COVID-19 Live Updates: Total Number of Cases Passes 168 Million

COVID-19 live updates: Total number
of cases passes 168 million

Written by MNT News Team on May 28, 2021
Andrew Redington/Getty Images
The coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December

2019.
Known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus has resulted in more than 168

million infections and more than 3.5 million deaths.
SARS-CoV-2 infection causes COVID-19.
COVID-19 has now been reported on every continent.

Keep up to date with the latest research and information about
COVID-19 here.
For vaccine information, visit our live vaccine updates article.

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05/28/2021
ACCEPT 11:10 GMT — California announces huge vaccine pay More
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Californian officials have announced a $116.5 million pot of vaccine prize
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money. As the state plans to fully reopen in June,

the officials hope that this incentive will entice the 12 million Californians
who are eligible for a vaccine but have not yet been vaccinated.
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Read more on this story here.
05/28/2021 09:42 GMT — Production of new COVID-19 vaccine to

begin shortly
Yesterday, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline announced the imminent start of a

phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial. The study will involve more than 35,000
adults from the United States, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. If the trial is
successful, they expect the vaccine to be available toward the end of
2021.
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05/27/2021 10:38 GMT — Number of COVID-19 cases by country
1. United States: 33,190,560
2. India: 27,369,093
3. Brazil: 16,274,695
4. France: 5,683,143
5. Turkey: 5,212,123
05/27/2021 09:58 GMT — Vaccine mix-up in India
In the Siddharthnagar district of India’s Uttar Pradesh state, healthcare

workers gave 20 people two different vaccines for their first and second
shots. They received Covishield (AstraZeneca) first, followed by Covaxin.
According to Indian officials, there were no side effects.
05/27/2021 09:31 GMT — Vaccination may ease symptoms of long

COVID
In the largest survey to date of vaccinated people with long COVID, 57%
of respondents reported an overall improvement in their symptoms
following vaccination, while 19% reported an overall deterioration.
Possible explanations for improvements after vaccination include clearing
the residual virus and restoring a healthy balance to the immune system.
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Read more about the survey here.
05/27/2021 09:27 GMT — COVID-19 increases black fungus infection
risk in India
Mucormycosis, or black fungus, is a rare but serious infection that

requires medication or removal surgery. India is currently experiencing a
significant rise in cases. In a recent article, Medical News Today looks at
the links between COVID-19 and black fungus.
Read the article here.
05/26/2021 11:02 GMT — Moderna announces results of adolescent

COVID-19 vaccine study
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In a press release on Tuesday, Moderna announced that their mRNA

COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA-1273) was safe and effective at preventing
COVID-19 in adolescents aged 12–17. The company plans to submit the
data to vaccine regulators in early June.
Find out more about Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine here.
05/26/2021 10:29 GMT — Report describes three cases of stroke

following
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Researchers in the United Kingdom present an analysis of three people
who experienced a stroke after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-
19 vaccine, also called Covishield in India. Knowledge of who is likely to 
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experience very rare side effects of this kind gives doctors a better
chance to administer effective treatments, experts comment.
Read more here.
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05/25/2021 15:00 GMT — CDC reports on the number of COVID-19

vaccine breakthrough infections
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued their
report on vaccine breakthrough infections between January 1 and April
30, 2021.
As of April 30th, 2021, the CDC recorded a total of 10,262 SARS-CoV-2

vaccine breakthrough infections.
These infections are deemed as a breakthrough if they occur at least 14

days after people have received all their recommended COVID-19 vaccine
doses. Scientists can identify a breakthrough infection by the presence of
SARS-CoV-2 RNA or antigen.
“Even though FDA-authorized vaccines are highly effective, breakthrough

cases are expected, especially before population immunity reaches
sufficient levels to further decrease transmission,” the report concludes.
Read the full story here .
Policy.
05/25/2021 13:20 GMT — New COVID-19 cases drop to lowest levels in
11 months

