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3/21/22 Sinovac’s low efficacy causes concern
Data indicating the Sinovac Biotech Covid-19 vaccine is less effective than an mRNA vaccine at preventing death in elderly people in Hong Kong is a red flag for mainland China, where infections are climbing and a vast swathe of the population is inoculated with the inactivated shot.

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-03-21-hong-kong-signals-policy-shift-south-africa-registers-566-new-cases/

Almost 3% of people aged 80 or older, who got two doses of the inactivated CoronaVac shot, died after getting infected, compared with 1.5% of those who were given the BioNTech SE vaccine, according to a preliminary analysis conducted by the Centre for Health Protection.

[This is why China will fast track heterologous 4800 and EUA]

Getting just one dose of either offered less protection, with 5.8% of those given CoronaVac and 3.4% of those given the mRNA shot subsequently dying.

Shanghai – China’s latest Covid hotspot

Shanghai reported a surge in Covid-19 infections after expanding its mass testing programme, sparking concern
the virus may be more widespread in the financial centre than previously thought.

The city saw a record 758 new cases on Sunday, including 734 asymptomatic patients, with the daily caseload doubling in two days, according to the National Health Commission.

The city last week ruled out imposing a broad lockdown, but officials said Monday that some areas will remain locked down for further testing.

Hong Kong eases Covid measures but spread continues
Hong Kong’s moves to ease some curbs were spurred by frustration in the banking community and wider population, which has endured more than two years of effectively closed borders and increasingly extreme quarantine measures, even though the virus is now spreading widely through the city.

While the travel easing had been foreshadowed by local media, Chief Executive Carrie Lam went a step further in laying out a plan to ease Hong Kong’s physical distancing rules in phases, starting from 21 April, as long as there is no rebound in infections.

No new cases in Hong Kong care homes

Hong Kong reported no new virus cases in residents at care homes, health officials said at a regular briefing on Monday.

The virus had spread rapidly through the facilities in recent weeks, and most fatalities during the current wave have been elderly people.

The city reported a total of 14,068 new infections, as well as 179 deaths.