Wuhan Coronavirus Resource Thread

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 23 Mar 2021 01:03

Mort Walker wrote:^^^Absolutely. Ask Immy the Dimmy.

Hope he kicks the bucket very hard. Then we can pay for Chinese vaccine to be shipped to Paki Army

Uttam · Post by **Uttam** » 23 Mar 2021 01:34

Another Indian vaccine getting close. With increased infection rates, they are soon likely to get data on the 150 symptomatic COVID patients, needed for emergency authorization. (just looking for a silver lining!)

ZyCoV-D will hit markets in May-June

Interview/ Pankaj Patel, chairman, Zydus group

Currently, we are undergoing phase III study. We have to complete the dosing and then wait for 150 symptomatic Covid patients; then we unlock and come out with efficacy data. Our guesstimate is that we should be completing the trial in May. ZyCoV-D will be in the market between May and June.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 23 Mar 2021 08:49

3.25 million vaccinations on Monday. Total 48.5 million.

Total Vaccination : 4,84,94,594 (32,53,095 )

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 23 Mar 2021 08:59

IISER Bhopal, UNMC identify drug that can be repurposed to treat Covid

The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal and researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre(UNMC) have identified ‘Rapamycin’ as a drug that can be repurposed to treat Covid-19.

Currentlybeing used for patients having undergone organ transplantation and certain cancer patients, Rapamycin and its analogues are commonly available in India and abroad.

The research was conducted by Dr Amjad Husain, Principal Scientist, and Chief Executive Officer, Innovation and Incubation Center for Entrepreneurship (IICE), IISER Bhopal; and Dr Siddappa N Byrareddy, Associate Professor, Pharmacology, and Vice-Chair, Research, UNMC.

In a peer-reviewed paper published in the journal, Chemico-Biological Interactions, the researchers showed that the biochemical working of this drug molecule points to its promise in the treatment of Covid-19.

Amjad Husain, in a statement, said: “The development of a new drug is time-consuming and cannot be relied on as a solution in combating the immediate pandemic. Drug repurposing is an attractive solution, where, an existing drug used to treat another related or unrelated ailment may be tested against Covid-19.”

An example of such a repurposed drug is Remdesivir, which was originally developed to treat Hepatitis C infection. The drug has shown limited success in treating Covid-19 patients. Identification of more such drugs is important, given the scale of the pandemic. Rapamycin works differently from Remdesivir. While the latter targets the virus itself, Rapamycin targets the host proteins and may resist the infection.

“Using repurposed drug such as Rapamycin that targets mTOR, a central molecule affecting multiple signalling pathways, may yield a significant clinical benefit for the treatment of Covid-19,” added Dr Husain.

One of the main challenges in developing antiviral drugs for Covid-19 has been the extensive mutations that the virus undergoes. In addition, Rapamycin is known to reduce obesity through various pathways and this can help in mitigating the severity of Covid-19 effects in obese people.

Furthermore, Rapamycin is known to induce autophagy, a cellular recycling process that helps in eliminating the damaged proteins and delaying ageing. Given the connection between age and Covid mortality with more fatalities in older people, the anti-ageing properties of Rapamycin can have protective effects against Covid-10-induced morbidities.

Recently, another study published in The Lancet-Healthy Longevity, proposed the potential of Rapamycin analogues (rapalogs) to enhance resilience against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 23 Mar 2021 09:04

Premas Biotech, Oramed to develop potential COVID-19 vaccine pill

Oravax owned by Nasdaq listed Oramed Pharmaceuticals and Gurgoan-based biotech Premas Biotech have announced the development of potential single dose oral COVID-19 vaccine.

Oravax’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate which is a triple antigen virus like particle (VLP) consists three structural proteins of SARS-CoV2, unlike most other vaccines that are based on Spike (S) protein.

This, the company said, makes it a better candidate for protection across emerging mutations of the coronavirus.

"The oral delivery of the vaccine should allow for widescale inoculation and easier distribution of the vaccine without requiring an injection," Oravax said.

Oramed for years has been working on a potential human insulin in an oral formulation. Oral vaccines are not new, currently polio vaccine used in infant and child vaccination is given orally. Rotavirus vaccines are also given orally.

In a pilot animal study, the oral COVID-19 vaccine promoted both systemic immunity through Immunoglobulin G (IgG), the most common antibody in blood and bodily fluids that protects against viral infections, and Immunoglobulin A (IgA).

Oravax anticipates commencing a clinical study during the second quarter of 2021.

“An oral COVID-19 vaccine would eliminate several barriers to rapid, widescale distribution, potentially enabling people to take the vaccine themselves at home. While ease of administration is critical today to accelerate inoculation rates, an oral vaccine could become even more valuable in the case that a COVID-19 vaccine may be recommended annually like the standard flu shot,” said Nadav Kidron, CEO of Oramed.

