Epidemics Tracker

Milan, Italy | AFP |  Facing its deepest recession since World War II and with business confidence collapsing, the coronavirus pandemic is hitting Italy’s economy hard. Business confidence in the eurozone’s third largest economy in May plummeted to its lowest level since official statistics institute ISTAT started the index in March …

Paris, France | AFP |  Could exposure to the coronaviruses that cause the common cold help protect against COVID-19? Is herd immunity closer than previously thought? As nations lift lockdowns and experts worry about a potential second peak in cases, our ability to ward off infection is one of the hottest …

Masaka , Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Masaka Catholic Diocese has experimented their idea of dedicating a special day for young people to celebrate the annual pilgrimage feast of the Uganda Martyrs day. On June 3, every year, Christians from different corners of the world converge at  the Uganda Martrys shrine …

Paris, France | AFP |  It is the land of the world champions, but is it really a football country? That is the question some in France have been asking this week while its European neighbours work to bring the sport back after the coronavirus shutdown. Debate has raged ever since …

Paris, France | AFP | Dozens of scientists have raised concerns over a large-scale study of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine published in the Lancet that led to the World Health Organization suspending clinical trials of the anti-viral drugs as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine, normally used to treat arthritis, has become …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | These are the top stories in this week’s THE INDEPENDENT. COVER STORY COVID is no joke: 2,500 Ugandans could die THE LAST WORD Free COVID face-masks? Give me a break: How democratic politics has placed Uganda on a perilous road of an irresponsible and lazy …

Amuru, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Parliament from Acholi want the government to put Elegu town council in Amuru district under quarantine for 21 days. According to the MPs, following the emergence of several cases of truck drivers testing positive at the Elegu border post between Uganda and …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health has launched a mobile app which can be used by people who develop symptoms of the coronavirus (COVID-19) or suspected to be infected to alert the surveillance officials in the communities. The app dubbed ‘Call The Clinic’ short coded as …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu Regional Referral Hospital has increased its capacity to admit more COVID-19 patients. This follows the renovation of the Multi-drug-resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) ward at the hospital that has improved the capacity to 100. The hospital initially had space for only 14 cases. Emmanuel Ainebyoona, …

  Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | African governments will have to go slow on lifting some of the lockdown measures they instituted to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, senior officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and prevention have said. …