23rd Aug 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=729 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC on Monday signed off on the use of Novavax Incs COVID19 vaccine for adolescents aged 12 through 17. The recommendation follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations authorization for the vaccine for the age group last week. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-cdc-recommends-use-novavaxs-covid-19-shot-adolescents-2022-08-22/ 23rd Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech said on Monday they had sought U.S. authorization for a COVID19 vaccine booster retooled to target the Omicron variant and would have doses available to ship immediately after regulatory clearance. The request to the Food and Drug Administration was for a socalled bivalent vaccine containing the dominant BA.4BA.5 variants of the virus along with the original coronavirus strain. It is intended for ages 12 and above. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-files-us-authorization-omicron-tailored-vaccine-2022-08-22/ 23rd Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Dr. Anthony Fauci the top U.S. infectious disease official who became the face of Americas COVID19 pandemic response under Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden announced on Monday he is stepping down in December after 54 years of public service. Fauci whose efforts to fight the pandemic were applauded by many public health experts even as he was vilified by Trump and many Republicans will leave his posts as chief medical adviser to Biden and director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases NIAID part of the National Institutes of Health NIH. Fauci 81 has headed NIAID since 1984. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fauci-step-down-president-bidens-chief-medical-adviser-2022-08-22/ 23rd Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

CBS News Students across South Florida are settling into their second week of school and while this is the most normal start to the school year since the start of the 2019 school year COVID19 does remain an issue for students to deal with. https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/covid-19-remains-an-issue-as-south-florida-students-start-new-school-year/ 22nd Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

BBC News Free lateral flow tests are no longer available to most people in Northern Ireland. While the scheme ended in the rest of the UK in May Stormonts Department of Health retained the measure. Health officials announced last week that testing will be more targeted to protect the most vulnerable. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-62626923?at_medium=RSS&ampat_campaign=KARANGA 22nd Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

Nippon.com Japan is considering reclassifying COVID19 to the same category as seasonal influenza to reduce the administrative burden on medical facilities diagnosing and treating people who have been infected. https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01407/ 22nd Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Japan Times Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will continue work from his official residence after testing positive for COVID19 over the weekend senior government officials have confirmed. Kishida who received his fourth shot of a coronavirus vaccine on Aug. 12 is thought to have become infected while on a weeklong vacation that began Aug. 15. The diagnosis was confirmed by doctors Sunday after the 65year old began experiencing mild symptoms including a cough and slight fever on Saturday. Given the prime ministers mild symptoms we have set up a remote workstation from which he can continue his daily duties as planned Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a news conference Monday morning. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/08/22/national/fumio-kishida-coronavirus-remote-work/ 22nd Aug 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Millions of Philippine students returned to classrooms for the first time in more than two years on Monday after the country lifted most remaining COVID19 curbs to try and reverse learning losses. Students all wearing face masks queued to enter their classrooms and attended flag raising ceremonies in their schoolyards across the Southeast Asian country as the government phases out remote learning. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippine-children-back-school-pandemic-restrictions-ease-2022-08-22/ 22nd Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Singapore will start work on a fifth terminal at Changi Airport regularly voted among the worlds best with a revised design that allows it to adjust capacity during a pandemic. The move comes as the citystate works to cement its place as Asias primary aviation hub with rival Hong Kong still imposing Covid quarantines and other border restrictions. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong detailed the plans in his National Day Rally address Sunday. In the longer term air travel will keep growing because of the fast expanding middleclass in our region Lee said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-22/pandemic-proof-airport-closer-to-reality-in-post-covid-singapore 23rd Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

The Indian Express The ongoing 75day Amrut Mahotsav campaign across Maharashtra has picked up pace with the state seeing more than 35 lakh precautionary doses for Covid19 being administered. In Maharashtra over 5 crore citizens are due for precautionary doses while 1.7 crore beneficiaries are yet to take the second shot of the Covid19 vaccine. The campaign to administer the free precautionary booster dose was launched across the country on July 15 to encourage citizens to get vaccinated and ensure protection against Covid19. State health authorities said they have been conducting special drives to create awareness about the importance of booster doses and encourage citizens above 18 to get the shot. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/free-covid-19-booster-dose-campaign-picks-up-pace-in-maharashtra-officials-8104417/ 23rd Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

CNBC Newly updated Covid booster shots designed to target omicrons BA.5 subvariant should be available within in the next three weeks. That begs an important question Whos going to be eligible to get them The short answer anyone ages 12 and up who has completed a primary vaccination series a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson tells CNBC Make It. Its unlikely to matter whether youve received any other booster doses or not before the spokesperson says but if youre unvaccinated you wont eligible for the updated formula until you complete a primary series with the existing Covid vaccines. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/20/omicron-specific-booster-shots-are-weeks-away-eligibility-guide.html 22nd Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

