The World Health Organization has today launched the Strategy to Achieve Global Covid-19 Vaccination by mid-2022 (the Strategy) to help bring an end to what has become a two-track pandemic: people in poorer countries continue to be at risk while those in richer countries with high vaccination rates enjoy much greater protection.
WHO had set a target to vaccinate 10% of every country, economy and territory by the end of September but by that date 56 countries had not been able to do so, the vast majority of these are countries in Africa and the Middle East.
The new strategy outlines a plan for achieving WHO's targets to vaccinate 40% of the population of every country by the end of this year and 70% by mid-2022.
"Science has played its part by delivering powerful, life-saving tools faster than for any outbreak in history," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "But the concentration of those tools in the hands of a few countries and companies has led to a global catastrophe, with the rich protected while the poor remain exposed to a deadly virus. We can still achieve the targets for this year and next, but it will take a level of political commitment, action and cooperation, beyond what we have seen to date."
"This is a costed, coordinated and credible path out of the COVID-19 pandemic for everyone, everywhere," said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Without a coordinated, equitable approach, a reduction of cases in any one country will not be sustained over time. For everyone's sake, we must urgently bring all countries to a high level of vaccination coverage."
To achieve the global vaccination targets, there should be a three-step approach to vaccination, with all older adults, health workers, and high-risk groups of all ages, in every country vaccinated first, followed by the full adult age group in every country and lastly extended vaccination of adolescents.
Vaccinating 70% of the global population requires at least 11 billion vaccine doses. By the end of September, just over 6 billion doses had already been administered worldwide. With global vaccine production now at nearly 1.5 billion doses per month, there is sufficient vaccine from a supply perspective to achieve the global vaccination targets provided that there is equitable distribution of those doses.
Substantial financing has already been invested to procure most of the required vaccine doses for low- and lower-middle-income countries through COVAX, the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) and bilateral contracts. There needs to be additional investment to secure the remaining vaccine doses for these countries as well as investment to support in-country delivery.
The Strategy outlines the priority actions needed from the different actors to achieve the targets.
All Countries must:
Countries with high vaccine coverage must:
Vaccine-producing countries must:
COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers must:
Civil society, community organizations, and the private sector must:
Global and regional multilateral development banks and institutions must:
For their part, WHO, Gavi, UNICEF and CEPI must work in close collaboration with World Bank, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, Africa CDC, AVAT, and other key partners to monitor progress, identify changes needed to resolve bottlenecks, coordinate information and prioritize actions; continue to co-lead and manage the COVAX Pillar of ACT-Accelerator; support the equitable allocation of available vaccines, particularly to low-, lower-middle-income and lagging countries; directly support countries to develop and sustain rapid, effective, high-quality COVID-19 vaccine delivery programmes that can achieve the global targets; address key research, policy, safety and regulatory issues that will optimize *vaccine impact including *effective supply, dosing and vaccine schedules, mixing and matching of products, protection against variants, and other issues; and monitor and report monthly on progress towards the global COVID-19 vaccination goals.
Note to Editors:
The Strategy to Achieve Global Covid-19 Vaccination by mid-2022 can be read in its entirety here.
See also:
The Global COVID-19 Vaccination -- Strategic Vision for 2022 Technical Document
Slide deck on the Strategy to Achieve Global Covid-19 Vaccination by mid-2022
Following the WHO declaration of novel coronavirus as a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020, the main global immunization partners developed a global COVID-19 vaccination strategy through the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) Vaccines Pillar (COVAX). The ACT-A prioritized strategy and budget can be read here. The 2022 Global Vaccination Strategy is intended to complement that strategy.
The immediate goalof the global COVID-19 vaccination strategy is to minimize deaths, severe disease and overall disease burden; curtail the health system impact; fully resume socio-economic activity, and reduce the risk of new variants.
The 2022 Global COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy is based on a technical analysis that established a Conceptual COVID-19 Goal Framework which specifies a sequence of socio-economic and health goals, which could be achieved with various levels of vaccination scope and other interventions. The Conceptual Goal Framework structures the technical analyses of vaccination requirements to achieve ever broader health, social and economic goals and builds upon WHO's broader COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) first published in 2020 and subsequently updated in 2021. The SPRP's strategic objectives inform and align with the health and socioeconomic dimensions of the Global COVID-19 Vaccine Strategic Vision Goal Framework.
