[News] The Coronavirus Good News thread

[Mellotron]

Oxford-Astra Covid Vaccine Review to Start in Europe



https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-30/oxford-astra-covid-vaccine-review-said-to-start-in-europe

Aaaaaand it’s started. That was quick. Perhaps the leak forced their hand a little. Anyway my understanding is that they are reviewing the Phase I/II data, but also possibly some elements of Phase III, which I don’t fully understand given the unblinding process that still needs to happen.

Regardless, this is exciting news. We are nearing a time when we should start hearing some concrete info on these first vaccine candidates and their efficacy.

https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ema-starts-first-rolling-review-covid-19-vaccine-eu

 

[DIFFBROOK]

Seems that phase 3 vaccine trials are continuing apace. Awhile back, I signed up with UK Govt to participate in a trial. Last night, Novovax - a US company that the UK Govt has an order of 60m doses contacted me to see if I would enroll. I have. No guarantees that I will be picked - although i do have Leeds hospital doctor assigned.

So, all good news that one of these vaccines will work and soon be safe enough to distribute. Light at the end of the tunnel

 

[LamieRobertson]

Triage numbers continue to fall

https://twitter.com/profkarolsikora/status/1311952337305509889?s=21

 

[Mellotron]

[TWEET]1311995617191882752[/TWEET]

 

[Mellotron]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-54375643

Coronavirus: Doctors told to plan for vaccination scheme

Doctors in the West Midlands have been told to plan for a mass coronavirus vaccination scheme from as early as November. A leaked document identifies two vaccines which are expected to be available this year. Immunising the entire population could take 10 months and will start with the most vulnerable in care homes.

Mass vaccination sites and mobile facilities are being commissioned as part of as a "fairly massive exercise".

According to the document, the two vaccines are called Ambush and Triumph. Ambush needs to be stored at -70C (-94F) and kept in hospitals due to regulations set down by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority.

The Triumph vaccine is expected to be the one developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, which can be stored at room temperature. The document says the vaccines will have to be given in two doses, 28 days apart - and this will be dependent on supply.

Speaking earlier at a Birmingham City Council Covid-19 engagement board, Paul Jennings, Chief Executive of Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said 800,000 people would be prioritised in any rollout. He said planning for the rollout had already begun, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

'Pretty massive population'

The CCG covers a population of some 1.3 million people and Mr Jennings said the immunisation programme would be "unprecedented".

"I understand the target groups will be the over 65s and vulnerable, the 50-64s who have some other feature than their age, and anyone of a BME background over the age of 18, so that's a pretty massive population for us to be thinking about," he said.

The national plan talks of focusing on care home residents and staff first and then starting with the over 80s before descending in five-year tranches to 65. High-risk adults under 65 and all those down to 50 would then take priority ahead of the rest of the population.

It is possible that volunteers will be called upon to undertake non clinical roles because of the sheer scale of the exercise. Two mass vaccination centres will also be created in Herefordshire, the BBC has heard.

About 140,000 doses are expected to be delivered to Herefordshire and Worcestershire in 14 weeks. Staffordshire is set to receive 600,000 doses and one of the vaccines is being manufactured locally at Keele University.

If you’re wondering “Why just the Midlands?”, my understanding that similar plans are nationwide, this just happens to be the area where the plans have been leaked.

 

[LamieRobertson]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-54375643

Coronavirus: Doctors told to plan for vaccination scheme



If you’re wondering “Why just the Midlands?”, my understanding that similar plans are nationwide, this just happens to be the area where the plans have been leaked.

Beats getting the Army involved nationwide which is what one MP was promoting earlier this week.....thanks for that

 

[A1X]

Beats getting the Army involved nationwide which is what one MP was promoting earlier this week.....thanks for that

You need to remember there's a small clique of MP (almost always Tory, but not exclusively) who would give the answer of "send in the army" to literally any problem. The Mark Francois' of this world.

 

[pb21]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-54375643

Coronavirus: Doctors told to plan for vaccination scheme



If you’re wondering “Why just the Midlands?”, my understanding that similar plans are nationwide, this just happens to be the area where the plans have been leaked.

This seems VERY positive to me.

 

[Mellotron]

Aaaaaand it’s started. That was quick. Perhaps the leak forced their hand a little. Anyway my understanding is that they are reviewing the Phase I/II data, but also possibly some elements of Phase III, which I don’t fully understand given the unblinding process that still needs to happen.

