According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, the third possible wave of the coronavirus pandemic is unlikely to hit children more than the adult population.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-has-suffered-a-lot-due-to-covid-says-donald-trump-demands-china-to-pay-10-trillion-392316">Also read | India has suffered a lot due to Covid says Donald Trump; demands China to pay $10 trillion</a>

The study indicated significant seroprevalence among youngsters, which could protect them from the third wave. It was conducted across five locations in four states.

Delhi Urban Resettlement Colony, Delhi Rural (villages in Faridabad district of Haryana under Delhi-NCR), Bhubaneswar Rural, Gorakhpur Rural, and Agartala Rural are the five sites chosen. &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lambda-new-variant-of-covid-19-that-is-affecting-29-countries-392308">Also read | Lambda: New variant of COVID-19 that is affecting 29 countries</a>

“SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rate among children was high and were comparable to the adult population. Hence, it is unlikely that any future third wave by prevailing COVID19 variant would disproportionately affect children two years or older," the survey stated. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/covid-19-vaccination-has-no-effect-on-male-fertility-sperm-count-not-harmed-study-392287">Also read | COVID-19 vaccination has no effect on male fertility, sperm count not harmed: Study</a>

The study found a seroprevalence of 55.7 per cent in those aged less than 18 (two to 17 years) age group and 63.5 per cent in the 18 years and above age group.

The present findings are based on a midterm analysis of data acquired from 4,509 participants in four states between 15 March 2021 and 10 June 2021, a timeframe that essentially includes the second wave of COVID-19, according to the study, which was published on pre-print server medRxiv.&nbsp;

The study found that while female individuals had somewhat higher seroprevalence than male participants (58.6 per cent versus 53.0 per cent), there was no statistically significant difference in seropositivity between male and female participants.&nbsp;

Among the five locations that were studied as part of the survey, the Agartala Rural site had the least seroprevalence of 51.9 per cent, probably because it also included some tribal population which generally have lower mobility resulting in lower vulnerability to COVID19 infection, ANI reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, the third possible wave of the coronavirus pandemic is unlikely to hit children more than the adult population.

According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, the third possible wave of the coronavirus pandemic is unlikely to hit children more than the adult population. Also read | India has suffered a lot due to Covid says Donald Trump; demands China to pay $10 trillion The study indicated significant seroprevalence among youngsters, which could protect them from the third wave. It was conducted across five locations in four states. Delhi Urban Resettlement Colony, Delhi Rural (villages in Faridabad district of Haryana under Delhi-NCR), Bhubaneswar Rural, Gorakhpur Rural, and Agartala Rural are the five sites chosen. Also read | Lambda: New variant of COVID-19 that is affecting 29 countries “SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rate among children was high and were comparable to the adult population. Hence, it is unlikely that any future third wave by prevailing COVID19 variant would disproportionately affect children two years or older," the survey stated. Also read | COVID-19 vaccination has no effect on male fertility, sperm count not harmed: Study The study found a seroprevalence of 55.7 per cent in those aged less than 18 (two to 17 years) age group and 63.5 per cent in the 18 years and above age group. The present findings are based on a midterm analysis of data acquired from 4,509 participants in four states between 15 March 2021 and 10 June 2021, a timeframe that essentially includes the second wave of COVID-19, according to the study, which was published on pre-print server medRxiv. The study found that while female individuals had somewhat higher seroprevalence than male participants (58.6 per cent versus 53.0 per cent), there was no statistically significant difference in seropositivity between male and female participants. Among the five locations that were studied as part of the survey, the Agartala Rural site had the least seroprevalence of 51.9 per cent, probably because it also included some tribal population which generally have lower mobility resulting in lower vulnerability to COVID19 infection, ANI reported. (With inputs from agencies)

Third COVID-19 wave unlikely to affect kids: WHO-AIIMS survey  

The World Health Organization (WHO) was criticised for its remarks over draft global alcohol action plan. 'The Women of childbearing age shouldn't drink', says WHO. Women from around the world slammed the organisation as “sexist” and the advice as “absurd”.

'Women of childbearing age shouldn't drink': WHO

The World Health Organization has been accused of being “sexist and paternalistic” after advising women of childbearing age not to drink alcohol. The guidance is part of the WHO's draft global alcohol action plan 2022-2030.

WHO says women of childbearing age shouldn't drink

The World Health Organisation has said that UK's decision to cut aid will make millions of people susceptible to dying from "neglected tropical diseases". The UK has reduced foreign aid budget from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of its national income. This will result in cut of 4 billion Pounds.

The WHO has joined many other agencies to warn about the impact of UK's decision. It mentioned that the "neglected tropical disease" included Trachoma, Elecphantiasis and Guinea Worm. These diseases are among 20 disease groups which mostly affect poorest countries. These disease are preventable but the WHO said the disease could "kill, blind, disfigure and maim"

WHO also said that without UK's aid, about 277 million tablets will expire and will have to be destroyed.

"No obvious alternative source of funding exists to fill the funding gaps that will be left by the exit of Ascend," the WHO added.

The World Health Organisation has said that UK's decision to cut aid will make millions of people susceptible to dying from "neglected tropical diseases". The UK has reduced foreign aid budget from 0.

The World Health Organisation has said that UK's decision to cut aid will make millions of people susceptible to dying from "neglected tropical diseases". The UK has reduced foreign aid budget from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of its national income. This will result in cut of 4 billion Pounds. The WHO has joined many other agencies to warn about the impact of UK's decision. It mentioned that the "neglected tropical disease" included Trachoma, Elecphantiasis and Guinea Worm. These diseases are among 20 disease groups which mostly affect poorest countries. These disease are preventable but the WHO said the disease could "kill, blind, disfigure and maim" WHO also said that without UK's aid, about 277 million tablets will expire and will have to be destroyed. "No obvious alternative source of funding exists to fill the funding gaps that will be left by the exit of Ascend," the WHO added.

UK's foreign aid cut may put millions at risk: WHO

Bringing the Indian Covid vaccine Covaxin&nbsp;a step closer to World Health Organization's approval, the pre-submission meeting will be taking place on&nbsp;June 23. WHO documents show the Expression of Interest (EOI) has been accepted by the Geneva-based body.

Hyderabad-based&nbsp;Bharat Biotech, which manufactures the vaccine, had submitted its Expression of Interest (EOI) on April 19. Once the dossier is accepted for review and the status of assessment finalised, a decision will be taken.

Covaxin&nbsp;is the second made-in-India vaccine to apply at the global body for Emergency Use Listing (EUL). Covishield, made by the Serum Institute of India,&nbsp; got WHO EUL on 15th February.

WHO listing will allow Covaxin to get global approval for use, something that has other benefits like the easy movement of Indians who have been vaccinated by it.

May saw an important meeting of Bharat Biotech officials and senior officers of the Ministry of Health, Department of Biotechnology, and Ministry of External Affairs to chalk out a strategy for early approval of the vaccine.

Covaxin has received emergency use authorisation from 14 countries, with more than 50 other countries in the pipeline. When it comes to the US, Bharat Biotech's US partner Ocugen has been asked by FDA to pursue Biologics License Applications (BLA) path for Covaxin's full approval.

