COVID-19 and Vaccine News November 27, 2021

Before you panic about the omicron, consider the Tweet below from the former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

Of note: The 4 cases of new variant identified in Botswana were incidentally detected in well people tested before air travel, and South African Medical Association chief said – so far – symptoms seen are “mostly mild symptoms, and we haven’t seen a spike in hospital admissions.” pic.twitter.com/KwiraY3V0u

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) November 26, 2021

Florida reports LOWEST new COVID cases per capita in the nation – despite criticism of Gov. DeSantis for his ban on mask and vaccine mandate

From The Daily Mail

On Friday, Florida reported 1,393 new cases of COVID-19, roughly six cases per every 100,000 residents

Governor DeSantis has engaged in unparalleled legal fights to ban mask and vaccine mandates, sparking condemnation from the media and health officials

Florida’s trend doesn’t follow that of the US, with cases spiking in the nation and expected to rise even more during the holiday season

Meanwhile, CDC data shows that Florida reported a seven-day average moving deaths rate of just one

DeSantis was branded ‘Angel of Death’ by a Vanity Fair article that blamed him for ‘preventing constituents from contacting the virus and dying’

According to the most-recently released CDC data, the US has seen a spike of more than 90,000 average daily new COVID-19 infections in the last week

Health officials have warned of the new threat of the new highly mutated and contagious South African ‘variant of concern’ omicron

Novavax developing vaccine that targets new COVID-19 variant

From Reuters

Nov 26 (Reuters) – Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) said on Friday it had started working on a version of its COVID-19 vaccine to target the variant detected in South Africa and would have the shot ready for testing and manufacturing in the next few weeks.

The company’s COVID-19 shot contains an actual version of the virus’ spike protein that cannot cause disease but can trigger the immune system. The vaccine developer said it had started developing a spike protein specifically based on the known genetic sequence of the variant, B.1.1.529.

Novavax’s vaccine received its first emergency use approval earlier this month in Indonesia followed by the Philippines. Other vaccine developers, including Germany’s BioNTech SE and Johnson & Johnson, have said they are testing the effectiveness of their shots against the new variant, which is named Omicron by the World Health Organization

More at Reuters

German Health Minister calls for ‘massive contact restrictions’ to fight Covid

From The Local De

German Health Minister Jens Spahn has urged the incoming government to take drastic measures after more than 76,000 new Covid infections were reported within a day, saying the situation was “more serious than any other time in this pandemic.”

“The situation is dramatically serious,” the CDU politician told reporters gathered in Berlin on Friday. “More serious than at any other time in this pandemic.”Calling the current situation in Germany a ‘national emergency’, Spahn claimed that the incoming government was doing too little, too late to try and stem the tide. “We must stop this wave now,” he warned.On Friday, the weekly incidence of Covid infections hit yet another new peak of 438 infections per 100,000 people, while the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported a record-breaking 76,000 new infections within a day. In the worst-hit region of Saxony, the 7-day incidence recently topped 1,000 per 100,000 people.

More from The Local De—————————————————————————————

Covid-19 vaccine trials cannot tell us if they will save lives

From the British Journal of Medicine

None of the current trials are designed to detect a reduction in any serious outcome such as hospitalisations, intensive care use, or deaths

Vaccines are being hailed as the solution to the covid-19 pandemic, but the vaccine trials currently underway are not designed to tell us if they will save lives, reports Peter Doshi, Associate Editor at The BMJ today.

Several covid-19 vaccine trials are now in their most advanced (phase 3) stage, but what will it mean exactly when a vaccine is declared “effective”?

Many may assume that successful phase 3 studies will mean we have a proven way of keeping people from getting very sick and dying from covid-19. And a robust way to interrupt viral transmission.

Yet the current phase 3 trials are not actually set up to prove either, says Doshi.

“None of the trials currently underway are designed to detect a reduction in any serious outcome such as hospitalisations, intensive care use, or deaths. Nor are the vaccines being studied to determine whether they can interrupt transmission of the virus,” he writes.

He explains that all ongoing phase 3 trials for which details have been released are evaluating mild, not severe, disease – and they will be able to report final results once around 150 participants develop symptoms.

In Pfizer and Moderna’s trials, for example, individuals with only a cough and positive lab test would bring those trials one event closer to their completion.

Yet Doshi argues that vaccine manufacturers have done little to dispel the notion that severe covid-19 was what was being assessed.

Moderna, for example, called hospitalisations a “key secondary endpoint” in statements to the media. But Tal Zaks, Chief Medical Officer at Moderna, told The BMJ that their trial lacks adequate statistical power to assess that endpoint.

