The US company Moderna is permanently waiving patent protection for its corona vaccine in 92 low- and middle-income countries. The patents will “never” be enforced in these countries, announced the manufacturer. The prerequisite is that these vaccines are produced exclusively for use in these countries. These are countries where Gavi, the vaccination alliance of governments, companies, foundations and UN organizations, runs the Covax program. These include Ghana, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Uruguay.
Moderna President Stephen Hoge said the company also forgoes the corresponding license income. “Moderna does not charge any money for the use of the patents. We do not make a profit with it – on the contrary,” said Hoge.
Moderna also plans to produce, fill and package mRNA vaccines in Kenya. The company has signed a corresponding letter of intent with the Kenyan government. It will invest up to $500 million (about 460 million euros) to produce up to 500 million doses of vaccine for the African continent annually. In 2021, Moderna had already announced that it would like to build such a plant in Africa. (03/08/2022)
Nationwide incidence value increases for the sixth time in a row
The Robert Koch Institute reports around 157,000 new infections within 24 hours. That is about 35,000 more cases than on Tuesday a week ago. Overall, the number of infections in Germany is more than 16 million. The nationwide seven-day incidence rises again to 1294 from 1259 the previous day. The low of the current wave was 1172 last week. 324 other people died in connection with the virus. This increases the number of reported deaths to 124,450.
However, the figures are only of limited significance. Experts assume a high number of cases that are not recorded in the RKI data. Test capacities and health authorities are at the limit in many places, contacts are only traced to a limited extent. That is why we use the SZ Corona Dashboard to show an average value from the reports of the past seven days, which is intended to compensate for fluctuations from day to day. You can find more information on this in the transparency blog, further data and graphics on the pandemic here.
However, there seems to be a trend reversal in the development of corona infections in Germany. After a long decline, the nationwide seven-day incidence has now risen for the sixth day in a row. Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) was concerned about the increasing numbers.
The increasing incidence may have several reasons. The BA.2 omicron subtype, thought to be even more contagious than the original omicron variant, appears to be becoming more dominant. The proportion of BA.2 in the infection process has been increasing since the beginning of the year, and the subvariant is now likely to be predominant in this country. According to the latest available figures from the RKI, she had already identified 38 percent of the cases in a sample in the week up to February 20.
Modelers like Kai Nagel from the TU Berlin had warned two weeks ago that the number of infections could be expected to increase again from the end of February. Experts also believe that a longer plateau is possible. The previous omicron wave, which was mainly determined by the BA.1 variant, hit younger age groups in particular. The incidence in children and adolescents up to the age of 14 is currently falling again significantly. However, the RKI shows increases in most older groups. According to the RKI, the apex of the wave is still to come for people over 65. (03/08/2022)
Patient protectors against quick loosening
In view of the increasing number of infections in the corona pandemic, the Patient Protection Foundation is opposed to the comprehensive easing of government restrictions. Not all protective measures should now be ended, said board member Eugen Brysch to the editorial network Germany. Rather, the federal government must immediately ensure “that the infection process cannot pick up speed unchecked”. The fact that the traffic light coalition is arguing about whether a nationwide catalog of measures is still necessary is a “risky political game with the suffering and life of the high-risk group”.
According to a three-stage plan by the federal and state governments, the vast majority of corona restrictions should be lifted by March 20th. The nationwide legal basis for such measures expires on March 19. However, basic protection, for example with compulsory masks indoors, on buses and trains and with tests, should remain possible. A new, nationwide legal basis is being sought for this. How this should look exactly is disputed.
He continued to call the death rates “worrying”. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), 324 new deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours on Tuesday. (03/08/2022)
More than six million corona deaths worldwide
Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, more than six million people have died worldwide after being infected with the virus. That’s going out new data from the US Johns Hopkins University (JHU) out. The threshold of five million corona deaths worldwide was exceeded at the beginning of November, and the four million mark at the beginning of July last year.
According to the data from the US researchers, the number of confirmed infections is more than 446 million cases after more than two years. However, experts assume that the number of unreported cases of infections and deaths around the world is high. According to JHU statistics, more than 10.6 billion vaccinations have now been administered worldwide.
The university’s website is regularly updated with incoming data and shows a slightly higher level than the official figures from the World Health Organization (WHO). In some cases, the numbers have also been temporarily corrected downwards again. According to the WHO on Monday, there have been 5.98 million confirmed deaths and a good 440 million known infections. (07.03.2022)
Recommendations for uniform corona rules in culture
According to Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth, a good two years after the start of the corona pandemic, recommendations for a nationwide air hygiene standard for cultural events are available for the first time. The paper was drawn up by scientists from various disciplines with the participation of the Federal Environment Agency and various cultural institutions, as the Greens politician announced.
She described the recommendations as a good basis for more uniform nationwide corona rules in culture. They contribute to “that exemplary hygiene is given more consideration in future protective measures and blanket closures of cultural institutions are avoided”. In this way, one can also show the audience that visiting cinemas, theaters and concert halls is safe, Roth continued to explain. “In this way we are also making a contribution to the sustainable recovery and economic stabilization of the cultural sector.”
The recommendations are in the form of a checklist in the traffic light system for assessing air hygiene. They include various criteria such as the presence of ventilation systems and hygiene concepts. The area of application is “primarily theatres, cinemas and concert halls with a predominantly seated audience,” it says. (07.03.2022)
Hungary lifts most of the Corona measures
In the EU country of Hungary, almost all corona measures were lifted on Monday. Nobody has to wear mouth and nose protection anymore in publicly accessible indoor spaces and on public transport. The mask requirement only applies in hospitals and retirement homes.
Hungary had already abolished many measures to contain the corona pandemic last summer. At that time, the entry restrictions and the 3-G rule for gastronomy were abolished. The rules were not reintroduced when further corona waves rolled through the country in autumn and winter. Major events are also freely accessible again.
Critics accuse the government of serious omissions in dealing with the pandemic. In the country with ten million inhabitants, more than 44,000 people have died as a result of a corona infection – in neighboring Austria with nine million inhabitants there were 15,000. Only 63 percent of Hungarians have been vaccinated at least twice (Austria: 74 percent ). (07.03.2022)
China has reported the highest increase in local infections since the pandemic officially began
According to official data, the People’s Republic – excluding Hong Kong and Macau – has reported 214 infections, one of the highest numbers of locally transmitted symptomatic corona cases within 24 hours since the WHO declared the pandemic situation in March 2020. According to the national Health Commission in Guangdong, Jilin and Shandong Provinces. China’s recent virus outbreaks are small by global standards. Beijing aims to quickly identify and quarantine any infection and close contacts. (07.03.2022)