Health

The Chinese government has removed pangolin scales from its 2020 list of approved ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine, a move campaigners describe as a “critical step” towards saving the world’s most trafficked mammal. Pangolins are scale-covered insectivores, about the size of a house cat, that is highly valued in …

World Health Organization expert Maria van Kerkhove says people with coronavirus are most infectious just at the point when they first begin to feel unwell, day after remarks that transmission of virus by people with no symptoms is “very rare.” A top World Health Organization (WHO) expert has tried to …

A study published on Tuesday, by Nature magazine, showed that an anti-viral drug called “Remdesivir” was effective in the prevention of respiratory symptoms in Macaque monkeys deliberately infected with Covid-19. Healthcare authorities warranted the emergency use of the Gilead company’s product for severely ill cases of Covid-19 in the United …

Nearly 7.2 million people have so far been infected by the novel coronavirus worldwide, and more than 408,000 have died from disease, according to Johns Hopkins University. According to the latest data on Tuesday, 7,199,611 have been infected with the virus, recording a 100,000 jump from the day before. Some …

Lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 have saved millions of lives and easing them now carries high risks, according to two international studies published on Monday. “The risk of a second wave happening if all interventions and all precautions are abandoned is very real,” Samir Bhatt, who co-led …

Up to 12 people have been found infected with Ebola in a new outbreak of the deadly disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. A week ago, authorities reported six infections in the northwestern city of Mbandaka, saying they appeared to be …

The total number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases worldwide surpassed 7 million early Monday, according to a running tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University. The university’s data showed that the global tally of fatalities had reached 402,730, while the number of recoveries topped 3.14 million. The US remains the worst-hit …

The death toll from the novel coronavirus has reached 400,135 worldwide, the Johns Hopkins University reported citing data of federal and local authorities. According to the US-based research university, the United States reported the highest death toll (more than 109,800 fatalities). The United Kingdom is ranked second with nearly 40,600 …

The government has moved slowly to permanently stop the sale and consumption of wild animals in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, raising fears the practice may continue. Bamboo rats lifted Mao Zuqin out of poverty. Now, because of the coronavirus pandemic, poverty threatens again. Mr. Mao has over the …

The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Iraq, Adham Ismail said on Sunday, that some Iraqis still deny the existence of Coronavirus (Covid-19), which causes a spike in the number of confirmed cases. “The first reason for the high number of infections is the citizens not adhering to …

Senior Chinese officials, releasing a lengthy report on the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, defended their government’s actions and said that China provided information in a timely and transparent manner. National Health Commission Chairman Ma Xiaowei said Sunday that a recent news media report that the Chinese government didn’t …

The World Health Organization (WHO) has changed its advice on face masks, saying they should be worn in public to help stop the spread of coronavirus. The global body said new information showed they could provide “a barrier for potentially infectious droplets”. Some countries around the world already recommend or …

Almost £7bn has been raised to immunise 300 million children at a virtual global vaccine summit hosted by the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said up to eight million lives would be saved as a result of the funds pledged at the Gavi vaccine summit on Thursday. The money will …

The last three coronavirus patients in Wuhan, the first epicenter of the COVID-19, have been discharged and the central Chinese city has recorded zero cases of the virus after mass testing of about 10 million people, state media reported on Friday. According to China’s National Health Commission (NHC), five imported …

Russia reported 8,726 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, pushing the total number of infections to 449,834. Officials said 144 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official nationwide death toll to 5,528.

The European Commission is pledging €300 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Commission announced on Thursday. Gavi is a Swiss-based global public-private partnership aiming to improve access to vaccines in poor countries. “It will help immunize 300 million children around the world and finance vaccine stockpiles to shield against …

German newspaper Handelsblatt reported health ministers from Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands wrote to the EU Commission that access to vaccines is “one of the most urgent issues that the European Union has to address at present”. Germany and three other European Union states are forging a new alliance …

The World Health Organization is resuming its trial of hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug backed by President Donald Trump to combat the deadly coronavirus, after temporarily halting research over safety concerns. The Data Safety Monitoring Board decided there was no reason to discontinue the international trial after reviewing available data on …

Scientists are running a trial to see if ibuprofen can help hospital patients who are sick with coronavirus. The team from London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital and King’s College believe the drug, which is an anti-inflammatory as well as a painkiller, could treat breathing difficulties. They hope the low-cost …

The first results from the world’s largest randomized trial of drugs to treat COVID-19 patients could be available in early July, one of the scientists leading the UK-based study called Recovery said on Tuesday. The first data from the study, which is testing a selection of existing drugs, is likely …