Coronavirus Global Updates, Nov 23: Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine 60% to 90% effective

Mon Nov 23 11:13:55 CAT 2020

 <https://www.gemportal.co.zw/> 

Zimbabwe COVID19 Update

COVID-19 update: As at 22 November 2020, Zimbabwe had 9 220 confirmed cases, including 8 250 recoveries and 268 deaths.

Coronavirus LIVE: Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine 60% to 90% effective

Coronavirus live updates: At 1,780,208, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 873,046, Andhra Pradesh 862,000, Tamil Nadu 769,000 and Kerala 562,735

Coronavirus update: The total confirmed case count in India has now crossed 9.1 million. On Sunday, India reported 44,404 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking its tally to 9,140,312. The country's death toll has mounted to 133,773. At 1,780,208, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 873,046, Andhra Pradesh 862,000, Tamil Nadu 769,000 and Kerala 562,735. Delhi recorded 6,746 fresh Covid-19 cases on Sunday and a positivity rate of 12.29 per cent while 121 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 8,391, authorities said. The total number of cases has climbed to 529,863.

Coronavirus vaccine progress: Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine shows 70% efficacy. Efficacy ranged from 62% to 90% depending on dosage given, AstraZeneca and Oxford said.

World coronavirus update: The global tally of coronavirus cases stands at 58,970,525. While 40,759,532 have recovered, 1,393,227 have died so far. The US, the worst-hit country, has 12,588,661 cases, and 262,696 have died from the disease there. It is followed by India, which has 9,140,312 cases, Brazil (6,071,401), France (2,140,208), Russia (2,089,329).

AstraZeneca vaccine highly effective in preventing Covid-19

AstraZeneca announced Monday that positive high-level results from an interim analysis of clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the UK and Brazil showed it was highly effective in preventing the disease, the primary endpoint, and no hospitalisations or severe cases of the disease were reported in participants receiving the vaccine. There were a total of 131 Covid-19 cases in the interim analysis.

One dosing regimen showed vaccine efficacy of 90 per cent when AZD1222 was given as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least one month apart, and another dosing regimen showed 62 per cent efficacy when given as two full doses at least one month apart. The combined analysis from both dosing regimens resulted in an average efficacy of 70 per cent.

All results were statistically significant. More data will continue to accumulate and additional analysis will be conducted, refining the efficacy reading and establishing the duration of protection.

SC says Covid situation worsened in Delhi, Guj, asks to file status reports

India's health minister said on Sunday a locally-developed Covid-19 vaccine candidate could complete its final trials in a month or two, raising hopes for a rapid roll-out in a country with the world's second highest number of infections.

The state-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and privately-held Bharat Biotech this month started third-stage trials of COVAXIN, in a process that would involve 26,000 volunteers. It is the most advanced Indian experimental vaccine. 

Coronavirus in the US: Leading US hospital nearly overwhelmed amid surging Covid-19 cases

Amid surging Covid-19 cases across the US and an incompetent response by the federal government, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, one of the nation's leading hospitals in handling dangerous and unusual diseases, has been nearly overwhelmed, according to a media report.

With the country's only federal quarantine facility and a large bio-containment unit, the hospital in Omaha, Nebraska is believed as the best-prepared hospital in the US to handle a pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday citing the report published by The Atlantic.

Its staff began specifically preparing for emerging infections after the SARS outbreak in 2003 and it has detailed pandemic plans as well as experience in handling infectious diseases such as Ebola, said the report.

Coronavirus India and the world: A look at where India stands among 10 most affected countries in total number of cured cases.

Coronavirus: Kerala has added 5,254 cases to take its tally to 562,695

"Is lockdown the only solution?", says Delhi High Court

"Is lockdown the only solution?", says Delhi High Court while refusing to hear a plea seeking lockdown in Delhi with immediate effect

MMR vaccine may protect against Covid-19, says study

The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine may provide protection against Covid-19, according to a study that could also explain why children have a much lower case rate and death rate of the disease than adults.

The MMR vaccine has been theorised to provide protection against COVID-19, and now the study, published in the journal mBio, provides further proof of this by showing that mumps IgG titers, or levels of IgG antibody, are inversely correlated with severity in recovered COVID-19 patients previously vaccinated with the MMR II vaccine.

MMR II contains the Edmonston strain of measles, the Jeryl Lynn (B-level) strain of mumps, and the Wistar RA 27/3 strain of rubella, the researchers said.

"We found a statistically significant inverse correlation between mumps titer levels and COVID-19 severity in people under age 42 who have had MMR II vaccinations," said lead study author Jeffrey E. Gold, president of World Organization in Georgia, US.

Arunachal reports 24 new COVID-19 cases, 35 more recoveries

The number of COVID-19 recoveries surpassed fresh cases in Arunachal Pradesh, with 35 people recuperating from the disease on Monday and 24 more testing positive for the infection, a health department official here said.

The tally in the northeastern state rose to 16,061, with the detection of the fresh cases, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

Two Assam Rifles jawans and three health workers are among the new patients.

A total of 14,972 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from various hospitals, with the recovery rate rising to 93.21 per cent, Jampa said.

Czech Republic coronavirus updates, Nov. 23: cases continue to decline, some lockdown measures ease
The Czech Republic continues to report a steady decline in new COVID-19 cases, and Sunday's new cases mark the lowest daily increase in more than two weeks, according to the latest data provided by the Czech Health Ministry this morning.

On Sunday, the Czech Republic reported 1,509 new COVID-19 cases. Monday's numbers were the latest in a steady decline of new coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic. Saturday's reported new cases - 3,191 - marked another new low for the case numbers.

But that low tally came after just 13,308 tests were performed, more than half the usual number of tests performed during the week. The number of tests performed on Sunday will be revealed later today.

In light of these numbers, the Czech government has announced that certain lockdown measures will be relaxed. Starting tonight, the nightly curfew will move to 11:00 p.m. instead of 9:00 p.m. and gatherings of up to six people will be allowed.

In addition, attendance at elementary schools, hands-on instruction at secondary schools, and group teaching with less than 20 participants at higher education schools will be allowed from Monday, though students will return to schools in multiple stages.

Cultural performances are also allowed - but with certain restrictions. 

Since March, the Czech Republic has now reported a total of just under 492,263 COVID-19 cases, the majority of which were reported in September and October. Of those, there have been 398,101 recoveries, with 86,966 known active cases.

There are currently 5,421 COVID-19 patients in Czech hospitals, with 839 of those in serious condition.

The most-affected localities in the Czech Republic over the past two weeks continues to Havlíčkův Brod, which has reported about 566 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past week, and Svitavy, with about 485 cases per 100,000 residents in that span.

The Czech Republic is no longer the most affected state in the EU; the country now ranks 8th in the EU, with about 746 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

However, the Czech Republic still continues to have one of the highest death rates in Europe in COVID-19-related deaths per 100,000 people at 22.7.

As vaccine news continues to look hopeful around the globe, Czech officials have been quick to note that a COVID-19 vaccine will not become mandatory once introduced next year. However, according to Health Minister Jan Blatný, it will make European travel much easier. EU officials are discussing using a "vaccine passport" to travel through Europe with no restrictions.

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