27th Sep 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=503 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

The Hill on MSN.com Pfizers CEO Albert Bourla said on Sunday he anticipates a return to normal life postpandemic within the year.I agree that within a year I think will we able to come back to normal life Bourla said on ABCs This Week. Bourla added that he does not think that this means variants will no longer exist or that vaccines would be unnecessary. Bourla said that the most likely scenario was that the world would continue to see new variants and have vaccines that would last at least a year. I think the most likely scenario is annual revaccination but we dont know really. We need to wait and see the data Bourla said. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pfizer-ceo-predicts-normal-life-within-a-year/ar-AAOQhbj 26th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

CNN Dr. Sarah Ash Combs first step of treatment for children brought into her emergency room with Covid19 usually begins with a question What socks are you wearing today As her schoolaged young patients look up at indistinguishable faces covered by PPE Combs pulls up a pant leg of her scrub to show her own socks. Sometimes theyre mismatched sometimes theyre covered in animals. And if shes wearing her favorite they have sushi. The surge in Covid19 cases brought on by the highly transmissible Delta variant has meant an increase in hospitalizations among children many of whom are not eligible for a vaccine yet. Nearly 26 of all Covid19 cases nationwide are reported in children according to recent data published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/26/us/pediatric-covid-doctors/index.html 26th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Sydney Morning Herald Psychologists are struggling to keep up with the mental health demands of the pandemic with a survey showing one in five were forced to close their books to new patients and others have wait times of up to three months as ongoing restrictions take their toll. Clinical psychologist Dr Lee Cubis who works in a twoperson practice in inner Melbourne said demand has been huge. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/one-in-five-psychologists-close-books-to-new-patients-under-pandemic-strain-20210922-p58tuy.html 26th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg New York Citys school system the largest in the U.S. has been temporarily blocked from imposing a mandate forcing teachers and other staff from getting vaccinated against Covid19 according to a ruling from a federal judge. That mandate is scheduled to go into effect on Monday at midnight. Late Friday a judge from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit referred the case to a threejudge panel on an expedited basis. The hearing will take place on Wednesday Reuters reported. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-25/nyc-temporarily-blocked-from-imposing-schools-vaccine-mandate 26th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg A shortage of healthcare workers and logistical flaws are hampering Indonesias efforts to inoculate its people against Covid19 leaving the worlds largest archipelago trailing its neighbors despite being among the first in Southeast Asia to start the program. Only 17.9 of Indonesias 270 million people are fully vaccinated behind almost every major economy in the region according to Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. About 32 have received their first dose placing the nation among the bottom four on the list. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-26/logistics-staff-shortage-hurt-indonesia-s-vaccination-progress 26th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told fellow leaders of the Quad partnership on Friday India will allow the export of 8 million COVID19 vaccines by end of October in line with a deal reached by the grouping of Australia India Japan and the United States in March Indias foreign secretary said on Friday. https://www.reuters.com/world/india-tells-quad-will-allow-export-8-mln-indo-pacific-vaccine-doses-2021-09-25/ 24th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal The Biden Administrations booster vaccine plan has been messy and confusing but at least it arrived at the right outcome. Credit to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky late Thursday for overruling the agencys outside advisers and backing a broad booster rollout. Last month White House officials and agency heads said they planned to make boosters available on Sept. 20. They were right to prepare but boosters hadnt been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. Two senior career FDA officials told reporters they are leaving the agency because they disagreed with the White House booster plan. https://www.wsj.com/articles/rochelle-walenskys-finest-hour-cdc-fda-janet-woodcock-biden-administration-covid-booster-vaccine-shots-11632511818 24th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The White House said on Friday that millions of federal contractors must be vaccinated against COVID19 by Dec. 8 and that the administration will add clauses to future government contracts mandating inoculations. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Sept. 9 requiring federal contractors to mandate vaccinations but many U.S. companies with federal contracts have awaited formal guidance from the White House before moving forward. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exclusive-white-house-wants-millions-government-contractors-vaccinated-by-dec-8-2021-09-24/ 24th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

