Covaxin showed better antibody response in 2-18 year olds than adults: Bharat Biotech

NEW DELHI, Dec 30: Covaxin manufacturer Bharat Biotech on Thursday said that its coronavirus vaccine has proven to be safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic in 2-18 years old volunteers in phase two and three trials.

Earlier this month, Covaxin was given approval for vaccinating children between the age of 15 and 18 years.

Bharat Biotech had conducted phase II/III, open-label, and multicenter studies to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of Covaxin in healthy children and adolescents in the 2-18 age group.

Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech, said, "Covaxin’s clinical trial data from the paediatric population is very encouraging. Safety of the vaccine is critical for children and we are glad to share that Covaxin has now proven data for safety and immunogenicity in children. We have now achieved our goal of developing a safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccine for adults and children."

The clinical trials conducted in the paediatric population between June-September 2021 have shown robust safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity.

The data was submitted to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) during October 2021 and received emergency use nod for children aged 12-18 from DCGI recently. In the study, no serious adverse event was reported.

A total of 374 subjects reported either mild or moderate severity symptoms, with 78.6% getting resolved within a day. Pain at the injection site was the most commonly reported adverse event.

For the trial, 976 subjects were screened for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR and ELISA testing ( enzyme-linked immunoassay). Out of these, 525 eligible participants were enrolled. Based on the age, participants were distinguished into three groups in an age de-escalatory manner.

Omicron antibodies could provide immunity against Delta Covid variant: Study

PRETORIA, Dec 30: Being infected with Omicron may enhance immunity against the Delta variant of coronavirus, suggests a small study by researchers in South Africa.

The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, was first identified in November this year in South Africa and Botswana.

The variant has been shown to be highly transmissible and have extensive evasion of neutralising antibody immunity elicited by vaccination and previous SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Infections from the variant are rapidly expanding worldwide.

The yet-to-be peer-reviewed study, posted on the pre-print repository MedRxiv, enrolled 15 previously vaccinated and unvaccinated people who were infected with the Omicron variant.

The scientists used plasma, a blood product which contains antibodies, from the participants to test the ability of the antibodies to control both Omicron and Delta in the lab -- a so-called 'neutralisation' test.

They measured this close to when the participants had symptoms, and again around two weeks later.

The results show a developing antibody response to Omicron, with neutralisation increasing 14-fold over this time.

However, the team also observed that the participants developed some enhanced immunity against the Delta variant, with Delta neutralisation increasing 4.4-fold.

The researchers also show that vaccinated participants were able to mount a better neutralising response against Delta, while the response in unvaccinated participants was more variable.

"The increase in Delta variant neutralisation in individuals infected with Omicron may result in decreased ability of Delta to re-infect those individuals," said Professor Alex Sigal, from Africa Health Research Institute.

"If Omicron does prove to be less pathogenic, then this may show that the course of the pandemic has shifted -- Omicron will take over, at least for now, and we may have less disruption of our lives," Sigal, who led the study, added.

The authors of the study noted that along with emerging data indicating that Omicron, at this time in the pandemic, is less pathogenic than Delta, such an outcome may have positive implications in terms of decreasing the COVID-19 burden of severe disease.

Covid 'Tsunami' Will Drive Health Systems Towards Collapse: WHO

GENEVA, Dec 29: A "tsunami" of Omicron and Delta Covid-19 cases will pile pressure on health systems already being stretched to their limits, the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday.

The WHO said the Delta and Omicron variants of concern were "twin threats" that were driving new case numbers to record highs, leading to spikes in hospitalisations and deaths.

The WHO said new global cases had risen by 11 percent last week, while the United States and France both registered record daily case numbers on Wednesday.

"I am highly concerned that Omicron, being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as Delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference.

"This is and will continue to put immense pressure on exhausted health workers, and health systems on the brink of collapse."

He said the pressure on health systems was not only due to new coronavirus patients, but also large numbers of health workers falling ill with Covid.

The WHO reflected on the fight against Covid-19 in 2021 and hoped that next year would see an end to the acute stage of the pandemic -- but warned that it would rest on greater vaccine equity.

The WHO wanted 40 percent of the population in every country fully vaccinated by the end of the year and has a target of 70 percent coverage by the middle of 2022.

Tedros announced that 92 of the WHO's 194 member states were going to miss the 40 percent target.

"This is due to a combination of limited supply going to low-income countries for most of the year and then subsequent vaccines arriving close to expiry and without key parts like the syringes," he said.

"It's not only a moral shame, it cost lives and provided the virus with opportunities to circulate unchecked and mutate. In the year ahead, I call for leaders of government and industry to walk the talk on vaccine equity.

"While 2021 has been hard, I ask everyone to make a New Year's resolution to get behind the campaign to vaccinate 70 percent by the middle of 2022."

Tedros slammed the attitude of richer countries accusing them of hogging the weapons to combat Covid-19 -- and leaving the back door open for the virus.

