27th Apr 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=648 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Threequarters of Beijings 22 million people lined up for COVID19 tests on Tuesday as authorities in the Chinese capital raced to stamp out a nascent outbreak and avert the debilitating citywide lockdown that has shrouded Shanghai for a month. Having seen the struggles of Chinas commercial hub to meet the basic needs of its increasingly frustrated 25 million residents people in Beijing were stocking up on food and supplies. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/beijing-test-20-mln-covid-shanghai-lockdown-misery-looms-large-2022-04-26/ 26th Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal The Biden administration on Tuesday is expected to outline plans to make it easier for infected people to get Covid19 treatments which some health leaders and patient advocates say are too difficult to obtain despite a federal program to help make them more widely available. The administration has heavily touted vaccines to reduce the risk of serious illness from Covid19. Officials also have been urging greater use of two pills given they are easy to take at home Pfizer Inc.s Paxlovid and Merck Co.s and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LPs molnupiravir also known as Lagevrio. Both were cleared for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December. The authorization of those pills marked a turning point in the treatment of Covid19 because people can take the therapies at home shortly after they develop symptoms helping prevent hospitalization. https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-pills-to-become-more-widely-available-11650963601 26th Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal Nearly 60 of people in the U.S. including three in four children exhibited signs of previous Covid19 infection as of February a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report said. The estimated proportion of people in the U.S. with detectable infectioninduced antibodies jumped from 34 in December 2021 to 58 by February 2022 according to a study the CDC released Tuesday highlighting the reach of the winter Omicron surge that washed over the country. We do believe that there is a lot of protection in the community both from vaccination as well as from boosting and from prior infection CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said. Those who have detectable antibodies from prior infection we still continue to encourage them to get vaccinated. https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-than-half-of-people-in-u-s-likely-had-covid-19-cdc-says-11651003428 26th Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Weeks into a Covid19 outbreak in Shanghai that brought Chinas financial hub to a standstill the government of President Xi Jinping has demonstrated its willing to go to extremes in its quest to contain the virus. One thing Xi has so far been unwilling to do is deploy a powerful tool against the highly contagious omicron variant mRNA vaccines. Those shots could reduce the chances of elderly and other vulnerable Chinese getting seriously ill or dyingand possibly help the country transition away from its Covid Zero stance. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-26/china-covid-situation-worsened-by-lack-of-local-mrna-vaccine 26th Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Throughout the pandemic tallying hospitalizations has been one of the best ways of measuring the viruss consequences. Case numbers undercount the number of sick and lump in the barely symptomatic with the gravely ill. Deaths are a final reckoning but come weeks or even months too late to have any predictive value. Hospitalizations tally the strain on the health system and the financial costs as well as the impact on those who spend weeks in an inpatient bed. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-26/covid-case-metrics-fall-behind-omicron-variant 26th Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Hill Almost 6 in 10 Americans have signs of previous COVID19 infection showing the widespread reach of the virus according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC study shows that the percentage of people testing positive for antibodies an indication of previous COVID19 infection increased from about 34 percent in December to about 58 percent in February. That period of a sharp increase coincides with the surge in cases from the omicron variant. But the antibody testing shows that even more people than reported have been infected as has long been estimated given that not all cases are detected or reported. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3463931-about-6-in-10-americans-have-signs-of-previous-covid-19-infection-cdc/ 26th Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

