Thousands of protesters including members of far-right groups demonstrated in central Rome on Saturday against the extension of the Covid-19 health pass system to all workplaces. Watch this report for more details.

Rome: Thousands protest against extension of COVID health pass to workplaces

Moderna, whose coronavirus vaccine appears to be the world’s best defense against COVID-19, has been supplying its shots almost exclusively to wealthy nations, keeping poorer countries waiting and earning billions in profit.

After developing a breakthrough vaccine with the financial and scientific support of the U.S. government, Moderna has shipped a greater share of its doses to wealthy countries than any other vaccine manufacturer, according to Airfinity, a data firm that tracks vaccine shipments.

About 1 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine have gone to countries that the World Bank classifies as low income. By contrast, 8.4 million Pfizer doses and about 25 million single-shot Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson doses have gone to those countries.

Of the handful of middle-income countries that have reached deals to buy Moderna’s shots, most have not yet received any doses, and at least three have had to pay more than the United States or European Union did, according to government officials in those countries.

Thailand and Colombia are paying a premium. Botswana’s doses are late. Tunisia could not get in touch with Moderna.

Unlike Pfizer, Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson and AstraZeneca, which have diverse rosters of drugs and other products, Moderna sells only the COVID vaccine. The Massachusetts company’s future hinges on the commercial success of its vaccine.

“They are behaving as if they have absolutely no responsibility beyond maximizing the return on investment,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, a former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Moderna executives have said that they are doing all they can to make as many doses as possible as quickly as possible but that their production capacity remains limited. All of the doses they produce this year are filling existing orders from governments such as the EU.

Even so, the Biden administration has grown increasingly frustrated with Moderna for not making its vaccine more available to poorer countries, two senior administration officials said. The administration has been pressing Moderna executives to increase production at U.S. plants and to license the company’s technology to overseas manufacturers that could make doses for foreign markets.

Moderna is now scrambling to defend itself against accusations that it is putting a priority on the rich.

On Friday, after The New York Times sent detailed questions about how few poor countries had been given access to Moderna’s vaccine, the company announced it was “currently investing” to increase its output so it could deliver 1 billion doses to low-income countries in 2022. The company also said this past week that it would open a factory in Africa, without specifying when.

Moderna executives have been talking with the Biden administration about selling low-cost doses to the federal government, which would donate them to poorer countries, as Pfizer has agreed to do, the two senior officials said. The negotiations are continuing.

In an interview Friday, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said that “it is sad” that his company’s vaccine had not reached more people in poorer countries but that the situation was out of his control.

He said that Moderna tried and failed last year to get governments to kick in money to expand the company’s scant production capacity and that the company decides how much to charge based on factors including how many doses are ordered and how wealthy a country is. (A Moderna spokesperson disputed Airfinity’s calculation that the company had provided 900,000 doses to low-income countries, but she did not provide an alternate figure.)

Nearly a year after Western countries began sprinting to vaccinate their populations, the focus in recent months has shifted to the severe vaccine shortages in many parts of the world. Dozens of poorer countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, had vaccinated less than 10% of their populations as of Sept. 30.

In August, for example, Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson faced rebukes from the director-general of the World Health Organization and public health activists after the Times reported that doses of that shot produced in South Africa were being exported to wealthier countries.

Biden administration officials are especially frustrated with what they see as Moderna’s lack of cooperation, because the U.S. government has provided the company with critical assistance.

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health worked with the company to develop the vaccine. The United States kicked in $1.3 billion for clinical trials and other research. And in August 2020, the government agreed to preorder $1.5 billion of the vaccine, guaranteeing that Moderna would have a market for what was an unproven product.

Although clinical trials last year found that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were similarly effective, more-recent studies suggest that Moderna’s shot is superior. It offers longer-lasting protection and is easier to transport and store.

Moderna’s shot is “essentially the premium vaccine,” said Karen Andersen, an industry analyst at Morningstar. “They’re in a position where they probably don’t need to sacrifice too much on pricing in a lot of these deals.”

There is limited public information about the deals that Moderna has struck with individual governments. Of the 22 countries, plus the EU, to which Moderna and its distributors have reported selling the shots, none are low income, and only the Philippines is classified as lower-middle income. (Six are upper-middle income.)

Pfizer, by comparison, said it had agreed to sell its vaccine at discounted prices to 12 upper-middle-income countries, five lower-middle-income governments and one poor country, Rwanda. (Tunisia, for example, is paying about $7 per dose.)

Only a handful of governments have disclosed how much they are paying for Moderna doses. The United States paid $15-$16.50 for each shot, on top of the $1.3 billion the government gave Moderna to develop its vaccine. The EU has paid $22.60-$25.50 for its Moderna doses.

Botswana, Thailand and Colombia, which the World Bank classifies as upper-middle-income countries, have said they are paying $27-$30 per Moderna dose.

The lack of transparency about how much other governments are paying has put relatively poor countries in a weak bargaining position. They are “negotiating totally in the dark,” said Kate Elder, who advises Doctors Without Borders on vaccine policy.

In some cases, Moderna has offered to provide poorer countries the vaccine at relatively low prices, but only after it has fulfilled other countries’ orders.

In May, Moderna offered the African Union doses for about $10 each, according to a bloc official involved in the discussions. But the doses would not be available until next year, causing the talks to fall apart, according to two African Union officials.

Dr. Ayoade Alakija, who helps run the African Union’s vaccine delivery program but was not involved in the procurement discussions, said Moderna’s attitude amounted to, “We’re here to make money. We’ve stumbled upon a good thing, and we’re not even trying to pretend that we’re trying to save the world.”

Moderna’s COVID vaccine has been transformative for the company and its leaders. The company has said it expects its vaccine to generate at least $20 billion in revenue this year, which would make it one of the most lucrative medical products in history. Andersen, the Morningstar analyst, projected that the company’s profits on the vaccine could be as high as $14 billion. In 2019, Moderna reported total revenue of $60 million.

Moderna’s market value has nearly tripled this year to more than $120 billion. Two of its founders, as well as an early investor, this month made Forbes magazine’s list of the 400 richest people in the United States.

As the coronavirus spread in early 2020, Moderna raced to design its vaccine — which uses a new technology known as messenger RNA — and to plan a safety study. To manufacture the doses for that trial, the company received $900,000 from the nonprofit Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

The nonprofit group said Moderna had agreed to its “equitable access principles.” That meant, according to the coalition, that the vaccine would be “first available to populations when and where they are needed and at prices that are affordable to the populations at risk, especially low- and middle-income countries or to public sector entities that procure on their behalf.”

Moderna agreed in May to provide up to 34 million vaccine doses this year as well as up to 466 million doses in 2022 to Covax, the struggling United Nations-backed program to vaccinate the world’s poor. The company has not yet shipped any of those doses, according to a Covax spokesperson, although Covax has distributed tens of millions of Moderna doses donated by the United States.

Bancel said many more doses would have gone to Covax this year had the two parties reached a supply deal in 2020. Aurélia Nguyen, a Covax official, denied that, saying, “It became clear early on that the best we could expect was minimal doses in 2021.”

Late last year, the Tunisian government was hoping to order Moderna doses. Dr. Hechmi Louzir, who led Tunisia’s vaccine procurement efforts, did not know how to contact Moderna to begin talks and asked the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia for help, he said. Officials there contacted Moderna, he said, but nothing came of it.

“We were very interested in Moderna,” Louzir said. “We tried.”

In Thailand, where about 32% of people are fully vaccinated, a government spokesperson said the government was paying Moderna about $28 per dose for 1 million shots that are designated for vulnerable people. Deliveries from that order will start next year.

In Botswana, the health minister told Parliament in July that the government had ordered 500,000 shots from Moderna at nearly $29 per dose — enough to fully vaccinate about 10% of the population. (That would roughly double the number of Botswanans who are fully vaccinated.) A spokesperson for the Health Ministry said that the doses were expected to start arriving in August but that none had yet arrived.

Colombia ordered 10 million shots from Moderna. The government budgeted about $30 per dose, a price that may include the cost of transportation and other logistics, according to Finance Ministry documents. The country's health minister, Dr. Fernando Ruiz, said Moderna’s vaccine was the most expensive among the COVID shots that Colombia had ordered.

There were some initial delays, Ruiz said. The first deliveries, expected in early June, came in August. About 2.3 million had arrived as of Friday.

Moderna, whose coronavirus vaccine appears to be the world’s best defense against COVID-19, has been supplying its shots almost exclusively to wealthy nations, keeping poorer countries waiting and earning billions in profit.

