COVID-19 Outbreak: Weekly Global Report for Friday, February 26, 2021
AdvaMed recognizes that its members, particularly those with global government affairs responsibilities, are tracking COVID-19 related developments around the world to assess the public health and economic impacts on their businesses. Knowing that companies are consuming information from a variety of sources, AdvaMed's global team would like to provide members with a weekly snapshot of the key statistics, policy developments and advocacy initiatives underway in our priority markets. If you have any suggestions, we welcome your feedback.
Global
- Weekly COVID-19 statistics: global cases topped 112 million. Deaths around the world have exceeded 2.5 million. The countries with the most reported cases continue to be the U.S. (28.3 million), India (11 million), and Brazil (10.3 million). Over the past six weeks since early January, new cases have continuously declined across the globe.
- U.S. cases exceeded 27.3 million with deaths increasing to 492,000.
- Staff Contact: Ralph Ives (rives@advamed.org).
China
- Overview: The wave of outbreaks across northern China in January—the most severe uptick in local cases since last summer—appears to be under control. This Thursday, China’s regulator approved for general use a third and fourth vaccine produced by CanSino Biologics and Sinopharm. Over 31 million Chinese citizens have received a COVID vaccine as of Feb. 5. Meanwhile, Beijing has exported millions of vaccine doses, primarily to developing countries.
- Weekly COVID-19 statistics: China’s total COVID cases now stand at 100,845, an increase of 597 cases over the previous week. Deaths now stand at 4,834, an increase of 1 compared to last week.
- Beijing tightens entry requirements: from Jan. 28 until March 13, Beijing will require people arriving from low-risk areas in China to show negative COVID-19 test results, tightening curbs ahead of the Lunar New Year and the annual parliament meetings in early March known as the “Two Sessions.” People entering the capital from those areas will need to undergo a 14-day health observation period after arrival.
- Vaccine roll-out: China’s regulator on Feb. 5 approved a second vaccine for general use: Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine. This follows China’s approval of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine on Dec. 31 last year. Results from ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials showed an efficacy rate of 79 percent for the Sinopharm vaccine. However, the lack of details by Chinese regulators and Sinopharm has raised concerns in some circles. According to the National Health Commission, 31 million Chinese citizens have received the vaccine as of Feb 5.
- Hiccup in second vaccine: in January, Brazilian researchers celebrated results showing 78% efficacy for the vaccine developed by Beijing-based Sinovac. However, the Brazilian research institute conducting the trials apparently released only partial results, creating unrealistic expectations. Updated results show an efficacy rate of around 51%. Indonesia and Pakistan have approved the Sinovac-developed vaccine for emergency use.
- China approves third and fourth vaccinees this week: China’s regulator gave conditional approval to a vaccine from CanSino Biologics and a second one from state-owned Sinopharm. Both are already being used among select groups of people under an emergency use authorization. China now has four vaccines to immunize its population. CanSino said its one-shot vaccine candidate is 65.28% effective 28 days after the dose is given. It can be stored at 2 degrees to 8 degrees Celsius, “making it more accessible especially to the regions with underserved public health,” it said in a statement.
- Updated estimates on 2020 hospital visits: according to the National Health Commission, the total number of hospital visits/medical consultations in January through September 2020 reached 3.9 billion, a decrease of 15.3% over the same period in 2019. It is important to note that this percentage decrease has gotten progressively smaller since June, perhaps indicating Chinese patients have become more comfortable in visiting medical institutions in the second half of 2020.
- WHO team investigating COVID. Many analysts believe the WHO’s investigation and findings are unlikely to calm the debate around the virus, however. For instance, the U.S. State Department said it will work to verify the WHO’s findings and continued to fault the Chinese government for its lack of transparency.
- The Chinese economy: The Chinese business newspaper Caixin carried an analysis suggesting the economic outcomes of this year’s Spring Festival are mixed. Caixin states many people in China swapped travel for spending on high-end goods, services, meals and movies, leading to a robust recovery in consumption compared to last year. However, it further cautions that these headline figures are more reflective of larger cities rather than the country as a whole, with smaller cities likely lagging behind.
- S.-China relations. Overall, the new administration is continuing to review the Trump-era inheritance and has not made any sudden policy changes yet. During her confirmation hearing this Thursday, USTR nominee Katherine Tai called on China to live up to its Phase One trade deal commitments. According to Bloomberg, this is the “strongest signa yet” that the new administration plans to build on the accord brokered by its predecessor rather than scrap it.
