Newsletter: UP STS scientists assess the effectiveness of the Philippines’ COVID-19 government policies

[THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE]

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred governments worldwide to respond with containment policies, with the Philippines having one of the longest and most stringent COVID-19 policies in the world. How effective were these policies in containing the pandemic and providing social and economic support to citizens? This is the question UP Diliman College of Science’s Science, Technology and Society (UPD-CS STS) researchers ventured to answer.

Newsletter: AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine significantly boosted antibody levels against Omicron

12/24/2021 03:44:28 PM

Author's Note: As the world is on its struggles to face Corona Virus's new variant that is currently plaguing the world, pharmaceutical companies are continuously finding ways to combat the threatening disease.

This, includes vaccination. Manufacturing brands of vaccines against COVID-19 have been under critical scrutiny process on whether they would be effective means to boost immunity against the virus. In line with that, the University of Oxford study supports use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as third dose booster against Omicron. Neutralizing antibody levels against Omicron following a third dose boost of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine were broadly similar to levels achieved after two doses against the Delta variant.

More of that in the press release below.

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AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1-S [Recombinant]) significantly boosted levels of antibodies against the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant (B.1.1.529) following a third dose booster, according to data from a new laboratory study.1

Neutralization titres for Omicron were boosted following a third dose with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine compared to titres after a second dose.1 The levels seen after the third dose booster were higher than the neutralizing antibodies found in individuals who had been previously infected with and recovered naturally from COVID-19 (Alpha, Beta, Delta variants and original strain).1 Sera obtained from individuals one month after receiving the third dose booster vaccination neutralized the Omicron variant to levels that were broadly similar to those observed one month after the second dose against the Delta variant.1 Two doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine have been associated with protection against the Delta variant in real world studies.2,3

The study analysed blood samples taken from individuals infected with COVID-19; those who had been vaccinated with a two-dose schedule and a third dose booster; and those who had reported previous infection from other COVID-19 variants of concern. The study included samples from 41 individuals who had received three doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.1

The study was performed independently by investigators at the University of Oxford and the findings were posted online on the bioRxiv pre print server.

Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK and one of the study investigators, said: “It is very encouraging to see that current vaccines have the potential to protect against Omicron following a third dose booster. These results support the use of third dose boosters as part of national vaccine strategies, especially to limit the spread of variants of concern, including Omicron.”

Sir Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca said: “AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine plays an important role in vaccination programmes around the world and these data give us confidence that the vaccine should be given as a third dose booster. It is also important to look beyond antibodies to better understand how vaccines offer protection against Omicron. As we better understand Omicron, we believe we will find that T-cell response provides durable protection against severe disease and hospitalizations.”

Data from another laboratory study support AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine effect against Omicron, with individuals vaccinated with two doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine retaining neutralizing activity against Omicron, although a decrease was seen compared to the original strain.4 In other studies, AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to generate a diverse and durable T-cell response to multiple variants resulting in a broader response than antibodies alone, which could contribute to protection against COVID-19.1,5-9 

AstraZeneca is collecting real world evidence evaluating the effectiveness against the Omicron variant with academic groups in the southern African region. AstraZeneca is also analysing blood samples from participants in the Company’s Phase II/III trial to evaluate neutralising activity when given as a third dose booster against Omicron for both AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine and its investigational next generation COVID-19 vaccine, AZD2816. Data from these studies are expected soon.  

Currently available data against variants of concern, excluding Omicron, support the use of a third booster with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as part of a homologous or heterologous schedule.6,10

A sub analysis from the COV001 and COV002 trials demonstrated that a third dose of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine given at least six months after a second dose boosted antibody levels six-fold and maintained T cell response.6 A third dose also resulted in higher neutralizing activity against the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants, compared with a two-dose regimen. In the trial, the third dose of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine was less reactogenic than the first dose.6

In addition, the COV-BOOST trial showed that a third dose booster of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine induced significantly higher immune responses compared with controls against the Delta variant and original strain following a primary vaccine series of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine or Pfizer BioNtech (BNT162b2).10

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine 

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1-S [Recombinant], formerly AZD1222) was co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body.

The vaccine has been granted a conditional marketing authorisation or emergency use in more than 90 countries. It also has Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization, which accelerates the pathway to access in up to 142 countries through the COVAX Facility.

Under a sub-license agreement with AstraZeneca, the vaccine is manufactured and supplied by the Serum Institute of India under the name COVISHIELD.

In the Philippines, the COVID-19 Vaccine (ChAdOx1-S [recombinant]) COVAX Supply has been given ‘emergency use listing’ by the World Health Organization. Similarly, the direct supply has been granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that there is more evidence to come about this medicine. The World Health Organization and the Philippine FDA will review new information on this medicine as it becomes available and the leaflet will be updated as necessary. Please also note that the vaccine cannot be marketed or sold, advertised, and promoted.

AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.

