The United States has provided 500 million doses of vaccine to more than 110 countries, US Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken said Thursday. The total objective being to distribute 1.1 billion. “We have also invested and supported the development of manufacturing capacities for anti-Covid vaccines in Africa and Asia,” Blinken insisted. However, the coronavirus is far from an old story, as the current situation in the world proves.
- Black Wednesday in South Korea
South Korea recorded more than 600,000 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, more than 1% of its population, a record figure. However, the number of serious cases remains low in this country of some 52 million inhabitants where the majority of adults are fully vaccinated and have received a third dose. Authorities believe that the country is now close to the peak of the pandemic linked to the Omicron variant.
According to the WHO, South Korea is logically at the top of the world ranking of the number of new cases recorded in the last seven days, with 2,417,174 people who tested positive.
- The WHO is concerned about the resumption of contamination
The World Health Organization shares its concern over the rise in Covid cases around the world, even as people are getting fewer and fewer tests. “Over the past week, we have seen an 8% increase in detected cases, with more than 11 million cases reported to the WHO, said WHO expert Maria Van Kerkhove.
The WHO recalls that to date the pandemic has officially caused at least 6,041,660 deaths worldwide since the end of December 2019. Taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, the assessment of the pandemic could be two to three times higher than that which is officially established.
- Promise to ease measures in Hong Kong
Faced with the weariness of the inhabitants, the Hong Kong government has promised a relaxation of the measures currently in force. Against all odds, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Thursday that “the time has come” to review the restrictions. Since Omicron emerged in January, gatherings of more than two people have been banned in public places, bars and restaurants must close at 6 p.m., and schools have resumed distance learning.
- A second booster dose has little effect in young adults
A second booster dose of current messenger RNA vaccines may have only ‘marginal benefit’ against Covid-19 infections in healthy young adults, according to an Israeli study published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.
Pfizer and BioNTech also announced on Tuesday that they have asked the United States Medicines Agency to authorize an additional booster dose of their Covid-19 vaccine in people aged 65 and over.
- In France, the rise in contamination continues
While most restrictions are lifted in France, laboratories have recorded 108,832 positive cases in 24 hours. The seven-day daily average hit 74,912 on Wednesday, a level not seen since February 22. The number of hospitalized patients is however almost stable, and even in very slight decrease, with 20,757 patients, against 20,919 the day before.