"Connecting Communities for COVID19 News" 10th May 2021
Isolation Tips
Covid-19: UK's minister for loneliness funds new plans to tackle isolation
Diana Barran, who is the third minister for loneliness in the United Kingdom since the portfolio was carved out in January 2018, has allocated £4 million to tackle the modern scourge of isolation and loneliness, as Covid-10 restrictions ease following a considerable decline in new viral infections. The Boris Johnson government said on Saturday that the fund would support a series of projects to bring people together. Officials said the amount would be shared among charity and community groups and grassroots organisations involved in tackling social isolation. Projects across England, include songwriting workshops in Devon, dance classes in Bedfordshire, and online chat services in Durham, are in the works.
As the Covid-19 crisis ebbs in the U.S., experts brace for some to experience psychological fallout
The end of the emergency phase of the pandemic is in sight in the United States, at least for now. But as the weight of the crisis is lifted, experts are also anticipating a long-term impact on people’s mental health. For some people, the feelings of anxiety and depression that emerged during the pandemic will resolve as routines resume — people go back to the office, social connections are reformed, the seeming danger of activities dissipates. But others will face new or worse mental health issues that persist or even appear down the road, a number that could be quite large given the magnitude of despair and disruption. That burden, however big, stands to put an even greater strain on an already stretched mental health system.
Hygiene Helpers
To mask or not to mask? With vaccines and new guidelines, the mask-faithful navigate a ‘weird gray area.’
When David Díaz went for a recent five-mile run in Iowa City, he took along a partner he has depended on for more than a year: his face mask. Díaz, 29, knew he did not have to. He’s fully vaccinated, and recent federal guidance says unmasked, outdoor exercise is safe. At first, he wore the mask around his neck. But after passing people one block later, he pulled it up — and then began wondering why. Was he posturing? Was he showing concern for others? Was he worried passersby would view him as an anti-masker? Was he actually being anti-science?
“At what point are you doing more harm than good and letting fear or something rule your life?” Díaz, a data analytics consultant, said days later. “It’s still a thing I’m trying to work through.”
Fauci says face masks could become seasonal after Covid pandemic
White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that people may wear masks during certain seasons when respiratory illnesses are more prevalent. “We’ve had practically a non-existent flu season this year [...],“Fauci said. His comments come less than a month after the Biden administration announced a relaxation of federal guidance on wearing masks outdoors.
Covid-19: HSE advises people to wear face masks as restrictions ease
Families have been advised to maintain social distancing and to wear masks when meeting after Covid-19 restrictions are eased next week. The so-called “vaccine bonus” will see fully vaccinated people from up to three households permitted to mix indoors from Monday. The same will also apply to those who received a first AstraZeneca shot more than four weeks ago and to people who have had a PCR test confirmed infection in the past six months. These groups can also meet indoors with unvaccinated people from another household, provided they are not at risk of severe illness. The measures aim to benefit older people and those with health conditions who have had to spend lengthy periods cocooning since the pandemic began.
Covid-19: Vaccines will be tested against variants of concern after £29m funding boost from UK government
The efficacy of different covid-19 vaccines against variants of concern, including those first identified in the UK and South Africa, will be assessed by Public Health England after a funding boost from the government. The UK government’s Vaccine Taskforce has announced £29.3m (€34m; $40.8m) in extra funding for new facilities at Porton Down in Wiltshire, which will increase the site’s capacity for testing variant samples from 1500 to 3000 a week. This is on top of a £19.7m investment approved last September to increase capacity for clinical testing of vaccines. The government has said that the Porton Down facilities will also be used for work to update existing vaccines to specifically target variants. Data are currently limited on the efficacy of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants, as many of the earlier vaccine trials were carried out before these variants emerged.
Covid-19: Africa scrambles to increase genomic testing capacity as variants spread
African countries are struggling to bolster genomic sequencing as SARS-CoV-2 variants spread on the continent, reports Abdullahi Tsanni As the world entered 2021, the covid-19 pandemic began a new phase, one dominated by worries over emerging variants. But the way of detecting these threats has not been standardised—even in the UK, where genomic sequencing is relatively frequent, only 5-10% of covid-19 positive cases were being sequenced at the start of the year. The spotlight on sequencing has highlighted inequalities in global capacity. Many countries in Africa do not perform sequencing themselves, and those that do only do so on a small scale. Genomic sequencing requires expertise, machinery, software, reagents, and funding. Over the past year, as African countries grappled with scaling up basic testing capacity for covid-19, it hasn’t been a high priority.
