Pfizer and Biontech apply for corona vaccine approval in Norway, EU

 

Pfizer and Biontech have submitted the formal application to have their coronavirus vaccine approved in the EU. Approval would also apply in Norway.

About two weeks ago, Pfizer stated that its coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective against the coronavirus.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently said that the first vaccines could be approved in late 2020 or early 2021.

An approval from the EMA means that the vaccine would also be approved in Norway.

Norway is also a party to the major procurement agreements the EU has entered into for the purchase of several vaccines, including an agreement with Pfizer and Biontech.

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COURTESY NORWAYTODAY

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Norway registers hottest November since 1900

 

OSLO, DEC 1 – Temperatures in November were above average last month, according to the Meteorological Institute. A warmer November hasn’t been registered since 1900.

Admittedly, this year’s November shares the record with the year’s penultimate month of 2011.

November of 2020 nevertheless led to several places experiencing the warmest month of November in over 150 years.

New records

At Torungen lighthouse near Arendal, at Lista in Agder, and at Utsira in Rogaland, it has never been warmer in November since the measurements started in 1867, according to Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).

Furthermore, 1,894 meters above sea level, on Juvasshø in Innlandet county, the measurements show an average of minus 3.9 degrees.

That is 4.5 degrees warmer than normal at the highest measuring station of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.

Above-average temperatures

According to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, the average temperature in November on the Finnmarksvidda was six to seven degrees above normal at the location.

The warmest place in November was Tafjord on Sunnmøre, which was the warmest place in the country last month, with its 18.1 plus degrees (November 16).

Not only has this year’s November been mild it has also been wetter than normal.

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Oslo’s New Year’s fireworks canceled

 

OSLO – The New Year’s fireworks in Oslo are canceled due to infection control considerations, the municipality states. “An assessment has been made of whether the event could take place within the infection control rules and the guidelines that are available today, but the municipality can not see how to move forward without it leading to accumulations of people and greater risk of infection,” the Urban Environment Agency wrote in a press release.

Richard Kongsteien, communications director at the Urban Environment Agency, says it is a sad but correct thing to do.

The municipality is now working on an idea to mark the New Year that is more in line with the infection control rules.

This year’s celebration has had a budget of NOK 500,000 for fireworks and guards, the Urban Environment Agency added.

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Norwegian teachers must be allowed to independently decide on use of face masks

 

OSLO, NOV 2020 – The National Association of Schools believes that the authorities’ recommendation that doesn’t recommend face masks at schools is outdated.

“More and more teachers feel scared, and want to use face masks during teaching… They must be allowed to do so,” acting union leader Terje Moen said.

As of today, both the National Institute of Public Health (FHI) and the Directorate of Education (Udir) recommend that no face masks are used in schools.

This applies to both pupils and employees in primary school, secondary school, and upper secondary school.

“Tired and scared”

The same applies to children and employees in kindergartens.

“More and more of our members report that they are tired and scared,” Moen added.

The National Association demands that teachers be granted the trust to decide on the use of face masks themselves, based on how they perceive their workplace situation.“National authorities must get this in place in the guidelines on infection control,” Terje Moen concluded.

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COURTESY NORWAYTODAY

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Spread of coronavirus is slowing down in Norway: Camilla Stoltenberg

 

OSLO, NOV 27 – Last week, for the first time since the first half of October, fewer new infections were reported than the week before. The infection reproduction number (R) has fallen to 1.0.

In epidemiology, the basic reproduction number (R) is the expected number of cases directly generated by one case.

The data was revealed in the National Institute of Public Health’s (FHI) latest weekly report.

A total of 3,621 infection cases were reported in week 47, a decrease from 4,080 in week 46.

“That is 11% less than the week before. That’s promising news,” FHi director Camilla Stoltenberg said when she presented the figures at the government’s coronavirus press conference on Wednesday.

Uncertainty about cause

Stoltenberg is still hesitant to make conclusions.

“The reduction in the number of infections may be due to the fact that we see results from the new measures.

“We hope and we believe that is the reason – at least the most important reason. But it could also be a result of fewer people testing themselves,” she said.

In its weekly report, the FHI points out that the number of tested subjects fell by 16% from week 46 to week 47.

At the same time, the proportion of positives increased from 2.77% in week 46 to 2.92% in week 47.

An R-number of 1.0

The FHI’s mathematical models also show that the increase in infection spread has stopped after November 5.

The infection rate R has fallen to 1.0 from a level of 1.4 in mid-October.

“In this context, a fall from 1.4 to 1.0 is significant,” Stoltenberg said.

“The goal is for the reproduction number to be below 1.0. Then fewer and fewer will be infected.

“But the situation is still unstable, and there is a danger that the infection may increase again… Work on stopping the spread must continue.”

Large variations

In the weekly report, the FHI writes that there are still large geographical variations in the spread of infection.

Oslo has the most infection, with 336 reported cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last two weeks in total. The number of infected people in Oslo has been stable during this period.

Trøndelag has the least infection, with 31 reported cases per 100,000 in the last two weeks.

Imported mutations 

The FHI has also performed genetic analyzes of the viruses in Norway.

These analyzes indicate that several recent outbreaks up to early November, such as those in Hyllestad, Våler, and Tromsø, are due to newly imported virus strains.

At the same time, it turns out that a subgroup of the virus with a mutation called A626S in the characteristic “spike” protein has now spread to all parts of the country.

Similar mutations have been seen in different Eastern European countries, and the first case of this mutation in Norway appears to have been imported from Poland.

Poland is also the country from which most infected people come. But the vast majority of those who were reported infected during the last two weeks, 93%, were infected in Norway. 

Only 1% came from Poland.

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COURTESY NORWAYTODAY

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