13th Oct 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=516 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Australian consumers who intend to get vaccinated are far more optimistic than those who dont intend to have a jab Westpac Banking Corp.s October household sentiment survey showed. Respondents who are not vaccinated but intend to be recorded an index reading of 122 points while those who arent vaccinated and dont intend to be posted a reading of 84.8 Westpacs monthly survey showed Wednesday. The overall consumer sentiment index slid 1.5 from last month to 104.6. The confidence level of those not intending to get vaccinated has also fallen quite sharply in the last month said Bill Evans chief economist at Westpac. Encouragingly the size of this group has fallen as well accounting for only 6 of respondents in the October survey compared to 9 in September and just under 20 at the start of the year. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-12/australia-s-household-confidence-gapes-over-vaccination-intent 13th Oct 2021

Lockdown Exit

BBC News The UKs failure to do more to stop Covid spreading early in the pandemic was one of the countrys worst public health failures a report by MPs says. The government approach backed by its scientists was to try to manage the situation and in effect achieve herd immunity by infection it said. This led to a delay in introducing the first lockdown costing thousands of lives the MPs found. But their report highlighted successes too including the vaccination rollout. It described the approach to vaccination from the research and development through to the rollout of the jabs as one of the most effective initiatives in UK history. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58876089 12th Oct 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The European Union may consider signing a supply deal with U.S. drugmaker Merck for its experimental COVID19 pill but only after the company starts the process of seeking approval for the drug in the bloc a senior EU official said on Tuesday. The oral antiviral treatment molnupiravir has been developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/eu-may-consider-deal-mercks-covid-pill-after-approval-procedure-begins-source-2021-10-12/ 12th Oct 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Rwanda Senegal and South Africa could be potential locations for Modernas planned vaccine factory in Africa the U.S. drugmakers cofounder and chairman said as it steps up its search for a site on the continent. Moderna said last week it would build a plant in Africa to produce up to 500 million doses of vaccines a year including its COVID19 shot as pressure grows on pharmaceutical companies to manufacture drugs in lowerincome countries. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/modernas-search-african-site-set-intensify-chairman-2021-10-12/ 12th Oct 2021

Lockdown Exit

Forbes The peerreviewed study led by researchers at Binghamton University determined a Public Health Protective Policy Index PPI that measured the stringency of states public health policies and analyzed those findings in relation to states Covid19 transmission and the governors partisan affiliation. The researchers looked at Covid19 rates and policies between March and November 2020 as well as when specific states Covid19 cases peaked. Democraticled states had a PPI that was approximately 10 points higher on average than states with GOP governors though the study notes some Republicanled states like Maryland Vermont and Massachusetts had stricter measures that were closer to the Democratic states. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/10/11/covid-spread-was-8-lower-in-democrat-led-states-than-gop-because-of-stricter-restrictions-study-finds/ 12th Oct 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian Thailand plans to fully reopen to vaccinated tourists from countries deemed low risk from 1 November the countrys leader said citing the urgent need to save the kingdoms ailing economy. Before the pandemic Thailand attracted nearly 40 million visitors a year drawn to its picturesque beaches and robust nightlife with tourism making up almost 20 of its national income. But Covidrelated travel restrictions have left the economy battered contributing to its worst performance in more than 20 years. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/12/thailand-to-reopen-for-some-vaccinated-tourists-from-november 12th Oct 2021

Lockdown Exit

Sky News Thailand will end quarantine for fully vaccinated UK travellers as British COVID advice has been relaxed making it easier to visit almost 90 countries. Fortyseven nations were taken off the red list at 4am meaning anyone arriving from places including South Africa Brazil and Argentina no longer need to quarantine in a hotel. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-travel-between-uk-and-dozens-of-countries-now-easier-after-red-list-cut-to-just-seven-12430770 12th Oct 2021

