India has been accused of attempting to delay an effort by the World Health Organization to revise the global death toll from Covid-19 after its calculations suggested that the country had undercounted its dead by an estimated 3.5 million.
Indias official number of deaths from Covid is 520,000. But according to in-depth analysis and investigations into the data by WHO, the total is more than 4 million, which would be by far the highest country death toll in the world.
The figure tallies with previous estimates made by scientists, data analysts and medical journals that the true number of deaths from Covid in India was up to 10 times higher than that recorded in official statistics.
After the country was engulfed in a devastating second wave in April 2021, central and state governments were accused of covering up the real numbers of those died from the virus in order to deflect accusations that not enough was done to prevent its spread or provide adequate healthcare, medicine and oxygen.
According to reports, the WHO had wanted to release the data in January but have received considerable pushback from the Indian government, which have refused to accept the figure and methodology as correct.
The WHO has stated it now intend to publish this month the revised data, which estimates 15 million people have died from Covid, more than double the 6 million known deaths. The updated figure, which is drawn from excess death data among other figures, also includes those who died from other illnesses but could not be treated because of Covid.
Addressing a New York Times report in which the accusation was made, the Indian government said it was in discussion with the WHO. Indias basic objection has not been with the result (whatever they might have been) but rather the methodology adopted for the same, it said in an statement, which alleged the mathematical modelling was questionable and statistically unproven.
However, Jon Wakefield, a professor of statistics and biostatistics at the University of Washington who was one of those involved in the modelling for the WHO, released a statement that explained the methodology in detail and rebutted the claims made by the Indian government about the veracity of the modelling.
There are fears India may be facing another imminent wave of coronavirus after daily cases jumped by 90% this week and the rate of positive test results rose from 0.3% to 0.8% overnight, with much of the surge in Delhi.
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) As flu cases continue to rise here in the state, 22News is working for you on the differences between COVID-19 and the flu.
Both the flu and COVID-19 can have many different degrees of symptoms from asymptomatic to severe. The CDC says common symptoms that they share include fever, cough, shortness of breath, or difficulties breathing.
Some major differences come from how long symptoms appear after exposure, how they are spread, and the level of severity of the two illnesses. COVID tends to cause more serious illnesses in some people.
A COVID-19 testing facility constructed in Hebron during the pandemic to test Amazon employees will close its lab operations in July and lay off 150 workers, according to acompany letter sent to Kentucky officials
The facility, which was built in a warehouse near theCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, was one of two diagnostic testing centers Amazon assembled at the height of the pandemic as outbreaks occurred among warehouse workers in multiple areas across the country. The decision to close the testing center will not affect the growing Amazon Air hub at CVG.
By February 11, 2021, the Kentucky lab had tested more than 1 million Amazon employees for COVID-19, according to a news release.
But as cases have dwindled followingthe rapid omicron surge earlier this year, and rapid at-home testing which was offered to all Americans by the federal government has increased, the need for testing facilities such as the one in Hebron,havedropped significantly.
More: 'Amazon's not telling us the truth,' NKY fulfillment center employee organizes protest in midst of COVID-19 pandemic
More: Amazon: Inside the company's newest and biggest air hub
In a March 23 letter to Kentucky Career Services branch officemanager Michelle DeJohn and Boone County Judge/Executive Gary W. Moore, Amazon said it would begin ceasing testing operations at the Point Pleasant Road facility in July and noted certain employees would begin separation from working at the facility in June.
"Employee separations resulting from this action are expected to be permanent," Amazon human resources director Jen Detmer wrote in the letter. "The affected employees are not represented by a union or any other collective bargaining representative."
The letter said employee "separations" would take place on June 1, Sept. 4, and Nov. 1.
In July 2021, Amazon began selling at-home COVID-19 tests to the public that were then shipped to the company's Hebron lab and tested within 24 hours. The test kit cost $39.99.
In addition to at-home tests, the Hebron facility processed tests from more than 700 testing sites for Amazon workers.
The reason for erecting the laboratory was "a final step, on top of all our onsite COVID-19 precautions to ensure the health and safety of our front-line workers," according to AmazonVice President Cem Sibay.
The positions being eliminated from the facility range from medical lab managers to support engineers.
Small-business owners are bristling over a congressional proposal that would redirect unspent money from Covid-19 programs to provide $10 billion for the federal governments pandemic health response, including vaccines and therapeutics.
At issue is about $5 billion that Congress allocated for three small-business aid programs but which hasnt yet been spent. Some lawmakers want to repurpose those existing funds for healthcare, rather than allocate new money, because they are increasingly focused on reining in the federal deficit and spending amid a surge in inflation, which is at a 40-year high.
