Merck says experimental pill cuts worst effects of Covid – latest updates

Friday, October 1, 2021

Merck says experimental pill cuts worst effects of the virus

In a potential leap forward in the global fight against the pandemic, drugmaker Merck has said that its experimental pill for people sick with Covid-19 reduced hospitalisations and deaths by half.

That could add a whole new easy-to-use weapon to an arsenal that already includes the vaccine.

The company said it will soon ask health officials in the US and around the world to authorise the pill’s use. A decision from the US Food and Drug Administration could come within weeks after that, and the drug, if it gets the OK, could be distributed quickly soon afterward.

If cleared, it would be the first pill shown to treat coronavirus. All other therapies now authorized in the US require an IV or injection. A pill taken at home, by contrast, would ease pressure on hospitals and could also help curb outbreaks in poorer and more remote corners of the world that don’t have access to the more expensive infusion therapies.

Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said early results showed patients who received the drug, molnupiravir, within five days of Covid-19 symptoms had about half the rate of hospitalization and death as those who received a dummy pill.

The study tracked 775 adults with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 who were considered to be at higher risk for severe disease because of health problems such as obesity, diabetes or heart disease. 

The results have not been reviewed by outside experts, the usual procedure for vetting new medical research.

Over 109.9M vaccine jabs administered in Turkey to date

Turkey has administered over 109.92 million coronavirus vaccine jabs since the country launched an immunisation drive in January, according to official figures released on Friday.

More than 53.94 million people have been given a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while around 44.75 million are fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said.

According to the data, some 86.9 percent of Turkey’s adult population has now received at least one dose of a two-shot vaccine.

Turkey has also given booster shots to more than 10.44 million people.

The ministry recorded 28,873 new coronavirus cases, 210 fatalities, and 26,224 recoveries over the past 24 hours.

California pushes 1st US vaccine mandate for schoolchildren

California Gov Gavin Newsom on Friday announced the nation's first coronavirus vaccination mandate for schoolchildren, requiring that all elementary through high school students get the shots once the vaccine gains final approval from the US government for different age groups.

The government has fully approved the vaccine for those 16 and over but only granted an emergency authorization for anyone 12 to 15. Once federal regulators fully approve it for that group, the state will require students in seventh through 12th grades to get vaccinated in both public and private schools.

California will require the Covid-19 vaccine for students in kindergarten through sixth grades after it gets final federal approval for children 5 to 11.

“We want to end this pandemic. We are all exhausted by it,” the Democratic governor told reporters at a San Francisco middle school.

Morocco holds belated back-to-school day as virus recedes

Millions of Moroccan students returned to school on Friday for in-person classes after a prolonged summer vacation.

The government had planned to reopen schools back in September but postponed the start date because of virus fears.

The North African kingdom has the continent's highest vaccination rate and virus infections are now receding. 

The school reopening came a month after the government kicked off an ambitious vaccination campaign for children aged 12 to 17, becoming one of the first African countries to inoculate that age group.

School staff and teachers across the country greeted waves of students who showed up for the first day at school.

India announces tests and quarantine for Britons

India said Friday that British nationals arriving in the country will be subjected to Covid-19 tests and a 10-day mandatory quarantine, in response to the same measures imposed on Indians visiting the UK.

India has been demanding that Britain revoke what it called a “discriminatory” advisory that includes Indians even if they are fully vaccinated with the Indian-made AstraZeneca shots.

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had discussed the issue with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in a meeting in New York earlier this week.

A Foreign Ministry official said that starting on Monday, all British arrivals, irrespective of their vaccination status, will have to undertake RT-PRC test within 72 hours before travel, another test on arrival in India and the third one eight days later.

They will also have to quarantine at home or at their destination address for 10 days, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Britain’s government did not immediately comment.

Japan fully lifts virus state of emergency

Tokyo’s train stations were packed with commuters on Friday as Japan fully came out of a coronavirus state of emergency for the first time in more than six months.

