2.42am Here onboard the Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas and the captain just announced that the cruise will be cut short.
Developing story, more info at 8am
Update 1 : We are all advised not to leave the staterooms and should return immediately if we are roaming about.
Update 2 : it’s 6am, can’t sleep as we’re anxious about what’s going to happen. Still no new updates.
Update 3: 7am - just got in touch with concierge. Reason we are turning back: suspected COVID 19 case on board. All guests will be returning home. No ETA at the moment with regards to when we can disembark but we were advised to start packing up. Breakfast will be provided to all passengers!
Update 4 : 8am- Ship under quarantine. Letter will be sent to our stateroom regarding next steps. The suspected case is now a confirmed case and contact tracing has been done to isolate the virus. All other guests have been tested and reported negative results.
Update 5 : 9.15am - Docked at Marina Bay Cruise Center. Breakfast served in Bento Box. Need a good cup of coffee.
Update 6 : 9. 30am - looks like we may be getting swabbed before leaving the ship. We will also be swabbed 14 days after as per MOH guidelines.
Update 7 : 11am - We are not cleared to disembark yet. Lunch will be provided, passengers have been advised to download the Royal Caribbean App for notifications.
Update 8 : 12 noon - Was interviewed by both Berita Harian and TODAY. Going to enjoy some red wine with my lunch. They really do feed you a lot!
Update 9 : 3pm- MOH & STB have advised that Genting Dream Cruise needs to embark and leave before we can disembark. COVID-19 patient has left the ship. They are currently sanitizing the ship.
Just torpedo the fucking cruise ship already.......those goddamn fools who chose to holiday out on the seas despite knowing the huge risks it entailed deserve zero sympathy.
Mr Chan told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to the Siemens Advanced Manufacturing Transformation Centre on Wednesday that it is “precisely because we were concerned that such things may happen, we have put in place the necessary protocols”.
He added that the Government has “never thought that such things will never happen” when it embarked on this pilot scheme.
In fact, the Government has “always made the assumption that someday, something may happen”, said Mr Chan.
It is thus important to have protocols to ensure that they are able to “contact trace quickly, isolate the cases necessary, and for the rest of the activities to continue” if such incidents happen, he highlighted.
“With the protocols that have been put in place, the public can be assured that such incidents can be managed properly,” he remarked.
As part of Singapore Tourism Board (STB)’s safe cruise pilot scheme, the Royal Caribbean ship was originally set for a four-day cruise to nowhere.
However, the journey was cut short after the passenger was tested positive for the coronavirus on day three.
The passenger was immediately isolated while all the guests and crew on the ship who had close contact with the passenger had been isolated, and their test results all came out negative.
While the passenger’s close contacts have since been tested negative for COVID-19, further contact tracing is ongoing.
Speaking to the media, Mr Chan also said that the incident happened on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship is “an example of how Singapore will manage risks that emerge from the resumption of economic activities”.
“As we recover from the pandemic, as we resume our economic activities, we work on the basis of a risk management strategy, rather than risk elimination strategy … Zero risk means not to do anything. And that would not be compatible with our overall strategy,” he asserted.
Upon reading the remarks by Mr Chan, the netizens were quick to pen their comments on CNA’s Facebook page, condemning the Government for potentially putting people’s lives at risk by treating people like their case studies.
“You know something might happen, but you use Singaporean’s health and lives as a trade-off,” a netizen wrote.
Some netizens also opined that it is “not unexpected” for the Minister to offer such a response.
“Not unexpected, brilliantly phrased to deflect responsibility,” said a netizen.
Other netizens also expressed scepticism about the Government’s risk assessment and protocols before they decided to implement this pilot cruise programme. They questioned how the passenger was able to contract COVID-19 if the necessary protocols have been implemented.
Other netizens also expressed scepticism about the Government’s risk assessment and protocols before they decided to implement this pilot cruise programme. They questioned how the passenger was able to contract COVID-19 if the necessary protocols have been implemented.
Since Cotton Chan was at the Siemens Advanced Manufacturing Transformation Centre, might he have at least rented a brain onsite before speaking to the reporters?
Quantum of the Seas COVID case is false positive, Singapore’s pilot cruises to continue
Singapore’s pilot for safe cruises will continue as planned, following the news that the suspected COVID-19 case on board Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas was a false positive.
The Singapore Ministry of Health confirmed that the suspected case, an 83-year-old male Singaporean passenger, does not have COVID-19, following additional tests at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
Quantum of the Seas returned to the Marina Bay Cruise Centre with 1,680 passengers and 1,148 crew early Wednesday, after the passenger tested positive for COVID-19 based on the ship’s onboard testing procedures.
Immediate isolation
Protocols such as ceasing all on-board leisure activities, asking passengers to remain in their rooms, the immediate isolation of close contacts, and extensive contact tracing using TraceTogether were then activated.
Passengers and crew remained on board until contact tracing was completed, and disembarkation began at 7.30pm, less than 12 hours after the ship had returned to the terminal.
World Dream
Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream — which arrived later at the same terminal — supported the safety operations by embarking its passengers earlier. This was to prevent intermingling between passengers and crew from the two ships.
Genting Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International were allowed to resume pilot cruises with no ports of call in November and December respectively, after meeting requirements under the Government’s mandatory CruiseSafe certification programme.
‘Safety remains our foremost priority, and yesterday’s incident has given us valuable learnings for future sailings, such as the importance of using TraceTogether for effective contact tracing. It has also given assurance that our established response to any future COVID-19 case is swift and effective,’ said Singapore Tourist Board chief executive Keith Tan.
Emergency protocols
‘In particular, I would like to commend Royal Caribbean International and the terminal operator SATS-Creuers for the timely execution of their emergency protocols. I would also like to thank Genting Cruise Lines, who supported the operations by embarking their passengers early. Their professionalism gives us confidence that our pilot cruises will continue to be safe and sustainable, as we work with our partners and cruise lines to chart a new course for safe cruising.’
Singapore government said it will continue to monitor the outcomes of the pilot sailings in the coming months before deciding on the next steps for cruises.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide have exceeded 72 million, with over 1.6 million fatalities and more than 47 million recoveries, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
Having assessed that these pre-conditions are in place, here is the list of activities that will be further re-opened in the community from 28 Dec 2020:
Singapore to open travel bubble as it prepares to stand in for Davos
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore is to allow a limited number of business, official and other “high economic value” travellers from abroad under a “bubble” arrangement that offers a glimpse into what visitors for this year’s relocated Davos conference might expect.
The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) will make its debut in Asia in May after being moved from its usual home in the Swiss ski resort of Davos over coronavirus safety concerns.
Singapore’s borders have been effectively shut for months as part of strict rules to keep out a virus still raging across the world, and it faces challenges hosting an event that usually attracts thousands just five months from now.
The new arrangement, announced on Tuesday, will keep visitors segregated to guard against novel coronavirus infection while allowing for safe meetings between people from abroad and from Singapore.
The first travellers under the arrangement will be allowed from the second half of January for stays of up to 14 days, the ministry of trade and industry said in a statement.
The ministry did not specifically mention the WEF event.
Singapore has some arrangements with certain countries for restricted travel but this is the first scheme that will be open to visitors from all countries.
Visitors will be regularly tested, have to stay in “bubbles” of five people at segregated facilities, carry contact-tracing devices and only meet other guests and Singapore-based people in rooms with floor-to-ceiling dividers.
“This segregation concept can be applied when we have the WEF,” said Wong King Yin, a tourism specialist at Nanyang Technological University.
The January launch would allow authorities time to test the system before the WEF event, she said.
Singapore has some arrangements with certain countries for restricted travel but this is the first scheme that will be open to visitors from all countries.
Coronavirus: how Singapore went from hero to zero, and back to hero again
• When the virus ripped through Singapore’s migrant worker dormitories, the city’s golden image for disease control seemed to have taken a knockout blow
• Now it is back off the canvas, with a near-zero infection rate and plans to reopen nightclubs and host the World Economic Forum. Has it won the fight?
Since the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe this year, cities from Asia to the United States and Europe have become stuck in a cycle.
Cases rise, so they lock down. Cases fall, so they ease the measures. Then cases rise again and they lock down once more. Whenever a country thinks it has Covid-19 beat, it seems, it needs to think again.
While Germany, France and England are among countries to have imposed second lockdowns, Hong Kong has shut its schools and work places for a third time this year as the city enters its fourth wave. Even in China, where the virus has been largely contained, there have been flare-ups – such as an outbreak among airport cargo handlers in Shanghai in November.