So far, eight vaccines globally have been approved by WHO for EUL, including those made by Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Moderna, Sinovac and Sinopharm.

Russia's Sputnik vaccine is expected to get approval soon "once all the data is submitted", said WHO documents. A total of 22 vaccines have applied for WHO approval globally, with 14 in various stages of negotiations.

Bringing the Indian Covid vaccine Covaxin a step closer to World Health Organization's approval, the pre-submission meeting will be taking place on June 23. WHO documents show the Expression of Interest (EOI) has been accepted by the Geneva-based body.

Bringing the Indian Covid vaccine Covaxin a step closer to World Health Organization's approval, the pre-submission meeting will be taking place on June 23. WHO documents show the Expression of Interest (EOI) has been accepted by the Geneva-based body. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which manufactures the vaccine, had submitted its Expression of Interest (EOI) on April 19. Once the dossier is accepted for review and the status of assessment finalised, a decision will be taken. Covaxin is the second made-in-India vaccine to apply at the global body for Emergency Use Listing (EUL). Covishield, made by the Serum Institute of India, got WHO EUL on 15th February. WHO listing will allow Covaxin to get global approval for use, something that has other benefits like the easy movement of Indians who have been vaccinated by it. May saw an important meeting of Bharat Biotech officials and senior officers of the Ministry of Health, Department of Biotechnology, and Ministry of External Affairs to chalk out a strategy for early approval of the vaccine. Covaxin has received emergency use authorisation from 14 countries, with more than 50 other countries in the pipeline. When it comes to the US, Bharat Biotech's US partner Ocugen has been asked by FDA to pursue Biologics License Applications (BLA) path for Covaxin's full approval. So far, eight vaccines globally have been approved by WHO for EUL, including those made by Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Moderna, Sinovac and Sinopharm. Russia's Sputnik vaccine is expected to get approval soon "once all the data is submitted", said WHO documents. A total of 22 vaccines have applied for WHO approval globally, with 14 in various stages of negotiations.

COVID-19: Bharat Biotech's pre-submission meeting for Covaxin's WHO approval on June 23

World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday welcomed the pledge made by G7 nations to donate 870 million vaccine doses. However, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus underlined that more help was needed.

"I welcome the support expressed by the G7 for WHO...This is a big help, but we need more and we need them faster," said Dr Ghebreyesus.

Faced with outrage over disparities in jab access, the Group of Seven industrialised powers pledged during a weekend summit in Britain to take their total dose donations to more than one billion, up from 130 million promised in February.

While people in many wealthy nations are enjoying a return to a sense of normalcy thanks to high vaccination rates, the shots remain scarce in less well-off parts of the world.

In terms of doses administered, the imbalance between the G7 and low-income countries, as defined by the World Bank, is 73 to one.

Many of the donated G7 doses will be filtered through Covax, a global body charged with ensuring equitable vaccine distribution.

Run by the WHO, the Gavi vaccine alliance and CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, it has to date shipped more than 87 million vaccine doses to 131 countries -- far fewer than anticipated.

70% target

The WHO wants at least 70 percent of the world's population vaccinated by the next G7 meeting in Germany next year.

"To do that, we need 11 billion doses. The G7 and G20 can make this happen," said Tedros. 
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders questioned how sincere the G7 was in pursuing vaccine equity.

"We need to see more clarity around the actual number of doses donated, and exactly how long it's going to take to translate their pledges into real impact and access," the medical charity's Hu Yuanqiong told AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday welcomed the pledge made by G7 nations to donate 870 million vaccine doses. However, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus underlined that more help was needed.

World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday welcomed the pledge made by G7 nations to donate 870 million vaccine doses. However, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus underlined that more help was needed. "I welcome the support expressed by the G7 for WHO...This is a big help, but we need more and we need them faster," said Dr Ghebreyesus. Faced with outrage over disparities in jab access, the Group of Seven industrialised powers pledged during a weekend summit in Britain to take their total dose donations to more than one billion, up from 130 million promised in February. While people in many wealthy nations are enjoying a return to a sense of normalcy thanks to high vaccination rates, the shots remain scarce in less well-off parts of the world. In terms of doses administered, the imbalance between the G7 and low-income countries, as defined by the World Bank, is 73 to one. Many of the donated G7 doses will be filtered through Covax, a global body charged with ensuring equitable vaccine distribution. Run by the WHO, the Gavi vaccine alliance and CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, it has to date shipped more than 87 million vaccine doses to 131 countries -- far fewer than anticipated. 70% target The WHO wants at least 70 percent of the world's population vaccinated by the next G7 meeting in Germany next year. "To do that, we need 11 billion doses. The G7 and G20 can make this happen," said Tedros. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders questioned how sincere the G7 was in pursuing vaccine equity. "We need to see more clarity around the actual number of doses donated, and exactly how long it's going to take to translate their pledges into real impact and access," the medical charity's Hu Yuanqiong told AFP. (With inputs from agencies)

G7 vaccine pledge is 'big help' but 'more' is needed: WHO

Covaxin has been denied emergency use authorisation in the US. The vaccine is yet to be listed on the WHO's list of approved vaccines. The lack of global approvals has put a question mark on travel, work & study plans of millions of Indians.

India: No American approval for Covaxin

As several European nations reopen and allow tourists, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Hans Kluge, regional director for Europe, said that Europe is "by no means out of danger".

"With increasing social gatherings, greater population mobility and large festivals and sports tournaments taking place in the coming days and weeks, WHO Europe calls for caution," the UN health body's top official said.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-parliament-approves-digital-covid-19-certificates-390511/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Kluge was referring to sports tournaments, namely the French Open which is underway in Paris currently and the mega European football championships set to begin on Saturday which attracts people from across the continent with top teams taking part. The Wimbledon tennis tournament is also set to take place in London next month.

"In six months, more than 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the region. This summer, vaccination needs to happen at a much faster pace," Klunge asserted.

WHO's top official said that Europe still hasn't achieved sufficient protection against a possible COVID-19 resurgence since at least 80 per cent vaccination coverage of the adult population was&nbsp;required.

Kluge said that 30 per cent people in Europe have received at least one vaccine dose and just 17 per cent have completed both doses of the vaccine while cautioning that "we have not come far enough."

European nations began their reopening process last month and further allowed tourists with Greece and Spain set to open their borders for tourists who have been&nbsp;vaccinated.&nbsp;

France on Wednesday allowed outdoor dining as coronavirus cases showed marked decline and pushed back the nighttime curfew while aiming to end curfews altogether by June 30.

Kluge acknowledged that there was an overall decline in new COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations and deaths for the past two months in Europe but urged countries not to repeat "mistakes".

"Over the course of last summer, cases gradually rose in younger age groups and then moved into older age groups, contributing to a devastating resurgence, lockdowns and loss of life, in the autumn and winter of 2020," WHO's regional director reminded officials in Europe.

(With inputs from Agencies)

As several European nations reopen and allow tourists, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Hans Kluge, regional director for Europe, said that Europe is "by no means out of danger".