Part of the reason may be numbers, says Doshi. Because most people with symptomatic covid-19 infections experience only mild symptoms, even trials involving 30,000 or more patients would turn up relatively few cases of severe disease.

More from the British Journal of Medicine

The real trial is underway now as billions get vaccinated. Are you in the control or study group?

China locks down city on Russian border after three Covid-19 cases detected

From SCMP

Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia halts public transport, entertainment, dine-in services and group gatherings and shuts schools, with contact tracing under way

Mass testing due to begin for population of 300,000, with people told not to leave their homes

What’s known and unknown about Omicron, the coronavirus variant identified in South Africa

From STAT News

Where has it been detected?

Scientists in South Africa detected the lineage on Monday, according to the country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, and rang the alarm bell for the world.

It’s not clear where the variant actually emerged. It could be that South Africa and Botswana saw it early because they have strong genetic sequencing networks

Why is it causing concern?

Several reasons.

For one, it appears to be outcompeting other variants in South Africa — including the extremely transmissible Delta variant — and fast. It’s starting to drive cases up in that country, which has already had several massive waves in its epidemic. Some possible explanations are that it’s a better spreader than even Delta, that it can cause infections in people who are protected at higher rates, or some combination of the two.

But beyond the epidemiological landscape in South Africa, scientists are concerned because of the number and variety of mutations B.1.1.529 acquired — what Sharon Peacock, the director of the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium, called a “very unusual constellation of mutations.” Some mutations have been previously seen in other variants and are associated with increased transmissibility and the ability to get around immune protection.

How did 10% of passengers to Holland from South Africa arrive with Covid when they all had NEGATIVE tests? Alarm as suspected cases of Omicron are reported in Germany, Australia, and Czech Republic alongside confirmed UK and Belgium cases

From Daily Mail

Around 600 passengers arrived on two planes in Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, from Johannesburg yesterday

Passengers have been put in quarantine hotels while authorities investigate whether they have been infected

Countries across Europe closed their borders to countries in southern Africa yesterday to combat the variant

Alarms were today raised after one in ten passengers coming into the Netherlands from South Africa this morning tested positive for Covid and a wave of suspected cases of the new super-mutant variant were spotted in Europe.

Around 600 passengers arrived on two planes in Schipol Airport, near Amsterdam, from Johannesburg — the epicentre for the new strain that experts fear is 40 per cent more vaccine evasive than Delta — hours after travel bans were put in place.

Some 61 of those on the planes tested positive for the virus on PCR tests after they were stopped at the airport, despite having to provide proof of a negative lateral flow test taken within 24 hours before boarding the flight.

It raises the prospect that tests are not being performed correctly for travellers in South Africa, fraudulent tests are being provided or lateral flow tests may be less able to detect the Omicorn variant.

People returning to the Netherlands from outside the EU are required to take to show either a negative PCR tests taken 48 hours before their arrival or a negative lateral flow swab done 24 hours before coming back.

It looks like the vaccines are ineffective against omicron

Omicron Variant First Detected in Four People Who Were Fully Vaccinated

From the Summit News

The new ‘Omicron’ variant of COVID-19 was first detected in four people who were fully vaccinated, according to a public statement by the Botswana government.

The new variant, which some claim is three times more contagious, was initially discovered in Botswana before it spread across South Africa.

The news was met with global alarm, prompting financial markets to plummet and new travel bans to be put in place.

According to a public statement by the Botswana government, the new mutation was first discovered in four people who had received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

MEDIA RELEASE#LetsDefeatCOVID19Together #AReFenyengCOVID19Mmogo 🇧🇼 pic.twitter.com/LVMbmtLQx4

— Botswana Government (@BWGovernment) November 25, 2021

Lockdowns, and quarantines coming soon near you.

Britain tightens COVID rules as world on alert over omicron

From AP

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. tightened up rules Saturday on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two cases of the new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus that was identified just a few days ago in South Africa.

In an attempt to slow the spread in the U.K., British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was necessary to take “targeted and precautionary measures” after two people tested positive for the new variant in England.

“Right now this is the responsible course of action to slow down the seeding and the spread of this new variant and to maximize our defenses,” he told a news conference.

Among the measures announced, Johnson said anyone arriving in England will be asked to take a a mandatory PCR test for COVID-19 on the second day after their arrival and must self isolate until they provide a negative test. And if someone tests positive for the omicron variant, then he said their close contacts will have to self-isolate for 10 days regardless of their vaccination status — currently close contacts are exempt from quarantine rules if they are fully-vaccinated.

