Vaxxinity, Inc.
Investigator-sponsored studies show UB-612 induces high antibody activity against multiple variants, including Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma and Omicron, at levels similar to or higher than approved vaccines
UB-612 elicits >3 times higher titers of neutralizing antibodies against Omicron variant than reported by an approved mRNA vaccine
DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vaxxinity, Inc. (Nasdaq: VAXX), a U.S. company pioneering the development of a new class of immunotherapeutic vaccines, today announced results from studies demonstrating the ability of UB-612, its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, to elicit a broad immune response against multiple variants of concern, and specifically more than three-times higher titers of neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 than an approved mRNA vaccine with boosters.
The ability of these sera to neutralize Omicron at these high levels is extraordinary and unprecedented considering that Omicron has more than 30 potential immune evading mutations and deletions across its spike protein, 15 of which are in the RBD region where our UB-612 vaccine is directed. Such data show that UB-612 could potentially be a unique vaccine candidate that is highly effective at mobilizing the immune system against a broad range of both current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants, said Farshad Guirakhoo, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Vaxxinity.
The studies were conducted by David Goldblatt, M.B. Ch.B., Ph.D., at University College London (UCL) and VisMederi, a Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)-centralized laboratory.
Sera from 92 participants from UB-612s Phase 2 study including 8 placebos (randomized and tested blinded) and up to 36 participants in the Phase 1 study, half of the latter boosted with a third dose of UB-612, were used in these studies to analyze binding of IgG and neutralization against multiple Variants of Concern and Variants of Interest, including Omicron.
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Key results from the studies include:
Three doses of UB-612 elicited neutralizing antibody titers of GMT VNT50 of 335 against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, over 3-fold higher than reported after three doses of an approved mRNA vaccine [1].
The receptor-binding domain (RBD)- and spike (S) protein-binding IgG antibodies after booster immunization with UB-612 produced high cross-reactivity against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma and Omicron, similar to or higher than those of approved vaccines and boosters [2].
The RBD-binding antibodies against the Wuhan strain reported for several authorized vaccines are predictive of UB-612 vaccine efficacy against COVID-19 at approximately 95% after three doses [2].
Vaxxinity plans to publish these data and present the findings at World Vaccine Congress in April 2022. UB-612 has been evaluated in Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies and is preparing to launch a global pivotal booster study later this year.
Mei Mei Hu, CEO of Vaxxinity, said, We are highly encouraged by these data as they show that UB-612 produces levels of neutralization comparable or exceeding current market leading vaccines while achieving a striking breadth of coverage against multiple variants of concern. Our hope is that we can provide a safe alternative vaccine option that can address not only todays COVID but also tomorrows and the next days mutations.
About the IgG Binding and Neutralization Studies
UCL performed multiple RBD- and Spike protein-binding assays on the UB-612 sera against multiple Variants of Concern/Variants of Interest and compared these to historical data generated with sera from subjects immunized with relevant approved comparator mRNA and Adenovirus COVID-19 vaccines in the same assays.
VisMederi assessed neutralization of UB-612 in live VNT assays against a Wuhan-like prototype strain (Italy INM1 strain), Omicron and Delta. VisMederi is part of the CEPI laboratory network and has developed validated live VNT assays referenced in regulatory submissions and scientific publications.
About UB-612
UB-612 is the first multitope protein/peptide-based vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine candidate is designed to activate both B and T-cell arms of the immune system. Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials of UB-612 have shown UB-612 to be well tolerated with no significant safety findings to date, while observing UB-612 generated antibodies that can bind to the S1-RBD protein and neutralize SARS-CoV-2, in addition to driving a T-lymphocyte response.
About Vaxxinity
Vaxxinity, Inc. is a purpose-driven biotechnology company committed to democratizing healthcare across the globe. The company is pioneering a new class of synthetic, peptide-based immunotherapeutic vaccines aimed at disrupting the existing treatment paradigm for chronic disease, increasingly dominated by monoclonal antibodies, which suffer from prohibitive costs and cumbersome administration. The companys proprietary technology platform has enabled the innovation of novel pipeline candidates designed to bring the efficiency of vaccines to the treatment of chronic diseases, including Alzheimers, Parkinsons, migraine, and hypercholesterolemia. The technology is also implemented as part of a COVID-19 vaccine program. Vaxxinity has optimized its pipeline to achieve a potentially historic, global impact on human health.
For more information about Vaxxinity, Inc., visit www.vaxxinity.com and follow us on social media @vaxxinity.