But there is one major city that appears to have successfully got the virus under control with just one lockdown: the island nation of Singapore.
In the city state of 5.7 million, life has resumed a “new normal”, in the parlance of politicians. Restaurants and malls are packed once again, happy hours at bars in the central business district do a brisk business and gym bunnies are back pumping iron and hitting the spin studios.
Indeed, the only differences to the pre-Covid era are that people now are wearing masks, there is no alcohol after 10.30pm, nightclubs and karaoke bars remain closed, and social groups are restricted to five people who must keep a metre’s distance. Soon the differences will be even less noticeable; Singapore will further relax its restrictions on December 28, when groups of up to eight will be allowed.
Such happy scenes are a stark contrast to the months of April and May when Singapore went through a strict partial lockdown it called a “circuit breaker”, when schools and workplaces closed, restaurants were allowed only to serve take aways and it was illegal to visit the homes of friends and families.
Back then, its residents were allowed outside only to exercise (alone or with members of the same household) or to visit the supermarket (preferably just one member of the household).
The eight-week circuit breaker was a reaction to a sudden increase in infections, caused when Singaporeans studying and working overseas returned in droves in late February and in March, bringing the virus with them.
Over March, Singapore’s Covid-19 numbers rose tenfold to 1,000. In April, numbers surged further when the virus swept through dormitories housing Singapore’s 323,000 low wage migrant workers. On its worst day, the country recorded 1,426 infections.
The infections put a dent in the reputation of Singapore, which until then had been lauded for its actions in managing the pandemic. Soon media reports were painting the city state’s experience as a cautionary, rather than celebratory, tale.
As Dr Jeremy Lim, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said, paying insufficient attention to the migrant worker dormitories was Singapore’s “biggest misstep”.
Yet fast forward to December and the country has become so successful in containing the virus that it is able to hold conferences with 250 guests and will soon host mass entertainment events such as concerts and pilot the opening of nightclubs.
The World Economic Forum also decided to relocate its Special Annual Meeting next year from the snowy alps of Davos to the tropical city state – only the second time in 49 years that the world famous summit will have been held outside Switzerland.
Singapore is also starting a new travel lane for business people that will allow them to enter the country for a short-term stay without serving quarantine, though its quarantine-free travel bubble with Hong Kong for leisure visitors has been put on hold for now.
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Adding to the optimism is the government’s announcement this week that it would receive its first batch of vaccinations from Pfizer-BioNTech before the end of the year and hoped to have enough vaccines – from both Pfizer and other companies – for the entire population by the third quarter of 2021.
Lim said Singapore had undertaken “an incredible mobilisation of resources” to get to its present position.
“Within a few months, what seemed uncontrollable was brought to manageable numbers and the current control we are now enjoying,” he told This Week in Asia.
Singapore has now recorded more than 58,000 infections, but just 86 of those are active. Its death toll is among the lowest in the world, at 29, and in the past two weeks it has recorded only one infection in the community.
Lim said: “Mike Tyson famously said everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Singapore has shown she can take the pain and get back up.”
UP OFF THE CANVAS
Health care experts like Lim say it is too early for a post mortem on Singapore’s performance as the battle is ongoing, but acknowledge its success thus far can be attributed to a variety of things: the circuit breaker; keeping migrant workers within the dormitories while waiting for infections to ease; and policies centred on quickly tracing and quarantining the close contacts of those who are sick.
Teo Yik Ying, dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said Singapore’s policies were based on science and evidence as far as possible. Also, “those who flouted the rules and were caught were quickly and publicly punished, the government provided socioeconomic support for the people and many businesses during circuit breaker and beyond, and there was also constant calibration and improvement of interventions, one example being the roll-out of the TraceTogether app and tokens”.
High levels of trust in the government and civil service helped, he added.
This trust meant people were more compliant with the Covid-19 measures. While some Americans refuse to wear masks, citing personal freedom or scepticism about the virus, and Italians in Florence clash with police over lockdown measures, Singapore’s residents have abided by the rules.
As of this month, 65 per cent of the population have joined the TraceTogether programme, which uses either a smartphone app or a token to track movement so authorities can see who has been in close and prolonged contact with an infected person.
For Dr Hsu Li Yang, an infectious diseases doctor who is an associate professor at the same school, it was also important that the government was “not shy to admit that there are gaps and mistakes” and would go on to improve its policies. He cited how when the country relaxed its public restrictions and places such as parks and beaches became overcrowded, the government brought in new regulations to manage the overcrowding.
“This is only possible if there is active monitoring of the situation on the ground, and to make use of the knowledge from this surveillance to improve the effectiveness,” he said.
Singapore also went from allowing returning citizens to serve their quarantines at home, to mandating that be done in a hotel after a few breached their stay-home notices. Another famous policy reversal was its stance on face masks – earlier in the pandemic when the world was experiencing mask shortages and it was still unclear how the virus spread, Singapore had told residents masks were unnecessary.
But as the science changed, so did the government’s advice to the public. On April 3, as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed the nation on television to announce the circuit breaker, he cited how the World Health Organisation and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were reviewing their guidelines on masks.
“We will no longer discourage people from wearing masks,” said Lee. The Monday after, it was written into law that masks were now compulsory – unless eating or drinking – and those who did not comply would be fined.
EVERYONE’S A WINNER?
This month, the city state is preparing for its third and final phase of reopening. From December 28, in addition to groups of up to eight people being allowed to gather, malls and restaurants will be allowed to accommodate more customers as their distancing limits go from 10 square metres per person to 8 square metres per person.
Restrictions still apply though for the 323,000 migrant workers from Bangladesh, India and China who live in dormitories, and perform the bulk of the strenuous and low-paid work in industries such as construction.
PAP lee-ders thank Koh Xinghui for casting a positive light on them, though they 'd probably prefer she left out the dormitory brouhaha altogether. No one likes to be reminded of embarrassing past failures, especially when they were of epic proportions.
The monarch made the remarks as part of an annual TV review of the year with the royal family.
Instead of relying on legal sanctions, Sweden appeals to citizens' sense of responsibility and civic duty, and issues only recommendations. There are no sanctions if they are ignored.
However, earlier this week, schools across the Stockholm region were asked to switch to distance learning for 13 to 15-year-olds for the first time as soon as possible. The measure was announced in response to rising Covid-19 cases.
This came a week after a nationwide decision on 7 December to switch to remote learning for those over 16.
And on Monday, new nationwide social-distancing recommendations for the Christmas period came into force, replacing similar region-specific guidelines.
What else is happening in Europe?
Sweden is not alone in tightening coronavirus restrictions. A number of European countries have done so ahead of Christmas following a surge of infections.
The Netherlands and Germany have imposed lockdowns until January. On Friday, Italy followed suit, imposing a nationwide lockdown for much of the Christmas and New Year period.
Italians will only be allowed to travel for work, health or emergency reasons between 24-27 December, 31 December - 3 January, and 5-6 January.
In Austria, the government said on Friday the country would enter its third lockdown after Christmas. From 26 December, non-essential shops will be shut and movement outside homes restricted.
However, a mass testing programme in January will give people the opportunity to end their lockdown sooner. The government said those who test negative for the virus will be allowed more freedoms.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron remains in self-isolation in the official presidential residence at La Lanterne at Versailles after testing positive for Covid-19. Mr Macron said he was suffering from fatigue, headaches and a dry cough.
Slovakia's Prime Minister Igor Matovic, who attended an EU summit with Mr Macron last week, said he had tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.
Several other European leaders who were also at the summit, including the prime ministers of Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg, said they would self-isolate.
TraceTogether adoption rate surpasses 70%, more distribution points to reopen from January 2021
SINGAPORE — Singapore on Monday (Dec 21) surpassed the 70-per-cent adoption rate for its TraceTogether contact-tracing tool, allowing it to move into its final phase of reopening after a partial lockdown to combat Covid-19, said Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
The Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation initiative told reporters on Wednesday that more than two million people have downloaded the TraceTogether mobile application and 1.75 million tokens have been distributed.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a token distribution exercise at the Kampong Kembangan Community Club.
The 70-per-cent target was among the requirements set by the authorities before Singapore can enter its third and final phase of reopening, which starts next Monday.
With many Singaporeans still keen on collecting the tokens, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) said that the Government is building up stocks.
Dr Balakrishnan, who is also Foreign Affairs Minister, said that up to five million tokens are expected to be produced and delivered by the end of February next year.
The distribution of tokens began at community clubs on Sept 14 and the last six clubs — including Kampong Kembangan Community Club — opened for collection on Wednesday.
