Sunday, January 2, 2022

Omicron infects 96% of fully vaccinated people, Updates on Nano Covax, ARCT-021, ARCT-154

 Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News on disease control, CCP, New Year countdown

News (1) to (6) / Reporter : Andrew White, National File

Image : Web Screenshot

News (1)

Nearly 90% of Covi29 cases in Denmark “fully vaccinated” or “boosted”

The Omicron coronavirus (covi) variant / B.1.1.529 (Covi29 as synonym) continues to overwhelmingly infect vaccinated people across the globe. In Denmark, nearly 90% of Omicron cases were found in “fully vaccinated” or “boosted” individuals.

According to a report from the Danish Ministry of Health’s Statens Serum Institut (SSI), nearly 90% of individuals infected with the Omicron coronavirus variant are “fully vaccinated,” or have also had a “booster” injection.

Out of a total reported 41,342 Omicron infections, 29,781 infected individuals had completed the primary vaccination injection schedule.

7,330 infected individuals had been injected with a “booster,” and 731 infected individuals had received one dose.

News (2)

Only 3500 unvaccinated people in Denmark infected by Covi29

Compared to the 3,500 unvaccinated people who became infected with Omicron variant, 37,842 infected individuals had been injected with covi vaccines.

News (3)

Denmark’s vaccination rate revealed

Denmark’s reported vaccination rate is purported to be nearly 78%.

News (4)

96% of Covi29 patients in Germany “fully vaccinated”

The data appears to suggest a trend, as previous data from Germany showed that 96% of new Omicron covid patients were “fully vaccinated,” while unvaccinated people accounted for only 4% of the infections.

A small sample of data released by the German government found that the Omicron coronavirus variant has been overwhelmingly infecting “fully vaccinated people,” including triple vaccinated people, while unvaccinated people remain largely unscathed by the newly discovered strain.

Out of 4,206 patients in the study, 4,020 had been injected with the covi vaccines, National File reported Thursday.

News (5)

80% of vaccinated Americans infected by Omicron

In the United States, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the Omicron variant had been overwhelmingly infecting people who had received vaccine injections for COVID-19 to the tune of 80%.

News (6)

Too many vaccine shots might cause immune system fatigue

An explanation as to why vaccinated individuals appear to be getting infected with the new strain at such a staggering rate, when compared to those who have not been injected, could perhaps be found in a report by the New York Times, which claimed that experts in Israel had warned the Israeli government that “too many shots might cause a sort of immune system fatigue, compromising the body’s ability to fight the coronavirus.”

