Corona-News: Nasal spray vaccination against corona – researchers see success in hamsters

News about Corona from April 04, 2023

Nasal spray vaccination against Corona – Researchers see success in hamsters

Tuesday, April 04, 04:15: According to a study, a nasal spray vaccine against corona developed in Berlin has advantages compared to previous Sars-CoV-2 vaccines, at least in animal experiments. The preparation with weakened corona viruses was tested on hamsters in various schemes and compared to an mRNA vaccine, for example, as a team led by Geraldine Nouailles from the Charité reports in the journal “Nature Microbiology”. It is still an early stage and there have not been any human tests. The question of the duration of protection beyond the period of the experiment is also unclear, as co-author Emanuel Wyler from the Max Delbrück Center (MDC) told the German Press Agency.

According to the study, the results of the so-called live attenuated vaccine show that the nasal spray vaccination triggered the strongest immunity. “The effect is measured by the severity of the golden hamster’s disease,” said Wyler. Various other parameters were also tested, such as virus replication, stimulation of the immune memory and the concentration of antibodies on the mucous membranes. The authors of the Charité, the Freie Universität Berlin (FU) and the MDC 2022 had presented a version that had not yet been reviewed by external experts as a so-called preprint.

Safety tests are now pending in cooperation with the Swiss biotech start-up RocketVax AG, as stated in a statement on the study. The company is continuing to develop the drug and is preparing a phase 1 clinical trial in humans. “In the coming winter we will not have a nasal corona vaccine in Europe,” said Wyler. “Vaccine development is no longer as fast as it was during the acute pandemic phase.” A nasal vaccine from the US pharmaceutical company Codagenix is ​​more advanced than the Berlin project, but the results of a phase 3 study are still pending.

With vaccines that are injected, immunity builds up primarily in the blood and distributed throughout the body. With nasal vaccines, on the other hand, it is promised that the virus will be specifically fought on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, where it first attacks. The goals also include more protection against the transmission of the virus. The previous Sars-CoV-2 vaccinations significantly reduce the risk of serious illness and death, but they offer less protection against infection with omicron. Other corona nasal vaccines were already approved in India and China in September 2022.

Corona balance: Germany as a trade fair location falls behind foreign competitors

Monday, April 03, 05:01: The corona pandemic and the associated restrictions have hit the German trade fair industry hard. Almost 670 trade fairs have had to be canceled since March 2020, which has caused more than 60 billion euros in overall economic damage and the state has lost around ten billion euros in tax revenue. This is the final calculation that the industry association AUMA published on Good Friday on the occasion of the end of the corona standards in the Infection Protection Act, and which was available to the editorial network Germany (RND/Montag) in advance.

“November aid, bridging funds and short-time work worked and helped to prevent the worst,” said Jörn Holtmeier, Managing Director of the umbrella organization of the German trade fair industry AUMA, the RND. Nevertheless, there were also “biting contradictions” in this pandemic, Holtmeier continued. “Trade fair professionals were entrusted with the quick, uncomplicated and imaginative construction of test and vaccination centers, but not with the safe implementation of their core business,” criticizes the industry representative. “With an incidence three times as high as in Germany, trade fairs were held in Madrid under tried and tested hygiene concepts, and the exhibition grounds in Amsterdam were exempt from lockdowns. Trade fairs have long been possible in Paris, London and Dubai, when lockdowns were still a big issue in this country. Targeted facilitation, as in North Rhine-Westphalia, could have limited the enormous damage to Germany as a world trade fair location,” complains Holtmeier.

When the trade fair business restarted in late spring of last year, new obstacles arose: the Federal Ministry of Health had six months longer than most other countries just for the recognition of all corona vaccines from the World Health Organization. As a result, countless foreign trade fair participants were unable to travel to Germany, reports AUMA. The latest figures from the World Trade Fair Association UFI reflect the hurdles in the German trade fair industry: While sales in a number of competitive markets are already reaching pre-Corona levels, many German trade fair companies will still lag behind this year.

Corona measure ends – sick leave by phone is history

Sunday, April 2, 9:21 a.m.: The telephone sick notes for mild colds introduced during the Corona crisis have ended. Patients have had to go back to the practice since Saturday if they need a certificate of incapacity for work. The possibility of telephone contact had been available almost continuously since March 2020 in order to avoid unnecessary contacts and corona infections. The joint federal committee of doctors, clinics and health insurance companies had extended a special regulation several times, most recently until March 31st. In view of the more relaxed pandemic situation, however, it has now expired.

Consumer advice centres, family doctors’ associations and health politicians have spoken out in favor of receiving sick notes by telephone in the long term. Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach made it clear that he thinks this makes sense. However, the SPD politician pointed out that the decision-making authority lies with the Federal Joint Committee. According to the minister, he would support it if the end of the regulation were reconsidered.

