University of Oxford study supports use of Vaxzevria as third dose against Omicron

TB Team
-
0
University of Oxford study supports use of Vaxzevria as third dose against Omicron

AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria [Recombinant] significantly boosted levels of antibodies against the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant following a third dose booster, according to data from a new laboratory study.

Neutralisation titres for Omicron were boosted following a third dose with Vaxzevria compared to titres after a second dose.

The levels seen after the third dose booster were higher than the neutralising antibodies found in individuals who had been previously infected with and recovered naturally from Covid-19 (Alpha, Beta, Delta variants and original strain).

Sera obtained from individuals one month after receiving the third dose booster vaccination neutralised the Omicron variant to levels that were broadly similar to those observed one month after the second dose against the Delta variant.

Two doses of Vaxzevria have been associated with protection against the Delta variant in real world studies.

The study analysed blood samples taken from individuals infected with Covid-19; those who had been vaccinated with a two-dose schedule and a third dose booster; and those who had reported previous infection from other Covid-19 variants of concern. The study included samples from 41 individuals who had received three doses of Vaxzevria.

The study was performed independently by investigators at the University of Oxford and the findings were posted online on the bioRxiv pre print server.

Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK and one of the study investigators, said: “It is very encouraging to see that current vaccines have the potential to protect against Omicron following a third dose booster. These results support the use of third dose boosters as part of national vaccine strategies, especially to limit the spread of variants of concern, including Omicron.”

Sir Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca said: “Vaxzevria plays an important role in vaccination programmes around the world and these data give us confidence that the vaccine should be given as a third dose booster. It is also important to look beyond antibodies to better understand how vaccines offer protection against Omicron. As we better understand Omicron, we believe we will find that T-cell response provides durable protection against severe disease and hospitalisations.”

Data from another laboratory study support Vaxzevria’s effect against Omicron, with individuals vaccinated with two doses of Vaxzevria retaining neutralising activity against Omicron, although a decrease was seen compared to the original strain.

In other studies, Vaxzevria has been shown to generate a diverse and durable T-cell response to multiple variants resulting in a broader response than antibodies alone, which could contribute to protection against Covid-19.

AstraZeneca is collecting real world evidence evaluating the effectiveness against the Omicron variant with academic groups in the southern African region. AstraZeneca is also analysing blood samples from participants in the Company’s Phase II/III trial to evaluate neutralising activity when given as a third dose booster against Omicron for both Vaxzevria and its investigational next generation Covid vaccine, AZD2816. Data from these studies are expected soon.

Currently available data against variants of concern, excluding Omicron, support the use of a third booster with Vaxzevria as part of a homologous or heterologous schedule.

A sub analysis from the COV001 and COV002 trials demonstrated that a third dose of Vaxzevria given at least six months after a second dose boosted antibody levels six-fold and maintained T cell response.

A third dose also resulted in higher neutralising activity against the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants, compared with a two-dose regimen. In the trial, the third dose of Vaxzevria was less reactogenic than the first dose.

In addition, the COV-BOOST trial showed that a third dose booster of Vaxzevria induced significantly higher immune responses compared with controls against the Delta variant and original strain following a primary vaccine series of Vaxzevria or Pfizer BioNtech.

S. Korea reports 6,919 more Covid-19 cases

TB Team
-
0
S. Korea reports 6,919 more Covid-19 cases

South Korea reported 6,919 more cases of the Covid-19 as of midnight Wednesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 589,978.

The daily caseload was down from 7,456 in the previous day as the government tightened anti-virus measures.

The recent resurgence was attributable to small cluster infections in the Seoul metropolitan area, Xinhua news agency reported.

Of the new cases, 2,695 were Seoul residents. The number of the newly infected people living in Gyeonggi province and the western port city of Incheon was 1,929 and 420.

The virus spread also raged in the non-metropolitan region. The number of new infections in the non-capital areas was 1,812, or 26.4 per cent of the total local transmission.

