NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (16) - CHINA (HUBEI), VIET NAM, SINGAPORE ex CHINA, INTERNATIONAL HEALTH REGULATIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] China update, Chinese National Health Committee 24 Jan 2020
[2] Viet Nam ex China
[3] Singapore ex China
[4] 1st death outside of Hubei
[5] IHR Committee recommendations to WHO
[6] Vaccine development initiative - CEPI
[7] More cases in countries with prior importations
[8] Media headlines social media and print
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[1] China update, Chinese National Health Committee 24 Jan 2020
Date: 24 Jan 2020
Source: Chinese National Health Committee [in Chinese, machine trans. edited]
http://www.nhc.gov.cn/xcs/yqfkdt/202001/c
Epidemic situation of new coronavirus infection on [24 Jan 2020]
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At 04:00 on [23 Jan 2020], 27 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) reported 259 new confirmed cases and 8 new deaths. 6 new cases were cured and discharged. 19 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) reported 680 new suspected cases. A total of 29 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) reported epidemics nationwide, and 4 provinces (autonomous regions) including Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang were added.
As of 24:00 on [23 Jan 2020], the National Health and Health Commission has received a total of 830 confirmed cases of pneumonia of new coronavirus infection in 29 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), including 177 severe cases and 25 deaths, including 24 cases in Hubei Province 1 case in Hebei Province. 34 patients have been cured and discharged. A total of 1072 suspected cases were reported in 20 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities).
A total of 5 confirmed cases were received from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, including 2 in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 2 in the Macao Special Administrative Region, and 1 in Taiwan.
A total of 9 confirmed cases were reported from abroad, including 3 in Thailand (2 cases have been cured), 1 in Japan (have been cured), 1 in South Korea, 1 in the United States, 2 in Vietnam, and 1 in Singapore.
At present, 9507 people have been traced, 1087 people have been released from medical observation, and 8420 people are still receiving medical observation.
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The case count continues to increase and now 29 of the 33 provinces and autonomous regions and municipalities had confirmed 1 or more cases. It would be of interest to know how many generations away from Wuhan have been involved vs. how many of these cases give a history of having been in Wuhan in the 14 days prior to illness. The ongoing effort is enormous, with 1072 suspected cases pending testing results, and 9509 individuals traced as part of the contact tracing efforts. A map of China showing provinces can be found at: https://www.chinadiscovery.com/china-maps/china-provincial-map.html- Mod.MPP}
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[2] Viet Nam ex China
Date: 23 Jan 2020
Source: Viet Nam News [edited]
https://vietnamnews.vn/society/571483/coronavirus-cases-reported-in-hcm-city.html
Coronavirus cases reported in HCM City
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HCM City -- Ho Chi Minh City, former name was Saigon
2 Chinese visitors are in hospital in HCM City infected with coronavirus. The pair have been identified as father and son, [LD], 66, and 28-year-old [LZ]. They were admitted to hospital on Wednesday [22 Jan 2020] suffering from pneumonia and later tested positive for coronavirus.
According to initial findings, they traveled from Wuhan, China to Hanoi on [13 Jan 2020] and stayed till [16 Jan 2020]. On [17 Jan 2020], they flew to Khan Hoa Province's Nha Trang City and left to HCM City on [19 Jan 2020]. On [20 Jan 2020], they visited Long An Province. The Ministry of Health (MoH) said both patients are recovering in [Cha Ray ?] Hospital.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued an urgent message asking the MoH and related agencies to pull out all the stops to prevent the virus, tighten management over immigration at border gates and report suspected cases to medical facilities to control the disease.
The coronavirus can spread among people through the respiratory tract, just like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which killed some 650 people in mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002 and 2003.
The 1st case was reported on [31 Dec 2019]. Japan, China's Taiwan, Macau, Thailand and the US have also announced infected cases.
The death toll rose to 17 by Thursday [23 Jan 2020] with hundreds of others were testing positive for the virus.
China imposed quarantine over Wuhan City on Thursday [23 Jan 2020], halting all outward flights and trains.
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
[These are the 1st 2 cases reported from Viet Nam, adding Viet Nam to the countries reporting confirmed cases. Both of these cases came from Wuhan, China. A map of Viet Nam showing provinces can be found at: https://www.mapsofworld.com/vietnam/vietnam-political-map.html. Their travel itinerary covered parts of the North and South of Viet Nam. Their means of transport within the country was not disclosed, to know if they were on buses or trains with many others moving around for the lunar new year. - Mod.MPP]
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[3] Singapore ex China
Date: 23 Jan 2020
Source: Ministry of Health,Singapore, Press Release [edited]
https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/confirmed-imported-case-of-novel-coronavirus-infection-in-singapore-multi-ministry-taskforce-ramps-up-precautionary-measures
Confirmed Imported Case of Novel Coronavirus Infection in Singapore; Multi-Ministry Taskforce Ramps Up Precautionary Measures
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23 Jan 2020
1. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has on [23 Jan 2020] confirmed 1 imported case of novel coronavirus infection in Singapore. The case is a 66 year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with his family on [20 Jan 2020]. He is currently warded in an isolation room at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and his condition is stable.
