Covid 19

[SteveH]

Israel's Health Ministry reported Thursday that the Pfizer vaccine's efficacy in preventing delta variant infections has dropped to 39 percent, while the vaccination was still 91 percent effective in preventing serious illness among those fully inoculated.

The latest figures are based on cases logged from June 20 to July 17, a period when the delta variant of COVID-19 spread throughout Israel.

The report has also reflected the decreasing potency of the vaccination, showing a mere 16 percent effectiveness against transmission among those vaccinated in January, compared to 44 percent of those vaccinated in February, 67 percent of those who received their shots in March, and 75 percent for those vaccinated in April.

The vaccine’s effectiveness at preventing severe cases for those vaccinated in January remains 86 percent, according to the figures, only slightly lower than those vaccinated in the following months.

An update on the above post.....

A theory has been put forward as to why Israels efficacy figures are poor, unlike the UK, they spaced their vaccines 3 weeks apart, and it would appear the UK's method of 12 weeks apart has been more successful, also mentioned was that, the USA used the same timing as Israel,  which could have quite serious implications . 

[SteveH]

Are we in the danger zone for creating new variants that could weaken the ability of vaccines to shield us from Covid? And does it matter?

Scientists have warned that the UK has created the perfect conditions by relaxing restrictions - which could see cases reaching 100,000 a day this summer - while large numbers of people don't have protection from both doses of the vaccine.

So far, the problematic variants have been those that spread significantly faster. The Delta variant, which was first identified in India, may spread twice as fast as the original form of the virus that emerged in China.

But speed isn't the only useful trait a coronavirus can acquire.

As more of us become immune, through vaccination and catching Covid, the more beneficial it is for the virus to evolve ways of dodging that immunity - known as immune escape.

"We are probably at the evolutionary high point, at the worst combination for an escape to happen in the UK," said Prof Aris Katzourakis, who studies viral evolution at the University of Oxford.

"The UK is in a prone position, whether it will happen we don't know, but it's more likely to happen here, now, than ever before."

cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57941574

[SteveH]

Covid: Have we passed the peak and can we relax?

The number of confirmed daily cases has fallen for six days in a row - now standing at 24,950.

It's little over a week since there were warnings we could reach 100,000 or even 200,000 cases a day. And unlike the previous two waves of Covid, it is happening without a national lockdown. Instead, we're opening up.

The turnaround is as surprising as it is welcome.

So is it really happening? Has the third wave of Covid turned the corner in the UK? And does it mean we can think about life getting back to normal?

"And while restrictions are being eased, "residual caution" means many of us are still living well within the limits of the rules."

"Being reassured is one thing, but being reassured and then less cautious would be unwise."

We have not yet seen the impact of relaxing restrictions last Monday (19 July), which included reopening nightclubs in England.

This is due to the long delay between people catching the virus, and then getting symptoms and testing positive.

The end of this week is the earliest scientists expect to see the impact, but it could take longer as people may not have taken advantage of the relaxed rules until the weekend after 19 July.

Then there is the worry that people's behaviour shifts - as in the opposite of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The better we think things are going to be, the more we behave in ways that spread the virus and makes things worse.

Interesting and balanced article  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57971990

[SteveH]

Doctor's warning after fit and healthy ‘vaccine sceptic’ fights for life with Covid
The 34-year-old dad told doctors if he could go back and get jabbed he would

A senior doctor has issued a stark warning to anyone who is not planning on taking the vaccine after a fit and healthy dad was left fighting for his life.

Matthew Keenan was a self-confessed ‘vaccine sceptic’ until he caught the virus, according to Leanne Cheyne, the doctor caring for him.

With Matthews permission, doctor Cheyne, the respiratory consultant shared a photo of the 34-year-old football coach receiving oxygen in his hospital bed on Twitter - along with a warning.

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/doctors-warning-after-fit-healthy-21038451

Vaccine sceptic dad who wanted to 'turn back time' and have jab has sadly died of Covid
Matthew Keenan, 34, urged others to 'grab a jab' before being placed in a coma in a bid to save his life
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/vaccine-sceptic-dad-who-wanted-21158177

[SteveH]

Sad state of affairs, when many millions of people are dying to get the vaccine,........

US President Joe Biden has called for states to offer $100 (£71) to the newly vaccinated in an effort to address flagging jab rates amid virus surges.

The president also issued a strict new vaccine requirement for US federal workers, the nation's largest workforce with some two million people.

The order requires employees to show proof of vaccination or be subjected to mandatory testing and masking.

Just under half of the US is fully vaccinated, according to official data.

