Switzerland is now the world’s safest country since the pandemic started, followed by Germany and Israel, according to a Regional Safety Assessment of 200 territories and regions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, Asia and Europe were the regions most successful in fighting the coronavirus although there were wide variations within Europe in terms of how countries […] Continue reading ->
In a series of flip-flops on Friday, the United Kingdom suspended the enrollment of new patients into the hydroxychloroquine arm of its massive RECOVERY trial, one of the largest randomised COVID-19 clinical trials in the world, after preliminary data showed “no benefit” for COVID-19 patients receiving the drug. The suspension of the trial came just […] Continue reading ->
A day ahead of a major pledging event, Gavi-the Vaccine Alliance has received some US $70 million in pledges from a broad range of corporations, foundations, initiatives and individual philanthropists to modernise, streamline and strengthen its delivery of vaccines to children in the world’s poorest countries over the next 15 years. Meanwhile, Médecins sans Frontières […] Continue reading ->
China stalled for ‘at least’ two weeks in providing the World Health Organization with detailed data on COVID-19 cases, frustrating WHO’s top echelons –  even as they tried to put on a positive public face, according to an investigative report by the Associated Press of exchanges that occured in January. China also withheld the genome […] Continue reading ->
Aerosol transmission of COVID-19 is looking to be more significant, and it is ‘essential’ to introduce widespread mask use to reduce COVID-19 transmission by that route – aerosol chemists and infectious disease researchers wrote in a commentary published in Science.  The authors refer to a growing body of evidence on aerosols and masks that runs […] Continue reading ->
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday he was terminating the US’ relationship with the World Health Organization. Trump’s declaration came hours after WHO’s celebratory launch of a new ‘Solidarity Call to Action ,’ urging countries to make patents and data for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines freely available as ‘global public goods.’ Some 37 countries […] Continue reading ->
In light of millions of smokers attempting to quit the vice during the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry has employed ‘very mean’, ‘very subtle’ and ‘very targeted’ tactics to hook young populations to “deadly’ tobacco products, according to WHO experts.  “The tobacco industry understands what they’re doing, they’re targeting these children and adolescents. And that’s deliberate. […] Continue reading ->