2. MOH has also been notified of a suspect case, whose preliminary test for the novel coronavirus is positive. She is a 53 year old female Chinese national from Wuhan. MOH was notified of this suspect case on [23 Jan 2020]. The result of the confirmatory test is pending, and her condition is stable.
3. Both cases were immediately isolated upon presenting to the respective hospitals with clinical symptoms.
About the confirmed case
4. This case presented at SGH Emergency Department with fever and cough on [22 Jan 2020].He was classified as a suspect case and immediately isolated. MOH was notified of the suspect case at about 10pm on [22 Jan 2020]. Subsequent test results were confirmed for the novel coronavirus at 6pm on [23 Jan 2020].
5. The patient reported that he had developed a sore throat but did not have fever during the flight to Singapore on [20 Jan 2020]. He subsequently developed fever and cough on [21 Jan 2020]. He was admitted and isolated at SGH on [22 Jan 2020] for further assessment, in view of his clinical symptoms and recent travel history from Wuhan. The patient was diagnosed to have pneumonia upon admission, and has been isolated since admission.
6. Prior to hospital admission, the patient stayed at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa in Sentosa and indicated that he had kept to the vicinity of the hotel.
Contact tracing commenced, close contacts to be quarantined
7. MOH has initiated contact tracing and 9 close contacts of the case, who are his travelling companions, have so far been identified. One of his travelling companions has also been warded as a suspect case. He is a 37 year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan. His condition is stable.
8. The health status of all close contacts will be monitored closely. As a precautionary measure, they will be quarantined for 14 days from their last exposure to the patient. Those who develop symptoms will be brought to hospital in a dedicated ambulance for further assessment. In addition, all other identified contacts who have a low risk of being infected will be under active surveillance, and will be contacted daily to monitor their health status.
9. Our public hospitals have put in place precautionary measures to screen and manage suspect and confirmed cases. MOH has also reminded doctors and healthcare workers to be highly vigilant, and maintain strict infection control and prevention measures.
10. Given the high volume of international travel to Singapore, MOH expects to see more suspect cases and imported cases. We urge the public to remain calm and vigilant, and to adopt good personal hygiene practices.
Taskforce ramps up precautionary measures
11. The Taskforce set up to direct a whole-of-government response to the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak met this afternoon. It has decided to step up Singapore's overall preventive posture, given the expected inflow of visitors during the festive season and in view of the confirmed case. This would include expanding our border controls, to include land and sea checkpoints.
12. Singapore will also expand our travel advisory to recommend that Singaporeans avoid travel to the whole of Hubei Province, in view of the travel restrictions that China has imposed on Huanggang and Ezhou. MOH also advises Singaporeans to continue to exercise caution and attention to personal hygiene when travelling to the rest of China.
Health advisory
13. All travellers should monitor their health closely for 2 weeks upon return to Singapore and seek medical attention promptly if they feel unwell, and also inform their doctor of their travel history. If they have a fever or respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, shortness of breath ), they should wear a mask and call the clinic ahead of the visit.
14. Travellers and members of the public should adopt the following precautions at all times:
- Avoid contact with live animals including poultry and birds, and consumption of raw and undercooked meats;
- Avoid crowded places and close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness;
- Observe good personal hygiene;
- Practise frequent hand washing with soap (e.g. before handling food or eating, after going to toilet, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing);
- Wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms such as a cough or shortness of breath;
- Cover your mouth with a tissue paper when coughing or sneezing, and dispose the soiled tissue paper in the rubbish bin immediately; and
- Seek medical attention promptly if you are feeling unwell.
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
[Singapore joins the list of countries with confirmed case coming from Wuhan City China, and it has provided a good description of its public health response and measures taken. A map of Singapore can be found at: https://www.mapsofworld.com/singapore/map.html. - Mod.MPP]
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[4] First death outside of Hubei
Date: 24 Jan 2020
Source: South China Morning Post [edited]
https://tinyurl.com/ua44bro
1st virus death reported outside Hubei; 8 cities now on lockdown
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- The victim, aged 80, had been visiting relatives in Wuhan before he was diagnosed; 76 people who had close contact with him have reportedly been quarantined.
- Travel bans have been imposed on 8 cities in Hubei province: Wuhan, Huanggang, Ezhou, Chibi, Xiantao, Qianjiang, Zhijiang and Lichuan
China's deadly coronavirus has claimed its 1st victim outside Hubei province, with a fatality in Hebei province, near Beijing, authorities announced on Thursday [23 Jan 2020].
