TOPLINE Pfizer and BioNTech said Thursday that research shows taking a third dose of their vaccine as a booster protects even more against Covid-19, including the Delta variant, and will ask the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization for the shot within the next several weeks.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



A study not yet released by the companies shows that a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine six months after the second dose protected people against the original strain of Covid-19 as well as the Beta variant.



After six months, the companies’ two-dose vaccine loses some of its ability to protect against getting Covid-19 and developing symptoms, although it continues to work well against preventing severe Covid-19, the companies said, referencing data from their studies and from the health ministry in Israel, which has a highly vaccinated population and has recently seen a wave of the Delta variant spread.



After taking the booster shot, antibodies against the original and Beta variants were “five to 10 times higher,” the companies said in a press release.



The companies believe a booster shot would also increase protection against the Delta variant based on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03693-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a&nbsp;Nature&nbsp;study</a>&nbsp;which they said suggests that the two-dose vaccine is effective against the variant.



Pfizer and BioNTech in August will launch a trial of a vaccine specifically targeting the Delta variant.



The companies said they will send the data to the FDA “in the coming weeks” for its application for emergency authorization and that they will publish the data in a peer-reviewed journal.



They will also send the data to the European Medicines Agency, which regulates drugs in the European Union, and “in discussion with EU and other regions” about emergency authorizations, a spokesperson said.



A separate study published Thursday in&nbsp;JAMA Oncology&nbsp;found the vaccine was found to be&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2781608?guestAccessKey=a006b52c-6abf-414d-b0b9-b57946450d20&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=070821" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">safe for cancer patients</a>, although most didn’t develop antibodies until after their second dose, and 14% didn’t develop the antibodies at all.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



The FDA, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/development-approval-process-cber" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in charge</a>&nbsp;of approving vaccines,&nbsp;<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E50SoxnXEAMvs9c.png" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">released a statement</a>&nbsp;with the CDC Thursday night that appeared to respond to Pfizer and BioNTech’s news. “Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time,” it said. Both agencies and the National Institutes of Health, the statement continued, are researching “whether or when a booster might be necessary.”&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



Whether booster shots work, and how well, is important because scientists expect that vaccines will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/15/when-will-you-need-a-covid-booster-shot-pfizer-monitors-breakthrough-infections-as-experts-say-more-data-is-needed/?sh=1068ed587f69">lose strength over time</a>. Because the pace of vaccination is so unequal—globally, just&nbsp;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-people-vaccinated-covid?time=2020-12-02..2021-07-07&amp;country=~OWID_WRL" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">one in four people</a>&nbsp;have received at least one vaccine dose; in the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/08/at-least-15-states-wont-reach-70-vaccination-goal-until-2022-or-even-later-at-current-pace/?sh=46a2691532b8">at least 15 states</a>&nbsp;are not on pace to partially or fully vaccinate 70% of residents until 2022—some people are likely to need booster shots before others get their first dose.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://investors.biontech.de/news-releases/news-release-details/pfizer-and-biontech-provide-update-booster-program-light-delta" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pfizer and BioNTech Provide Update on Booster Program in Light of the Delta-Variant</a>&nbsp;(BioNTech)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/05/18/96-of-people-develop-covid-antibodies-after-just-one-shot-of-pfizer-or-astrazeneca-vaccine-uk-study-finds/?sh=30b7f66699b9">96% Of People Develop Covid Antibodies After Just One Shot Of Pfizer Or AstraZeneca Vaccine, UK Study Finds</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/15/when-will-you-need-a-covid-booster-shot-pfizer-monitors-breakthrough-infections-as-experts-say-more-data-is-needed/?sh=1068ed587f69">When Will You Need A Covid Booster Shot? Pfizer Monitors Breakthrough Infections As Experts Say More Data Is Needed</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-people-vaccinated-covid?time=2020-12-02..2021-07-07&amp;country=~OWID_WRL" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Share of people who received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine</a> (Our World In Data)



By Graison Dangor, Forbes Staff

TOPSHOT-US-HEALTH-VIRUS-STOCKS

Pfizer Will Ask FDA To Authorize Third Covid-19 Shot As A Booster

TOPLINE: Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is significantly less effective at preventing infection with the Delta variant than previous strains of coronavirus, data from Israel’s health ministry suggests, the latest setback as countries around the world fight to contain the hyper-contagious form of Covid-19 driving outbreaks among children and young people. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



A full course of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 64% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rJQ1O5kp00#autoplay" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early study&nbsp;</a>by Israel’s health ministry&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-05/israel-sees-decline-in-pfizer-vaccine-efficacy-rate-ynet-says" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;Monday, much&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e7147144-11ff-45bc-96f1-236380c9df5d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lower</a>&nbsp;than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-says-covid-vaccine-highly-effective-against-delta-variant-2021-06-24/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previous</a>&nbsp;estimates of nearly 90%.&nbsp;



The vaccine still appears to be highly effective, 93%, at preventing serious illness and hospitalization, the data shows, though this is also slightly lower than earlier studies suggested and for other variants.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Biotech firm Moderna, which is based on the same type of technology as Pfizer’s jab,&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-provides-clinical-update-neutralizing-activity-its-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;its vaccine remains effective against the Delta variant and that blood samples from fully vaccinated individuals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/06/30/1011684609/moderna-says-studies-show-its-vaccine-is-effective-against-the-delta-variant" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">show</a>&nbsp;only a “modest reduction” in antibodies.



Early studies&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/07/01/1012372893/johnson-johnsons-covid-vaccine-is-effective-against-the-delta-variant-studies-fi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">indicate</a>&nbsp;the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, the third authorized for use in the U.S., is also effective against the variant, the company said, generating immunity lasting for at least eight months.&nbsp;



Studies from the U.K., where Delta accounts for practically all new cases of Covid-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-14/delta-variant-doubles-risk-of-covid-hospitalization-in-study" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">found</a>&nbsp;the AstraZeneca vaccine to be about 60% effective at preventing symptomatic disease and around 90% effective at preventing hospitalization, a modest drop compared to the Alpha variant that previously dominated.



In vaccines requiring two shots—which covers all mentioned here bar the one-shot Johnson &amp; Johnson—research consistently indicates a much lower level of protection from just one shot,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/30/cdc-wont-change-mask-guidelines-as-delta-variant-spreads-director-says/?sh=bad30f25e75f">underscoring</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/fauci-vaccination-covid-rates-two-americas-5547f8cd-743a-4789-96bc-10782f967b2c.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">entreaties</a>&nbsp;from public health officials for Americans to get vaccinated.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h3>



The data and research covering how effective vaccines are against Delta are new and, in some instances, incomplete, something that reflects the speed at which Delta has spread. For example, Israel’s health ministry has not revealed the data or the methodology it used to obtain its results and the studies from both Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson only looked at how blood samples from a very small number of people behaved in a laboratory setting. Until more data is gathered in a transparent and verifiable way, the figures and results should not be seen as conclusive. The U.K. is likely to prove an invaluable source of information for other countries dealing with the variant as it is facing a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/14/delta-variant-fueling-uk-covid-surge-could-become-dominant-us-strain-here-are-the-places-most-at-risk/?sh=66a089d04e31">wave</a>&nbsp;of cases&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-delta-variant-cases-up-46-in-a-week-as-expert-warns-mutant-strain-will-hit-uk-soon-12347040" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">driven</a>&nbsp;almost entirely by Delta, especially as it&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57725523" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prepares</a>&nbsp;to lift all pandemic restrictions.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



