RESOURCES
29 October 20:37
The number of cases in SA has risen to 721 770.
The death toll is now at 19 164, after another 53 deaths were recorded.
The recovery rate remains at 90%, with 649 935 people having recovered.
29 October 19:35
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev is self-isolating after his secretary general tested positive for coronavirus and will continue to carry out his duties remotely, the president's office said on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia will open the Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims from other countries from 1 November, Saudi media reported on Thursday, as the kingdom relaxes measures it had taken to check the spread of the coronavirus.
Bars, restaurants and services prepared Thursday to shut down in France and Germany as countries around the world grapple with how far to push lockdown measures amid a surging tide of coronavirus cases.
Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, registered 2 820 new coronavirus cases on 28 October, the highest since the pandemic began and the third record number in a matter of days, Health Agency statistics showed on Thursday.
The Spanish parliament approved on Thursday the extension for six months of a state of emergency declared to fight a surge in coronavirus infections.
The total confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Japan exceeded the 100 000 mark on Thursday, public broadcaster NHK said, as the number of daily infections has crept up in recent weeks.
29 October 17:03
Africa must brace for a "second wave" of the coronavirus as cases surge in Europe and some African countries see their own caseloads "creeping up", the head of the continent's public health agency said Thursday.
"The time to prepare for the second wave is truly now," John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told a press conference.
"The continent has done very well in bending the curve, where most infections peak around July and then decline steadily, but now we are beginning to see some stagnation," he said.
Despite early worries that the pandemic would devastate the region, the African Union's 55 member states have so far recorded around 1.7 million cases, representing just 3.9% of the global total, according to Africa CDC.
Over the past month there has been a six percent average increase in weekly Covid-19 cases across the continent, and nine countries have test positivity rates higher than 10 percent.
Nkengasong stressed that the picture across Africa is varied, with new cases rising in east, north and southern Africa and falling in west and central Africa.
- AFP
29 October 13:10
Covid-19 wrap | India passes 8 million cases, UK doing everything it can to avoid national lockdown
- A company in Singapore has developed a breathalyser test for the new coronavirus which it says will enable results in under a minute.
- Housing minister Robert Jenrick said the British government will do everything it can to avoid putting the country into a second national lockdown.
- India on Thursday passed eight million coronavirus cases and the world's second-worst-hit country is bracing for a new wave.
29 October 13:04
Coronavirus in a cough: Tests show masks stopping the spread
A new study found that anything that reduces the distance travelled by a 'cough cloud', greatly reduces the chances of Covid-19 infection.
In fact, the volume of the cloud without a mask is about seven times larger than with a surgical mask and 23 times larger than with an N95 mask, the researchers found.
29 October 10:17
Covid-19: Antibody levels ‘waning quite rapidly’ after infection, new study finds
The number of people testing positive for detectable SARS-VoV-2 antibodies in the UK fell by 26% between June and September, suggesting a risk of multiple infections.
29 October 10:16
Biden says halting virus will take hard work, as Trump stumps non-stop
Democrat Joe Biden insisted on Wednesday he will tackle coronavirus from Day 1 if elected president but warned there is no magic "switch" to end the pandemic, as Donald Trump campaigned across America seemingly unfazed by Covid-19's dangers.
29 October 06:04
Coronavirus morning recap: Latest on Covid in kids, masks, and warning from the WHO
Symptomatic children carry more virus than those without symptoms; more evidence on masks; and the WHO warns getting Covid-19 under control may require tougher lockdowns.
LATEST SCIENCE AND RESEARCH
Children who test positive for the new coronavirus, but are asymptomatic (don't display symptoms) have significantly lower levels of the virus compared to those who experience symptoms.
This was according to a new study based on an analysis of 817 children from nine hospitals in the US and Canada who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
Although the study was the first large and comprehensive analysis of SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in asymptomatic children, the authors cautioned that the reason behind their finding was still unclear and required further research.
28 October 21:04
The number of cases has now reached 719 714.
