COVID SCIENCE: Variant that combines Delta and Omicron identified

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.

Deltacron" with genes of Delta and Omicron found

Hybrid versions of the coronavirus that combine genes from the Delta and Omicron variants - dubbed "Deltacron" - have been identified in at least 17 patients in the United States and Europe, researchers said.

Because there have been so few confirmed cases, it is too soon to know whether Deltacron infections will be very transmissible or cause severe disease, said Philippe Colson of IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille, France, lead author of a report posted on Tuesday on medRxiv ahead of peer review. 

His team described three patients in France infected with a version of SARS-CoV-2 that combines the spike protein from an Omicron variant with the "body" of a Delta variant. 

Another two unrelated Deltacron infections have been identified in the United States, according to an unpublished report by genetics research company Helix that has been submitted to medRxiv and seen by Reuters. On virus research bulletin boards, other teams have reported an additional 12 Deltacron infections in Europe since January - all with an Omicron spike and a Delta body.

Genetic recombinations of human coronaviruses have been known to happen when two variants infect the same host cell. 

"During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, two or more variants have co-circulated during same periods of time and in same geographical areas... This created opportunities for recombination between these two variants," said Colson, adding that his team has designed a PCR test that "can quickly test positive samples for the presence of this... virus."

Dogs sniff out coronavirus with high accuracy

New research adds to evidence that trained dogs could help screen crowds to identify people infected with the coronavirus.

At two community screening centers in Paris, 335 volunteers getting traditional PCR tests also provided sweat samples. Overall, 78 people with symptoms and 31 people without symptoms tested positive by PCR. 

Given the sweat samples to smell, the dogs were 97% accurate at detecting the infected patients, and 100% accurate at detecting infection in the asymptomatic patients, according to a report posted on Tuesday on medRxiv ahead of peer review. 

They also were 91% accurate at identifying volunteers who were not infected, and 94% accurate at ruling out the infection in people without symptoms.

"Canine testing is non-invasive and provides immediate and reliable results," the authors said. "Further studies will be focused on direct sniffing by dogs to evaluate sniffer dogs for mass pre-test in airports, harbors, railways stations, cultural activities or sporting events."

Future variants-of-concern likely lurk in today's patients

The many coronavirus particles inside an infected person likely include some mutated ones that may turn out to be early examples of important variants, new findings suggest.

Closely analyzing virus particles obtained from 10 people with infections attributed to the Alpha variant in Spain in April 2021, researchers identified some mutated particles resembling the Omicron variant, which was not formally identified until seven months later. 

They also found mutations characteristic of a form of Delta and Iota, according to a report published on Tuesday in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. 

While identifying an individual patient's dominant variant may be sufficient for diagnostic purposes, the "ultra deep" genetic sequencing used in this study could help scientists track mutations in SARS-CoV-2 particles that might evolve into variants of concern, the researchers said.

"The virus that replicates in each infected patient is in reality a mixture of slightly different SARS-CoV-2 viruses," and these different viruses account for varying proportions of the full "ensemble," said coauthor Celia Perales of Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. 

Minority variants in one infected individual can become dominant in someone else, either by chance, or due to a selective advantage related to the presence or absence of drugs, vaccines, or other factors, she said.

-reuters

Google bumps up vacation days and parental leaves

Alphabet Inc's Google on Thursday increased the amount of time employees around the world can take off for vacation or caring for newborns and seriously ill loved ones.

Google has long been known as a global trailblazer in workplace benefits. But unlike many companies in Silicon Valley, it does not offer unlimited paid time off. Employees also have grown frustrated during the pandemic about long work hours, without being able to enjoy free meals and other Google office perks.

Employees will now receive a minimum of 20 paid vacation days annually, up from 15 days.

Google's chief people officer, Fiona Cicconi, said in a statement that the increased leave aims "to support our employees at every stage of their lives and that means providing extraordinary benefits."

Google said parents who give birth can take up to 24 weeks off compared with 18 previously. All other parents will have up to 18 weeks of leave, up from 12.

-reuters

Omicron COVID variant starts receding in the US, data show

The United States appears to be emerging from its latest coronavirus wave driven by the omicron variant, data showed Wednesday, though cases remain far higher than during any previous surge and COVID-19 hospitalizations are at a peak.

The fast to rise, fast to fall graph could follow the same pattern seen in other countries hit by the highly mutated strain, including South Africa, Britain and France.

A 7-day-average of new daily cases peaked at about 795,000 on January 13, an official tracker maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed.

Though figures over the weekend and public holidays, such as Monday, January 17, are impacted by lower reporting rates and should be treated with caution, numbers were already falling by Friday.

"We hope to close the books on this winter surge soon," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday.

The declines were most pronounced in states that were hit first by the wave, particularly in the northeast, including New York, New Jersey and Maryland.

On the other hand, cases were still rising fast in parts of the west, including New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.

