Scientists mystified, wary, as Africa avoids Covid disaster

“We went into this project thinking we would see a higher rate of negative outcomes in people with a history of malaria infections because that’s what was seen in patients co-infected with malaria and Ebola,” said Jane Achan, a senior research advisor at the Malaria Consortium and a co-author of the study. “We were actually quite surprised to see the opposite — that malaria may have a protective effect.”

‘Achan said this may suggest that past infection with malaria could “blunt” the tendency of people’s immune systems to go into overdrive when they are infected with COVID-19. The research was presented Friday at a meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.’

Read here (Associated Press, Nov 20, 2021)

Covid-19′s global death toll tops 5 million in under 2 years

‘The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 5 million on Monday, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate health care systems. Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Brazil — all upper-middle- or high-income countries — account for one-eighth of the world’s population but nearly half of all reported deaths. The U.S. alone has recorded over 745,000 lives lost, more than any other nation.’

Read here (AP, Nov 1, 2021)

OECD urges rich nations to share vaccines to even-up growth

‘A leading international economic watchdog urged developed countries to put more effort into providing low-income countries with coronavirus vaccines in order to ensure that the global recovery from the pandemic is more even.

‘In its latest assessment of the state of the global economy, the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Tuesday that the global recovery from the shock of the pandemic is faster than it anticipated a year ago. Though the global economy has more than recouped the 3.4% output lost in 2020, it cautioned that the recovery is “uneven.”

Read here (Associated Press, Sept 21, 2021)

Underfunded and under threat

‘At least 29 US states have passed laws, enacted other initiatives, or succeeded in lawsuits that permanently weaken state and local government authority to protect public health, and similar efforts are pending in multiple other states. The analysis was published by Kaiser Health News and the Associated Press as part of their ongoing series “Underfunded and Under Threat,” which examines how US public health systems were unprepared to confront the COVID-19 pandemic and face ongoing politicization, funding cuts, and other hindrances. Legislators in at least 16 states have limited public health authorities’ ability to issue mask mandates or quarantines or isolation orders, and in some cases, legislatures gave themselves that authority or shifted it to other elected officials. In at least 17 states, lawmakers passed legislation banning SARS-CoV-2 vaccine mandates or passports or facilitated opt-out options. And in at least 14 states, new laws, executive orders, or court rulings ban or limit mask mandates. 

‘Proponents of the new measures argue that they are a necessary check on executive powers, particularly for appointed officials, and give lawmakers a voice in public health emergencies. Public health officials and experts have expressed frustration with these efforts and warned that the consequences of these actions will extend far beyond the current pandemic. These new limits could also impact public health officials’ ability to prevent and contain future outbreaks for any number of communicable diseases. At least 303 state and local public health department leaders have resigned, retired, or been fired during the pandemic, according to the analysis.’ Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security e-newsletter 

• Public health officials face wave of threats, pressure amid coronavirus response (June 12, 2020). Read here
• Pandemic backlash jeopardises public health powers, leaders (Dec 15, 2020). Read here
• Hollowed-out public health system faces more cuts amid virus (July 1, 2020). Read here
• Politics slows flow of US pandemic relief funds to public health agencies (August 17, 2020). Read here

Read here (KHN & AP, as at Sept 17, 2021)  

Learning to breathe: German clinic helps Covid long haulers

‘Located in Heiligendamm, a north German seaside spa popular since the late 18th century, the clinic specializes in helping people with lung diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and cancer. Over the past year it has become a major rehabilitation center for COVID-19 patients, treating 600 people from across Germany, according to its medical director, Dr. Joerdis Frommhold.

‘Some of her patients came close to death and now have to relearn how to breathe properly, rebuild their stamina and overcome a host of neurological problems associated with severe illness. But Frommhold also treats a second group of patients who experienced mild to medium COVID-19 symptoms, and only spent a short time in the hospital, if at all. “These patients get rebound symptoms after about one to four months,” Frommhold said.

Read here (Associated Press, Apr 20, 2021) 

Indonesia satisfied with effectiveness of Chinese Covid-19 vaccine

‘Indonesia said on Monday (Apr 12) that it is satisfied with the effectiveness of the Sinovac coronavirus vaccine it is using, after the acknowledgement by China’s top disease control official that current vaccines offer low protection against the virus.

‘Siti Nadia Tarmizi, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s COVID-19 vaccine programme, said the World Health Organization had found the Chinese vaccines had met requirements by being more than 50 per cent effective. She noted that clinical trials for the Sinovac vaccine in Indonesia showed it was 65 per cent effective.’

