Covid-19

UK ex-PM Johnson says he planned raid on Dutch factory to get COVID vaccines

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he ordered military chiefs to plan a raid on a Dutch factory in March 2021 to secure 5 million COVID vaccines that…

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Zuckerberg says Biden administration pressured Meta to censor COVID-19 content

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg said senior officials in the Biden administration had pressured his social media company to censor COVID-19 content during the pandemic, adding that he would push…

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Joe Biden cancels events after positive COVID test

US President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House announced. Biden, who has been campaigning in Nevada, had to call off a keynote address at Unidos, a…

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EU court criticises EU Commission’s handling of COVID-19 contracts

Europe's second-top court on Wednesday said the European Commission did not give the public sufficient access to the purchase agreements for COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, upholding a challenge brought…

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Fauci denies suppressing COVID lab leak theory before US House panel

Former top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci strongly denied suppressing the theory that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak in China, telling lawmakers he never influenced research on…

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UPDATED: AstraZeneca to withdraw COVID-19 vaccine worldwide

AstraZeneca said it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a "surplus of available updated vaccines" since the pandemic. The company also said it would proceed…

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Two million Britons suffer long COVID symptoms

Two million people across England and Scotland are still suffering from long COVID symptoms, of whom 381,000 have had their day-to-day activities limited a lot, according to an official study…

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US CDC recommends older Americans should get another COVID shot this spring

(Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director signed off on the use of updated COVID vaccines as a second annual shot for adults aged 65…

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Italy launches COVID inquiry over opposition protest

By Angelo Amante Italy's parliament approved on Wednesday the creation of an official inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, angering opposition parties who were in power at the…

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Belgium advises face coverings amid flu surge

Belgian health authorities issued a "code orange" alert as the country faces a sharp rise in influenza cases, which means wearing face masks is now "strongly recommended" for vulnerable people.…

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CDC says JN.1 variant accounts for about 86% of COVID cases in US

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday estimated COVID subvariant JN.1 to account for about 85.7% of cases in the United States, as of Jan. 19.…

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WHO sees ‘incredibly low’ COVID, flu vaccination rates as cases surge

By Jennifer Rigby and Julie Steenhuysen LONDON/CHICAGO Jan 12 (Reuters) - Low vaccination rates against the latest versions of COVID-19 and influenza are putting pressure on healthcare systems this winter,…

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Spain considers nationwide hospital mask rule, as flu, COVID hit Europe

MADRID, (Reuters) - Spain's government proposed a nationwide mandate for people to wear masks in hospitals and health clinics, and Italy said respiratory illness infection rates had hit a record,…

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CDC says JN.1 variant accounts for about 62% of COVID cases in US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday that COVID subvariant JN.1 accounts for about 62% of cases in the U.S. as of Jan. 5, according to…

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Children born or raised during lockdown are developing language skills at a slower rate

Social interactions in the first months of life are fundamental for babies to learn how to communicate and develop their language skills. Physical contact, touch, smiling and our first face-to-face…

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COVID hospitalisations in Italy down but flu cases raising concern

COVID-19 hospitalisations in Italy are down slightly but a spike in flu cases is concerning, hospital group FIASO said this week. The rate of occupancy in ICUs has risen from…

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Spanish regions reintroduce mask wearing in medical centres amid flu spike

Five Spanish regions have announced the reintroduction of rules making the use of face masks compulsory in health facilities following a spike in flu and COVID-19 cases over the festive…

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Mask mandates return at some US hospitals as COVID, flu jump

By Brad Brooks (Reuters) - Hospitals in at least four U.S. states have reinstated mask mandates amid a rise in cases of COVID, seasonal flu and other respiratory illness. Healthcare…

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WHO classifies JN.1 coronavirus strain as ‘variant of interest’

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a "variant of interest", but said it did not pose much threat to public health. "Based on…

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Scientists see risk of lost opportunity for long COVID research in China

By Andrew Silver SHANGHAI, (Reuters) - With more than a full year past since China eased restrictions and let COVID-19 sweep its households, scientists are worried a unique opportunity may…

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COVID-19 shrinks life expectancy in S.Korea for first time since 1970

By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL, (Reuters) - Babies born in South Korea last year are expected to live 82.7 years, down from 83.6 years in 2021, the statistics agency said, after…

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Australia in a new COVID wave. What can it expect this time?