As extra stocks become available in the next few weeks and months, the authorities will reopen all distribution points in community clubs that are presently closed. This will happen progressively from January next year.
SNDGO said that the public would be told of the opening dates at the community clubs at least three days in advance. Residents may visit the TokenGoWhere website or check community notice boards for the latest updates.
Dr Balakrishnan stressed that there is no need to rush: “There will be a token distribution point near you.”
Tokens will also be given out through schools in the new year, he said.
Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies after being hospitalized with COVID-19
MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow has died after being hospitalized with COVID-19.
Letlow’s representative, Andrew Bautsch, released the following statement online Tuesday evening.
“Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, passed away this evening at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport due to complications from COVID-19.
“Letlow was admitted into a Monroe hospital on December 19 after testing positive for the coronavirus and was transferred to Ochsner-LSU Health on Tuesday, December 22, and placed in intensive care. Letlow is survived by his wife, Julia Barnhill Letlow, Phd., and two young children.
“The family appreciates the numerous prayers and support over the past days but asks for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time. A statement from the family along with funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time.”
The Republican was set to take over Louisiana’s 5th District U.S. Congressional seat being vacated by Republican Congressman Ralph Abraham.
He leaves behind a wife and two children. Letlow was 41 years old.
Further statements on the passing of Congressman-elect Luke Letlow:
In a series of tweets, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said:
“It is with heavy hearts that @FirstLadyOfLA and I offer our condolences to Congressman-elect Luke Letlow’s family on his passing after a battle with COVID-19.
“Congressman-elect Letlow felt a calling from a young age to serve the people of his home state, working behind the scenes for former Governor Bobby Jindal and serving as chief of staff to Congressman Ralph Abraham, who he was recently elected to succeed.
“COVID-19 has taken Congressman-elect Letlow from us far too soon. I am heartbroken that he will not be able to serve our people as a U.S. Representative, but I am even more devastated for his loving family.
“I hope all of the people of Louisiana will join Donna and me in praying for Congressman-elect Letlow’s family, especially his wife Julia and their two children, his many friends, and the people of the 5th Congressional District.
“Louisiana has lost more than 7,300 people to COVID-19 since March, and each one of them leaves a tremendous hole in our state.
“I have ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of Congressman-elect Letlow’s funeral.”
@Walter E. Kurtz Headaches, incontinence, vision deteriorating, loss of sense of taste etc.......holy shit this is way worse than actually getting infected by COVID-19 itself!
Sinovac vaccine disappoints at 50.4% efficacy: latest Brazil data
A coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech was just 50.4% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in a Brazilian trial, researchers said on Tuesday, barely enough for regulatory approval and well below the rate announced last week.
The latest results are a major disappointment for Brazil, as the Chinese vaccine is one of two that the federal government has lined up to begin immunization during the second wave of the world's second-deadliest COVID-19 outbreak.
Several scientists and observers blasted the Butantan biomedical center for releasing partial data just days ago that generated unrealistic expectations. The confusion may add to skepticism in Brazil about the Chinese vaccine, which President Jair Bolsonaro has criticized, questioning its "origins."
"We have a good vaccine. Not the best vaccine in the world. Not the ideal vaccine," said microbiologist Natalia Pasternak, criticizing Butantan's triumphant tone.
Last week, the Brazilian researchers had celebrated results showing 78% efficacy against "mild-to-severe" COVID-19 cases, a rate they later described as "clinical efficacy."
They said nothing at the time about another group of "very mild" infections among those who received the vaccine that did not require clinical assistance.
Ricardo Palacios, medical director for clinical research at Butantan, said on Tuesday that the new lower efficacy finding included data on those "very mild" cases.
"We need better communicators," said Gonzalo Vecina Neto, a professor of public health at the University of Sao Paulo and former head of Brazilian health regulator Anvisa.
Piecemeal disclosures about Chinese vaccine trials globally have raised concerns that they are not subject to the same public scrutiny as U.S. and European alternatives.
Palacios and officials in the Sao Paulo state government, which funds Butantan, emphasized the good news that none of the volunteers inoculated with CoronaVac had to be hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms.
Public health experts said that alone will be a relief for Brazilian hospitals that are buckling under the strain of surging case loads. However, it will take longer to curb the pandemic with a vaccine that allows so many mild cases.
"It's a vaccine that will start the process of overcoming the pandemic," Pasternak said.
Researchers at Butantan delayed announcement of their results three times, blaming a confidentiality clause in a contract with Sinovac.
In the meantime, Turkish researchers said last month that CoronaVac was 91.25% effective based on an interim analysis. Indonesia gave the vaccine emergency use approval on Monday based on interim data showing it is 65% effective.
Butantan officials said the design of the Brazilian study, focusing on frontline health workers during a severe outbreak in Brazil and including elderly volunteers, made it impossible to compare the results directly with other trials or vaccines.
Still, COVID-19 vaccines in use from Pfizer Inc with partner BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc proved to be about 95% effective in preventing illness in their pivotal late-state trials.
The disappointing CoronaVac data is the latest setback for vaccination efforts in Brazil, where more than 200,000 people have died since the outbreak began - the worst death toll outside the United States.
Brazil's national immunization program currently relies on CoronaVac and the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca Plc - neither of which has received regulatory approval in Brazil.
Anvisa, which has stipulated an efficacy rate of at least 50% for vaccines in the pandemic, has already pressed Butantan for more details of its study, after it filed for emergency use authorization on Friday.
The regulator said it will meet on Sunday to decide on emergency use requests for CoronaVac and the British vaccine.
AstraZeneca failed to deliver active ingredients to Brazil over the weekend, leaving the government scrambling to import finished doses of the vaccine from India to begin inoculations.
@西廠 If you read the Reuters report on this, the 91.25% cited relates to a small initial sample of just 1000+ folks:
The Turkish trials began on Sept. 14 and have included more than 7,000 volunteers, the researchers said, adding the results announced on Thursday were based on data from 1,322 people.
Ricardo Palácios, medical director of clinical research at Butantan, said the lower efficacy rate was caused by the inclusion of patients who were infected with the novel coronavirus but only displayed “very light” symptoms.
5. Wife of 'perfectly healthy' Miami doctor, 56, who died of a blood disorder 16 days after getting Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is certain it was triggered by the jab, as drug giant investigates first death with a suspected link to shot.
Peter Doshi: Pfizer and Moderna’s “95% effective” vaccines—let’s be cautious and first see the full data
In the United States, all eyes are on Pfizer and Moderna. The topline efficacy results from their experimental covid-19 vaccine trials are astounding at first glance. Pfizer says it recorded 170 covid-19 cases (in 44,000 volunteers), with a remarkable split: 162 in the placebo group versus 8 in the vaccine group. Meanwhile Moderna says 95 of 30,000 volunteers in its ongoing trial got covid-19: 90 on placebo versus 5 receiving the vaccine, leading both companies to claim around 95% efficacy.
Let’s put this in perspective. First, a relative risk reduction is being reported, not absolute risk reduction, which appears to be less than 1%. Second, these results refer to the trials’ primary endpoint of covid-19 of essentially any severity, and importantly not the vaccine’s ability to save lives, nor the ability to prevent infection, nor the efficacy in important subgroups (e.g. frail elderly). Those still remain unknown. Third, these results reflect a time point relatively soon after vaccination, and we know nothing about vaccine performance at 3, 6, or 12 months, so cannot compare these efficacy numbers against other vaccines like influenza vaccines (which are judged over a season). Fourth, children, adolescents, and immunocompromised individuals were largely excluded from the trials, so we still lack any data on these important populations.
I previously argued that the trials are studying the wrong endpoint, and for an urgent need to correct course and study more important endpoints like prevention of severe disease and transmission in high risk people. Yet, despite the existence of regulatory mechanisms for ensuring vaccine access while keeping the authorization bar high (which would allow placebo-controlled trials to continue long enough to answer the important question), it’s hard to avoid the impression that sponsors are claiming victory and wrapping up their trials (Pfizer has already sent trial participants a letter discussing “crossing over” from placebo to vaccine), and the FDA will now be under enormous pressure to rapidly authorize the vaccines.
But as conversation shifts to vaccine distribution, let’s not lose sight of the evidence. Independent scrutiny of the underlying trial data will increase trust and credibility of the results. There also might be important limitations to the trial findings we need to be aware of.