But as variants such as B.1.351—first identified in South Africa and which now accounts for some 90% of the country’s covid-19 cases—led to growing concern, there are worries that the lack of sequencing capacity will leave the continent unable to spot and stop variant outbreaks before they fuel a new wave of infections.
Community Activities
Vlad the vaccinator: Dracula's castle lures visitors with COVID-19 jabs
Visitors to Dracula's castle are more likely to find puncture marks in their arms than their necks this month, after medics set up a COVID-19 vaccination centre at the Transylvanian attraction. Doctors and nurses with fang stickers on their scrubs are offering free Pfizer shots to all-comers at 14th century Bran Castle, which is purported to be an inspiration for the vampire's towering home in Bram Stoker’s novel "Dracula". Castle staff hope the service will bring more people to the site in Romania's Carpathian mountains, where tourist numbers have plummeted since the start of the pandemic.
Sconetime easing seniors' loneliness with delicious food, a cuppa and friendship
In Australia, hot scones loaded with freshly made strawberry jam and cream are the drawcard of a new social scene for seniors that's tackling the serious issue of isolation and loneliness. Former restaurateur and chef Martin Duncan launched Sconetime three years ago in the Cooroy Memorial Hall in the Noosa hinterland. Despite months of cancellations caused by COVID-19, the morning teas have proved so popular that they are also being held in Caloundra and the Glass House Mountains.
The misinformation bubble threatening Brazil's indigenous people
False information from the mouths of politicians and preachers is reaching remote villages in the Amazon via WhatsApp, reports BBC News Brasil's Juliana Gragnani.
A helicopter loaded with health workers and coronavirus vaccine doses took off from Labrea, in the southern part of the Amazon, heading to a village some 50km away. But the villagers, part of the indigenous Jamamadi group, greeted the chopper armed with bows and arrows - and demanded that it leave. They'd been hearing false rumours about vaccines and wanted reassurances from a religious missionary - not doctors - before getting jabbed. The helicopter left without administering any of the doses.
COVID-19: Safety fears and potential side effects putting people off vaccine, official figures show
Safety fears are the most common reason for people not getting a coronavirus vaccine, official figures have shown. The speed at which the jab has been developed and potential long-term side effects were also among concerns, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Another major reason is many think catching COVID-19 does not pose a significant risk to their health - particularly young people and those who believe their immune systems are strong enough to fight the virus without the jab.
California Man Arrested In Suspected Fake COVID-19 Vaccine Card Operation
A California bar owner has been arrested for allegedly selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in what's believed to be the first thwarted scheme of its kind.
Undercover agents with the state's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control bought the bogus cards for $20 each during multiple visits to the Old Corner Saloon in Clements, a small town in San Joaquin County. The agents were told to write their names and birth dates on sticky notes and watched as employees cut the cards, added phony vaccination dates and laminated them, the Associated Press reported.
What is COVID-19 anxiety syndrome?
As lockdowns and restrictions ease in various locations, some people find it extremely challenging to reacclimate to “normal” life. As the pandemic recedes, some consider this phenomenon as the next emerging mental health crisis.
Black doctors read COVID tweets in fun, fact-filled campaign to raise vaccination awareness
Dr. Reed Tuckson laughs as he reads a tweet from his phone: “‘Once COVID is over’ is starting to sound a lot like ‘when Rihanna releases a new album.’” The former commissioner of public health in Washington, D.C., isn’t just checking his Twitter feed, though. He’s reading tweets posted by Black people about COVID for a new public health campaign. The humorous observations are entertaining, but for Tuckson and the Black Coalition Against COVID—which he co-founded—the tweets also serve as jumping off points for discussion in the new “Black Doctors Read COVID Tweets” effort. Just now rolling out on social media, the tweet re-readings are the latest content in the coalition's COVID-19 advocacy work. The group of Black doctors, nurses and researchers began by getting the word out in the Black community about public health guidance and then started working to enroll people in vaccine trials. Now, they're answering questions about vaccines and encouraging vaccinations.