New COVID-19 cases
A D V E R T I have
S E M E N T plummeted to the lowest levels in almost a
year across the United States, reports the Associated Press. The 7-day
average of daily new cases has now dropped below 30,000, which is the
lowest threshold since last June.
Health officials and experts believe this is down to the nationwide

vaccination efforts, whereby 60% of all U.S. adults have received at least
one dose of the vaccine, and almost 50% have received both shots.
Read the full story here.
05/24/2021 15:02 GMT — Japan warns of hospital “system collapse” in

Osaka due to COVID-19
The medical system in Osaka, one of Japan’s largest cities, is collapsing

under the pressure of ever-rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, authorities
have announced.
According to Yuji Tohda, the director of Kindai University Hospital in

Osaka, “[t]he highly infectious British variant and slipping alertness have
led to this explosive growth in the number of patients.”
The Osaka Prefecture registered 3,849 new COVID-19 positive tests last
week, and hospitals cannot cope with the abrupt increase.
Only 14% of those with COVID-19 in the prefecture have been able to
access hospital care.
Osaka health workers have warned that the pressure on the medical
system is leading to a rapid collapse.
“Some of [the nurses] are racking up 100, 150, 200 hours of overtime, and
that has been going on for a year now. […] When on duty, they sometimes
go home at 1 or 2 in the morning and go to bed only to be awakened by a
phone call at 3 or 4,” said Yasunori Komatsu, a union leader for
community nurses.
Policy.
05/24/2021 14:36 GMT — COVID-19 increases risk of new health

conditions in significant number of people
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A new study in the BMJ found that many people who become ill with

COVID-19 may have a greater risk of developing a new health condition

after their illness.
The study took into account the health records of over 200,000
participants from the United States.
Of these, 14% developed at least one new condition that required

treatment after the acute phase of their COVID-19 illness.These include
“cardiovascular, neurologic, kidney, respiratory, and mental health
complications,” according to the study authors.
Read the story in full here.
05/21/2021 10:22 GMT — UK Prime Minister announces plan for ‘Global

Pandemic Radar’
The prime minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson,

has announced a plan to set up a Global Pandemic Radar. This system will
be designed to track new SARS-CoV-2 variants and other emerging
diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) will help develop this
“international pathogen surveillance network.”
According to a U.K. government press release, “The pathogen

surveillance network will save lives and protect health systems by
spotting diseases before they cause future pandemics and enabling the
rapid development of vaccines, treatments, and tests.”
They believe that the Global Pandemic Radar will be operational by the
end of 2021. According to Johnson:
“The world must never be caught unawares again by a virus spreading

among us unchecked. We need to build a system of disease surveillance
fit for the 21st century, with real-time data sharing and rapid genomic
sequencing and response.”
Talking about
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Policy. Adhanom Ghebreyesus says: “The U.K. has set a strong example for
pathogen surveillance and sequencing, as well as vaccine development. I
am delighted that under P.M. Johnson, the U.K. will partner with WHO to
contribute to stronger
A D V E R T I Sglobal
EMENT surveillance and a safer world.” 
05/21/2021 09:33 GMT — Japan approve Moderna and AstraZeneca
vaccines
As COVID-19 case numbers rise, Japanese officials have

now approved the use of both the Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19
vaccines. The decision was announced just hours before the country
rolled out extended restrictions for much of its territory.
05/20/2021 09:36 GMT — China provides vaccines to multiple

countries in Africa
The Chinese government has announced that it will provide vaccines to

almost 40 African countries. According to Wu Peng, director of the foreign
ministry’s Africa department, China is either providing the vaccines for
free or selling them at “favorable prices.”
05/20/2021 09:13 GMT — In Conversation: COVID-19, sleep trackers,

and the immune system
For a recent article and associated podcast, Medical News Today spoke
with a group of sleep experts. Among the topics covered, they discussed
how COVID-19 has changed our sleep and how sleep professionals
interact with their patients.
Read the article and find the podcast here.
05/19/2021 12:01 GMT — COVID-19 may reduce gray matter volume in