"Populism, narrow nationalism and hoarding of health tools, including masks, therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines, by a small number of countries, undermined equity, and created the ideal conditions for the emergence of new variants," he said.

Meanwhile disinformation had been a constant distraction in 2021, hampering efforts to beat the pandemic.

"In the huge waves of cases currently seen in Europe and in many countries around the world, misinformation which has driven vaccine hesitancy is now translating to the unvaccinated disproportionally dying," he said.

Tedros lamented that while there were 1.8 million recorded deaths in 2020, there were 3.5 million in 2021 -- and the true number would be much higher.

Bharat Biotech Gets DCGI Nod for Emergency Use of Covaxin for Children Above 12 Years

NEW DELHI, Dec 25: The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on Saturday gave Bharat Biotech approval for emergency use authorisation of Covaxin Covid-19 vaccine for children in the 12-18 years age group, according to reports. The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) had recommended DGCI to grant emergency use to Covaxin for children.

Covaxin is now the second vaccine cleared for use for children in India. In August, Zydus Cadila’s three-dose DNA jab was allowed to be used on adults and children over the age of 12. Covaxin will be administered in children in two doses, with a gap of 28 days between the first and second doses. According to the trial data submitted to the government, the gap and dosage of vaccine for adults and children will be the same.

The government, however, has not taken any decision on vaccinating children against COVID-19. The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 and National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization are deliberating and considering scientific evidences related to vaccination of those in the 12-17 age group, the Centre recently informed Parliament.

“… Based on the recommendations of SEC experts and submission of additional safety data, this directorate has no objection at this stage for additional indication of Whole Virion inactivated corona virus vaccine for use in age group of more than 12 years to 18 years with the dose schedule of 0 and 28 days for restricted use in emergency situation with the condition to submit SmPC, PI, Factsheet incorporating clinical information for said age group along with pharmacovigilance & risk management plan," the DCGI approval order issued said.

Bharat Biotech in a statement said, “Covaxin is formulated uniquely such that the same dosage can be administered to adults and children. Covaxin has established a proven record for safety and efficacy in adults for the original variant and subsequent variants. We have documented excellent safety and immunogenicity data readouts in children. We look forward for Covaxin to provide similar levels of protection for adults and children alike."

Medanta Chairman Dr Naresh Trehan welcomed the announcement and termed it a big relief amid a surge in cases of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus. “In view of Omicron rapidly spreading, it’s great news," he said. “It would help if the data were put out in public," he said.

Biocon executive chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw called the announcement “extremely important" and said it is a huge relief for parents and schools. “Enough data is showing that children are catching Covid… parents are anxious. Giving vaccines to children will be very useful," she said.

Bharat Biotech had submitted data from clinical trials in the 2-18 years age group for Covaxin (BBV152) to Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in October. The data has been thoroughly reviewed by the CDSCO and SEC and have provided their positive recommendations, the vaccine maker had said in a statement.

3rd Covid wave in India likely to peak by February 3, projects IIT-Kanpur study

NEW DELHI, Dec 24: The third wave of Coronavirus pandemic in India may peak by February 3, 2022, a modelling study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur has projected. The paper is yet to be peer-reviewed and is based on the assumption that India will follow the trends which have been seen in other countries.

According to the forecast, the third wave of the pandemic will peak on February 3, 2022. The rise in the cases will start around December 15, 2021, it said. India has been reporting around 7,000 Covid cases in the past few days, which is not yet an indication of a fresh wave, the health ministry said on Friday.

Compared to Europe and African countries, cases in Asia are on the decline, the health ministry said. However, it notes that the world is witnessing the 4th surge of the pandemic as over 9 lakh cases were recorded on December 23 worldwide.

The authors of the study gave a disclaimer that they did not consider the vaccination data and followed the trends of other countries and the data of the first two waves in India.

"In many countries like the US, UK, Germany, Russia, the majority of the people have been vaccinated but still they are currently facing the third wave. So, India and other countries have to build up the defences and be prepared for another wave so that it is not as devastating as the earlier ones," the authors explained.

A statistical tool named the Gaussian Mixture model has been used for the projection.

The spread of Omicron, the latest variant of SARS-CoV-2, has triggered speculation of a third wave in the country. According to experts, the number of Covid cases may see a sudden spike which may lead to the third surge in India but it will not be as severe as the first and the second as a large percentage of the population is inoculated which will ensure protection from death due to Covid. Omicron, on the other hand, is causing mild illness, though it is spreading very fast. India has 358 cases of Omicron and the spread of the new variant took place in a span of 22 days. On December 2, the first cases of Omicron in India were detected in Bengaluru.

Earlier, the National Covid-19 Supermodel Committee projected that the third wave is expected to peak early next year. The members said the daily caseload is expected to increase once Omicron starts replacing Delta as the dominant variant.

Dr Balram Bhargava, director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research on Friday said that stage has not come yet as Delta, not Omiron, is still the dominant variant.

