COVID-19 News and Discussions

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Scientists in Africa Are Taking It Upon Themselves to Create a COVID Vaccine for the World’s Poor
by Fernanda Echavarri
October 24, 2021

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... -refugees/

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) Scientists in Cape Town, South Africa, are “assembling and calibrating the equipment needed to reverse engineer a coronavirus vaccine that has yet to reach South Africa and most of the world’s poorest people,” the Associated Press reported Sunday.

Last weekend, the New York Times reported that Moderna was profiting by sending most of its vaccines to wealthy countries and that “some poorer countries are paying more and waiting longer for the company’s vaccine than the wealthy—if they have access at all”— something my colleague Edwin Rios called “shameful and dangerous.”

Earlier this year, Moderna said it would expand its vaccine distribution to poor countries. But as we get closer to the end of 2021, most poor countries still don’t have access to Moderna’s shot, all while the a Massachusetts-based company is expected to make around $20 billion in revenue this year.

The move to reverse engineer the Moderna vaccine has backing from the World Health Organization, which coordinates vaccine research, training and production in South Africa, the AP reported. It is a last-resort effort to get vaccines to poor countries in Africa.

Conclusion:

The team in South Africa is hoping to have a version of the Moderna vaccine tested within a year, and in production for commercial distribution soon after.

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

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Rwanda and Senegal Will Host Africa’s First COVID-19 Vaccine Plants: What’s Known About Current Status
by David Richard Walwyn
October 27, 2021

https://theconversation.com/rwanda-and- ... far-170739

Introduction:

(The Conversation) The lack of vaccine production capacity in African countries has been the subject of much concern and hand-wringing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has become a particularly hot topic because of the gravely unequal access to COVID-19 vaccines between developed and developing countries.

Africa has limited capacity for vaccines production. Only Tunisia, Senegal, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa have varying capabilities to produce and fill or finish vaccines. The largest and most integrated facility is the Biovac Institute in Cape Town.

Recently Pfizer signed a letter of intent with the institute for 100 million doses per annum. The deal covers the importation of the drug substance in bulk, the filling of vials, and the distribution of the product in Africa and elsewhere.

Africa’s shortage of manufacturing capability contrasts strongly with developing countries such as India, which has extensive pharmaceutical production capability, and Brazil.

That’s why the recent announcement by German biotechnology company BioNTech that it will be building a vaccine manufacturing facility in Rwanda, to be followed by a second in Senegal, is seen as a game changer.

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U.S. Congressional Investigation Shows COVID-19 Caused Deaths in Meatpacking Industry Were Much Higher Than Previously Known
by Sky Chadde
October 28, 2021

https://investigatemidwest.org/2021/10/ ... ion-shows/

Introduction:

(Investigate Midwest) A House of Representatives subcommittee reviewing the coronavirus pandemic found plants owned by five major meatpacking companies accounted for at least 59,000 COVID-19 cases and 269 deaths — much higher than any previous tally.

COVID-19’s impact on meatpacking workers was much deeper and broader than previously thought, according to a Congressional report released Wednesday.

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis obtained data on COVID-19 cases and deaths from just the five largest meatpacking companies in the country. The new data shows cases and deaths were much higher than any previous tally for the industry.

Combining the subcommittee’s data with Investigate Midwest’s tracking shows that, across the industry, about 86,000 workers tested positive during the pandemic and that 423 died.

In roughly just the first year of the pandemic, 269 people who worked for Tyson Foods, JBS, Smithfield Foods, Cargill and National Beef died due to complications from the coronavirus, according to the subcommittee’s report.

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In Africa, the Challenge Is Not Just Low Vaccine Numbers, There’s Also Vaccine Hesitancy
by Anthony Akaeze
October 29, 2021

https://baptistnews.com/article/in-afri ... hesitancy/

Introduction:

(Baptist News( While inequity has caused the African continent to have less access to COVID-19 vaccines than the rest of the world, vaccine hesitancy already is in full supply.

That hesitancy is hampering the global effort to contain or defeat the coronavirus disease, observers claim. And as in the United States, this hesitancy is driven, in large part, by people’s religious, cultural or personal beliefs

Across Africa, rumors circulate that the virus is not as deadly as touted, that those pushing for people to take the COVID vaccines have ulterior motives, that the vaccines are harmful to humans or carry the “mark of the beast.”