Financial Times Brussels is warning of a vaccination plateau in the EU despite surging Covid19 cases as it calls for member states to intensify campaigns ahead of the autumn and winter. EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said there was a risk that people were letting their guard down in the summer months and that health ministries need to do more to prepare for wider outbreaks despite understandable fatigue in populations about the pandemic. https://www.ft.com/content/e781c422-9966-4390-ba0c-af0ed7e95613 22nd Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

MercoPress Paraguayan health authorities have expressed their concern over a slowdown in vaccination against COVID19 with very few booster doses applied. According to official data released Saturday 47 of the population still lacked the first doses since the start of the campaign in March 2021 while 53 were yet to take the third injection although they have been available since October last year. We have a record of 1766882 people who have completed the sixmonth period since the second dose of the basic scheme and have not been vaccinated again against COVID19 said Hctor Castro head of the Expanded Program of Immunization who also pointed out that most people in that condition were aged below 40. https://en.mercopress.com/2022/08/22/paraguayans-skipping-booster-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine 22nd Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

Investing.com North Korea imported more than 1 million facial masks and 15000 pairs of rubber gloves from China in July shortly before declaring victory over COVID19 Chinese trade showed on Saturday. Pyongyang last week declared victory over the coronavirus https://www.investing.com/news/economic-indicators/north-korea-imports-of-chinese-masks-gloves-surged-before-declaring-covid-victory-2876846 22nd Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

CNN North Korea imported more than 1 million facial masks and 15000 pairs of rubber gloves from China in July shortly before declaring victory over Covid19 Chinese trade figures show. Pyongyang last week declared victory over the coronavirus ending a littledetailed fight against fever cases that had risen to 4.77 million in the country of around 26 million people. It has registered no new such cases since July 29. Still China exported 1.23 million facial masks to North Korea in July worth 44307 surging from 17000 the previous month according to data released by Chinese customs at the weekend. https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/20/asia/north-korea-covid-china-masks-intl-hnk/index.html 22nd Aug 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Moderna Inc will supply 12 million doses of its COVID19 shot adapted to target the Omicron variant of the coronavirus to Canada the company said on Monday. The Canadian government had entered into a supply deal with the company last year for supply of its COVID vaccine for 2022 and 2023 with the contract allowing access to new vaccine adaptations. Moderna and the Canada have agreed to convert six million doses of the companys COVID19 vaccine which targets the original virus to an Omicroncontaining bivalent vaccine. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-supply-12-mln-doses-omicron-covid-shot-canada-2022-08-22/ 22nd Aug 2022

Partisan Exits

City A.M. A string of NGOs including Oxfam have called on the chair of the Governments Covid19 Inquiry to probe the impacts of UK pandemic policy on the global stage. In a letter to chair Baroness Hallett today the NGOs said Given the inquirys focus on the impact of the pandemic on inequalities this should include how this has manifested globally and the UKs role in exacerbating or mitigating these differences. Of particular interest is the impact of prepurchasing high volumes of vaccines on global supply as well as the UKs role in weakening the provisions of the Intellectual Property waiver they wrote. Signatories also include Global Justice Now Save the Children UK Peoples Vaccine Alliance RESULTS UK Just Treatment Health Poverty Action MSF UK and STOPAIDS. Maaza Seyoum Global South convenor at the Peoples Vaccine Alliance has called pledges to vaccinate the world from leaders of wealthy countries and pharmaceutical firms a little more than rhetoric. https://www.cityam.com/ngos-call-on-covid-19-inquiry-chair-to-probe-global-impact-of-uk-vaccine-buying/ 22nd Aug 2022

Partisan Exits

Belfast Telegraph An MLA has demanded free coronavirus testing be reinstated after most people in Northern Ireland were told they no longer need to use lateral flow tests. People Before Profits Gerry Carroll slammed Health Minister Robin Swann for introducing the changes which came into effect on Monday. He described the move which restricts access to the most vulnerable and frontline healthcare staff as short sighted and warned more people will be put at risk of infection. Covid19 is still a threat to the public and the Health Minister cant simply ignore the problem Mr Carroll said. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus/covid-19-people-before-profit-mla-slams-health-minister-over-lateral-flow-test-changes-in-ni-41927711.html 22nd Aug 2022