- Staff Contact: Kyle Churchman (kchurchman@advamed.org)
India
- Weekly COVID-19 statistics – 11,046,432 total cases, 151,708 active cases/156,705 deaths/ discharged 10,738,501 (John Hopkins & MoHFW) as compared to 10,950,201 total cases, 137,342 active cases/156,014 deaths/ 10,656,845 discharged (John Hopkins & MoHFW) . 1,26,71,163 people have been vaccinated.
- Everyone above 60 years of age and those over 45 years and having other illnesses will be able to get Covid-19 vaccine from March 1 for free at government facilities and for a charge at many private hospitals, the government said on Wednesday. Announcing the next phase of India's vaccination drive, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said a proposal to this effect was approved at a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- The director of AIIMS, Dr Randeep Guleria, has welcomed the Centre’s decision to allow private hospitals to vaccinate people against Covid-19. The move will help expedite the immunisation process, he said on Wednesday, February 24, 2021.
- The Centre has deputed multi-disciplinary teams to states witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases, including Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir, to support them in effectively tackling the pandemic. The three-member multidisciplinary teams are headed by joint secretary level officers in the health ministry, the Union Health Ministry said.
- New Covid-19 strains have been detected in India and the UK strain is highly transmissible, said Jagat Ram, director of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER) on Wednesday, cautioning that all possible precautions must be taken to prevent the rise in cases. "New Covid-19 strains detected in India and the UK strain is highly transmissible.
- India has vaccinated around 42% of registered frontline workers with the first dose of Covid-19 jabs with nine states achieving a more than 60% coverage since February 2, when inoculation of this category was initiated. Among healthcare workers who have completed four weeks since receiving the first dose of vaccines, 62% had been given the second shot till Tuesday, February 23, official data shows.
- In the wake of sudden rise in Covid-19 cases in some states, the Centre has suggested increase in RT-PCR tests, stringent monitoring of mutant strains, while also advising states to refocus on strict surveillance and adopt stringent containment measures in districts that are reporting high number of positive cases. In a letter to states, the health ministry also stressed that all negative rapid antigen test results should be mandatorily followed by RT-PCR test.
- Contrary to the common belief that lungs and heart are mostly affected by Covid-19, a team of Indian researchers from five cities, including Hyderabad, found that the virus can damage almost every part of the body, including small intestines and even the rectum. The team, which studied the histopathology (damage to tissues of various organs), of Covid-19 patients, noted that even kidneys, reproductive organs and the brain are also hit by the virus.
- Terming the recent drop in Covid-19 cases in the country as a "small window of opportunity", AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria on Saturday called for a public-private partnership (PPP) for the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme at a large scale. Speaking at an AIMA event here, Guleria said the vaccine is the only weapon available to gain immunity and help reduce the mortality rate due to infectious disease.
- A team led by IISc researchers has developed a software tool that reveals the severity of lung infections in Covid-19 patients. Called AnamNet, the software tool can ‘read’ chest CT scans of potential Covid-19 patients and estimate the damage caused to the lungs by scanning for specific abnormal features. It can provide automated assistance to doctors and therefore help in faster diagnosis and better management of Covid-19.
- Staff Contact: Abby Pratt (apratt@advamed.org).
Japan
- Weekly COVID-19 statistics – 430,165 reported cases and 7,759 reported deaths compared to 422,747 reported cases and 7,312 reported deaths last week.
- Japan has approved the Pfizer vaccine and began providing it to a small subset of health care providers. Vaccination of a further 3.7 million front-line health care providers is set to begin in March, followed by 36 million people age 65 or above beginning April 12. People with pre-existing conditions and those working at elderly care facilities will be next in line, followed by the general population.
- Japan has contracted with Pfizer for 120 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to be delivered in the first half of 2021, and for enough vaccine for 72 million people by the end of 2021. Japan has also contracted for 50 million doses of the Moderna vaccine and 120 million doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccine. Astra Zeneca will manufacture 90 million of those doses in Japan. The company submitted its application for approval on February 8.
- Japan plans to inoculate its entire population with a COVID-19 vaccine by the time the Olympics start in July 2021.
- It has asked local governments to make arrangements to allow 30-40 million elderly citizens to be vaccinated by the end of March. About 10,000 healthcare workers who work with COVID-19 patients should receive the vaccine by the end of February, and around 3 million other healthcare workers will receive it by mid-March.
