South Africa in new surge of COVID from versions of omicron
South Africa is experiencing a surge of new COVID-19 cases driven by two omicron sub-variants, according to health experts. For about three weeks the country has seen increasing numbers of new cases and somewhat higher hospitalizations, but not increases in severe cases and deaths, said Professor Marta Nunes, a researcher at Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Analytics at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. “We're still very early in this increase period, so I don’t want to really call it a wave,” Nunes said.
news.yahoo.comSouth African firm says it may close its COVID vaccine plant
The first factory to produce COVID-19 vaccines in Africa has announced that it has not received enough orders and is planning to stop production within a few weeks, in what a senior World Health Organization official described as a “failure” in efforts to achieve vaccine equity.
WHO: COVID-19 falling everywhere, except Americas and Africa
The number of new coronavirus cases reported worldwide has continued to fall except in the Americas and Africa, the World Health Organization said in its latest assessment of the pandemic. WHO said there were only two regions where reported COVID-19 infections increased: the Americas, by 14%, and Africa, by 12%. Tedros said COVID-19 variants, including mutated versions of the highly infectious omicron, are driving a resurgence of COVID-19 in several countries, including South Africa, which was the first to identify omicron in November.
news.yahoo.comWHO: COVID continues to decline, except in Americas, Africa
The World Health Organization said Wednesday that the number of newly reported coronavirus cases and deaths globally continued to fall in the last week, continuing a decline that first began in March. There was also a nearly 70% jump in deaths reported in India, although that was attributed to delayed reporting rather than a recent surge of disease. Last week, authorities in South Africa said they had noted an uptick in COVID-19 cases attributable to the BA.4 mutant of omicron, although they said it was too early to tell if that would result in a significant new wave of disease.
news.yahoo.comAfrican wildlife, coasts suffer effects of flooding, drought
Devastating floods in South Africa this week, as well as other extreme weather events across the continent linked to human-caused climate change, are putting marine and terrestrial wildlife species at risk, according to biodiversity experts.
Amid dropping COVID cases, South Africa loosens restrictions
With declining cases of COVID-19, South Africa’s president has announced that it is no longer mandatory to wear masks outdoors and vaccinated travelers entering the country are no longer required to produce a negative PCR tests
washingtonpost.comThis 33-year-old quit her sales job to become a shaman. Now her business brings in $119,000 per month
Candiss Pitts (aka Makhosi Nejeser) made $972,000 in 2021 through her spiritual advising company, The Royal Shaman. She shares how she started her business, and her best tips for aspiring entrepreneurs.
cnbc.comMany nations support UN resolution to demand Russia stop war
From a tiny Pacific island nation to Europe’s economic powerhouse, country after country are lashing out at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urging support for a U.N. resolution demanding an immediate halt to Moscow’s offensive and withdrawal of all Russian troops
washingtonpost.comNew Zealand 253-7 at lunch day 3, 2nd test vs South Africa
Colin de Grandhomme reached a second test century, four years after his first, and shared a 133-run sixth-wicket partnership with Daryl Mitchell on Sunday to shore up New Zealand’s first innings on the third day of the second test against South Africa. De Grandhomme came to the crease late on the second day with New Zealand in trouble at 91-5 in reply to South Africa’s first innings of 364.
news.yahoo.comEU praises vaccine cooperation with Africa at summit
European Union leaders have lauded the bloc’s cooperation with Africa on vaccines in the fight against the coronavirus, but there is no sign they will move toward the temporary lifting of intellectual property rights protection for COVID-19 shots
washingtonpost.comOmicron subvariant BA.2 is rising. What do we know about it?
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, and just when new cases and hospitalizations in the U.S are on the decline, an Omicron subvariant called BA.2 is gaining significant traction in some parts of the world. While the original Omicron variant, first detected in South Africa in late November, is still responsible for the majority of new cases in most countries, BA.2, has rapidly spread in places such as South Africa, India, England and Denmark, where it is now dominant.
news.yahoo.comVaccine distribution is creating a new kind of vaccine inequality
Vaccine access still remains an issue in many countries. But increasingly, logistical challenges, staffing problems and doses offered too close to their expiry date — a particular problem with donated vaccines from the West — are replacing access as the primary obstacle.
washingtonpost.comPfizer says 2 doses of vaccine protect 70% against hospitalization from omicron
The omicron variant is offering more hints about what it may have in store as it spreads around the globe: A highly transmissible virus that may cause less severe disease, and one that can be slowed — but not stopped — by today’s vaccines.
The AP Interview: Scientist says omicron was a group find
The Botswana scientist who may well have discovered the omicron variant of the coronavirus says he has been through a “rollercoaster of emotions” — the pride of accomplishment followed by dismay over the travel bans immediately slapped on southern African countries.
'The fire that's here': US is still battling delta variant
While all eyes are on the new and little-understood omicron variant, the delta form of the coronavirus isn’t finished wreaking havoc in the U.S., sending record numbers of patients to the hospital in some states, especially in the Midwest and New England.