Amid Omicron scare, WHO chief says no nation can ‘boost its way out’ of pandemic

GENEVA, Dec 22: World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said that “no country can boost its way out” of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. Ahead of the festive week of Christmas and New Year, the WHO chief told a media briefing that vaccine booster doses cannot be seen “as a ticket to go ahead with planned celebrations."

Citing a report of Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (Sage) on Immunization, the WHO chief stressed that the focus of vaccination must remain on decreasing death and severe disease. He said about 20% of all vaccine doses administered every day are currently being given as boosters or additional doses, expressing concern that blanket booster programmes will exacerbate vaccine inequity.

“Blanket booster programmes are likely to prolong the pandemic, rather than ending it, by diverting supply to countries that already have high levels of vaccination coverage, giving the virus more opportunity to spread and mutate," he told the briefing.

Western countries have expanded their booster programme for the majority of the eligible adult population while many countries are yet to fully vaccinate half of their population. Tedros highlighted that the vast majority of hospitalisations and deaths are being in “unvaccinated people, not un-boosted people.”

“And we must be very clear that the vaccines we have, remain effective against both the Delta and Omicron variants," he said, adding that global priority must be to support all countries to reach the 40% target as quickly as possible, and the 70% target by the middle of 2022.

The WHO also issued updated guidance for health workers, recommending the use of either a respirator or a medical mask, in addition to other personal protective equipment, when entering a room on suspected or confirmed case Omicron patient. It advised that respirators, which includes masks known as N95, FFP2 and others, should especially be worn in care settings where ventilation is known to be poor.

US Health Regulator Authorizes Pfizer's Covid Pill

WASHINGTON, Dec 22: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized Pfizer's Covid pill for high-risk people aged 12 and over, a major milestone in the pandemic that will allow millions to access the treatment.

"Today's authorization introduces the first treatment for Covid-19 that is in the form of a pill that is taken orally -- a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic," said FDA scientist Patrizia Cavazzoni.

Pfizer's treatment, called Paxlovid, is a combination of two pills taken over five days that was shown in a clinical trial of 2,200 people to be safe and reduced the risk of hospitalizations and deaths among at-risk people by 88 percent.

In an unusual move, the FDA did not convene its customary panel of independent experts to review in depth data surrounding Pfizer's pill ahead of authorization.

Pfizer's treatment has previously been authorized in the European Union.

The US has already paid for 10 million courses.

The authorization comes as cases are surging across the United States, driven by Omicron, the most infectious variant seen to date.

The highly-mutated variant is better able to bypass immunity conferred by prior infection, and health authorities are urging the public to get boosted with mRNA vaccines in order to restore a higher degree of protection.

Unlike vaccines, the Covid pill does not target the ever-evolving spike protein of the coronavirus, which it uses to invade cells. It should in theory be more variant proof, and Pfizer has said preliminary studies have backed up that hypothesis.

Authorization is still awaited for another Covid pill, developed by Merck, which is also taken over five days and has been shown to reduce the same outcomes by 30 percent among high-risk people.

Independent experts voted in favor of that treatment by a narrow margin, but expressed concerns surrounding its safety, such as potential harm to fetuses and possible damage to DNA.

The two treatments work in different ways inside the body, and Pfizer's pill is not thought to carry the same level of concerns.

Merck's treatment has been greenlit by Britain and Denmark.

Covishield protection wanes after three months, Lancet study finds

LONDON, Dec 22: The protection offered by the Oxford-Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine declines after three months of receiving two doses of the preventive, according to a study published in The Lancet journal.

The findings drawn from datasets in Brazil and Scotland suggest that booster programmes are needed to help maintain protection from severe disease in those vaccinated with AstraZeneca, known as Covishield in India.

The researchers analysed data for two million people in Scotland and 42 million people in Brazil who had been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

In Scotland, when compared with two weeks after receiving a second dose, there was approximately a fivefold increase in the chance of being hospitalised or dying from COVID-19 nearly five months after being double vaccinated, the researchers said.

The decline in effectiveness begins to first appear at around three months, when the risk of hospitalisation and death is double that of two weeks after the second dose, they said.

The researchers from Scotland and Brazil found that the risk of hospitalisation and death increases threefold just short of four months after the second vaccine dose. Similar numbers were seen for Brazil, they said.

“Vaccines have been a key tool in fighting the pandemic, but waning in their effectiveness has been a concern for a while,” said Professor Aziz Sheikh, from the University of Edinburgh, UK.

“By identifying when waning first starts to occur in the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, it should be possible for governments to design booster programmes that can ensure maximum protection is maintained, Sheikh said.

The team was able to compare data between Scotland and Brazil as they had a similar interval between doses — 12 weeks — and initial prioritisation of who was vaccinated — people at highest risk of severe disease and healthcare workers.

The dominant variant was different in each country during the study period — Delta in Scotland and Gamma in Brazil.

This means the decline in effectiveness is likely because of vaccine waning and the impact of variants, according to the researchers.

The study also estimated vaccine effectiveness at similar fortnightly intervals by comparing outcomes of people who have been jabbed with those who are unvaccinated.