As several European nations reopen and allow tourists, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Hans Kluge, regional director for Europe, said that Europe is "by no means out of danger". "With increasing social gatherings, greater population mobility and large festivals and sports tournaments taking place in the coming days and weeks, WHO Europe calls for caution," the UN health body's top official said. Watch: Kluge was referring to sports tournaments, namely the French Open which is underway in Paris currently and the mega European football championships set to begin on Saturday which attracts people from across the continent with top teams taking part. The Wimbledon tennis tournament is also set to take place in London next month. "In six months, more than 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the region. This summer, vaccination needs to happen at a much faster pace," Klunge asserted. WHO's top official said that Europe still hasn't achieved sufficient protection against a possible COVID-19 resurgence since at least 80 per cent vaccination coverage of the adult population was required. Kluge said that 30 per cent people in Europe have received at least one vaccine dose and just 17 per cent have completed both doses of the vaccine while cautioning that "we have not come far enough." European nations began their reopening process last month and further allowed tourists with Greece and Spain set to open their borders for tourists who have been vaccinated. France on Wednesday allowed outdoor dining as coronavirus cases showed marked decline and pushed back the nighttime curfew while aiming to end curfews altogether by June 30. Kluge acknowledged that there was an overall decline in new COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations and deaths for the past two months in Europe but urged countries not to repeat "mistakes". "Over the course of last summer, cases gradually rose in younger age groups and then moved into older age groups, contributing to a devastating resurgence, lockdowns and loss of life, in the autumn and winter of 2020," WHO's regional director reminded officials in Europe. (With inputs from Agencies)

We are by no means out of danger, WHO alerts Europe on virus resurgence

As the countries rush to vaccinate their citizens, some of the poorer countries are struggling to get access to doses of these <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccines</a> to fight the deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has, therefore, urged all vaccine manufacturers to donate half of their doses to the Covax vaccine programme — which is a worldwide initiative to give proper access to vaccines to poorer countries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impact-of-coronavirus-four-times-worse-than-2008-financial-crisis-un-390013" hreflang="en">Impact of coronavirus four times worse than 2008 financial crisis: UN</a>

WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the global vaccine manufacturers are not helping the poor countries, which has resulted in several countries struggling to even immunise their health workers against this deadly virus.

He also pointed out the discrimination the third-world countries have faced by drawing examples between countries that have failed to vaccinate health workers against those nations that are now prepping to vaccinate small children.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/moderna-awaiting-approval-of-coronavirus-vaccine-for-teens-in-eu-canada-389997" hreflang="en">Moderna awaiting approval of coronavirus vaccine for teens in EU, Canada</a>

Tedros asked countries to set and achieve a target of vaccinating at least 10 per cent of the population by September and 30 per cent by the end of 2021. To achieve this target, nearly 100 million doses will be needed in June and July and at least 250 million doses will be required by the end of September.

To make sure his target can be met, he has urged pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Moderna, SII and others to either give Covax the first refusal on new doses or commit a minimum 50 per cent of their total production to the Covax programme.

"I also call on all manufacturers to give Covax first right of refusal on new volume of COVID-19 vaccines, or to commit 50 percent of their volumes to Covax this year," Tedros said.

He also called on the G7 nations to discuss these targets in their annual summit which is scheduled to take place this weekend.

"I am calling on the G7 not just to commit to sharing doses, but to commit to sharing them in June and July," he said.

As the countries rush to vaccinate their citizens, some of the poorer countries are struggling to get access to doses of these vaccines to fight the deadly coronavirus.

As the countries rush to vaccinate their citizens, some of the poorer countries are struggling to get access to doses of these vaccines to fight the deadly coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has, therefore, urged all vaccine manufacturers to donate half of their doses to the Covax vaccine programme — which is a worldwide initiative to give proper access to vaccines to poorer countries. Also read | Impact of coronavirus four times worse than 2008 financial crisis: UN WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the global vaccine manufacturers are not helping the poor countries, which has resulted in several countries struggling to even immunise their health workers against this deadly virus. He also pointed out the discrimination the third-world countries have faced by drawing examples between countries that have failed to vaccinate health workers against those nations that are now prepping to vaccinate small children. Also read | Moderna awaiting approval of coronavirus vaccine for teens in EU, Canada Tedros asked countries to set and achieve a target of vaccinating at least 10 per cent of the population by September and 30 per cent by the end of 2021. To achieve this target, nearly 100 million doses will be needed in June and July and at least 250 million doses will be required by the end of September. To make sure his target can be met, he has urged pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Moderna, SII and others to either give Covax the first refusal on new doses or commit a minimum 50 per cent of their total production to the Covax programme. "I also call on all manufacturers to give Covax first right of refusal on new volume of COVID-19 vaccines, or to commit 50 percent of their volumes to Covax this year," Tedros said. He also called on the G7 nations to discuss these targets in their annual summit which is scheduled to take place this weekend. "I am calling on the G7 not just to commit to sharing doses, but to commit to sharing them in June and July," he said.

Give at least 50% of vaccine doses to Covax programme: WHO

Milloni Doshi, a 25-year-old student from India who is supposed to start her master’s degree this fall at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, has a problem.

Although Doshi has been vaccinated against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>, she received two doses of Covaxin, which is made by an Indian manufacturer and is not currently approved by the World Health Organization, as required by the university in New York.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/give-us-priority-covid-19-vaccination-foreign-bound-students-to-tamil-nadu-govt-388954">Give us priority COVID-19 vaccination: Foreign-bound students to Tamil Nadu govt</a>&nbsp;

Columbia has told her she will need to be revaccinated with a different <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a> once she arrives on campus, but no one can say for sure if it is safe to do so.

“I am just concerned about taking two different vaccines,” she wrote via a messaging app. “They said the application process would be the toughest part of the cycle, but it’s really been all of this that has been uncertain and anxiety-inducing.”

Since March, more than 400 colleges and universities in the United States have announced vaccine mandates, requiring students to be immunized against the coronavirus. But the rules have been designed primarily with domestic students in mind, leaving international students scrambling, particularly those in India and Russia.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-distribute-80-million-vaccine-doses-through-covax-india-included-in-list-white-house-389263">US to distribute 80 million vaccine doses through Covax; India included in list: White House</a>

Neither Covaxin nor the Sputnik V vaccine, which is manufactured in Russia, has been approved by the WHO. American students, however, have access to the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines, three of the eight authorized by the health agency, according to a WHO spokesperson.

The disparity could hinder colleges that have made it a major priority to retain international students, who brought in close to $39 billion in tuition dollars in the year before the pandemic, according to one analysis.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worldwide-coronavirus-cases-cross-171-million-death-toll-at-3557281-388897">Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 171 million, death toll at 3,557,281</a>

“Universities want to enroll international students because they add diversity to the campus community, and they bring money,” said Terry Hartle, senior vice president at the American Council on Education. “It’s why this has been a subject of intense discussion.”

