Another Covid surge likely within the next year, warns Chris Whitty March 9, 2021 All current modelling suggests another wave of coronavirus is likely within the next year despite the speed of the vaccine rollout, Professor Chris Whitty has warned MPs. England’s chief medical officer said that even under the most optimistic set of assumptions a further 30,000 people will likely die from Covid-19. Speaking at the Commons’ Science and Technology [...]
Sputnik V makers demand apology from EU after comparing vaccine to ‘Russian roulette’ March 9, 2021 The developers of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine have questioned the neutrality of the European Medicines Agency after an official urged EU members not to approve its jab. Christa Wirthumer-Hoche, head of EMA’s management board, told an Austrian talk show on 7 March that emergency rollouts would be “comparable to Russian roulette”. The developers took to [...]
Pfizer vaccine ‘neutralises’ Brazil Covid variant, study finds March 9, 2021 The Pfizer/Biontech coronavirus vaccine is able to combat a new variant of Covid-19 first identified in Brazil, according to a new study. Scientists tested blood samples from patients who had received the Pfizer jab and found it was effective in neutralising a laboratory-made version of the virus similar to the Brazil variant. The research, published in the [...]
London’s Nightingale Hospital to close next month as coronavirus cases plummet across capital March 9, 2021 The Nightingale Hospital at London’s Excel centre will close next month as hospital admissions and coronavirus cases continue to fall dramatically across the capital. All seven Nightingale Hospitals across England will shutter from April, one year after they were built last spring in a bid to ease pressure on the NHS. The temporary facilities, including [...]
More than a third of the UK has had first dose of Covid-19 vaccine March 8, 2021 More than one third of the UK population has received their first dose of a Covid vaccine. The Department of Health announced more than 22m people have got their first jab. The succesful rollout of the vaccine means that people aged 50 to 59 will start receiving their first dose of the vaccine today, which [...]
‘Missing’ sixth case of Brazil Covid mutation found in Croydon March 6, 2021 A mystery sixth person infected with a new Brazil coronavirus “variant of concern” has been found in Croydon, the health secretary has announced. Six cases of the new mutation, also known as the P1 variant or Manaus variant, had been identified across the UK. Three cases were linked to Scotland, while two out of three [...]
Matt Hancock: Vaccines are breaking the ‘unbreakable link’ between Covid cases and deaths March 5, 2021 The “unbreakable link” from Covid cases to hospitalisations and deaths is now being broken as Britain begins to emerge from the grips of the pandemic, the health secretary has said. Latest official data showed infections have fallen 34 per cent over the past week, as the UK makes rapid progress with the vaccine rollout. Speaking [...]
Boris Johnson challenges EU after Italy blocks Astrazeneca vaccine shipment March 5, 2021 Boris Johnson has challenged the EU’s decision to approve the blockade of 250,000 doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine from being shipped to Australia. Italy yesterday announced it had blocked the shipment of vaccines made at its Anagni plant near Rome after the British-Swedish drug manufacturer failed to meet its EU contract commitments. The European Commission gave [...]
Brits must prove flights are essential as government cracks down on illegal travel March 5, 2021 People wishing to leave the UK from Monday will have to prove their travel is essential, as the government attempts to crack down on illegal holidays in the run-up to leaving lockdown. Passengers will now be required to fill out a mandatory form listing their reasons for travel before leaving the country. Non-essential travel is [...]
Covid: UK R rate rises despite lockdown measures March 5, 2021 The UK’s R rate has crept up slightly, despite Covid cases falling to their lowest level since September amid nationwide lockdown measures, according to the latest official figures. The rate of reproduction of coronavirus now stands at 0.7 to 0.9, meaning every 10 people infected will likely infect between 7 and 9 other people. The [...]