Covid 19 Resources Center

Firstly, a request for your input please – for those of you who are airline medical advisors, would you please be able to complete a very short survey which has been compiled by Dr Rui Pombal at TAP, on your role within the airline:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XH95JLG  

WHO reports that COVID-19 cases are increasing in 50 countries, despite rapidly declining rates of testing, but that so far deaths and hospitalisations are increasing much less, and remain at much lower levels than in previous waves.  Areas with low levels of vaccination remain vulnerable, and a number of concerns remain over access, especially in low-middle income countries, to vaccines and anti-viral treatments. 

EASA and ECDC have published an updated version of the Aviation Health Safety Protocol (AHSP), found at the following link: https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/general-publications/covid-19-aviation-health-safety-protocol

There is in particular, modified advice on mask wearing and distancing, in parallel with reduced recommendations for cleaning and dinsinfection.  You may find more information at the following link: https://www.easa.europa.eu/newsroom-and-events/press-releases/easaecdc-take-first-steps-relax-covid-19-measures-air-travel

WHO estimates, in keeping with some previous published estimates, that global COVID-19 deaths are at least 15 million to date.

 Vaccines and Variants

Recent studies indicate that vaccines remain highly effective against severe disease and death from the BA.2 Omicron subvariant, and vaccine effectiveness against BA.2 is similar to the effectiveness against BA.1.   A large study on COVID-19 vaccine safety indicated that most adverse events after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine have been non-serious. Additionally, there was found to be an overall low risk for immediate allergic reactions after a second dose of an mRNA vaccine in adults who had a reaction following their first dose (source: BlueDot).

Once again greetings to the MCG.

You probably will have seen that the US mask mandate on aircraft/airports/transportation is being extended 15 days from 18^th April. 

Some documents of interest today:

A State Letter from ICAO relating to knowns and unknowns about the Omicron variant.

The WHO COVID-19 Emergency Committee met again, for the 11^th time since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, and again advised WHO, agreed that this remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.  Their report with advice to States is here (including only slight changes to the advice relating to international travel):

https://www.who.int/news/item/13-04-2022-statement-on-the-eleventh-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-pandemic and it is also discussed in the most recent WHO press briefing (at about 11:42 here https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019). 

Deaths per capita globally from COVID are now at their lowest since the end of March 2020 (source: Ourworldindata.org).  This is even while the BA.2 subvariant is dominant in at least 50 countries. Based on what occurred in UK, it is expected that numbers of cases and hospitalisations in the US will surge over the coming weeks (source: Airfinity).  Separately, WHO has estimated that infection numbers in Africa have been close to 100 times greater than detected and reported officially.

Last week the US FDA authorised second booster for older (over 50) and immunocompromised individuals, as other jurisdictions have also done https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-second-booster-dose-two-covid-19-vaccines-older-and

Hospitalisations are rising in several European countries, following earlier increases in cases with an apparent global fifth wave.  The hospitalisation figures do not distinguish between those admitted for COVID, and those (anecdotally a major proportion) admitted for other reasons but also found to test positive for COVID.  The BA.2 subvariant of Omicron is now dominant in over 40 countries, being more transmissible than the BA.1 but so far not causing more severe illness or more immune escape (sources: Airfinity, WHO).

The US mask mandate on aircraft and airports (as well as on buses and trains), was extended until at least April 18^th. 

Hospitalisations for COVID-19 in UK have increased again, and in some European countries have stopped decreasing.  Total case numbers are increasing in some European countries but it is not clear whether this will translate to increased hospitalisations or deaths (source: Airfinity).   Causes of the increase in UK hospitalisations may include waning immunity, increased social mixing and the increase in BA.2 sublineage, as well as possibly a decrease in testing, and/or increased numbers of “incidental COVID” cases in people admitted for other reasons.  You will no doubt have read of the situation in Hong Kong, with high numbers of hospitalisations and deaths, in the face of quite low vaccination levels especially among elderly.