However, the experts warned that these figures should be treated with caution because it is becoming harder to compare unvaccinated people to those vaccinated with similar characteristics, particularly among older age groups where so many people are now vaccinated.

“Our analyses of national datasets from both Scotland and Brazil suggest that there is considerable waning of effectiveness for the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, with protection against severe COVID-19 falling over time,” said Professor Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi from the University of Glasgow in the UK.

“Our work highlights the importance of getting boosters, even if you’ve had two doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, as soon as you are able to,” Katikiredd added.

'Cancel events NOT life...': WHO chief warns against festive fervor

GENEVA, Dec 21: Increased festive gatherings prompted another stern warning from the WHO with chief Tedros urging people to postpone social mixing and gatherings ahead of Christmas.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that holiday festivities would lead to increased cases and more deaths in many places.

WHO said it would be ‘unwise’ to conclude that Omicron was a milder variant than previous ones.

It said countries must prioritise many vulnerable people still waiting for a first vaccine dose.

Omicron Spreading Faster Than Delta, Infecting The Vaccinated: WHO

GENEVA, Dec 20: The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from the COVID-19 disease, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.

"There is now consistent evidence that Omicron is spreading significantly faster than the Delta variant," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing for Geneva-based journalists, held at its new headquarters building.

"And it is more likely people vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 could be infected or re-infected," Tedros said.

WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that the variant was successfully evading some immune responses, meaning that the booster programmes being rolled out in many countries ought to be targeted towards people with weaker immune systems.

Omicron appears to be better at evading antibodies generated by some COVID-19 vaccines but there are other forms of immunity that may prevent infection and disease, WHO officials said.

"We do not believe that all vaccines will become completely ineffective," Swaminathan said.

WHO expert Abdi Mahamud added: "Although we are seeing a reduction in the neutralisation antibodies, almost all data shows T-cells remain intact, that is what we really require."

While the antibody defences from some courses have been undermined, there been hope that T-cells, the second pillar of an immune response, can prevent severe disease by attacking infected human cells.

Swaminathan, referring to a treatment for people with the disease, said: "Of course there is a challenge, many of the monoclonals will not work with Omicron." She gave no details.

But the WHO team also offered some hope to a world facing the new wave that 2022 would be the year that the pandemic, which already killed more than 5.6 million people worldwide, would end - with the development of second and third generation vaccines, further development of antimicrobial treatments and other innovations.

"(We) hope to consign this disease of a relatively mild disease that is easily prevented, that is easily treated ...and that able to cope easily with this disease into the future," Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergency expert, told the briefing.

"If we can keep virus transmission to minimum, then can bring pandemic to end."

However Tedros also said China, where the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was first detected at the end of 2019, must be forthcoming with data and information related to its origin to help the response going forward.

"We need to continue until we know the origins, we need to push harder because we should learn from what happened this time in order to (do) better in the future," Tedros said.

Omicron Probably In Most Countries, Spreading At Unprecedented Rate: WHO

GENEVA, Dec 14: The World Health Organization warned Tuesday that the new coronavirus variant Omicron was spreading at an unprecedented rate and was likely already present in most countries around the world.

Since the new, heavily-mutated variant was first detected in southern Africa last month, it has been reported in 77 countries, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

But, he stressed, "the reality is that Omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn't been detected yet."

"Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant," he said.

His comments came amid growing evidence that the new variant might also be better at skirting vaccine protections than previous ones, but could cause milder symptoms.

But Tedros cautioned against "dismissing Omicron as mild."

"Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril," he said.

"Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems."

The WHO chief also voiced concern that many countries are rushing to provide booster vaccine doses in response to the spread of Omicron, in light of the persistent glaring inequity in vaccine access between wealthy and poorer countries.

"WHO is concerned that such programmes will repeat the Covid-19 vaccine hoarding" seen previously this year, he said.

He said there was not yet enough data to show a third dose is needed to effectively protect healthy adults against the variant, although he said that "as we move forward, boosters could play an important role."

At the same time many vulnerable people in poorer countries have not yet received a single dose.

"Let me be very clear: WHO is not against boosters. We're against inequity. Our main concern is to save lives everywhere," Tedros said.

"It's a question of prioritisation," he said.

"The order matters. Giving boosters to groups at low risk of severe disease or death simply endangers the lives of those at high risk who are still waiting for their primary doses because of supply constraints."

Omicron Reduces Vaccine Efficacy, Spreads Faster: WHO

GENEVA, Dec 12: The Omicron coronavirus variant is more transmissible than the Delta strain and reduces vaccine efficacy but causes less severe symptoms according to early data, the World Health Organization said Sunday.

The Delta variant, first identified in India earlier this year, is responsible for most of the world's coronavirus infections.

But South Africa's discovery of Omicron -- which has a large number of mutations -- last month prompted countries around the world to impose travel bans on southern African countries and reintroduce domestic restrictions to slow its spread.

