These are the UK coronavirus stories you need to know about today.
Long COVID
Long COVID guidance was issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, and the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Patients may have ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 if they present with symptoms 4 to 12 weeks after the start of acute symptoms, and they may have post-COVID syndrome if their symptoms have not resolved after 12 weeks.
NHS England said specialist long COVID help would be available at 69 sites.
Dr Graham Burns, clinical lead at the long COVID centre at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, said in a news release: "In the first wave of the pandemic many people did not recover as quickly as they’d expected. We had no idea what long COVID was - the world had never seen COVID-19 before. We set up the clinic in Newcastle to support patients, but it has also been invaluable in helping us understand what long COVID is.
"I’m delighted that patients now have places to turn to across the country, and on a national scale doctors will be able to learn from our collective experience and offer tailored support to patients."
Oxford Vaccine 'Good Immune Response'
More data were released on the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine phase 1 and 2 trials.
The data showed a better immune response with two full doses rather than a full-dose followed by a half-dose booster.
The new data didn't mention the half dose, full dose regime which has been shown to be more effective than two full doses.
"The booster doses of the vaccine are both shown to induce stronger antibody responses than a single dose, the standard dose/standard dose inducing the best response," the university said in a statement, adding that the vaccine "stimulates broad antibody and T cell functions".
The findings are reported in two papers on T cell and antibody responses, and booster doses, in Nature Medicine.
Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency has booked an extraordinary meeting on 6 January to conclude its assessment, if possible, of the Moderna vaccine.
US advisers have given a positive assessment of the vaccine ahead of an imminent FDA decision.
The UK's MHRA is making its own assessment of vaccines and a decision on the Oxford vaccine is expected soon.
GPs' Discretion on 'Spare Jabs'
Each vial of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is designed to make five doses, but some GPs found that six were possible.
NHS England has told clinicians they could use the sixth dose "at their discretion".
The Telegraph reported that the regulator MHRA was looking at the feasibility of getting six vaccines out of the vials.
Latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest 78% of adults would be either very likely or fairly likely to have the COVID-19 vaccine.
Among those saying they were very unlikely or fairly unlikely to have the vaccine, common reasons were:
- Side effects worries (52%)
- Waiting to see how well it works (52%)
- Long-term health effects (46%)
Separate ONS data show availability of vaccines means 23% now believe life will return to normal within 6 months.
Lockdown
Northern Ireland has announced a 6 week lockdown from Boxing Day. Wales had already announced similar measures.
The Stormont decision was taken after reports of the NHS being stretched and queues of ambulances seen having to wait outside A&E departments with patients being treated in car parks.
ONS infection survey data released today show the percentage of people testing positive in Northern Ireland appears to no longer be decreasing in the most recent week (6 to 12 December), with 8500 people having COVID-19, equating to 1 in 215 people.
In England, an estimated 567,300 had COVID-19 during the most recent week, equating to around 1 in 95 people.
ONS said there was a sharp increase in positive cases in London, and increases also in the East of England, East Midlands, and the South East.
In Scotland cases increased over the most recent week with 52,500 people having COVID-19, equating to 1 in 100 people.
There were increases too in Wales, with 33,400 people having COVID-19, equating to 1 in 90 people.
The UK's R number has increased to 1.1-1.2 up from 0.9-1.0 last week.
The growth rate is +1% to +4% per day.
CMO's Report
Professor Chris Whitty has delivered his first annual report as England's CMO.
Aside from COVID-19, he's highlighted health problems in deprived areas, and a stalling in life expectancy.
In a statement he said: "Although COVID-19 has dominated the news, and remains an urgent priority, other diseases and health problems such as cancer and cardiovascular disease continue to take a major toll.
"I have brought together the latest data for health in England because they highlight major issues to tackle, identify where in the country they are heavily concentrated and trends in health over time.
"There is wide variation in ill health across the country, and much of this is avoidable. It is possible to raise the health outcomes of the least healthy closer to the outcomes of the healthiest – we should be aiming for that."
School Testing
Having announced mass testing in schools in England next term, ministers have been less clear about who'll be carrying it out.
It won't be teachers. Schools Minister Nick Gibb told Sky News: "Teachers are already fully occupied."
He said testing will be planned by the Armed Forces, and administered by volunteers and agency workers.
Teaching unions expressed concern about whether enough testers could be trained in time.
Kids' Websites
Dr Xand and Dr Chris Van Tulleken from CBBC are part of new Government websites giving coronavirus information to children.
Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection Baroness Dido Harding said: "We’re thrilled to be teaming up with Dr Xand and Dr Chris to offer children the knowledge they need, and help teachers and schools explain the changes their students may see when they come to school after the holidays."
See more global coronavirus updates in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Centre.
