Coronavirus Pandemic: Latest updates
S KOREANS RECOVER AFTER PLASMA THERAPY
Two elderly South Korean coronavirus patients recovered from severe pneumonia after being treated with plasma from survivors, researchers said yesterday, offering hope in the face of the global pandemic. Scientists have pointed to the potential benefits of plasma -- a blood fluid -- from recovered individuals who have developed antibodies to the virus enabling the body's defences to attack it.
NEWBORNS CONTRACT VIRUS IN ROMANIA
A Romanian maternity unit was being investigated yesterday after 10 newborns tested positive for the novel coronavirus, with the suspicion they contracted the virus from healthcare staff. "The mothers tested negative, but the babies tested positive so we have to consider their contacts with medical staff," Health Minister Nelu Tataru said in an interview with the Antena 3 TV station late on Monday.
INDIA EASES MALARIA DRUG EXPORT BAN
India yesterday announced a partial lifting of a fresh export ban on a malaria drug seen as a potential coronavirus treatment, after US President Donald Trump hinted at "retaliation". Citing domestic needs, India banned on Saturday exports of hydroxychloroquine which has shown early promise against Covid-19 in small-scale studies in France and China.
DOZENS CONTRACT VIRUS AT PAK JAIL
Dozens of prisoners in a Pakistani jail have contracted the novel coronavirus, officials have said, with more than 150 additional inmates potentially infected as cases of Covid-19 continue to soar in the impoverished country. At least 49 inmates at a jail in the eastern city of Lahore have tested positive, according to a tweet by the provincial chief minister late Monday.
FRANCE REPORTS 'AGRICULTURAL ARMY' CANDIDATES
More than 200,000 people have answered France's call for idled workers to help crop and livestock farmers desperate for extra hands as summer approaches, Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume said yesterday. "Today we have more than 200,000 applicants, and we have 5,000 recruiters who are organising the work," Guillaume told France 2 television.
Iran virus deaths rise 133 to 3,872
Iran yesterday reported 133 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of officially confirmed fatalities to 3,872. In the past 24 hours, 2,089 new cases of Covid-19 infection were recorded across the country, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said. That brought the number of confirmed cases to 62,589, he told a televised news conference.
EU announces 15b euros to fight virus
The European Union is to put up 15 billion euros ($16.4 billion) to help poor countries fight the coronavirus epidemic, the bloc's chief announced yesterday. European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said the money would help countries with weak healthcare systems tackle the impact of Covid-19 and also aid their long-term economic recovery.
Saudi expects 200,000 cases within weeks
Saudi Arabia's health minister yesterday warned of a huge spike in coronavirus cases of up to 200,000 within the coming weeks, state media reported. "Within the next few weeks, studies predict the number of infections will range from a minimum of 10,000 to a maximum of 200,000," the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah.
WORKERS FACING WORST CRISIS: UN
Some 1.25 billion workers are seeing their livelihoods threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Nations said yesterday, warning it was the "worst global crisis" since World War II. In a fresh study, the International Labour Organization warned that the global spread of the new coronavirus and the drastic measures taken to rein in the disease would, during the second quarter of 2020 alone, wipe out 6.7 percent of working hours globally.
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