References

1. Dejnirattisai W. et al. Omicron-B.1.1.529 leads to widespread escape from neutralizing antibody responses. BioRxiv. Available at: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.03.471045v2.full.pdf Last accessed December 2021.

2. Public Health England. Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against hospital admission with the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. Available at: https://khub.net/web/phe-national/public-library/-/document_library/v2WsRK3ZlEig/view_file/479607329?_com_liferay_document_library_web_portlet_DLPortlet_INSTANCE_v2WsRK3ZlEig_redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fkhub.net%3A443%2Fweb%2Fphe-national%2Fpublic-library%2F-%2Fdocument_library%2Fv2WsRK3ZlEig%2Fview%2F479607266 Last accessed December 2021.

3. Sheikh A. et al. SARS-CoV-2 Delta VOC in Scotland: demographics, risk of hospital admission, and vaccine effectiveness. The Lancet. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)01358-1/fulltext#articleInformation Last accessed December 2021.

4. Cameroni E et al. Broadly neutralizing antibodies overcome SARS-CoV-2 Omicron antigenic shift. BioRxiv. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.12.472269 Last accessed December 2021

5. Swanson P. et al. T-cell mediated immunity after AZD1222 vaccination: A polyfunctional spike-specific Th1 response with a diverse TCR repertoire. Science Translational Medicine. Available at: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abj7211 Last accessed December 2021.

6. Flaxman A. Tolerability and immunogenicity after a late second dose or a third dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222). The Lancet. Available at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3873839. Last accessed December 2021.

7. Redd, A. D. et al. Minimal cross-over between mutations associated with Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 and CD8+ T cell epitopes identified in COVID-19 convalescent individuals. BioRxiv. Available at: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.06.471446v1 Last accessed December 2021.

8. Parry H et al. Single Vaccination with BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1 in Older People Induces Equivalent Antibody Generation but Enhanced Cellular Responses after ChAdOx1. The Lancet. Available at:  https://ssrn.com/abstract=3825573 Last accessed December 2021.

9. Parry H et al. Differential immunogenicity of BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1 vaccines after extended-interval homologous dual vaccination in older people. Immun Ageing. 2021; 18,34. Available at:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12979-021-00246-9 Last accessed December 2021.

10. Munro A PS et al. Safety and immunogenicity of seven COVID-19 vaccines as a third dose (booster) following two doses of ChAdOx1 nCov-19 or BNT162b2 in the UK (COV-BOOST): a blinded, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial. The Lancet. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02717-3 Last accessed December 2021.

Author: slickmaster | © 2021, 2022 The SlickMaster's Files

Tangina mo, Poblacion Girl!

01/06/2022 01:26:02 PM

Okay na sana eh. Medyo nakakabawi na tayo. Maliban sa pagbaba ng kaso, nagkakaroon na ng sense ng normalcy sa kapaligiran, bagamat may pagka-konting discrepancy sa pagreport ng mga araw-araw na kaso ng COVID-19 dahil sa late or non-operational yung iba. Pero okay na rin sana eh...

Kaso biglang may nagpaka-Thyroid Mary nitong nakaraang taon sa Makati. Aray naman. Dahil sa jeskeng pag-disregard sa mandato na quarantine protocol na inatas ng mga ahensya ng pamahalaan. Mula LA, lumipad pa-Pinas. Lumanding sa Clark, dumeretso sa quarantine facitility, pero umalis. Nag-party pa nga sa mga bar sa malapit na Poblacion pagkalayas ng isang hotel. Hinatid-sundo pa ng magulang.

Ang lakas ng loob ah, lalo na noong bumalik ang RT-PCR test niya, positive pala siya sa Corona Virus na yan.

Aba'y bastusan ha?

Newsletter: How do you take care of you? Doctors Without Borders shares wellness tips for the pandemic

11/27/2021 12:23:56 AM

Author's Note: Probably one of the questions popping in everyone's heads recently—aside from “How are you doing?” is “How do you take care of yourself?”

Take a look in the press release below as Doctor Without Borders shared a couple of testaments on how our mental health has been gravely affected by the pandemic. The advocacy organization also shared tips on how to cope up for the betterment of ourselves, especially in uncertainty times. Read on.

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Aurabeat expands its FDA-cleared air purifying technology to eliminate more than 99.9% of airborne COVID-19 in vehicles and confined spaces

07/31/2021 04:31:35 PM 

Two years ago, Aurabeat introduces the world's first-ever FDA-cleared air purifier provider. And recently, the company has expanded its patented AG+™ Antiviral Air Filtration Technology; intended for a more clear air inside cars and confined spaces – 99.9 percent free from COVID-19.

42 percent of people say they would set dates with 'only vaccinated people' —report

07/17/2021 02:48:37 PM

About four in ten people (42 percent, to be exact) refer to only meet with someone in person who has antibodies or a vaccine certificate. That was according to the recent report commissioned by Kaspersky with Sapio in over 18,000 respondents from several countries around the globe.

