Global weekly incidence and mortality both rose last week to new records according to the latest WHO epi update. After the inclusion of 800,000 cases previously unreported asymptomatic infections, Turkey's cumulative total climbed to more than 2 million and vaulted it into seventh ranking in total incidence. Thailand has recorded a sharp spike in new cases this week with more than 800 infections stemming from the Talad Klang Kung seafood market in Muang district (central province of Samut Sakhon). The outbreak has since spread to seven provinces and Bangkok where 10 control measures have now been put in place. Read more
In related news:
-More information on the new B.1.1.7 or VUI-202012/01 variant in the United Kingdom from Public Health England and a Dec 21 WHO Disease Outbreak News post which flagged early analysis indicating the variant may spread more readily between people (an estimated increase in transmissibility of between 40-70 percent). The post went on to state that ‘Investigations are ongoing to determine if this variant is associated with any changes in the severity of symptoms, antibody response or vaccine efficacy’. The ECDC’s Rapid Assessment offered one possible explanation for the emergence of the variant in the UK, perhaps stemming from a ‘prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection in a single patient, potentially with reduced immunocompetence’. A different variant that emerged around the same time in South Africa shares a mutation with the UK variant and the WHO is now working ‘to understand how these genetic changes affect how the virus behaves’. More from a STAT news article, ‘The looming questions scientists need to answer about the new variant of the coronavirus‘.
-From the WHO: the agency is finalising emergency use authorisation (and a guide of recommendations for use) for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine with hopes it will be completed in the next couple of weeks which should allow ‘for faster registration of the vaccine in many countries’. Meanwhile, the EU’s green light for conditional marketing authorisation of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (Comirnaty) paves the way for the European Commission to give the final go-ahead for its distribution across the bloc (and Switzerland) with vaccinations due to start early next week. Read more
-The lightning-fast quest for COVID vaccines — and what it means for other diseases Read more
-Our World in Data is tracking announcements relating to national vaccination programs to gauge their progress and global distribution – to date, the information published is from campaigns in Canada, China, Israel, Russia, the UK and USA, but more countries’ input will follow. The site also has global details of vaccination policies for vaccination delivery to different groups. Read more
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