The latest death brings the confirmed toll to 18, with the other 17 occurring in Hubei, the epicentre of the contagion. Hubei's authorities have responded to the crisis by imposing travel bans on 8 of the its cities, including the province's capital of Wuhan, local authorities said. The health commission in Hebei said in a statement that the victim, aged 80, died on Wednesday [22 Jan 2020] and that the cause was not confirmed until Thursday [23 Jan 2020].
Before the diagnosis, the man, a resident of Hebei, had been visiting relatives in Wuhan for more than 2 months, according to Hebei Daily.
What we know about China's mystery Wuhan coronavirus
Hebei Daily said that 76 people who had been in close contact with the victim have been quarantined and that none had been found to be feverish. Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have imposed travel bans on more cities in Hubei province and announced the allocation of funds to fight the spread of illness that has infected at least 647 people.
8 cities in Hubei - Wuhan, Huanggang, Ezhou, Chibi, Xiantao, Qianjiang, Zhijiang and Lichuan - are now subject to travel bans, according to notices released by local governments. Ride-sharing in Wuhan is also being suspended. According to a statement posted by Didi, the Chinese equivalent of Uber, the company's services will be halted at noon on Friday [24 Jan 2020] at the request of Wuhan outbreak command authority.
Wuhan is a hub for several major high-speed railway lines that link it to China's major cities; Beijing is 4 hours directly north by train, while it takes 4.5 hours to reach Hong Kong, and Shanghai is almost 6 hours away.
The start of the Lunar New Year - a period when many Chinese travel the country for family reunions - this week has increased the risk of transmission throughout the country and abroad.
As of Thursday night, coronavirus cases had been diagnosed in 23 provinces, 4 municipalities, the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and 6 other countries.
Flights, trains, buses and ferries connecting Wuhan to other cities in Hubei have been suspended, according to a report in People's Daily.
Hubei authorities also have suspended operations at local travel agencies and ordered all schools to postpone the start of spring semester classes, according to the newspaper.
China's finance ministry on Thursday [23 Jan 2020] announced the allocation of 1 billion yuan (USD144 million) to be used by Hubei authorities to halt the spread of the illness.
[Byline: Cissy Zhou and Robert Delaney]
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[This most recent fatality has a similar profile to previously reported cases, with age greater than 65 years (in this case 80). While the death occurred outside of Wuhan, the individual had spent 2 months in Wuhan prior to returning to his home in Hebei. Travel bans have been implemented in 8 locations in Hubei to attempt to slow down or interrupt the transmission of this 2019-nCoV. While travel bans have been unsuccessful in many locations, it sounds like these are being heavily enforced, with all public and private transportation being shut down. A massive effort. But what about the other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities that have confirmed cases?- Mod.MPP]
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[5] IHR Committee recommendations to WHO
Date: 23 Jan 2020
Source: WHO press release [edited]
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-01-2020-statement-on-the-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)
Statement on the meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) - 23 Jan 2020
Geneva, Switzerland
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The meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus 2019 in the People's Republic of China, with exportations currently reported in the Republic of Korea, Japan, Thailand and Singapore, took place on Wednesday, [22 Jan 2020], from 12:00 to 16:30 Geneva time (CEST) and on Thursday, [23 Jan 2020], from 12:00 to 15:10. The Committee's role is to give advice to the Director-General, who makes the final decision on the determination of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Committee also provides public health advice or suggests formal temporary recommendations as appropriate.
Proceedings of the meeting
Members and advisors of the Emergency Committee were convened by teleconference. The Director-General welcomed the Committee and thanked them for their support. He turned the meeting over to the Chair, Professor Didier Houssin. Professor Houssin also welcomed the Committee and gave the floor to the Secretariat. On [22 Jan 2020], representatives of WHO's legal department and the department of compliance, risk management, and ethics briefed the Committee members on their roles and responsibilities. Committee members were reminded of their duty of confidentiality and their responsibility to disclose personal, financial, or professional connections that might be seen to constitute a conflict of interest. Each member who was present was surveyed and no conflicts of interest were judged to be relevant to the meeting.
The Chair then reviewed the agenda for the meeting and introduced the presenters.
On [23 Jan 2020], representatives of the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China, Japan, Thailand and the Republic of Korea updated the committee on the situation in their countries. There have been increased numbers of reported cases in China, with 557 confirmed as of today.
Conclusions and Advice
On [22 Jan 2020], the members of the Emergency Committee expressed divergent views on whether this event constitutes a PHEIC or not. At that time, the advice was that the event did not constitute a PHEIC, but the Committee members agreed on the urgency of the situation and suggested that the Committee should be reconvened in a matter of days to examine the situation further.
