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Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine prevents 110,000 deaths in the US

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has a profound impact on the health of American citizens, ever since it was introduced on a commercial scale this year in the US. This finding has been published in the latest report of the esteemed Journal of Medical Economics.

The vaccine was introduced in the year 2021 in the US, and it became the most widely used vaccine against COVID-19 in the US. The vaccine has been successful in preventing 8.7 million cases of coronavirus. In fact, it was so effective that it prevented 690,000 cases of hospitalization and even about 110,000 deaths in the US.

The healthcare industry has been able to save more than 30 billion dollars due to this vaccine. Moreover, it has also prevented $ 40 billion in what could have been lost productivity of patients and people prone to developing coronavirus.

Pfizer-BioNTech was the first COVID-19 vaccine to have been made commercially in the US. In fact, almost six out of ten American citizens received this vaccine according to the Center for Disease Control, which is a leading public health agency in the US.

The market research study was conducted by authors who received funding from Pfizer. The authors were either employees or consultants of Pfizer. They used a real-world model to test the clinical trial data and estimate the number of cases with symptoms of COVID-19.

They also estimated the number of hospitalizations and deaths that could have occurred in the year 2021 if the vaccine had not been provided to these subjects. Moreover, they estimated the impact of these cases on the existing healthcare system and economy in general.

In the clinical trial model, the authors fed the following data: the number of people vaccinated, the efficacy of the vaccine according to different age groups, the probability of developing COVID-19, the symptoms developed, and the chances of being hospitalized.

The long-term effects of COVID-19 were also considered in the number of working days lost by the patient. The infection was classified as the leading cause of premature deaths, causing an economic burden on the country.

This research study has some limitations, which could have led to an underestimation of figures. The authors did not take into account the potential the vaccine had in reducing the transmission of COVID-19.

The severity of the cases was also not considered. Moreover, the authors did not measure the overall impact that long-standing COVID-19 cases had on the economy.  The research model did not take into account the omicron variant of the COVID-19 as it emerged much later.

 

 

 

 

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Researchers at Laussane University hospital discover a highly effective antibody against SARS-CoV-2

 

A newly discovered antibody was isolated from the lymphocytes of patients with COVID-19. These patients were enrolled in a research study conducted by Laussane University Hospital. This antibody has been found to be very powerful in fighting against SARS-CoV-2. After performing structural analysis of the antibody, the researchers found that it does not associate itself with mutations of the spiked protein.

The cells expressing the ACE2 receptor are prevented from binding to the spike protein by the newly discovered antibody. The COVID-19 virus uses the spike protein to enter the body and infect the cells of the lungs. This implies that the antibody fights against the replication of the virus, helping immune cells in eliminating SARS-CoV-2 from the human body.

In vivo tests confirmed the antiviral properties of the antibody, which was administered into some specimens that had contracted a high infection of the virus. This antibody offers a lasting effect of protection against coronavirus infection. In general, a conventional antibody can provide protection against infection for about 3-4 weeks.

But this antibody offers protection for about 4-6 months, making it an attractive treatment that prevents infection in unvaccinated people or in vaccinated people with compromised immunity. These patients, cancer patients, or those who have undergone organ transplantation in these times should receive at least two to three doses of antibody injections in a year. The clinical trial of the drug containing this new antibody would begin in the latter half of the year 2022.

In Europe, a lot of efforts have been made in drug discovery, especially in times of COVID-19 pandemic. This newly discovered antibody can be very effective in fighting COVID-19 infection. This new form of treatment should be made available in the form of a drug, enhancing protection of patients with weak immune systems. However, it may be noted that the antibody cannot be replacement to COVID-19 vaccines, which are still most effective in controlling the pandemic.

 

 

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Most variants of coronavirus can be handled effectively by vaccines

 

According to researchers at the University of Yale, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are the most commonly used vaccines against coronavirus. These vaccines are quite effective in combating multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2, that is, the virus that causes COVID-19. These findings were recently published in the noted medical journal Nature. Moreover, it was found that following vaccination, people infected with coronavirus showed an immune response that was more robust to all variants of coronavirus. The recent Delta variant of the virus has been reported in vaccinated people, raising doubts about the efficacy of the vaccine.

The research study found that vaccines helped the immune system fight back effectively against even new variants of the infection by inducing the production of a large number of antibodies against new variants, including the Delta. Moreover, the authors of the study urged individuals to take two doses of the vaccine. Furthermore, individuals were also requested to take booster shots to combat variants, such as Delta of the virus. The study was conducted on 40 healthcare workers from November 2020 to January 2021. This study included subjects who had not been vaccinated at the start of the study. During the course of the study, several groups of participants received two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccines.