Lockdown Exit

The New York Times Emily Oster an economist at Brown University who frequently writes about parenting published an article in The Atlantic in March that made a lot of people angry. The headline was Your Unvaccinated Kid Is Like a Vaccinated Grandma. The article argued that Covid19 tended to be so mild in children that vaccinated parents could feel comfortable going out in the world with their unvaccinated children. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/12/briefing/covid-age-risk-infection-vaccine.html 12th Oct 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters New South Wales could ease more restrictions in Sydney a week earlier than planned on Oct. 18 as Australias most populous state races towards its 80 doubledose vaccination target the government said on Wednesday. The southeastern state is expected to hit the mark over the weekend beating forecasts and officials previously promised to relax further restrictions on vaccinated residents on the first Monday after reaching that milestone. If we hit 80 weve always said it will be the Monday following state Premier Dominic Perrottet told ABC Radio. We will have this discussion with our team on Thursday and we will make a decision to be announced on Friday. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/covid-19-curbs-sydney-could-ease-early-amid-surge-vaccinations-2021-10-12/ 12th Oct 2021

Lockdown Exit

Sky News Families of COVID19 victims have attacked an MPs report into government failings during the pandemic as laughable and a slap in the face and say a judicial inquiry is needed to get to the truth. The report said decisions on lockdowns and social distancing early in the pandemic were one of the most important public health failures the United Kingdom has ever experienced and cost thousands of lives. It said groupthink among officials meant chances to delay the spread of the virus were missed and it was a serious early error not to lock down sooner. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-a-slap-in-the-face-families-of-pandemic-victims-attack-mps-report-and-call-for-judge-led-inquiry-12432268 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

Sky News COVID19 is not in the rear view mirror for Britains hospitality sector and it still has symptoms that are very real a leading pubs boss has told Sky News. Clive Chesser chief executive of Punch Pubs spoke about the challenges facing the sector at a discussion on the UKs recovery with leaders from across the economy at Skys Big Ideas Live event. Mr Chesser said the celebratory tone of the prime ministers speech to the Conservative Party conference last week did not match the reality facing hospitality businesses. https://news.sky.com/story/pandemic-not-in-rear-view-mirror-for-hospitality-sector-pubs-boss-tells-pm-12431948 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters South Korea will donate 1.1 mln doses of AstraZenecas COVID19 vaccine to Vietnam and 470000 doses to Thailand the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency KDCA said on Tuesday. The donations come as South Korea has administered nearly 80 of its 52 million population with at least one dose of a vaccine KDCA said https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-donate-11-mln-doses-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-vietnam-470000-doses-2021-10-12/ 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

ABC.Net.au Almost two weeks after Western Australias health sector vaccine mandate took effect just a small number of staff losses is increasing pressure on struggling hospital wards and fanning tension between burntout workers. Health authorities have confirmed frontline staff have been removed from rosters for refusing to have at least one dose since the rules came into force at the start of the month. The nurses union which supports the mandate has accused health bureaucrats of not preparing for the inevitable loss of staff at a time when hospitals in WAs remote north are already being pushed to the brink due to a nurse shortage. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-12/staff-losses-from-vaccine-mandate-wa-hospitals-on-the-brink/100521450 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

Business Standard Bangladesh aims to administer Covid19 vaccines to nearly half of its population by next January. Health Minister Zahid Maleque said the Bangladeshi government is working to vaccinate 80 million people by December and January Xinhua news agency reported citing the Bangladeshs staterun news agency BSS. The minister said the government is considering vaccinating children aged between 12 and 17 years. Bangladesh has already announced a target of vaccinating 80 per cent of its population by 2022. The South Asian country has so far got nearly 70 million doses of the Covid19 vaccine. https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/bangladesh-plans-to-vaccinate-80-mn-people-against-covid-by-next-january-121101200058_1.html 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

