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☆ Israel's health ministry recommends some wear masks indoors amid rise in COVID cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Amir Cohen Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Israel's health ministry on Tuesday advised people with compromised immune systems to wear masks in crowded indoor spaces as it marks an increase in COVID-19 hospitalisations ahead of the Jewish holidays. In a statement, the ministry said there was a "moderate rise" in hospitalisations due to a number of COVID variants found both in Israel and around the world. "Ahead of the holidays and as a result of increased morbidity, the health ministry recommends people in at-risk groups or those who want to limit the risk of infection wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces." Large family gatherings are common during the Jewish holiday season, which begins on Sept. 15 and extends over about a month. COVID infections and hospitalisations have been on the rise in the U.S., Europe and Asia but are well below previous peaks.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Henriette Chacar, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Arazim Elementary, REUTERS, Rights, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, COVID, hospitalisations, U.S, Europe, Asia

☆ Nearly 2 million excess deaths followed China's sudden end of COVID curbs - study
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Bernard Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The study by the federally funded Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle was taken from a sample of mortality data published by some universities in China and internet searches. It found an estimated 1.87 million excess deaths from all causes occurred among people over 30 years of age between December 2022 and January 2023, and were observed in all provinces in mainland China except Tibet. In the study, researchers performed statistical analysis using information from published obituaries and data from searches on Baidu, a popular Chinese internet search engine. "Our study of excess deaths related to the lifting of the zero-COVID policy in China sets an empirically derived benchmark estimate. The World Health Organization says there have been 121,628 COVID deaths in China, out of a total global toll of almost 7 million.

Persons: Thomas Peter, cremations, China's, COVID, Bernard Orr, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Baidu, Health Commission, Global, World Health Organization, National Bureau of Disease Control, Prevention, Global Times, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, U.S, Seattle, Tibet

GSK reckons the spin-off has allowed the company to sharpen its focus on vaccines and infectious diseases and with $7 billion generated by the Haleon spin-off, it can fund deals to bolster a lacklustre drug pipeline. The company also reported an adjusted profit of 38.8 pence per share for the quarter, on sales of about 7.18 billion pounds ($9.26 billion). Analysts were expecting a profit of 34.7 pence per share on sales of about 6.77 billion pounds, according to company-compiled consensus estimates. Sales of Shingrix, the company's top-selling drug, generated 880 million pounds, beating analyst estimates of 872 million pounds. Sales of HIV treatments generated 1.58 billion in the quarter, ahead of the company-compiled consensus of about 1.5 billion pounds in the quarter.

Persons: Zantac, Emma Walmsley, Walmsley, Markus Manns, Dani Saurymper, Maggie Fick, Radhika Anilkumar, Janane Venkatraman, Savio D'Souza, Josephine Mason Organizations: GSK, British, Analysts, U.S, Union Investment, Pacific Asset Management, Thomson Locations: London, Bengaluru

☆ GSK's RSV vaccine shows long-term efficacy in late-stage trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 21 (Reuters) - GSK (GSK.L) on Wednesday said its vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which recently won EU approval, showed strong long-term protection in older adults in a late-stage trial. The British drugmaker said a 'Phase III' trial showed vaccine efficacy against RSV-lower respiratory tract disease and severe disease over two full RSV seasons, including in participants with underlying medical conditions. GSK's shot, called Arexvy is designed to protect people aged 60 and over from RSV, which typically causes cold-like symptoms, but is a leading cause of pneumonia in toddlers and the elderly. European regulators approved the shot earlier this month for the disease which causes thousands of hospitalisations and deaths annually. Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: British drugmaker, Eva Mathews, Janane Organizations: GSK, Thomson Locations: British, Bengaluru

June 7 (Reuters) - European regulators have approved the region's first vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes thousands of hospitalisations and deaths annually. The shot, called Arexvy, is made by British drugmaker GSK (GSK.L) and is designed to protect people aged 60 and over. The complex molecular structure of the virus and safety concerns with previous vaccine attempts had stymied efforts to successfully develop a shot since the virus was first discovered in 1956. Given the different definitions of the trial endpoints across the GSK and Pfizer trials, a direct comparison of efficacy is difficult. In Europe, RSV leads to over 270,000 hospitalisations and about 20,000 in-hospital deaths in adults over 60 each year.