News (7)
Nano Covax meets WHO recommendations for vaccines
Image : Nanogen
The National Ethics Committee for Biomedical Research voted with high consensus on the protective efficacy of the domestic COVID-19 vaccine candidate Nano Covax. With this result, Nano Covax can confidently become the first domestic vaccine eligible for circulation registration soon.
Independent sources said that the National Ethics Committee for Biomedical Research met in the morning of 29 December 2021 to review the next report of the Military Medical Academy - representing the clinical trial organization Nanogen on the Vietnamese covi vaccine Nano Covax, based on closing data on 13 December 2021.
The meeting focused on discussing the most important content of an experimental vaccine: The protective effect against the possibility of infectious diseases, including reducing the risk of disease, reducing the risk of severe disease, and reducing the risk of death.
News (8)
Covid cases occurred among 13,000 volunteers in the Nano Covax clinical trial
The discussion was based on unblinded data to clarify covid cases that occurred among 13,000 volunteers participating in the Nano Covax clinical trial, which compared cases in a group of 4,000 people who received a placebo injection. and the rest received experimental vaccines, thereby directly calculating the effectiveness and protective effectiveness of the experimental vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 (covi) that is causing the pandemic.
Nano Covax clinical trial data up to now on the target of case capture has been sufficient as required by the clinical trial protocol.
As a result of the discussion, the National Ethical Council in Biomedical Research voted with a high consensus, confirming that the candidate Nano Covax by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Joint Stock Company "satisfies the requirements for protection validity.”.
At the end of the afternoon, Prof. Truong Viet Dung, Chairman of the Ethics Council confirmed to PLO the above information. Although he did not detail the assessment of the Council, he affirmed that the clinical trial results conducted by the Military Medical Academy and the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City so far showed that the Nano Covax candidate met the recommendations of the Board of Directors. World Health Organization on vaccines in general, including vaccines against COVID-19.
He said, at the meeting this morning, the Ethics Council only discussed and voted on the protective effect of Nano Covax. As for the safety and immunogenicity criteria, the previous meeting, on 16 December 2021, had a conclusion and was widely announced.
"This latest meeting, the Ministry of Health will have a press release to publicize the results" - Prof. Dung said.
The results of the meeting of the National Council on Ethics in Biomedical Research on 30 December 2021 continue to confirm scientifically the conditions for Nanogen to strengthen the application for circulation registration.
News (9)
Nano Covax is averagely effective against covi variants
In terms of protective effectiveness criteria, the Ethics Committee's conclusion shows that Nano Covax surpasses both the requirements under Circular 11 and Decision 5259 professional guidance of the Ministry of Health. These two documents allow licensing procedures to be carried out on the basis of an estimate of protective efficacy based on immunogenicity, rather than waiting for sufficient case data for direct calculations.
However, according to Professor Truong Viet Dung, even so, the consideration of licensing Nano Covax is still "in urgent cases" according to Circular 11. Because if it is granted circulation registration according to normal procedures, it has to wait for the completion of clinical trials in humans.
News (10)
Nano Covax to complete clinical trials by around August 2022
“According to the protocol, it will take about August 2022, Nano Covax to complete clinical trials. As for the protective effect, it can now be directly assessed. But still have to continue to monitor the health of the volunteers from now until the end of the trial. The aim is to continue to strengthen the data on safety, even though it has been trusted so far,” – Prof. Dung said.
With this result, Nano Covax can now confidently become the first domestic vaccine in Vietnam eligible for circulation registration. However, the market for this product is not much, because the majority of people who are eligible for covi vaccination have been covered with imported covi vaccines. Not to mention, the source of vaccines is increasingly abundant, which will make the market more competitive and difficult for new products.
News (11)
Nano Covax is still waiting for license, overall effectiveness reaches 52%
Image : Nano Covax vaccine made in Vietnam, by Nanogen Pharmaceutical
The COVID-19 Nano Covax vaccine researched by Vietnam needs to continue to supplement its clinical trial records to be licensed. It also loses potency over time like many other vaccines.
This is the conclusion reached at the third meeting of the Vietnam Ethics Council in Biomedical Research (Ethics Council) on 29 December 2021.
According to the Vietnam Ethics Council, the overall effectiveness of the Nano Covax vaccine was 52.1% in a full-time trial with an injectable dose of 25mcg. This vaccine will also lose effectiveness over time like the others.
News from Vietnamese state media said that the Ethics Council with 15 members at its third meeting on 29 December 2021 voted for acceptance. Voting results show that 11 votes are in favour of the vaccine approval. Out of the remaining four votes, two also accepted the additional request and two abstained.
An additional requirement is to continue to provide data on covid cases in accordance with the approved study protocol.
Nano Covax vaccine is researched by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Joint Stock Company in collaboration with Vietnam Military Medical Academy. This is Vietnam's first vaccine to be clinically tested on humans. The technology used is recombinant protein.