NPR Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order to prohibit any entity including private business from enforcing a COVID19 vaccine mandate on workers and called on state lawmakers to pass a similar ban into law. The move comes as the Biden administration is set to issue rules requiring employers with more than 100 workers to be vaccinated or test weekly for the coronavirus. Several major companies including Texasbased American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have said they would abide by the federal mandate. https://www.npr.org/2021/10/11/1045142578/texas-governor-greg-abbott-ban-covid-vaccine-mandates 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail The ACT is set to end its harsh lockdown restrictions by the end of the week Chief Minister Andrew Barr has confirmed. The territorys leader announced Canberra will officially emerge from lockdown at 11.59pm on Thursday as the state increases its vaccination coverage. Case numbers are expected to increase as restrictions are eased but being fully vaccinated provides you with protection he said. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10082701/Covid-19-Australia-Chief-Minister-Andrew-Barr-confirms-ACT-lift-lockdown-week.html 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters The Japanese government is working on starting COVID19 booster shots by yearend deputy chief cabinet secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said at a news conference on Tuesday. Isozaki added that details such as who would get booster shots first and how they would be administered are currently under discussion by experts. We would like to ensure that the rollout of the booster shots is done seamlessly based on the advice of experts he said. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-working-kickstarting-covid-19-booster-shots-by-year-end-2021-10-12/ 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

Sky News The education secretary and health secretary have written to parents of secondary school and college students urging them to ensure their children are testing regularly and also encouraging them to get vaccinated against coronavirus. The letter from Nadhim Zahawi and Sajid Javid comes after official estimates showed that around 270000 secondary pupils had COVID19 in the week to 2 October. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-nadhim-zahawi-and-sajid-javid-urge-parents-of-secondary-and-college-students-to-ensure-they-test-regularly-and-get-vaccinated-12431477 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters New Zealand expects to administer a record 100000 COVID19 vaccine doses in a single day during a mass immunisation drive on Oct. 16 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said as she seeks to accelerate inoculations before easing curbs in Auckland. Ardern on Tuesday urged the countrys population over 12 years of age to roll up sleeves for New Zealand and help make us one of the most vaccinated and therefore protected countries in the world. Some 2.44 million or 58 of the population over 12 have been fully vaccinated so far. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-seeks-ramp-up-covid-19-vaccinations-amid-persistent-cases-2021-10-12/ 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

CNN The nations top infectious disease expert says vaccine mandates work and theyll help get more people vaccinated against Covid19. About a quarter of the eligible US population remains unvaccinated against coronavirus and the rate of people getting booster shots is now outpacing the rate of people getting their first doses. Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNNs Wolf Blitzer on Monday that the federal government is trying to persuade people to get vaccinated on their own but some may need to be required. Weve obviously been trying very hard Fauci said. We try to get trusted messengers out there and try and get this away from being an ideological or political statement get back into the realm of pure public health and try to convince people. https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/11/health/us-coronavirus-monday/index.html 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Tennis players planning to compete in the Australian Open at Melbourne Park should get vaccinated for COVID19 to give themselves the best chance of playing the Grand Slam an Australian government official has said. Victoria state of which Melbourne is the capital has introduced a vaccine mandate for all professional athletes but authorities have yet to clarify whether athletes from overseas or other Australian states must also vaccinate. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/get-vaccinated-if-you-want-play-australian-open-minister-tells-players-2021-10-12/ 12th Oct 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News Face coverings are no longer compulsory in schools in England or Wales although they are recommended in crowded spaces like school buses. However head teachers and health officials can ask staff and pupils to wear masks on school premises in response to local circumstances. Schools in Trafford Cambridgeshire and West Yorkshire have already reintroduced face coverings. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi confirmed that maskwearing in all English schools could be made compulsory again under the governments winter contingency Plan B. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-51643556 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

