A coronavirus lateral stream machine displaying a constructive check outcome.
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Latest coronavirus information as of 5pm on 17 February
UK authorities plans to ship 400,000 exams a day to properties and workplaces
Rapid coronavirus exams will begin being despatched out by submit subsequent month to permit twice-weekly testing of individuals with out covid-19 signs for as much as two-thirds of England’s inhabitants. The pregnancy-test-style lateral stream assays, which search for viral proteins in a swab from the nostril or throat, produce outcomes inside half an hour, however they aren’t as correct because the slower PCR exams utilized in labs and clinics. The lateral stream exams are already getting used for screening folks with out covid-19 signs in settings comparable to healthcare, care properties and in sure colleges and universities. The variety of these exams carried out has elevated massively prior to now month. The newest deliberate growth would contain finishing up greater than 400,000 exams a day in properties and workplaces, in accordance with paperwork seen by The Times. The roll-out would start earlier than colleges open up face-to-face instructing – presently slated for 8 March in England – and the exams can be despatched to schoolchildren, their households and lecturers, in addition to anybody who can’t work from home. It can be accompanied by a marketing campaign to encourage uptake provisionally referred to as “Are you ready? Get testing. Go.”
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Using lateral stream exams for mass screening is controversial, as a result of they’ve a increased false-negative price than PCR exams. Proponents say lateral stream exams discover people who find themselves most infectious. Critics say they miss people who find themselves nonetheless able to transmitting the virus and who’re then falsely reassured they’re freed from the virus, so could behave extra riskily. A spokesperson for the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care stated their plans for increasing testing haven’t but been finalised.
Other coronavirus information
Four extra signs must be added to the listing of indicators that folks want a coronavirus check, researchers say. The new signs are fatigue, headache, sore throat and diarrhoea. The current signs that point out the necessity for a check are cough, fever or lack of style or scent. The findings come from an evaluation of customers of an app referred to as the Zoe Covid Symptom Study, which tracks covid-19 signs and instances. Using these additional indicators as a set off for testing would result in many extra folks being examined who don’t have the virus, however it could additionally decide up 40 per cent extra coronavirus instances, the researchers have calculated.
The world’s first research that can intentionally infect wholesome volunteers with the coronavirus will start subsequent month. Initially, 90 folks aged 18-30 may have a small dose of the virus squirted up their nostril and can then be rigorously monitored to see how their immune system reacts and to seek out the smallest dose wanted for a gentle an infection. In future the experimenters will research how efficient vaccines are in opposition to present and novel variants of the virus, stated Chris Chiu at Imperial College London.
South Africa will this week develop into the primary nation on the earth to begin giving folks the Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccine. This one-shot jab is efficient at stopping extreme illness from the coronavirus variant prevalent in that nation.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.43 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 109.6 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
Latest on coronavirus from New Scientist
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The New York Times is monitoring hospital mattress occupancy in England in an interactive graphic.
Panorama: The Race for a Vaccine is a BBC documentary in regards to the inside story of the event of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in opposition to covid-19.
Race Against the Virus: Hunt for a Vaccine is a Channel 4 documentary which tells the story of the coronavirus pandemic by the eyes of the scientists on the frontline.
The New York Times is assessing the progress of various vaccine candidates and potential drug therapies for covid-19, and rating them for effectiveness and security.
Humans of COVID-19 is a mission highlighting the experiences of key staff on the frontline within the combat in opposition to coronavirus within the UK, by social media.
Belly Mujinga: Searching for the Truth is a BBC Panorama investigation of the dying of transport employee Belly Mujinga from covid-19, following experiences she had been coughed and spat on by a buyer at London’s Victoria Station.
Coronavirus, Explained on Netflix is a brief documentary sequence analyzing the on-going coronavirus pandemic, the efforts to combat it and methods to handle its psychological well being toll.
New Scientist Weekly options updates and evaluation on the newest developments within the covid-19 pandemic. Our podcast sees knowledgeable journalists from the journal talk about the most important science tales to hit the headlines every week – from know-how and house, to well being and the atmosphere.
COVID-19: The Pandemic that Never Should Have Happened, and How to Stop the Next One by Debora Mackenzie is about how the pandemic occurred and why it’s going to occur once more if we don’t do issues otherwise in future.
The Rules of Contagion is in regards to the new science of contagion and the shocking methods it shapes our lives and behavior. The writer, Adam Kucharski, is an epidemiologist on the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, and within the guide he examines how ailments unfold and why they cease.
Previous updates
A lady in a retirement residence appears out on the view from her balcony
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16 February
Nearly two million extra folks might be added to England’s shielding listing
About 1.7 million folks in England might be informed to defend and take additional precautions from covid-19 after they have been discovered to be at critical threat of illness or dying. They may even be prioritised for covid-19 vaccination. The addition will carry the full quantity on the UK authorities’s shielding listing to virtually 4 million, all of whom are being suggested to defend till 31 March.