The situation is particularly challenging for students in India, which sends approximately 200,000 international students to US&nbsp;colleges every year, the second most after China. The subcontinent is emerging from the grips of one of the most severe waves of the pandemic, when burial grounds were running out of space and funeral pyres were nearly constantly burning. Vaccine shortages are so acute that only 3 per cent&nbsp;of the population is fully immunized, and getting an appointment is a taxing affair.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-virus-surge-singapore-set-to-vaccinate-students-from-june-3-388595">Amid virus surge, Singapore set to vaccinate students from June 3</a>

In some parts of India, students planning on attending US&nbsp;universities have turned to the black market, paying hundreds of dollars to be vaccinated. Others have hired people to spend up to 12 hours online trying to line up a vaccination slot.

It is hard enough just to get an appointment, but even more so to secure one for a vaccine that will be accepted by US&nbsp;campuses.

“Every day, we get 10 to 15 messages and inquiries, saying, ‘What does this mean? How does this impact me?’” said Sudhanshu Kaushik, 26, who dropped out of his MBA program at New York University last year to run the North American Association of Indian Students, which is working to help fellow students.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fauci-says-us-teens-should-get-vaccinated-by-autumn-younger-children-next-year-368711">Fauci says US teens should get vaccinated by autumn, younger children next year</a>

Among the questions flooding Kaushik’s inbox: What happens if I cannot get my vaccine in time? Will I still be allowed to matriculate in the fall? What should I do if the vaccine I can get locally is not approved by my college?

At Indiana University, which announced its vaccine requirement less than two weeks ago, administrators are working overtime to answer the roughly 200 phone calls and 300 emails that are pouring in every day from the university’s roughly 6,000 students overseas, said its vice president for international affairs, Hannah Buxbaum.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thanksgiving-will-soon-empty-campuses-will-students-bring-coronavirus-home-342124">Thanksgiving will soon empty campuses. Will students bring coronavirus home?</a>

“Ringing off the hook doesn’t begin to describe,” said Buxbaum of the volume of calls from overseas students who are trying to navigate the vaccine bureaucracy in their home countries as well as a host of other virus-related problems, from flight bans to shuttered consulates.

“There is no question that there is anxiety and concern among our international students,” she said.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/students-sue-top-us-universities-over-switch-to-online-courses-297080">Students sue top US universities over switch to online courses</a>

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tried to provide guidance. The agency considers people fully vaccinated several weeks after they have received the requisite doses of any of the vaccines authorized by the WHO, said a spokesperson, Kristen Nordlund.

Besides the three vaccines currently available in the United States under emergency authorization by the FDA, the world body has, according to its website, also approved three versions of the AstraZeneca vaccine, including one made in England and one made in India; the Sinopharm vaccine, which is manufactured in China; and, as of this week, the Sinovac vaccine, also made in China.

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Many universities appear to be following these guidelines: “If a student has had a WHO-approved vaccine,” said Clayton Rose, president of Bowdoin College, “then the student will be considered to be vaccinated.”

At Columbia, where one-third of the student body is from overseas, international students will be asked to present either their WHO booklet or a letter from a physician confirming they have received the requisite doses of one of the vaccines vetted by the world body, said Donna Lynne, chief operating officer of the university’s medical center, who heads the campus’s COVID-19 response.

But that leaves two categories of students that will face a more complicated, and potentially problematic&nbsp;process.

There are those who will not succeed in securing a vaccine before the start of the fall semester. Bowdoin and many other universities say they plan to have clinics on campus that will offer one of the three FDA-authorized vaccines.

The trick is that two of those, Pfizer and Moderna, require the first and second dose to be spaced three weeks apart; because someone is only considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the last dose, the process lasts a minimum of five weeks. During that time, will students be required to quarantine while the rest of campus goes back to normal? Will they need to undergo routine testing?

Campuses are proposing different measures, with some saying that those students will need to self-isolate in their dorm and attend classes remotely. Others are saying the students will be expected to wear a mask and undergo testing.

The more complicated scenario is if students received a vaccine that has not been approved by the WHO, like Sputnik or Covaxin. Many colleges are proposing that those student will need to be revaccinated, which presents both medical and logistical conundrums.

No data exists on whether combining vaccines from different companies is safe.

“Since COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable, the safety and effectiveness of receiving two different COVID-19 vaccines have not been studied,” Nordlund, the CDC spokesperson, wrote in an email.

She added that the CDC was recommending that people who were vaccinated outside the United States with a vaccine that was not authorized by the WHO should wait a minimum of 28 days before taking the first dose of one of the FDA-sanctioned vaccines.

Many universities were vague on how they plan to deal with the logistical complexity of spacing out these unrelated vaccines, beyond saying that they planned to accommodate students undergoing this process.

While much remains in flux, at least one major university system is planning on deviating from the CDC guidelines.

California State, the largest public university system in the country with 23 campuses enrolling nearly a half-million students, plans to accept any vaccine a student received if it was authorized by the regulatory agency in their country of origin, said Chancellor Joseph Castro.

“They will be able to satisfy the requirement,” he said, “as long as the vaccine they receive is approved by something similar to an entity like the FDA.”

Facing mounting pressure from confused and anxious students, at least six regional governments in India have announced emergency clinics in the past week to vaccinate students heading to US&nbsp;universities.

One of them is in Maharashtra, the state that includes Mumbai and is where Doshi lives, although the move came too late for her since she is already vaccinated with an injection Columbia does not accept. Instead of concentrating on her future course of study, she is fretting over whether the vaccine she will need to get upon arriving at Columbia will cause an adverse reaction.

“Truthfully, it was easier to get admitted than to handle the post-admissions process,” she said.

Milloni Doshi, a 25-year-old student from India who is supposed to start her master’s degree this fall at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, has a problem.

