Health

Shapps criticised for remarks on wearing masks in enclosed spaces

Vaccinations have made people more confident to sit in enclosed spaces without masks, Grant Shapps has said, prompting scientists to warn that such messages risked complacency, and that mask use was vital in limiting the spread of Covid.

Speaking at a packed fringe event about the rail industry at the Conservative party conference, where many people in the room did not have a face covering, the transport secretary noted the return of confidence of people to travel.

“It is the case that coming out of the pandemic, everyone needs to make that first journey – you felt, actually, that wasn’t so bad,” Shapps said. “You look at us in this room. Three months ago it would have been unimaginable for us to be sat in this room, in reasonably close proximity, [without] face coverings.”

Saying that anyone still unvaccinated without a medical reason was “mad”, Shapps said the extent of vaccination meant there was “a feeling of safety coming back, because people will know they’re jabbed, and everyone else is jabbed”.

Asked at the event in Manchester whether it was a good thing that so many people without masks were in the room, Shapps said: “I don’t think I said I was pleased. I was simply making the comparison that three months ago this would have been impossible, if we hadn’t come to the end of the programme of vaccination. And it is undoubtedly a good thing that society is able to open up.”

However, some scientists said it was important that the messaging on masks was not undermined. Dr Deepti Gurdasani, an epidemiologist at Queen Mary, University of London, said it was clearly established that people who were vaccinated could get infected and transmit Covid, and should wear masks in crowded places.

She said: “Infection rates in England currently are very high, so the risk of ‘superspreading’ in indoor crowded places is also very high. And government officials not wearing masks in such environments undermines their own public messaging that advises others to do so, and further erodes public trust, which is critical in the midst of what is a crisis, where we’re having an NHS that’s already struggling and 1,000 deaths per week and it’s not even winter yet.”

Trish Greenhalgh, a GP and professor of primary care health at the University of Oxford, said while Covid vaccines had been a “game-changer” for the pandemic, vaccinated people should still wear masks at indoor events.

“People who are fully vaccinated can still transmit the virus and still catch it,” she said. “The more people in the room, the more chance that someone is exhaling the virus even when they’re vaccinated, but especially if they aren’t.”

She urged people to take a “belt and braces” approach, adding: “The combination of masks and vaccines gives vastly more protection than either one alone.”

Health

Sierra Leone reports first case of monkeypox

Sierra Leone has reported its first confirmed case of mpox since the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its highest alert level for the potentially deadly viral disease last year.

According to the National Public Health Agency, the patient is a 27-year-old man from the rural district of the Western Zone, near the capital Freetown.

“Health teams are actively tracing and investigating to identify potentially exposed persons and to prevent further spread,” the agency announced in a social media post.

The confirmed case was detected on January 10, though health officials have not specified the variant affecting the patient.

Mpox, caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox, presents with high fever and skin lesions known as vesicles.

The disease was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970 and had mainly been limited to a dozen African countries before spreading more widely in 2022, including to regions where the virus had not previously circulated. The WHO declared its highest alert level for the disease in 2024.

In response, Sierra Leonean health authorities have swiftly activated containment measures. The infected patient has been placed in isolation while contacts will be monitored for 21 days. Surveillance efforts have been increased in all areas visited by the patient.

A public awareness campaign has been launched, and health workers are being equipped with protective gear and trained in prevention techniques to curb further spread.

Sierra Leone was previously one of the hardest-hit countries during the Ebola epidemic, which claimed around 4,000 lives, including nearly seven percent of the nation’s health workers, between 2014 and 2016.

Health

Risk of HMPV infection in Nigeria moderate- NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the risk of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in the country is moderate.

HMPV, which was first reported in 2001 in the Netherlands, is a single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus that causes symptoms similar to the common cold and influenza including cough, fever, nasal congestion, and fatigue, with an incubation period of three to six days.

It causes severe complications like pneumonia in infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems and spreads through respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces.

China is currently experiencing an outbreak of the virus, sparking global concern. India has also reported at least two cases of the virus.

In an advisory issued, the NCDC said the agency, in collaboration with the ministry of health, is closely monitoring global developments. The agency said as of January 6, 2025, data from surveillance does not indicate any unusual increase in respiratory infections, including those caused by HMPV.

“However, given the global trends in HMPV cases, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is proactively implementing measures to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capacity.

In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC), and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), conducted a dynamic risk assessment for Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV).

The assessment classified the risk of HMPV for Nigeria as moderate. This evaluation will inform and guide preparedness efforts, decision-making, and response strategies to mitigate potential impacts.”

The NCDC said it is also collaborating with port health authorities to ensure robust preparedness at all international points of entry (PoEs).

“In addition, quarantine facilities are being identified and prepared to manage any suspected or confirmed cases if required. Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) materials are being deployed to PoEs to ensure adherence to hygiene and safety protocols. Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials are being developed and distributed to raise awareness and provide clear guidelines for frontline staff and travelers at PoEs.

The National Influenza Sentinel Surveillance (NISS) sites across the six geopolitical zones monitor Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) which is already testing for COVID-19, will now also start testing for HMPV. Provisions will be made to increase the number of tests conducted. Additionally, laboratories in states with international airports will be supported to enable them to test for HMPV.”

Health

WHO declares new COVID outbreak in China global health emergency

The World Health Organization, WHO, has declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China, a global health emergency.

The WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus made the announcement at a press conference in Geneva.

WHO’s emergency committee on the epidemic had reportedly met Thursday afternoon and recommended designating the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, PHEIC.

The decision had been “almost unanimous,” Didier Houssin, chair of the emergency committee, said at the press conference.

“The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries,” Tedros said at the press conference.

“Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems and which are ill-prepared to deal with it. Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China. On the contrary, WHO continues to have confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak.”

Tedros also outlined recommendations made by the emergency committee to control the outbreak, including accelerating the development of vaccines and drugs and combatting the spread of misinformation.

This is the sixth time WHO has used that label, Public Health Emergency of International Concern, PHEIC. since the designation was introduced 15 years ago.