In the unprecedented race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, the World Health Organization says that there are no “cutting corners” in testing the safety and efficacy of a new vaccine candidate. Vaccine development has moved at an unprecedented pace. In six months, some 26 candidates are already undergoing human testing, while 139 more are in […] Continue reading ->
Mothers should continue to breastfeed their children as the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks of COVID-19 during the pandemic, said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Monday, kicking off World Breastfeeding Week. The risk of transmitting COVID-19 to via breastmilk is low, according to the World Health Organization. So far, there have been […] Continue reading ->
‘’Less than 1%” of infected individuals die from the coronavirus according to the World Health Organization, marking the first time the agency has reported an ‘infection fatality rate’ for the general population. The virus is easily spread and more deadly in older people, making it a threat. The remarks by WHO’s experts came just a […] Continue reading ->
Four months after South Africa implemented one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, it appears that neither lives nor livelihoods have been spared. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was widely praised for taking decisive action when he introduced one of the fastest and strictest lockdowns in the world in late March. Within three weeks […] Continue reading ->
People who tested positive for COVID-19 had lower Vitamin D levels on average than people who tested negative, according to a massive peer-reviewed Israeli study published in the FEBS Journal. The study found that the average plasma Vitamin D level – or the level of vitamin D in the liquid part of the blood – […] Continue reading ->
First in a series of stories about how the coronavirus lockdowns and relaxations are playing out in different parts of Africa. Ibadan, Nigeria – While Lagos and Abuja capital city continue to be the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria accounting for nearly half of confirmed cases, Oyo State is also generating a buzz. […] Continue reading ->
Moderna, a frontrunner in the COVID-19 vaccine development race, today entered the final phase of testing required before pursuing regulatory approval, beginning the Phase III trial for their vaccine candidate mRNA-1273. The trial, titled COVE (Coronavirus Efficacy), will measure how well a 100 microgram dose of the vaccine can protect people against developing symptomatic COVID-19 […] Continue reading ->
Protecting Africa’s Health Workers Against COVID-19 Despite Weak Health Systems, Poor Infrastructure
Ibadan, Nigeria – As the number of health care worker infections continues to rise in Africa, Health Ministers are calling attention to increasing pressure on Africa’s health system – and the people running it. Lack of personal protective equipment, adequate infection prevention protocols, and burnout have led to widespread dissatisfaction among doctors in recent weeks, […] Continue reading ->
COVID-19 is on it’s way to becoming the deadliest infectious disease in the world this year, and could cause more deaths worldwide than the current deadliest infectious disease killer tuberculosis. Currently tuberculosis, one of humankind’s oldest known infectious diseases, takes the lives of some 1.8 million people per year. Global Deaths Due to Various Causes […] Continue reading ->
A new study by researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has documented how poor building ventilation plays a role in indoor transmission of Covid-19. The study looked at the air flow and infection dynamics from three important Covid-19 outbreaks in China and Japan, concluding that spread of the virus was “definitely favored by poor air […] Continue reading ->