by Thomas PERROTEAU Agence France Presse MADRID, Spain (AFP) — With coronavirus cases surging as a new school year begins, many Spanish parents are refusing to send their children back to class despite the threat of sanctions. “You have your whole life to learn, but if you lose your health, that’s it,” says Aroa Miranda, a 37-year-old mother-of-two who won’t send her boys to school this week when term resumes in the coastal town […]
Tag: health
Russia vaccine ‘passes early trial test’; participants developed antibodies within 1st 3 weeks
Kelly MACNAMARA Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Early tests of a Russian coronavirus vaccine showed encouraging results when details were published Friday, but experts said the trials were too small to prove safety and effectiveness. Russia announced last month that its vaccine, named “Sputnik V” after the Soviet-era satellite that was the first launched into space in 1957, had already received approval. This raised concerns among Western scientists over a lack […]
WHO tempers quick vaccine hopes
by Nina LARSON Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization said Friday it did not expect widespread immunization against the novel coronavirus until mid-2021, tempering hopes just as research revealed encouraging early results from a Russian vaccine. The virus which has killed nearly 870,000 people worldwide continues to spread, with Italy’s flamboyant former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi now in hospital after becoming the latest high-profile figure to test positive for Covid-19. […]
What is the best way to share out a future Covid-19 vaccine?
by Ivan Couronne Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — An international group of ethicists on Thursday criticized the World Health Organization’s goal of distributing coronavirus vaccines to treat 20 percent of each country’s population, proposing instead what they said was a more equitable system of distribution. In an article published in the journal Science, US professor Ezekiel Emanuel and more than a dozen experts from Britain, Canada, Australia, Norway and Singapore suggested […]
Brazil tops 4 million cases amid signs pandemic slowing
by Eugenia LOGIURATTO RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Brazil topped four million Covid-19 cases on Thursday as health ministry officials said infections were beginning to slow in the world’s second worst-hit country. Since the first case came to light on February 26, the South American colossus has registered more than 4.04 million infections and over 124,600 deaths, second only to the United States. There were almost 44,000 new cases over the previous 24 hours […]
Over 7,000 health workers dead from coronavirus, Amnesty says
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — At least 7,000 health workers worldwide have died after being infected with the coronavirus, including more than 1,300 in Mexico alone, the most for any country, Amnesty International said Thursday. “Every health worker has the right to be safe at work, and it is a scandal that so many are paying the ultimate price,” said Steve Cockburn, head of economic and social justice at the London-based rights group. “Many months […]
‘Batman’ filming halted after Pattinson gets Covid-19
by Jocelyne ZABLIT LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Filming in Britain for the latest Batman movie has been halted after its star Robert Pattinson reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus, just days after shooting had resumed. “A member of ‘The Batman’ production has tested positive for Covid-19, and is isolating in accordance with established protocols,” Warner Bros. said in a statement to AFP. “Filming is temporarily paused.” The studio did not name the person […]
Thailand records first coronavirus case after 100-day streak
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — A Thai disc jockey sentenced last week to two years in prison has tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said Thursday, ending the kingdom’s 100-day run without a local transmission. The man, sentenced on August 26 for what local media said was a drugs offense, had been in contact with at least 30 other people before testing positive on Wednesday. Those tested so far have all been negative, officials said. “It […]
The Rock reveals family coronavirus battle
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his entire family tested positive for coronavirus but have made a full recovery, the professional wrestler turned Hollywood A-lister said Wednesday. Johnson, the world’s top-paid actor, urged his 196 million Instagram followers to wear masks and avoid “politicizing” the pandemic after revealing that he, his wife, and two young daughters had picked up Covid-19 from close family friends. “This has been one of the […]
Experts probe obesity link to severe virus response
by Kelly MACNAMARA PARIS, France (AFP) — Inflammatory and immune responses linked to obesity could help explain the likelihood of a more severe outcome among patients with Covid-19, European experts said Wednesday. As the new coronavirus has spread, killing more than 800,000 people globally, it has become increasingly clear that co-morbidities put patients at greater risk. In a presentation at European and International Congress on Obesity, researchers said that inflamation caused by a buildup of […]
US states told be ready to distribute Covid-19 vaccine by Nov 1
by Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Trump administration has urged US states to get ready to distribute a potential Covid-19 vaccine by November 1 — two days before the presidential election. Dallas-based wholesaler McKesson Corp. has a deal with the federal government and will be requesting permits to set up distribution centers when a vaccine becomes available. “The normal time required to obtain these permits presents a significant barrier to the success […]
Chinese bus offers new evidence of airborne coronavirus spread: study
WASHINGTON D.C., United States (AFP) — A person on a poorly ventilated Chinese bus infected nearly two dozen other passengers with coronavirus even though many weren’t sitting close by, according to research published on Tuesday that offers fresh evidence the disease can spread in the air. Health authorities had initially discounted the possibility that simply breathing could send infectious micro-droplets into the air, but did a U-turn as experts piled on pressure and evidence mounted. […]