Survey: In retrospect, broad agreement Corona-Requirements

Saturday, April 01, 05:00: According to a survey in retrospect, the soon-to-be-ending state corona protection requirements are widely accepted. In a survey by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency, 48 percent called the mask requirements all in all completely correct and another 25 percent rather correct. 14 percent rated it as completely wrong and 11 percent as somewhat wrong. In retrospect, 41 percent of those surveyed rated the test obligations as completely correct and 32 percent as somewhat correct. They classified 12 percent as completely wrong and 11 percent as somewhat wrong.

After three years in the pandemic, the last nationwide corona requirements in the Infection Protection Act expire at Easter. The once numerous everyday requirements with mask requirements in shops or means of transport and test requirements before entering nursing homes and many indoor areas have largely been lifted. Masks are still compulsory for visitors to practices, clinics and care facilities until April 7th. On April 8th it will also be over.

According to the survey, almost two-thirds of those surveyed did not have any major problems with dealing with the requirements. In retrospect, 34 percent found that, in general, it was very easy for them to comply with the mask requirements. According to their own statements, it was rather easy for 31 percent. 14 percent found it very difficult, 17 percent rather difficult. Complying with test obligations was very easy for 31 percent and rather easy for 34 percent. According to their own statements, 13 percent found it very difficult and 18 percent found it rather difficult. A total of 2039 people aged 18 and over were interviewed for the survey from March 29th to 30th.

As a consequence of the mask and test obligations, the most common reason given by 59 percent was that risk groups such as the elderly and the sick were protected. 49 percent found that this resulted in high costs. The fact that the pandemic was kept under control in Germany was true for 48 percent. 43 percent said that freedom was restricted – and that everyday activities were possible despite Corona, 41 percent. The fact that society was polarized by the measures and protection rules was true for 32 percent. 2 percent found none of the options mentioned to be applicable.

According to the survey, confidence prevails when it comes to expectations of everyday rules that may become necessary again. 23 percent believe that state protection requirements could come again next autumn and winter – 56 percent do not believe it. Another 21 percent did not provide any information or did not know.

Opportunity to take sick leave by phone ends

Thursday, March 30, 5:33 am: The possibility of telephone sick leave for mild cold symptoms without visiting the practice is coming to an end. The special regulation introduced in the Corona crisis by the Federal Joint Committee of doctors, clinics and health insurance companies only applies until this Friday (March 31). Chairman Josef Hecken told the German Press Agency that sick leave by telephone had fulfilled its function during the pandemic – as an “easily implementable way of distinguishing between mild and severe cases of illness and avoiding full waiting rooms”.

In view of the current risk assessment by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), it is now being phased out. Hecken made it clear that you keep an eye on them and can activate them again very quickly if necessary.

Since the end of March 2020, it has been possible almost continuously to call in sick for mild respiratory problems. This should reduce unnecessary contacts and avoid corona infections. The Federal Joint Committee had extended the special regulation several times, most recently until March 31. The RKI downgraded the risk assessment for Germany from high to moderate in early February.

Hecken said that the special regulation had struck a balance between protection against corona infection and access to care. He thinks, for example, of the chronically ill who need regular care. “I’m very happy about that.” Self-critically, he had to say that the Federal Committee first had to find the right balance when dealing with telephone sick leave as part of the anti-corona tool kit. A temporary waiver of the regulation in view of the falling number of cases in spring 2020 was too optimistic and was quickly corrected.

“Regardless of the pandemic situation, insured persons can also receive sick leave during a video consultation – not just for mild respiratory diseases,” explained Hecken. “So that means that there is already the regular possibility that an insured person does not have to go to the doctor’s office for every illness.” A prerequisite, of course, is that the inability to work can be clarified without an immediate physical examination.

WHO does not recommend any further corona booster vaccinations for “medium” risk

March 28, 11:51 p.m.: The World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend any further corona booster vaccinations for adults with “medium” risk. For this population group – if they have received their basic immunization and a booster dose – the benefit of another vaccination is low, the WHO vaccination experts explained on Tuesday.

The UN Health Organization’s Advisory Expert Group on Immunization (SAGE) issued updated recommendations after its regular bi-annual meeting. The population was classified into the risk groups “high”, “medium” and “low” according to the risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid or dying from it.

Accordingly, additional booster vaccinations are only recommended for people at “high risk” – such as the elderly, people with previous illnesses such as diabetes, people with immune deficiency diseases such as HIV, pregnant women and medical staff.

According to the WHO, healthy adults under the age of 60 and children and adolescents with a “medium risk” do not need a booster vaccination. However, booster vaccinations do not pose a risk for them either. Healthy children and adolescents fall into the group with the lowest risk.

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