U.N. report says global shipping trade hurting in COVID-19 era

Containers are off-loaded from cargo ships at the Port of Oakland in Oakland, Calif. Thursday's report said maritime trade should rebound next year, if the global economy recovers from the impact of COVID-19. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 12 (UPI) -- A United Nations report on Thursday said the COVID-19 pandemic has put the global shipping trade in a grim position, with further dwindling revenues and interruptions in key supply chains possible if the crisis isn't controlled in the near future.

The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development said in its annual report, "Review of Maritime Transport 2020," that its forecast for maritime trade growth this year has been cut to 4.1%.

The assessment emphasized that the shipping trade had already been "pretty depressed" before the pandemic arrived.

"The sector is at a pivotal moment facing not only immediate concerns resulting from the pandemic but also longer-term considerations," the UNCTAD said, "ranging from shifts in supply-chain design and globalization patterns to changes in consumption and spending habits."

The agency added that the pandemic is also negatively influencing "global sustainability and low-carbon agenda."

"[COVID-19] has upended the landscape for maritime transport and trade and significantly affected growth prospects," the agency added. "The volume of international maritime trade [will] fall by 4.1% in 2020. Amid supply-chain disruptions, demand contractions and global economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the global economy was severely affected by a twin supply and demand shock.

"These trends unfolded against the backdrop of an already weaker 2019 that saw international maritime trade lose further momentum."

UNCTAD said the shipping sector has been forced to make sacrifices amid weaker global oil demand and tariff wars between the United States, China and the European Union.

"All in all, maritime transport and logistics kept essential goods and trade flows moving," said Shamika Sirimanne, UNCTAD Division on Technology and Logistics director. "Ships moved, ports kept open. So we should be thankful to the maritime sector that people still could buy food and medicine and essential goods in our neighborhood shops, even though we were in a very strict lockdown."

UNCTAD said it expects maritime trade to return to a positive territory in 2021 and grow by almost 5% -- but only if there is a minimum level of global economic recovery.

Thursday's report recommends the shipping industry prepare for long-term changes ushered in by the coronavirus crisis, as well as environmental concerns that have endured for years.

"The momentum of current efforts to address carbon emissions from shipping and the ongoing energy transition away from fossil fuels should be maintained," Sirimanne said.

Chinese province's dog euthanasia policy draws condemnation



Chinese officials in Yunnan Province have threatened to euthanize dogs under new guidelines that are being reviewed. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Chinese authorities in Yunnan Province are rethinking draconian penalties against dog owners as Chinese commenters say the measures are unfair.

Officials of Weixin County are under fire for threatening to euthanize dogs if owners violate strict rules and take them out for walks on a regular basis, China News Service reported Wednesday.

The county in Yunnan first issued the directive on Friday, requiring pet owners to keep their dogs at home at all times. The campaign was promoting "civilized" dog ownership, the BBC reported.

Fines were also ordered for repeat offenders. People who are apprehended the first time would be issued a warning, and then fined between $7 and$30 if they are caught a second time, the county has said.

Penalties for the third violation, ranging from pet confiscation to euthanasia, have riled commenters on Chinese social media, according to The Guardian.

Citizens also are airing their grievances to local media.

"If all forms of dog walking are prohibited in the urban area, isn't that directly equivalent to declaring a ban on dog keeping?" a Weixin resident asked.

"The dogs of the whole county shouldn't have to bear the consequences of the misbehavior of a few dog owners."

Public uproar over policies that allow for the killing of dogs has forced Weixin County to reconsider the rules. The county met over the weekend with "multiple departments" to ensure guidelines meet "urban management standards," according to China News Service.

Cities across China have guidelines for pets and their owners. In 2018, Hangzhou prohibited dog walking during daytime and banned large breeds.

Shanghai, Qingdao and Chengdu have one-dog policies, according to the BBC. In Huangshi, Hubei Province, dogs that exceed 18 inches are not allowed.

U.S. election prompts Palestinian Authority to resume relations with Israel

Protesters hold posters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a July demonstration against Israel's West Bank annexation plans. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo


Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The Palestinian Authority announced Tuesday it will resume its relationship with Israel that has been stalled since May over Israel's plans to annex the West Bank.

A Palestinian Authority spokesman said that the Palestinian Authority had been waiting for a clear position from President-elect Joe Biden to act, Haaretz reported.

The spokesman added that leadership expects Biden to be different than the Trump administration and recognize international community agreements.