Australia is now into its next COVID wave. We’ve seen hints of this for a while. Case numbers and indicators of severe disease began rising in Victoria in August. But…

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Pfizer, BioNtech say flu-COVID shot generates strong immune response in trial

Oct 26 (Reuters) - Pfizer and German partner BioNTech said on Thursday that their vaccine to prevent flu and COVID-19 generated a strong immune response against strains of the viruses…

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Pfizer’s COVID outlook cuts hit other vaccine maker shares

Pfizer set off a fresh round of concern about the size of the U.S. COVID-19 vaccine and treatment market in the long term, driving down shares on Monday of its German partner…

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Long COVID can cause long-term damage to multiple organs, study finds

A third of long COVID patients sustained damage to multiple organs five months after infection, a study has found. Scans of patients who were treated in hospital for COVID-19 showed…

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Germany kicks off autumn COVID vaccine campaign targeting high-risk groups

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany on Monday launched its autumn vaccination campaign to prevent respiratory infection, promoting an updated COVID-19 booster shot only for the elderly or for people at high…

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WHO chief pushes China for ‘full access’ to determine COVID’s origins – FT

Sept 17 (Reuters) - The chief of the World Health Organization urged Beijing to offer more information on the origins of COVID-19 and is ready to send a second team…

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Who should get a COVID vaccine this year?

By Michael Erman (Reuters) - The U.S. drug regulator authorized updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and its partner BioNTech as well as from Moderna this week as the country prepares…

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US CDC recommends broad use of updated COVID-19 vaccines

By Bhanvi Satija and Michael Erman (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director signed offon broad use of updated COVID-19 vaccines approved by the government -…

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US CDC says existing antibodies can work against new COVID variant

(Reuters) - Early research data has shown that antibodies produced by prior infection or existing vaccines against the coronavirus were sufficient to protect against the new BA.2.86 variant, the U.S.…

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Fresh upsurge in Italy of COVID cases, up 44% in a week

There has been a fresh and largely unexpected upsurge in COVID-19 cases in Italy which have risen by 44% in the last week, the weekly bulletin from the health ministry…

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Do I need to worry about COVID again?

By Deena Beasley and Julie Steenhuysen (Reuters) - New data from scientists and vaccine makers Moderna and Pfizer N/BioNTech suggests that a newer, highly mutated variant of the virus that…

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England confirms 34 COVID cases linked to highly mutated variant – UKSHA

Sept 8 (Reuters) - UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) said on Friday that 34 COVID-19 cases linked to the highly mutated variant BA.2.86 had been identified in England. The Omicron…

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COVID-19 reports in Europe increasing

COVID-19 transmission in Europe appears to have risen in recent weeks but with the majority of countries not providing full data on the virus, experts are in the dark about…

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Moderna says updated COVID vaccine is effective against newer variant

By Patrick Wingrove Sept 6 (Reuters) - Moderna on Wednesday said clinical trial data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine will likely be effective against the highly-mutated BA.2.86 subvariant of the…

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EU authorises use of adapted Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine for COVID-19 variant

BRUSSELS, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The European Commission has authorised an updated COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNtech to be used in EU countries' vaccination campaigns this…

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England accelerates vaccine programmes due to new COVID variant

LONDON (Reuters) - England will bring forward the start of its autumn flu and COVID-19 vaccination programmes as a precautionary step after the identification of highly mutated COVID variant BA.2.86,…

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Highly mutated COVID variant found in new countries but pandemic in ‘a different phase’

A highly mutated COVID variant called BA.2.86 has now been detected in Switzerland and South Africa in addition to Israel, Denmark, the U.S. and the U.K., according to a leading…

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US CDC tracks new lineage of virus that causes COVID

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday that it was tracking a new, highly mutated lineage of the virus that causes COVID-19. The lineage is named BA.2.86,…

