Category: Russia
Lancet report: “interim analysis of the phase 3 trial of Gam-COVID-Vac [#SputnikV] showed 91·6% efficacy against #COVID19”
“Between Sept 7 and Nov 24, 2020, 21 977 adults were randomly assigned to the vaccine group (n=16 501) or the placebo group (n=5476). 19 866 received two doses of vaccine or placebo and were included in the primary outcome analysis. From 21 days after the first dose of vaccine (the day of dose 2), 16 (0·1%) of 14 964 participants in the vaccine group and 62 (1·3%) of 4902 in the placebo group were confirmed to have COVID-19; vaccine efficacy was 91·6% (95% CI 85·6–95·2). Most reported adverse events were grade 1 (7485 [94·0%] of 7966 total events). 45 (0·3%) of 16 427 participants in the vaccine group and 23 (0·4%) of 5435 participants in the placebo group had serious adverse events; none were considered associated with vaccination, with confirmation from the independent data monitoring committee. Four deaths were reported during the study (three [<0·1%] of 16 427 participants in the vaccine group and one [<0·1%] of 5435 participants in the placebo group), none of which were considered related to the vaccine.
Interpretation.
This interim analysis of the phase 3 trial of Gam-COVID-Vac showed 91·6% efficacy against COVID-19 and was well tolerated in a large cohort.”
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00191-4/fulltext
Image by Triggermouse from Pixabay
If just 10% of #coronavirus patients suffer from Long Covid….
The USA, with 25,700,000 infections so far, would have 2,570,000 long haulers
The UK, with 3,600,000 infections far, would have 360,000 long haulers
Germany, with 2,100,000 infections so far, would have 210,000 long haulers
France, with 3,000,000 infections so far, would have 300,000 long haulers
Spain, with 2,600,000 infections so far would have 260,000 long haulers
Russia, with 3,700,000 infections so far, would have 370,000 long haulers
Brazil, with 8,800,000 infections so far, would have 880,000 long haulers
Planet Earth, with nearly 100,000,000 infections so far, would have 10,000,000 long haulers
Lancet: “Our findings showed that 76% of patients reported at least one symptom at 6 months after symptom onset, and the proportion was higher in women.”
Image by vjohns1580 from Pixabay
Infection figures courtesy of Worldometers.info
Emergence of Y453F and Δ69-70HV mutations in a lymphoma patient with long-term #COVID19
“We report a genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 from a lymphoma patient with long-term COVID-19. This genome is characterized by an independent gain of 18 new mutations over more than 4 months of the disease. These include the S:Y453F and Δ69-70HV mutations (“the ΔF combination”) which have formerly been associated with mink-related clusters. Both of these mutations are found at intermediate frequencies in the patient, representing a case of intra-host polymorphism. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the patient’s lineage is not related to the mink cluster, indicating that these mutations were gained anew. Independent acquisition of an identical pair of mutations in a mink and a lymphoma patient, and between multiple immunosuppressed patients, suggests concordant changes in selection.”
Image by PBarlowArt from Pixabay
60 million confirmed #coronavirus infections globally, and the rate is still increasing
There have now been more than 60,000,000 confirmed coronavirus infections globally and the infection rate is still increasing.
Russia To Vaccinate #Mink Against #Coronavirus Amid Mutation Fears
Russia plans to vaccinate its minks against the coronavirus after a mutated form of the virus found on mink farms prompted mass culls in Europe, the Defense Ministry’s Zvezda news channel reported Monday.
Earlier this month, Denmark said it will cull its entire population of about 17 million mink after discovering a mutated Covid-19 strain in the animals that can spread to humans. The coronavirus has also been found on mink in several other European countries and the U.S., sparking fears that mink-related mutations could undermine the effectiveness of vaccines currently being developed to stop the pandemic.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/
Chinese expert call for #COVID circuit-breaker amid cases related to frozen food imports
China has seen a continuous rise in cases of contaminated frozen food from overseas and patients of coronavirus infections related to the import industry, which prompted Chinese health experts to suggest an expanded testing scale and a circuit-breaker mechanism for imports like that for international flights.
There have also been continued reports of imported frozen food testing positive. South China’s Guangdong Province reported two new cases of imported food testing positive for coronavirus on Saturday. One is imported from Argentina, and the other is from Russia.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1207674.shtml
Image by Kevin Phillips from Pixabay
Seven countries report #mink #SarsCoV2 mutations in humans
Seven countries are now reporting mink-related Sars-CoV-2 mutations in humans, according to new scientific analysis.
The mutations are identified as Covid-19 mink variants as they have repeatedly been found in mink and now in humans as well.
Uncertainty around the implications of the discovery of a Covid-19 mink variant in humans led Denmark, the world’s largest mink fur producer, to launch a nationwide cull earlier this month.
The cull was sparked by research from Denmark’s public health body, the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), which showed that a mink variant called C5 was harder for antibodies to neutralise and posed a potential threat to vaccine efficacy.
Denmark, the Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Russia and the US have all reported cases of mink-related mutations.
Mutant #Coronavirus discovered in Siberia, #Russia
A mutated version of the coronavirus strain that causes Covid-19 has been discovered in Siberia, the head of Russia’s consumer safety watchdog said Tuesday.
“We’re seeing certain changes in the proteins, and these changes detected in Siberia allow us to assume that this region is forming its own version [of coronavirus] with certain mutations,” Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova said at a scientific symposium, according to Interfax.
news
Popova spoke as the coronavirus outbreak continued its shift from the epicenter of Moscow to Russia’s regions, which are seeing around three-quarters of new infections and deaths during the country’s record-setting second wave. Several of these regions have reported overflowing morgues and severe hospital bed and staff shortages in recent weeks.
The state-run TASS news agency quoted Popova as saying that none of the mutations discovered in Russia so far have been shown to make the virus more contagious or dangerous.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/
Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay
#Russia’s new #coronavirus cases hit record high of 18,665
Russia’s daily tally of coronavirus cases hit a record high of 18,665 on Sunday, including 5,261 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 1,636,781.
Authorities also reported 245 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 28,235.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKBN27H14X
Photo by Steve Harvey on Unsplash
Scientist infects himself with Covid-19 twice to study antibodies. Second infection required him to be hospitalised
Scientist infects himself with Covid-19 TWICE to study antibodies – and says results show that hopes of herd immunity are futile
Dr Alexander Chepurnov, 69, reinfected himself with Covid-19 as part of a test. His second infection was far more serious and required him to be hospitalised. He says hopes for herd immunity are futile due to antibodies falling rapidly. The Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine professor studies antibodies
Photo by Michael Parulava on Unsplash