Persons: Luke Miels, Peter Welford, TD Cowen, Steve Scala, Natalie Grover, Eva Mathews, Maggie Fick, Savio D'Souza, Mark Potter Organizations: GSK, European Commission, European Medicines Agency, Reuters, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Pfizer, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: British, Europe, U.S, London, Bengaluru

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - GSK (GSK.L) began 2023 with a quarterly performance that beat analyst expectations and extended a series of positive results following strong sales of its roster of vaccines as well as HIV and respiratory medicines. Investors are also concerned about the company's long-term prospects, given the pending loss of patent protection of one of GSK's HIV compounds and setbacks in its marketed oncology portfolio. GSK is also relying in part on its potential blockbuster vaccine for RSV, which leads to thousands of hospitalisations and deaths each year. It anticipates launching the vaccine later this year in the U.S. and Europe, pending regulatory approval, as does rival Pfizer (PFE.N). ($1 = 0.8039 pounds)Reporting by Maggie Fick and Natalie Grover in London, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ GSK beats first-quarter profit, revenue estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - GSK (GSK.L) on Wednesday beat expectations for its first-quarter revenue and profit, helped by sales of its blockbuster shingles vaccine Shingrix. The London-listed drugmaker reported adjusted profit of 37 pence per share on revenue of about 7 billion pounds ($8.70 billion). Analysts were expecting 33.2 pence per share on revenue of about 6.5 billion pounds, according to company-compiled consensus estimates. In February, GSK predicted sales growth would increase by 6% to 8% and adjusted operating profit to increase by 10% to 12%, at constant exchange rates in 2023, versus 2022. GSK is also leaning in part on its vaccine for RSV, which leads to thousands of hospitalisations and deaths each year.

☆ India asks states to ramp up testing as COVID-19 cases climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, April 7 (Reuters) - India's federal government asked states to identify emergency hotspots and ramp up-testing for COVID-19, after the country recorded its highest daily case count since September, a Reuters tally showed on Friday. There were 6,050 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the federal health ministry said on Friday, continuing a sharp upward trend since a lull last year. At a meeting to review the degree to which the states are prepared, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya asked them to ramp up genome testing and conduct mock drills in hospitals, a government statement said. Active cases totalled more than 28,300 with 14 deaths during the last 24 hours, taking the country's official death toll from the disease to 530,943. India has recorded more than 44.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic three years ago, the third-highest tally after the United States and China.

☆ China plans random, spot checks at hospitals to track COVID
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 30 (Reuters) - Chinese officials plan random and spot checks at medical facilities in the country to track incomplete and under-reported COVID-19 data, the country's health authority said, amid a wider call by global authorities for more transparency. For months, the country has faced pressure from countries and health experts to reveal and be more forthcoming with COVID data, most notably official numbers around severe hospitalisations and deaths. Recently, advisers to the World Health Organization urged China to release all information related to the origin of the COVID pandemic. Local governments should actively seek financial support to ensure funding for the costs surrounding the random checks, the health authority said. Reporting by Ethan Wang and Bernard Orr; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU regulator expects eventually to introduce annual COVID shots
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency (EMA) expects COVID vaccination campaigns to be conducted once a year, similar to the approach with flu inoculation, it said on Wednesday. In Europe, there is a marked decline in new COVID cases, hospitalisations and deaths - the lowest levels observed in the European Union in the past twelve months, he said, citing data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Still, the virus continues to evolve, and an organised approach is needed to maintain the range of vaccines to confer an adequate breadth of protection to emerging variants, he said. The EMA is currently in discussions with the World Health Organization and other regulatory agencies about the criteria and process that will lead to the potential update of the vaccines in view of future vaccination campaigns, he added. Reporting by Natalie Grover in London Editing by David Goodman and Jane MerrimanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ In COVID China, a hospital bed can hinge on who you know, red packets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Engen Tham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

After hours of frantic calls, Steven was taken to a packed hospital and given oxygen and a bed in a children’s ward. If you know the head of the hospital, then there won’t be trouble getting a bed," a Shanghai doctor said. Although China has tried to crack down on doctor bribery, the regulatory focus has been on payments from pharmaceutical companies rather than patients. Doctors and experts said the use of red packets and "guanxi", or connections, to gain access persists. "Many of those rural patients, COVID patients, that had severe symptoms would choose not to proactively seek care; instead they just die at home," Huang said.