U.S.-Palestinian relations were expected to improve if Biden won the election. President Donald Trump has supported the West Bank annexation plan, calling it part of a "deal of the century," for the Middle East, along with recent Arab-Israel normalization, while Biden has opposed the unilateral Israeli action.

The New York Times reported that while the Arab-Israel normalization agreement suspended annexation, Palestinians had been waiting to assure the annexation would not be carried out, and the election of Biden gave them the assurance they needed.

An Israeli defense official also said the election of Biden as U.S. president facilitated the agreement.

Palestinian Authority minister Hussein al-Sheikh announced the resumed relationship on Twitter, saying the "relationship with #Israel will return to how it was."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ended cooperation in a security agreement with Israel and the United States in May over plans to annex parts of the West Bank, and also cut civilian ties between the countries, exacerbating economic issues such as work permits and trade amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had supported the annexation of territory on the occupied West Bank, which Palestinians have counted on for a future state.

THIRD WORLD USA

Front-line health workers ask Biden for PPE, more testing, economic support

Employees picket outside the Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Calif., on May 19. Front-line COVID-19 workers told President-elect Joe Biden Wednesday they need better protections and resources to fight the pandemic. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday held a virtual roundtable with front-line healthcare workers, who say they need more help from the government to fight COVID-19.

The discussion came after the United States added another 162,000 COVID-19 cases and 1,700 deaths Tuesday -- the highest one-day death toll since May.


Participants at the roundtable called for more personal protective equipment, widespread testing, contract tracing and better economic support for Americans so they don't fear they'll lose income if they need to quarantine at home.

Mary Turner, an intensive care unit nurse and president of the Minnesota Nurses Association, told Biden that hospitals across the country are "overflowing" with coronavirus patients and they're not prepared.

"We know the right way to battle this virus but our employers and our government are not supporting us," she said. "We're trying to care for our patients despite limited supplies [and] limited staff."

Turner said nurses at her hospital are reusing single-use N95 respirators two times because there isn't enough personal protective equipment. She said she's heard there are nurses at other hospitals reusing respirators as many as 10 times, until they fall off their faces.

"We can't stay safe when we're using these kinds of standards," she said. "We need to protect our front-line workers so we can take care of you."

Earlier this month, Biden announced that his new COVID-19 advisory task force is drawn from the ranks of public health experts and scientists.

The 13-member task force (A COVEN) will be co-chaired by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Marcella Nunez-Smith, a public health expert at the Yale School of Medicine.

Other members are: Dr. Zeke Emanuel, Dr. Luciana Borio, Dr. Rick Bright, Dr. Atul Gawande, Dr. Celine Gounder, Dr. Julie Morita, Dr. Michael Osterholm, Dr. Robert Rodriguez, Dr. Eric Goosby and global health expert Loyce Pace.

Twelve of the advisory team members are medical doctors, signaling Biden's intention to follow through on promises to use a "science-based" approach to taming the coronavirus.

The health care workers on the frontlines of this pandemic are true heroes. Tune in as we thank them for their work and discuss how a Biden-Harris administration will support them. https://t.co/RpBLnot7Be— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 18, 2020

US Gallup: Life not yet 'normal' amid COVID-19, but politics driving behaviors


Masked pedestrians walk past empty tables in University City, Mo., on Tuesday. Due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page has ordered all restaurants in St. Louis County to close indoor seating. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo


Nov. 18 (UPI) -- The vast majority of Americans say their lives have not yet fully returned to normal, the way they were before COVID-19, but there's a wide political divide about the ways they're living as the crisis worsens in the United States, a Gallup survey said Wednesday.

According to the poll, 62% of respondents said their lives are "not yet back to normal" and about a third said they're "somewhat" back to normal. Just 3% said their lives are "completely" back to normal.


The survey was taken between Oct. 19 and Nov. 1, before a rapid surge in cases nationwide and two straight weeks of more than 100,000 new U.S. coronavirus cases per day.

Although almost all respondents acknowledged their lives haven't fully returned to normal -- and 70% said COVID-19 has disrupted their lives a "great deal" or "fair amount" -- the survey shows a great political divide when it comes to the ways they are behaving with the pandemic.

When it comes to interacting with people outside their homes, 78% of Democrats said they "always," "mostly" or "partially" isolate. That figure among Republicans is just 49%. In fact, the greatest share of Republicans, 32%, said they "make no attempt" to isolate.

When it comes to physically distancing, 88% of Democrats said they do it "always" or "very often." Among Republicans, the share is 52%.

