New variant from India, Emerging European issues, Brazil’s worst-ever health crisis: COVID-19 Weekly Highlights

These are the global coronavirus stories you need to know about this week.

On Monday, AstraZeneca announced interim results of its level 3 United States a study showing the overall efficacy of 79% of its vaccine against the symbolic COVID-19. But by Tuesday, officials at the U.S. National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases had issued a statement questioning the completeness of the company’s data and the data and safety audit board criticized the company. for choosing “cherry favor” rather than reporting most recent numbers. On Thursday, the company revised the efficiency figure to 76%.

Meanwhile, researchers reported that Americans received nearly 2 pounds per month during COVID-19 shelter orders in 2020, making the country’s major obesity problem.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is calling on an ad hoc expert group to include “additional inputs” into the assessment of thromboembolic events occurring in EU residents. (AE) which has received the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine.

At the same time, the EU has told AstraZeneca to “catch up” on vaccine delivery in Europe before sending doses to other countries.

Brazil going through the worst of a health crisis. Things are rising and deaths reached a new high of 3158 in 24 hours. The health system suffers long waits for intensive care beds, and problems with intubation, drugs, respiration and oxygen. In the state of São Paulo, 115 cities are at risk of running out of oxygen cylinders. The country has received 298,843 deaths and 12,136,615 diagnoses since February 2020. Deaths stand at 13.3 per million residents. Vaccination rates remain slow with 6% of the population receiving the first dose, and 2% the second dose as of Tuesday.

In Germany, after gradually lifting some lock-in restrictions, the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units is growing again with over 3000 beds owned, as high as the first wave peaked in spring 2020. On Wednesday, the number of new infections reported within 7 days per 100,000 residents rose to 108.1 across the country.

The RA marked one year from the first lock with a day of reflection. In the last 12 months, the number of people who have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test has risen from 938 to 126,172, including around 247 workers health and care. On Saturday nearly 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were delivered in one hour, or 27 per second, with 844,285 vaccines in the UK in a single day. Deaths and hospitals are still falling but new cases remain at around 5000 every day.

Spain use of the AstraZeneca vaccine resumed on Wednesday, and has extended the age limit to 65 years. There are concerns that people will not trust it but the Health Minister said the vaccine is “safe and effective” and made it clear that unless someone refuses the AZ vaccine they will not get the vaccine. Only 4.6% of the population have been fully vaccinated. This week Spain recorded the largest increase in COVID-19 cases in the last 10 days. Travel restrictions will continue to apply at Easter.

In Portugal, the UK variability frequency (B.1.1.7) is increasing and already accounts for 70% of positive cases and is expected to reach 90%. There are currently 712 COVID-19 patients in hospital and 155 in ICU beds, the lowest level since October. The current incidence rate is 81.3 cases per 100,000 population. However, between March 14 and 20, more than 30 urban areas saw a larger or equivalent increase in 30 new cases per 100,000 residents, according to Público newspaper. On Monday, Portuguese health authorities decided to start the release of the AstraZeneca vaccine again.

France COVID-19 is facing recovery and lockout prevention measures have been extended to new regions. President Macron announced a number of measures aimed at speeding up vaccination , including extending the vaccine to people over 70 without comorbidities. New vaccine mega-centers will open next week. The national drug and product safety organization (ANSM) provided a record of thromboembolic incidents reported in France with the three available vaccines.

The epilepsy into Italy getting worse. According to the latest government report from the Ministry of Health, the national incidence rate is above the threshold of 250 cases per week per 100,000 population for the seventh consecutive week.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 is rising sharply (28,438 as of Wednesday), as well as those in intensive care (3588), and those quarantined at home (540,740). The average rate of advanced swabs is 5.8% nationally. The vaccination campaign is slowing down due to a lack of supply. Nationwide, eight million people have been vaccinated with more than 1.6 million over 80 receiving at least one dose.

Phase 2/3 of the ReiThera gorilla adenovirus-based vaccine test has begun in Italy, and the Spallanzani Institute will set up a trial to test the effectiveness of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, especially against disturbing changes.

Ukraine has reported the daily number of COVID-related deaths, although Bulgaria recorded the highest daily incidence of disease since the onset of the pandemic.

Cuba Drug regulatory authority has approved a second candidate COVID-19 vaccine (Soberana) for late-stage clinical trials while the country races to receive a home injection to determine the worst prognosis since onset the pandemic and its sale abroad.

The country is among a few people in the region who did not start vaccinating against COVID-19, as it counts on its own vaccine candidates.

India has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases. On Wednesday, the country recorded 53,476 daily cases, the highest level since October. A new ‘double mutant version’ of SARS-CoV-2 with mutations of E484Q and L452R was detected in samples from the western state of Maharashtra.

More than half of Israel A population of 9.3 million has now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the country’s health minister said.

Japan it ended its crisis situation in Tokyo and the surrounding areas that began in early January. Despite the lifting of restrictions, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has warned people not to let down the guard to help avoid the resurgence of diseases.

Authorities in Hong Kong and Macau The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine was temporarily suspended on Wednesday after it was notified by distributor Fosun Pharma of defective lodges in one of the batches. Fosun Pharma and BioNTech are investigating the case and have clarified that there is no reason to believe the product is dangerous.

See more global coronavirus updates in the Medscape Coronavirus Resource Center.

.Source