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ANALYSIS of the difficulties in comparing vaccines

Thu, 2021-02-25 07:09 — mike kraft

Why COVID vaccines are so difficult to compare Despite the widespread roll-out of several vaccines, it could be months before they can be ranked. Heidi Ledford nature

Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi knows that a vaccine that offers 70% protection against COVID-19 could be a valuable tool against the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria — especially if that vaccine is cheap and doesn’t have to be stored at extremely cold temperatures. But what if another vaccine — one that is more expensive to buy and to store — was 95% effective?

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Moderna developing booster shot for coronavirus variants, boosts production target

Thu, 2021-02-25 05:42 — mike kraft

Moderna developing booster shot for new coronavirus variants, increases vaccine production target Moderna Inc said on Wednesday it is working with U.S. government scientists to study an experimental booster shot that targets a concerning new variant of the coronavirus, and has raised its global COVID-19 vaccine production goal for this year by 100 million doses. Julie Steenhuysen, Carl O’Donnell U.S.

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NIH to launch research into Covid long term effects, plus international roundup

Thu, 2021-02-25 01:16 — mike kraft

Roundup: NIH to study ‘long-haul’ virus symptoms

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Institutes of Health is launching research to understand the causes and consequences of the lingering brain fog, breathing problems and malaise reported by many recovering COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says some studies have shown up to 30% of patients report symptoms that can endure for months, complicating their return to normal routines and work, and plunging many recovering patients into depression.

Fauci noted at a White House coronavirus briefing on Wednesday that work at NIH started this week thanks to more than $1 billion provided by Congress for COVID-related medical research. Government scientists are looking to enlist doctors and research institutions around the country in the effort to learn about “long-haul” COVID-19.

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Germany approves COVID home tests to help ease the lockdown

Wed, 2021-02-24 22:26 — mike kraft

Germany approves COVID home tests to ease way out of lockdown Germany approved three COVID-19 tests for home use as part Health Minister Jens Spahn's strategy to help Europe's biggest economy emerge from a lockdown that has been in place since mid-December. Reuters Staff U.S.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany approved three COVID-19 tests for home use as part Health Minister Jens Spahn’s strategy to help Europe’s biggest economy emerge from a lockdown that has been in place since mid-December.

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FDA says Johnson and Johnson vaccine provides protection against Covid, a step toward final decision

Wed, 2021-02-24 21:09 — mike kraft

FDA says J&J 1-dose shot prevents COVID; final decision soon

WASHINGTON (AP) — Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine protects against COVID-19, according to an analysis by U.S. regulators Wednesday that sets the stage for a final decision on a new and easier-to-use shot to help tame the pandemic.

The Food and Drug Administration’s scientists confirmed that overall the vaccine is about 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19. The agency also said J&J’s shot — one that could help speed vaccinations by requiring just one dose instead of two — is safe to use.

That’s just one step in the FDA’s evaluation of a third vaccine option for the U.S. On Friday, the agency’s independent advisers will debate if the evidence is strong enough to recommend the long-anticipated shot. Armed with that advice, FDA is expected to make a final decision within days. ...

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AstraZeneca to miss second-quarter EU vaccine supply target by half - EU official

Wed, 2021-02-24 06:49 — mike kraft

Exclusive: AstraZeneca to miss second-quarter EU vaccine supply target by half - EU official AstraZeneca expects to deliver less than half the COVID-19 vaccines it was contracted to supply the European Union in the second quarter, an EU official told Reuters on Tuesday. Francesco Guarascio U.S.

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Not to be sniffed at: Agony of post-COVID-19 loss of smell

Wed, 2021-02-24 00:01 — mike kraft

Researchers still investigating loss of smell problems among some of Covid victims

... A year into the coronavirus pandemic, doctors and researchers are still striving to better understand and treat the accompanying epidemic of COVID-19-related anosmia — loss of smell — draining much of the joy of life from an increasing number of sensorially frustrated longer-term sufferers like Forgione.