"Just as Republicans are more likely than Democrats and independents to say their life is at least somewhat back to normal, so too are they more likely to say the coronavirus situation has not significantly disrupted their life," Gallup wrote. "Fifty-one percent of Republicans, 81% of Democrats and 74% of independents say the pandemic has affected their life at least a fair amount.

RELATED Gallup: More in U.S. willing to take COVID-19 vaccine than 2 months ago

"Partisanship remains the most significant driver of the public's perceptions of the disease and their behaviors in response to it."

The partisan divide can at least partly be attributed to leadership under President Donald Trump, who's never taken COVID-19 countermeasures like masks and distancing seriously, and other GOP leaders like South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and White House adviser Scott Atlas who have echoed his calls to reject health recommendations.

A Gallup survey earlier this week, however, found that more Americans say they are now willing to take a coronavirus vaccine than were two months ago.

RELATED Gallup: Fewer willing to isolate and distance, but more worry about COVID-19


Gallup polled nearly 3,000 U.S. adults for Wednesday's survey, which has a margin of error of 3 points.

TRUMP'S BASE; COVIDIOTS

40% in U.S. planning large gatherings for holidays despite COVID-19 warnings


Many Americans plan to ignore COVID-19 guidelines for holiday gatherings, a new survey has found. Photo by roxanabowgen/Pixabay

Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Nearly 40% of U.S. residents plan to participate in gatherings of 10 or more people this holiday season despite concerns over the spread of COVID-19, according to the findings of a survey released Thursday by Ohio State University.

In addition, one-third of respondents said they wouldn't ask attendees at holiday parties with family or friends to wear masks, and just over 25% indicated that they wouldn't practice social distancing, the data showed.

"We're going to look back at what happened during this holiday season and ask ourselves, 'Were we part of the solution or were we part of the problem?'" Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser, part of the team that conducted the survey, said in a statement.

"When you're gathered together around the table, engaged in conversation, sitting less than 6 feet apart with your masks down, even in a small group, that's when the spread of this virus can really happen," said Gonsenhauser, chief quality and patient safety officer at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Researchers at Ohio State surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. residents on their holiday plans in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of Thursday afternoon, nearly 10.5 million people nationally have been sickened by the virus, and more than 240,000 have died, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

In recent weeks, federal, state and local public health officials have advised against traveling or partaking in large social gatherings as the holiday season approaches to limit the risk of spreading the new coronavirus to vulnerable loved ones.

At the very least, they've asked that gatherings not happen without wearing a mask and practicing social distancing, or staying 6 feet apart.

Those at risk for severe COVID-19 include the elderly, as well as those with diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, all of which are common across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, 38% of respondents to the Ohio State survey indicated they would host or attend a gathering with 10 or more people during the holidays and 33% would not ask others to wear masks, the researchers said.

However, 73% of respondents said they would practice social distancing during the holidays and 79% suggested that they would celebrate or gather only with people with whom they live, the data showed.

Just over 80% indicated that they would ask family and friends invited to events not to come if they had symptoms of COVID-19.

"If you have someone in your household who's high risk and you're in a low incidence area, you're going to want to think twice about having a celebration where people are coming from an area where there's a lot of virus in the community," Gonsenhauser said.

VACCINE NEWS CHINA/OXFORD

Chinese COVID-19 vaccine said to show promise in early clinical trials

A COVID-19 vaccine in China produces an immune response in early clinical trials, according to research published Tuesday. Photo by huntlh/Pixabay

Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A vaccine against COVID-19 developed in China safely produces antibodies against the virus in 92% of the people who receive it, according to a study published Tuesday by The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Still, antibody levels among participants receiving the shot, called CoronaVac, were lower than those seen in patients who have recovered following infection, the researchers said.

The trial was not designed to assess the effectiveness of the vaccine, however, and those studies are ongoing, they said.

"Our findings show that CoronaVac is capable of inducing a quick antibody response within four weeks of immunization by giving two doses of the vaccine at a 14-day interval," study co-author Fengcai Zhu said in a statement.

"We believe that this makes the vaccine suitable for emergency use during the pandemic," said Zhu, a researcher with the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Nanjing, China.

The findings are the latest to fuel hopes that a viable vaccine against COVID-19 will become available in the short-term.

In recent days, both Pfizer and Moderna have released positive, preliminary results with their respective vaccines. More than 120 potential vaccines are being evaluated, and 48 are in clinical trials.

