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Illustration by Afra Almazrouei

The Brief: Corona at Your Door

From Donald Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis to a cycling revolution in Europe, we bring you the latest Covid-19 news.

Oct 4, 2020

By the numbers: Cases and Deaths
Note: North America Cases and Deaths now includes 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 Our World in Data.
US President tests positive for Covid-19
Donald Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis made news around the world as the United States president joined the list of world leaders that contracted the virus. His diagnosis sparked concerns about several high-risk factors and its potential implications on the presidency. President Trump has been admitted to Walter Reed Hospital and given an “experimental antibody cocktail by Regeneron that is in clinical trials.”
Trump’s positive test came a day after a Cornell University study found that the “president of the United States was the single largest driver of misinformation around Covid.”
Treatments And Vaccine
The European Medicines Agency has launched a safety review of Remdesivir, an experimental treatment drug for coronavirus, after patients reported severe kidney problems. The drug was given “conditional marketing authorization” to treat patients over the age of 12 with severe infections of Covid-19.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has released findings that its two monoclonal antibody cocktail could work as treatment for coronavirus patients. Myron Cohen, physician and infectious diseases researcher at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, noted that Regeneron’s results echo Eli Lilly’s single monoclonal antibody treatment.
Around the United States, post-Covid-19 clinics are popping up, some affiliated with major hospitals. These are expected to be a revenue booster as patients with lingering symptoms seek recovery.
Desk Takes
The coronavirus has sparked a cycling revolution around Europe, with major cities now adding cycling-related infrastructure. According to BBC News, more than 1.1 billion USD has been spent and around 2,300 km of new bike lanes added.
According to the International Labor Organization, around 34 million jobs were lost in Latin America and the Caribbean due to the pandemic.
A new study on the transmission dynamics of Covid-19 in two Indian states made headlines for low morbidity rate in patients over 65 (linked possibly to relative socioeconomic advantage for those who make it to that age) and the possibility of modified incubation rates based on factors like period of exposure and amount of infectious dose. The ambitious study analyzed data from “575,071 individuals exposed to 84,965 confirmed cases” and stressed the need for such studies.
Rare pink dolphins are increasingly sighted in Hong Kong’s Pearl River Delta following the suspension of ferry activity due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This article is a collaborative effort by The News Desk. Email them at feedback@thegazelle.org.
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