Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization said Friday it was working with social media companies in a bid to quash misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic — including on more light-hearted apps popular with teenagers. The WHO said it had started working with TikTok and Snapchat since the …
Read More »WHO wants invite to China’s probe into virus origins
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization said Friday it hoped China would invite it to take part in its investigations into the animal origins of the novel coronavirus. “WHO would be keen to work with international partners and at the invitation of the Chinese government to participate in …
Read More »US, China block UN resolution in spat over WHO handling of pandemic
United Nations, United States | AFP | The United States and China remained at loggerheads Thursday over a UN Security Council draft resolution calling for a 90-day humanitarian pause in conflicts worldwide in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The stalemate — over a mention of the World Health Organization — …
Read More »Pandemic: Less air pollution means thousands fewer die
Paris, France | AFP | There will be 11,000 fewer deaths in European countries under coronavirus lockdown due to a sharp drop in fossil fuel pollution during April, according to research released Thursday. Measures to halt the spread of coronavirus have slowed the region’s economies to a crawl, with coal-generated power …
Read More »WHO warns of neglecting vaccinations during pandemic
Copenhagen, Denmark | AFP | The World Health Organization’s European office warned Thursday that to keep other infectious diseases in check, vaccination programmes must remain a priority even during the coronavirus pandemic. The warning came as the UN body noted that while the spread of the novel coronavirus seemed to be “plateauing in western Europe, …
Read More »First COVID-19 vaccine expected in June 2021
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The closest date that a COVID-19 vaccine can be ready is June 2021 according to scientists and researchers. Over 100 vaccines are being developed globally in laboratories in the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe and even China. 76 of these are being followed by …
Read More »Experts call for embracing an African model of lifting lockdown
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Experts at the Makerere University School of Public Health say there’s no longer need for the whole country to stay under total lockdown as a way of preventing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Uganda has not had any cases of community transmitted infection …
Read More »The world never listened to advice on COVID-19 before cases escalated – WHO Chief
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Director-General of the World Health Organisation Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is blaming the rise in cases of the Coronavirus Disease to countries failing to listen and adhere to advice from experts. The development comes as COVID-19 infected cases continue to rise towards the 3-million …
Read More »Lockdowns ease as global infections near 3 million
Madrid, Spain | AFP | Spanish children were allowed outside on Sunday for the first time in six weeks as countries eased lockdown measures and reopen economies gutted by the coronavirus pandemic that has infected nearly three million people worldwide. Governments from France to Italy and the United States are gearing …
Read More »WHO warns over virus immunity as global death toll tops 200,000
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The global death toll in the novel coronavirus pandemic soared past the grim 200,000 milestone on Sunday, as the World Health Organization warned against “immunity passports” for recovered patients, seen as a possible tool for countries preparing to re-open their economies. The WHO opposes such “passports” …
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