Philadelphia is providing colleges and health care systems with more time to be in compliance with the city's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The deadline for all college students and staff, as well as health care employees, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has been pushed back in order to accommodate institutions that wish to continue operating at full capacity as workers complete their vaccination courses, the Philadelphia Department of Health said Wednesday.
Health care workers in hospitals and long-term care facilities, as well as college students and staff, must receive at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose by Oct. 15 rather than be fully vaccinated.
Those who receive only one dose by Oct. 15 will need to submit to regular COVID-19 testing until they are fully vaccinated. Anyone who received a first dose of Pfizer or Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine will need to have gotten their second shot by Nov. 15.
All other health care staff must receive at least one vaccine dose by Oct. 22 and undergo COVID-19 testing once or twice per week until they are fully vaccinated. These health care workers will need to receive their second COVID-19 vaccine dose, if necessary, by Nov. 22.
Those who do not have approved medical or religious exemptions and fail to meet the amended deadlines would be considered out of compliance and prohibited from working and studying in collegiate and health care settings.
The decision to push back its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for colleges and health care systems came after the city's health department received concerns from some groups about not being able to meet the Oct. 15 deadline.
"My goal is to get everyone vaccinated and not leave our health care and higher education systems shorthanded, especially when we know folks are making an effort to get vaccinated," Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole said. "My hope is that this additional time will help to get all of these workers over the last hurdles to accept a vaccination."
Philly implemented its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for colleges and health care systems in August as the highly-contagious delta variant spread across the city. The city said that exemptions would only be granted to students and employees for medical or religious reasons.
A number of colleges and universities, such as the Community College of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and Thomas Jefferson University, already required all students, faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated for the fall semester.
Health care systems such as the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Jefferson Health and Penn Medicine have already mandated all workers to be fully vaccinated too.
The city continues to experience high levels of COVID-19 transmission, according to the CDC. Philly is averaging 242 new COVID-19 infections per day over the last two weeks, city health officials said Monday. More than 200 people are hospitalized in the city right now due to COVID-19.
More than 85% of adults in Philadelphia have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, while 70% of residents 18 and over are fully vaccinated, according to the city's health department.
Waning Immune Humoral Response to BNT162b2 Covid-19 Vaccine over 6 Months | NEJM nejm.org
PIMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) In a matter of seconds, Dr. Colin Bamford got his third dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine.
"I'm a doctor. It's a good idea for us to get extra protection," said Bamford.
Pima County Health Department started providing booster shots at multiple clinics, this week.
"I'm here for the third Pfizer shot. I have chronic kidney disease. I'm also an educator. I work with a couple charter schools here in Tucson. Because we're eligible to get the booster shot, I thought it'd be a good time to come on out," said COVID-19 booster shot recipient, Michael Olgeyn.
Olgeyn got his third shot at Abrams Public Health Center and no appointment was needed.
"What we're really trying to do is make sure the community stays healthy. Given the waning efficacy on it, we want to make sure it is bolstered so anyone who is immunocompromised, or at risk, can have access to a safe lifestyle," said Pima County Health Department Program Manager, Spencer Graves.
Only some are eligible for the booster, right now. One must have received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine six months ago and meet the following criteria, established by the CDC:
"That gamut runs pretty widely. You can qualify based on a number of criteria," said Graves.
Pima County plans to supply up to 258,700 Pfizer booster shots from October-December 2021. If you have yet to receive your first dose, Graves said, "Please come out and get it. It's still available. We're still waiting for you. We're more than willing to provide that locally for you."
For a full list of vaccine clinics and hours in Pima County, click here.
Coronavirus
'Natural immunity' effectiveness vs. vaccine still being debated
BEND, Ore (KTVZ) -- A third-generation nurse at St. Charles Bend is among those at risk of being terminated because she is not willing to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
She states that her personal decision against the vaccine rests upon her religious convictions.
After speaking with the hospital's Human Resources Department, she said she was informed they would not be able to accommodate her position as a bedside nurse wearing the PPE (personal protective equipment) N95 mask.
