The activity of the US services sector at the highest level in almost two years

The UK is trying to contain the spread of various strains of coronavirus in the country, with a new variant from South Africa appearing throughout the country and sometimes unrelated to international travel, according to a report by CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt.

The British Secretary of Health, Matt Hancock, said that the country must “descend sharply” on the South African strain after registering 105 cases, 11 of which are not related to international travel. The variant known as the “British strain” is the majority of cases in the country.

Viruses move all the time, and the discovery of variants is normal, but experts worry that the variants could mean a faster and later spread of the virus.

As of February 1, nearly 10 million people have received at least one dose of vaccine and just under 500,000 have received the second dose, according to government figures.

“Rich Mendez.”

US service activity has reached its highest level in two years, raising hopes that the pandemic sector could be developing, Reuters reports.

The Institute for Supply Management’s unproductive activity index rose to 58.7 in January – the highest value since February 2019 and above its pre-pandemic level, Reuters said. Economists surveyed by Reuters expected the reading to come to 56.8.

A reading of over 50 indicates expansion in the services sector.

Expenditures in the services sector have shifted sharply to goods as the pandemic forced the blockade and drove people out of crowded public places, such as restaurants and bars, according to Reuters. Now that more drug manufacturers have begun producing and distributing vaccines, there is growing hope that the virus can be contained and the economy may soon return to a certain appearance of normalcy.

–Terri Cullen

Older Americans in the United States, who are now eligible for Covid-19 vaccines, are struggling to book an online meeting for the life-saving drug. Some have recruited younger family members or friends who can quickly maneuver through the registration process before all seats are taken.

However, the quantity of doses from Pfizer and Moderna is still limited, which triggered the demand that far exceeded the supply.

“I wanted to throw the computer out the window. It was so frustrating,” said Jane Heller, a 70-year-old author and screenwriter based in Florida.

Angela Abruzzino, from Buffalo County, New York, said she has been trying for days to book meetings for her parents, who are over 80 years old. The process was a full-time effort and so far has been futile, she said.

“My parents couldn’t have done it alone,” Abruzzino said.

“Noah Higgins-Dunn, I’ll shoot you.”

Biotechnology firm Vaxart said its experimental oral coronavirus vaccine showed promising results in an early-stage clinical trial of 35 healthy adults.

The vaccine, which is in a small tablet, generated a type of T cell responsible for killing virus-infected cells in about 75 percent of volunteers who received a single low or high dose, the company said, adding that the reported responses were were higher than those seen in Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

However, neutralizing antibodies were not detected in volunteers after a single dose, Vaxart said. Researchers believe that antibodies play an important role in defending cells against the virus.

The company also said that no severe adverse events were reported in the phase one study, with side effects generally mild.

“The most interesting thing about [phase one data] is that we can get a very, very strong T cell response even after a single dose, “Sax Tucker, Vaxart’s chief scientific officer, told CNBC in a telephone interview. He added that T cells are probably” underrated. ” compared to antibodies in the fight against the virus.

—Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

US private companies added 174,000 new jobs in January, blowing up the 50,000 gain expected by Wall Street economists, Jeff Cox of CNBC reports.

The national labor market continues to recover after the widespread shutdown of coronavirus and historical unemployment. This scrap has been rocky lately, as a resurgence of virus transmission and more contagious variants threatens communities.

“Sarah Salinas.”

The UK’s decision to postpone the second stroke of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine-Oxford University has proven to be an effective strategy, according to the results of a new study, which also concluded that a single shot can reduce the transmission of the virus.

Researchers at the University of Oxford found that the Covid-19 vaccine was 76% effective in preventing symptomatic infection for three months after a single dose and, in fact, found that the effectiveness rate increased with a longer interval between first and second dose.

The efficacy rate increased to 82.4% when there was at least a 12-week interval before the second dose. When the second dose was given less than six weeks after the first, the efficacy rate was 54.9%.

The study, which has not yet been evaluated by colleagues, also found a 67% reduction in transmission after the first dose of vaccine. The British health secretary said on Wednesday that the results of the study were “absolutely superb”.

–Holly Ellyatt