coronavirus vaccine candidates. But what if either companys results are delayed Believe it or not delays could actually be great news. The FDA will probably require that participants in latestage clinical studies of COVID19 vaccine candidates be monitored for a median of two months after the second dose of the vaccine. In addition the agency is expected to require that the placebo groups of the studies have at least five cases of severe COVID19. Pfizer and Moderna can control how they meet the first of these two criteria but if there arent enough participants in the placebo group who develop severe cases of COVID19 they wont be able to seek EUA. If this scenario happens it would mean that nearly all unvaccinated individuals in the latestage studies arent being infected by the novel coronavirus. That would be fantastic and point to a significant improvement in how COVID19 is impacting the country. It would also mean that Pfizer and Moderna would have more vaccinated participants to evaluate the safety profiles of their respective vaccines. This could boost Americans confidence in the vaccines. https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/10/04/what-if-pfizers-and-modernas-coronavirus-vaccine-r/ 4th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian British scientists have launched a major study aimed at uncovering the critical role that human antibodies and other immune defences play in the severity of Covid19 cases. Results could support some scientists belief that antibodies triggered by common colds could be protecting children against the disease. Alternatively the study could confirm other researchers fears that some immune responses to the virus may trigger deadly inflammatory reactions that could bedevil attempts to create antiCovid vaccines. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/oct/04/scientists-study-whether-immune-response-wards-off-or-worsens-covid 4th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Sky News Less than half of the UK population could be vaccinated against the coronavirus the head of the countrys vaccine taskforce has said. Kate Bingham said officials hope to give the vaccine to around 30 million adults less than half of the countrys population of 67 million. The head of the immunisation programme told the Financial Times People keep talking about time to vaccinate the whole population but that is misguided. There is going to be no vaccination of people under 18. Its an adultonly vaccine for people over 50 focusing on health workers and care home workers and the vulnerable. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-vaccine-head-less-than-half-of-the-uk-population-could-get-vaccinated-12090472 4th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Evening Standard The military will be involved in the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine Matt Hancock has said as he confirmed the NHS Covid19 app had been downloaded 15 million times. Speaking at the virtual Conservative Party conference the Health Secretary said a Covid19 vaccine was the great hope. Reiterating Boris Johnsons comments about the bumpy months ahead Mr Hancock said the nation was working as hard as we can to get a vaccine as fast as is safely possible. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/military-distribution-coronavirus-vaccine-matt-hancock-a4562896.html 4th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times Beijing is set to expand a programme that administers experimental coronavirus vaccines as Chinese developers chart a risky path to dominating global supplies. In a surprise announcement last month a representative from stateowned China National Biotec Group or Sinopharm revealed that hundreds of thousands of Chinese had already taken the companys two leading experimental Covid19 vaccines. The drugs were dispensed as part of a limited use programme that began with little fanfare by the Chinese government in July. The vaccines were administered even though final stage or phase 3 trials designed to confirm overall effectiveness had not been completed. Details of the programmes scope remain unclear but government statements suggest use was originally restricted to frontline health workers and state employees travelling overseas to highrisk areas including to work on projects along Chinas Belt and Road infrastructure investment scheme. https://www.ft.com/content/6a7289e6-45a5-410d-98c0-9977e4026af1 4th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters India India hopes to receive up to 500 million doses of coronavirus vaccine by July to inoculate about 250 million people health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday as infections in the worlds secondworst affected country continue to surge. Indias has recorded some 6.55 million infections with 75829 in the past 24 hours while COVID19related deaths have totalled 101782 health ministry data showed. There is a highlevel expert body going into all aspects of vaccines Vardhan wrote on Twitter. Our rough estimate and the target would be to receive and utilise 400 to 500 million doses covering 200 million250 million people by July 2021. https://uk.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-india/india-seeks-up-to-500-million-coronavirus-vaccine-doses-by-july-idINKBN26P0F1 4th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Washington Post The investment funds head Kirill Dmitriev has taken aim at other labs seeking a vaccine using adenoviruses from monkeys or messenger RNA. After Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca resumed their coronavirus vaccine trial following a weeklong pause because of an unexplained illness in a trial participant Dmitriev issued a comment that he was delighted trials resumed. Unlike Sputnik V their vaccine uses a cold virus from a monkey rather than a human. At the same time the suspension of trials clearly showed the fallacy of the approach when entire countries exclusively rely on novel and untested platforms when choosing a vaccine for widespread use Dmitrievs statement continued. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/coronavirus-vaccine-russia-sputnik/2020/10/03/83075a10-f380-11ea-8025-5d3489768ac8_story.html 4th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