CoronaVac is a chemically inactivated whole virus vaccine based on a strain of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, originally was isolated from a patient in China.

In this phase 1/2, two-part clinical trial -- the first stage of the evaluation process -- researchers administered CoronaVac to more than 700 healthy volunteers ages 18 to 59 in China between April 16 and May 5.

No participant had a history of COVID-19 infection, had not traveled to areas with high incidence of the disease and did not have signs of fever at the time the vaccine was administered, the researchers said.

In both parts of the trial, participants were split into two groups to receive one of two vaccination schedules -- either two injections 14 days apart or two injections 28 days apart.

Within each of the two groups, participants were randomly assigned to receive either a low dose of the vaccine -- 3 micrograms -- or a high dose -- 6 mcg.

Antibody responses -- proteins produced by the immune system to fight off viruses -- could be induced within 28 days of the first immunization by giving two doses of the vaccine at the lower dose 14 days apart, the data showed.

In the phase 1 portion of the study, the vaccine produced an immune response in 46% of participants, a figure that more than doubled to just over 92% during the second phase.

The vaccine used in the second phase of the study was produced using a different manufacturing process that may have enabled it to produce a stronger immune response, researchers said.

Participants in all dosing schedules and levels reported similar side effects, with pain at the injection site the most common.

Most of the reported side effects were mild and participants recovered within 48 hours.

CoronaVac can be stored in a standard refrigerator at 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, which is "typical for many existing vaccines including flu," and can remain in storage for up to three years, according to study co-author Dr. Gang Zeng, of China-based Sinovac Biotech, which makes the vaccine.

upi.com/7055828


'Oxford' COVID-19 vaccine found to be safe in clinical trials

A new study has found the "Oxford" COVID-19 vaccine is safe, particularly in older adults. Photo by marcolohpsoares/Pixabay

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A COVID-19 vaccine under development in England safely promotes an immune response against the virus, particularly in elderly recipients, a study published Thursday by The Lancet found.

The study's 560 healthy adult participants included 240 people over age 70, according to the researchers.

That the vaccine was found to be safer in older adults than in younger people is significant, given they are at increased risk for severe illness from the new coronavirus, the researchers said.

"The robust ... responses seen in older people in our study are encouraging [because] the populations at greatest risk of serious COVID-19 disease include people with existing health conditions and older adults," study co-author Dr Maheshi Ramasamy said in a press release.

"We hope that this means our vaccine will help to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society, but further research will be needed before we can be sure," said Ramasamy, a professor at the University of Oxford, which is leading the research.

The so-called "Oxford vaccine," formally known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and developed in conjunction with drugmaker AstraZeneca, is one of more than 120 being evaluated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To date, 48 of these vaccines have gotten into in clinical trials to assess their safety and effectiveness.

The study published Thursday is a Phase 2, which is the second stage of research and development for a drug or vaccine. Phase 2 trials evaluate the safety of a product, but not necessarily the effectiveness.

Phase 3 trials are ongoing to confirm the new results -- as well as how effective the vaccine is in protecting against infection with COVID-19 -- in a broader range of people, including older adults with underlying health conditions, according to Oxford.

For the current study, researchers enrolled 560 participants -- 160 ages 18 to 55, 160 ages 56 to 69 and 240 ages 70 and older.

Study participants received either the vaccine at a low or standard dose or a placebo, the researchers said.

In addition, participants age 55 and older were given either a single dose of vaccine or two doses 28 days apart.

The vaccine induced antibodies against the new coronavirus 28 days after a single low or standard dose across all age groups, the researchers said.

After the booster dose of the vaccine, antibody levels increased at day 56 of the trial, irrespective of dose or participant age.

By 14 days after the booster dose, 208 of the 209 participants who received it had neutralizing antibody responses, which means their immune systems were producing cells called antibodies to fight off the virus, according to the researchers.

Side effects to the vaccine were less common in older adults than in younger adults. Symptoms such as temporary pain, tenderness, redness and swelling at the site of the injection occurred in 88% of participants ages 18 to 55 and 66% of those ages 56 and older, the data showed.

Within seven days of injection, 86% of 18-to-55-year-olds developed systemic symptoms, such as temporary fatigue, headache, malaise, fever and muscle aches, as opposed 70% in those over age 56.

Participants will continue to be monitored for any serious adverse events for one year following final vaccination, the researchers said.