She told NewsChannel21 she and her husband have already had positive COVID tests and thus have a natural immunity, though the effectiveness of natural immunity vs. the vaccine is still a matter of scientific debate, as a report Thursday from NBC News notes.
Bola Gbadebo is speaking with the woman on Thursday. Her report is coming up on Fox @ 4.
Bend / Central Oregon / Health / Local News / News / Top Stories
A flurry of positive medical news on the coronavirus-borne illness COVID-19 Tuesday was weighing against somber news from Russia, which recorded yet another record one-day death toll to cement its position as the European country with the highest number of fatalities.
Johnson & Johnson JNJ submitted an amendment to the emergency-use authorization its seeking from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a booster shot of its COVID-19 vaccine. The amendment offered additional data showing the booster increased protection...
Golden State Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins on Monday explained his decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine, noting that he felt "forced" to do so in order to continue his NBA career.
"The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA," Wiggins said after the Warriors' preseason opener at the Portland Trail Blazers, his first public comments since getting the shot. "It was a tough decision. Hopefully, it works out in the long run and in 10 years I'm still healthy."
Wiggins' decision comes after the league recently declined his application for a religious exemption. The topic of Wiggins' vaccination status came into question prior to training camp given the restrictions from the San Francisco Department of Public Health requiring anyone age 12 or over to be vaccinated to attend indoor events. As part of that mandate, beginning Oct. 13, Warriors players must show proof of vaccination before entering Chase Center, unless there is an approved medical or religious exemption.
Wiggins, 26, went into detail about why he was so hesitant to get the shot, noting that he doesn't hold any ill will toward the Warriors organization for how the situation played out.
2 Related
"They didn't make the rule," Wiggins said. "But I guess to do certain stuff, to work, I guess you don't own your body. That's what it comes down to. If you want to work in society today, then I guess they made the rules of what goes in your body and what you do. Hopefully, there's a lot of people out there that are stronger than me and keep fighting, stand for what they believe, and hopefully, it works out for them."
Wiggins said he received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot, which will allow him to not miss any practice time and be fully vaccinated prior to the Warriors' Oct. 21 home opener against the LA Clippers.
Wiggins noted that he contracted COVID-19 previously and "it wasn't too bad." He also said he had an allergic reaction to something a couple of years ago, describing it as a "scary moment" that resulted in him now carrying an EpiPen.
"I know a lot of people get reactions or injuries from getting the vaccination, so I don't know what it's going to do to me in 10 years," he said.
"I feel like I could go on for days about why I didn't want to get it. Most importantly, I don't know what's going to happen or what it's going to do to my body in 10, 20 years. ... But I guess it's something that had to get done."
Wiggins said he is dealing with some body aches and chills after getting vaccinated, but he was still able to play 16 minutes and score 13 points in Monday's 121-107 win over the Blazers.
Wiggins also said he is the only member of his family who is vaccinated.
"It's not really something we believe in as a family," he said. "They know that I had to. It came down to get the vaccination or don't play basketball. I'm 26. I have two kids. I want more kids. I'm trying to do something that will generate as much money as I can for my kids and my future kids, [create] generational wealth. So, I took the gamble, took the risk, and hopefully, I'm good."
Wiggins said he was appreciative of some of the public support he received from teammates. Warriors forward Draymond Green recently said that he didn't think it was his place to push Wiggins toward getting the vaccine.
"It was good," Wiggins said. "It was nothing but love. Especially from Draymond; [Andre] Iguodala said a lot of good stuff. So, there was a lot of support on the team, but whatever decision I decided to make, they were going to stand by it."
Wiggins admitted that "time was not on my side" and explained why he felt compelled to get the shot when he did.
"It feels good to play, but getting vaccinated, that's going to be something that stays in my mind for a long time," Wiggins said. "It's not something I wanted to do, but I was forced to."
Data published in bioRxiv confirmed previous findings suggesting mucosal vaccines could reduce transmission of airborne viruses such as COVID-19 and flu more than injectable vaccines
Study suggests mucosal vaccines may protect not only vaccinated, but also unvaccinated animals
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A Duke University-led study published in bioRxiv showed that Vaxart, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: VXRT) investigational oral tablet vaccine reduced the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus in an animal model.
