On November 9, 2020, about a year ago, for those of us who did not have any “weapons” against the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), Pfizer's vaccine, which boasts an efficacy rate of over 90%, was announced in an interim announcement of the trial. Since then, humans have been exposed to numerous strains of alpha, beta, and delta strains, but vaccines produced by various manufacturers have prevented COVID-19 from becoming severe and fatal.
As of November 30, 2021, the cumulative number of people infected with the new coronavirus in the world exceeded 260 million, and the number of deaths exceeded 5 million. Now, nearly two years into the pandemic, wealthy nations have also started booster shots, the third dose of vaccination. It is reported that booster shots have a high infection prevention effect of 93 to 94% against the delta strain, which has been reported to be infected even if vaccination is completed.
The delta strain is spreading in Europe, Russia, South Korea, Vietnam, etc., but many of the serious injuries and deaths are unvaccinated people. In response to this situation, Greece, where the number of infected people is rapidly increasing, has announced a policy to make it compulsory to vaccinate people over the age of 60, and announced that they will impose a fine of 100 euros (about 13,000 yen) a month if they refuse to do so. . Austria has also made vaccination mandatory for all adults.
Furthermore, in November, a new mutant "Omicron strain" appeared. Would a vaccine work for this mutant, which is thought to evade pre-existing immunity? What is the latest information on oral medicines that prevent the aggravation of COVID-19? Looking back on the trends in November.
What is the effect of the first “drinkable corona remedy”? What is the infectiousness of the spreading mutant strain "Delta Plus"? : New Coronavirus and the World Today (October)
What is the “Omicron strain” with more than 30 mutations?
A new variant of the novel coronavirus, the Omicron strain (B.1.1.529), was first reported in South Africa and was declared a cause of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). It was designated as a mutant strain (VOC). South African researchers revealed the existence of the Omicron strain on November 24, but as of November 30, more than 20 countries, including Japan, had already been infected with the Omicron strain.
It is currently unknown where this variant originated, but it was first detected in South Africa and Botswana. However, a later analysis reported infection with the Omicron strain in the Netherlands 24 days before the report by South African researchers. In Scotland, a suspected case of community-acquired infection with the Omicron strain has already been confirmed.
The WHO reports 32 mutations in the Omicron strain, many of them in the gene for the spike protein targeted by the vaccine. Due to this type of mutation, the Omicron strain is thought to be an immune escape type, and it is possible that the effects of immunity created by past infections or vaccines will be weakened. Therefore, it has been suggested that Omicron strains have an increased risk of reinfection compared to other VOCs.
It is not yet clear how severe or contagious the Omicron strain will be, or how effective the current vaccine will be against this variant. . However, current vaccines can be expected to provide some level of protection. Reports from Israel say people who received a third booster shot showed "signs" of protection against the Omicron strain.
In response to the emergence of this mutant strain, Pfizer announced that as soon as data on the Omicron strain becomes available, it will determine whether it is necessary to recreate the vaccine and aim to ship it within 100 days. Moderna is also working to develop a vaccine tailored to the new variant.
The protective effect of the vaccine decreased after 6 months
A study by the US Department of Veterans Affairs found that the vaccine was significantly less effective in preventing infection between February and October 2021. I understand. A study of the records of 780,000 veterans found that in early March, when the Delta strain was taking hold in the United States, three vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) prevented infection. It turns out that the effects are almost the same.
However, the Moderna vaccine, which had an 89% efficacy rate after two doses in March, was 58% in September. Over the same period, Pfizer's vaccine fell from 87% to 45%, and Johnson & Johnson's from 86% to just 13%.
In addition, if vaccinated veterans over the age of 65 had a so-called breakthrough infection, the mortality rate from COVID-19 was 76% compared to unvaccinated veterans of the same age ( Moderna), 70% (Pfizer) and 52% (Johnson & Johnson).
The effect of the booster may last longer than the first two doses
The COVID-19 booster shot, which is the third vaccination, is the second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. A small study found it to be much more potent and long-lasting than after inoculation. It also found that people who had previously recovered from COVID-19 and had completed their third dose of vaccine benefited even more from booster shots.
The antibody levels from the booster shots are very stable and may last longer than the second vaccination. Nine months after the second dose of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, neutralizing antibody levels have been found to drop to about one-tenth of those immediately after vaccination. However, after the third booster shot, the antibody levels are about five times higher than the second shot.
Merck's "medicine to drink" has a 30% rate of preventing severe symptoms
Mornupyravir, an oral treatment for COVID-19 developed by Merck, has undergone a clinical trial involving 762 people. It was noted in an interim report that it reduces the risk of severe illness and death of COVID-19 by about 50%. However, the most recent report dated November 26, based on a study of 1,433 people, revised it down to a 30% reduction in the risk of severe disease and death compared to the placebo group.
Molnupiravir works by causing mutations in the viral genome during viral replication. The metabolites of mornupiravir are incorporated into the viral genome, causing errors that eventually render the virus non-viable. It is recommended not to use it in pregnant women.
Effects of Pfizer's oral drug "Paxlobide"
Pfizer's new oral drug "Paxlobide" may have a significant impact on the convergence of the pandemic. An interim analysis of clinical trials reported an 89% reduction in the risk of severe disease and death in patients treated within 3 days of symptom onset compared with placebo.
In this trial, 3 of the 389 patients who received paxlobide were hospitalized and there were no deaths. Of the 385 people in the placebo group, 27 were hospitalized, 7 of whom subsequently died.
Paxlobide works by inhibiting the activity of enzymes involved in viral replication. The drug combines an antiviral drug with another drug called ritonavir, an anti-HIV drug that prevents liver enzymes from breaking down the antiviral drug. However, ritonavir can affect the metabolism of other drugs, so it should be used with caution, including those used to treat heart disease, suppress the immune system, and relieve pain.
COVID-19 will reduce life expectancy in 2020
In the British medical journal BMJ, the results of a study investigating the impact of the new coronavirus on life expectancy in 37 countries were published. Announced. The analysis, which estimates the "loss of life expectancy" in 2020, showed that life expectancy decreased the most due to COVID-19 in Russia by -2.32 years, in the United States by -1.98 years, in Bulgaria by -1.75 years and in Lithuania by -1.61 years. It's been a year.
In New Zealand, Norway, and Taiwan, where infection control measures were effective and the number of deaths was low, the average life expectancy increased. The "loss of life expectancy" estimated by the analysis was more than five times greater than the 2015 seasonal flu epidemic. Japan is not included in this analysis.
The appearance of the Omicron strain strengthened the world's alertness, and the world was forced to make various choices again. Measures such as banning travel from countries where the Omicron strain has been found, greatly accelerating the third booster shot, and requiring masks are all ways to buy time to fully understand the Omicron strain and slow its spread. It's also a precautionary measure.
Fortunately, mankind is now much more knowledgeable and armed than when the novel coronavirus was first reported from Wuhan. In any case, we will be limited in what we can do. All we have to do is avoid close contact as before, take preventative measures such as washing hands and wearing masks in addition to vaccinations, and wait for the development of new medicines.
What is the effect of the first “drinkable corona remedy”? What is the infectiousness of the spreading mutant strain "Delta Plus"? : New Coronavirus and the World Now (October)
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