The folks being added to the listing have been recognized utilizing an algorithm to foretell whether or not an individual is susceptible to extreme illness or dying from covid-19. The algorithm incorporates info on age, ethnicity, physique mass index, different well being circumstances and postcode (which is indicative of the extent of deprivation). “As we learn more about covid-19, we’re continuously reviewing the evidence,” Jenny Harries, considered one of England’s deputy chief medical officers, informed a briefing on 16 February. “It was very clear that not all of those individuals who were at risk were identified by the binary approach,” she stated. Harries stated it will likely be as much as the people to resolve whether or not to comply with the shielding recommendation or not.
Other coronavirus information
An estimated one in 5 folks in England had antibodies in opposition to the coronavirus within the 28 days as much as 1 February, suggesting that they had beforehand been contaminated or had obtained a covid-19 vaccine, in accordance with the Office for National Statistics. In Wales and Northern Ireland the equal estimate was one in 7 and for Scotland it was one in 9 folks. People have been examined for antibodies as a part of the COVID-19 Infection Survey within the UK. In England, folks aged 80 and over have been more than likely to check constructive for antibodies with 40.9 per cent testing constructive, which might be as a result of excessive vaccination price on this group. “It could be tempting to assume that quantifying antibody levels like this tells us the level and distribution of immunity to covid-19 in the population, but we do not know what components of the immune system are required for immunity or how long protection will last,” stated Simon Clarke on the University of Reading in a assertion.
Early knowledge from vaccinations in Israel point out that the Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccine prevents 94 per cent of symptomatic coronavirus infections. The research checked out 600,000 totally vaccinated folks and the identical variety of unvaccinated folks. This is a really comparable stage of effectiveness to that recorded in medical trials of the vaccine. Israel’s well being fund, Clalit, used coronavirus check outcomes extracted from folks’s well being information to match numbers of infections between those that had obtained two doses of the vaccine and those that hadn’t obtained any doses. There have been 94 per cent fewer infections amongst those that had been vaccinated. Nearly half of Israel’s resident grownup inhabitants have obtained at the least one dose of covid-19 vaccine to date.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.41 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 109 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
Latest on coronavirus from New Scientist
Merged variants: The UK and California variants of coronavirus seem to have mixed right into a closely mutated hybrid, sparking concern that we could also be coming into a brand new section of the covid-19 pandemic.
Genome sequencing of the coronavirus and its variants on the Centre National de Reference in France
CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP by way of Getty Images
15 February
Coronavirus variants carrying comparable mutations detected within the US
Seven coronavirus variants carrying comparable mutations have been detected within the US. All the variants, reported in a preliminary research, have gained a mutation on the similar location of their genome and seem to belong to the identical lineage as a virus first sequenced on 1 December, which subsequently grew to become extra frequent. “There’s clearly something going on with this mutation,” Jeremy Kamil at Louisiana State University and co-author of the research, informed the New York Times. It isn’t clear if the mutation makes the variants extra transmissible, just like the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant first sequenced within the UK, however its location in a gene that influences how the virus enters human cells is regarding. “I think there’s a clear signature of an evolutionary benefit,” stated Kamil. The preliminary research was launched on a pre-print server and has not been peer-reviewed.
Other coronavirus information
UK well being minister Matt Hancock revealed that a 3rd of social care staff in England haven’t had a covid-19 vaccine but, regardless of being among the many first precedence teams. “We’ll keep offering and keep contacting people who work in social care,” Hancock informed the BBC’s Breakfast present. “Obviously the uptake there is very important,” he stated. Separately, a preliminary research discovered decrease covid-19 vaccine uptake amongst Black, Asian and minority ethnic employees on the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in England. “These findings give significant cause for concern, as ethnic minority groups (especially those working in healthcare) are at higher risk of infection with [the coronavirus] and adverse outcome from covid-19,” stated the report, which has not been peer-reviewed. More than 15 million folks have obtained a dose of covid-19 vaccine within the UK to date, in line with the federal government’s goal of providing a primary dose of vaccine to 4 precedence teams by mid-February.
“We’ll do everything we can” to reopen colleges in England by 8 March, UK prime minister Boris Johnson has stated, including: “But we’ve got to keep looking at the data, we’ve got to keep looking at the rates of infection, don’t forget they’re still very high.” The UK authorities is anticipated to set out plans for ending restrictions at a briefing on 22 February. Johnson stated the federal government’s plans might be “cautious but irreversible”.
The first travellers required to remain at quarantine resorts in England arrived at London’s Heathrow airport on 15 February. People arriving within the UK from 33 “red list” nations are actually required to enter obligatory lodge quarantine for 10 days on arrival, at their very own expense.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.4 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 108 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
Latest on coronavirus from New Scientist
Making a distinction: The unpredictability of covid-19 could make our lives really feel uncontrolled, however there are issues we will all do to affect our course by the pandemic.
