Up to 190 000 Africans could die of COVID-19 within the first year of the pandemic if containment measures fail. And up to 44 million Africans, or 26% of the African population, could be infected by the virus, according to a new modelling study  by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. A proactive […] Continue reading ->
A rare, severe inflammatory illness – largely believed to be associated with COVID-19 – is putting children in ICUs in the United Kingdom and the United States.  The children present with symptoms similar to toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki’s disease – a pediatric heart disease that causes inflammation or swelling of the blood vessels, according […] Continue reading ->
A new report published Wednesday provides guidance to African governments on how to use data to chart a way out of COVID-19 lockdowns. Concerns that the economic impact of stringent stay-at-home orders may become too tough to bear for families has some African countries considering adapting or easing public health restrictions. Some 69% of people […] Continue reading ->
In a mild statement touching on a politically wired issue, World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the agency would step up its investigations of the original animal source of the SARS CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.  His comment came in response to a recommendation of the WHO Emergency Committee that met […] Continue reading ->
COVID-19 deaths per capita are twice as high in The Bronx, New York City’s poorest and most racially diverse borough, as compared to the predominantly white and more affluent borough of Manhattan, reported a new study published in JAMA on Wednesday.  The study’s findings draw out the potentially stark differences in the way the virus […] Continue reading ->
Routine vaccine campaigns, suspended worldwide in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns, must be resumed immediately or else some countries could face a big surge in deaths from other preventable diseases, said Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance. Speaking at a press briefing Thursday, Berkley warned that routine immunizations for other infectious diseases such […] Continue reading ->
“Epidemics, such as this one or any other, by their very nature, feed off existing inequalities and make them worse. And that’s what we see COVID-19 doing to inequalities between countries and within countries.” – Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS.  As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds and the global economy grinds to a halt, how […] Continue reading ->