In addition to Nano Covax, which was reported during the covid outbreak early 2020, there are three other covi vaccines being studied in Vietnam; However, until now there has been no further announcement about these three types.
News (12)
Common side-effects of Singapore's first covi vaccine ARCT-021 revealed
According to the phase I/II clinical trial of Singapore's first covi vaccine ARCT-021, injection-site pain, tenderness, headache, fatigue and myalgia are its common side-effects. The vaccine is well tolerated up to 7.5 μg and two 5 μg doses.
The trial is supported by Arcturus Therapeutics Inc.
News (13)
Arcturus Therapeutics developing ARCT-154 with Vietnamese counterpart
In August 2021, Arcturus Therapeutics entered a partnership with Vinbiocare, a unit of Vingroup to conduct clinical trials of covi vaccine ARCT-154, which is created and developed using Arcturus’ STARR mRNA technology, in Vietnam. It plans to establish a manufacturing facility a factory in Hòa Lạc Hi-tech Park, Hanoi, which requires an estimated investment of $200 million and has the capacity to make 200 million doses per year.
ARCT-154 is also known as LUNAR-COV19. Development of the vaccine is partnered with Duke-NUS Medical School, using STARR technology, which is a combination of self-replicating mRNA and the LUNAR delivery platform that increases the level and duration of expression of a therapeutic protein.
News (14)
Vietnam to produce vaccine ARCT-154 and pay royalties on vaccines produced in Hanoi
Vingroup will produce its first batches of the vaccine ARCT-154  in early 2022.
Arcturus will provide to Vinbiocare access to "proprietary technologies and processes for the manufacture" of its vaccines, as well as an exclusive license to manufacture them solely for sales and use in Vietnam.
This includes all of Arcturus’ other covi vaccines such as ARCT-021 and other vaccines in the future for disease prevention in Vietnam.
Vinbiocare will pay $40m upfront, be responsible for technology transfer costs, and "pay for mRNA drug substance supplied by Arcturus and royalties on vaccines produced at the facility".
In Vietnam, ARCT-154 is also known as VBC-COV19-154.
News (15)
ARCT-154 not yet tested effective against Omicron
Preclinical research showed that ARCT-154 elicits neutralizing antibodies in non-human primates against covi variants of concern such as Alpha variant (Covi17), Beta variant (Covi51), Gamma (P.1) and Delta variant (Covi72). It has not yet been tested effective against the Omicron variant (Covi29).
Preliminary results show that the ARCT-154 vaccine is safe in healthy volunteers.
Phase II and IIIa trials of the vaccine were carried out at the same time in Bắc Ninh, Hanoi and Long An with a total of 1,000 volunteers. The trial work in the northern localities is carried out by Hanoi Medical University and Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City in the south. In Bắc Ninh, from 20 to 23 September, the research team started recruiting volunteers and selected 338 people aged between 18 and 65 years old, who received the first dose from 27 to 29 September 2021. 
In Long An and Hanoi, Vietnam's Ministry of Health also administered the first dose of ARCT-154 on volunteers.
The phase IIIa trial was expected to end on 24 November 2021, and the research team will report the results of the trial to Vietnam's Ministry of Health on 30 December 2021. 
No further details are available.
About ARCT-154
As a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine, ARCT-154 requires two doses, the second one being administered 28 days after the first shot. It can be made in a lyophilized powder form, allowed it to be shipped and stored between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.
News (16)
Study: Omicron variant infects lungs weaker than Delta variant
Reporter : Gao Shan / Editor : Li Yuan / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/1/1/n13475316.htm
Image : The picture is a schematic diagram. (ShutterStock)
Recent studies have shown that the infection by the Omicron variant / B.1.1.529 (Covi29 as synonym) may not be as serious as the Delta variant / B.1.1.572 (Covi72 as synonym) because it will be different in the way it affects the lungs.
According to Foxnews, at a recent White House COVID-19 emergency response team briefing, the White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters that a report from Hong Kong Studies have shown that although the worrying Covi29 as replicates faster in the bronchus than the Covi72, its replication efficiency in the lungs is lower.
Fauci said, "The experimental model of hamster infection from the University of Tokyo shows that the Omicron variant has relatively weaker lung infection and transmission, and it is less pathogenic than the Delta variant infected hamster model. Researchers in Belgium The same phenomenon has been found in Syrian hamsters. Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and currently being carried out on mice and hamsters has also confirmed its infectious toxicity in animal models. Smaller. At present, research on non-human primate models by the National Institutes of Health's Vaccine Research Center is underway, and the results are awaited."
Fauci said that these data are still preliminary in many respects, but "all the signs point to a lower severity of infection with Omicron variant compared to Delta."
He added: "It is difficult to determine to what extent its severity will be low. This is because there may be pre-existing immunity, or the toxicity of Omicron variants is inherently low, as shown by the animal research institute, or both. The increase in the transmission capacity of Omicron variant has led to an extremely high number of infections. This may offset its lower severity of symptoms. Therefore, we should not take it lightly, because some of our country The regional hospital system may still be under pressure."
