[News] The Coronavirus Good News thread

[Marshy]

OK, so I know infection rates are on the rise if that's more testing or whatever.....however at BSUH...

Operational update

We currently have 0 inpatients with Covid-19 in the trust

 

[driller]

 

[LamieRobertson]

Novavax and Johnson & Johnson entering Phase 3 trials this week means there are now 11 Covid vaccines in large scale phase 3 trials.

https://twitter.com/coronavirusgoo1/status/1309443685361299459?s=21

J&J has distinct advantages of;

~ single shot (no booster required)
~ not required to be temp controlled
~ excellent phase 1 results

 

[Postman Pat]

Novavax and Johnson & Johnson entering Phase 3 trials this week means there are now 11 Covid vaccines in large scale phase 3 trials.

https://twitter.com/coronavirusgoo1/status/1309443685361299459?s=21

J&J has distinct advantages of;

~ single shot (no booster required)
~ not required to be temp controlled
~ excellent phase 1 results

Ten thousand UK volunteers will from today (Friday 25 September) be invited to join a leading phase 3 coronavirus vaccine trial, as the number of people who have signed up to take part in research hits 250,000.

The Phase 3 study will test the safety and effectiveness of a promising new vaccine, developed by US biotechnology company Novavax, across a broad spectrum of people, including those from a variety age groups and backgrounds. Phase 3 studies involve many thousands of people, giving researchers insights into the effects of a vaccine on a much larger population than phase 1 and 2 studies.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/10000-uk-volunteers-to-take-part-in-new-covid-19-vaccine-trials

 

[DIFFBROOK]

I joined up for this. Got my e-mail outlining the procedure from now - but no guarantees of being called up.

Ten thousand UK volunteers will from today (Friday 25 September) be invited to join a leading phase 3 coronavirus vaccine trial, as the number of people who have signed up to take part in research hits 250,000.

The Phase 3 study will test the safety and effectiveness of a promising new vaccine, developed by US biotechnology company Novavax, across a broad spectrum of people, including those from a variety age groups and backgrounds. Phase 3 studies involve many thousands of people, giving researchers insights into the effects of a vaccine on a much larger population than phase 1 and 2 studies.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/10000-uk-volunteers-to-take-part-in-new-covid-19-vaccine-trials

 

[Mellotron]

I joined up for this. Got my e-mail outlining the procedure from now - but no guarantees of being called up.

Same.

 

[Mellotron]

Spain appear to be flattening their second curve, even dipping in a number of places. Will post graphs later.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I joined up for this. Got my e-mail outlining the procedure from now - but no guarantees of being called up.

Same.

Thanks very much, both of you.

 

[saulth]

Japanese firm launches world's first UV lamp that safely kills coronavirus

Major light-maker Ushio Inc. has recently launched an ultraviolet lamp that can kill the coronavirus without harming human health — the first of its kind in the world.

The Care 222 UV lamp, which Ushio developed together with Columbia University, is expected to be used for disinfection in spaces where people keep going in and out and the risk of contracting the deadly virus is high, such as on buses, trains and elevators and in offices, the company said.

UV lamps have been widely used as an effective means of sterilization, notably in the medical and food-processing industries. But conventional UV rays cannot be used in spaces where there are people, as they cause skin cancer and eye problems.

Ushio’s new lamp, however, emits UV rays with a wavelength of 222 nanometers, as opposed to the conventional 254-nanometer wavelength, making them lethal to germs but benign to humans.

At this particular wavelength, the firm said, UV rays cannot breach the surface of the skin nor the eyes to bring about cancer-causing genetic defects and other damage.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/09/22/national/japan-first-uv-lamp-kills-coronavirus/

 

[saulth]

This thing sounds very promising.

OncoImmune’s SACCOVID™ (CD24Fc) Exhibits Superb Therapeutic Efficacy—A Potential Breakthrough in Treating Severe and Critical COVID-19

Those who were treated with SACCOVID™ and corticosteroids recovered 10 days earlier than those who received corticosteroids and placebo (median time to recovery 5 days vs 15 days)

https://www.biospace.com/article/re...ugh-in-treating-severe-and-critical-covid-19/

 

[Mellotron]

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine produces strong immune response in early trial

A single dose of Johnson & Johnson's JNJ.N experimental COVID-19 vaccine produced a strong immune response against the novel coronavirus in an early-to-mid stage clinical trial, according to interim results published on Friday.

The vaccine, called Ad26.COV2.S, was equally well-tolerated at two different doses, the results showed. A single shot, versus a rival two-dose approach being tested by Moderna Inc MRNA.O and Pfizer Inc PFE.N, could simplify distribution of the vaccine.

The results, released on the medical website medRxiv, have not been peer-reviewed. (bit.ly/2G3Ni1X)

Researchers, including those from J&J’s unit Janssen Pharmaceuticals, said 98% of participants with data available for the interim analysis had neutralizing antibodies, which defend cells from pathogens, 29 days after vaccination.

“Overall, the vaccine is doing what you would expect it to do if you were to move it to Phase 3 trials,” Bloom said.

 

[Postman Pat]

Coronavirus: Vitamin D reduces infection and impact of COVID-19, studies find

People are being urged to take a vitamin D supplement to reduce their risk of becoming infected with COVID-19.

