International incidence of latest COVID-19 circumstances remained excessive however steady for the second week in a row, whereas international coronavirus deaths elevated, in response to the newest weekly epidemiologic replace from the World Well being Group (WHO).
In the meantime, with the UK’s vaccination marketing campaign in its second day, UK well being officers stated immediately that individuals with a big historical past of allergic reactions to meals, drugs, or vaccines mustn’t obtain the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech following allergic reactions in two well being employees.
Americas area driving new circumstances
The WHO update confirmed just below 4 million reported COVID-19 circumstances previously 7 days, almost half of which got here from the Area of the Americas, which noticed a 12% enhance from the earlier week. The USA stays the chief in new reported infections (reporting greater than 1.2 million new circumstances over the previous week), adopted by Brazil, which reported greater than 295,000 circumstances, a 35% enhance from the earlier week.
In a press briefing immediately, Pan American Well being Group director Carissa Etienne, MBBS, MSc, warned that the substantial rise in infections is placing Brazil’s well being system underneath pressure, and that surges in elements of Colombia and Paraguay are stretching hospital capability in these international locations.
“We’re as soon as once more in want of coordinated efforts to spice up hospital capability in essentially the most affected areas as a result of when hospitals cannot accommodate everybody who’s sick, many will die ready for care,” Etienne stated in her opening remarks.
Europe noticed its fourth straight week of declining new infections, as circumstances fell by 9% over the previous 7 days, however the area continues to account for the second highest variety of new circumstances and deaths globally, the WHO stated (37% and 48%, respectively). The Russian Federation, Italy, Germany, and the UK reported the best numbers of latest COVID-19 circumstances within the area.
Germany noticed a 3% enhance in new circumstances and 26% enhance in COVID-19 deaths. Though the partial lockdown that the nation has been underneath for the final 6 weeks has helped gradual the rise in new circumstances, immediately German Chancellor Angela Merkel supported requires more durable restrictions advisable by Germany’s Nationwide Academy of Science, in response to DW News.
The advisable measures embrace an prolonged Christmas break for faculties, full closure of all however important companies beginning Dec 24, and as many individuals working from house as potential. Merkel’s feedback got here the identical day that Germany reported a document every day excessive of 590 COVID-19 deaths.
“5 hundred deaths a day is unacceptable,” Merkel instructed German lawmakers.
Whereas the WHO experiences confirmed general declines in new circumstances within the South-East Asia and Western Pacific areas, South Korea, which has been extensively praised for its response to the pandemic, is now in its third wave of coronavirus outbreaks. The resurgence led the governor of the nation’s most populous province—Gyeonggi Province, house to the capital metropolis of Seoul—to name for mass testing immediately to search out and isolate new circumstances, in response to Reuters. The nation has been averaging about 600 new COVID-19 circumstances a day, and the bulk have been in and round Seoul.
The WHO stated a complete of 73,396 COVID-19 deaths have been reported within the final 7 days, a 4% enhance from the earlier week.
UK vaccine warning
The BBC reports that the warning from UK well being regulators got here in response to 2 Nationwide Well being Service employees having an anaphylactoid response after receiving the primary dose on yesterday, the primary day of the UK’s rollout of the vaccine. Each employees have a historical past of significant allergy symptoms and carry adrenaline pens with them, and are stated to be recovering effectively.
In a statement to CNN, Pfizer and BioNTech stated they have been supporting an investigation into the reactions by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare merchandise Regulatory Company.
In different vaccine information, Canadian well being officers introduced immediately that they’ve authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be used within the nation, with preliminary doses set to reach subsequent week. The nation is anticipated to obtain 249,000 doses of the two-dose vaccine by the tip of December, sufficient to vaccinate 124,500 individuals.
“Due to advances in science and know-how, and an unprecedented degree of world cooperation, immediately, Canada reached a essential milestone in its combat in opposition to COVID-19 with the authorization of the primary COVID-19 vaccine,” Well being Canada stated in a statement.
Additionally immediately, the well being ministry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported that an interim evaluation of the experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by the Chinese language Nationwide Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) confirmed 86% efficacy, in response to Reuters. The UAE started a section 3 trial of the vaccine in July, and approved emergency use of the vaccine in sure teams in September.
The UAE didn’t launch any detailed knowledge from the scientific trial.