Oravax was established in 2021 by Israel-based Oramed Pharmaceuticals, the largest shareholder in Oravax, along with Premas Biotech and certain other shareholders with a mission to bring an oral COVID-19 vaccine to the market.

sajo · Post by **sajo** » 23 Mar 2021 13:08

Chennai shows the way :

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 642442.cms

nam · Post by **nam** » 23 Mar 2021 14:05

It is a tough choice. under 40/50 may be the major reason for spread, but most of the deaths are 60+. It is a chicken and egg problem.

The choice made by many countries is to vaccinate the people at death risk, rather than spread risk.

The objective is to prevent hospitalization and death, not spread.

manjgu · Post by **manjgu** » 23 Mar 2021 14:07

60+ die because of 25-60 !!

nam · Post by **nam** » 23 Mar 2021 14:13

Yes, but there are less number of 60+ than 25-60. So easier to vaccinate first. When nobody is dying, then it doesn't matter if everyone is getting infected.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 23 Mar 2021 17:25

Those above 45 years can get Covid-19 vaccine from April 1

With the Covid-19 surging across India again, anyone above 45 years will now be able to get the Covid-19 vaccine from April 1, Union minster Prakash Javadekar said on Tuesday. He requested people entitled to get themselves registered to take the Covid-19 shot.
...

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 23 Mar 2021 17:52

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 640239.cms
Coronavirus causing common cold saved lives in India.
pre existing cross resistance and robust immunity response at the root of low mortality in India from nCV ^

Uttam · Post by **Uttam** » 23 Mar 2021 19:03

putnanja wrote:Those above 45 years can get Covid-19 vaccine from April 1

With the Covid-19 surging across India again, anyone above 45 years will now be able to get the Covid-19 vaccine from April 1, Union minster Prakash Javadekar said on Tuesday. He requested people entitled to get themselves registered to take the Covid-19 shot.
...

That is AWESOME news. Thank you for sharing! I have been hoping for this to happen for some time now. This step will go long way in crushing this epidemic.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 23 Mar 2021 20:21

I think this approach is to enable the producers to scale up production of vaccinations. Here in Bay Area there’s an ugly fight going on between the Kaiser hospital network and the county authorities over shortage of vaccines - the former registered many vaccination appointments only to be forced to cancel due to shortage.

manjgu · Post by **manjgu** » 23 Mar 2021 20:40

they should have opened up 45+ from day 1 .... sat sun for 60 + rest 5 days 45+

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 23 Mar 2021 21:40

MoHFW Press Release describing vaccine export figures - almost 60 million exported.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 23 Mar 2021 22:11

manjgu wrote:they should have opened up 45+ from day 1 .... sat sun for 60 + rest 5 days 45+

Pretty much every single country in the world has prioritized older people and those with co-morbidities for vaccinations, gradually opening them up for others as the vaccine supply increases. India is doing the same.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 23 Mar 2021 22:15

1.58 million vaccinations up to 7pm on Tuesday. Total officially over 50 million.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetai ... ID=1707090

habal · Post by **habal** » 23 Mar 2021 22:44

nachiket wrote:
manjgu wrote:they should have opened up 45+ from day 1 .... sat sun for 60 + rest 5 days 45+
Pretty much every single country in the world has prioritized older people and those with co-morbidities for vaccinations, gradually opening them up for others as the vaccine supply increases. India is doing the same.

how many 60+ are showing an immunity response to covishield. Which means body reacting to a foreign object .. if there is no reaction to vaccination then the exercise of injecting 60+ with covishield has been a failure. On the other hand covishield has shown immunity reaponse in younger population who have responded to vaccination with mild fever and a push back by a healthier body.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 23 Mar 2021 22:51

habal: please avoid derailing the thread with rhetorical anti-vaxxer questions. It's not others' job to find data. When you make such assertions, YOU report the data to support your argument.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 23 Mar 2021 23:29

It would be good to find a way to avoid mixing the younger crowd with the senior citizen crowd, to avoid the risk of spreading the virus to a vulnerable population. Perhaps some days of the week or slots earlier in the day can be reserved for senior citizens.

One good thing now is that if most senior citizens have received the first shot, they will have some immunity even if they come in contact with an infected person later at a vaccination event.

habal · Post by **habal** » 23 Mar 2021 23:32

Deleted

Uttam · Post by **Uttam** » 24 Mar 2021 02:37

Here is where we stand relative to our neighbors:

The slope for India is the steepest. That means, we started late but are rapidly catching up.