Emergency measures had been in place for more than half of the country, including Tokyo. Outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga thanked the people for their patience and cooperation. Cases are declining, but he asked them to stick to their basic anti-virus measures.

The emergency measures have mainly involved requests for eateries to curb alcohol and hours. They can now serve alcohol and operate an hour longer but still close at 9 pm.

Daily reported cases fell below 1,600 this week nationwide after the mid-August peak of 25,000. 

Health experts attributed the declining numbers to vaccinations and increased social distancing after alarm from the near collapse of medical systems during the summer.

French average of new cases drops below 5,000 for first time since mid-July

The French seven-day average of new Covid-19 cases dropped below 5,000 again for the first time since July 13, Health Ministry data released on Friday showed.

The ministry reported 4,935 news cases on Friday, taking the total to 7.02 million and the seven-day moving average, which smoothes out daily reporting irregularities, fell by 135 to 4,967.

After the third lockdown in spring, average new daily cases had fallen below 2,000 by the end of June, but a more contagious new variant of the virus sent the infection rate spiking up again to nearly 24,000 by mid-August.

Since then it has gradually been falling again as the introduction of a mandatory health pass for entering restaurants and other public places gave a new boost to France's vaccination campaign.

The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 continued to fall on Friday, and the ministry also reported 49 new deaths, taking the cumulative toll since the start of the epidemic to 116,739 deaths.

Cuba aims to fully inoculate 90 percent of residents by December

Cuba is speeding up its Covid-19 vaccination program as it aims to fully inoculate 90 percent of its population against the coronavirus by December, an ambitious goal that has yet to be reached by even wealthier nations.

The Health Ministry reported on Thursday that more than 80 percent of Cuba's 11.3 million people had received at least a first shot of a three-dose immunisation regimen with Cuban-made vaccines Abdala, Soberana-2 or Soberana-plus.

Close to 50 percent were fully vaccinated, it said — well ahead of the global average of 34 percent, according to the Our World In Data website.

The government has said Cuba is on track to become the first country to inoculate so much of its population with its own vaccines. It is administering them to those as young as two years old after clinical trials testing them on children. The United States by comparison has yet to authorize vaccines for anyone younger than 12.

Vaccinated Premier League players will be able to travel to red list countries

Premier League players who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel to countries on the UK's red list during the international break and will be allowed to train or play when they quarantine on return, the government said on Friday.

Many clubs refused to release players to 'red list' countries such as Brazil and Argentina last month and the Premier League is looking to avoid a similar situation which angered national federations.

The strict quarantine rules require those who return to England from a red list country to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days, but players will now be quarantined at "bespoke facilities" and will be allowed to train or play.

"We have worked closely with football authorities to achieve an outcome that balances the interests of both club and country while maintaining the highest levels of public health and safety," a government spokesperson told Reuters.

The international break runs from October 4-15, with the Premier League resuming on October 16.

Israel reports very few myocarditis cases after Pfizer boosters

Israel's Health Ministry has identified fewer than 10 cases of heart inflammation following a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine among millions administered, according to recently released data.

Israel began administering boosters to risk groups in July and by the end of August expanded its campaign to include anyone above the age of 12, five months or more after a second dose.

Having kicked off its rapid vaccination drive relatively early, in December, Israel was one of the first countries to report that the vaccine's protection diminished with time, and has since deemed its booster campaign safe and effective.

All were male, three were between the ages of 16 and 29 and six were in the 30-59 group.
Eight more possible cases were still being reviewed. Most myocarditis cases are generally mild, the ministry said.

White House presses US airlines to quickly mandate vaccines for staff

The White House is pressing major US airlines to mandate vaccines for employees by December 8, four sources told Reuters on Friday.

White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeffrey Zients spoke to the chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines on Thursday to ensure they were working expeditiously to develop and enforce vaccine requirements ahead of a December 8 deadline for federal contractors, the sources said.

