Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Some in Beijing are back to work, and Shanghai inches closer to ending the COVID lockdown
Streets in Beijing were busier on Monday as residents in two districts were allowed to return to work, while Shanghai inched closer towards lifting its two-month-old COVID-19 lockdown from Wednesday, as the number of infections across China dropped. China is alone among major countries in pursuing an uncompromising “zero COVID” policy aiming at eradicating outbreaks at just about any cost, while most of the world tries to co-exist with the virus.
Monkeypox presents a moderate risk to global public health, WHO says
The World Health Organization said on Sunday that monkeypox constitutes a “moderate risk” to overall public health at the global level after cases were reported in countries where the disease is not typically found. “The public health risk could become high if this virus exploits the opportunity to establish itself as a human pathogen and spreads to groups at higher risk of severe diseases such as young children and immunosuppressed persons,” WHO said.
UAE reports three more monkeypox cases
The United Arab Emirates recorded three more cases of monkeypox, the health ministry said on Monday, nearly a week after announcing the Gulf state’s first case of the virus. The ministry did not reveal any details about the individuals infected. The first case was a 29-year-old woman visiting the country from West Africa.
Disease experts call on WHO, and governments for more action on monkeypox
Some prominent infectious disease experts are pushing for faster action from global health authorities to contain a growing monkeypox outbreak that has spread to at least 20 countries. They are arguing that governments and the World Health Organization should not repeat the early missteps of the COVID-19 pandemic that delayed the detection of cases, helping the virus spread.
Nigeria CDC has confirmed 21 monkeypox cases this year
Nigeria has confirmed 21 cases of monkeypox since the start of the year with one death reported, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said late on Sunday. Monkeypox, a usually mild viral infection, is endemic in the African countries of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria.
U.S. doctors reconsider Pfizer’s Paxlovid for lower-risk COVID patients
Use of Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid spiked this week, but some doctors are reconsidering the pills for lower-risk patients after a U.S. public health agency warned that symptoms can recur after people complete a course of the drug, and that they should then isolate a second time. More quarantine time “is not a crowd-pleaser,” Dr. Sandra Kemmerly, an infectious disease specialist at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, told Reuters. “For those people who really aren’t at risk … I would recommend that they not take it.”
China reports 184 new COVID cases on May 29 vs 293 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 184 new coronavirus cases on May 29, of which 34 were symptomatic and 150 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Monday. That compares with 293 new cases a day earlier, 82 symptomatic and 211 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.
First steps in reforming global health emergency rules adopted at WHO meeting – U.S
Countries around the world on Saturday adopted an initial U.S.-led reform of the rules around disease outbreaks, known as the International Health Regulations (IHR), the United States said. The amendments, adopted at the World Health Organization (WHO) assembly, were agreed at a meeting seen as a once-in-a-generation chance for the U.N. health agency to strengthen its role after some 15 million deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mexico confirms the first case of monkeypox – health official
Mexico on Saturday reported the first confirmed case of monkeypox in the country, according to deputy health secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell. The patient was a 50-year-old permanent resident of New York who is being treated in Mexico City, Lopez-Gatell said on Twitter.
N.Korea lifts COVID lockdown amid ‘stable’ virus situation -media
North Korea has lifted movement restrictions imposed in the capital Pyongyang after its first admission of the COVID-19 outbreak weeks ago, media reported, as the isolated country says the virus situation is now under control. The North has been in a heated battle against an unprecedented COVID wave since declaring a state of emergency and imposing a nationwide lockdown this month, fuelling concerns about a lack of vaccines, medical supplies and food shortages.
(With inputs from agencies.)