Partisan Exits

City AM on MSN.com In a letter to chair Baroness Hallett today the NGOs said Given the inquirys focus on the impact of the pandemic on inequalities this should include how this has manifested globally and the UKs role in exacerbating or mitigating these differences. Of particular interest is the impact of prepurchasing high volumes of vaccines on global supply as well as the UKs role in weakening the provisions of the Intellectual Property waiver they wrote. Signatories also include Global Justice Now Save the Children UK Peoples Vaccine Alliance RESULTS UK Just Treatment Health Poverty Action MSF UK and STOPAIDS. Maaza Seyoum Global South convenor at the Peoples Vaccine Alliance has called pledges to vaccinate the world from leaders of wealthy countries and pharmaceutical firms a little more than rhetoric. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ngos-call-on-covid-19-inquiry-chair-to-probe-global-impact-of-uk-vaccine-buying/ar-AA10VOKD 22nd Aug 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters Support for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas government has tumbled battered by questions about the ruling partys ties to the Unification Church and its response to the coronavirus pandemic according to a public opinion poll. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-pm-kishidas-support-tumbles-hit-by-questions-over-church-covid-2022-08-22/ 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE have asked U.S. health regulators to clear use of a Covid19 shot modified to target the newest versions of the Omicron variant. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to clear the shots for use in the coming weeks in time for a planned fall booster campaign. The PfizerBioNTech booster shot targets the original coronavirus plus the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron which have become predominant in the U.S. Pfizer and BioNTech said they have begun producing doses of the vaccines and could begin supplying them to the U.S. government upon FDA clearance for a vaccination campaign that could start as soon as September. https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-biontech-ask-fda-to-green-light-tweaked-covid-19-vaccine-11661184362 23rd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Anthony Fauci President Bidens chief medical adviser and the governments top infectiousdisease official said he would step down in December. His plans to depart come as vaccines and other precautionary measures have helped protect many people from the worst possible outcomes of Covid19 infection but the viruss everchanging mutations combined with many peoples fatigue with shots complicate efforts to move past the pandemic. His departure portends changes at the helm of the countrys pandemic efforts as the Biden administration recalibrates to reflect the publics changing sentiments while preparing a campaign for the fall to boost peoples immune defenses against the latest evasive versions of the virus. As he leaves his position in the U.S. government I know the American people and the entire world will continue to benefit from Dr. Faucis expertise in whatever he does next. Whether youve met him personally or not he has touched all Americans lives with his work Mr. Biden said Monday. https://www.wsj.com/articles/anthony-fauci-to-step-down-in-december-11661181616 23rd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Policy changes to the Paycheck Protection Program one of the largest in US history redirected loans to the neediest communities. An analysis of 2020 and 2021 lending data shows what happened. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-covid-relief-ppp-loans-small-business/ 23rd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

News Medical In the present study researchers used data from the vaccine adverse event reporting system VAERS and vsafe a voluntary smartphonebased safety surveillance system to analyze the effect of booster doses of BNT162b2 in US children aged five to 11 years between May 17 and July 31 2022. The vsafe platform allows parents and guardians of all children under 15 years to report receipt of all doses of a COVID19 vaccine and all other relevant information. The CDC staff at vsafe call centers encourage parentsguardians seeking medical care after COVID19 vaccination to complete a VAERS report. VAERS a passive vaccine safety surveillance system in the US is comanaged by the CDC and FDA. VAERS documents all adverse events after COVID19 vaccination reported by health care providers vaccine manufacturers and the public. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220822/Serious-health-events-rare-in-children-after-COVID-19-vaccine-booster-says-CDC-study.aspx 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

PMLiVE The World Health Organizations WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts SAGE has recommended Valnevas COVID19 vaccine VLA2001 for all individuals aged 18 to 50 years old. The vaccine is not recommended for people aged 50 years and avoid due to limited data on the immunogenicity of the vaccine in this age group. Similarly there is no data on efficacy or safety for people below the age of 18 years and vaccination of this age group is therefore not currently recommended. VLA2001 is a purified inactivated and adjuvanted whole virus SARSCoV2 vaccine employing a similar approach to the flu vaccine. https://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/who_recommends_valnevas_covid-19_vaccine_for_those_aged_between_18_to_50_years_old_1453698 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

