New Strains Stokes Vaccine Fears; Germany’s Deaths: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Germany’s coronavirus deaths reached a record and Chancellor Angela Merkel extended restrictions, warning of possible travel curbs to keep out new strains.

A study on the South African variant raised concern about the efficacy of vaccines as well as a new class of therapies. Scientists found that half of the blood samples from a handful of patients who already had Covid-19 don’t have the antibodies needed to protect against the new strain, which is spreading around the globe.

U.S. deaths topped 400,000, the world’s worst Covid-19 toll. An appointee of President-elect Joe Biden said the U.S. is preparing to join Covax, a World Health Organization-led coalition aiming to distribute vaccines to poorer nations. Daily fatalities in Mexico hit a record.

Key Developments:

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Two Beijing Virus Cases Had U.K. Variant (6:04 p.m. HK)

Two coronavirus cases in Beijing’s Daxing district Jan. 17 were caused by the virus variant found in the U.K., Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a briefing.

Beijing imposed a lockdown of 1.7 million people in Daxing as officials race to prevent a resurgence in the country’s northern region from seeping into the rest of the city.

Pfizer, BioNTech Shot Likely to Defeat U.K. Strain (4:59 p.m. HK)

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE built the case that their vaccine will protect against the new variant of the coronavirus that emerged in the U.K. with results of another lab trial.

Like previous work out of the University of Texas Medical Branch, the results published on Wednesday showed that antibodies in the blood of people who had been vaccinated were able to neutralize a version of the mutant virus that was created in the lab. The study was published on preprint server BioRxiv prior to peer review.

South African Strain Findings Stoke Concern (3:28 p.m. HK)

South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases studied blood samples from patients previously infected with the coronavirus to check if their antibodies would neutralize the new variant carrying mutations in the spike protein. Worryingly, half the samples tested indicated all neutralizing activity was lost -- suggesting that those individuals may no longer be protected from re-infection. In the other half, antibody levels were reduced and the risk of re-infection couldn’t be determined, according to the institute. The findings weren’t peer-reviewed and were based on a small sample size.

Israel Extends Lockdown Until End of January (3:18 p.m. HK)

Israel’s government voted to extend the country’s lockdown until the end of the month.

The country’s vaccination effort is being offset by a surge in new cases linked to the spread of U.K. variant, an Israeli health official said on Wednesday. Officials expect to see a decline in cases in another week or two, Ran Balicer, head of the country’s Covid-19 National Experts Team, said in an Army Radio interview. Some 25% of the population has received a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

Record Deaths in Germany (2:09 p.m. HK)

Germany’s daily coronavirus death toll rose by the most since the pandemic began amid tentative signs that the infection rate is starting to come down.

The number of fatalities increased by 1,734 to 48,997 in the 24 hours through Wednesday morning, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Confirmed cases increased by 12,233, a relatively low number compared with recent weeks.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and regional leaders agreed to extend and tighten Germany’s coronavirus restrictions to check the stubborn spread of the disease. Merkel extended her tough line to Germany’s neighbors, calling on European partners to synchronize measures to contain mutations. Otherwise, travel restrictions would be imposed.

Thailand Mulls Easing Curbs (12:58 p.m. HK)

Thailand’s capital and some other provinces are considering relaxing restrictions on businesses and travel in coming weeks amid a decline in new cases in certain regions.

Chiang Mai, the most populous province in northern Thailand, lifted a ban on alcohol in restaurants from Wednesday, while Bangkok Metropolitan Authority is set to meet on Thursday to consider reopening businesses including massage parlors and gyms.

Singapore Air’s Pre-Flight Tests (10:19 a.m. HK)

Singapore Airlines Ltd. set up pre-flight coronavirus tests for passengers through its booking platforms as part of efforts to revive travel demand.

People flying from Singapore as well as those traveling from Jakarta and Medan in Indonesia can take tests at clinics and get results within 36 hours. If negative, the results can be used for travel.

Mexico Deaths Hit Daily Record (9:15 a.m. HK)

Mexico’s health ministry reported 1,584 deaths Tuesday, the highest increase other than Oct. 5, when authorities adjusted the way they count fatalities caused by the virus.

Portuguese Minister Tests Positive (8:03 a.m. HK)

Portugal’s Economy Minister Pedro Siza Vieira tested positive for Covid-19 after reporting some symptoms, according to the ministry. Vieira had been self-isolating since Saturday.

Japan Plans Non-Priority Jabs From May (7:52 a.m. HK)

The Japanese government aims to provide vaccines to non-priority residents as soon as May, Yomiuri reported.

The health ministry plans to start inoculating medical workers from the end of February, and aims to vaccinate about 50 million people in priority tiers by the end of April. Most of the population should be vaccinated by around July.

California Hospitalizations Drop (7:17 a.m. HK)

The number of Californians hospitalized with Covid-19 is starting to drop after reaching records and overwhelming health-care systems. The statewide total has fallen 8.5% in the last 14 days, Mark Ghaly, California’s health secretary, said Tuesday.

Elsewhere in the state, officials have asked health-care providers to stop administering a Moderna vaccine lot after fewer than 10 people who received doses at the same community health center developed severe allergic reactions.

U.S. Says It Has Given 35.8 Million Shots (6:30 a.m. HK)

The U.S. distributed another 5.5 million Covid-19 vaccines on Tuesday, bringing the total to about 35.8 million, according to a statement from Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller.

President-elect Joe Biden, who is to be inaugurated on Wednesday, has pledged to deliver 100 million doses in his first 100 days.

Biden to Join Covax Vaccine Initiative (6:25 a.m. HK)

The administration of President-elect Joe Biden plans to join the Covax vaccine initiative that U.S. President Donald Trump declined to take part in, Antony Blinken, nominee to be secretary of state, told lawmakers Tuesday at his confirmation hearing.

“The combination of rejoining, taking part in Covax and looking at how we can help make sure the vaccine is equitably distributed is something we’re going to take on,” Blinken said. He added that he sees global risks rising as the pandemic continues to spread.

U.S. Deaths Exceed 400,000 (3:45 a.m. HK)

The U.S. has recorded 400,000 Covid-19 deaths, a sobering milestone that comes as the nation prepares to inaugurate a new president who has pledged to speed up vaccine delivery and promote protective measures like mask-wearing as a patriotic duty.

With more than 24 million infections, the U.S. has been the world leader in cases and deaths, contributing about a fifth of the more than 2 million fatalities reported globally. India and Brazil are next in line.

Abbott’s Binax Misses Some Cases (2:20 a.m. HK)

Abbott Laboratories’ BinaxNOW, a 15-minute test for Covid-19, may miss nearly two-thirds of infections in those without symptoms, according to a federal study that suggests repeat testing is needed to catch people when they are most contagious.

NYC Warns Vaccine Supply Runing Out (11:51 p.m. HK)

New York City will have to close vaccination sites after Thursday if it doesn’t get a major resupply, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

The city wants to vaccinate 300,000 people this week but has only about 92,000 doses, de Blasio said in a Tuesday briefing. More than 450,000 doses have been in administered in the city.

“At this rate, we will run out on Thursday and hit zero on Friday,” de Blasio said. “We will not be able to give shots at a lot of our sites. We won’t get shots until next week.”

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