brain, small study suggests
Policy.
Researchers found that people who required oxygen therapy for COVID-
19 had lower gray matter volume in part of their brain. This was associated
with agitation, suggesting grey matter reductions may underlie the mood

changes that some
A D V Erecovered
RTISEMENT patients experience.
However, the study was small, and scientists need to conduct more
research to confirm the results.
Read our full coverage of the research here.
05/19/2021 11:51 GMT — Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine: Should you

worry about the side effects?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued an emergency use

listing for the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. According to its analysis, the
most common side effects after vaccination were headaches, fatigue, and
injection site reactions.
Read more in our dedicated COVID-19 vaccines blog here.
05/18/2021 16:00 GMT — More than 96% of UK adults develop

antibodies after first vaccine dose
A yet-to-be peer reviewed study finds that both the Pfizer/BioNTech and
Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines trigger a high number of COVID-19 fighting
antibodies after the first dose.
The research, which is “one of the earliest real-world vaccine studies in

the U.K.,” according to its lead author Dr. Maddie Shrotri, found that
96.42% of people developed antibodies 28–34 days after receiving their
first dose of either vaccine.
Find out more here.
05/18/2021 15:00 GMT — COVID-19 vaccine: What to do about side

effects
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05/17/2021 14:51 GMT — New report indicates some neurological
issues are highly prevalent in COVID-19
A newly published report in JAMA Network Open  suggests that people

who develop COVID-19 frequently experience associated neurological
issues.
According to the report, symptoms such as headaches and a loss of smell

or taste are very common, but the most frequently clinically observed
neurological symptom appears to be acute encephalopathy.
This refers to a disease that affects the structure or function of the brain.

Acute encephalopathy occurred in 50% of the patients surveyed in this
study.
Most worryingly, the report associates experiencing neurological

issues due to COVID-19 with an increased risk of death during
hospitalization.
Read the story in full here.
05/14/2021 13:17 GMT — B.1.617.2 variant surging in UK
As the United Kingdom begins to open up, concerns mount over the
B.1.617.2 variant. According to Prof. Paul Hunter, who sits on a number of
COVID-19 advisory committees for the World Health Organization (WHO),
the variant is now in most regions of the U.K.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care, there is “no firm
evidence yet to show this variant has any greater impact on severity of
disease or evades the vaccine.” However, some experts believe that it
may be more transmissible.
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where the variant is most prevalent.
As it stands, the U.K. will ease COVID-19 restrictions further on May 17 and 
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then again on June 21. However, Prof. Hunter believes that this second
easing “is in doubt.”
05/14/2021 10:12 GMT — New study investigates COVID-19 in children
Currently, there is little information about the symptoms and outcomes of

children with SARS-CoV-2 infections. A study in Scientific
Reports  analyzed data from 12,306 children with lab-confirmed SARS-
CoV-2 infections. It showed that only 25.1% of the children had at least
one of the typical COVID-19 symptoms.
The authors found that 16.5% of the children experienced respiratory

symptoms; 13.9% had gastrointestinal symptoms, which included nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain; 8.1% had a rash; 4.8%
experienced headache; and 18.8% had other nonspecific symptoms, such
as fever, malaise, pain in the muscles or joints, and changes to their sense
of smell or taste.
In this study population, just 5.5% (672 children) needed hospital care. Of
those, 4.1% (38 children) needed mechanical ventilation.
Dr. Julian Tang is an honorary associate professor and clinical virologist at

the University of Leicester, in the United Kingdom, who was not involved
in the study. He was surprised at the high rate of infections in children
that were not associated with a fever, cough, or shortness of breath
(74.9%).
He explains that earlier studies had reported lower levels of

asymptomatic cases. For instance, one conducted in South Korea “found
that 22%  of 91 children were asymptomatically infected.” However, the
participants in this study had been mostly recruited in hospitals.
Dr. Tang observes that the “higher atypical symptomatic proportion may
well be explained by the fact that community (non-hospitalized) children
are also included in the study [and that these children] are more
representative of the majority of otherwise healthy children that are
attending school, for example.”
Policy. He continues, “More importantly, these findings also raise concerns about
the spread of the virus via infected children in society, when most may not
exhibit typical COVID-19 symptoms.”
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05/13/2021 11:34 GMT — Sri Lanka imposes travel ban

