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)

‘Mutant coronavirus’ seen before on mink farms, say scientists

‘The coronavirus mutation causing concern in Denmark has arisen before in mink, scientists have revealed. The mutated virus has been detected retrospectively in mink at a farm in the Netherlands, but it did not spread to humans, said a leading Dutch expert...

‘The genetic data from Denmark was released on an international database a few days ago, with some scientists questioning why it had not been released sooner. "I think that it is most disappointing that the data have only just reached the light of day," said Prof James Wood, head of the department of veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge, UK...

‘Six countries have reported coronavirus outbreaks at mink farms: the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Italy and the US.’

Read here (BBC, Nov 9, 2020)

Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus

‘Denmark, the world's biggest producer of mink fur, said Wednesday it would cull all of the country's minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at its mink farms and had spread to people. The mutation "could pose a risk that future (coronavirus) vaccines won't work the way they should," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a press conference, adding: "It is necessary to cull all the minks."

“The mutated virus could thereby have serious negative consequences for the whole world’s response to the ongoing pandemic,” she said. Danish police estimated that between 15 and 17 million minks would need to be put down. Twelve people are currently registered as infected with a mutated form of the coronavirus in Denmark, according to news wire Ritzau. The mutated virus is reported to respond weakly to antibodies.’

Read here (The Local, Denmark, Nov 4, 2020)

Taiwan just went 200 days without a locally transmitted Covid-19 case. Here's how they did it

‘As much of the world struggles to contain new waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, Taiwan just marked its 200th consecutive day without a locally transmitted case of the disease. Taipei's response to the coronavirus pandemic has been one of the world's most effective. The island of 23 million people last reported a locally transmitted case on April 12, which was Easter Sunday. As of Thursday, it had confirmed 553 cases -- only 55 of which were local transmissions. Seven deaths have been recorded.’

Read here (CNN, Oct 30, 2020)

Why schools probably aren’t Covid hotspots

‘Data gathered worldwide are increasingly suggesting that schools are not hot spots for coronavirus infections. Despite fears, COVID-19 infections did not surge when schools and day-care centres reopened after pandemic lockdowns eased. And when outbreaks do occur, they mostly result in only a small number of people becoming ill. However, research also shows that children can catch the virus and shed viral particles, and older children are more likely than very young kids to pass it on to others. Scientists say that the reasons for these trends are unclear, but they have policy implications for older children and teachers.’

Read here (Nature, Oct 29, 2020)

Coronavirus: Fact checks on immunity and related matters

‘A large study out of the UK suggests immunity after a COVID-19 infection reduces fast, especially among older people. This is a quick fact check on the following: (1) How long am I immune after a COVID-19 infection? (2) Why does research on immunity differ? (3) Do people who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection continue to use protective measures? (4) Do some people, who have had a COVID-19 infection, show no immunity?’

Read here (DW, Oct 28, 2020)

Stop wiping down groceries and focus on bigger risks, say experts on coronavirus transmission

“To the best of my knowledge, in real life, scientists like me — an epidemiologist and a physician — and virologists basically don’t worry too much about these things,” said David Morens, a senior adviser to the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony S. Fauci... 

‘But public confusion about the coronavirus and surfaces is understandable, said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. “Scientists really haven't really done a very good job of explaining how you get evidence for different types of transmission or different transmission routes.” Finally, she said, it’s important to remember that “viruses have to have a host and they can’t replicate without one. So … the main place that’s going to be the source of virus in anybody’s household is going to be the people in it and not the surfaces or the physical environment.” “Even if there’s virus kicking around on certain things,” she said, “that risk can really be mitigated practically by washing your hands.”

Read here (Washington Post via MSN, Oct 23, 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)

Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh study: (1) 8% of the detected Covid-19 cases accounted for 60% of the transmission (2) Transmission among individuals of approximately the same age was highest among children under 15 years old and adults 65 years and older

‘A study published in Science analyzed surveillance and contact tracing data from two South Indian states, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, collected through August 1. This is one of the few studies that captures the epidemiology of COVID-19 in low- or middle-income countries on a large scale. Together, these states account for approximately 10% (127.8 million) of India’s national population, and they contain the most robust healthcare workforces and public health infrastructure in the country. The study provides a detailed look at the timeline and growth of the COVID-19 epidemics in these states, including incidence and mortality.