A lady receives the Oxford/AstraZeneca covid19 vaccine at an NHS vaccination heart in Ealing, west London
NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
12 February
Vaccinations of individuals below 70 start in England subsequent week
Vaccinators in England can now begin giving covid-19 vaccines to folks aged between 65 and 69, so long as they’ve already provided jabs to older and clinically susceptible folks within the prime precedence teams. “We have been told by NHS England that, in exceptional circumstances, where we have reached other groups, we can move on to cohort five [people aged 65 to 69],” an nameless physician informed the Guardian. Across the UK, 14 million folks had obtained a primary dose of covid-19 vaccine as of 12 February – equal to about 20 per cent of the full inhabitants.
Infections fall throughout the UK
Coronavirus infections seem like falling throughout the UK. The Office for National Statistics estimates that about one in 80 folks in England had covid-19 within the week as much as 6 February, down from one in 65 folks the earlier week. In Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland the equal figures for the latest week are roughly one in 85, one in 75 and one in 150 folks respectively, all down from the earlier week’s figures. The newest official estimate of the R quantity – the typical variety of folks every individual with coronavirus infects – places it between 0.7 and 0.9 for the UK as a complete, indicating the nation’s epidemic is shrinking.
Neil Ferguson at Imperial College London, who advises the UK authorities as a part of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, stated lockdowns have helped drive down instances. “They’re basically halving about every 17 days at the moment,” he informed Politico’s Westminster Insider podcast. Ferguson stated it could be attainable to reopen at the least major colleges in a month’s time. “And if we continue to see then a continued decline without large outbreaks, then perhaps starting to relax other aspects of society the following month,” he added. UK prime minister Boris Johnson has stated discussions on reopening colleges will occur within the week beginning 22 February, with colleges probably in a position to reopen from 8 March.
Other coronavirus information
Germany is imposing strict new border controls as a result of concern over coronavirus variants, with a ban on journey into the nation from the Czech Republic and Austria the place the B.1351 and B.1.1.7 variants of the virus have been discovered to be prevalent. Returning residents and sure important staff might be exempt.
French well being authority Haute Autorite de Sante advisable that individuals who have already had covid-19 and recovered ought to solely be provided a single shot of covid-19 vaccine. “The single dose of vaccine will act as a reminder,” it stated in a press release.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.37 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 107 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
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A pharmacist in France shows a field of tocilizumab, which is used within the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis
PASCAL ROSSIGNOL/REUTERS/Alamy Stock Photo
11 February
Roche’s arthritis drug tocilizumab discovered to chop threat of dying amongst sufferers with extreme covid-19
The arthritis drug tocilizumab reduces the danger of dying amongst severely in poor health covid-19 sufferers, in accordance with findings from the RECOVERY trial, which has been testing a spread of potential therapies for the illness since March final 12 months. The research discovered that 29 per cent of covid-19 sufferers who obtained tocilizumab died inside 28 days, in comparison with 33 per cent of those that didn’t obtain the drug. Treatment with tocilizumab – offered below the model title Actemra by Swiss firm Roche – additionally shortened the time to restoration and lowered the requirement for mechanical air flow. The trial included 2022 covid-19 sufferers randomly allotted to obtain tocilizumab along with their commonplace care and 2094 sufferers allotted to straightforward care solely, which for 82 per cent of all sufferers within the research included therapy with a steroid, comparable to dexamethasone. Last 12 months, dexamethasone grew to become the first drug discovered to cut back dying charges in covid-19 sufferers. The most up-to-date outcomes point out that tocilizumab supplies further advantages when used with steroids, like dexamethasone. “Used in combination, the impact is substantial,” stated Martin Landray on the University of Oxford, one of many lead investigators on the trial. “After dexamethasone (steroids), this is the most significant advance in the treatment of covid,” stated Athimalaipet Ramanan on the University of Bristol in a assertion.
Other coronavirus information
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued up to date steering saying individuals who have been “fully vaccinated” in opposition to covid-19 are now not suggested to quarantine if they’re uncovered to somebody who exams constructive for coronavirus. This applies to individuals who have had each doses of a covid-19 vaccine at the least two weeks in the past. However, the CDC stated this doesn’t imply that totally vaccinated people ought to cease taking precautions and added that individuals who had their pictures three months in the past or extra ought to nonetheless quarantine if they’re uncovered, because it isn’t recognized how lengthy safety in opposition to covid-19 lasts.
US well being officers are advising folks within the nation to contemplate carrying two masks on prime of one another to raised shield themselves in opposition to coronavirus an infection. A CDC report urged carrying a fabric masks over a disposable surgical masks or bettering the match of a single surgical masks as methods to spice up safety.
It may take six to 9 months to supply and deploy covid-19 vaccines that work in opposition to new variants of the coronavirus, in accordance with AstraZeneca. The UK-Swedish firm made this assertion after its present vaccine was discovered to be much less efficient in opposition to the coronavirus variant first recognized in South Africa.
The Guardian reported that greater than 40 per cent of employees on the UK’s largest care residence supplier haven’t obtained any doses of covid-19 vaccine.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.35 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 107 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
Latest on coronavirus from New Scientist
New covid-19 vaccines: The world wants new vaccines to beat novel coronavirus variants, overcome delays and remedy international inequality over vaccine entry – right here’s what’s within the works for 2021 and past.