After the announcement of new containment measures in Wuhan on [22 Jan 2020], the Director-General asked the Emergency Committee to reconvene on [23 Jan 2020] to study the information provided by Chinese authorities about the most recent epidemiological evolution and the risk-management measures taken.
Chinese authorities presented new epidemiological information that revealed an increase in the number of cases, of suspected cases, of affected provinces, and the proportion of deaths in currently reported cases of 4% (17 of 557). They reported fourth-generation cases in Wuhan and second-generation cases outside Wuhan, as well as some clusters outside Hubei province. They explained that strong containment measures (closure of public-transportation systems in Wuhan City, as well as other nearby cities). After this presentation, the EC was informed about the evolution in Japan, Republic of Korea, and Thailand, and that one new possible case had been identified in Singapore.
The Committee welcomed the efforts made by China to investigate and contain the current outbreak.
The following elements were considered as critical:
Human-to-human transmission is occurring and a preliminary R0 estimate of 1.4-2.5 was presented. Amplification has occurred in one health care facility. Of confirmed cases, 25% are reported to be severe. The source is still unknown (most likely an animal reservoir) and the extent of human-to-human transmission is still not clear.
Several members considered that it is still too early to declare a PHEIC, given its restrictive and binary nature.
Based on these divergent views, the EC formulates the following advice:
To WHO
- The Committee stands ready to be reconvened in approximately 10 days' time, or earlier should the Director-General deem it necessary.
- The Committee urged to support ongoing efforts through a WHO international multidisciplinary mission, including national experts. The mission would review and support efforts to investigate the animal source of the outbreak, the extent of human-to-human transmission, the screening efforts in other provinces of China, the enhancement of surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections in these regions, and to reinforce containment and mitigation measures. A mission would provide information to the international community to aid in understanding of the situation and its potential public health impact.
- WHO should continue to provide all necessary technical and operational support to respond to this outbreak, including with its extensive networks of partners and collaborating institutions, to implement a comprehensive risk communication strategy, and to allow for the advancement of research and scientific developments in relation to this novel coronavirus.
- In the face of an evolving epidemiological situation and the restrictive binary nature of declaring a PHEIC or not, WHO should consider a more nuanced system, which would allow an intermediate level of alert. Such a system would better reflect the severity of an outbreak, its impact, and the required measures, and would facilitate improved international coordination, including research efforts for developing medical counter measures.
To the People's Republic of China
- Provide more information on cross-government risk management measures, including crisis management systems at national, provincial, and city levels, and other domestic measures.
- Enhance rational public health measures for containment and mitigation of the current outbreak.
- Enhance surveillance and active case finding across China, particularly during the Chinese New Year celebration.
- Collaborate with WHO and partners to conduct investigations to understand the epidemiology and the evolution of this outbreak, including specific investigations to understand the source of the novel coronavirus, notably the animal reservoir, and animals involved in the zoonotic transmission, as well as the understanding of its full potential for human-to-human transmission, and where transmission is taking place, the clinical features associated with infection, and the required treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality.
- Continue to share full data on all cases with WHO, including genome sequences, and details of any health care worker infections or clusters.
- Conduct exit screening at international airports and ports in the affected provinces, with the aims early detection of symptomatic travelers for further evaluation and treatment, while minimizing interference with international traffic.
- Encourage screening at domestic airports, railway stations, and long-distance bus stations as necessary.
To other countries
- It is expected that further international exportation of cases may appear in any country. Thus, all countries should be prepared for containment, including active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward spread of 2019-nCoV infection, and to share full data with WHO.
- Countries are required to share information with WHO according to the IHR.
- Technical advice is available here. Countries should place particular emphasis on reducing human infection, prevention of secondary transmission and international spread and contributing to the international response though multi-sectoral communication and collaboration and active participation in increasing knowledge on the virus and the disease, as well as advancing research. Countries should also follow travel advice from WHO.
To the global community
- As this is a new coronavirus, and it has been previously shown that similar coronaviruses required substantial efforts for regular information sharing and research, the global community should continue to demonstrate solidarity and cooperation, in compliance with Article 44 of the IHR (2005), in supporting each other on the identification of the source of this new virus, its full potential for human-to-human transmission, preparedness for potential importation of cases, and research for developing necessary treatment.
The Director-General thanked the Committee for its advice.