At the same time, experts from the University of Cambridge and the University of Tokyo reported in a study that has not been peer-reviewed that Covi29 may be significantly better than the vaccine-induced antibodies of the previous variant.
Senior officials of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that preliminary data do show that the disease caused by Covi29 is relatively mild, and it is too early to feel relieved, and people should continue to be cautious about it.
In a report on Wednesday (29 December), an international organization stated that hamsters and mice infected with the Omicron variant have less lung damage, less weight loss, and less chance of death after infection. .
The research team found that animals infected with Covi29 usually have mild symptoms. The concentration of Covi29 in the lungs of these rodents is only one-tenth or less of the concentration of other variants.
The researchers in the report wrote, “Although these results are consistent with very preliminary clinical data in humans, indicating that B.1.1.529 causes a more infectious, but possibly milder, respiratory infection, the virus concentration in rodents is attenuated. The reason for this is still unknown.” Experts pointed out that further research is currently underway to determine the basis for the attenuation of the virus variant concentration in mice and hamsters, and to find out this attenuation and Covi29 infection seen in humans. The relationship between the modes.
Since Covi29 was first discovered in the United States, the number of infection cases in each state has set a new record, and hospitals have begun to fill up again.
According to data from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, the number of new covi infections has soared to the highest level so far, with an average of more than 265,000 cases per day.
Scientists have been observing this pathogen in the laboratory, trying to understand its ability to spread, its severity, and its ability to evade vaccines and immunity, because Covi29 continues to spread rapidly around the world.
News (17) to (19) / Reporter : Zheng Gusheng / Editor: Li Qian / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/01/01/a103309667.html
News (17)
Xi'an official shows "human chain passing dishes", netizens' comments on the big rollover
Image : On 31 December 2021, Xi'an officials touted the so-called "human chain passing dishes", and netizens criticized the "government as a show." (Video Screenshot)
Xi'an's severe closure of the city caused a "famine", and public grievances are boiling. However, the government has continued to show off to deceive the public, praising the so-called "employment chain to pass food to the community." However netizens did not believe it. They complained about it. Someone ridiculed, "Isn't it okay to build a cart?" "This cabbage dangles hundreds of times like this, the bag is not broken, and the cabbage is rotten."
The official touts the 100 m people chain dish, netizens criticize it for a show
On 31 December 2021, the Weibo account "Xi'an Live" posted a video. Dozens of people in protective clothing lined up on the sidewalk of the street to reach a 100 m chain, relaying supplies to the community. And their side is a wide road, and there are almost no vehicles on the road. The post claimed that it was "a free dish from the government" and touted the person who delivered the material as a "cute retrograde."
However, the video quickly attracted a lot of criticism and comments. Netizens criticized the authorities for showing off and deceiving people, "Isn’t this a waste of manpower?" After the push is over, so many people enough for several communities to send at the same time ""It just turned a 5G era into ancient times" "Next to it is the driveway, why don't you unload it straight to the gate? I can't understand" "This cabbage is so dangling." Hundreds of times, the bag did not break, and the food was rotten."
This matter quickly became a hot topic on Weibo. Even Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, has also emerged as an official "washing ground". The "Xi'an Live" that published the video subsequently issued a series of blog posts, giving various "explanations", including "the owner of the community was the one who passed the food", "the manpower was used because of the disabled lane and the revolving door", etc., but Netizens did not believe it, and continued to "disclose a lie" with posts.
According to screenshots of chats on the Internet, there were also government officials in the community who arranged to "deliver food" but the food was loaded back into the car and pulled away immediately after the photo was taken.
News (18)
Xi'an officially organizes community owners to shout for cheering but forbidden to go downstairs
Xi'an's show operations do not stop there. Owners of many local communities posted official notices on the Internet, informing them that they would participate in the evening chanting "Come on Xi'an" activities, and request their own lights and flashlights. In addition to shouting "Come on", they would also sing red songs in unison.
One of the "New Year's Eve Activities" notification forms clearly stated that various slogans will be led by a dedicated person. At the end of the notice, it was emphasized that "all owners are prohibited from going downstairs."
Recently, a number of state media have posted videos of the so-called Xi'an residents "cheering in unison." At the same time, a number of videos (links) circulated on the Internet, showing that citizens in Xi'an district loudly accused the authorities of disregarding the people's life and death and demanding the authorities to supply supplies at night. Netizens commented that this is the real "loud house" in Xi'an.
News (19)
"Famine" spreads in Xi'an
It has been 10 days since Xi'an has been violently shut down, and many families have almost "exhausted their eggs and food", and the residents have begun to trade for food in desperation. Netizens criticized the CCP for pushing the people back to the "Stone Age".