Speaking from the White House on Thursday, Mr Biden said that the new measures are a result of the highly contagious Delta variant's spread, made worse by a "pandemic of the unvaccinated".

"People are dying and will die who don't have to die," the president said.

Mr Biden added that the monetary incentive may seem unfair to already vaccinated Americans, but "we all benefit if we can get more people vaccinated".

States would use money from the $1.9tn American Rescue Plan legislation to fund the incentives.

Mr Biden said that the federal government will be "fully reimbursing" small or medium-sized businesses that provide workers paid time off to get vaccinated.

While government workers who refuse to get vaccinated will not be fired, this move by the White House aims to set an example for other employers nationwide.

But public health experts warn that weekly testing is not an effective way of stopping outbreaks.

cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58020090

[SteveH]

July 30, 2021
Leaked CDC document, new report warn of delta’s contagiousness

Those data were made public in a leaked internal CDC document and a new report published Friday in MMWR, which warned of the delta variant’s contagiousness, including among people fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The leaked document, which was obtained by the Washington Post and New York Times, says the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is “as transmissible as chicken pox” and notes in a slide labeled “Next steps for CDC” that the agency must “acknowledge that the war has changed.”

The CDC confirmed to Healio that the document was authentic.

“High viral loads suggest an increased risk of transmission and raised concern that, unlike with other variants, vaccinated people infected with delta can transmit the virus,” Walensky reiterated in a new statement issued Friday. “This finding is concerning and was a pivotal discovery leading to CDC’s updated mask recommendation. The masking recommendation was updated to ensure the vaccinated public would not unknowingly transmit virus to others, including their unvaccinated or immunocompromised loved ones.”

full article  https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20210730/leaked-cdc-document-new-report-warn-of-deltas-contagiousness

[SteveH]

Allowing for research costs etc, this still seams morally wrong....................

Pfizer, Moderna Raise Prices Of Covid-19 Coronavirus Vaccines

What’s the best way to get more people vaccinated against Covid-19 to try to end the pandemic? Gee, how about raising the price of the vaccines?

Both Pfizer and Moderna have upped the prices of their Covid-19 coronavirus mRNA vaccines in their latest supply contracts to the European Union (EU). According to Reuters, each Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine dose will now be 19.50 euros, a 25% increase from the 15.50 euros previous price. That’s going from about $18.40 to $23.15 in U.S. dollars. That’s not an insignificant price hike. Imagine going into the store to find out that the price of your favorite “Harry Styles goes hunting” doll, your gluten-free water, or your bacon-covered hot dog has gone up by 25%.

Similarly, each dose of the Moderna vaccine will now be $25.50, which is around 21.50 in Euros and about a 13% increase from the prior 19 Euro price from the first procurement deal. Not exactly a Groupon for vaccines.

Now apparently, this is still lower than the previously agreed upon $28.50. However, orders for the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine orders have since been significantly larger than originally anticipated. This is in large part because some of the European public have become more skeptical about the Astra-Zeneca and Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines as options, after very, very rare but serious blood clotting concerns emerged. In fact, Denmark stopped the use Johnson & Johnson's and AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccines in April and May, as Nikolaj Skydsgaard reported for Reuters.     https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2021/08/01/pfizer-and-moderna-raise-prices-of-covid-19-coronavirus-vaccines-for-european-union/?sh=584dc9e361e6

ref BMJ  "The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is much cheaper, although neither the UK nor the US can match the EU’s $2.15 deal: they are expecting to pay about $3 and $4, respectively, per dose."

[SteveH]

Covid: Full list of North Wales pharmacies where you can pick up free lateral flow tests
You can collect seven rapid test kits from any of these pharmacies if you don’t have symptoms

Conwy:
Rowlands Pharmacy 12 Castle Street Conwy LL32 8AY
Rowlands Pharmacy 24 High Street Conwy LL32 8DE

Colwyn Bay:
Boots 32-34 Station Road Colwyn Bay LL29 8BU
Cohens Chemists West End Medical Centre Conway Road Colwyn Bay LL29 7LS
Cohens Chemist 54-56 Conway Road Conwy Road Colwyn Bay LL29 7LD
Morrisons Pharmacy Seaview Road Bay View Shopping Centre Colwyn Bay LL29 8DG

