Paris, October 25 (Lujia) As of the afternoon of the 25th, the cumulative number of confirmed covid-19 patients in France has reached 7127163, an increase of 1295 cases in a single day; the total number of patients with new crown disease has reached 117492, an increase of 42 cases in a single day. There are currently 1023 severe patients.
[WHO: When will the epidemic end in people's hands]
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said on the 24th that when the epidemic ends is in people's hands, because all the tools to fight the new crown epidemic are already in place. At the same time, he reiterated his call for a more equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
Speaking at the opening of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany, Tedros said, "When the world chooses to end the epidemic, the epidemic will end, it is up to us, we have all the tools we need to end the epidemic." Unfortunately, so far, the world has not used these tools well, he lamented, stressing that the outbreak is "far from over" as nearly 50,000 people still die from COVID-19 infections each week around the world.
According to Tedros, the World Health Organization has set a goal of getting 40 percent of every country's population to complete COVID-19 vaccination by the end of this year, and increasing that percentage to 70 percent by mid-2022. He argues that these goals are achievable, provided that rich countries do not have a "monopoly" on vaccines and that countries and companies that control vaccine supply translate statements into action. He called on countries that have already achieved the 40% COVID-19 vaccination coverage target, including all G20 members, to make vaccines available to the Global Vaccine Access Mechanism (Covax) and the African Vaccine Procurement Fund (Avat) set up by the African Union. As for vaccine manufacturers, they "have to share patented technology and licenses and give up intellectual property."
Un Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a recorded video that "the COVID-19 vaccine was developed and put on the market in record time, a victory offset by the tragedy of uneven distribution of vaccines." "Nationalism and vaccine hoarding put us all at risk." ”
Alain Fischer, chairman of the French COVID-19 Vaccine Strategic Steering Committee, said in an interview with French TV 2 on the 25th that if there is no other new variant of the new coronavirus, it should be seen that the new crown epidemic gradually disappears, and the new crown virus may become a virus that exists but does not cause serious infection.
["Strengthening needle" adverse reactions will not be higher】
At present, there are about 6 million people in France who are eligible for the "booster needle" vaccination of the new crown vaccine, of which about 2.2 million have been vaccinated. According to Health Minister Olivier Véran, at least 20 million people will be eligible for "booster injections" in the coming weeks. Both Alain Fisher, chair of france's National Health Authority (HAS) and chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Strategic Steering Committee, believe that in the medium term, this could involve all adults who have completed vaccination. But many French are hesitant to get a "booster shot," fearing more side effects.
The United States Pfizer Pharmaceutical announced the results of a clinical trial for more than 10,000 people aged 16 and above on the 21st, saying that the effect of pfizer vaccination "booster needle" on symptomatic infection was 96.5%, and no "safety problem" was found, that is, the adverse reactions of "booster injection" were similar to the first two injections. This is a fairly impressive result, but it still needs to be analyzed by peers and authorities around the world.
France's National Health Administration announced in early October that the results of a Pfizer experiment in the 18- to 55-year-old age group showed that vaccinated people showed good tolerance within a follow-up period of 2.6 months after receiving the "booster needle", and the most common adverse reactions included pain, fatigue, fever, etc. at the injection site, usually mild to moderate adverse reactions, which were basically the same as the probability of adverse reactions when receiving the second dose of the vaccine, and the risk of myocarditis or pericarditis did not increase.
According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the 12,591 volunteers who used the Pfizer and Modena vaccinations, about 70 percent of Pfizer vaccinators and 80 percent of Modena vaccinators experienced local symptoms such as arm pain, itching, or systemic adverse reactions such as fatigue, fever, and headache within seven days of the injection, which is very close to the rate after the second dose, and for 93 percent of the adverse reaction patients, the discomfort symptoms are not serious and will disappear in a few days at most.
Israel reported a report released sept. 30 that only 19 of the 3.2 million Israelis who received the "booster injection" reported more severe side effects than after the second dose. Of these, only seven of the more than 2 million "booster needle" vaccinators in the 12- to 64-year-old age group reported, including one case of myocarditis. The most common side effects are fatigue, weakness, and pain at the injection site.
Cyrille Cohen, an immunologist at université Bar-Ilan in Tel-Aviv, Israel, notes that no more serious side effects than a second dose of the vaccine are currently observed in the "booster" vaccination. In contrast, he added, the risk of fatigue, arm or headache after the second dose of the vaccine was higher than after the first dose. This may be due to the fact that the interval between the second dose and the first dose is only three to four weeks, while the "booster needle" is injected six months after the completion of the vaccination, and "after a gap of six months, the immune system's response may weaken." ”
But Cyril Cohen warns that there is still a lack of data on the medium-term effects of vaccination with "booster shots," such as data on heart problems among young people, and it's too early to talk about that, "We know that every medical intervention carries risks, but the balance of benefits versus risks must be accurately quantified." ”
[Extension of the "health pass", the Senate has objections]
The French National Assembly passed the second article of the controversial Health Alert Act on the evening of the 20th, which allows the validity of the "Health Pass" to be extended to July 31, 2022, which is activated in case of health conditions.