Most crucially, we need data-driven assurances that the studies were not inadvertently unblinded, by which I mean investigators or volunteers could make reasonable guesses as to which group they were in. Blinding is most important when measuring subjective endpoints like symptomatic covid-19, and differences in post-injection side-effects between vaccine and placebo might have allowed for educated guessing. Past placebo-controlled trialsofinfluenza vaccine were not able to fully maintain blinding of vaccine status, and the recent “half dose” mishap in the Oxford covid-19 vaccine trial was apparently only noticed because of milder-than-expected side-effects. (And that is just one of manyconcerns with the Oxford trial.)
In contrast to a normal saline placebo, earlyphasetrials suggested that systemic and local adverse events are common in those receiving vaccine. In one Pfizer trial, for example, more than half of the vaccinated participants experienced headache, muscle pain and chills—but the early phase trials were small, with large margins of error around the data. Few details from the large phase 3 studies have been released thus far. Moderna’s press release states that 9% experienced grade 3 myalgia and 10% grade 3 fatigue; Pfizer’s statement reported 3.8% experienced grade 3 fatigue and 2% grade 3 headache. Grade 3 adverse events are considered severe, defined as preventing daily activity. Mild and moderate severity reactions are bound to be far more common.
One way the trial’s raw data could facilitate an informed judgment as to whether any potential unblinding might have affected the results is by analyzing how often people with symptoms of covid-19 were referred for confirmatory SARS-CoV-2 testing. Without a referral for testing, a suspected covid-19 case could not become a confirmed covid-19 case, and thus is a crucial step in order to be counted as a primary event: lab-confirmed, symptomatic covid-19. Because some of the adverse reactions to the vaccine are themselves also symptoms of covid-19 (e.g. fever, muscle pain), one might expect a far larger proportion of people receiving vaccine to have been swabbed and tested for SARS-CoV-2 than those receiving placebo.
This assumes all people with symptoms would be tested, as one might expect would be the case. However the trial protocols for Moderna and Pfizer’s studies contain explicit language instructing investigators to use their clinical judgment to decide whether to refer people for testing. Moderna puts it this way:
“It is important to note that some of the symptoms of COVID-19 overlap with solicited systemic ARs that are expected after vaccination with mRNA-1273 (eg, myalgia, headache, fever, and chills). During the first 7 days after vaccination, when these solicited ARs are common, Investigators should use their clinical judgement to decide if an NP swab should be collected.”
This amounts to asking investigators to make guesses as to which intervention group patients were in. But when the disease and the vaccine side-effects overlap, how is a clinician to judge the cause without a test? And why were they asked, anyway?
Importantly, the instructions only refer to the first seven days following vaccination, leaving unclear what role clinician judgment could play in the key days afterward, when cases of covid-19 could begin counting towards the primary endpoint. (For Pfizer, 7 days after the 2nd dose. For Moderna, 14 days.)
In a proper trial, all cases of covid-19 should have been recorded, no matter which arm of the trial the case occurred in. (In epidemiology terms, there should be no ascertainment bias, or differential measurement error). It’s even become common sense in the Covid era: “test, test, test.” But if referrals for testing were not provided to all individuals with symptoms of covid-19—for example because an assumption was made that the symptoms were due to side-effects of the vaccine—cases could go uncounted.
Data on pain and fever reducing medicines also deserve scrutiny. Symptoms resulting from a SARS-CoV-2 infection (e.g. fever or body aches) can be suppressed by pain and fever reducing medicines. If people in the vaccine arm took such medicines prophylactically, more often, or for a longer duration of time than those in the placebo arm, this could have led to greater suppression of covid-19 symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection in the vaccine arm, translating into a reduced likelihood of being suspected for covid-19, reduced likelihood of testing, and therefore reduced likelihood of meeting the primary endpoint. But in such a scenario, the effect was driven by the medicines, not the vaccine.
Neither Moderna nor Pfizer have released any samples of written materials provided to patients, so it is unclear what, if any, instructions patients were given regarding the use of medicines to treat side effects following vaccination, but the informed consent form for Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine trial provides such a recommendation:
“Following administration of Ad26.COV2.S, fever, muscle aches and headache appear to be more common in younger adults and can be severe. For this reason, we recommend you take a fever reducer or pain reliever if symptoms appear after receiving the vaccination, or upon your study doctor’s recommendation.”
There may be much more complexity to the “95% effective” announcement than meets the eye—or perhaps not. Only full transparency and rigorous scrutiny of the data will allow for informed decision making. The data must be made public.
HOHOHO cruise to nowhere tio Wuhaned! Passengers now all in limbo on board cannot disembark! SONG SONG GAO NOWHERE!!!!!
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/covid-19-patient-royal-caribbean-cruise-83-year-old-man-passengers-crew-stay-ship-until
Hi All,
2.42am Here onboard the Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas and the captain just announced that the cruise will be cut short.
Developing story, more info at 8am
Update 1 : We are all advised not to leave the staterooms and should return immediately if we are roaming about.
Update 2 : it’s 6am, can’t sleep as we’re anxious about what’s going to happen. Still no new updates.
Update 3: 7am - just got in touch with concierge. Reason we are turning back: suspected COVID 19 case on board. All guests will be returning home. No ETA at the moment with regards to when we can disembark but we were advised to start packing up. Breakfast will be provided to all passengers!
Update 4 : 8am - Ship under quarantine. Letter will be sent to our stateroom regarding next steps. The suspected case is now a confirmed case and contact tracing has been done to isolate the virus. All other guests have been tested and reported negative results.
Update 5 : 9.15am - Docked at Marina Bay Cruise Center. Breakfast served in Bento Box. Need a good cup of coffee.
Update 6 : 9. 30am - looks like we may be getting swabbed before leaving the ship. We will also be swabbed 14 days after as per MOH guidelines.
Update 7 : 11am - We are not cleared to disembark yet. Lunch will be provided, passengers have been advised to download the Royal Caribbean App for notifications.
Update 8 : 12 noon - Was interviewed by both Berita Harian and TODAY. Going to enjoy some red wine with my lunch. They really do feed you a lot!
Update 9 : 3pm - MOH & STB have advised that Genting Dream Cruise needs to embark and leave before we can disembark. COVID-19 patient has left the ship. They are currently sanitizing the ship.
Dinner is scheduled from 5.30-6.30pm
Next update from captain - 7pm
https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/k9ad1p/developing_story_cruise_to_nowhere_quarantined/
Just torpedo the fucking cruise ship already.......those goddamn fools who chose to holiday out on the seas despite knowing the huge risks it entailed deserve zero sympathy.
Netizens slam Minister Chan Chun Sing’s remark on Royal Caribbean COVID-19 case; criticise Govt for supposedly gambling with people’s lives
Following the incident of an 83-year-old passenger of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship being tested positive for COVID-19, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said that the incident was “not unexpected” as the Government had anticipated the possibility of such an incident happening and that they have subsequently put in place the necessary protocols.
Mr Chan told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to the Siemens Advanced Manufacturing Transformation Centre on Wednesday that it is “precisely because we were concerned that such things may happen, we have put in place the necessary protocols”.
He added that the Government has “never thought that such things will never happen” when it embarked on this pilot scheme.
In fact, the Government has “always made the assumption that someday, something may happen”, said Mr Chan.
It is thus important to have protocols to ensure that they are able to “contact trace quickly, isolate the cases necessary, and for the rest of the activities to continue” if such incidents happen, he highlighted.
“With the protocols that have been put in place, the public can be assured that such incidents can be managed properly,” he remarked.
As part of Singapore Tourism Board (STB)’s safe cruise pilot scheme, the Royal Caribbean ship was originally set for a four-day cruise to nowhere.
However, the journey was cut short after the passenger was tested positive for the coronavirus on day three.
The passenger was immediately isolated while all the guests and crew on the ship who had close contact with the passenger had been isolated, and their test results all came out negative.
While the passenger’s close contacts have since been tested negative for COVID-19, further contact tracing is ongoing.
Speaking to the media, Mr Chan also said that the incident happened on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship is “an example of how Singapore will manage risks that emerge from the resumption of economic activities”.
“As we recover from the pandemic, as we resume our economic activities, we work on the basis of a risk management strategy, rather than risk elimination strategy … Zero risk means not to do anything. And that would not be compatible with our overall strategy,” he asserted.
Upon reading the remarks by Mr Chan, the netizens were quick to pen their comments on CNA’s Facebook page, condemning the Government for potentially putting people’s lives at risk by treating people like their case studies.
“You know something might happen, but you use Singaporean’s health and lives as a trade-off,” a netizen wrote.
Some netizens also opined that it is “not unexpected” for the Minister to offer such a response.