Though omicron is milder in most people compared to the previously dominant delta strain, hospitalizations remain at a high of just under 160,000 people, partly because of the sheer number of people impacted, and partly because of coincidental infections. 

The figure appears to be flat and would be expected to start falling soon.

As to what happens next in the pandemic, many experts, including top US infectious disease scientist Anthony Fauci, are hopeful the virus may continue evolving into a more prevalent but less severe pathogen because of selection pressure.

This would mean eventually living with a virus that causes only mild-to-moderate disease in most vaccinated people, with treatments such as Pfizer's antiviral pill and monoclonal antibody infusions to help people who are at highest risk.

There are, however, no guarantees. In a recent interview with Der Spiegel, Fauci said that there would be continuing "smoldering" infections, particularly in lower-income countries with lower vaccination rates.

"It is conceivable that the next variant will have a high degree of transmissibility but also a high degree of severity," he said.

Agence France-Presse

Australia's new pandemic high: 47,799 COVID infections

SYDNEY - Australia's COVID-19 cases touched a fresh pandemic high on Tuesday amid an Omicron surge in its two most populous states as hospitalizations in New South Wales state, home to Sydney, surpassed the record numbers hit during the Delta outbreak.

People admitted in New South Wales hospitals rose to 1,344, a new pandemic peak, topping the 1,266 reached last September during the Delta wave. Numbers have more than doubled in a week, straining the health system.

A record 47,799 infections have been reported in Australia so far on Tuesday, eclipsing its previous high of 37,212 a day earlier. Four new deaths were registered.

Despite the record spike in infections fueled by the Omicron strain, dual-dose vaccination levels of nearly 92% in people above 16 have helped Australia to keep the death rate lower than the previous virus outbreaks.

Authorities do not specify the coronavirus variant that caused the deaths, although New South Wales officials said 74% of patients in the state's intensive care units since Dec. 16 were infected with the Delta variant.

Australia is also battling a shortage of rapid antigen tests, delays with PCR results and the abrupt closures of a number of testing sites, with pathology laboratories swamped by a backlog of tests. Prime Minister Scott Morrison ruled out the government covering the cost for people to test themselves for COVID-19.

"The problem at the moment is that the lack of (rapid antigen tests) is completely hampering personal responsibility and it is a frustration that is a glaring hole in the current management of COVID," Chris Moy, vice president of the Australian Medical Association, told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

Australia's competition regulator said it would set up a team to look into complaints about allegations of price gouging for the at-home rapid antigen tests.

The record spike in infections and hospitalizations have come as 2 million more Australians became eligible for their COVID-19 booster shots from Tuesday after authorities shortened the wait time between second and third shots to four months.

Just over 2.5 million Australians have so far received their booster shot, which health officials are betting may prevent more hospitalizations and deaths.

Australia on Tuesday crossed half a million coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, with nearly 50% reported in the last two weeks. Still, the country's 547,160 cases and 2,270 deaths are lower than numbers seen in many comparable countries.

(Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Sandra Maler and Michael Perry)

-reuters

New Year’s Eve muted by omicron; many hoping for better 2022

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Good riddance to 2021. Let 2022 bring fresh hope.

That was a common sentiment as people around the world began welcoming in the new year.

In many places, New Year’s Eve celebrations were muted or canceled for the second straight year due to a surge of coronavirus infections, this time driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

Even before omicron hit, many people were happy to say goodbye to a second grinding year of the pandemic.

But so far, at least, the omicron surge hasn’t resulted in the same levels of hospitalizations and deaths as previous outbreaks — especially among vaccinated people — offering a glimmer of hope for 2022.

New Zealand was one of the first places to celebrate the new year with a low-key lights display projected onto Auckland landmarks, including the Sky Tower and Harbor Bridge. That replaced the traditional fireworks show. While there hasn’t yet been any community spread of omicron in New Zealand, authorities still wanted to discourage crowds gathering.

Neighboring Australia, however, was going ahead with its celebrations despite an explosion in virus cases. Some fireworks were let off early in the evening to give younger children a preview of the centerpiece of festivities, the renowned fireworks display from the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

Hours before the celebrations began, Australian health authorities reported a record 32,000 new virus cases, many of them in Sydney. Because of the surge, crowds were far smaller than in pre-pandemic years, when as many as 1 million revelers would crowd inner Sydney.

Because of where the international date line sits, countries in Asia and the Pacific region are among the first to usher in each new year.

In Japan, writer Naoki Matsuzawa said he would spend the next few days cooking and delivering food to the elderly because some stores would be closed. He said vaccinations had made people less anxious about the pandemic, despite the new variant.

“A numbness has set in, and we are no longer overly afraid,” said Matsuzawa, who lives in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo. “Some of us are starting to take for granted that it won’t happen to me.”

Like many other people, Matsuzawa hopes that life will improve in 2022.

“I hope the restrictions can disappear,” he said.

