Headlines
• Life expectancy for men in the UK falls
• Vaccination rates fall 35% MoM in the US
• Alaska imposes state-wide healthcare rationing
• International Money Fund warns 35-40 countries in debt distress
• Russia matches August daily death record
World news
• Official estimates of life expectancy for men in the UK fell for the first time in 40 years. Life expectancy at birth in the three years to 2020 was 79 years for men, down by seven weeks from the three years to 2017. It was virtually unchanged for women, at just below 83 years.
• CDC data shows that 312,000 people got their first dose over the last week in the US, a 7% drop on the previous week and a fall of 35% on the previous month. In total, 54.9% of the population is fully vaccinated.
• The US FDA has also authorised a Pfizer booster vaccine for adults at a higher risk of severe illness or who work in front -line jobs, and had their last vaccine at least six months ago.
• Yesterday, Alaska imposed crisis -care standards across its entire hospital system, rationing medical care in its hospitals.
• Figures show that in August, accident and emergency departments in Welsh hospitals recorded their worst ever performance figures; just 68.7% of patients spen t less than four hours before being admitted, transferred or discharged.
• The Welsh Ambulance Service response times of less than 8 minutes to its ‘red’ priority calls was only 57.6%. It has been a year since the target of 65% was met.
• Portugal has announced 84% of the country i s now fully vaccinated.
• An analysis by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that of 555 recent possession court hearing s involving rented properties in England and Wales, the impact of the pandemic was mentioned explicitly in one third of all cases where a possession order was granted.
• The International Monetary Fund believes that 35 -40 countries are “debt distressed” – defined as when a country is experiencing difficulties in servicing its debt, such as when there are arrears or debt restructuring.
• NHS Digital data on mental health referrals for children and young people aged 18 and under found that between April and June this year, 190,271 children were referred to mental health services. This is up from 97,342 referred during the same period in 2019.
• In Russia 820 people died from the virus in the last 24 hours, matching a record set in August.
• The Nobel prize banquet in Stockholm will not be held in person for the second consecutive year.
• AstraZeneca has announced a deal with a start -up founded by an Imperial College London vaccinologist to develop and sell drugs based on its self - amplifying RNA technology platform in other disease areas.
• A nationwide CDC survey of public health workers in the US has showed that of the more than 26,000 surveyed individuals, more than half reported recent symptoms of at least one major mental health condition. Their reported prevalence of PTSD was 10 -20%, higher among frontline medical workers than the general public.
• In the UK a total of 161,923 people tested positive at least once in the week to 15 September, down 22% on the previous week, according to the latest Test and Trace