iNews The UK has become the first country to approve a dual vaccine which will tackle both the Omicron variant and the original Covid19 virus for use in the autumn. Described as a sharpened tool in our armoury as the virus continues to evolve by Dr June Raine chief executive of the UKs Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency the jab will be offered to the over50s health workers carers over 16 those at clinical risk from the age of five upwards and those who live with someone with a low immune system. Currently there has been no announcement of when or if the dual rollout will be expanded but if it were would everyone take another jab Although we know immunity wanes over time after 33 million people have had three vaccinations and millions already had a likely Covid infection there have been a recorded total of 19 million positive tests should we anticipate greater apathy or even hesitancy for those who experienced shortterm side effects and think they can avoid them The NHS says side effects can include a sore arm feeling tired headaches feeling achy feeling or being sick. You may also get a high temperature. Although these do not impact everyone and should not last longer than a week. There have also been reports of changes to womens menstrual cycles heavy bleeding increased cramps and disturbance to patterns. https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/covid-vaccine-impact-periods-increased-cramps-pattern-disturbances-1804955 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian People who receive a Covid booster dose in the UK next month will be among the first in the world to receive Modernas dualvariant vaccine which protects against two strains of the virus. But scientists say there is a misconception that this latest vaccine is an upgrade on what has come before. The evolution of the Covid virus to be more transmissible and better evade immunity is outpacing even innovative mRNA vaccines such as Modernas. The current generation of vaccines remain essential to protect us against severe illness and death. But when it comes to controlling infection we are in a situation equivalent to running at a steady speed on a treadmill that is accelerating. Now leading scientists are calling for a renewed focus on nasal vaccines delivered through a spray up the nose rather than an injection. They say nasal vaccines have the best chance of being able to halt Covid transmission and bring infections down to a manageable level. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/20/covid-nasal-vaccines-scientists-hope-help-halt-transmission 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Washington Post As Iranian regulators considered endorsing a locally developed coronavirus vaccine a year ago a top health official issued a stern warning saying the test results were insufficient and the vaccines approval could undermine efforts to contain the countrys raging epidemic. Deputy Health Minister Farid Najafi wrote to his boss that allowing use of the vaccine by the general public before it met scientific standards is a serious and historic decision that will determine the future of public confidence in the health system. But the vaccine had influential backers. It was the highly touted project of a company called Barkat part of a sprawling corporate empire close to Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/20/iran-covid-vaccine-approval/ 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Associated Press Pharmaceutical drug developers and healthcare researchers need innovative tools to understand COVID19 immune response and validate vaccines and therapeutics critical to managing the pandemic. The newest development in assay technology the NABSure SARSCoV2 Neutralizing Antibody Test Kit from Spear Bio is one such tool. Developed by former Harvard University scientists based at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering the NABSure SARSCoV2 test kit provides a surrogate virus neutralization assay with much higher sensitivity than standard ELISA test formats and cellbased approaches https://apnews.com/press-release/pr-newswire/covid-science-health-pandemics-983e29417154cdb84773a4e619baf5c5 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Associated Press World first study utilizing Somalogic SomaScan assay to assess up to 7000 plasma proteins in Long COVID19 patients has elucidated novel blood markers as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Provisional patent applications have been filed in the United States US to seek protection for these new inventions A potential therapeutic marker known to be modulated by ATL1102 in DMD patients has been identified as suggestive of its therapeutic potential as a treatment for Long COVID19. Collaboration with global leader in the clinical research of neurological aspects of Long COVID19 Dr Koralnik to continue with application for grant funding https://apnews.com/press-release/globe-newswire/covid-health-united-states-patents-7368c9b85080ebe669968e64ff9f0e78 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

PMLiVE Pfizer has been told by the US Food and Drug Administration FDA to test the effects of an additional course of Paxlovid nirmatrelvir and ritonavir tablets among individuals who experience a rebound in COVID19 after the first course of treatment. The company must produce the initial results of a randomised controlled trial of a second course of the antiviral by 30 September next year according to a letter from the regulator. The order follows reports of rebounding COVID19 symptoms after the first course of treatment which Pfizer said were rare. The FDA said a protocol for the study is expected to be finalised this month. https://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/pfizer_told_by_fda_to_test_additional_paxlovid_course_in_patients_with_covid-19_rebound_1453699 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Forbes Teenagers will now have another option when it comes to getting vaccinated against Covid19. And this new option is good because it is in many ways old. On August 19 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA sent a letter to Novavax Inc. This wasnt a hi how you doing letter. Instead this letter indicated that the FDA had agreed to modify the Emergency Use Authorization EUA for the Novavax Covid19 adjuvanted vaccine to include those 12 through 17 years of age as well. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/08/21/fda-novavax-covid-19-vaccine-is-now-authorized-for-ages-12-to-17/ 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Hospital Healthcare Europe Both neurological and psychotic disorders have been found to persist in some patients 2 years after first becoming infected with COVID19. The risk of some neurological and psychotic disorders remain elevated two years after infection with COVID19 compared to other respiratory viruses according to the findings of a retrospective analysis by researchers from Oxford and Cambridge universities UK. Whilst it has become widely recognised that infection with COVID19 leads to substantial neurological and psychiatric morbidity in the 6 months after infection it remains uncertain whether these risks decrease over time. Clearly it is important to fulfil this evidence gap to provide reassurance to patients experiencing such adverse effects and to inform on future health policy service provision. It is also necessary to understand if there are differences in the risk profile among adults and children and finally if these risk profiles differ between COVID19 variants. https://hospitalhealthcare.com/covid-19/neurological-and-psychotic-disorders-present-2-years-after-covid-19-infection/ 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