Seeking to dispute such claims, the African Union, the continent’s governing body, through the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently urged people to ignore such rumors.

Conclusion:

But with threats of new variants across the world, experts believe it is essential that Africa continue enlightenment programs about the usefulness of vaccines, as well as an improved delivery system that eliminates bureaucratic bottlenecks and helps get the vaccines into people’s arms.

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Largest real-world study of third dose of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness shows Delta resistance

by Clalit Research Institute
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-10- ... ccine.html

The Clalit Research Institute, in collaboration with researchers from Harvard University, analyzed one of the world's largest integrated health record databases to examine the effectiveness of the third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162B2 vaccine against the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. The study provides the largest peer-reviewed evaluation of the effectiveness of a third "booster" dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in a nationwide mass-vaccination setting. The study was conducted in Israel. It is published in The Lancet journal.

Many countries are currently experiencing a resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 infections despite hitherto successful vaccination campaigns. This may be due to the greater infectiousness of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant of SARS-CoV-2, and to waning immunity of vaccines administered months earlier. In the face of the current resurgence, several countries are planning to administer a third booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

This study suggests that a third vaccine dose is effective in reducing severe COVID-19-related outcomes compared to individuals who have received two vaccine doses at least 5 months ago. It is the first to estimate the effectiveness of a third dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine—BNT162b2 specifically—against severe outcomes with adjustment for various possible confounders, including comorbidities and behavioral factors. The study's large size also allows a more precise assessment of the vaccine's effectiveness across different time periods, different subpopulations (by sex, age and number of comorbidities), and different severe outcomes (which are rarer and thus require greater sample size). A recent clinical trial conducted by BioNTech included a smaller sample size and did not estimate the third-dose's effects for more severe outcomes.

[wjfox]

Tonga records first coronavirus case since start of pandemic

4 hours ago

Tongans have been rushing to vaccinate themselves against coronavirus after the Pacific island nation confirmed its first case on Friday.

The infection was detected in a fully vaccinated person who had arrived on a repatriation flight from New Zealand.

Tonga's Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa warned that residents on the main island of Tongatapu face a possible lockdown next week.

Tonga was one of the last countries not to have reported Covid infections.

Over 100,000 people live on the island nation, located north-west of New Zealand.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-59101584

[wjfox]

[raklian]

He's saying some people who are infected by Covid-19 don't develop any natural immunity afterwards. A big nail in the coffin for the herd immunity crowd.

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Many Russians Refuse to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19
by Xenia Cherkaev
October 22, 2021

https://thebulletin.org/2021/10/many-ru ... lains-why/

Introduction:

(Bulletin of Atomic Scientists) A riddle from Russia: In a country where so many people have lost friends or family members to COVID-19, why is the pandemic taken so lightly? Sports festivals and international dog shows went ahead this summer as planned while crematoria overflowed with dead bodies. Masks are typically seen as an annoying formality, and people do not seem shocked by discrepant death counts. Between one state agency and another, death tallies diverge by over 200,000. How big a problem is the pandemic in Russia? In an important sense, we just don’t know.

What we do know is that the country is heading into a fourth wave of COVID-19, and while case numbers are rising, vaccination numbers are not. In 2020, Russia touted Sputnik V as the world’s “first authorized COVID-19 vaccine” and launched an effective export campaign: international vaccine sales garnered over $700 million in the first eight months of 2021. But inside the country itself, only about 30 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, and most people don’t want to be. The Levada Center, an independent polling agency, repeatedly finds that over half of the people they survey claim not to be afraid of contracting COVID-19. Denis Volkov, Levada’s director explains: “[E]ven though people are concerned, and even though they see their friends and relatives dying around them, many are still not ready to be vaccinated because they do not believe the authorities.”

To confront this deep well of anti-vaccine attitudes, authorities have tried car raffles, cash prizes, and local vaccine mandates. But they face an uphill battle in a country where people tend to view laws in terms of whose special interests they serve.

Conclusion:

Widespread mistrust in the government’s motives, communications, and laws extends even to policies and regulations that are perfectly sensible: People prefer to take their chances with COVID-19 instead of accepting a state-backed vaccine because they do not believe that their country is reasonably or fairly governed. And this is something that neither the bait of car raffles nor the threat of vaccine mandates will fix.