The WHO said Omicron had spread to 63 countries as of December 9. Faster transmission was noted in South Africa, where Delta is less prevalent, and in Britain, where Delta is the dominant strain.

But it stressed that a lack of data meant it could not say if Omicron's rate of transmission was because it was less prone to immune responses, higher transmissibility or a combination of both.

Early evidence suggests Omicron causes "a reduction in vaccine efficacy against infection and transmission", the WHO said in a technical brief.

"Given the current available data, it is likely that Omicron will outpace the Delta variant where community transmission occurs," it added.

Omicron infections have so far caused "mild" illness or asymptomatic cases, but the WHO said the data was insufficient to establish the variant's clinical severity.

South Africa reported Omicron to the WHO on November 24. Vaccine manufacturers Pfizer/BioNTech last week said three doses of their jabs were still effective against Omicron.

Countries with sufficient vaccine supplies such as Britain and France have encouraged their populations to receive a third "booster" jab to fight Omicron.

In rally for boosters, Pfizer, BioNTech say third dose of vaccine neutralizes Omicron

WASHINGTON, Dec 8: Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE today said initial lab studies showed a third dose of their Covid-19 vaccine neutralises the omicron variant, in signs that will accelerate booster shot drives around the world.

A booster with the current version of the vaccine increased antibodies 25-fold, providing a similar level as observed after two doses against the original virus and other variants, the companies said Wednesday.

Blood plasma from people immunized with two doses of the vaccine has neutralizing antibody levels more than 25-fold less versus omicron than against the original strain of the virus, the companies said.

“Although two doses of the vaccine may still offer protection against severe disease caused by the Omicron strain, it’s clear from these preliminary data that protection is improved with a third dose of our vaccine," said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer.

“Ensuring as many people as possible are fully vaccinated with the first two dose series and a booster remains the best course of action to prevent the spread of Covid-19."

The initial data show a third dose could still offer enough protection from disease, BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin said.

“Broad vaccination and booster campaigns around the world could help us to better protect people everywhere and to get through the winter season. We continue to work on an adapted vaccine which, we believe, will help to induce a high level of protection against Omicron-induced Covid-19 disease as well as a prolonged protection compared to the current vaccine."

The data are preliminary, as the partners continue to study the new variant.

First detected in Africa in late November, the Omicron variant has been reported in 57 nations, with Covid cases rising in southern Africa including Zimbabwe, and the number of patients needing hospitalisation is likely to rise as it spreads, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

India has reported 23 cases of omicron variant of coronavirus so far. The heavily mutated Omicron variant is likely to spread internationally and poses a very high risk of infection surges that could have "severe consequences" in some places, WHO had said earlier.

India Records 8,439 New Covid Cases, 23% Higher Than Yesterday

NEW DELHI, Dec 8: India recorded 8,439 new Covid cases today -- 23 per cent higher than yesterday. This took the active caseload to 93,733, the lowest in 555 days. At least 195 deaths were also recorded in a day which took the death count to 4,73,952.

India's active cases account for less than 1% of total cases and are currently at 0.27% which is the lowest since March 2020.

A total of 129.54 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive.

The overall recovery rate currently stands at 98.36 per cent, highest since March 2020 as India logged 9,525 recoveries in the past 24 hours taking the total number of recoveries to 3,40,89,137.

Meanwhile, a World Health Organization official said the Omicron variant does not appear to cause more severe disease than previous Covid variants, and is "highly unlikely" to fully dodge vaccine protections.

He said that while a lot remained to be learned about the new, heavily mutated variant of Covid-19, preliminary data indicated it did not make people sicker than Delta and other strains.

Omicron Spreads To 38 Nations, No Deaths Reported, Says WHO

GENEVA, Dec 4: The Omicron variant has been detected in 38 countries but no deaths have yet been reported, the WHO said on Friday, as authorities worldwide rushed to stem the heavily mutated Covid-19 strain's spread amid warnings that it could damage the global economic recovery.

The United States and Australia became the latest countries to confirm locally transmitted cases of the variant, as Omicron infections pushed South Africa's total cases past three million.

The World Health Organization has warned it could take weeks to determine how infectious the variant is, whether it causes more severe illness and how effective treatments and vaccines are against it.

"We're going to get the answers that everybody out there needs," WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said.

The WHO said on Friday it had still not seen any reports of deaths related to Omicron, but the new variant's spread has led to warnings that it could cause more than half of Europe's Covid cases in the next few months.

The new variant could also slow global economic recovery, just as the Delta strain did, International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday.

"Even before the arrival of this new variant, we were concerned that the recovery, while it continues, is losing somewhat momentum," she said.

"A new variant that may spread very rapidly can dent confidence."

A preliminary study by researchers in South Africa, where the variant was first reported on November 24, suggests it is three times more likely to cause reinfections compared to the Delta or Beta strains.

The emergence of Omicron was the "ultimate evidence" of the danger of unequal global vaccination rates, Red Cross head Francesca Rocca said.