Even specialist doctors say there is much about the condition they still don’t know and they are learning as they go along in their diagnoses and treatments. Impairment and alteration of smell have become so common with COVID-19 that some researchers suggest that simple odor tests could be used to track coronavirus infections in countries with few laboratories.

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CDC study indicates that educators, not students, are main drivers of Covid infections in schools.

Tue, 2021-02-23 23:38 — mike kraft

Educators may be more central drivers of Covid-19 in schools than students, CDC study finds A study that found teachers -- not students -- were the probable source of several school-related Covid-19 outbreaks highlights the need to maintain mask and distancing guidelines and to prioritize teachers and school staff for vaccination, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday. Christina Maxouris, CNN CNN

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Institutional investors urge a more ‘fair and equitable’ international Covid-19 response

Tue, 2021-02-23 23:22 — mike kraft

Dozens of institutional investors push for 'equitable' Covid-19 response “The economic and financial damage triggered by Covid-19 knows no border,” said Marco Morelli, executive chairman of AXA Investment Managers. Ed Silverman STAT

Nearly 150 institutional investors that oversee combined assets worth more than $14 trillion have issued a joint call for a “fair and equitable” global response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and they intend to huddle with health care companies to make progress on that goal.

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False claims that coronavirus vaccines can cause infertility drive doubts among women of childbearing age

Tue, 2021-02-23 22:58 — mike kraft

False claims tying coronavirus vaccines to infertility drive doubts among women of childbearing age Health officials worry their hesitation may affect efforts to reach immunization targets. Ariana Eunjung Cha Washington Post

As the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine ramps up across the United States, women of childbearing age have emerged as a surprising roadblock to efforts to halt the pandemic by achieving herd immunity.

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OVERVIEW: U.S. and International

Tue, 2021-02-23 22:39 — mike kraft

U.S and international COVID-related developments

ALSO SEE: Reuters worldwide roundup

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California lawmakers have cleared the way for 5.7 million people to get at least $600 in one-time payments, part of a state-sized coronavirus relief package aimed at helping lower-income people weather what they hope is the last legs of the pandemic.

The state Legislature passed the bill by a wide margin on Monday...

BUDAPEST — Officials in Hungary are urging people to trust in the vaccines already approved by the country ahead of a planned rollout Wednesday of a COVID-19 vaccine developed in China.

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Differences between COVID-19 vaccines, summarized in a simple table

Tue, 2021-02-23 08:02 — mike kraft

All the differences between COVID-19 vaccines, summarized in a simple table that you can take to your vaccination appointment This summary table shows the differences among the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca-Oxford University. Dr. Catherine Schuster-Bruce Business Insider

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FDA issues alert on ‘limitations’ of pulse oximeters, which have accuracy problems with darker skin personsth

Tue, 2021-02-23 07:48 — mike kraft

FDA issues alert on the 'limitations' of pulse oximeters Experts and lawmakers have expressed concern about potential racial disparities in the readings of pulse oximeters. Erin Brodwin STAT

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Overview of how the coronavirus pandemic is receeding, mainly in 6 countries

Tue, 2021-02-23 07:30 — mike kraft

The Pandemic Is Receding in the Worst Hotspots. Will It Last? Global cases are at half of their peak a month ago, offering a fragile window of opportunity as vaccinations begin to take effect. nytimes

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British data study says COVID-19 vaccines sharply cut hospitalizations

Tue, 2021-02-23 06:11 — mike kraft

LONDON (AP) — Two U.K. studies released Monday showed that COVID-19 vaccination programs are contributing to a sharp drop in hospitalizations, boosting hopes that the shots will work as well in the real world as they have in carefully controlled studies.

Preliminary results from a study in Scotland found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduced hospital admissions by up to 85% four weeks after the first dose, while the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot cut admissions by up to 94%. In England, preliminary data from a study of health care workers showed that the Pfizer vaccine reduced the risk of catching COVID-19 by 70% after one dose, a figure that rose to 85% after the second.

“This new evidence shows that the jab protects you, and protects those around you,” U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. “It is important that we see as much evidence as possible on the vaccine’s impact on protection and on transmission and we will continue to publish evidence as we gather it.’’

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