The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 118 events in the region. This week’s main articles cover the following events:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Togo
Measles in Chad
Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
User Guide.
This Laboratory Assessment Tool (LAT) is specifically designed to assess capacities of existing laboratories which have implemented or aim to implement SARS-CoV-2 testing. It addresses both core capacities of a laboratory and specificities related to SARS-CoV-2 testing. It is a focused... and shorter version from the existing complete laboratory assessment tool that can be found at https://www.who.int/ihr/publications/laboratory_tool/en/
The target audience is any stakeholder performing laboratory assessments such as national health authorities, multilateral agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and laboratory managers. Assessors can use the tool, and customized if needed, to meet local requirements or assessment context. This tool is an Excel file, which enables automatic calculations of module indicators.
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/laboratory-assessment-tool-for-laboratories-implementing-covid-19-virus-testing
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Dada a atual situação da pandemia da COVID-19, os países são orientados a continuar a adotar os algoritmos diagnósticos para tuberculose (TB) recomendados pela OPAS/OMS. Apesar das diferenças nos modos de transmissão da TB e do vírus responsável pela COVID-19, certas medidas de proteção p...essoal são relevantes para ambas as doenças. As medidas de rotina para a proteção contra a TB devem continuar, juntamente com precauções adicionais para proteger os trabalhadores contra a COVID-19.
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Learn about the science behind the new coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer. This video goes over how vaccines work, and how the Pfizer vaccine is a bit different from most other virus vaccines.
Exciting news this week with @Pfizer reporting their mRNA vaccine is 90% effective, based on their Phase III clinical trial data. Dr. Tom looks inside the virus to break down how mRNA vaccines work, and whether news this promising means we can finally relax.
MEDBOX Issue Brief no. 7, Dec. 2020
Die Impfung gegen die Ausbreitung des SARS-CoV-2-Virus stellt einen Meilenstein in der Bekämpfung der Pandemie dar. Für den Erfolg der Impfung unabdingbar ist eine gute Kommunikation und Aufklärung der Bevölkerung. Im Folgenden sind einige Informationen zur I...mpfstrategie, Durchführung der Impfung, ethische Überlegungen, sowie Aufklärungsmaterialien in deutscher und englischer Sprache aufgelistet
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Unsere Infoboxen zeigen das Ansteckungs-, Erkrankungs- und Sterberisiko für Menschen verschiedenen Alters, wenn sie in Kontakt mit dem Influenza- oder Corona-Virus kommen (z.B. durch engen Kontakt mit einem infizierten Haushaltsmitglied) und die Risiken eines engen Kontaktes für Menschen verschied...enen Alters, wenn man selbst mit dem Influenza- oder Corona-Virus infiziert ist.
Zu jeder Infobox finden Sie im Begleittext Hintergrundinformationen zur Erstellung und zu den dahinter liegenden Daten.
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How concerned should we be about the new variants of SARS CoV 2 which cause COVID-19? Is it unusual for viruses to change and mutate? Do vaccines protect against these variants and what can you do to protect yourself? WHO’s Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan explains in Science in 5
8 January 2021
Sequencing enabled the world to rapidly identify SARS-CoV-2 and develop diagnostic tests and other tools for outbreak management. Continued genome sequencing supports the monitoring of the disease’s spread and evolution of the virus. Accelerated integration of genome sequencing int...o the practices of the global health community is required if we want to be better prepared for the future threats. This document provides guidance for laboratories on maximizing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing now and other emerging pathogens in the future.
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Vaccines (shots) are one of the tools we have to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines work with your body’s natural defenses so your body will be ready to fight the virus.
Alternative Languages: Arabic | Spanish | Korean | Russian | Simplified Chinese | Tagalog | Traditional Chinese | Vietnamese...
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/print-resources.html?Sort=Date%3A%3Adesc
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Vaccines (shots) are one of the tools we have to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines work with your body’s natural defenses so your body will be ready to fight the virus.
Alternative Languages: Arabic | Spanish | Korean | Russian | Simplified Chinese | Tagalog | Traditional Chinese | Vietnamese...