Forward-looking Statement
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The use of certain words, including "believe," "may," continue, advancing, and "will" and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements that are based on the current expectations and assumptions of Vaxxinitys management about the development of a new class of immunotherapeutic vaccines and the innovation and efficacy of Vaxxinitys product candidates. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those that may be expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. Additional important factors to be considered in connection with forward-looking statements are described in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 23, 2021. The forward-looking statements are made as of this date and Vaxxinity does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Investor ContactClaudia Styslingervaxxinity@argotpartners.com
Press ContactPhilip Cowdellmedia@vaxxinity.com
[1] For further details on the method, please see Muik, A. et al, Science. 2022. Data from UB-612 were generated at the same laboratory as part of the CEPI centralized laboratory network. There may be minor differences that could have influenced the outcome of the study, including but not limited to sample size, virus dose amount used, and the fact that samples were not tested head-to-head.
[2] Comparison to historical data generated from comparator vaccines. Goldblatt et al, Vaccine 2022.
New Study Highlights Social Medias Key Role in COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake for Migrants
Berlin -- Governments could close COVID-19 vaccination gaps by breaking down language barriers and giving migrants easier access to information particularly through social media, according to a study published today by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the University of Potsdam.
Studies from several countries in the US and Europe, including Germany, suggest that vaccination rates are lower among migrant communities compared to the general population. Gaps may vary by country and group but a recent study by the Robert Koch Institute in Germany revealed that the vaccination rate among migrants is 8 per cent lower compared to the native-born population. The study argues that such vaccination gaps may be linked to language barriers, socioeconomic status, and misinformation among migrant communities.
IOM's Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) and the University of Potsdam tested the effect of language and trust barriers in Germany via a social media campaign in their study, "Promoting COVID-19 vaccination uptake among migrant communities on social media -- Evidence from Germany''.
"More evidence on the interlinkage between migration and health is urgently needed," said GMDAC Director Frank Laczko. "Many countries around the world have large migrant populations, yet many of them do not consider the needs of migrants sufficiently in their vaccination programmes."
Expensive national campaigns to boost vaccine uptake using print, TV, and radio often neglect social media. The results of the study show how specific groups can be reached more effectively and at low cost.
"Social media is where misinformation spreads and it is important that official public health messages are visible online and reach out to communities that are generally not exposed to mainstream media, print or TV campaigns," said Esther Haarmann, GMDAC Digital Communications Officer and co-author of the study.
Local authorities often lack the resources to make translations available. The results highlight how many migrants are left behind by not translating outreach materials. Social media advertisements in the language of origin of migrants dramatically increased the interest in COVID-19 vaccine appointments, especially for newly arrived migrants (by 133 per cent for Arabic speakers, 76 per cent for Russian speakers and 15 per cent for Turkish speakers).
Extrapolating the translation effect to all government outreach targeting migrants could have the potential to increase vaccination rates among migrants by 14 percentage points on average. This improvement would likely close vaccination gaps between migrant groups and the general population in Germany -- and in other countries.
Results also revealed that ad content showing an official government representative was more effective in increasing interest in COVID-19 vaccine appointments than other messengers such as religious leaders, families or doctors, especially among recent immigrant groups in Germany (Arabic speakers in this study).
"The results highlight the potential of local government authorities to reach migrants -- a population often believed to have higher levels of mistrust in institutions," says Jasper Tjaden, Professor at the University of Potsdam, and lead author of the study.
Dr Nicolai Savaskan, the director of the health department in the district of Berlin-Neuklln, said local health departments benefit from evidence-based guidance on how best to reach diverse communities.
"In-person outreach is the gold standard, but we cannot reach everyone this way," Dr Savaskan said. "New evidence shows that online campaigns can fill the gap and are increasingly an important instrument in official health communication."
While the study focused on Germany, the methodology is scalable to other countries to improve outreach and support equitable access to health services, including for refugees, asylum seekers, migrants in irregular situations, and hard-to-reach populations.
Download the study here.
Truckers and their supporters continue to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Ottawa Denver Gazette
And protesters' demands have escalated, not just insisting that vaccine mandates be lifted for everyone, but calling for an opening to all businesses including restaurants and gyms, dropping capacity limits at large events and eliminating mask mandates -- especially in schools.
Here are some political and legal scenarios that could play out:
Give peace a chance -- convince protesters to leave voluntarily
This is the preferred choice for law enforcement officials who say they recognize Canadians' right to protest. Police in Windsor, Ottawa, and Alberta have stated that they have tried to keep lines of communication open to protest organizers and individual activists, trying to convince them to leave voluntarily.