South African doctors said there had been a spike in children under five admitted to hospital since Omicron emerged, but stressed it was too early to know if young children were particularly susceptible.

"The incidence in those under-fives is now second-highest, and second only to the incidence in those over 60," said Wassila Jassat from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

In the US, two cases involved residents with no recent international travel history -- showing Omicron is already circulating inside the country.

"This is a case of community spread," the Hawaii Health Department said.

US President Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled his plans to battle Covid-19 during the winter, with new testing requirements for travellers and a surge in vaccination efforts.

All incoming travellers will need to test negative within a day of their flights, and rapid tests that cost $25 will be covered by insurance and distributed free to the uninsured.

Australia on Friday reported three students in Sydney had tested positive for the variant, despite a ban on non-citizens entering the country and restrictions on flights from southern Africa, with multiple countries rushing to limit travel from the region in the past week.

"It's quite a kick in the nuts," said Sabine Stam, who runs a South African tour company and whose customers are demanding refunds. "Everyone is too scared to set a new travel date," she said.

In Norway, officials said at least 13 people who contracted Covid-19 after an office Christmas party in Oslo last week had the Omicron variant -- though so far they have only had mild symptoms, said city health official Tine Ravlo.

But the government ushered in restrictions in greater Oslo after fears of the cluster surfaced.

On Friday, Malaysia also reported a first Omicron infection in a foreign student arriving from South Africa on November 19. Sri Lanka also announced its first case, a citizen returning from South Africa.

Russia's federal statistics agency Rosstat, meanwhile, said that nearly 75,000 people died of coronavirus in the country in October, making it the deadliest month of the pandemic.

The new variant poses a major challenge to ending the pandemic.

Rising Delta cases had already forced European governments to reintroduce mandatory mask-wearing, social distancing, curfews or lockdowns, leaving businesses fearing another grim Christmas.

Belgian authorities said on Friday that primary schools would close a week early for the Christmas holidays.

Germany's regional leaders agreed new measures including a ban on fireworks at new year parties to discourage large gatherings.

Ireland said it will close nightclubs and reintroduce social distancing in some settings over Christmas and the New Year.

In the UK, ministers have been expressing divergent opinions, not only on the idea of hosting parties, but also on the kind of conduct deemed acceptable.

"For what it's worth, I don't think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe," said one minister, Therese Coffey.

These 6 COVID-19 vaccines are safe as booster doses, says UK study

LONDON, Dec 4: Six COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and elicit a strong immune response when used as booster doses on those who have received two initial doses of either the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, a UK-based study has revealed.

Phase 2 trial was conducted on seven vaccines to check their safety and efficacy as booster doses, the study published in The Lancet medical journal on Thursday said.

The UK Vaccine Taskforce and National Institute for Health Research funded the study.

The vaccines studied were those produced by Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson, Valneva and Curevac. None of these vaccines posed safety concerns, revealed the study which was conducted on 2,878 adults over the age of 30.

Common side effects, mostly reported in younger people, were fatigue, headaches, and pain at the injection site. On being administered after 10 to 12 weeks of the two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, all seven vaccines boosted spike protein immunogenicity.

However, for those participants who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, all vaccines except Valneva’s boosted immunity.

According to Business Line, the AstraZeneca vaccine has been administered in over 180 countries, while 145 countries received the Pfizer vaccine. The impact of the boosters on long-term protection and immunological memory can only be revealed once more data is available after three months and one year of receiving the booster shot, the study said.

According to the study’s authors, research had not been done on how well the different booster combinations worked in preventing transmission, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19.

India uses AstraZeneca’s Covishield vaccine, which is manufactured by the Serum Institute in Pune. The Serum institute also has the mandate to produce the Novavax vaccine.

Although J&J and Moderna vaccines, which were part of the study, have permissions to be used in India, they are not in the market yet. Two other vaccines used in India -- Covaxin and the Russian vaccine Sputnik V – were not part of the UK study.

"When we set up the trial, we only had access to the vaccines that the UK Vaccine Taskforce had negotiated for the UK – timelines, unfortunately, did not allow the VTF to consider other vaccines for the trial," Saul Faust, director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at University Hospital Southampton and head of the trial, told BusinessLine.

Low Vaccine Cover, Low Testing Rates 'Toxic Mix', Says WHO

GENEVA, Dec 1: The World Health Organization on Wednesday warned a "toxic mix" of low vaccination coverage and low testing rates was creating fertile breeding ground for new Covid-19 variants.

The WHO said measures to stop the globally-dominant Delta variant would also hinder 'Omicron', first discovered in November in southern Africa and which has since rattled countries around the world.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to optimise their public health and social measures to control the spread of Covid-19.

He also said nations needed to ensure that high-risk and vulnerable individuals are fully vaccinated "immediately".

Tedros sounded a reminder that while global attention turns to 'Omicron,' the world was already grappling with the "highly transmissible, dangerous" Delta variant, which currently "accounts for almost all cases" globally.