Other COVID-19 vaccines have also been shown to generate immune responses in older adults -- including the Moderna mRNA vaccine -- while others have yielded lower responses in older adults, the Oxford researchers said.

This latter group of vaccines includes the CanSino single dose adenovirus-vector vaccine, the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine and the SinoPharm/Beijing Institute of Biological Products inactivated viral vaccine, they said.

"The World Health Organization has outlined a number of critical factors for COVID-19 vaccines, including that they must be targeted at the most at-risk groups, including older adults. They must also be safe ... and provide at least six months of protection," study co-author Sarah Gilbert said in a statement.

"Our new study answers some of these questions about protecting older adults, but questions remain about effectiveness and length of protection," said Gilbert, a professor at the University of Oxford.

The Lancet: Phase 2 trial of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine in healthy older adults finds it is safe and provokes immune response

Older adults are at a disproportionate risk of severe COVID-19 disease, so it is essential that any vaccine adopted for use against SARS-CoV-2 is effective in this group

THE LANCET

Research News

 

Peer-reviewed / Randomised Controlled Trial / People

**There will be a UK Science Media Centre briefing at 10.15am UK time on Thursday 19th November about this study. Please see details in notes to editors**

• Older adults are at a disproportionate risk of severe COVID-19 disease, so it is essential that any vaccine adopted for use against SARS-CoV-2 is effective in this group
• Study of 560 healthy adults - including 240 over the age of 70 years - presents preliminary findings on safety and immune responses of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine
• Results show that the vaccine is better tolerated in older people compared to younger adults, and produces a similar immune response in old and young adults
• Authors note that their new findings could be encouraging if the immune responses found in their study are associated with protection against infection with SARS-CoV-2, but this study did not assess efficacy and phase 3 trials are ongoing to confirm this.

The UK's vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 shows similar safety and immunogenicity results in healthy older adults (aged 56 years and over) to those seen in adults aged 18-55 years. The promising early stage results are published in The Lancet.

The phase 2 trial finds that the vaccine causes few side effects, and induces immune responses in both parts of the immune system in all age groups and at low and standard dose - provoking a T cell response within 14 days of the first dose of vaccination (ie, a cellular immune response, it could find and attack cells infected with the virus), and an antibody response within 28 days of the booster dose of vaccination (ie, humoral immune response, it could find and attack the virus when it was circulating in the blood or lymphatic system). Phase 3 trials are ongoing to confirm these results - as well as how effective the vaccine is in protecting against infection with SARS-CoV-2 - in a broader range of people, including older adults with underlying health conditions.

Study lead author Professor Andrew Pollard, University of Oxford, UK, says: "Immune responses from vaccines are often lessened in older adults because the immune system gradually deteriorates with age, which also leaves older adults more susceptible to infections. As a result, it is crucial that COVID-19 vaccines are tested in this group who are also a priority group for immunisation." [1]

Co-author Dr Maheshi Ramasamy, University of Oxford, UK, adds: "The robust antibody and T-cell responses seen in older people in our study are encouraging. The populations at greatest risk of serious COVID-19 disease include people with existing health conditions and older adults. We hope that this means our vaccine will help to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society, but further research will be needed before we can be sure." [1]

The new study is the fifth published clinical trial of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 tested in an older adult population. Other COVID-19 vaccines have also been shown to generate immune responses in older adults, but it can be difficult to compare results between different studies. One study has shown similar immune responses in young and old adults (Moderna mRNA vaccine), while other trials have suggested lower measured responses in older adults, compared to younger adults receiving the same vaccine (CanSino single dose adenovirus-vector vaccine, Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine, and SinoPharm/Beijing Institute of Biological Products inactivated viral vaccine).

In the phase 2 trial published today, 560 participants (160 aged 18-55 years, 160 aged 56-69 years, and 240 aged 70 or over) were split into 10 groups [2] where they received either the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine at a low or standard dose, or a control vaccine (the meningococcal conjugate vaccine). Participants aged over 55 years were also split into groups and either given a single dose of vaccine, or two doses 28 days apart.

Study recruitment occurred during a national lockdown in the UK when vulnerable individuals were advised to self-isolate. For this reason, the study includes only healthy participants and not those with co-morbidities or who are frail. Before receiving the vaccine, all participants had a blood test to determine if they had previously been infected with SARS-CoV-2. Those who had antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 were excluded, except for 18-55-year-olds in the standard dose double vaccine groups.

