The COVID-19 outbreak, since it originated in Wuhan, China towards the end of 2019, has spread globally since January of 2020. Since then, the disease has been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic. More than a year on since this declaration, the disease has spread across the globe, claiming more than […]
coronavirus
WHO estimates 15 million death toll due to COVID-19; The latest health stories from around the world
The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that nearly 15 million people—about one in every 500 globally—died from causes related to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021 (the first two years of the pandemic), putting the toll from COVID-19 at nearly three times the number that had been officially recorded by countries. India suffered […]
India and WHO clash over COVID-19 death figures
Following a visit from Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), the WHO and the Indian Government have been at odds over the official death toll of COVID-19. India’s official death toll places the figure at 520,000, however, the WHO has cited studies that suggest the figure could be as high […]
COVID-19 cases begin to rise once more in Delhi
COVID-19 cases are once again rising in Delhi, said Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday. While COVID-19 cases have increased in the capital, it has been reported that people are not developing severe disease and the hospitalisation rate is low. Given the severity of lockdowns in neighbouring China following outbreaks in cities such as Shanghai, […]
Shanghai becomes COVID-19 hotspot; the latest health stories from around the world
COVID-19 cases in China’s largest city of Shanghai have risen again as millions remain isolated at home under a sweeping lockdown ̐(www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/03/covid-cases-rise-in-shanghai-as-millions-remain-in-lockdown) Health officials on Sunday reported 438 confirmed cases detected over the previous 24 hours, along with 7,788 asymptomatic cases, up slightly from the day before. While small by the standards elsewhere in the […]
China COVID-19 cases double in a day; the latest health stories from around the world
China reported nearly 3,400 daily COVID-19 cases on Sunday, double the previous day, forcing lockdowns in virus hotspots as the country contends with its gravest outbreak in two years www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/13/china-battles-worst-covid-outbreak-for-two-years-as-cases-double-in-24-hours? A nationwide surge in cases has seen authorities close schools in Shanghai and lock down several north-eastern cities, as almost 19 provinces battle clusters of […]
Does Omicron mean an endemic COVID-19?
COVID-19 becoming an endemic condition has been discussed as an eventuality since the start of the pandemic. Omicron, with the assumption that cases are often less severe, may be the start of this. Given the virality of COVID-19 – and the sheer number of conditions and pace at which it spread – it was always […]
COVID-19 in India, is the worst over?
Just 9,283 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry. Such figures are encouraging, indicative that after a period of being the most heavily affected nation, India has turned the tables. “Even after Diwali, we are not seeing a surge,” Dr M D Gupte, former director […]
Infectious disease
India faces the challenge of a range of infectious diseases. While deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are becoming increasingly prevalent, huge numbers of Indians continue to die annually due to infectious disease. This dual burden of disease has the potential to put a substantial amount of stress on an already underfunded and under resourced health […]
Will political posturing give way to calm investigation when WHO investigates future pandemics?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed a new team to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scientific Advisory Group on the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) will also be tasked with studying the origins of future outbreaks and epidemics and guiding studies of emerging pathogens more generally, according to a report in […]