47%. That’s how much of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC. Around 83 million have received a full course of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 61 million the Moderna vaccine and 12 million the one-shot Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine. 72,000 people have been fully vaccinated with a two-dose vaccine, though records do not show which.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



Health experts, including at the CDC, believe it is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/18/cdc-head-says-dangerous-delta-variant-likely-to-be-dominant-covid-strain-heres-where-its-spreading-fastest/?sh=68f212c86ff5">likely</a>&nbsp;the Delta variant will become the dominant strain in the U.S. It already accounts for around one in four cases of Covid-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC, and is already the dominant form of the virus in two regions the agency measures (making up around 50-60% of cases in an area covering Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming). Though the WHO recommends all people to keep wearing masks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/25/who-urges-fully-vaccinated-people-to-continue-wearing-masks-as-delta-variant-spreads-but-no-word-from-cdc/?sh=79f3bb9241f9">regardless</a>&nbsp;of their vaccination status, the CDC has not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/30/cdc-wont-change-mask-guidelines-as-delta-variant-spreads-director-says/?sh=863b6855e75f">changed</a>&nbsp;its guidance, recommending people get vaccinated to protect themselves and for local officials to institute their own measures if needed. Few areas have shown signs of doing this and the country&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/02/the-least-vaccinated-states-also-earn-the-least-an-analysis-of-data-shows/?sh=6ef093331f5b">low</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/30/here-are-the-groups-that-still-wont-get-the-covid-vaccine-and-why/?sh=3550d46d2ad4">uneven</a>&nbsp;vaccination&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/04/32-states-didnt-hit-bidens-july-4-vaccine-goal-these-were-the-furthest-from-it/?sh=41ce764132cd">rates</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. has prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/fauci-vaccination-covid-rates-two-americas-5547f8cd-743a-4789-96bc-10782f967b2c.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fears</a>&nbsp;the variant will drive new waves of cases in poorly vaccinated areas, especially as practically all pandemic restrictions have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/01/just-one-state-is-left-to-fully-reopen-heres-what-it-is-waiting-for/?sh=777f13d45f33">dropped</a>.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h3>



Most pharmaceutical companies—including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/05/19/astrazenecas-covid-shot-reportedly-works-well-as-a-booster-raising-hopes-in-battle-against-virus-variants/?sh=409a27ea5870">AstraZeneca</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissaholzberg/2021/05/04/pfizer-will-file-for-full-fda-approval-for-covid-19-vaccine-by-end-of-may/?sh=21bf069124c0">Pfizer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/leahrosenbaum/2021/04/29/moderna-invests-to-make-3-billion-covid-vaccines-by-2022/?sh=5d3bade0ac6a">Moderna</a>—are already working on Covid-19 booster shots, which could top up fading immunity over time and give added protection against new variants of the virus. It’s not yet clear&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/15/when-will-you-need-a-covid-booster-shot-pfizer-monitors-breakthrough-infections-as-experts-say-more-data-is-needed/?sh=5a11d8ae7f69">when a booster&nbsp;</a>might be needed. There are also a number of trials&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/06/mix-and-match-covid-booster-jabs-may-be-offered-in-uk-vaccine-autumn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exploring</a>&nbsp;what&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/04/johnson-johnson-vaccine-second-dose/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vaccine</a>&nbsp;should be used as a booster and whether it would be more effective to “mix and match” different kinds.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/02/kids-among-most-vulnerable-to-infectious-delta-variant---heres-why-you-should-be-more-worried/?sh=ba4417927011">Kids Among Most Vulnerable To Infectious Delta Variant — Here’s Why You Should Be More Worried</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/18/cdc-head-says-dangerous-delta-variant-likely-to-be-dominant-covid-strain-heres-where-its-spreading-fastest/?sh=32c085616ff5">CDC Head Says Dangerous Delta Variant Likely To Be Dominant Covid Strain. Here’s Where It’s Spreading Fastest.</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/07/3-principles-now-define-pandemic/619336/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The 3 Simple Rules That Underscore the Danger of Delta</a>&nbsp;(The Atlantic)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/11/here-are-the-biggest-groups-that-are-still-refusing-the-covid-19-vaccine-poll-finds/?sh=5c30db3c42cc">Here Are The Biggest Groups That Are Still Refusing The Covid-19 Vaccine, Poll Finds</a> (Forbes)



By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff

New York’s Northwell Health Hospital Administers Covid Vaccines

Pfizer Shot Much Less Effective Against Delta, Israel Study Shows — Here’s What You Need To Know About Variants And Vaccines

Tom Bennett, Director and Founder of researchEd in the United Kingdom, on what evidence tells us about the future and purpose of education.



BY JILL DE VILLIERS



AS COVID-19 SWEPT THROUGH THE WORLD, SOME AREAS OF OUR lives were more deeply affected than others, one of them being education. Before the pandemic, technology had started taking a more prominent place in education, and online learning was being integrated into the system. 



When Covid-19 struck, schools and tertiary institutions were forced to change their models rapidly, migrating to digital options. Soon, the talk pivoted to blended learning and hybrid solutions, combining in-person and virtual classrooms and teaching methods. How likely are we to return to old teaching methods and classroom settings, we ask educationist, author and speaker Tom Bennett, who hails from the United Kingdom (UK) and is the Director and Founder of researchED. 



<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:34% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51596 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-225x300.jpg 225w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">Tom Bennett will deliver a talk during the 2021 Future of Education Virtual Summit, with the theme ‘Redefining the Purpose of Education’ on July 29, held in partnership with FORBES AFRICA and CNBC Africa</blockquote>
</div></div>



“After Covid, I see education 95% snapping back to where it was before, because the face-toface model of education simply cannot be beaten in most circumstances. The one benefit of the Covid experience has been that people the world over have seen how hard it is to home school children, how much blended learning often lacks compared to face-to-face… but also we have learned remote learning is not something impossible to manage and that where it is useful, we have lost our fear of trying it. For example, in the UK, whenever it snows, schools often shut and nothing gets done. But now, no more snow days, although I’m not sure that children and staff are as happy about that!” Bennett says. 



He was a teacher in the East End of London for 13 years before founding researchED, which he describes as “an international non-profit that asks simple questions that can change the world”. The organization brings together everyone within the educational ecosystem – “not just the privileged priest class of education, but teaching assistants, administrators, teachers, as well as academics, leaders and researchers – to share their thoughts about what they do, and what evidence informs what they do.” 



They travel the world, presenting low-cost, inclusive and accessible events, which are particularly popular among teaching staff, who are hungry for answers to questions like: ‘How can I achieve what I want, without struggling blindly in the dark? What does the evidence tell me? When do things work, and when do they not work?’ 



Bennett has written four books on classroom behavior and evidence-informed education. “Ideas about how we manage behavior are still stuck in the 19th century, and too many teachers and schools are forced to reinvent the wheel every generation instead of building upon what we have found to work and improving upon it,” he explains. 



