Tag: as

UK govt under spotlight as COVID cases rise again

Britain has repeatedly trumpeted its mass vaccination programme against COVID-19, hailing its early approval of jabs as a key part of the long struggle to return to normal life. But infection rates remain stubbornly high, contrasting sharply with its European neighbours and prompting fresh questions of the government. For two weeks, the number of new

Lisbon drives virus surge as Portugal is chided for failings

The Lisbon region’s surge in COVID-19 cases is powering ahead, with new infections pushing Portugal’s daily new cases to a four-month high as a report by health experts finds fault with the government’s pandemic response. Portugal on Wednesday reported almost 1,500 new cases, two-thirds of them in the capital region where 2.8 million people live.

Local anesthetic procaine inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Research posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server has shown that procaine and procaine-hydrochloride can reduce replication of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A viruses in infected cells and reduce the production of cytokines by the viruses, making them potentially useful for treating COVID-19. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mainly infects the bronchial and alveolar

Cell stress mechanisms identified as prognostic factor for chronic inflammatory liver disease

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of the bile ducts and is difficult to treat, since its causes have not yet been adequately researched. Using RNA sequencing, an international research consortium led by Michael Trauner, Head of MedUni Vienna’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Department of Medicine III), has now identified

India’s PM warns of new wave as COVID-19 cases rise

Credit: CC0 Public Domain India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for increased testing and local restrictions to halt an “emerging second peak” of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, as fresh daily cases hit a three-month high. The world’s third most infected nation with more than 11.4 million cases, India recorded a peak of just under

US traffic deaths spike even as pandemic cuts miles traveled

Pandemic lockdowns and stay-at-home orders kept many drivers off U.S. roads and highways last year. But those who did venture out found open lanes that only invited reckless driving, leading to a sharp increase in traffic-crash deaths across the country. The nonprofit National Safety Council estimates in a report issued Thursday that 42,060 people died

Americans less worried about dying from COVID-19 as support for vaccine mandate grows

In a new ongoing panel survey by Northwestern University and The Ohio State University, researchers find Americans significantly less concerned they could die of COVID-19, while their overall perceived likelihood of contracting the virus remained relatively consistent from December through February. “Public Attitudes about COVID-19 Vaccination,” a study of 1,200 Americans surveyed monthly from December

India sees new lockdowns as coronavirus cases rise again

Cases of COVID-19 are increasing in some parts of India after months of a steady nationwide decline, prompting authorities to impose lockdowns and other virus restrictions. Infections have been plummeting in India since September, and life has already returned to normal in large parts of the country. In many cities, markets are bustling, roads are

UK tightens virus controls as New Zealand hunts source of outbreak

Britain on Monday began mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals from high-risk countries as New Zealand identified its first cases of the UK strain from the outbreak that forced its largest city into lockdown. Peru’s foreign minister meanwhile became the latest senior figure to resign in a growing scandal over top officials jumping the queue for

Pandemic showcases Belgium as Europe’s Vaccine Valley

A small country with an outsize reputation in research and pharmaceuticals, Belgium has emerged with a strategic role in the world’s battle against the coronavirus. The drugs giants racing to develop and produce new vaccines at scale in record time are international, but many of their global supply chains intersect here. In 2019, before the

Covid deaths at record high as EU approves second vaccine

The European Union’s medicines watchdog on Wednesday approved a second coronavirus vaccine, in a relief to struggling European countries as the world reached a grim new record of 15,700 deaths in 24 hours. The Moderna vaccine is now set to join Pfizer-BioNTech’s jab for use in the 27-nation EU, where governments are grappling with soaring

As China vaccinates, makers say jab works against mutations

Chinese medics in Shanghai were given COVID-19 inoculations this week, as vaccine makers insisted their jab was effective against current virus mutations. China is racing to vaccinate millions ahead of the country’s Spring Festival travel rush. Pharma giant Sinopharm was given “conditional” approval for its vaccine candidate last week, and makers said they were confident