News-Medical.Net The current work found bacterial pathogens like Streptococcus pneumoniae Haemophilus influenzae Staphylococcus aureus Moraxella catarrhalis and Klebsiella pneumoniae among 31.9 of participants including 32 in COVID19positive patients and 31 across COVID19negative patients. The scientists discovered no substantial variations in the bacterial infection rates across SARSCoV2positive and negative cohorts. Besides while the present bacterial coinfection incidence may be greater than those anticipated from many investigations it was common in the literature for research using nasopharyngeal swabs to find elevated rates of bacteria than those depending on other sources like sputum. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220822/What-is-the-prevalence-of-bacterial-co-infections-during-COVID-19.aspx 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Labiotech.eu Roche and its subsidiary TIB Molbiol have developed a COVID19 test for researchers that detects and differentiates the latest subvariant of interest BA.2.75. The test specifically targets two of the known unique mutations in BA.2.75 which allows clear differentiation against other notable subvariants. Roche is pleased to have developed a test for researchers that provides insights into the epidemiology of BA.2.75 helping to understand its impact on public health said Cindy Perettie head of molecular labs at Roche Diagnostics Solutions. https://www.labiotech.eu/trends-news/roche-covid-test-variant/ 22nd Aug 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

BioPharma-Reporter EMA has begun its review of the conditional marketing authorization application from South Korean developer SK biosciences for its COVID19 vaccine Skycovion a recombinant proteinbased vaccine with adjuvant from GSK. https://www.biopharma-reporter.com/Article/2022/08/22/ema-evaluating-skycovion-covid-19-vaccine 22nd Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

YAHOO!News Covid19 infection numbers have recently surged in the Marshall Islands days after the first detected local spread of the virus. In the capital city of Majuro total cases have nearly doubled since Friday. Reportedly approximately 75 of the islands rests were returning as positive. Previous stringent COVID19 restrictions meant that several Pacific islands were able to keep COVID19 at bay. On Monday the first local spread was confirmed. The government declared a state of health disaster closing schools and introducing a variety of public health measures. https://news.yahoo.com/marshall-islands-face-first-covid-124500981.html 22nd Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Indian Express The highest positivity rate recorded during the current surge of infections was 19.20 per cent when fewer tests were conducted on Independence Day reported a day later on the health bulletin for August 16. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/covid-cases-decline-delhi-positivity-rate-8104086/ 22nd Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Xinhua Pakistan recorded 416 new COVID19 cases and three new deaths from the pandemic on Sunday its ministry of health said on Monday. The total tally of the infected people increased to 1566652 in the country with the fresh cases according to data released by the ministry. According to the ministrys statistics a total of 30555 people died of COVID19 in Pakistan with the three newly reported ones. On Sunday 16764 tests were conducted across Pakistan and the positivity rate stood at 2.48 percent. https://english.news.cn/20220822/34de3cea3491450e8f8fab4cba0709da/c.html 22nd Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Japan Times Tokyo confirmed 15085 new cases of COVID19 on Monday down by about 8000 from a week before. The finding comes after the daily caseload in the capital rose weekonweek for the third straight day through Sunday. The sevenday average of new infections in Tokyo came to 24742.6 compared with 26379.1 a week before while the number of COVID patients with severe symptoms under Tokyos criteria fell by two from Sunday to 36. Twentytwo deaths linked to the virus were also reported Monday. On Sunday 226171 new cases were reported across the country up by some 47800 from a week before and standing above 200000 for the fifth straight day. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/08/22/national/covid-tracker-august-22/ 22nd Aug 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Covid19 infections in the UK have fallen to their lowest level for two months in fresh evidence the current wave of the virus is receding figures show. The number of patients in hospital with the virus is also continuing to drop though health experts warned infections are likely to rise again in the autumn and winter. A new booster jab will be offered to everyone in the UK aged 50 and over from next month as well as those with underlying health conditions to increase protection ahead of the future waves of the virus. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-19/uk-covid-19-infections-at-lowest-level-for-two-months 22nd Aug 2022