(Bloomberg) — Johnson & Johnson is seeking U.S. backing for a booster dose of its one-shot vaccine after data showed it provided strong protection. Serious cases continue to drop in Israel now that almost 3.6 million people have received a third dose.
Meanwhile, efforts to provide alternative weapons against Covid-19 forge ahead. AstraZeneca Plc submitted its antibody cocktail for emergency U.S. approval, while a European Union advisory committee will consider starting an accelerated review of Merck & Co.’s experimental antiviral pill.
U.S. researchers estimate that vaccinations averted thousands of deaths and hospitalizations in the Medicare population in the first five months of 2020. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is banning business travel and in-person meetings for unvaccinated staff.
Key Developments:
- Global Virus Tracker: Cases top 235.5 million; deaths exceed 4.81 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 6.36 billion shots given
- Half-million excess U.S. deaths in 2020 hit minorities worse
- Young people are making ‘grave mistake’ working from home: Griffin
- Why a new pill to treat Covid could be a game changer: QuickTake
EU Panel May Start Review of Merck Pill (9:18 a.m. NY)
An EU advisory committee will consider starting an accelerated review for Merck & Co.’s experimental antiviral pill against Covid-19 following the company’s announcement last week that it will seek emergency-use authorization from the FDA as soon as possible.
The panel will consider starting a “rolling review” in coming days, Marco Cavaleri, the head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy at the European Medicines Agency, said at a press briefing Tuesday.
Israel Critical Cases Drop Amid Booster Drive (9:14 a.m. NY)
Serious cases continue to drop in Israel now that almost 3.6 million people have received a third dose of vaccine. Israel began administering booster shots in early August after the delta variant pulsed through the country, causing a surge in new infections and talk of renewed lockdowns.
The sentiment has now shifted, given the virus’s steady retreat. “It seems, at this stage, that we have the upper hand,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
Vaccines Have Helped Medicare Population (8:53 a.m. NY)
Federal researchers estimate that Covid-19 vaccinations averted 39,000 deaths and 107,000 hospitalizations in the Medicare population in the first five months of 2020. They compared Medicare data and county-level vaccination rates with models predicting how the virus would have spread in the absence of vaccines to come up with estimates of the effects of immunization.
The analysis covers the period from the early weeks of the vaccine campaign in January to when shots were distributed to 80% of U.S. seniors in May. The study, released by the Department of Health and Human Services, estimates that 265,000 infections in the Medicare population were avoided in that period.
Every 10% increase in county vaccination rates was associated with an 11%-12% decline in weekly virus deaths and hospitalizations among the cohort.
Norway to Offer Pfizer Booster (8:39 a.m. NY)
The Norwegian government will offer booster doses of Pfizer Inc.’s vaccince to everyone over the age of 65, according to a website statement.
The National Institute of Public Health will assess whether health personnel should also be offered extra shots.
Romania Running Out of ICU Beds (7:04 a.m. NY)
Romania is running out of ICU beds designated for coronavirus patients as cases spike to a new daily record. The EU’s second least-vaccinated country had 1,480 patients in ICUs on Tuesday. It also reported more than 15,000 daily cases and over 250 deaths.
Romania suspended all non-essential surgeries and medical procedures. Some 130 ICU beds are still reserved for potentially severe Covid cases.
J&J Seeks FDA Approval for Adult Booster (6:32 a.m. NY)
Johnson & Johnson asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to authorize a second dose of its vaccine for adults as a booster after a study showed it provided strong protection against infection.
The submission includes results from a late-stage clinical trial that found a second dose of its one-shot vaccine given 56 days after the first dose provided 94% protection against moderate to severe disease, the company said.
Macau to Shut Some Venues (3:08 p.m. HK)
Macau will shut some entertainment venues, including cinemas, bars and gyms, from Oct. 6. The government’s statement didn’t say how long the restrictions will last, and it didn’t mention casinos.
Astra Seeks U.S. Approval for Antibody Cocktail (2:29 p.m. HK)
AstraZeneca Plc submitted its antibody cocktail for U.S. emergency approval to prevent Covid-19 infection. The medicine was 77% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid in a clinical trial that included patients with high risk factors for severe infection.
“With this first global regulatory filing, we are one step closer to providing an additional option to help protect against Covid-19 alongside vaccines,” Mene Pangalos, Astra’s executive vice president for biopharmaceuticals research, said in a statement.
Romania Suspends Non-Essential Surgeries (2:28 p.m. HK)
Romanian hospitals will suspend any non-essential surgeries and other medical procedures for 30 days in order to free up as many beds as possible for Covid-19 patients, according to deputy interior minister Raed Arafat. The country, which has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU, has a record number of new cases almost on a daily basis and hospitals are running out of free beds, especially in the intensive-care units.
