Medicine i_need_contribute
COVID-19 news update Oct/12
source:WTMF 2020-10-12 [Medicine]

 

 

Country,
Other

Total
Cases

New
Cases

Total
Deaths

World

37,736,861

+278,071

1,081,252

USA

7,991,998

+41,935

219,695

India

7,119,300

+67,757

109,184

Brazil

5,094,979

+3,139

150,506

Russia

1,298,718

+13,634

22,597

Colombia

911,316

+8,569

27,834

Argentina

894,206

+10,324

23,868

Spain

890,367

+5986

32,929

Peru

849,371

+3,283

33,305

Mexico

814,328

+4,577

83,642

France

734,974

+16,101

32,683

South Africa

692,471

+1,575

17,780

UK

603,716

+12,872

42,825

Iran

500,075

+3,822

28,544

Chile

481,371

+1,776

13,318

Iraq

402,330

+2,206

9,852

Bangladesh

378,266

+1,193

5,524

Italy

354,950

+5,456

36,166

Philippines

339,341

+2,502

6,321

Saudi Arabia

339,267

+323

5,043

Turkey

335,533

+1,502

8,837

Indonesia

333,449

+4,497

11,844

Germany

326,291

+2,838

9,702

Pakistan

318,932

+666

6,570

Israel

290,493

+618

1,980

Ukraine

261,034

+4,768

4,972

Canada

181,864

+1,685

9,613

Netherlands

174,653

+6,373

6,584

Belgium

156,931

+7,950

10,175

Romania

155,283

+2,880

5,411

Morocco

152,404

+2,563

2,605

Ecuador

147,033

+205

12,191

Bolivia

138,463

+237

8,292

Qatar

127,985

+207

220

Poland

125,816

+4,178

3,004

Panama

120,313

+647

2,491

Dominican

118,477

+463

2,173

Czechia

117,110

+3,105

987

Kuwait

111,116

+548

658

Kazakhstan

108,757

+94

1,746

Nepal

107,755

+2,071

636

UAE

106,229

+1,096

445

Oman

105,890

+1,761

1,038

Egypt

104,516

+129

6,052

Guatemala

97,715

+171

3,384

Japan

88,912

+679

1,627

Costa Rica

87,439

+1386

1,076

Portugal

86,664

+1,090

2,080

China

85,557

+21

4,634

Ethiopia

84,295

+866

1,287

Belarus

83,534

+1,063

896

Honduras

83,146

+594

2,504

Venezuela

83,137

+684

697

Bahrain

75,614

+327

275

Moldova

62,151

+389

1,461

Uzbekistan

61,098

+322

505

Nigeria

60,266

+163

1,115

Singapore

57,876

+10

27

Armenia

56,451

+715

1,020

Austria

55,319

+896

851

Lebanon

53,568

+1,010

459

Algeria

53,072

+132

1,801

Paraguay

49,675

+697

1,077

Kyrgyzstan

49,230

+306

1,085

Ghana

47,005

+18

306

Palestine

44,299

+354

381

Libya

42,712

+1,026

631

Ireland

42,528

+814

1,826

Azerbaijan

41,982

+230

609

Kenya

41,546

+388

766

Hungary

37,664

+1,068

954

Serbia

34,787

+102

763

Tunisia

32,556

+1,297

478

Denmark

32,422

+340

669

El Salvador

30,196

+126

890

Myanmar

27,974

+1,910

646

Australia

27,265

+21

898

Jordan

24,926

+928

191

S. Korea

24,606

+58

432

Bulgaria

24,402

+83

892

Greece

22,358

+280

449

North Macedonia

20,937

+382

792

Croatia

20,440

+508

324

Ivory Coast

20,154

+26

120

Slovakia

19,851

+1,054

61

Madagascar

16,718

+16

237

Malaysia

15,657

+561

157

Norway

15,524

+58

275

Zambia

15,458

+43

337

Albania

15,399

+168

420

Senegal

15,268

+24

314

Montenegro

13,869

+228

202

Sudan

13,673

+3

836

Finland

11,998

+149

346

Namibia

11,936

+45

128

Georgia

11,794

+523

85

Maldives

10,894

+35

35

DRC

10,851

+10

276

Tajikistan

10,222

+42

79

Uganda

9,801

+100

93

Luxembourg

9,722

+208

132

Slovenia

8,663

+411

167

Zimbabwe

8,011

+1

230

Jamaica

7,718

+159

139

Angola

6,366

+120

218

Lithuania

6,122

+160

103

Cuba

5,978

+30

123

Eswatini

5,669

+9

113

Hong Kong

5,183

+7

105

Trinidad and Tobago

5,101

+58

90

Bahamas

5,078

+123

107

Suriname

5,051

+16

107

Rwanda

4,896

+4

31

Aruba

4,194

+6

33

Somalia

3,864

+17

99

Malta

3,776

+95

41

Thailand

3,636

+2

59

Cyprus

2,006

+20

25

Retrieved from:  https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

 

 

 

New cases of coronavirus in the US hit a two-month high on Friday with over 58,000 new infections reported

 

Indianapolis residents wait in line for upwards of two hours to cast early voting ballots for the US presidential election at the City Council building in Indianapolis. Photograph: Amy Harris/REX/Shutterstock

New cases of coronavirus in the US hit a two-month high on Friday with over 58,000 new infections reported and hospitalisations in the Midwest at record levels for a fifth day in a row, according to a Reuters analysis.