Moderna, whose coronavirus vaccine appears to be the world’s best defense against COVID-19, has been supplying its shots almost exclusively to wealthy nations, keeping poorer countries waiting and earning billions in profit. After developing a breakthrough vaccine with the financial and scientific support of the U.S. government, Moderna has shipped a greater share of its doses to wealthy countries than any other vaccine manufacturer, according to Airfinity, a data firm that tracks vaccine shipments. About 1 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine have gone to countries that the World Bank classifies as low income. By contrast, 8.4 million Pfizer doses and about 25 million single-shot Johnson &amp; Johnson doses have gone to those countries. Of the handful of middle-income countries that have reached deals to buy Moderna’s shots, most have not yet received any doses, and at least three have had to pay more than the United States or European Union did, according to government officials in those countries. Thailand and Colombia are paying a premium. Botswana’s doses are late. Tunisia could not get in touch with Moderna. Unlike Pfizer, Johnson &amp; Johnson and AstraZeneca, which have diverse rosters of drugs and other products, Moderna sells only the COVID vaccine. The Massachusetts company’s future hinges on the commercial success of its vaccine. “They are behaving as if they have absolutely no responsibility beyond maximizing the return on investment,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, a former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Moderna executives have said that they are doing all they can to make as many doses as possible as quickly as possible but that their production capacity remains limited. All of the doses they produce this year are filling existing orders from governments such as the EU. Even so, the Biden administration has grown increasingly frustrated with Moderna for not making its vaccine more available to poorer countries, two senior administration officials said. The administration has been pressing Moderna executives to increase production at U.S. plants and to license the company’s technology to overseas manufacturers that could make doses for foreign markets. Moderna is now scrambling to defend itself against accusations that it is putting a priority on the rich. On Friday, after The New York Times sent detailed questions about how few poor countries had been given access to Moderna’s vaccine, the company announced it was “currently investing” to increase its output so it could deliver 1 billion doses to low-income countries in 2022. The company also said this past week that it would open a factory in Africa, without specifying when. Moderna executives have been talking with the Biden administration about selling low-cost doses to the federal government, which would donate them to poorer countries, as Pfizer has agreed to do, the two senior officials said. The negotiations are continuing. In an interview Friday, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said that “it is sad” that his company’s vaccine had not reached more people in poorer countries but that the situation was out of his control. He said that Moderna tried and failed last year to get governments to kick in money to expand the company’s scant production capacity and that the company decides how much to charge based on factors including how many doses are ordered and how wealthy a country is. (A Moderna spokesperson disputed Airfinity’s calculation that the company had provided 900,000 doses to low-income countries, but she did not provide an alternate figure.) Nearly a year after Western countries began sprinting to vaccinate their populations, the focus in recent months has shifted to the severe vaccine shortages in many parts of the world. Dozens of poorer countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, had vaccinated less than 10% of their populations as of Sept. 30. In August, for example, Johnson &amp; Johnson faced rebukes from the director-general of the World Health Organization and public health activists after the Times reported that doses of that shot produced in South Africa were being exported to wealthier countries. Biden administration officials are especially frustrated with what they see as Moderna’s lack of cooperation, because the U.S. government has provided the company with critical assistance. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health worked with the company to develop the vaccine. The United States kicked in $1.3 billion for clinical trials and other research. And in August 2020, the government agreed to preorder $1.5 billion of the vaccine, guaranteeing that Moderna would have a market for what was an unproven product. Although clinical trials last year found that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were similarly effective, more-recent studies suggest that Moderna’s shot is superior. It offers longer-lasting protection and is easier to transport and store. Moderna’s shot is “essentially the premium vaccine,” said Karen Andersen, an industry analyst at Morningstar. “They’re in a position where they probably don’t need to sacrifice too much on pricing in a lot of these deals.” There is limited public information about the deals that Moderna has struck with individual governments. Of the 22 countries, plus the EU, to which Moderna and its distributors have reported selling the shots, none are low income, and only the Philippines is classified as lower-middle income. (Six are upper-middle income.) Pfizer, by comparison, said it had agreed to sell its vaccine at discounted prices to 12 upper-middle-income countries, five lower-middle-income governments and one poor country, Rwanda. (Tunisia, for example, is paying about $7 per dose.) Only a handful of governments have disclosed how much they are paying for Moderna doses. The United States paid $15-$16.50 for each shot, on top of the $1.3 billion the government gave Moderna to develop its vaccine. The EU has paid $22.60-$25.50 for its Moderna doses. Botswana, Thailand and Colombia, which the World Bank classifies as upper-middle-income countries, have said they are paying $27-$30 per Moderna dose. The lack of transparency about how much other governments are paying has put relatively poor countries in a weak bargaining position. They are “negotiating totally in the dark,” said Kate Elder, who advises Doctors Without Borders on vaccine policy. In some cases, Moderna has offered to provide poorer countries the vaccine at relatively low prices, but only after it has fulfilled other countries’ orders. In May, Moderna offered the African Union doses for about $10 each, according to a bloc official involved in the discussions. But the doses would not be available until next year, causing the talks to fall apart, according to two African Union officials. Dr. Ayoade Alakija, who helps run the African Union’s vaccine delivery program but was not involved in the procurement discussions, said Moderna’s attitude amounted to, “We’re here to make money. We’ve stumbled upon a good thing, and we’re not even trying to pretend that we’re trying to save the world.” Moderna’s COVID vaccine has been transformative for the company and its leaders. The company has said it expects its vaccine to generate at least $20 billion in revenue this year, which would make it one of the most lucrative medical products in history. Andersen, the Morningstar analyst, projected that the company’s profits on the vaccine could be as high as $14 billion. In 2019, Moderna reported total revenue of $60 million. Moderna’s market value has nearly tripled this year to more than $120 billion. Two of its founders, as well as an early investor, this month made Forbes magazine’s list of the 400 richest people in the United States. As the coronavirus spread in early 2020, Moderna raced to design its vaccine — which uses a new technology known as messenger RNA — and to plan a safety study. To manufacture the doses for that trial, the company received $900,000 from the nonprofit Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. The nonprofit group said Moderna had agreed to its “equitable access principles.” That meant, according to the coalition, that the vaccine would be “first available to populations when and where they are needed and at prices that are affordable to the populations at risk, especially low- and middle-income countries or to public sector entities that procure on their behalf.” Moderna agreed in May to provide up to 34 million vaccine doses this year as well as up to 466 million doses in 2022 to Covax, the struggling United Nations-backed program to vaccinate the world’s poor. The company has not yet shipped any of those doses, according to a Covax spokesperson, although Covax has distributed tens of millions of Moderna doses donated by the United States. Bancel said many more doses would have gone to Covax this year had the two parties reached a supply deal in 2020. Aurélia Nguyen, a Covax official, denied that, saying, “It became clear early on that the best we could expect was minimal doses in 2021.” Late last year, the Tunisian government was hoping to order Moderna doses. Dr. Hechmi Louzir, who led Tunisia’s vaccine procurement efforts, did not know how to contact Moderna to begin talks and asked the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia for help, he said. Officials there contacted Moderna, he said, but nothing came of it. “We were very interested in Moderna,” Louzir said. “We tried.” In Thailand, where about 32% of people are fully vaccinated, a government spokesperson said the government was paying Moderna about $28 per dose for 1 million shots that are designated for vulnerable people. Deliveries from that order will start next year. In Botswana, the health minister told Parliament in July that the government had ordered 500,000 shots from Moderna at nearly $29 per dose — enough to fully vaccinate about 10% of the population. (That would roughly double the number of Botswanans who are fully vaccinated.) A spokesperson for the Health Ministry said that the doses were expected to start arriving in August but that none had yet arrived. Colombia ordered 10 million shots from Moderna. The government budgeted about $30 per dose, a price that may include the cost of transportation and other logistics, according to Finance Ministry documents. The country's health minister, Dr. Fernando Ruiz, said Moderna’s vaccine was the most expensive among the COVID shots that Colombia had ordered. There were some initial delays, Ruiz said. The first deliveries, expected in early June, came in August. About 2.3 million had arrived as of Friday.

Moderna, racing for profits, keeps Covid vaccine out of reach of poor

On the global level, cases of deadly coronavirus are slows for the sixth week. Japan has witnessed 48% decrease in cases of COVID-19. Watch this report for more details.

Japan: 48% decrease in cases of COVID-19

The vaccines have helped the global community in its fight against Covid pandemic. The vaccines boost immune response and train the immune system to fight the infection. There has always been apprehension about how long this effect lasts. Now, two separate studies have said that the immune response after receiving Pfizer Covid vaccine wanes in several months. However, protection against severe infection, hospitalisation and death remains strong.

The studies were conducted in Israel and Qatar.

In Israeli study covered 4800 health workers. It was found that antibody levels waned rapidly after two doses of the vaccine. Men, persons aged 60 and above and those with immunosuppression were found to be susceptible to such an effect.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/covid-19-delta-variant-increases-the-risk-of-death-by-133-per-cent-418711">COVID-19: &nbsp;Delta variant increases the risk of death by 133 per cent</a>

Researchers have said that neutralising antibody levels in years after vaccines against measles mumps and rubella decreased at the rate of 5 to 10 per cent each year.

But the antibody levels decreased rapidly in months after receiving Pfizer vaccine.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/malaria-parasite-found-to-undergo-mutations-evading-detection-417757">Malaria parasite found to undergo mutations evading detection</a>

The second study carried out in Qatar analysed infections among highly vaccinated people. People in Qatar mostly got Pfizer vaccine. The researcher found that waning of the efect of the vaccine was prominently seen after fourth. Howeever, the researchers found that the protection from hospitalisation and death remained above 90 per cent.

The vaccines have helped the global community in its fight against Covid pandemic. The vaccines boost immune response and train the immune system to fight the infection.

The vaccines have helped the global community in its fight against Covid pandemic. The vaccines boost immune response and train the immune system to fight the infection. There has always been apprehension about how long this effect lasts. Now, two separate studies have said that the immune response after receiving Pfizer Covid vaccine wanes in several months. However, protection against severe infection, hospitalisation and death remains strong. The studies were conducted in Israel and Qatar. In Israeli study covered 4800 health workers. It was found that antibody levels waned rapidly after two doses of the vaccine. Men, persons aged 60 and above and those with immunosuppression were found to be susceptible to such an effect. Also Read | COVID-19: Delta variant increases the risk of death by 133 per cent Researchers have said that neutralising antibody levels in years after vaccines against measles mumps and rubella decreased at the rate of 5 to 10 per cent each year. But the antibody levels decreased rapidly in months after receiving Pfizer vaccine. Also Read | Malaria parasite found to undergo mutations evading detection The second study carried out in Qatar analysed infections among highly vaccinated people. People in Qatar mostly got Pfizer vaccine. The researcher found that waning of the efect of the vaccine was prominently seen after fourth. Howeever, the researchers found that the protection from hospitalisation and death remained above 90 per cent.