Across Japan, many people planned to take new year trips to spend time with their families. On New Year’s Eve, people thronged temples and shrines, most of them wearing masks.

Some appeared to be shrugging off virus fears, however, by dining and drinking raucously in downtown Tokyo and flocking to shops, celebrating not only the holidays but a sense of exhilaration over being freed from recent virus restrictions.

In South Korea’s capital, Seoul, the annual New Year’s Eve bell-ringing ceremony was canceled for the second straight year due to a surge in cases.

Officials said a pre-recorded video of this year’s bell-ringing ceremony would instead be broadcast online and on television. The ceremony had previously drawn tens of thousands of people. Last year’s cancellation was the first since the ceremony began in 1953.

South Korean authorities also planned to close many beaches and other tourist attractions along the east coast, which usually swarm with people hoping to catch the year’s first sunrise. On Friday, South Korea said it will extend tough distancing rules for another two weeks.

In India, millions of people were planning to ring in the new year from their homes, with nighttime curfews and other restrictions taking the fizz out of celebrations in large cities including New Delhi and Mumbai.

Authorities have imposed restrictions to keep revelers away from restaurants, hotels, beaches and bars amid a surge in cases fueled by omicron.

But some places, including Goa, a tourist paradise, and Hyderabad, an information technology hub, have been spared from night curfews thanks to smaller numbers of infections, although other restrictions still apply.

Many Indonesians were also forgoing their usual festivities for a quieter evening at home, after the government banned many New Year’s Eve celebrations. In Jakarta, fireworks displays, parades and other large gatherings were prohibited, while restaurants and malls were allowed to remain open but with curfews imposed.

Vietnam also canceled fireworks shows and celebrations. In Hanoi, authorities closed off central streets, while in Ho Chi Minh City, audiences were banned from watching live countdown performances, which instead were to be shown on social media.

In Hong Kong, about 3,000 people planned to attend a New Year’s Eve concert featuring local celebrities including boy band Mirror. The concert will be the first big New Year’s Eve event held since 2018, after events were canceled in 2019 due to political strife and last year because of the pandemic.

In mainland China, the Shanghai government canceled events including an annual light show along the Huangpu River in the city center that usually draws hundreds of thousands of spectators.

There were no plans for public festivities in Beijing, where popular temples have been closed or had limited access since mid-December. The government has called on people to avoid leaving the Chinese capital if possible and requires tests for travelers arriving from areas where there are infections.

Popular temples in the eastern Chinese cities of Nanjing, Hangzhou and other major cities canceled traditional New Year’s Eve “lucky bell-ringing” ceremonies and asked the public to stay away.

But in Thailand, authorities were allowing New Year’s Eve parties and fireworks displays to continue, albeit with strict safety measures. They were hoping to slow the spread of the omicron variant while also softening the blow to the country’s battered tourism sector. New Year’s Eve prayers, which are usually held in Buddhist temples around Thailand, will be held online instead.

In the Philippines, a powerful typhoon two weeks ago wiped out basic necessities for tens of thousands of people ahead of New Year’s Eve. More than 400 were killed by Typhoon Rai and at least 82 remain missing. Half a million homes were damaged or destroyed.

Leahmer Singson, a 17-year-old mother, lost her home to a fire last month, and then the typhoon blew away her temporary wooden shack in Cebu city. She will welcome the new year with her husband, who works in a glass and aluminum factory, and her 1-year-old baby in a ramshackle tent in a coastal clearing where hundreds of other families erected small tents from debris, rice sacks and tarpaulins to shield themselves from the rain and sun.

Asked what she wants for the new year, Singson had a simple wish: “I hope we won’t get sick.”

Associated Press reporters Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo; Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea; Ashok Sharma in New Delhi; Niniek Karmini and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia; Hau Dinh in Hanoi, Vietnam; Zen Soo in Hong Kong; Tassanee Vejpongsa in Bangkok; Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines; and AP researcher Chen Si in Shanghai contributed to this report.

-Associated Press 

Austria's vaccine board recommends 4th COVID jab

ZURICH - Austria should offer some healthcare staff and other key workers a fourth COVID-19 jab, the National Vaccination Board said in updated guidance published late on Thursday, citing risks from the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

But it said there was not enough scientific data for it to recommend fourth shots be given more widely.

"In view of an imminent Omicron wave, (a fourth vaccination) can be offered in high-risk areas (e.g., exposed health care personnel) and in systemically critical areas from six months after the third vaccination," the board said.

Austria said on Wednesday it will tighten restrictions again from Dec. 27 to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.

In November, the government announced a fourth national lockdown and said it would make vaccinations compulsory for all Austrians, the first European Union country to do so.

While that three-week lockdown slashed daily COVID-19 infections from record levels, the country is bracing for another surge. Several hundred Omicron cases have been confirmed already.

In its updated guidelines, the National Vaccination Board said fourth COVID-19 shots could be given "off label" to groups in healthcare and other critical areas following medical consultation.