This has had limited success, with protesters bolstered by both messages of support online and material support on the ground with money and supplies. On Thursday, Ottawa police reported that nearly two dozen trucks had been voluntarily removed from two different protest sites. But hundreds remain, still blocking city streets.
And negotiations at border protests have had very limited success, especially in Alberta, where communication efforts seem to have hardened the position of protesters.
CNN has spoken to some truckers who say they might consider leaving if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would only speak to them directly about their concerns.
"These gentlemen, these guys over in that building and they can just come out and show some respect and you know, at least talk to us," said a driver who identified himself as Doran, parked in front of Canada's parliament.
Governments give in to protesters' demands
This is perhaps the least likely of all scenarios. Police and political leaders say it would set a dangerous precedent to give in to "angry crowds," in the words of the prime minister. Several provinces, including Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario, have announced in recent days that they will drop some restrictions.
Saskatchewan is making changes the most dramatically and quickly, by eliminating its vaccine passport system, dropping mask mandates and reporting Covid-19 cases weekly instead of daily. Alberta is also dropping its mask mandate for children and getting rid of its vaccine passport program.
Ontario recently opened restaurant dining rooms and has restored most sporting activities for children and adults.
These decisions, however, are unconnected to the protests given that those governments have consistently said that their goal is to lift Covid-19 restrictions as soon as cases and hospitalizations drop.
Protesters in Ottawa have also indicated to CNN that they will not be affected by a piecemeal approach to lifting restrictions. They are demanding a nationwide rollback of all Covid-19 health measures.
Authorities remove trucks and cars from protest sites
Ottawa officials have been pursuing vehicle-removal options for days, but they have towed very few cars, let alone trucks. They say their efforts are frustrated by tow truck drivers and companies who fear damage to their businesses or worse, a violent confrontation.
Ottawa police say they are actively investigating reports that tow truck operators have been threatened and intimidated. Police say they do have some towing capacity but not enough to move a substantial amount of trucks from protest sites without help from private tow truck companies. Ottawa police say they have issued more than 1,700 tickets, and fines for city infractions have in some cases been doubled or tripled.
City and provincial officials, responsible for insurance and licensing, also say they are looking to step up enforcement with infractions for parking, insurance and license violations, but this too could take weeks to have any effect.
Police forcibly remove protesters
Law enforcement and politicians have been trying to avoid this scenario, fearing both protesters and officers could get hurt. Not only does this risk escalating tensions further and potentially inciting more angry protesters to hit the streets in other parts of the country, but it would require many more officers than are currently available.
Ottawa's mayor, Jim Watson, sent a letter to the prime minister and premier of Ontario asking for reinforcements of 1,800 officers, including administration staff.
In a letter provided to the media, Watson writes, "We must do everything in our power to take back the streets of Ottawa."
The Trudeau government says it continues to dispatch more officers with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to several protest sites, but Ottawa's request for 1,800 extra officers are unlikely to materialize soon, if ever.
Ottawa police say they have made 25 arrests to date. Arresting and forcibly removing protesters, however, may be an option that police consider.
"There will be accountability for any unlawful criminal activities that occur in this city in relation to this demonstration," said Sloly, Ottawa's police chief, during a Thursday press conference.
"I know many are just saying have the police go in there and move everyone out and restore law and order. And that's sensibly what we all want to see happen," Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told CNN in an interview Wednesday. "The problem is you have a number of folks who are looking for confrontation. You have people who have expressed themselves in the media saying that they believe this is a cause that they are willing to die for."
Use the military to restore order
This is not only the least preferred option but highly unlikely.
Last week, after Sloly suggested it might take the military to resolve protests, he was met with stiff resistance from the federal government. Through a spokesman, Defense Minister Anita Anand told CNN that Canada's armed forces are not a police force and that they "are not involved in law enforcement in this situation."
Trudeau elaborated further last week, saying, "One has to be very, very cautious before deploying military forces in situations engaging Canadians. It is not something that anyone should enter in lightly."
Under Canada's Defense Act, a province may request that, "where a riot or disturbance occurs or is considered as likely to occur," the attorney general of the province can request the services of the military "to be called out on service in aid of the civil power."
However, this is for the province to request and the federal government determines whether to grant the request.
Less than two months ago, the Los Angeles Rams were going through what quarterback Matthew Stafford called that tough couple weeks. As the Omicron variant of the coronavirus swept across the country, more than 30 Rams players tested positive during the last three weeks of December. At one point, nearly all of them, including seven starters, were on the reserve/Covid-19 list at the same time.