Ten of the 50 states reported record one-day rises in cases on Friday, including the Midwestern states of IndianaMinnesotaMissouri and OhioWisconsin and Illinois recorded over 3,000 new cases for a second day in a row - a two-day trend not seen even during the height of the previous outbreak in the spring.

The Western states of MontanaNew Mexico and Wyoming also reported their biggest one-day jumps in cases, as did Oklahoma and West Virginia.

Nineteen states have seen record increases in new cases so far in October.

The pandemic has so far claimed over 213,000 lives in the country, and although deaths nationally continue to trend downward, on average 700 people a day lose their lives in the US because of the epidemic.

Three states reported a record one-day increase in fatalities on Friday: ArkansasMissouri and Montana.

Health experts caution that deaths are a lagging indicator and usually rise weeks after cases climb.

The country’s daily death rate is projected to more than triple by mid-January to 2,250, with an overall 395,000 fatalities by 1 February 2021, according to a new update of the University of Washington’s widely-cited model.

But if Americans increase their wearing of masks to the level seen in Singapore, the 1 February death toll would drop to 316,000, saving 79,000 lives, according to the University’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, whose model has been cited by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Currently, there is no federal mandate to wear a mask, and 17 states do not require them.

In addition to rising cases, hospitals in several states are straining to handle an influx of patients.

Seven states on Friday reported record numbers of hospitalised Covid-19 patients: ArkansasKansasMissouriMontanaNorth DakotaOklahoma and Wisconsin.

 

Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/oct/10/coronavirus-live-news-france-sets-daily-record-20000-cases-australian-state-of-victoria-reports-14-new-infections

 

 

 

UK government wants to avoid national lockdown, minister says as England prepares for new restrictions

From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite and Schams Elwazer in London

 

A board displays information about Covid-19 in Nottingham, England, on October 9. Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

The UK government does not want to return to a "blanket national lockdown," the UK Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said Sunday, ahead of an expected announcement of new restrictions for England. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a statement to parliament on Monday to announce new restrictions following a record-setting increase in coronavirus infections across the country.
Although Jenrick did not provide precise details of the new measures, several British media outlets have been briefed by the government over the last week on the possible introduction of a “three-tier” system of restrictions – with the worst-affected areas facing the tightest measures.

Jenrick, who also holds the Communities and Local Government portfolios, said the government will work very closely with local authorities. 

The number of cases is rising across the whole of the UK but it is very concentrated at the moment in some places in the northeast, the northwest and some other cities like Nottingham [in the central England]," Jenrick said, defending the government's regional approach to lockdowns.

"It is right that we try and pursue a localized approach and that's what we've been doing, and that is the conversation I've been having with local mayors and council leaders over the course of this weekend," he said.

Localized restrictions: Parts of northern England have are already subject to tighter restrictions than the rest of the country, including banning the mixing of households, limiting hospitality to table-service only and enforcing a 10 p.m. closure for entertainment and leisure venues. 

Wide restrictions: All of England is already subject to a “rule of six,” meaning no more than six people from different households are allowed to mix. 