"There is still no evidence that this additional vaccination can prevent infections. However, it can be it can be assumed that serious illnesses can be prevented," it said. 

-reuters

Omicron panic pummels equities, oil

NEW YORK - Global equity and oil markets slumped Monday on investor panic over the impact of worldwide measures to contain the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant, dealers said.

Asia tanked due to concerns over a fresh global surge in coronavirus infections, sparking a fierce renewed selloff in Europe, while Wall Street indices also closed lower.

Oil tumbled as traders fretted over how the latest Covid-19 strain might hit the world's appetite for energy, which has already suffered a heavy blow since the pandemic erupted early last year.

In New York, sentiment was jarred by a crucial moderate Democratic senator's announcement that he would not support President Joe Biden's social spending bill, imperiling the measure that some analysts view as a positive for US growth.

"It does not feel like the most wonderful time of the year for Wall Street," Oanda's Edward Moya said in a note.

OMICRON PANIC MODE

The British pound fell sharply after the surprise weekend departure of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit minister David Frost.

"After battling endless headwinds in recent weeks, markets have finally been knocked over as the rapid spread of Omicron finally reaches panic mode," said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.

Meanwhile, the EU's drug regulator approved a fifth Covid jab as the United States warned of a bleak winter with the Omicron variant spurring new waves of infections globally.

Since it was first reported in South Africa in November, Omicron has been identified in dozens of countries, prompting many to reimpose travel restrictions and other measures.

The Netherlands imposed a Christmas lockdown, and Germany tightened restrictions notably affecting the unvaccinated, while media speculation swirls over the re-imposition of tougher UK curbs.

STOLEN CHRISTMAS?

The rapid spread of Omicron has also slammed the oil market and travel stocks, since a return to containment measures and travel curbs would hit the aviation and tourism industries as well as dampen demand for fuel.

"There is some de-risking in the face of headline news that has market participants thinking the Omicron Grinch might steal Christmas after all," said analyst Patrick J. O'Hare at Briefing.com.

With traders beginning to wind down ahead of the festive season, analysts said trade was thinner and markets more susceptible to swings, but the mood has become increasingly glum as central banks start paring their huge financial support to fight inflation.

World markets had briefly risen last week after other major central banks took action to combat soaring inflation, even as spiking Covid-19 cases threaten the fragile economic recovery.

The Bank of England delivered the first interest rate hike in three years, while the Federal Reserve said it would speed up the taper of its bond-buying program and indicated three interest rate hikes before the end of 2022.

Dealers were unmoved Monday by news that China had trimmed a key interest rate by five basis points as it looks to reignite the stuttering economy.

Meanwhile, in Chile, the Santiago stock market plunged almost seven percent at the opening bell after leftist Gabriel Boric decisively won the presidential election, with the Chilean peso also taking a beating.

Agence France-Presse

Did vaccine inequality lead to the Omicron variant?

In October 2020, as scientists around the world raced to develop a vaccine to fight Covid-19, the leader of the World Health Organization warned against looming "vaccine nationalism".

In a video address, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the time that the only way to beat the pandemic was by making sure poorer countries had fair access to a vaccine.

"When we have an effective vaccine, we must also use it effectively," he said.

"And the best way to do that is to vaccinate some people in all countries rather than all people in some countries. Vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic, not shorten it."

Over a year later, vaccine inequality is undeniable. 

Rich nations like France and Japan have given at least one dose to over 75 percent of their populations.

In South Africa -- where the Omicron variant was first sequenced -- only a quarter of the population has been vaccinated. And is one of the highest inoculation rates on the continent.

But is vaccine inequality the reason behind Omicron's emergence?

French experts tasked with informing their government's pandemic response say Omicron likely came from a patient with a depressed immune system and is the result of a long line of mutations that accumulated during a chronic infection.

But wherever it came from, its spread would have been "slower, the higher the immunity of the surrounding population," Arnaud Fontanet, scientific advisory board member and epidemiologist at the Pasteur Institute, told AFP.

"You can imagine that the growth of the virus during uncontrolled epidemics creates more opportunities for variants to emerge," he said. 

- 'Shock the world' -

"I would like for this new worry to shock the world into realising the importance of vaccinating people on a global scale," Fontanet said.

"The planet will only be safe when we achieve a level of global immunity that significantly limits the spread and opportunities for new variants to emerge," he said.

The WHO sounded the alarm on vaccine inequality again in September when countries with plenty of resources began eyeing booster shots for vaccinated adults and others considered vaccines for children.

Speaking from WHO's headquarters in Geneva, Tedros called on countries to avoid giving out extra Covid jabs until the end of the year, pointing to the millions worldwide who have yet to receive a single dose.

"I will not stay silent when the companies and countries that control the global supply of vaccines think the world's poor should be satisfied with leftovers," he said.

