Coronavirus world: Shock new data from Denmark suggests two Pfizer doses won’t beat Omicron
Danish scientists have noticed a worrying trend as Omicron cases explode in Europe, and also believe the variant came from a surprising source.
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People with two doses of Covid vaccines like Pfizer are just as vulnerable to Omicron as the unvaccinated, according to findings from Danish epidemiologists.
The data emerged as part of the northern European country’s surveillance of Covid and its various variants - a program considered one of the best testing and modelling systems in the world.
Early data from Denmark - which is highly vaccinated - is that Omicron are almost as vulnerable, without a booster, as people who have receved no Covid jabs.
“The next month will be the hardest period of the pandemic,” Tyra Grove Krause, the chief epidemiologist at Denmark’s State Serum Institute, told the Washington Post.
Even the more moderate modelling points to a grim [northern] winter] with many more hospitalisations than the Delta wave earlier in 2021.
“This will overwhelm hospitals - I don’t have any doubt about it,” Ms Grove Krause said.
Her colleague, Anders Fomsgaard, told the Post the origins of the Omicron strain may have started in an HIV patient, who are immunocompromised and cannot kill the virus, leaving it to mutate and change.
“This could be one of the ways you create this resistant virus,” he said.
Mr Fomsgaard agrees the next month will be difficult - one possibility was people with a deeper immunity, after catching Omicron, could lead to Covid being less threatening.
But it could also keep mutating.
“It could come out on the other end even weaker,” Mr Fomsgaard said.
“But that is risky business. It might hit another jackpot mutation.”
EU APPROVES FIFTH VACCINE
The European Union has approved its fifth Covid-19 vaccine, stepping up its battle against the Omicron virus variant as the WHO called for greater efforts to ensure the pandemic ends next year.
Novavax’s Covid vaccine was given the go-ahead by the European Commission after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended it for use on Monday.
“We welcome today’s European Commission decision reflecting the first authorisation of a protein-based Covid-19 vaccine for the people of the EU,” said the company’s CEO Stanley C. Erck.
Called Nuvaxovid, it is the fifth vaccine authorised in the EU after Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.
Nuvaxovid uses a more conventional technology than those used for the other vaccines already in use — it is similar to the technology used in the decades-old hepatitis B and pertussis vaccines — and does not need to be stored at ultra-low temperatures.
The so-called protein “subunit” vaccine contains purified fragments of the pathogen which then trigger an immune response.
The jab is given as two injections three weeks apart.
Results from clinical trials released in June showed 90.4 per cent efficacy against the disease, and 100 per cent efficacy against severe to moderate cases.
The company said it is “evaluating its vaccine against the Omicron variant” and working on a version specific to it.
It comes as WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for nations to redouble efforts to help end the pandemic, calling for new year events to be cancelled because it was better to “celebrate later than to celebrate now and grieve later.”
RAFAEL NADAL REVEALS HE HAS COVID
Tennis great Rafael Nadal has revealed he has tested positive to Covid-19.
The world No. 6 said on the weekend he was “no guarantee” to make it to the Australian Open and, after he took to Twitter to open up on the shock diagnosis, his chances appear even slimmer.
Nadal, who tweeted in Spanish, wrote he tested positive on Saturday after returning to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship after missing several months with a foot injury he suffered in August.
“Hi all. I wanted to announce that on my return home after playing the Abu Dhabi tournament, I have tested positive for Covid in the PCR test that was performed on me when I arrived in Spain,” his Tweet translated to.
“Both in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi we passed controls every two days and all were negative, the last being on Friday and having the results on Saturday.
“I am having some unpleasant moments but I hope that I will improve little by little. I am now homebound and have reported the result to those who have been in contact with me.”
Nadal said his future tournament schedule is unknown.
It comes as fellow Spaniard Il Divo star Carlos Marín has died from Covid aged 53.
Marín was placed in a coma at the Manchester Royal Medical Center in England on December 8 after falling ill.
According to multiple reports, the singer was vaccinated against Covid-19.