The Wall Street Journal Texas businesses and other private entities are now banned from requiring Covid19 vaccinations for employees Gov. Greg Abbott said in an executive order issued Monday. Mr. Abbott a Republican said he was adding the issue to the agenda for the current special session of the Texas Legislature and would rescind his order if lawmakers passed a similar ban into law. The Covid19 vaccine is safe effective and our best defense against the virus but should remain voluntary and never forced Mr. Abbott said in a news release Monday. Until now elected officials in Texas have banned governmental entities from requiring vaccines and have banned places of public accommodation from requiring vaccines of their customers but have allowed private businesses to determine whether to require vaccinations of their staff. https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-governor-bans-covid-19-vaccine-mandates-for-employees-11633998245 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

The New York Times Over the last year and a half a majority of the roughly 40 police officers who patrol Baker La. a suburb of Baton Rouge tested positive for the coronavirus. All of them recovered and went back to work until Lt. DeMarcus Dunn got sick. Lieutenant Dunn a 36yearold shift supervisor who coached youth sports and once chased down someone who fled the police station after being arrested died from Covid19 on Aug. 13. His wedding had been scheduled for the next day. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/12/us/police-covid-vaccines.html 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

Reuters Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday that he did not want to be bored with questions about the milestone of 600000 COVID19 deaths that Latin Americas biggest country passed a few days ago. Bolsonaros poll numbers have fallen due to his handling of the pandemic rising inflation and a weak economy. Brazil has the worlds second highest COVID19 death toll after the United States and Bolsonaro has long sought to minimize the impact of the virus touting unproven cures and railing against lockdowns. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-bolsonaro-says-he-is-bored-by-questions-covid-19-deaths-2021-10-11/ 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

CNN The rollout of Covid19 vaccinations to schoolchildren in the United Kingdom has opened up a new front in the disinformation war antivax campaigners are now taking their protests to the school gates. Groups opposed to vaccination have sought to stoke the fears of parents and children by falsely claiming that the vaccines are untested and dangerous. Last week a small group of protesters demonstrated outside St. Thomas More Catholic School in the town of Blaydon near Newcastle in northeastern England as children entered the school gates. https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/12/europe/schools-vaccine-disinformation-covid-19-cmd-intl/index.html 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

Sky News The prime ministers former adviser Dominic Cummings has branded both Boris Johnson and the Labour leader as jokes in the wake of the highly critical report into the governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic. His remarks were made following the publication of the MPs report which said thousands of lives were lost due to delays and mistakes by both ministers and their scientific advisers as coronavirus began to spread. The report published by the health and social care committee and the science and technology committee titled Coronavirus Lessons learned to date covers a variety of successes and failings across 150 pages. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-reaction-to-highly-critical-covid-report-as-cummings-brands-prime-minister-and-labour-leader-jokes-12432031 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

The Scotsman The call comes after the publication of a report by Westminster MPs labelled the UK Governments early response to the pandemic one of the most important public health failures the United Kingdom has ever experienced. The report from the crossparty joint committee of the health and social care and science and technology committees concluded that there was an element of groupthink around the UK Governments approach to herd immunity. https://www.scotsman.com/health/coronavirus/demand-for-holyrood-inquiry-on-covid-19-handling-after-damning-mp-report-3415786 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

The Independent A damning report from MPs has slammed the unacceptably high death rates among people from Black Asian and minority ethnic communities that occurred during the Covid19 pandemic. The study from the crossparty Science and Technology Committee and the Health and Social Care Committee said serious errors and delays including on testing care homes and the timing of the first lockdown have cost lives during the virus outbreak. The pandemic exacerbated existing social economic and health inequalities among ethnic minority communities the MPs said. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/covid19-government-ethnic-minority-deaths-b1936333.html 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

Sky News A minister has refused to apologise 11 times for the governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic after a highlycritical report by MPs said thousands of lives were lost due to delays and mistakes by both ministers and their scientific advisers. We followed throughout the scientific advice. We got the vaccine deployed extremely quickly we protected our NHS from the surge of cases Cabinet Office minister Stephen Barclay told Sky News Kay Burley when she asked if the government would apologise. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-minister-refuses-to-apologise-for-governments-pandemic-handling-as-report-says-errors-cost-thousands-of-lives-12431837 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