A global vaccine-sharing system called Covax, led by WHO and the Gavi vaccine alliance among others, is meant to provide 92 low- and middle-income countries with jabs financed by rich states.

Covax says it has succeeded in administering 500 million doses in 144 countries and territories, and on Monday, Chinese president Xi Jinping promised a billion vaccine doses to Africa through donations or subsidies for local production.

But in a joint statement on Monday, the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Covax said the quality of donations needs to improve. 

"The majority of the donations to-date have been ad hoc, provided with little notice and short shelf lives," they said. 

"This has made it extremely challenging for countries to plan vaccination campaigns and increase absorptive capacity."

Fontanet agrees.

"Vaccinating the world is not only a question of doses," he says.

"We have to support fragile health systems and work to persuade people to get the jabs."

- 'Follow the science' -

Now that Omicron has been identified, countries are taking measures to prevent its spread by banning flights from Southern Africa where it seems to have originated. 

Japan and Israel are closing their borders.

But epidemiologists say these sweeping gestures are beside the point.

"If you're worried about your risk from omicron, get vaccinated if you aren't already," US virologist Angela Rasmussen tweeted on Sunday. 

"Continue to layer other precautions. And more than anything, follow the science and advocate for collaborative global health. Travel bans won't do [expletive]. Vaccines and global health equity WILL."

Agence France-Presse 

Omicron coronavirus variant ‘not a cause for panic’, says Biden

President Joe Biden on Monday told Americans not to "panic" over the newly identified COVID-19 variant Omicron and said he does not foresee new lockdowns or extending travel restrictions for now.

The virus variant, first detected in South Africa but already appearing in multiple countries, "is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic," Biden said.

He stressed that the United States was in a good position to control Omicron's spread without having to resort to lockdowns or more travel bans beyond restrictions already imposed on eight southern African countries.

"We have more tools today to fight the variant than we've ever had before," he said, adding that his chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci expects current vaccines to work against the new variant, with boosters enhancing protection.

"We'll fight this variant with scientific and knowledgeable actions and speed, not chaos and confusion," Biden said in nationally televised remarks from the White House, flanked by Fauci and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden promised a "detailed strategy" for the fight against COVID-19 this winter but signaled that Americans will not be subjected to burdensome measures.

"Not with shutdowns or lockdowns, but with more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing, and more," he said, specifying that he does not see a need now for ordering vaccine or testing mandates on domestic air travel.

The United States, Canada and the European Union have all severely restricted entry of travelers from South Africa and seven other countries in the region. However, Biden also said "I don't anticipate" more travel bans.

"The degree of the spread impacts on whether or not there's a need for any travel restrictions," he said.

Agence France-Presse

UK confirms first 2 cases of new Omicron coronavirus strain

Britain on Saturday confirmed its first two cases of the new Omicron strain of coronavirus, both linked to travel from southern Africa, and expanded travel restrictions on the region.

"After overnight genome sequencing, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed that two cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 (Omicron) have been identified in the UK," a government statement said.

"The two cases are linked and there is a link to travel to southern Africa," it said.

One case was detected in the central English city of Nottingham, and the other in Chelmsford east of London, officials said.

"We have moved rapidly and the individuals are self-isolating while contact tracing is ongoing," Health Secretary Sajid Javid said.

He added that the government was placing another four African countries on its travel "red list" -- Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola -- effective from 4 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Sunday.

Britain has already said it is banning travel from six southern African nations because of the emergence of Omicron: South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The government was widely criticized for its travel and quarantine policy earlier in the pandemic, when it kept borders open to foreign travelers even as infection rates spiraled.

"This is a stark reminder that we are not yet out of this pandemic," Javid said, urging the public to get follow-up booster jabs of vaccines. "We will not hesitate to take further action if required."

Agence France-Presse

Singapore to curb arrivals from 7 African countries over variant

Singapore will restrict arrivals from seven African countries, health officials said Friday, after South Africa discovered a new Covid-19 variant with a large number of mutations.

All non-Singaporeans and people without permanent residency in the city-state who have recent travel history to the seven countries will be barred from entering or transiting through Singapore, the health ministry said. 

The new restrictions, which will take effect from Sunday, apply to South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, the ministry said.

Singapore citizens and foreigners holding permanent resident status in the city-state of 5.5 million arriving from those countries can still enter, but will have to undergo a 10-day quarantine. 

Singapore currently has no cases of the new variant, but officials are seeking to "take the necessary precautions to reduce the risks" of it spreading to the country, the ministry said.

The city-state has had a mild outbreak of Covid-19, reporting almost 260,000 cases and 681 deaths.

Scientists in South Africa announced the discovery of the variant, which goes by the label B.1.1.529, on Thursday, and are blaming it for a surge in infections.

In response, Britain announced a ban on travel from six southern African countries. 

Agence France-Presse

Sydney hospitals erect emergency tents amid Delta surge

SYDNEY - Two major hospitals in Sydney's west, the epicenter of Australia's coronavirus outbreak, set up emergency outdoor tents on Thursday to help deal with an increase in patients as the city grapples with its worst flare-up in the pandemic.

