Coronavirus Breaking News

During the most recent reporting period in the United Kingdom (UK), the highest percentage of people testing positive and compatible with the new SARS-CoV-2 virus variant were confirmed in London and the East of England. Published on January 5, 2021, the UK's Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey data indicates the vast majority of new COVID-19 cases in these cities are related to the B117 variant.

And the weighted fortnightly (2-weeks) estimate to January 2, 2021, shows the percentage testing positive in England has continued to increase, reaching 1.98%.

In reaction to these trends, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it would require all air passengers entering the USA beginning January 26, 2021, to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within 72 hours of departure, from any worldwide destination​. This new CDC Order supersedes a previous Order focused on the UK, issued on December 28, 2020.

The CDC's Level 4 Travel Alert says, 'Travelers should avoid all travel to the UK as your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19 increases.'

And if you do travel abroad, before traveling back to the USA, get tested with a viral test 1–3 days before departure. After you travel, get tested 3–5 days and stay home for 7 days, says the CDC.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and one of Brazil's leading pharmaceutical companies, União Química, announced on January 13, 2021, that they have agreed to supply 10 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine in the first quarter of 2021 to Brazil.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the RDIF, said in a press statement, “On our end, we are ready for full-scale cooperation on supplies and production to begin the vaccination of the population in Brazil as soon as possible. Sputnik V is a safe and effective vaccine created on a proven and well-researched human adenoviral vectors platform. Several countries in Latin America are already vaccinating people with Sputnik V."

Sputnik V has been approved under emergency use authorization procedure in many countries, including, but not limited to Argentina, Bolivia, Algeria, Serbia, and Palestine. Furthermore, Sputnik V's local production has been launched in Brazil, says the RDIF.

The Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) is an adenoviral-based vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Sputnik V uses a weakened virus to deliver small parts of a pathogen and stimulate an immune response.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it would require all air passengers entering the USA beginning January 26, 2021, to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within 72 hours of departure​.

On January 12, 2021, the CDC's announcement stated, 'Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers before boarding. And airlines must deny boarding of passengers if they do not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery before entering the USA.

And the CDC stated, 'foreign governments may implement travel restrictions with little notice, even in destinations that were previously low risk. If you choose to travel internationally, your trip may be disrupted, and could be difficult to travel back to the USA.'

The US Department of State advises all citizens to read country-specific Travel Advisories and the U.S. Embassy website for updates on the impact of COVID-19 worldwide.

Researchers said in a new study published on January 12, 2021, saliva sampling had a similar yield to lower costs than nasopharyngeal swabs for detecting SARS-CoV-2.

Given these findings, plus the advantages of reduced invasiveness, reduced need for trained health care professionals, lower risk for occupational exposure, and reduced need for specialized supplies, we suggest that saliva sampling replace nasopharyngeal swabs in most populations being tested for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Saliva sampling has already been launched in some jurisdictions, and a laboratory protocol has received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although laboratories analyzing saliva will need to validate analytic methods, this can be done and implemented much more quickly than approving, producing, and distributing new tests, such as those intended to be used daily or at the point of care, added these researchers.

This study's most important strength is the large number of studies included in the meta-analysis, with participants from many settings with diverse clinical characteristics.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories announced on January 11, 2021, confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 virus infections in three gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in California. These are the first gorillas in the USA to be confirmed positive for the new coronavirus.

The gorillas, who live in a troop of eight, are expected to recover, says Lisa Peterson, executive director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

'We are still learning about SARS-CoV-2 in animals, but there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus to people. Based on the information available, the risk of animals spreading the virus to people is considered 'to below,' stated this USDA press release.

However, people can spread the virus to animals during close contact, says the U.S. CDC. People suspected of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals, including pets, livestock, and wildlife.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced it received an application for conditional marketing authorization for an experimental COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University on January 12, 2021. An opinion on this authorization could be issued by January 29, 2021, during the meeting of EMA’s scientific committee for human medicines, stated in this press release.

'Such a short timeframe for evaluation is only possible because EMA has already reviewed some data on the vaccine during a rolling review, which began in 2020.'

During the review and throughout the pandemic, EMA and its scientific committees are supported by the COVID-19 EMA pandemic task force, which brings together experts from across the European medicines regulatory network to facilitate rapid and coordinated regulatory action on medicines and vaccines for COVID-19.

If the EMA concludes that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks in protecting against COVID‑19, it will recommend granting conditional marketing authorization. The European Commission will then fast-track its decision-making process to grant a conditional marketing authorization valid in all EU and EEA Member States within days.

India recently followed the U.K. and granted emergency approval on January 1, 2021, for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Canada's Ottawa based Public Health Agency stated on January 10, 2021, 'As vaccines roll out across the country and as the Canadian and global medical, public health and research communities continue to monitor the emergence and impact of these strains actively, it is more crucial than ever to remain vigilant. This means keeping up with all public health measures - maintaining physical distance, washing your hands frequently, wearing a mask, and staying home, even if you have mild symptoms.'

Furthermore, 'It is also imperative that Canadians continue to ensure that they are using trusted and credible sources when seeking information about COVID-19 vaccines, including that relating to mRNA vaccines. There is a lot of misinformation circulating online, which can easily confuse or mislead Canadians.'

'For additional trustworthy information about COVID-19, the Government of Canada website, Canada.ca/coronavirus, is a good place to start. You can also find reliable information on your provincial and local health agency website, as well as from international agencies like the World Health Organization.