The coronavirus disease COVID-19 is currently reaching pandemic levels in various countries.
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd, one of the leading global pharmaceutical companies, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) have been approved by the Controller General of Medicines of India to conduct Phase 2-3 clinical trials of Sputnik V vaccine in India.
RDIF and Dr. Reddy's has agreed to a partnership to conduct clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine in India in September 2020
Switzerland's health authorities have put forward a plan to shorten the country’s quarantine requirement from 10 to seven days. Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset produced a 'test and release' plan which enables a person in quarantine will be able to take a test on the 6th day of the quarantine process.
If the COVID-19 test is negative, the person can end the quarantine on the 7th day.
And on October 16, 2020, Switzerland announced an agreement with AstraZeneca to pre-order up to 5.3 million doses of AZD1222 Covid-19 vaccine candidate that is currently under development.
The eastern China city of Jiaxing's Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated on WeChat that 2-doses of the CoronaVac vaccine candidate will cost 200 yuan ($29.75) per dose, reported Reuters on October 16, 2020.
According to Sinovac Biotech Ltd., the CoronaVac SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine candidate is based on an inactivated pathogen made by growing the whole virus in a lab and then killing it, which is how polio shots are made.
The U.S. FDA has not approved any preventive or therapeutic vaccines for use against the newly identified SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. There are various vaccine candidates in development such as nucleic acid, virus-like particle, peptide, viral vector, recombinant protein, live attenuated virus, and inactivated virus approaches. The goal of these vaccines is to prevent SARS-CoV-2 from getting into cells, replicating itself, which then creates COVID-19, says the FDA.
An updated list of late-stage COVID-19 vaccine candidates as of October 17, 2020, is published in on this CoronavirusToday webpage.
In the USA, the percentage of specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and the percentage of visits to emergency departments or outpatient providers for COVID-like illness and influenza-like illness has increased slightly in recent weeks. As of October 16, 2020, COVID-19 related hospitalizations and mortality attributed to COVID-19 remained stable or declined but this may change as more data are received, reported the U.S. CDC.
Nationally, the overall percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19 increased to 5.4% during week #41. Percent positivity decreased slightly among those 18-49 years but increased among the other age groups.
The CDC COVID Data Tracker data published on October 16th, indicates there have been over 130 million diagnostic tests, excluding antibody, and antigen tests,
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan posted on Twitter on October 16, 2020, that he received the coronavirus vaccine. Al-Nahyan tweeted a caption saying “corona vaccination is our way to return to normal life.”
On October 12, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Prevention of the UAE announced it would conduct Phase III clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine.
And, the UAE began a partnership between Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group and Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence and cloud computing company Group 42 in July to test another COVID-19 vaccine.
The Russian Federation's capital city of Moscow reported the number of COVID-19 cases surpassed 5,000 for the first time in October 2020, and increased by 29.4% in just one week, the coronavirus crisis center reported on October 16, 2020. And, passengers without face masks and gloves won't be allowed to enter Moscow's metro services.
Starting next week, Muscovites will be required to scan a QR code or send a text message to a designated number when entering a bar or club after midnight, reported the MoscowTimes.
In total, Russia has confirmed 1,369,313 cases of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and 23,723 COVID-19 related fatalities during 2020.
California-based Vaxart Inc. disclosed in its legal filings on October 13, 2020, that it has come under scrutiny from federal prosecutors and the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Vaxart stated it had received a subpoena from the US Justice Department concerning its role in Operation Warp Speed program, and other related matters.
Vaxart's VXA-CoV2-1 oral vaccine candidate is indicated to prevent the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease in humans.
The US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) published a framework on the allocation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The recommendations of the NASEM committee are nonbinding, but are expected to be influential in the eventual design of COVID-19 vaccine distribution and allocation plans.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (ATG) announced on October 14, 2020, Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd. has received provisional 'determination' for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, BNT162b2. The next step is that Pfizer may now apply for provisional 'approval.'
TGA’s provisional regulatory pathway gives sponsors an accelerated, but still “formal and transparent,” mechanism to speed up registration of medicines and vaccines the agency deems promising, using more preliminary clinical data than would be required for full approval for inclusion in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
Additional clinical evidence published on October 14, 2020, suggests a person's blood type may play a role in COVID-19 susceptibility. A new study from Denmark found blood group O is associated with a decreased risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection.
And, a second study found COVID-19 patients with blood group A or AB appear to exhibit a greater disease severity than patients with blood group O or B.
A new study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found 'within the context of considerable infection mitigation efforts in U.S. child care programs, exposure to child care during the early months of the pandemic was not associated with elevated risk for COVID-19 transmission to staff or providers (N=57,335).
In this AAP study, there were 427 child care providers who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, however, they found no association between contracting the virus and exposure to child care.
The Czech Republic announced it will start building extra capacity for COVID-19 patients outside of hospitals. The Czech military will start building bed capacities in the complex of the Letňany exhibition grounds on the outskirts of Prague on October 17, 2020, providing up to 500 beds, Deputy PM, Interior Minister Jan Hamáček told the CTK news agency.
Additionally, face masks are now required on public transport and transit stations, in all non-residential indoor premises, and at outdoor events, if the number of participants exceeds 100 people in Prague, Central Bohemia, and Zlin regions.
These actions are related to the Czech Republic's accelerating COVID-19 outbreak, which reported over 9,500 new cases on October 14, its greatest one-day amount during 2020.
The city of London's 9 million residents will be living under new restrictions related to the COVID-19 outbreak beginning on October 16, 2020. London is currently rated "medium" (tier 1) in the new 3-tier system of local alerts for England. Prime Minister Johnson stated: 'the new COVID-19 alert levels were being introduced to "squash this virus wherever it appears", reported The Telegraph.
However, the Liverpool region is the only area to be under the toughest rules, with some bars closed, reported the BBC.
And the leaders of all 10 councils in the Greater Manchester area put forward a strong set of proposals building on Tier 2 with additional measures that will protect public health and maintain economic activity.
Nick Saban, the legendary college football coach, just weeks from his 69th birthday, tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Alabama University announced late on October 14, 2020.
“I found out earlier this afternoon that I had tested positive for COVID-19,” Saban said in a statement. “I immediately left work and isolated at home. At this time, I do not have any symptoms relative to COVID.