Patients with sufficient levels of vitamin D are less likely to experience complications and die from COVID-19, according to a new study in the US, while another has found it also reduces infection rates.

Vitamin D sufficiency was linked with a significantly decreased level of inflammatory markets, and higher blood levels of immune cells, in new research from Boston University's school of medicine.

The higher levels of lymphocytes were tied to the reduction in*cytokine storms*- the release of too many proteins into the blood too quickly - which is one of the ways the*coronavirus*infections can kill.

In patients older than 40, those who had sufficient levels of vitamin D were more than 51% less likely to die than patients who were deficient.

According to Dr Michael Holick, who recently published another study finding that sufficient vitamin D can reduce the risk of catching the coronavirus by 54%, the vitamin can also help against other viruses affecting the upper respiratory tract

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...-19-studies-find-12081132?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Dynamic Change of COVID-19 Seroprevalence among Asymptomatic Population in Tokyo during the Second Wave

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.21.20198796v1

 

[Mellotron]

Dynamic Change of COVID-19 Seroprevalence among Asymptomatic Population in Tokyo during the Second Wave

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.21.20198796v1

This appears to suggest the proportion of infected who are asymptomatic has risen quite markedly through the timeline of the disease in Tokyo.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

This appears to suggest the proportion of infected who are asymptomatic has risen quite markedly through the timeline of the disease in Tokyo.

Yes. It's a very interesting idea. Hard to know though whether that's due to different demographics affected in the first and second wave, changes in behaviour from different groups or whether the virus is mutating. The last point on mutation seems unlikely given most research.

 

[LamieRobertson]

A single dose of Johnson & Johnson's JNJ.N experimental COVID-19 vaccine produced a strong immune response against the novel coronavirus in an early-to-mid stage clinical trial, according to interim results published on Friday.

The vaccine, called Ad26.COV2.S, was equally well-tolerated at two different doses, the results showed. A single shot, versus a rival two-dose approach being tested by Moderna Inc MRNA.O and Pfizer Inc PFE.N, could simplify distribution of the vaccine.

The results, released on the medical website medRxiv, have not been peer-reviewed. (bit.ly/2G3Ni1X)

Researchers, including those from J&J’s unit Janssen Pharmaceuticals, said 98% of participants with data available for the interim analysis had neutralizing antibodies, which defend cells from pathogens, 29 days after vaccination.

“Overall, the vaccine is doing what you would expect it to do if you were to move it to Phase 3 trials,” Bloom said.

Surely not.............

 

[dingodan]

Yes. It's a very interesting idea. Hard to know though whether that's due to different demographics affected in the first and second wave, changes in behaviour from different groups or whether the virus is mutating. The last point on mutation seems unlikely given most research.

It makes sense that the demographic has changed, I'm sure older/vulnerable people have stayed careful ever since this started, while younger less vulnerable people have tried to get back to normal and infection rates in that population have increased. Similar thing here I expect, the number of younger people, students for example, being infected has gone up recently which will bring the ratio of serious cases down even though infection rates are increasing.

One positive out of this is that there will be some degree of heard immunity developing, not total heard immunity, but every youngish person who has got it and recovered will become a firewall for the older people around them. That's actually what was meant when heard immunity was first mentioned. It wasn't that it was a "policy", it was just that it would eventually be an outcome as this thing passes through more of the population.

 

[Mellotron]

The phrase “game-changing” should be banned due to overuse, but it’s still good news and indicates that we are moving towards a time of rapid testing, which will make a difference.

New coronavirus swab test could tell if you have Covid in 15 minutes

A new “game-changing” coronavirus swab test could tell if you have the bug within 15 minutes.

Developed by British scientists, the £1.50 test works on saliva or blood and is able to detect particles of the coronavirus.

Project leader Stephen Bustin, Professor of molecular medicine at Anglia Ruskin University, is a leading expert in quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

He said the throat and nose swab could give a "robust and reliable" response on whether a patient has the virus.

Prof Bustin said: "The test works on nucleic acid, so any biological sample will do. SARS is usually detected in nose or throat swabs.

"So that is what we have used for its validation. But it also works with saliva samples and would work with blood - although blood is not used for Covid testing."

Prof Bustin added: "The estimated reagent cost would be about £1.50 per PCR sample."

The swabs detect three viral targets and Prof Bustin says this makes it more reliable than other tests that just look at one.

The experts tested the swab on 30 patients and found that it was 100 per cent accurate.

Professor Bustin said: "A patient could feasibly take our test, wait in isolation, and receive results in less than 20 minutes.

"This would in turn prevent the laboratory backlog that is currently hampering efforts to stop the virus circulating in our community."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12764719/game-changing-coronavirus-test-15-minutes-costs-1-50/

 

[spoonie]

Brighton confirmed cases of Covid have been coming down over the few days last reporting date of 23rd September our cases are 8.3 per 100,000 that compares 52.3 per 100,000 people over the last 7 days for the rest of the county. Also compare this to Germany who are considered to be doing really well and where they are opening more and more things safely they are currently 14.7. Keep up the good work everyone !

 

[LamieRobertson]

[tweet]1310508755684077568[/tweet]

Triage continues to drop which is hopefully a positive factor