Elizabeth Moseley

A survey that has been conducted by epidemiologists, virologists, and infectious disease experts has revealed that the first generation COVID19 vaccines might turn ineffective against new strains of coronavirus within a year or less. Therefore, there is a need for newly formulated COVID19 vaccines. Scientists have been saying that the vaccination effort across the world is required to defuse the threat of COVID19. They have said that it might be due to variations of the virus that are more contagious, lethal, and less vulnerable to vaccines. Such varied strains of the virus have been circulating across the world. People’ Vaccine Alliance that is a union of groups such as Amnesty International, Oxfam, and UNAIDS has carried out this survey.

It includes 77 scientists from 28 countries. Around one-third of the participants have said that a new vaccine might be needed within nine months or less. Nearly two-thirds of respondents from the survey have said that the first generation vaccines might be effective only for a year or less. As per the survey, around 88 percent of participants have said that vaccine-resistant mutants have been emerging due to constant low vaccine coverage in many countries. These respondents work in illustrious institutes such as John Hopkins, Yale, Imperial College, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the University of Edinburgh.

Dr. Gregg Gonsalves, who is an associate professor of epidemiology at Yale University, has said that new mutations of the virus emerge every day. At times, they find a forte that makes them stronger than their predecessors. He has said that these strains can spread more effectively and possibly evade immune responses to past variants. Dr. Gregg Gonsalves has said that until the whole world is vaccinated, the entire playing field is left open for more and more mutations that can lead to variants, which have the capacity to evade existing COVID19 vaccines. Experts will need booster shots to deal with these variants.

The participants of the survey have said that the currently available lot of COVID19 shots that have been approved by the governments so far are a blend of new and old technologies. They have said that companies like Pfizer- BioNtech and Moderna have used mRNA technology to develop their COVID19 vaccines. These vaccines can be modified within weeks or months. However, manufacturing glitches are always a potential issue. Health experts have said that these vaccines are not accessible to poor countries as they are highly expensive. These vaccines have arduous temperature storage constraints as well.

Rich countries like the US and UK have vaccinated nearly more than a quarter of their populations with one dose of one of these vaccines. On one hand, these countries have already procured hundreds of millions of supplies of these vaccines. On the other hand, countries such as South Africa and Thailand have not been able to obtain shots for even 1 percent of their populations. Some nations have not even started vaccinating their citizens with the first dose of the COVID19 vaccine.  Experts have said that Covax, which is a global vaccine initiative coalition that aims at defying so-called vaccine nationalism, has been trying to supply vaccines to at least 27 percent of the population of low-income nations in 2021.

The survey has noted that the urgency of rich countries to inoculate their citizens is not seen worldwide. Rich countries are planning to vaccinate their adult population by this summer. The head of inequality policy at Oxfam and the chairperson of People’s Vaccine Alliance, Max Lawson has said that although Covax is trying to manage vaccines for 27 percent of populations of poor countries by the end of this year, it might not be good enough. He has been requesting the manufacturers of COVID19 vaccines to openly share the technology and intellectual property of their products to increase the production of the vaccine across the world.

Therefore, poor countries as well have a sufficient supply to vaccinate their populations. Health experts have said that COVID19 vaccine developers should keep the ambitious global goal in mind. They have said that at this time, the goal seems to be lost. The respondents of the survey have said that health officials and governments should understand that limited vaccination can be quite dangerous in the future.

An increasing number of people are being vaccinated against COVID19 as the vaccine program is being rolled out at a  rapid speed in the US. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that more than 51 million people in the US have been vaccinated with full two doses of the vaccine for COVID19. The CDC data has revealed that around 93 million people have been given the first dose of the vaccine. However, this means that more people are dealing with side effects that are linked to COVID19 vaccines. Most of these side effects are mild and fade away with time but health experts are worried about more serious adverse reactions. An adverse reaction of COVID19 vaccines is swelling that can take place in three particular areas of the body such as lips, eyes, and tongue. Experts have said that some COVID19 vaccine side effects make people feel a little low.