The blood samples of the participants were exposed to 16 different variants of SARS-COV-2 by researchers. The variants included the most powerful Delta variant, which is extensively circulating in the United States. Then, they measured the response of antibodies and T cells to all the variants. It must be noted that none of the participants were infected with the virus. In all the blood samples, the response of the immune cells was enhanced. Nevertheless, the intensity of the immune cell response depended on the variant and the participant. A robust response was noted in individuals exposed to Delta variant.

Breakthrough cases were those that showed an infection develop despite being vaccinated. These cases were caused by Delta variant but it does not mean that the vaccines failed in providing protection against coronavirus. Instead, it means that Delta variant was so infectious that it overcame the immune defense system of patient’s body. However, patients who had been vaccinated before contracting the infection showed a lesser severity in the infection. Compared to other variants, Delta is the most infectious one because it is highly transmissible. The participants were divided into groups: those who had been vaccinated before being infected with COVID-19 and those who had not been vaccinated.

The participants who had been infected before being vaccinated showed an immune response that was more robust than the participants who were not infected with the virus. The researchers were of the view that the robust immune response was like a first dose of the vaccine, recovering participants from their initial infection. The vaccinated participants should have received a booster shot, which would have increased the number of antibodies and T cells that offer protection against infections.

 

 

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300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be supplied to European Union by Sanofi and GSK

The European Union would be receiving upto 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by GSK and Sanofi. Sanofi and GSK collaborated with each other to produce the vaccine candidate, which is based on recombinant protein-based technology and adjuvant technology. European countries like France, Belgium, Germany, and Italy would be manufacturing doses of this vaccine. This is a major breakthrough in fighting against COVID-19.

This is the first major vaccine against COVID-19 and it will be benefit one million Europeans, provided it is safe and effective at the clinical trial stage. The vaccine would be beneficial in tackling the global pandemic of coronavirus.

In a press release statement, the President of GSK vaccines thanked Sanofi for collaborating with them, and reiterated that the vaccine would be available soon in Europe. Both companies have worked hard to scale up operations and introduce a vaccine that will be able to tackle the growing pandemic of COVID-19.

The clinical trial would be conducted by Sanofi, and the phase 3 stage of the trial would be completed by 2020. If the vaccine produces positive results, the team of scientists at Sanofi would be filing for a regulatory approval, which is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2021. Moreover, Sanofi and GSK have collaborated together to produce an antigen and adjuvant that would produce about one billion doses per year.

Globally, the vaccine would be available through a collaborative effort by Sanofi and GSK

In the United States and the UK, Sanofi and GSK have signed cooperation agreement with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. The companies have decided to scale up the production of the vaccine at a global level by the end of 2021/22. The collaboration would include governments and global health organizations.

 

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How South Korea effectively handled COVID-19 response

 

South Korea has been one of the few countries that could control COVID-19 pandemic effectively. The government of Korea effectively handled the situation without putting extreme pressure on its existing healthcare system. In this article, we explain how South Korea effectively handled the public health system.

Testing Timeline

In South Korea, a diagnostic method based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) was developed for coronavirus. The following healthcare systems were involved in this process: the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine, and the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service.

The specially designed diagnostic kit was introduced commercially on March 9, 2020. The team of scientists introduced 15971 kits in the market, and they were used for testing 522,700 patients. By April 15, about 534,552 people had been tested positive for coronavirus. This constitutes 10.4 people per 1000 population.

About 600 screening centers were assembled in South Korea. In more than 90 medical institutions, specimens were tested with rRT-PCR. The public health system of South Korea is quite effective in tackling infectious diseases. Stringent rules were applicable for contact tracing procedures. South Korea’s public healthcare system is adaptive and compatible with private healthcare system.

The South Korean government provided specialized treatments to coronavirus patients, depending on how severe were their symptoms. The healthcare policies implemented by South Korean government were effective because South Korean society has a homogeneous culture. Compared to most developed countries of the world, South Korea was quite effective in controlling deaths caused by coronavirus.

Let’s further delve into factors responsible for South Korea’s success. Field investigations conducted by the South Korean government were very extensive in terms of their epidemiology. Multiple sources (medical records, credit card, and GPS data) were used to collect patient data. In a recently held survey, more than 84% of South Korean citizens felt that public health security was more important than loss of privacy in terms of data.

South Korea has a political system of uniform democracy. The country has a centralized system of public health governance. Therefore, South Korean agencies are able to implement policies at the local level easily.