- The current State of Emergency will continue for until March 7 in Tokyo. Some other prefectures covered by the State of Emergency, including Osaka, are asking for it to be lifted at the end of February. The overall pace of new cases has slowed in recent weeks.
- Under the State of Emergency, the relevant prefectural governors are asking people to stay at home after 8 p.m., while restaurants, pubs and cafes that serve alcoholic beverages are requested to serve them only from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and close by 8 p.m.
- The central government has asked companies to reduce the number of workers going to the office by 70% and facilitate telecommuting and staggered commuting hours.
- In addition, under the States of Emergency, physicians now have the option, in consultation with patients, of postponing procedures if they feel their hospital’s bed will be needed for COVID-19 patients.
- Hospitals in COVID-hit regions are severely strained, with some reportedly on the brink of collapse. The Chair of the Japan Medical Association said that Japan doesn’t have enough doctors and nurses to deal with the caseload.
- According to a recent survey, 44% of advanced medical care hospitals are experiencing significant postponements of procedures due to patients’ concerns about COVID-19.
- The pandemic has had a severe impact on the financial situation of Japan’s hospitals. Nearly 70% of Japan’s hospitals are now operating in the red.
- Japan confirmed that the UK variant of the virus has been found in the country and has banned all foreign tourists from entering Japan as a result.
- In addition, Japan temporarily suspended an arrangement allowing business travelers from 11 Asian countries and regions to enter Japan, effectively banning the entry of nonresident foreign travelers. This suspension will be in effect through February 7. Japanese and foreign nationals with valid legal statuses are permitted to return to the country under the latest entry restrictions.
- Japan's Ministry of Health has adopted priority regulatory review procedures for new COVID-related medical devices.
- Staff Contact: Phil Agress (PAgress@AdvaMed.org).
Korea
- South Korea’s numbers have leveled as the Lunar New Year holiday has now ended. They are reporting 440 new cases, down from 621 last week. New deaths are decrease from last week, now totaling 5 per day. South Korea continues to avoid the dramatic spikes that many other countries are experiencing.
- South Korea has 88,516 total cases, 7,448 active cases, with 1,581 deaths, reporting 5 deaths per day. Total cases per million population have remained low compared to most of the world at just 1,726 (S. Korea ranks as one of the lowest among the more highly populated countries). Deaths per million remain comparatively low as well at just 31.
- Notwithstanding recent spiking, Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency this week publicly stated they expect the COVID-19 pandemic to be sufficiently tamed by November or earlier. The statement also indicated a key factor in their assessment is the expectation that Korea’s vaccination program will be in full effect soon.
- Delivery of the first batch of Astra Zeneca vaccine began Thursday, and over the next 4 days, authorities are expecting to distribute over 1 million doses to around 2,000 public health centers and nursing homes. Health centers are saying they are up for the task, and ready and able to perform as many vaccinations as the number of doses they receive.
- There is some public skepticism in Korea around vaccines, however, and public health centers have indicated they will monitor patients closely for side effects.
- COVAX, a World Health Organization project for global vaccine equity, is also shipping 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines to Incheon around noon Friday. These jabs will be going to front-line workers taking care of patients with COVID-19 starting the next day.
- South Korea, 52 million population, has secured access to coronavirus vaccines enough for 56 million people. The COVAX project will supply 20 million doses of vaccines to inoculate 10 million people.
- South Korea plans to vaccinate at least 1.3 million people by March, 9 million by June, and the rest of the 33.25 million in the following months. Over 75 percent of the vaccines will be distributed in the latter half of the year. Government officials have stated that they into to roll out the COVID-19 vaccinations as planned to reach herd immunity by November.
- Koreans who are under 50 and healthy may be able to get their shots in the last few months of the year. The government vowed that all Koreans would eventually be vaccinated in phases except for pregnant women and children under 18, unless future trial results demonstrate otherwise.
- South Korea has deals in place to secure vaccines from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, which require two shots, and Johnson & Johnson's Janssen, which requires one jab. The nation is also close to striking a deal to buy coronavirus vaccines from US drug-maker Novavax. It has no plan to purchase Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.