The Independent The joint report issued today is a stark and largely damning appraisal of the UKs Covid response. The report asks why despite being ranked alongside the US as best prepared for a future pandemic the UK was among those countries worst affected by Covid during 2020. While it avoids directly apportioning blame this document will doubtless inform the longawaited public inquiry. Dr Michael Ryan from the World Health Organisation wisely said at the very start of the pandemic Be fast have no regrets the greatest error is not to move. This evokes the precautionary principle ie assume the worst case scenario and hope to be proven wrong. Indeed where the UK has succeeded this principle is in evidence. Funding for vaccine research in 2016 led directly to the rapid development of the OxfordAstrazeneca vaccine while the Vaccines Task Force successfully secured the national supply which was ably distributed by the army and public volunteers. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/covid-parliamentary-report-lockdown-delay-b1936706.html 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The British government waited too long to impose a lockdown in the early days of the COVID19 pandemic missing a chance to contain the disease and leading to thousands of unnecessary deaths a parliamentary report has concluded. The deadly delay resulted from ministers failure to question the recommendations of scientific advisers resulting in a dangerous level of groupthink that caused them to dismiss the more aggressive strategies adopted in East and SouthEast Asia the joint report from the House of Commons science and health committees concluded on Tuesday. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-12/british-government-waited-too-long-covid-lockdown-report/100532942 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

The Associated Press Britains failure to impose a lockdown in the early days of the COVID19 pandemic cost thousands of unnecessary deaths and ranks among the countrys worst public health blunders lawmakers concluded Tuesday in the nations first comprehensive report on the pandemic. The deadly delay derived from the failure of British government ministers to question the recommendations of scientific advisers resulting in a dangerous level of groupthink that caused them to dismiss the more aggressive strategies adopted in East and Southeast Asia to limit infections the report said. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-europe-covid-19-pandemic-pandemics-0268552edbae21b55cc1ce2d6d72836d 12th Oct 2021