It's too soon to declare vaccine victory — four strategies for continued progress
Innovation. Vaccines should be delivered along with other health and social services that address the negative economic impacts that have left millions unemployed and unable to afford housing, food and other necessities. Enlisting trusted community leaders will be essential in advancing such efforts. Collaboration between mainstream and digital media platforms and the medical and scientific communities can interrupt the spread of misinformation and increase the availability of accurate and engaging content. Engagement with key social and economic sectors beyond health. More conversations are needed across educational institutions, businesses, healthcare providers, the agricultural sector, and the security, law enforcement, and military communities to engage their respective communities in dialogue about vaccines in the context of post-pandemic recovery. A top line priority needs to be creating hyperlocal strategies to win over skeptical Republicans and evangelicals while continuing fruitful engagement with Black, Latinx and Native American populations. Vaccines could go the way of masks in America, and become highly politicized, if proactive listening and engagement with these groups does not occur. Fortunately, Republican elected leaders and opinion makers are increasingly stepping forward publicly and privately in defense of vaccines. Those initiatives will be bolstered significantly if other trusted local messengers — the family doctor or nurse, community faith leaders and family members — join in also.
Working Remotely
Washingtonian staff goes on publishing strike after CEO’s op-ed about remote work
Washingtonian magazine staffers launched a day-long protest on Friday in response to an op-ed written by their boss, who warned that continuing to work from home as the pandemic subsides could make employees less valuable and easier to “let go.” Cathy Merrill, chief executive of the D.C.-centered magazine, shared her concerns about the popularity of remote work in a Washington Post op-ed published Thursday, originally titled: “As a CEO, I want my employees to understand the risks of not returning to work in the office.” While some employees may want to “work from home and pop in only when necessary” after the pandemic, Merrill argued, the dynamic may create a “strong incentive” for bosses to convert full-time workers into contractors, who get paid by the hour or output and lack benefits such as health-care coverage and retirement accounts. Washingtonian staffers were shocked. Many perceived the op-ed to be directed in part to them — a veiled threat to their jobs.
Pandemic proves employees can work from home, but will it last?
Within 10 days of the start of the global pandemic, 4.7 million Canadians made the shift to working from home — bringing the total number of Canadians working from home to 40 per cent. There was talk at the time of how the pandemic may force employers to revolutionize the workplace. A year ago, even Premier Blaine Higgs said government would look at what they learned in the early days of the pandemic to see how they could do things differently. That openness to change seems to have been short-lived. Only about seven per cent of provincial government employees are currently working from home, according to figures provided by the province. Compare that to the height of the pandemic when nearly all government employees were sent home.
"Hybrid" return-to-office models could create subcaste of workers
More than a year after companies across the globe sent workers scurrying home amid the spread of COVID-19, some employers are encouraging — and even ordering — people back to the office. An estimated 80,0000 municipal workers in New York City went back on the job on Monday, while JPMorgan Chase, the country's largest bank, said it expects most of its U.S.-based employees to return to their offices come July. Goldman Sachs wants its U.S. and UK employees back at their desks by June. Despite the clarion call from employers, many people are reluctant to return to the office, saying they are more productive working from home and not eager to resume their daily commutes. And with COVID-19 still affecting schools, numerous parents with children in remote classes are still juggling their childcare duties with work.
Remote working 'must not be enforced', experts warn, as large employers plan hybrid future
Employees must not be forced to work from home if they don’t want to, experts have warned, as research has shown almost all of the UK’s top employers have said they do not plan to bring their staff back to the office full time. A BBC poll of 50 of the UK’s largest employers, collectively employing 1.1 million people, found that 43 firms said they planned to use a mixture of home and remote working going forward, with employees encouraged to work from home two to three days a week. A further four companies said they were keeping this so-called hybrid approach under review.