“Not unexpected, brilliantly phrased to deflect responsibility,” said a netizen.
Other netizens also expressed scepticism about the Government’s risk assessment and protocols before they decided to implement this pilot cruise programme. They questioned how the passenger was able to contract COVID-19 if the necessary protocols have been implemented.
https://www.onlinecitizenasia.com/2020/12/09/netizens-slam-minister-chan-chun-sings-remark-on-royal-caribbean-covid-19-case-criticise-govt-for-supposedly-gambling-with-peoples-lives/
Since Cotton Chan was at the Siemens Advanced Manufacturing Transformation Centre, might he have at least rented a brain onsite before speaking to the reporters?
Hmmm.
Quantum of the Seas COVID case is false positive, Singapore’s pilot cruises to continue
Singapore’s pilot for safe cruises will continue as planned, following the news that the suspected COVID-19 case on board Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas was a false positive.
The Singapore Ministry of Health confirmed that the suspected case, an 83-year-old male Singaporean passenger, does not have COVID-19, following additional tests at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
Quantum of the Seas returned to the Marina Bay Cruise Centre with 1,680 passengers and 1,148 crew early Wednesday, after the passenger tested positive for COVID-19 based on the ship’s onboard testing procedures.
Immediate isolation
Protocols such as ceasing all on-board leisure activities, asking passengers to remain in their rooms, the immediate isolation of close contacts, and extensive contact tracing using TraceTogether were then activated.
Passengers and crew remained on board until contact tracing was completed, and disembarkation began at 7.30pm, less than 12 hours after the ship had returned to the terminal.
World Dream
Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream — which arrived later at the same terminal — supported the safety operations by embarking its passengers earlier. This was to prevent intermingling between passengers and crew from the two ships.
Genting Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International were allowed to resume pilot cruises with no ports of call in November and December respectively, after meeting requirements under the Government’s mandatory CruiseSafe certification programme.
‘Safety remains our foremost priority, and yesterday’s incident has given us valuable learnings for future sailings, such as the importance of using TraceTogether for effective contact tracing. It has also given assurance that our established response to any future COVID-19 case is swift and effective,’ said Singapore Tourist Board chief executive Keith Tan.
Emergency protocols
‘In particular, I would like to commend Royal Caribbean International and the terminal operator SATS-Creuers for the timely execution of their emergency protocols. I would also like to thank Genting Cruise Lines, who supported the operations by embarking their passengers early. Their professionalism gives us confidence that our pilot cruises will continue to be safe and sustainable, as we work with our partners and cruise lines to chart a new course for safe cruising.’
Singapore government said it will continue to monitor the outcomes of the pilot sailings in the coming months before deciding on the next steps for cruises.
https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/environmental-health/quantum-seas-covid-case-false-positive-singapores-pilot-cruises-continue
The plans of nearly 2K people royally upended no thanks to one 83 year old grandpa.
WTF a box of 50 surgical masks costs only $2.12 now, yet just months ago it will set you back by nearly 20 times as much.......
OMG super jialat now!!!!!!!!
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-12-14/Live-updates-Global-COVID-19-cases-exceed-72-million-WcUObZYkeY/index.html
Meanwhile the unfazed tiongs continue to feast on fat rats.
@The Queen 女皇 This must be a video excerpt from the soon to be released COVID-19 Origins movie.
Moving into Phase 3 of Re-Opening on 28 Dec 2020
https://www.gov.sg/article/moving-into-phase-3-of-re-opening-on-28-dec-2020
Further re-opening in the community
Having assessed that these pre-conditions are in place, here is the list of activities that will be further re-opened in the community from 28 Dec 2020:
Singapore to open travel bubble as it prepares to stand in for Davos
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore is to allow a limited number of business, official and other “high economic value” travellers from abroad under a “bubble” arrangement that offers a glimpse into what visitors for this year’s relocated Davos conference might expect.
The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) will make its debut in Asia in May after being moved from its usual home in the Swiss ski resort of Davos over coronavirus safety concerns.
Singapore’s borders have been effectively shut for months as part of strict rules to keep out a virus still raging across the world, and it faces challenges hosting an event that usually attracts thousands just five months from now.
The new arrangement, announced on Tuesday, will keep visitors segregated to guard against novel coronavirus infection while allowing for safe meetings between people from abroad and from Singapore.
The first travellers under the arrangement will be allowed from the second half of January for stays of up to 14 days, the ministry of trade and industry said in a statement.
The ministry did not specifically mention the WEF event.
Singapore has some arrangements with certain countries for restricted travel but this is the first scheme that will be open to visitors from all countries.
Visitors will be regularly tested, have to stay in “bubbles” of five people at segregated facilities, carry contact-tracing devices and only meet other guests and Singapore-based people in rooms with floor-to-ceiling dividers.
“This segregation concept can be applied when we have the WEF,” said Wong King Yin, a tourism specialist at Nanyang Technological University.
The January launch would allow authorities time to test the system before the WEF event, she said.
More at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-singapore-travel-idUSKBN28P0AM
Let's say a couple of Hail Marys for his plane to crash shall we? ;)
@ People's Adultery Party
Take a chill pill y'all, Ah Loong has things under control. ;)
Coronavirus: how Singapore went from hero to zero, and back to hero again
• When the virus ripped through Singapore’s migrant worker dormitories, the city’s golden image for disease control seemed to have taken a knockout blow
• Now it is back off the canvas, with a near-zero infection rate and plans to reopen nightclubs and host the World Economic Forum. Has it won the fight?
Since the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe this year, cities from Asia to the United States and Europe have become stuck in a cycle.
Cases rise, so they lock down. Cases fall, so they ease the measures. Then cases rise again and they lock down once more. Whenever a country thinks it has Covid-19 beat, it seems, it needs to think again.
While Germany, France and England are among countries to have imposed second lockdowns, Hong Kong has shut its schools and work places for a third time this year as the city enters its fourth wave. Even in China, where the virus has been largely contained, there have been flare-ups – such as an outbreak among airport cargo handlers in Shanghai in November.
But there is one major city that appears to have successfully got the virus under control with just one lockdown: the island nation of Singapore.
In the city state of 5.7 million, life has resumed a “new normal”, in the parlance of politicians. Restaurants and malls are packed once again, happy hours at bars in the central business district do a brisk business and gym bunnies are back pumping iron and hitting the spin studios.
Indeed, the only differences to the pre-Covid era are that people now are wearing masks, there is no alcohol after 10.30pm, nightclubs and karaoke bars remain closed, and social groups are restricted to five people who must keep a metre’s distance. Soon the differences will be even less noticeable; Singapore will further relax its restrictions on December 28, when groups of up to eight will be allowed.
Such happy scenes are a stark contrast to the months of April and May when Singapore went through a strict partial lockdown it called a “circuit breaker”, when schools and workplaces closed, restaurants were allowed only to serve take aways and it was illegal to visit the homes of friends and families.
Back then, its residents were allowed outside only to exercise (alone or with members of the same household) or to visit the supermarket (preferably just one member of the household).
The eight-week circuit breaker was a reaction to a sudden increase in infections, caused when Singaporeans studying and working overseas returned in droves in late February and in March, bringing the virus with them.
Over March, Singapore’s Covid-19 numbers rose tenfold to 1,000. In April, numbers surged further when the virus swept through dormitories housing Singapore’s 323,000 low wage migrant workers. On its worst day, the country recorded 1,426 infections.
The infections put a dent in the reputation of Singapore, which until then had been lauded for its actions in managing the pandemic. Soon media reports were painting the city state’s experience as a cautionary, rather than celebratory, tale.
As Dr Jeremy Lim, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said, paying insufficient attention to the migrant worker dormitories was Singapore’s “biggest misstep”.
Yet fast forward to December and the country has become so successful in containing the virus that it is able to hold conferences with 250 guests and will soon host mass entertainment events such as concerts and pilot the opening of nightclubs.
The World Economic Forum also decided to relocate its Special Annual Meeting next year from the snowy alps of Davos to the tropical city state – only the second time in 49 years that the world famous summit will have been held outside Switzerland.
Singapore is also starting a new travel lane for business people that will allow them to enter the country for a short-term stay without serving quarantine, though its quarantine-free travel bubble with Hong Kong for leisure visitors has been put on hold for now. .
Adding to the optimism is the government’s announcement this week that it would receive its first batch of vaccinations from Pfizer-BioNTech before the end of the year and hoped to have enough vaccines – from both Pfizer and other companies – for the entire population by the third quarter of 2021.
Lim said Singapore had undertaken “an incredible mobilisation of resources” to get to its present position.