The New York Times Katalin Kariko a senior vice president at BioNTech and Dr. Drew Weissman a professor in vaccine research at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine shared this years LaskerDeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award. In retrospect their 2005 breakthrough was apparent when Dr. Kariko and Dr. Weissman proudly published a surprising finding they had made about messenger RNA also known as mRNA which provides instructions to cells to make proteins. The scientists noticed that when they added mRNA to cells the cells instantly destroyed it. But they could prevent that destruction by slightly modifying the mRNA. When they added the altered mRNA to cells it could briefly prompt cells to make any protein they chose. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/24/health/lasker-awards-covid-vaccine.html 24th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal With just over four months to go until the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics the developing picture of the Games is one of severe Covid19 restrictions for outsiders and possible advantages for domestic athletes. The U.S. will require vaccinations for its participantssomething it stopped short of for the Tokyo Games and which some observers say could be a precursor to a requirement imposed by China. Early steps taken last week by China to safeguard its National Games a major multisport domestic event have also raised the prospect of intense measures for people arriving in the country as athletes officials and media. Those measures could potentially include preevent quarantines that could disrupt training at the most critical moment for many Olympians. https://www.wsj.com/articles/beijing-olympics-covid-19-rules-11632488019 24th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Daily Mail Australian PM says stranded Australian expats are able to return once vaccination hits 80. 80 of Australias population are expected to be double jabbed by December. There are currently 45000 Aussies stuck overseas waiting to return back home. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10027027/Covid-19-Australia-Prime-Minister-makes-bold-promise-Aussies-stranded-overseas.html 24th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