Fauci says ‘he wouldn’t be surprised’ if Omicron COVID variant is already in the US as flights continue to arrive from South Africa and Biden is slammed for delay in banning travel: UK identifies two cases and orders travel restrictions

From Daily Mail

Dr Fauci told the Today Show that he’s concerned about Omicron’s ‘transmissibility’ and suggested the variant could ‘evade’ vaccinations but there are still a lot of unknowns

Biden is still allowing US citizens and green card holders to travel into the country from banned regions in South Africa, which include Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi

There are two more direct flights Saturday from South Africa slated to land in the US – one flight will arrive at Newark, New Jersey, and the other will arrive in Atlanta, Georgia

Eight flights are scheduled to depart South Africa for New York on Sunday before Biden’s ban goes into effect

Travel bans will begin on Monday. The CDC has yet to identify any cases of the new Covid strain in the US but the UK has said there two people have been diagnosed with the Omicron variant

Biden spoke with reporters in Nantucket, where he celebrated Thanksgiving with his family, and said that he decided on the ban out of an abundance of caution

Dutch find 61 COVID cases among South Africa passengers, looking for new variant

From Reuters

AMSTERDAM, Nov 27 (Reuters) – Dutch health authorities said on Saturday they had detected 61 COVID-19 cases among people who flew from South Africa on Friday and were now conducting further testing to see whether any are infected with the recently discovered Omicron variant.

Omicron variant fears prompt Australia, Japan, Philippines, Thailand to impose new travel curbs

From SCMP

The restrictions are similar to those brought in by Singapore, Hong Kong and elsewhere after the discovery of the new variant triggered global alarm on Friday

Scientists around the world are racing to determine how the new Omicron variant is likely to behave in people who have been vaccinated or previously infected

Australia imposed new restrictions on Saturday on people who have been to nine southern African countries, a day after the Philippines made a similar move, as the new Omicron variant raises concerns about another wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australian government will also suspend all flights from the nine southern African countries for two weeks.

Meanwhile, Japan said it would tighten border controls for the southern African nations of Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, requiring a 10-day quarantine for any entrants, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

The new rules, taking effect from midnight, come a day after Japan tightened border controls for those arriving from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Lesotho.

The Philippines has also suspended flights from South Africa and six other countries – Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, eSwatini, and Mozambique – until December 15, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a statement on Friday night

South African scientists brace for wave propelled by omicron

From Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — As the world grapples with the emergence of the new highly transmissible variant of COVID-19, worried scientists in South Africa — where omicron was first identified — are scrambling to combat its lightning spread across the country.

In the space of two weeks, the omicron variant has sent South Africa from a period of low transmission to rapid growth of new confirmed cases. The country’s numbers are still relatively low, with 2,828 new confirmed cases recorded Friday, but omicron’s speed in infecting young South Africans has alarmed health professionals.

“We’re seeing a marked change in the demographic profile of patients with COVID-19,” Rudo Mathivha, head of the intensive care unit at Soweto’s Baragwanath Hospital, told an online press briefing.

“Young people, in their 20s to just over their late 30s, are coming in with moderate to severe disease, some needing intensive care. About 65% are not vaccinated and most of the rest are only half-vaccinated,” said Mathivha. “I’m worried that as the numbers go up, the public health care facilities will become overwhelmed.”

Studying the surge, scientists identified the new variant that diagnostic tests indicate is likely responsible for as many as 90% of the new cases, according to South Africa’s health officials. Early studies show that it has a reproduction rate of 2 — meaning that every person infected by it is likely to spread it to two other people.

The new variant has a high number of mutations that appear to make it more transmissible and help it evade immune responses. The World Health Organization looked at the data on Friday and named the variant omicron, under its system of using Greek letters, calling it a highly transmissible variant of concern.

“It’s a huge concern. We all are terribly concerned about this virus,” Professor Willem Hanekom, director of the Africa Health Research Institute, told The Associated Press.

“This variant is mostly in Gauteng province, the Johannesburg area of South Africa. But we’ve got clues from diagnostic tests … that suggest that this variant is already all over South Africa,” said Hanekom, who is also co-chair of the South African COVID Variant Research Consortium.

China risks ‘colossal Covid-19 outbreak’ by opening up, study finds

From SCMP

Peking University mathematicians say lifting travel bans could unleash a flood of cases in the country

The pressure on the health system would be unbearable, they say

China could face more than 630,000 coronavirus infections a day if dropped its zero-tolerance approach and followed other countries by lifting travel bans, according to forecasting by Peking University mathematicians.