Milloni Doshi, a 25-year-old student from India who is supposed to start her master’s degree this fall at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, has a problem. Although Doshi has been vaccinated against the coronavirus, she received two doses of Covaxin, which is made by an Indian manufacturer and is not currently approved by the World Health Organization, as required by the university in New York. Also Read | Give us priority COVID-19 vaccination: Foreign-bound students to Tamil Nadu govt Columbia has told her she will need to be revaccinated with a different vaccine once she arrives on campus, but no one can say for sure if it is safe to do so. “I am just concerned about taking two different vaccines,” she wrote via a messaging app. “They said the application process would be the toughest part of the cycle, but it’s really been all of this that has been uncertain and anxiety-inducing.” Since March, more than 400 colleges and universities in the United States have announced vaccine mandates, requiring students to be immunized against the coronavirus. But the rules have been designed primarily with domestic students in mind, leaving international students scrambling, particularly those in India and Russia. Also Read | US to distribute 80 million vaccine doses through Covax; India included in list: White House Neither Covaxin nor the Sputnik V vaccine, which is manufactured in Russia, has been approved by the WHO. American students, however, have access to the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, three of the eight authorized by the health agency, according to a WHO spokesperson. The disparity could hinder colleges that have made it a major priority to retain international students, who brought in close to $39 billion in tuition dollars in the year before the pandemic, according to one analysis. Also Read | Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 171 million, death toll at 3,557,281 “Universities want to enroll international students because they add diversity to the campus community, and they bring money,” said Terry Hartle, senior vice president at the American Council on Education. “It’s why this has been a subject of intense discussion.” The situation is particularly challenging for students in India, which sends approximately 200,000 international students to US colleges every year, the second most after China. The subcontinent is emerging from the grips of one of the most severe waves of the pandemic, when burial grounds were running out of space and funeral pyres were nearly constantly burning. Vaccine shortages are so acute that only 3 per cent of the population is fully immunized, and getting an appointment is a taxing affair. Also Read | Amid virus surge, Singapore set to vaccinate students from June 3 In some parts of India, students planning on attending US universities have turned to the black market, paying hundreds of dollars to be vaccinated. Others have hired people to spend up to 12 hours online trying to line up a vaccination slot. It is hard enough just to get an appointment, but even more so to secure one for a vaccine that will be accepted by US campuses. “Every day, we get 10 to 15 messages and inquiries, saying, ‘What does this mean? How does this impact me?’” said Sudhanshu Kaushik, 26, who dropped out of his MBA program at New York University last year to run the North American Association of Indian Students, which is working to help fellow students. Also Read | Fauci says US teens should get vaccinated by autumn, younger children next year Among the questions flooding Kaushik’s inbox: What happens if I cannot get my vaccine in time? Will I still be allowed to matriculate in the fall? What should I do if the vaccine I can get locally is not approved by my college? At Indiana University, which announced its vaccine requirement less than two weeks ago, administrators are working overtime to answer the roughly 200 phone calls and 300 emails that are pouring in every day from the university’s roughly 6,000 students overseas, said its vice president for international affairs, Hannah Buxbaum. Also Read | Thanksgiving will soon empty campuses. Will students bring coronavirus home? “Ringing off the hook doesn’t begin to describe,” said Buxbaum of the volume of calls from overseas students who are trying to navigate the vaccine bureaucracy in their home countries as well as a host of other virus-related problems, from flight bans to shuttered consulates. “There is no question that there is anxiety and concern among our international students,” she said. Also Read | Students sue top US universities over switch to online courses The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tried to provide guidance. The agency considers people fully vaccinated several weeks after they have received the requisite doses of any of the vaccines authorized by the WHO, said a spokesperson, Kristen Nordlund. Besides the three vaccines currently available in the United States under emergency authorization by the FDA, the world body has, according to its website, also approved three versions of the AstraZeneca vaccine, including one made in England and one made in India; the Sinopharm vaccine, which is manufactured in China; and, as of this week, the Sinovac vaccine, also made in China. Also Read | 375 million dollars from foreign countries to Ivy League schools, US Department of Education investigates Many universities appear to be following these guidelines: “If a student has had a WHO-approved vaccine,” said Clayton Rose, president of Bowdoin College, “then the student will be considered to be vaccinated.” At Columbia, where one-third of the student body is from overseas, international students will be asked to present either their WHO booklet or a letter from a physician confirming they have received the requisite doses of one of the vaccines vetted by the world body, said Donna Lynne, chief operating officer of the university’s medical center, who heads the campus’s COVID-19 response. But that leaves two categories of students that will face a more complicated, and potentially problematic process. There are those who will not succeed in securing a vaccine before the start of the fall semester. Bowdoin and many other universities say they plan to have clinics on campus that will offer one of the three FDA-authorized vaccines. The trick is that two of those, Pfizer and Moderna, require the first and second dose to be spaced three weeks apart; because someone is only considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the last dose, the process lasts a minimum of five weeks. During that time, will students be required to quarantine while the rest of campus goes back to normal? Will they need to undergo routine testing? Campuses are proposing different measures, with some saying that those students will need to self-isolate in their dorm and attend classes remotely. Others are saying the students will be expected to wear a mask and undergo testing. The more complicated scenario is if students received a vaccine that has not been approved by the WHO, like Sputnik or Covaxin. Many colleges are proposing that those student will need to be revaccinated, which presents both medical and logistical conundrums. No data exists on whether combining vaccines from different companies is safe. “Since COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable, the safety and effectiveness of receiving two different COVID-19 vaccines have not been studied,” Nordlund, the CDC spokesperson, wrote in an email. She added that the CDC was recommending that people who were vaccinated outside the United States with a vaccine that was not authorized by the WHO should wait a minimum of 28 days before taking the first dose of one of the FDA-sanctioned vaccines. Many universities were vague on how they plan to deal with the logistical complexity of spacing out these unrelated vaccines, beyond saying that they planned to accommodate students undergoing this process. While much remains in flux, at least one major university system is planning on deviating from the CDC guidelines. California State, the largest public university system in the country with 23 campuses enrolling nearly a half-million students, plans to accept any vaccine a student received if it was authorized by the regulatory agency in their country of origin, said Chancellor Joseph Castro. “They will be able to satisfy the requirement,” he said, “as long as the vaccine they receive is approved by something similar to an entity like the FDA.” Facing mounting pressure from confused and anxious students, at least six regional governments in India have announced emergency clinics in the past week to vaccinate students heading to US universities. One of them is in Maharashtra, the state that includes Mumbai and is where Doshi lives, although the move came too late for her since she is already vaccinated with an injection Columbia does not accept. Instead of concentrating on her future course of study, she is fretting over whether the vaccine she will need to get upon arriving at Columbia will cause an adverse reaction. “Truthfully, it was easier to get admitted than to handle the post-admissions process,” she said.

Colleges say students must get a Covid vaccine. But no, not that one.

Wealthy countries need to give more COVID-19 vaccines and follow the United States in making doses available immediately to cover a 200 million dose gap caused by Indian supply disruptions and manufacturing delays, a&nbsp;World&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Organization&nbsp;(WHO) senior adviser&nbsp;said on Friday.

Warning of a "two-track recovery," the WHO is urging wealthy countries to donate their surplus doses to poorer countries instead of giving them to less vulnerable groups, such as children. They have so far donated 150 million doses via the COVAX sharing scheme.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/reconsider-vaccinating-children-donate-to-covax-says-who-chief-as-he-warns-against-deadliest-year-385082">'Reconsider vaccinating children, donate to Covax,' says WHO chief as he warns against 'deadliest year'</a>

However, Bruce Aylward said on Friday that only a small portion of those doses will be available in the short-term in June, July and August when they can make a difference in slowing the pace of infections in the global pandemic.

"We are going to need twice that much and it's got to be brought forward," he said, referring to the size of wealthy country donations so far as G7&nbsp;health&nbsp;ministers meet in Oxford.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-chief-urges-covid-19-vaccine-makers-to-advance-doses-for-covax-385692">WHO chief urges COVID-19 vaccine makers to advance doses for COVAX</a>

"We don't have enough confirmed doses from enough countries early enough to get the&nbsp;world&nbsp;on track to get out of this," he said. "We are setting up for failure if we don't get early doses."

He praised a US&nbsp;plan announced on Thursday (June 3) to quickly share 25 million doses and encouraged other wealthy countries to follow suit.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-distribute-80-million-vaccine-doses-through-covax-india-included-in-list-white-house-389263">US to distribute 80 million vaccine doses through Covax; India included in list: White House</a>

Aylward estimated that Indian vaccine export disruptions and delays in getting other vaccines online meant that the COVAX sharing scheme had a gap of around 200 million doses.