Vaxart, Inc. (PRNewsfoto/Vaxart, Inc.)
These results are consistent with those from Vaxart's Phase II human flu challenge study, which showed that Vaxart's oral tablet vaccine was better at reducing shedding than the injectable flu vaccine comparator.
A limitation of the currently approved injected COVID-19 vaccines is that airborne transmission occurs in people who have received them. The preclinical study also demonstrated that Vaxart's oral vaccine platform induces robust systemic and mucosal responses.
Researchers vaccinated hamsters orally or intranasally with Vaxart's S-only vaccine candidate and then exposed them to significant levels of the COVID-19 virus to promote vaccine breakthrough. Vaccinated hamsters cleared infectious virus in the nose and lungs quickly. Before clearing the infection, the vaccinated hamsters were exposed to unvaccinated hamsters via aerosol. The mucosally vaccinated hamsters infected fewer hamsters and created less severe clinical symptoms than did unvaccinated hamsters.
"These findings show that our vaccine candidate can reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2, even when there is infection breakthrough in vaccinated subjects," said Dr. Sean Tucker, the study's lead author and Chief Scientific Officer at Vaxart.
"Existing injected vaccines don't always protect against viral shedding and transmission to other people. A vaccine that reduces shedding and reduces the probability of infection could make a big difference in protecting lives and public health, particularly given the large number of unvaccinated individuals. This study used the same vaccine candidate Vaxart is using in its development of an oral tablet vaccine," added Dr. Tucker.
Story continues
Earlier this week, Vaxart initiated recruiting for a global Phase II clinical trial of its oral tablet COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which targets the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike (S) protein.
"Vaxart previously published data from a human influenza challenge study that demonstrated our oral flu vaccine candidate inhibited shedding of viral RNA better than injectable vaccines. The data reported provides further evidence that our oral vaccine could offer both an easier, more attractive mode of administration and potentially superior protection against respiratory viruses," said Andrei Floroiu, Vaxart's Chief Executive Officer.
The mucosal surface of the upper respiratory tract is the initial site of SARS-CoV-2 replication and the primary site of infection. Vaccines that induce robust mucosal immune responses may have the greatest impact on reduction of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Approved COVID-19 vaccines, all of which are administered via intramuscular injection, stimulate systemic immune responses but have minimal effects on mucosal immunity.
About the Study
The study used a hamster infection and aerosol transmission system to study the potential impact of oral vaccination on transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to uninfected individuals.
Animals received oral, intranasal or intramuscular vaccines targeting S protein, and a control group received a mock vaccination (four animals per group). These index hamsters were then infected intranasally with a high titer of SARS-CoV-2 to replicate a post-vaccination breakthrough infection.
One day after viral challenge, index hamsters were placed upstream of unvaccinated hamsters in a chamber that allowed aerosol movement but not direct contact with other animals or bedding or feeding receptacles used by other animals. Index animals were evaluated for antibodies for systemic (IgG) and mucosal (IgA) immunity; all animals were evaluated for viral titers and body weight and lung weight (indicators of SARS-CoV-2 infection).
Key Findings
Key findings from the study include:
Oral and intranasal vaccination against S protein induced robust systemic and mucosal antibody responses.
Oral and intranasal vaccination accelerated clearance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and protected animals against disease.
Oral and intranasal vaccination limited transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to unvaccinated animals.
Taken together, these data demonstrate that oral immunization against SARS-CoV-2 S protein resulted in reduced disease and decreased SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a hamster model.