Following vaccination, participants were observed for a minimum of 15 minutes in case of any immediate adverse events, and participants recorded any adverse events for seven days afterwards. Participants will continue to be monitored for any serious adverse events for one year following final vaccination (the year long data are not yet available).

Participants aged 18-55 years who received two standard doses of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine and all participants aged 56 years or over had their immune responses assessed on the day of vaccination, then 1, 2 and 4 weeks after their first and second vaccination.

Adverse reactions to the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine were mild (the most common effects were injection-site pain and tenderness, fatigue, headache, feverishness and muscle pain), but more common than seen with the control vaccine. Thirteen serious adverse events occurred in the six months since the first dose was given, none of which were related to either study vaccine.

Adverse effects were less common in older adults than in younger adults (within seven days of one standard dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, local symptoms such as temporary pain, tenderness, redness, and swelling at the site of the injection occurred in 88%, 43/49 18-55 year olds, 73%, 22/30 56-69 year olds, and 61%, 30/49 people aged 70 or over. Within 7 days of injection, systemic symptoms such as temporary fatigue, headache, malaise, feverishness, and muscle aches occurred in 86%, 42/49 18-55 year olds, 77%, 23/30 56-69 year olds, and 65%, 32/49 people aged 70 or over), and similar levels of local symptoms were seen after the first and booster doses of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine in older adults, while there were few systemic symptoms following the booster dose.

The COVID-19 vaccine had similar immunogenicity across all age groups after a boost dose.

The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine induced antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and receptor binding domain 28 days after a single low or standard dose across all age groups. Following the booster dose of the vaccine, antibody levels increased at day 56 of the trial, irrespective of dose or participant age. The same was seen with levels of neutralising antibodies at day 42, two weeks after the booster vaccine dose. By 14 days after the boost dose, 208 of 209 (more than 99%) participants (selected from participants of all ages and doses) had neutralising antibody responses.

T cell responses against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein peaked 14 days after first vaccination, regardless of age and low or standard vaccine dose.

Co-author, Professor Sarah Gilbert, University of Oxford, UK, says: "The WHO has outlined a number of critical factors for COVID-19 vaccines, including that they must be targeted at the most at-risk groups including older adults. They must also be safe, effective in preventing disease and/or transmission, and provide at least six months of protection for people frequently exposed to the virus - such as healthcare workers. Our new study answers some of these questions about protecting older adults, but questions remain about effectiveness and length of protection, and we need to confirm our results in older adults with underlying conditions to ensure that our vaccine protects those most at risk of severe COVID-19 disease." [1]

The authors note some limitations to their study, including that the participants in the oldest age group had an average age of 73-74 years and few underlying health conditions, so may not be representative of the general older population, including those living in residential care settings or over 80 years of age. Larger studies are now underway to evaluate immunogenicity, safety and efficacy in older adults with a wider range of comorbidities. Lastly, the authors note that almost all participants of all ages were white and non-smokers, and may not be representative of the general population, but people from a range of backgrounds, countries and ethnicities are being included in the phase 3 trial of this vaccine.

Writing in a linked Comment, lead author Dr Melissa Andrew, Dalhousie University, Canada, who was not involved in the study, says: "It is encouraging that more studies in older adult populations are underway and will hopefully bring opportunities to implement nuanced analyses of how underlying health status and frailty affect vaccine safety, reactogenicity, immunogenicity, and efficacy in older adults in real-world settings. Older adults (across the full spectrum of frailty) and those who care about them are eagerly awaiting this progress towards safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines."

###

NOTES TO EDITORS

This study was funded by UK Research and Innovation, National Institutes for Health Research (NIHR), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Thames Valley and South Midlands NIHR Clinical Research Network, and AstraZeneca. A full list of the authors and their institutions is available in the paper.

The labels have been added to this press release as part of a project run by the Academy of Medical Sciences seeking to improve the communication of evidence. For more information, please see: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AMS-press-release-labelling-system-GUIDANCE.pdf if you have any questions or feedback, please contact The Lancet press office pressoffice@lancet.com

[1] Quote direct from author and cannot be found in the text of the Article.

[2] See figure 1 for full detail. 300 participants were enrolled to the low-dose cohort, and 260 to the standard-dose cohort.

In the low-dose cohort, there were 100 18-55 year olds (50 in the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine group, and 50 in the two-dose control group), 80 56-69 year olds (30 in the one-dose COVID-19 vaccine group, 10 in the one-dose control group, 30 in the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine group, and 10 in the two-dose control group), and 120 people aged over 70 (50 in the one-dose COVID-19 vaccine group, 10 in the one-dose control group, 50 in the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine group, and 10 in the two-dose control group).