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporeur Kunihiko Iizuka
[The suggestion of the committee of the need for a more graded system of alerts to replace the current black-or-white "it's a PHEIC" vs "it's not a PHEIC" is an excellent suggestion. The current system permits politics to enter into the equation, leading to direct economic impacts on the countries are confronting the binary choice of "bad" versus "good" rather than "not so bad", cautionary bad".... - Mod.MPP]
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[6] Vaccine development initiative - CEPI
Date: 23 Jan 2020
Source: CEPI press release [edited]
https://cepi.net/news_cepi/cepi-to-fund-three-programmes-to-develop-vaccines-against-the-novel-coronavirus-ncov-2019/
CEPI to fund 3 programmes to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus, nCoV-201
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- CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, today announced the initiation of 3 programmes to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus, nCoV-2019. The programmes will leverage rapid response platforms already supported by CEPI as well as a new partnership. The aim is to advance nCoV-2019 vaccine candidates into clinical testing as quickly as possible.
The nCoV-2019 vaccine development efforts will build on existing partnerships with Inovio (Nasdaq: INO) and The University of Queensland (located in Brisbane, Australia). In addition, CEPI today announces a new partnership with Moderna, Inc., (Nasdaq: MRNA) and the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. All of these are pioneering technologies designed to speed up the development of vaccines against emerging threats such as nCoV-2019.
CEPI CEO Richard Hatchett said: "Given the rapid global spread of the nCoV-2019 virus the world needs to act quickly and in unity to
tackle this disease. Our intention with this work is to leverage our work on the MERS coronavirus and rapid response platforms to speed up vaccine development.
"There are no guarantees of success, but we hope this work could provide a significant and important step forward in developing a vaccine for this disease. Our aspiration with these technologies is to bring a new pathogen from gene sequence to clinical testing in 16 weeks - which is significantly shorter than where we are now."
The term "platform technology" broadly refers to systems that use the same basic components as a backbone but can be adapted for use against different pathogens as needed by inserting new genetic or protein sequences.
CEPI has moved with great urgency and in coordination with WHO, who is leading the development of a coordinated international response, to promote the development of new vaccines against the emerging threat of nCoV-2019. The novel coronavirus represents the 1st new epidemic disease of note to emerge since CEPI's founding at Davos in 2017, with the express intent that it should be ready to respond to epidemics rapidly and effectively, wherever they emerge.
Inovio: DNA vaccine candidate against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
CEPI announced a partnering agreement, worth up to US$56 million, with Inovio in April 2018, to advance DNA vaccine candidates against MERS and another of its priority diseases, Lassa fever, through to Phase 2.
Under the agreement, funding will support the development up to the end of Phase 2, providing clinical safety, immunological data, and the establishment of investigational stockpiles that will be ready for clinical efficacy trial testing during outbreaks.
The MERS DNA vaccine candidate is being developed using Inovio's DNA Medicines platform to deliver optimised synthetic antigenic genes into cells, where they are translated into protein antigens that activate an individual's immune system to generate robust targeted T cell and antibody responses. Inovio's immunotherapies function exclusively in vivo, and have generated an antigen-specific immune response against targeted diseases in all clinical trials to date.
Inovio is advancing its MERS vaccine candidate into Phase 2, in the Middle East where most MERS viral outbreaks have occurred, with the support of its collaborators: The Wistar Institute, Laval University, the NIH's Rocky Mountain Laboratories, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), VGXI/GeneOne Life Science and the International Vaccine Institute.
University of Queensland: The molecular clamp platform
CEPI entered a partnering agreement in January 2019, with University of Queensland, for up to USD 10.6 million to develop a "molecular clamp" vaccine platform, a transformative technology that enables targeted and rapid vaccine production against multiple viral pathogens.
The technology works by synthesising viral surface proteins, which attach to host cells during infection, and "clamping" them into shape, making it easier for the immune system to recognise them as the correct antigen. This process requires the sequence of the viral protein which can then be determined from the viral genome. The synthetic antigen can then be purified and rapidly manufactured into a vaccine.
As part of their partnering agreement with CEPI, the University of Queensland will use their molecular-clamp vaccine platform to produce vaccines against known pathogens, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and will evaluate the safety and immune response of the Influenza and MERS-CoV candidates in a phase 1 clinical trial in humans.
Moderna: mRNA vaccine platform
Under the terms of the agreement with CEPI, Moderna will manufacture an mRNA vaccine against coronavirus, which will be funded by CEPI. Investigational New Drug-enabling studies will be conducted by the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) and a Phase 1 clinical study will be conducted in the U.S. by the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID). Both VRC and DMID are divisions of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is an institute of the NIH.
About the novel coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can lead to respiratory illness, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
Coronaviruses are transmitted between animals and people and can evolve into strains not previously identified in humans. On January 7, 2020, a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was identified as the cause of pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China, and additional cases have been found in a growing number of countries.1,2 [footnotes at source url]
About vaccine platform technology
The term "vaccine platform technology" broadly refers to a system that uses the same basic components as a backbone, but can be adapted for use against different pathogens by inserting new sequences.
