The UK has recorded 448 new Omicron cases in the latest 24-hour period – taking the total across the country to 1,265. It comes after 249 new infections of the COVID-19 variant were reported on Thursday. The latest figures released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show 443 cases have been recorded in England, … Read more
Thessaloniki, Greece – When a mobile COVID vaccination unit arrived at his Greek village, Yiorgos Toumanidis showed up for his booster shot. “I know what it’s like,” said the 71-year-old, who has had the virus. “I spent a month at home with antibiotics … That’s when we understood what’s going on, how dangerous the situation … Read more
Japanese researchers have developed masks that use ostrich antibodies to detect Covid-19 by glowing under ultraviolet light.The discovery, by Yasuhiro Tsukamoto and his team at Kyoto Prefectural University in western Japan, could provide for low-cost testing of the virus at home.The scientists started by creating a mask filter coated with ostrich antibodies targeting the virus, … Read more
The introduction of Covid-19 countermeasures across the UK and the rest of Europe, not to mention the US and Asia, to try to combat the spread of the Omicron variant has raised the spectre of the global economy stumbling into 2022 in a distinctly weakened state. But how big is their impact likely to be?Will … Read more
CDC recommendation comes amid increasing fears the new Omicron variant will lead to a surge in infections in the US.The United States is expanding access to COVID-19 booster jabs, as the country contends with rising numbers of coronavirus infections and growing concerns over the potential spread of the new Omicron variant. The US Centers for … Read more
For Immediate Release: December 09, 2021 Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, authorizing the use of a single booster dose for administration to individuals 16 and 17 years of age at least six months after completion of primary vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 … Read more
All 102 counties in the state of Illinois are currently experiencing “high transmission” levels of COVID-19, while many are also experiencing dramatic growth in other metrics designed to illustrate how rapidly the virus is spreading. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a county to have a “high transmission” rate of COVID if 100 … Read more
Senior health officials have drawn up advice saying the UK should bring back stricter isolation and testing rules for contacts of Covid cases, amid concerns that triggering plan B is not enough to stop the spread of Omicron.Top officials at the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) have given three different options to help contain … Read more
It has been a year since the UK became the first western country to license a vaccine against Covid and since then the world has embarked on a battle against the virus.Here is a history of the vaccination developmentNovember 2020At this time, there were a number of Covid vaccine candidates being tested in large phase … Read more
Oxford University study finds mixing a first dose of the Pfizer or Astrazeneca vaccine with a second Moderna shot yields higher antibodies.A major British study into mixing COVID-19 vaccines has found that people had a better immune response when they received a first dose of AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech shots followed by Moderna nine weeks later, … Read more
It remains unclear whether the omicron coronavirus variant causes less severe disease, but even if this is true, hospitals could still be overwhelmed by the sheer number of cases Health 6 December 2021 By Michael Le Page A health worker at a covid-19 testing site in Cape Town, South AfricaDwayne Senior/Bloomberg via Getty Images There … Read more
Nigeria’s inclusion on England’s red list after cases of the Omicron Covid variant were linked to travel from the country has been condemned as “travel apartheid”.People arriving in the UK from Nigeria have to spend 10 days in hotel quarantine at a cost of £2,285 and have two negative PCR test results, as part of … Read more
Iran announces a new COVID-19 plan that will limit some public spaces to those with a digital pass showing they have been fully vaccinated.Tehran, Iran – The Iranian government has launched a “smart protocols” plan that will impose some restrictions on those unvaccinated against COVID-19, as it aims for the country to learn to “co-exist” … Read more
The seven-day moving average of new cases was 121,437 as of Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Prior to this week, the US last topped the 100,000-cases-a-day mark in early October.Also on the rise is the number of Covid-19 deaths, with a seven-day average of 1,651 people dying from the virus each … Read more
“P” is for positive. When your child tests positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus, you should … [+] absolutely positively not send him or her to school. (Photo: Getty) getty On November 8, parents in Marin County, California, learned that one of their children tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus. The next step should have been … Read more
Two hippos have tested positive for Covid-19 at Antwerp zoo in Belgium in what could be the first reported cases in the species, staff said.Imani, aged 14, and 41-year-old Hermien have no symptoms apart from runny noses, but the zoo said the pair had been put into quarantine as a precaution.“To my knowledge, this is … Read more
Three major issues will determine the magnitude of the impact of the new Omicron variant of the Covid virus will have on the nation and the rest of the planet. What is the transmissibility of this new Covid variant? How good is it at evading the antibodies and T-cells that make up a person’s immune … Read more