Between Dec. 12 and Jan. 8, the N.F.L. said it recorded more than 1,200 positive tests among players and team staff around the league, an average of close to 10 per club per week. The Rams Week 15 game against Seattle was one of three that were postponed because of outbreaks. The Cincinnati Bengals, the Rams opponent in Super Bowl LVI, had about 20 players go on and off the Covid-19 list in the last month of the regular season. It appeared likely the finish to the N.F.L. season would be disrupted by the coronavirus.
But with the Super Bowl just days away, what had seemed like a crisis is now a much smaller concern perhaps in part because of changes in the leagues testing policy.
The league said it had not recorded a positive test since the divisional round games. (The N.F.L.s weekly case numbers run through Feb. 5; neither the Bengals nor the Rams have announced any new cases this week.)
The reason we are here is because we have a very mature and disciplined team, Bengals Coach Zac Taylor said, referring to his players willingness to take steps to avoid infection. They have handled themselves up to this point really well, and I expect theyll do that continuing through Sunday.
Taylor said his message to his players has been that a Super Bowl parade would be more fun than any dinner out this week. Stafford described a team effort to mitigate opportunities to get sick after the December outbreak.
Other factors have converged to drive down the number of positive tests to 43 since the playoffs began, or an average of 1.5 per club per week. Zachary Binney, a sports epidemiologist at Oxford College of Emory University, said the virus burning itself out and the N.F.L. returning to enhanced protocols, including indoor mask usage for all people, were significant.
The virus moved through the league in a way that mirrored its sweep through society: Close to 70 percent of all cases recorded by the N.F.L. since the start of training camp took place during the Omicron wave, affecting about 20 percent of players and team personnel.
The N.F.L. population is highly vaccinated compared to the general public, with nearly 95 percent of players and close to 100 percent of team personnel vaccinated. The league mandated in December that coaches, front-office staff and other team employees who have direct contact with players receive a booster shot, in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Allen Sills, the leagues chief medical officer, said this week that only about 10 percent of eligible players have been boosted. About 60 percent of people in N.F.L. team environments have been boosted, he added.
On Dec. 18, the league and players union also agreed to a major change in testing protocols, stopping weekly screening tests for vaccinated, asymptomatic people and later, in January, eliminating daily testing for unvaccinated people.
The N.F.L. billed this as a switch to targeted testing, with players and team employees screened daily for symptoms and required to take a P.C.R. test if they reported any. Sills said the goal was to detect sick people rather than random surveillance. He added that the number of cases initially went up for the two weeks after this change was implemented, before dropping off, and that more than 4,000 tests were run in the final week of the regular season.
Some experts, though, disagreed with both the change and the N.F.L.s assertion that it was rooted in public health. Stopping in mid-December makes no logical sense if youre making your decisions based on the trajectory of the pandemic, said John Moore, a virologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. He pointed to the pandemics high-water mark in mid-January, when the nationwide daily average for new cases surged above 800,000.
The changes to testing, Binney added, may have made the Omicron spike in the N.F.L. seem to disappear sooner than it actually did, though it was already on the downslope.
I do think that was driven more by a desire to reduce disruption than it was an actual science and health-driven response, Binney said. But there is a real discussion to be had about how much we should be doing screening testing at this point, with vaccines being widely available for anyone who wants to protect themselves.
The testing protocols announced in December also called for weekly, strategic spot testing of position groups or staff members to supplement the symptomatic testing. But Sills said this week that the N.F.L. has stopped all random surveillance testing. A league spokeswoman did not give a date for when spot testing was stopped but said symptom-based testing was sufficient. Removing the extra layer of spot testing, Binney said, increases the number of cases that could have been missed.
For a player or staff member to test positive before the Super Bowl, they would have to self-report symptoms during the daily screening, which Sills said is continuing.
Some mainstay Super Bowl week events were canceled or postponed in response to Omicron, including the players unions Pitch Day competition for entrepreneurs. Players and coaches gave media interviews over video conference, with the only in-person media availability scheduled for Friday.
California announced plans this week to lift its indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people, but that will not go into effect until Tuesday, two days after the game. To attend the game, fans over the age of 5 must show proof of Covid-19 vaccination, or a negative P.C.R. test within 48 hours or a negative antigen test in the last 24 hours. All attendees over the age of 2 will be required to wear a face covering during the game, except while actively eating or drinking.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 406 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.79 million. More than 10.3 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.