To address the increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases, officials in Sri
Lanka have introduced a 3-day travel ban across the country. The ban will
be in place from Thursday night until Monday morning. People who work
in healthcare, food supply, and power services are exempt.
Anyone who is seeking healthcare will also be exempt, as will those who
are traveling to the airport for air travel. This move adds to the existing
bans on public gatherings and parties, school closures, and restrictions on
public transport.
With a population of almost 22 million, Sri Lanka has

registered 133,527 cases of COVID-19 and 850 deaths.
05/13/2021 11:00 GMT — More side effects after mixing COVID-19

vaccines?
A new study investigated giving the AstraZeneca vaccine followed by the

Pfizer vaccine 4 weeks later, or vice versa. This mixed vaccine schedule
led to more frequent side effects after the second dose than giving the
same vaccine both times.
5/12/2021 13:11 GMT — Independent Panel says pandemic was a

‘preventable disaster’
In a damning report, The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness

& Response points to the systemic underfunding and lack of preparation
to deal with infectious threats that allowed COVID-19 to become a
pandemic.
The panel, which the World Health Organization (WHO) established,

presented their report today, which included that “coordinated, global
leadership was absent” as COVID-19 turned into a worldwide threat.
Policy.
In response to these findings, the group makes a number of

recommendations to address the immediate need not only for action to

curb the pandemic
A D V Ebut
R T I S Ealso
M E N T for long-term measures to stop future
pandemics.
Read more here.
5/11/2021 13:10 GMT — FDA extends the authorization of the Pfizer-

BioNTtech vaccine for emergency use in adolescents
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just extended the
emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-
19 vaccine to include adolescents aged 12–15 years.
Commenting on the decision to extend the vaccine’s EUA to

adolescents, Acting Commissioner of FDA Dr. Janet Woodcock, said:
“Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from
COVID-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to
ending the pandemic. Parents and guardians can rest assured that the
agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as
we have with all of our COVID-19 vaccine [EUAs].”
Find out more here.
05/10/2021 10:24 GMT — COVID-19 anxiety syndrome may be the

pandemic phenomenon to reckon with
Some researchers have argued that a new mental health phenomenon is

taking hold — that of COVID-19 anxiety syndrome.
The syndrome is defined as a fear of leaving one’s house because of the
infection risk — even when the risk is minimal — frequent and
compulsive symptom checking, and avoiding social situations or people.
“Some of the potential reasons why [this may happen] include high levels
of exposure to social media and news, disruption to routines and anchors
caused by lockdowns and restrictions, and difficulties disengaging from
the threatening stimuli, including [virus] variants and the situation in other
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countries,” psychologist Lee Chambers told Medical News Today.
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05/07/2021 15:26 GMT — COVID-19 vaccines: Straight answers to
common questions
Read more here.
05/07/2021 09:27 GMT — US government agrees to waive patents on

COVID-19 vaccines
Patents mean that other companies cannot produce generic versions of a

pharmaceutical company’s drugs for a set amount of time — often 20
years.” However, in a surprise move, the United States government has
announced its support of waiving patents for COVID-19 vaccines.
Eventually, this could help boost supplies around the world.
05/07/2021 08:48 GMT — Moderna COVID-19 vaccine: The side effects
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which is also known as mRNA-1273, is a

two-dose vaccine to prevent the illness caused by SARS-CoV-2. In a
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and safety
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05/06/2021 09:31 GMT — COVID-19 treatment: Hepatitis C drugs may
enhance remdesivir
Although vaccines are now available for most of the world, a more
successful treatment for COVID-19 is still necessary. A recent study finds
that drugs already approved for treating hepatitis C might boost
remdesivir’s effectiveness at reducing viral replication by “as much as 10-
fold.”
Read more on this research here.
05/05/2021 11:49 GMT — Can the US reach a vaccination target of 70%

by Independence Day?
In the wake of a slowdown in vaccine uptake, United States President Joe

