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Covid-19 vaccines become less effective against the Delta variant three months after full vaccination, according to new research by the University of Oxford.
The results of the large UK study looked at how the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines protect patients against Covid-19.
Probably you get some protection against more severe disease for a few years. The whole point of the vaccines is to stop people from getting ill and dying
Prof Paul Hunter,
University of East Anglia
Researchers found that 90 days after the second shot the vaccines' efficacy in preventing infections slipped to 75 per cent and 61 per cent respectively.
That was down from 85 per cent and 68 per cent respectively, seen two weeks after a second dose.
The decline in efficacy was more pronounced among those aged 35 years and over, than among younger case studies.
Scientists also found that when vaccinated people were infected with Delta, they had similar levels of virus in their bodies as those who had not had the injections.
This could imply that those who are vaccinated could still spread the virus. It also raises questions over whether herd immunity can be achieved even in countries of mostly vaccinated people.
Findings ‘not surprising’
Prof Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine and infectious diseases specialist at the University of East Anglia in the UK, said the results of the latest study were "not surprising".
He that while the vaccines' effectiveness at preventing mild infections starts to fall away in a matter of months, the shots continued to prevent severe disease for far longer.
Immunity against mild disease, from vaccination or previous infection, was, he said, "short-lived". But the immunity to the more severe viral pneumonia from Covid-19 that can result in hospital admission and death "lasts a lot longer".
"Probably you get some protection against more severe disease for a few years, so what this means is that the vaccines are not going to stop the spread of the virus. Most of us who work in the area have known this for at least six months," he said.
"Herd immunity is not and never was going to be achievable. The whole point of the vaccines is to stop people from getting ill and dying."
While the new study indicates a reduction in vaccine efficacy over time, Prof David Taylor, professor emeritus of pharmaceutical and public health policy at University College London, said the vaccines were performing "relatively well".
"The real [challenge] for the world is getting production up to the level so we can supply poor world [countries], which isn't happening at the moment," he said.
He said, however, that scientists and governments would look for enhanced vaccines that were more effective against the Delta variant and other variants, and that such "tweaked" shots could be used widely as boosters.
The UK survey, run by the University of Oxford and the Office for National Statistics, analysed more than three million PCR tests from a random sample of people.
The results are likely to encourage more countries to offer booster shots for fully vaccinated people. The policy is already in place in the UAE.
Health officials in the Emirates recommend that people have booster shots six months after their second vaccine dose, unless they are considered vulnerable, in which case they should have it after three months.
This week, US President Joe Biden announced that Americans who have had both doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna will be allowed a booster after eight months.
Israel this month started giving third doses of Pfizer-BioNTech to the elderly. Initial results show they have been 86 per cent effective for people aged 60 and over.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
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heading
Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.
A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.
The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.
Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
RESULT
Deportivo La Coruna 2 Barcelona 4
Deportivo: Perez (39'), Colak (63')
Barcelona: Coutinho (6'), Messi (37', 81', 84')
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