The emergence of the Omicron variant shows that the world is “closer to the start of the pandemic than the end”, one of Britain’s most senior scientific figures has warned, as he lamented a lack of political leadership over Covid.Sir Jeremy Farrar, the director of the Wellcome Trust who stepped down as a government scientific … Read more
President Bolsonaro had claimed that COVID-19 vaccines may raise the chance of contracting AIDS.The Brazilian Supreme Court has ordered a probe into President Jair Bolsonaro for claiming that COVID-19 vaccines may increase the chances of contracting AIDS. In a live broadcast on October 24, Bolsonaro said that “official reports from the UK government suggest that … Read more
The Omicron variant has been detected in at least 38 countries but no deaths have yet been reported, the World Health Organization has said, amid warnings that it could damage the global economic recovery.The United States and Australia became the latest countries to confirm locally transmitted cases of the variant, as Omicron infections pushed South … Read more
Rise in the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in the UK in the latest week, however, was driven by the dominant Delta variant rather than Omicron.Europe has crossed 75 million coronavirus cases, according to a Reuters news agency tally, as the region braces for the new Omicron variant at a time when hospitals in some countries … Read more
UK ministers have been warned they cannot wait for new research on the Omicron variant and must act now to prevent a potentially “very significant wave of infections” that risks overwhelming the NHS.The Guardian understands the government has been privately urged by some of its own scientific advisers to tell people to work from home … Read more
The pace of Covid infections in the South African province of Gauteng is outstripping anything seen in previous waves, and officials say Omicron is now the dominant variant.Angelique Coetzee, the chair of the South African Medical Association, said Omicron’s ability to spread – its R number – was believed to be above 6. The R … Read more
Makers of COVID-19 vaccines should gear up for the “likelihood” of needing to adjust their products to protect against the Omicron variant, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) spokesperson has said. Christian Lindmeier, speaking at a UN briefing in Geneva, said the agency was still studying the transmissibility and severity of the new variant, first reported … Read more
The tight-knit Binjari community, near Katherine, is mourning the death of a 78-year-old woman who has died from complications related to COVID-19.Key points:A Binjari woman who died in hospital last night is the NT’s first death related to COVID-19Aboriginal groups and community leaders have paid their respects to the close communityNT Police will investigate a … Read more
Covid booster shots can dramatically strengthen the body’s immune defences, according to a study that raises hopes of preventing a winter wave of severe disease driven by the Omicron variant.In a study published in the Lancet, researchers on the UK-based Cov-Boost trial measured immune responses in nearly 3,000 people who received one of seven Covid-19 … Read more
The Omicron variant has fuelled a “worrying” surge in coronavirus cases in South Africa and is rapidly becoming the dominant strain, local health officials have said, as more countries including the US detected their first cases.The United Arab Emirates and South Korea – which is already battling a worsening outbreak and record daily infections – … Read more
Boris Johnson appeared to be at odds this week with leading scientists and one of his most senior health officials, who advised the British population to cut back on unnecessary socialising in response to the Omicron variant.After the prime minister said people should not cancel nativity plays or Christmas parties and focus on getting booster … Read more
The UK drugs watchdog has approved a new Covid treatment after trials found it cut the likelihood of hospital admission and death by 79% in high-risk adults.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised Xevudy (sotrovimab), a monoclonal antibody made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Vir Biotechnology, for people with mild to moderate Covid-19 … Read more
Q: Boris Johnson on Monday announced a major ramping up of the drive to administer booster Covid vaccines in England. What prompted that?A: The emergence last week of the new variant of coronavirus, named Omicron by the World Health Organization. Ministers, NHS leaders, scientists and doctors fear it could trigger a new wave of Covid-19 … Read more
Marcus Lamb, the co-founder of the leading Christian TV network Daystar who railed against Covid-19 vaccines, has died of Covid-19. He was 64 years old.Lamb, who was the chief executive of the conservative network that reaches an estimated 2 billion viewers worldwide, died on Tuesday, weeks after contracting the coronavirus.“It’s with a heavy heart we … Read more
UK ministers should face charges of “misconduct in public office” over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic, an unofficial inquiry has said.The People’s Covid inquiry, formed by the political campaign group Keep Our NHS Public, said there had been “serious governance failures” at Westminster that contributed to tens of thousands of avoidable deaths.The inquiry, which … Read more
Patients who survive severe Covid are more than twice as likely to die over the following year than those who remain uninfected or experience milder virus symptoms, a study says.The research, published in Frontiers in Medicine, suggests that serious coronavirus infections may significantly damage long-term health, showing the importance of vaccination.The increased risk of dying … Read more
At schools, a church and a branch of KFC, public health officials have been scrambling to track people infected by Omicron, in a stiff new test of the UK’s widely criticised £37bn test-and-trace programme.On Monday, new cases of the Covid “variant of concern” emerged in two London locations, bringing the running UK total to 11, … Read more