When it comes to figuring out the best way to handle COVID-19, the way the nation handled the HIV/AIDS crisis from 40 years ago could provide a good starting point.
When it comes to figuring out the best way to handle COVID-19, the way the nation handled the HIV/AIDS crisis from 40 years ago could provide a good starting point.
Richard Sorian is intimately familiar with the topic. The senior vice president of communications for 340B Health, a group of public and private nonprofit hospitals and health systems, lost his brother to HIV in the mid-1990s. Sorian reflected on his brothers death in a recent article in Health Affairs about how we can wrangle the virus to a manageable level.
Most people have the impulse to say, I want to do something to protect myself [and] protect my family,' Sorian told WTOP. Weve gotten a little bit better in some ways, but in other ways, were just doing the same thing in a different era.
Sorian said the government wasnt able to speak with a clear and consistent voice about what was going on, particularly at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Even today, he said, people are confused because theyre hearing messages from different places, and theres little consistency among them.
He suggests a three-step process to help tamp down the virus:
During the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Sorian said, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop was the reliable messenger tapped by President Ronald Reagan.
People found him trustworthy because he was a physician, although some of his actions such as mailing AIDS information to every U.S. household and advocating for condom use to stop transmission of the disease were not welcomed by everyone at the time.
Sorian pointed out that the gay community set up prevention programs and began talking about using condoms way before the government did. Still, when Koop did speak, people listened.
With so many voices in our public discourse now, especially over social media, Sorian said, its harder to determine what information is relevant.
More voices has also meant more criticism directed at scientists and physicians throughout the pandemic, which Sorian said has damaged medical professionals ability to communicate and public trust.
The country had to normalize talking about gay sex in order to address the AIDS epidemic, and Sorian said overcoming these challenges surrounding COVID is important to prevent further loss.
We dont forget the people the people who we lost and a whole generation of people was affected deeply by the AIDS pandemic, Sorian said. Lets not forget that this involves individuals having these losses, and leaving that hole in your life that that lasts a long time.
WTOPs Dimitri Sotis contributed to this report.
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As of Monday, the NET Health COVID Vaccine Clinic will relocate to NET Healths Immunizations Clinic located at 815 North Broadway Avenue, directly next to the Tyler Municipal Court.
The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8 until 11 a.m., and from 1 until 4 p.m.; on Wednesdays, the clinic remains open until 6 p.m.
Booster doses of Pfizer and Moderna
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed booster doses for anyone age 12 years and older to receive a booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least 5 months after their second dose, as well as secondary booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for anyone age 50 and above who received their first booster dose at least 4 months ago.
If anyone has questions about their risks from COVID-19 and whether a booster dose is beneficial, it is advised that you consult your primary healthcare provider.
First and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines
Vaccination remains the best strategy to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, said George Roberts, NET Health CEO. All COVID-19 vaccines may be co-administered with other vaccines, including the seasonal influenza vaccine, during the same visit.
NET Health encourages everyone who has yet to become vaccinated to start their COVID vaccine series to protect themselves and loved ones. Eligibility is open to the following ages:
Parents and guardians of children who are now eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine should consult a healthcare provider if they have questions about the benefits and risks of their children receiving the COVID vaccine.
For more details about the NET Health COVID vaccine clinics, visit NETHealthCOVID19.org.
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) is the causative virus of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020.
By April 2022, there was an estimated global number of infections of 500 million and a total of over 6.1 million COVID-19-associated deaths recorded.
Although effective COVID-19 vaccinations were rapidly produced and implemented, the rate of new variants has increased the demand for updates to vaccine formulas.
The production of substantial amounts of stable and high-quality SARS-CoV-2 S proteins is essential for the development of virosomal-based vaccines. Full-length S protein production has been reported using a variety of expression systems, the bulk of which are based on mammalian cells. The insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS) is a viable option since it is widely considered a low-cost, scalable manufacturing platform.
In a recent study published in Pharmaceutics, different signal peptides, baculovirus transfer vectors, cell lines, infection techniques, and formulation buffers were investigated with the purpose ofbuildinga scalable bioprocess to generatehigh-quality S protein for incorporation in a virosome-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
The stability, oligomeric state, and binding capability of the generated protein to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)receptor and selected neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were all evaluated in depth. The S protein was also covalently linked to a click chemistry lipid in the virosomal membrane through its polyhistidine- (His)-tag.