‘The researchers found that the majority of cases (71%) did not result in secondary transmission to any of their contacts identified through contact tracing efforts. Based on data collected from more than 600,000 cases and contacts, the researchers estimate that 8% of the detected COVID-19 cases accounted for 60% of the transmission, providing further evidence that super-spreading events play a major role in the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers also identified that transmission among individuals of approximately the same age was highest among children under 15 years old and adults 65 years and older. While the researchers were not able to determine the degree of transmission from children to adults, the study results support that pediatric cases do play a role in the ongoing pandemic. Overall, the case fatality ratio was 2.06%, and generally increased with age; however, unlike the US, mortality tended to plateau rather than increase in individuals 75 years and older. The reasons for this trend are uncertain. Additionally, the median hospital admission time before death was 6 days.’

Read here (John Hopkins Newsletter, Science, Sept 30, 2020)

Philippines’ President Duterte extends coronavirus state of calamity for another year

‘Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he has extended a state of calamity in the entire Philippines by a year to allow the government to draw emergency funds faster to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and harness the police and military to maintain law and order. Duterte first placed the country under a state of calamity in March when the number of confirmed infections was approaching 200 with about a dozen deaths. The country now has more than 290,000 confirmed cases, the highest in Southeast Asia, with nearly 5,000 deaths.

‘State of calamity allows officials to draw emergency funds quickly anywhere in the country, and to control the prices of basic commodities like rice and cooking oil. President Duterte also signalled that the country remains at the mercy of a vaccine, which is unlikely to be developed and distributed until the second quarter of 2021.’

Read here (South China Morning Post, Sept 22, 2020)

Indonesia: Can Jakarta get its raging Covid-19 outbreak under control?

‘Seven months after Indonesia reported its first cases, the country is struggling with mounting infections. It reported 4,071 new cases on Tuesday, bringing its total to 252,923, with 9,837 fatalities – the highest death toll in Southeast Asia.

‘While other countries have managed to slow the spread of infections with partial lockdowns – only to see a resurgence in cases when they reopened – Indonesia has not yet passed the peak of the first wave, according to Mahesa Paranadipa Maikel, the chairperson of the Indonesia Health Law Society, an industry body of medical workers and legal experts.’

Read here (South China Morning Post, Sept 22, 2020)

Can European countries avoid a second lockdown?

"Catastrophic," "disastrous," and "devastating" — the words European leaders are using to describe the consequences of a second lockdown are more than clear. In order to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the spring of this year, public life across Europe was brought almost completely to a halt. In the summer, many places relaxed those restrictions. For weeks now, however, infection rates have been rising in almost every European country. According to the World Health Organization, Europe is registering between 40,000 and 50,000 new coronavirus cases each day. That increase is down to more than just more widespread testing. The numbers from September "should serve as a wake-up call for all of us," said the WHO's regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge. The weekly infection numbers have even exceeded those reported in the first phases of the peak in March, the WHO says.’

Read here (DW, Sept 21, 2020)

Covid-19: UK could face 50,000 cases a day by October without action - Vallance

‘The UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further action, the government's chief scientific adviser has warned. Sir Patrick Vallance said that "would be expected to lead to about 200 deaths per day" a month after that. It comes as the PM prepares to chair a Cobra emergency committee meeting on Tuesday morning, then make a statement in the House of Commons.’

Read here (BBC, Sept 21, 2020)

Starbucks Cafe’s Covid outbreak spared employees who wore masks

‘After a woman with the coronavirus visited a Starbucks cafe north of Seoul this month, more than two dozen patrons tested positive days later. But the four face mask-wearing employees escaped infection.

‘The Aug. 8 outbreak in the South Korean city of Paju is another example of how rapidly the SARS-CoV-2 virus can spread in confined, indoor spaces -- as well as ways to minimize transmission. With health authorities around the world still debating the evidence around face masks, the 27-person cluster linked to the air-conditioned coffee outlet adds more support for their mandatory use to help limit the spread of the Covid-19-causing virus.’