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209 COVID vaccine damage claims in German courts

The German state could be held liable to pay out compensation to plaintiffs over coronavirus vaccines if their claims are backed by courts, Germany's Welt am Sontag reported. "There are…

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US FDA advises COVID vaccine makers to develop shots aimed at XBB.1.5 variant

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it has advised manufacturers that are updating their COVID-19 vaccines to develop monovalent shots to target the XBB.1.5 subvariant. So-called monovalent, or…

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Austria not liable for Ischgl ski resort COVID outbreak

Austrian state cannot be held liable for the Ischgl crisis that saw thousands catch COVID-19, a court has ruled, rejecting the plaintiff's claims of "catastrophic mismanagement." Vienna's Supreme Court of…

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Biden signs bill requiring declassification of COVID origins information

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday signed a bill that requires declassification of information related to the origins of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the White House said. Biden said he shared Congress' goal…

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Pfizer to sell all its drugs in low-income countries at non-profit price

U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc PFE.N said on Tuesday it will offer its full portfolio of drugs, including off-patent medicines such as chemotherapies and oral cancer treatments, on a not-for-profit basis to 45…

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Air finance summit tackles jet shortages amid China travel thaw

Financiers at the centre of a $200 billion industry underpinning worldwide airline fleets are meeting in Dublin this week, gambling that China's long-awaited decision to free travel will accelerate their…

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WHO concerned with quick spread of new Covid variant

The world is not out of the woods yet when it comes to Covid as a new variant sees cases increase exponentially in North America. WHO’s COVID-19 technical lead Maria…

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China races to bolster health system as COVID surge sparks global concern

Cities across China scrambled to install hospital beds and build fever screening clinics on Tuesday as authorities reported five more deaths and international concern grew about Beijing's surprise decision to let the…

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White House pushes flu, COVID vaccines as cases rise -COVID response coordinator

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The White House COVID response coordinator urged Americans to get their flu vaccines and updated COVID-19 boosters on Thursday, saying there has been a significant rise in…

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EU regulator backs wider use of AstraZeneca COVID drug

Sept 16 (Reuters) - Europe's medicines regulator has backed using AstraZeneca's preventative COVID-19 drug as a treatment for the disease and also endorsed its therapy against a major cause of…

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‘Challenge’ to maintain world’s focus on global health after COVID-19: Bill Gates

Asking the world to prioritise saving lives in the world's poorest countries is increasingly challenging in a world still rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of climate change, rising…

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North Korea lifts mask mandate, distancing rules after declaring COVID victory

SEOUL, Aug 13 (Reuters) - North Korea has dropped a face mask mandate and other social distancing rules as leader Kim Jong Un declared victory over COVID-19 this week, state…

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Childrens’ noses defend less well against Omicron

The Omicron variant may be more efficient at infecting children through the nose than previous versions of the coronavirus, a small study suggests. Earlier in the pandemic, children's noses had…

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White House: Biden to remain in isolation until he tests negative for COVID

Aug 4 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will remain in isolation until he tests negative for COVID-19, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said. She also said it would be up to Biden's…

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Cancer patients receiving radiotherapy to be sent to Rome / Malta News Briefing- Tuesday 26 July 2022

Updated 1745 - Newsportal Update The Times of Malta reports that cancer patients receiving radiotherapy in Malta will be sent abroad to continue their treatment, after a technical fault in…

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Biden’s COVID symptoms ‘almost completely’ resolved, his physician says

U.S. President Joe Biden's COVID-19 symptoms "have now almost completely resolved" since he tested positive last week, his physician said in a memo on Monday. "When questioned, at this point he…

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UK weekly COVID-19 infections rise, booster jab programme announced

An estimated 3.5 million people in Britain had COVID-19 in the latest week of available data, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, up nearly 30% on the 2.7 million…

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Warning COVID becoming ‘too clever’

COVID infections are surging because the virus is constantly evolving and becoming "too clever", the WHO's special envoy on the virus has told Sky News. Dr David Nabarro has urged…

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