The most adequate method of infection was identified via the infection of sf-9 cells at cell concentration at infection (CCI) of 1 and 2 x 106 cell/mL with recombinant baculovirus rBac with a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1 and 1 pfu/cell, and small-scale shake flasks (SF) were utilized to examine the growth and S protein expression kinetics. Following infection, traditional profiles of insect cell viability and growth were seen. CCI = 2 x 106 cell/mL and MOI = 1 pfu/cell produced the highest S protein titers and specific production rates.
The authors explored three different signal peptides, which included the insect honeybee melittin (BVM) (rBac 1), the rBac gp67 (rBac 2), and the S protein signal peptide from the original SARS-CoV-2 strain (rBac 3). Insect Sf-9 cells were infected at CCI = 2 106 cell/mL with each rBac at MOI = 1 pfu/cell, and small-scale SF was utilized to examine S protein expression kinetics and growth.
Following infection, the authors discovered traditional profiles of insect cell viability and growth, with samples infected with rBac 1 being the only ones to have S protein detected via Western blot, therefore, baculovirus constructs containing the BVM signal sequence were used in future analyses.
For all N-linked glycan sites already identified in currentliterature, purified S protein was analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to determine site-specific glycosylation and glycan composition. At glycosylation sites N 68_81, N172, N241, and N1081, a combination of high mannose and complex/paucimannose-type glycans were discovered; the remaining 15 sites were dominated by processed, complex-type glycans.
High-performance liquid chromatography size-exclusion chromatography (HPLC-SEC) and differential scanning fluorimetry (DFS)were used to examine the isolated S protein's mid-term storage durability. When kept at 80 C and 4 C or after 5 freeze-thaw cycles, HPLC-SEC analysis showed a single peak in all conditions tested, implying that S protein trimer structure is sustained for up to 90 days. The durability of S protein was further corroborated by DSF data, which revealed a minor difference in S protein melting temperatures across all circumstances investigated.
Dibenzocyclooctyne- (DBCO-) azide click chemistry was used to covalently link virosomes to purified S protein, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect S protein on the virosomes through exposed epitopes and ACE2 binding. The S protein on the exterior of the virosomes has the capacitytoattachto the ACE2 receptor and is also recognized by CR3022 and all of the tested neutralizing antibodies against diverse epitope clusters, according to the results.
This research shows that an insect cells-baculovirus expression vector system can be used to create high-quality SARS-CoV-2 S protein for the implementationin a virosome-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The authors claim that the bioprocessing engineering approach used here permitted them to produce 4 mg/L of full-length S protein, which is the greatest value achieved to date utilizing insect cells.
Furthermore, the S protein produced from insect Sf-9 cells showed glycan processing identical to mammalian cells and mid-term storage durability. Moreover, even after a month of storage at 4 C, the S protein on the exterior of the virosomes had the capacity tobindto the ACE2 receptor and was recognized by a wide range of neutralizing antibodies. Immunogenicity and safety-toxicology investigations in appropriate animal models should be carried out to verify these particles as COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
Upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Lowell
LOWELL There will be free COVID-19 vaccine clinics at Nibbana Cafe and the Khmer New Year celebration this weekend hosted by the Greater Lowell Health Alliance and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Vaccines will be available at Nibbana Cafe at 12 Cardinal OConnell Parkway from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. In addition, there will be a clinic at the Khmer New Year celebration from 12 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Clemente Park, 803 Middlesex St.
Vaccines are free for everyone age 5 and older. No ID or health insurance is required. Everyone who gets vaccinated at Nibbana Cafe will receive a $25 gift card to the cafe and everyone who gets vaccinated at the Khmer New Year celebration will receive a $25 Market Basket gift card.
The COVID-19 vaccine is the best defense against serious illness and hospitalization, said Lowell Health and Human Services Director Lisa Golden. Positive COVID numbers are down, but that is due to our high vaccine rate.
The DPH has planned family-friendly vaccine clinics during April vacation week at fun locations like zoos, bowling alleys and Six Flags to encourage everyone to get vaccinated.
We thank our many businesses and local partners for joining us in making vaccination available at these family-friendly locations, said DPH Commissioner Margret Cooke. These events are a convenient way for the whole family to get up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination and have some fun at the same time.
For more information, visit mass.gov/KidsClinic.
Pelham Police to participate in National Drug Take Back Day on April 30
PELHAM, N.H. The Pelham Police Department, in conjunction with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, is participating in National Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, at the station headquarters at 14 Village Green.
National Drug Take Back Day is a free, no-questions-asked event that gives the community a chance to aid in the fight against substance use disorder by disposing of expired, unwanted or unused prescription drugs.
As part of the event, residents can drop off unwanted pills or patches, but not liquids, needles or sharps. All drugs that are turned in are given to the DEA for safe destruction.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or to find collection sites, visit DEATakeBack.com.
