Covid 19: 3 U.S. studies suggest COVID-19 boosters improve Omicron protection

Three studies released Friday offered more evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are standing up to the Omicron variant, at least among people who received booster shots.

They are the first large U.S. studies to look at vaccine protection against Omicron, health officials said.

The papers echo previous research — including studies in Germany, South Africa and the U.K. — indicating available vaccines are less effective against Omicron than earlier versions of the coronavirus, but also that booster doses rev up virus-fighting antibodies to increase the chance of avoiding symptomatic infection.

Read more at: 3 U.S. studies suggest COVID-19 boosters improve Omicron protection | CBC News

USA: Florida - COVID update: State breaks single-day case record - by Devoun Cetoute and Carli Teproff

Florida on Friday saw it’s largest single-day increase of newly reported COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began — and that was even before people gathered for Nochebuena and Christmas brunch.

“After the holidays I suspect we will have a very busy week,” said Randy Katz, associate district medical director of emergency services for Memorial Healthcare System. “I do think we have another week or two before we really peak and then see the numbers come down.”

There were 31,758 cases on Thursday, according to Miami Herald calculations of state data reported Friday to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The previous record was during the height of the delta wave in Florida with 27,584 cases reported on Aug. 27, according to Herald calculations.

Read more at: Florida COVID update: State breaks single-day case record | Miami Herald

COVID in Europe: Denmark reports jump in Omicron cases as Belgium protest ends in clashes

COVID-19 cases are sweeping Europe once again — here is a breakdown of how each country has reacted to the surge.

Measures vary across the continent — from a national lockdown in Austria and moves towards mandatory vaccination in Germany, to the United Kingdom where only light restrictions are in place.

Read more at: COVID in Europe: Denmark reports jump in Omicron cases as Belgium protest ends in clashes | Euronews

COVID in Europe: Netherlands closes all non-essential businesses at 5pm

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in various parts of Europe as the cold weather has affected the spread of the virus.

Countries on the Old Continent are attempting to curb the spike through various means - from a national lockdown in Austria, to limiting access to certain services elsewhere or pushing for an increase in vaccination rates.

Around 60% of people in Western Europe are fully immunised against COVID-19, but only about half as many are vaccinated in Eastern Europe.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/26/covid-19-spike-felt-across-europe-as-vaccination-remains-stagnant

Coronavirus: Germany poised to pass 100,000 COVID-19 deaths

Germany is poised to pass the mark of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 this week, a sombre milestone that several of its neighbours crossed months ago but which Western Europe's most populous nation had hoped to avoid.

Discipline, a robust health-care system and the rollout of multiple vaccines — one of them homegrown — were meant to stave off a winter surge of the kind that hit Germany last year.

Read more at: Germany poised to pass 100,000 COVID-19 deaths | CBC News

Covid-19: Mask-wearing cuts Covid incidence by 53%, says global study | Coronavirus-by Andrew Gregory

n England, the legal requirement to wear a mask ended in July, apart from in healthcare settings and care homes, unless exempt. In Wales, they are still legally required on public transport and in all public indoor areas apart from pubs and restaurants. In Scotland, masks must still be worn in shops and on public transport, and in pubs and restaurants when not seated. In Northern Ireland, masks must still be worn on public transport and in shops.

Results from more than 30 studies from around the world were analysed in detail, showing a statistically significant 53% reduction in the incidence of Covid with mask wearing and a 25% reduction with physical distancing.

Read more at: Mask-wearing cuts Covid incidence by 53%, says global study | Coronavirus | The Guardian

COVID in Europe: Germany latest country to restrict unvaccinated - by A.Tidey, A.Brezar & A. Sandford •

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in various parts of Europe as the cold weather has affected the spread of the virus.

Countries on the Old Continent are attempting to curb the spike through various means -- from introducing lockdowns for the unvaccinated to limiting access to certain services, or pushing for an increase in vaccination rates.

Around 60% of people in Western Europe are fully immunised against COVID-19, but only about half as many are vaccinated in Eastern Europe.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/18/covid-19-spike-felt-across-europe-as-vaccination-remains-stagnant

COVID in Europe: Sweden's new COVID pass as Slovakia targets unvaccinated - by Alice Tidey and Aleksandar Brezar

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in various parts of Europe as the cold weather has affected the spread of the virus.

Countries on the Old Continent are attempting to curb the spike through various means -- from introducing lockdowns for the unvaccinated to limiting access to certain services, or pushing for an increase in vaccination rates.

Read more at: COVID in Europe: Sweden's new COVID pass as Slovakia targets unvaccinated | Euronews

Is COVID-19 here to stay? A team of biologists explains what it means for a virus to become endemic

Now that kids ages 5 to 11 are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination and the number of fully vaccinated people in the U.S. is rising, many people may be wondering what the endgame is for COVID-19.

Early on in the pandemic, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) might just go away, since historically some pandemic viruses have simply disappeared.

For instance, SARS-CoV, the coronavirus responsible for the first SARS pandemic in 2003, spread to 29 countries and regions, infecting more than 8,000 people from November 2002 to July 2003. But thanks to quick and effective public health interventions, SARS-CoV hasn’t been observed in humans in almost 20 years and is now considered extinct.

Read more at: Is COVID-19 here to stay? A team of biologists explains what it means for a virus to become endemic

Covid 19 medicines/vaccines: EU authorizes 2 medicines for people at risk of severe COVID-19

The European Medicines Agency has recommended the authorization of two new medicines against the coronavirus for people at risk of severe disease.

