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These are the UK coronavirus stories you need to know today.
December vaccination schedule?
More details have emerged of a possible coronavirus vaccination plan later this year.
West Midlands doctors were asked to prepare for mass vaccination against coronavirus next month, the BBC reported Oct. 2.
Now Pulse says the NHS is in talks with BMA and others about a December vaccination schedule. He quoted a source close to the talks as saying the chances of it happening were “50/50”.
All the Government would say is that it will do whatever it takes to launch a successful vaccine quickly and safely.
Meanwhile, new laws and changes have been made to the 2012 Human Medicines Regulations to allow more healthcare workers to administer flu and coronavirus vaccines.
After training, this could include freelance nurses, allied healthcare professionals, paramedics, physical therapists, pharmacists, and student nurses and doctors.
The UK would also start rolling out a coronavirus vaccine without European approval if it were available this year.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam commented: “COVID-19 vaccines are developing at a rate that, if successful, will save lives.
“All vaccines must go through three stages of clinical trials and their safety and efficacy must be evaluated by the regulator before administering them to patients.
“The measures outlined today are aimed at improving access and strengthening existing safeguards that protect patients.”
Last restrictions
Lancashire agreed to follow Liverpool on ‘very high’ Level 3 lockdown measures, which means the closure of hospitality and some other businesses.
No agreement has yet been reached with Greater Manchester. At a Downing Street news conference, Boris Johnson described the situation as “dire and getting worse with each passing day.”
If no agreement can be reached, the prime minister said he would have to intervene to protect the NHS.
Sir Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Advisor, confirmed at the briefing that SAGE suggested a 2-week ‘circuit breaker’ in September to try to bring cases back to August levels, but said “where we are now, of course, it’s a different situation. ” .
In Scotland new regulations have come into force that require face covering in workplaces, including canteens.
The travel ban to Wales from virus hot spots in the UK begins today at 6pm.
Italy, Vatican City and San Marino have been added to the UK’s self-isolation travel list from Sunday morning. Crete has been added to England’s list without quarantine.
Family of ventilator ‘faces deportation’
44-year-old consulting cardiologist Dr. Basem Enany is currently on a ventilator at Leeds General Hospital with Guillain-Barré complications from COVID-19.
However, the Guardian reported that his wife and daughters face expulsion from the UK when their contract expires at the end of November.
He hadn’t finished his job application and visa paperwork when he got sick. His wife said it was like “a bad dream.”
The Press Association quoted a Home Office spokesperson: “Dr Enany is here fully legally and has every right to remain in the UK. Our thoughts are with his family, and we will communicate urgently with them and their employer. so that we can help in this difficult healthcare and social care professionals around the world play a vital role in hospitals and nursing homes across the UK and we are very grateful. “
Increase in infections
Data from the latest weekly survey on infections from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that infections are increasing despite the latest restrictions.
An estimated 336,500 people in the community population in England had coronavirus from October 2-8, which is equivalent to around 1 in 160 people.
There were around 5.11 new COVID-19 infections for every 10,000 people per day, which equates to around 27,900 new cases per day.
Ruth Studley of ONS said these were “the highest levels we have seen since the survey began in May. As in previous weeks, infections continue to be highest in the north of England and among older adolescents and young adults.”
Sir Patrick said that infection numbers “have risen again considerably in recent weeks.”
The UK’s R number is now 1.3-1.5 compared to 1.2-1.5 last week.
“The epidemic is growing, probably 4-7% per day,” Sir Patrick said.
The growth rate is + 4% to + 7% per day.
The R for England is 1.2-1.4.
The R for Scotland is 1.3-1.6.
The R for Wales is 1.0-1.4.
Daily data
In today’s daily data, a further 15,650 positive tests were reported in the UK and 136 deaths.
There are 5,311 COVID-19 patients in the hospital and 580 ventilation beds are in use.
Ethnic risks
The latest ONS data for England and Wales confirms previous findings on increased risks from BAME COVID-19:
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Men with black African ethnic backgrounds had the highest rate of death related to COVID-19, more than 2.7 times higher than white men.
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Women of black Caribbean ethnic origin had the highest rate, almost double that of white women.
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People of South Asian ethnic origin in England had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are associated with higher mortality from COVID-19, while people of Chinese origin had the lowest prevalence.
