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These are the UK coronavirus stories you need to know today.
Passed human challenge tests
The UK is the first country in the world to grant ethical approval for COVID-19 human provocation trials.
A study is scheduled to begin in a few weeks with up to 90 healthy volunteers ages 18-30 exposed to the “parent” virus strain in a “safe and controlled environment.”
Acting Chairman of the Vaccine Task Force, Clive Dix, said: “We hope these studies will provide unique insights into how the virus works and help us understand which promising vaccines offer the best chance of preventing infection.”
Lead Investigator Dr Chris Chiu from Imperial College London said: “Our ultimate goal is to establish which vaccines and treatments work best to combat this disease, but we need volunteers to support us in this work.”
Dr Charlie Weller, Vaccine Director for the Wellcome Trust, commented via the Science Media Center that the approval of the Ethics Committee “is a very encouraging and important step.”
He added: “As with any human infection study, there are clear ethical considerations. Volunteer safety is paramount and regulatory approval will have undergone the highest level of evaluation. Since current treatment options for COVID-19 are limited, it is important that volunteers come from lower-risk groups and are closely monitored throughout the course of the study. ”
’10m waiting list’
A Reform think tank and an Edge Health report say the official NHS waiting list could grow to more than 10 million by April in the “worst case” scenario.
The report said: “A year after this crisis and with the benefit of some hindsight, it is clear that very little consideration was given to the implications of a complete reallocation of resources away from ‘business as usual’.”
It highlights the impact of canceled diagnostic tests with “estimates that there will be an 11-month delay in the diagnosis and treatment of 11,300 … patients with lung cancer compared to the usual wait of 5-6 months. It is estimated that this will lead to around 1,660 premature deaths from lung cancer alone in the next 5 years. “
Today, England’s NHS brought celebrities on board to encourage people to get checked for cancer if they test negative for COVID-19 but have a cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks. Among the famous faces, former England cricket captain Sir Andrew Strauss, who lost his wife to lung cancer, and television presenter Gaby Roslin, whose mother died from the disease.
Professor Sir Paul Cosford, Medical Director Emeritus of Public Health England and a lung cancer patient, said: “Having been diagnosed with late stage lung cancer in 2017, I am passionate about this campaign. Nothing can prepare you to be told you have cancer. I can’t stress enough the importance of going to your GP as soon as you notice any symptoms, such as coughing for 3 weeks or more. The NHS wants to see you. “
Armor
The BMA has been taking stock of yesterday’s announcement that 1.7 million more people joined the protection list. BMA Council Chairman Dr. Chaand Nagpaul said: “Adding a large part of the population to the protection list on short notice is a process that must be managed very carefully.”
He added that “the impact of shielding on mental health and well-being, at a time when many expected a relaxation of measures, cannot be underestimated and there must be adequate access to mental health support for those in need.”
Tests to facilitate blocking
With Boris Johnson poised to announce a roadmap to ease England’s lockdown on Monday, NHS providers issued four tests that they said should pass first:
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COVID-19 case numbers and the R number must decline significantly to prevent infections from rising again as soon as restrictions are eased, as happened last year.
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The capacity of the NHS must have returned to levels where the service can treat all the patients it needs.
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The vaccination campaign must be sufficiently advanced to provide adequate levels of protection and avoid unnecessary deaths and harm to the patient.
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We must have a strong and effective strategy to quickly identify and control future outbreaks of the strain variants that now pose the greatest threat.
Chief Executive Officer Chris Hopson said: “The NHS is still in full swing and trusted leaders believe this will continue for at least another 6 to 8 weeks.”
He added: “If this is to be the last national lockdown, we have to learn the lessons of last year and take a cautious approach.”
Surge test
The Manchester, Norfolk, Southampton and Surrey areas are the latest to be tested for increasing cases of variants of the South African virus.
The Department of Health and Social Care said augmentation tests were completed in parts of Haringey, Merton and Sefton.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Sky News that nationwide surge tests would form a “key part” of plans to ease the blockade in England and help the country reduce outbreaks “like a ton of bricks. “.
This could involve the implementation of thousands of daily rapid lateral flow tests in homes and businesses, according to reports.
The Daily Mail He said the government’s new slogan would be “Are you ready? Take the test. Go.”
Test and trace
Test and Trace can only slow the spread of COVID-19 by 1.7% to 4.6%, according to official estimates. That would mean a reduction in the R number from 0.3 – 0.6.
A document called ‘The Rùm Model Technical Annex’ published by the Department of Health and Social Care says: “The impact of contact tracing is relatively small.”
‘Science by press release’
Politico reported on leaked emails from December suggesting that Public Health England’s COVID Response Director Susan Hopkins agreed that ministers were seeking “science by press release” when announcing details of new variants of the virus.
The scientists were not informed until 24 hours after an announcement in the Political House of Commons.
However, he quotes a PHE spokesperson as saying, “Dr. Hopkins was not critical of the government at all.”
Alcohol
Public Health Scotland published new data on the confinement and the consumption of alcohol last year. Retail sales did not fully replace lost purchases in bars, clubs and restaurants, leading to an overall 6% reduction in alcohol sales in Scotland, England and Wales.
Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, President of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP), commented: “Despite the overall reduction in alcohol sales in this period, the weekly average of 17.5 units in Scotland continues to exceed the guideline of 14 units per week. It is also important to note that the sales figures understate the real picture, as they will not capture all online sales and some retailers, particularly discount supermarkets, did not provide sales data. “
He added that “there is a concern that drinking at home contributes to more harmful drinking behaviors.”
Prince philip
The 99-year-old Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to London’s King Edward VII Hospital but is not believed to be related to COVID.
Buckingham Palace said: “The Duke’s admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness’s physician, after feeling ill.”
He and the Queen received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine last month.
See more global coronavirus updates on Medscape Coronavirus Resource Center.
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