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - GSK (GSK.L) chief executive Emma Walmsley on Wednesday made replenishing the drugmaker's pipeline of vaccines and therapies her number-one priority. But analysts say there is not enough in the medicine cabinet to keep the momentum going even beyond the next few years. Meanwhile, analysts say the market for Shingrix will eventually become saturated, further limiting the company's growth prospects. GSK shares lagR&D SPENDGSK's spending on R&D has long lagged behind its peers, something activist investor Elliott highlighted in a 2021 letter pressuring the company to make sweeping changes. Lucy Coutts, investment director at wealth management firm JM Finn, which holds GSK shares, there is hope the company will eventually deliver a streamlined and specialist portfolio of blockbuster drugs.

☆ WHO maintains highest alert over COVID, but sees hope ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 30 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that COVID-19 continues to constitute a public health emergency of international concern, its highest form of alert. The pandemic was likely in a "transition point" that continues to need careful management to "mitigate the potential negative consequences", the agency added in a statement. It is three years since the WHO first declared that COVID represented a global health emergency. More than 6.8 million people have died during the outbreak, which has touched every country on Earth, ravaging communities and economies. Reporting by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan in Bengaluru and Jennifer Rigby in London; Editing by Toby Chopra and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] A medical worker helps a patient receiving treatment at the emergency department of a hospital, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China January 17, 2023. Some health experts expect more than one million people will die from the disease in China this year, with British-based health data firm Airfinity forecasting COVID fatalities could hit 36,000 a day next week. Hospitalisations rose by 70% on the previous week to 63,307, according to the WHO, citing data submitted by Beijing. China said last Saturday that nearly 60,000 people with COVID had died in hospital between Dec. 8 and Jan. 12 - a roughly 10-fold increase from previous disclosures. However, that number excludes those who died at home, and some doctors in China have said they are discouraged from putting COVID on death certificates.

As a result, investors have lowered their expectations for future interest rate hikes. Equities have recovered: the S&P 500 benchmark of leading stocks is up more than 5% in the past three months, boosting the paper wealth of many Davos executives and financiers. Companies typically cut back on investment in a downturn, but big groups have reasons to keep spending. Higher interest rates will prove more painful as households deplete savings built up during the pandemic. The Davos conflab has a well-deserved reputation for delivering a consensus which turns out to be wrong in the 12 months that follow.

☆ China reports big jump in COVID hospitalisations -WHO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A medical worker checks the IV drip treatment of a patient lying on a bed in the emergency department of a hospital, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China, January 5, 2023. REUTERS/StaffGENEVA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - China reported a large jump in COVID-19 hospitalisations in the week through to January 15 to the highest since the pandemic began, according to a weekly report published by the World Health Organization on Thursday. However, the WHO said it awaited "detailed provincial data disaggregated by week of reporting" on nearly 60,000 additional COVID-related hospital deaths reported by China last week and did not include them in the tally. The number of people hospitalised with the disease in China rose by 70 % to 63,307 versus the previous week, according to the WHO report based on data submitted by Beijing. This is the highest weekly figure China has reported since COVID-19 first emerged more than three years ago.

☆ China reports big jump in COVID hospitalisations - WHO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

He heard at that time that Pfizer's (PFE.N) anti-viral drug Paxlovid was an effective treatment, but patients could only get it prescribed if they were admitted to hospital, and only if the drug was in stock. Li's experience, local media reports and online posts bear testimony to the difficulties faced obtaining Paxlovid in China through official channels. "Pfizer is actively collaborating with Chinese authorities and all stakeholders to secure an adequate supply of Paxlovid in China. We remain committed to fulfilling the COVID-19 treatment needs of Chinese patients and partnering with the Chinese government," the company said in a statement. PAXLOVID GIFTSeveral other people described to Reuters how they turned to the grey market to purchase Paxlovid.