However, these side effects can be dealt with by resting up, staying hydrated, and using mild over-the-counter painkillers. An allergic reaction can also be seen in few small numbers of cases, said the experts. Now experts from the Mayo Clinic have warned people against some of the adverse side effects. They have said that people should be alert if they notice continuous shortness of breath or panting, redness, or swelling in parts of the body other than the limb where the shot has been given.

Experts have said that if people experience swelling on their lips, eyes, or tongue, they should immediately contact their health care provider. The CDC officials have said that it can be an adverse reaction to the vaccine. They have said that in severe cases treatment with epinephrine or hospitalization might be needed. The CDC has said that people should be monitored for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine to determine if patients have a quick reaction to the vaccine.

The agency has said that if people notice such a reaction, they should get in touch with their doctor and refrain from getting the second dose of the vaccine. If this reaction has surfaced after getting the mRNA vaccines like Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna, people should not receive either of these vaccines, said the agency. A report from the CDC has shown that an instant reaction takes place within four hours of getting the shot. It includes symptoms such as hives, swelling, and panting, which is known as respiratory distress as well.

Experts have said that after people with such reactions contact their health care provider, they might be referred to allergies and immunology specialists for more care and advice. The CDC has reported that some people who have been vaccinated against COVID19 have been found to have red, itchy swollen, or painful rashes at the injection site. Experts have informed that the rash, which has been termed as COVID arm, can surface more than a week after the vaccination. As per the reports, most of the time, the COVID arm has been seen in people who have been vaccinated with the COVID19 vaccine that is developed by Moderna, therefore many people call it the Moderna arm.

Esther Freeman, the director at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston has said that people who are vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine have been having such skin reactions at least 8 days after the vaccination, which is very surprising. She has said that few people who have been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine as well have developed these delayed rashes. However, the CDC officials have said that these rashes are not severe allergic reactions like the swelling of eyes, lips, and tongue. Therefore, people with these rashes should receive the second dose of the vaccine.  Health experts have said that most of the people who have been vaccinated with mRNA vaccines might be dealing with these side effects. They have said that these adverse reactions indicate that the body is responding to the vaccine.

These side effects show that the immune system is learning to recognize the pathogen and fight it next it tries to infect the body. As per the experts, people might suffer some usual side effects that indicate that the body is building up immunity against the virus. These side effects might impact people’s ability to do daily tasks; however, they should fade away in a few days. On the other hand, some people do not have any side effects after the vaccination. Some of the most commonly seen side effects of COVID19 vaccines are pain and rashes at the injection site, chills, fever, headache, muscle ache, tiredness, nausea, and fatigue.

Health experts have warned that a destructive disease, which is often referred to as Rabbit Ebola has been discovered in Idaho for the first time. Idaho state officials have advised domestic rabbit owners to follow precautionary measures to keep their pets safe. Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is a lethal disease that easily transmits among rabbits, said the experts. However, it does not infect humans, livestock, or other species of pets. The officials have confirmed that two jackrabbits have been found dead near the Boise Airport. The animals have been found to be infected with RHD. The Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL) in New York has conducted the test on dead animals. The animals have been sent for initial testing before being sent to the FADDL for verification. A veterinarian from Idaho State, Dr. Scott Leibsle has said that domestic rabbit owners need to reduce the interaction of their pets with wild rabbits, they need to disinfect their boots and coveralls and wash their hands before and after interacting with their rabbits. Experts have said that infected rabbits often show only one symptom of the disease, which is sudden death. Other common symptoms of the disease are bloody nose, dullness, and loss of appetite, said the experts.

Health officials have said that the RHD virus can live on clothing and corpses for months. The virus can easily spread via fleas, flies, and mosquitoes. Dr. Scott Leibsle has said that people should never handle a dead rabbit on their own if they find it in the wild. He has said that people should immediately call Idaho Fish & Games if they find a dead rabbit. The officials have said that if any domestic rabbit is suspected of being infected with the RHD virus, owners should immediately isolate the animal. Owners of infected domestic rabbits should directly inform their veterinary doctor and Idaho State Department of Agriculture. However, Dr. Scott Leibsle has said that if rabbits recover and survive the disease, they might be the potential carriers of the virus and can infect others as well. The animals who survive the disease are considered a potential risk for continued shedding and spread of the virus, said the experts.

