Editor’s Note, February 4, 2021: This article has been updated to include today’s daily data.
These are the stories of the British coronavirus that you need to know today.
Mix & Match Jab Trial
Recruitment has started 820 participants participated in the COVID-19 Heterogeneous Prime Boost Study (Com-Cov) study on mixed and matching doses of two different vaccines.
Oxford / AstraZeneca and Pfizer / BioNTech jabs combinations at different intervals are being studied. The first results are expected in the summer.
Matthew Snape, an associate professor of pediatrics and vaccine science, said: Wide range of protection against new virus strains. “
Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi said this morning Sky news Currently, there are about 4000 SARS-CoV-2 virus variants worldwide. “All manufacturers, Pfizer / BioNTech, Modana, Oxford / AstraZeneca, etc. are looking at ways to improve their vaccines and ensure that all variants are ready.”
Ravi Gupta, a professor of microbiology at the University of Cambridge, commented through the Science Media Center, saying: “The Vaccine Minister does not refer to mutants as we know them, but to individual mutations. Because many mutations appear and disappear continuously, the actual There is little relevance. Scientists use “variants” to describe viruses with mutations that are transmitted in the general population.
As of yesterday, 10.49 million people were receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 501,957 were receiving the second dose.
Analysis of Israeli data
was Israeli concerns The protection after the first dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine was as low as 33%.However, the University of East Anglia Preprint According to an analysis of Israeli data, “Vaccine efficacy was almost zero on day 14, increased to about 90% on day 21, and then leveled off.”
The authors conclude that: “According to our analysis, a single dose of the vaccine is very protective, but it can take up to 21 days to achieve this. Early results from Israel show high levels of a single dose. To get protection “
Vaccine confidence
Global vaccine confidence is growing, according to Imperial College London / YouGov Survey data From 13,500 people in the UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain and Sweden.
In November, you would have a jab if 41% were offered. This has now risen to 54%.
People in the UK want vaccination the most (78%) and France the lowest (44%).
Dr. David Navarro of Imperial and WHO Special Envoy of COVID-19 said: People’s perception of these products. “
Homage to lost colleagues
Dr. Gamal Ottoman / NBT
Dr. Gamal Ottoman of the North Bristol NHS Trust, who died last week, has further reported deaths from health care due to COVID-19, praising “exceptional care” by emergency medicine consultants.
Evelyn Barker, Chief Executive Officer, said: “It is highly respected that Gamal has promised to provide extraordinary care to patients, especially in the past year, in very difficult years.”
The team of acute care units said: Despite this tragedy, many conversations with friends, colleagues and relatives tried to persuade him to minimize his risk, and despite being aware of the risk, he was acutely ill with COVID. I promised to continue to care for my patients. 19 Three weeks before the COVID vaccine was introduced to frontline staff. His death has been devastating to all his colleagues. “
Terry Boston-Marsh / EKHUFT
A compliment was also paid to theater nurse Terry Boston Marsh, 54, who died of COVID-19 at Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital in Margate on Friday.
Susan Acot, CEO of East Kent Hospital, said, “Terry was, very simply, one of the best. He is a very skilled member of the team and everything he works with. Was highly respected by the people in the world. “
“He was relocated to the intensive care unit during a pandemic and quickly marked there thanks to his gentle and kind personality and the support of his staff, patients, and their families.”
Karen Amber, Chief Practitioner of the Operations Department, said: “He had an evil sense of humor, but he didn’t sacrifice others. He helped maintain his spirit even in the most stressful situations.
“We remember him as a really kind and funny person with a golden heart.”
Mourning: Healthcare workers who died of COVID-19
Positive test and trace
Latest numbers According to the UK Test and Trace, 97.2% of face-to-face test results were returned the next day.
We also had the highest percentage of contacts reached so far (93.6%).
Public Health Services (PHE) Monitoring data The hospitalization rate for COVID-19 was 25.26 per 100,000 from January 25th to 31st, compared to 33.66 per 100,000 last week.
Case rates are declining in all age groups. The highest percentage is 358.6 per 100,000 people aged 30-39.