The death toll sits at 19 111 after 58 more deaths recorded.
The recovery rate is at 90%, with 648 654 recoveries.
28 October 18:43
More than 500 000 new coronavirus cases were reported worldwide on Tuesday in a new record, according to a tally from health authorities compiled by AFP.
Germany and France were preparing to announce restrictions approaching the level of last spring's blanket lockdowns on Wednesday as Covid-19 deaths across Europe rose almost 40% in a week, while financial markets tumbled on fears of the likely economic costs.
Business owners and opposition politicians in Italy rebelled on Wednesday against the latest restrictions imposed to combat a spike in coronavirus cases, after days of occasionally violent protests.
Sweden, whose light-touch pandemic strategy has gained global attention, registered 1 980 new coronavirus cases on 27 October, the highest since the start of the pandemic, Health Agency statistics showed on Wednesday.
Boeing on Wednesday announced an additional 7 000 job cuts that will lower headcount by 30 000 positions over two years.
Switzerland on Wednesday tightened nationwide restrictions to contain the country's rising wave of Covid-19 cases, ordering dance clubs to be closed from Thursday, halting in-person university classes starting early next month, and placing new limits on sporting and leisure activities.
28 October 18:14
- A Cape Town doctor has tested positive for Covid-19 twice in three months.
- She is urging South Africans to help stave off an anticipated second Covid-19 wave.
- More than 300 deaths have been recorded among healthcare workers in the public and private sectors.
"We are not safe from the claws of SARS-CoV-2," said Dr Davinia Masimila who tested positive twice - once in June and a second time, after she recovered, in September.
However, whether she had a true reinfection had not been confirmed, even though she had a positive test result and was experiencing Covid-19 symptoms.
Masimila told News24 she was admitted to hospital for Covid-19 treatment in June after she had severe chest pains and shortness of breath. She recovered, but in September, she started showing symptoms again.
"More than three months after my initial infection, I experienced this unusual tiredness and severe headaches. I then had a scratchy feeling in my throat and later became dizzy and developed diarrhoea."
She double-checked if the symptoms she experienced the second time around could be Covid-19 related.
28 October 14:51
More than 500 000 new coronavirus cases were reported worldwide on Tuesday in a new record, according to a tally from health authorities compiled by AFP.
In total, 516 898 new infections and 7 723 deaths were announced, according to the tally compiled on Wednesday.
- AFP
28 October 12:16
The WHO warns getting Covid-19 under control may require tougher lockdowns, 'sacrifice for many people'
As Covid-19 cases surge across the world, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that countries may need to impose stricter lockdown measures to get the virus under control.
WHO officials said some countries may have to consider closing down non-essential businesses again to stem the tide.
28 October 12:15
A timeline of Trump's statements about Covid-19 juxtaposed with new cases throughout the pandemic
US President Donald Trump has made contradictory and false statements about the coronavirus pandemic since January.
28 October 10:27
SA’s second wave likely to be rural, scientists warn – which makes it a transport problem
If South Africa is headed for a second wave of coronavirus infections – as has happened dramatically in countries around the world, it could have a rural flavour, local scientists have cautiously suggested.
And that could make for a very different set of problems to those South Africa faced during the initial wave of Covid-19.
28 October 08:02
President Cyril Ramaphosa has begun a period of self-quarantine following the positive Covid-19 diagnosis of a guest at a dinner attended by the President on Saturday, 24 October 2020.
The President attended a fundraising dinner of the Adopt-a-School Foundation, which is a partner entity of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation.
The event for 35 guests was held at a Johannesburg hotel where Foundation guests were the only people hosted by the establishment.
The event adhered stringently to Covid-19 protocols and directives on screening, social distancing and the wearing of masks, according to a statement by Acting Spokesperson to the Presidency Tyrone Seale.
The Adopt-a-School Foundation advised dinner guests yesterday, Tuesday, 27 October, that a guest had shown symptoms on Sunday and had been tested on Monday before receiving a positive result yesterday.