Australian residents will need to receive booster shots to be considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19. However, authorities have said foreign travellers will continue to only need two jabs to enter the country.
Novavax announced yesterday that its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine was 80% effective against the virus in a late-stage trial with teens aged 12-17 years.
The Dutch government has announced its aim to drop most of its COVID-19 restrictions by the end of February, after record infection levels in recent weeks had only a limited effect on hospital numbers.
Spain has lifted a requirement to wear face masks outside as COVID-19 cases continue to recede from record highs.
The Czech government has ended requirements that required vaccination certificates to enter restaurants and events.
Pfizer's oral COVID-19 drug has been approved by a Japanese Health Ministry committee.
The BA.2 subvariant of Omicron is now the dominant COVID-19 variant in South Africa - and has been detected in multiple other African countries - the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday.
Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.
Image: Our World in Data
The COVID Response Alliance to Social Entrepreneurs - soon to continue its work as the Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship - was launched in April 2020 in response to the devastating effects of the pandemic. Co-founded by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship together with Ashoka, Echoing Green, GHR Foundation, Skoll Foundation, and Yunus Social Business.
The Alliance provides a trusted community for the worlds leading corporations, investors, governments, intermediaries, academics, and media who share a commitment to social entrepreneurship and innovation.
Since its inception, it has since grown to become the largest multi-stakeholder coalition in the social enterprise sector: its 90+ members collectively support over 100,000 social entrepreneurs across the world. These entrepreneurs, in turn, have a direct or indirect impact on the lives of an estimated 2 billion people.
Together, they work to (i) mobilize support for social entrepreneurs and their agendas; (ii) take action on urgent global agendas using the power of social entrepreneurship, and (iii) share insights from the sector so that social entrepreneurs can flourish and lead the way in shaping an inclusive, just and sustainable world.
The Alliance works closely together with member organizations Echoing Green and GHR Foundation, as well as the Centre for the New Economy and Society on the roll out of its 2022 roadmap (soon to be announced).
Africa is transitioning out of the pandemic phase of the COVID-19 outbreak and moving towards a situation where it will be managing the virus over the long term, the head of the World Health Organization on the continent said yesterday.
"I believe that we are transitioning from the pandemic phase and we will now need to manage the presence of this virus in the long term," Dr Matshidiso Moeti told a regular online media briefing.
She also said that the WHO estimates the total number of COVID-19 infections in Africa could be up to seven times higher than official data suggests, and deaths could be two to three times higher.
"We're very much aware that our surveillance systems problems that we had on the continent, with access to testing supplies, for example, have led to an underestimation of the cases," Moeti said.
Germany's daily rise in the number of COVID-19 infections is slowing, data from the Robert Koch Institute showed yesterday, indicating that a fourth wave of the pandemic could flatten soon.
Germany reported 247,862 new daily coronavirus cases on Thursday, up 5% from the same day last week. The 7-day infection incidence per 100,000 people also rose to 1,465 from 1,451 a day earlier.
Germany's adjusted hospitalization rate rose only slightly to 10.96 per 100,000 people from 10.88 a day earlier.
Germany's coronavirus wave is expected to peak around mid-February, the health minister said last month. The number of cases stabilizing means the country could start discussing easing national restrictions.
Written by
Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
In this photo provided by the Australian Defense Force, debris from damaged buildings and trees are strewn around on Atata Island in Tonga following the eruption of an underwater volcano and subsequent tsunami. POIS Christopher Szumlanski/AP hide caption
In this photo provided by the Australian Defense Force, debris from damaged buildings and trees are strewn around on Atata Island in Tonga following the eruption of an underwater volcano and subsequent tsunami.
BANGKOK Coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly in Tonga, and tests have confirmed that the particularly contagious omicron variant is behind the isolated Pacific island nation's first community outbreak since the start of the pandemic, officials said Thursday.
Health Minister Saia Piukala told reporters that 31 more people had tested positive for the virus, nearly doubling Tonga's active cases for the second day in a row to a total of 64, the online Matangi Tonga news portal and other media reported.
While the number may seem small, the nation of 105,000 had managed to escape thus far without any infections aside from a single case brought in from a missionary returning to Tonga from Africa last October, which was successfully isolated.
But with the deliveries of critically-important international aid following the Jan. 15 eruption of the massive undersea volcano and a resulting tsunami, two dock workers tested positive at the start of last week for COVID-19.
Despite efforts to contain the outbreak, it has been spreading and is now being reported in more areas, Piukala said.
