Coronavirus Pandemic: Updates from Around the World

Posted on the 29 April 2020 by Thiruvenkatam Chinnagounder @tipsclear

The new coronavirus has now infected more than 3.1 million people and killed more than 217,000 worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.

If you have just joined us, here is the latest information on the pandemic:

PPE and shortage of tests: U.S. FEMA and HHS health officials have told legislators that states continue to face shortages of personal protective equipment and supplies for coronavirus testing - contradicting President Donald Trump.

Major return political event: China will hold its annual meeting of the National People's Congress on May 22 after the unprecedented decision to postpone it in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Australia secures 10 million tests: A mining tycoon has signed an agreement on behalf of the Australian government for 10 million tests for coronavirus and pathology equipment. It will mark a 20-fold increase in the country's testing capacity.

Rare disease found in an American child: American doctors say they may have seen a possible complication of the coronavirus in a young child: a rarean inflammatory condition called Kawasaki disease. The British National Health Service has sent aalerted doctors on Sunday saying they had seen similar cases.

Thoracic radiation study: In a small pilot study, researchers are exploring whether low-dose chest radiation therapy can improve lung function in some critically ill Covid-19 patients, according to the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University in Atlanta.

Men could be more affected: A small study in China may support the idea that men get sicker and more likely to die from coronavirus than women. But that does not necessarily reflect what has happened elsewhere in the world.

Defective masks: 30,000 reusable masks sent to pregnant women in Japan may be defective, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, with complaints that they are stained and dirty.

USS Theodore Roosevelt: Sailors from the aircraft carrier affected by the coronavirus will begin to return to the ship in the next 24 to 48 hours for the first time since their landing because of the Covid-19, according to a defense official.

Masks in the sky: United Airlines and American Airlines will begin providing masks to passengers starting in early May. It follows an announcement by Jet Blue on Monday that all passengers will be required to wear a face cover during the trip starting on May 4.

Source link