New framework: He said "in addition to the simple national rules, we have a framework so that there is a degree of consistency in those local lockdowns."

He added that the government is working closely with local leaders, and has asked them if there are any "particular measures that they think would be effective in their communities that we could support them on and help us to bear down the virus."

Government to work closely with local authorities: Asked whether the government will hand over control of the widely criticized contact-tracing system, called track and trace, to local authorities, Jenrick said the government will work very closely with local authorities.

"So, in addition to the national infrastructure which is developing and increasing with every passing week, we're also going to make use of local councils to do contact-tracing because there's clear evidence that local councils are good at that as you'd expect," he said.

 

 

Hundreds of Brazilian shoppers cram into a department store ... despite country surpassing 150,000 coronavirus deaths

From CNN's Sharif Paget, Jonny Hallam and Sugam Pokharel in Atlanta

 

Authorities in the Brazilian city of Belem have shut down a department store after massive crowds flocked there Saturday, violating the country's Covid-19 rules. 

Videos showed hundreds of shoppers crammed at the entrance of a Havan department store, as it opened, disregarding the social distancing measures. Some were seen not wearing a mask. 

Luciano Hang, the owner of the Havan department store chain and a vocal supporter of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, was at the scene as the chain celebrated the opening of its 150th store. Hang posted several videos on his official Instagram page which showed him inside the shop waving at the enormous crowd and banging on the glass to energize the throngs of excited people. 

A few hours later, local police closed the store and asked the manager to explain why he had not complied with the World Health Organization's social distancing measures, according to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil. 

Para is one of the worst-hit Brazilian states with nearly 240,000 infections recorded so far, according to the National Council of Health Departments (CONASS). 

Brazil on Saturday surpassed 150,000 coronavirus-related deaths, becoming only the second country after the United States to reach the grim mark. 

 

 

India's Health Minister urges people to stay home during festivals as country tops 7 million cases

From CNN's Manveena Suri in New Delhi

 

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan addresses a news conference in New Delhi, India, on February 4. Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times/Sipa USA

India’s Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan urged people to celebrate upcoming festivals from home as the country topped 7 million confirmed Covid-19 cases.

In a social media briefing on Sunday, Vardhan warned people to stay away from large congregations and diligently follow the guidelines issued by the government regarding precautions to be taken.

"There is no need to congregate in large numbers to prove your faith or your religion. If we do this, we may be heading for big trouble. Lord Krishna says concentrate on your goal… my goal and your goal… our goal is to finish this virus and save humanity. This is our religion. The religion of the whole world," the health minister said. 

Vardhan's comments come ahead of the Hindu festive period beginning with Navaratri, or “nine nights,” on October 17. Also known as Durja Puja, it ends with Dussehra on the tenth day. The celebrations coincide with the harvest season and culminate with Diwali, the five-day festival of lights celebrating the triumph of good over evil, on November 14.

Vardhan warned of the possibility for increased Covid-19 transmission during the approaching winter months. “These viruses are known to thrive better in the cold weather and low humidity conditions. In view of these, it would not be wrong to assume that the winter season may see increased rates of transmission of the novel coronavirus in the Indian context too,” he said. 

Vardhan also called on citizens to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationwide awareness campaign, “Jan Andolan,” (mass movement) promoting mask-wearing and social distancing.

New cases: India reported 66,732 new infections Monday, bringing its total to 7,120,538. The Health Ministry also reported 816 new fatalities from the virus, raising the official death toll to 109,150.

 

Retrieved from: https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-10-12-20-intl/index.html

 

 

 

'Drastic rise' in Malawi's suicide rate linked to Covid economic downturn

Lack of specialist support and growing unemployment are factors in growing mental health crisis, doctors say

 

A Lilongwe City market vendor wears a face mask. A host of factors including the pandemic are dampening Malawi’s economy. Photograph: Amos Gumulira/AFP via Getty Images

 

One Tuesday morning in March, 48-year-old farmer Lokoliyo Bwanali set off for his maize plot. He never came back. Neighbours discovered his body later in the small field where he had poisoned himself.

“The wife of the deceased said her late husband was under pressure from creditors and was failing to settle his debts,” said Edward Kabango, from Malawi’s Dedza district police department. “The deceased left his home without explaining to his family members where he was heading until he was later found lying dead in a field, a kilometre from his home.”

