Epidemics Tracker

Brussels, Belgium | Xinhua | The European Commission on Monday granted conditional marketing authorization for Nuvaxovid, the fifth COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the European Union (EU). The authorization of the vaccine, developed by Novavax, followed a scientific recommendation based on an assessment of the safety, effectiveness and quality of the vaccine …

Jerusalem, Israel | Xinhua | Israeli researchers have found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, harms the human immune system, Ben-Gurion University (BGU) in southern Israel said on Monday. In a genetic study published in the journal iScience, BGU researchers tried to find out what causes the “stormy” nature of …

Copenhagen, Denmark | Xinhua | After the fifth day in a row of record numbers of COVID infections, on Friday the Danish government announced it would implement restrictions on social contact. With 11,194 infections in Denmark in the last 24 hours, the Parliament’s Epidemics Committee confirmed that new restrictions will …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health is concerned about the low response of elderly persons in the ongoing vaccination campaign against Covid-19 disease, Doctor Allan Muruta, the Commissioner for Integrated Epidemiology and Surveillance services has indicated. In March this year, the Ministry of Health launched a …

Harare, Zimbabwe | Xinhua | At least 436 workers from all departments at Zimbabwe’s largest referral hospital, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, are in isolation after contracting COVID-19 while on duty, an official said Friday. Hospital spokesperson Linos Dhire said operations had since been scaled down as a result of the …

Copenhagen, Denmark | Xinhua | The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Europe on Thursday urged people to exercise caution this holiday season, as the region is now coping with two highly transmissible coronavirus strains that have the potential to overload the already overburdened health systems. “The European region …

The Hague, Netherlands | Xinhua | The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Thursday issued advice on the emergency use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill called Paxlovid. The European Union (EU) drug regulator said the medicine, which is not yet authorized in the EU, can be used to treat adults with COVID-19 who …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Xinhua | The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surpassed the 9-million mark on Wednesday as the continent strives for adequate access to vaccines. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said that as of Wednesday evening, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases …

Stockholm, Sweden | Xinhua | A rapid increase in the number of Omicron COVID-19 variant cases is imminent, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned on Wednesday. The European Union’s (EU) health watchdog also urged countries to rapidly intensify their vaccination efforts, and reintroduce and strengthen other measures …

New York, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. Tuesday said final results show that its novel COVID-19 oral antiviral tablets could reduce risk of hospitalization or death by close to 90 percent for high-risk patients. The results, based on an analysis of over 2,000 patients in a phase …