Covid immune response after Pfizer vaccine wanes in months, say studies

Instead of being vaccinated against COVID-19, three members of the Vatican Swiss Guards have decided to call it quits, reported Swiss newspaper ‘Tribune de Geneva’. &nbsp;

The Vatican Swiss Guards are the elite colourfully dressed corps that protect the pope. &nbsp;&nbsp;

According to the paper, three Swiss guards have departed on a "voluntary" basis after the Holy See's implementation of new COVID-19 measures, a spokesperson for the corps said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-watchdog-backs-pfizer-booster-for-over-18s-418403" hreflang="en">EU watchdog backs Pfizer booster for over-18s</a>

Three other recruits, who are still unvaccinated, had decided to get a shot but were temporarily suspended till they were fully inoculated, the spokesperson said. &nbsp;

Since October 1, a health certificate showing proof of immunity to COVID-19 is required to enter the Vatican. &nbsp;

The Green Pass, which was originally conceived to ease travel among European Union states, shows that someone has been vaccinated, tested negative or recently recovered from the coronavirus. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-pandemic-expose-pcr-test-kit-orders-doubled-months-before-first-covid-19-case-418395" hreflang="en">China's pandemic expose: PCR-test kit orders doubled months before first COVID-19 case</a>

The Swiss Guards, who together with the Vatican's gendarme work in close vicinity to the Pope on a daily basis, have been asked to show proof of full vaccination. &nbsp;

Nearly all of the guards are single men, who live in barracks just inside the Vatican gates. Commanders and married members live in separate apartments. All the members have Swiss nationality. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Instead of being vaccinated against COVID-19, three members of the Vatican Swiss Guards have decided to call it quits, reported Swiss newspaper ‘Tribune de Geneva’.

Instead of being vaccinated against COVID-19, three members of the Vatican Swiss Guards have decided to call it quits, reported Swiss newspaper ‘Tribune de Geneva’. The Vatican Swiss Guards are the elite colourfully dressed corps that protect the pope. According to the paper, three Swiss guards have departed on a "voluntary" basis after the Holy See's implementation of new COVID-19 measures, a spokesperson for the corps said. Also Read: EU watchdog backs Pfizer booster for over-18s Three other recruits, who are still unvaccinated, had decided to get a shot but were temporarily suspended till they were fully inoculated, the spokesperson said. Since October 1, a health certificate showing proof of immunity to COVID-19 is required to enter the Vatican. The Green Pass, which was originally conceived to ease travel among European Union states, shows that someone has been vaccinated, tested negative or recently recovered from the coronavirus. Also Read | China's pandemic expose: PCR-test kit orders doubled months before first COVID-19 case The Swiss Guards, who together with the Vatican's gendarme work in close vicinity to the Pope on a daily basis, have been asked to show proof of full vaccination. Nearly all of the guards are single men, who live in barracks just inside the Vatican gates. Commanders and married members live in separate apartments. All the members have Swiss nationality. (With inputs from agencies)

Three Vatican Swiss Guards resign over Covid vaccination mandate, says report

Getting infected with Covid is bad enough. But some of the patients also complain of lesions on their toes and fingers. For some, these lesions are painless but for others they are painful and itchy. This has come to be commonly known as Covid toe.

Scientists have now shed more light on this side effect associated with Covid infection. They have pinpointed why such a condition occurs. They found that it has to do with immune system of our body.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/before-chickens-early-humans-reared-one-of-the-most-dangerous-birds-study-417744">Before chickens, early humans reared one of the most dangerous birds: Study</a>

These lesions are caused due to our body going in attack mode to counter the Covid infection. Two components of our immune system lead to formation of these lesions.

One is an antiviral protein called type 1 interferon. The other causative agent is a type of antibody that mistakenly attacks a person's own cells and tissues in addition to acting against the Covid infection.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/37-per-cent-patients-have-long-covid-symptoms-months-post-recovery-oxford-study-416740">37 per cent patients have long Covid symptoms months post recovery: Oxford study</a>

For people suffering from Covid toe, may witness that their toe skin is getting red or even purple. This may also develop into painful bumps.

Researchers at University of Paris carried out this research. For this, they examined 50 people who were suspected of having Covid toe. The patients were examined in the spring of 2020. Thirteen other patients with similar chilblains lesions were examined but these infections were not linked to Covid.

The study has been published in British Journal of Dermatology.

Getting infected with Covid is bad enough. But some of the patients also complain of lesions on their toes and fingers. For some, these lesions are painless but for others they are painful and itchy.

Getting infected with Covid is bad enough. But some of the patients also complain of lesions on their toes and fingers. For some, these lesions are painless but for others they are painful and itchy. This has come to be commonly known as Covid toe. Scientists have now shed more light on this side effect associated with Covid infection. They have pinpointed why such a condition occurs. They found that it has to do with immune system of our body. Also Read | Before chickens, early humans reared one of the most dangerous birds: Study These lesions are caused due to our body going in attack mode to counter the Covid infection. Two components of our immune system lead to formation of these lesions. One is an antiviral protein called type 1 interferon. The other causative agent is a type of antibody that mistakenly attacks a person's own cells and tissues in addition to acting against the Covid infection. Also Read | 37 per cent patients have long Covid symptoms months post recovery: Oxford study For people suffering from Covid toe, may witness that their toe skin is getting red or even purple. This may also develop into painful bumps. Researchers at University of Paris carried out this research. For this, they examined 50 people who were suspected of having Covid toe. The patients were examined in the spring of 2020. Thirteen other patients with similar chilblains lesions were examined but these infections were not linked to Covid. The study has been published in British Journal of Dermatology.

Why do some people get 'Covid toe'? Study tells more

Australian medical tech manufacturer Ellume said it had recalled almost 200,000 at-home COVID-19 tests in the United States over an increased chance of false positives.

Ellume's rapid at-home coronavirus test last year became the first to receive emergency use authorisation in the US.

The US Food and Drug Administration issued an alert Tuesday over the "potential for false positive results with certain lots of the Ellume COVID-19 Home Test, due to a recently identified manufacturing issue".&nbsp;

"Negative results do not appear to be affected by the manufacturing issue," the statement said.

"The FDA is working closely with Ellume to assess the company's additional manufacturing checks and other corrective steps to help ensure that the issue is resolved."

A spokesman for Ellume told AFP on Wednesday that 195,000 of the 3.5 million tests shipped to the United States had been affected.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-reports-2355-new-covid-19-cases-as-vaccination-push-continues-417536">Australia reports 2,355 new COVID-19 cases as vaccination push continues</a>

Among them were tests provided to the Department of Defense for distribution to community health programmes.

In a statement dated October 1, the company said the voluntary recall was ordered after false positive results were reported in some product batches at higher rates than expected.&nbsp;

"I offer my sincere apologies -– and the apologies of our entire company –- for the stress or difficulties people may have experienced due to a false positive result," founder Sean Parsons said.

The firm said it had identified the cause of the issue and implemented additional controls, and had resumed distributing the tests to US retailers.&nbsp;

"We have and will continue to work diligently to ensure test accuracy, in all cases," Parsons added

Australian medical tech manufacturer Ellume said it had recalled almost 200,000 at-home COVID-19 tests in the United States over an increased chance of false positives.

Australian medical tech manufacturer Ellume said it had recalled almost 200,000 at-home COVID-19 tests in the United States over an increased chance of false positives. Ellume's rapid at-home coronavirus test last year became the first to receive emergency use authorisation in the US. The US Food and Drug Administration issued an alert Tuesday over the "potential for false positive results with certain lots of the Ellume COVID-19 Home Test, due to a recently identified manufacturing issue". "Negative results do not appear to be affected by the manufacturing issue," the statement said. "The FDA is working closely with Ellume to assess the company's additional manufacturing checks and other corrective steps to help ensure that the issue is resolved." A spokesman for Ellume told AFP on Wednesday that 195,000 of the 3.5 million tests shipped to the United States had been affected. Also Read | Australia reports 2,355 new COVID-19 cases as vaccination push continues Among them were tests provided to the Department of Defense for distribution to community health programmes. In a statement dated October 1, the company said the voluntary recall was ordered after false positive results were reported in some product batches at higher rates than expected. "I offer my sincere apologies -– and the apologies of our entire company –- for the stress or difficulties people may have experienced due to a false positive result," founder Sean Parsons said. The firm said it had identified the cause of the issue and implemented additional controls, and had resumed distributing the tests to US retailers. "We have and will continue to work diligently to ensure test accuracy, in all cases," Parsons added

Australian firm recalls US Covid tests over false positives

Let us take a look at COVID-19 updates coming in from across the globe.

COVID-19 Update: Spain approves booster shots for people over 70

New study has uncovered some findings. Hubei was buying PCR tests in May 2019.

Hubei bought PCR tests in May 2019, new report states

After a year of Coronavirus including the deadly Delta variant, the weekly numbers of deaths due to the disease has fallen to levels unseen for almost a year.

Covid-related deaths sink to a new low, records the lowest figure since October 2020

The EU's drug watchdog on Monday approved booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine for all people aged 18 and over, amid concerns that protection dips after initial jabs.

Extra doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were also approved for people with severely weakened immune systems by the Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency (EMA).

"Comirnaty booster doses may be considered for people aged 18 years and older, at least six months after the second dose," the EMA said in a statement, referring to the brand name for the Pfizer vaccine.

"Decisions for boosters will be taken by public health bodies at national level."

The EMA's medicines experts had "evaluated data for Comirnaty showing a rise in antibody levels when a booster dose is given," it said.

"The risk of inflammatory heart conditions or other very rare side effects after a booster is not known and is being carefully monitored," the EMA added.

Rare cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, have been reported in people who have taken the Pfizer vaccine, especially in young men.

Separately the EMA gave the green light for people with "severely weakened immune systems" to get extra doses of Moderna and Pfizer at least 28 days after their second dose.

Two doses are sometimes not enough to produce sufficient antibodies in immunocompromised people, such as organ transplant recipients.

"Although there is no direct evidence that the ability to produce antibodies in these patients protected against Covid-19, it is expected that the extra dose would increase protection at least in some patients," the EMA said.

The EU's drug watchdog on Monday approved booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine for all people aged 18 and over, amid concerns that protection dips after initial jabs.