“Teachers rarely get an evidence-informed training as they begin their careers, and many schools still make decisions based on intuition, gut feeling and hunches. But children – and teachers – deserve much better than that. We can do much better than that.” 



Lately, we have seen a burgeoning of technology solutions to a myriad of questions that Bennett says teachers aren’t asking. 



“Tech companies are often guilty of selling solutions to problems no one has, and ignoring the lack of evidence to back up the boldest of their claims. That’s not to say that tech doesn’t offer enormous opportunities to supplement and support education, but also to say that schools and countries have poured billions into tech promises that have rarely materialized.



“Evidence tells us many things that teachers can incorporate into their classrooms with only a little effort and with huge dividends: low-stakes retrieval practise (frequent testing) secures lesson retention enormously; being aware of cognitive load theory teaches us the students need information presented in manageable chunks, and that teachers should favour direct instruction with novice learners before allowing them too much freedom to drive their own studies. 



This is especially relevant with blended forms of learning, where beginning learners often drown in what they don’t know, and might lack the motivation and the foundational knowledge how to drive their own learning at home.” And finally, how does Bennett see the purpose of education? 



“The beauty of education is it has no intrinsic purpose. We have purposes for education. So when we ask ‘How should we educate?’ Then we have to first ask, ‘What do we think the aim of this education is for?’ Only once we have answered that can we rationally begin to decide what we need to do, whether we’re trying to teach the best of what has been thought and said, prepare citizens for the future, or help children become fully rounded human beings.&#8221;

Focus on raised hands in classroom

Education: What We Can Do Better

With Covid-19 infections spiking rapidly in South Africa and heading for a fierce pandemic peak, it’s a tough winter ahead. Will the new tightened restrictions help quell the wave?



South Africa’s third wave of Covid-19 infections, which the president Cyril Ramaphosa called “devastating” in a nationwide address on June 27, has been attributed to the highly-contagious Delta variant.



With private and public health facilities in some provinces already reportedly overwhelmed and at capacity with the heavy new caseload, the South African government has urged citizens to take increased precautions amid tighter regulations and a reversal to lockdown alert level 4 announced by the president last night.



<figure class="wp-block-pullquote is-style-solid-color"><blockquote>“The death rate is very likely to be two or even three times higher than the last wave.” &#8211;Professor François Venter, Director of Ezintsha and Deputy Executive Director of Wits RHI</blockquote></figure>



“We need to take extra precautions. As of today, the seven-day average of new daily cases nationally has overtaken the peak of the first wave in July last year, and will soon overtake the peak of the second wave we experienced in January this year,” said Ramaphosa, as he announced the move to adjusted restrictions, which includes an expanded curfew, the prohibition of gatherings, the closing of gyms and sit-down eateries, as well as stopping the sale of alcohol.



While efforts to hamper the spread of the virus have some efficacy, members of the medical fraternity, including members of the government’s own Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC), have been critical of what they think has been slow action.



“Government did not properly prepare – as a province, we thought that it the third wave wouldn’t be as brutal as the first or second,” says co-chair of the MAC, Professor Koleka Mlisana, to FORBES AFRICA. “The province should not have closed quarantine facilities after infections of the second wave seemed to be decreasing, that’s where we dropped the ball. When the third wave infections picked up, we were playing catch-up, worsened by one of our major academic hospitals was offline.”



Indeed, the Gauteng province, the country’s commercial heart, is the hardest hit in South Africa, with the seven-day moving average cases fast approaching 10,000.



“We are seeing Gauteng in particular being hammered, with infection rates higher than any other province, almost by a factor of two,” says Professor François Venter, Director of Ezintsha and Deputy Executive Director of Wits RHI (reproductive health and HIV Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand), in an interview with FORBES AFRICA.



“This is the worst, most severe health crisis we have ever faced. In July, Gauteng might look like India during their peak.”



Many of the additional health infrastructure and medical care capacity created during and for the first and second waves of the pandemic were decommissioned late last year, and not reopened in preparation for the third wave, he adds.



To bolster additional capacity, the Nasrec quarantine facility is now being reactivated.



“What we were so scared of during the hard lockdowns of May and July [last year] – that’s what we are seeing now,” continues Venter. “The death rate is very likely to be two or even three times higher than the last wave.”



The surge in cases has already taken its toll on already strained healthcare infrastructure in both state and private facilities, with many hospitals reporting that they are at ICU capacity, even as the peak of the third wave has reportedly not yet been reached.



While the provincial government has committed to the hiring of new staff and expansion of existing facilities this week, it may be too late, for many patients and personnel attempting to save lives, say frontline staff.



“Our staff shortages are constant. We are often over [patient] capacity and are not always able to admit sick Covid-positive patients to our wards because of a lack of space,” says one state doctor who wished to be unnamed.



On the vaccine front, the president announced yesterday that 2.7 million people had received a single vaccine dose countrywide, with the daily vaccination rate exceeding 100,000 – with 1.2 million new Johnson &amp; Johnson (J&amp;J) vaccines and 1.4 million Pfizer doses having arrived in the last three days through the COVAX program, which South Africa is largely reliant on for vaccine-procurement, and which is still trying to acquire enough doses for member states across the continent.



The J&amp;J vaccine trial earlier in the year had been temporarily halted due to cautionary concerns regarding possible blood clots. While the J&amp;J vaccine application has resumed, delivery of the doses to South Africa had been earlier hindered by reported concerns around site contamination at a production plant in Baltimore in the United States.



While vaccination rates are increasing, the government also has a tough job balancing safety and economic necessity; the hard lockdowns of 2020 caused South Africa’s GDP to fall by over 16% between the first and second quarters (source: Stats SA).



Keen to avoid similar damage to the economy, the government is forced to walk a tightrope in an attempt to curb the spread of infections while keeping the economic engine turning in a country with a youth jobless rate of 74.7%.



Attempts to keep this balance are reflected in the new lockdown regulations, which allow most businesses to function as normal. However, the liquor and restaurant industry say the new restrictions will be terribly damaging.



“Another ban will offer a severe blow to thousands of small businesses still trying to get back on their feet from the previous bans, resulting in even more job losses, business closures and loss in revenue for the national fiscus,” the Beer Association of South Africa said in a statement soon after the president’s June 27 address.



“The only way forward is to provide an uninterrupted supply of beds, supplies, staff and oxygen,” says Venter firmly. “We need not waste time on lockdowns or alcohol, but focus on providing the health system, what it urgently requires, and providing health staff as efficiently as possible. The supply of the healthcare system must be an absolute priority.”



With 15,036 new cases reported in the last 24 hours and private and public ICUs filled to capacity, there is uncertainty and a cold Covid winter ahead for South Africa.

Vaccines Forbes (1 of 1)

South Africa’s Giant Third Wave: ‘In July, Gauteng Might Look Like India During Their Peak’

TOPLINE: Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are likely to offer long-lasting protection against Covid-19, according to a study published on Monday, indicating that people who are already inoculated with either of the mRNA vaccines may not need a booster dose for years.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



According to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03738-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">peer-reviewed study</a>&nbsp;published in the science journal&nbsp;Nature, scientists found that the vaccines induced a strong immune reaction that may protect against Covid-19 for years.