Five tests that had been sent to Australia for analysis confirmed it was the omicron variant of the virus, he said.
Three people were confirmed killed in the eruption and tsunami, and several small settlements in outlying islands were wiped out. A thick layer of volcanic ash also blanketed the main island and tainted much of the drinking water, and may have damaged crops.
The only fiber-optic cable to the island was severed in the eruption, making communications sporadic, at best. With several areas now in complete lockdown, the Education Ministry has started home schooling with teachers giving lessons over FM radio.
The Red Cross and other health authorities have warned that as Tonga tries to deal both with the aftermath of the natural disaster and the coronavirus outbreak, its fragile health care system risks becoming quickly overwhelmed.
At the same time, Tonga's isolation which helped protect it from the virus for more than two years is now a liability, making it more difficult to provide outside assistance.
In a sign of hope, however, Piukala said all of the latest cases have so far only reported mild symptoms, and that all were vaccinated except for the children.
He did not say how many children were affected.
Tonga's vaccination program had already been doing well, but the current outbreak has led thousands of people to turn out for their first shots or boosters.
As of Wednesday, 98% of the country's eligible population, aged 12 and up, have received at least one dose and 88% are fully vaccinated. More than 67% of Tonga's total population has been fully vaccinated, according to the Health Ministry.
Johnson said he would present the government's strategy "for living with Covid" when parliament returns from a short recess on February 21.
"Provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions -- including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive -- a full month early," Johnson told lawmakers on Wednesday.
The requirement for those who test positive for coronavirus to self-isolate is currently due to expire on March 24. Under the current regulations in England, people have to isolate for at least five days if contacted by the National Health Service's contact tracers and must provide their addresses and the names of people in their household.
Covid-19 infection rates across the United Kingdom have fallen since a peak in early January but remain relatively high. On Tuesday, 66,183 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the UK, with 314 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest government data. According to the latest figures from Our World in Data, 72.9% of the population of England is fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
'Opening the floodgates'
While Johnson's remarks will be welcomed by some in England, coming after nearly two years of coronavirus restrictions, others fear the country may be moving too fast to drop protective measures.
A spokesperson for the UK campaign group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice accused Johnson of "opening the floodgates for Covid-19" while failing to consider the consequences for those most vulnerable to the disease.
"Whilst the Prime Minister is bragging about lifting restrictions a month early, we're struggling to keep up with the number of hearts that need to be drawn on the Covid Memorial Wall," said Lobby Akinnola, referencing a stretch of wall in central London where people bereaved by Covid-19 have painted tributes to loved ones.
"The Prime Minister might wish that this disease was no more dangerous than the flu, but the reality is that he is throwing the most vulnerable in our society to the wolves."
Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine at the University of East Anglia, told the UK's Science Media Centre that Johnson's comments Wednesday were "quite a surprise," although there were "grounds for optimism" in falling infection rates, particularly among children.
"The concern for me remains our more vulnerable people, especially those who for medical reasons may not have responded as well to vaccine as we would have wished," Hunter said. "There needs to be robust procedures in place to ensure infections in this group are diagnosed early and antivirals are provided within hours of any positive result."
Simon Clarke, Associate Professor in Cellular Microbiology at the University of Reading, told the SMC that caution was needed. "If the requirement on infected individuals to isolate at home is lifted as indicated, it will be an experiment which will either be shown to be very brave or very stupid, but nobody knows for sure what the result will be," he said.
"Omicron may be on the wane in Europe but other parts of the world are still in the full flush of a surge in infections. In such circumstances, as we have seen before, the virus is in the best possible position to mutate again, and there is absolutely no certainty that any new variant would be less dangerous."
Renewed pressure
The photo was published as Johnson appeared in Parliament for Prime Minister's Questions.
"In the last few minutes, a photo has emerged of the Prime Minister in Downing Street, on the 15th of December 2020, surrounded by alcohol, food and people wearing tinsel... will the Prime Minister be referring this party to the police as it's not one of the ones already being investigated?" asked lawmaker Fabian Hamilton, of the opposition Labour Party.
Johnson responded: "In what he has just said, I am afraid he is completely in error."
In a statement released later Wednesday, London's Metropolitan Police Service said it was reviewing its earlier assessment, on the basis of the evidence available at that time, that the December 15 event did not meet the threshold for criminal investigation.
Officers investigating the alleged parties will send "formal questionnaires" to more than 50 people suspected to have attended these events, police said in an updated statement on Wednesday.
