London, England | THE INDEPENDENT | The British economy is forecast to shrink by 11.3 percent this year, the worst recession in more than 300 years in the country as a result of the coronavirus crisis, British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said Wednesday. The chancellor told British lawmakers that …
Read More »New COVID-19 research raises optimism on post infection immunity
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nature could prove to be man’s best ally in slowing down, or actually averting the devastation to humanity potentially posed that the coronavirus. Researchers at the La Jolla Institute of Immunology in California have found that natural immunity triggered by COVID-19 infection could last longer than …
Read More »COVID-19: Oxford university says their vaccine is 70 percent effective
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Oxford University says their vaccine can protect people from COVID-19, according to findings released. Interim findings published about the study show that the vaccine is 70 percent effective in stopping people from developing COVID-19 symptoms. The findings are based on trials that involved over 20,000 …
Read More »Japanese PM pledges in 1st policy speech bold climate change initiative, COVID-19 containment
Tokyo, Japan | XINHUA | Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday made a number of pledges during the delivery of his first policy speech in parliament since taking office last month, with one of his priorities being to cut greenhouse gas emissions in Japan to net zero by 2050. …
Read More »Two thirds of world’s population join COVAX Facility for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines: WHO
Geneva, Switzerland | XINHUA | A total of 156 economies representing nearly two-thirds of the world’s population have joined the COVAX Facility, an international initiative co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners to ensure equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines, the WHO said on Monday. This includes 64 higher-income …
Read More »COVID-19 Vaccine
Uganda’s scientists, researchers join race Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Uganda is among countries where researchers are working to develop a safe and effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu, the director of Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), says they are looking at two …
Read More »U.S. steps up COVID-19 vaccines, therapies development as caseload tops 3 mln
Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced the establishment of a new clinical trials network on Wednesday aiming to step up vaccines and monoclonal antibodies testing, as the country’s confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassed 3 million. More than 3,035,000 COVID-19 cases have …
Read More »WHO to raise 31.3 bln USD against COVID-19
Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that the WHO-led global response to COVID-19 needs 31.3 billion U.S. dollars for therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics over the next 12 months, including two billion doses of vaccines. The money would go to the Access to COVID-19 Tools …
Read More »Gov’t delivers vaccines for Foot and Mouth disease in Karamoja
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has finally delivered vaccines for the foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Karamoja. At least 30,000 cattle have been vaccinated against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Karamoja. The outbreak was confirmed in November 2019, resulting into a livestock quarantine in Kotido, Abim …
Read More »Scientists in China believe new drug can stop pandemic ‘without vaccine’
Beijing, China | AFP | A Chinese laboratory has been developing a drug it believes has the power to bring the coronavirus pandemic to a halt. The outbreak first emerged in China late last year before spreading across the world, prompting an international race to find treatments and vaccines. A drug …
Read More »