Internet screenshots show that exchange of goods is common in Xi'an. Some people exchanged food materials and condiments, and some people exchanged food for daily necessities such as tobacco and alcohol or detergent and toilet paper.
Some netizens said, "It's good to exchange things for things, and get what you need. The question is, do you have things?". Screenshots of chats show that many people have been starving for many days. The young people who do not know how to cook in the group rented houses and the old people who do not know the Internet in the urban villages are in a particularly tragic situation.
News (20) to (30) / Reporter : Xu Jian / Editor : Li Yan / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/12/31/n13471946.htm
News (20)
The world welcomes the new year for the second time in the epidemic, and countries have different policies
Image : The world ushered in the 2022 New Year in the shadow of the epidemic. The picture shows the New Year fireworks in Newcastle, England. (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
The world ushered in the second new year under the haze of covid. Many countries have once again cancelled or restricted New Year celebrations but some countries have decided to "go back and relax" and enjoy this evening of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new.
According to data from Reuters, the number of covid cases worldwide has hit a record high in the past 7 days. During the Christmas and New Year holidays from 24 to 30 December 2021, there were an average of at least 1 million cases per day globally.
The United States, France, the United Kingdom, Greece, Portugal, and many other countries have set new records for the epidemic. Many countries have cancelled the celebrations to welcome 2022 because they feared that Covi29 would spread widely through gatherings.
Although the number of infections in some parts of Australia has soared to record levels, the country has decided to celebrate the New Year's bell together.
News (21)
New Year's fireworks in Sydney bring hope for a better year
Australian Prime Minister Smorrison told people to "celebrate (New Year's) night", while New South Wales Governor Dominic Perrottet urged everyone to "go out to celebrate the New Year"-despite the state’s daily number of infections Almost doubled, reaching a record 21,151 people.
Perrott said that because the local vaccination rate is high and the hospital can cope with Omicron, he feels confident, "We are in a very advantageous position." He said. Thousands of people in Sydney are expected to flock to the port to watch the New Year’s fireworks.
News (22)
UK Health Minister urges covi testing before the New Year
The epidemic in the UK is also continuing to spread, and Christmas has reached a new high. However, the British Minister of Health, Ja Weide, stated on Monday (27 December) that England will not promulgate new epidemic prevention measures before the New Year, and urged citizens to be tested for covi before attending any events.
News (23)
South Korea cancels traditional midnight bell ringing ceremony, extends covid restrictions
For the second year in a row, South Korea cancelled the traditional midnight bell ringing ceremony and announced a two-week extension of stricter distancing rules, hoping to control the continuous surge in infections.
News (24)
South Africa lifts curfew
South Africa, one of the countries where Omicron first appeared, announced that the fourth wave of the epidemic caused by Omicron has passed its peak. The curfew that the country has imposed since late March 2020 has now been lifted. People's movement from midnight to 4 am is not restricted. Merchants can also sell alcohol while holding a general license, instead of closing their doors at 11 o'clock every night.
News (25)
CCP China cancels open celebrations
The CCP has already blocked Xi'an under the so-called “zero reset” policy, and Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Changsha and other places have issued notices that no large-scale events are held on New Year’s Eve on 31 December 2021. This is the second New Year's Eve celebrations cancelled in many places in China since the outbreak of the CCP virus.
News (26)
Large-scale gatherings banned in Jakarta and Malaysia
Authorities in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, will close 11 roads that attract large crowds during the New Year. Malaysia has banned large-scale gatherings across the country and cancelled fireworks displays at the Petronas Twin Towers in the capital Kuala Lumpur.
News (27)
Celebration restrictions in Japan to control covid spread
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged people to wear masks at parties and limit the number of participants on the official YouTube channel, while the famous Shibuya entertainment district in Tokyo banned New Year gatherings.
News (28)
New Zealanders sing and dance to welcome the New Year 
New Zealand will hold some celebrations. Auckland, the largest city, eased restrictions this week, allowing people to enjoy New Year’s songs and dances.
News (29)
Pop concerts and midnight fireworks light up Taipei for the New Year
Taiwan is another successful case of controlling covid, so celebrations will be held almost as usual. There are pop concerts in front of Taipei City Hall, and midnight fireworks light up Taipei 101, which was once the tallest building in the world. Those attending the concert must wear masks, register their names, and only drink water.
News (30)
Beach and nightclub crowds in Goa celebrate the New Year
The Indian authorities have imposed strict regulations on 30 December. In order to limit large gatherings, all major cities and restaurants must observe curfew regulations. Despite restrictions, domestic tourists flock to the famous beaches, bars and nightclubs of Goa on the west coast to celebrate the New Year.
Picture of Hanoi hotel
Image : Researcher's Picture



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