The number of the Omicron variant infections was 246, including 82 imported cases and 164 domestic transmissions, up 12 from the prior day.

Sixty-three cases were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 16,600.

The number of infected people who were in a serious condition stood at 1,083, up 20 from the previous day.

A total of 109 more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 5,015. The total fatality rate was 0.85 per cent.

The country has administered Covid-19 vaccines to 43,799,357 people, or 85.3 per cent of the total population, and the number of the fully inoculated people was 42,219,818, or 82.2 per cent of the population.

The number of those who received booster shots was 13,709,545 people, or 26.7 per cent of the population.

New Zealand reports 56 new cases of Delta variant

TB Team
-
0
New Zealand reports 56 new cases of Delta variant

New Zealand reported 56 new cases of Delta variant of Covid-19 in the community on Thursday, bringing the total to 10,432 in the country’s current community outbreak.

Among the new infections, 42 were recorded in the largest city of Auckland, four in nearby Waikato, six in Bay of Plenty, one in Taranaki, one in Tairawhiti and two in the Lakes district, according to the health ministry.

A total of 48 cases are being treated in hospitals, including seven in intensive care units or high dependency units, Xinhua news agency reported citing the ministry statement.

The number of confirmed Covid cases in New Zealand stands at 13,278 currently, said the health ministry.

Around 95 per cent of eligible people in the country have received their first dose, and 91 per cent are fully vaccinated.

In light of the emerging fear of the Omicron variant, the government announced on Tuesday precautionary measures, including shortening the period between the second and booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine from six months to four months.

Vaccinations for 5-11 year-olds will be available from January 17, 2022, authorities said.

Aussie state reintroduces mask mandate amid Omicron surge

TB Team
-
0
Aussie state reintroduces mask mandate amid Omicron surge

Authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have reintroduced a mask mandate following repeated calls amid the state’s surging Omicron wave.

From midnight Thursday, masks would be made mandatory in all indoor public spaces across the state until January 27, Xinhua news agency reported.

Indoor density limits have also been reintroduced across the state, with all indoor hospitality venues only permitted to have one person per two square metres.

Health restrictions had previously eased in NSW on December 15. Since then, authorities have emphasised “personal responsibility” and resisted a return to mandates.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Thursday the biggest prompt to reintroduce the health measures was the impact on healthcare workers, not the number of hospitalisations and people in intensive care.

“What we’re seeing at the moment is that many of our health workers, around 1,500 just today, are either sick or unable through testing requirements to be able to come into work,” he said.

As of Thursday, 347 people in NSW have been admitted to hospital with Covid, up from 302 reported on Wednesday, and 45 required intensive care, up from 40.

The premier also urged citizens to seek a Covid test only if they needed one, citing the overwhelming of the state’s testing facilities.

NSW saw its highest ever daily increase on Thursday with 5,715 new Covid cases, an increase of more than 50 per cent from Wednesday’s 3,763 cases. In the last one week the state has recorded over 21,000 cases.

Want to play against different types of opponents & gain experience before Paris Olympics: Lakshya Sen

TB Team
-
0
Want to play against different types of opponents & gain experience before Paris Olympics: Lakshya Sen

Lakshya Sen, who scripted history by becoming the youngest Indian shuttler to win a men’s singles medal at the 2021 World badminton championships, is focusing on playing more matches against different opponents in order to gain much-needed experience before competing at the all-important Paris 2024 Olympics.

Making his World Championship debut, the 20-year-old showed his class and knocked out top players like Kenta Nishimoto and Kevin Cordon on his way to the podium in the recently concluded event in Huelva, Spain.

Sen said he wants to learn from his mistakes and gain more experience with each tournament.

“I have time before the Paris Olympics and I want to play more matches and big tournaments against different kinds of opponents in order to gain some much-needed experience and improve my game to compete at that level,” Lakshya Sen told IANS in an interview.