[wjfox]

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Global Covid-19 Death Toll Tops Five Million
Source: WSJ

U.S. has highest number of total confirmed deaths, followed by Brazil, India and Mexico, according to Johns Hopkins data
Italy’s Covid-19 Mandates Highlight Challenges for U.S. and Others



Strict Covid-19 vaccine requirements for workers have sparked protests in Italy, despite support from most people. WSJ's Eric Sylvers reports from Milan, where the new rules offer a glimpse into the hurdles the U.S. could face when implementing a similar mandate. Photo: Piero Cruciatti/AFP/Getty Images

Updated Nov. 1, 2021 4:02 pm ET


The reported global Covid-19 death toll surpassed five million Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The U.S. has the highest number of total confirmed deaths from Covid-19, with nearly 746,000 recorded since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins. Brazil, India ......................................

Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-cov ... 1635776519

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Indonesia Is First Country to Authorize Novavax Covid-19 Vaccine
November 1, 2021

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/indo ... -n1282935

Introduction:

(AP via NBC News) JAKARTA, Indonesia — Biotechnology company Novavax said Monday that Indonesia has given the world's first emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine, which uses a different technology than currently used shots.

The vaccine doesn't require the extremely cold storage temperatures that some other vaccines need, which could allow it to play an important role in increasing supplies in poorer countries around the world.

The two-dose Novavax vaccine is made with lab-grown copies of the spike protein that coats the coronavirus. That’s very different from widely used mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna that deliver genetic instructions for the body to make its own spike protein.

The emergency authorization of the vaccine is a “very important step” for Indonesia's Covid-19 vaccination program, Indonesian epidemiologist Dicky Budiman said.

“This vaccine will be much easier to transport, store and distribute in a place like Indonesia, where we have many islands,” he said.

From The Hill:

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5 ... 19-vaccine

Conclusion:

The company has also applied for emergency authorization in India and the Philippines, and recently submitted applications for authorizations in the United Kingdom, European Union, Canada and Australia.

They’ve also applied for emergency use listing with the World Health Organization.

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CDC signs off on children's coronavirus vaccine, allowing providers to begin immunizing kids
Source: Washington Post

Pediatricians are preparing to administer the nation’s first coronavirus children’s vaccine to 5-to-11-year-olds as early as Wednesday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off Tuesday night on giving the Pfizer-BioNTech shots to 28 million children.The go-ahead from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is a watershed moment in the fight against the pandemic, which has killed 745,000 people in the United States and infected nearly 2 million kids.

Millions of families have waited for a children’s vaccine since the first adult shot was authorized last December, hoping their kids could finally resume in-person schooling and extracurricular activities without interruption — and that their own work schedules could become more predictable.Walensky’s recommendation came hours after the agency’s vaccine advisory panel unanimously recommended the Pfizer BioNTech’s pediatric vaccine for younger children.

“We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine,” Walensky said in a statement. "As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated.” White House officials say the administration of pediatric vaccinations will be in full gear by next week — welcome news for families who live in multigenerational households and those eager to gather in large groups for the coming holidays.

For the substantial number who remain distrustful of the vaccine, public health officials face a gargantuan task of convincing them to allow their kids to get the shots. That task is made more urgent by concerns about another wave of infections during the cold-weather months, when people spend more time indoors and respiratory illnesses spread more easily. Several panel members said they have vaccinated older children and grandchildren and plan to get the shots for younger children who are now eligible.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... -vacccine/

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'Grave concern' over Covid in Europe as German cases soar
Source: AFP

Frankfurt (AFP) – The World Health Organization expressed "grave concern" Thursday over the rising pace of coronavirus infections in Europe, as Germany registered its biggest daily increase since the start of the pandemic.

"We are, once again, at the epicentre," WHO Europe director Hans Kluge told a press conference.

He warned that according to "one reliable projection" the current trajectory would mean "another half a million Covid-19 deaths" by February.

Alarm bells were ringing especially in Germany, the European Union's most populous country, where the number of new cases over the past 24 hours soared to almost 34,000 on Thursday -- an all-time high, according to the Robert Koch Institute health agency.

Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/2 ... cases-soar

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DeSantis says Florida will sue federal government over workplace vaccine rule
Source: Tampa Bay Times

The governor held a printed version of the rule in his hand while he spoke.

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday he would join a lawsuit with Georgia, Alabama and private plaintiffs seeking to nullify a rule by President Joe Biden’s administration mandating coronavirus vaccines or testing in large workplaces.