ABC Police in Norway have reported dozens of disturbances and violent clashes including mass brawls in the Nordic countrys big cities after streets bars restaurants and nightclubs were filled with people celebrating the end of COVID19 restrictions https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/rowdy-celebrations-norway-end-covid-measures-80241948 26th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Cuba said on Saturday it had exported its threeshot Abdala coronavirus vaccine for the first time sending an initial shipment to Vietnam as part of a contract to supply five million doses to the Southeast Asian country. Scientists in the Communistrun island have developed three homegrown vaccines against COVID19 all of which are waiting to receive official recognition from the World Health Organization. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/cuba-kicks-off-covid-19-vaccine-exports-with-shipment-vietnam-2021-09-25/ 26th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Publichealth researchers seeking new ways to persuade vaccine holdouts to take coronavirus shots are turning to the strategies of the digital marketing industry to figure out how to win over the reluctant. Companies that use online ads to sell products try out various colors phrases typefaces and a whole host of other variables to determine what resonates with consumers. So why not the thinking goes apply the same sort of AB testing to figure out how best to promote vaccines https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-25/to-reach-vaccine-holdouts-scientists-take-a-page-from-digital-marketing 26th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Hill A hospital in Nevada is urging residents to take the coronavirus seriously as it nears capacity due to an influx of COVID19 patients. As a hospital staff we are pleading with you to practice the precautions we know are effective in stopping COVID19 Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital said in a COVID19 update on Friday. The hospital urged citizens to wear masks avoid large gatherings practice social distancing and get vaccinated against COVID19. Most importantly please get vaccinated against COVID19. Vaccination truly is the best way to protect yourself and others from being hospitalized with this disease the hospital said. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/573939-nevada-hospital-urges-residents-to-take-covid-19-seriously-we-are 26th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters El Salvador will begin administering a third dose of COVID19 vaccine to various groups including the elderly healthworkers and people with underlying health conditions President Nayib Bukele said on Friday. The Central American nation of roughly 6.4 million people has obtained some 12 million vaccines since February. Third shots would be given to people including those aged over 60 frontline health staff teachers the armed forces police and firefighters as well as Salvadorans with preexisting health problems Bukele said on Twitter. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/el-salvador-begin-giving-third-dose-covid-19-vaccine-2021-09-25/ 25th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Brazil has approved booster doses of COVID19 vaccines for health professionals with preference given to the Pfizer shot Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said on Friday. The boosters will only be given to people six months after they complete initial round of COVID19 vaccination Queiroga said in a Twitter post. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-approves-covid-19-booster-shots-healthcare-workers-2021-09-24/ 25th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters India To visit the Indian village of Malana deep in the Himalayas a COVID19 vaccination team scrambled over a landslide that blocked the road the day before scaled a retaining wall and then began a threehour trek down and up a river valley. Despite the hostile terrain the northern state of Himachal Pradesh where Malana is located earlier this month became the first in India to administer at least one COVID19 vaccine dose in all its adults. The steep topography was one challenge overcome by health workers walking for hours or days to reach remote villages and another was religious beliefs as the tourismdependent state immunised its roughly 5 million adults. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/doctors-scale-rockslides-invoke-gods-vaccinate-himalayan-villages-2021-09-23/ 25th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Cuba is allowing a staggered opening from Friday of restaurants shopping centres and beaches in provinces that have lowered coronavirus cases even as it battles some of the highest nationwide rates of infection per capita worldwide. The easing of lockdown restrictions coincides with preparations by the cashstrapped Caribbean island nation for its tourist high season which it hopes will bring muchneeded dollars to palliate a dire economic crisis. The government has already announced it will allow more flights and accept COVID19 vaccination certificates for inbound travelers in lieu of a PCR test from November. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuba-starts-reopen-economy-covid-19-vaccine-campaign-races-ahead-2021-09-24/ 24th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters The COVID19 vaccine by PfizerBioNTech will be the only one used in Mexico for atrisk children aged 1217 Mexicos deputy health minister said on Friday. Mexico is expanding its vaccine campaign to children with health issues like cancer diabetes or cardiovascular disease that make them vulnerable to the virus. We can only use the PfizerBioNTech vaccine because it is the only one that has already been scientifically proven to be safe and effective in girls boys and adolescents from 12 to 17 years old Deputy Health Minister Hugo LopezGatell said at a regular news conference. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-use-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-at-risk-kids-2021-09-24/ 24th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Washington Post Highrisk or elderly residents of the D.C. area who received a Pfizer coronavirus vaccination at least six months ago can receive a booster shot as of Friday Maryland and D.C. health officials said although leaders in Virginia have yet to offer their own guidance on the rollout. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan R called it a significant step toward providing additional protection for our most vulnerable residents. Maryland he noted had already begun providing booster shots for elderly residents in nursing homes. While this action was long overdue I am glad that the federal government has finally approved booster shots for seniors and highrisk individuals he said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/09/24/dc-covid-booster-vaccine/ 24th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News A woman who became the first person in the world to get the Pfizer Covid19 vaccine has had her booster. Margaret Keenan 91 from Coventry got her third injection at University Hospital in the city on Friday the same place she was first vaccinated. Also getting the booster was Matron May Parsons who administered Ms Keenans first jab back in December Ms Keenan said she felt happy she had got it done and that it meant she felt free. The UK has administered more than 48 million first doses of coronavirus vaccine so far. Booster jabs are being offered to the over50s younger adults with health conditions and frontline health and care workers. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-58680014 24th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The New York Times State health officials rushed on Friday to roll out campaigns to provide coronavirus booster shots for millions of vulnerable people who got the PfizerBioNTech vaccine and to help a confused public understand who qualifies for the extra shots. Among their challenges making sure that recipients of the Moderna and Johnson Johnson vaccines know that they are not yet eligible for boosters reaching isolated elderly people and informing younger adults with medical conditions or jobs that place them at higher risk that they might be eligible under the broad federal rules. Those of us overseeing vaccine rollouts dont have a clear idea of what to do said Dr. Clay Marsh West Virginias Covid19 czar. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/24/us/politics/vaccine-boosters-rollout-states.html 24th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The New York Times In Buffalo the Erie County Medical Center plans to suspend elective inpatient surgeries and not take intensivecare patients from other hospitals because it may soon fire about 400 employees who have chosen not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Officials at Northwell Health New Yorks largest provider of health care estimate that they might have to fire thousands of people who have refused to get vaccinated. And while the vast majority of staff members at New York Citys largest private hospital network NewYorkPresbyterian had been vaccinated as of this week more than 200 employees faced termination because they had not. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/24/nyregion/coronavirus-hospitals-vaccines.html 24th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Washington Post Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Thursday he supports mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for older teenagers saying vaccines are critical to keeping students in school. I wholeheartedly support it he said. Its the best tool that we have to safely reopen schools and keep them open. We dont want to have the yoyo effect that many districts had last year and we can prevent that by getting vaccinated. Cardona said that in general he believes governors not school superintendents should implement the mandates. I really want to make sure that governors and health officials are driving the communication around public health measures which vaccinations are he said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/09/23/education-secretary-student-covid-vaccine-mandates/ 23rd Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