“Not just playing, I want to win big tournaments and improve my rankings, so that I can qualify for the Olympics and fulfil my biggest dream to win a medal for the country,” he added.l

With a medal at the World Championship, Sen joined the elite list of Indian male shuttlers — the legendary Prakash Padukone (bronze in 1983) and B Sai Praneeth (bronze in 2019), Kidami Srikanth (silver in 2021), who have won medals at the prestigious event.

In an all-Indian semi-final, the young shuttler lost to compatriot Kidambi Srikanth. Though Sen lost that match, he gave his 100 percent on the court and feels a medal in his debut World Championship will boost his confidence.

“I was a bit disappointed with the result of the semi-final match. It was a closely-contested clash and I couldn’t win. However, I tried everything on the court whatever I could and overall it was a good match,” the young shuttler said.

“It feels really good to win a medal in my debut Championship and it will be a confidence-booster for my upcoming tournaments,” he added.

The youngster from Almora, Uttarakhand featured in many international competitions before the Championship, which helped him get into a rhythm.

“Tournaments prior to the Championship helped me in getting match-practice and playing continuous matches helped me gain my rhythm. Obviously, there was a fatigue factor due to playing back to back games but I managed it well,” he said.

Unforced errors committed by Lakshya Sen were a noticeable thing in the semi-final match and he also admits that there is a need to work in this area.

“Yes, I committed a few unforced errors at crucial junctures. Though I am trying to be a bit more consistent and to not give easy points to my opponents because I understand a good player will not allow me to score so easily against him,” he said.

Lakshya has looked more composed than ever, willing to play longer rallies and wait for his opportunities to hit winners. Against Zhao Jun Peng in the quarter-final, Lakshya showcased his mental strength by saving a match point.

In the last few years, the young shuttler has looked more composed than ever. He is willing to play longer rallies and wait for his opportunities to hit winners, something on which he has worked with his coaches.

“I have been trying for a very long time now because you don’t get easy scoring opportunities at the highest level. You have to wait for the right moment, so I am trying to play longer rallies. I have been practicing it in my training and it’s coming good now though it needs more improvement,” he said.

Sen is aware that it’ll take a lot more effort to consistently reach the podium in the senior circuit. “I am trying to build up my strength, stamina, skills and my overall game,” the shuttler said.

Sen could not make it to the Tokyo Olympics after missing several tournaments due to a back injury and also because of the reduced opportunities in the COVID-19-affected badminton calendar.

According to Sen, it was a tough period for him but people around him helped him in dealing with all the issues.

“Every athlete goes through injuries during their career and it was a tough time for me. But I motivated myself by saying I am young and there will be lot of opportunities in future and if I am fit I can play (in the Olympics),” he explained.

“I talked to my mental trainers and utilised my time well. Since I had issues in the back, I focused on my skill training. My physio and doctors sorted everything for me. And as you know, training plays a huge role in making a comeback after injuries, my coaches, my dad helped me in all that aspect,” he added.

The Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bangalore has recently roped in Korean coach Yoo Yong-sung, a two-time Olympic silver medallist, as their head coach. Sen, who trains and practices at the academy, will benefit from the tactical expertise and practical intelligence of the former Olympic medallist.

However, the shuttler wants to take at least a week’s rest to rejuvenate and recover from playing a lot of tournaments for the last two and a half months.

“Yes, I met him (Yoo Yong-sung) today and I am excited to work with him but I don’t want to rush things. I have played a lot of tournaments for the last two and a half months and will take a small break to recover from all the niggles and pains. Then I will get back to training,” Sen concluded.

Oxford study supports AstraZeneca for third dose against Omicron

TB Team
-
0
Oxford study supports AstraZeneca for third dose against Omicron

A third dose of AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine, named Covishield in India, produces similar neutralising antibody levels against Omicron as after two doses against the Delta variant, according to a new study led by the Oxford University who developed the vaccine.

The yet-to-be peer-reviewed study showed that the levels of neutralisation titres for Omicron seen after the third dose booster were higher than the neutralising antibodies found in individuals who had been previously infected with and recovered naturally from Covid-19 Alpha, Beta, Delta variants and original strain.