Read here (AP News, Apr 13, 2021)

Official: Chinese vaccines’ effectiveness low

‘In a rare admission of the weakness of Chinese coronavirus vaccines, the country’s top disease control official says their effectiveness is low and the government is considering mixing them to give them a boost. Chinese vaccines “don’t have very high protection rates,” said the director of the China Centers for Disease Control, Gao Fu, at a conference Saturday in the southwestern city of Chengdu.

‘Beijing has distributed hundreds of millions of doses in other countries while also trying to promote doubt about the effectiveness of Western vaccines. “It’s now under formal consideration whether we should use different vaccines from different technical lines for the immunization process,” Gao said.’

Read here (AP News, Apr 11, 2021)

Defying rules, anti-vaccine accounts thrive on social media

‘Efforts to crack down on vaccine misinformation now, though, are generating cries of censorship and prompting some posters to adopt sneaky tactics to avoid the axe. “It’s a hard situation because we have let this go for so long,” said Jeanine Guidry, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who studies social media and health information. “People using social media have really been able to share what they want for nearly a decade.”

‘The Associated Press identified more than a dozen Facebook pages and Instagram accounts, collectively boasting millions of followers, that have made false claims about the COVID-19 vaccine or discouraged people from taking it. Some of these pages have existed for years. Of more than 15 pages identified by NewsGuard, a technology company that analyzes the credibility of websites, roughly half remain active on Facebook, the AP found.’

Read here (APNews, Mar 12, 2021)

Pandemic: One year - A round-up by Associated Press

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The Associated Press explores the ensuing year of loss, perseverance and hope:

• Faith leaders' year of pandemic: grief, solace, resilience
• As pandemic enters 2nd year, voices of resilience emerge
• AP-NORC poll: People of color bear COVID-19′s economic brunt
• ‘It’s exhausting.’ A year of distance learning wears thin
• As pandemic enters 2nd year, voices of resilience emerge
• AP-NORC poll: People of color bear COVID-19′s economic brunt
• Only on AP: Italian doctor a chronic COVID patient
• One year on: stars’ COVID-19 experiences
• March 11, 2020: The night sports, as we knew them, ended
• AP-NORC poll: 1 in 5 in US lost someone close in pandemic
• A year on, WHO still struggling to manage pandemic response
• Why the pandemic left long-term scars on global job market
• After pandemic year, weary world looks back — and forward
• A homebound year has meant rethinking our rooms, belongings
• And more...

Read here (Associated Press, Mar 11, 2021)

A year on, WHO still struggling to manage pandemic response

‘When the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic one year ago Thursday, it did so only after weeks of resisting the term and maintaining that the highly infectious virus could still be stopped. A year later, the U.N. agency is still struggling to keep on top of the evolving science of COVID-19, to persuade countries to abandon their nationalistic tendencies and help get vaccines where they’re needed most.

‘The agency made some costly missteps along the way: It advised people against wearing masks for months and asserted that COVID-19 wasn’t widely spread in the air. It also declined to publicly call out countries — particularly China — for mistakes that senior WHO officials grumbled about privately. That created some tricky politics that challenged WHO’s credibility and wedged it between two world powers, setting off vociferous Trump administration criticism that the agency is only now emerging from.’

Read here (APNews, Mar 11, 2021)

China ships millions of Covid-19 vaccines to poor nations abroad; denies ‘vaccine diplomacy’

‘China's vaccine diplomacy campaign has been a surprising success: It has pledged roughly half a billion doses of its vaccines to more than 45 countries, according to a country-by-country tally by The Associated Press. With just four of China's many vaccine makers claiming they are able to produce at least 2.6 billion doses this year, a large part of the world's population will end up inoculated not with the fancy Western vaccines boasting headline-grabbing efficacy rates, but with China's humble, traditionally made shots.

‘Amid a dearth of public data on China's vaccines, hesitations over their efficacy and safety are still pervasive in the countries depending on them, along with concerns about what China might want in return for deliveries. Nonetheless, inoculations with Chinese vaccines already have begun in more than 25 countries, and the Chinese shots have been delivered to another 11, according to the AP tally, based on independent reporting in those countries along with government and company announcements.’

Read here (CP24, Mar 2, 2021)

Countries urge drug companies to share vaccine know-how

‘Across Africa and Southeast Asia, governments and aid groups, as well as the World Health Organization, are calling on pharmaceutical companies to share their patent information more broadly to meet a yawning global shortfall in a pandemic that already has claimed over 2.5 million lives. Pharmaceutical companies that took taxpayer money from the U.S. or Europe to develop inoculations at unprecedented speed say they are negotiating contracts and exclusive licensing deals with producers on a case-by-case basis because they need to protect their intellectual property and ensure safety.’