"We need to use the tools we already have to prevent transmission and save lives from Delta. And if we do that, we will also prevent transmission and save lives from 'Omicron'," Tedros told a press conference.

"But if countries and individuals don't do what they need to do to stop transmission of Delta, they won't stop 'Omicron' either.

"Globally, we have a toxic mix of low vaccine coverage, and very low testing -- a recipe for breeding and amplifying variants.

"That's why we continue to urge countries to... ensure equitable access to vaccines, tests and therapeutics all over the world."

For Omicron, PCR Tests Work, Says India Govt

NEW DELHI, Dec 1: Existing COVID-19 tests - RT-PCR and RAT - can pick up traces of coronavirus infection even if it is the Omicron strain, the government said today, as Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Parliament the new variant had not yet been seen in India.

Omicron does not (at this time) escape detection from existing Covid tests, including the cheaper and faster antigen tests, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told states and UTs today, urging them to scale up testing for early identification and management of cases.

At today's meeting states and UTs were advised not to let their guard down, and they were reminded of the 'test, track, treat, and vaccinate' mantra '. They were also advised to keep a strict lookout for and focus on emerging clusters and hotspots, as well as augment health infrastructure and home isolation, and widen vaccine coverage.

Dr Nayana Ingole, the current-in-charge of Mumbai's first genome sequencing lab, said the absence of the 's' gene in RT-PCR samples (that had been processed by DNA sequencers) could indicate infection by the Omicron strain.

"No case of COVID-19 variant Omicron has been reported in India so far," Mandaviya told the Rajya Sabha, adding, "We are immediately checking suspicious cases and conducting genome sequencing. We learnt a lot during the pandemic...Today, we have a lot of resources and laboratories. We can manage any situation."

Yesterday, however, Dr Samiran Panda, Head of Epidemiology at the ICMR, sounded a warning, saying: "I won't be surprised if there is detection in India. It's just a matter of time, given the high transmissibility this variant comes with."

Last week Bhushan wrote to stress on rigorous surveillance of international arrivals (specifically those from 'at risk' countries) and ensure the prompt dispatch of samples for genome sequencing. "This variant is reported to have a significantly high number of mutations... has serious public health implications..." he said.

Today the Health Secretary underlined the importance of that order, and the government also said Covid-positive samples of people returning from 'at risk' countries be sent to designated genome sequencing labs (part of the INSACOG network). As on November 26, 'at risk' countries are those in Europe, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Israel.

State and UTs have begun tightening restrictions. Covid-positive cases have already been reported in travellers from countries where Omicron is present, but the strain has not yet been confirmed. Airports have begun prepping for large-scale testing starting tomorrow. PM Narendra Modi called for a review on easing of international restrictions.

The Omicron strain - designated a 'variant of concern' by the WHO - is believed to have 50+ mutations, including over 30 on the spike protein, which is the target of current vaccines and is what the virus uses to unlock access to our body's cells. Researchers are still determining if this is more lethal, and if current vaccines protect against it.

Moderna set off fresh alarm bells today after it said existing vaccines may not be as effective against Omicron as against Delta. Pfizer is working on a variant of its vaccine. Neither jab is in India though, where Covishield and Covaxin are in use. The Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech have not yet commented on this issue.

Moderna CEO Says World May Need New Vaccines To Fight Omicron

LONDON, Dec 1: Existing Covid-19 inoculations will struggle against the fast-spreading Omicron variant, the head of vaccine manufacturer Moderna warned Tuesday, as countries ramp up vaccination programmes and impose further restrictions in an effort to curb growing concern.

First reported to the World Health Organization in South Africa less than a week ago, the new strain has rapidly spread from Africa to the Pacific, and from Europe to North America as dozens of countries have announced travel restrictions.

While no deaths have yet been reported from Omicron, and it could take weeks to know how infectious and how resistant the strain may prove to vaccines, its emergence underscores how besieged the world remains by Covid-19, nearly two years after the first cases were recorded.

Stephane Bancel, the head of US vaccine manufacturer Moderna, told the Financial Times in an interview published Tuesday that data would be available on the effectiveness of vaccines in the two weeks' time, but that scientists were pessimistic.

"All the scientists I've talked to...are like 'this is not going to be good'," Bancel said, warning against a "material drop" in the effectiveness of current jabs against Omicron.

Moderna, US drugmaker Pfizer and the backers of Russian vaccine Sputnik V have all announced that they are already working on an Omicron-specific vaccine.

Scientists in South Africa said they had detected the new variant with at least 10 mutations, compared with three for Beta or two for Delta -- the strain that hit the global recovery and sent millions worldwide back into lockdown.

China warned that the fast-spreading Omicron variant would cause challenges in hosting next February's Winter Olympics in Beijing, with thousands of athletes, media and participants arriving from overseas required to enter a strict "closed-loop" bubble.

"I think it will definitely lead to challenges linked to prevention and control," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

"But China has a lot of experience in responding to Covid-19," Zhao added. "I firmly believe the Winter Olympics will be conducted smoothly."