In the standard-dose cohort, there were 60 18-55 year olds (50 in the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine group, and 10 in the two-dose control group), 80 56-69 year olds (30 in the one-dose COVID-19 vaccine group, 10 in the one-dose control group, 30 in the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine group, and 10 in the two-dose control group), and 120 people aged over 70 (50 in the one-dose COVID-19 vaccine group, 10 in the one-dose control group, 50 in the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine group, and 10 in the two-dose control group).

For interviews with the Article author, please contact the University of Oxford press office: E) news.office@admin.ox.ac.uk T) +44 (0) 1865 280528

Please be aware, due to limited availability, the authors are not available for comment prior to the embargo lifting. They will be available for further questions at a UK Science Media Centre briefing at 10.15am UK time on Thursday 19th November. To register to attend, please contact Fiona Lethbridge: lethbridge@sciencemediacentre.org

UN launches fund to support global sanitation and hygiene

Jonathan Pasley turns on the water to wash his hands with cold water and no soap at a station hooked up to a fire hydrant for those on the street during the COVID-19 pandemic. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A U.N.-backed fund launched Tuesday aims to address the need for basic hand-washing and hygiene facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, a U.N.-hosted organization to improve global sanitation, hygiene and menstrual health, launched the fund in a Twitter video message.

Launch event moderator and international broadcaster Zeinab Badawi, who introduced U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed during the video said that The Sanitation and Hygiene Fund is a "fundamental, social and human right."

The Sanitation and Hygiene Fund is especially needed "as we are in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic," Badawi added.

More than 4 billion people around the world lack access to basic sanitation and hygiene facilities and menstrual health services, including over 3 billion who lack access to hand-washing facilities with water and soap at home to control the coronavirus, according to the United Nations.

The WSSCC has launched the fund as part of its sustainable development goals as "many of the world's most serious diseases stem from poor sanitation and hygiene," a U.N. statement said.

Mohammed said in the video message sustainability development goals, such as water and sanitation, were already falling short before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic has exacerbated the problem.

Water and sanitation services are "critical to the response that we want to see, first, because it is about human dignity; second it is a health issue," Mohammed said in regard to pandemic recovery.

The U.N. Office for Project Services hosts the fund, which is designed as a global financing mechanism to provide accelerated funding to countries in the most need. Expanding access to sanitation and hygiene facilities in the household, school and healthcare facilities, and ensuring menstrual health services are among the key goals of the fund, which aims to raise $2 billion over the next five years to support its efforts.

U.N. Children's Fund Executive Director Henrietta Fore called sanitation and hygiene "a great equalizer for children," in a U.N. statement.

"During a lockdown, how do you cope with the fact that your household does not have a toilet? This is particularly difficult for girls and women. If everyone had access to sanitation and hygiene in households, in their school, in their health facilities and communities, it would make an enormous difference in our world," Fore said.

"Good sanitation has to be a public good," Fore added. "Governments have to own the fact that sanitation is their problem to solve, and that they have ways to solve it."


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Overt bias, systemic racism may explain elevated COVID-19 risk in parts of U.S.


Overt and systemic racism have contributed to higher COVID-19 case rates in Black communities in the U.S. than White ones, according to new research.

 File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo


Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Overt and systemic racism may explain at least some of the elevated COVID-19 case counts in parts of the United States, according to an analysis published Wednesday by PLOS ONE.

Researchers at Texas A&M University used data from Project Implicit, a Harvard University-led reporting system for bias incidents worldwide, areas with high levels of explicit and implicit racism were more likely to have higher case numbers than others, the data showed.

The reason for this apparent relationship is that bias likely serves as a barrier preventing racial and ethnic minorities from getting access to quality healthcare, the researchers said.

As a result, many people of color and other minorities have underlying health conditions that place them at increased risk for infection and severe disease from COVID-19.

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"There is a growing body of evidence that suggests racial and ethnic minorities are more affected by severe illness from COVID-19 compared to White Americans," study co-author George B. Cunningham told UPI.

"Even when taking into account the demographics and health of the county residents, we found that implicit and explicit racism contributed to COVID-19 cases ... even beyond demographic and other health measures," said Cunningham, a professor of health and kinesiology at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

Black and Hispanic people in the United States are up to twice as likely as White people to experience severe COVID-19, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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In addition, studies suggest that Black people and other racial and ethnic minorities are at increased risk for infection.