About "molecular clamp" vaccines
Enveloped viruses, like influenza, have proteins on their surface that fuse to host cells during an infection. Although these surface proteins are antigenic--and therefore elicit an immune response--they are inherently unstable. One approach to vaccine design is to synthesise these proteins on their own such that they elicit an immune response, specifically antibodies, that can kill the virus. Unfortunately, they tend to change shape when expressed on their own, a shape that does not reflect the form of the protein on the virus surface. Consequently, the immune response that is induced with these vaccines does not produce antibodies that efficiently lock on to the virus. The University of Queensland has developed a process that can synthesise these surface proteins while "clamping" them into shape, making it easier for the immune system to induce a response that recognises them on the virus surface.
This synthetic antigen can then be purified and rapidly manufactured into a vaccine, within 16 weeks from pathogen identification.
This vaccine platform technology can be used to develop vaccines against a wide range of enveloped viruses (eg, Influenza, Ebola, MERS, Lassa virus, Measles, Herpes Simplex virus, Rabies).
The Molecular Clamp is patented technology developed by Professor Paul Young, Dr Keith Chappell, and Dr Dan Watterson.
The University of Queensland will be developing this vaccine platform in collaboration with The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and a wider consortium including public sector and private sector partners in Australia, USA, and Asia.
About CEPI
CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil organisations, launched at Davos in 2017, to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics. CEPI has reached over USD 750 million of its USD 1 billion funding target. CEPI's priority diseases include Ebola virus, Lassa virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever and Chikungunya virus. CEPI also invests in platform technologies that can be used for rapid vaccine and immunoprophylactic development against unknown pathogens (ie, Disease X). To date, CEPI has committed to investing over USD 456 million in vaccine and platform development. Learn more at <www.cepi.net>. Follow us at @CEPIvaccines.
About Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Inovio is taking immunotherapy to the next level in the fight against cancer and infectious diseases.
We are the only immunotherapy company that has reported generating CD8+ T cells in vivo in high quantity that are fully functional and whose killing capacity correlates with relevant clinical outcomes with a favorable safety profile. With an expanding portfolio of immune therapies, the company is advancing a growing clinical stage product pipeline, including candidates in Phase 3 and Phase 2. Partners and collaborators include MedImmune, Regeneron, Genentech, The Wistar Institute, University of Pennsylvania, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, DARPA, GeneOne Life Science, Plumbline Life Sciences, ApolloBio Corporation, Drexel University, NIH, HIV Vaccines Trial Network, National Cancer Institute, U.S. Military HIV Research Program, and Laval University. For more information, visit <www.inovio.com.>
About University of Queensland
UQ rates in the global top 50 as measured by the Permance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities and was recently rated 7th in Biotechnology world in the Shanghai Global Rankings of 2017. Professor Paul Young, Dr Keith Chappell, and Dr Dan Watterson have extensive expertise in molecular virology, viral pathogenesis and vaccine research.
About Moderna
Moderna is advancing messenger RNA (mRNA) science to create a new class of transformative medicines for patients. mRNA medicines are designed to direct the body's cells to produce intracellular, membrane or secreted proteins that have a therapeutic or preventive benefit with the potential to address a broad spectrum of diseases. Moderna's platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology and manufacturing, providing the Company the capability to pursue in parallel a robust pipeline of new development candidates. Moderna is developing therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases and cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, independently and with strategic collaborators.
Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Moderna currently has strategic alliances for development programs with AstraZeneca, Plc. (NASDAQ: AZN) and Merck, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRK), as well as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (NASDAQ: DARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Moderna has been named a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science for the past 5 years. To learn more, visit <www.modernatx.com>.
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Communicated by:
Jodie Rogers
<Jodie.rogers@cepi.net>
[The amount of effort that is being placed on rapid development of a vaccine is impressive. It awaits to be seen the results in terms of an effective safe vaccine in a short amount of time. - Mod.MPP]
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[7] More cases in countries with prior importations
Japan ex China - 2nd case
Date: 24 Jan 2020
Source: NHK [IN Japanese machine trans, edited]
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200124/k10012257131000.html
A man in his 40s from Wuhan City China was sightseeing in Japan. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare,
the infection was confirmed in a man in his 40s living in Wuhan, Hubei Province, who had a fever from [14 Jan 2020] and consulted a medical institution on [15 Jan 2020] and [17 Jan 2020] before coming to Japan. There was no diagnosis of pneumonia and the patient was followed up. He traveled to Japan on [19 Jan 2020] and visited a medical institution on [20 Jan 2020], but was not diagnosed with pneumonia.