Deganwy:
Rowlands Pharmacy 113 Station Road Deganwy LL31 9EJ

Llandudno:
Asda Pharmacy Asda Superstore Conway Road Llandudno LL30 1PJ
Boots Unit 9 Victoria Centre Mostyn Street Llandudno LL30 2NG
Boots Unit 3 Parc Llandudno Conway Road Llandudno LL30 1PX
Boots 2 Llandudno Road Penrhyn Bay Llandudno LL30 3HA
Boots 17 Queens Road Craig Y Don Llandudno LL30 1AZ
Craig Y Don Pharmacy Craig Y Don Medical Practice Clarence Road Llandudno LL30 1TA
Lloyds Pharmacy Ltd Ground Floor Premises Mostyn Broadway Llandudno LL30 1YL
Superdrug Pharmacy Inside Savers Mostyn Street Llandudno LL30 2SB
Boots 160 Conwy Road Llandudno Junction LL31 9DU

Rhos on Sea:
Boots 20 Rhos Road Rhos on Sea LL28 4PP
Rowlands Pharmacy 7 Rhos Road Rhos on Sea LL28 4PP

Full list here  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/covid-full-list-north-wales-21213964

[SteveH]

Social media influencers like footballer Marcus Rashford could have a vital role to play in persuading the public to wear face masks, according to a Bangor University academic.

Influencers and celebrities may also help dictate which type of mask people should be wearing, said Prof Nathan Abrams.

Factors, such as climate change and littering, will become more important in determining the choices people make with face coverings, he said.

Prof Abrams said much of the public debate during the pandemic has been driven by influencers like Rashford, the Manchester United star who campaigned for free school meals.

He said: “They have had more effect on public debate than politicians.

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/marcus-rashford-influencers-can-persuade-21242598

[SteveH]

Welsh pupils to be offered flu jabs to head off 'perfect storm' in hospitals this winter
This autumn's vaccination programme will be the biggest ever seen in Wales

Wales will see its biggest ever flu vaccination programme this autumn with jabs being offered to everyone aged over 50 – plus all secondary school children.

By including pupils in years 7-11, it means flu vaccine will be available to well over 1.5m people in Wales this winter.

The roll-out will exceed last winter’s programme when more than one million flu vaccinations were dispensed, the largest number to date.

Where appropriate, flu vaccines will be administered alongside Covid booster jabs.

Dr Frank Atherton, chief medical officer for Wales, said the approach is designed to protect both the public and the NHS.

In his annual flu letter, he flagged up the potential for “co-circulation” of flu and Covid-19 this winter, as well as other respiratory infections.

By reducing influenza illness and deaths, it will cut hospitalisations at a time when the NHS and social care may again be tackling winter outbreaks of Covid-19, he said.

“We are concerned about a perfect storm of both flu and Covid-19 this winter, and are doing everything to prepare as best as we can,” said Dr Atherton.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/welsh-pupils-offered-flu-jabs-21241560?IYA-mail=a05105fc-304d-4c50-9807-edab51f779a4

[SteveH]

Coronavirus experts have warned lockdown could return due to new Covid variants saying the UK could end up in “the same situation we were in a year ago."

Scientists have said any future Covid-19 variants could bypass the immunity built up by people getting double-jabbed as the vaccine rollout continues to grow.

Experts are calling on the government to publish any plans for response should new variants of the virus start to overcome the protection offered by the vaccines.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) have previously said the arrival of a new variant evading the vaccines is a “realistic possibility”, reports The Guardian.

Sage member Prof Graham Medley said: "A new variant that was able to overcome immunity significantly would be essentially a new virus.

“The advantage would be that we know we can generate vaccines against this virus – and relatively quickly. The disadvantage is that we would be back to the same situation we were in a year ago."

Dr Marc Baguelin, a member of the government’s SPI-M modelling group, said: "We would most likely be able to update the current vaccines to include the emerging strain.

“But doing so would take months and means that we might need to reimpose restrictions if there were a significant public health risk."

cont   https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19515515.new-covid-variant-see-uk-return-lockdown-despite-vaccine-rollout/

[SteveH]

In depth report........Potential Covid-19 autumn wave could see 1,000 hospital admissions per day

THERE is still potential for a “large” wave of Covid-19 in the autumn which could see 1,000 people admitted to hospital each day, an expert has warned.

Professor Neil Ferguson, infectious disease modeller and epidemiologist from Imperial College London, said current case rates are “sobering” heading into September when mixing will increase as schools return.

However, he added it is “unlikely” that any surge in hospital admissions will lead to levels of deaths seen earlier this year thanks to the vaccination programme.

He said a surge in cases will not be stopped through lockdowns, but instead population immunity.

His comments came after rules were eased so fully-vaccinated adults will no longer have to isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

He added: “What we can be confident in is vaccination is protecting people against the most severe disease – so it’s very unlikely we’ll see levels of deaths, for instance, comparable with what we saw this January.