ABC News Western Australias mask mandate will be dropped from Friday as the state moves to new baseline public health measures. Other changes include removing capacity limits at all venues including the two square metre rule and the 75 per cent limit at stadiums. The G2G pass system will also be dropped as will the requirement for domestic arrivals to be tripledose vaccinated. Proof of vaccination requirements for entry into venues such as pubs and nightclubs will also be removed but they will remain for hospitals and aged care facilities. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-26/covid-mask-mandate-lifts-in-wa/101016318 26th Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Strict limits on workplaces and gatherings were no more on Tuesday with employees lingering outside workplaces and public transport teeming with commuters eager for normalcy after two years of containment. Almost full office today first time in quite a while said Slava Nikitin 34 a product manager. There were queues for elevators this morning even though we have six elevators. Singapore has been lauded for its speed and success in its vaccine rollout with 93 of the population inoculated one of the highest rates in the world helping to limit COVID fatalities to just 1331. https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/relief-revival-singapore-scraps-its-covid-curbs-2022-04-26/ 26th Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg The U.K. doing away with all coronavirusrelated travel restrictions on March 18 was major newsthat is until six more European countries and counting followed suit since. Whether theyre vaccinated or not travelers entering the region now have even more destinations in which they wont have to take a pre or postarrival test follow any quarantine rules or fill out passengertracking forms. International travelers still need the requisite visas of course but there are now nations on every continent that have adopted a postpandemic attitude toward traveleven internally with maskfree living and noquarantine requirements for those who test positive. The loosening of restrictions is sparking optimism for wanderlust after two years of stayhome pandemic rules and border closings. Its also alternately serving as a red flag for travelers still taking a more cautious approach. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/storythreads/2022-03-18/where-can-you-travel-with-no-covid-restrictions-list-of-top-2022-destinations 26th Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg The masks are coming off. Restaurants are filling up. International travel is resuming. But one thing is missing from this picture of returning normality the rows of office workers bent over their desks. Just over two months ago I wrote that returning to the office was the great class struggle of our time. Im happy to report that so far at least the workers are winning. In the U.S. office occupancy rates seem to have flatlined at about 43 according to Kastle Systems which collects figures on the number of workers who are working at their desks in Americas ten largest business districts by measuring key swipes. Occupancy rates fell to 42.8 on April 13 having risen to 43.1 on April 6. Across the Atlantic Londons occupancy peaked at 42 last month. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-04-25/workers-are-winning-the-return-to-office-war-because-they-re-right 26th Apr 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Singapore is shedding key pieces of its pandemic armor with relative alacrity. While officials have long been adamant the citystate would never have a U.K.style Freedom Day sweeping changes that take effect Tuesday get pretty close. It may just be a question of semantics. In what the nations health minister called a happy day Singapore abandoned limits on group size jettisoned social distancing and dropped curbs on the number of people who can work from offices. Many venues will no longer require folks to check in with the government contracttracing app. Vaccinated visitors can forgo predeparture tests. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-04-25/singapore-almost-returns-to-pre-pandemic-normal-with-latest-curbs-lifted 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Business Standard For much of the past two years America has been first in line for COVID19 vaccines and treatments. Now as drugmakers develop the next generation of therapies the White House is warning that if Congress doesnt act urgently the U.S. will have to take a number. Already the congressional stalemate over virus funding has forced the federal government to curtail free treatment for the uninsured and to ration monoclonal antibody supplies. And Biden administration officials are expressing increasing alarm that the U.S. is also losing out on critical opportunities to secure booster doses and new antiviral pills that could help the country maintain its reemerging sense of normalcy even in the face of potential new variants and case spikes. https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/without-funding-us-will-lose-covid-vaccines-treatments-white-house-122042600164_1.html 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Financial Times Chinas booster vaccination drive is slowing as medical staff are redirected to carry out mass testing with coronavirus cases rising across the country. Relatively low vaccination rates will leave tens of millions of Chinese people vulnerable to severe illness if the governments tough zeroCovid policy fails tocontain the Omicron variant. In the final week of March China administered 770000 thirddose jabs a day to over 60s following outbreaks in Shanghai and Jilin. But that figure had fallen to 590000 a day by midApril according to data released by the countrys health department. https://www.ft.com/content/53398a2a-a8fa-477a-a1ca-9a9d9a44ddbc 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

7news.com,au West Australians will finally be able to ditch their face masks in most indoor settings as the state prepares to ease a swathe of public health measures. From 12.01am Friday people aged 12 and over will only be required to wear masks will in hospitals aged care disability care facilities and on public transport taxis and rideshares. Health Minister AmberJade Sanderson announced proof of vaccination requirements will also be scrapped except at hospitals and residential aged care facilities. https://7news.com.au/news/coronavirus-wa/wa-announces-major-overhaul-to-mask-proof-of-vaccination-covid-19-rules-c-6582396 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

CNN The Biden administration has secured the purchase of 20 million treatment courses of Paxlovid Pfizers antiviral Covid19 pill a senior administration official told CNN on Monday. The administration will work with the manufacturer to accelerate production and delivery of the new drug to pharmacies across the country the official told reporters. A tranche of 100000 courses will initially be available to pharmacies per quarter while demand and uptake are monitored. https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/26/politics/paxlovid-biden-administration-covid-19-pill/index.html 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Mexico will let all children aged over 12 be registered for COVID19 vaccination from Thursday Deputy Health Minister Hugo LopezGatell said. LopezGatell the countrys coronavirus czar was speaking at a regular government news conference on Tuesday. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mexico-enable-covid-vaccination-all-children-aged-12-above-2022-04-26/ 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey is ready to lift all measures against the coronavirus adding that mask wearing will no longer be obligatory indoors. Speaking after the final meeting of the advisory science council Erdogan said masks will still be mandated on public transport and in medical institutions until daily new cases drop below 1000. Turkey had previously lifted the requirement to wear masks outdoors and in indoor areas with good ventilation. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-ready-lift-all-covid-19-measures-erdogan-says-2022-04-26/ 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