About Vaxart
Vaxart is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a range of oral recombinant vaccines based on its proprietary delivery platform. Vaxart vaccines are designed to be administered using tablets that can be stored and shipped without refrigeration and eliminate the risk of needle-stick injury. Vaxart believes that its proprietary tablet vaccine delivery platform is suitable to deliver recombinant vaccines, positioning the company to develop oral versions of currently marketed vaccines and to design recombinant vaccines for new indications. Vaxart's development programs currently include tablet vaccines designed to protect against coronavirus, norovirus, seasonal influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as a therapeutic vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), Vaxart's first immune-oncology indication. Vaxart has filed broad domestic and international patent applications covering its proprietary technology and creations for oral vaccination using adenovirus and TLR3 agonists.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding Vaxart's strategy, prospects, plans and objectives, results from pre-clinical and clinical trials, commercialization agreements and licenses, and beliefs and expectations of management are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such words as "should," "believe," "could," "potential," "will," "expected," "plan," and other words and terms of similar meaning. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Vaxart's ability to develop and commercialize its product candidates, including its vaccine booster products; Vaxart's expectations regarding clinical results and trial data; and Vaxart's expectations with respect to the effectiveness of its product candidates. Vaxart may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions, or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions, expectations, and projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that Vaxart makes, including uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement, and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates, and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from the clinical studies; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, and safety that could affect the availability or commercial potential of any product candidate, including the possibility that Vaxart's product candidates may not be approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities; that, even if approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities, Vaxart's product candidates may not achieve broad market acceptance; that a Vaxart collaborator may not attain development and commercial milestones; that Vaxart or its partners may experience manufacturing issues and delays due to events within, or outside of, Vaxart's or its partners' control; difficulties in production, particularly in scaling up initial production, including difficulties with production costs and yields, quality control, including stability of the product candidate and quality assurance testing, shortages of qualified personnel or key raw materials, and compliance with strictly enforced federal, state, and foreign regulations; that Vaxart may not be able to obtain, maintain, and enforce necessary patent and other intellectual property protection; that Vaxart's capital resources may be inadequate; Vaxart's ability to resolve pending legal matters; Vaxart's ability to obtain sufficient capital to fund its operations on terms acceptable to Vaxart, if at all; the impact of government healthcare proposals and policies; competitive factors; and other risks described in the "Risk Factors" sections of Vaxart's Quarterly and Annual Reports filed with the SEC. Vaxart does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Contacts
Vaxart Media RelationsMark HerrVaxart, Inc.mherr@vaxart.com (203) 517-8957
Investor Relations IR@Vaxart.com
Cision
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SOURCE Vaxart, Inc.
Kim Komando| Special to USA TODAY
Travel tip: Keep documents secure on phone
Keep important documents secure on your phone with these tips.
ProblemSolved, USA TODAY
Your phones photo library is good for more than just selfies and pictures of food for Instagram.
Most of us have enough screenshots, memes, and other junk clogging things up that it's hard even to see the photos we need to access quickly. I put together an easy guide to clear out the mess. Tap or click here for the simple trick I use to clean up my photos.
I have a shortcut below to keep track of your most important pics, but theres another easy way to find, for example, that beautiful shot you took at the beach in Hawaii three years ago. Tap or click for the photo search tip everyone needs to know.
Your life will be better organized with these images at your fingertips:.
Your COVID-19 vaccination card
Its useful to have this at the ready in case you ever need to show it to a health care provider, a restaurant, or for travel purposes. It's also safer than keeping it in your wallet, where it can get crumbled or ruined.
Dont want your card getting lost in a sea of pictures? Follow the steps below:
If you use an iPhone, Open Notes and tap the Camera icon > Scan Document. Your phone's camera will open. Snap a photo of your card. When you're happy with your pic, tap on the three dots in the corner and select Pin. That way, its always at the front of the pile.
Did you know you lock notes down with a password, too? Id suggest doing this for anything you dont want others to get their hands on. Tap or click to password protect a note. (Scroll down to number 6.)
Its simple on an Android as well. Open the Google Drive app and tap Add, then Scan. Take your photo, then tap on the three dots to add it to Starred documents.
This well-reviewed Android app, Private Notepad, is another smart way to keep your private info safe and secure.
Your drivers license and other IDs
For most people, a drivers license or state ID is their main form of identification. It easily fits into a wallet or handbag and should always be with you. But there could be instances where you dont have it with you, say when youre hiking.
That's why it's a good idea to have these stored on your phone. Be sure to use the steps above to lock it down with a password.
Your state may offer an app for your drivers license or state ID. Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming are among the states that provide digital license options or pilot programs.Check official state government websites for more on how to apply.