A lady takes a coronavirus check at a short lived testing facility in London, UK
Hollie Adams/Getty Images
10 February
Chills, lack of urge for food, headache and muscle ache linked to covid-19 in new research
New signs have been linked to covid-19 in sure age teams, together with chills, lack of urge for food, headache and muscle ache, in Imperial College London’s REACT research. The 4 new signs have been recognized by researchers by random swab testing and questioning of greater than one million folks in England, performed between June 2020 and January 2021. The researchers discovered an affiliation between testing constructive for the coronavirus and reporting any of those new signs or different signs beforehand linked to covid-19, comparable to a persistent cough, fever or a loss or change in sense of style or scent.
The extra signs folks had, the extra doubtless they have been to check constructive, though there was some variation in signs throughout completely different age teams. Chills have been linked with an infection throughout all age teams, whereas complications have been reported primarily in youngsters aged 5-17, urge for food loss in adults over 18 and muscle aches in these aged 18-54. Infected 5-17 12 months olds have been additionally much less more likely to report experiencing fever, persistent cough and urge for food loss, as compared with adults.
The REACT research additionally checked out whether or not reported signs modified earlier than and after the B.1.1.7 variant grew to become the dominant variant within the UK. It discovered that signs have been largely comparable, regardless of the elevated prevalence of B.1.1.7. However, loss or change of sense of scent was much less predictive of getting covid-19 in January when B.1.1.7 accounted for about 86 per cent of infections, in contrast with November to December when it was 16 per cent. “As the epidemic progresses and new variants emerge, it’s essential that we keep monitoring how the virus affects people so that testing programmes meet changing needs,” stated Joshua Elliott, one of many researchers behind the research at Imperial College London, in a press release.
Other coronavirus information
People within the UK are going to need to “get used to the idea of vaccinating and revaccinating in the autumn as we face these new variants”, UK prime minister Boris Johnson informed parliament on 10 February. Several vaccine producers have confirmed that they’re already engaged on new variations of their covid-19 vaccines to verify they continue to be efficient. The UK authorities just lately introduced a partnership with producer CureVac to quickly manufacture new vaccines in response to new coronavirus variants if wanted. “We believe that they may help us to develop vaccines that can respond at scale to new variants of the virus,” stated Johnson.
England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam stated he doesn’t suppose the B.1351 coronavirus variant first recognized in South Africa “is going to be a dominant issue in the next few months”. Speaking on BBC News, Van-Tam stated 90 per cent of instances within the UK for the time being are attributable to the B.1.1.7 variant, first detected in Kent.
South Africa is contemplating promoting or exchanging its doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine, in accordance with the nation’s well being minister. Plans to begin administering the jabs have been placed on maintain this week after a small, preliminary research indicated it might not shield in opposition to delicate or average covid-19 attributable to the B.1.351 variant.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.34 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 107 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
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Peter Ben Embarek solutions questions on the WHO-China joint research press convention in Wuhan, China on 9 February
Xinhua News Agency/PA Images
9 February
WHO crew in China is investigating principle that coronavirus was unfold by frozen meals
The World Health Organization (WHO) mission in Wuhan, China has dominated out the likelihood that the coronavirus originated in a laboratory, however the crew is investigating whether or not the virus got here from frozen meals, probably from outdoors China. The investigation crew chief Peter Ben Embarek stated the virus appears to have originated in bats, as initially thought, but it surely was most likely transmitted to people by way of an unknown intermediate species, probably a useless or frozen animal meals product. Embarek stated it’s “extremely unlikely” that the virus escaped from a lab. The WHO mission arrived in China in January and spent 4 weeks researching the origin of the coronavirus with website visits to the Huanan seafood market, initially suspected because the supply of the virus, in addition to the laboratories on the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was additionally being investigated as a possible supply. It introduced its preliminary findings at a press briefing in Wuhan on 9 February.
Other coronavirus information
People arriving in England who’re required to quarantine in resorts might be charged a price of £1750 to cowl the price of their keep, transport and coronavirus exams, UK well being minister Matt Hancock introduced. People who fail to quarantine face fines of as much as £10,000, whereas those that lie on their passenger locator kinds about visiting any of 33 “red list” nations withstand 10 years in jail. Hancock stated comparable measures are being checked out for the devolved nations. “People who flout these rules are putting us all at risk,” he informed parliament on Tuesday. He additionally confirmed that an enhanced testing regime for all arrivals would begin on 15 February, from which level all arrivals might be required to get examined for the coronavirus on the second and eighth days of their 10-day quarantine interval.
Extra covid-19 testing will start in elements of Greater Manchester within the UK, following the invention of 4 folks contaminated with a mutated model of the B.1.1.7 variant, first recognized in Kent. The 4 folks, from two separate households in Greater Manchester, have been discovered to be contaminated with a virus carrying the E484K mutation. The mutation is regarding, as there may be proof that some covid-19 vaccines could also be much less efficient in opposition to the B.1.351 variant, also called the “South Africa variant”, which has the identical mutation.