Biden announced a new vaccination target yesterday: 70% of the adult
population are to receive at least one shot by July 4th.
Read more here.
05/05/2021 11:42 GMT — How have COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns

affected our immune systems?
With much of the world having lived with lockdowns for extended periods
of time since the start of the pandemic, researchers are turning their
attention to how this might affect our immune system.
Under normal circumstances, our daily interactions see us exposed to a

host of microbes on a daily basis. These exposures play an important role
in training and maintaining effective immune responses.
In a Special Feature, we look at what effect physical distancing might

have on the immune systems of adults, children, and infants born during
the pandemic.
Policy.
Read the full feature here.

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05/05/2021 10:43 GMT — A high dose of vitamin D has no effect on

COVID-19
According to a new study in the journal JAMA, giving a high dose of
vitamin D to patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 who are
receiving treatment in the hospital made no difference to the length of
their hospital stay.
There have been conflicting results about whether vitamin D plays a

role in how likely a person is to fall seriously ill with COVID-19 and
whether the so-called sunshine vitamin is a serious contender as a
treatment option.
Researchers in Brazil tested whether a single high strength dose of

vitamin D would reduce the time that people with COVID-19 had to spend
in the hospital. They saw no difference between patients receiving the
vitamin and those receiving a placebo.
05/04/2021 12:25 GMT — Novavax expands its vaccine clinical trial to

include children
Novavax, the biotechnology firm that developed NVX-CoV2373, a

recombinant protein vaccine candidate against COVID-19, announced that
it expanded its clinical trial to include children and teens.
The phase 3 clinical trial will test the vaccine candidate’s “efficacy, safety,
and immunogenicity” in up to 3,000 participants aged 12–17 years.
For more details, head here.
04/29/2021 14:33 GMT — Long COVID and children: The unseen

casualties of COVID-19
Most children recover from COVID-19 within a few weeks. But for some,
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In a Special Feature, we highlight the stories of four parents whose kids

still experience debilitating symptoms. We also speak to medical experts
about long COVID in children.
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Read the feature here.
04/29/2021 14:31 GMT — Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine can stay at

refrigerator temperature for 3 months
In a press release, Moderna announced that storage of its COVID-19

vaccine at refrigerator temperate could be extended from 1 to 3 months,
subject to authorization by health authorities.
Read more on here.
04/28/2021 15:05 GMT — Household transmission reduced after first

vaccine shot
A new study by Public Health England, which has not been peer-reviewed
yet, indicates that people who have received one dose of the Pfizer-
BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are 40–50% less likely to pass
on the SARS-CoV-2 virus if they contract it.

Policy.
04/28/2021 10:51 GMT — New mask guidelines for fully vaccinated

people in the US
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new
mask wearing guidelines for fully vaccinated people in the United States
yesterday, confirming that they will not need to wear masks during
outdoor activities such as walking, exercising, attending small gatherings,
and dining outside.
Meeting indoors with other fully vaccinated people or those from one
other household, even if they have not had the vaccine, can also take
place without masks.
Yet, the CDC  highlights that fully vaccinated people should continue to

wear a mask when meeting indoors with people from more than one
household, with anyone who is at high risk of severe COVID-19, in indoor
public spaces, and when attending large gatherings.
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Read the full recommendations here .
04/27/2021 14:03 GMT — Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine: What

are the side effects?
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is a single-dose vaccine to

prevent COVID-19. The most common side effects are:
headache
fever
fatigue
muscle aches
nausea
pain, irritation, redness, and swelling at the injection site
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04/27/2021 10:51 GMT — India continues to see soaring cases and