Sydney, Australia's largest city, is struggling to stamp out an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant, with daily infections hitting record levels even after two months under a hard lockdown.

A total of 919 cases were recorded on Wednesday, the biggest daily rise, with nearly 9,000 added in the last two weeks.

The makeshift unit in the emergency department for COVID-19 patients will help "to offload delays", a Western Sydney Local Health District spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday.

Westmead and Blacktown hospitals have been grappling with a steady rise in COVID-19 patients, forcing officials to redirect ambulances to other hospitals, the Australian Paramedic Association (APA) said.

In a video posted on Twitter Wednesday night, APA said paramedics were given a choice to wait in their vehicles with COVID-positive patients or "wait outside in the freezing rain" due to the influx of patients.

A fast-moving Delta strain has taken the gloss off Australia's early success against the virus that kept its coronavirus numbers relatively low, with some 46,700 cases and 986 deaths.

Besides Sydney, the country's second-largest city, Melbourne, and capital, Canberra, are also in hard lockdowns, putting more than half of the country's 25 million population under strict stay-at-home orders.

Cases in Victoria, home to Melbourne, surged to 80 on Thursday, up from 45 a day earlier.

The federal government is pushing ahead with the country's reopening plans once vaccination rates reach 70%-80%, but some states have hinted they may delay given the rapid growth of cases in Sydney.

About 32% of people above 16 have been fully vaccinated while just over 54% have had at least one dose.

(Reporting by Renju Jose. Editing by Gerry Doyle)

-reuters

Israel launches COVID-19 vaccine boosters for over 40 despite WHO statement

A woman takes a photo as a man receives a third shot of the COVID-19 vaccine as Israel launches booster shots for over 40-year-olds, in Jerusalem on Friday. The World Health Organization said recently current data does not show that COVID-19 booster shots are necessary and added that vulnerable people worldwide should first be vaccinated before high-income countries deploy a top-up. 

-reuters

US FDA authorizes COVID-19 vaccine boosters for the immunocompromised

The US Food and Drug Administration authorized a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc for people with compromised immune systems.

The amended emergency use authorization paves the way for people who have had an organ transplant, or those with a similar level of weakened immune system, to get an extra dose.

"After a thorough review of the available data, the FDA determined that this small, vulnerable group may benefit from a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines," Janet Woodcock, US FDA's acting commissioner, said in a tweet on Thursday.

"Others who are fully vaccinated are adequately protected & do not need an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine at this time."

The vulnerable group of patients make up less than 3% of US adults, Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), had said before the authorization.

A panel of advisers to the CDC will meet on Friday to discuss booster doses, and a vote later by the committee will help decide on the roll out of the extra shots.

Scientists are still divided over the broad use of COVID-19 vaccine boosters among those without underlying problems as benefits of the boosters remain undetermined.

Pfizer has said the efficacy of the vaccine it developed with BioNTech drops over time, citing a study that showed 84% effectiveness from a peak of 96% four months after a second dose.

Moderna has also said it sees the eventual need for booster doses, especially since the Delta variant has caused "breakthrough" infections in fully vaccinated people.

Reports of infections among vaccinated people and concerns about diminishing protection have galvanized wealthy nations to distribute booster shots, even as many countries struggle to access first vaccine doses.

The World Health Organization last week called for a moratorium on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots until at least the end of September.

Wall Street analysts expect the authorization of a booster dose for a broad population to bolster profits of COVID-19 vaccine makers.

-reuters

Pharmaceutical firms rake in billions with COVID-19 jabs

PARIS - COVID-19 vaccines have brought billions of dollars to the coffers of pharmaceutical companies.

Germany's BioNTech, maker with partner Pfizer of the pioneering mRNA jab, raised its vaccine revenue forecast for 2021 in its latest earnings report on Monday.

Here are the numbers for the companies that publish financial results:

Biggest winners: Pfizer and BioNTech 

US firm Pfizer and BioNTech got a headstart over rivals as they were the first in the western world to announce positive results from clinical trials of their vaccine last year.

They were also first to get authorization from US and European Union regulators to sell their shot.

Pfizer has earned more than its competitors, raking in $10.8 billion (9.2 billion euros) in the first half of this year.

The US company has raised its outlook for 2021, expecting to make $33.5 billion in sales for the full year.

BioNTech reported on Tuesday revenues of $7.3 billion euros in the first half. Unlike its larger partner, the company's only product on sale is the coronavirus vaccine.

BioNTech expects vaccine revenues to reach 15.9 billion euros for the full year, up from a previous estimate of 9.8 billion euros.

Moderna the other mRNA champion 

US startup Moderna is the only other firm to have produced an authorized mRNA vaccine so far.