The NHS covid-19 app has informed 1.7 million folks in England and Wales to self-isolate since its launch in September. A preliminary evaluation by researchers on the University of Oxford and the Alan Turing Institute signifies 594,000 coronavirus instances have been prevented by the app. The app has had about 21.7 million downloads, though inside knowledge suggests about 16.5 million individuals are presently actively utilizing its contact-tracing instrument, in accordance with the BBC.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.32 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 106 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
Latest on coronavirus from New Scientist
South Africa variant: South Africa paused its rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine because it may not be efficient in opposition to the South African B.1.351 coronavirus variant – however it’s nonetheless more likely to restrict the severity of covid-19.
An individual receives a covid-19 vaccine at a drive-through vaccination centre in St Albans, UK
REUTERS/Paul Childs
8 February
Researchers are investigating methods to switch covid-19 vaccines to sort out the South Africa variant and others that emerge
UK ministers say work is underway to tweak current covid-19 vaccines to sort out new variants of the coronavirus together with the B.1.351 coronavirus variant, generally known as the “South Africa variant”. On 6 February, a small, preliminary research was reported to indicate that the Oxford/AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine could not shield in opposition to delicate or average covid-19 attributable to B.1.351. At least 147 instances of this variant have now been detected within the UK. “Our brilliant scientists and medical advisers are now working on the potential for new versions of existing vaccines to offer further protections against covid variants,” Nadhim Zahawi, minister for covid-19 vaccine deployment, wrote within the Telegraph. As a precaution, South Africa – the place the variant accounts for about 90 per cent of latest coronavirus instances – has put its rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on maintain. However, the research, which has not but been revealed or peer-reviewed, was comparatively small and didn’t have a look at the affect of the vaccine on extreme illness or dying.
Sarah Gilbert on the University of Oxford, one of many lead vaccine researchers on the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, stated a modified model that’s efficient in opposition to the South Africa variant might be able to deploy within the autumn. “What we’re seeing from other vaccine developers is that they have a reduction in efficacy against some of the variant viruses,” Gilbert informed the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on 7 February, including that though vaccines could also be much less efficient at decreasing instances with new variants, they nonetheless seem like protecting in opposition to dying, hospitalisation and extreme illness. Other covid-19 vaccine producers are additionally engaged on new variations of their vaccines to verify they continue to be efficient. “We’re very confident in all the vaccines that we are using, and I think it’s important for people to bear in mind that all of them, we think, are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death, which is the most important thing,” stated UK prime minister Boris Johnson, in an interview with Sky News on 8 February. “We will be continuing to study the results, the effectiveness, of the vaccine rollout.”
Other coronavirus information
All folks dwelling within the UK might be eligible to obtain a covid-19 vaccine no matter whether or not they have the authorized proper to work and dwell within the nation, the UK authorities stated on 8 February. “Coronavirus vaccines will be offered to everyone living in the UK free of charge, regardless of immigration status,” a authorities spokesperson informed Reuters. The authorities stated getting the vaccine wouldn’t set off immigration checks.
Ireland stated it’s going to crack down on travellers returning to the UK from the Middle East by way of Ireland to keep away from just lately launched quarantine guidelines. The variety of folks travelling to Dublin from Dubai has risen for the reason that UK added the United Arab Emirates to its journey ban listing in January.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.31 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 106 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
Latest on coronavirus from New Scientist
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People wait to obtain the Oxford/AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine at Copes pharmacy in Streatham, England
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
5 February
Early outcomes recommend the Oxford covid-19 vaccine works in opposition to B.1.1.7 virus variant
Preliminary outcomes point out that the covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca is efficient in opposition to the extremely transmissible coronavirus variant B.1.1.7, which was first detected within the UK. Researchers on the University of Oxford analysed swabs from vaccine trial contributors who had examined constructive for the coronavirus between 1 October 2020 and 14 January 2021, to find out the variant of the virus with which that they had been contaminated. They discovered comparable efficacy charges of the vaccine in opposition to the B.1.1.7 variant (74.6 per cent efficient) and the unique virus (84 per cent efficient). This is even though these contaminated with the B.1.1.7 variant produced fewer antibodies that might neutralise the virus. The outcomes have been launched on-line as a pre-print and haven’t been peer-reviewed.
Vaccine researchers are investigating methods to switch current covid-19 vaccines quickly to make sure continued safety in opposition to different new variants as effectively. “We are working with AstraZeneca to optimise the pipeline required for a strain change should one become necessary,” stated Sarah Gilbert on the University of Oxford in a assertion. “This is the same issue that is faced by all of the vaccine developers, and we will continue to monitor the emergence of new variants that arise in readiness for a future strain change,” she stated. “All viruses accumulate mutations over time, and for influenza vaccines there is a well-known process of global viral surveillance, and selection of strains for an annual update of the vaccines.”