Dunstable Fire Department completes training
DUNSTABLE The Fire Department successfully completed brush fire training behind the station, at 28 Pleasant St., on April 10.
Training was led by Lt. Patrick Bue with five firefighters in attendance.
Participants completed two hours of training, which included running water pumps on the Forestry 1 vehicle; practicing extinguishing brush fires in a safe and effective way; and drafting water out of the an adjacent pond, the Shaw Conservation Area, to simulate a crisis where an alternate water supply would be needed.
The Dunstable Fire Department holds training programs for its staff every month in an effort to maintain the safest firefighting policies and practices. Each months training addresses a different topic, such as smoke ventilation or ice rescues.
For a list of the training programs, visit www.dunstablefire.com/training. Anyone interested in learning more about the Dunstable Fire Department or about becoming a member should call 978-649-6661 or fill out a preapplication at https://bit.ly/3vpqsrv.
In a recent study published in theInternational Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers assess the influence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic on vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) initiatives.
Study:Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on vaccine-preventable disease campaigns. Image Credit: aslysun / Shutterstock.com
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an extensive interruption of immunization services worldwide, like the deferral of mass vaccination initiatives. In fact, several independent reports from countries and regions have implied that the current pandemic has also hampered the implementation and planning of mass vaccination campaigns for all VPDs.
Nonetheless, the worldwide impact and progress of vaccination campaign reinstatement following the disruption caused by the current pandemic has not been measured and thoroughly investigated. In May 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partnering nations initiated efforts to track COVID-19-linked interruptions to mass vaccination efforts against measles, cholera, polio, meningitis A, typhoid, yellow fever, and tetanus-diphtheria via the Immunization Repository Campaign Delay Tracker.
In the present study, scientists analyzed the data derived from the immunization repository campaign delay tracker. This information was used to assess the target population and the number of announced prophylactic and outbreak response vaccination campaigns postponed, scheduled, reinstated, and canceled at four timestamps including December 2021, May 2021, December 2020, and May 2020.
The WHO immunization campaign delay tracker included variables about each vaccination, such as country, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and WHO region, subnational or national campaign, original implementation date, deferred implementation date, target population size and age range, prophylactic or outbreak response vaccination campaign, other health interventions or co-administered vaccines, and funding source.
The authors compared and analyzed the number of vaccination campaigns postponed and canceled, as well as the primary causes for delay or cancellation at the aforementioned four timestamps.
Both prophylactic and outbreak response immunization campaigns were significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across all vaccines. In May 2020, of 183 vaccination efforts in 57 nations, 105 were canceled or postponed because of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, with an anticipated 796 million missed or deferred vaccine doses.
The key factors responsible for the disruption of vaccination services during the early phase of the pandemic included inadequate personal protective equipment for healthcare personnel, lack of healthcare professionals, extensive lockdown measures, and vague public health protocol for safe vaccine administration in a mass campaign setting.
Nevertheless, in early July 2020, there was a restart of the immunization campaigns. The percentage of campaigns canceled or postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic declined from 56% in May 2020 to 16% in December 2021. Further, the fastest resumption rate was observed in the monovalent oral polio vaccine type 2 (mOPV2) initiatives.
Yet, out of 472 immunization campaigns in 54 nations, 77, particularly in African regions, were still canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2021, with nearly 382 million missed or postponed vaccine doses.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to restrict the surveillance sensitivity and quality of vaccination activities. Resources and personnel have been pushed to meet the heightened demand for SARS-CoV-2 diagnoses. Additionally, some nations have prioritized SARS-CoV-2 vaccine introduction over other immunization initiatives.
Several countries resumed some vaccinations integrated with infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. Yet, it remains essential to bridge the residual immunity gaps generated by interrupting vaccination programsto avert widespread VPD outbreaks in a health system already overburdened by the SARS-CoV-2pandemic.
According to the authors, the current study was the most thorough account of how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted mass vaccination efforts presently available.
The study findings demonstrated that COVID-19 wreaked havoc on mass immunization initiatives of all vaccines. The authors believed there is a significant risk of VPD outbreaks because of the heightened number of vulnerable populations resulting from the extensive mass vaccination campaign deferral induced by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic globally.
Taken together, the present study illustrates that COVID-19 severely interrupted both outbreak response and preventative mass vaccination services among all vaccines, thereby putting millions of children at risk of fatal yet avoidable illnesses. Furthermore, the timely reinstatement of immunization pursuits and an effective catch-up strategy that integrates improved routine immunization campaigns and services are critical in preventing the accumulation of vulnerable individuals and ultimately reducing the risk of disease outbreaks.
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