Regardless, this is exciting news. We are nearing a time when we should start hearing some concrete info on these first vaccine candidates and their efficacy.

https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ema-starts-first-rolling-review-covid-19-vaccine-eu

Health Canada have now announced they are beginning their pre-authorisation review into the Oxford vaccine also - I assume we’ll see lots more countries follow suit. I hope all of this means Oxford are seeing some really decent data.

 

[essbee1]

Health Canada have now announced they are beginning their pre-authorisation review into the Oxford vaccine also - I assume we’ll see lots more countries follow suit. I hope all of this means Oxford are seeing some really decent data.

The best of the best at Oxford. From all over the world.

I wasn't good enough, sadly

 

[Mellotron]

The best of the best at Oxford. From all over the world.

I wasn't good enough, sadly

Hey don’t beat yourself up. Seems like they’re pretty bloody good over there.

 

[essbee1]

Hey don’t beat yourself up. Seems like they’re pretty bloody good over there.

f*** off mellotron.

I coulda have been a contender, I could have been somebody.

 

[Peteinblack]

Most encouraging news yet!
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/hopes-grow-for-coronavirus-vaccine-by-easter-rdgkvxhgh

 

[Mellotron]

Most encouraging news yet!
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/hopes-grow-for-coronavirus-vaccine-by-easter-rdgkvxhgh

Just did the free trial to read it. Hope they’re right. I had told myself nothing prior to June/July so would be delighted if we’re moving towards some sort of normality quicker than that.

 

[highflyer]

This is an interesting, but quite nerdy, article and I am placing it here partly for the benefit of other slightly obsessive amateur epidemiologists that I know have an interest in this thread.

I think there is also a nugget of good news buried in it.

Essentially it highlights the evidence for giving much greater importance to 'superspreader' events (and possibly of individual 'superspreaders') and suggests that being able to identify and avoid such events can be far more impactful than more generalised efforts to avoid transmission.

If this is correct (and it seems to make sense to me) then the arrival of large scale, quick result testing (which we seem to be getting close to, having started already in Madrid) could have a far more significant impact on bringing infection rates down than we might have expected. Importantly, this will be true even if accuracy of these tests is lower than for the current testing methods.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/...616548/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

 

[Mellotron]

This is an interesting, but quite nerdy, article and I am placing it here partly for the benefit of other slightly obsessive amateur epidemiologists that I know have an interest in this thread.

I think there is also a nugget of good news buried in it.

Essentially it highlights the evidence for giving much greater importance to 'superspreader' events (and possibly of individual 'superspreaders') and suggests that being able to identify and avoid such events can be far more impactful than more generalised efforts to avoid transmission.

If this is correct (and it seems to make sense to me) then the arrival of large scale, quick result testing (which we seem to be getting close to, having started already in Madrid) could have a far more significant impact on bringing infection rates down than we might have expected. Importantly, this will be true even if accuracy of these tests is lower than for the current testing methods.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/...616548/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

A friend sent me this, and yes, it's a reminder that the better we understand the virus (and its' spread) the more effectively we can tackle it.

I think widespread (and rapid) testing will make a much bigger difference than some realise, if done efficiently.

 

[Mellotron]

Confirmation today in the Rio Times that more than 5,000 Brazilians have now tested the Oxford vaccine with no severe side effects reported.

 

[Mellotron]

New Zealand appear to have stamped out COVID for a second time, lifting all remaining restrictions at midnight on Wednesday.

 

[Mellotron]

Most encouraging news yet!
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/hopes-grow-for-coronavirus-vaccine-by-easter-rdgkvxhgh

I think this needs a bit more amplifying as it's pretty big news.

The Times is behind paywall, so I won't copy and paste, but to give a bit of a summary;

The Times has spoken to people working on the upcoming UK covid-19 vaccination programme.

• Aiming to complete vaccination programme from start to finish within 6 months of approval, but "could be much quicker"
• Still hoping for approval and emergency use to start around end of 2020/just before
• It will start with the over 85s and those with serious medical conditions, then move down in tranches of 5 years (over 80s, then over 75s, etc)
• As confirmed elsewhere, the EMA (Europe) and Health Canada have already been sent a fair bit of the data for review, which will speed up the move towards approval once final Phase III data is in. I'm sure we will hear of other regions requesting/receiving the data in the coming weeks
• Children will likely not (need to?) be vaccinated

 

[LamieRobertson]

https://twitter.com/sepsisuk/status/1313163867334340609?s=21