The three airlines separately confirmed the calls took place but declined to discuss the specifics. Zients did not respond to a request for comment on the calls.

The Biden administration notified carriers on Thursday it would seek a modification of those CRAF contracts to require vaccinations of airline employees.

Australia to ease international border restrictions from November

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced an 18-month ban on Australians travelling abroad will be lifted from next month, easing one of the toughest restrictions imposed globally.

Reopening the international border for citizens and permanent residents will be linked to the establishment of home quarantine in Australia's eight states and territories, Morrison said, meaning that some parts of the country will reopen sooner than others.

The first phase of the plan will focus on citizens and permanent residents being allowed to leave Australia, with further changes expected to permit foreign travellers to enter the country.

2 percent or less have had jabs in many African nations – WHO

Just two percent of the population, or less, have been fully vaccinated against virus in half of the countries in Africa, the World Health Organization said.

Fifteen of the continent's 54 nations have managed to vaccinate at least 10 percent of their people, achieving the global goal for September 30, set in May by the World Health Assembly, the world’s highest health policy-setting body.

"The latest data shows modest gains but there is still a long way to go to reach the WHO target of fully vaccinating 40 percent of the population by the end of the year," s aid Richard Mihigo, the World Health Organization's vaccination coordinator in Africa.

India's Serum Institute to boost vaccine exports gradually, report says

The Serum Institute of India, which produces the AstraZeneca vaccine, will resume small exports via the global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX this month and raise it substantially by January, its head told The Telegraph.

"Our exports to COVAX will recommence again in October, initially these supplies will be small but by January 2022, once we have satisfied domestic demands – people forget that India is still a lower-middle income country – we will see large volumes go to COVAX," Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla said.

South Korea extends social distancing curbs as cases rise in Seoul

South Korea has extended social distancing curbs to combat the pandemic for two weeks, offering more incentives to people to get vaccinated as it battles thousands of new cases each day, particularly in the capital.

The rapid resurgence in the greater Seoul area prompted authorities to extend distancing restrictions until October 17, including a ban in the region on dining out after 10 p.m. and gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m.

India logs 26,727 more cases

India has reported 26,727 Covid-19 cases, pushing the country's tally to over 33.77M, as the death toll rises by 277 to 448,339, the health ministry said.

Philippines loosens curbs in capital region

The Philippines has further loosened virus restrictions in the capital region, allowing restaurants to accept more guests and gyms to reopen after recording a decline in daily cases.

The Philippines, which is battling one of the worst outbreaks in Asia, is gradually relaxing curbs to allow the recovery of the economy.

An alert level system first and small-scale lockdown system imposed on the capital region on Sept 16 to allow for greater mobility and more businesses to reopen will remain in place up to October 15.

Malaysia approves Sinovac's vaccine for ages 12 to 17

Malaysia has given conditional approval for a vaccine made by China's Sinovac to be used on young people aged between 12 and 17, its health ministry said.

Teenagers younger than 18 began receiving doses last month, after vaccinations of more than 80 percent of adults were completed in one of Southeast Asia's fastest vaccine rollouts that has covered 62 percent of a population of 32 million.

In a statement, the health ministry said Malaysia's drugs regulator advised priority for Sinovac's product among teenagers without co-morbidities or allergy problems, or otherwise deemed unsuitable for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Malaysia posts record monthly deaths as authorities cite backlog

Malaysia has recorded 9,671 deaths due to in September, the deadliest month since the pandemic began, government data showed, though authorities have said the increase was mostly due to the delayed inclusion of fatalities from previous months.

The spike has pushed Malaysia's death toll to among the highest per capita in Asia, even as new infections have slowed in recent weeks amid a ramped-up vaccination programme.

September's figure accounted for more than a third of the 26,335 total deaths reported in Malaysia, which has recorded over 2.2 million infections, the third-highest number in Southeast Asia.

Sri Lanka lifts 6-week lockdown amid economic worries

Sri Lanka has lifted a six-week lockdown as cases and deaths decline but will restrict people's movement for work and obtaining essentials only – which are running short in the island country amid economic worries.

