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 …
Read More »Rapid increase in Omicron COVID cases “imminent”: ECDC
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 …
Read More »Pfizer confirms high efficacy of COVID-19 antiviral pill
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 …
Read More »UK clears COVID travel red list as Omicron takes hold
London, UK | Xinhua | Given that the Omicron variant has already taken hold in Britain, all 11 countries on England’s COVID travel red list are to be taken off from 0400 GMT on Wednesday, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Tuesday. Javid made the announcement in the parliament, adding …
Read More »Coronavirus: Experts call for cost-benefits analysis amid lockdowns
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There have been many concerns about getting people to recover from the mental stress caused by COVID-19 lockdowns as many authorities move to reopen their countries fully. However, other countries have reinstated some restrictions to battle new variants like Omicron, which according to some experts …
Read More »Africa faces fourth wave of COVID-19 due to Omicron variant: WHO
Brazzaville, Congo | Xinhua | Africa is being hit by the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic driven by the Omicron variant, after recording the fastest weekly surge in new cases since May 2020, said an official of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday. “Africa is now officially in the …
Read More »Parents, schools embroiled in fees dispute ahead of reopening
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There is a deepening row between school operators and parents on the recovery of school fees paid during the term that prematurely ended in June this year, at the start of the second COVID-19 lockdown. Several parents had just paid school fees for their children …
Read More »UN chief warns against criminal exploitation of COVID-19 recovery resources
United Nations | Xinhua | United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday warned against criminal exploitation of COVID-19 recovery resources. In a video message to the ninth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (CoSP9) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the top UN official warned …
Read More »Omicron variant can partially escape immunity induced by Pfizer vaccine: Study
The Omicron coronavirus variant partly escapes the protection offered by the Pfizer vaccine Johannesburg, South Africa | Xinhua | A laboratory research has suggested that the Omicron variant can partially escape antibody immunity induced by the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The research, led by Professor Alex Sigal from the Africa Health …
Read More »Covid-19 herbal concoction places Gulu University among top exhibitors at EAC trade expo
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Covilyce 1, a herbal concoction produced by Gulu University for COVID-19 treatment was on Sunday announced as one of the top three products exhibited at the 21st East African Community Micro and Small Enterprise Trade Expo held in Mwanza Province, Tanzania. Gulu University followed Geoffrey …
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