The text will be submitted to the right-wing majority Senate for consideration on Thursday, 28. But Philippe Bas, chairman of the Senate Law Committee, has proposed an amendment that runs counter to the government's wishes, putting Feb. 28, 2022, as a deadline for a "health pass." Philip Bass said in an interview with the media that a three-and-a-half-month extension of the "health pass" after it expires on November 15 is enough.
The text proposed by the Senate also argues that the goal of encouraging COVID-19 vaccination through a "health pass" has been achieved, that a minimum threshold for vaccination coverage should be set, and that a "health pass" can only be mandatorily introduced in places of daily life in provinces where less than 75% of the local population (all ages) have completed COVID-19 vaccination. But according to research, even after COVID-19 vaccination is completed, it is still possible to contract the new crown virus and spread it to others, although the risk of transmission of the virus has been reduced.
In addition, the Senate wants to remove provisions that allow principals to obtain information on students' COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccinations, and whether they are contacts of the case. According to the Ministry of Health, this will make it easier for classes to implement health protocols, allowing students who have not received COVID-19 vaccine to attend classes at home when there are positive cases in the class. However, Philippe Bass noted that no discrimination should be created on the basis of vaccination status.
If the text voted by the Senate differs from the text adopted by the National Assembly, it will be coordinated by a joint committee of seven members of Parliament and seven senators. If the disagreement persists, the National Assembly will have the final say.
【Will the hospital be saturated again this winter?】 】
In the coming winter, will the NEW CROWN epidemic make a strong comeback? At present, the incidence rate in France has begun to rise, and the rate of virus transmission has also risen to more than 1. During the coldest months of the year, the condition can get worse quickly because respiratory viruses spread more easily. Experts predict that if people relax their daily protections, coupled with an epidemic outbreak in winter, it could complicate the health care system.
Gilles Pialoux, director of the infectious diseases department at the HÔpital Tenon hospital in Paris, said in an interview with BFM that the rebound in Eastern Europe has sounded alarm bells, and countries such as the Czech Republic, Romania and Poland have seen worrying conditions. He stressed that strict adherence to daily protective measures is key to avoiding all risks, including sticking to masks and maintaining human distancing as much as possible.
Gies Piaro stressed that the COVID-19 epidemic is not over and the winter disease is making a comeback. Unlike last winter, even if the French were vaccinated against COVID-19, they would be affected by other winter diseases such as bronchiolitis, gastroenteritis, influenza, etc. So it's absolutely essential to maintain daily protection, "otherwise we're going to have a catastrophic winter." He noted that some studies have shown that people are increasingly lax in their daily protection.
The French Scientific Council also warned that with many public places no longer mandatory wearing masks, the daily protection of the French people will be "massively relaxed", which may accelerate the spread of the new crown virus. This was also confirmed by a survey conducted by the French Public Health Service in July, with 62.5% of respondents saying they did not shake hands in greeting each other, compared with 66.4% at the end of June, 72.1% in mid-May, more than 80% during the second lockdown in autumn 2020 and more than 90% during the first lockdown in the spring of 2020.
【The issuance time of identity documents has been greatly extended】
As the COVID-19 crisis slowed down administrative services and the demand for passports increased after the border reopened, the waiting time for French people to obtain identity documents has been significantly extended.
According to the French BFM TV, the time it takes French people to obtain or renew passports and identity cards has increased significantly, with an average of two months to wait, which is about double that of normal times.
Alix, a resident of Issy-les-Moulineaux in the Hauts-de-Seine department of Paris, said she wanted to apply for an ID card for her son, looking for a date online in early September, but found that she had to wait two or three months, and finally she looked for opportunities in several Paris district governments and finally just got her son's first ID card.
This situation is caused by a variety of factors. The first is the slowdown in administrative services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the reopening of the border has also increased the need for replacement of identity documents, and The impact of Brexit has also been somewhat, as French people must have passports to travel to the UK, rather than having only their IDENTITies as valid documents. Anne-Gaëlle Baudouin, director of France's National Warrants Centre (ANTS), said that france's full introduction of new id cards since August has also attracted citizens, with nearly 1.7 million copies so far distributed.
Étienne Béranger, vice-mayor of Issy-les-Moulino for Citizenship, pointed out that it is more common for a family to travel and suddenly find that their child's passport has expired, and the municipality understands this situation, but recommends preparing for the renewal of documents.