That people in these communities are more likely to be "essential workers," based on recent data -- meaning they still had to commute to and be at work during the pandemic -- explains some of these disparities.

People of color also are more likely to have underlying health conditions -- diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure -- that raise their risk for severe COVID-19, according to Cunningham and his colleagues.

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However, these trends do not tell the full story, they said.

"When we look at racial attitudes ... we are tapping into systemic forms of racism that give rise to racially biased structures and processes," Cunningham said. "These biases affect many outcomes, including religion, business, criminal justice and, in this case, health and well-being."

For the study, the researchers reviewed data on COVID-19 cases and deaths between Jan. 22 and Aug. 31 -- and information on racial attitudes reported to Project Impact -- for 817 counties across the United States.

These counties represent about 25% of all counties nationally, the researchers said.

The higher the Black population in a county, the more COVID-19 cases and deaths there, the data showed.

In addition, counties with more explicit and implicit racial attitudes had more cases of the disease, according to the researchers.

Explicit racial attitudes are "those of which people are aware and that they consciously, deliberately maintain," while implicit racial attitudes are "automatic" responses to racial and ethnic differences, the researchers said.

"Our findings contribute to the growing research base showing that racism and racial inequalities can and do affect health, and the first step is to acknowledge this reality and then, take steps to address it," Cunningham said.

"An easy place to start is for healthcare providers and professionals to participate in training and awareness programs, [while] structurally, there is a need to address access to care, quality of care and other systemic conditions that contribute to health disparities," he said.

Lake ice destabilized by climate change linked to increase in youth drownings


Freeze-thaw events caused by warm spells during winter can increase the risk of drowning. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Wintertime drownings among children and young adults are on the rise in many parts of the world, and new research suggests climate change and the destabilization of ice in frozen lakes and ponds are to blame.

For the study, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One, researchers compared temperature and precipitation patterns with the timing of 4,000 drownings in 10 different countries, including Canada, Russia, Finland, Germany, Sweden, and the United States.

The data showed warming winter air temperatures accurately predicted increases in wintertime drownings.

"We used statistical models to relate the winter drownings per capita to mean winter air temperature," lead study author Sapna Sharma told UPI in an email.

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"An exponential model was the best fit when analyzing all of the countries and years together, as we found that there were five-fold more winter drownings as mean winter air temperatures approached zero degrees Celsius," said Sharma, a professor in the biology department at York University in Toronto.

The data showed Canada, where many residents use frozen lakes for hunting, fishing, skating and other recreational activities, was home to the highest number of wintertime drownings.

A close examination of the link between weather patterns and the risk of wintertime drownings in the Canadian territories showed drownings were most likely when air temperatures were between negative five and zero degrees Celsius.

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When temperatures began climbing north of zero, researchers found the rate of drownings declines, most likely because ice instability became more obvious to users.

While air temperatures have the greatest influence on ice-on, ice-off, freeze-thaw events and ice thickness, Sharma said rain and heavy snows can also destabilize the ice on lakes and ponds, increasing the risk of wintertime drownings.

The research showed that winters have become milder over the last 30 years, increasing the risk of wintertime drownings in many parts of the world.

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Sharma said the increase in the risk of wintertime drowning is greatest "in regions where ice is used a lot for recreation and subsistence, where winters are warming the fastest, and there aren't strong local regulations letting people know whether the ice is safe to use" -- places like Canada, the United States, Latvia, Estonia and Sweden.

Despite the warming effects of climate change, most places where people use ice for recreation and subsistence remain cold enough to host thick and stable ice throughout the heart of winter. During winter's shoulder months, in December or March, however, the risk of drowning increases.

Even as cold weather persists into the early spring, global warming has increased the odds of warm spells arriving earlier than usual. It's this variability, the mix of cold and warm weather, that can prove dangerous for ice-users.

"A warm spell in the middle of winter weakens the structural integrity of the ice," Sharma said. "Warm temperatures and bright sunny days or rain events will even further decrease the stability of the ice."

Researchers hope policy makers will take note of their findings and take steps to inform citizens about the risks of wintertime drownings.

"Understanding that climate change has had a large influence on ice through later ice-on, earlier ice-off, freeze-thaw events and thinner ice will hopefully help individuals when deciding whether the ice is safe for use," Sharma said. "Winter safety components in swimming lessons for children and teens could help mitigate the risk."