The Foundation became aware of this development and communicated this to guests yesterday, hours after the President had performed the unveiling of a statue of liberation icon OR Tambo and the official opening of a new Radisson hotel and convention centre in Ekurhuleni in the morning.
The President is showing no symptoms at this time and will, in line with Covid-19 health advice, be tested should symptoms manifest, the statement read.
The President will perform his duties remotely and will observe the guidelines that apply to self-quarantine.
28 October 06:09
28 October 06:09
28 October 05:50
Coronavirus morning recap: Return to Level 3 'not true', and second wave likely to be rural
President Ramaphosa has dismissed rumours of a return to lockdown Level 3 as "simply not true"; and SA’s possible second wave is likely to be rural, scientists warn.
LATEST SCIENCE AND RESEARCH
Some people are at greater risk of severe Covid-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. According to a recent study, autoreactive antibody production may explain why this happens.
The study, which was published in preprint server medRxiv, while awaiting peer-review, explains that instead of targeting disease-causing microbes, these immune proteins, called autoantibodies, target the tissues of patients suffering from severe Covid-19.
The researchers explained that their findings have a potential impact on both acute patient care and infection recovery.
Harvard Health explains that autoantibodies attack several different parts of the body, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage in the joints, skin, kidney, nervous system (brain and spinal cord), blood, and heart, among others.
27 October 20:03
The total number of Covid-19 cases in SA is at 717 851.
There have been 45 more deaths, taking the death toll to 19 053.
The recovery rate is still at 90%,with 647 833 people having recovered.
27 October 18:53
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday she had tested positive for Covid-19 but was feeling well and had not developed symptoms of the disease.
European governments prepared on Tuesday to introduce new restrictions to try to curb a growing surge of coronavirus infections and provide economic balm to help businesses survive the pandemic.
Poland reported 16 300 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, a daily record, as Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki warned that people attending mass protests over abortion rights were disregarding "massive" infection risks.
Iran's official Covid-19 fatalities crossed the 33 000 mark on Tuesday, the health ministry said, as the country set new records in both daily deaths and infection cases.
Russia on Tuesday ordered people across the country to wear face masks in some public places and asked regional authorities to consider an overnight curfew on bars and restaurants after a surge in coronavirus cases.
The number of new Covid-19 infections in Germany is likely to reach 20 000 a day by the end of the week, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Tuesday, as authorities readied new curbs to break the second wave of the pandemic.
27 October 15:11
European governments prepared on Tuesday to introduce new restrictions to try to curb a growing surge of coronavirus infections and provide economic balm to help businesses survive the pandemic.
More than 43.4 million people have been infected by the coronavirus globally and 1 158 056 have died, according to a Reuters tally, with the United States leading the way in the number of infections and deaths.
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets across Italy on Monday to vent their anger at the latest round of restrictions, including early closing for bars and restaurants, with demonstrations in some cities turning violent.
In the financial capital Milan, youths hurled petrol bombs at police, who responded with volleys of tear gas. In nearby Turin, luxury shops had their windows smashed and some were ransacked, leading to the arrest of 10 rioters.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was expected to approve measures to help companies hit by the new curbs introduced at the weekend after daily infections increased eight-fold in less than a month.
Pictured: A shop was damaged during protesting.
27 October 15:00
27 October 14:52
Some Covid-19 patients are attacked by their own immune systems – a new study explains why
Scientists suggest that 'autoantibody production' may help to explain some severe Covid-19 cases.
The study, which was published in preprint server medRxiv, while awaiting peer-review, explains that instead of targeting disease-causing microbes, these immune proteins, called autoantibodies, target the tissues of patients suffering from severe Covid-19.
27 October 12:07
27 October 11:55
Japan's cabinet approves plan for free Covid-19 vaccines
Japan's cabinet approved a plan on Tuesday to use public funds to provide novel coronavirus vaccines to the public for free.