Other coronavirus information
Coronavirus instances seem like falling in a lot of the UK. The most up-to-date outcomes from a random swab testing survey by the Office for National Statistics point out constructive exams have been falling in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland within the week as much as 30 January. New infections throughout the UK as a complete are estimated to be falling by between 2 and 5 per cent every day, and the newest official estimate for the UK’s R quantity – the typical variety of folks every coronavirus case infects – places it between 0.7 and 1.0. This is more than likely to characterize the scenario two to a few weeks in the past, as a result of a time lag within the knowledge. The UK authorities stated it goals for all folks aged 50 and above to have been provided a covid-19 vaccine by May, clarifying earlier feedback by a spokesperson for UK prime minister Boris Johnson who on 4 February stated the federal government’s goal was “spring”.
Johnson & Johnson utilized for an emergency use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration for its covid-19 vaccine. The firm introduced final week that the single-dose vaccine had an efficacy of about 66 per cent in section III trials. If authorised, it could develop into the third covid-19 vaccine authorised for emergency use within the US, after these developed by Pfizer and its companion BioNTech and by Moderna.
Israel introduced it will ease lockdown restrictions from 7 am native time on 7 February however will maintain its borders closed, after a slight discount in coronavirus instances. Almost 80 per cent of individuals over 50 in Israel have obtained a covid-19 vaccine to date. The nation is vaccinating its 9 million residents at the next price than another nation.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.28 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 105 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
A health care provider prepares to manage the Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury, UK
NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
4 February
UK plans to check impact of giving one dose every of the Pfizer and Astrazeneca covid-19 vaccines
A UK trial is aiming to analyze the affect of giving folks two completely different covid-19 vaccines for his or her first and second doses. Being in a position to make use of both vaccine will create extra flexibility within the supply of doses, and assist cope with disruption in provides, stated England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam. He stated combining two completely different vaccines on this approach may additionally increase immune responses, probably main to raised safety in opposition to covid-19. The trial, which is being led by researchers on the University of Oxford and funded by the UK authorities’s vaccine taskforce, will recruit 820 volunteers over the age of fifty who haven’t but obtained a covid-19 vaccine. Participants will then obtain a primary dose of both the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca or the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Some of them will get the identical vaccine once more for his or her second dose 4 or 12 weeks later and others will get a second dose of the opposite vaccine, to check the impact of mixing the 2 pictures and of various time intervals between doses.
UK vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi stated the nation is on monitor to satisfy its goal of vaccinating all folks within the 4 precedence teams in opposition to covid-19 by 15 February. He informed parliament it has been “an incredible effort” that has “drawn on the hard work of so many”. Last month, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated the UK authorities goals to have given a primary dose of covid-19 vaccine to all these over 70, probably the most clinically susceptible folks and frontline well being and social care staff by 15 February – equal to about 15 million folks. Across the UK, greater than 10.4 million folks had obtained a primary dose of covid-19 vaccine as of 4 February.
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International journey was related to elevated dying charges within the worst-affected nations throughout the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, in accordance with a research revealed within the scientific journal BMJ Open. Tiberiu Pana on the University of Aberdeen, UK, and colleagues analysed the connection between country-level elements – comparable to worldwide arrivals, inhabitants density and well being indicators – and the typical enhance in each day deaths recorded in early 2020 throughout the 37 nations with the best dying charges from covid-19. They discovered that the most important enhance in dying charges was related to worldwide arrivals. An enhance of one million worldwide arrivals was related to a 3.4 per cent rise within the common each day enhance in covid-19 deaths.
A World Health Organization scientist has stated society is unlikely to return to “normal” till 2022. “I think we are going to be well into next year before we see a change – that change is likely to be caused by high coverage of the vaccines,” stated Helen Rees, who sits on the WHO’s committee for covid-19. “I think this new normal we all talk about is with us for a very long time,” Rees informed BBC Wales Live.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.27 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 104 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
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Royal Navy medics put together syringes of the Oxford/AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Bath, UK
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP by way of Getty Images
3 February
Covid-19 vaccine in opposition to new variants might be deployed quickly, says Oxford vaccine researcher
A model of the covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca that may sort out the brand new, extremely transmissible coronavirus variants might be able to deploy in about 7 months within the UK, in accordance with a researcher on the Oxford vaccine crew. “The actual work on designing a new vaccine is very, very quick because it’s essentially just switching out the genetic sequence for the spike protein,” Andrew Pollard on the University of Oxford informed the BBC. “And then there’s manufacturing to do and then a small scale study. So all of that can be completed in a very short period of time, and the autumn is really the timing for having new vaccines available for use,” he stated. Pollard stated work is already underway to replace the vaccine and enhance its efficacy in opposition to just lately recognized coronavirus mutations, comparable to these within the variants first sequenced within the UK and South Africa.
Preliminary outcomes recommend that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine could cut back coronavirus transmission, along with decreasing symptomatic covid-19 and extreme sickness. UK well being minister Matt Hancock praised the findings of the research led by researchers on the University of Oxford. The outcomes point out that two doses of the jab cut back coronavirus an infection with or with out signs by 67 per cent. They additionally recommend {that a} single dose of the vaccine is 76 per cent efficient at stopping symptomatic covid-19 for 3 months, with this determine rising to 82 per cent after two doses. Hancock described the outcomes as “absolutely superb” and stated they present that “vaccines are the way out of this pandemic”.
