National Covid-19 antibody surveillance programme launched by government August 22, 2021 A nation-wide antibody surveillance programme for the public has been launched by the UK Health Security Agency to collect data to build the government’s understanding of immunity against Covid-19. The government today announced that free home antibody tests kits will be offered to adults in the UK who test positive for the virus from Tuesday. [...]
Commuting again after pandemic? Never again, say one in ten Londoners August 20, 2021 Many office workers in London are to set to embark on their return to the workplace after the summer. However, many commuters are not too keen to board a train or catch the tube again, mainly due to increased concern over infection control and social distancing on the daily commute. According to a survey conducted [...]
Covid research suggests Coronavirus antibody levels fall rapidly in older people August 19, 2021 While most adults in the UK are likely to have Covid-19 antibodies, levels are dropping rapidly among older age groups, new figures suggest. The presence of coronavirus antibodies suggests someone has had the infection in the past or has been vaccinated. It takes between two and three weeks after infection or vaccination for the body [...]
British man to be deported from Singapore over face mask rule break August 19, 2021 A British man faces deportation from Singapore after being jailed for refusing to wear a face mask. Benjamin Glynn, a 40-year-old man for Yorkshire, was convicted on Wednesday and sentenced to six weeks jail time. He has been released a day later due to time served while he was in detention which included two weeks [...]
Third vaccine looming as JVCI fear two doses are not enough August 19, 2021 The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JVCI) are discussing a potential booster campaign amidst concerns that two doses are not effective enough. In a JVCI meeting this morning, a government scientific adviser claimed there may be people who “really need” a third dose of the Coronavirus vaccine. JVCI member Professor Adam Finn spoke of [...]
Study finds vaccinated can carry high Delta viral load, but scientists urge people to keep getting the jabs August 19, 2021 Scientists have found that fully vaccinated people carry the same level of Covid-19 as the unvaccinated in a potential blow to the efficacy of the jabs. Previous studies had shown that vaccinated people who caught the Alpha variant carried far lower viral loads than those who had not been vaccinated. However, a study from the [...]
Annual Covid-19 boosters may become a reality, says Moderna co-founder August 18, 2021 With governments around the world debating whether to authorise Covid-19 vaccine booster doses, Moderna co-founder Noubar Afeyan envisions a time when the shot could become routine. “Public health officials are going to have to decide if everybody should get a booster shot,” he said in an interview on Bloomberg TV today. “My guess is that [...]
Insurance payouts for Covid business interruption near £1bn August 17, 2021 Insurers have paid out almost £1bn in claims to businesses that were forced shut during nationwide lockdowns, according to the latest figures released by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) this week. Insurance companies paid out £637m in full settlements to policyholders with cover for business interruption since January as well as over £309m in interim payments, brining the total to £946m. But the total payments for claims could be higher still, as more than 38 [...]
New Zealand to enter strict lockdown after single Covid-19 case detected August 17, 2021 New Zealand is set to enter its highest level of lockdown tonight after detecting a single case of Covid-19 in Auckland, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed. A 58-year-old man has been found to have the virus – the first coronavirus case within New Zealand’s borders for 170 days. The strict restrictions comes amid concerns [...]
Holidaymakers paying millions for PCR tests that ‘aren’t checked for new variants’, say Lib Dems August 17, 2021 UK holidaymakers are paying out millions of pounds for PCR tests that aren’t checked for new Covid variants, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. Holidaymakers paid an estimated £26.7m for PCR tests in July while only 293 positive tests were checked for variants, equivalent to around £90,000 for each sequenced result. Fewer than one [...]