CBC.ca An inaccurate Canadian study suggesting an extremely high rate of heart inflammation after COVID19 vaccines has been retracted due to a major mathematical error but not before it spread like wildfire on antivaccination websites and social media. The preprint study which was released by researchers at the Ottawa Heart Institute last week but has not been peerreviewed looked at the rate of myocarditis and pericarditis cases after Moderna and PfizerBioNTech vaccinations in Ottawa from June 1 to July 31. The study identified 32 patients with the rare side effects out of a total of 32379 doses of mRNA vaccines given in Ottawa in the twomonth period finding an inordinately high rate of close to 1 in 1000 significantly higher than other international data has shown. But the researchers made a critical error that experts say caused the study to be weaponized by the antivaccination movement at a time when concern over COVID19 vaccine side effects are top of mind for parents whose kids may soon get the shot. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid-19-vaccine-study-error-anti-vaxxers-1.6188806 25th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

CNN Turkmenistan a former Soviet republic home to nearly 6 million people is one of at least five countries that have not reported any coronavirus cases according to a review of data collected by Johns Hopkins University and the World Health Organization. Three of those are isolated islands in the Pacific and the fourth is North Korea a tightlycontrolled hermit state. Turkmenistans repressive President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov who has ruled since 2006 has dismissed reports of Covid19 in the country as fake and told the United Nations in an address Tuesday that the response to the pandemic shouldnt be politicized. But independent organizations and journalists and activists outside Turkmenistan say theres evidence the country is battling a third wave which is overwhelming hospitals and killing dozens of people and warn the President is playing down the threat of the deadly virus in a bid to maintain his public image. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/24/asia/turkmenistan-covid-free-nations-intl-hnk-dst/index.html 25th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

Yahoo News UK Swedens chief epidemiologist stood by the countrys approach to the pandemic even after facing fierce criticism from experts and the King of Sweden. Anders Tegnell said Sweden had made some mistakes in its approach to the pandemic but did not fare very badly at all overall. He made the comments in an interview with Unherd a UK website that focuses on contrarian reporting. The countrys chief epidemiologist hit the headlines as Sweden captured the attention of the world for resisting the imposition of strict lockdowns to control the spread of the virus instead putting the onus on the residents to chose what to do. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/architect-swedens-no-lockdown-covid-140122160.html 25th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

The Wall Street Journal Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs said he has disbanded a task force of scientists probing the origins of Covid19 in favor of wider biosafety research. Dr. Sachs chairman of a Covid19 commission affiliated with the Lancet scientific journals said he closed the task force because he was concerned about its links to EcoHealth Alliance. The New Yorkbased nonprofit has been under scrutiny from some scientists members of Congress and other officials since 2020 for using U.S. funds for studies on bat coronaviruses with the Wuhan Institute of Virology a research facility in the Chinese city where the first Covid19 outbreak occurred. EcoHealth Alliances president Peter Daszak led the task force until recusing himself from that role in June. Some other members of the task force have collaborated with Dr. Daszak or EcoHealth Alliance on projects. https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-panel-of-scientists-investigating-origins-of-virus-is-disbanded-11632571202 25th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