Sera obtained from individuals one month after receiving the third dose booster vaccination neutralised the Omicron variant to levels that were broadly similar to those observed one month after the second dose against the Delta variant.

The study analysed blood samples taken from individuals infected with Covid-19; those who had been vaccinated with a two-dose schedule and a third dose booster; and those who had reported previous infection from other Covid-19 variants of concern. The study included samples from 41 individuals who had received three doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, and 20 individuals that had received three doses of Pfizer.

“It is very encouraging to see that current vaccines have the potential to protect against Omicron following a third dose booster,” said John Bell, Professor of Medicine at University of Oxford in a statement.

“These results support the use of third dose boosters as part of national vaccine strategies, especially to limit the spread of variants of concern, including Omicron, said John Bell, Professor of Medicine at University of Oxford in a statement.

The drugmaker said researchers at Oxford University who carried out the study were independent from those who worked on developing the vaccine with AstraZeneca.

Meanwhile, Oxford University and AstraZeneca announced that they have begun the work to develop a Covid shot that specifically targets the new strain.

“Like with many previous variants of concern, and together with our partners AstraZeneca, we have taken preliminary steps in producing an updated vaccine in case it is needed,” Sandy Douglas, a research group leader at Oxford, was quoted as saying to the Financial Times.

India reports 7,495 fresh Covid cases, Omicron tally reaches at 236

TB Team
-
0
India reports 7,495 fresh Covid cases, Omicron tally reaches at 236

India registered 7,495 fresh Covid-19 cases and 434 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Thursday morning.

With the addition of fresh fatalities, the death toll has mounted to 4,78,759.

Meanwhile, the Omicron infection tally has climbed to 236 across the nation. However, out of the total Omicron positive, 104 have been discharged after they recovered. So far, 16 states have reported Omicron infection, the Ministry added.

The recovery of 6,960 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally to 3,42,08,926. Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.40 per cent, the highest since March 2020.

India’s active caseload is presently at 78,291. Active cases constitute 0.23 per cent of the country’s total positive Cases, which is the lowest since March 2020.

Also in the same period, a total of 12,05,775 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 66.86 crore cumulative tests.

Meanwhile, the weekly positivity rate at 0.59 per cent has remained less than one per cent for the last 39 days now.

The daily positivity rate stands at 0.62 per cent, which has also remained below two per cent for the last 80 days and less than three per cent for 115 consecutive days now.

With the administration of 70,17,671 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s Covid inoculation coverage has reached 139.70 crore.

More than 18.12 crore balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories, the Ministry added.

Delhi CM calls review meeting over Omicron preparedness

TB Team
-
0
Delhi CM calls review meeting over Omicron preparedness

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called a review meeting on preparedness and management of new Covid-19 variant Omicron, at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

The review meeting will focus on the availability of beds, oxygen, medicines along with isolation wards if needed, a Delhi government official said.

Meanwhile, in view of the rising cases of Omicron in Delhi, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has put a ban on all kinds of gatherings on Christmas and New Year in the national capital.

“As per the DDMA order, all social, political, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious, and festival-related gathering and congregations are completely prohibited in Delhi,” the DDMA order read.

As many as 214 cases of fast-spreading strain Omicron have been detected all over India with Delhi and Maharashtra reporting the highest number of positive cases. Over 50 cases of Omicron variant have been detected in the national capital so far. Till December 11, there were only 33 positive cases in the city.

The B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa on November 24.

Unvaccinated, Delta survivors have no protection against Omicron: Study

TB Team
-
0
Unvaccinated, Delta survivors have no protection against Omicron: Study

While it is known that Covid infections give natural antibodies, a new study has shown that people who are unvaccinated but were previously infected by the Delta Covid variant may have very little protection against the new vaccine-evading Omicron.

To measure antibody levels, researchers from the Medical University of Innsbruck, in Austria, compared the blood of those who had beaten Delta against Omicron, Daily Mail reported.