Partisan Exits

Reuters UK The delay to Englands first coronavirus lockdown was a serious error based on groupthink that went unchallenged lawmakers said in a report published on Tuesday adding that failures in testing positive cases and tracing their contacts exacerbated the crisis. Parliaments health and science committees have jointly published a 150page report on lessons learnt from the COVID19 pandemic after hours of testimony from more than 50 witnesses include government policy health and science advisers. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-policy-approach-fatalism-early-pandemic-was-major-error-lawmakers-say-2021-10-11/ 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Food and Drug Administration staffers didnt take a firm stance on Moderna Inc.s application for a booster dose indicating there may not be sufficient data to support the extra dose. FDA staff after reviewing a drugmakers application often weigh whether it should be given a goahead. But they also didnt take a position on Pfizer Inc.s booster request later granted. FDA staff reviews are part of the normal process before the agency makes a decision whether to clear a product. In documents made public Tuesday FDA staff simply restated Modernas request and analyzed Modernas study data. The extra dose of Modernas vaccine appeared to be safe and work well but the staff said its benefit would depend on how much the protection from the primary series has waned. https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-staff-dont-take-position-on-moderna-covid-19-booster-11634054284 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The New York Times In documents released Tuesday morning Moderna argued that the Food and Drug Administration should authorize a halfdose of its coronavirus vaccine as a booster shot for recipients at least six months after the second dose citing evidence that the vaccines potency against infection wanes over time. The agency noted in its own analysis that overall available data show Moderna and the other vaccines still afford protection against severe Covid19 disease and death in the United States. Moderna cited the rate of breakthrough infections real world evidence of reduced effectiveness against the Delta variant and falling levels of neutralizing antibodies from its vaccine six to eight months after a second dose. The company said its clinical trial studies showed that a third injection boosted antibody levels one measure of the immune systems response higher than what they had been before the second dose. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/12/us/politics/moderna-booster-shots-fda.html 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg The 37yearold epidemiologist immunologist and physician says it didnt have to be this way Workplaces schools event spaces and more that have been desolate for better than a year could have stayed openand safelywith a technology thats been here all along. Mina has been an early and tireless champion of inexpensive doityourself SARSCoV2 antigen tests that can return a positive or negative result in about 15 minutes arguing for their wider deployment in oped articles on Twitter and in conversations with health authorities. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-12/rapid-covid-tests-can-beat-pandemic-harvard-s-michael-mina 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters CureVac NV said on Tuesday it will give up on its firstgeneration COVID19 vaccine candidate and instead focus on collaborating with GSK to develop improved mRNA vaccine technology. The German biotechnology companys shares were off about 8 after earlier plunging as much as 13 hitting their lowest since going public in August last year. CureVac said it would abandon its application for approval from the European Medicines Agency for its first COVID19 vaccine candidate CVnCoV after latestage trials delivered disappointing results in June with 47 efficacy. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/curevac-withdraw-first-generation-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-2021-10-12/ 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that Moderna Inc had not met all of the agencys criteria to support use of booster doses of its COVID19 vaccine possibly because the efficacy of the shots first two doses has remained strong. FDA staff said in documents that data for Modernas vaccine showed that a booster does increase protective antibodies but the difference in antibody levels before and after the shot was not wide enough particularly in those whose levels had remained high. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-seeks-covid-19-vaccine-booster-clearance-older-adults-high-risk-2021-10-12/ 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent A research study that linked a very rare side effect to the Covid19 mRNA vaccines has been withdrawn by researchers after they made a major mathematical error. The Canadian study attracted headlines after it suggested there was a 1 in 1000 risk of people developing myocarditis or inflammation of the heart after receiving the Moderna or PfizerBioNTech vaccines. But the papers conclusions were wrong and the calculation flawed. The numbers used by the researchers from the Ottawa Heart Institute underestimated the amount of vaccines delivered in Ottawa over a twomonth period with the result being 25 times smaller than the true figure. They had initially based their estimate on a total of 32379 vaccines doses and 32 cases of myocarditis when in reality more than 854000 doses had been given between June 1 to July 31. The studys findings have been used by antivaccination websites and social media accounts in Britain the United States and Canada. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-vaccine-side-effect-myocarditis-b1936880.html 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

