The biology of coronavirus COVID-19 - including research and treatments

Asian ethnicity 'strongly linked' to coronavirus-related stroke, study suggests

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/med...stroke-study-suggests/ar-BB1aJGSp?ocid=ASUDHP

 

I hope this summary of what the Danish media are reporting on this is at least mildly reassuring.

Lock-down of the northern part of the Jutland peninsula where the mutation has been found. The whole population there to be tested (280,000 people). Billion dollar price tag for killing the mink and compensating the farmers. Denmark is taking this mink mutation very seriously indeed and to me it looks like they're aiming to eradicate this new mutation. I'm somewhat hopeful countries like Denmark will be able to achieve such a thing (as long as it hasn't spread too far out of the region yet- 1 of the 12 cases was in a different region in Denmark). Not so sure about a lot of other countries that lack the political will or simply the economic wherewithal to take such drastic measures, should similarly worrying mutations occur there (but for now that doesn't seem to have happened).

A virologist said more such mutations will undoubtedly happen in the future, just like they do with influenza which has animal reservoirs in pigs and birds. Apparently that's less of a concern once we have a viable vaccine because it's likely it will be relatively easily adaptable to new strains, like the influenza vaccine. But right now - while we haven't even worked out an initial vaccine yet - this mutation is bad news.

I've seen no suggestion that the mutation is any more or less dangerous than the already circulating ones. It's really the potential of it mucking up vaccine development that's worrying right now.

ETA: The 1 case originally reported outside the region was a false alarm. All 12 cases are within the locked down area after all. Which is good.

 

Not sure if this has been posted already.

https://www.principletrial.org

It's a trial run by Oxford Uni, but not including BPS.

It is for over 65s (or over 50 with underlying health condition) who have COVID to test one of two antibiotics v Usual care. They are Azithromycin and Doxycycline. The aim is to speed up recovery.

I find this interesting as Azithromycin improved my daughter's health for several months early on. It has immune modulating effects.

"PRINCIPLE is currently evaluating usual care alone versus usual care plus azithromycin; or usual care plus doxycycline. Azithromycin is a commonly used antibiotic that is anti-inflammatory, treats community-acquired pneumonia and bacterial chest infections, and has antiviral properties. Doxycycline is another commonly used antibiotic."

 

The mink farm thing is getting a lot more coverage in the UK.

What's the science behind mink and coronavirus?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54842643

 

Poor mink.

 

​

Just to clarify because a lot of the media coverage on the mink to human transmission numbers is a little misleading.

Yes, 200-odd people have been infected by a number of mink mutations in Denmark, and more in other mink farming countries. This has been going on for some time.

However, the mutation causing all the fuss now - because it's the only one thought to be a risk to vaccine development - has to date only infected 12 people. It's called cluster 5 so presumably there've been 4 mutations prior to it which were deemed a less significant risk, and which account for the bulk of the 200-odd mink-human transmissions.

There's even been suggestions cluster 5 may already be eliminated. The authorities aren't taking any chances though and one reason for killing all the mink, even in unaffected areas, is the fear of a cluster 6 and a cluster 7 and so on, and that eventually one of any future mutation could turn out to be seriously problematic.

What the whole sad story highlights is that if you want to avoid viral pandemics it's a really dumb idea to cram way too many animals - and I include humans here - into way too little space no matter where in the world you are.

 

Apologies if this has been posted before:
Flu Shot May Shield You From Severe COVID
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20201102/get-your-flu-shot-it-might-shield-you-from-severe-covid?ecd=soc_tw_201108_cons_news_flushotandcovid&linkId=100000019153634

 

Another uncontrolled study... These sorts of studies are only ever of "suggestive" quality.

 

The ‘other vaccine’: Why the Imperial jab offers a different kind of hope in the fight against Covid-19

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/med...ight-against-covid-19/ar-BB1aODux?ocid=ASUDHP

Not sure what I think about this one ...

 

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/covid-19-vaccine-trial/vaccine-science/

This technology relies on lipid droplet absorption in muscle cells.

While I can see why they are investigating the potential of this, my initial thoughts about what could go wrong is it would create a local region of muscle which would be eaten by the immune system, so resulting in localised tissue damage at the injection site.

It would also present the antigen in muscle cells which are not the target of the ACE targeting virus. I dont know how much this would effect the real world immune response but I think they are right to take a cautious approach developing a new platform like this.