The questionnaire will ask participants for an account and explanation of their participation in the events under investigation. It stressed that the document has "formal legal status and must be answered truthfully" within seven days of receipt.
People who violated Covid-19 regulations at the time could be subject to retroactive fines, if police deem it appropriate, the Met said.
Police also said they were currently examining more than 500 pieces of paper and 300 images provided by the UK Cabinet Office.
CNN's Stephanie Halasz and Niamh Kennedy contributed to this report.
In slightly more than 2 years, authorities have recorded 5.75 million COVID-19 deaths worldwide. Some people believe that this is an overestimate of the actual mortality from the disease. Others think COVID-19 has caused many more deaths than the official figures show. Medical News Today has looked at the evidence and spoken with experts to uncover the truth behind the numbers.
As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, there are reasons for optimism.
Firstly, vaccines are reducing the number of deaths, at least in those countries where vaccination is widely available.
Secondly, evidence is growing that the latest variant, Omicron, causes less severe disease than previous variants. One study in California has shown a significantly lower risk of death with Omicron than with Delta, although the paper has yet to undergo peer review.
However, the global death toll has been enormous, with official figures placing it at more than 5.75 million. Of these deaths, more than 900,000 have occurred in the United States.
Some people dispute these numbers, claiming that COVID-19 did not actually cause many of the deaths for which the authorities held it responsible. So how are these deaths being counted?
Most countries record every death and its cause, providing a permanent legal record. In the United Kingdom, the guidelines on how to complete the medical certificate of cause of death run to several pages.
The doctor who records the death must note the primary cause of death and any contributing factors on the death certificate. And therein lies the problem.
COVID-19 can lead to multiple problems pneumonia, respiratory failure, blood clots, stroke, and heart attack any of which might cause death. And most of those who die after contracting COVID-19 have one or more comorbidities.
So, how many people have died of COVID-19, and how many have died with COVID-19?
Consider the example of an 86-year-old man in a care home with late stage dementia and coronary artery disease (CAD). He contracts COVID-19 but has few symptoms. Then, he dies. What was the primary cause of death?
One doctor might record dementia as the primary cause, with CAD and COVID-19 as contributing factors. Another might decide that COVID-19 was the primary cause as, without contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the man might have lived for a few more weeks with the other two conditions.
Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, agreed that the actual cause of death can be hard to determine. Deaths are, to a degree, imprecise, he said to MNT. A physician must make a judgment of cause of death.
Whether the man died of COVID-19 or with COVID-19 is open to interpretation. And this is why some dispute the official figures.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a death from COVID-19 as a death resulting from a clinically compatible illness in a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID-19 disease, e.g., trauma.
The U.S. attributes death to COVID-19 where this disease, or the coronavirus that causes it, appears as a cause or contributing cause of death on the death certificate.
The U.K. records any death that occurs within 28 days of a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 as a COVID-19 death. The official U.K. COVID-19 death toll is now about 159,000.
However, a video that people have widely shared on social media has stated that the true number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.K. is 17,000 just over one-tenth of the official number. This is the number of people for whom COVID-19 was the only recorded cause of death. Some people believe that this is the number that the government should publicize.
Similarly, in the U.S., CDC data showed that COVID-19 was the sole cause of only about 5% of listed COVID-19 deaths. These data led to the former U.S. president, Donald Trump, claiming on social media that the published figures were greatly exaggerating the severity of COVID-19.
When doctors determine that COVID-19 is not the sole cause of death, they record other causes on the death certificate. In the U.S., at least 90% of such recorded deaths had COVID-19 as the underlying cause of death rather than a contributing cause.
So although we could say that all of these people died with COVID-19 and not of COVID-19, the disease almost certainly played a role in their deaths.
One way of avoiding this issue is to record excess deaths during the pandemic and attribute these to COVID-19, rather than looking at how many people had COVID-19 on their death certificate. However, this approach has its own problems.
Experts calculate the excess death rate by comparing figures for a given period with the average for that same period over several previous years. So, a person looking for excess deaths in January 2022 might compare the deaths in that month with the January average for, say, the past 10 years.
The problem with counting excess deaths, though, is that it does not take into account changes in populations. In many countries, populations are getting older.
In 2000, over-65s accounted for approximately 1 in 8 people in both Europe and the U.S. By 2020, more than one-fifth of Europeans were over the age of 65 years, and people in this age bracket made up one-seventh of the U.S. population. And these numbers are increasing rapidly.
As populations get older, more people die. So, comparing the death rates in 2021 with those from previous years might give a skewed perspective. Some of those excess deaths would have occurred without the pandemic.