PharmaTimes AstraZeneca has announced positive results from a Phase III trial evaluating its longacting antibody LAAB combination AZD7442 in nonhospitalised patients with mildtomoderate symptomatic COVID19. In the Phase III TACKLE trial a total of 90 of participants enrolled were from populations with a highrisk of progressing to severe COVID19 including individuals with comorbidities. The latestage trial hit its primary endpoint with AZD7442 600 mg given by intramuscular injections IM reducing the risk of developing severe COVID19 or death from any cause by 50 compared to placebo in outpatients who had been symptomatic for seven days or less. http://www.pharmatimes.com/news/azs_long-acting_antibody_combo_shows_benefit_in_covid-19_trial_1380398 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Pharmafield Positive highlevel results from the TACKLE Phase III COVID19 treatment trial have shown that AstraZenecas AZD7442 a longacting antibody LAAB combination achieved a statistically significant reduction in severe COVID19 or death compared to placebo in nonhospitalised patients with mildtomoderate symptomatic COVID19. On 5 October 2021 the company announced that it had submitted a request to the US Food and Drug Administration for Emergency Use Authorisation for AZD7442 for prophylaxis of COVID19. A total of 90 of participants enrolled were from populations at high risk of progression to severe COVID19 including those with comorbidities. https://pharmafield.co.uk/pharma_news/astrazenecas-long-acting-antibody-combination-treats-and-prevents-covid-19/ 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times Merck plans to double manufacturing capacity for its antiviral pill to treat Covid19 next year as governments scramble to procure a treatment that a latestage trial showed cuts hospital admission and death rates in half. The mounting demand for Mercks drug the first oral treatment shown to prevent severe disease in vulnerable people with coronavirus is a sign that it could trigger the same kind of worldwide rush faced by makers of early Covid19 vaccines. Merck which this week asked US regulators to authorise use of the drug called molnupiravir told the Financial Times it had secured deals with Singapore New Zealand Australia and South Korea to supply doses in the past week and is in talks with several other governments. https://www.ft.com/content/5ec9bdf5-58e8-4f0d-9b07-979668e8bbb8 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Stat News Later this week an expert committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hear about the results of a clinical trial that could influence how Covid vaccines are used in this country at some point in the future. The trial conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is a socalled mixandmatch trial testing the Covid vaccines authorized in the U.S. in combinations with each other. The goal of the trial was to see whether using a different vaccine as a booster shot improves protection. So does getting a dose of Pfizer vaccine after getting a single dose of Johnson Johnsons vaccine trigger production of more antibodies than a second dose of the JJ would Are the messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna virtually interchangeable or does switching even there produce a broader set of immune responses https://www.statnews.com/2021/10/12/a-primer-on-what-we-know-about-mixing-and-matching-covid-vaccines/ 12th Oct 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Scientific Viewpoint Two new studies explore the risk of SARSCoV2 transmission among household members one finding that children and adults are at similar risk and one showing that COVID19nave family members risk was 45 to 97 lower depending on the number of members immune through infection or full vaccination. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/10/covid-infects-all-ages-family-equally-immunity-plays-role 11th Oct 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Sydneys COVID19 cases fell to the lowest in two months on Tuesday as authorities rolled out support measures for businesses shifting their focus to rejuvenating the economy after the city exited a nearly fourmonth lockdown a day earlier. Pubs cafes and retail stores reopened in New South Wales NSW home to Sydney on Monday after vaccination levels in the states adult population crossed 70. New daily infections in the state fell to 360 on Tuesday the majority in Sydney marking a steady downward trend. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/sydney-covid-19-cases-ease-further-focus-shifts-reviving-economy-2021-10-11/ 12th Oct 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Sky News Surges of illness caused by COVID19 are going to continue for months and perhaps even years to come the World Health Organizations WHO special envoy for the disease has warned. Speaking to Kay Burley Dr David Nabarro said the pandemic is very much with us all over the world right now and those who have not been vaccinated will be particularly affected by spikes in illness. With government data showing the UK is recording more than 30000 COVID19 cases a day Dr Nabarro warned that the virus has not gone away and is continuing to mutate. Its capable probably of causing all sorts of future problems he said. He appeared on Sky News following the release of a highly critical report by MPs that found thousands of lives have been lost due to delays and mistakes by both government ministers and scientific advisers. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-surges-of-illness-for-months-and-perhaps-even-years-to-come-who-expert-warns-12431981 12th Oct 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press Californias coronavirus death toll reached another onceunfathomable milestone 70000 people on Monday as the state emerges from the latest infection surge with the lowest rate of new cases among all states. Last year at this time cases in the state started ticking up and by January California was in the throes of the worst spike of the pandemic and was the nations epicenter for the virus. Daily deaths approached 700. The latest surge started in summer and was driven by the delta variant that primarily targeted the unvaccinated. At its worst during this spike Californias average daily death count was in the low 100s. Data collected by Johns Hopkins University showed the state with 70132 deaths by midday Monday. Its the most in the nation surpassing Texas by about 3000 and Florida by 13000 although Californias per capita fatality rate of 177 per 100000 people is well below the overall U.S. rate of 214. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-california-pandemics-health-fcbaab792f10b71956ba4ca04073e9d0 12th Oct 2021