“Within a few months, what seemed uncontrollable was brought to manageable numbers and the current control we are now enjoying,” he told This Week in Asia.
Singapore has now recorded more than 58,000 infections, but just 86 of those are active. Its death toll is among the lowest in the world, at 29, and in the past two weeks it has recorded only one infection in the community.
Lim said: “Mike Tyson famously said everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Singapore has shown she can take the pain and get back up.”
UP OFF THE CANVAS
Health care experts like Lim say it is too early for a post mortem on Singapore’s performance as the battle is ongoing, but acknowledge its success thus far can be attributed to a variety of things: the circuit breaker; keeping migrant workers within the dormitories while waiting for infections to ease; and policies centred on quickly tracing and quarantining the close contacts of those who are sick.
Teo Yik Ying, dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said Singapore’s policies were based on science and evidence as far as possible. Also, “those who flouted the rules and were caught were quickly and publicly punished, the government provided socioeconomic support for the people and many businesses during circuit breaker and beyond, and there was also constant calibration and improvement of interventions, one example being the roll-out of the TraceTogether app and tokens”.
High levels of trust in the government and civil service helped, he added.
This trust meant people were more compliant with the Covid-19 measures. While some Americans refuse to wear masks, citing personal freedom or scepticism about the virus, and Italians in Florence clash with police over lockdown measures, Singapore’s residents have abided by the rules.
As of this month, 65 per cent of the population have joined the TraceTogether programme, which uses either a smartphone app or a token to track movement so authorities can see who has been in close and prolonged contact with an infected person.
For Dr Hsu Li Yang, an infectious diseases doctor who is an associate professor at the same school, it was also important that the government was “not shy to admit that there are gaps and mistakes” and would go on to improve its policies. He cited how when the country relaxed its public restrictions and places such as parks and beaches became overcrowded, the government brought in new regulations to manage the overcrowding.
“This is only possible if there is active monitoring of the situation on the ground, and to make use of the knowledge from this surveillance to improve the effectiveness,” he said.
Singapore also went from allowing returning citizens to serve their quarantines at home, to mandating that be done in a hotel after a few breached their stay-home notices. Another famous policy reversal was its stance on face masks – earlier in the pandemic when the world was experiencing mask shortages and it was still unclear how the virus spread, Singapore had told residents masks were unnecessary.
But as the science changed, so did the government’s advice to the public. On April 3, as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed the nation on television to announce the circuit breaker, he cited how the World Health Organisation and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were reviewing their guidelines on masks.
“We will no longer discourage people from wearing masks,” said Lee. The Monday after, it was written into law that masks were now compulsory – unless eating or drinking – and those who did not comply would be fined.
EVERYONE’S A WINNER?
This month, the city state is preparing for its third and final phase of reopening. From December 28, in addition to groups of up to eight people being allowed to gather, malls and restaurants will be allowed to accommodate more customers as their distancing limits go from 10 square metres per person to 8 square metres per person.
Restrictions still apply though for the 323,000 migrant workers from Bangladesh, India and China who live in dormitories, and perform the bulk of the strenuous and low-paid work in industries such as construction.
More at https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3114377/coronavirus-how-singapore-went-hero-zero-and-back-hero-again
When Stinkapore opens its legs to the entire world come next month, it will revert back to zero, or perhaps even worse than zero.
PAP lee-ders thank Koh Xinghui for casting a positive light on them, though they 'd probably prefer she left out the dormitory brouhaha altogether. No one likes to be reminded of embarrassing past failures, especially when they were of epic proportions.
In other words SCMP is saying that we are first counting from both front and back. HUAT AR!!!!!!!
Covid-19 pandemic: Sweden reverses face mask guidelines for public transport
Sweden's government is recommending wearing face masks on public transport during the rush hour, reversing its earlier Covid guidance.
It will also cut from the current eight to four per table the number of people sitting together in restaurants, and ban alcohol sales after 20:00.
PM Stefan Löfven unveiled the measures, which will take effect soon.
Elsewhere in Europe, Italy and Austria are the latest countries to be placed in lockdowns over the Christmas period.
Sweden, which has never imposed a full lockdown, has seen nearly 360,000 cases and 8,000 deaths - many more than its Scandinavian neighbours.
The country had previously been one of only a few nations not to recommend masks in public outside of healthcare settings.
This is despite strong recommendations given by the World Health Organization (WHO).
On Thursday, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf said the Scandinavian nation "failed" to save lives with its relatively relaxed approach to the coronavirus outbreak.
The monarch made the remarks as part of an annual TV review of the year with the royal family.
Instead of relying on legal sanctions, Sweden appeals to citizens' sense of responsibility and civic duty, and issues only recommendations. There are no sanctions if they are ignored.
However, earlier this week, schools across the Stockholm region were asked to switch to distance learning for 13 to 15-year-olds for the first time as soon as possible. The measure was announced in response to rising Covid-19 cases.
This came a week after a nationwide decision on 7 December to switch to remote learning for those over 16.
And on Monday, new nationwide social-distancing recommendations for the Christmas period came into force, replacing similar region-specific guidelines.
What else is happening in Europe?
Sweden is not alone in tightening coronavirus restrictions. A number of European countries have done so ahead of Christmas following a surge of infections.
The Netherlands and Germany have imposed lockdowns until January. On Friday, Italy followed suit, imposing a nationwide lockdown for much of the Christmas and New Year period.
Italians will only be allowed to travel for work, health or emergency reasons between 24-27 December, 31 December - 3 January, and 5-6 January.
In Austria, the government said on Friday the country would enter its third lockdown after Christmas. From 26 December, non-essential shops will be shut and movement outside homes restricted.
However, a mass testing programme in January will give people the opportunity to end their lockdown sooner. The government said those who test negative for the virus will be allowed more freedoms.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron remains in self-isolation in the official presidential residence at La Lanterne at Versailles after testing positive for Covid-19. Mr Macron said he was suffering from fatigue, headaches and a dry cough.
Slovakia's Prime Minister Igor Matovic, who attended an EU summit with Mr Macron last week, said he had tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.
Several other European leaders who were also at the summit, including the prime ministers of Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg, said they would self-isolate.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55371102
Looks like the balls on 'em Swedes just shrunk big time!
Do be reminded this is the AMDK's version of wearing a mask.
TraceTogether adoption rate surpasses 70%, more distribution points to reopen from January 2021
SINGAPORE — Singapore on Monday (Dec 21) surpassed the 70-per-cent adoption rate for its TraceTogether contact-tracing tool, allowing it to move into its final phase of reopening after a partial lockdown to combat Covid-19, said Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
The Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation initiative told reporters on Wednesday that more than two million people have downloaded the TraceTogether mobile application and 1.75 million tokens have been distributed.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a token distribution exercise at the Kampong Kembangan Community Club.
The 70-per-cent target was among the requirements set by the authorities before Singapore can enter its third and final phase of reopening, which starts next Monday.
With many Singaporeans still keen on collecting the tokens, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) said that the Government is building up stocks.
Dr Balakrishnan, who is also Foreign Affairs Minister, said that up to five million tokens are expected to be produced and delivered by the end of February next year.
The distribution of tokens began at community clubs on Sept 14 and the last six clubs — including Kampong Kembangan Community Club — opened for collection on Wednesday.
As extra stocks become available in the next few weeks and months, the authorities will reopen all distribution points in community clubs that are presently closed. This will happen progressively from January next year.
SNDGO said that the public would be told of the opening dates at the community clubs at least three days in advance. Residents may visit the TokenGoWhere website or check community notice boards for the latest updates.
Dr Balakrishnan stressed that there is no need to rush: “There will be a token distribution point near you.”
Tokens will also be given out through schools in the new year, he said.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/tracetogether-adoption-rate-surpasses-70-more-distribution-points-reopen-january-2021
Congratulations to the PAP for being one step closer to achieving the Orwellian dystopia.
The wonders of threatening Sinkies with no 70% TraceTogether participation, no phase 3.....suddenly everyone decided to haul ass.
SIBEI SONG! CECA FAMILY KENNA QUARANTINED AT VALUE HOTEL!
The fuck is this rabid cunt complaining about? It's already a seismic upgrade from the dalit slums she crawled out from.
Quoting Dr Vivian Balakrishnan:
RIP PHASE 2!
Groups of up to 8 people allowed for sports activities in Phase 3:
Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies after being hospitalized with COVID-19
MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow has died after being hospitalized with COVID-19.
Letlow’s representative, Andrew Bautsch, released the following statement online Tuesday evening.
“Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, passed away this evening at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport due to complications from COVID-19.
“Letlow was admitted into a Monroe hospital on December 19 after testing positive for the coronavirus and was transferred to Ochsner-LSU Health on Tuesday, December 22, and placed in intensive care. Letlow is survived by his wife, Julia Barnhill Letlow, Phd., and two young children.
“The family appreciates the numerous prayers and support over the past days but asks for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time. A statement from the family along with funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time.”
Letlow announced his diagnosis on social media on Dec. 18, 2020.
The Republican was set to take over Louisiana’s 5th District U.S. Congressional seat being vacated by Republican Congressman Ralph Abraham.
He leaves behind a wife and two children. Letlow was 41 years old.
Further statements on the passing of Congressman-elect Luke Letlow:
In a series of tweets, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said:
“It is with heavy hearts that @FirstLadyOfLA and I offer our condolences to Congressman-elect Luke Letlow’s family on his passing after a battle with COVID-19.
“Congressman-elect Letlow felt a calling from a young age to serve the people of his home state, working behind the scenes for former Governor Bobby Jindal and serving as chief of staff to Congressman Ralph Abraham, who he was recently elected to succeed.
“COVID-19 has taken Congressman-elect Letlow from us far too soon. I am heartbroken that he will not be able to serve our people as a U.S. Representative, but I am even more devastated for his loving family.
“I hope all of the people of Louisiana will join Donna and me in praying for Congressman-elect Letlow’s family, especially his wife Julia and their two children, his many friends, and the people of the 5th Congressional District.
“Louisiana has lost more than 7,300 people to COVID-19 since March, and each one of them leaves a tremendous hole in our state.
“I have ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of Congressman-elect Letlow’s funeral.”
More at https://www.knoe.com/2020/12/30/congressman-elect-luke-letlow-dies-after-being-hospitalized-with-covid-19/
In the end he's just another statistic. RIP dude.
Travellers with travel history to South Africa to be barred from entering Singapore
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/travellers-travel-history-south-africa-be-barred-entering-singapore
73 side effects of Tiong land's coronavirus vaccine exposed!
https://www.chinapress.com.my/?p=2348982
@Walter E. Kurtz Headaches, incontinence, vision deteriorating, loss of sense of taste etc.......holy shit this is way worse than actually getting infected by COVID-19 itself!
This just reinforced the notion it's safer to trust them AMDKs than chao ah tiongs.
Deaths from COVID-19 in America breach 4000 a day!
Sinovac vaccine disappoints at 50.4% efficacy: latest Brazil data
A coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech was just 50.4% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in a Brazilian trial, researchers said on Tuesday, barely enough for regulatory approval and well below the rate announced last week.
The latest results are a major disappointment for Brazil, as the Chinese vaccine is one of two that the federal government has lined up to begin immunization during the second wave of the world's second-deadliest COVID-19 outbreak.
Several scientists and observers blasted the Butantan biomedical center for releasing partial data just days ago that generated unrealistic expectations. The confusion may add to skepticism in Brazil about the Chinese vaccine, which President Jair Bolsonaro has criticized, questioning its "origins."
"We have a good vaccine. Not the best vaccine in the world. Not the ideal vaccine," said microbiologist Natalia Pasternak, criticizing Butantan's triumphant tone.
Last week, the Brazilian researchers had celebrated results showing 78% efficacy against "mild-to-severe" COVID-19 cases, a rate they later described as "clinical efficacy."
They said nothing at the time about another group of "very mild" infections among those who received the vaccine that did not require clinical assistance.
Ricardo Palacios, medical director for clinical research at Butantan, said on Tuesday that the new lower efficacy finding included data on those "very mild" cases.
"We need better communicators," said Gonzalo Vecina Neto, a professor of public health at the University of Sao Paulo and former head of Brazilian health regulator Anvisa.
Piecemeal disclosures about Chinese vaccine trials globally have raised concerns that they are not subject to the same public scrutiny as U.S. and European alternatives.
Palacios and officials in the Sao Paulo state government, which funds Butantan, emphasized the good news that none of the volunteers inoculated with CoronaVac had to be hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms.
Public health experts said that alone will be a relief for Brazilian hospitals that are buckling under the strain of surging case loads. However, it will take longer to curb the pandemic with a vaccine that allows so many mild cases.
"It's a vaccine that will start the process of overcoming the pandemic," Pasternak said.
Researchers at Butantan delayed announcement of their results three times, blaming a confidentiality clause in a contract with Sinovac.
In the meantime, Turkish researchers said last month that CoronaVac was 91.25% effective based on an interim analysis. Indonesia gave the vaccine emergency use approval on Monday based on interim data showing it is 65% effective.
Butantan officials said the design of the Brazilian study, focusing on frontline health workers during a severe outbreak in Brazil and including elderly volunteers, made it impossible to compare the results directly with other trials or vaccines.
Still, COVID-19 vaccines in use from Pfizer Inc with partner BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc proved to be about 95% effective in preventing illness in their pivotal late-state trials.
The disappointing CoronaVac data is the latest setback for vaccination efforts in Brazil, where more than 200,000 people have died since the outbreak began - the worst death toll outside the United States.
Brazil's national immunization program currently relies on CoronaVac and the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca Plc - neither of which has received regulatory approval in Brazil.
Anvisa, which has stipulated an efficacy rate of at least 50% for vaccines in the pandemic, has already pressed Butantan for more details of its study, after it filed for emergency use authorization on Friday.
The regulator said it will meet on Sunday to decide on emergency use requests for CoronaVac and the British vaccine.
AstraZeneca failed to deliver active ingredients to Brazil over the weekend, leaving the government scrambling to import finished doses of the vaccine from India to begin inoculations.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Sinovac-vaccine-disappoints-at-50.4-efficacy-latest-Brazil-data
Hmm but according to an announcement by the Turkish authorities, the vaccine has a 91.25% efficacy.......
@西廠 If you read the Reuters report on this, the 91.25% cited relates to a small initial sample of just 1000+ folks:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-turkey-china/turkey-says-chinas-sinovac-covid-vaccine-91-25-effective-in-late-trials-idUSKBN28Y1R1
Also, the most recent SCMP report further states:
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3117471/coronavirus-brazil-reports-more-modest-504-cent-efficacy-chinas
Why vaccine makers have been absolved of all liabilities - A news compilation by health activist Kari Bundy
1.FROM THE CDC; 3,150 people vaccinated in ONE DAY are "unable to perform normal daily activities, unable to work" after vaccination.
This is a massive 2.7% of people who can no longer work after having the Pfizer vaccine.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2020-12/slides-12-19/05-COVID-CLARK.pdf
2. Portuguese health worker, 41, dies two days after getting the Pfizer covid vaccine as her father says he 'wants answers'
https://trib.al/eEWi66p
3. Mexican doctor hospitalized after receiving COVID-19 vaccine
https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-mexico-vaccines-idUSKBN2970H3
4. Hundreds of Israelis get infected with Covid-19 after receiving Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
https://www.rt.com/news/511332-israel-vaccination-coronavirus-pfizer/
5. Wife of 'perfectly healthy' Miami doctor, 56, who died of a blood disorder 16 days after getting Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is certain it was triggered by the jab, as drug giant investigates first death with a suspected link to shot.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9119431/Miami-doctor-58-dies-three-weeks-receiving-Pfizer-Covid-19-vaccine.html
6. A 75-year-old Israeli man dies 2 hours after getting Covid-19 vaccine.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/293865
7. Death of Swiss man after given Pfizer vaccine.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-swiss-death-idUSKBN29413Y
8. A 88-year-old collapses and dies several hours after being vaccinated.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/293952
9. Thousands negatively affected after getting Covid-19 vaccine.
https://m.theepochtimes.com/thousands-negatively-affected-after-getting-covid-19-vaccine_3625914.html
10. Hospital worker with no prior allergies in intensive care with severe reaction after Pfizer Covid vaccine.
https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/16/hospital-worker-in-intensive-care-after-suffering-severe-allergic-reaction-to-covid-vaccine-13763695/
11. Four volunteers develop FACIAL PARALYSIS after taking Pfizer Covid-19 jab, prompting FDA to recommend ‘surveillance for cases’.
https://www.rt.com/usa/509081-pfizer-vaccine-fda-bells-palsy-covid/
12. Investigation launched as 2 people die in Norway nursing home days after receiving Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine.
