New Delhi: The world continues to battle the Covid pandemic, with the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, causing concern across the globe. The total number of Covid cases globally has touched 283,296,129, with 5,433,506 deaths.
The seven-day average of Covid cases in the United States topped 267,000 Tuesday, and Covid cases in Turkey rose by 30 per cent. Europe, too, is witnessing a record high in Covid cases.
ThePrint brings you some important global stories on the pandemic.
US seven-day average for Covid cases tops 267,000
The seven-day average of Covid-19 cases in the United States topped 267,000 Tuesday, with capital Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia “particularly hard hit”, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reduced the period of mandatory isolation for an infected person from 10 days to five if they don’t show symptoms of the disease.
Deaths have also been rising, but the daily average of 1,243 as of Tuesday is still less than the record 3,342 deaths the country saw during the 26 January 2021 peak, the NYT reported. As of Tuesday, Omicron made up nearly 59 per cent of the Covid-19 cases in the US.
The CDC said Tuesday that about 67.3 million people or 63 per cent Americans have been fully vaccinated.
The United States has reported a total of 54,148,544 Covid cases and 842,161 deaths.
European countries report record high in cases
Several European countries, including France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain, reported a record high in cases Tuesday, with Omicron increasing infections in many countries, the BBC reported Wednesday.
France reported 179,807 new coronavirus cases Tuesday — its highest ever since the beginning of the pandemic — while the United Kingdom reported 117,093 new cases.
The French Health Minister Olivier Véran warned Monday that Omicron may become the dominant coronavirus variant in France by early January, with the latest variant already having added 70,000 cases to the country’s total.
Meanwhile, Covid cases in Italy rose to 78,000, and Portugal added 17,172 cases to its tally. Greece also witnessed a spurt with 21,657 fresh Covid-19 cases in a day.
Most of these countries have reinstated Covid restrictions, with cities like London, Paris and Berlin cancelling official New Year celebrations.
Europe has reported a total of 98,618,284 Covid cases and 1,659,486 deaths.
Also read: India-US healthcare collaboration in spotlight as India approves 2 more Covid vaccines
With more Omicron cases, Covid spreads in Turkey
Coronavirus cases in Turkey rose by 30 per cent Monday — the highest percentage rise this year, as Omicron infections spread in the country, the Middle East Eye reported Tuesday. The country Monday registered 26,099 new infections, after successfully keeping the daily figure below or around 20,000 for most of December. The country had reported 30,000 daily infections in October.
The spike in fresh cases has prompted Turkey’s health minister to urge people to get vaccines and boosters doses.
Over 130 million shots of both Sinovac and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines have been administered so far in the country. The country has also given emergency-use authorisation to Turkovac, Turkey’s first indigenous vaccine.
Turkey has reported a total of 9,365,399 Covid cases and 81,917 deaths.
South Korea approves Covid pill made by Pfizer
South Korea has approved American pharmaceutical company Pfizer’s Paxlovid, an oral Covid-19 antiviral pill, which can be administered to those above 12 years of age, the South China Morning Post reported Tuesday. The firm had also shown data proving Paxlovid’s effectiveness against the Omicron variant.
The pill, meant for mild to moderate cases, was found in trials to reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death by 89 per cent, compared to placebo in high-risk adults with Covid-19, according to the US drug-maker.
Many countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany and the European Union, rushed to purchase the experimental antiviral pills after the US Food and Drug Administration authorised them on 23 December, making it the first at-home treatment against coronavirus.
South Korea has reported 620,938 Covid cases and 5,382 deaths.
What else are we reading:
Is Fluvoxamine the Covid Drug We’ve Been Waiting For?: The Wall Street Journal
Germany to protect rights of disabled people in Covid ‘triage’ cases: Financial Times
Also read: Boosters improve 70%-75% protection against omicron variant, UK study shows