The lockdown was imposed August 20 and extended three times as Sri Lanka grappled with a virus surge caused by the delta variant. The government has ramped up vaccination in recent months, with more than 50 percent of the 22 million people fully inoculated.

New daily infections have since fallen to below 1,000 and deaths to under 100, from a peak of over 3,000 cases and more than 200 deaths early September.

S. Africa president lobbies British PM over travel ban

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday he has had discussions with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson aimed at removing South Africa from a travel “red list” that bans visitors to the UK because of Covid-19.

Ramaphosa said he “put South Africa's case” to Johnson, “which he understood very well.”

“We hope for a positive outcome when the subject comes up for review in the coming days by their scientists,” Ramaphosa said.

Britain traditionally provides more tourists to South Africa than any other country outside Africa, and South Africa's hard-hit tourism industry and struggling economy need a boost.

In a live speech on national television, Ramaphosa also announced the easing of virus-related restrictions in South Africa and said its third wave was now officially over, with new cases falling from over 20,000 a day during the wave’s peak to an average of just over 1,800 per day over the last seven days.

South Africa would revert to lockdown level 1, the lowest alert, from Friday, Ramaphosa said.

That meant the night time curfew hours were eased, bars and restaurants will be allowed to stay open a little later, and alcohol may be sold under normal licensing laws.

Brazil reports 27,527 new cases, 627 deaths

Brazil has recorded 27,527 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, along with 627 deaths, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Brazil has registered more than 21 million cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 596,749, according to ministry data. 

Mexico records 8,828 new cases

Mexico registered 8,828 new coronavirus cases and 533 more fatalities on Thursday, according to health ministry data, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,664,223 and the death toll to 277,505. 

Havana reopens its beaches following virus closure

Beaches and recreation centres reopened in Cuba's capital on Thursday after authorities have announced it was time to resume outdoor activities.

Officials said the reopening was decided on because 90 percent of the city's residents are vaccinated against the coronavirus and the number of new cases has been declining.

Some people were quick to take advantage of the announcement and headed to the beach to enjoy the sun and sand.

On Tuesday the governor of Havana, Reinaldo Garcia Zapata, revealed the reopening of beaches, swimming pools, gyms and other spots, adding to relaxations of pandemic restrictions announced last week.

These included shortening the hours of the night time curfew and allowing restaurants, cafes and bars to let in customers again and not just make home deliveries.

Maine CDC: Rural areas need more testing

Maine’s rural areas need better access to testing, the head of the state’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said.

The percent positivity rate in some of Maine’s rural counties is much higher than it is in more densely populated areas such as Cumberland County. Federal data show the percent positivity rate in Cumberland is about 2% while in rural Somerset County it’s more than 9%.

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr Nirav Shah said on Thursday that’s a product of a lack of testing. He said the state is working to get more tests to rural corners of the state.

Maine has the lowest population density in New England.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services also said on Thursday that Maine child care facilities can now access pooled testing for children and staff through a federal program that provides the testing for free to some community organisations and schools. The agency said Walgreen is also expanding testing options at almost all of its Maine locations.

“Not enough testing is happening in those parts of the state. We’re focusing on making community level testing more accessible,” Shah said.

US administers nearly 393 mln doses of vaccines - CDC

The United States had administered 392,909,995 doses of vaccines in the country as of Thursday morning and distributed 474,245,945 doses, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.

Those figures are up from the 391,992,662 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Wednesday out of 473,954,085 doses delivered.

The agency said 214,332,261 people had received at least one dose while 184,601,450 people had been fully vaccinated as of 6:00 am ET on Thursday.

The CDC tally includes two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech , as well as Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine.

About 4.03 million people have received an additional dose of either Pfizer or Moderna's vaccine since Aug. 13, when the US authorised a third dose of the vaccines for people with compromised immune systems who are likely to have weaker protection from the two-dose regimens.