Emerging coronavirus variants may pose challenges to vaccines

‘The mRNA technology on which the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines rely can be altered in a matter of weeks, and far more easily than the process used to produce flu vaccines. But it would be wise to prepare for this eventuality [a time when the current slew of vaccines become less effective] now and think through not just the technical aspects of updating the vaccines, but the testing, approval and rollout of those vaccines, experts said.

‘Still, the best path forward is to prevent the emergence of new mutations and variants altogether, they said. "Imagine having to do catch-up like this all the time - it's not something desirable," Dr Iwasaki said. "If we can just stop the spread as soon as possible, while the vaccine is very effective, that's the best way."

Read here (New York Times/Straits Times, Jan 22, 2021)

Malaysia's chaotic virus warfare: Sin Chew Daily

‘In Malaysia, infected individuals with light or no symptoms can still stay in the same house as their family members, which is extremely inadvisable as the entire household will eventually get infected. As if that is not enough, the family members will still have to leave the house to buy food and essentials, and that will take the virus to grocery stores, hypermarkets and elsewhere.

‘In view of this, Dr Noor Hisham must reverse this decision. Dr Noor Hisham's second argument is that if the level of virus infection decreases, the patient can be discharged without being tested after ten days in a hospital. This is contrary to WHO requirements.’

Read here (Straits Times, Jan 7, 2021)

Indonesia starts nationwide Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine distribution

Nationwide distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine that was developed by Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech started on Sunday (Jan 3). Mass inoculations are scheduled to begin later this month. The distribution exercise comes after Indonesian state vaccine producer Bio Farma received 1.2 million doses of the vaccine on Dec 6 and 1.8 million doses on Dec 31.

Read here (Straits Times, Jan 3, 2021) 

The next pandemic is already on the horizon... But experience can help

"We have to remember why (Covid-19) was detected when it was," Dr Josie Golding, epidemics lead at global health research funder Wellcome, said. "It was because there was experience in (China) from Sars and from avian influenza, there were systems in place to detect strange pneumonia coming up."

‘Dr Golding added: "Covid-19 is going to put a lot of those systems and experience in countries… The countries who dealt with it better and faster at the beginning were the ones who had that historical knowledge. I think that is going to make a big difference when it comes to the next Disease X."

Read here (Straits Times, Dec 31, 2020) 

Vaccine diplomacy not as simple as a shot in the arm

‘Concerns including dearth of vaccine data and perceived use for geopolitical goals stand in the way of China's soft power push...

‘Rich nations have bought almost all of next year's supply of the two vaccine front runners - one by Pfizer-BioNTech and the other by Moderna - according to the People's Vaccine Alliance (PVA), a network of organisations that includes Amnesty International, Oxfam and Global Justice Now. Canada, for instance, has ordered enough vaccines to inoculate each Canadian five times, although it has pledged to share any excess with other countries.

‘The situation is such that nine in 10 people in 67 developing countries - including nations like Cambodia, Laos and Pakistan - stand little chance of being vaccinated next year, said the PVA this month. To these countries, China's vaccines are a lifesaver.’

Read here (Straits Times, Dec 28, 2020)

The vaccine news is great, but Big Pharma is still fooling us

‘Heroic work went into the development of the coronavirus vaccines. But that does not mean this industry deserves your affection...

‘I recall feeling, at the start of this pandemic, both horror at the unfolding calamity, and also a small sense of hope that as in other times of hardship, people would find ways to change the world for the better. There was talk of community support, mutual aid and the rediscovery of the positive powers of the state to protect its citizens. Much of that has dimmed now, and it often seems that we simply want relief - to go back to the way the world was before, and as soon as possible.

‘We have to get back to that place. Yet this may be the best chance in our lifetimes to break the hold of an industry that, until recently, was rightly vilified. The public is following these developments closely, and the state support that underwrites pharmaceutical profits couldn't be more obvious: Operation Warp Speed alone has dispensed over US$10 billion to the industry.

‘Pay it to make the vaccine, sure. That's a service. But we shouldn't be afraid to demand more: Public support should mean a public vaccine, one that reaches people as quickly as possible - profitable or not. The pharmaceutical industry wouldn't be able to rake in its profits and restore its reputation without funding that comes from our tax dollars. We shouldn't let Big Pharma forget it.’

Read here (Straits Times, Dec 22, 2020)

A-Z inventions of Covid-19

‘The pandemic may have brought the world to its knees, but the side effects are not all negative. The Straits Times locks down the upsides of the coronavirus.’

Read here (Straits Times, Dec 20, 2020)

Covid-19 vaccine: Will you take it? 8 in 10 say yes in ST poll

‘A recent survey commissioned by The Straits Times of 1,000 people aged 16 and above here found that about eight in 10 would say "yes" to getting a Covid-19 vaccination, with more than half in this group willing to get it the moment it is available. About 18 per cent of respondents, however, would not want to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, regardless of whether one was available today or in six to 12 months, although about half were willing to consider having one eventually.’

Read here (Straits Times, Dec 12, 2020)

The science behind an RNA vaccine

‘In just 10 months, a vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech has been approved by Britain for emergency use to prevent Covid-19. Another by Moderna is being evaluated for emergency use authorisation by several regulators, including the United States Food and Drug Administration...

‘This 10-month timeline for vaccines to get from concept to licensing is ground-breaking; most take more than 10 years to reach this stage. There are several other RNA vaccines in the pipeline, including the one our team at Duke-NUS Medical School is working on in partnership with Arcturus Therapeutics. Here is the science behind such vaccines...’