EDIT What happens if it leaks into a blood vessel and infects endothelial cells, can it cause an inflammatory reaction in the vessel walls over an extended area? Does that block the vessel or cause damage to the endothelium? I think this is the kind of thing which needs to be checked.

Could be good for gene therapy though.

 

Merged thread

Pfizer vaccine reported as 90% effective- "great day for science and humanity"

SKY NEWS
"Coronavirus: Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine found to be 90% effective in 'great day for science and humanity'

The coronavirus vaccine being developed by Pfizer and BioNTech has been found to be 90% effective in preventing people from getting the virus.

Phase 3 of Pfizer's trial involved 43,538 participants from six countries. They received two doses of either the immunisation or a placebo, with 90% protected from the virus within 28 days of having their jabs.

Only 94 people who took part in the trial developed coronavirus and no serious safety concerns were reported, the US pharmaceutical firm said.

"Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine's ability to prevent COVID-19," said Pfizer chairman and chief executive Dr Albert Bourla.

"With today's news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis.

Read More

PM to hold news conference today; vaccine hopes raised; quarantine for arrivals to UK may be cut

Monday's national newspaper front pages

President-elect Joe Biden – the man, the politician and the new FLOTUS

Coronavirus vaccine hopes spark global stock market surge

The news saw stock markets surge, with the FTSE 100 jumping by 5.5% - adding £82bn to the value of its shares and resulting in its best trading day since March.

Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine is one of around 12 worldwide in the final stages of testing, but it is the first to produce any results.

The US and German companies say they can supply 50 million doses by the end of 2020 and 1.3 billion by the end of 2021.

The UK government has secured around 30 million doses - enough for 15 million people - in an agreement with the two firms.

Pfizer says that it will apply to the US healthcare regulator - the Food and Drug Administration - by the end of this month for emergency approval to use the vaccine.

A UK government spokesman said it is "optimistic about a breakthrough" but urged people to remember "there are no guarantees".

When the NHS is ready to roll out the vaccine, people who live and work in care homes will be top priority, followed by the elderly and the clinically vulnerable, they added.

Sky News science correspondent Thomas Moore said the results "exceed the expectations of many scientists".

:: Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Peter Horby, professor of emerging diseases and global health at the University of Oxford, described the development as a "watershed moment".

He said: "This news made me smile from ear to ear. It is a relief to see such positive results on this vaccine and bodes well for COVID-19 vaccines in general."

Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, commented: "This cautiously sounds like an excellent result from the Phase 3, but we should remain a little cautious - the study is ongoing.

"However, if the final results show an effectiveness of anywhere near 90% with response in elderly and

ethnic minority populations, that is an excellent result for a first generation vaccine."

William Schaffner, infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, added: "The efficacy data is really impressive.

"This is better than most of us anticipated. I would have been delighted with efficacy of 70% or 75%, 90% is very impressive for any vaccine. The study isn't completed yet, but nonetheless the data looks very solid.""

More from Sky News

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I hesitated before posting the above since it seems too good to be true despite the caveats of logistics, storage at low temperature etc but it's been all over the BBC news channel for the last hour.
President elect Biden received notification last night. Chief Scientific Officer at Pfizer spoke of the vaccine being transformed into powder for administration at a later date.
Just hoping and hoping.

 

Why the figure of 90% effective, when only 94 out of 43000 people developed covid?

 

Cannot remember the detail but I think one of the TV interviews covered this- to do with almost all cases developing in the control group.

EDIT: not sure this was fully covered - need more info.

 

Yeah I read more and apparently it's because, out of the 94 people who developed covid, 90% of them had received the placebo instead of the vaccine. I don't understand how that means that the vaccine is "90% effective".

I guess we also don't know how many of the 43000 people were exposed to covid?

 

the 90% comes from comparing the number of placebo people who got Covid with the number of vaccine people who did.

 

Chief Scientific Officer of Pfizer just interviewed- vaccine developed in Connecticut using volunteers from New York. He was smiling hugely and thanked volunteers.

Sir John Bell from Oxford says that Astra zeneca vaccine is also 90% effective. Will be available from early next year.

Chris Whitty has announced it as demonstrating the power of science against covid.

Regulatory issues still need dealing with.

EDIT: title in first line

EDIT2: https://twitter.com/user/status/1325816568480194561
-
Sir John Bell, and his view of the Pfizer vaccine.

 

Do we know how many of them were exposed to covid though?