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A cellular coronavirus testing unit has been arrange within the city of Southport in England to check residents for the coronavirus and determine if they’ve the variant first recognized in South Africa. Firefighters and council employees are additionally delivering 10,000 residence testing kits to folks dwelling within the space.
Denmark introduced plans to introduce a digital “Corona-Pass”, which might enable Danish residents to show they’ve been vaccinated in opposition to covid-19 for the needs of enterprise and leisure journey, in accordance with the nation’s finance ministry.
Israel will begin increasing its covid-19 vaccination programme to everybody over the age of 16, in accordance with its well being ministry.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.25 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 104 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
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Travellers arrive at London’s Heathrow airport
Hollie Adams/Getty Images
2 February
UK science advisers advisable introduction of journey restrictions two weeks in the past
The UK’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) suggested the federal government to introduce obligatory lodge quarantine for travellers arriving into the UK two weeks in the past, in accordance with minutes from a gathering on 21 January that have been leaked to the Times. On Thursday 21 January, SAGE reportedly warned that “reactive, geographically targeted” journey bans couldn’t be relied on to stop faster-spreading coronavirus variants, comparable to these recognized in South Africa and Brazil, from reaching the UK, including that: “no intervention, other than a complete, pre-emptive closure of borders, or the mandatory quarantine of all visitors upon arrival in designated facilities, irrespective of testing history, can get close to fully preventing the importation of new cases or new variants.”
A Downing Street spokesperson stated SAGE didn’t straight advise UK prime minister Boris Johnson to shut borders. Universities minister Michelle Donelan informed Sky News that the federal government “always based our decisions on the best medical and scientific advice” and stated “the SAGE advice actually said it would probably be ineffective, in fact, to close the borders, which was the same advice that we got at the time from the World Health Organization”. Johnson introduced geographically focused lodge quarantine measures for travellers coming back from 30 nations, together with Brazil and South Africa, final week.
UK well being minister Matt Hancock urged folks dwelling in postcodes in England singled out for enhanced coronavirus testing for the so-called South Africa variant to keep at residence until “absolutely essential”. Urgent door-to-door testing for the faster-spreading variant has been deployed after 11 instances with no hyperlink to overseas journey have been recognized in elements of England.
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Interim outcomes from section III trials recommend Russia’s covid-19 vaccine is 91.6 per cent efficient, and knowledge on the vaccine is being submitted to the European Medicines Agency, in accordance with Kirill Dmitriev, director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. The outcomes, primarily based on a section III trial together with 21,977 adults, three-quarters of whom obtained the Sputnik V vaccine, are revealed in scientific journal the Lancet. Other contributors obtained a placebo.
Sweden introduced it could not suggest the covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford in partnership with AstraZeneca for folks aged over 65, hours after Poland stated it could not provide the vaccine to over 60s. Last week, medical specialists in Germany and Austria made comparable suggestions, citing an absence of information on this age group. The European Medicines Agency authorised the vaccine to be used in all grownup age teams throughout the European Union and June Raine, chief government of the UK Medicines and Healthcare merchandise Regulatory Agency, final week stated: “Current evidence does not suggest any lack of protection against covid-19 in people aged 65 or over. The data we have shows that the vaccine produces a strong immune response in the over-65s.”
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.24 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 103 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
Latest on coronavirus from New Scientist
Faster-spreading variants: The faster-spreading UK coronavirus variant has acquired a mutation that can assist it evade immune safety – the identical mutation already discovered within the South African variant.
Article amended on 4 February 2021
We corrected June Raine’s title.
A well being employee talks with a person taking a swab check in Goldsworth Park, because the South African variant of the novel coronavirus is reported in elements of Surrey, in Woking, UK, 1 February 2021
REUTERS/Hannah McKay
1 February
All adults in elements of England to be examined for South Africa variant after 11 new instances recognized
Door-to-door testing for the so-called South Africa coronavirus variant will start in elements of England this week, after 11 instances with no recognized hyperlinks to journey or to earlier instances have been recognized in eight areas of the nation. Urgent testing of adults, no matter signs, will happen in some postcodes in Hertfordshire, Surrey, Kent, Walsall, Sefton and within the London boroughs of Merton, Haringey and Ealing. “We are trying to contain this so it does not spread,” Susan Hopkins, senior medical adviser at Public Health England informed the BBC. Any newly recognized infections might be analysed to see if they’re attributable to the extremely transmissible coronavirus variant first sequenced in South Africa.
UK well being minister Matt Hancock “has ordered an attempt at eradication of the new variant if at all possible”, with public well being officers beginning to go door-to-door in affected areas this week, in accordance with a briefing seen by the Guardian. “This is a precautionary measure,” stated Ruth Hutchinson, director of public well being for Surrey, in a press release. “The more cases of the variant we find, the better chance we have at stopping it from spreading further,” stated Hutchinson, including: “It’s really important to say that there is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness, so you don’t need to worry.”