Automaker Stellantis expects employees to work remotely most of the time under new plan
When employees of Fiat Chrysler, now Stellantis, make their expected returns later this year to offices, they will do so with a new company and a more flexible work schedule. The automaker is launching a hybrid work initiative called the “New Era of Agility.” The goal is to have a majority of the company’s salaried employees work remotely most of the time. The decision to create such a program comes after the company received feedback from employees, many of whom have been working remotely for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic
Virtual Classrooms
Seattle Teacher Treats Students to Virtual Field Trips — He Even Taught from the Aquarium!
Hang on, hold tight: Kindergarten teacher Garett Talcott is about to take his kindergarteners — and about 2 million TikTok fans — on the flight of their lives.
When the Redmond, Washington kindergarten teacher's school went remote last spring, he wondered how to "take the magic of kindergarten and put it through on a screen," he tells PEOPLE. His solution? Virtual field trips everywhere from the aquarium to the zoo — with a few dance parties, simulated plane flights and roller coaster rides tossed into the mix.
Teachers reflect on educating during COVID-19 pandemic
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the way teachers educate their students had changed drastically. At the beginning of 2020, they were in the classroom. But they switched to 100 percent virtual learning in the spring and then moved to hybrid learning models. This means teachers are chasing a constantly moving target. Beverly Kerr, a third-grade teacher at Carysbrook Elementary School in Fluvanna County, said the pandemic has teachers "changing 100 percent of how we teach, especially at primary level." It's her 15th year as a teacher, but she says it's unlike any other.
Public Policies
Stopping Drug Patents Has Stopped Pandemics Before
Consider what happened in the years after 1996, when a consortium of pharmaceutical companies took the unprecedented step of sharing their HIV/AIDS treatment data and manufacturing, resulting in a collaboration that was the turning point for what had been a catastrophically grim pandemic. By working together, the companies demonstrated that any one anti-HIV/AIDS drug, taken as monotherapy, would fail, possibly even hasten the pace of the disease process. But when taken in combinations of three or four drugs, made by usually rival companies, the antiviral assault was so powerful that people bounced back from the edge of death like the Biblical Lazarus who was resurrected by Jesus.
Pfizer vaccine: EU agrees new deal for 1.8billion doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
The European Union has agreed to a massive contract extension for a potential 1.8 billion doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine through to 2023. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that her office “has just approved a contract for a guaranteed 900 million doses (+900 million options)."
'Approved' or 'authorized'? When it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, words matter.
Pfizer and partner BioNTech have asked the Food and Drug Administration for full approval for their COVID-19 vaccine, a regulatory benchmark beyond the current emergency use authorization granted during the pandemic. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are expected to submit similar requests before too long. Many are eager for COVID-19 vaccines to advance to full-approval status as they believe this will reassure those who are vaccine hesitant while also helping employers and universities to enforce vaccine mandates. It also would ensure that COVID-19 vaccines still could still be administered after the pandemic ends, and the declaration of "emergency" is over. "If the FDA provides full approval for these vaccines, we hope it will provide more confidence and ease the concerns of those who have not yet received the vaccine," said Dr. Michelle Medina, associate chief of clinical operations for Cleveland Clinic Community Health.
Covid-19: More Vaccines Near Approval, but Global Drive Could Remain Stalled
The World Health Organization on Friday approved China’s Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, easing the way for poorer nations to get access to another much-needed shot to help end the pandemic. The approval allows the Sinopharm vaccine to be included in Covax, the World Health Organization’s global initiative that is designed to promote equitable vaccine distribution around the world. The need is dire
Pope backs coronavirus vaccine patent waivers
Pope Francis on Saturday threw his support behind calls to waive intellectual property rights on coronavirus vaccines. In a pre-recorded video message at Vax Live, a fundraising concert, the pope described "closed nationalism," preventing an "internationalism of vaccines," as a variant of the virus. "Another variant is when we put the laws of the market ... or intellectual property over the laws of love and the health of humanity," he added, according to a Reuters report.
EU supports COVID vaccine patent waiver talks, but critics say won't solve scarcity
The European Union on Thursday backed a U.S. proposal to discuss waiving patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines, but drugmakers and some other governments opposed the idea, saying it would not solve global inoculation shortages. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed willingness to explore a waiver after President Joe Biden on Wednesday promoted the plan, reversing the U.S. position
Tunisia to impose one-week COVID lockdown from Sunday
Tunisia will impose a full lockdown against COVID-19 for one week from Sunday, Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi said on Friday.