The Wall Street Journal South Korea has downgraded Covid19 from the countrys riskiest category of infectious disease a first step toward treating the virus more like the seasonal flu. The country is one of the first to make such a move. The downgrade approved Monday by health officials will take effect after a fourweek transition period. Once it does South Koreans who test positive will no longer be required to go into quarantine which currently lasts seven days by law. Doctors will no longer need to report a positive case immediately as infectiontracking diminishes in importance. Those showing symptoms will be able to get treatment at local clinics rather than solely at hospitals due to the reduced fears of virus spread. https://www.wsj.com/articles/south-korea-downgrades-covid-19-from-riskiest-disease-category-11650885199 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Canada A federal judge in Louisiana said that he intends to rule that U.S. authorities cannot immediately proceed with plans to lift pandemic restrictions that empowered U.S. agents at the Mexico border to turn back migrants without giving them a chance to seek asylum. U.S. District Judge Robert Summerhays stated his intention after a hearing in a case brought by 21 states against the administration of President Joe Biden. The judge said both sides would confer regarding the specific terms of a temporary restraining order and would attempt to reach agreement. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-judge-intends-temporarily-block-plan-lift-covid-border-restrictions-migrants-2022-04-25/ 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

scmp.com Hong Kong will stick to its plan to further relax socialdistancing measures in the second half of May the citys leader has said ruling out an earlier reopening even as the daily number of cases fell below 400 for the first time in nearly three months. But Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuetngor also shrugged off worries Hong Kong could return to a more hermetic lifestyle again saying a drastic resurgence of infections was unlikely due to the level of immunity the city had already attained. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3175506/coronavirus-hong-kong-set-further-ease-social?module=lead_hero_story&amppgtype=homepage 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Associated Press President Joe Bidens administration is taking steps to expand availability of the lifesaving COVID19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid as it seeks to reassure doctors that there is ample supply for people at high risk of severe illness or death from the virus. Paxlovid produced by Pfizer was first approved in December. Supply of the regimen was initially very limited but as COVID19 cases across the country have fallen and manufacturing has increased it is now far more abundant. The White House is now moving to raise awareness of the pill and taking steps to make it easier to access. https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-business-health-medication-a5adf6c2e7894e479e795b5a6d1aeb84 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Associated Press Albanian authorities have decided to lift all remaining COVID19 restrictions before the summer vacation season. The Technical Committee of Experts the countrys highest executive body during the pandemic said Tuesday that coronavirusrelated measures will end in Albania as of May 1. The decision means masks no longer will be required indoors and nightclubs wont be subject to an 11 p.m. curfew Proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test for the virus wont be needed at border crossings. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-europe-albania-0ba8898decf6ad06b385539ee226180f 26th Apr 2022

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Expats are ditching the city jeopardizing efforts by local authorities to lure highend foreign talent. Until this latest crisis Shanghai had established a good reputation as an attractive place to do business relative to other places in China says Eric Zheng president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. This is obviously a huge test for the Shanghai government How to rebound back to its old self bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-25/shanghai-lockdown-renews-covid-zero-economic-questions?srnd=premium-europe 26th Apr 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for Covid19 making her the highestranking Biden administration official to report being infected. Harris received positive results Tuesday on both rapid and PCR tests and has exhibited no symptoms will isolate and continue to work from the vice presidents residence according to spokeswoman Kirsten Allen. Harris 57 isnt considered a close contact of President Joe Biden her office said. The vice president was traveling in California last week and returned to Washington on Monday while Biden traveled to Oregon and Washington state before spending the weekend at his Wilmington Delaware home. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-26/kamala-harris-tests-positive-for-covid-19-isn-t-biden-contact 26th Apr 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg Most Americans have never heard of Leslie Manookian but the former banker is the reason why they no longer have to wear a mask on a plane. Manookian 58 who worked for Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in the 1990s and later Alliance Capital Management was behind the lawsuit that last week led a federal judge in Tampa Florida to strike down the mask mandate for public transportation. The judge said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lacked the authority to impose it. It is so inspiring to see millions of Americans celebrating cheering dancing and singing on airplanes posting messages about how happy they are to be unmasked to be liberated Manookian said in an interview from her home in the ski resort town of Sandpoint Idaho. I think the lawsuit has given people a sense of hope in a very dark time. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-26/ex-wall-street-banker-led-fight-to-bring-down-u-s-mask-mandate 26th Apr 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg Being a big supporter of authority and power seems to be deeply rooted in some residents mindsets said Liu who has been locked down in his compound since April 1. There are not many people who question authority or the very validity of the CovidZero policy. Big White describes the brigades of police medical workers and volunteers in white hazmat suits who have become ubiquitous throughout the pandemic. Chinas state media has used the term since the virus emerged in 2020 in Wuhan to soften their image The moniker is the same as the local name for Baymax the gentle inflatable robot in the movie Big Hero 6. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-26/anger-erupts-at-xi-s-big-white-army-of-lockdown-enforcers 26th Apr 2022