However, the fever and sore throat had continued as of [22 Jan 2020], and when he visited a medical institution again, he was hospitalized because of signs of pneumonia. It was confirmed that he was infected with the new coronavirus early in the morning of [24 Jan 2020]. The man is currently hospitalized at a medical institution in Tokyo. The man said that he was not near the seafood market in Wuhan, where many patients had apparently been infected, and that he wore a mask when traveling.
Previously a Chinese man in his 30s living in Kanagawa Prefecture who returned from Wuhan, was infected with the new coronavirus on [15 Jan 2020], and the present case is the 2nd case confirmed.
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
South Korea ex China
Date: 24 Jan 2020
Source: Yonhap [In Korean, mach trans, edited]
https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20200124027100017
Second occurrence of confirmed patient with 'Wuhan pneumonia' in Korea
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on [24 Jan 2020] that a few days ago, people who entered Incheon International Airport from Wuhan, China, were positive for the new coronavirus.
Previously, a 35-year-old Chinese woman, who arrived from Wuhan, China, was found to be infected with a new coronavirus called Wuhan pneumonia, and was quarantined at the airport.
The patient is being treated on a nationally designated quarantine bed (Incheon Medical Center) and is in good condition.
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Communicatead by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[It is not surprising there is now more than 1 imported case from China into relatively nearby countries. Hopefully each case will be a single case and there won't be 2nd or 3rd generations of cases. - Mod.MPP
******
[8] Media headlines social media and print
International:
- 6 suspected patients in the UK all Chinese nationals travelling from Wuhan being treated in NHS hospitals in Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Initial testing has not ruled out nCoV. Submitted by: R Record <39075@live.co.uk>
- 14 people in UK tested for coronavirus, 5 confirmed negative and 9 awaiting test results: Shaun Wooller, Reporter via Twitter.
- Health Ministry officials inspect Air China aircraft landing at Tocumen Airport in Panama City, Panama: TVN Noticias, News Outlet Photo via Twitter.
- Chinese Embassy in Panama confirms no foreign students in country diagnosed with coronavirus: La Estrella, News Outlet Photo
- Several people tested for coronavirus for "abundance of caution," no confirmed or suspected cases in Alberta, Canada: Jen Lee, Reporter via Twitter.
- Possible case of coronavirus affecting Chinese student in Michoacan, Mexico: El Sol de Mexico, News Outlet via Twitter.
- Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority issues alert to airlines operating in and out of Nigeria due to coronavirus outbreak: Local News Outlet via The Nation Nigeria.
- Person cleared of having coronavirus in Bari, Italy: Local News Outlet Photo via Twitter.
- Scottish government says 5 people total undergoing testing for coronavirus on "precautionary basis": Reporter Photo via Twitter.
- At least one person in Vancouver among up to 6 people currently being monitored in Canada for coronavirus: Local News Outlet via Twitter.
- Jordanian Ministry of Health confirms no cases of coronavirus in country: AlMamlakaTV, Blog via Twitter.
- Saudi health officials says no cases of coronavirus recorded in Saudi Arabia: Al Arabiya, News Outlet via Twitter.[should read "no cases of 2019-nCoV", since there are several recent cases of MERS-CoV confirmed (see inpending ProMED update]
- Indian Health Ministry reports no coronavirus infection cases detected in India: Local News Outlet via Business Today.
- Travelers arriving from China to Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran, Iran will be scanned for coronavirus: Local Source via Public Message Board.
- 3 of 4 patients test negative for coronavirus in Malaysia: Local News Outlet Photo via Malaysiakini.
- Cairo Airport, Egypt to begin examining passengers from China for symptoms of coronavirus: Al-Masry Al-Youm, News Outlet Photo via Twitter.
- Colombian Health Ministry says two potential cases of coronavirus ruled out: Luis Carlos Vélez, Reporter via Twitter.
- All passengers arriving from China to be thermally screened at Dubai Airport, UAE: Local Source via Twitter.
- Philippines Civil Aeronautics Board suspends all flights to country from Wuhan, China due to coronavirus outbreak: News Outlet Photo via CNN Philippines.
- North Korea reportedly expands travel restrictions to China to include personnel from NGOs, international organizations, and diplomats
- Pakistan International Airlines to pre-screen prospective passengers for coronavirus at Beijing Airport in China: Local News Outlet via Dawn.
- Iraqi Health Ministry spokesperson says Iraq has had no cases of coronavirus "so far": Local News Outlet Photo via al-Ghadeer TV.
- Turkish Ministry of Health to scan all passengers from China with thermal cameras upon landing in Turkey to effort to prevent coronavirus: Haberturk TV, News Outlet via Twitter.
In China
- 4 new coronavirus cases confirmed, brings total to 20 patients in Shanghai, China: Local News Outlet via National Business Daily.
- 4 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Beijing, China: Local News Outlet Photo via Global Times.