The EU's drug watchdog on Monday approved booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine for all people aged 18 and over, amid concerns that protection dips after initial jabs. Extra doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were also approved for people with severely weakened immune systems by the Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency (EMA). "Comirnaty booster doses may be considered for people aged 18 years and older, at least six months after the second dose," the EMA said in a statement, referring to the brand name for the Pfizer vaccine. "Decisions for boosters will be taken by public health bodies at national level." The EMA's medicines experts had "evaluated data for Comirnaty showing a rise in antibody levels when a booster dose is given," it said. "The risk of inflammatory heart conditions or other very rare side effects after a booster is not known and is being carefully monitored," the EMA added. Rare cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, have been reported in people who have taken the Pfizer vaccine, especially in young men. Separately the EMA gave the green light for people with "severely weakened immune systems" to get extra doses of Moderna and Pfizer at least 28 days after their second dose. Two doses are sometimes not enough to produce sufficient antibodies in immunocompromised people, such as organ transplant recipients. "Although there is no direct evidence that the ability to produce antibodies in these patients protected against Covid-19, it is expected that the extra dose would increase protection at least in some patients," the EMA said.

EU watchdog backs Pfizer booster for over-18s

About 700 passengers travelling from UK to New Delhi were sent to 10-day mandatory quarantine after landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday. The passengers were sent to quarantine post RT-PCR test at the airport. The step to send passengers to quarantine has been taken in accordance with Indian Government's stance of 'reciprocal measures' for UK nationals.

The new visa conditions have been implemented from Sunday midnight onwards. A senior government official confirmed that a total of three flights from the UK arrived at IGI airport till Monday afternoon that carried around 700 passengers, including UK nationals. As per the new rules, all passengers have to undergo a compulsory RT-PCR test followed by a 10-days quarantine at home or the destination address.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/children-with-comorbidities-to-be-prioritised-for-vaccination-in-india-418003">Children with comorbidities to be prioritised for vaccination in India</a>

"A team of Delhi government is deployed at the airport to carry out the process. They are completing the formalities like getting the address of the passenger where he/she will be staying during their arrival in Delhi. Another team will be checking if the person is adhering to the quarantine rules or not," said the official.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-logs-20799-fresh-covid-cases-180-deaths-418062">India logs 20,799 fresh Covid cases, 180 deaths</a>

He added that all preparations were done to avoid any inconvenience to the passengers, especially to UK citizens. As per the new rules, all UK nationals flying into the country will have to undertake an RT-PCR test 72 hours prior to their departure, irrespective of their vaccination status.&nbsp;

They will also be required to take a Covid-19 test on arrival and ten days of quarantine period after landing. India has already withdrawn the e-visas facility to the UK and Canadian nationals. They have to apply for a regular stamp visa to visit India. The steps were taken after these countries have posed restrictions on the entry of Indian nationals.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

About 700 passengers travelling from UK to New Delhi were sent to 10-day mandatory quarantine after landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday.

About 700 passengers travelling from UK to New Delhi were sent to 10-day mandatory quarantine after landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday. The passengers were sent to quarantine post RT-PCR test at the airport. The step to send passengers to quarantine has been taken in accordance with Indian Government's stance of 'reciprocal measures' for UK nationals. The new visa conditions have been implemented from Sunday midnight onwards. A senior government official confirmed that a total of three flights from the UK arrived at IGI airport till Monday afternoon that carried around 700 passengers, including UK nationals. As per the new rules, all passengers have to undergo a compulsory RT-PCR test followed by a 10-days quarantine at home or the destination address. Also Read | Children with comorbidities to be prioritised for vaccination in India "A team of Delhi government is deployed at the airport to carry out the process. They are completing the formalities like getting the address of the passenger where he/she will be staying during their arrival in Delhi. Another team will be checking if the person is adhering to the quarantine rules or not," said the official. Also Read | India logs 20,799 fresh Covid cases, 180 deaths He added that all preparations were done to avoid any inconvenience to the passengers, especially to UK citizens. As per the new rules, all UK nationals flying into the country will have to undertake an RT-PCR test 72 hours prior to their departure, irrespective of their vaccination status. They will also be required to take a Covid-19 test on arrival and ten days of quarantine period after landing. India has already withdrawn the e-visas facility to the UK and Canadian nationals. They have to apply for a regular stamp visa to visit India. The steps were taken after these countries have posed restrictions on the entry of Indian nationals. (With inputs from agencies)

Hundreds of passengers from UK sent to 10-day quarantine at New Delhi airport

COVID-19 is once again in retreat.

The reasons remain somewhat unclear, and there is no guarantee that the decline in caseloads will continue. But the turnaround is now large enough,&nbsp;and been going on long enough to deserve attention.

The number of new daily cases in the United States has fallen 35% since Sept. 1. Worldwide, cases have also dropped more than 30% since late August. “This is as good as the world has looked in many months,” Dr&nbsp;Eric Topol of Scripps Research wrote last week.

The most encouraging news is that the most serious forms of COVID are also declining. The number of Americans hospitalised with COVID has fallen about 25% since Sept. 1. Daily deaths&nbsp;which typically change direction a few weeks after cases and hospitalisations&nbsp;have fallen 10% since Sept. 20. It is the first sustained decline in deaths since early summer.

These declines are consistent with a pattern that readers will recognise: COVID’s mysterious two-month cycle. Since the COVID virus began spreading in late 2019, cases have often surged for about two months, sometimes because of a variant, such as delta, and then declined for about two months.

Public health researchers do not understand why. Many popular explanations&nbsp;such as seasonality or the ebbs and flows of mask wearing and social distancing are clearly insufficient, if not wrong. The two-month cycle has occurred during different seasons of the year and occurred even when human behavior was not changing in obvious ways.

The most-plausible explanations involve some combination of virus biology and social networks. Perhaps each virus variant is especially likely to infect some people but not others&nbsp;and once many of the most vulnerable have been exposed, the virus recedes. And perhaps a variant needs about two months to circulate through an average-sized community.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/too-soon-to-tell-fauci-talks-about-christmas-gatherings-as-he-warns-americans-to-not-be-complacent-418125">Also read |&nbsp;'Too soon to tell': Fauci talks about Christmas gatherings as he warns Americans to not be complacent</a>

Human behaviour does play a role, with people often becoming more careful once caseloads begin to rise. But social distancing is not as important as public discussion of the virus often imagines. “We’ve ascribed far too much human authority over the virus,” as Michael Osterholm, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Minnesota, has told me.

The recent declines, for example, have occurred even as millions of American children have again crowded into school buildings.

Whatever the reasons, the two-month cycle keeps happening. It is visible in the global numbers: Cases worldwide rose from late February to late April, then fell until late June, rose again until late August and have been falling since.

The pattern has also been evident within countries, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, Britain, France and Spain. In each of them, the delta variant led to a surge in cases lasting somewhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 months.

In the US, the delta surge started in several Southern states in June and began receding in those states in August. In much of the rest of the US,&nbsp;it began in July, and cases have begun falling the past few weeks. Even pediatric cases are falling, despite the lack of vaccine authorisation for children younger than 12, as Jennifer Nuzzo of Johns Hopkins University told The Washington Post.

I want to emphasise that these declines may not persist. COVID’s two-month cycle is not some kind of iron law of science. There have been plenty of exceptions.

In Britain, for example, caseloads have seesawed over the past two months, rather than consistently fallen. In the US, the onset of cold weather and the increase in indoor activities or some other unknown factor could potentially spark a rise in cases this fall. The course of the pandemic remains highly uncertain.

But this uncertainty also means that the near future could also prove to be&nbsp;more&nbsp;encouraging than we expect. And there are some legitimate reasons for COVID optimism.

The share of Americans ages 12 and older who have received at least one vaccine shot has reached 76%, and the growing number of vaccine mandates&nbsp;along with the likely approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 will increase the number of vaccinations this fall. Almost as important, something like one-half of Americans have probably had the COVID virus already, giving them some natural immunity.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-drops-its-covid-19-elimination-plan-as-delta-persists-418063">Also read |&nbsp;New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists</a>

Eventually, immunity will become widespread enough that another wave as large and damaging as the delta wave will not be possible. “Barring something unexpected,” said Dr. Scott Gottleib, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and author of “Uncontrolled Spread,” a new book on COVID, “I’m of the opinion that this is the last major wave of infection.”

COVID has not only been one of the worst pandemics in modern times. It has been an unnecessarily terrible pandemic. Of the more than 700,000 Americans who have died from it, nearly 200,000 probably could have been saved if they had chosen to take a vaccine. That is a national tragedy.

COVID also isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. It will continue to circulate for years, many scientists believe. But the vaccines can transform COVID into a manageable disease, not so different from a flu or common cold. In the past few weeks, the country appears to have moved closer to that less-grim future.

Whatever the next few months bring, the worst of the pandemic is almost certainly behind us.

COVID-19 is once again in retreat. The reasons remain somewhat unclear, and there is no guarantee that the decline in caseloads will continue. But the turnaround is now large enough, and been going on long enough to deserve attention.