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A covid-19 vaccine has now been provided to older residents at each eligible care residence in England, the NHS introduced, however vaccination charges of care residence employees are lagging behind residents. Fiona Carragher, director of analysis and influencing at Alzheimer’s Society informed the BBC she remained involved that the vaccination rollout for care residence employees “has not been nearly so effective”. In January, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated the UK authorities goals to vaccinate all these over 70, probably the most clinically susceptible folks and frontline well being and social care staff by 15 February – equal to about 15 million vaccinations. Across the UK, greater than 8.9 million folks had obtained a primary dose of covid-19 vaccine as of 30 January.
The European Union stated AstraZeneca has agreed to provide it with 9 million further doses of its covid-19 vaccine, developed in partnership with the University of Oxford. This brings the full variety of anticipated doses for the primary quarter of this 12 months to 40 million, which is about half of what the EU was initially anticipating. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen tweeted saying the corporate would broaden its manufacturing capability in Europe, and begin delivering doses per week sooner than scheduled.
Germany’s well being minister Jens Spahn hinted that covid-19 vaccines from China and Russia might be utilized in Europe to compensate for the shortfall of doses provided by Pfizer and its companion BioNTech, and by Oxford/AstraZeneca. “Regardless of the country in which a vaccine is manufactured, if they are safe and effective, they can help cope with the pandemic,” Spahn informed German media on Sunday, including that any vaccine will first should be authorised by the European Medicines Agency.
Coronavirus deaths
Matthew Rowett
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.23 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 103 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
Latest on coronavirus from New Scientist
Can vaccines cease transmission?: Several research recommend that coronavirus vaccines can considerably cut back transmission of the virus, however not halt it fully – so social distancing remains to be mandatory.
A lab technician working at Janssen Pharmaceutical in Beerse, Belgium
Virginia Mayo/AP/Shutterstock
29 January
Vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and Novavax report constructive trial outcomes
A coronavirus vaccine developed by the US agency Novavax has been proven to be 89 per cent efficient in stopping covid-19 in medical trials. The trials included contributors within the UK and South Africa, and located the vaccine to be 86 per cent efficient in opposition to the UK variant of the virus, however solely 60 per cent efficient in opposition to the variant in South Africa. Novavax stated it’s going to instantly start improvement on a vaccine particularly focused to the South African variant.
Janssen, a subsidiary of US agency Johnson & Johnson, introduced that its covid-19 vaccine confirmed 66 per cent efficacy in a global trial. These outcomes are primarily based on a single dose of the vaccine, which makes it simpler to manage than the two-shot vaccines which have already been authorised. The firm has stated it’s going to promote its vaccine on a not-for-profit foundation.
The UK has already ordered 30 million doses of the Janssen vaccine and the European Union has ordered 400 million. The UK has additionally ordered 60 million doses of the Novavax jab.
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The European Medicines Agency has advisable the approval of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for all adults, which can enable mass use of the vaccine within the European Union. Yesterday, a German committee advisable in opposition to approving the vaccine for folks over 65 due to inadequate knowledge within the trials, however the EMA’s specialists stated safety might be anticipated on this group and there may be dependable info on security. The vaccine is already the topic of a dispute between AstraZeneca and the EU over the agency’s determination to provide fewer doses to the EU this 12 months than initially agreed. Today, the European Commission revealed elements of its contract with AstraZeneca, which it says obliges the corporate to provide the agreed volumes. The drug-maker says the contract solely obliges it to make its “best effort” to satisfy the EU demand, to not stick with a particular timetable. The EU additionally introduced export restrictions on vaccines made inside the bloc in response to the deliberate reduce in deliveries.
The coronavirus variant from South Africa – which is extra infectiousness than the unique variant – has been detected within the US for the primary time, with two instances confirmed in South Carolina.
The New York state authorities has launched new figures displaying that it undercounted deaths from covid-19 in nursing residence residents by greater than 3800. The state’s general dying toll has not elevated, however the increased tally in nursing properties has fuelled criticism that governor Andrew Cuomo didn’t do sufficient to guard these residents.
In the UK, covid-19 hospital admissions fell to 33.51 per 100,000 folks from a price of 35.64 within the week ending 24 January, figures from the Office for National Statistics present. One in 55 folks in non-public households in England examined constructive for covid-19 between 17 and 23 January, which has similarities to the earlier week. The an infection price was roughly one in 70 in Wales, one in 50 in Northern Ireland and one in 110 in Scotland. The R quantity for the UK is between 0.7 and 1.1, in accordance with the newest estimate by the federal government’s scientific advisory group. The R quantity is the variety of folks every individual with covid-19 will go on to contaminate.
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Global vaccine distribution: While mass immunisation programmes are making fast progress in wealthy nations, many middle-income nations have solely simply begun roll-outs and most low-income ones will take months to get began. These delays enhance the danger of mutations resulting in variants which are extra transmissible,and will render vaccines much less efficient in future.
Coronavirus deaths
The worldwide covid-19 dying toll has handed 2.19 million. The variety of confirmed instances is greater than 101 million, in accordance with Johns Hopkins University, although the true variety of instances might be a lot increased.
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