Coronavirus World
Covid-19 News – Updates & Latest News about Coronavirus outside of Thailand.
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Pfizer Covid-19 pill nearly 90% effective at preventing hospitalisation, death
The pharmaceutical firm Pfizer says there have been highly promising results from the final analysis of its new Covid-19 treatment. The antiviral pill, which, if approved, will be sold as Paxlovid, has been shown to be nearly 90% effective at preventing hospitalisation and death in high-risk patients. Furthermore, recent data appears to show that the pill remains effective against the…
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First Omicron death reported in UK, variant now accounts for 40% of London cases
The UK has reported its first death from the Omicron Covid-19 variant as the mutation looks set to become the dominant strain in the coming days. According to a Reuters report, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the variant currently accounts for 40% of infections in London. The government has introduced tougher restrictions and Johnson is urging people to come…
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Covid cases top 50 million in US, Delta variant still dominant, Omicron spreading
The US has now reported over 50 million Covid-19 infections, according to a Reuters report, and the death toll has surpassed 800,000. The Delta variant is still dominant, accounting for 99% of infections, but cases of the newly-discovered Omicron variant continue to be reported. Infections have been steadily increasing over the last 2 weeks, following a 2-month period of declining…
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WHO urges wealthy nations not to hoard vaccines as Omicron spreads
The World Health Organisation has appealed to wealthy nations not to hoard vaccine supplies as the Omicron variant spreads. Several European countries, including Germany and the UK, are experiencing a wave of infections linked to the variant, with governments forced to reintroduce tough restrictions and urge people to come forward for first, second or third vaccine doses. According to an…
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US introduces new restrictions for international arrivals from Monday
From Monday, all international travellers to the US must receive a negative Covid-19 test result within 1 day of travel. Prior to the emergence of the Omicron variant, this measure applied only to unvaccinated travellers, with fully inoculated people able to arrive with a negative result obtained within 3 days of travel. However, the arrival of Omicron has prompted health…
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AirAsia boss accuses governments of overreacting to Omicron threat
The CEO of the AirAsia Group says governments shouldn’t panic over the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. The Bangkok Post reports that Tony Fernandes says officials should instead focus on reducing the cost of PCR testing. “It’s a huge overreaction. We don’t know anything about this variant yet. Let’s wait and see before we jump the gun.” Fernandes says…
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No vaccine, no entry: Germany gets tough on those who refuse to get vaccinated
Alarmed at rising infection rates and anxious to avoid another strict lockdown, the German government is instead imposing restrictions on the unvaccinated. According to a Bloomberg report, the outgoing chancellor Angela Merkel has agreed a raft of new measures with government officials and her successor, Olaf Scholz. Unvaccinated people in Germany will face limits on which public events they can…
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Health officials say Omicron probably in the Netherlands prior to South Africa reports
Dutch health officials say they’ve detected the Omicron variant in 2 local Covid-19 infections from more than 11 days ago. The development would indicate that the variant was circulating in Europe prior to the reports issued by South African authorities last week. According to an AP report, Japan and France have joined the list of countries to confirm cases of…
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Zero chance of zero Covid: Chinese virologist slams government strategy
One of China’s top virologists has launched a rare attack on the government, criticising its insistence on pursuing a so-called “Covid Zero” strategy. According to a Bloomberg report, Guan Yi from the University of Hong Kong says the government’s attempts to quash the virus through mass testing and harsh quarantines are doomed to fail. “We don’t stand a chance if…
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Signs Delta surge is easing globally despite rising infections in Europe
The world has now recorded over 250 million Covid-19 infections and some European countries are currently seeing a significant rise in cases. However, globally, a Reuters analysis shows that the surge caused by the Delta variant is showing signs of easing. Russia, the Ukraine, and Greece are some of the countries now reporting near record highs since the start of…
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Study shows vast majority of vaccinated people who die of Covid-19 are very old or have underlying conditions
An Italian study shows that most vaccinated people who die of Covid-19 are either very elderly or already have serious health issues. The study was conducted by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy’s national health institute. It shows the average age of people who died from the virus is 85. According to a Reuters report, they also had an average…
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Surge in vaccine misinformation on social media following death of Colin Powell
Following the death of former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, from Covid-19, a proliferation of anti-vax messaging has appeared on social media. Powell’s family has confirmed he was fully vaccinated against Covid-19. He was also 84 years of age and had been diagnosed with blood cancer and Parkinson’s disease. He died on October 18, with so-called “anti-vaxxers” seizing on…
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Russia to allow flights to resume to certain countries, including Thailand
From November 9, Russia will allow the resumption of commercial flights to Thailand and a number of other countries. Also on the list are the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Iran, Slovenia, and Oman, according to a report from Reuters and AFP. International commercial flights were grounded last year as Covid-19 took hold. Other restrictions have been eased since then, but the…
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Prominent virologists targeted with death threats from anti-vax conspiracy theorists
Some of the world’s leading medical experts are being targeted by conspiracy theorists who disagree with their opinions on Covid-19. An AFP report says a survey carried out by the scientific journal Nature has revealed the extent of the intimidation. The journal spoke to 321 scientists and medical experts in the US, the UK, Brazil, Canada, Taiwan, New Zealand, and…
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Nearly 40,000 new Covid infections reported across Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian countries collectively reported nearly 40,000 new Covid-19 infections yesterday, with the total now reported in the region topping 12.5 million. Nation Thailand reports that 39,996 new cases were reported yesterday, with 492 deaths. There have now been 268,655 Covid-related deaths across ASEAN nations. Meanwhile, Cambodia is considering a full reboot of its economy, subject to the situation remaining…
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Thailand to order new anti-viral “magic” pill for Covid-19 treatment
Thailand is joining the queue to get its hands on a new Covid-19 treatment from pharmaceutical giant, Merck. The new treatment, in pill form, has not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or by Thailand’s equivalent. However, after falling behind other countries in vaccine procurement, officials now seem anxious to get in there quickly, with reports…
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Australian official suggests borders may re-open by Christmas
Its borders have been closed since March 2020, but Australia may be ready to re-open by Christmas, according to its tourism minister. According to a TTR Weekly report, Dan Tehan, minister for trade, tourism, and investments made the suggestion while participating in an online talk organised by the National Press Club of Australia. “I do empathise with the Australians who…
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Malaysian leader forced to quarantine after close contact with Covid-19 patient
The prime minister of Malaysia is in quarantine after coming into close contact with someone infected with Covid-19. Thai PBS World reports that the office of Ismail Sabri Yaakob has issued a statement to confirm the development, but did not say how long the PM would have to quarantine or if he had been tested for the virus. The Malaysian…
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