- South Korea’s central bank on Thursday decided to maintain its previous 3 percent growth outlook for the nation’s gross domestic product this year, with its chief suggesting that vaccination will determine its economic development. Following its first monetary policy meeting of the year, the Bank of Korea decided to keep its interest-rate at a record-low of 0.5 percent, while keeping up its forecast for 3 percent growth rate for 2021.
- South Korea's upcoming fourth round of COVID-19 relief handouts may amount to more than 19.5 trillion won ($17.6 billion), the ruling Democratic Party (DP) said Thursday. The scale of the government's proposal for the new batch of pandemic relief fund has been tentatively set at around 19.5 trillion won, but the final amount could rise further during the National Assembly's review of the related bill.
- South Korea eased some of its strictest social distancing rules for businesses post-Lunar New Year, but kept limits on private gatherings as authorities prepared to unveil plans for the roll out of the first coronavirus vaccines later this month.
- Authorities chose not to impose stricter measure ahead of Lunar New Year, as was contemplated. Currently, Level 2.5, the second highest in the country's five-tier scheme, has been applied in the greater Seoul area, with Level 2 in other areas. Private gatherings of five or more have been banned across the country, while the operation of restaurants has been limited after 9 p.m.
- South Korea continues to impose suspension of direct flights from Britain.
- Foreigners arriving at South Korean airports face a mandatory 14-day quarantine procedure and must present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of their departure to the nation.
- Foreigners from Britain and South Africa who fail to present negative PCR test results will be banned from entering the nation, and incoming Korean nationals without test results will be isolated in temporary living facilities for two weeks upon their arrival in the nation, the KDCA said.
- South Korea’s movement toward implementation of a proposal that would potentially reduce the price of certain cardiac and peripheral stents has been at least temporarily postponed. A December meeting that was scheduled to occur to discuss the proposal has been postponed. AdvaMed is in touch with members and the medtech association in Korea and has had several discussions with the US Government on this topic. We have sent a letter to the health ministry expressing opposition to the proposal.
- We have submitted a letter in response to a recently issued request for comments on the proposal for potential implementation of pricing controls on stents. Please contact Joseph Gatewood (jgatewood@advamed.org) if you have an interest in this matter and are not already engaged.
- Resources: http://ncov.mohw.go.kr/en/.
- Staff Contact: Joseph Gatewood (jgatewood@advamed.org).
ASEAN
- Weekly COVID-19 statistics – ASEAN now has 2,397,332 reported cases and 51,890 reported deaths compared to 2,310,498 reported cases and 49,917 reported deaths last week.
- The vast majority of cases are in Indonesia, the Philippines, and more recently Myanmar and Malaysia. Indonesia surpassed 1.3 million cases last week and the Philippines has reported over 568,000 cases.
- Indonesia’s total COVID-19 deaths have reached 35,254, the highest level in East Asia. The Philippines reported 12,201 deaths.
- Myanmar is now reporting 141,816 total cases and 3,197 deaths, although there is likely underreporting since February 1 due to the military coup.
- Cambodia and Laos have each reported zero deaths, while Brunei has reported 3 deaths, and Singapore has reported 29 deaths (despite having over 59,000 cases). These numbers are unchanged from last week.
- Cases of COVID-19 infection continue to climb in Vietnam following a new outbreak in late January. The total number of confirmed infections has risen to 2,412 in 11 separate provinces or cities. Ho Chi Minh City has decided to close all non-essential services and entertainment activities until further notice in an effort to contain the resurgence.
- Thailand, which in mid-December had just over 4,000 cases of COVID-19, experienced a major surge that originated in a shrimp market southeast of Bangkok. It is now reporting over 25,692 cases ad 83 deaths. Thailand will begin vaccinations in late February.
- Indonesia has secured orders for 600 million doses of vaccine from four producers. This includes between 13.7 million and 23.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX system. The vaccines will arrive in two phases: 25-35% of doses in Q1 2021, and 65-75% in Q2. The Ministry of Health said this vaccine can be used for those who are over 60, unlike the Sinovac vaccine, currently in use in Indonesia. President Jokowi has set a target of finishing the vaccination process within this year.
- Malaysia expects to receive the first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines on February 26. The government agreed to buy 12.8 million doses of the vaccine in November and an additional 12.2 million doses in January. Once delivered, the vaccines will be distributed nationwide over a period of one to two weeks. Malaysia has also signed agreements for 18.4 million doses of vaccines produced by Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute and China's Sinovac.