deaths
The rate of new COVID-19 cases in India was higher than 300,000 once
again on Monday, as the total number of deaths nears 200,000.
Meanwhile, the first international shipments of medical supplies to aid the
struggling health system have arrived.
Daily new cases in India have stood above 300,000 for 6 consecutive
days. Images of mass cremation ceremonies show the stark reality of a
struggling healthcare system. According to Reuters, the country is
bringing in its armed forces to provide help.
As India struggles to contain soaring case rates and look after the
country’s sickest patients amid shortages of oxygen and medical supplies,
countries around the world are committing to sending aid.
The United States announced yesterday that it would send raw materials
for vaccine production, rapid diagnostic tests, personal protective
equipment, and medical equipment to India. According to the Associated
Press, epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) are also due to travel to India soon to help with the
country’s public health measures to contain the spread of the virus.
Keep up to date with the latest information on our COVID-19 hub.
04/26/2021
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the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine resume in the United States.
04/26/2021 09:32 GMT — Gum disease linked to COVID-19 outcomes
Researchers at McGill University have found that people with the gum
disease periodontitis were 3.5 times more likely to require hospitalization
for COVID-19 and 8.8 times more likely to die.
The team assessed the dental and health records of 568 people living in
Qatar to look for possible links between periodontitis and COVID-19. They
found that biomarkers signifying inflammation were present at
significantly higher levels in the blood of people with COVID-19 who also
had periodontitis.
Senior author Dr. Faleh Tamimi told Medical News Today, “What we

suspect is happening is that, upon COVID-19 infection, periodontal
patients start the course of the disease with an already high level of
inflammation in their bodies.”
“This puts the patients at a disadvantage if their COVID-19 disease

derives in hyperinflammation, rendering them more susceptible to the
severe outcomes of the disease.”
However, the researchers acknowledge that their study has several

limitations. For example, the study does not establish a causal relationship
between periodontitis and severe COVID-19 outcomes, only an
association between the two.
04/23/2021 15:40 GMT — Is there a link between COVID-19 and

Parkinson’s disease?
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04/23/2021 09:52 GMT — India: COVID-19 surge continues to worsen
India continues to report record numbers of COVID-19 cases,

registering 332,730 new cases today. The already fragile health system is
failing to keep up with the influx of patients. In desperation, some
hospitals have taken to social media to ask the government to provide
more oxygen.
For instance, Max Hospitals, which run a hospital network, sent

a tweet warning that they had just 1 hour of oxygen left. Two hours later,
a follow-up message confirmed receipt of oxygen but advised that it
would only last another 2 hours.
Tweet
According to Railroad Minister Piyush Goyal, the government has started

running two Oxygen Express trains, which carry liquid medical oxygen
tankers. A statement from the Railways explains:
“Indian Railway is running Oxygen Express in response to its fight against

COVID-19. […] Oxygen Expresses are getting prepared to leave with liquid
medical oxygen from Visakhapatnam and Bokaro today for Maharashtra
and [Uttar Pradesh], respectively.”
So far, India has reported 15 million cases and around 180,000 deaths.

However, these figures are likely to be underestimates.
04/23/2021 09:15 GMT — Oxford researchers plan a COVID-19

reinfection human challenge trial
Experts still have a lot to learn about the likelihood that people who have
had COVID-19 can contract SARS-CoV-2 again. Scientists at the University
of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, have announced a human challenge
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04/22/2021 14:56 GMT — How COVID-19 has changed the face of the
natural world
Today is Earth Day, and to mark this occasion, Medical News