The study reinforces a previous finding,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/health/coronavirus-immunity-vaccines.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first reported in May</a>, that people who have both recovered from infection and have been fully inoculated with one of the mRNA vaccines have an even stronger immune response.



The study also showed that the vaccines produced high levels of neutralizing antibodies that were effective against three variants of the coronavirus, including the Beta variant that has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.



Nearly four months after the first dose of either vaccine, the body still had the so-called germinal centers in the lymph nodes which effectively train the body’s immune cells to protect against future infection.



According to scientists who conducted the study, this is a very positive sign since germinal centers normally peak one or two weeks after vaccination and then begin to decline, the New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/06/28/world/covid-vaccine-coronavirus-mask?smtyp=cur&amp;smid=tw-nytimesworld#a-study-finds-that-the-pfizer-and-moderna-vaccines-could-offer-protection-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.



Production of a broader range of immune cells and longer training times for those cells will lead to more robust protection against the virus and any variants that may emerge.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-don-t-know">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h3>



The scope of the study was only limited to the two approved mRNA vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. It did not examine the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine and one of the study’s authors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/06/28/world/covid-vaccine-coronavirus-mask?smtyp=cur&amp;smid=tw-nytimesworld#a-study-finds-that-the-pfizer-and-moderna-vaccines-could-offer-protection-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;New York Times&nbsp;that he expected the immune response from that shot to be less durable. The study also does not throw any light on the effectiveness of the vaccine against the Delta variant of the coronavirus which is more transmissible than other variants.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



While the mRNA vaccines have been highly effective in preventing infections, the emergence of more infectious variants of the coronavirus has led to speculation that booster doses may be needed to protect against Covid-19. Speaking at a&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;event earlier this month, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfellows/2021/06/08/moderna-ceo-says-vaccine-boosters-and-flucovid-combo-shots-are-likely-for-the-future/?sh=886c6a03347d">also suggested</a>&nbsp;that it was likely booster shots will be needed in the near future, both to bolster waning immunity and to protect against new virus mutations. However, public health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-21/covid-19-booster-shots-not-necessarily-needed-this-fall-fauci-says" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pushed back</a>&nbsp;against this notion. The results of this study suggest that a vast majority of people, who have received one of the two mRNA vaccines, will likely be protected over the long term and may not need a booster shot anytime soon. However, the emergence of newer, more infectious variants could still blunt the effectiveness of these mRNA vaccines. Additionally, a large proportion of vaccine recipients around the world have received viral vector-based vaccines which may offer less durable immunity.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/06/28/world/covid-vaccine-coronavirus-mask?smtyp=cur&amp;smid=tw-nytimesworld#a-study-finds-that-the-pfizer-and-moderna-vaccines-could-offer-protection-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mRNA Vaccines May Offer Lasting Protection, Study Finds</a>&nbsp;(New York Times)



<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/health/coronavirus-immunity-vaccines.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Immunity to the Coronavirus May Persist for Years, Scientists Find</a>&nbsp;(New York Times)



By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

In this photo illustration the medical syringe is seen with

Pfizer And Moderna Vaccines May Offer Years-Long Protection Against Covid-19, Scientists Say

TOPLINE: It did feel like some form of “normalcy” would be on the horizon after overcoming the second wave in South Africa. However, with the new Delta variant of the coronavirus, South Africa will now move to adjusted lockdown alert Level 4 for the next 14 days. Calling this a “weighty matter”, and with grave seriousness, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday evening that the country is now seeing a “massive resurgence of infections”.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h3>



<ul><li>The president said: “As much as we had hoped this pandemic would pass quickly, we know the reality to be vastly different. There may be uncertainty over the trajectory of the pandemic, but there is one thing that is certain.”</li><li>It was further noted that the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the third wave of Covid-19 is underway on the continent. African Union member states have also reported over 5.2 million cases and over 138,000 deaths from Covid-19. </li><li>This third wave, known as the Delta variant, was first detected in India at the end of March 2021. Currently, Delta can be found in 85 countries.</li><li>The Delta variant has now been detected in five of the nine South African provinces, namely the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape.</li><li>The epicentre of this current fierce wave is Gauteng, which now accounts for more than 60% of new cases in the country.</li><li> Ramaphosa stated he was unsure of how long this wave would last as the first wave (July 2020) lasted 15 weeks and the second wave (January 2021) lasted nine weeks. “We don’t know how long this one will last, but indications are that it could last longer,” he said.</li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-changes-in-restrictions">Crucial Changes in Restrictions</h3>



<ul><li> All gatherings – whether indoors or outdoors – are prohibited. These include religious, political, cultural and social gatherings.</li><li>A curfew will be in place from 9PM to 4AM, and all non-essential establishments will need to close by 8PM.</li><li>The sale of alcohol, both for on-site and off-site consumption, is also prohibited. This is a change from alcohol being allowed to be sold between 10AM and 6PM from Monday to Thursday.</li><li>Due to the rise of infections in Gauteng, which the president called “a burden”, travel in and out of the province for leisure purposes is prohibited. This does not include work, business or commercial travel, transit through airports or for the transport of goods.</li><li> Restaurants and other eateries will only be permitted to sell food for take-away or delivery.</li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">Crucial Quote</h3>



“The tried and tested public health measures that have been in place remain our best chance at fighting this pandemic. They are not complicated, difficult or expensive. Whatever inconvenience they may be to us, they are certainly better than becoming seriously ill and needing hospitalization&#8230; the situation has gotten worse,” the president said.

CHOGM London 2018 – Day 2

Tightened Restrictions With Devastating Delta Variant In South Africa

TOPLINE A new partnership hopes to help South Africa make Covid-19 vaccines within a year using mRNA, the breakthrough technology behind the highly effective Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as the country faces another deadly surge of cases.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



The “technology transfer hub” hopes to “scale up” the production of an existing mRNA vaccine in South Africa with the help of biotech companies, mRNA experts and public health agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African CDC,&nbsp;<a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/4yTwCkR64qtZYAWyi21Z5s?domain=worldhealthorganization.cmail19.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the WHO announced Monday</a>.



The partnership does not yet have an agreement with a vaccine manufacturer, though it has spoken with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, as well as smaller companies with vaccines in development, said WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan.



With a “tried and tested” vaccine, the hub could be making vaccines “within 9 to 12 months,” said Swaminathan, but would take longer with a vaccine still in development.&nbsp;



South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the hub will “make sure that it benefits the entire African continent,” but did not say how vaccines it makes would be shared with other countries.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND&nbsp;</h3>



South Africa and India have pushed the World Trade Organization to waive intellectual property rights for vaccine technology so that developing countries can produce Pfizer, Moderna and other vaccines instead of waiting for wealthy countries to sell or donate surplus vaccines. Countries including the U.S. and Britain, both home to vaccine manufacturers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/rich-countries-block-india-south-africas-bid-to-ban-covid-vaccine-patents/a-56460175" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">have blocked the waiver</a>. President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biden-says-plans-back-wto-waiver-vaccines-2021-05-05/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said in May</a>&nbsp;he supported a waiver, but it is unclear how wide of a waiver the U.S. supports or whether other wealthy countries will sign on. Instead, the U.S., U.K. and other leaders at the G7 summit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57461640" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pledged in June</a>&nbsp;to donate 1 billion vaccines to poorer countries.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



1% That’s how many South Africans have been vaccinated,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/safrica-set-host-vaccine-tech-083957118.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to&nbsp;AFP</a>, while the country has more than one in three of cases in Africa and is “facing a third wave which seems to be more severe,” Ramaphosa said Monday.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-21/south-africa-plans-covid-19-vaccine-technology-transfer-hub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">South Africa Plans Covid-19 Vaccine-Technology Transfer Hub</a>&nbsp;(Bloomberg)



<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/safrica-set-host-vaccine-tech-083957118.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SAfrica set to host vaccine tech transfer hub</a> (Yahoo News/AFP)



By Graison Dangor, Forbes Staff

South African President Ramaphosa visits the Mashatile family home to offer condolences

WHO: South Africa Could Make Covid Vaccine Within A Year

In Africa, the jury is still out on the tradeoff between Covid-19 lockdowns and livelihoods. 



Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, many African governments swiftly implemented broad containment and lockdown measures that helped save many lives but which came at a great cost to economic activity and livelihoods.&nbsp;



This is one of the key conclusions of the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) African Economic Outlook (AEO) 2021 report, released on March 12, which critically assesses the costs and benefits of lockdowns. African countries that imposed stringent lockdowns reported lower Covid-19 infection rates, the report finds, after controlling for the use of public information campaigns, testing, and contact tracing policies as well as recurrent shocks that are common across countries, such as weather-related shocks (such as droughts and flooding).



Lockdowns have curbed disease spread in Africa, but less effectively than elsewhere



African countries have been proactive in their responses, taking preventive measures as soon as confirmed Covid-19 cases were reported. Half of African countries with available data restricted international travel through arrival screening, quarantines, bans on arrivals from some or all regions, and even total border closures one day after the first Covid-19 case was detected.&nbsp;



The report indicates that closures of schools, public transport systems, and workplaces, as well as curfews and cancellations of public events, proved more effective in curbing Covid-19 infections than prohibitions on private gatherings and bans on domestic and international travel.



Lockdowns had a more pronounced impact in other regions than across Africa, which saw only modest reductions of about 0.1% in infection cases per thousand after one month, and of about 1% after 60 days. By comparison, using the same approach and data, IMF data from 15 G20 countries found that after a month of lockdowns, Covid-19 cases fell by an estimated 40%.&nbsp;



Why? One explanation is that a significant majority of Africans are engaged in informal activities that do not permit working from home. These informal workers – who are paid daily or weekly, rarely have savings, and lack access to bank loans – are more likely to defy official lockdown measures to safeguard their livelihoods. &nbsp;



The result is that, despite their best efforts, African governments have been unable to impose lockdowns as stringent as those in industrialized nations, where remote working is feasible for a larger share of the population. &nbsp;



Stringent lockdown measures are associated with significant economic contraction, the report finds. In particular, when the index of lockdown stringency increased by one unit, GDP and the industrial production index decreased on average by respectively 0.59% and 0.29% during the first half of 2020 – when the outbreak peaked in Africa – versus the same period in 2019.&nbsp;



A tricky tradeoff?



The pandemic seems to present African countries with a tricky trade-off between saving lives, on the one hand, and protecting economic activity and livelihoods on the other. But this framing is misleading. African countries can successfully pursue both objectives by imposing lockdowns while taking measures to limit the effects of those lockdowns on people’s livelihoods, especially the poor, and on businesses. Finding the right balance between these two aims is crucial.&nbsp;



The AEO recommends a number of policies that could be implemented. For instance, where there is fiscal space or sufficient liquidity, policymakers should maintain fiscal and monetary support to vulnerable people and businesses to enable them to stay afloat. In other countries, international grants and concessional loans can be deployed instead, so long as debt sustainability levels are not exceeded.&nbsp;



Expanding social safety nets to include informal sector workers can protect the vulnerable from falling into extreme poverty. By taking advantage of increased digitalization and mobile money services, governments can provide relief to informal workers quickly and at reduced cost. Lastly, public information campaigns are crucial to securing the population’s buy-in and boosting the effectiveness of anti-pandemic measures. &nbsp;



As the rollout of vaccines slowly proceeds, the AfDB will support countries in implementing the AEO’s policy recommendations. That way, Africa can simultaneously save lives and protect livelihoods.



– By Dr Hanan Morsy and Dr Adamon Mukasa; Morsy is the Director of the Macroeconomic Policy, Forecasting and Research Department at the African Development Bank, and Mukasa is Senior Research Economist in the same department.

DRCONGO-HEALTH-VIRUS-EDUCATION

How Effective Are Lockdowns In Africa?

Topline: South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, addressed the nation from the Union Buildings in Pretoria on why the country will now move from Lockdown Alert level 2 to level 3. The announcement came the night before Youth Day, when the country observes the anniversary of the Soweto Uprising of June 1976.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h3>



<ul><li>The President, who had placed the country on Alert level 2 16 days ago, announced that most of the provinces are either experiencing the third wave or foresee a third wave approaching. Aside from the Northern Cape, numbers have increased significantly in all other provinces in South Africa. Gauteng, according to Ramaphosa, currently has the highest recorded Covid-19 cases.&nbsp;</li><li>South Africa has been in “alert level” lockdown for just over 15 months which has affected its economy. However, Ramaphosa is adamant that this move to alert level 3 is necessary as there has been an increase in cases since he last addressed the nation.&nbsp;</li><li>“It is understandable that many South Africans now feel tired and weary,” Ramaphosa said. “We have never experienced a health crisis of this severity before, nor one so prolonged.”&nbsp;</li><li>South Africa is currently experiencing an average of 7,500 daily infections. Hospital admissions due to Covid-19 over the last 14 days are 59% higher than the preceding 14 days. The average number of people who die from COVID-19 each day has increased by 48% in the past seven days.&nbsp;</li></ul>



Crucial Changes in Restrictions&nbsp;



<ul><li>“Basic changes in behaviour can make a huge difference,” Ramaphosa said.&nbsp;</li><li>The hours of curfew will start at 10pm (as opposed to midnight) and end at 4am.</li><li>Non-essential establishments like restaurants, bars and fitness centers will need to close by 10pm.&nbsp;</li><li>The sale of alcohol from retail outlets for off-site consumption will only be permitted between 10am and 6pm from Monday to Thursday.</li><li>All gatherings will be limited to a maximum of 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors.&nbsp; This includes religious services, political events and social gatherings, as well as restaurants, bars, taverns and similar places.</li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vaccine-update">Vaccine Update&nbsp;</h3>



<ul><li>There have been some “setbacks” in the vaccine front in South Africa. Ramaphosa announced that scientists discovered that the AstraZeneca vaccine that was procured from the Serum Institute of India (SII) did not provide sufficient protection against the variant that is predominant in South Africa.&nbsp;</li><li>After the AstraZeneca setback, Ramaphosa stated that the Johnson &amp; Johnson (J&amp;J) vaccine appeared to be the best option for the country as it protects against the variant “because it requires only a single dose and is easier to store and transport”. However, the supply of the J&amp;J vaccines was held up by an investigation into the contamination of ingredients at a supplier factory in Baltimore in the United States.</li><li>South Africa has also “adversely” been affected by shortages in the global supply of vaccines, which has hampered vaccination programs across Africa and in many other low-and middle-income countries.</li><li>“Until now, our mass vaccination program has therefore had to rely on the Pfizer vaccine, which requires two doses,” the president said.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">Crucial Quote</h3>