- 5th coronavirus case confirmed in Tianjin, China: Local Source via Sina Weibo.
- Travel restrictions in place in Lichuan, China due to coronavirus: News Outlet via South China Morning Post.
- Travel restrictions reportedly in effect for Xianning, Hubei, China: Local Source via Sina Weibo.
- China Huanggang city, Hubei Province on Yangze river is 2nd to be shut down after 12 cases confirmed
- Novel Wuhan Corona virus 3 new cases con firmed in Shanghai Chin a; Total rises to 9 with another 10 suspected cases undergoing tests (Promed mail from Healthmap alerts)
- 2 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Gansu, China: Local Source via Sina Weibo.
- 3rd preliminary positive coronavirus case reported in Hong Kong: Reporter via Twitter.
- 5 cases of coronavirus confirmed in Jiangsu, China: Local News Outlet via Sina Weibo.
- 3 coronavirus cases confirmed in Shaanxi, China: Local News Outlet via Sina Weibo.
- 1 more case of coronavirus confirmed, 2 suspected in Fujian, China: Local Source via Sina Weibo.
- 5 coronavirus cases confirmed in Hainan, China: Local News Outlet via Sina Weibo.
- Japanese officials confirm national living in Wuhan is positive for coronavirus in 1st Japanese case: Blog via Matomame.
- 17 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Zhejiang, China raising provincial total to 27: Global Times, News Outlet via Twitter
- Chongqing Province, China reports 18 additional confirmed coronavirus cases with 224 close contacts put under observation: Global Times, News Outlet Photo via Twitter.
- Transportation bans begin in Huangshi, Daye, and Yangxin County, China as of 10:00: Local Source via Twitter.
- 4 cases of coronavirus recorded in Jiangxi Province, China: govern via Sina Weibo.
- Travel restrictions in effect for Wuhan, Huanggang, Zhijiang, Ezhou, Qianjiang, Chibi, and Xiantao, China: Photo via Twitter.
- Anhui Province, China confirms 6 new coronavirus cases: Government via China State Council.
- Guangdong Province, China confirms 21 new coronavirus cases: Government via China State Council.
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[I find the headlines of these media alerts (most of which are tweets around the world) are helpful in providing a picture of the risk communication response as well as the amount of effort in screening possible cases on arrival into a country. From the speed in which the case count is increasing within China, and the number of other countries confirming cases increases, it is clear that there is significant person-to-person transmission. One wonders what the case count would be if they removed "contact with Wuhan" from the case definition in all places? - Mod. MPP]
See Also
Novel coronavirus (15): China (HU) wild animal sources 20200123.6909913Novel coronavirus (14): China (HU), Hong Kong, Macau ex China 20200122.6907971
Novel coronavirus (13): China (HU) USA ex China 20200121.6903878
Novel coronavirus (12): China (HU) new fatality, healthcare workers, WHO 20200121.6901757
Novel coronavirus (11): China (HU), South Korea ex China 20200120.6899007
Novel coronavirus (10): China (HU, GD, BJ) 20200119.6898567
Novel coronavirus (09): China, 1st diagnostic test 20200119.6897998
Novel coronavirus (08): China (HU) more cases, Nepal susp, modeling 20200118.6897282
Novel coronavirus (07): China (HU), Thailand ex China, Japan ex China, WHO 20200117.6895647
Novel coronavirus (06): China (HU) fatality, Japan ex China, antipyretic use 20200116.6893471
Novel coronavirus (05): China (HU), Japan ex China 20200115.6891515
Novel coronavirus (04): China (HU), Thailand ex China, WHO 20200114.6889527
Novel coronavirus (03): China (HU) animal reservoir suggested, RFI 20200114.6887480
Novel coronavirus (02): Thailand ex China (HU) WHO 20200113.6886644
Novel coronavirus (01): China (HU) WHO, phylogenetic tree 20200112.6885385
Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (HU) (10): genome available, Hong Kong surveill. 20200111.6883998
Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (HU) (09): novel coronavirus, more info, fatality 20200110.6883253
Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (HU) (08): novel coronavirus, WHO 20200110.6881082
Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (HU) (07): official confirmation of novel coronavirus 20200108.6878869
Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (06): (HU) Hong Kong surveillance, USA CDC alert 20200108.6876648
Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (05): (HU) novel coronavirus identified 20200108.6877694
Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (04): (HU) Hong Kong surveillance 20200106.6874277
Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (03): (HU) updates, SARS, MERS ruled out, WHO, RFI 20200105.6872267
Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (02): (HU) updates, other country responses, RFI 20200103.6869668
Undiagnosed pneumonia - China (01): (HU) wildlife sales, market closed, RFI 20200102.6866757
2019
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Undiagnosed pneumonia - China: (HU) RFI 20191230.6864153.................................................sb/mpp/lxl
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