Ben Humberstone of ONS commented: “Our statistical model shows that a large proportion of the difference in the risk of mortality from COVID-19 between ethnic groups can be explained by demographic, geographic and socioeconomic factors, such as where you live or what occupation you have. “. It also found that although specific pre-existing conditions place people at higher risk for COVID-19 mortality overall, it does not explain the remaining ethnicity differences in mortality. “
PTSD of healthcare workers
A University of East Anglia (UEA) review of published evidence found that mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, are common among healthcare personnel during and immediately after workouts. pandemics.
UEA’s clinical psychologist-in-training Sophie Allan said in a statement: “There is some evidence that some mental health symptoms, such as post-traumatic stress symptoms, naturally improve over time, but we cannot be sure of this. We analyzed had very different methods – for example, they used different mental health questionnaires, so we have to be careful with the results. “
The findings are published in the European journal of psychotraumatology.
Adherence to blockage
The latest data from the ONS on enforcing restrictions in Britain shows that of those who reunited with people from other households, whether outdoors or indoors, 17% maintained social distancing at times, not very often or never.
An international research led by the University of Cambridge with 101,000 survey participants in 55 countries found that personality plays a role in following the blocking rules.
First author, PhD researcher Friedrich Götz, commented: “Extroverts are sociable and gregarious, and they found it especially difficult to stay locked at home and not see other people. They were more likely to break lockdown rules and stay indoors. house fewer people of any other personality type during March and April. “
The findings are published in American psychologist.
5 minute test
Physicists at Oxford have developed a rapid test for SARS-CoV-2 that gives results in less than 5 minutes using fluorescence labeling and machine learning.
The work is described in a preliminary version, so it has not yet undergone a peer review.
Professor Achilles Kapanidis commented: “Unlike other technologies that detect a delayed antibody response or require expensive, tedious and time-consuming sample preparation, our method rapidly detects intact viral particles, which means that the assay is simple, extremely fast and profitable. “
The test is expected to be available next year.
Today, Boris Johnson highlighted the importance of recently available rapid tests and said that access points such as Liverpool and Lancashire would have access to this as a priority.
Cytokine storm blood test
Scientists have identified a blood cytokine profile that could help identify COVID-19 patients at risk of experiencing a life-threatening immune-mediated hyperinflammatory state, better known as a “cytokine storm.”
Medscape’s Univadis reported how researchers at the University of Southampton analyzed blood samples from 100 COVID-19 positive patients hospitalized between March 20 and April 29, 2020.
The findings published in the journal Respiratory research showed that elevated levels of cytokines interleukin (IL) -6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor, IL-1ß and IL-33 in the blood at the time of admission were associated with an increased risk of requiring intensive care, ventilation artificial and mortality. The risk was more pronounced for IL-1ß and IL-33.
A blood test for all five cytokines could help doctors identify people who are at the highest risk of deterioration.
Professor Tom Wilkinson, who led the study, said: “It is becoming increasingly clear that COVID is very heterogeneous. Only by applying these techniques to stratify the condition will we be able to target the key mechanisms of the disease with the best treatment for that individual.”
Second Wave HIV Guidance
The British HIV Association (BHIVA) has updated its guidance for HIV services in light of the second peak of COVID-19, Medscape’s Univadis reported.
The key points include:
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BHIVA does not recommend extending the interval between routine monitoring for more than 12 months.
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Services should make every effort, within their capacity, to help people attend investigations.
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When routine monitoring is not possible, ART should be prescribed in all cases except in exceptional cases.
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Basic service items must be maintained during the pandemic
BHIVA is planning a registry of suspected / confirmed COVID-19 cases among people with HIV, and services are encouraged to document relevant cases.
Miss england
Junior physician Bhasha Mukherjee, 24, from Derby becomes Miss England’s longest-serving Miss England, Yahoo News reported.
The 2019 winner will have held the crown for 20 months when the contest is held again next year due to COVID-19.
NHS Doctor crowned longest serving Miss England https://t.co/9lFS01fhcx via @Yahoo
— Miss England News (@missenglandnews) October 14, 2020
See more global coronavirus updates on Medscape Coronavirus Resource Center.
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