Covid: Macron calls on US to drop vaccine export bans
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the US to drop its restrictions on the export of Covid-19 vaccines and ingredients. His words came as a divide emerged between parts of Europe and the US over how best to increase global vaccine production. Currently, around 1.25bn doses have been administered around the world. However, less than 1% have been given to the world's 29 poorest countries, according to news agency AFP. Rich countries, by contrast, are speeding up their vaccination campaigns. In the UK , 67% of the population has received a first dose and in the US 56% of those eligible have had one jab.
UK government ‘failed to consider gender’ in its response to Covid pandemic
The government has “consistently failed” to consider gender in its response to Covid-19 despite men and women being affected in distinct ways by the pandemic, claim researchers from the London School of Economics. While more men have died from the virus, women have suffered more due to the impact of policies introduced to prevent disease transmission. Yet the subject of gender was largely absent from crucial meetings that informed the government’s response to the crisis, say academics, who analysed the minutes from 73 meetings held in 2020 by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
Sri Lanka approves Pfizer COVID vaccine for emergency use
Sri Lanka on Saturday approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in Sri Lanka, as the island nation battles a third wave of the virus, while suffering a restricted supply of vaccines from neighboring India. Dr. Sudharshani Fernandopulle, the minister overseeing the fight against the epidemic, said in a statement the government would order 5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Pakistan imposes Eid lockdown as COVID cases soar
Pakistan on Saturday began a nine-day shutdown affecting travel and tourist hotspots in a bid to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Already battling a third wave of infections and increasingly nervous about the crisis across the border in India, the government has imposed the most severe restrictions since a one-month lockdown in April last year. “From today all businesses across the country will be closed. People will not be allowed to go into the markets to do their shopping for Eid,” Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder reported from the capital, Islamabad. Hyder said the Pakistani government feared that it will not be able to cope due to a possible lack of ventilators and oxygen if the “situation sees the likes of which India is confronting”.
How the U.S. locked up vaccine materials other nations urgently need
To fight the pandemic at home, the United States gave its own vaccine manufacturers priority access to American-made materials needed to make the shots. As a result, the U.S. government laid claim not only to vast quantities of finished COVID-19 vaccines but also to vaccine components and equipment all along the supply chain, according to a Reuters review of more than a dozen contracts involving some major suppliers. That has left some countries desperately in need of those supplies to scramble for substitutes, exacerbating international disparities in vaccine access, according to interviews with suppliers, foreign manufacturers and vaccine market experts.
Maintaining Services
Hoping to lure back tourists, Greece reopens beaches after lockdown
With widely spaced sun loungers and regular disinfections, Greece reopened its organised beaches on Saturday as the popular Mediterranean holiday destination eases COVID-19 curbs in preparation for the return of foreign visitors next week. Tourism accounts for about a fifth of Greece's economy and jobs, and - after the worst year on record for the industry last year - the country can ill afford another lost summer.
4th wave of COVID-19 likely if Canada reopens too fast — and seasonal return may be inevitable
As Canada beats back its third coronavirus wave, experts warn a fourth one could strike at any time if restrictions are lifted too quickly — but there's hope that could be prevented with more vaccinations and careful reopening. The potential for a fourth surge of cases comes as multiple provinces struggle to get case counts back down after the gruelling third wave started in March. In recent weeks, B.C. hit record-high intensive care admissions, Alberta reported the highest case rate in Canada, and Ontario has been struggling to boost hospital capacity amid an overwhelming level of COVID-19 admissions by transferring patients across the province, halting non-emergency procedures, and bringing in medical teams from the Canadian Armed Forces. But that is starting to turn.
Covid-19 vaccines: Why some African states have leftover doses
Malawi has been left with 16,400 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, while South Sudan has 59,000 - all now past their expiry date, 13 April. Both countries say they have decided to destroy these consignments, donated via the African Union, despite the World Health Organization (WHO) asking for them to be kept while it investigates whether the expiry date can be safely extended.