The group shared the sad news of his passing on Twitter on Monday.
“It is with heavy hearts that we are letting you know that our friend and partner, Carlos Marin, has passed away.
“He will be missed by his friends, family and fans. There will never be another voice or spirit like Carlos.
“For 17 years the four of us have been on this incredible journey of Il Divo together, and we will miss our dear friend.
“We hope and pray that his beautiful soul will rest in peace. With Love — David, Sebastien and Urs.”
It is with heavy hearts that we are letting you know that our friend and partner, Carlos Marin, has passed away. He will be missed by his friends, family and fans. There wiIl never be another voice or spirit like Carlos. pic.twitter.com/uyRFjXADF6
— Il Divo (@ildivoofficial) December 19, 2021
Last week, Il Divo told fans that the band was postponing its Christmas tour until December 2022 due to an ongoing illness. The band had previously postponed three shows in England during December.
US SENATORS TEST POSITIVE AS FAUCI ISSUES DIRE WARNING
On Sunday, US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker each said separately on Twitter that they had tested positive for Covid-19 despite being vaccinated and boosted, and were experiencing mild symptoms.
Neither indicated whether they had been infected with Omicron.
Top US pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci on Sunday warned of a bleak winter ahead of Americans as the Omicron variant spurs a new wave of infections globally, sparking restrictions and concerns over hospital capacity.
“One thing that’s very clear … is (Omicron’s) extraordinary capability of spreading,” Dr Fauci told NBC News. “It is just … raging through the world.”
Since it was first reported in South Africa in November, Omicron has been identified in dozens of countries, prompting many to reimpose travel restrictions and other measures.
Despite indications it is not more severe than the Delta variant — currently still the dominant strain — the heavily mutated Omicron has been shown in early data to have a worrying resistance to vaccines and higher transmissibility.
Dr Fauci urged unvaccinated Americans to get a shot and the vaccinated to get boosters, which have been shown to re-up protection.
He also cautioned against too much optimism over Omicron’s severity, noting that in South Africa, while the hospitalisation-to-case ratio is lower than with Delta, this could be due to underlying immunity from widespread previous infections.
“No matter how you look at it,” he said, “when you have so many, many infections, even if it is less severe, that overcomes this slight to moderate diminution in severity.”
MODERNA SAYS BOOSTER JAB SIGNIFICANTLY FIGHTS OMICRON
Pharmaceutical company Moderna announced on Monday, local time, that a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine significantly increases antibody levels against the Omicron variant.
The company said preliminary data from a study showed that a booster shot of 50 micrograms, or half the amount used in the initial two Moderna doses, increases antibody levels times 37, compared to pre-booster levels.
When 100 micrograms is used, levels rise 83-fold.
Moderna said the booster was safe with symptoms similar to those of the first two doses.
The company is also working to develop an Omicron-specific vaccine with clinical trials continuing into early 2022.
QUEEN GUITARIST’S VAX PLEA AMID DIAGNOSIS
Queen guitarist Brian May has revealed he has Covid.
In a post on Instagram, the British rock legend said he and his wife had been “incredibly careful” during the pandemic but decided to attend a birthday lunch for a friend earlier this month.
All guests provided a negative Covid-19 test but by Monday he and his wife were experiencing Covid-19 symptoms.
“We’re testing the whole time and we’re testing negative. And Tuesday, I hear that I think eight people from the party had already tested positive and had Covid in their systems,” May said.
“And I realise they had been testing negative up until this point.”
The 74-year-old said it was only after taking another rapid Covid-19 test that he and his wife found out they had the virus.
“It took that long — Saturday to Tuesday — for the test to show anything,” he said.
May said the infection has been “horrendous”.
The “worst flu that you could imagine,” he said.
He urged people to get the vaccine saying he believes he would be worse off if he hadn’t had the Pfizer vaccine and a booster shot.
“I can’t emphasise to you enough: This is not the response that my body would have made on its own. It’s making this response because I’ve had three Pfizer jabs,” he said.