- The Philippines is experiencing delays in the start of its immunization plans. The makers of the two approved vaccines, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, have put their sales agreements on hold until Manila can issue indemnification clauses in the contract. This follows news of the arrest warrants issued against three top Sanofi executives in a case related to the rollout several years ago of that company’s dengue drug. Pfizer and AstraZeneca had promised to start delivering 117,000 doses and 5.5 million doses, respectively, to the Philippines last week. On February 22, the Philippines approved China’s Sinovac coronavirus vaccine. However, according to the Philippines’ FDA, the vaccine will not be given to healthcare workers due to its varying efficacy levels.
- Elective surgeries have resumed in Thailand and Vietnam.
- In Indonesia, provincial hospitals are resuming elective surgery with COVID-19 protocols in place.
- Malaysia maintains limits on elective surgery except in emergency cases.
- Singapore restricts most elective surgeries but allows certain procedures including cancer screening, surgical operations for advanced cataracts, flu vaccinations, and dental procedures.
- The Philippines extended its State of Calamity by a year to counter the pandemic. This extension will give national and local governments latitude to continue utilizing appropriate disaster relief funds and affords the government powers to monitor and control necessities and provide essential services to the affected populations.
- Hospitals in some parts of Indonesia, including Java and Bali, are on the brink of collapse as the nation passed one million confirmed cases.
- As of January 1, Indonesia has closed its border to foreign nationals to mitigate the increased spread of COVID-19. The new policy provides exemptions for holders of diplomatic visas and official visas related to foreign officials at the ministerial level, holders of limited stay permits, and permanent resident permits.
- Malaysia has replaced its national movement control order (MCO) – which restricted inter-state and inter-district travel, prohibited social gatherings, and limited indoor dining – with a less stringent conditional movement control order (CMCO). Under the CMCO, all business sectors will be permitted to operate, and restrictions on social gatherings and indoor dining will be relaxed. Select states, including Selangor, Johor, Penang, and the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur, remain under the more restrictive MCO until March 4, when local conditions will be reassessed.
- The Philippines has imposed restrictions on travelers from the United States and 20 other countries where cases of the new COVID-19 variant were reported.
- As of February 1, Singapore suspended its Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) arrangements with Malaysia, Germany, and South Korea for three months due to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Travelers who have already been approved to enter Singapore under these RGLs can continue to do so. The move does not affect Singapore’s Periodic Commuting Arrangement with Malaysia, which includes longer-term workers and business travel. Following this latest suspension, only the green lanes with Brunei and a few cities in China remain open.
- Thailand now allows long-term stay visitors, including business travelers and tourists, who will be able to remain in the country for up to 90 days (with up to two extensions possible). Visitors must be from a designated low-risk country, must undergo testing, and must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Thailand.
- Thailand has extended its nationwide state of emergency through February 28 and deferred a proposal to shorten the quarantine period for foreign tourists to 10 days to prevent a COVID-19 resurgence during the peak holiday season.
- Vietnam has banned flights from countries that have recorded the new COVID-19 variant. The country will limit inbound repatriation flights until mid-February.
- Staff Contact: Phil Agress (PAgress@AdvaMed.org)
Europe
- Europe is still struggling with persistently high numbers even as they appear to be experiencing reduction or flattening in the rate of increase. Spain and UK continue to show improvement. Italy appears to be spiking again after several weeks of consistent improvement.
- In terms of new cases, the numbers appear to be flattening throughout most of Europe and in some cases decreasing significantly (prior week figures in parentheses). France leads with 25,403 (25,018), Spain 9,568 (10,829), Russia 11,198 (12,828), UK 9,985 (12,718), Italy 19,886 (12,074), Germany 3,385 (9,618). Portugal has gone back up to 11th most new cases in Europe to 15th. Italy’s downward trend was halted this week by an increase in numbers, but Spain remains in the improving category, along with Germany and UK. France remains at virtually the same level of new cases as it had last week.
- The UK still leads Europe in deaths by a wide margin, at 122,070, followed by Italy, France, Russia, Germany and Spain. (see chart below). Russia's reported numbers on COVID remain problematic with perhaps the highest number of total cases of any country at 4,212,100 (slightly higher than the UK’s total) and 84,876 reported deaths (and reporting one of the lowest death rates in Europe at 581 per million). By comparison, Germany with one of the track records for the larger Western European countries, has more than 1.6 million fewer cases (2,419,887) and reports 69,749 deaths and a death rate of 831 per million.
|
|