ThePrint A phase 1 investigational trial has revealed that the Covid19 vaccine developed by USbased pharmaceutical company Moderna elicited a strong immune response in older adults with no serious adverse effects a study has claimed. The vaccine called mRNA1273 is being developed by Moderna in partnership with the US governments National Institutes of Health NIH. For the trial 40 adults over the age of 56 were inoculated with the vaccine. https://theprint.in/health/moderna-covid-vaccine-spurs-strong-immune-response-no-serious-side-effect-in-older-adults/516549/ 4th Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CNN Adults can sometimes suffer from dangerous symptoms that resemble a coronaviruslinked syndrome in children researchers with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Theyre calling it multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or MISA and say its similar to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or MISC. Like MISC MISA is not obviously linked to coronavirus and sufferers may not show any other symptoms that would point to Covid19 infection. But MISA has killed at least three patients and similar to Covid19 disproportionately hits racial and ethnic minorities the CDC team said. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/02/health/coronavirus-misc-cdc-new-syndrome-adults/index.html 3rd Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Science Magazine This afternoon the White House announced that President Donald Trump received an experimental antibody treatment after a test revealed hes infected with SARSCoV2. He reportedly has mild COVID19 symptoms including fever and congestion and he was transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Later the presidents medical team confirmed he had started a course of remdesivir an antiviral drug shown to modestly help hospitalized COVID19 patients. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/10/heres-what-known-about-president-trump-s-covid-19-treatment 3rd Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Sydney Morning Herald COVID19 has killed 890 people in Australia 802 of whom were over 70 669 of whom were in governmentsupported aged care. Estimates vary on how many would have died had we not locked down. Its easier to estimate the negative effects of lockdown because we dont see the positive effects says Flinders University health economist Professor Jonathan Karnon. Australians mental health has worsened and the number of children in hospital with anorexia has dramatically increased. But the number of suicides in Victoria has remained steady. How much of the mental health toll can be slated to lockdowns versus the general anxiety of a onceinageneration pandemic The virus does seem to pose longterm health risks to even the young and healthy but we wont truly know what those are for years. The same is true for lockdowns longterm damage to childrens education and the job prospects of university graduates looking for jobs amid a recession. https://www.smh.com.au/national/numbers-show-lockdowns-are-a-no-brainer-letting-people-die-isn-t-20200922-p55y3z.html 3rd Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Metro Four out of five people with sudden loss of smell or taste tested positive for Covid19 antibodies new research has suggested. The findings suggest an acute loss of smell or taste is a highly reliable virus indicator scientists say. They add that loss of smell or taste should now be considered globally as a criterion for selfisolation testing and contact tracing. Researchers at UCL and UCLH University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust assessed health data from primary care centres in London. https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/02/study-reveals-the-most-likely-indicator-of-a-covid-19-infection-13360239/ 2nd Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters British government scientists said on Friday it was still likely that a resurgence in the COVID19 epidemic was spreading exponentially despite survey data that suggested a small levelling off in a recent sharp rise of cases. The Office for National Statistics had said there was some evidence that the steep increases in new COVID19 cases seen in recent weeks in England was slowing down. But government scientists urged caution as they published a reproduction R number that had risen slightly to 1.31.6 from 1.21.5 meaning that on average every 10 people infected will infect between 13 and 16 other people. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-infections/covid-19-still-likely-to-be-spreading-exponentially-uk-says-idUKKBN26N1VA 2nd Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