COVID-19 is once again in retreat. The reasons remain somewhat unclear, and there is no guarantee that the decline in caseloads will continue. But the turnaround is now large enough, and been going on long enough to deserve attention. The number of new daily cases in the United States has fallen 35% since Sept. 1. Worldwide, cases have also dropped more than 30% since late August. “This is as good as the world has looked in many months,” Dr Eric Topol of Scripps Research wrote last week. The most encouraging news is that the most serious forms of COVID are also declining. The number of Americans hospitalised with COVID has fallen about 25% since Sept. 1. Daily deaths which typically change direction a few weeks after cases and hospitalisations have fallen 10% since Sept. 20. It is the first sustained decline in deaths since early summer. These declines are consistent with a pattern that readers will recognise: COVID’s mysterious two-month cycle. Since the COVID virus began spreading in late 2019, cases have often surged for about two months, sometimes because of a variant, such as delta, and then declined for about two months. Public health researchers do not understand why. Many popular explanations such as seasonality or the ebbs and flows of mask wearing and social distancing are clearly insufficient, if not wrong. The two-month cycle has occurred during different seasons of the year and occurred even when human behavior was not changing in obvious ways. The most-plausible explanations involve some combination of virus biology and social networks. Perhaps each virus variant is especially likely to infect some people but not others and once many of the most vulnerable have been exposed, the virus recedes. And perhaps a variant needs about two months to circulate through an average-sized community. Also read | 'Too soon to tell': Fauci talks about Christmas gatherings as he warns Americans to not be complacent Human behaviour does play a role, with people often becoming more careful once caseloads begin to rise. But social distancing is not as important as public discussion of the virus often imagines. “We’ve ascribed far too much human authority over the virus,” as Michael Osterholm, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Minnesota, has told me. The recent declines, for example, have occurred even as millions of American children have again crowded into school buildings. Whatever the reasons, the two-month cycle keeps happening. It is visible in the global numbers: Cases worldwide rose from late February to late April, then fell until late June, rose again until late August and have been falling since. The pattern has also been evident within countries, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, Britain, France and Spain. In each of them, the delta variant led to a surge in cases lasting somewhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 months. In the US, the delta surge started in several Southern states in June and began receding in those states in August. In much of the rest of the US, it began in July, and cases have begun falling the past few weeks. Even pediatric cases are falling, despite the lack of vaccine authorisation for children younger than 12, as Jennifer Nuzzo of Johns Hopkins University told The Washington Post. I want to emphasise that these declines may not persist. COVID’s two-month cycle is not some kind of iron law of science. There have been plenty of exceptions. In Britain, for example, caseloads have seesawed over the past two months, rather than consistently fallen. In the US, the onset of cold weather and the increase in indoor activities or some other unknown factor could potentially spark a rise in cases this fall. The course of the pandemic remains highly uncertain. But this uncertainty also means that the near future could also prove to be more encouraging than we expect. And there are some legitimate reasons for COVID optimism. The share of Americans ages 12 and older who have received at least one vaccine shot has reached 76%, and the growing number of vaccine mandates along with the likely approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 will increase the number of vaccinations this fall. Almost as important, something like one-half of Americans have probably had the COVID virus already, giving them some natural immunity. Also read | New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists Eventually, immunity will become widespread enough that another wave as large and damaging as the delta wave will not be possible. “Barring something unexpected,” said Dr. Scott Gottleib, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and author of “Uncontrolled Spread,” a new book on COVID, “I’m of the opinion that this is the last major wave of infection.” COVID has not only been one of the worst pandemics in modern times. It has been an unnecessarily terrible pandemic. Of the more than 700,000 Americans who have died from it, nearly 200,000 probably could have been saved if they had chosen to take a vaccine. That is a national tragedy. COVID also isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. It will continue to circulate for years, many scientists believe. But the vaccines can transform COVID into a manageable disease, not so different from a flu or common cold. In the past few weeks, the country appears to have moved closer to that less-grim future. Whatever the next few months bring, the worst of the pandemic is almost certainly behind us.

Trying to Make Sense of COVID’s Mysterious 2-Month Cycle

As the nation’s death toll climbed above 700,000 in October, Dr. Anthony Fauci, an adviser on the pandemic to President Joe Biden, emphasized the need for the 70 million Americans who are eligible for a vaccine to get immunized during interviews on Sunday morning talk shows.

“Many of those deaths were unavoidable but many, many are avoidable, were avoidable and will in the future be avoidable,” Fauci, who is also director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on CNN’s "State the Union."

Fauci was enthusiastic about the development of the new Merck antiviral pill, describing it as “extremely important.” In announcing the results of its clinical trial last Friday, Merck said the pill was able to cut the risk of hospitalization and death from the virus by half.

But he also warned that Americans should not wait to be vaccinated because they believe they can take the pill. While the new medicine may decrease a person’s risk, the best way to be protected is avoiding infection, he said.

Merck said it would seek emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for its drug, known as molnupiravir, as soon as possible. The pills could be available by late this year.

Fauci pointed to the stark difference in how many people died during Merck’s clinical trial for the treatment, with eight among the placebo group and none among those taking the drug. “That’s very impressive, so we really look forward to the implementation of this and to its effect on people who are infected,” he said.

The federal government has placed advanced orders for 1.7 million doses of the new medication. But Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA commissioner under President Donald Trump and a board member for Pfizer, said that amount was “not enough” on CBS’ Face the Nation, covering only one month’s worth of infections in Southern states since the delta variant emerged. He also contrasted that quantity with the national stockpile of medication to treat a flu pandemic, which he said numbers in the tens of millions.

Earlier, Fauci dismissed the notion that federal officials had not procured enough of the medicine, saying they had placed “a good bet” on the treatment.

“We have options for millions more,” he said on the program, predicting the company would ramp up production to meet demand in the United States and across the world.

Fauci also expressed optimism that the country was now seeing a slowdown in cases, signaling a potential respite from the pandemic. “We certainly are turning a corner on this particular surge,” he said during an interview on “This Week” on ABC News.

But he also refused to predict whether people would be able to freely gather this coming Christmas, saying on CBS News that “it’s just too soon to tell.”

As the nation’s death toll climbed above 700,000 in October, Dr. Anthony Fauci, an adviser on the pandemic to President Joe Biden, emphasized the need for the 70 million Americans who are eligible for a vaccine to get immunized during interviews on Sunday morning talk shows.

As the nation’s death toll climbed above 700,000 in October, Dr. Anthony Fauci, an adviser on the pandemic to President Joe Biden, emphasized the need for the 70 million Americans who are eligible for a vaccine to get immunized during interviews on Sunday morning talk shows. “Many of those deaths were unavoidable but many, many are avoidable, were avoidable and will in the future be avoidable,” Fauci, who is also director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on CNN’s "State the Union." Fauci was enthusiastic about the development of the new Merck antiviral pill, describing it as “extremely important.” In announcing the results of its clinical trial last Friday, Merck said the pill was able to cut the risk of hospitalization and death from the virus by half. But he also warned that Americans should not wait to be vaccinated because they believe they can take the pill. While the new medicine may decrease a person’s risk, the best way to be protected is avoiding infection, he said. Merck said it would seek emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for its drug, known as molnupiravir, as soon as possible. The pills could be available by late this year. Fauci pointed to the stark difference in how many people died during Merck’s clinical trial for the treatment, with eight among the placebo group and none among those taking the drug. “That’s very impressive, so we really look forward to the implementation of this and to its effect on people who are infected,” he said. The federal government has placed advanced orders for 1.7 million doses of the new medication. But Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA commissioner under President Donald Trump and a board member for Pfizer, said that amount was “not enough” on CBS’ Face the Nation, covering only one month’s worth of infections in Southern states since the delta variant emerged. He also contrasted that quantity with the national stockpile of medication to treat a flu pandemic, which he said numbers in the tens of millions. Earlier, Fauci dismissed the notion that federal officials had not procured enough of the medicine, saying they had placed “a good bet” on the treatment. “We have options for millions more,” he said on the program, predicting the company would ramp up production to meet demand in the United States and across the world. Fauci also expressed optimism that the country was now seeing a slowdown in cases, signaling a potential respite from the pandemic. “We certainly are turning a corner on this particular surge,” he said during an interview on “This Week” on ABC News. But he also refused to predict whether people would be able to freely gather this coming Christmas, saying on CBS News that “it’s just too soon to tell.”

Fauci says Americans should get vaccinated even if Merck’s Covid pill cuts deaths 

India and UK are holding talks for an early resolution on the COVID travel guidelines row. Watch this report for more details.

United Kingdom in talks with India over certificate row

Molnupiravir, an antiviral drug originally developed to treat influenza reduces hospitalisation and death from Covid-19 by 50% in patients recently infected with the virus, early trial results suggest. Watch this report for more details.

Molnupiravir: New drug to fight against COVID, cuts risk of death by 50%

Five million lives have been lost due to Covid pandemic. Drugmaker Merck has now given new hopes, as it claims that its its COVID-19 pill will reduce hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the Covid and that it would soon ask health officials around the world to authorize its use.

Covid Updates: Drugmaker Merck’s COVID pill cuts deaths, hospitalizations by half

Amid social networks' crackdown on health misinformation, YouTube said on Wednesday that it was going to remove anti-vaccine content&nbsp;including that of&nbsp;high-profile users who claim approved vaccines are dangerous. YouTube has already banned posts that spread false myths around coronavirus treatments.

But the Google-owned site said its concerns about the spread of medical conspiracy theories went beyond the pandemic.

"We've steadily seen false claims about the coronavirus vaccines spill over into misinformation about vaccines in general," YouTube said in a statement.

"We're now at a point where it's more important than ever to expand the work we started with COVID-19 to other vaccines."

A YouTube spokesperson named channels affiliated with Joseph Mercola, Sherri Tenpenny, Robert F Kennedy junior and said that "well-known vaccine misinformation spreaders will be terminated."

An AFP investigation found that Tenpenny runs a sprawling enterprise based on anti-vaccine activism, disdain for masks and testing, and denials that COVID-19 is real.

Mercola, a Florida-based osteopathic physician, was the subject of a New York Times article titled: "The most influential spreader of coronavirus misinformation online".

Robert F Kennedy Jr. had already been blocked from Instagram in February for spreading misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccines.

130,000 videos removed

YouTube said the expanded policy will apply to "currently administered vaccines that are approved and confirmed to be safe and effective by local health authorities and the WHO (World Health Organization)."

This means that false claims about routine vaccines for diseases like measles and Hepatitis B will be removed from YouTube.

These would include cases where vloggers have claimed that approved vaccines do not work, or wrongly linked them to chronic health effects.

Content that "falsely says that approved vaccines cause autism, cancer or infertility, or that substances in vaccines can track those who receive them" will also be taken down.

"As with any significant update, it will take time for our systems to fully ramp up enforcement," YouTube added.

It stressed there would be exceptions to the new guidelines, with personal testimonials of negative experiences with vaccines still allowed, so long as "the channel doesn't show a pattern of promoting vaccine hesitancy."

YouTube said it had removed more than 130,000 videos since last year for violating its COVID-19 vaccine policies.

On Tuesday, the company told German media that it had blocked the German-language channels of Russia's state broadcaster RT for violating its Covid misinformation guidelines.

YouTube said it had issued a warning to RT before shutting the two channels down, but the move has prompted a threat from Moscow to block the video site.

