On Monday, the United Kingdom became the first country to approve a booster vaccine that targets the original coronavirus and the Omicron strain, which triggered a wave of cases last winter. The new Moderna vaccine is bivalent, meaning that it will fight two variants of the virus. Half of each dose will target the original variant, and the other will target Omicron.
June Raine, head of Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said that she was pleased that the new booster was found to provide strong immune response against Omicron and the original 2020 strain, adding that it will help protect communities as the virus continues to mutate. The bivalent vaccine was also found to generate a good immune response against Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which are currently dominant.
"The first generation of COVID-19 vaccines being used in the UK continue to provide important protection against the disease and save lives. What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve," she said.
Meanwhile, in the United States, a similar booster is expected this fall. The Biden administration has said that Moderna and Pfizer's bivalent booster vaccines, which will target the original coronavirus as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, should be ready by September.
In new guidelines released last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the nation should move away from restrictive measures, such as social distancing and quarantining. The agency no longer recommends staying at least six feet away from other people to reduce the risk of exposure. The shift is a sign of how much has changed since the beginning of the pandemic more than two years ago. The changes will be put to the test when children head back to school this September. The New York City public school system -- the nation's largest -- announced on Tuesday that screening will no longer be required to enter school buildings, but staff and students should stay at home and get tested if they feel sick. In-school PCR testing will also be scrapped. Wearing masks indoors is still "strongly recommended."
Wondering what precautions your family should take as children return to school? Our medical analyst has these tips.
In other news - Panicked shoppers at an Ikea in Shanghai, China, rushed for the exits on Saturday after city health authorities ordered the store to lock down due to a Covid-19 case that was traced to the location.
- Hong Kong has recorded its sharpest annual drop in population, with experts blaming the decline on strict Covid control measures and a political crackdown that have taken the shine off a financial hub long advertised as "Asia's world city."
| | | Global Cases 592,388,651
Global Deaths 6,441,591
| | US Cases 93,142,433 US Deaths 1,037,970 | | | Source: Johns Hopkins University | | | Q How long do symptoms linger for children after acute Covid-19 cases? A Nearly 30% of children who have been hospitalized for Covid-19 or MIS-C, a rare but serious Covid-related condition, displayed symptoms for over two months after their diagnosis, a new study in the journal Pediatrics found. The most common symptoms for children hospitalized with Covid-19: fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, headache, muscle and body aches and fever. MIS-C (pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome) is a rare condition that affects children after Covid-19 infection in a small number of cases. Doctors don't know exactly what causes it, but it can appear a few weeks after infection and cause certain parts of the body to be inflamed. It can affect major organs including the kidneys, brain, lungs and heart. For kids with MIS-C, the most common symptom was "activity impairment" -- trouble doing normal activities -- according to the study. Nearly 14.2 million children in the US have tested positive for Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. Some studies have estimated that between 2% and 10% of all children diagnosed with Covid-19 -- not just those hospitalized -- develop long Covid.
As of August 1, there have been 8,798 kids whose illness met the definition of MIS-C, according to the CDC. The study found that a higher proportion of those with it needed intensive care-level support in hospital than those with severe Covid. Children with obesity and asthma appeared more likely to show symptoms of MIS-C after being discharged from Covid treatment in hospital.
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| | | Meet people where they are The CDC's new guidelines are an acknowledgment that SARS-CoV-2 may be with us for the long haul. And while they have ushered in some semblance of normalcy, helping people live their lives around Covid-19 with minimal disruptions, it is worth remembering that risk should be assessed on a personal level.
If you are at higher risk for severe illness, the CDC advises taking more personal precautions than others. And in places where Covid community levels are high, as they are currently in 41% of US counties, the CDC continues to suggest masking indoors.
To best protect yourself, the health agency advises being fully vaccinated and boosted.
| | | We may think of play as something left behind in childhood but research shows it's important at every age. This week on Chasing Life, Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with Dr. Stuart Brown, who has studied play for decades, about why joyful activity is just as important as proper nutrition and a good night's sleep. Listen here. | | | CORONAVIRUS: FACT vs FICTION | | | |
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