Bwanali, said his brother, had approached him in distress over money, but it never occurred to the family that he might kill himself.

Malawi is seeing a sharp rise in suicide rates this year, with some attributing it to the economic stresses of the Covid pandemic. Malawi police service reports an increase of as much as 57% on the same period last year.

“We believe that the rise could be linked to coronavirus since there has been a slowdown in economic activities,” said clinical psychologist Dr Chiwoza Bandawe.

“Suicide is a very serious issue at the moment because we’ve seen from the statistics that the numbers are increasing since January, compared to the same period last year,” Bandawe said.

“It is a drastic rise so it is an issue that needs to be taken seriously. The rise can be attributed to a combination of economic and social factors. I think as people become more stressed – be it from economic or social [factors] – they don’t know how to cope.”

Suicide mortality rate (per 100,000 population) in Malawi was reported at 3.7% in 2016 by the World Bank.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. About half of the population are below the poverty line, with 20% described as “extremely poor”.

The full extent of the pandemic’s negative impact is uncertain as the crisis is still unfolding, but a host of external and internal factors are dampening the Malawi economy, according to the World Bank.

Negative trends have already been observed in many businesses, including in companies that have downsized their workforce, leaving thousands unemployed or on less pay. Teachers in private schools, for example, were not paid during the period that schools were closed. The hospitality industry also bore the brunt of the crisis.

“Covid-19 is playing a role in the rise of suicide cases, because the pandemic has changed peoples’ lifestyles,” Mercy Mkandawire, founder of iMind Youth Organisation, which supports the wellbeing of young people, said. “Some people have been laid off work, others are getting pay cuts, so I feel there are a lot of stressors that can trigger someone to take their own life.”

“The sad part is that there are low literacy levels on mental health, so people don’t notice the signs and oftentimes [only] realise after a life has been lost.”

Bandawe said Malawi is lacking in mental health institutions and expertise to help strengthen coping skills: “We don’t have adequate professionals to help people with mental health disorders.”

“Hardly any government hospital has psychologists. They do have psychiatric nurses and clinical officers, and [they] are the ones carrying the mental health burden of the country.”

Director of mental health services at Malawi’s Ministry of Health Immaculate Chamangwana said that although the country has a lack of specialist hospitals, metal health services are embedded in general hospitals.

“In all these hospitals we have psychiatric nurses and clinicians, but these people are not only concentrating on mental health but also … maternity and paediatric [services]. Government deliberately put a policy to have a period where they come to Zomba mental hospital [the country’s only specialised mental health hospital] to ensure that every worker has the necessary skills,” she said.

World Health Organization statistics show that 79% of all suicides happen in low- and middle-income countries.

 

Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/oct/12/drastic-rise-in-malawis-suicide-rate-linked-to-covid-economic-downturn

 

 

 

Covid: UK at 'critical juncture' as No 10 unveils three-tier alert system

Boris Johnson’s plan will see areas of England graded in three tiers of restrictions

 

Pedestrians wearing face masks walk through central Nottingham, where the weekly rate of new Covid-19 cases has topped 800 per 100,000 people. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

No 10 has warned that the UK is at a “critical juncture” for controlling the spread of Covid as Boris Johnson prepares to lay out new rules that will see pubs and bars in areas with the highest infection rate forced to close.

The prime minister is expected to address the nation on Monday after a frantic weekend of discussion with local leaders from across the country.

Johnson will tell the House of Commons that areas in England will be graded in three tiers as medium, high and very high risk as the government struggles to suppress the virus in the north-west England and parts of the Midlands and north-east England and central Scotland.

In a move that is meant to underline the gravity of the situation that the UK faces, Johnson will on Monday evening front a televised Downing Street press conference with the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and England’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty. A public data briefing will also be held by health officials including the country’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van Tam, who on Sunday said the UK is at a “tipping point”.

Council leaders in Liverpool are preparing to clash with the government following reports that all restaurants except for takeaways will also close in the city. Sources said this contradicted assurances to local leaders that restaurants would be allowed to remain open until 10pm.

