Illustration by Afra Almazrouei
The Brief: Corona at Your Door
From Covid-smelling dogs at the Helsinki airport to new vaccines underway, we bring you the latest Covid-19 news.
Sep 27, 2020
By the numbers: Cases and Deaths
Worldwide Cases: 32,110,656
Worldwide Deaths: 980,031
UAE Cases: 89,540
UAE Deaths: 409
United States Cases: 7,050,300
United States Deaths: 203,400
Africa Cases: 1,438,186
Africa Deaths: 34,703
Asia Cases: 9,890,250
Asia Deaths: 183,063
America Cases: 9,175,274
America Deaths: 341,991
Europe Cases: 4,773,538
Europe Deaths: 220,526
Oceania Cases: 32,681
Oceania Deaths: 940
Note: America Cases and Deaths refers to the continent of the Americas and does not include the United States. All case and death statistics are derived from WHO and ECDC
For more information about coronavirus cases around the world and interactive maps, visit this article.
2 Million Death Toll
The World Health Organization calls for unity in the fight against coronavirus, warning that the death toll could surpass 2 million before a vaccine is available. Officials recommend that governments cooperate with each other and implement a wide range of measures to suppress the spread of the virus. This estimate comes on the heels of the launch of COVAX, the Covid-19 vaccine global access facility which 159 countries have already committed to join.
“The real question is: Are we prepared, collectively, to do what it takes to avoid that number?” stated Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program.
Treatments And Vaccine
Novavax and Johnson & Johnson have moved on to Phase 3 with their respective vaccines as more and more researchers race to provide a safe vaccine. The New York Times Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker is a worthwhile bookmark to keep an eye out on vaccine development.
Ivermectin, a drug used to treat intestinal worms, is increasingly being prescribed to treat Covid-19 in Latin America, one of the most affected regions in the world, where the coronavirus has infected more than 3 million people and battered already-fragile health care systems.
Desk Takes
According to a Stanford study, Covid-19 is spreading faster in American prisons than it did in Wuhan, China or on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
India reopened the Taj Mahal on Sept. 21 as Covid-19 infections continue to soar in the country, with the case tally now at 5.9 million. India’s infection growth rate is the fastest in the world, with more than 75,000 new infections being reported per day.
The DoH has cut down the price of the Covid-19 PCR test from 250 AED to 180 AED. This is a further deduction from the initial price of 370 AED.
Helsinki Airport hires trained scent-detection dogs as preliminary studies show that they can detect the coronavirus.
Mari Velasquez-soler is News Editor. Email her at feedback@thegazelle.org.
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