Your cars license plate, VIN number, and auto insurance card
Imagine this: Youre running errands, and when you go back to where you know you parked, your car is gone. In the panic, youre not going to remember details like your license plate number. Instead of rifling through documents once you get home, walk outside now, and snap a few pictures.
This is smart info to have on hand before you need it. Dont forget about your auto insurance card. If you get into a fender bender, you can grab the physical card from your glove compartment, but that might not always be possible.
Your medical and dental insurance cards
True story: A couple of times a year, my son would call and ask me to send him a copy of his insurance card to avoid the universitys mandatory health insurance charges. I get it, it's a pain to keep them around, and you might not always have the physical copy on you.
The requests from my son stopped once I told him to save the picture to his camera roll and "favorite" it. Now he can go to his photo gallery. That's faster than waiting for me.
Your phone is always on you, but your wallet might not be. I love not having to dig through flimsy paper cards to grab my insurance info when Im filling out forms.
Get health smart: Free online tools that reveal if youre overpaying on medical care or hospital bills
Car rental shortage and impact on summer travel, explained
From rental cars to new cars, there is a shortage in the motor-vehicle industry. Here's how it may impact summer travel.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Your rental car before and after
If youre traveling in a city where a car is a must, you rent. Your very first step once you get to the car, even before you turn it on, is snapping photos.
Remember, the rental agency will inspect the vehicle top to bottom once you turn it back in. If they see stains, scratches, or dents, it might be on you to pay for repair. You always want a record of the condition the car was in before you drove a mile. Snap a picture of the odometer, too.
Take photos once you're in the parking lot, dropping it back off. Lucky for you, digital photos contain metadata with the date and time you snapped the pictures. All the proof you need is right there should anything happen.
Hitting the road anytime soon? Here are five smart travel tips to keep you safe. Say it with me: Dont connect to public Wi-Fi.
Your Airbnb or other rental property
Just like with a rental car, youre likely responsible for damage to an Airbnb, VRBO, or other rental property. After I get my bags inside, I take a photo in each room of my rental. You can zoom in on damage, like a big mark on the wall, for extra backup.
Be sure to take a selfie standing in front of the rental. When you take a photo using your smartphone, it is geotagged. That means its easy to get directions back using your phones Map app or by showing the address to your Uber or Lyft driver.
No more pulling up the rental property listing in your email or an app every time you go out.
Bonus Tip: Tech Refresh is my fun, fast podcast about all things tech
Check out my podcast Tech Refresh on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast player.
Each week, I sit down with my tech-smart and savvy friends Allie and Ben to talk about the latest tech news, wacky stories trending online, and much more. We try to stump each other with fake news headlines, and Ben always has a stellar product review. It's like sitting around the kitchen with your pals.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for "Tech Refresh." You'll love it!
Learn about all the latest technology on theKim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website atKomando.com.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
Senior health officials who war-gamed the impact of a coronavirus hitting the UK, warned four years before the onset of Covid-19 of the need for stockpiles of PPE, a computerised contact tracing system and screening for foreign travellers, the Guardian can reveal.
The calls to step up preparations in areas already identified as shortcomings in the governments response to Covid, emerged from a previously unpublished report of a health planning exercise in February 2016 that imagined a coronavirus outbreak.
It was commissioned by Dame Sally Davies, then chief medical officer, who attended alongside officials from NHS England, the Department of Health, Public Health England, and observers from the devolved administrations.
The participants imagined cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) arriving in London and Birmingham and spreading rapidly resulting in a large scale outbreak. Like Covid, MERS causes potentially fatal respiratory illness and can spread asymptomatically; there were no known treatments or vaccines.
Government ministers have previously stressed that pandemic planning focused more on flu so did not prepare the UK for the demands a coronavirus placed on PPE, hospitals and care homes.
The disclosure of the 23-page report on Exercise Alice is set to trigger fresh scrutiny of the adequacy of UK preparations.
In August the government refused to release the file saying it could lead to loss of public confidence in the governments and the NHS Covid-19 response based on misinterpretation of the report.