“The real question is more important, frankly, than the numbers of cases… is what does that do to NHS demand and admissions to hospitals? And in the worst-case scenarios we could be getting, probably not up to January levels, but still at levels of well over 1,000 admissions per day potentially.

cont  https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19517789.potential-covid-19-autumn-wave-see-1-000-hospital-admissions-per-day/

[SteveH]

AHEAD of the festival season across the UK, Public Health Wales is reminding people of the risk of Coronavirus transmission at mass gatherings, festivals and other large events.

Festivals, sports events and other mass gatherings are restarting across the UK following restrictions being eased, but Public Health Wales is keen to reiterate that Covid has not gone away, and that it is important that attendees take precautions to avoid the transmission of the virus.

Dr Eleri Davies, an Incident Director at Public Health Wales, said: “As restrictions ease across the UK, and festivals and other mass gatherings start again, we’re aware that many people will want to attend and enjoy them after many months being unable to do so.

“As expected following the move to Alert Level 0, case rates in Wales have risen and are currently over 200 cases per 100,000.
“While the vaccination programme has reduced the levels of hospitalisation and fatalities, the virus is still circulating in our communities.

“There are several measures that people can take in order to reduce the possibility of transmitting the virus.

“Firstly, please take up your offer of a vaccination when you receive it, as this is the best way of preventing serious illness, hospitalisation and death.

“In addition, if you have symptoms of Covid then please get a PCR test (by calling 119 or going to https://gov.wales/get-tested-coronavirus-covid-19), and self-isolate until you get the results. You should not attend a festival or other mass gathering event if you have symptoms.

“You should also consider carefully if it is sensible to attend these events if a close contact has tested positive for Covid, and ensure that you get a PCR test on days two and eight.

“When you’re at the event, hand hygiene, face coverings and social distancing are still effective measures to prevent transmission of the virus.”

[SteveH]

Impact of Delta on viral burden and vaccine effectiveness against new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the UK

Key findings from the study:
Obtaining two vaccine doses remains the most effective way to ensure protection against the COVID-19 Delta variant of concern dominant in the UK today.
With Delta, Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines still offer good protection against new infections, but effectiveness is reduced compared with Alpha.
Two doses of either vaccine still provided at least the same level of protection as having had COVID-19 before through natural infection; people who had been vaccinated after already being infected with COVID-19 had even more protection than vaccinated individuals who had not had COVID-19 before.
However, Delta infections after two vaccine doses had similar peak levels of virus to those in unvaccinated people; with the Alpha variant, peak virus levels in those infected post-vaccination were much lower.

Other findings:
A single dose of the Moderna vaccine has similar or greater effectiveness against the Delta variant as single doses of the other vaccines.
Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech have greater initial effectiveness against new COVID-19 infections, but this declines faster compared with two doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca. Results suggest that after four to five months effectiveness of these two vaccines would be similar – however, long-term effects need to be studied.
The time between doses does not affect effectiveness in preventing new infections, but younger people have even more protection from vaccination than older people.
Symptoms and SARS-CoV-2 positivity in the general population in the UK

Within the COVID-19 Infection Survey, recruiting representative households across the UK general population, SARS-CoV-2-associated symptoms varied by viral variant, vaccination status and demographics. However, differences are modest and do not currently warrant large-scale changes to targeted testing approaches

https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/covid-19/covid-19-infection-survey/results/new-studies

[SteveH]

Covid: What’s the best way to top up our immunity?
There are marked differences in your immune system after a natural infection with coronavirus and after vaccination.

Which is better?
Even asking the question bordered on heresy a year ago, when catching Covid for the first time could be deadly, especially for the elderly or people already in poor health.

Now, we're no longer starting with zero immunity as the overwhelming majority of people have either been vaccinated or have already caught the virus.

It is now a serious question that has implications for whether children should ever be vaccinated. And whether we use the virus or booster shots to top up immunity in adults. Both have become contentious issues.
cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58270098


Covid: Antibody tests offered to public for first time
Antibody tests are to be widely offered to the UK public for the first time in a new programme that aims to find out more about how much natural protection people have after getting coronavirus.

The government scheme will offer tests to thousands of adults each day.
Anyone over 18 will be able to opt in when having a PCR test from Tuesday - of those who test positive, up to 8,000 will be sent two home antibody tests.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it would be quick and easy to take part.
The first of the finger-prick tests would have to be done as soon as possible after the positive result, so the body would not have time to generate a detectable antibody response to the infection.

The second would be taken 28 days later and measure antibodies generated in response to the infection.

The UK Health Security Agency is to run the programme and will work alongside NHS test and trace services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to use results to monitor levels of antibodies in positive cases.
cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58293249