Messenger RNA technology works by providing human cells with the genetic instructions to make a surface protein of the coronavirus, which trains the immune system to recognize the real virus.

Like BioNTech, the company's only product in the market is the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine requires two shots taken weeks apart.

Moderna reported turnover of $5.9 billion in the first six months of the year.

It expects to make $20 billion in revenues thanks to the vaccine this year.

AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson trail 

British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and US firm Johnson & Johnson had their vaccines approved by the EU later than their rivals.

AstraZeneca's vaccine is one of the world's leading vaccines and has been vital in the UK's speedy vaccination drive -- which enabled England's economy to fully reopen this month.

But it has not been approved by US drug regulators.

Johnson & Johson's vaccine -- made by Janssen, its Belgian subsidiary -- has the advantage of being administered with one shot instead of two like those of its rivals.

AstraZeneca and J&J do not use mRNA technology. 

They both made more traditional viral vector vaccines, which use genetically-engineered version of a common-cold causing adenovirus as a "vector" to shuttle genetic instructions into human cells.

The two companies also vowed to sell their vaccines at cost during the pandemic, meaning they would not earn profits from them. 

They are cheaper than the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna jabs, which reflects in their revenues.

AstraZeneca's COVID-19 jab generated $1.2 billion in sales in the first six months of the year. 

J&J reported $264 million in sales and expects to make $2.5 billion for the full year. AstraZeneca has not provided a detailed full-year estimate.

Agence France-Presse

Australia's Qantas to furlough 2,500 workers

SYDNEY - Australian airline Qantas announced Tuesday it will furlough 2,500 workers as coronavirus outbreaks and regional lockdowns pummel demand for flights.

Pilots, cabin crew and airport workers from Qantas and its low-cost affiliate Jetstar will be sent home without pay from mid-August for an estimated two months, the firm said.

"This is clearly the last thing we want to do, but we're now faced with an extended period of reduced flying and that means no work for a number of our people," CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement.

Qantas said the airline had gone from operating almost 100 percent of its usual domestic flying capacity in May to less than 40 percent in July due to coronavirus restrictions.

Most of the affected staff are based in New South Wales, a state that is largely cut off from the rest of the country and the world by travel restrictions.

A lockdown in the country's largest city, Sydney, is now in its sixth week and is likely to last for at least another month.

Qantas and Jetstar have already stood down thousands of international air crew since early 2020, with Australia's borders remaining closed to most overseas travelers.

The country's third-biggest city, Brisbane, is currently under stay-at-home orders while other states have only recently emerged from lockdowns.

Qantas said staff will be paid for two weeks before the change comes into effect.

"Based on current case numbers, it's reasonable to assume that Sydney's borders will be closed for at least another two months," Joyce said.

"We know it will take a few weeks once the outbreak is under control before other states open to New South Wales and normal travel can resume."

Qantas, which previously said it had seen an Aus$11 billion (US$8.1 billion) plunge in revenue during 2020, embarked on a cost-cutting blitz last year that included grounding planes and restructuring.

Agence France-Presse

Fauci: More ‘pain and suffering’ ahead as COVID cases rise

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday said he does not expect the United States will return to lockdowns, despite the growing risks of COVID-19 infections posed by the Delta variant.

"I don't think we're going to see lockdowns," Fauci, who is also director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on ABC's "This Week."

"I think we have enough of the percentage of people in the country - not enough to crush the outbreak - but I believe enough to not allow us to get into the situation we were in last winter."

Although Fauci does not think the United States will need to shut down again as it did last year, he warned on ABC that "things are going to get worse" as the Delta variant continues to spread.

"We have 100 million people in this country who are eligible to be vaccinated who are not getting vaccinated," he said.

The average number of new cases reported each day has nearly doubled in the past 10 days and the number of hospitalized patients in many states is surging, according to a Reuters analysis. 

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Lisa Shumaker)

-reuters

Melbourne returns to lockdown as Australia scrambles to curb outbreak

Melbourne's streets returned to the eerie quiet of lockdown for the fifth time Friday, as Australia battled to contain an outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in its two largest cities.

More than 12 million Australians are now under stay-at-home orders after Melbourne residents began their first day of a snap lockdown, joining Sydneysiders already deep into weeks-long restrictions.

"You look around the city today; there's no one here. The city is asleep," Melbourne resident Mike Cameron told AFP.

Locals are only allowed to leave their homes for a handful of reasons, including exercise and to buy essential items, but many are hopeful the restrictions could be brief.

"Hopefully, it's just the five days; I think that's very manageable -- glad that we got onto it really fast," Melbourne local Matilda Dempsey, 18, said.

"I think Sydney left it a bit late, and now they're kind of stuck in a worse situation."

Authorities around the country are desperately working to track, trace and prevent cases from spreading through a largely unvaccinated population.

Melbourne recorded six cases of the virus Friday, all linked to known clusters, with the outbreak now at 24 infections.

