HEALTH - The African Mirror

Jan

12

2021

Blood plasma trial finds no benefit for severely ill patients

COVID-19

KATE KELLAND AN international trial testing convalescent blood plasma in cases of moderate and severe COVID-19 has halted enrolment of severely ill patients requiring intensive care after finding the plasma was of no benefit, trial investigators have said The decision by the REMAP-CAP trial leaders came after an initial analysis of more than 900 severely ill trial participants in intensive care showed that treatment with the product - an antibody-rich plasma taken from people who have recovered from the pandemic disease - did not improve outcomes. "There was no evidence of harm associated with the administration of convalescent plasma" (and)…

Jan

11

2021

By The African Mirror

South African hospitals overran by COVID-19 patients

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH African hospitals are being overwhelmed by the ever-rising number of COVID-19 patients with some institutions forced to convert parking garages into wards. Hospitals across South Africa - both in the private and public sector - are battling with patients in a country where over 1.2-million people have been infected and over 33 163 have died from the deadly virus. In an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, South Africa is currently on lockdown Level 3, in terms of which alcohol sales have been banned, public gathering outlawed, beaches closed and funerals restricted to 50 people.…

Jan

11

2021

By The African Mirror

S.A COVID-19 variant contained

COVID-19

HEALTH officials in Ireland, where a more infectious variant of the coronavirus first discovered in England has been surging, said they believe three cases of another new variant found in South Africa had been contained. Ireland is grappling with a COVID-19 surge that has exceeded last year's first wave. It confirmed the first cases of the more infectious variant found in South Africa on Friday in people who had travelled to Ireland from South Africa over the Christmas holidays. Ireland this week reported an increasing presence of the variant first found in England. It was detected in 25% of positive…

Jan

11

2021

By The African Mirror

1st African country to roll out vaccine

COVID-19

SEYCHELLES has started vaccinating its population against COVID-19 with doses from China's Sinopharm vaccine, President Wavel Ramkalawan said. Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan Ramkalawan's office said in a statement seen by Reuters on Monday that the initial target was for the vaccine to reach 25,000 people and first priority was for healthcare workers. The statement said the Indian Ocean archipelago had received 50,000 doses of the vaccine as a donation from the United Arab Emirates. Ramkalawan's office said he and former president Danny Faure and other senior government officials were vaccinated as part of efforts to bolster confidence among the population…

Jan

11

2021

By The African Mirror

What you need to know about COVID-19 now

COVID-19

A World Health Organization (WHO) team of international experts tasked with investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic will arrive in China this week, its national health authority said. The team was initially aiming to arrive in early January for the investigation but their arrival was delayed due to lack of authorisation from Beijing. The National Health Commission, which announced the date on Monday, did not give details on the team's itinerary. Paralysed by snowstorm, Spain sends out vaccine, food The Spanish government will send convoys carrying the COVID-19 vaccine and food supplies on Monday to areas cut off by…

Jan

11

2021

By The African Mirror

Algeria registers Sputnik vaccine for use

COVID-19

ALGERIA has registered Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine for use, becoming the first African country to do so, according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund. Russia said last month it had signed a contract with Algeria to supply it with the vaccine.

Jan

10

2021

By The African Mirror

WHO tells rich countries: stop cutting the vaccines queue

COVID-19

EMMA FARGE and MATTHIAS BLAMONT THE head of the World Health Organization has urged rich countries to stop striking bilateral deals with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers. "Rich countries have the majority of the supply," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in strongly-worded comments on vaccine nationalism at a Geneva news briefing. "No country is exceptional and should cut the queue and vaccinate all their population while some remain with no supply of the vaccine," he added. He asked countries and manufacturers to stop making bilateral deals and called on those who have ordered excess doses to immediately hand them over to…

Jan

10

2021

By The African Mirror

South African coronavirus variant detected in reinfection case in Brazil

COVID-19

RICARDO BRITO BRAZILIAN researchers have identified the concerning new coronavirus variant first discovered in South Africa in a woman who contracted COVID-19 for the second time, and said it was the first such case reported in the world. There have been other cases of reinfection in Brazil and the South African variant had previously been detected, but reinfection with this mutation of the virus is believed to be a first, researchers said. The case involved a 45-year-old woman from the northeastern state of Bahia, researchers from the D'Or Research and Teaching Institute (IDOR) said, after carrying out a genetic sequencing…

Jul

20

2022

By The African Mirror

This Cameroonian teenager & her schoolmates are breaking down stereotypes and raising awareness about women’s health

HEALTH

BRENDA KIVEN AT 12 years old, a shy Wendy Musi had never heard of a menstrual cycle. The fourth child and one of two girls in a family with six boys, menstruation was simply not a topic discussed at home. Then, one day, Wendy’s world changed. When she got to school, she felt pains in her lower belly. When her French language teacher failed to show up for a lesson, she leaned on her desk and slept for the whole 45 minutes. When she woke, she felt liquid running down her legs. “When I got up, a girl screamed my…

Jan

09

2021

By The African Mirror

South Africa testing vaccines on variant

COVID-19

ALEXANDER WINNING SOUTH African scientists are testing whether vaccines will be less effective against a COVID-19 variant first detected locally and hope for initial results within two weeks, a professor at the national communicable disease institute said. The variant, known as 501Y.V2, was identified by South African genomics experts late last year and is thought to be more contagious than older variants. Professor Penny Moore told Reuters the National Institute of Communicable Diseases had received samples from several local vaccine trials, including Oxford University and AstraZeneca's shot, and would try to find out whether antibody responses are reduced against 501Y.V2.…