• Covid-19 inoculations started in Dubai for Chinese nationals on visit visas to the UAE last month. Chinese National Chen Gang gets his shot. Antonie Robertson / The National.
    Covid-19 inoculations started in Dubai for Chinese nationals on visit visas to the UAE last month. Chinese National Chen Gang gets his shot. Antonie Robertson / The National.
  • The UAE has deployed mass testing and one of the world's fastest vaccination programmes to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. Pawan Singh / The National
    The UAE has deployed mass testing and one of the world's fastest vaccination programmes to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. Pawan Singh / The National
  • A man receives his Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine from a medical staffer at Guru Nanak Darbar temple in Dubai. AP
    A man receives his Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine from a medical staffer at Guru Nanak Darbar temple in Dubai. AP
  • Covid-19 inoculations start in Dubai for Chinese nationals on visit visas to the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National.
    Covid-19 inoculations start in Dubai for Chinese nationals on visit visas to the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National.
  • Vaccination process under way at the Biogenix Labs at G42 in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The
    Vaccination process under way at the Biogenix Labs at G42 in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The
  • UAE schools have already started vaccination drives for pupils between 12 and 15. Victor Besa / The National
    UAE schools have already started vaccination drives for pupils between 12 and 15. Victor Besa / The National
  • A woman is vaccinated against Covid-19 at Al Barsha Hall in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    A woman is vaccinated against Covid-19 at Al Barsha Hall in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

Covid-19 will become no worse than a common cold, AstraZeneca vaccine creator says


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

The leading scientist behind the AstraZeneca vaccine expects Covid-19 to recede into the same category as other coronaviruses and cause symptoms no worse than a common cold.

Dame Sarah Gilbert was speaking at a webinar hosted by the Royal Society of Medicine on Wednesday and said there was not an enormous amount of concern about future variants of the virus.

The virologist said the spike protein targeted by vaccines was limited in its ability to mutate to avoid immunity that could potentially make vaccines less effective.

“There aren’t very many places for the viruses to go to have something that will evade immunity but still be a really infective virus,” she said.

“I don’t think there’s an enormous amount of concern that we’re suddenly going to see a switch to something that evades existing immunity.

“What tends to happen over time is there’s just a slow drift, that’s what happens with flu viruses.”

For the virus to completely mutate, its spike protein must interact with the receptor on the surface of the human cell so it can get inside.

If the virus changes its spike protein too much it is unable to interact with the cell’s Ace2 receptor, making it impenetrable.

Small changes to the virus over time is a more likely scenario, that will enable virologists and vaccine manufacturers to adapt and react to those changes, similarly to the way the annual flu vaccine is developed.

Earlier this month, Ms Gilbert said the developing world where vaccines are scarce should be the priority of distribution of supplies of injections, rather than booster campaigns.

The Oxford University professor said immunity in those already given the Pfizer and AstraZeneca doses was holding up well.

Vaccinations for flu season begin in Dubai - in pictures

  • Dubai began a vaccination campaign before the flu season. All photos by Nick Webster / The National
    Dubai began a vaccination campaign before the flu season. All photos by Nick Webster / The National
  • The Ministry of Health and Prevention is encouraging people in vulnerable groups to take the flu vaccine this winter free of charge.
    The Ministry of Health and Prevention is encouraging people in vulnerable groups to take the flu vaccine this winter free of charge.
  • People obtain flu vaccine shots in Dubai.
    People obtain flu vaccine shots in Dubai.
  • Flu vaccines are recommended for everyone above the age of six months.
    Flu vaccines are recommended for everyone above the age of six months.
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  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
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Match info

Uefa Champions League Group B

Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Eriksen 80')
Inter Milan 0

Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

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Anxiety and work stress major factors

Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.

A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.

Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.

One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.

It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."

Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.

“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi. 

“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg

Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).

Second leg

Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm

Games on BeIN Sports

Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape

Turkish Ladies

Various artists, Sony Music Turkey 

Updated: September 23, 2021, 6:26 AM