The Scottish government has announced that six cases of Covid Omicron have been identified in Scotland, and in England, masks are set to become mandatory on public transport and in shops. In an attempt to reduce transmission, the government is looking to accelarate the booster rollout to under-40s.The World Health Organization has said the new … Read more
The Omicron variant is likely to spread internationally, posing a “very high” global risk where Covid-19 surges could have “severe consequences” in some areas, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.The UN agency, in technical advice to its 194 member states, urged them to accelerate vaccination of high-priority groups and “ensure mitigation plans are in … Read more
Nursing unions in 28 countries have filed a formal appeal with the United Nations over the refusal of the UK, EU and others to temporarily waive patents for Covid vaccines, saying this has cost huge numbers of lives in developing nations.The letter, sent on Monday on behalf of unions representing more than 2.5 million healthcare … Read more
Officials investigating one of the first cases in the UK of the Omicron coronavirus variant are searching for potential contacts as far back as nine days ago, raising questions over how long the new variant has been in the country.Essex county council said targeted testing was focused on customers, staff and delivery drivers at a … Read more
“But it’s fairly likely we’ll see cases,” said Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health.”It ought to redouble our efforts to use the tools that we have, which are vaccinations and boosters — and to be sure we’re getting those to the rest of the world, too,” Collins told CNN on Sunday. … Read more
Tour operators are scrambling to rearrange Swiss skiing holidays after the country joined Spain in tightening travel restrictions amid rising concerns about the spread of the new Omicron Covid variant.From Saturday night, Switzerland mandated 10 days of quarantine for all new arrivals, in effect wrecking skiing holidays in the Swiss Alps until further notice. Travel … Read more
Boris Johnson has been accused of ignoring a senior official’s plan to prepare Britain for the emergence of vaccine-resistant Covid variants, the Observer can reveal.With the government announcing on Saturday that the first UK cases of the Omicron variant had been detected, the former head of the government’s vaccine taskforce said he could see no … Read more
Japan experienced a surge in the Covid-19 coronavirus in July and August but in subsequent months … [+] cases have come down precipitously. (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images) Getty Images Here’s some of the latest “say-whatever-you-want-without-real-evidence” news. There have been claims online that ivermectin somehow helped Japan conquer the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. For example, Pierre … Read more
The UK has confirmed its first two cases of the new Omicron strain of COVID-19, both linked to travel from southern Africa. The variant has prompted several countries to impose restrictions such as travel bans on several southern African countries, while others have imposed fresh lockdowns over the new strain. The new restrictions come after … Read more
The first suspected cases of the Omicron Covid variant in Germany and the Czech Republic are being investigated, as Dutch authorities scramble to see if 61 passengers from South Africa who tested positive for Covid-19 have the new variant.Omicron, first identified in South Africa and known officially as B.1.1.529, has already been detected in travellers … Read more
Despite the UK’s much-vaunted vaccination programme, and scientists’ ever-growing understanding of Covid-19, Britain and the rest of the world face the challenge of a new, potentially more transmissible variant just a month before Christmas.While Sajid Javid, the health secretary, announced the red-listing of six southern African countries and said “we must act with caution”, he … Read more
Coronavirus variant fear sparks Africa travel curbs BBC NewsWHO to assess new highly mutated Covid-19 variant as countries ramp up health checks The GuardianNew COVID variant found in South Africa, UK enforces new travel bans CNET UKSouth Africa has found a COVID-19 ‘mutation variant of serious concern’ FortuneBritain alarmed by new COVID-19 variant spreading in South Africa ReutersView Full coverage … Read more
Scientists have said a new Covid variant that carries an “extremely high number” of mutations may drive further waves of disease by evading the body’s defences.Only 10 cases in three countries have been confirmed by genomic sequencing, but the variant has sparked serious concern among some researchers because a number of the mutations may help … Read more
A decision not to use AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine for elderly people in some European countries could help explain why the virus is currently triggering such high levels of infections in mainland Europe, the company’s chief executive has said.Pascal Soriot told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that heightened T-cell immunity could be giving those who received … Read more
Employers in the UK are following the lead of their counterparts in the US by stepping up demands for staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19, analysis of recruitment adverts reveals.According to figures from the jobs website Adzuna, the number of ads explicitly requiring candidates to be vaccinated rose by 189% between August and October as … Read more
1:17pm – Here are the Ministry of Health’s regional updates for Tuesday’s cases: Today’s cases Today we are announcing new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Lakes. There are no additional cases to report today in Wellington, Wairarapa, Canterbury or MidCentral. All Taranaki cases have now recovered. Information on the new … Read more