Read here (Straits Times, Dec 7, 2020)

Babies born to mums with Covid-19 may have antibodies, but scope of protection is unclear

‘Although babies of women infected with Covid-19 during their pregnancies have been born with antibodies, it remains unclear if this means the baby is immune to the coronavirus or how long the immunity would last. Earlier this month, Mrs Celine Ng-Chan, 31, gave birth to her second child and was told by her son's paediatrician that he has antibodies against the virus.’

Read here (Straits Times, Nov 29, 2020)

Xi says China ready to boost global Covid-19 vaccine cooperation and travel

‘President Xi Jinping said on Saturday (Nov 21) that China is ready to step up global Covid-19 vaccine cooperation, and called for better international coordination on policies to facilitate movement of people.

‘Pharmaceutical companies and research centres around the world are working on potential Covid-19 vaccines, with large global trials of several of the candidates involving tens of thousands of participants underway. China has five home-grown candidates undergoing Phase III trials. With that [global movement] in mind, Mr Xi said China would propose the creation of a mechanism by which travellers' coronavirus test results were recognised internationally through digital health codes.’

Read here (Straits Times, Nov 20, 2020)

AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine candidate shows promise among elderly in trials

‘A potential Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University produced a strong immune response in older adults, giving hope it may protect some of those most vulnerable to the disease, data from mid-stage trials showed. The data, reported in part last month but published in full in The Lancet medical journal on Thursday (Nov 19), suggest that those aged over 70 - who are at higher risk of serious illness and death from Covid-19 - could build robust immunity to the disease, researchers said.

"The robust antibody and T-cell responses seen in older people in our study are encouraging," said Dr Maheshi Ramasamy, a consultant and a co-lead investigator at the Oxford Vaccine Group.’

Read here (Straits Times, Nov 20, 2020)

Almost a million people inoculated with Chinese Covid-19 vaccine: Sinopharm

‘Nearly a million people have taken an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Chinese company Sinopharm, the firm said, although it has not yet provided any clear clinical evidence of efficacy. China has been giving experimental Covid-19 vaccines to people including state employees, international students and essential workers heading abroad since July. 

‘Sinopharm's chairman told media this week that nearly a million people have now received their vaccine for emergency use, though he did not provide a specific figure. "We have not received a single report of severe adverse reaction, and only a few had some mild symptoms," Mr Liu Jingzhen said in an interview re-published by the state-owned firm on Wednesday (Nov 18).’

Read here (Straits Times, Nov 20, 2020)

China insists coronavirus can be imported through food, the world disagrees

‘There have been sporadic outbreaks across China, mostly linked to workers dealing with cold-chain imported food. The country said last week that it would ban food imports from countries with coronavirus outbreaks in their production facilities, or whose products were found to contain traces of the virus. Trade partners have bristled at the restrictions targeted at preventing imports of the virus, but China's severe measures should not be hastily written off: its travel bans and mandatory mask-wearing efforts earlier this year have proven prescient.’

Read here (Straits Times, Nov 18, 2020)

Who are the candidates in the Covid-19 vaccine race?

‘Almost 200 Covid-19 vaccine candidates are being studied by scientists around the world. Of these, 44 are already in clinical trials, which means they are being tested on humans. The Straits Times highlights some of the prominent candidates in the Covid-19 vaccine race.’

Read here (Straits Times, Nov 10, 2020)

Malaysia set for emergency measures to avert snap polls amid Covid-19 pandemic

‘Malaysia's Cabinet was locked in a special meeting on Friday (Oct 23) morning to decide on emergency measures to ensure that the upcoming budget session in Parliament does not result in snap elections amid the resurgent wave of coronavirus infections. Sources with knowledge of these options told The Straits Times that an "economic emergency" could be proclaimed to ensure that government spending to curb Covid-19 - which has seen total cases doubling this month alone - is not jeopardised by an increasingly unstable political atmosphere. "It will not be similar to the curfews and military presence we had after the 1969 race riots.’

Read here (Straits Times, Oct 23, 2020)

Covid-19 virus survives on skin five times longer than flu virus: Study

‘The Covid-19 virus remains active on human skin for nine hours, Japanese researchers have found, in a discovery they said showed the need for frequent hand washing to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The pathogen that causes the flu survives on human skin for about 1.8 hours by comparison, said the study published this month in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal.’

Read here (Straits Times, Oct 18, 2020)

Frozen food package polluted by living coronavirus could cause infection: China’s CDC

‘China's disease control authority said on Saturday (Oct 17) that contact with frozen food packaging contaminated by living new coronavirus could cause infection. The conclusion came as the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected and isolated living coronavirus on the outer packaging of frozen cod during efforts to trace the virus in an outbreak reported last week in the city of Qingdao, the agency said on its website.

‘The finding, a world first, suggests it is possible for the virus to be conveyed over long distances via frozen goods, it said.’

Read here (Straits Times, Oct 17, 2020)

Singapore, Hong Kong agree to set up air travel bubble for leisure travel without need for quarantine: Ong Ye Kung

‘Singapore has announced its first two-way air travel bubble with Hong Kong, paving the way for leisure and other forms of travel between both places. This means that people will be able to travel between the two locations without the need to be quarantine, subject to conditions, including testing negative for Covid-19. Details are still being worked out, but people could be travelling between both places in several weeks.’

Read here (Straits Times, Oct 16, 2020)

Indonesia aims to start administering coronavirus vaccines in early November

‘Indonesia is aiming to start administering coronavirus vaccines in early November by relying on supply from Chinese drugmakers, as the world's fourth most populous country fights a health crisis that may result in its first recession in more than two decades. The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs on Monday (Oct 12) said 100,000 doses will be supplied by CanSino Biologics, the first Chinese company to test a Covid-19 vaccine on humans, in November.’

Read here (Straits Times, Oct 12, 2020)