Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Mexico reports 42 more COVID deaths, 1,684 new cases
Mexico reported 42 more confirmed fatalities from COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total death toll in the country since the pandemic began to 319,901, according to health ministry data. The country also reported 1,684 new confirmed cases of the virus, the lowest count in a 24-hour period so far this year, according to a Reuters tally, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 5,566,669.
Moderna plots vaccines against 15 pathogens with future pandemic potential
Moderna Inc said on Monday it plans to develop and begin testing vaccines targeting 15 of the world’s most worrisome pathogens by 2025 and will permanently wave its COVID-19 vaccine patents for shots intended for certain low- and middle-income countries. The U.S. biotechnology company also said it will make its messenger RNA (mRNA) technology available to researchers working on new vaccines for emerging and neglected diseases through a program called mRNA Access.
U.S. CDC urges Americans to avoid travel to Hong Kong, New Zealand
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday urged Americans to avoid travel to Hong Kong, New Zealand and Thailand over COVID-19 cases. The CDC elevated its travel recommendation to “Level Four: Very High” for the three destinations. In total, the CDC urges Americans to avoid travel to about 135 countries and territories.
Factbox-Bird flu spreads on U.S. poultry farms
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported outbreaks of a highly lethal type of bird flu in commercial flocks in Maryland and South Dakota over the weekend, adding to concerns that wild birds are spreading the disease across the country. Farmers are ordered to kill their flocks after the disease is detected, and importing countries including Mexico, China, and Korea have imposed state-specific import restrictions in response.
WHO says at least nine killed in 16 attacks on Ukraine health care
The World Health Organization has confirmed at least nine people had died in 16 attacks on health care facilities in Ukraine since the start of a Russian invasion on Feb. 24, it said on Monday. The WHO said the attacks https://extranet.who.int/ssa/LeftMenu/PublicReportList.aspx?start=2022-02-24&end=2022-03-07&countryList=229&typeList=0 took place between Feb. 24 and March 3. In addition to the nine deaths, 16 people were injured, including seven health workers.
U.S. lawmakers seek a permanent ban on illicit types of fentanyl
A bipartisan trio of U.S. congressmen on Monday unveiled new legislation that would permanently ban illicit versions of fentanyl, the powerful synthetic painkiller that has helped fuel the nation’s opioid epidemic and death toll. The proposed bill, introduced by Democrat Chris Pappas and Republicans Dan Newhouse and Ted Budd, comes days before a temporary ban on chemical copycats of fentanyl known as analogs expires on Friday.
Scientists identify new gene differences in severe COVID patients
Scientists have pinpointed 16 new genetic variants in people who developed severe COVID-19 in a large study published on Monday that could help researchers develop treatments for very sick patients. The results suggest that people with severe COVID have genes that predispose them to one of two problems: failure to limit the ability of the virus to make copies of itself, or excessive inflammation and blood clotting.
Florida breaks with CDC, recommends no COVID vaccine for healthy children
Florida’s top health official said on Monday the state would recommend against the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children, breaking with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In announcing the move during press briefing convened by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the state’s surgeon general Dr. Joseph Lapado cited studies that showed few COVID fatalities among healthy children and elevated risk among young boys receiving the vaccine of side effects such as myocarditis.
Moderna to build mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Kenya
Moderna Inc said on Monday it would set up a manufacturing facility in Kenya, its first in Africa, to produce messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, including COVID-19 shots. Moderna said it expects to invest about $500 million in the Kenyan facility and supply as many as 500 million doses of mRNA vaccines to the continent each year. It also has plans to start filling doses of its COVID vaccine in Africa as early as 2023.
Omicron infections contagious for at least 6 days; Takeda drug shows promise as COVID treatment
The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Omicron infections are contagious for at least 6 days
(With inputs from agencies.)
