Moderna expects a Covid vaccine adapted to the Omicron variant by spring. The vaccine candidate will enter clinical development in the coming weeks. Moderna hopes to have data in March that the biotech company can share with regulators to determine next steps, CEO Stephane Bancel said at a virtual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos.
Moderna is thus setting a schedule similar to that of Biontech and Pfizer, who had announced that they would be able to provide a vaccine adapted to Omicron by the end of March. Moderna is also developing a vaccine that will combine a booster shot against Covid-19 with its experimental flu shot. Bancel said the best-case scenario is that the combined Covid/flu vaccine will be available by autumn 2023, at least in some countries. “Our goal is to have a single annual refresher.” This could address the possible problem of not having to administer two to three vaccinations per winter. (01/17/2022)
Women account for corona tests in test centers that did not even exist
A 49-year-old woman in Essen has been accused of completely inventing at least eleven corona test centers and accounting for fictitious tests and vaccinations. According to a report to the legal committee of the state parliament, damage of 1.1 million euros is said to have occurred. Most of the money was secured – the accused is in custody.
According to the Ministry of Justice, charges were brought before the Essen Court of Appeals on January 7th. According to the responsible public prosecutor’s office, the accused is said to have registered eleven test sites in NRW and Baden-Württemberg online with associations of statutory health insurance physicians, which actually did not exist. The crime period was between July and October 2021. The woman was noticed by a suspected money laundering report. According to the report to the legal committee, 925,000 euros of the alleged loot could be secured by bank account seizures.
In the meantime, there are more and more cases due to quick tests that were incorrectly billed at test centers that actually exist. As can be seen from the report to the legal committee, eleven such proceedings are currently being conducted at the Cologne public prosecutor’s office alone. (01/17/2022)
RKI shortens convalescent status
Anyone who has been infected with the corona virus is no longer considered recovered up to six months later, but only up to the end of the third month. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has his professional specifications updated so that since January 15, people are only officially considered recovered if the positive PCR test was taken at least 28 and no more than 90 days ago.
The RKI also had new ones on Friday Recommendations for quarantine times released. In general, the quarantine times for contact persons of infected people and the insulation, if you are ill yourself, follow a “seven-day rule”: They end after seven days if you then “test yourself free” with a negative PCR or rapid test. For the end of isolation, you have to be symptom-free for 48 hours. Without a final test, quarantine and isolation should each last ten days.
For employees in clinics, care facilities and facilities for people with disabilities, the isolation should also last seven days – but at the end it is mandatory with a more precise PCR laboratory test. You also have to be symptom-free for 48 hours beforehand. For children in schools and daycare centers, the quarantine should last five days as a contact person, with a final PCR or rapid test. (01/17/2022)
EU tightens entry rules for Australia, Canada and Argentina
The entry of unvaccinated people from Canada, Australia and Argentina into the EU will again be significantly restricted due to the corona. As can be seen from a decision by the EU states published on Monday, the three countries are no longer exempt from the entry restrictions introduced at the beginning of the pandemic due to the significant increase in the number of corona cases. This means that in future only unvaccinated people from 13 countries will be allowed to enter the EU normally. These include Chile, Colombia, New Zealand and South Korea.
In order to contain the coronavirus pandemic, all EU countries except Ireland and the non-EU countries Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland agreed in mid-March 2020 to initially ban non-essential travel to the EU. Depending on the Corona situation in the countries, this extensive entry ban will be relaxed from time to time. In principle it is not binding. Germany is largely implementing the requirements.
According to a decision in May 2021, exceptions apply to tourists who have been fully vaccinated against the corona virus. The same applies to EU citizens and their family members, as well as to third-country nationals with a long-term right of residence in an EU or Schengen country. Employees in certain sectors are also excluded – such as health and transport workers as well as seasonal workers. (01/17/2022)
NRW prisons close their “love cells” because of Omikron
The prisons in North Rhine-Westphalia have temporarily closed their long-term visiting rooms, also known colloquially as “love cells”, because of the omicron variant of the corona virus. The prisons were instructed by decree about a week ago to suspend long-term visits until further notice. This emerges from a report to the legal committee of the state parliament.