Partisan Exits

Business Standard With only 4.64 lakh people taking their third Covid jab since April 10 Indians could be grappling with vaccine fatigue a reluctance to take a booster shot that experts attribute to a combination of fear confusion and misinformation.As Indias Covid graph inches upwards not enough people are getting their booster shots. Among the reasons for the apparent lethargy are the fear of adverse effects the view that Covid is now a mild infection and doubts over whether a precaution dose is indeed useful said scientists public health experts and industry insiders. According to virologist Dr T Jacob John vaccine fatigue has set in also because the cacophony of new experts has been confusing. https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/confusion-fear-behind-reluctance-to-take-covid-booster-says-experts-122042600546_1.html 26th Apr 2022

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Finance sector professionals in Shanghai are preparing to move back to Hong Kong and other offshore centres after spending only a few years in the Chinese city as a harsh COVID19 lockdown has hurt their business prospects and upended daily lives. Thousands of bankers traders and investors in the financial hub of the worlds secondlargest economy have found themselves confined to their homes with some even struggling to secure food and other essentials for their families. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/fed-up-with-covid-lockdown-bankers-fund-managers-looking-leave-shanghai-2022-04-26/ 26th Apr 2022

Continued Lockdown

Bloomberg Chinas stringent rules to curb Covid19 are about to unleash another wave of summer chaos on supply chains between Asia the U.S. and Europe. Beijings zerotolerance approach amid an escalating virus outbreak brings the pandemic full circle more than two years after its emergence in Wuhan upended the global economy. Shipping congestion at Chinese ports combined with Russias war in Ukraine risks a onetwo punch that threatens to derail the recovery already buffeted by inflation pressures and headwinds to growth. Even if the virus is reined in the disruptions will ripple globally and extend through the year as bunchedup cargo vessels start sailing again. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-04-25/china-s-covid-crisis-threatens-global-supply-chain-chaos-for-summer-2022 26th Apr 2022

Continued Lockdown

Bloomberg Chinas worst equity selloff since early 2020 reflects a growing concern about President Xi Jinping He cant afford the political costs of shifting from a Covid Zero strategy that is pummeling the economy. In Shanghai a weekslong Covid19 lockdown got even worse with workers in hazmat suits fanning out over the weekend to install steel fences around buildings with positive cases. In Beijing the process is just getting started as authorities on Monday began shutting down a bustling district in the capital to quash fresh outbreaks and ordered mandatory testing elsewhere. The threat of paralyzing Chinas two largest and wealthiest cities with a strategy abandoned by most countries helped push the CSI 300 down 4.9 the gauges steepest oneday drop since the first such lockdown in Wuhan two years ago. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-25/xi-puts-ideology-before-economy-with-market-busting-lockdowns 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