Dr. Yvonne Doyle, PHE Medical Director, commented, “Maybe it’s past its peak, but don’t be satisfied.”
Chris Hopson, Chief Executive Officer of the NHS Provider, said: “The latest COVID and winter numbers indicate that the NHS may have passed the peak of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization, but we are still in a dangerous area.”
“Although the number of COVID-19 inpatients has declined from last month’s peak, there are still 26,000 COVID-positive inpatients, 40% more than the first wave peak in April 2020.
“The NHS currently has nearly 70% more critical care beds than last winter, and some trusts have even more ICU beds last week to accommodate the most ill COVID-19 patients. Need to open.
“These extraordinary pressures will continue for a long time.”
Today’s Daily data An additional 20,634 UK positive tests were reported, killing 915 people.
Another 2375 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized. Currently, the total is 31,670 and 3625 ventilator beds are in use.
overseas trip
University of Aberdeen research BMJ Open Travel abroad was found to have had the greatest impact on the increase in mortality in countries that were hit hardest by the first wave of COVID-19.
The lead author and final year medical student, Tiberiu Pana, said: “According to the assessment of available data, very early restrictions on overseas travel may have made a difference in the pandemic epidemic in Western Europe, including the United Kingdom.”
Last week, the government announced that British citizens and residents returning from the “Red List” country Quarantine at hotel accommodation. However, no measures have been taken yet.
“Social murder”
World politicians argue that they must be detained to explain their mishandling of pandemics BMJ Today is the editor-in-chief, Dr. Kamran Abbas.
He writes that the lack of political interest in the conditions under which people who exacerbate the pandemic are born, grow, live, work, and age can be classified as “social murder.”
“The failure of the nation that led us to the deaths of two million people is the shameful” action “and” omission “of all of us,” concludes Dr. Kamran Abbas.
Cough study
Preprint survey Coughing patients were “associated with the highest peak aerosol emissions,” according to reports from the North Bristol NHS Trust and the University of Bristol.
At least 10 times the average concentration produced by speaking or breathing. “
In this study, healthy volunteers and hospitalized COVID-19 patients were breathing, talking, and coughing while aerosol release was being measured.
The authors conclude that “guidance on personal protective equipment policies needs to reflect these updated risks.”
Vitamin D
Used by former Brexit Secretary David Davis Prime Minister’s question Ask Boris Johnson to see the UK guidance again yesterday Vitamin D As a COVID-19 treatment.
He quoted data from Andalusia, Spain. There, the COVID-19 mortality rate was “almost half”. Calcifediol Given to care for home caregivers and some other patients.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance To December No evidence was found to support vitamin D as a treatment for COVID-19.
Johnson said: “We will continue to monitor all evidence of the effectiveness of vitamin D and the treatments he mentions.”
The British team behind an international study on the vitamin D prescribing pattern for COVID-19 welcomed the intervention.
“I hope the Prime Minister encourages NICE to review the evidence again and carefully,” said Professor Edward Jude.
He hopes that the data collected will be useful in the discussion of vitamin D. “So far, we’ve had great answers to our survey on vitamin D and COVID-19.” I’d like to finish the survey and ask a question within the next two days.If possible, those who have not conducted a survey “There is a link to the survey. here.
Welfare for teleworkers
According to a poll by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), the move to work from home is positive for health and welfare, with 45% of 678 people saying it is deteriorating.
Voting took place in August and September last year with the support of the bed company.
The negative impacts are:
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Feeling less connected with colleagues (67%)
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Reduce the amount of exercise (46%)
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Occurrence of musculoskeletal problems (39%)
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Sleep disorders (37%)
Christina Marriott, Chief Executive Officer of RSPH, said: “According to our findings, working from home is beneficial to people’s health and well-being, but there are significant differences in how different groups are affected. Sofas, their mental and physical health. The impact on this is of great concern and we believe that employers need to address it.
“Changes in the way millions of people work have the potential to rethink how employers support the mental and physical health of their employees. Some form of telecommuting It can follow millions of people, and the steps necessary to ensure that employers can work at home as safely and healthily as possible. “
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