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture has not issued any orders to euthanize the animals that are infected with the virus neither the officials have asked to cancel the rabbit show as of now. A vaccine for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is available in the US but it is not easy to get. This vaccine needs to be brought from Europe after obtaining permission from the federal regulators. Dr. Scott Leibsle has said that domestic rabbit owners who want to get their pets vaccinated should form a group, get in touch with a veterinarian, who is eager to try and import the vaccine. He has said that after this he can work with the veterinarian to obtain required permission from the authorities to import a bulk of shipment of vaccine to the state.

The first lot of children has been vaccinated with the first dose of the COVID19 vaccine in the second phase of Moderna’s pediatric COVID19 vaccine trial. The clinical trial of children’s COVID19 vaccine is known as KidCOVE Study of mRNA 1273. The trial will include around 6750 children from the US and Canada, who are in the age range of 6 months to 11 years. Moderna has divided this clinical trial into two parts. In the first part of the clinical trial, children will be given different doses of the vaccine. Experts have said that kids in the age group of 6 months to 11 years will be given two doses of the Cambridge-based Moderna vaccine candidate for COVID19 in the gap of 28 days at either a 25 or a 50 or a 100-microgram level. Children who are in the age group of 2 to 11 years will be given two doses of the vaccine about 28 days apart at either a 50 or a 100-microgram level. As per the officials, the outcomes of the first part will help them identify which dose will be used in the second part of the clinical trial.

The second part of the clinical trial will include those children as well who are given a saline placebo, which does not have any effect. Experts have said that the children will be followed for 12 months after the second shot of the vaccine. Moderna is conducting these trials to determine whether its vaccine will provide enough immunity to kids against the COVID19 if they are exposed to the virus or contract the disease. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel has said that they are thrilled to start the 2/3 study of mRNA-1273 on healthy kids in the US and Canada. He has said that the findings of the pediatric trial will help experts to assess the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of the COVID19 vaccine in the young age population. The company has joined hands with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority at the US Department of Health and Human Services for the study.

The officials of the company have said that the primary findings of the phase three COVE study of mRNA-1273 in adult people who have been in the age group of 18 years and above have encouraged them to conduct the pediatric trial. As Moderna is testing its COVID19 vaccine on children, Pfizer and BioNTech as well have started testing its COVID19 vaccine on children. Johnson & Johnson as well has declared its plan to launch a study to test its one-shot COVID19 vaccine on young people in the age group of 12 to 18 years. In December, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the emergency use of Moderna’s COVID19 vaccine for adults and the COVID19 vaccine which has been developed by Pfizer-BioNTech for people who are in the age range of 16 years and above. In the month of February, The FDA has approved the emergency use of a one-shot vaccine, which has been developed by Johnson & Johnson.

A group of health experts has discovered seven unique strains of COVID19 spreading across the US. The study has reported that these distinct new strains have been mutating within the US itself. The seven new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been found between August and November 2020. All variants have been found to be in the same growing lineage. Experts have said that unlike more deadly variants, which have been identified in the UK and South Africa, these seven mutants show no sign of increased transmissibility. They have said that none of these seven variants have become prominent in the US. The authors of the study have said that neutral mutations can become constant in a lineage selectively by chance or human behavior. Therefore, the new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus can show up and shoot up in numbers with time in the absence of any clear or persistent selective gain. One of the co-authors of the study, Jeremy Kamil, who is a virologist at Louisiana State University (LSU), has said that he has found these new strains of the virus while he has been sequencing coronavirus test samples. Then he has uploaded the details of these viral mutants on an online database. The co-author of the study, Daryl Domman from the University of New Mexico and Jeremy Kamil have found that the same mutants have been discovered in both places and the two have started investigating further.