“And I beg you, and implore you, to go and get jabbed if you’re not already. Because you need the help.”
EU TO GET 20M EXTRA JAB
EU members will get an additional 20 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the first three months of 2022 to fight the fast-spreading Omicron variant, the European Commission said on Sunday.
The announcement comes as Europe braces for a new Covid-19 wave, driven by the highly mutated and transmissible Omicron variant and fanned by socialising over the Christmas holidays.
Many countries are ramping up their vaccination drives and reimposing travel restrictions and other curbs to try to put a break on infections weeks after the variant was first detected in South Africa.
Member states will get an additional five million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab in January, five million in February and 10 million in March, the Commission said in a statement.
“These doses come on top of the already scheduled 195 million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech, bringing the total number of deliveries in the first quarter to 215 million.” Full vaccination and boosters are “now even more urgent than ever” given the “expected rapid increase in infections due to the Omicron variant”.
The EU is due to receive 650 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech jabs in total in 2022.
Omicron is expected to become the dominant strain by mid January in the EU, where 67 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.
ISRAEL INCREASES TRAVEL BANS
Israel’s health ministry has recommended banning Israelis from travelling to the United States, and added several European countries to its Covid “Red List”, aimed at containing the Omicron variant’s spread.
Barring US travel for Israeli citizens and residents would mark a significant step for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government, given the hundreds of thousands of dual nationals and close ties between the countries.
Speaking before Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Mr Bennett reiterated that he would continue to restrict travel in order to avoid further lockdowns.
“We bought precious time for the State of Israel,” by curbing travel immediately after the new variant was detected last month in South Africa, the premier said.
“European countries are either in lockdown or are heading that way,” he said, stressing that for Israel “time is running out”.
Politicians have already approved a ban on Israeli citizens and residents from travelling to France, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Finland, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.
Britain and Denmark were already on the Red List, as was most of Africa. In addition to the US, the health ministry recommended that Canada, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey be red-listed, guidance that is awaiting government approval.
Israeli citizens and residents who are already abroad when a country is declared red must quarantine for a week after returning home.
Foreigners coming from Red List countries are barred unless they get special permission.
Ran Balicer, chairman of Israel’s national expert panel on Covid-19, told AFP the travel rules were allowing for most life to continue as usual inside Israel.
“The more strict you are in preventing importation and delaying local transmission, the more lax you can be in disturbing the economy and everyday life,” he said.
‘FIFTH WAVE’: DUTCH IN LOCKDOWN
Nations across Europe moved to reimpose tougher measures to stem a new wave of COVID-19 infections spurred by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, including a new nationwide lockdown introduced by the Dutch government.
Schools, universities, and all non-essential stores, bars and restaurants in the Netherlands will be closed until January 14 starting Sunday, caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.
Residents only will be permitted two visitors except for Christmas and New Year’s, when four will be allowed.
People are now only allowed two guests at home, except for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, 26 December and the New Year period when four guests are permitted.
“I stand here tonight in a sombre mood,” Mr Rutte told a televised press conference.
“To sum it up in one sentence, the Netherlands will go back into lockdown from tomorrow.
“It is inevitable with the fifth wave and with Omicron spreading even faster than we had feared. We must now intervene as a precaution.”
“The Netherlands is going into lockdown again from tomorrow,” Mr Rutte said, adding that the move was “unavoidable because of the fifth wave caused by the Omicron variant that is bearing down on us.”
Before the Dutch announcement, alarmed ministers in France, Cyprus and Austria tightened travel restrictions.
Paris cancelled its New Year’s Eve fireworks. Denmark closed theatres, concert halls, amusement parks and museums. Ireland imposed an 8pm curfew on pubs and bars and limited attendance at indoor and outdoor events.
PLANS FOR LOCKDOWN AS UK HITS CRISIS
Brits could be banned from mixing indoors under plans being drawn up for a two-week lockdown after Christmas, it has been reported.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to hold an emergency Covid Cobra meeting this weekend as officials consider proposals for the circuit-breaker – which would reportedly include a ban on meeting friends and family inside.