In a statement on Thursday, the EU drug regulator said it had concluded that the monoclonal antibody treatments -- a combination of casirivimab and imdevimab, and the drug regdanvimab -- have both been proven to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in patients vulnerable to serious COVID-19.

Read more at: EU authorizes 2 medicines for people at risk of severe COVID-19 | CTV News

The Netherlands: COVID-19: Dutch hospitals sound alarm as eastern Europe reports record daily deaths

Hospitals in the southern Dutch province of Limburg warned the government on Tuesday that they can no longer cope with new COVID-19 patients.

"We are heading straight for a healthcare blockage and the entire system is grinding to a standstill," five hospitals in the border province said.

"We are convinced that other parts of the Netherlands will soon follow," they added in a statement.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/09/covid-19-dutch-hospitals-sound-alarm-as-eastern-europe-reports-record-daily-deaths

Covid-19 origin: Covid-19 origins may never be known, US intelligence agencies say

In an updated assessment of where the virus began, the Office of the US Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said an animal-to-human transmission and a lab leak were both plausible hypotheses for how it spread.

But there was not enough information to reach a definitive conclusion.

China has criticised the report.

Read more at: Covid-19 origins may never be known, US intelligence agencies say - BBC News

Russia: Moscow locks down as Russian COVID-19 deaths surge to new highs -by Tom Balmforth and Andrew Osborn

The Russian capital brought in its strictest COVID-19 related lockdown measures in more than a year on Thursday as nationwide one-day pandemic deaths and infections hit new highs amid slow vaccination take-up across the world's biggest country.

Read more at: Moscow locks down as Russian COVID-19 deaths surge to new highs | Reuters

The Netherlands: Dutch government looking at reintroducing COVID-19 measures

The Dutch government is seeking advice from a panel of experts on whether it needs to reintroduce COVID-19 restrictions amid sharply rising infection rates, the health minister said Monday.

The Netherlands has one of the fastest-rising infection rates in Europe. The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases increased over the past two weeks from 13.43 new cases per 100,000 people to 29.27 new cases per 100,000 people on Oct. 24.

Read more at: Dutch government looking at reintroducing COVID-19 measures

Turkey: Double pandemic feared as COVID-19 cases rise in Turkey

As COVID-19 cases continue on an upward trend in Turkey, the pandemic may get even worse in the coming winter months amid the risk of a flu epidemic.

Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board member professor Serap Şimşek Yavuz warned that several respiratory viruses, such as the Rhinovirus, have been detected much earlier this year.

“With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the flu epidemic may well make a comeback. This is our biggest concern,” she said.

Read more at: Double pandemic feared as COVID-19 cases rise in Turkey | Daily Sabah

Europe: Covid-19 surge: Morocco suspends flights from the UK over fears of Covid surge

Morocco is suspending until further notice all flights to and from the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands amid rising coronavirus infections in those countries.

The new restriction will come into force just before midnight Wednesday, the North African kingdom's airports authority said.

In a tweet, national carrier Royal Air Maroc said the move was due to "the pandemic situation." It did not provide further detail.

Read more at: Morocco suspends flights from the UK over fears of Covid surge

COVID in Europe: Romania's situation a 'catastrophe' as Russian death toll increases

COVID-19 cases continue to surge in some European countries while governments work to extend vaccination campaigns to prevent more deaths due to the virus.

Romania's president said the situation was now "a catastrophe" while Latvia entered a new state of emergency to encourage vaccination. Deaths due to COVID-19 in Russia, meanwhile, have been increasing.

Read more at: COVID in Europe: Romania's situation a 'catastrophe' as Russian death toll increases | Euronews

Russia - Serbia relations Covid 19 vaccine: Russians flock to Serbia for Western-made COVID-19 vaccines

When Russian regulators approved the country's own coronavirus vaccine, it was a moment of national pride, and the Pavlov family was among those who rushed to take the injection. But international health authorities have not yet given their blessing to the Sputnik V shot.

So when the family from Rostov-on-Don wanted to visit the West, they looked for a vaccine that would allow them to travel freely — a quest that brought them to Serbia, where hundreds of Russian citizens have flocked in recent weeks to receive Western-approved COVID-19 shots.

Read more at: Russians flock to Serbia for Western-made COVID-19 vaccines | Euronews

USA: Covid-19 medicine: Merck says antiviral COVID-19 pill halves death and hospitalizations

US pharmaceutical giant Merck announced on Friday the results of an internal study of its antiviral COVID-19 treatment pills. It said the results showed hospitalizations and deaths were reduced by half when taken by people recently infected with COVID-19, although academic peer review is not yet completed.

The company will soon ask health officials in the US and around the world to authorize the use of the drug, called molnupiravir. It would be the first antiviral pill to treat COVID-19 effectively, a potential turning point in the pandemic.

Read more at: Merck says antiviral COVID-19 pill halves death and hospitalizations | News | DW | 01.10.2021

The EU’s Digital Covid Certificate: Can American Travelers Get One?

This summer, the 27 nations of the European Union are finally reopening to tourists—including American ones—following lengthy closures of borders due to the pandemic.

To facilitate ease of movement while keeping citizens safe, member states are issuing EU Digital Covid Certificates (sometimes referred to as "Digital Green Certificates" or "Digital Green Passes") for travelers to use at borders. These digital certificates prove that the holder has been vaccinated against Covid-19, has received negative test results for the virus, or has recovered from it.

Although the certificates were devised for use by EU citizens, visitors from the U.S., the United Kingdom, and elsewhere may also be permitted to use the system, EU

Read more at: The EU’s Digital Covid Certificate: Can American Travelers Get One? | Frommer's