The plan also calls for the government to bear the cost of any health damage caused by a vaccine, according to a document posted on the health ministry's website.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has pledged to provide enough vaccines for the coronavirus for the public by mid-2021. Japan has struck deals for hundreds of millions of doses from companies including AstraZeneca Plc and Pfizer Inc.
- Reuters
27 October 10:36
27 October 05:48
Coronavirus morning recap: Second 'key', 5 million to be tested in Chinese city, and TB threat
Researchers discover a second 'key' that makes the virus infectious; China is testing 5 million residents of a city after a positive case; and miners face increased TB threat.
LATEST SCIENCE AND RESEARCH
As the number of confirmed global SARS-CoV-2 infections nears 1.7 million, scientists are still battling to understand what makes the virus so effective and transmissive.
But a new study may have the answer: The virus is using a second protein, called neuropilin-1, to facilitate entry into human cells.
The first receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), was discovered during the early stages of the pandemic, and scientists came to understand how the virus used it to bind to the surface of cells. An enzyme called type II transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS2) was also found to be crucial for gaining entry.
The findings of the researchers, from the Technical University of Munich in Germany and the University of Helsinki in Finland, were published in Science.
26 October 20:47
SA's total number of Covid-19 cases has now hit 716 759.
The number of deaths sits at 19 008.
The recovery rate, however, remains at 90%. A total of 646 721 people have recovered.
26 October 19:12
Hospitals in many Iranian provinces are running out of capacity to handle Covid-19 cases, health authorities say, with novel coronavirus now killing around 300 people a day or one person every five minutes.
European leaders warned of a bleak winter as resurgent Covid-19 infections forced countries to impose new restrictions to try to curb a second wave of the pandemic, with the United States and France setting new daily records for cases.
Australia's second-biggest city will this week exit its coronavirus lockdown following nearly four months under onerous restrictions, authorities announced Monday, after no new daily cases or deaths were recorded. R
Bulgarian schools will be allowed to switch to online studies, the education ministry said on Monday, as the Balkan country struggles to contain a new surge in coronavirus infections.
Covid-19 infections rose by 17 440 over the weekend, Swiss health authorities showed on Monday, as the government considers tightening restrictions meant to slow the accelerating spread of Covid-19.
Italy will present a package of measures on Tuesday to support businesses hit by new restrictions aimed at reining in a second wave of Covid-19, officials said, at a time of mounting protests against the curbs across the country.
Russia's daily tally of new Covid-19 cases soared to a record high of 17 347 on Monday as the Kremlin warned the pandemic was beginning to inflict a greater toll outside the capital Moscow.
26 October 15:08
Hospitals in many Iranian provinces are running out of capacity to handle Covid-19 cases, health authorities say, with the virus now killing around 300 people a day or one person every five minutes.
Authorities have complained of poor social distancing, and Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said the pandemic could cause 600 daily deaths in coming weeks if Iranians failed to respect health protocols in the Middle East's hardest-affected country.
A caption that ran on state television news said an Iranian died of novel coronavirus every five minutes, a rate that corresponds to daily death tallies reported by the authorities of just above or below 300 over the past 20 days.
Health Ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV on Sunday that 32 616 people had died of the disease and the number of confirmed cases had reached 568 896.
Some experts have doubted the accuracy of Iran’s official coronavirus tolls. A report by the Iranian parliament’s research centre in April suggested that the coronavirus tolls might be almost twice as many as those announced by the health ministry.
Europe braces for tough winter
European leaders warned of a bleak winter as resurgent Covid-19 infections forced countries to impose new restrictions to try to curb a second wave of the pandemic, with the United States and France setting new daily records for cases.
More than 42.9 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally and 1 151 929 have died, according to a Reuters tally, with the United States leading with the highest number of deaths and infections.
Word that a vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc produced immune responses in both elderly and young people offered some positive news as autumn turns to winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Reuters
26 October 14:51
Trump's chief of staff argued that Covid-19 cases on Mike Pence's team should be concealed
On Saturday it was revealed in media reports that at least four aides to Pence, including his chief of staff Marc Short and personal aide Zach Bauer, tested positive for Covid-19.