According to The Sun, the UK Cabinet is expected to be briefed on the latest Covid data Saturday afternoon, local time.
On Friday night the PM vowed he would not shut the country down amid claims plans have been drawn up for the lockdown after the festive period.
He told the nation: “We are not closing things down.”
It comes as more than 90,000 new cases of coronavirus have been reported across the UK and 125 more people have died from Covid-19, according to the latest official figures.
Earlier, Sky News reported the idea of imminent restrictions is “being played down somewhat”, although officials are “concerned about the data”.
The number of deaths in England of people with the Omicron variant rose to seven, the UK Health Security Agency said on Saturday, from the previous figure of one.
Hospital admissions in England for people with confirmed or suspected Omicron rose to 85, from 65.
The mayor of London has declared a “major incident” over rapidly rising numbers of infections in the capital that threaten to overwhelm public services.
Sadiq Khan took the decision, which allows for closer co-ordination between different public agencies, after consulting with leaders from NHS London, local authorities and emergency and other essential services, according to a statement.
The UK on Friday reported the largest 24-hour increase in the number of new cases since the pandemic began.
Yet ministers are preparing draft plans that will prevent Brits meeting others indoors except for work purposes, The Times reports.
Pubs and restaurants would only be allowed to serve outdoors if the scheme is given the green light.
Other reports suggest Mr Johnson has been presented with a range of options for ‘plan C’, ranging from “mild guidance to nudge people, right through to lockdown”.
Pessimistic Sage scientists have told the Government tougher measures will be needed “very soon”.
But hospitality firms said any new restrictions would be a sledgehammer to the struggling industry at its busiest time of year.
Venues have already been forced to close their doors to the Christmas rush as workers fall ill and the super-strain grips cities.
Bosses said they have had “no option” but to close during a “double whammy” of sick staff and customers staying away over concerns their festive plans could be disrupted.
Another lockdown would be catastrophic for the industry, with British Chambers of Commerce president Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith warning: “Businesses now face the two-punch combination of serious issues with staff absence and plummeting consumer confidence.”
RECORD VIRUS CASES IN NEW YORK
The UK surge in coronavirus cases driven by the Omicron variant is being reflected in New York.
Just one month after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced tens of thousands of fully vaccinated people could return to Times Square to celebrate New Year’s Eve in person this year, the state recorded it highest single-day number of new Covid infections.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced 21,027 new positive cases statewide on Friday, the highest since March 2020 when New York was America’s coronavirus epicentre.
“This is changing so quickly. The numbers are going up exponentially by day,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a Friday appearance on CNN.
The number of people in hospitals for Covid-19 has risen by about 300, reflecting an increase of 8 per cent.
The steep rise in infections should be of great concern but it was inevitable, given the quick spread of the newest variant, said Dr. Denis Nash, the executive director of the Institute for Implementation science in Population Health at the City University of New York.
“We were already headed for a winter surge with delta, which is a very concerning thing in its own right,” Dr Nash told an NBC affiliate.
“But then you layer on top of that the new omicron variant, which is more transmissible from an infection standpoint,” he said, noting that current vaccines may be unable to contain the “more invasive” new variant.
In New York City, testing lines have wrapped around blocks and people report waiting times of well over an hour.
Friday was the highest reported testing day for the city since the beginning of the pandemic, and the first time the city saw more than 10,000 cases in a single day.
NYC hospitalisations are lower than previously, due to the variant’s milder symptoms, but with the variant being so transmissible, the region’s hospital system could still be under strain.
Mr de Blasio told CNN the NYE party is on for now but that could change depending on data.
“We made the decision a few weeks back when things were much better. But we said vaccinated people only,” he said. “Everyone’s been told for weeks and weeks, don’t even show up in Times Square unless you’re vaccinated.”