At a news conference in Tallahassee, DeSantis said the rule was an example of federal overreach. The federal government does not have the power to hand down health mandates, DeSantis argued, nor does it have the power to enforce its rule with fines as high as $13,653 per violation. He also argued a rule that has been coming for close to two months and that requires workers to be vaccinated by Jan. 4 can hardly be a response to an “emergency.”

The state will file its lawsuit in the U. S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on Friday, he said.

“We’ve got to stand up. We’ve got to stand up for the Constitutional order,” DeSantis said.

The Republican governor had previously announced his intention to sue the Biden administration over the rule, but the federal government did not release the final version until Thursday. It came in at a bulky 490 pages. The governor, with state Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo by his side, held a printed out version of the rule in his hand while he spoke.

Read more: https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/20 ... cine-rule/

[Ken_J]

'Grave concern' over Covid in Europe as German cases soar
Source: AFP

Frankfurt (AFP) – The World Health Organization expressed "grave concern" Thursday over the rising pace of coronavirus infections in Europe, as Germany registered its biggest daily increase since the start of the pandemic.

"We are, once again, at the epicentre," WHO Europe director Hans Kluge told a press conference.

He warned that according to "one reliable projection" the current trajectory would mean "another half a million Covid-19 deaths" by February.

Alarm bells were ringing especially in Germany, the European Union's most populous country, where the number of new cases over the past 24 hours soared to almost 34,000 on Thursday -- an all-time high, according to the Robert Koch Institute health agency.

Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/2 ... cases-soar

See this is the real second wave. everybody had this timeline in their heads about second waves and tried to rush it with implication that it happened a few months after the initial pandemic phase. Like, if we just called a rise in numbers a second wave we wouldn't have to deal with a second wave later.

this sort of attempt to spin doctor things to control the timeline of initial infection spread and subsequent surges of new variants and reinfection when immunity wanes, and as people relax measures through beleif that it's burning out, or imagine they are now safe due to medical protections or having had it already (and those imagining they don't have to worry because enough people have developed immunity that the virus can't travel through the population enough to get to them.

and it's going to be hard to get a real sense of how this is going due to the only source of info about what's happening being a media that have mostly moved on, cuz why scary things get eyeballs to the channel, things that last more than a few months lose those eyes quickly and they don't come back easily. (for example the horror show that was daily news during the first wave peaking in several major cities, when we started to see lockdowns, and it was what the world was talking about... but we've had daily numbers that beat those early days in the last 8 months and it's a foot note in most daily news coverage if it's even mentioned at all).

we have medical interventions that the spanish flu didn't have the option to have, and we understand diseases much better now, so I do think that we won't see the percentage of world population die this time that the spanish flu got. (the increased size of world population would make that number so incalculably high that it seems impossible that we would lose that percentage of the people this time around) but raw numbers will be brutal, and we have at least one more wave after this next one crests and falls. Possibly two, but the lat one or two won't likely measure up to the first two. the real question at this point is haw bad does the second round get. will it be less brutal than we've seen so far, or will it come around with a surprise brutality like the second wave of the spanish flu did?

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Moderna Reports 'Obscene' Profits From Covid Vaccine Funded In Part by U.S. Taxpayers
by Jake Johnson
November 4, 2021

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/ ... -taxpayers

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) After Moderna announced Thursday that it expects to deliver up to 300 million fewer coronavirus vaccine doses this year than previously anticipated despite posting large profits, public health campaigners ramped up pressure on President Joe Biden to force the U.S.-based pharmaceutical giant to share its recipe with the world.

Despite the lower delivery forecast, Moderna said it still expects to rack up between $15-18 billion in sales this year from its vaccine, which was largely funded by the U.S. government and developed in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The U.S. government owns a patent covering key spike-protein technology used in several coronavirus vaccines, including Moderna's and Pfizer-BioNTech's.

Moderna reported $3.3 billion in third-quarter profits from its coronavirus vaccine—the company's only product on the market—as it faces criticism for denying poor countries access to the shot and refusing to participate in global technology transfer initiatives.

"U.S. taxpayers made the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine possible," Dr. Carrie Teicher, director of programs at Doctors Without Borders USA, said in a statement Thursday. "The company must absolutely be accountable to the public effort to vaccinate the world, and the U.S. must use its vast legal powers to force or compel Moderna to share the tech and help boost global production of the vaccine. Time is running out for the U.S. to make good on its claim to be a global leader on Covid-19."