India's Serum Institute has diverted AstraZeneca supplies to the domestic market amid a devastating second wave in India and is expected to lift those restrictions in the fourth quarter when other products earmarked for COVAX are also due online.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tedros-denounces-vaccine-inequity-as-covax-sharing-scheme-marks-first-year-379526">Tedros denounces vaccine inequity as COVAX sharing scheme marks first year</a>

Even after a summit this week that secured an additional $2.4 billion in pledges, a nearly $17 billion funding gap for the WHO's "ACT Accelerator" to back COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and diagnostics remain, he said.

Wealthy countries need to give more COVID-19 vaccines and follow the United States in making doses available immediately to cover a 200 million dose gap caused by Indian supply disruptions and manufacturing delays, a World Health Organization (WHO) senior adviser said on Friday.

Wealthy countries need to give more COVID-19 vaccines and follow the United States in making doses available immediately to cover a 200 million dose gap caused by Indian supply disruptions and manufacturing delays, a World Health Organization (WHO) senior adviser said on Friday. Warning of a "two-track recovery," the WHO is urging wealthy countries to donate their surplus doses to poorer countries instead of giving them to less vulnerable groups, such as children. They have so far donated 150 million doses via the COVAX sharing scheme. Also Read | 'Reconsider vaccinating children, donate to Covax,' says WHO chief as he warns against 'deadliest year' However, Bruce Aylward said on Friday that only a small portion of those doses will be available in the short-term in June, July and August when they can make a difference in slowing the pace of infections in the global pandemic. "We are going to need twice that much and it's got to be brought forward," he said, referring to the size of wealthy country donations so far as G7 health ministers meet in Oxford. Also Read | WHO chief urges COVID-19 vaccine makers to advance doses for COVAX "We don't have enough confirmed doses from enough countries early enough to get the world on track to get out of this," he said. "We are setting up for failure if we don't get early doses." He praised a US plan announced on Thursday (June 3) to quickly share 25 million doses and encouraged other wealthy countries to follow suit. Also Read | US to distribute 80 million vaccine doses through Covax; India included in list: White House Aylward estimated that Indian vaccine export disruptions and delays in getting other vaccines online meant that the COVAX sharing scheme had a gap of around 200 million doses. India's Serum Institute has diverted AstraZeneca supplies to the domestic market amid a devastating second wave in India and is expected to lift those restrictions in the fourth quarter when other products earmarked for COVAX are also due online. Also Read | Tedros denounces vaccine inequity as COVAX sharing scheme marks first year Even after a summit this week that secured an additional $2.4 billion in pledges, a nearly $17 billion funding gap for the WHO's "ACT Accelerator" to back COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and diagnostics remain, he said.

WHO warns of 'failure' unless rich countries speed up vaccine sharing

The Delta variant of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a>, or the B1.617.2 highly transmissible <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kappa-delta-who-releases-greek-nomenclature-for-covid-variants-including-ones-found-in-india-388657">variant of concern (VOC)</a> first identified in India, has now become the dominant VOC in the UK as infections rose by 5,472 in a week to hit a total of 12,431, health officials in Britain said on Thursday.

Public Health England (PHE), which monitors all COVID variants in the country, said that experts now believe that Delta has now overtaken Alpha;&nbsp;the VOC first detected in the Kent region of England.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-agrees-to-add-japan-to-safe-travel-list-holds-off-on-britain-over-concerns-of-delta-variant-389198">EU agrees to add Japan to safe travel list, holds off on Britain over concerns of Delta variant</a>

PHE also said that early evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of hospitalisation with Delta compared to Alpha, although more data is needed to have a more definitive view on that.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-kingdom-pm-boris-johnson-cautious-about-lifting-lockdown-389211/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"With this variant now dominant across the UK, it remains vital that we all continue to exercise as much caution as possible," said Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive, UK Health Security Agency.

"The way to tackle variants is to tackle the transmission of COVID-19 as a whole. Work from home where you can, and practice 'hands, face, space, fresh air' at all times. If you are eligible and have not already done so, please come forward to be <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccinated</a> and make sure you get your second jab. It will save lives," she said.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/signs-of-an-early-wave-uk-grapples-with-unlock-measures-amid-third-wave-fears-388604">'Signs of an early wave': UK grapples with unlock measures amid third wave fears</a>

According to the breakdown of official figures, this week 278 people with the Delta variant attended hospital in an emergency.&nbsp;Last week, 201 people attended the hospital.

"Once again, the majority of these had not been vaccinated," PHE said.

The areas most affected by the Delta variant remain in the northwest of England with Bolton, where cases have risen by 795 to 2149, and Blackburn with Darwen which has seen 368 new cases, bringing it to 724 in total.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-seeks-extra-astrazeneca-shots-to-combat-beta-covid-19-variant-389061">Britain seeks extra AstraZeneca shots to combat Beta COVID-19 variant</a>

PHE said there are 'encouraging signs' that the transmission rate in Bolton has begun to fall and that the actions taken by residents and local authority teams have been successful in reducing spread.

Experts continue to urge people to, remain cautious,&nbsp;as the country approaches the next stage of the roadmap, with June 21 scheduled as a date for an end of all lockdown restrictions.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-coronavirus-variants-are-coming-warn-scientists-behind-modernas-covid-vaccine-388394">'New coronavirus variants are coming', warn scientists behind Moderna's Covid vaccine</a>

"Variant cases are on the increase in several areas and it is absolutely crucial that everyone plays their part in preventing their spread," PHE said.

In Bolton, local teams have gone door to door in targeted areas on consecutive weekends to distribute test kits, share vital safety messages and encourage people to get the vaccine at a local drop-in centre.

Take up of both testing and the vaccine was described as "positive".

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-vaccine-passport-plans-to-be-scrapped-the-telegraph-388486">UK vaccine passport plans to be scrapped: The Telegraph</a>

Blackburn with Darwen has also seen local teams making door-to-door visits, and over 10,000 additional PCR tests have been given out.

Mobile testing units have been deployed to the area and wastewater sampling continues, in order to track the spread of the variant.

PHE said its health protection teams continue to work with local authorities and schools to carry out surveillance of COVID-19 cases in schools to understand and reduce transmission in these settings.&nbsp;

The Delta variant of COVID-19, or the B1.617.2 highly transmissible variant of concern (VOC) first identified in India, has now become the dominant VOC in the UK as infections rose by 5,472 in a week to hit a total of 12,431, health officials in Britain said on Thursday.