“Fifteen months ago, as I addressed the nation from the Union Buildings, I said: ‘This epidemic will pass’,” Ramaphosa said. “&#8230;After all the time that has passed, after everything we have experienced, after everything we have done and achieved as a nation, these words still ring true.”&nbsp;

SAFRICA-HEALTH-VIRUS

South Africa Moves To Level 3 As Third Wave Looms

TOPLINE AstraZeneca on Tuesday announced its monoclonal antibody treatment for Covid-19 did not meet the primary goal of preventing symptoms in people who have been exposed to the coronavirus, denting hopes of a new therapeutic treatment for Covid-19 for unvaccinated people.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



The antibody therapy, AZD7442, reduced the risk of developing symptomatic Covid-19 by only 33% among all exposed patients—including those who tested negative after exposure—compared to a placebo, which was deemed to be statistically insignificant, the company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/content/astraz/media-centre/press-releases/2021/update-on-azd7442-storm-chaser-trial.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;in a release.



The data was gathered from the company’s Phase III trials which were conducted on unvaccinated adults older than 18 years with confirmed exposure to a person with Covid-19 within the previous eight days.



The antibody therapy, however, was 92% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 compared to the placebo in patients who tested negative after exposure, suggesting that the drug may be effective in preventing symptoms in people who are not already infected.



The drug continues to be tested as possible prophylaxis against Covid-19 in other trials, the company noted.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



The trial’s principal investigator, Dr. Myron J. Levin, noted that the drug may be effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 in people who are not yet infected, adding: “While Covid-19 vaccination efforts have been successful, there is still a significant need for prevention and treatment options for certain populations, including those unable to be vaccinated or those who may have an inadequate response to vaccination.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h3>



AstraZeneca’s AZD7442 was developed with support from the U.S. government. In March, the company announced that it had inked a deal with the government to supply up to half a million doses of AZD7442 for $205 million—subject to the drug receiving emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company said it is continuing to discuss its next steps with the U.S. government.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



While several effective vaccines have been developed to protect against Covid-19, effective drugs against the disease remain sparse. Similar monoclonal antibody treatments developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly have been authorized for use in the U.S., but supplies of the drugs remain limited. The development of therapeutics that prevent symptomatic Covid-19 is critical to ending the pandemic as vaccines are yet to be accessible to large swathes of the world’s population.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/astrazeneca-says-its-antibody-treatment-failed-in-preventing-covid-19-exposed-2021-06-15/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AstraZeneca says its antibody treatment failed in preventing COVID-19 in exposed patients</a>&nbsp;(Reuters)



<a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/astrazeneca-azd7442-trial-for-prevention-of-symptomatic-covid-19-didn-t-meet-primary-goal-271623738254" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AZD7442 Trial for Prevention of Symptomatic Covid-19 Didn&#8217;t Meet Primary Goal</a> (MarketWatch)



By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

Kenya Vaccinates Elderly Against Covid-19

AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 Antibody Treatment Failed To Prevent Symptoms In Exposed Individuals

TOPLINE Visits for postpartum mental health treatment spiked 30% during the pandemic, according to a study of more than 137,000 women in Ontario published Monday, adding to the many other emerging mental health effects of the pandemic.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h4>



Visits for anxiety and depressive disorders by new mothers were as much as 39% higher from March to November 2020 compared to pre-pandemic levels, while visits for substance use disorders also rose, according to a study of more than 137,000 postpartum women in Ontario published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.



Increases in less-densely populated portions of the province saw returns to pre-pandemic levels of postpartum mental health visits beginning in the summer, which may be because fewer Covid-19 cases allowed in-person school, in-person dining and other hallmarks of normalcy.



The smaller increases in mental health visits among low-income women may be because they can’t take time off of work or don’t have wifi and a phone that can handle telehealth appointments, said Dr. Simone Vigod, lead author of the study and head of psychiatry at the University of Toronto-affiliated Women’s College Hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h4>



“Postpartum mental health issues are very treatable,” but without access to healthcare they can become a long-term problem affecting a woman’s wellbeing, said Vigod. Postpartum anxiety and depression has also been linked to social and emotional problems for children, she said. “There can be long-term implications across generations.”



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



The pandemic shut down many of the social supports that new parents rely on, including help from family, parent groups and public health nurses, said Vigod. Mental health problems have broadly increased during the pandemic in the U.S. as well. In 2019, slightly more than one in 10 adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorders to the CDC. In 2020, the agency’s surveys regularly found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/mental-health.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more than one-quarter of adults</a>&nbsp;said they had symptoms of anxiety or depression—and sometimes more than one in three adults said they were struggling with those issues.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<a href="https://www.cmaj.ca/content/193/23/E835" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Postpartum mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic</a>&nbsp;(Canadian Medical Association Journal)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mishagajewski/2020/06/19/moms-are-not-okay-coronavirus-pandemic-triples-anxiety-and-depression-in-new-mothers/">Moms Are Not Okay: Pandemic Triples Anxiety And Depression Symptoms In New Mothers</a> (Forbes)



By Graison Dangor, Forbes Staff

Tired new mother holding her baby

Postpartum Mental Health Visits Spike 30% During Pandemic, Study Finds

TOPLINE Three researchers working at a Wuhan virology lab went to the hospital with Covid-like symptoms weeks before the first Covid-19 case was confirmed in China on December 8, according to newly disclosed U.S. intelligence obtained and reported by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday—corroborating previous State Department findings and casting further doubts on the longstanding assertion that Covid-19 did not escape from a lab.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



The State Department previously&nbsp;<a href="https://2017-2021.state.gov/fact-sheet-activity-at-the-wuhan-institute-of-virology/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;that U.S. officials have &#8220;reason to believe&#8221; several researchers inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology faced &#8220;symptoms consistent with both COVID-19 and common seasonal illnesses&#8221; last fall, but it didn&#8217;t specify that the researchers were hospitalized or the exact timing of their illnesses.



Unnamed officials familiar with the intelligence reportedly gave the&nbsp;Wall Street Journal&nbsp;varying accounts of the new information&#8217;s veracity, with one person saying it needed further investigation while another described it as &#8220;very precise.&#8221;



“The U.S. continues to hype the lab leak theory,&#8221; China&#8217;s Foreign Ministry, which did not immediately respond to&nbsp;Forbes&#8217;&nbsp;requestfor comment, said in a statement to the&nbsp;Wall Street Journal.&nbsp;



In its statement, the Foreign Ministry pointed to March&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-convened-global-study-of-origins-of-sars-cov-2-china-part-annexes.pdf?sfvrsn=3065bcd8_5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">findings</a>&nbsp;from the World Health Organization saying it was &#8220;extremely unlikely&#8221; that Covid-19 originated from a lab leak and that it was instead more likely the virus spread from bats to humans.



However, after the report was released, WHO head Tedros Ghebreyesus called for a deeper investigation on the matter,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-30/who-chief-critiques-covid-report-says-lab-leak-study-needed" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">saying</a>&nbsp;the probe didn’t adequately assess the possibility of a lab leak.