https://www.rt.com/news/511623-norway-covid19-vaccine-deaths/
13. Hundreds Sent to Emergency Room After Getting COVID-19 Vaccines
https://m.theepochtimes.com/hundreds-sent-to-emergency-room-after-getting-covid-19-vaccines_3644148.html
14. U.S. officials report more severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN29B2GS
15. NHS told not to give Covid vaccine to those with history of allergic reactions.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/09/pfizer-covid-vaccine-nhs-extreme-allergy-sufferers-regulators-reaction
16. COVID-19: Single vaccine dose leads to 'greater risk' from new coronavirus variants, South African experts warn
news.sky.com/story/amp/covid-19-single-vaccine-dose-leads-to-greater-risk-from-new-coronavirus-variants-south-african-experts-warn-12180837
17. CDC reveals at least 21 Americans have suffered life threatening allergic reactions to Pfizer's COVID vaccine
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9119029/amp/At-21-Americans-life-threatening-anaphylaxis-receiving-Pfizers-vaccine-CDC-reveals.html
18. Woman experiences side effects of COVID-19 vaccine
www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/woman-experiences-side-effects-of-covid-19-vaccine/amp/
19. COVID Vaccine Side Effects More Common After 2nd Dose.
www.boston.cbslocal.com/2021/01/05/covid-vaccine-side-effects-fever-reaction/amp/
20. Bulgaria Reports 4 Cases Of Side Effects From Pfizer Covid Vaccine.
www.ndtv.com/world-news/bulgaria-reports-4-cases-of-side-effects-from-pfizer-covid-vaccine-2347667%3famp=1&akamai-rum=off
21. Two NHS workers suffer allergic reaction to Pfizer vaccine.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-vaccine-pfizer-nhs-oxford-covid-uk-cases/amp/
Pfizer cheated in calculating efficacy of its vaccine; 辉瑞疫苗计算存在欺骗数据
Peter Doshi: Pfizer and Moderna’s “95% effective” vaccines—let’s be cautious and first see the full data
In the United States, all eyes are on Pfizer and Moderna. The topline efficacy results from their experimental covid-19 vaccine trials are astounding at first glance. Pfizer says it recorded 170 covid-19 cases (in 44,000 volunteers), with a remarkable split: 162 in the placebo group versus 8 in the vaccine group. Meanwhile Moderna says 95 of 30,000 volunteers in its ongoing trial got covid-19: 90 on placebo versus 5 receiving the vaccine, leading both companies to claim around 95% efficacy.
Let’s put this in perspective. First, a relative risk reduction is being reported, not absolute risk reduction, which appears to be less than 1%. Second, these results refer to the trials’ primary endpoint of covid-19 of essentially any severity, and importantly not the vaccine’s ability to save lives, nor the ability to prevent infection, nor the efficacy in important subgroups (e.g. frail elderly). Those still remain unknown. Third, these results reflect a time point relatively soon after vaccination, and we know nothing about vaccine performance at 3, 6, or 12 months, so cannot compare these efficacy numbers against other vaccines like influenza vaccines (which are judged over a season). Fourth, children, adolescents, and immunocompromised individuals were largely excluded from the trials, so we still lack any data on these important populations.
I previously argued that the trials are studying the wrong endpoint, and for an urgent need to correct course and study more important endpoints like prevention of severe disease and transmission in high risk people. Yet, despite the existence of regulatory mechanisms for ensuring vaccine access while keeping the authorization bar high (which would allow placebo-controlled trials to continue long enough to answer the important question), it’s hard to avoid the impression that sponsors are claiming victory and wrapping up their trials (Pfizer has already sent trial participants a letter discussing “crossing over” from placebo to vaccine), and the FDA will now be under enormous pressure to rapidly authorize the vaccines.
But as conversation shifts to vaccine distribution, let’s not lose sight of the evidence. Independent scrutiny of the underlying trial data will increase trust and credibility of the results. There also might be important limitations to the trial findings we need to be aware of.
Most crucially, we need data-driven assurances that the studies were not inadvertently unblinded, by which I mean investigators or volunteers could make reasonable guesses as to which group they were in. Blinding is most important when measuring subjective endpoints like symptomatic covid-19, and differences in post-injection side-effects between vaccine and placebo might have allowed for educated guessing. Past placebo-controlled trials of influenza vaccine were not able to fully maintain blinding of vaccine status, and the recent “half dose” mishap in the Oxford covid-19 vaccine trial was apparently only noticed because of milder-than-expected side-effects. (And that is just one of many concerns with the Oxford trial.)
In contrast to a normal saline placebo, early phase trials suggested that systemic and local adverse events are common in those receiving vaccine. In one Pfizer trial, for example, more than half of the vaccinated participants experienced headache, muscle pain and chills—but the early phase trials were small, with large margins of error around the data. Few details from the large phase 3 studies have been released thus far. Moderna’s press release states that 9% experienced grade 3 myalgia and 10% grade 3 fatigue; Pfizer’s statement reported 3.8% experienced grade 3 fatigue and 2% grade 3 headache. Grade 3 adverse events are considered severe, defined as preventing daily activity. Mild and moderate severity reactions are bound to be far more common.
One way the trial’s raw data could facilitate an informed judgment as to whether any potential unblinding might have affected the results is by analyzing how often people with symptoms of covid-19 were referred for confirmatory SARS-CoV-2 testing. Without a referral for testing, a suspected covid-19 case could not become a confirmed covid-19 case, and thus is a crucial step in order to be counted as a primary event: lab-confirmed, symptomatic covid-19. Because some of the adverse reactions to the vaccine are themselves also symptoms of covid-19 (e.g. fever, muscle pain), one might expect a far larger proportion of people receiving vaccine to have been swabbed and tested for SARS-CoV-2 than those receiving placebo.
This assumes all people with symptoms would be tested, as one might expect would be the case. However the trial protocols for Moderna and Pfizer’s studies contain explicit language instructing investigators to use their clinical judgment to decide whether to refer people for testing. Moderna puts it this way:
“It is important to note that some of the symptoms of COVID-19 overlap with solicited systemic ARs that are expected after vaccination with mRNA-1273 (eg, myalgia, headache, fever, and chills). During the first 7 days after vaccination, when these solicited ARs are common, Investigators should use their clinical judgement to decide if an NP swab should be collected.”
This amounts to asking investigators to make guesses as to which intervention group patients were in. But when the disease and the vaccine side-effects overlap, how is a clinician to judge the cause without a test? And why were they asked, anyway?
Importantly, the instructions only refer to the first seven days following vaccination, leaving unclear what role clinician judgment could play in the key days afterward, when cases of covid-19 could begin counting towards the primary endpoint. (For Pfizer, 7 days after the 2nd dose. For Moderna, 14 days.)
In a proper trial, all cases of covid-19 should have been recorded, no matter which arm of the trial the case occurred in. (In epidemiology terms, there should be no ascertainment bias, or differential measurement error). It’s even become common sense in the Covid era: “test, test, test.” But if referrals for testing were not provided to all individuals with symptoms of covid-19—for example because an assumption was made that the symptoms were due to side-effects of the vaccine—cases could go uncounted.
Data on pain and fever reducing medicines also deserve scrutiny. Symptoms resulting from a SARS-CoV-2 infection (e.g. fever or body aches) can be suppressed by pain and fever reducing medicines. If people in the vaccine arm took such medicines prophylactically, more often, or for a longer duration of time than those in the placebo arm, this could have led to greater suppression of covid-19 symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection in the vaccine arm, translating into a reduced likelihood of being suspected for covid-19, reduced likelihood of testing, and therefore reduced likelihood of meeting the primary endpoint. But in such a scenario, the effect was driven by the medicines, not the vaccine.
Neither Moderna nor Pfizer have released any samples of written materials provided to patients, so it is unclear what, if any, instructions patients were given regarding the use of medicines to treat side effects following vaccination, but the informed consent form for Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine trial provides such a recommendation:
“Following administration of Ad26.COV2.S, fever, muscle aches and headache appear to be more common in younger adults and can be severe. For this reason, we recommend you take a fever reducer or pain reliever if symptoms appear after receiving the vaccination, or upon your study doctor’s recommendation.”
There may be much more complexity to the “95% effective” announcement than meets the eye—or perhaps not. Only full transparency and rigorous scrutiny of the data will allow for informed decision making. The data must be made public.
https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/11/26/peter-doshi-pfizer-and-modernas-95-effective-vaccines-lets-be-cautious-and-first-see-the-full-data/
Woman who suffered convulsions after taking Pfizer Covid jab being screened for permanent neurological damage, son tells RT
https://www.rt.com/usa/512830-griner-mother-pfizer-vaccine-video/