(With inputs from agencies)

Amid social networks' crackdown on health misinformation, YouTube said on Wednesday that it was going to remove anti-vaccine content including that of high-profile users who claim approved vaccines are dangerous.

Amid social networks' crackdown on health misinformation, YouTube said on Wednesday that it was going to remove anti-vaccine content including that of high-profile users who claim approved vaccines are dangerous. YouTube has already banned posts that spread false myths around coronavirus treatments. But the Google-owned site said its concerns about the spread of medical conspiracy theories went beyond the pandemic. "We've steadily seen false claims about the coronavirus vaccines spill over into misinformation about vaccines in general," YouTube said in a statement. "We're now at a point where it's more important than ever to expand the work we started with COVID-19 to other vaccines." A YouTube spokesperson named channels affiliated with Joseph Mercola, Sherri Tenpenny, Robert F Kennedy junior and said that "well-known vaccine misinformation spreaders will be terminated." An AFP investigation found that Tenpenny runs a sprawling enterprise based on anti-vaccine activism, disdain for masks and testing, and denials that COVID-19 is real. Mercola, a Florida-based osteopathic physician, was the subject of a New York Times article titled: "The most influential spreader of coronavirus misinformation online". Robert F Kennedy Jr. had already been blocked from Instagram in February for spreading misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccines. 130,000 videos removed YouTube said the expanded policy will apply to "currently administered vaccines that are approved and confirmed to be safe and effective by local health authorities and the WHO (World Health Organization)." This means that false claims about routine vaccines for diseases like measles and Hepatitis B will be removed from YouTube. These would include cases where vloggers have claimed that approved vaccines do not work, or wrongly linked them to chronic health effects. Content that "falsely says that approved vaccines cause autism, cancer or infertility, or that substances in vaccines can track those who receive them" will also be taken down. "As with any significant update, it will take time for our systems to fully ramp up enforcement," YouTube added. It stressed there would be exceptions to the new guidelines, with personal testimonials of negative experiences with vaccines still allowed, so long as "the channel doesn't show a pattern of promoting vaccine hesitancy." YouTube said it had removed more than 130,000 videos since last year for violating its COVID-19 vaccine policies. On Tuesday, the company told German media that it had blocked the German-language channels of Russia's state broadcaster RT for violating its Covid misinformation guidelines. YouTube said it had issued a warning to RT before shutting the two channels down, but the move has prompted a threat from Moscow to block the video site. (With inputs from agencies)

YouTube to block all content spreading vaccine misinformation

More than one million Israelis will lose their Green Pass after a policy change states that a COVID-19 booster shot is required six months after receiving the first two jabs.

Over 1 million Israelis to lose green pass

As the world attempts recovery from Covid pandemic with the help of vaccines and other measures,&nbsp;new studies are shedding more light on the occurrence of illness and thus helping strategies to defeat the disease that still has the world in its grips.

A new, comprehensive study has found that 37 per cent (or 1 in 3) Covid patients had at least one long Covid symptom even after three to six months after recovery.&nbsp;

The research was carried out by Oxford University, Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre and National Institute for Health Research. The study has been published in journal PLOS Medicine.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-has-caused-the-biggest-decrease-in-life-expectancy-says-study-416261">COVID-19 has caused the biggest decrease in life expectancy, says study</a>

The sample size for the study was huge. 270,000 people recovering from Covid in US were studied.

The study found that most common symptoms of long Covid that persisted after recovery were fatigue, breathing problems, pain and anxiety or depression and abdominal symptoms. It was also found that Long Covid symptoms were more frequent in patients who had been hospitalised. The symptoms were slightly more common in women than men.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-virus-expected-to-continue-to-transmit-for-a-very-long-time-says-who-official-416547">Covid virus expected to continue to transmit for a very long time, says WHO official</a>

Age factor also mattered and which symptoms patients would have was found to be dependent on their age. Older people and men mainly had cognitive problems and breathing difficulties. Young people and women suffered more from headaches, abdominal symptoms or depression.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/every-day-is-frightening-working-for-the-top-us-employer-amid-covid-416476">‘Every day is frightening’: Working for the top US employer amid Covid</a>

It was also found that Covid patients admitted to hospital were more likely to suffer from cognitive problems such as brain fog and fatigue compared to those who did not need hospitalisation.

Experts have been quoted in media reports as saying that this was a 'large, well-conducted and thorough study'.

As the world attempts recovery from Covid pandemic with the help of vaccines and other measures, new studies are shedding more light on the occurrence of illness and thus helping strategies to defeat the disease that still has the world in its grips.

As the world attempts recovery from Covid pandemic with the help of vaccines and other measures, new studies are shedding more light on the occurrence of illness and thus helping strategies to defeat the disease that still has the world in its grips. A new, comprehensive study has found that 37 per cent (or 1 in 3) Covid patients had at least one long Covid symptom even after three to six months after recovery. The research was carried out by Oxford University, Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre and National Institute for Health Research. The study has been published in journal PLOS Medicine. Also Read | COVID-19 has caused the biggest decrease in life expectancy, says study The sample size for the study was huge. 270,000 people recovering from Covid in US were studied. The study found that most common symptoms of long Covid that persisted after recovery were fatigue, breathing problems, pain and anxiety or depression and abdominal symptoms. It was also found that Long Covid symptoms were more frequent in patients who had been hospitalised. The symptoms were slightly more common in women than men. Also Read | Covid virus expected to continue to transmit for a very long time, says WHO official Age factor also mattered and which symptoms patients would have was found to be dependent on their age. Older people and men mainly had cognitive problems and breathing difficulties. Young people and women suffered more from headaches, abdominal symptoms or depression. Also Read | ‘Every day is frightening’: Working for the top US employer amid Covid It was also found that Covid patients admitted to hospital were more likely to suffer from cognitive problems such as brain fog and fatigue compared to those who did not need hospitalisation. Experts have been quoted in media reports as saying that this was a 'large, well-conducted and thorough study'.

37 per cent patients have long Covid symptoms months post recovery: Oxford study

Sri Lanka will be lifting the covid-19 lockdown on October 1, however, the move comes with certain restrictions. The Sri Lankan health authorities state that the covid-19 situation of the country is improved.

Sri Lanka to end its covid-19 lockdown, new health guidelines to be announced soon

After the United States cleared booster shot from Pfizer, over 400,000 Americans received the boosters over the weekend. Nearly, a million will be getting their extra doze in the coming week.

COVID-19 News | US approves extra doze of Pfizer & Biontech; over 400,000 Americans get booster shot

The number of fresh coronavirus cases was recorded at below 20,000 (18,795) in India after 201 days on Tuesday, taking the country's COVID-19 tally to 3,36,97,581, while the number of active cases declined to 2,92,206, the lowest in 192 days, according to the Union health ministry.

A total 18,795 fresh Covid cases were registered in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll due to the viral disease climbed to 4,47,373 with 179 more fatalities, the lowest in 193 days, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am.

The number of daily fatalities was recorded at 154 on March 19.

The number of active cases has declined to 2,92,206, accounting for 0.87 per cent of the total number of cases -- the lowest since March 2020 -- while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.81 per cent, the highest since March last year, the ministry said.

A decrease of 7,414 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Less than 50,000 daily cases are being reported in the country for 93 consecutive days now, the ministry said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-might-be-entering-endemic-stage-of-covid-19-who-chief-scientist-swaminathan-408296">India might be entering endemic stage of COVID-19: WHO chief scientist Swaminathan</a>

Also, 13,21,780 tests were conducted to detect the infection on Monday, taking the total number of such tests conducted so far in the country to 56,57,30,031.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.42 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for the last 29 days.

The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.88 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 95 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 3,29,58,002, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent.

The cumulative number of vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 87 crore with more than one crore doses administered in a span of 24 hours.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-mocks-indias-covid-19-crisis-deletes-post-after-backlash-382517">China mocks India’s COVID-19 crisis, deletes post after backlash</a>

India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, the 30-lakh mark on August 23, the 40-lakh mark on September 5 and the 50-lakh mark on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19 last year.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore Covid cases on May 4 this year and the three-crore mark on June 23.

The 179 new fatalities include 58 from Kerala and 32 from Maharashtra.

A total of 4,47,373 deaths due to the viral disease have so far been reported in the country, including 1,38,902 from Maharashtra, 37,746 from Karnataka, 35,509 from Tamil Nadu, 25,085 from Delhi, 24,661 from Kerala, 22,890 from Uttar Pradesh and 18,751 from West Bengal.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that a state-wise distribution of the figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.&nbsp;

The number of fresh coronavirus cases was recorded at below 20,000 (18,795) in India after 201 days on Tuesday, taking the country's COVID-19 tally to 3,36,97,581, while the number of active cases declined to 2,92,206, the lowest in 192 days, according to the Union health ministry.

The number of fresh coronavirus cases was recorded at below 20,000 (18,795) in India after 201 days on Tuesday, taking the country's COVID-19 tally to 3,36,97,581, while the number of active cases declined to 2,92,206, the lowest in 192 days, according to the Union health ministry. A total 18,795 fresh Covid cases were registered in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll due to the viral disease climbed to 4,47,373 with 179 more fatalities, the lowest in 193 days, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily fatalities was recorded at 154 on March 19. The number of active cases has declined to 2,92,206, accounting for 0.87 per cent of the total number of cases -- the lowest since March 2020 -- while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.81 per cent, the highest since March last year, the ministry said. A decrease of 7,414 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. Less than 50,000 daily cases are being reported in the country for 93 consecutive days now, the ministry said. Also read | India might be entering endemic stage of COVID-19: WHO chief scientist Swaminathan Also, 13,21,780 tests were conducted to detect the infection on Monday, taking the total number of such tests conducted so far in the country to 56,57,30,031. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.42 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for the last 29 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.88 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 95 days, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 3,29,58,002, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent. The cumulative number of vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 87 crore with more than one crore doses administered in a span of 24 hours. Also read | China mocks India’s COVID-19 crisis, deletes post after backlash India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, the 30-lakh mark on August 23, the 40-lakh mark on September 5 and the 50-lakh mark on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19 last year. The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore Covid cases on May 4 this year and the three-crore mark on June 23. The 179 new fatalities include 58 from Kerala and 32 from Maharashtra. A total of 4,47,373 deaths due to the viral disease have so far been reported in the country, including 1,38,902 from Maharashtra, 37,746 from Karnataka, 35,509 from Tamil Nadu, 25,085 from Delhi, 24,661 from Kerala, 22,890 from Uttar Pradesh and 18,751 from West Bengal. The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that a state-wise distribution of the figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

India records 18,795 fresh COVID-19 cases, lowest in six months

Stressing that the Covid virus may continue to transmit for a very long time, senior WHO official Poonam Khetrapal Singh says the level of immunity in a community, through vaccination and previous infection, will determine whether it will become endemic in the long run.