PREGNANT WOMEN JOIN HIGHER RISK LIST
Pregnant women have been added to the list of those at higher risk from Covid-19, after research revealed that the virus had increased the UK’s maternal death rate by about 50 per cent.
According to The Times, London, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said pregnant women should be prioritised for vaccination slots, with doctors and midwives urging NHS booster clinics to help them avoid standing for hours in queues.
Data from the University of Oxford also revealed that four newborn babies died from Covid-19 between May and October this year, when the Delta variant was dominant. The data showed that 34 women had died in the UK after acquiring Covid while pregnant. Most of them were unvaccinated.
There are usually about nine maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Between May 16 and October 31, there were an extra 5.4 maternal coronavirus deaths per 100,000 live births.
In a snapshot of cases, 1,436 pregnant women were admitted to hospital with symptoms of Covid-19 during the same period, more than 96 per cent of them unvaccinated. Some 230 of them ended up in intensive care.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chairman of Covid-19 immunisation for the JCVI, said: “There is no evidence to suggest that Covid-19 vaccines used in pregnancy increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirths, congenital abnormalities or birth complications.
“Having a UK-approved Covid-19 vaccine is safer than having Covid-19 itself. Women who are pregnant are strongly encouraged to have a first, second or booster vaccine dose as appropriate in order to better protect yourself and your baby from any serious consequences from Covid-19.”
OMICRON SPREADS ‘LIKE LIGHTNING’ IN EUROPE
French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Friday likened the spread of the Omicron variant in Europe to “lightning”, adding it would be the dominant strain in France from the start of 2022.
Mr Castex added that while much remains unknown about the variant “it does not seem to be more dangerous than the Delta variant and the data available to us indicate that complete vaccination coverage with the booster dose protects well against severe forms of the disease”.
Nearly 3,000 people are in intensive care with Covid-19 in France according to latest figures.
Meanwhile people will become eligible for booster jabs four months from the date of their second vaccination down from five, Mr Castex added.
And he said the government would announce new measures to tackle non-vaccination from next year.
“While we have given time, a lot of time for those French people who were hesitant and had doubts, in January we will strengthen the incentive for vaccination, because it is not acceptable that the refusal of a few million French people to be vaccinated, puts the life of an entire country at risk,” he said.
From Saturday, travellers will need to show a compelling reason for travel between Britain and France, under shock new rules announced on Thursday by France to combat the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
LAOS TO REOPEN TO FOREIGN TRAVELLERS
Laos has announced plans to partially re-open to foreign travellers in the new year, throwing a lifeline to the tourism industry after borders were sealed for more than 18 months to keep out Covid.
Fully vaccinated visitors on pre-booked tours will be able to enter from January 1 and visit the capital Vientiane, eco-tourism hotspot Vang Vieng and UNESCO World Heritage-listed Luang Prabang, state media reported Friday.
Further destinations will be opened up in April and July 2022 as vaccination rates in Laos increase.
But entry will only be available to tourists from 17 nations, mostly Southeast Asian and European countries as well as China, the United States, Australia and Canada.
All visitors will also need to test negative for Covid before arriving.
Health authorities are now rushing to deliver Covid booster shots to people living in tourist spots along the train line in anticipation of an influx of travellers.
Laos was receiving about 4.7 million foreign tourists each year before the pandemic.
But Covid led to an 80 per cent downturn in international visitor numbers in 2020, with the economy in the doldrums despite very few coronavirus cases in Laos in the early stages of the pandemic.
Economic growth declined to 0.4 per cent in 2020, the lowest in three decades, according to the World Bank.
Alex Tran, owner of the Camellia Hotel in Vang Vieng, said revenue was down 95 per cent because of the border closures.
“Many hotels in Vang Vieng are empty and have closed temporarily for around two years because there are no tourists,” he told AFP.
There were not enough domestic travellers to sustain the sector, he added. “After New Year, things are hoped to be better,” Tran said.
Originally published as Coronavirus world: Shock new data from Denmark suggests two Pfizer doses won’t beat Omicron
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