HeraldScotland Adults given the AstraZeneca vaccine were much more likely to suffer breakthrough Covid infections compared to those given the Pfizer vaccine researchers have found. A study involving all fully vaccinated adults in Belgium showed substantially higher protection from mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna compared to the AstraZeneca and Janssen brands which used a more traditional viral vector formula. People who had recovered from Covid infection prior to being vaccinated also had the lowest risk of breakthrough infection overall. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/20092782.adults-given-astrazeneca-much-likely-covid-breakthrough-infections/ 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Times of India Longer intervals between primary Covid19 vaccine doses generate nine times as many antibodies according to a study. The study which is available only as a preprint and not peerreviewed yet found that higher antibody levels due to longer gaps between doses had more effect in younger participants. Postdose 1 those with previous infection had up to ten times higher antibody levels than naive individuals. After dose 2 those with previous infection had antibody levels more than twice as high as those who hadnt had previous infection. While dosing intervals didnt affect antibody levels in those with previous infection a longer gap between infection and vaccination was linked to higher antibody levels said researchers at the UK Health Security Agency UKHSA. The findings were presented at this years European Congress of Clinical Microbiology Infectious Diseases ECCMID in Portugal. Understanding the immune response to vaccination against Covid is integral to controlling the virus and reducing the number of deaths. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/longer-gap-between-coronavirus-vaccine-generate-nine-times-as-many-antibodies-study/articleshow/91090475.cms 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The New York Times As the pandemic enters its third year long Covid has emerged as an increasingly important concern. And many people are wondering whether getting a Covid shot can reduce their chances of developing longterm symptoms. The jury is still out but a growing number of studies suggest that getting a Covid vaccine can reduce though not eliminate the risk of longerterm symptoms. The United Kingdoms Health Security Agency conducted an analysis of eight studies that had been published on the topic before midJanuary. It reported that six of the studies found that vaccinated people who became infected with the coronavirus were less likely than unvaccinated patients to develop symptoms of long Covid. The remaining two studies found that vaccination did not appear to conclusively reduce the chances of developing long Covid. https://www.nytimes.com/article/long-covid-vaccines.html 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The BMJ Soumya Swaminathan tells MunKeat Looi of her worries about the relaxation of testing for global surveillance and the two track pandemic Its a challenging time to be a scientist let alone the first ever chief scientist at the World Health Organization a relatively new role. Barely nine months into her tenure Soumya Swaminathan was faced with a once in a century global health emergency and an entirely new virus that would change the face of science and medicine dramatically. It is incredible what weve learnt about this virus in just over two years she tells The BMJ we havent learnt as much about some other pathogens in decades of research. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1003 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

ABC News Whether it is a PCR test or the athome variety sending a swab up the nose to swirl around and test for COVID19 has become a familiar but uncomfortable part of living through the pandemic. However what if there was an alternative For the first time health authorities in the United States have given the green light to a COVID19 breathalyser a device promised to deliver results in less than three minutes. As new subvariants once again push up case numbers some experts hope it will be the first of many new tools to diagnose and therefore improve the way we live with the virus. There is even hope breath testing could eventually be used to detect and monitor other conditions such as cancer. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-26/covid-breathalysers-could-be-the-future-of-testing/101004214 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

News-Medical.Net Currently the risk of reinfection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2 SARSCoV2 ranges from 0 to 19.5 for 10 months after infection indicating that protective immunity develops and is sustained postinfection. Various studies in animal models and humans have revealed that antibodies and B and T lymphocytes are vital to the protection and immune memory. Further the quantity and quality of these immune responses are pivotal to longterm immunity but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear yet. Age is an essential factor driving the outcome of diseases including COVID19. Different studies have observed functional cellular and humoral responses among children against SARSCoV2 who primarily develop mild or asymptomatic disease. According to several reports polyfunctional antibodies neutralize SARSCoV2 entry and recruit innate immune effectors such as neutrophils complement systems natural killer NK cells and monocytes. These polyfunctional antibodies were inversely correlated with the severity of disease postinfection indicative of diverse humoral responses. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220426/Study-explores-SARS-CoV-2-antibody-responses-in-mild-COVID-19-cases.aspx 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