WHO's South-East Asia region regional director added that there is need to get to a situation where "we are fully in control of the virus, and not the virus in control of us".

The endemic stage is when a population learns to live with a virus, very different from the epidemic stage when the virus overwhelms a population.

Populations where more people were previously infected and where vaccination coverage is high are expected to be less impacted by the virus in the future than other populations, Singh told PTI in an interview.

"The COVID-19 virus is expected to continue to transmit for a very long time. A multitude of factors will decide whether the virus will become endemic in the long run, chief among them is the level of immunity in a community, both through vaccination and previous infection, she said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-records-18795-fresh-covid-19-cases-lowest-in-six-months-416546">India records 18,795 fresh COVID-19 cases, lowest in six months</a>

On the granting of emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the indigenously developed Covaxin, she said Bharat Biotech's dossier seeking WHO's Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is being reviewed by technical experts and "we can expect a decision when the process is complete".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-pandemic-ceos-of-pfizer-and-moderna-say-life-will-be-back-to-normal-in-a-year-416527">Covid pandemic: CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna say life will be back to normal in a year</a>

Discussing the role of booster doses to tackle waning immunity, Singh pointed out that cases and deaths in all countries are predominantly being driven by unvaccinated people. Using vaccines for booster doses constricts supply to countries where millions are still waiting for their first dose, she said.

"Hence, WHO has called for a time-limited moratorium on COVID-19 booster doses until the end of 2021. This is to allow for at least 40 per cent of the population of each country - including those most at risk and health workers - to be vaccinated. We must remember that no one is safe till everyone is safe."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cant-go-unvaccinated-president-biden-gets-vaccine-booster-shot-416490">'Can't go unvaccinated': President Biden gets vaccine booster shot</a>

She said there is currently no conclusive evidence that COVID-19 vaccine efficacy against severe disease and death wanes significantly over time. The vaccines, the expert emphasised, have remained effective in preventing severe disease and death.

"However, WHO has not ruled out that boosters for some population groups may be warranted in future. WHO's recommendations on boosters will be guided by the scientific evidence, which is still evolving," she said.

"To make a recommendation on the use of booster doses for the general population, more data is needed on optimal timing, safety and dosage of booster doses, which may differ between vaccine products. More extensive research is needed to study the effect of booster doses in the body." 
According to Singh, eradication is unlikely but what we can do is to prevent or minimise deaths, hospitalisations, tragedy and social, economic and health loss due to this pandemic.

Current evidence, she said, shows that protection levels around the world remain low and most people continue to be susceptible to the virus.

"WHO continues to recommend a strong public health response based on risk assessment, and for people to continue to protect themselves by getting vaccinated, maintaining physical distance, wearing a mask, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, cleaning hands and following respiratory hygiene." 
 
Referring to the probability of a third Covid wave, Singh said another surge and how intense it will be will depend on all of us.

"If we together continue to adhere to public health and social measures and continue to vaccinate people as fast as possible, it will be hard for the virus to infect enough people to cause another wave," she said.

"From experience globally, there is enough evidence that the public health and social measures work, even against the Variants of Concern that are spreading more rapidly, and these measures are critical to limiting transmission of COVID-19 and reducing deaths. For the public health and social measures to be effective, they must be implemented well and timely and must be tailored to local settings and conditions." 
 
On India's decision to restart exporting COVID-19 vaccines, Singh said there is need for equity of vaccination administration globally to ensure that the most vulnerable such as frontline workers and the elderly are fully vaccinated.

"At the moment, several low and lower-middle-income countries are lagging behind in vaccinating their vulnerable populations. An equitable vaccine distribution will also help check the emergence of variants by halting the spread of the virus." 
 
Singh also noted that the pandemic has given "once-in-a-century opportunity" to strengthen the health system to build back better.

"We must invest in strengthening health system resilience to ensure health security and achieve universal health coverage. It means allocation of more resources for health and its efficient governance," she said.

Now is also the time for countries to take lessons from the pandemic to strengthen health systems in her view.

"Strong health systems that are primary healthcare-oriented, and which leave no one behind, create populations that are healthier, more productive and financially secure. Resilient health systems are the bedrock of emergency preparedness and response, and ensure that when acute events occur, essential health services can be maintained," Singh said.

Stressing that the Covid virus may continue to transmit for a very long time, senior WHO official Poonam Khetrapal Singh says the level of immunity in a community, through vaccination and previous infection, will determine whether it will become endemic in the long run.

Stressing that the Covid virus may continue to transmit for a very long time, senior WHO official Poonam Khetrapal Singh says the level of immunity in a community, through vaccination and previous infection, will determine whether it will become endemic in the long run. WHO's South-East Asia region regional director added that there is need to get to a situation where "we are fully in control of the virus, and not the virus in control of us". The endemic stage is when a population learns to live with a virus, very different from the epidemic stage when the virus overwhelms a population. Populations where more people were previously infected and where vaccination coverage is high are expected to be less impacted by the virus in the future than other populations, Singh told PTI in an interview. "The COVID-19 virus is expected to continue to transmit for a very long time. A multitude of factors will decide whether the virus will become endemic in the long run, chief among them is the level of immunity in a community, both through vaccination and previous infection, she said. Also read | India records 18,795 fresh COVID-19 cases, lowest in six months On the granting of emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the indigenously developed Covaxin, she said Bharat Biotech's dossier seeking WHO's Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is being reviewed by technical experts and "we can expect a decision when the process is complete". Also read | Covid pandemic: CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna say life will be back to normal in a year Discussing the role of booster doses to tackle waning immunity, Singh pointed out that cases and deaths in all countries are predominantly being driven by unvaccinated people. Using vaccines for booster doses constricts supply to countries where millions are still waiting for their first dose, she said. "Hence, WHO has called for a time-limited moratorium on COVID-19 booster doses until the end of 2021. This is to allow for at least 40 per cent of the population of each country - including those most at risk and health workers - to be vaccinated. We must remember that no one is safe till everyone is safe." Also read | 'Can't go unvaccinated': President Biden gets vaccine booster shot She said there is currently no conclusive evidence that COVID-19 vaccine efficacy against severe disease and death wanes significantly over time. The vaccines, the expert emphasised, have remained effective in preventing severe disease and death. "However, WHO has not ruled out that boosters for some population groups may be warranted in future. WHO's recommendations on boosters will be guided by the scientific evidence, which is still evolving," she said. "To make a recommendation on the use of booster doses for the general population, more data is needed on optimal timing, safety and dosage of booster doses, which may differ between vaccine products. More extensive research is needed to study the effect of booster doses in the body." According to Singh, eradication is unlikely but what we can do is to prevent or minimise deaths, hospitalisations, tragedy and social, economic and health loss due to this pandemic. Current evidence, she said, shows that protection levels around the world remain low and most people continue to be susceptible to the virus. "WHO continues to recommend a strong public health response based on risk assessment, and for people to continue to protect themselves by getting vaccinated, maintaining physical distance, wearing a mask, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, cleaning hands and following respiratory hygiene." Referring to the probability of a third Covid wave, Singh said another surge and how intense it will be will depend on all of us. "If we together continue to adhere to public health and social measures and continue to vaccinate people as fast as possible, it will be hard for the virus to infect enough people to cause another wave," she said. "From experience globally, there is enough evidence that the public health and social measures work, even against the Variants of Concern that are spreading more rapidly, and these measures are critical to limiting transmission of COVID-19 and reducing deaths. For the public health and social measures to be effective, they must be implemented well and timely and must be tailored to local settings and conditions." On India's decision to restart exporting COVID-19 vaccines, Singh said there is need for equity of vaccination administration globally to ensure that the most vulnerable such as frontline workers and the elderly are fully vaccinated. "At the moment, several low and lower-middle-income countries are lagging behind in vaccinating their vulnerable populations. An equitable vaccine distribution will also help check the emergence of variants by halting the spread of the virus." Singh also noted that the pandemic has given "once-in-a-century opportunity" to strengthen the health system to build back better. "We must invest in strengthening health system resilience to ensure health security and achieve universal health coverage. It means allocation of more resources for health and its efficient governance," she said. Now is also the time for countries to take lessons from the pandemic to strengthen health systems in her view. "Strong health systems that are primary healthcare-oriented, and which leave no one behind, create populations that are healthier, more productive and financially secure. Resilient health systems are the bedrock of emergency preparedness and response, and ensure that when acute events occur, essential health services can be maintained," Singh said.

Covid virus expected to continue to transmit for a very long time, says WHO official

In what can be called a positive signal from major Covid vaccine makers, CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna said that they anticipate a return to normal life within a year.

"I agree that, within a year, I think we will be able to come back to normal life," said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on ABC new network's "This Week."

He added that he did not think that coronavirus variants won't exist or that vaccines won't be needed. He said that &nbsp;"most likely scenario" new variants will be observed and vaccines that would last "at least a year" would be developed.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cant-go-unvaccinated-president-biden-gets-vaccine-booster-shot-416490">'Can't go unvaccinated': President Biden gets vaccine booster shot</a>

"I think the most likely scenario is annual revaccination, but we don't know really. We need to wait and see the data," Bourla said.

