The new Pfizer COVID-19 pill may not see Emergency Use Authorization for another month as health officials continue to highlight the promising effects it may bring. Dr. Anthony Fauci praised the data presented by Pfizer regarding the COVID pill, which someone would take within 48 hours of showing symptoms and …
Read More »Omicron threat looms over winter holidays in Europe and U.S.
The Netherlands went into lockdown on Sunday and the possibility of more COVID-19 restrictions being imposed ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays loomed over several European countries as the Omicron variant spreads rapidly. In the United States, White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci urged people traveling to …
Read More »London declares ‘major incident’ over Omicron
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a ‘major incident’ in the UK capital over the quickly deteriorating epidemiological situation prompted by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. “Today I have declared a major incident in London because of the serious threat of Covid-19 to our city. This will help us avoid …
Read More »Omicron more likely to reinfect than Delta, no milder -study
The risk of reinfection with the Omicron coronavirus variant is more than five times higher and it has shown no sign of being milder than Delta, a study showed, as cases soar across Europe and threaten year-end festivities. The results of the study by Imperial College London were based on …
Read More »Europe gears up for more restrictions as Omicron infections rise
European countries prepared to impose further restrictions on travel and more on Friday in an effort to stem surging cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 that are threatening to stall a global economic recovery. Germany, Ireland, and Denmark were all considering further restrictions in the days before Christmas festivities …
Read More »Omicron set to be Europe’s dominant variant by early 2022 – ECDC
There is a “very high” risk the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will become dominant in Europe by early next year and lead to a growing number of hospital admissions and deaths, the European Union’s public health body said on Wednesday. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said …
Read More »Mystery disease kills 89 people in South Sudan
A yet-to-be-identified disease has killed at least 89 people in Fangak in the South Sudan’s state of Jonglei, a World Health Organization (WHO) official told the BBC. The mysterious deaths happened in an area recently hit by flooding. Local health officials have ruled out cholera as the cause, the British …
Read More »Pfizer experimental COVID pill appears effective against omicron variant
Pfizer said Tuesday that its experimental COVID-19 pill appears effective against the omicron variant. The company also said full results of its 2,250-person study confirmed the pill’s promising early results against the virus: The drug reduced combined hospitalizations and deaths by about 89 percent among high-risk adults when taken shortly …
Read More »America COVID-19 deaths approach 800,000 as Delta ravaged in 2021
The United States on Sunday was approaching 800,000 coronavirus-related deaths, as the nation braces for a potential surge in infections due to more time spent indoors with colder weather and the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus. The milestone means the U.S. death toll from this one virus now …
Read More »Omicron cases surge by up to 400% in South Africa – but vaccine effectiveness ‘encouraging’
Omicron coronavirus cases have surged by as much as 400% in some parts of South Africa – although the country’s health ministry has said there is mounting evidence the variant causes milder infection. South Africa reported more than 22,000 new infections on Thursday, a record during the fourth wave but …
Read More »China grants emergency approval for its first COVID-19 drug
China’s drug authority has granted emergency approval for the country’s first specialized treatment against COVID-19, found in clinical trials to significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths among high-risk patients. The move comes as regulators around the world give the green light to treatments – particularly for high-risk groups – amid worries …
Read More »People with health issues or inactivated vaccine should get COVID-19 booster – WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended on Thursday that people who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine should receive a booster dose to protect against waning immunity. Many countries have been rolling out booster shots, targeting the elderly and people with underlying health issues, but worries about the …
Read More »EU health agencies advise on how to achieve ‘good levels’ of antibodies
EU health authorities have recommended a “mix-and-match” approach to Covid-19 vaccination, saying that using different jabs during the initial and booster inoculation phases produces “good levels of antibodies.” In a joint statement, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that “the …
Read More »S.Africans protest against Shell oil exploration in pristine coastal area
South Africans took to their beaches on Sunday to protest against plans by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) to do seismic oil exploration they say will threaten marine wildlife such as whales, dolphins, seals, and penguins on a pristine coastal stretch. A South African court on Friday struck down an application …
Read More »South African official says number of children sick with COVID not cause for panic
Higher hospital admissions among children during the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in South Africa that is driven by the Omicron variant should prompt vigilance but not panic as infections have been mild, a health official said on Saturday. A large number of infants admitted with COVID-19 last month in …
Read More »Omicron may become dominant in Europe in months -EU
The European Union’s public health agency said on Thursday that the Omicron variant could be responsible for more than half of all COVID-19 infections in Europe within a few months, but no cases of the severe disease had yet been identified in the region. The estimate could lend weight to …
Read More »Germany, U.S. agree to new COVID curbs as Omicron spreads across globe
Germany decided on Thursday to bar the unvaccinated from all but the most essential businesses and the United States was due to announce further travel curbs as countries around the globe scramble to keep out the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the variant showed …
Read More »UK issues call to arms for Omicron booster drive
Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a “call to get jabs in arms” on Wednesday as Britain stepped up its COVID-19 booster programme to fend off the Omicron variant after another 10 cases of the new strain were identified. Britain has now recorded 32 cases of the Omicron variant, which appears …
Read More »G7 health ministers praise South Africa for alerts on Omicron
G7 health ministers praised South Africa on Monday for the work it has done in detecting the new Omicron variant and alerting others and said they would work together to monitor the strain. “Ministers praised the exemplary work of South Africa in both detecting the variant and alerting others to …
Read More »Omicron variant spreads with cases detected in Netherlands, Denmark, Australia
The Omicron coronavirus variant kept spreading around the world on Sunday, with 13 cases found in the Netherlands and two each in Denmark and Australia even as more countries imposed travel restrictions to try to seal themselves off. Dutch health authorities said the 13 cases of the variant were found …
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