The Delta variant of COVID-19, or the B1.617.2 highly transmissible variant of concern (VOC) first identified in India, has now become the dominant VOC in the UK as infections rose by 5,472 in a week to hit a total of 12,431, health officials in Britain said on Thursday. Public Health England (PHE), which monitors all COVID variants in the country, said that experts now believe that Delta has now overtaken Alpha; the VOC first detected in the Kent region of England. Also Read | EU agrees to add Japan to safe travel list, holds off on Britain over concerns of Delta variant PHE also said that early evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of hospitalisation with Delta compared to Alpha, although more data is needed to have a more definitive view on that. "With this variant now dominant across the UK, it remains vital that we all continue to exercise as much caution as possible," said Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive, UK Health Security Agency. "The way to tackle variants is to tackle the transmission of COVID-19 as a whole. Work from home where you can, and practice 'hands, face, space, fresh air' at all times. If you are eligible and have not already done so, please come forward to be vaccinated and make sure you get your second jab. It will save lives," she said. Also Read | 'Signs of an early wave': UK grapples with unlock measures amid third wave fears According to the breakdown of official figures, this week 278 people with the Delta variant attended hospital in an emergency. Last week, 201 people attended the hospital. "Once again, the majority of these had not been vaccinated," PHE said. The areas most affected by the Delta variant remain in the northwest of England with Bolton, where cases have risen by 795 to 2149, and Blackburn with Darwen which has seen 368 new cases, bringing it to 724 in total. Also Read | Britain seeks extra AstraZeneca shots to combat Beta COVID-19 variant PHE said there are 'encouraging signs' that the transmission rate in Bolton has begun to fall and that the actions taken by residents and local authority teams have been successful in reducing spread. Experts continue to urge people to, remain cautious, as the country approaches the next stage of the roadmap, with June 21 scheduled as a date for an end of all lockdown restrictions. Also Read | 'New coronavirus variants are coming', warn scientists behind Moderna's Covid vaccine "Variant cases are on the increase in several areas and it is absolutely crucial that everyone plays their part in preventing their spread," PHE said. In Bolton, local teams have gone door to door in targeted areas on consecutive weekends to distribute test kits, share vital safety messages and encourage people to get the vaccine at a local drop-in centre. Take up of both testing and the vaccine was described as "positive". Also Read | UK vaccine passport plans to be scrapped: The Telegraph Blackburn with Darwen has also seen local teams making door-to-door visits, and over 10,000 additional PCR tests have been given out. Mobile testing units have been deployed to the area and wastewater sampling continues, in order to track the spread of the variant. PHE said its health protection teams continue to work with local authorities and schools to carry out surveillance of COVID-19 cases in schools to understand and reduce transmission in these settings.

Covid-19 Delta variant now dominant in UK as cases rise by 5,472 in a week

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said only B.1.617.2, one of the three strains of the B.1.617 COVID-19 variant first detected in India, is a 'variant of concern' now and noted that lower rates of transmission have been observed for the other two lineages.

The B.1.617 variant was first detected in India and was divided in three lineages - B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3. In the COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update published on Tuesday, WHO said available findings for lineages B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 were initially used to designate B.1.617 a global Variant of Concern (VOC) on May 11 this year.

"Since then, it has become evident that greater public health risks are currently associated with B.1.617.2, while lower rates of transmission of other lineages have been observed," WHO said.

The UN health agency said that in order to reflect this updated information, B.1.617 has been 'delineated'. 'B.1.617.2 remains a VOC and labelled variant Delta' we continue to observe significantly increased transmissibility and a growing number of countries reporting outbreaks associated with this variant.

Further studies into the impact of this variant remain a high priority for WHO.&nbsp;The Delta variant has now been reported in 62 countries around the world as of June 1, the update said.

It added that the B.1.617.1 strain has been reclassified to a Variant of Interest (VOI) and labelled variant 'Kappa'. While Kappa is also demonstrating increased transmissibility (in specified locations), 'global prevalence appears to be declining. This variant will continue to be monitored and reassessed regularly'.

The B.1.617.3 lineage is 'no longer classified as either a VOI or VOC' relatively few reports of this variant have been submitted to date.&nbsp;

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said only B.1.617.2, one of the three strains of the B.1.617 COVID-19 variant first detected in India, is a 'variant of concern' now and noted that lower rates of transmission have been observed for the other two lineages.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said only B.1.617.2, one of the three strains of the B.1.617 COVID-19 variant first detected in India, is a 'variant of concern' now and noted that lower rates of transmission have been observed for the other two lineages. The B.1.617 variant was first detected in India and was divided in three lineages - B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3. In the COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update published on Tuesday, WHO said available findings for lineages B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 were initially used to designate B.1.617 a global Variant of Concern (VOC) on May 11 this year. "Since then, it has become evident that greater public health risks are currently associated with B.1.617.2, while lower rates of transmission of other lineages have been observed," WHO said. The UN health agency said that in order to reflect this updated information, B.1.617 has been 'delineated'. 'B.1.617.2 remains a VOC and labelled variant Delta' we continue to observe significantly increased transmissibility and a growing number of countries reporting outbreaks associated with this variant. Further studies into the impact of this variant remain a high priority for WHO. The Delta variant has now been reported in 62 countries around the world as of June 1, the update said. It added that the B.1.617.1 strain has been reclassified to a Variant of Interest (VOI) and labelled variant 'Kappa'. While Kappa is also demonstrating increased transmissibility (in specified locations), 'global prevalence appears to be declining. This variant will continue to be monitored and reassessed regularly'. The B.1.617.3 lineage is 'no longer classified as either a VOI or VOC' relatively few reports of this variant have been submitted to date.

Only one of three strains of B.1.617 variant now a 'variant of concern': WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday that only one strain of the COVID-19 Delta variant first detected in India is now considered of concern, while two other strains had been downgraded.

WHO says only one strain of Delta variant is now of concern

Samples from a study suggesting the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus?page=1">coronavirus</a> was circulating outside China by October 2019 have been re-tested at the World Health Organization's (WHO) request, two scientists who led the Italian research said.

There is growing international pressure to learn more about the origins of the pandemic that has killed more than three million people worldwide and US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> last week ordered his aides to find answers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-sees-probable-link-between-pfizer-vaccine-and-myocarditis-cases-388872" hreflang="en">Israel sees probable link between Pfizer vaccine and myocarditis cases</a>

The WHO said on Friday experts were preparing a proposal on the next studies to be carried out into the origins of the virus, but that there was no set timeline.

The UN body reacted to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/president-biden-orders-us-intelligence-to-redouble-efforts-to-collect-information-on-covid-19-origin-387626">Biden's announcement that intelligence agencies were pursuing rival theories</a>, including the possibility of a laboratory accident in China, by saying the search was being "poisoned by politics".&nbsp;

COVID-19 was first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, while Italy's first patient was detected on February 21 last year in a small town near Milan.

However, a study published last year suggested antibodies to either the virus or a variant were detected in Italy in 2019.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-covid-19-origins-was-the-virus-manipulated-in-a-lab-388674">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-covid-19-origins-was-the-virus-manipulated-in-a-lab-388674/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

That prompted Chinese state media to suggest the virus might not have originated in China, although the Italian researchers stressed the findings raised questions about when the virus first emerged rather than where.

"The WHO asked us if we could share the biological material and if we could re-run the tests in an independent laboratory. We accepted," Giovanni Apolone, scientific director of one of the lead institutions, the Milan Cancer Institute (INT), said.

The WHO's request has not previously been reported.