But a growing number of exposure sites -- including a recent Australia versus France rugby match in the city -- were fueling fears among authorities that thousands could have been exposed to the virus.

In Sydney, the epicenter of the latest outbreak, official numbers showed the virus was still moving undetected in the community as daily cases climbed again to just under 100.

"It's a dangerous, dangerous variant, and it's there, after all of us, we all need to take care," New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard told media.

Sydney's lockdown is set to continue for at least two more weeks as authorities try to curb the community spread.

The outbreak has now passed 1,000 cases in one month.

Australia had been widely lauded for its early handling of the pandemic and successful "Covid zero" strategy -- achieved mainly by the country largely closing its borders to the world since March last year.

But a painfully slow vaccine rollout has left just 10 percent of the population protected as many other developed nations are starting to reopen.

Agence France-Presse

South Korea imposes tighter curbs as new COVID-19 cases set record

SEOUL - South Korea tightened social distancing rules across most of the country on Wednesday to tackle its worst-ever outbreak of coronavirus a day after new cases soared to a new daily peak of 1,615.

The latest daily tally easily surpassed the previous record of 1,378 set last Friday, adding to growing worries centred on the rapid spread of the more contagious Delta variant and a slowing vaccination campaign.

Clusters of infections have sprung up quickly around the capital Seoul and neighbouring areas fuelled by the Delta variant, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said from Thursday the government would tighten distancing rules across most of the country, with the exception of some southern regions, to Level 2 on a four-level scale.

Under Level 2, gatherings of more than eight people are banned, and restaurants and bars must close by midnight.

"The average numbers of new cases from regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area have more than doubled from last week," Kim told an intra-agency COVID-19 meeting, adding further curbs would be enforced in some high-risk areas.

The toughest Level 4 curbs, which include a ban on gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m., were imposed on Monday in the greater Seoul area.

For much of the pandemic South Korea has been one of the world's coronavirus success stories with a largely effective campaign to trace and smother clusters of infection.

The recent outbreaks have tarnished that image and shaken public confidence but nevertheless, South Korea's case numbers are much lower than those of many other countries at 171,911 infections in all and 2,048 deaths, KDCA data showed.

The latest infections have brought fewer deaths and cases of serious sickness because many older and more vulnerable people are now vaccinated, despite recent shortages of vaccine supplies slowing the campaign.

The number of people getting a shot has slipped to some 30,000 a day from more than 850,000 a day in early June, KDCA data showed. Just 30.6% of the 52 million population have received at least one dose of vaccine.

KDCA chief Jeong Eun-kyeong apologised on Wednesday after a planned rollout of vaccines for people aged 55-59 was halted for a week after the rush of people trying to get a shot crashed a government-run reservation website.

Jeong said the government had ordered sufficient supplies of vaccines but the scheduling of some shipments over coming weeks had not been finalised.

From Thursday, all schools in the greater Seoul area will switch to online classes until July 25, and private educational institutes are required to close by 10 p.m., the education ministry said.

The Delta variant accounted for 30.7% of all new cases in South Korea reported from July 4 to July 10, the KDCA said. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell, Robert Birsel)

-reuters

Malaysia warns of rising number of COVID-19 deaths, cases among children

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian health authorities have raised concerns about a growing number of coronavirus deaths and serious cases involving children, after a surge in overall infections forced the Southeast Asian nation into a strict lockdown.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin declared a two-week "total lockdown" from June 1-14, as daily COVID-19 cases and deaths hit record numbers, with the government warning the outbreak may be linked to more contagious variants.

Malaysia recorded the deaths of three children aged below five due to the coronavirus in the first five months of this year, the same number recorded over the whole of 2020, according to Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah.

A total of 27 children, including 19 below the age of five, also had to be treated in intensive care between January and May after contracting the virus, up from eight cases last year.

"The health ministry hopes all parties, especially parents and guardians, play an important part in protecting those with low immunity, such as babies and children, from COVID-19," Noor Hisham said in a statement.

Noor Hisham did not say how many children had been tested for COVID-19 or if authorities planned to ramp up testing among minors.

Neighboring Singapore also warned last month that new coronavirus variants, such as the one first detected in India, were affecting more children.

On Monday, Malaysian Health Minister Adham Baba said a total of 82,341 children had been infected with the coronavirus between January last year and May 30 this year.

Malaysia's total caseload shot past 600,000 on Friday, the third-highest total in the region behind Indonesia and the Philippines.

It saw a record daily rise in cases of 9,020 on Saturday and its highest daily death toll of 126 on Wednesday.

The government may consider making vaccination mandatory to ensure a target of inoculating 80% of Malaysia's 32 million people is met and legal action might be taken against anti-vaxxers, state newswire Bernama cited the prime minister as saying.

"I hope we can speed up vaccinations. What is important is not to have people saying don't get vaccinated," he said.

About 2.2 million people had received at least one vaccine dose as of Friday, the health ministry said.

-reuters