Read here (AP, Mar 2, 2021)

FDA says single-dose shot from J&J prevents severe Covid

‘Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine offers strong protection against severe COVID-19, according to an analysis released Wednesday by U.S. regulators that sets the stage for a final decision on a new and easier-to-use shot to help tame the pandemic.

‘The long-anticipated shot could offer the nation a third vaccine option and help speed vaccinations by requiring just one dose instead of two. Food and Drug Administration scientists confirmed that overall the vaccine is about 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, and about 85% effective against the most serious illness. The agency also said J&J’s shot is safe.’

Read here (AP, Feb 25, 2021)

Viral questions

A look at some of the most commonly asked questions around the coronavirus pandemic.

• How would COVID-19 vaccine makers adapt to variants?
• How do we know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe?
• How are experts tracking variants of the coronavirus?
• Which COVID-19 tests are required for international travel?

And more...

Read here (AP, Feb 25, 2021)

UN vaccine plan is underway, but problems remain

‘As the coronavirus pandemic exploded worldwide last April, global organizations banded together to help ensure that the world’s most vulnerable people would get vaccines amid the rush for shots. The initiative known as COVAX was formed by the World Health Organization, the vaccines alliance GAVI and a coalition for epidemic innovations called CEPI.

‘COVAX is supposed to make deals to buy vaccines in bulk from drug companies and can also receive donated shots from rich countries. Poorer nations can receive free doses from the initiative — and wealthier ones can also buy from it, as a way of diversifying their supply.

‘But it has been dogged by shortages of cash and supplies as well as logistical hurdles — all while a handful of rich countries raced ahead with their vaccination campaigns.’

Read here (AP, Feb 25, 2021)

Medical oxygen scarce in Africa, Latin America amid virus

‘A crisis over the supply of medical oxygen for coronavirus patients has struck nations in Africa and Latin America, where warnings went unheeded at the start of the pandemic and doctors say the shortage has led to unnecessary deaths.

‘It takes about 12 weeks to install a hospital oxygen plant and even less time to convert industrial oxygen manufacturing systems into a medical-grade network. But in Brazil and Nigeria, as well as in less-populous nations, decisions to fully address inadequate supplies only started being made last month, after hospitals were overwhelmed and patients started to die.’

Read here (AP, Feb 23, 2021)

Anatomy of a conspiracy: With Covid, China took leading role

‘From Beijing and Washington to Moscow and Tehran, political leaders and allied media effectively functioned as superspreaders, using their stature to amplify politically expedient conspiracies already in circulation. But it was China -- not Russia – that took the lead in spreading foreign disinformation about COVID-19’s origins, as it came under attack for its early handling of the outbreak.

‘A nine-month Associated Press investigation of state-sponsored disinformation conducted in collaboration with the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, shows how a rumor that the U.S. created the virus that causes COVID-19 was weaponized by the Chinese government, spreading from the dark corners of the Internet to millions across the globe. The analysis was based on a review of millions of social media postings and articles on Twitter, Facebook, VK, Weibo, WeChat, YouTube, Telegram and other platforms.’

Read here (Associated Press, Feb 15, 2021)

As vaccinations lag, Israel combats online misinformation

‘After surging ahead in the race to vaccinate its population against the coronavirus, Israel is blaming online misinformation for a sudden slowdown in the campaign. Now, officials are fighting back.

‘Israel’s Health Ministry, which is spearheading the vaccination efforts, is employing both warnings and incentives as it tries to persuade reluctant holdouts to get immunized. It has beefed up a digital task force to counter spurious claims about the vaccines, while local governments are turning to DJs and free food to lure people to vaccination centers. Concerts and museums could soon be off limits to the unvaccinated.’

Read here (AP, Feb 15, 2021)

EU looks at vaccine certificates to help summer tourism

‘The European Union is looking at a common vaccine certificate to help get travelers to their vacation destinations and prevent tourism from suffering another disastrous year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

‘European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the certificates for individuals who have been vaccinated could be combined with COVID-19 tests for those awaiting shots to allow as many people as possible to travel during the summer, which is vital for warm weather Mediterranean destinations like Greece, Italy and Spain.’

Read here (AP, Jan 15, 2021)

India bars virus vaccine maker from exporting

‘India will not allow the export of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for several months, the head of Serum Institute of India, which has been contracted to make 1 billion doses of the vaccine for developing nations, said Sunday.

‘With rich nations reserving most of the vaccines that will be made this year, Serum Institute — the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer — is likely to make most of the inoculations for developing countries. The ban on exports, however, means that poorer nations will probably have to wait a few months before receiving their first shots.’

Read here (AP, Jan 4, 2021)