Forbes&nbsp;is awaiting comment from the State Department.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Many scientists last year&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/05/10/a-timeline-of-the-covid-19-wuhan-lab-origin-theory/?sh=370c029e5aba">initially dismissed</a>&nbsp;claims that Covid-19 originated in a Wuhan lab, but the theory quickly became a hot-button issue among conservative lawmakers casting blame onto China for the pandemic. However, as widespread vaccination helps the U.S. turn a corner on the virus, a growing number of domestic officials—from both sides of the aisle—are once again calling for investigations into the origins of Covid-19. Secretary of State Antony Blinken&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2021/04/11/biden-secretary-of-state-condemns-chinas-acts-of-genocide-against-muslim-uyghurs/?sh=26f49b7050ca">condemned</a>&nbsp;China last month for its lack of transparency during the pandemic&#8217;s early days, saying the country failed to give international health experts real-time access to information about the virus&#8217; spread and urging the country to help put in place a stronger global health security system to revisit the pandemic&#8217;s origins.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h3>



Though the virus was first confirmed in December 2019, WHO researchers have since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/possible-early-covid-19-cases-in-china-emerge-during-who-mission-11612996225" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">identified</a>&nbsp;more than 90 potential Covid-19 cases dating as far back as October of that year.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE&nbsp;</h3>



Asked earlier this month whether he was confident Covid-19 developed naturally, Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation&#8217;s top infectious disease experts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fauci-not-convinced-covid-19-developed-naturally" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">responded</a>: &#8220;No actually&#8230; I am not convinced about that. I think we should continue to investigate what went on in China until we continue to find out to the best of our ability what happened… Certainly, the people who investigated it say it likely was the emergence from an animal reservoir that then infected individuals, but it could have been something else, and we need to find that out.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/intelligence-on-sick-staff-at-wuhan-lab-fuels-debate-on-covid-19-origin-11621796228?reflink=share_mobilewebshare" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Intelligence on Sick Staff at Wuhan Lab Fuels Debate On Covid-19 Origin</a>&nbsp;(WSJ)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/05/10/a-timeline-of-the-covid-19-wuhan-lab-origin-theory/">A Timeline Of The COVID-19 Wuhan Lab Origin Theory</a> (Forbes)



By Jonathan Ponciano, Forbes Staff

gettyimages-1201569878-594×594

Report: Wuhan Lab Staff Went To Hospital With Covid-Like Symptoms Before Confirmed Outbreak, New Intelligence Finds

TOPLINE A new U.K. study has found that more than 95% of Britons vaccinated with just one shot of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine develop Covid-19 antibodies, a figure that rises to almost 100% after the second dose, adding to mounting evidence from the real-world deployment of the vaccines that show they are effective and useful tools in bringing the pandemic under control. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



In a study of more than 8,500 people from England and Wales, who did not have antibodies before their first shot and provided a total of 13,232 antibody samples, 96% developed antibodies 28 to 34 days after receiving their first dose, according to research from University College London (UCL).



The&nbsp;<a href="https://ucl-virus-watch.net/?page_id=913" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a>, which is being prepared for peer review, found this figure to rise to 99% within seven and 14 days of their second shot for recipients of both vaccines, evidence that they provide protection against the coronavirus.&nbsp;



While those receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine developed antibodies faster than those receiving the AstraZeneca shot, rates were practically identical after a period of four weeks.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Many groups at a greater risk from Covid-19—including those with underlying conditions like diabetes and cancer, those taking immune system suppressing drugs and older adults—produced fewer antibodies after a single dose, a potential problem for countries like the U.K. where the second dose is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/05/14/study-finds-12-week-gap-between-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-dose-generates-35-times-higher-antibody-response/?sh=5fe5400da6a3">delayed</a>&nbsp;by several weeks in order to vaccinate more people.



However, a second shot boosted antibody levels to the standard high levels, something Professor Rob Aldridge, the chief investigator of the study,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/18/96-of-britons-develop-antibodies-after-one-covid-jab-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;Guardian&nbsp;underscores the “importance of getting the second dose.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Aldridge described the findings as “reassuring &#8211; vaccines are our way out of the pandemic.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



Dr. Maddie Shrotri, the paper’s lead author,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/18/96-of-britons-develop-antibodies-after-one-covid-jab-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;the findings are from some of the earliest “real-world vaccine studies in the U.K.” Shrotri said the results are “fantastic news,” adding that it is “remarkable” how well the vaccines work given the speed at which they’ve been developed. “It’s a real feat of science in the face of the most devastating pandemic in a century.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



57 million. This is&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/vaccinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how many vaccines&nbsp;</a>have been given out in the U.K., the vast majority being the Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca shots. Just over 20 million people have received their second dose.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/18/96-of-britons-develop-antibodies-after-one-covid-jab-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Covid vaccine: 96% of Britons develop antibodies after one jab, study finds</a>&nbsp;(Guardian)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/05/14/study-finds-12-week-gap-between-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-dose-generates-35-times-higher-antibody-response/?sh=5fe5400da6a3">12-Week Gap Between Pfizer Vaccine Doses Generates Higher Antibody Response, Study Finds</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)

Healthcare professional in protective gloves & workwear holding & organising a tray of COVID-19 vaccine vials

96% Of People Develop Covid Antibodies After Just One Shot Of Pfizer Or AstraZeneca Vaccine, U.K. Study Finds

TOPLINE As India continues to face a devastating second wave of the pandemic, the World Health Organisation on Monday classified the coronavirus variant first detected in the country–B.1.617—as a variant of concern following preliminary findings which suggest it could be more transmissible.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



The WHO’s new classification—which is an upgrade from “variant of interest”—adds the Indian variant to a list that also contains variants first detected in the U.K. (B.1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351) and&nbsp; Brazil (P.1).



The global health body will publish a detailed report on the B.1.617 variant in its weekly epidemiological update on Tuesday, the WHO’s technical lead officer on Covid-19, Maria van Kerkhove said.



Kerkhove noted that some available information suggested that the variant showed “increased transmissibility,” and a non-peer-reviewed study on a limited number of patients also suggested that it may also be able to evade some key antibodies.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



3,876. That’s the total number of Covid-19 deaths India&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/COVIDNewsByMIB/status/1391986229768376322" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday, taking its official tally up to 249,992—which many experts suggest is a severe undercount. The country’s daily infection and fatalities have continued to remain high despite a drop in new infections in key cities like Mumbai and Delhi.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



The second wave of the pandemic has continued to rage across India pushing the country’s health care system past its breaking point. As the country reports more than 350,000 new infections and nearly 4,000 deaths from Covid-19 every day, the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government are under increasing pressure to impose a strict nationwide lockdown. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of India’s main opposition party has written a letter to Modi which slams his government’s failures and notes that “another devastating national lockdown is almost inevitable.”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-lockdown-in-india-latest-news-may-8-pressure-mounts-on-pm-narendra-modi-to-impose-nationwide-lockdown-shutdown-coronavirus-latest-news-2889434" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Several others</a>, including medical experts, Supreme Court judges and other opposition leaders and even&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/india/2007013/anthony-fauci-and-indian-doctors-ask-modi-to-declare-a-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>—the U.S.’s senior-most infectious disease official—have called for a national shut down to break the chain of transmission.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-10/who-cites-concern-on-variant-from-india-seen-spreading-quickly?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;utm_content=business&amp;cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&amp;sref=CSMHWBLp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Covid Variant From India Triggers WHO Concern Over Fast Spread</a>&nbsp;(Bloomberg)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/coronavirus/">Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus</a>



By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

INDIA-HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINES

WHO Classifies Indian Covid-19 Mutation As A ‘Variant Of Concern’

As the pandemic began to rage a year ago, the biopharma industry responded in unprecedented fashion. Life sciences companies raced to find a solution to the nightmare virus, and promising vaccine efforts soon emerged. The stocks of the companies with the best vaccine candidates soared, and many of their executives rushed to sell shares with a fury that generated scrutiny.