Newsletter: BPI-Philam encourages protection for OFWs against the global rise of COVID-19 variants

07/02/2021 07:59:27 AM

Author's Note: As COVID-19 cases still rise across the globe, bancassurance leader BPI-Philam is calling overseas Filipino workers to take care of their hard-earned savings which may become a primary tool during these emergency times. 

Read more in the press release below. 

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BPI-Philam extends free 90-day COVID-19 coverage until end of June

05/29/2021 02:41:07 PM

Bancassurance leader BPI-Philam and its partner, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), have extended the registration for the free COVID-19 life insurance coverage for their clients until the end of June 2021. 

The Medical City South Luzon Complex of Hope celebrates 1st anniversary

05/18/2021 10:05:25 PM

The Medical City South Luzon Complex of Hope has turned one year old and it still keeps the hope alive amidst the pandemic.

Kaspersky unmasks spam phishing emails disguised as vaccination appointment forms

05/09/2021 08:54:01 PM

While the world has been waiting so bad for vaccines to come, warnings have been issued by global cybersecurity brands like Kasperksy in regards to that because scammers are constantly searching for new ways to steal users’ data. 

Cybercriminals continue to unleash COVID-disguised threats in '21

03/20/2021 09:47:16 PM

COVID. Codes. Cash. What do they have in common? Cybercriminals.

More employees are thinking of a 'job change' within a year? Kaspersky's report discuss this career change issue

03/14/2021 12:44:47 PM

About 35 percent of employees are thinking of a job change within the next 12 months. 

These were the initial findings in Kaspersky's Securing the Future of Work report, with the two biggest drivers that people stated for this career change are both natural and understandable under the circumstances. 

Music Lane Fest Okinawa, Trans Asia Music Meeting is rescheduled to February

01/16/2021 02:50:38 PM

What should have been the inaugural big music events for Japan this year has been moved to a later month. The Music Lane Festival Okinawa 2021 and Trans Asia Music Meeting 2021 would not take place on 15-16 January. 

Kaspersky says two vaccine-related firms were attacked by APT

01/06/2021 10:18:51 PM

As the world gears for hopes of recovery against COVID-19, Kaspersky has identified two APT incidents related to the research about the said disease.

In the autumn of 2020, the researchers of this cybersecurity company has cited a Minister of Health body and a pharmaceutical company as victims of cyberattacks inflicted by the suspected infamous Lazarus group. 

Newsletter Kaspersky forecast – Cybersecurity trends to watch out for in Southeast Asia in 2021

01/04/2021 05:13:54 PM

Author's Note: While we hope for 2021 to be in our favor, a lot has released their own share of trends and forecasts for this year. This includes the world of cybersecurity as Kaspersky cited several items for people in the Southeast Asia region to be wary of – after a year of what has been sudden, sweeping changes.

The press release below tells how Kasperksy managed to tell the story of breaches that occurred in 2020, as well as what may happen come 2021. Will the coming year be safer for us virtually-speaking, or would it unleash more terror? Read them all below: 

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More employees want to stick to 'new normal' way of working

11/24/2020 12:11:47 AM

Imagine how the pandemic has paralyzed the workforce from different inudstries for a while and forced them adopt a shift to new norms since then.

Newsletter: Pinoy app addressing pandemic impact won the Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge

08/23/2020 01:44:48 AM

Author's Note: As cliche as it sounds, Pinoy Pride has made it again, but in the mobile and pandemic-ish way – and I mean it in good context, huh? 

Look. There's a group of our data analysts from CirroLytix who made it big to the COVID-19 themed Space App Challenge organized by the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA). This makes up for being one of two Filipino groups who made it as global finalists.

Know more of them by reading the press release below.

COVID-19 Update: A dishwashing liquid makes an effective disinfectant? Here's what studies by METI and NITE found!

07/17/2020 12:48:39 AM

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) has recently commissioned the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) to look into other options for disinfecting homes and workplaces. Part of this objective is to mitigate global alcohol shortage, as well as to cope with the sudden surge in demands of alcohol disinfectant at medical facilities as well as home and workplace environments. 

Newsletter: NASA, partners launch virtual hackathon to develop COVID-19 solutions

05/19/2020 03:01:45 PM

Author's Note: By the end of this month, NASA, together with other partner space agencies, will hold a two-day virtual hackathon to develop solutions for the pandemic that has currently plagued the world. Everyone from various fields is invited to participate in this gathering that aims to put a stop to COVID-19.

Read more of that in this press release below: 

Kaspersky study: 51% of work-from-home professionals watch adult content on the same devices they use for working from home

05/08/2020 01:01:32 PM

While work-from-home arrangements became more prevalent during the ongoing-yet-unfortunate time of the pandemic, the line between privacy and work-life goes thinner to a blurry extent. This was due to social distancing measures becoming a common thing nowadays and workers have been adjusting to the new kind of professional environment.