Today published a feature exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic has
influenced the natural environment. The article outlines both positive and
negative impacts and asks whether these observations might help us
shape a better future.
04/22/2021 09:17 GMT — Oral drug successfully treats SARS-CoV-2

infections in hamsters
Scientists recently demonstrated  that an oral antiviral called MK-4482

effectively reduces the impact on the lungs of SARS-CoV-2 infections in
hamsters. Although the study was very small, other similar findings
corroborate their results.
Read more about the study here.
04/21/2021 09:06 GMT — B.1.1.7 variant 45% more contagious than

original virus
A recent study, which appears in the journal Cell Reports Medicine,

analyzed data from 300,000 polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests
taken throughout Israel. The scientists conclude that the B.1.1.7 variant,
which was first identified in the United Kingdom, is 45% more contagious
than the original virus.
The scientists were able to chart the rapid spread of the new variant.
They found that on December 24, 2020, only 5% of cases were
attributable to the B.1.1.7 variant. By January 2021, the variant was
responsible for 90% of cases. Today, that figure is around 99.5%.
Policy.
Speaking about the results of the study, one of the authors, Prof. Ariel
Munitz, says: “To explain this dramatic increase, we compared the R

number of the SARS-CoV-2
A D V E R T I S E M E N T virus with the R of the [B.1.1.7] variant. In other
words, we posed the question: How many people, on the average,

contract the disease from every person who has either variant? We found
that the British variant is 45% — almost 1.5 times — more contagious.”
04/21/2021 09:04 GMT — European Medicines Agency finds ‘possible

link’ between J&J vaccine and blood clots
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) — the European Union’s drug

regulatory agency — has found a “possible link” between the Johnson &
Johnson vaccine and extremely rare blood clots. The agency also
reiterated that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh the risk
of side effects.
04/20/2021 14:55 GMT — UK: More than 10 million fully vaccinated
According to the latest figures, more than 10 million people in the United

Kingdom have now received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. This
equates to 19% of all adults. A further 33 million have had one dose.
Find more vaccine updates here.
04/20/2021 09:09 GMT — Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19: What are the
side effects?
In a recent feature, Medical News Today outlines some of the most

common side effects associated with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19
vaccine. The article also addresses concerns around allergic reactions
and false claims regarding risks to pregnancy and fertility.
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04/19/2021 12:36 GMT — Delhi announces lockdown
Officials in Delhi, the capital of India, have announced a 1-week lockdown

after a significant spike in cases. On Sunday, they reported 24,462 new
cases of COVID-19. Since April 15, India has been reporting more than
200,000 new cases each day.
For the next 7 days, government offices and essential services will remain
open, but malls, cinemas, restaurants, public parks, gyms, and spas will
close.
All social, religious, and political gatherings have been banned, and
weddings and funerals are only allowed limited attendees.
In a press conference, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said: “I have always

been against lockdowns, but this one will help us amplify the number of
hospital beds in Delhi. This was a difficult decision to take, but we had no
other option left.”
He also asked Delhi’s migrant workers not to leave the city. During last
year’s lockdown, these people went back to their villages.
04/19/2021 08:58 — Over 50% of US adults have received COVID-19

vaccine
On Sunday, the United States government announced that 50.4% of

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shot of COVID-19 vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control
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ACCEPT 32.5% of the population are now fully vaccinated.
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04/19/2021 08:49 GMT — Antipsychotic drugs may provide COVID-19
protection
According to a recent study, people treated with antipsychotics may have

a lower risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2, and if they do, they are more
likely to have less severe COVID-19. The results of the new study appear
in the journal Schizophrenia Research.
Read Medical News Today’s coverage of the research here.
04/16/2021 12:18 GMT — SARS-CoV-2 variant first identified in India

now detected in UK
According to an update, Public Health England (PHE) has detected cases

of the B.1.617 variant in the United Kingdom for the first time. Health
experts first identified this variant in India. Currently, PHE classes it as
a “variant under investigation.” In total,
the organization detected 77 cases.
B.1.617 has two mutations in the spike protein. Scientists believe

this might make it more transmissible and better able to avoid the body’s
immune response.
According to Prof. Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University

