Tag: Virus

Russia’s virus caseload passes four million

  MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia officially surpassed four million coronavirus infections Wednesday, days after the country dramatically revised upwards its fatality rate, cementing its place as one of the world’s worst-hit nations. A government tally showed infections had reached 4,012,710, which is the fourth-highest rate globally after the United States, India and Brazil. But Russia has come under fire for its official virus statistics and the government’s stated death toll of 78,134 in particular […]

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Peru gives first Covid vaccines, Argentina approves Indian jab

LIMA Peru (AFP) — Peru on Tuesday began its coronavirus immunization program just two days after receiving 300,000 vaccine doses from state-owned Chinese company Sinopharm. The country has been hard hit by a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping Latin America. It has recorded around 1.2 million cases and more than 42,000 deaths from Covid-19 among its population of 33 million. Hospitals are overrun with almost 13,800 Covid patients while they have also reported […]

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Spain tops three million virus cases

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Spain, one of Europe’s hardest-hit nations, has topped three million since the start of the pandemic, the health ministry said Tuesday. Spain recorded another 16,402 cases in the last 24 hours, taking its overall figure to 3,005,487. Seroprevalence studies, which test for antibodies using a blood serum sample, suggest the real figure is far higher. Over the same 24-hour period, Spain also saw […]

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WHO mission to China fails to find animal source of coronavirus

WUHAN, China (AFP) — The WHO mission to China to uncover the origins of the coronavirus has failed to identify the animal source, scientists said Tuesday. Experts believe the disease — which has gone on to kill more than 2.3 million people worldwide — originated in bats and could have been transmitted to humans via another mammal. While transmission from animals was the likely route, so far “the reservoir hosts remain to be identified”, Liang Wannian, […]

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Iran starts Covid-19 vaccination campaign

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran began its vaccination campaign against Covid-19 on Tuesday to fight the Middle East’s deadliest outbreak of the illness, images broadcast by state television showed. “We begin our national vaccination against the Covid-19 virus… (in) memory of the martyrdom of health workers,” Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said at a ceremony at a Tehran hospital, referring to medical personnel who have died from the disease. Iran’s inoculation effort for its 80-million-plus population […]

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Dubai rolls out vaccines to public transport workers

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — Dubai has begun the mass vaccination of public transport workers, with the Gulf emirate aiming to remain open to international tourism despite a surge in cases. The United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai and six other emirates and has a population of nearly 10 million, has administered 4.4 million doses — one of the best vaccination rates per capita in the world, and second to Israel. The UAE has […]

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WHO says don’t dismiss AstraZeneca shot after SAfrica delays jabs

by Nina Larson with AFP Bureaus GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization insisted Monday that the AstraZeneca vaccine was still a vital tool in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic, after South Africa delayed the start of its inoculation programme over concerns about its efficacy against a virus variant. “It is vastly too early to be dismissing this vaccine,” said Richard Hatchett, who heads the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which […]

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India glacier disaster leaves 26 dead, workers hunt for survivors

by Jalees ANDRABI TAPOVAN, India (AFP) — Emergency workers in India on Monday raced against time to dig through mud and rocks choking a Himalayan tunnel after a devastating flash flood — thought to have been caused by a chunk of glacier breaking off — killed at least 26 people. More than 170 others were listed as missing after a wall of water and debris barrelled down a tight valley in India’s north early Sunday, […]

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COVID-19 vaccines to be provided free for all regardless of immigration status in UK

    LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Undocumented migrants in Britain will still be able to get Covid vaccines without being subject to status checks, the government said on Monday. Anyone in Britain can register with doctors and access free frontline medical care, regardless of their immigration status. Some data is shared with the interior ministry, which is responsible for border enforcement and investigating irregular immigration, including deporting those with no right to remain. However, […]

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Seoul launches Covid tests for pets

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Pet cats and dogs with a fever, cough or breathing difficulties will be offered coronavirus tests if they have been exposed to carriers, the Seoul metropolitan government said Monday. The programme in the sprawling South Korean capital comes weeks after the country reported its first case of Covid-19 infection in an animal, involving a kitten. “Starting today, the Seoul metropolitan government will offer coronavirus tests for pet dogs and […]

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South Africa suspends vaccinations as worries grow over AstraZeneca shot

by AFP Bureaus GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — South Africa suspended the start of its AstraZeneca inoculation programme over concerns the shot does not work on a new variant, with WHO experts due to meet Monday to discuss the vaccine already facing questions about its efficacy for over-65s. A trial showed the vaccine provides only “minimal” protection against mild to moderate Covid-19 caused by the variant first detected in South Africa, a setback to the global […]

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Brazilian, S.African virus strains found in Toronto

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — Health authorities in Toronto announced Sunday they had discovered the first two known cases of the Brazilian and South African variants of Covid-19 in Canada’s largest city. The patient suffering from the Brazilian variant has been hospitalized, Toronto Public Health (TPH) said in a statement. He had recently traveled from Brazil. The resident with the South African strain had no recent travel history and no known contact with any recently returned […]

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