Read here (Bloomberg, August 25, 2020) 

Millions more in India may have caught coronavirus, antibody study suggests

‘More than a quarter of New Delhi's 20 million residents may have caught the novel coronavirus without showing symptoms, a study released on Thursday (Aug 20) indicated, raising fresh doubts about India's official case numbers. Extrapolated, the antibody study on 15,000 residents means 5.8 million people in the bustling capital could have caught the virus - more than 37 times the official tally of 156,139 infections.’

Read here (Straits Times, August 20, 2020) 

Evidence grows that children may play a larger role in transmission than previously believed

Are children the coronavirus’s secret weapon? Because they experience few symptoms of covid-19, children were largely ignored and untested during the early weeks of the pandemic. “But they may have been acting as silent spreaders all along,” our health desk wrote.

A study in the Journal of Pediatrics found high levels of the virus in children's airways, even when they had mild or no symptoms. Previous studies have reached similar conclusions, and researchers are trying to figure out how worried we should be about the children. "Some people thought that children might be protected,” one of the study's authors told The Washington Post. “This is incorrect. They may be as susceptible as adults — but just not visible.”

Read here (Washington Post, August 20, 2020)

WHO downplays danger of coronavirus latching on to food packaging

‘Two cities in China have found traces of the new coronavirus in cargoes of imported frozen food, local authorities said on Thursday (Aug 13), although the World Health Organization downplayed the risk of the virus entering the food chain. A sample taken from the surface of frozen chicken wings imported into the southern city of Shenzhen from Brazil, as well as samples of outer packaging of frozen Ecuadorian shrimp sold in the northwestern city of Xian, have tested positive for the virus, local Chinese authorities said.

‘Viruses can survive up to two years at temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius, but scientists and officials say there is no strong evidence so far the coronavirus can spread via frozen food.’

Read here (Channel News Asia, August 14, 2020)

New Zealand considers freight as possible source of new Covid-19 cluster

‘New Zealand officials are investigating the possibility that its first Covid-19 cases in more than three months were imported by freight, as the country plunged back into lockdown today. Investigations were zeroing in on the potential the virus was imported by freight... Bloomfield [Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield] said surface testing was underway in an Auckland cool store where a man from the infected family worked... “We are very confident we didn’t have any community transmission for a very long period,” Bloomfield said during a televised media conference. “We know the virus can survive within refrigerated environments for quite some time.”

Read here (Malay Mail, August 12, 2020)

India’s coronavirus fight and lessons from my family’s struggle with TB in the 1950s

‘During the current Covid-19 pandemic, I often imagine Biji [mother], with her gritty countenance, asking total strangers why they are not wearing a mask, or reprimanding a group of people for not maintaining a minimum social distance. I had already seen her tackling several difficult situations. But how did she get to a position where she could extract compliance and discipline from people around her?

‘The odds were heavily loaded against Biji for most of her wedded life. She lost four children to infant mortality. When Taaya [father, later inflicted with TB and died aged 43] lost his job, she struggled to run our home by stitching clothes or knitting cane chairs. One day in 1956, we had no vegetables, lentils, potatoes or cooking oil left at home. She gave me a one-anna coin to go and buy 200 grams of raw tomatoes, sprinkled salt on them, and we ate them with chapattis (Indian bread).

‘Alone, she braved deprivation but rarely succumbed to hopelessness. Each hardship only made her more determined to face life in a bold, liberated and result-oriented manner...’

J V Yakhmi is a former chairman of the Atomic Energy Education Society in Mumbai and a retired associate director of the physics group at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

Read here (South China Morning Post, August 7, 2020)

Proportion of youth with COVID-19 triples in five months: WHO

‘Young people who are hitting nightclubs and beaches are leading a rise in fresh coronavirus cases across the world, with the proportion of those aged 15 to 24 who are infected rising three-fold in about five months, the World Health Organization said. An analysis by the WHO of 6 million infections between Feb. 24 and July 12 found that the share of people aged 15-24 years rose to 15% from 4.5%.’

Read here (Reuters, August 5, 2020)