NPR In the largest study ever of transmission patterns for COVID19 researchers in India tested more than a halfmillion contacts of 85000 cases to examine how and to whom the coronavirus is spreading. The first interesting finding Children are spreading the virus amongst themselves and also to adults. Second The greatest risk for infection among the people studied in the two southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh is a long bus or train ride. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/10/01/919237103/kids-and-superspreaders-are-driving-covid-19-cases-in-india-huge-study-finds 2nd Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times Pfizers chief executive has criticised the politicisation of a Covid19 vaccine during the first presidential debate as the head of the drugmaker in the lead to develop an inoculation said his company would move at the speed of science. Albert Bourla who leads the company with the best chance of submitting a vaccine for authorisation before the US election said he would not be pressured to move more quickly or slowly in what he described as a hyperpartisan year. In a memo to staff seen by the Financial Times he argued that the amplified political rhetoric around vaccine development and timing was undercutting public confidence. https://www.ft.com/content/9ae8bece-dcc8-4fc4-b68d-1d6d0218a572 2nd Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC India has confirmed more than 100000 deaths from the coronavirus a grim toll that ranks it third in the world behind only the US and Brazil. September was the nations worst month on record on average 1100 Indians died every day from the virus. Regional anomalies continue as some states report far higher deaths than others a sign experts say that the pandemic is still working its way through the country. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-54352222?at_custom2=twitter&ampat_medium=custom7&ampat_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&ampat_campaign=64&ampat_custom4=2309EC24-0445-11EB-9AB8-BED84744363C 2nd Oct 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Conversation AU In Australia amid the ongoing disaster in Victorian agedcare homes the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety released its special report into the COVID19 pandemic. This report finally states who is responsible for aged care the federal government finding its actions were insufficient to ensure the agedcare sector was prepared for the pandemic. But the report doesnt offer us a clear picture of what went wrong and why. Importantly its recommendations largely fall short and come too late. https://theconversation.com/older-australians-deserve-more-than-the-aged-care-royal-commissions-covid-19-report-delivers-147273 2nd Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Glasgow Times Four more coronavirus deaths were reported in Scotland as the number of cases of the virus increased by 764. Figures released by the Scottish Government also show 191 people were in hospital with recently confirmed Covid19 including 23 in intensive care. The 764 cases represent 12.4 of newly tested individuals and a fall of 11 on the previous days total. A warning was issued that a socalled circuit breaker lockdown remains a possibility for Scotland. Doctors leaders have said that the NHS is set to experience its most difficult winter since it was founded in 1948 due to the pressure caused by coronavirus. https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18768965.circuit-breaker-lockdown-looms-scotland-covid-cases-rise/ 4th Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian Covid infection rates among doctors nurses and other hospital and care home staff have risen more than fivefold over the past month in London scientists have discovered. The figures provided by the Francis Crick Institute have triggered considerable concern among scientists who fear similar increases may be occurring in other regions of the UK. Increasing numbers of infected healthcare workers raise fears that the spread of Covid19 into wards and care homes which triggered tens of thousands of deaths last spring could be repeated unless urgent action is taken. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/oct/03/surge-of-covid-cases-in-london-health-workers-sparks-fear-of-spread-on-wards 4th Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian In a characteristically stern but satirical video message last week Vincenzo De Luca the president of Campania warned citizens in the southern Italian region that if the coronavirus infection rate continued to rise there would be another lockdown. He struck a more serious tone on Saturday after Italys most densely populated region and one of its poorest registered the highest daily tally of new infections in the country. After showing images of a crowd without masks outside a college and revellers in a bar where there was an outbreak he said We must return to the strict behaviour of February March and April otherwise we get sick. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/04/after-avoiding-the-worst-in-spring-italys-south-sounds-alarm-over-covid 4th Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK Malaysia will not reimpose widespread coronavirus restrictions on travel despite a recent spike in infections which a government minister said was partly caused by migrants from neighbouring countries. Malaysia imposed a nationwide lockdown in March but has been gradually lifting the curbs though authorities have warned that they could be reinstated if daily increases in infections reached tripledigits. The Southeast Asian country has seen a steady climb in cases in the past week and on Saturday reported 317 new infections the highest daily rise since it began tracking the pandemic. But security minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government did not see the need to reimpose the lockdown as the majority of cases were being reported in detention centres and isolated districts https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-malaysia-idUKKBN26O0EF 4th Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK As Myanmars coronavirus infections soar the work never seems to stop for volunteers who have stepped in to help carry those suspected of symptoms to quarantine centres or hospitals. Fatalities hit a new record for one day on Sunday with 41 deaths bringing the total to 412 from only seven a month ago. The toll is now the third highest in Southeast Asia after Indonesia and the Philippines and both deaths and case numbers are doubling faster than anywhere in the world according to Reuters figures. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-myanmar/myanmar-volunteers-under-strain-as-coronavirus-toll-grows-idUKKBN26P09M 4th Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK Northern Ireland reported 934 new cases of COVID19 on Friday more than double the previous record daily total registered two days ago in the Britishrun region. Northern Irelands chief medical officer had earlier described the surge in cases in the last two weeks as extremely worrying and advised the public to prepare for a potential second shorter lockdown. This is an extremely and deeply worrying time were seeing a rapidly deteriorating situation in terms of the number of new cases but also the number of admissions to hospital and intensive care units Michael McBride told BBC radio. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-nireland-idUKKBN26N2BC 4th Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK Polands total number of coronavirus cases passed the 100000 mark on Sunday according to the health ministrys Twitter account as infection rates surge in the country which has reported daily records three times in the past week. While Polands total number of cases remains well below that in many western European virus hotspots reaching 100000 illustrates how the spread of COVID19 has accelerated in a country which avoided the worst of the first wave and where in July the prime minister played down risks ahead of an election. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-poland/polands-total-number-of-coronavirus-cases-exceeds-100000-idUKKBN26P0AT 4th Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN Paris is in danger of going back into lockdown next week after the French government said the coronavirus pandemic was worsening in the capital. Since yesterday in the last 24 hours Paris has passed the threshold that would put it in the maximum alert category French minister of Health Olivier Vran said Thursday evening. Frances maximum alert threshold is reached when the incidence rate reaches 250 per 100000 people at least 30 of intensive care beds are occupied by coronavirus patients and the rate among the elderly passes 100 per 100000. The Paris region had already fulfilled the last two criteria. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/02/europe/paris-lockdown-coronavirus-europe-intl/index.html 3rd Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK Bogota the Colombian capital will see a second outbreak of coronavirus cases possibly between November and December which will hopefully be less severe than the first wave Bogotas mayor Claudia Lopez said on Friday. Most probably towards the end of the year in November or December we could have a second wave much smaller than the first Lopez said in a meeting with foreign press. The Andean country began more than five months of lockdown in March. It entered a muchlooser selective quarantine phase allowing dining at restaurants and international flights at the start of September. On Monday the government extended the selective quarantine until the end of October. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-colombia/colombias-capital-will-see-second-smaller-coronavirus-outbreak-mayor-says-idUKKBN26O01D 3rd Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

BBC Amazon said that more than 19816 of its frontline workers in the US have contracted Covid19 since March. The number equates to 1.44 of its 1.37 million workers across Amazon and its subsidiary Whole Foods. Amazon had faced criticism from employees unions and elected officials who have accused the company of putting employees health at risk. But the online retailing giant said its infection rate is lower than expected. Amazon has kept its facilities open throughout the pandemic to meet a surge in demand from shoppers stuck at home. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54381928 2nd Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

U.S. News & World Report Russia does not plan to reimpose lockdowns across the country for now despite rising coronavirus cases Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday. Russia reported 9412 new coronavirus cases on Friday its highest daily tally since May 23 pushing the national total to 1194643. Moscow the epicentre of the outbreak earlier this year registered 2704 new cases overnight. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-10-02/russia-does-not-have-immediate-plans-to-reimpose-nationwide-covid-lockdowns-kremlin-says 2nd Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Sabah Germany has once again reached a new record in the rise of coronavirus infections over a oneday period as concerns grow that the country might lose its grip on the pandemic as the colder months approach. The Robert Koch Institute the national agency for disease control said 2673 more cases had been confirmed on Friday the highest daily rise seen since the second half of April. Eight more people died after catching the virus bringing the death toll to 9503. https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/germany-sees-highest-daily-rise-in-coronavirus-cases-since-april 2nd Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Times of India In Karnataka experts have frowned on medical education minister K Sudhakars warning that the government will have no choice but to enforce another lockdown if people fail to take precautions to check the spread of the pandemic and help curb rapidly rising Covid19 infections in the state. Experts say a lockdown would be suicidal as the costs far outweigh limited gains since it will help reduce infections only temporarily. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/another-lockdown-in-karnataka-could-be-suicidal-say-experts/articleshow/78434483.cms 2nd Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters India Face masks will have to be worn at all times out of doors in the Italian capital Rome and the surrounding Lazio region local authorities ruled on Friday in an effort to counter rising coronavirus infections. Italy on Thursday registered more than 2000 new coronavirus cases for the first time since the end of April. Lazio accounted for some 265 of those cases and has been increasingly concerned by the growing contagion. A number of other Italian regions including Campania centred on Naples have already made mask wearing obligatory outdoors. https://in.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-italy-masks-idINKBN26N1OB 2nd Oct 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK Tunisia recorded 1308 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday the health ministry said on Friday a record since the start of the pandemic prompting the government to impose a night curfew in two governorates. The total number of cases has jumped to around 20000 compared with roughly 1000 cases before the countrys borders were opened on June 27. https://uk.reuters.com/article/healthcoronavirus-tunisia/tunisia-reports-daily-coronavirus-record-of-1308-cases-idUKL8N2GT236 2nd Oct 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters Schools libraries mosques and other public institutions in Tehran were closed for a week on Saturday as part of measures to stem a rapid rise in COVID19 cases state media cited authorities in the Iranian capital as saying. The closure plan which will also affect universities seminaries libraries museums theatres gyms cafes and hair salons in the Iranian capital came after Alireza Zali head of the Tehran Coronavirus Taskforce called for the shutdown to help control the epidemic. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-iran-idUSKBN26O0IQ 4th Oct 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters Police set up controls and stopped cars on major roads into and out of Madrid on Saturday as the city went back into lockdown due to surging coronavirus cases. Some 4.8 million people are barred from leaving the capital area while restaurants and bars must shut early and reduce capacity by half. The new restrictions which started on Friday evening are not as strict as the previous lockdown in March when people were barred from leaving their homes. https://in.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain-madrid/police-set-up-traffic-controls-as-madrid-heads-back-into-lockdown-idUSKBN26O0MF 4th Oct 2020

New Lockdown

AlJazeera The southern Indian state of Kerala is set to ban gatherings of more than five people amid a recent surge in coronavirus cases a setback for the state hailed by experts as a model in the fight against the pandemic. Indian media reports on Friday said the imposition of Section 144 of Indias penal code will be effective in Kerala for a month starting on Saturday thereby banning any social or political gathering in the state. The measure was announced after Kerala reported 8135 fresh cases on Thursday. It currently has more than 72000 active COVID19 cases the third highest among Indian states according to the reports. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/2/kerala-indias-model-state-in-covid-19-fight-sees-cases-surge 3rd Oct 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters Madrids regional authorities will in the coming hours publish a decree to put the Spanish capital and nine nearby towns under partial lockdown with immediate effect a source from Madrids regional government told Reuters on Friday. By publishing the decree the conservativeled regional government will reluctantly comply with an order from the central government to ban nonessential travel to and from the city to fight a steep surge in COVID19 cases https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-spain-madrid/madrid-regional-authorities-to-lock-down-city-in-coming-hours-source-says-idUSL8N2GT278 3rd Oct 2020

New Lockdown

The Independent Madrids regional government has appealed against a national order that requires a partial lockdown of the Spanish capital just hours before a Friday night deadline for enacting the restrictions in the European coronavirus hot spot. The appeal asks National Court judges to outlaw restrictions on movement social gatherings and commerce by arguing that the order by central authorities violates regional selfrule laws and that it provokes totally unjustified economic damage. Madrid is leading the resurgence of the virus in Spain which has Europes highest cumulative caseload 770000 since the onset of the pandemic https://www.independent.co.uk/news/madrid-officials-reluctantly-ready-city-partial-lockdown-madrid-capital-lockdown-capital-government-b746580.html 2nd Oct 2020