Experts have said that the new mutation is more troublesome as it emerges within a gene that affects how the virus interacts with the human cells. It helps the virus to enter and attach to the human cells and attack the immune system. The authors of the study have said that that there is an apparent sign of an evolutionary benefit in the mutation. The study has noted that the lineage, which has been found by Jeremy Kamil, has separately grown a mutation in the 677th amino acid in the genetic sequence same as other six variants, which have been newly found across the US. Experts have said that the improved ability to bind and infect cells more easily and effectively is the superpower of the virus. They have proved that the virus has been able to adapt to its human host in more than many ways as it has survived over the many months. As per the experts, the variation in the 677th amino acid, which has been found in the seven new strains of the virus, makes it easy for the spike protein of the virus to be activated, which helps the virus to latch on and infect the human cells. It can lead to subsequent infection as well. It does not mean that the new strains are more infectious or can spread faster than the original variant but it means that encounters with the new strains can result in a greater percentage of infection.

The author of the study Emma Hodcroft has said that the common appearance of these new mutations in samples during the genomic analysis might be due to erratic outbreaks, super-spreader events, and holiday travel. Emma Hodcroft has been working on a number of studies as an epidemiologist at the University of Bern. Some experts have said that the way virus interacts with other organisms needs more research into the functionality of the mutation. They have said the findings of the new study need to be followed up with more experimental data. To validate the findings of this study, experts need to test a bigger set of coronavirus samples as compared to what is available right now. Well, the exact origin of these seven viral strains is still uncertain. The authors of the study have said that some of these variants are more prominent across the Midwest and others are quite prevalent across the coasts.

A new study has found that a drug, which is being used to treat cancer for more than a decade, might be able to treat patients who have been diagnosed with COVID19. Scientists have said that this drug is called Pralatrexate. It is a chemotherapy medication, which has been developed to cure lymphomas, a type of cancer, which begins in the glands. Chinese scientists have said that this drug might be able to outperform Remdesivir, which is currently being used as a leading anti-viral drug for the treatment of COVID19 patients. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has given a green signal to Pralatrexate in 2009 for treating patients who are dealing with a terminal disease despite its toxic nature. There are many adverse side effects, which are linked to Pralatrexate such as fatigue, nausea, and mucositis. Mucositis is a type of inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes, which layers the digestive tract. Scientists have said that they might be able to repurpose this drug to eliminate the side effects, which will be more effective in treating COVID19.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Haiping Zhang from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, China has said that it is important to identify drugs that can cure COVID19. He has said that approved drugs can be straight away tested in clinical trials. The study has shown that Pralatrexate might be able to reduce the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The drug is able to trigger stronger inhibitory activity as compared to Remdesivir within the same experimental conditions, said the expert. They have said that artificial intelligence can be a great help to identify such drugs. It will simulate how differently these drugs react with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which leads to COVID19 disease. Zhang and his teammates have merged many computational methods, which are able to imitate drug-virus reactions to support virtual screening of existing drugs.

Scientists have used a hybrid screening method to test 1906 existing drugs for their potency to reduce the multiplication of the virus. They have targeted a viral protein known as RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP). RdRP is an important protein present in the genomes of all RNA containing pathogens like the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The hybrid screening approach has been able to find out four effective drugs. Scientists have said that there have been two drugs Pralatrexate and Azithromycin, which have been able to reduce the replication of the virus effectively. Further lab tests have proved that Pralatrexate has been able to cut down the replication of the virus more strongly than Remdesivir. It shows that Pralatrexate can be repurposed for treating COVID19. However, this medicine can lead to adverse side effects as it is used for treating lymphoma. Therefore, it cannot be immediately used to treat COVID19 patients. The lead author of the study has said that the novel hybrid approach involves deep learning technologies and traditional imitation of molecular dynamics.

Scientists have published the findings of the study in the journal called PLOS Computational Biology. They are going to develop additional computational techniques to produce novel molecular formations, which can be developed into a new drug that can treat COVID19 patients. Scientists have been a little cynical about the efficiency of Remdesivir, which has been developed to treat Hepatitis C and later has been repurposed to treat Ebola as well. The drug has delivered poor outcomes during the treatment of Ebola in 2014. Later it has been tested for the treatment of COVID19 in the early days of the pandemic. Scientists have been testing different drugs, which have been developed to treat other issues and can be repurposed to treat COVID19 as well.