New Scientist People hospitalised with the supposedly milder omicron variant require similar levels of respiratory support and intensive care as those infected with delta. Heba Mostafa at John Hopkins University in the US and her colleagues studied more than 2000 people who tested positive for covid19 between November and December 2021. The team recorded which variant the participants were infected with and their clinical outcomes. Results reveal 73 per cent of the participants who were hospitalised with delta needed extra oxygen while 25 per cent required intensive care. Similarly 67 per cent of those who were hospitalised with omicron required extra oxygen and 17 per cent needed intensive care. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237475-covid-19-news-people-hospitalised-with-omicron-still-face-severe-risk/ 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CBC.ca For New Brunswickers who have been hesitant or unable to get an mRNA COVID19 vaccine theres now a new option. Novavax Nuvaxovid the first proteinbased COVID vaccine authorized for use in Canada for people 18 and older became available in New Brunswick last week says the Department of Health. There are about 320 doses in the province said spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane. Only four pharmacies are currently administering them one each in Fredericton Dieppe Saint John and Miramichi. Ayub Chishti pharmacist and manager of the Fredericton location Campus Pharmacy said the uptake so far hasnt been that great. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/novavax-nuvaxovid-protein-covid-19-vaccine-new-brunswick-1.6430427 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters India has approved emergency use of Biological Es COVID19 vaccine Corbevax for children aged five to 12 and Bharat Biotechs Covaxin for six to 12year olds the countrys health minister said in a tweet on Tuesday. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-approves-two-covid-vaccines-children-under-12-2022-04-26/ 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters.com The U.S. drug regulator on Monday granted the first full approval for treating COVID19 in children aged 28 days and older to Gilead Sciences Incs GILD.O drug remdesivir. The move comes months after the agency expanded the drugs emergency use authorization to also include children below 12 years of age weighing at least 3.5 kilograms. The Food and Drug Administrations FDA decision makes the drug the first approved COVID19 treatment for children less than 12 years of age the agency said. The approval is applicable to children who are hospitalized or have mildtomoderate disease and are at high risk of severe COVID19 https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-fda-approves-gileads-covid-19-drug-remdesivir-young-children-2022-04-25/ 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal The Covid19 mortality countover 990000 and still risingis reflected in death certificates recorded by the CDC. Of these certificates at least 90 list Covid19 as the underlying cause of death the CDC said. The remainder list the disease as a contributing cause. These records show how deaths have swept through the U.S. since the pandemic began hitting states and populations unevenly. Early hot spots included places like New York City and New Jersey. The burden later shifted southward including in states where vaccination rates have lagged. Vaccines have shown they reduce the risk of severe illness and death. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-nears-one-million-covid-19-deaths-11650838998 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Health authorities are investigating potential links between the pandemic and an outbreak of mysterious acute hepatitis thats sickened children in the U.K. the U.S. and other countries. The U.K. has detected adenovirus a family of pathogens that cause a range of illnesses including the common cold in threequarters of the cases of the liverinflaming disease officials said Monday. Now theyre studying whether a lack of prior exposure to adenoviruses during pandemic restrictions or a previous infection with SARSCoV2 or another virus may be related. The researchers analyzed 111 cases found in the U.K. as of April 20 the government said including 81 in England. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-25/pandemic-links-to-children-s-liver-ailment-eyed-in-u-k-probe 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Covid isnt just a sprint its a marathon says Moore the relentlessly upbeat founder of Meissa Vaccines Inc. Todays vaccines have largely won the sprint of preventing serious disease and thank goodness for that he says. But now we need something else to gain control of the virus. Moore is among a growing cohort of virologists proposing we spray vaccines up peoples noses rather than inject them into arms. The advantage of that approach they argue is it can trigger the body to develop infectionblocking defenses in the sinuses and throat and allow it to start fighting illness much faster than an injected vaccine can. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-04-25/can-nasal-sprays-work-on-covid-meissa-vaccines-thinks-so 26th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT News A majority of family members of Covid19 patients treated in ICUs reported significant symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in the following months according to a study published Monday that sheds new light on the impact of hospital visitation restrictions during the pandemic. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was roughly twice the rate typically seen after a family members ICU stay before the pandemic which the authors said was likely explained by the lack of access to loved ones during their ICU stay. Those with higher scores reported more distrust of practitioners according to the study published in JAMA Internal Medicine and PTSD symptoms were especially prevalent among women and Hispanic family members. Earlier studies have shown that active engagement of families at the bedside reduces stressrelated symptoms especially those of PTSD the researchers said but early in the pandemic most hospitals prohibited or strictly limited inperson visits by family members to contain the spread of the coronavirus. https://www.statnews.com/2022/04/25/majority-of-family-members-of-covid-icu-patients-report-ptsd-symptoms/ 25th Apr 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent A new subvariant of Omicron has been found in UK as the country battles a renewed surge of the coronavirus.The Office for National Statistics ONS said that 4.9 million people in the UK were infected with Covid19 as of last weekend a record high during the pandemic. The surge is cases is thought to be down to people mixing more freely since Covid restrictions were dropped and the Omicron BA.2 subvariant. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/omicron-xe-symptoms-covid-variant-uk-b2064734.html?amp 25th Apr 2022