Reuters Hundreds of protesters marched against the introduction of a corona pass in the Netherlands on Saturday as proof of COVID19 vaccination became compulsory to get into bars restaurants theatres and other venues. Hours after the requirement to show the pass or a recent negative coronavirus test took effect the government of caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte sacked a cabinet minister who had publicly questioned the measure. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/dutch-marchers-protest-new-covid-19-pass-enter-bars-restaurants-2021-09-25/ 25th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

The New York Times This year its President Biden who has gotten ahead of the F.D.A. announcing a plan to make Covid booster shots available to all vaccinated Americans long before the agency finished its evaluations of the nations three authorized vaccines. Rather than push back against this maneuver acting F.D.A. Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock endorsed it. Two of the agencys top vaccine regulators resigned in protest taking with them a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be both urgently needed and difficult to replace in the months ahead. The kerfuffle has once again undermined an agency that is supposed to be the regulatory gold standard not just in the United States but around the world. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/25/opinion/sunday/covid-booster-shots-fda-cdc.html 25th Sep 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Vietnam has pushed back a plan to reopen the resort island of Phu Quoc to foreign tourists until November after failing to meet targets for inoculating residents due to insufficient vaccine supplies state media reported. The Southeast Asian nation which is currently shut to all visitors apart from returning citizens and investors has been struggling to speed up inoculations to help contain a spike in COVID19 cases driven by the Delta variant in recent months. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-delays-reopening-resort-island-over-low-vaccination-rate-2021-09-24/ 24th Sep 2021

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian New analysis from the Australian National University published on Friday shows like Amy many parents or caregivers are struggling to find support for their children. In August the university surveyed 3135 Australians age 18 and older 763 of whom were parents or caregivers with children age 18 and under living in their household from the time the pandemic hit. The sample had 1368 children between them. Parents and carers were asked about the mental health of their children and reported they had seen the largest negative impact on the mental health of those aged five to 18 years while there were fewer concerns for children aged two to four. Coauthor of the study Prof. Nicholas Biddle said 71 of parents and carers of young people aged 15 to 18 reported worsening mental health conditions for their children. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/24/it-breaks-my-heart-australian-parents-say-mental-health-strain-on-their-children-is-worsening 23rd Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal The Biden administration publicly touted its plan to roll out Covid19 boosters to almost all the fully vaccinated during the week of Sept. 20 saying data from Israel supported the approach. Yet behind the scenes federal regulators tasked with clearing boosters and recommending who should get them were locked in a pitched battle over whether the data supported the plan according to people familiar with the matter. Some regulators argued that only certain vulnerable groups such as seniors needed an additional shot and that the decisionmaking timeline was too rushed the people said. The dissenters also bristled at the Biden administrations declaration in August that boosters would be widely available if authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arguing it put pressure on the agencies to follow the announced course the people said. https://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-covid-19-booster-authorization-were-disagreements-on-evidence-broad-access-11632506540 25th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Laboratories around the globe increasingly are experimenting with emerging viruses sometimes giving them new capabilities as they seek to identify dangerous ones and find ways to combat them. While the goal is to protect health some of the projects carry the chance of a misstep that could unleash an epidemic some scientists say. Experiments in the U.S. are reviewed in advance by researchers institutions or government funders but risky projects can go forward without being subjected to the highest level of scrutiny especially in some other countries. Some scientists and officials in the Biden administration are pushing for more oversight globally of risky bioresearch. One focus is laboratory work that enhances a pathogen or endows it with new propertiessometimes called gainoffunction researchwhich is often done to assess its potential to infect humans. https://www.wsj.com/articles/since-covid-19-hit-research-on-viruses-has-exploded-is-it-safe-11632496218 25th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Hill A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC study found that schools in two Arizona counties that didnt require universal masking were 3.5 times more likely to endure COVID19 outbreaks than schools with mask mandates. Out of the 191 schools in Maricopa and Pima counties that experienced outbreaks by the end of August 59.2 percent did not have a mask requirement compared to 8.4 percent that required masks from the start of the school year. Almost a third of outbreaks occurred in schools that implemented mask mandates after the school year began. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/573833-schools-without-mask-mandate-35-times-more-likely-to-have-covid-19 25th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Pfizer Inc is in discussions with Singapores Health Sciences Authority regarding obtaining a full license application for its COVID19 vaccine the company said in response to a query from Reuters. PfizerBioNTechs COVID19 vaccine has interim authorisation under the pandemic special access route in Singapore. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to the vaccine last month. Kenneth Mak Singapores director of medical services said in a briefing on Friday Pfizer and Moderna had not submitted applications for full registration to authorities. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-talks-over-full-license-covid-19-vaccine-singapore-2021-09-24/ 25th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Scientific American With more than 18 months of the pandemic in the rearview mirror researchers have been steadily gathering new and important insights into the effects of COVID19 on the body and brain. These findings are raising concerns about the longterm impacts that the coronavirus might have on biological processes such as aging. As a cognitive neuroscientist my past research has focused on understanding how normal brain changes related to aging affect peoples ability to think and move particularly in middle age and beyond. But as more evidence came in showing that COVID19 could affect the body and brain for months or longer following infection my research team became interested in exploring how it might also impact the natural process of aging. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/even-mild-cases-of-covid-may-leave-a-mark-on-the-brain/ 25th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal The story begins on Sept. 18 2001a week after 911when the New York Post NBC News and other media organizations received letters containing militarygrade anthrax bacteria. Three weeks later similar letters arrived at the offices of Sens. Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy. Congress responded to this very direct threat by enacting the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 the Project Bioshield Act of 2004 and the Pandemic and AllHazards Preparedness Act of 2006. That last law established the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority or Barda an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Barda reports to the HHSs assistant secretary of preparedness and response the position Dr. Kadlec held during the Trump administration. Its mission is to facilitate the development of new medical products that would enable preparedness and respond to threats. https://www.wsj.com/articles/history-operation-warp-speed-vaccine-development-covid-19-coronavirus-11632494680 24th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