of East Anglia in the U.K., “These two escape mutations working together
could be a lot more problematic than the South African and Brazilian
variants, [which] have only got one escape mutation. It might be even less
controlled by vaccines than the Brazilian and South African variants.”
However, at this stage, there is very little data on this variant. As Prof.
Christina Pagel, director of the Clinical Operational Research Unit at
University College London in the U.K., explains, “We do not know yet
whether it can escape existing vaccines, but it has several concerning
mutations.”
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04/16/2021
ACCEPT 09:04 GMT — People may need third vaccine dose within
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According to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, people are likely to need a third
dose of COVID-19 vaccine within 12 months of their second
dose. Although more data need to become available to confirm this, he
believes that yearly COVID-19 vaccinations might be necessary.
04/16/2021 08:44 GMT — TV news was the main source of early

COVID-19 misinformation for some in the US
A new study finds that people in the United States who got health

information from TV news during the early days of COVID-19 were the
most misinformed. The second least knowledgeable group were those
who got their information from Facebook. People who learned about
COVID-19 from government sites were the most knowledgeable about the
topic.
Read more about this research here.
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COVID-19 Live Updates: Total Number of Cases Passes 168 Million

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COVID-19 Live Updates: Total Number of Cases Passes 168 Million

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COVID-19 live updates: Total number

of cases passes 168 million

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December

Known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus has resulted in more than 168

SARS-CoV-2 infection causes COVID-19.

COVID-19 has now been reported on every continent.

For vaccine information, visit our live vaccine updates article.

money. As the state plans to fully reopen in June,

Read more on this story here.

05/28/2021 09:42 GMT — Production of new COVID-19 vaccine to

Yesterday, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline announced the imminent start of a

Read more on this story here.

ACCEPT More information

1. United States: 33,190,560

05/27/2021 09:58 GMT — Vaccine mix-up in India

In the Siddharthnagar district of India’s Uttar Pradesh state, healthcare

Read more on this story here.

05/27/2021 09:31 GMT — Vaccination may ease symptoms of long

ACCEPT More information

Mucormycosis, or black fungus, is a rare but serious infection that

Read the article here.

05/26/2021 11:02 GMT — Moderna announces results of adolescent

In a press release on Tuesday, Moderna announced that their mRNA

Find out more about Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine here.

05/26/2021 10:29 GMT — Report describes three cases of stroke

05/25/2021 15:00 GMT — CDC reports on the number of COVID-19

As of April 30th, 2021, the CDC recorded a total of 10,262 SARS-CoV-2

These infections are deemed as a breakthrough if they occur at least 14

“Even though FDA-authorized vaccines are highly effective, breakthrough

Read the full story here .

Health officials and experts believe this is down to the nationwide

Read the full story here.

05/24/2021 15:02 GMT — Japan warns of hospital “system collapse” in

The medical system in Osaka, one of Japan’s largest cities, is collapsing

According to Yuji Tohda, the director of Kindai University Hospital in

05/24/2021 14:36 GMT — COVID-19 increases risk of new health

COVID-19 may have a greater risk of developing a new health condition

Of these, 14% developed at least one new condition that required

Read the story in full here.

05/21/2021 10:22 GMT — UK Prime Minister announces plan for ‘Global

The prime minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson,

According to a U.K. government press release, “The pathogen

“The world must never be caught unawares again by a virus spreading

As COVID-19 case numbers rise, Japanese officials have

Read more on this story here.

05/20/2021 09:36 GMT — China provides vaccines to multiple

The Chinese government has announced that it will provide vaccines to

Read more on this story here.

05/20/2021 09:13 GMT — In Conversation: COVID-19, sleep trackers,

Read the article and find the podcast here.

05/19/2021 12:01 GMT — COVID-19 may reduce gray matter volume in

Read our full coverage of the research here.

05/19/2021 11:51 GMT — Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine: Should you

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued an emergency use

Read more in our dedicated COVID-19 vaccines blog here.

05/18/2021 16:00 GMT — More than 96% of UK adults develop

The research, which is “one of the earliest real-world vaccine studies in

Find out more here.