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/print-resources.html?Sort=Date%3A%3Adesc
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Pflegeheime und Krankenhäuser können Antigen-Schnelltests nutzen, um Personal, Besucher sowie Patienten und Bewohner regelmäßig auf das Corona-Virus zu testen. Außerdem können die Schnelltests nun auch in Schulen eingesetzt werden. Eine entsprechende Änderung der Medizinprodukte-Abgabeverordn...ung ist am 4. Dezember in Kraft getreten. Warum Antigentests eingesetzt werden sollen und weitere Fragen und Antworten, finden Sie hier
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Manufacturers:
SK Bioscience Co. Ltd. [COVID-19 Vaccine (ChAdOx1-S [recombinant])]
Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. [COVISHIELD™, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Corona Virus Vaccine (Recombinant)]
Efficacy shown in clinical trials in participants who received the full series of vaccine (2 doses) ir...respective of interval between the doses was 63.1%, based on a median follow-up of 80 days, but tended to be higher when this interval was longer. The data reviewed at this time support the conclusion that the known and potential benefits of ChAdOx1-S/nCoV-19 [recombinant] vaccine outweigh the known and potential risks.
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The NY Times variant tracker is perhaps the most accessible and relevant publication for non-molecular biologists and the general public
Each coronavirus contains nearly 30,000 letters of RNA. This genetic information allows the virus to infect cells and hijack them to make new viruses.
Reports of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) microorganisms are increasing globally, threatening to render existing treatments ineffective against many infectious diseases. In Africa, AMR has already been documented to be a problem for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the pathogens that cause mala...ria, tuberculosis (TB), typhoid, cholera, meningitis, gonorrhoea and dysentery. Recognizing the urgent need for action, the 2016 United Nations (UN) General Assembly approved a resolution to ensure sustained and effective global action to address AMR.
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Representative, quality, timely and continuous genetic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is critical to the COVID-19 outbreak response. This document provides practical guidance to Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) laboratories and other relevant national laboratories to move beyond... virus detection to genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive materials obtained from sentinel surveillance of influenza-like illness (ILI), acute respiratory infection (ARI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). It contains considerations on sample selection for sequencing, numbers of viruses to be sequenced, metadata and timeliness for sharing genetic sequence data (GSD) and opportunities for technical support.
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orientaciones provisionales, 8 de noviembre de 2020
This interim guidance is most useful for countries interested in monitoring relative circulations of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. The document provides practical information to maintain surveillance of influenza and monitor SARS-CoV-2 using e...xisting surveillance systems. It contains updated considerations for addressing disruptions in the influenza sentinel surveillance and extending to include COVID-19 wherever possible. Updated algorithms for testing of both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 for surveillance are also included. This document is an update of Operational considerations for COVID-19 surveillance using GISRS and GISRS for the upcoming influenza seasons during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Orientations provisoires, 28 janvier 2021
Dans cette version mise à jour des orientations sur la sécurité biologique en laboratoire en rapport avec le SARS-CoV-2, le virus responsable de la maladie à coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), les points suivants ont été ajoutés : aspects de... sécurité biologique relatifs à la réalisation des tests diagnostiques rapides antigéniques, manipulation des nouveaux variants du SARS-CoV-2 au laboratoire, mise à jour de la décontamination des tests avant leur élimination, équipement de protection individuelle (EPI) pour le prélèvement d’échantillons et, même s’ils ne concernent pas directement la sécurité biologique, dangers chimiques et leur élimination en toute sécurité.
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The arrival of safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines is a major development in the coronavirus pandemic. An effective COVID-19 vaccine will help protect people who come in contact with the virus from becoming sick. As more people are vaccinated, families and communities will be able to gradually return ...to a more normal routine.
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To its credit, Chile has implemented a highly successful vaccine program and taken a number of other important public health measures to improve the well-being of its inhabitants. Nevertheless, these measures have proved insufficient to curb the spread of the virus and ensure full compliance wit...h Chile’s obligations to respect, protect and
fulfil the right to health. It is in this context that this report examines the human rights impacts of the pandemic and the responses of the Chilean authorities.
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