It is also reported that after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the time for foreigners in France to apply for and renew residence cards has also been extended. As the police station closed the service for a time in the spring of 2020, the reopening resulted in a large accumulation of files to be processed, making the waiting time to collect the residence card often longer than normal.
【Illustration】
France 51056036 people were vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, accounting for 75.7% of the total population, and 49825118 people completed vaccination, accounting for 73.9% of the total population.
Strike protests by the French national railway company (SNCF) led to a reduction in the capacity of the high-speed train (TGV) Atlantic Line from the 22nd to the 24th, but this is not over, and the three major unions issued a notice calling for another strike from 12 o'clock on Friday, October 29 to 12 o'clock on Monday, November 1, to improve working conditions and raise wage levels.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced on the 25th that it approved the Use of the Modena vaccine for the adult population to receive a "booster injection", but only half a dose was injected. Meanwhile, The American company Modena Biotechnology announced that its COVID-19 vaccine has a strong immune response to children between the ages of 6 and 11.
Prices of France's main transport fuel fell slightly last week after weeks of growth. According to the data released by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition on the 25th, the average price of diesel is 1.5531 euros per liter, down 0.005 euros from a week ago, while the average price of SP95 gasoline is 1.6223 euros per liter, down 0.006 euros. On October 15, diesel prices climbed to an all-time high, reaching 1.583 euros per liter.
【International】
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more than 242 million confirmed cases and more than 4.95 million deaths worldwide. The countries with the highest total number of deaths to date are the United States (735941), Brazil (605644) and India (454712).
Merck pharmaceutical company (Merck) in the United States said it had applied to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for a marketing license for its anti-covid-19 drug Molnupiravir, and the European Medicines Agency has initiated an accelerated approval process. Earlier this month, Merck had already submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is expected to make a decision within a few weeks.
Anthony Fauci, a U.S. government medical adviser, expects the U.S. to vaccinate children ages 5 to 11 with COVID-19 in early November or early November.
Saska Airlines (SAS) said it had been "struggling to survive" since the outbreak, cutting 5,000 jobs in 2020, or 40 percent of its workforce, and receiving nearly 300 million euros in additional grants from its major shareholders, the Danish and Swedish governments (21.8 percent each), in May to weather the crisis. In response to this situation, SAS will convene major unions for a three-month period of negotiations, including cost reductions.
British musician and actor Ed Sheeran confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19.
The UK sent an email to the parents or guardians of about 2.5 million 12- to 15-year-old minors who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on the 25th, suggesting that they make an appointment for their children to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Scotland's Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has warned that the COP26 meeting, to be held in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November, could be at risk of leading to an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Orders for bicycles in Portugal surged during the pandemic, producing 2.6 million bicycles in 2020, almost all of which were exported, putting it ahead of Italy and Germany and becoming the largest bicycle manufacturing country in Europe.
Russia added 37,930 new confirmed patients in 24 hours, the highest single-day confirmed case since the outbreak began. The mayor of Moscow (Moscou), Sergueï Sobianine, announced that the elderly over the age of 60 who have not been vaccinated against the new crown and patients with chronic diseases will re-receive the four-month lockdown from the 25th.
The Czech Republic has required masks to be worn in indoor public spaces, especially workplaces, since the 25th.
Romania, one of the lowest levels of COVID-19 vaccination in the European Union, is facing a strong rebound from the outbreak and a healthcare system on the brink of saturation. Therefore, Romania has imposed a curfew from the 25th, the school is on holiday for two weeks, and a "health pass" will be required to enter many public places.
Israel and the UAE have signed an agreement to establish a "Green Corridor" that allows travelers who have completed COVID-19 vaccination to travel freely between the two countries.
Cinemas in Bombay, India's film capital, reopened.
The Iranian authorities announced on the 25th that they will reopen the border to tourists who have completed the new crown vaccination, but not including the countries and regions that are listed by the World Health Organization at high risk of the epidemic. So far, the Iranian border has been closed for nearly 20 months.
Vietnam's Phu Quoc island plans to reopen its borders to foreign tourists who have completed COVID-19 vaccination by the end of November.
The South Pacific island of Easter (île de Pâques) held a vote on the 24th on whether to reopen the border to tourists, and 67% of the residents voted against it. The island has been isolated for more than a year and a half, with only eight COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began, no new cases since September 2020, and tourism, the backbone of the local economy.
The International Women's Tennis Association (WTA) said unvaccinated players will be able to participate in the Australian Open in January 2022, subject to entry quarantine and regular testing. The announcement by the International Women's Tennis Association may also apply to men's matches. But the news contradicted the claims of several senior Australian officials who said foreigners who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 would not be able to obtain visas.