☆ China's COVID fever and emergency hospitalisations have peaked, health official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Patients receive IV drip treatment at a community health service centre, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Shanghai, China January 9, 2023. cnsphoto via REUTERSSHANGHAI, Jan 14 (Reuters) - COVID fever and emergency hospitalisations have peaked in China and the number of hospitalised COVID patients is continuing to decline, a Chinese health official said on Saturday. Nationwide, "the number of fever clinic visitors is generally in a declining trend after peaking, both in cities and rural areas," Jiao Yahui, an official from the National Health Commission, told a news conference. Jiao said the number of emergency treatment patients was also declining and the ratio of patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 was steadily falling as well. The number of severe cases has also peaked, she added, though remained at a high level, and patients were mostly elderly. Wen Daxiang, a Shanghai Health Commission official, said China would strengthen health monitoring and management of the high-risk population.

Long queues formed at the Hong Kong international airport's check-in counters for flights to mainland cities including Beijing, Tianjin and Xiamen. Hong Kong media outlets estimated that thousands were crossing. Beijing has quotas on the number of people who can travel between Hong Kong and China each day. I'm thrilled, I can't believe it’s happening,” said a businesswoman surnamed Shen, 55, who flew in from Hong Kong. The World Health Organisation said on Wednesday that China's COVID data underrepresents the number of hospitalisations and deaths from the disease.

HONG KONG/BEIJING, Jan 6 (Reuters) - China is in talks with Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) to secure a licence that will allow domestic drugmakers to manufacture and distribute a generic version of the U.S. firm's COVID-19 antiviral drug Paxlovid in China, three sources told Reuters. In February last year, China approved Paxlovid, which was supposed to be largely available via hospitals, to treat high-risk patients in several provinces. Pfizer last month reached an agreement to export Paxlovid to China through a local company to make the medicine more widely available. A Pfizer spokesperson said the company is actively collaborating with Chinese authorities and all stakeholders to secure an adequate supply of Paxlovid in China. That licence does not allow the companies to sell generic Paxlovid in China.

☆ WHO says China releases COVID hospital data after reporting gap
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization received data from China on new COVID-19 hospitalisations after a reporting gap, with figures on Thursday showing a nearly 50% increase in the week to Jan. 1. The WHO's latest report showed 22,416 new hospitalisations for mainland China in the week to Jan. 1 versus 15,161 the previous week. Over the same week, the report showed China had 218,019 new cases and 648 new deaths, although these figures typically include Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau as well as mainland China. The WHO did not release a report last week due to end of year holidays. The body is preparing to meet Chinese scientists on Thursday as part of a wider briefing among member states on the global COVID-19 situation as concerns grow about the rapid spread of the virus in the world's No.

☆ German health minister voices concern over new COVID variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Germany's health minister has expressed concern over a new COVID-19 subvariant linked to growing hospitalisations in the northeastern United States, adding that Berlin was watching the situation closely. As much of the world looks to rising COVID cases in China, infectious disease experts have also been increasingly worried about the highly contagious Omicron XBB.1.5, which made up more than 40% of U.S. cases, official data showed last week. "Hopefully we get through the winter before such a variant can spread among us," the minister, Karl Lauterbach, wrote on Twitter late on Wednesday. "We are monitoring whether, and to what extent, XBB.1.5 occurs in Germany." Writing by Rachel More; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Meanwhile, World Health Organization officials met Chinese scientists on Tuesday amid concerns over the accuracy of China's data on the spread and evolution of its outbreak. China reported five new COVID-19 deaths for Jan. 3, compared with three a day earlier, bringing the official death toll to 5,258, very low by global standards. British-based health data firm Airfinity has said about 9,000 people in China are probably dying each day from COVID. Bookings for international flights from China have risen by 145% year-on-year in recent days, the government-run China Daily newspaper reported, citing data from travel booking platform Trip.com. But there are signs that an increase in travel from China could further spread the virus abroad.

That might ease some concerns about the outbreak since Beijing abruptly reversed its "zero COVID" policy last month. But many Chinese funeral homes and hospitals say they are overwhelmed, and international health experts predict at least 1 million COVID-related deaths in China this year without urgent action. But the WHO said there is "no inevitability" in terms of predictions of large numbers of deaths. "It really does depend on the measures that are in place," said the WHO's COVID-19 technical lead Maria van Kerkhove. She said the WHO was working with China to improve access to life-saving tools and cope with health workforce issues in badly-hit areas.

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