NBC News Within a day of testing positive for Covid19 in June Miranda Kelly was sick enough to be scared. At 44 with diabetes and high blood pressure Kelly a certified nursing assistant was having trouble breathing symptoms serious enough to send her to the emergency room. When her husband Joe 46 fell ill with the virus too she really got worried especially about their five teenagers at home I thought I hope to God we dont wind up on ventilators. We have children. Whos going to raise these kids But the Kellys who live in Seattle had agreed just after their diagnoses to join a clinical trial at the nearby Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center thats part of an international effort to test an antiviral treatment that could halt Covid early in its course. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/daily-pill-treat-covid-could-be-just-months-away-scientists-n1279938 24th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The BMJ Makepeace Sitlhou reports on how covid19 has affected children in India and how the authorities are making plans to improve provision of care In September 2020 15 year old Well Done Boy Marbaniang was brought to hospital in Shillong India with fever cough and breathing difficulties. He was immediately put on noninvasive ventilation and given intravenous fluids but just five and a half hours after his admission Marbaniang died. He was the first child to die of covid19 in Meghalaya. The northeastern state had the highest case fatality rate 8.3 in India during the first wave of covid19 and one of the highest rates of positive test results 78 against the national average of 2.5 during the second wave. Around 22 of total infections through to August were in under 18s. https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2328 24th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The New York Times The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday overruled a recommendation by an agency advisory panel that had refused to endorse booster shots of the PfizerBioNTech Covid vaccine for frontline workers. It was a highly unusual move for the director Dr. Rochelle Walensky but aligned C.D.C. policy with the Food and Drug Administrations endorsements over her own agencys advisers. The C.D.C.s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Thursday recommended the boosters for a wide range of Americans including tens of millions of older adults and younger people at high risk for the disease. But they excluded health care workers teachers and others whose jobs put them at risk. That put their recommendations at odds with the F.D.A.s authorization of booster shots for all adults with a high occupational risk. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/24/world/covid-boosters-vaccine-cdc-director.html 24th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail Biden urged Americans over 65 and with certain medical conditions or jobs to get booster shots. Ill be getting my booster shot said Biden 78. Frontline workers and those with medical conditions like diabetes are encouraged to get jabs under new CDC guidance. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky intervened to expand eligibility https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10025501/Biden-tells-60-million-Americans-booster-shots-CDC-director-overruled-advisers.html 24th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Washington Post Modernas chief executive says that the coronavirus pandemic could be over in a year and that a boost in production will mean enough vaccines for everyone on this Earth by then. More booster shots should be available too to some extent and even babies will be able to get vaccines Stphane Bancel told a Swiss newspaper in an interview published Thursday. Asked whether that could spell a return to normal next year he replied As of today in a year I assume. With the vaccine industry as a whole expanding production enough doses should be available by the middle of next year so that everyone on this Earth can be vaccinated the French billionaire said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/23/moderna-vaccine-covid-over-next-year/ 23rd Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