Late on Sunday night the mayor of Liverpool city region, Steve Rotheram,

and six other local leaders, including Liverpool mayor, Joe Anderson, said in a statement their region was expected to face the tightest restrictions: “Pubs and bars; betting shops, casinos and adult gaming centres and gyms will close,” it said. The statement added that there must be “appropriate support” for those businesses and their staff.

“We do not feel that the furlough scheme announced recently is adequate and that businesses in the region especially those in the hospitality sector and those serving it will be damaged and many will suffer long term damage or close for good,” the statement said.

Downing Street’s chief strategic adviser, Sir Edward Lister, headed several hours of talks with council leaders over the weekend and into Sunday evening. During the weekend, senior No 10 advisers and the housing, communities and local government secretary, Robert Jenrick, also held discussions with local authority leaders and mayors from the highest areas of concern.

Following criticism of the government for ignoring regional mayors and council leaders, a No 10 statement praised local politicians and reiterated the importance of their roles in helping to shape the package of measures.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “Our primary focus has always been to protect lives and livelihoods while controlling the spread of the virus and these measures will help achieve that aim. We must do everything we can to protect the NHS and make sure it can continue to deliver the essential services that so many people rely on.

“This is a critical juncture and it is absolutely vital that everyone follows the clear guidance we have set out to help contain the virus.”

Before making a statement to MPs on Monday, Johnson will chair a meeting of the government’s Cobra committee to determine the final interventions to announce in parliament.

Areas with relatively low infection levels will be placed in what is being described as tier 1. Only national restrictions such as the rule of six, the 10pm curfew on restaurants and pubs and existing rules on masks and social distancing will apply.

The next tier is likely to include bans on home visits and indoor socialising with other households in bars or restaurants.

In areas under the toughest tier 3 restrictions – including Merseyside, Manchester and Newcastle – bars and pubs are expected to be forced to close.

Restaurants in tier 3 councils were expected to be allowed to stay open until 10pm, the Guardian was told by council sources, but casinos, gyms and betting shops will have to close.

However, government sources have reportedly disputed that restaurants would be allowed to remain open in Liverpool, and claimed that “nothing has been agreed” until Monday morning.

The restrictions on tier 3 towns and cities could last several months but are expected to be regularly reviewed, government sources said. Questions remain over the proposals, which could affect thousands of businesses, including how to differentiate between pubs and bars that sell food and restaurants.

 

Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/11/uk-critical-juncture-boris-johnson-three-tier-covid-alert-system

 

 

 

Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

 

AMERICAS

* U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had fully recovered from COVID-19 and was not an infection risk for others.

* Brazil registered 559 additional coronavirus deaths over the last 24 hours and 26,749 new cases, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. It has now registered 5,082,637 total confirmed cases and 150,198 total deaths.

EUROPE

* British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce new measures to tackle a growing coronavirus crisis on Monday, moving to work more closely with local leaders from England's worst affected areas

* Liverpool City Region will go into the strictest "third tier" of new anti-coronavirus restrictions to be announced imminently by Britain, its leaders said.

* Slovakia will put in place stricter coronavirus containment measures from Thursday, including a requirement to wear face masks in public and limits to public gatherings, its health minister said.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* Asia-Pacific countries including Singapore, Australia and Japan are gradually easing some international travel restrictions as coronavirus cases slow.

* India's coronavirus caseload reached 7.12 million on Monday, with 66,732 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said.

* The New Zealand government signed a deal to buy 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Germany's BioNTech.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Iran plans to make mask-wearing mandatory in public in other large cities after imposing it in Tehran to fight rising coronavirus infections, the health minister said on Sunday.

* Lebanon said on Sunday it will close bars and nightclubs to help contain the COVID-19 outbreak in a country also reeling from financial crisis and an explosion in Beirut two months ago.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* The coronavirus can survive on banknotes, glass and stainless steel for up to 28 days, much longer than the flu virus, Australian researchers said.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Chinese stocks led Asian markets higher on Monday as investors bet on a steady recovery for the world's no. 2 economy, though caution about the fate of U.S. stimulus kept the dollar firm and a central bank policy tweak unwound some of the yuan's gains. [MKTS/GLOB]

* Japan's core machinery orders unexpectedly rose in August, extending gains and highlighting resilience in capital spending even as the economy remains under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/world/latest-on-the-worldwide-spread-of-coronavirus-508359/