LIVE | British study: Mix of vaccines gives higher protection | Inland

• Delta variant takes hold: how sensible are relaxations now?
• Lack of staff when getting rid of ‘corona reservoir’ in care
• Inspection taps GP from Haulerwijk on fingers spreading ‘conspiracy theories’

The first results of a British study into the effectiveness of corona vaccines suggest that a mix of different types of vaccines offers adequate protection against corona. Subjects produced high levels of antibodies and immune cells after receiving one dose of the Pfizer vaccine and one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The researchers, mostly affiliated with the University of Oxford, began the study, called Com-COV, in February. Of the 830 volunteers, some were given two doses of Pfizer or AstraZeneca, both of which have been shown to be effective against Covid-19. Others received a dose of AstraZeneca, followed by one from Pfizer, or vice versa.

The researchers found that the volunteers who received different vaccines reported more chills, headaches and muscle aches than people who received two doses of the same vaccine. However, those side effects were short-lived.

The study also found that using different vaccines resulted in a higher level of immune cells ready to attack the coronavirus than using two doses of the same vaccine. It is not yet clear why mixing would have that advantage.

For now, the researchers recommend getting two doses of the same vaccine. After all, large clinical studies have shown that this strategy reduces the chance of getting corona. “The standard should be: what has been proven to work,” one of the scientists said at a news conference Monday.

But there are cases where that is not possible, such as when vaccine shipments are delayed. In such situations, it’s important to note that this study provides “reassuring evidence” that people can switch to a different vaccine, the researchers say.

The group of British scientists has now started a similar study, this time adding vaccines from Moderna and Novavax to the list of possibilities.

7.00 – Number of corona cases is falling, but it is going a little slower

The number of new corona cases is still falling rapidly. It is a little slower than in previous weeks. In the past week, the number of positive tests has probably fallen by a quarter to more than 4,000. In the weeks before, the number of positive tests dropped by more than 30 percent.

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) will provide the exact number of positive tests in the past seven days on Tuesday. Last week, the institute reported that it had received 5714 reports of new cases in the week before. That was about 36 percent less than in the week before. Just a week earlier, the number of cases fell by 38 percent.

In the six days since the last update, 3668 positive tests were registered. That is an average of just over 600 cases per day. This could bring the weekly figure to 4200 to 4300. That would be 25 percent less than the week before.

Last week, the RIVM reported that the Delta variant (the new name of the Indian variant) is on the rise. The mutation will dethrone the Alfa variant (British variant) in the course of the summer and will be most common in the Netherlands. In the autumn, this could lead to a new wave of infections and hospital admissions.

In the weekly update, RIVM also calculates on Tuesday how many corona patients have been admitted to hospitals in the past week and how many people have died from the virus. Last week, the institute reported that 160 people had been hospitalized, 32 of whom were in intensive care, and that 17 people had died. That was significantly lower than the week before, and that decline is likely to continue.

RIVM will also calculate the new reproduction number on Tuesday. That figure has fallen significantly since April, suggesting that the virus is finding it increasingly difficult to infect new people. Last Friday the number stood at 0.79.

RIVM also reports on Tuesday how many people were vaccinated last week. It’s probably about 1.4 million, pretty much the same as the week before.

6.45 -10 million Australians are in lockdown due to Delta variant

About 10 million Australians have been in lockdown since Tuesday, as the extra-contagious Delta variant threatens to accelerate the spread of the coronavirus through the country. After Sydney, Perth and Darwin, Brisbane became the fourth metropolitan area to be declared a lockdown on Tuesday.

Brisbane decided to lock down after two corona infections were diagnosed, including at an unvaccinated receptionist in a hospital. Sydney, the largest city in the country with more than 5.3 million inhabitants, has now been in lockdown for two weeks. On Monday, eighteen new infections were registered.

In the areas where there is a lockdown, people are expected to stay at home until further notice. Exceptions are made for essential work, sports, purchasing food and medical reasons.

In response to the new outbreaks, the Australian cabinet has announced it will expand its hitherto slow vaccination program. Only 5 percent of Australians are currently vaccinated with two doses of a vaccine.

There have been no deaths as a result of the new outbreaks, but two people have been admitted to intensive care because of corona. In any case, no one in Australia has died from corona this year.

Since the start of the pandemic, Australia has registered just 30,000 infections and 910 deaths, out of a population of more than 25 million.

6.43 – Health Council advises on corona vaccine teenagers

During the day, the Health Council will issue its advice on whether or not to vaccinate against Covid-19 in healthy teenagers aged 12 to 17 years.

Minister Hugo de Jonge said he was in favor and hopes for a positive opinion from the experts. If young people are pricked, the chance of infections in particular classes is reduced. In this way, society will be “protected as best as possible” against the virus, De Jonge recently said.

Pediatricians were initially not enthusiastic, because the medical risks of infection for healthy young people themselves are small. However, Monday’s Volkskrant shows that they have changed their mind: they now also advise teenagers aged 12 to 17 to be vaccinated against corona. The rapid emergence of the more contagious Delta variant makes this necessary, according to Károly Illy, OMT member and chairman of the Dutch Association for Pediatrics.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has ruled that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is safe for young people aged 12 years and older.

6.30 – Health expenditure in 2020 up by 475 euros per person due to corona

Households, insurers and the government have spent significantly more money on healthcare in 2020, mainly due to the coronavirus outbreak. They spent an average of 6660 euros per person, 475 euros more than in 2019. Not only did the care for corona patients lead to extra costs, but also, for example, the purchase of mouth caps and the bonus for healthcare employees. This is reported by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

The extra health care expenditure was mainly incurred by the government. He spent 340 euros more per person on this last year. Through the health insurance and the Long-term Care Act, 190 euros more was spent per Dutch person. The bills that people had to pay for care themselves went down by 40 euros. This is partly because they visited less specialists such as physiotherapists and dentists.

Healthcare costs increased not only due to the treatment of Covid patients and expenditure on protective equipment, but also, for example, due to extra shelter for the homeless. In addition, care providers were compensated for lost turnover because much regular care was postponed or cancelled. An estimated EUR 4.1 billion went into these support schemes. The bonus that healthcare employees received for their efforts during the first wave and the many corona tests also led to high costs.

A total of 116 billion euros was spent on care and welfare last year. That is 8.9 billion euros more than in 2019. The expenditure of providers of nursing, care and medical specialist care rose the most.

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