BBC News Englands netball Test series in Australia has been called off because of the evolving Covid19 restrictions in the host country. Jess Thirlbys side were scheduled to tour Australia in October following their first series win in New Zealand. To get to this stage and not be able to complete the Australian leg is very saddening said England Netball performance director David Parsons. Englands players will return home in the coming days from New Zealand. The dates and venues for the games in Australia had yet to be confirmed as England Netball and Netball Australia worked to organise the series. https://www.bbc.com/sport/netball/58689192?at_medium=RSS&ampat_campaign=KARANGA 25th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Mail There were 32 new cases of Covid19 recorded in the ACT overnight. At least two dozen of the cases were infectious in the community. There were nine cases at an aged care home were most have been vaccinated https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10027219/Covid-Australia-ACT-records-32-cases-Covid-19-amid-outbreak-aged-care-home.html 25th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Mail New South Wales recorded 1007 new Covid19 cases and 11 deaths on Saturday State crisis cabinet met on Friday to discuss new freedoms in New South Wales Changes will be made when 80 per cent of state is vaccinated by October 25 Increased caps on social events are among expected changes to be announced State government set to formally announce the restriction changes next week https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10026741/Covid-19-Australia-NSW-records-1-007-cases-state-prepares-details-new-freedoms.html 25th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters South Koreas daily COVID19 infections topped 3000 for the first time as an outbreak fuelled by this weeks threeday holiday spreads authorities said on Saturday. Fridays 3273 coronavirus cases surpassed the previous high a day earlier the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency KDCA said taking the nations tally to 298402 infections and 2441 deaths. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-daily-covid-19-cases-top-3000-first-time-after-holiday-2021-09-25/ 25th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Australias Victoria state notched up a daily record of 847 locally acquired cases of COVID19 and one death government figures showed on Saturday as health officials warned the public to stay home ahead of a major national sporting final. Authorities expect case numbers in the state to keep rising until mid November as it races to raise vaccination rates above the 70 double dose threshold up from around 46 currently. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-victoria-state-logs-record-infections-ahead-key-sporting-event-2021-09-24/ 25th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Xinhua Thailand on Saturday recorded 11975 new confirmed cases of COVID19 and 127 more fatalities from the pandemic in the past 24 hours according to the Center for COVID19 Situation Administration CCSA. Of the new infections 3612 cases were reported in the capital Bangkok and its neighboring provinces according to the CCSA the countrys COVID19 task force. The CCSA reported that 94 percent of the new deaths recorded were among senior patients aged over 60 years or patients with underlying diseases. An additional 14700 new recoveries from the coronavirus epidemic were reported while 3323 COVID19 patients remained in critical condition according to the CCSA. For the Southeast Asian country which was hit by the pandemic last year the accumulative number of COVID19 infections has risen to more than 1.54 million including 16143 deaths. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2021-09/25/c_1310209102.htm 24th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Business Insider About 70 of fully vaccinated people in a Texas prison caught COVID19 in an outbreak the CDC said. The data suggests that while Delta can spread among vaccinated people vaccines protect against severe COVID19. Of the unvaccinated prisoners 93 caught COVID19 and one died the CDC said. https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-fully-vaccinated-unvaccinated-texas-prisoner-delta-covid-outbreak-19-2021-9 22nd Sep 2021