Covid-19: Cargo plane leaves NI with medical aid for India
Britain will allow international travel to resume from May 17 but is limiting the number of destinations open for quarantine-free holidays to just 12 countries as it cautiously emerges from lockdown restrictions. Countries including Portugal and Israel made a green list of countries for low risk travel for people from England, transport minister Grant Shapps said on Friday. The most popular destinations such as France, Spain and Greece did not make the list.
States plan to lift remaining COVID-19 restrictions
Across the US this week, governors are announcing plans to lift remaining COVID-19 restrictions and have made promises of a normal summer. Relying on metrics that predict high vaccine uptake, Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, said his state would end existing mask mandates by Jul 1 or earlier if 70% of Minnesotans ages 16 and older had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. On May 28, Walz said all remaining restrictions on businesses and social gatherings will end. "Let's just go get it done and end this thing," said Walz at a press conference yesterday, referring to his challenge to vaccinate 70% of the state's population.
Healthcare Innovations
Why mixing vaccines could help boost immunity
A handful of trials are now under way to test the power of vaccine combinations, with the first results due in later this month. If these mixed regimens prove safe and effective, countries will be able to keep the vaccine rollout moving even if supplies of one vaccine dwindle because of manufacturing delays, unforeseen shortages, or safety concerns. But there’s another, more exciting prospect that could be a vital part of our strategy in the future: mixing vaccines might lead to broader immunity and hamper the virus’s attempts to evade our immune systems.
Indian Covid variant is ‘of concern’, says Public Health England
A coronavirus variant first detected in India has been designated a “variant of concern” by England’s public health body, as consternation about its spread within communities grows. The variant, called B.1.617.2 is one of three closely related variants that were first detected in India and have since been found in the UK, with the others known as B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.3. These variants have worried scientists as they have mutations in their spike protein that it is thought may help the virus to evade the body’s immune responses and be more transmissible. The variant B.1.617.2, also known as VOC-21APR-02, has caused particular consternation as its numbers have risen rapidly in the UK.
Preparations are underway for potential Covid-19 vaccine boosters, CDC director says
As experts grow concerned about a possible Covid-19 surge in the winter, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged it's still possible seasonal vaccine boosters will be necessary. "We want to hope for the best, and prepare for the worst," CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told actress Jennifer Garner in an interview streamed on Instagram. More than a third of the US is fully vaccinated against coronavirus, but it's still short of the benchmark of 70% to 85% of the total population that needs to be immune -- through vaccination or previous infection -- to control its spread. And many yet to receive the vaccine are those who have not decided whether they want it or have decided against it.
EU regulator begins real-time review of GSK-Vir COVID-19 antibody drug
Europe's medicines regulator said on Friday it has begun a real-time review of the COVID-19 antibody treatment developed by GSK (GSK.L) and Vir Biotechnology (VIR.O), formally kicking off the process for a potential European Union (EU) approval. The so-called rolling review comes after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) last month began another review of early data to provide recommendations for national authorities in the trading bloc who may decide on early use of the medicine.
New Covid-19 vaccine trial launched in York
A trial to test the efficacy of a new Covid-19 vaccine is taking place in York. It is the first time the city has participated in vaccine testing and will involve 150 people.
The plant-derived vaccine has been developed by Medicago and GlaxoSmithKline.
The trial is being delivered by the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of York. Globally 30,000 volunteers are being recruited for the phase three trial, including 1,500 across the UK. The trial is the sixth one in the UK to be supported by the National Institute for Health Excellence.
Where are we with drug treatments for covid-19?
Dozens of large trials and hundreds of smaller studies are investigating potential covid-19 treatments around the world. The largest is the Recovery trial, which began in March 2020 and has paved the way for the UK to become a leader in covid-19 treatment trials, running more of them than anywhere else in the world. Nevertheless, experts warn of the continuing need for funding and support for ongoing robust treatment studies amid the more intense spotlight on vaccines, along with concern over the World Health Organization’s flagship Solidarity trial having completed its initial assessment of four drugs but having yet to add or begin any others since it last reported in October 2020.
Real-world studies detail high Pfizer COVID vaccine protection
Two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine were highly effective in preventing coronavirus-related infections and severe outcomes, according to two new studies from Israel and one from the United States.