There has been one huge exception. Uğur Şahin, the CEO and scientist behind the first Covid-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S., has not sold a single share of his company’s booming stock during the pandemic, Securities and Exchange Commission filings show.



Şahin’s decision to not sell any of his BioNTech shares stands in stark contrast to the large stock sales of some of the most prominent scientists and entrepreneurs whose biotechnology companies developed vaccines against the virus, particularly Moderna Therapeutics. It also reflects Şahin’s general approach to life and business. He is a CEO who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/business/biontech-covid-vaccine.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lives in a modest apartment</a>&nbsp;in the German town of Mainz, rides his bicycle to work and doesn’t own a car. He describes himself on his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ugur-sahin-65905917/?originalSubdomain=de" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn page</a>&nbsp;first and foremost as a translational oncology professor at University Medical Center Mainz. Şahin accepts the financial edifice that surrounds biotechnology innovation—the venture fundraising, IPOs and merger deals. He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/6633221e-3b28-4a15-b02d-958854644c79" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;learned the business aspects of biotechnology from online videos and reading a&nbsp;Business Plans for Dummies&nbsp;book. But in the end, Şahin is in it for the science and the patients. &nbsp;



In its hour of greatest need, Şahin emerged from relative obscurity to provide the world with a game-changing vaccine that could save lives and tame the pandemic. As early as January 2020, Şahin became convinced Covid-19 would become a deadly pandemic and pivoted BioNTech to create a messenger RNA vaccine to combat it. He then partnered with U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/pfizer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PFE</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/pfizer">+0.3%</a>&nbsp;to develop and supply 3 billion doses of the vaccine to the world by the end of 2021.



The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has radically changed Wall Street’s perception of BioNTech. In the months prior to the pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2020/06/01/ugur-sahin-becomes-a-billionaire-on-hopes-for-technology-behind-covid-19-vaccine/">Şahin had come to New York</a>&nbsp;to sell investors on BioNTech’s stock as the company launched its initial public offering by listing on Nasdaq&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/nasdaq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NDAQ</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/nasdaq">+0.7%</a>. At the time, BioNTech was a decade-old company that had yet to develop a single approved product from its mRNA and immunotherapy technologies. Şahin received a cool reception in the stock market, which initially valued BioNTech at $3.4 billion. With the development of the vaccine, however, BioNTech’s stock has risen by 900% since its 2019 IPO and today the company is valued at $37 billion. BioNTech now expects to generate $11.5 billion of revenue under deals for the vaccine that have already been struck. On paper, Şahin’s BioNTech stake is worth $6.1 billion. &nbsp;MORE FOR YOU<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2021/04/02/how-troubled-trader-bill-hwang-quietly-amassed-10-billion/">How Troubled Trader Bill Hwang Quietly Amassed $10 Billion</a><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2021/04/08/how-indiana-university-bros-fueled-a-hollywood-actors-690-million-ponzi-scheme/">How Indiana University Bros Fueled A Hollywood Actor’s $690 Million Ponzi Scheme</a><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2021/03/12/pfizer-ceo-albert-bourla-helped-save-the-world-can-he-save-his-companys-stock/">Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Helped Save The World. Can He Save His Company’s Stock?</a>



Filings made to the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission in February and March show that Şahin controls 41.66 million BioNTech shares, a 17% stake, through Medine GmbH, a limited liability company he solely owns. Medine holds a relatively small number of shares for “a former colleague” and transferred 27,540 shares held for other colleagues to their beneficiaries under trust arrangements late last year. But amid this stock transfer, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001776985/000119312521044856/d329239dsc13ga.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">securities filing</a>&nbsp;in February made sure to point out that “Neither Medine GbmH nor Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D. has sold any ordinary shares since February 13, 2020,” the eve of the pandemic. Such worded disclosures are not common in securities filings. Şahin, who declined to comment, appears to have wanted people to understand he wasn’t selling any BioNTech stock.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Last year, executives and directors of companies like Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/novavax" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NVAX</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/novavax">-6%</a>&nbsp;realized stock gains linked to investor enthusiasm around the vaccines by selling nearly $500 million of stock,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/insiders-at-covid-19-vaccine-makers-sold-nearly-500-million-of-stock-last-year-11613557801" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the&nbsp;Wall Street Journal&nbsp;reported</a>. The selling has continued this year. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel has sold more than $150 million of Moderna stock since the start of the pandemic. He still owns just under 8% of Moderna. Tal Zaks has sold more than $100 million of Moderna stock, nearly all the shares he had accumulated since becoming Moderna’s chief medical officer in 2015.



Moderna has consistently explained that all executive stock sales are made through preset trading plans established under securities regulatory rule 10b5-1, which legally allows corporate insiders to periodically sell a predetermined number of shares, often tied to certain share price targets being attained.



In November, Pfizer CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-ceo-joins-host-of-executives-at-covid-19-vaccine-makers-in-big-stock-sale-11605139164?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Albert Bourla sold</a>&nbsp;about 60% of his stock in the company for about $5.6 million under a preset 10b5-1 plan. The sale came on the same day that Pfizer announced key clinical results showing that its Covid-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective. Bourla’s share sale had been authorized in February 2020 and updated in August. A few days later,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/sec-chairman-urges-corporate-insiders-to-avoid-quick-stock-sales-11605637892?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jay Clayton, then chairman of the SEC, suggested</a>&nbsp;corporate executives not trade in their company’s stock immediately after preset trading plans are established. At a Senate hearing, Clayton called for a “cooling-off” period, but did not specify the length of such an interval. “Whether that’s four months so you cover a full quarter, or it’s six months—I can make arguments for either,” Clayton said. There was also some concern the insider stock sales by Moderna and Pfizer might undermine the public perception of their vaccines as crucial public health tools. &nbsp;



For his part, Şahin has not sold any BioNTech stock in the last 18 months. The post-IPO lockup of his BioNTech shares expired around the start of the pandemic, securities filings show, and he was free to sell. As a result of hanging on to all the shares, ironically, he is for now much richer—at least on paper—given the continued surge of BioNTech’s stock price. He certainly believes the company’s cutting-edge technology will lead to the development of therapies and vaccines for other diseases.



“Our way of developing our technologies is not based on the idea of a single-trick pony,” Şahin told investors on a Wall Street call in March. “Rather, our goal from the very beginning was to build a novel industrial approach for precision pharmaceuticals that can address medical need in multiple disease areas.”



By Nathan Vardi, Forbes Staff

Tag: Covid-19 spike

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