In addition to the usual quota of visits, so-called long-term visits can normally also be used under certain conditions. In the rooms provided for this purpose, the prisoners can usually spend about three hours with their families or partners – without supervision. For this reason, they can also be used for intimate encounters. According to a spokesman for the state correctional system, these rooms are used to maintain family and partnership contacts. Depending on the institution, they are furnished more like an apartment, for example they also have a kitchenette.
“Normal” visits to prisoners fall under the 3G rule, according to the report to the Judiciary Committee. The prisoners and their visitors are only allowed to hug if both are immunized. (01/17/2022)
Nationwide incidence rises to 528.2
The health authorities in Germany reported 34,145 new corona infections to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) within 24 hours. On Monday morning, the RKI reported a seven-day incidence that had increased from 515.7 to 528.2. This is again a high. In total, at least eight million people in Germany have already been infected. The actual total number is likely to be significantly higher, as many infections go undetected. Another 30 people died in connection with the virus. The death toll rose to 115,649. (01/17/2022)
Unvaccinated workers in doctor’s offices are at risk of being fired
Employees in general practices who are unable to present proof of vaccination or recovery after the compulsory corona vaccination has come into force must expect a warning and, ultimately, their dismissal. This emerges from an information sheet from the German Association of General Practitioners.
the facility-related compulsory vaccination stipulates that employees in facilities such as medical practices, clinics and nursing homes must prove by March 15 that they have been vaccinated or have recovered. If employees refuse to provide proof, the health department can prohibit them from entering the doctor’s office or working in it, according to the information sheet on the website of the General Practitioners’ Association. “In these cases, the affected employees should generally no longer be entitled to remuneration.”
If the employee refuses to provide proof of vaccination or recovery, or a certificate stating that vaccination is not indicated for medical reasons, termination can also be considered as a last resort, the association explains. “According to the principle of proportionality, however, a warning should be issued first.”
According to the information, the vaccination obligation applies to the medical staff in the practices, but also to all other employees such as cleaning staff, caretakers, transport or kitchen staff. Anyone who cannot submit proof by March 15th may not work or be employed. The practice owner must inform the health department immediately. Employees who, despite the request of the health department, do not provide proof within a reasonable period of time should expect a fine of up to 2500 euros. (01/17/2022)
Virologist Stöhr: First the epidemic, then a very relaxed summer
In view of the contagious omicron variant, the virologist Klaus Stöhr first expects an infection in the coming weeks, then a natural immunization of the population – and finally an end to the pandemic. “In the next two to three weeks there will be uncertainty as to how high the incidence will rise. After that, the very strong infection that will then unfortunately set in, which cannot be averted, will cause many people to get natural immunity.” , he said on the TV station Bild.
This immunity is “planted on top” of immunization through vaccinations, Stöhr continued. Both together will lead to a lasting immune protection, so that you don’t have to boost the fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh time. In the fall you have to see whether you can make the over 60-year-olds again a vaccination offer.
In view of the millions of unvaccinated or at least not fully vaccinated people, caution is still very important, according to Stöhr. Nevertheless, he is convinced: “In the spring and summer it will be very relaxed.”
The virologist Christian Drosten also sees the often milder course after infection with the omicron variant as a “chance” to get into the endemic state – “assuming broad immunity”, as he says Daily mirror on Sunday said. Sooner or later, everyone will have to be infected with Sars-Cov-2, he says. “Yes, we have to get into this channel, there is no alternative,” said Drosten. “In the long term, we cannot maintain the immune protection of the entire population with a booster vaccination every few months.” The virus has to do that. (01/17/2022)
Vaccination compulsory for over 60s in Greece
Unvaccinated Greeks over 60 will be asked to pay from now on: Anyone who continues not to have the corona vaccination administered will be fined 50 euros in January, and from February it will be 100 euros a month. The regulation came into force on Monday night. According to the state broadcaster, around 300,000 people are affected by the measure. Your data should now be forwarded by the state social security system to the tax office, which collects the fines. The money then goes to the state hospitals. In Greece, the vaccinations administered are stored in a personalized database.
The government already rates the measure as a success: Since the announcement of penalties a little over six weeks ago, around 217,000 over 60-year-olds have been vaccinated. This increased the vaccination rate in this age group to 90 percent. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on the other hand, ruled out compulsory vaccination for other age groups on the grounds that it was mainly the elderly who were seriously ill with Covid and had to be treated in hospitals. (01/17/2022)