November 30 coronavirus news

Vaccine maker Novavax has completed enrollment of the Phase 3 trial for its Covid-19 vaccine in the UK, and a large-scale clinical trial in the United States and Mexico will begin “in the coming weeks,” the company announced Monday.  

The UK trial enrolled 15,000 participants, and will determine the efficacy and safety of Novavax’s experimental vaccine, called NVX-CoV2373. Interim results from that Phase 3 trial are expected “as soon as early first quarter 2021,” depending on how fast Covid-19 is spreading in the region, the company said.

Novavax also announced it has fully enrolled its Phase 2b vaccine trial in South Africa, with more than 4,400 participants. Among its trials, more than 20,000 participants have been dosed to date.

The Phase 3 clinical trial in the United States and Mexico will begin “in the coming weeks” -- later than it had previously suggested. The vaccine maker said earlier in November that this trial would likely begin by the end of the month.

It would be the fifth coronavirus vaccine to enter late-stage clinical trials in the United States. The Maryland-based company was awarded $1.6 billion from the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed to fund its Phase 3 trial in the US and Mexico and to scale-up manufacturing.

Novavax's vaccine is made by growing synthetic versions of the coronavirus spike protein in armyworm moth cells. The vaccine combines these particles with the company’s adjuvant – a plant-based compound that helps boost the immune response to the vaccine.

##Vaccines#

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalized in Florida increased by 30% in the past two weeks from 3,118 to 4,059, according to data from the Covid Tracking Project.

In Miami-Dade County, the count of coronavirus patients requiring ventilators increased by 33% over the past two weeks, the county reported. The number requiring intensive care treatment increased by 18%.

Hospitalizations across the United States reached a record high of 93,238 on Sunday, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

In California, the number of hospitalized patients doubled from 4,000 on November 12 to more than 8,000.

California set a new pandemic record on Sunday with 7,415 people hospitalized, according to data from the state's Department of Health.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced stricter pandemic measures on Monday, as the city struggles to contain its latest coronavirus outbreak.

The new measures will be in effect for two weeks from Wednesday until December 15. 

Hong Kong reported 76 confirmed cases Monday, including nine cases with unknown sources of infection. 

The rules include:

Lam said in the news briefing that the restrictions on gatherings would go back to when it was most stringent, to a maximum of two people. All business premises must display the “Leave Home” app QR codes to help with contact tracing.

On Sunday, Hong Kong suspended face-to-face classes at all kindergartens and schools from Wednesday until after the Christmas holidays. 

Black churches in the US say the coronavirus pandemic has catapulted mental health efforts to the forefront of their mission. 

Some are preaching about mental health from the pulpit for the first time. Others are inviting mental health professionals to speak to their congregations, undergoing mental health training themselves or adding therapists to the church staff.

Across the US, mental health needs are soaring. And Black Americans are experiencing significant strain: A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this summer found 15% of non-Hispanic Black adults had seriously considered suicide in the past 30 days and 18% had started or increased their use of substances to cope with pandemic-related stress. 

Yet national data shows Blacks are less likely to receive mental health treatment than the overall population. 

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Pharmaceutical company Moderna intends to apply Monday to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine.  

The company will ask the FDA to review an expanded data set showing the vaccine is 94.1% effective at preventing Covid-19 and 100% effective at preventing severe cases of the disease.  

One other company, Pfizer, has already applied for FDA authorization for a coronavirus vaccine, with efficacy data very similar to Moderna’s results. The FDA is expected to review both companies’ applications in December, and Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he expects the first vaccinations in the US to occur “towards the latter part of December.”   

By the end of 2020, Moderna expects to have approximately 20 million doses of its vaccine available in the United States, and it’s on track to manufacture 500 million to 1 billion doses globally next year, according to the company’s news release Monday. 

Italy has approved a stimulus package worth €8 billion (about $9.6 billion) to support the sectors most affected by the pandemic, the government said Monday in a news release.

The package delays tax deadlines for businesses in the regions that are under the most severe Covid-19 restrictions, it said.

It also offers a €1,000 euro one-off allowance to workers in tourism, spas, the arts and sport, which have been hit hard by the pandemic.

The package also provides funds for the military and police forces.

Italy reported 20,648 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing its total infections to almost 1.59 million. It also reported 541 new deaths, bringing the total to 54,904 since the start of the pandemic.

The president of the Italian doctors' association (FNOMCeO) Filippo Anelli warned in a Monday news release that households should celebrate Christmas "with prudence."

"Deaths and infections among doctors have started rising again," he said, adding that 221 doctors have died since the start of the pandemic.

"Let's not repeat the mistakes made in August, let's not jeopardize months of sacrifices in a few days. Let's continue to limit movement to what is necessary and to comply with preventive hygiene measures," he cautioned.

Avid snowboarder Jenny Leveille doesn't plan to rely on ski resorts' indoor facilities this season. This decision, she believes, will give her a possible advantage when it comes to coronavirus and swirling concerns over indoor exposure.

Leveille, who'll be heading to the mountains out West after Thanksgiving in Michigan, plans to return to her van -- which includes a bathroom -- when she needs a break for fuel or relief. 

Ski season is underway, and changes are afoot. In Europe, Germany, hard hit by Covid-19, is aiming for a coordinated European Union approach to keeping ski resorts shut in Alpine countries for the holiday season in order to limit the spread of coronavirus. However, reaching an agreement with neighboring Austria is proving challenging, German Chancellor Angela Merkel indicated last Thursday.

Meanwhile, some slopes have opened in Switzerland, which is not an EU member. The "future for the upcoming winter season looks bright," Mayor of Zermatt Romy Biner-Hauser told CNN on Thursday.

With its wide-open spaces, stashes of powder and even covering up to brave the elements, skiing might seem like the perfect pandemic sport -- if the proper precautions are taken. 

A face mask, a standard part of the skier's uniform, is a requirement this year. Resorts are implementing mask mandates except while guests are actively eating and drinking. Ski destinations are also limiting indoor capacity, adding outdoor capacity, adding hand-sanitizing stations on chair lift lines and reconfiguring how chair lifts are filled.

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By Stacey Lastoe, CNN

South Korea reported 438 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, and authorities will impose new restrictions in the capital Seoul, health officials said.

Of the new cases, 414 are local and 24 are imported, Jeong Eun-kyeong, commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), said in a press release.

Jeong said that the virus was spreading predominantly among young people. During a wave of the pandemic in September, 58.9% of those infected were under 50. By comparison, in November, 74.6% of those infected are under 50.

The KDCA commissioner added that saunas and group exercise gyms in the Seoul Metropolitan Area would be closed from Tuesday until December 7.

She said that authorities would ban hotels from hosting year-end parties to curb the virus spreading among young people.

Authorities are further reviewing the social distancing level if the current trend of rising cases continues.

India is preparing to distribute "hundreds of millions of doses" of coronavirus vaccines in the first and second quarters of 2021, according to Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawala.

Poonawala said at a press conference Saturday that the SII will produce and distribute Covishield, the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. The world's largest vaccine producer will apply for an emergency use license from India's drug authority in the next two weeks.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured SII's vaccine manufacturing facilities in three Indian cities to get a "first-hand perspective of the preparations, challenges, and roadmap in India's endeavour to vaccinate its citizens," according to a government press release. 

Poonawalla said that India had adequate cold storage facilities to store Covishield at the required temperature. 

While India's government hasn't placed an official purchase order for the vaccine, SII estimates that it could buy between 300 million and 400 million doses by next July. "We are trying to get to that target," Poonawalla added.