Health News Roundup: What you need to know about the coronavirus right now; Southeast Asia's COVID-19 cases hit new highs, Malaysian doctors protest and more


Reuters | Updated: 26-07-2021 18:56 IST | Created: 26-07-2021 18:27 IST
Health News Roundup: What you need to know about the coronavirus right now; Southeast Asia's COVID-19 cases hit new highs, Malaysian doctors protest and more
Representative Image Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Southeast Asia COVID-19 cases touch new highs

How the Delta variant upends assumptions about the coronavirus

The Delta variant is the fastest, fittest and most formidable version of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 the world has encountered, and it is upending assumptions about the disease even as nations loosen restrictions and open their economies, according to virologists and epidemiologists. Vaccine protection remains very strong against severe infections and hospitalizations caused by any version of the coronavirus, and those most at risk are still the unvaccinated, according to interviews with 10 leading COVID-19 experts.

Southeast Asia's COVID-19 cases hit new highs, Malaysian doctors protest

Thailand reported a record number of coronavirus infections on Monday, while neighbouring Malaysia has more than a million, as the virulent Delta variant carves a deadly path through Southeast Asia, now a global epicentre for the virus.

Thailand's 15,376 new cases were a daily high for a second consecutive day in the nation of more than 66 million.

Thailand reports record COVID-19 cases with focus on vaccinations

Thailand on Monday reported 15,376 coronavirus cases, a record number for a second consecutive day, amid public criticism over the pace of the country's vaccination rollout that has fallen behind some neighbours. The Southeast Asian nation, which has recorded a cumulative total of 512,678 infections, also reported 87 new deaths, bringing total fatalities to 4,146.

World Bank, COVAX unveil plan to speed vaccine supplies to developing countries

The World Bank and the COVAX global vaccine distribution program unveiled on Monday a financing mechanism to speed the supply of doses to developing countries, where COVID-19 inoculation rates lag far behind those of richer nations. The mechanism allows COVAX to make advance purchases - at more competitive prices - from vaccine manufacturers based on aggregated demand across countries, using financing from the World Bank and other multilateral development banks.

Factbox: Countries weigh 'mix and match' COVID-19 vaccines

A growing number of countries are looking at switching to different COVID-19 vaccines for second doses or booster shots amid supply delays and safety concerns that have slowed their vaccination campaigns. However, the World Health Organization warned on July 12 against the practice, calling it a "dangerous trend" since there was little data available about the health impact, while Europe's drug regulator made on July 14 no definitive recommendations on switching doses.

Long path back to business as usual, UK's coronavirus genome expert says

It is a long road back to business as usual from the COVID-19 pandemic, the head of Britain's coronavirus genome sequencing effort told Reuters, adding she was on alert for new mutations to the Delta variant that is sweeping the world. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ended England's coronavirus lockdown, saying Britain must cautiously learn to live with the virus, and that a quick vaccine rollout has allowed for a summer reopening.

China reports most COVID-19 cases since end-Jan, Nanjing starts 2nd mass testing

China reported 76 new COVID-19 cases on July 25, the highest daily total since January amid a surge of local infections in the eastern city of Nanjing, which started a second round of mass testing and banned taxis from leaving to curb the outbreak. China has taken a zero-tolerance approach to COVID infections, quickly testing swathes of its population and tracing the contacts of any positive cases to prevent the spread of the virus.

Mixed AstraZeneca-Pfizer shot boosts COVID antibody level - study

A mixed vaccination of first AstraZeneca and then a Pfizer COVID-19 shot boosted neutralizing antibody levels by six times compared with two AstraZeneca doses, a study from South Korea showed. The study involved 499 medical workers - 100 receiving mixed doses, 200 taking two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot and the remainder getting two AstraZeneca shots.

India to miss end-July vaccination target as Bharat Biotech lags

India will miss a target to administer over a half billion COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of the month as Bharat Biotech - maker of its only approved homegrown shot - struggles to boost output, an analysis of government data showed on Monday. India has undertaken one of the world's largest vaccination drives and has so far distributed some 430 million doses - more than any country except China, but less than many countries relative to its population.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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