India Cases Lowest in Over 200 Days (1:55 p.m. HK)
India reported 18,346 new cases, the lowest in more than 200 days, according to data from the federal Health Ministry. While cases have been trickling down over the past few weeks, experts are warning caution as the country heads into the holiday season. India has administered a massive 915.5 million vaccine doses so far, but even so only 18% of its population is fully inoculated, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.
Micro Clots May Cause Long-Covid Symptoms (1:28 p.m. HK)
Some of the symptoms of so-called long-covid, the ailments that can persist for months after a Covid-19 infection, may be caused by inflammatory molecules trapped inside tiny blood clots, a scientist at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University said.
High levels of inflammatory molecules were found in micro blood clots in blood samples from people with long-covid, Resia Pretorius, a researcher at the university, said in a statement. The molecules contained fibrinogen, a clotting protein, and alpha(2)-antiplasmin, which prevents the breakdown of blood clots, she said.
U.S. Presses Singapore to Let Americans Visit (11:43 a.m. HK)
American officials are pushing the Singapore government to open a travel lane so visitors from the U.S. can enter the city-state with the same sort of freedoms travelers from Singapore get in the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter.
Singapore Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong said Monday that travel corridors could be formed with several countries and regions including the U.S. and Europe this year, but for now arrivals from most places face mandatory quarantine.
Philippines Pushes Back Vaccination Target (11:40 a.m. HK)
The Philippines will take longer to reach its goal of fully vaccinating 70% of its population, which officials said will be achieved in February before the 2022 elections, instead of this year.
Half of the population will be fully inoculated by year-end, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said at a televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night.
The Philippines is lagging peers in Southeast Asia in the vaccine rollout, with about 23% of the population fully vaccinated, compared with 63% in Malaysia.
NIH Director Nears Retirement Announcement (10:15 a.m. HK)
Francis Collins, the doctor and geneticist who has led the U.S. National Institutes of Health through three presidential administrations, is expected to soon announce plans to retire, people familiar with the matter said.
The move would leave a key position to fill in the government’s pandemic response team, at a time when leadership of the nation’s health agencies is in flux. The Biden administration has yet to nominate a permanent head of the Food and Drug Administration.
Daily Cases in Victoria Soar (10 a.m. HK)
Melbourne has traded in its reputation as one of the world’s most liveable cities to be crowned one of its most locked down after spending over 245 days under stay-at-home orders since Covid erupted — and counting.
Victoria state had a record national daily case total for any Australian jurisdiction on Tuesday, reporting 1,763 new cases, compared to just 608 cases in neighboring New South Wales, home of Sydney.
N.Z. to Introduce Vaccine Certificates (8:39 a.m. HK)
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand plans to introduce vaccine certificates, likely beginning in November.
Work is under way on how widely certificates will be applied, Ardern said in news conference. “We will use them as a tool to lessen the risks in what are currently considered high-risk settings,” she said.
Ardern on Monday extended a lockdown in Auckland as the nation’s largest city continues to record new cases, but she presented a road-map for restrictions to be gradually eased over coming weeks.
JPMorgan Restricts Staff Travel (5:40 a.m. HK)
JPMorgan Chase & Co., rolling out new measures to prevent infections, said it’s banning business travel and in-person meetings for employees who aren’t vaccinated or decline to disclose whether they’ve had their shots.
“Clients are increasingly asking us to ensure meetings are restricted to vaccinated employees,” the bank wrote in an internal memo announcing the new policies on Monday. “We agree with medical authorities that being vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, loved ones, colleagues and communities from the virus.”
Southwest Sets Vaccine Mandate (5:22 a.m. HK)
Southwest Airlines Co. said it will require most workers to be vaccinated, the latest carrier to take such a step.
Less than two weeks ago, Southwest’s incoming chief executive officer, Bob Jordan, told Bloomberg News the company was not considering a mandate. Competitor United Airlines Holdings Inc. had announced a vaccine requirement for workers in August and has said recently that 98.5% of employees have complied.
Excess U.S. Deaths in 2020 Hit Minorities Worse (5 p.m. NY)
Racial and ethnic minorities accounted for a disproportionate number of the half million excess deaths last year, according to a new U.S. study that examines mortality both directly and indirectly related to Covid-19.
Researchers compared the number of people who died from March to December 2020 with the number of deaths that had been projected to occur before the pandemic. They found 477,200 excess deaths, with more than twice as many occurring among Blacks, Latinos, American Indians and Alaskan Natives compared with Whites and Asians of similar age. About 74% of the excess deaths were attributed to Covid-19.
FDA Sees Rapid At-Home Test Capacity Doubling (5 p.m. NY)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a rapid at-home test from closely held Acon Laboratories Inc., a move the regulator said should double the country’s capacity to run such tests in the coming weeks.
The emergency-use authorization comes at a time that many consumers are finding the products are scarce at pharmacies and online.
The Flowflex Covid-19 Home Test doesn’t require a prescription for use. Acon plans to make more than 100 million of the tests monthly by the end of the year, and twice that by February, according to the FDA.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