Only one out of seven samples produced enough of the infection-fighting proteins to neutralise Omicron.

“This essentially means the antibodies did not recognise Omicron as a threat due to its heavily mutated nature compared to the Delta variant,” the researchers said.

On the contrary, Covid survivors who were also fully vaccinated showed an increased ability to combat the strain, suggesting that prior infection alone offers virtually no protection against catching Omicron, the report said.

The team also tested two doses of the Pfizer jabbed with Omicron and found that it fared better – nine out of 20 samples produced enough antibodies to fight off the new Covid variant before it caused infection.

A similar test for two doses of the Moderna jab showed only one out of 10 was successful in generating antibodies against Omicron, the report said.

Overall, the best results were found in five samples taken from those who had both survived a previous Covid infection and then later got a vaccine – a group of people the researchers dubbed the ‘super-immune’, the report said.

Although the study has small numbers, it added to research demonstrating Omicron’s ability to dodge immunity, Professor Lawrence Young, a microbiologist from the University of Warwick in the UK was quoted as saying.

He stated it was “dangerous” to infer any findings from the study, and added that the study reinforced the importance of getting a booster.

“It’s dangerous to extrapolate what this data means for immune protection in vaccinated individuals other than reinforcing the value of booster vaccination – which is likely to be similar to the super immune individuals in this study,” Young noted.

Have Omicron cases hit peak? Data from South Africa, UK hints so

TB Team
-
0
Have Omicron cases hit peak? Data from South Africa, UK hints so

The super-mutant Omicron variant that has rapidly spread to 106 countries in less than a month from its discovery, may have peaked, suggests data from South Africa and the UK.

South Africa’s Gauteng Province – the epicentre of Omicron infection – has shown a decrease, according to the country’s latest weekly epidemiological update.

Gauteng reported a 3.9 per cent decrease in the number of Omicron infections, compared to the previous week (377 cases per 100,000 persons). However, all other provinces reported an increase.

“In the past week, all provinces reported an increase in weekly incidence risk, except the Gauteng Province which reported a decrease (15.1 cases per 100,000 persons, 3.9 per cent decrease), compared to the previous week,” the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, wrote in the update.

The increase in cases ranged from 81.7 per cent in Limpopo Province to 254.6 per cent increase) in the Free State Province.

Between November 12 and 20, 77 Covid virus samples were analysed from Gauteng. Genome sequencing and other genetic analysis showed that the Omicron variant was responsible for all the samples. Post this, the number of cases rose significantly in Gauteng, achieving dominance in South Africa as well as other countries. Tests reveal an estimated 90 per cent of Covid-19 cases in Gauteng since mid-November have been Omicron.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Covid cases have plateaued for six days now, having hit a peak of more than 93,000 on Friday, the Daily Mail reported.

In London, which was a hotbed for Omicron, a total of 20,491 cases were recorded on Tuesday, down slightly from Monday’s tally of 22,750.

Omicron cases “look like they’ve peaked”, Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, was quoted as saying.

“It’s not all doom and gloom, it does look like Omicron has stopped growing. The numbers over the last few days seem to have plateaued and maybe even be falling,” Hunter said.

However, he added that “it’s a bit too soon to be absolutely sure about that”.

“We have to be a little bit careful because it’s only a few days.”

According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the UK so far has recorded 60,508 cases of Omicron. Fourteen patients have died from the strain and 129 have been hospitalised.

Further, Hunter said that Omicron overtook the other variants around December 14 to gain dominance in the country.

“So if it was still doubling every two days that would have shown and we should have been at 200,000 cases yesterday and certainly more than 200,000 cases today,” Hunter said.

“But the fact it has been around 91,000 raises the point that it might actually have peaked. But it will probably take until at least Wednesday to get an idea of a day that is not affected by the weekend,” he added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has completely ruled out any further curbs being introduced before December 25.

However, he said the government is still monitoring the “finely balanced” situation with Omicron “very carefully” and is “ready to take action” afterwards if necessary, the report said.

1...333435...222Page 34 of 222