However, the file was released on Thursday under freedom of information laws to Dr Moosa Qureshi, a clinician campaigning for greater transparency around the governments preparedness for the pandemic, which has claimed more than 137,417 lives so far, according to the governments own figures.
Qureshi is posting official documents about pandemic preparation exercises he has obtained so far online.
Some of the key issues raised in the report became problems in the early weeks of the Covid pandemic. In March 2020 nurses and care workers reported chronic shortages of PPE leading to fears they were spreading the virus more than was necessary. This led to a scramble for the right equipment as deaths and cases increased.
The UK government also continued to allow people to enter the country unscreened from Covid hotspots, such as China and Italy, despite the recommendations in Exercise Alice.
Health officials involved in the 2016 coronavirus exercise believed levels of PPE were of crucial importance for frontline staff and pandemic stockpiles were suggested as a means to ensure sufficient quantities were available.
They also explicitly called for consideration of port of entry screening to restrict the spread of the virus from abroad, and for health officials to produce an options plan using extant evidence and cost benefits for quarantine versus self-isolation for a range of contact types, including symptomatic, asymptomatic and high risk groups.
The exercise also raised concerns that the UK needed better systems ready to trace the contacts of people who had the virus. They suggested a web-based tool a live database of contacts with classifications, current state and other data germane to the situation.
In the event the UK government launched its NHS test-and-trace service on 28 May 2020 more than two months after the first lockdown and long after the 1,000-a-day peak of the first wave of fatalities.
Even by the summer of 2020 Test and Trace was failing to contact thousands of people in areas with the highest infection rates in England, with the proportion of close contacts of infected people being reached far below the 80% level considered necessary for such a system to be effective.
Qureshi said: Disgracefully, the government covered up Exercise Alice a coronavirus exercise which predicted the importance of isolating patients, contact tracing, PPE provision, trained personnel and adequate NHS beds.
The fact that Covid-19 is a novel type of coronavirus is irrelevant, every pandemic is different. But the lessons of Exercise Alice were generally applicable to coronaviruses including Covid-19, they were agreed by general consensus, and both political leaders and NHS England executives failed to implement that consensus.
The report also called for the government to enter into sleeping contracts to allow rapid trials of vaccines and therapies and guidelines for how clinicians should prioritise specialist treatments, for example oxygenation.
Tessa Gregory, partner at Leigh Day, the law firm which has represented Qureshi, said the government must now disclose what follow up action was taken and why matters such as a proper working contact tracing system had not already been set up.
Pandemic planning exercises which have previously emerged have dealt with preparations for other kinds of infections. A report into the three-day Exercise Cygnus, in 2016, which was leaked to the Guardian in May 2020, revealed problems with preparations for a flu pandemic rather than coronavirus infection.
Lord Bethell, then health minister, told parliament at the time: It was a trial run for a flu pandemic, not of the kind that Covid produced, and the demands on PPE, the health sector and the care sector were more profound than the flu pandemic trials prepared us for.
Yet Exercise Alice had already concluded: There was a general consensus on the need to identify capacity and capability of assets within the health system. Assets in this context would be all resources that would be required to effectively respond to a MERS-CoV outbreak such as trained personnel, appropriate PPE in sufficient quantities and the requisite beds with suitable clinical equipment.
In 2019, a separate confidential Cabinet Office briefing warned ministers of the potentially catastrophic consequences of a pandemic, and included analysis of a viral flu.
Exercise Alice, focusing specifically on a coronavirus, adds to the weight of evidence that Covid was not a bolt from the blue.
In May, after months of defying calls from campaigners, the government finally agreed to convene a statutory public inquiry into its handling of the pandemic, saying it would begin in spring 2022.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care stressed MERS differed from SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, and said Exercise Alice was not a coronavirus pandemic preparedness exercise.
MERS-CoV does not transmit as easily as SARS-CoV-2 between people, outbreak sizes are comparatively small and the risk to individuals in the UK remains very low, they said.
The results of Exercise Alice have been incorporated into ongoing planning work conducted by DHSC, UKHSA and the NHS to respond to potential outbreaks of high consequence infectious diseases like MERS-CoV.
They added: We have always been clear that there will be opportunities to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of Covid-19, and a full statutory independent inquiry is due to begin in spring 2022.