In the report published in China CDC Weekly by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the four mathematicians argued that China was not ready and could not afford to lift entry-exit quarantine measures without more efficient vaccinations or specific treatment.

“The estimates revealed the real possibility of a colossal outbreak which would almost certainly put an unbearable burden on the medical system,” the authors said in the report, dated Wednesday.

More at SCMP

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High alert: World scurries to contain new COVID variant

From Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — With each passing hour, new restrictions were being slapped on travel from countries in southern Africa as the world scurried Saturday to contain a new variant of the coronavirus that has the potential to be more resistant to the protection offered by vaccines.

A host of countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada Iran, Japan, Thailand and the United States, joined others, including the European Union and the U.K. in impose restrictions on southern African countries in response to warnings over the transmissability of the new variant — against the advice of the World Health Organization.

Despite the shutdown of flights, there was increasing evidence that the variant is already spreading. Cases have been reported in travelers in Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong, and Germany also has a probable case. Dutch authorities are checking for the new variant after 61 passengers on two flights from South Africa tested positive for COVID-19.

Bill Gates Charged with Murder for COVID-19 Vaccine Death in India’s High Court – Death Penalty Sought

From Vaccine Impact

The Indian Bar Association is reporting that murder charges have been filed in India’s High Court against two billionaires responsible for the AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, for the murder of a 23-year-old man who was injected with the shot.

The two named defendants are Bill Gates, and Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), reportedly the world’s largest vaccine maker. According to corporate news sources, Adar Poonawalla’s company produces not only the COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, but also over 50% of the world’s vaccines that are injected into babies.

The unnamed defendants are “other Government officials and leaders involved in the murder of a 23 year old man, who lost his life because of vaccination.”

‘It is coming’: NY Gov. Kathy Hochul declares a state of emergency in response to the new Covid variant after Biden banned travel from eight African countries: Epidemiologist warns Omicron could cause ‘pandemic 2.0’ and believes it’s already spread worldwide.

From Daily Mail

NY Gov Kathy Hochul on Friday declared a ‘disaster state’ due to COVID levels being at a rate not seen in the state since April 2020

She stressed that the new variant Omicron has not yet been found in the US, but experts believe it is only a matter of time

Hochul announced that hospitals have the option of canceling elective surgeries, if they become dangerously overwhelmed, to free up staff and facilities

Her move was in response to the new COVID variant Omicron, which begun in Botswana and is spreading rapidly in South Africa

It has now been found in Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium, with about 100 confirmed cases worldwide

Experts do not yet know if Omicron is more transmissible or more dangerous, but they fear it could be more resistant to vaccines or immunity

President Joe Biden earlier Friday banned travel from South Africa and seven other countries in the region, following in the footsteps of the UK, Israel and the EU

An epidemiologist told DailyMail.com that Omicron was ‘pretty serious’ and that there was ‘a great risk of this being a Pandemic 2.0 virus’

Filipino Basketball Star Roider Cabrera Suffers Cardiac Arrest and Collapses – Is Rushed to Hospital After Losing Consciousness

From The Gateway Pundit

Filipino professional basketball star Roider Cabrera collapsed following his game on Wednesday during tournament play at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

The Tribune from Philippines reported he had a cardiac arrest.

Roider Cabrera later lost consciousness inside the locker room before he was immediately rushed to nearby Medical City.

He was diagnosed with fatal arrhythmia according to a local news.

The Philippines has some of the most stringent COVID rules and is ranked 22 out of 205 countries in vaccination rate.

SPIN.ph reported:

ROIDER Cabrera continues to get the best treatment possible after collapsing following Terrafirma’s PBA 3×3 game on Wednesday, his ballclub Terrafirma said.

Terrafirma team governor Bobby Rosales said in a statement that the team is optimistic that Cabrera will recover after being rushed to the hospital on Wednesday night after collapsing in the team’s dugout…

Prayers sought
The Terrafirma team governor also asked for prayers for the speedy recovery of Cabrera, while also thanking the medical team in the venue for responding quickly to aid their player.

Want to know why this is happening?

Myocarditis scars the heart tissue. Electrical conduction has to follow a specific path in the heart muscle to pump for coordinated and efficient heart pumping. If the heart muscle is scarred, the electrical conduction has to find an alternate path.

This creates an arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm, which worsens when the heart has to beat rapidly, like running. Fatal arrhythmias like ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation can happen and lead to sudden deaths.

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