It's not the first time that the White House has been accused of seeking to cover up outbreaks in the executive mansion.
When President Donald Trump announced his positive coronavirus test on 2 October, it was only after Bloomberg reported that his aide, Hope Hicks, had tested positive.
26 October 12:35
Global stocks tumble as investors dump risk with Covid-19 cases rocketing and no US stimulus deal
Global stocks tumbled on Monday as investors dumped risk assets, while an ongoing surge of Covid-19 cases across Europe and the US dampened sentiment. The US marked a new milestone in the past few days, recording around 83 700 new Covid-19 cases each day. While the fatality rate has been flat, top scientists warn that it tends to lag cases by two weeks.
26 October 12:23
OPINION | Is reaching zero Covid-19 possible?
Eliminating the virus across much of the world, while not unthinkable, could take a significant number of years.
26 October 11:53
China reports surge of asymptomatic coronavirus cases in Xinjiang
China reported the highest number of asymptomatic novel coronavirus infections in nearly seven months on Monday following the discovery of a cluster of cases linked to a garment factory in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
Health authorities found 137 asymptomatic cases on Sunday during a drive to test 4.75 million people in the Kashgar area triggered by an asymptomatic infection in a 17-year-old female garment factory worker reported on Saturday.
It was not clear how the teenager was infected though the official Xinhua news agency said all of the new cases were linked to another garment factory where the patient's parents work. The parents had not tested positive for the virus, however, it said.
- Reuters
26 October 11:24
Lions-Griquas clash hinges on Tuesday's round of Covid-19 testing
The Lions' Super Rugby Unlocked fixture against Griquas this weekend will hinge on Tuesday's weekly and mandatory round of Covid-19 testing.
Following the National Institute for Communicable Diseases' (NICD) prompting at the weekend, SA Rugby had to postpone the franchise's match against the Cheetahs "to limit the risk of further infection in the rugby community".
The decision was based on two more positive results being received during an additional round of testing on Friday after the four cases from earlier in the week.
26 October 11:20
US nurse accuses doctor of coughing on her at work when he had Covid-19
A nurse practitioner in Florida is taking legal action against her boss who she says willfully coughed on her when he had coronavirus in the workplace, local news reported.
Venise Jean-Baptist told local news that her boss, Dr. Joseph Piperato, would not take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 like wearing a facemask at her job located at Project Access Foundation medical office in Miami, Florida, according to WSVN-TV.
26 October 11:10
France may be experiencing 100 000 new Covid cases per day - govt medical advisor
France may be experiencing 100 000 new Covid-19 cases per day - two times more than the latest figures - Professor Jean-François Delfraissy, who heads the scientific council that advises the government on the pandemic, told RTL radio on Monday.
"There is probably more than 50 000 cases per day. We estimate, on the scientific committee, that we are more in the region of 100,000 cases per day," said Delfraissy.
France registered a record 52 010 new confirmed coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said in a statement on Sunday, as a second wave of cases surges through Europe.
The new cases took the French total to 1 138 507, with France now ahead of Argentina and Spain to register the world's fifth highest number of cases after the United States, India, Brazil and Russia.
- Reuters
26 October 11:07
26 October 05:44
26 October 05:40
Coronavirus science | Week in review: Obesity, sudden hearing loss, and test swab found in a lung
The risk of severe Covid-19 high for obese people; a swab ends up inside woman’s lung during coronavirus test; and some patients suffer sudden hearing loss.
LATEST SCIENCE AND RESEARCH
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, obesity has been one of the top triggers for severe cases. Outside of the disease, obesity has always had a detrimental effect on health through chronic inflammation, a higher risk of heart disease and a weakened response to viral infections.
But how much does it matter in relation to other conditions, age, sex and race when it comes to contracting a severe coronavirus infection?