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel echoed Bourla's thoughts in his conversation with Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung last week. He said "enough doses should be available by the middle of next year so that everyone on this earth can be vaccinated.”

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/every-day-is-frightening-working-for-the-top-us-employer-amid-covid-416476">‘Every day is frightening’: Working for the top US employer amid Covid</a>

These remarks from the CEOs have come after US Food and Drug Administration's decision to recommend third dose (booster) of Covid vaccine for people aged 65 and above and also for those having compromised immune system.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-delta-outbreak-ravages-us-cdc-chief-says-health-systems-in-dire-straits-416419">As delta outbreak ravages US, CDC chief says health systems ‘in dire straits'</a>

Rochelle Walensky, Director of Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said last week that boosters would also be available for people in high-risk environments such as healthcare workers.

In what can be called a positive signal from major Covid vaccine makers, CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna said that they anticipate a return to normal life within a year.

In what can be called a positive signal from major Covid vaccine makers, CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna said that they anticipate a return to normal life within a year. "I agree that, within a year, I think we will be able to come back to normal life," said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on ABC new network's "This Week." He added that he did not think that coronavirus variants won't exist or that vaccines won't be needed. He said that "most likely scenario" new variants will be observed and vaccines that would last "at least a year" would be developed. Also Read | 'Can't go unvaccinated': President Biden gets vaccine booster shot "I think the most likely scenario is annual revaccination, but we don't know really. We need to wait and see the data," Bourla said. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel echoed Bourla's thoughts in his conversation with Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung last week. He said "enough doses should be available by the middle of next year so that everyone on this earth can be vaccinated.” Also Read | ‘Every day is frightening’: Working for the top US employer amid Covid These remarks from the CEOs have come after US Food and Drug Administration's decision to recommend third dose (booster) of Covid vaccine for people aged 65 and above and also for those having compromised immune system. Also Read | As delta outbreak ravages US, CDC chief says health systems ‘in dire straits' Rochelle Walensky, Director of Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said last week that boosters would also be available for people in high-risk environments such as healthcare workers.

Covid pandemic: CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna say life will be back to normal in a year

After a long leap due to covid-19, tourism in Italy is actually clawing its way back. Entrepreneurs are offering different ways to see the country, the latest one is in Tuscany, watch this bulletin for more.

Italy's tourism industry clawing its way back after hit by Covid-19

As the fourth Indo-US Health Dialogue began here on Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report to commemorate more than a half-century of successful collaborations with the government in New Delhi.

According to the report, the CDC`s decades-old, highly productive, and mutually beneficial public health collaboration with India has achieved measurable success across several critical areas, including, Polio eradication, controlling HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and influenza, building core public health capabilities across disease surveillance, laboratory systems, public health workforce and emergency response and scaling up antimicrobial resistance, and infection prevention and control.

The pandemic has further strengthened the CDC`s partnership with the government of India.

The CDC's Country Director, Meghna Desai said: "The impact and strategic value of CDC`s long-standing collaborations with the Government of India are increasingly clear. Many of our joint efforts are being leveraged to support India`s ongoing Covid-19 response."

"Based on past successes and current public health initiatives, the CDC and the government of India are well-placed to better respond to the world`s most pressing public health challenges," said a statement from CDC.

It added further that the government of India has successfully addressed challenges over the past decades through major investments in the nation`s public health institutions, dedicated resources and platforms to expand one of the largest public health workforces in the world, and a sustained commitment to confront challenging disease control priorities in the country and the region.

"From smallpox to SARS-CoV-2, CDC collaborations with India have benefited both our countries, the entire region, and indeed the world," the statement said.

As the fourth Indo-US Health Dialogue began here on Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report to commemorate more than a half-century of successful collaborations with the government in New Delhi.

As the fourth Indo-US Health Dialogue began here on Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report to commemorate more than a half-century of successful collaborations with the government in New Delhi. According to the report, the CDC`s decades-old, highly productive, and mutually beneficial public health collaboration with India has achieved measurable success across several critical areas, including, Polio eradication, controlling HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and influenza, building core public health capabilities across disease surveillance, laboratory systems, public health workforce and emergency response and scaling up antimicrobial resistance, and infection prevention and control. The pandemic has further strengthened the CDC`s partnership with the government of India. The CDC's Country Director, Meghna Desai said: "The impact and strategic value of CDC`s long-standing collaborations with the Government of India are increasingly clear. Many of our joint efforts are being leveraged to support India`s ongoing Covid-19 response." "Based on past successes and current public health initiatives, the CDC and the government of India are well-placed to better respond to the world`s most pressing public health challenges," said a statement from CDC. It added further that the government of India has successfully addressed challenges over the past decades through major investments in the nation`s public health institutions, dedicated resources and platforms to expand one of the largest public health workforces in the world, and a sustained commitment to confront challenging disease control priorities in the country and the region. "From smallpox to SARS-CoV-2, CDC collaborations with India have benefited both our countries, the entire region, and indeed the world," the statement said.

India, CDC well-placed to better respond to pressing public health challenges: Report

'Our shared experience of fighting the pandemic has taught us that we are stronger and better when we are together. We saw glimpses of collective spirit, when our covid-19 warriors, doctors, nurses gave their best in fighting the pandemic,' says Indian PM Narendra Modi.

COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that we are stronger when we are together: PM Narendra Modi

With the onset of covid-19 pandemic, coffee shops around the world were shut down but interestingly a few sectors in the coffee industry were not affected, here's how and why.

Coffee industry rakes in the profit in covid-19 pandemic

In the backdrop of WHO facing criticism over COVID-19 origins prorbe&nbsp;and the World Bank discontinuing its flagship Ease of Doing Business report following alleged irregularities, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pointed to holes in the functioning of the United Nations, saying that the global body must rise up to the occasion and restore its credibility.

Addressing the 76th UN General Assembly, the prime minister, while quoting Indian diplomat Chanakya, said, “When the right action is not taken at the right time, then it is time itself that causes the action to fail.”

“If the United Nations wants to remain relevant. It will need to improve its effectiveness and enhance its reliability," he said.

The prime minister appeared to be referring to a report of independent scrutiny by leading US law firm WilmerHale which showed that China in 2017 manipulated its data to improve its ranking in the Ease of Doing Business index.

The UN’s health agency, World Health Organization, was also criticised for mishandling the COVID-19 outbreak --which first surfaced in China in December 2019-- due to Chinese interference..

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-at-unga-covid-taught-world-that-global-economy-should-be-more-diversified-415901">PM Modi at UNGA: Covid taught world that global economy should be more diversified</a>

Former US president Donald Trump had slammed the WHO as a “puppet” of China and accused it of covering up the start of the outbreak and allowing the virus to spread around the entire world.

Modi said that today, all kinds of questions have been raised about the UN.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/child-of-a-tea-seller-is-addressing-un-for-fourth-time-pm-modi-hails-strength-of-indian-democracy-415903">Child of a tea seller is addressing UN for fourth time: PM Modi hails strength of Indian democracy</a>

"We have seen such questions being raised, related to the climate crisis and during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

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“With regard to the origin of COVID-19 and the ease of doing business rankings, institutions of global governance have damaged the credibility they had built after decades of hard work," he said.

“It is essential that we constantly strengthen the UN, in order to safeguard global order, global laws and global values,” Modi said.

In a veiled reference to China’s military expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region, Modi said, “We must protect them from the race for expansion. The international community must speak in one voice to strengthen a rule-based world order... Our oceans are also our shared heritage. That is why, we have to keep in mind that we use ocean resources, not abuse them.”

(With inputs from agencies)

In the backdrop of WHO facing criticism over COVID-19 origins prorbe and the World Bank discontinuing its flagship Ease of Doing Business report following alleged irregularities, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pointed to holes in the functioning of the United Nations, saying that the global body must rise up to the occasion and restore its credibility.

In the backdrop of WHO facing criticism over COVID-19 origins prorbe and the World Bank discontinuing its flagship Ease of Doing Business report following alleged irregularities, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pointed to holes in the functioning of the United Nations, saying that the global body must rise up to the occasion and restore its credibility. Addressing the 76th UN General Assembly, the prime minister, while quoting Indian diplomat Chanakya, said, “When the right action is not taken at the right time, then it is time itself that causes the action to fail.” “If the United Nations wants to remain relevant. It will need to improve its effectiveness and enhance its reliability," he said. The prime minister appeared to be referring to a report of independent scrutiny by leading US law firm WilmerHale which showed that China in 2017 manipulated its data to improve its ranking in the Ease of Doing Business index. The UN’s health agency, World Health Organization, was also criticised for mishandling the COVID-19 outbreak --which first surfaced in China in December 2019-- due to Chinese interference.. Also read | PM Modi at UNGA: Covid taught world that global economy should be more diversified Former US president Donald Trump had slammed the WHO as a “puppet” of China and accused it of covering up the start of the outbreak and allowing the virus to spread around the entire world. Modi said that today, all kinds of questions have been raised about the UN. Also read | Child of a tea seller is addressing UN for fourth time: PM Modi hails strength of Indian democracy "We have seen such questions being raised, related to the climate crisis and during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said. #LIVE | Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi speaks at the 76th session of #UNGA #UNGA2021 #UNGA76 #WIONatUNGA https://t.co/sFMXkPrcr6 — WION (@WIONews) September 25, 2021 × “With regard to the origin of COVID-19 and the ease of doing business rankings, institutions of global governance have damaged the credibility they had built after decades of hard work," he said. “It is essential that we constantly strengthen the UN, in order to safeguard global order, global laws and global values,” Modi said. In a veiled reference to China’s military expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region, Modi said, “We must protect them from the race for expansion. The international community must speak in one voice to strengthen a rule-based world order... Our oceans are also our shared heritage. That is why, we have to keep in mind that we use ocean resources, not abuse them.” (With inputs from agencies)

Covid origins, Ease of Business report: Modi attacks UN for loss of credibility, without naming China

Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina addressed the 76th session of UNGA, reiterated its commitment to nuclear disarmament at the world stage, listen in.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina addresses UNGA; climate change, equitable vaccine distribution top focus

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