Ambar · Post by **Ambar** » 24 Mar 2021 03:27

Pfizer begins early clinical trial of a new anti-viral drug to combat Covid.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/23/covid-p ... -drug.html

I am glad to hear Pharma companies are researching new anti-viral drugs to take on the virus. One of the worries over the last 6 months has been everyone is busy working on a vaccine where as some of our most vulnerable population will still be susceptible to the virus, so we need new drugs to mitigate the effects even if they contract covid. I hope Pfizer and others succeed in their trials.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Mar 2021 04:10

Fresh controversy over Oxford vaccine

AstraZeneca to release updated vaccine data following concerns over its analysis of data from large-scale US trial
On Tuesday, an independent panel of experts appointed by the National Institutes of Health to review the trial data for the major COVID-19 vaccines sent a letter expressing concern around how AstraZeneca presented data on the effectiveness of its vaccine, according to The Washington Post. AstraZeneca released a statement that said it will provide up-to-date data within two days, while National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci called it an “unforced error.” Dr. Fauci added that the vaccine is “very likely a very good vaccine.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-heal ... ce=twitter

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 24 Mar 2021 08:41

2.35 million vaccinations on Tuesday. Total 50.85 million .

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 24 Mar 2021 09:12

^^^I was really hoping over 3M/day as there is a slight slowdown on Sat. and almost 500K on Sun.

sivab · Post by **sivab** » 24 Mar 2021 09:46

Something weird is going on in TN. Looks like not enough people are willing to get vaccinated. So local govt officials have made a stealthy decision to open it up to everyone above 18 to hit their mandated numbers, but are advertising that above 18 is fake news. See following tweet thread

https://twitter.com/chennaicorp/status/ ... 4850414592

Santhanakrishnan
@sankrishmca
16h
Replying to
@chennaicorp

Don't lie many people in annanagar got vaccinated aged between 24-45

It happened in government camp

Alex James Murikan
@chennai123
16h
Replying to
@chennaicorp

Lol, today , in my apartment about 50 people got vaccinated from 18 year upwards by corporation of chennai with covaxin!! Probably they don’t Modi to know

Vaasavi Sashiraman
@vaasavis
16h
Replying to
@chennaicorp

Looks like the Corporation is giving one message on the outside and another on the inside. Several people I know between 18-45 have been vaccinated in multiple centers across Chennai

This article says same
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 642442.cms

Quietly, Chennai civic clinics vaccinating those over 18

one more saying same

https://www.thehealthsite.com/news/quie ... le-803585/

Seems people willing to get vaccinated is a big problem in some states.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 24 Mar 2021 10:46

I support what TN is doing . While phased vaccination is a good approach, it has a limit when the very people targeted by the current phase refuse to show up . The smartest thing to do then is it so soft-expand eligibility and vaccinate as many others as possible.

The current high risk group may need more urgent vaccination, but if they don’t show up, the next best thing is to vaccinate those they come in touch with. Vaccinations are not zero sum - each vaccinated person enables lowering transmission rate,

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 24 Mar 2021 11:00

Mort Walker wrote:^^^I was really hoping over 3M/day as there is a slight slowdown on Sat. and almost 500K on Sun.

We have maintained a recognizable trend for 2-3 weeks now :
- strong Monday over 3 million
- slower Tues/Wed
-strengthing Fri and Sat
- mostly shut Sunday with only 3-500k

My working theory is that during midweek the older cohort are simply unable to or lack convenience when it comes to vaccination. This requires a detailed data analysis , which may be useful to change policy , eg Tue-Thurs there is no age limit but any visiting older person gets priority.

nandakumar · Post by **nandakumar** » 24 Mar 2021 11:18

Suraj wrote:I support what TN is doing . While phased vaccination is a good approach, it has a limit when the very people targeted by the current phase refuse to show up . The smartest thing to do then is it so soft-expand eligibility and vaccinate as many others as possible.

The current high risk group may need more urgent vaccination, but if they don’t show up, the next best thing is to vaccinate those they come in touch with. Vaccinations are not zero sum - each vaccinated person enables lowering transmission rate,

Absolutely. TN has been lagging behind in absolute numbers compared to even States like Rajasthan with far less case load than it. For some reason the eligible population is not coming forward. So the Chennai Corporation decided to go to apartment complexes and set up vaccination camps. Based on the registrants they take out vaccines from the refrigerators kept at the public health centre, put them in an ice box and bring it in a van with para medical staff. Now ice box can at the most hold the ice without melting for two to three hours maximum. That is just about enough time for them to complete the process of vaccination. If there are vaccines left in the box there will always be the risk that the temperature within which the vaccines need to be preserved might not have been maintained even for a small period of time. So what do you do with the vaccines? Might as well administer them while the ice in the box hadn't melted, rather than throw them away on return because they might have lost their potency. Which is what had happened. By and large it has been administered to those above 45 years of age which in any case has now been opened up by the Government now.

sivab · Post by **sivab** » 24 Mar 2021 12:23

nandakumar wrote: So what do you do with the vaccines? Might as well administer them while the ice in the box hadn't melted, rather than throw them away on return because they might have lost their potency. Which is what had happened.

nandakumarji, it is much more than that.