To answer this question, Brazilian researchers conducted a meta-analysis of nine studies from five countries on severe Covid-19, which included more than 6 500 patients. More than half were male and had comorbidities such as hypertension (51.51%), diabetes (30.3%), cardiovascular disease (16.66%), lung disease (15.99%), renal disease (7.49%), cancer (5.07%), and immunosuppression (1.8%). A high proportion of patients were smokers and suffered from dyslipidemia - a condition involving high levels of cholesterol or fat in the blood.
They wanted to investigate the prevalence of obesity as a contributing factor in severe Covid-19 cases that required admission to ICU. They also looked at the best treatments that helped obese patients recover from the virus.
25 October 20:03
SA death toll at 18 968, while the number of cases now sits at 715 868
South Africa has recorded 24 more Covid-19-related deaths, taking the number of total fatalities to 18 968, according to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.
“Of the 24 deaths reported today, five occurred in the past 48 hours," Mkhize said in a statement on Sunday night.
The cumulative number of tests conducted to date is 4 697 939, with 19 997 new tests conducted since the last report.
Recoveries now stand at 646 170, which translates to a recovery rate of 90,3%.
25 October 18:21
#NewNormal
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) October 25, 2020
Cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow to help prevent the spread of #COVID19#AvoidResurgence #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/mEe7bwzlXL
25 October 17:10
The World Health Organisation's coronavirus dashboard on Sunday showed a third consecutive daily record high in the number of new confirmed cases.
The WHO's complete figures for Saturday showed that 465 319 cases were confirmed to the UN health agency during the day, topping the 449 720 recorded on Friday and the 437 247 logged on Thursday.
The WHO has warned that some countries are on a "dangerous track", with too many witnessing an exponential increase in cases.
Within each week, the pattern of cases being reported to the WHO tends to spike towards Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and dip around Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to the WHO's figures, there have been more than 42.3 million confirmed cases of the respiratory disease, while nearly 1.15 million people have lost their lives, including 6 570 on Saturday.
Nearly half of Saturday's new cases were registered in the WHO's Europe region, which logged a one-day record high of 221 898 cases.
In total, more than nine million cases have now been registered in the region.
World Health Organization's (@WHO ) Director-General @DrTedros has said that the world was still at "a critical juncture" in its fights against the ongoing #COVID19 pandemic and called for "immediate action" as several countries have reported a resurgence in new confirmed cases pic.twitter.com/3hSaA3y5H4
— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) October 24, 2020
"We are at a critical juncture in this pandemic, particularly in the northern hemisphere," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference on Friday.
"The next few months are going to be very tough and some countries are on a dangerous track.
"Too many countries are seeing an exponential increase in cases and that is now leading to hospitals and ICU (intensive care units) running close or above capacity - and we're still only in October."
The WHO urged leaders "to take immediate action, to prevent further unnecessary deaths, essential health services from collapsing and schools shutting again," he said.
- AFP
25 October 14:19
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, who recently contracted the Covid-19 virus, reiterated in a tweet on Sunday that we should wash our hands, practice physical distancing and continue wearing a mask.
The fight against #COVID19 needs to be fought with behavioral change. Wash hands, practice social distancing & wear a mask. pic.twitter.com/EPwoZ0XzLu
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) October 25, 2020
25 October 14:00
Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 42.45 million, death toll at 1 146 763
More than 42.45 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1 146 763 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.
- REUTERS
25 October 13:34
Mike Pence's top adviser tests positive for Covid-19
- Marty Obst, a top advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, sources reportedly told Bloomberg News.
- Sources said Obst tested positive last week and that he has not been in close contact with the vice president.
- Obst is just the latest person in the White House orbit to become infected with the coronavirus. Dozens of lawmakers, White House staff, and campaign officials tested positive earlier this month, including President Donald Trump.
25 October 13:32
ALSO READ | Joe Biden and Barack Obama slam Trump Covid-19 response, president stays optimistic25 October 13:28