Health

Novavax Covid vaccine highly effective against severe Covid: company

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US biotech firm Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine was shown to be 100 percent protective against severe cases of the disease, including hospitalization and death, the company said Thursday following trials. But its efficacy against the South African variant fell markedly when including mild and moderate cases, results showed. The results announced Thursday were from final analyses, following interim results that were announced in late January. In a Phase 3 trial in […]

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New and more contagious “Super-CoVid” variants possibly driving Covid-19 surge in NCR

by Emily Manuel Contributor, Eagle News (Eagle News) — In a virtual press conference held on March 3, 2021, the OCTA Research Team, an independent and inter-disciplinary Philippine-based research group, shared its latest report which highlights a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in some local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region (NCR), including: Pasay, Quezon City, Manila, Makati, Malabon, Taguig, Paranaque, and Navotas. This surge is possibly being driven by […]

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Pandemic having major impact on childhood cancer care: study

PARIS, France (AFP) — The pandemic has had a “substantial” impact on childhood cancer care worldwide, with a marked rise in the number of patients abandoning treatment altogether, new research showed Thursday. Covid-19 has placed huge pressure on hospitals and healthcare systems, particularly in developing nations, as most medical facilities have been inundated with Covid patients. A global assessment of the impact of Covid-19 on paediatric cancer care showed that care was affected at more […]

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More than 400 acts of violence against Covid health workers in 2020: report

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Insults, beatings, arrests — health workers battling the coronavirus were subjected to more than 400 acts of violence related to Covid-19 worldwide in 2020, according to a report published Tuesday by a health NGO. The Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition unveiled an interactive map that shows 1,172 violent acts and attacks occurred against health workers or facilities last year, “a minimum estimate,” according to the NGO. More than a […]

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Long-term Covid should be ‘clear priority’ for authorities: WHO

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AFP) — A senior World Health Organization official on Thursday urged national authorities to make a priority of understanding the long-term consequences of coronavirus infections as some people show worrying symptoms months later. “It’s a clear priority for WHO, and of the utmost importance. It should be for every health authority,” Hans Kluge, regional director for WHO Europe, told a press conference. While some studies are beginning to shed light on the illness, […]

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Johnson & Johnson vaccine highly effective against severe Covid, including new variants

  by Issam AHMED Agence France Presse The single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine is highly effective in preventing severe Covid-19, including newer variants, according to documents released by the US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday. The news came as the regulator was set to convene an independent panel Friday that will likely vote to authorize the vaccine, making it the third available in the country hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. In large clinical […]

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WHO slams rich states for hogging vaccines

  by Robin MILLARD Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization on Monday blasted wealthy countries for not only hogging Covid vaccines but in doing so, hindering the pathway for poorer nations to get them too. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said some rich countries’ direct deals with manufacturers had meant that previously-agreed vaccine allocations for poorer countries, via the Covax programme, were being reduced. The UN health agency chief said […]

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Russia detects first case of H5N8 avian flu in humans

  by Anna SMOLCHENKO and Amélie BAUBEAU Agence France Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia said Saturday that its scientists had detected the world’s first case of transmission of the H5N8 strain of avian flu from birds to humans and had alerted the World Health Organization. In televised remarks, the head of Russia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, said scientists at the Vektor laboratory had isolated the strain’s genetic material from seven workers at a […]

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BioNTech/Pfizer say vaccine can stand warmer temperatures

  FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — Germany’s BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer on Friday said tests have shown that their coronavirus vaccine can stand warmer temperatures than initially thought, potentially simplifying the jab’s complex cold-chain logistics. The companies said they have asked the US Food and Drug Administration to allow for the vaccine to be stored for up to two weeks at minus 25 to minus 15 degrees Celsius (minus 13 to five […]

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90-year old US woman treks miles in snow to get vaccinated

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A 90-year-old American woman trudged six miles in a foot of snow with two walking sticks to get her coronavirus vaccination. Fran Goldman, of Seattle, had been trying frantically to get an appointment for her first shot, working the phones every day in vain, reports said. When she finally got one for last Sunday, Goldman was determined to keep her appointment — several inches of snow on the ground […]

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UN urges global Covid vaccine plan, warns of dangerous inequity

  by Philippe Rater with Shaun Tandon in Washington Agence France Presse UNITED Nations (AFP) — The United Nations on Wednesday led calls for a coordinated global effort to vaccinate against Covid-19, warning that gaping inequities in initial efforts put the whole planet at risk. Foreign ministers met virtually for a first-ever UN Security Council session on vaccinations called by current chair Britain, which said the world had a “moral duty” to act together against […]

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Deep-freeze case could help transport vaccines in Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — A South African company is seeking to help solve the logistical nightmare of keeping Covid-19 vaccinations at the ultra-cold temperatures necessary as they are shipped across the continent. Johannesburg-based natural gas producer Renergen is developing an ultra-cold biologic transport freezer for the task as countries throughout Africa plan for rollouts of comprehensive vaccination programmes. The vaccines developed jointly by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech must be stored at […]

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