On Monday, US President Joe Biden said the strain was "a cause for concern, not a cause for panic," stressing that he does not foresee new lockdowns or extending travel restrictions for now.

G7 health ministers called for "urgent action" to combat the Omicron variant.

The WHO said the overall risk from Omicron was "very high" and warned that any major surge would put pressure on health systems and cause more deaths.

Omicron could slow the recovery of the US economy and labour market and heighten uncertainty over inflation, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is to tell the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday.

Governments, particularly in western Europe, had already struggled with rapid rises in case numbers and have reintroduced mandatory mask-wearing, social-distancing measures, curfews or lockdowns -- leaving businesses fearing another grim Christmas.

Germany's outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel was to meet remotely with her successor, Olaf Scholz, and regional leaders Tuesday on whether to toughen up restrictions to tame raging infections in the European Union's largest economy.

Germany's constitutional court has ruled that sweeping restrictions such as curfews, school closures and contact restrictions were lawful, likely to pave the way for further curbs with hospitals, already over capacity, long sounding the alarm.

"Contacts must be reduced," said Germany's vice-chancellor-in-waiting Robert Habeck, calling for tougher restrictions such as banning unvaccinated people from "all public facilities" apart from essential shops.

On Tuesday, Greece said coronavirus vaccines would be compulsory for over 60s, a day after Britain said all adults would be now eligible for a third Covid jab. On Tuesday, Norway also said it would offer a booster shot to all adults before Easter, as preferable to lockdown.

And in Switzerland, ahead of what some had hoped would be a prosperous ski season, hoteliers said they were facing a wave of winter cancellations following quarantine restrictions being imposed on travellers from certain countries, including Britain.

Hotels had seen "massive cancellations of corporate events and Christmas parties," said industry group Hotellerie Suisse, calling on political leaders to take steps to avoid a lockdown and to maintain financial assistance to the sector already hard hit by the pandemic.

A ministerial meeting on the World Trade Organization, which had been due to take place this week in Geneva but which was postponed due to Omicron, could now take place in early March 2022, the body said.

The first confirmed case of the Omicron variant was in South Africa on November 9, with infections spreading rapidly in the country.

Russia, which has the highest toll from the virus in Europe and which has not yet reported a case of the Omicron variant, on Tuesday recorded its lowest total new daily infections since October 15.

Kazakhstan has banned flights from December 3 to Egypt, a popular tourist destination, over Omicron.

Omicron-Specific Booster Shot Possible: Adar Poonawalla

NEW DELHI, Dec 1: A version of Covishield, tailormade for the new Covid variant Omicron can be considered if research indicates a need, Serum Institute of India chief Adar Poonawalla said on Tuesday. Tests are on for Omicron and a call on the matter will be taken another two weeks, when more is known about the new virus, he added.

"Scientists at Oxford are also continuing their research, and based on their findings, we may come out with a new vaccine which would act as a booster in six months' time. Based on the research, we would know about the third and the fourth dose for us all," he told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

It is, however, not essential that a specific version of the vaccine will be required for Omicron, he said.

"The Lancet has reported that Covishield's efficacy is very high and significantly reduces chances of hospitalisation and possibility of death... It is not necessary that the efficacy of Covishield would drop with time, he said, referring to the new study published in the peer-reviewed journal.

If a booster is needed eventually, he said the company has enough doses and it will be available at the same price.

"We have hundreds of millions of stock in our campus. We have over 200 million doses reserved for states and Union Territories in India. So, if the government is to announce a booster dose, we are well stocked," he said.

For now, the focus should be on prioritising the vaccine for those who did not have a shot and the second dose for those who had one.

"The message for all -- and a priority -- is for everyone to get the two doses of the vaccine. That is the first step to stay protected. It is only after that that one can enhance that safety with boosters over the next year… The focus of the government must remain to get everyone double vaccinated," he said.

The government has already made it clear that there is no plan for a booster shot – as is happening in some nations -- in the immediate future.

Defending the decision, Dr NK Arora, the chief of the Centre's Covid panel, contended that the situation in India and nations in Europe and North America are not similar.

A very large proportion of our population had contracted Covid and the vaccines are providing additional protection, he said.

Evidence of the extent of immunity prevalent in India became clear when "the number of cases declined despite festivals" and when large gatherings frequently broke Covid discipline across the country "during Diwali and Dussehra".

That said, a plan is being drawn up to provide additional shots to people who are immunocompromised, he added.

Bharat Biotech studying if Covaxin shot will work on Omicron

NEW DELHI, Dec 1: India's Bharat Biotech said on Tuesday it was studying if its Covaxin shot would work against variants of coronavirus such as Omicron, after the CEO of drugmaker Moderna warned that existing vaccines would be less effective.

"Covaxin was developed against the original Wuhan variant," a Bharat Biotech spokesperson told Reuters in a text message, referring to the Chinese city where the virus first emerged.

"It has shown that it can work against other variants, including the Delta variant. We continue to research on new variants."