In addition, deaths from some causes, such as infectious diseases, have decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdowns and physical distancing. This will affect the excess deaths figure.
Despite misgivings from some quarters, most experts believe that COVID-19 deaths are not being overcounted. Indeed, many think that undercounting is more likely, particularly in the early months of the pandemic.
Early on, there was not widespread testing, so we underestimated the deaths. Now, the death data are more reliable. There may be some plus or minus, but death data are pretty accurate.
Dr. William Schaffner
Dr. Arturo Casadevall, a distinguished professor and chair of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, echoed this view.
My view is that the current number of COVID-19 deaths is an undercounting simply because those deaths reflect the ones we know about, and not every death caused by this disease was recorded or diagnosed as such, he told MNT.
Higher income countries record all deaths, noting the causes on the death certificate. This is not the case worldwide.
The problem of unrecorded deaths is particularly acute in low and middle income countries. When a death is unrecorded, only those who witness the death may know its cause.
In India, the WHO has recorded more than 500,000 deaths due to COVID-19, but household surveys and statistical models suggest that the number could be as much as 10 times higher. Without good data on deaths and births, the COVID-19 death toll can never be certain.
The true death toll of COVID-19 may not be known for many years. Many experts also believe that the final numbers should also include those who died not with COVID-19 but because of it.
The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 does not include other deaths associated with the pandemic, such as those caused by the absence of proper care for other conditions because the healthcare system was focused on COVID-19, and much routine care such as cancer screening was slowed or postponed.
Dr. Arturo Casadevall
While the pandemic continues, it will be difficult to get a true figure for global deaths. Death data are a lagging indicator. They are pretty reliable, but it takes longer for people to die and the data to be collected, Dr. Schaffner cautioned.
However long it takes for the true figures to emerge, the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted, and continues to inflict, an appalling global death toll. And it is becoming clear that the figures are almost certainly underreported, as Dr. Casadevall explained:
I think that in coming years, we will see revisions to this number with higher estimates of total deaths as we come to better understand the toll of this calamity.
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Lower case totals have also signaled that the worst of the early-2022 surge may be behind San Antonio.
SAN ANTONIO For the third day in a row, Bexar County health authorities reported fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases Thursday after tallying no such days in 2022 prior to Tuesday.
Thursday's total of 903 additional infections brought the seven-day case average down to 1,345the lowest it's been since New Year's Day, just before the worst surge of the pandemic sent the San Antonio area's numbers skyrocketing.
In another sign that the highly contagious omicron variant's grip may be loosening is continuously decreasing hospitalization levels. On Thursday there were 840 patients receiving treatment for COVID-19 symptoms in local facilities, which is the fewest since Jan. 10.
All but once in the last week have the number of Bexar County hospitalizations dropped. Since last Thursday, the number of local patients has gone down by 24.7%. Of those 840 patients currently hospitalized, 212 are in intensive care and 109 are using ventilators to help them breathe.
But additional virus-related deaths were also reported by Metro Health for a fourth straight day on Thursday, with six new fatalities. In all, 5,178 county residents have died from COVID-19 complications, while more than 511,000 have been diagnosed.
On Thursday Northside ISD officials announced they were ending a weeks-long mask mandate, effective Monday, while in Austin students at the University of Texas are petitioning for additional pandemic safety guidelines as omicron continues to be a threat.
Meanwhile, last week a San Antonio-based doctor testified to Congress about the potential effects of long-term COVID the country's health care infrastructure.
How Bexar County is trending
Vaccine Progress in Bexar County
The following numbers are provided by San Antonio Metro Health. A full breakdown can be found here.
The CDC states that "when a high percentage of the community is immune to a disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness)," that community will have reached herd immunity, "making the spread of this disease from person to person unlikely."
The City of San Antonio breaks down the vaccination rates by zip code on Metro Health's Vaccination Statistics page.
Coronavirus in Texas
The total number of coronavirus cases in the state since the pandemic began grew by 15,598 on Thursday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. That total includes 11,643 new confirmed cases and 3,955 new probable cases. More details can be found on this page.
Thursday's figures bring the total number of Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 to more than 6.423 million.
An additional 305 Texans have died from virus complications, meanwhile, raising the statewide death toll to 80,310.
Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.
Experts determined there was consistent evidence these conditions increase a person's risk, regardless of age:
Human coronaviruses are usually spread...
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City officials recommend getting a COVID-19 test if you experience fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.
Here's a Testing Sites Locatorto help you find the testing location closest to you in San Antonio.
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