US service industry activity at highest level in nearly two years

According to a report by CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt, the UK is trying to stem the spread of several strains of the coronavirus in the country, with a new South African variant emerging across the country, and sometimes without links to international travel.

UK Health Minister Matt Hancock said the country had to “deal hard” with the South African tension after 105 cases were registered, with 11 of the cases unrelated to international travel. The variety known as the “British strain” makes up for most of the cases in the country.

Viruses are constantly mutating and the discovery of variants is normal, but experts are concerned that variants could mean faster and further spread of the virus.

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

—Rich Mendez

Activity in the US service sector reached its highest level in nearly two years, raising hopes that the pandemic-battered sector is on the mend, Reuters reports.

The Institute for Supply Management’s non-manufacturing activity index rose to 58.7 in January – its highest value since February 2019 and above its pre-pandemic level, according to Reuters. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the value to be 56.8.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the service sector.

According to Reuters, spending in the services sector has shifted dramatically to goods as the pandemic forced to lock up and drove people away from crowded public places such as restaurants and bars. Now that multiple drug manufacturers have begun to produce and distribute vaccines, hopes are growing that the virus can be contained and that the economy could soon return to a semblance of normalcy.

–Terri Cullen

Older Americans in the US who are now eligible for Covid-19 vaccines are struggling to make an online appointment for the life-saving drug. Some have recruited younger family members or friends who can quickly maneuver through the registration process before all the spots are taken.

However, the number of doses of Pfizer and Moderna is still limited, creating a demand that far exceeds the supply.

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

Angela Abruzzino, of Buffalo County, New York, said she’s been trying for days to make arrangements for her parents, who are over 80 years old. The process has been a full-time effort and so far has been fruitless, she said.

“My parents couldn’t have done it on their own,” Abruzzino said.

– Noah Higgins-Dunn, will shoot

Biotech company Vaxart said its experimental coronavirus vaccine taken by mouth showed promising results in an early clinical trial of 35 healthy adults.

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

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

The company also said no serious side effects were reported in the phase 1 study, with the side effects being generally mild.

“The most exciting thing about the [phase one data] is that we can have a very, very strong T cell response even after one dose, ” Sean Tucker, Vaxart’s chief scientific director, told CNBC in a telephone interview. He added that T cells are likely to be ‘undervalued’ compared to virus antibodies.

—Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

Private companies in the US added 174,000 new jobs in January, taking away the 50,000 profit forecast by Wall Street economists, CNBC’s Jeff Cox reports.

The national labor market continues to recover from widespread coronavirus shutdowns and historic unemployment. That recovery has been rocky lately, as a resurgence in virus transmission and more contagious variants threatens communities.

—Sara Salinas

The UK’s decision to delay the second admission of the AstraZeneca-University of Oxford coronavirus vaccine appears to be an effective strategy, according to the results of a new study, which also concluded that one admission could reduce 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, in fact found that the effectiveness increased with a longer interval between the 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 peer-reviewed, also found a 67% reduction in transmission after the first dose of the vaccine. The British health secretary said on Wednesday that the findings of the study were “absolutely fantastic”.

–Holly Ellyatt