For those who can't read: Dasarathapuram PHC, under Chennai corp is advertising free vaccines for anyone 18 & over between 8am and 4pm. But Chennai corp handle is tweeting that it is fake news that people over 18 are getting vaccinated!! Seems they are afraid of getting caught.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 24 Mar 2021 12:44

Since the recipients are registered on the app for generating the vaccination certificate, it is not a secret. There may be an attempt to avoid generating a crush of people all at once.

nandakumar · Post by **nandakumar** » 24 Mar 2021 14:45

sivab
I agree that there have been instances of the kind that you are mentioning. Equally there is the issue of vaccination done in apartment complexes where there is a community hall for common use with next to no refrigeration facility. As I have noticed, for the last mile delivery there is nothing more than an ice box.

sajo · Post by **sajo** » 24 Mar 2021 19:01

It seems re-infections are also on the rise. Dhananjay Munde is COVID positive for the 2nd time and admitted again, this time to Bombay Hospital.

https://english.lokmat.com/maharashtra/ ... cond-time/

New variant ? Mutation ? Or simply rotten luck and case of disappearing anti-bodies ?

The principal advisor to the MH CM Ajoy Mehta also tested +ve 1 week after receiving his first vaccine shot. The list of people I know who remained safe through the year yet are hit by this new wave of infections amongst my circle is growing steadily.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 24 Mar 2021 19:59

Reinfections either with or without vaccination isn’t impossible and at some point would become the norm. Even getting Covid at all is not impossible . What vaccines do is drastically reduce risk of serious illness . People are going to keep on getting Covid, but as long as their immunity is maintained thru vaccination, they’ll be dealing with something like a cold at most.

sajo · Post by **sajo** » 24 Mar 2021 20:15

Registrations and appointment booking on COWIN for those 45+ and Without Comorbidities is still not possible. It will open only from 1st April. Hoping the capacity niggles as seen on March1 are resolved and we have a smooth transition to the next age bracket.

Anoop.G · Post by **Anoop.G** » 24 Mar 2021 20:27

sajo wrote:Registrations and appointment booking on COWIN for those 45+ and Without Comorbidities is still not possible. It will open only from 1st April. Hoping the capacity niggles as seen on March1 are resolved and we have a smooth transition to the next age bracket.

The Arogya Setu app does not ask for any specific details for booking COVID vax appointments. I am 55+ and have booked an appointment for April 1st and have got a booking confirmation. No other details were asked for. No info on any comorbidity is asked by the Arogya Setu app during the vax booking process.

sajo · Post by **sajo** » 24 Mar 2021 20:36

Anoop.G wrote:
sajo wrote:Registrations and appointment booking on COWIN for those 45+ and Without Comorbidities is still not possible. It will open only from 1st April. Hoping the capacity niggles as seen on March1 are resolved and we have a smooth transition to the next age bracket.
The Arogya Setu app does not ask for any specific details for booking COVID vax appointments. I am 55+ and have booked an appointment for April 1st and have got a booking confirmation. No other details were asked for. No info on any comorbidity is asked by the Arogya Setu app during the vax booking process.

Strange, it was not allowing me and a few others to proceed without clicking on "Yes" for the below. For now those around me are ignoring this message before proceeding for registration.

https://twitter.com/mygovindia/status/1 ... 7430470664

MyGovIndia
@mygovindia
The #CoWIN System will be open for registration and booking of appointment of all people above 45 years of age, from 1st April 2021.

Onsite registration of such persons will also be permissible from April 1, 2021. #LargestVaccineDrive #IndiaFightsCorona

@MoHFW_INDIA

Uttam · Post by **Uttam** » 24 Mar 2021 21:34

India delays big exports of AstraZeneca shot as infections surge

ritesh · Post by **ritesh** » 24 Mar 2021 21:57

Uttam wrote:India delays big exports of AstraZeneca shot as infections surge

Thats a good news. As they say charity begins at home.

Guys, need some clarification:
Dad is due for second shot of covidshield in couple of weeks. However this news of blood clotting is unnerving as he is stroke survivor of 3 yrs. Will it be prudent to get second shot which seems to be behind news regarding blood clotting. Can someone pls guide.