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by Marlowe HOOD Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Researchers in Hong Kong Monday identified what they said was the first confirmed case worldwide of COVID-19 reinfection, raising questions about the durability of immunity, whether acquired naturally or with a vaccine. “Our study proves that immunity for COVID infection is not lifelong — in fact, reinfection can occur quite quickly,” said Kelvin Kai-Wang To, a microbiologist at Hong Kong University’s Faculty of Medicine and lead […]
By Issam AHMED Agence France Presse The United States has issued an emergency authorization to use blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients as a treatment against the disease. Is it safe and effective? Has US President Donald Trump’s administration put political considerations ahead of the science? Here’s what you need to know. – What is convalescent plasma? – When a person has COVID-19, their body produces antibodies that fight the coronavirus. These proteins float in […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Dr Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, apologized Monday after misrepresenting a key statistic on how effective blood plasma is for treating COVID-19 when announcing an emergency approval measure. The US on Sunday issued emergency approval for plasma taken from recovered coronavirus patients, so that more people can get access to the experimental treatment. But Hahn and other senior health officials came under fire […]
by Sunghee Hwang, with AFP Bureaus SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea ramped up coronavirus restrictions on Sunday to try to contain a growing outbreak, as many countries around the world battled worrying surges in infections. The pandemic has killed more than 800,000 people globally, and continues to unleash destruction with areas such as Western Europe detecting spikes in infections not seen for many months. Infections have soared past 23 million globally, and some […]
ROME, Italy (AFP) — An Italian hospital said on Monday it had innoculated a first volunteer with an anti-COVID-19 vaccine as part of human trials expected to last six months. The woman, in her 50s, received the first dose developed by Rome-based biotech company ReiThera at the capital’s Spallanzani Institute for infectious diseases. The trials, developed between ReiThera and Spallanzani researchers, will be carried out on 90 volunteers divided into groups by age to […]
AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) — An Amman summit between Jordan, Iraq and Egypt will go ahead Tuesday, officials said, with extra precautions after Iraq’s telecommunications minister tested positive for COVID-19. Minister Arkan al-Shaybani and fellow Iraqi officials were tested upon landing in Amman on Friday and were put under confinement following the positive result, according to a statement by Jordan’s information minister Amjad al-Adayla. “This required implementing medical procedures put in place to protect the […]
(Eagle News) — The Philippine government is seeking the help of various church and religious leaders to “stave off” the rising number of suicide cases in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought unprecedented economic difficulties and widespread infections that has resulted in almost 3,000 deaths in the country. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra made the appeal after receiving information from the National Task Force against COVID-19 about the “alarming increase” in suicides since […]
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday extended a lockdown in New Zealand’s largest city, saying more time was needed to ensure a stubborn cluster of coronavirus infections was under control. Ardern said stay-at-home orders would remain in place across Auckland until at least late Sunday, instead of restrictions easing late Wednesday as originally planned. “These extra four days are believed necessary to allow us to move down a level in […]
LIMA, Peru (AFP) — At least 13 young people suffocated in a crush during a raid on a nightclub in Peru’s capital, where a party was being held in violation of a coronavirus ban on large gatherings, police and press reports said. “After a police operation in a discotheque in the Los Olivos neighborhood, 13 people have died,” Peruvian police chief General Orlando Velasco told RPP radio. Twenty-three people were arrested for taking part […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — American authorities announced on Sunday an emergency approval of blood plasma from recovered coronavirus patients as a treatment against the disease that has killed over 176,000 in the US. The Food and Drug Administration’s authorization comes as President Donald Trump faces intense pressure to curb the contagion that has hobbled the world’s largest economy and clouded his once-promising prospects for re-election in November. The plasma is believed to contain powerful […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea reported its highest daily number of coronavirus cases since early March on Sunday as authorities warned the country was “on the brink of a nationwide pandemic” and tightened social distancing rules. The majority of the 397 new infections were in the greater Seoul region — home to half the country’s 51 million people, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Authorities warned of tougher social […]
(Eagle News) – COVID-19 recoveries added on Sunday, Aug. 23, reached 16,549 bringing down the total active cases from 69,362 to 55,236. This was one of the biggest single day jump in recoveries. It is second only to the highest single day number of recoveries so far recorded on Aug. 16 at 40,397. Because of this, total recoveries as of Sunday reached 16,459. There were however only 32 reported deaths, 22 of which came […]