"WHO is in contact with the researchers that had published the original paper. A collaboration with partner laboratories has been set up for further testing," a WHO spokesman said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fresh-covid-19-outbreak-rattles-china-cluster-grows-in-guangzhou-388878">Fresh COVID-19 outbreak rattles China, cluster grows in Guangzhou</a>

The spokesman said the WHO was aware that the researchers are planning to publish a follow-up report "in the near future".

He said the UN agency has contacted all researchers who have published or provided information on samples collected in 2019 that were reported to have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, but does not yet have the final interpretation of the results.

The Italian researchers' findings, published by the INT's scientific magazine Tumori Journal, showed neutralising antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in blood taken from healthy volunteers in Italy in October 2019 during a lung cancer screening trial.

Most of the volunteers were from Lombardy, the northern region around Milan, which was the first and hardest hit by the virus in Italy.

"None of the studies published so far have ever questioned the geographical origin," Apolone told Reuters.

"The growing doubt is that the virus, probably less powerful compared to later months, was circulating in China long before the reported cases," Apolone added.

Dutch test

The WHO chose the laboratory of the Erasmus University in Rotterdam for the re-test, Emanuele Montomoli, co-author of the original study and professor of Public Health at the Molecular Medicine Department in the University of Siena, said.

The Erasmus University did not reply to requests for comment.

Italian researchers sent the team in Rotterdam 30 biological samples from October-December 2019 that they had found positive, 30 samples from the same period they had tested negative and 30 samples from as far back as 2018, negative.

"We sent them blind, that means our colleagues did not know which samples were positive and which negative," Apolone said.

"They rechecked our samples with commercial tests, which are much less sensitive than the ones we devised and validated," Montomoli said.

Despite the differences in the two detection methods, both Italian scientists said they were satisfied with the results, delivered to them in late February, adding that they could not comment further until the team of Italian and Dutch scientists have published their findings.

"We did not say in our study that we could establish without a doubt that the coronavirus, later sequenced in Wuhan, was already circulating in Italy in October," Montomoli said.

"We only found the response to the virus, namely the antibodies. So we can say that this coronavirus or a very similar one, perhaps a less transmissible variant, was circulating here in October," he added.

Samples from a study suggesting the coronavirus was circulating outside China by October 2019 have been re-tested at the World Health Organization's (WHO) request, two scientists who led the Italian research said.

Samples from a study suggesting the coronavirus was circulating outside China by October 2019 have been re-tested at the World Health Organization's (WHO) request, two scientists who led the Italian research said. There is growing international pressure to learn more about the origins of the pandemic that has killed more than three million people worldwide and US President Joe Biden last week ordered his aides to find answers. Also read | Israel sees probable link between Pfizer vaccine and myocarditis cases The WHO said on Friday experts were preparing a proposal on the next studies to be carried out into the origins of the virus, but that there was no set timeline. The UN body reacted to Biden's announcement that intelligence agencies were pursuing rival theories, including the possibility of a laboratory accident in China, by saying the search was being "poisoned by politics". COVID-19 was first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, while Italy's first patient was detected on February 21 last year in a small town near Milan. However, a study published last year suggested antibodies to either the virus or a variant were detected in Italy in 2019. WATCH | That prompted Chinese state media to suggest the virus might not have originated in China, although the Italian researchers stressed the findings raised questions about when the virus first emerged rather than where. "The WHO asked us if we could share the biological material and if we could re-run the tests in an independent laboratory. We accepted," Giovanni Apolone, scientific director of one of the lead institutions, the Milan Cancer Institute (INT), said. The WHO's request has not previously been reported. "WHO is in contact with the researchers that had published the original paper. A collaboration with partner laboratories has been set up for further testing," a WHO spokesman said. Also read | Fresh COVID-19 outbreak rattles China, cluster grows in Guangzhou The spokesman said the WHO was aware that the researchers are planning to publish a follow-up report "in the near future". He said the UN agency has contacted all researchers who have published or provided information on samples collected in 2019 that were reported to have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, but does not yet have the final interpretation of the results. The Italian researchers' findings, published by the INT's scientific magazine Tumori Journal, showed neutralising antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in blood taken from healthy volunteers in Italy in October 2019 during a lung cancer screening trial. Most of the volunteers were from Lombardy, the northern region around Milan, which was the first and hardest hit by the virus in Italy. "None of the studies published so far have ever questioned the geographical origin," Apolone told Reuters. "The growing doubt is that the virus, probably less powerful compared to later months, was circulating in China long before the reported cases," Apolone added. Dutch test The WHO chose the laboratory of the Erasmus University in Rotterdam for the re-test, Emanuele Montomoli, co-author of the original study and professor of Public Health at the Molecular Medicine Department in the University of Siena, said. The Erasmus University did not reply to requests for comment. Italian researchers sent the team in Rotterdam 30 biological samples from October-December 2019 that they had found positive, 30 samples from the same period they had tested negative and 30 samples from as far back as 2018, negative. "We sent them blind, that means our colleagues did not know which samples were positive and which negative," Apolone said. "They rechecked our samples with commercial tests, which are much less sensitive than the ones we devised and validated," Montomoli said. Despite the differences in the two detection methods, both Italian scientists said they were satisfied with the results, delivered to them in late February, adding that they could not comment further until the team of Italian and Dutch scientists have published their findings. "We did not say in our study that we could establish without a doubt that the coronavirus, later sequenced in Wuhan, was already circulating in Italy in October," Montomoli said. "We only found the response to the virus, namely the antibodies. So we can say that this coronavirus or a very similar one, perhaps a less transmissible variant, was circulating here in October," he added.

WHO asks for re-checks of research on when coronavirus first surfaced in Italy

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a new nomenclature for COVID-19 variants. The new system is based on the letters of the Greek alphabet to avoid stigmatising nations where they were first detected.

Letters of Greek alphabet to be used to name COVID-19 variants

The World Health Organisation will start COVID-19 vaccinations next week in north Yemen where the Houthi authorities in control have played down the impact of the pandemic, largely denying any outbreak there. 
 
Inoculations in parts of the Arabian Peninsula country run by Yemen`s Saudi-backed government began seven weeks ago, giving a boost to a healthcare system shattered by war, economic collapse and, recently, a shortfall in humanitarian aid funding. 
 
Houthi authorities, who control the capital Sanaa and most major urban areas in Yemen`s six-year conflict, have provided no coronavirus infection or fatality figures since a couple of cases in May 2020. But numbers of confirmed cases in the rest of Yemen started to rise rapidly in mid-February. 
 
The WHO`s representative in Yemen, Adham Abdel-Moneim, said 10,000 vaccine doses arrived at Sanaa airport on Monday and were put into cold storage. 
 
Only healthcare workers would be given the shots at this stage, beginning next week, at the health ministry in Sanaa "under the control and management of the WHO", he told Reuters on Tuesday. 
 
Yemen`s COVID-19 vaccination campaign began in government-held areas on April 20, using a first shipment of 360,000 doses of AstraZeneca`s vaccine from the global COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme. 
 
A batch of 10,000 of those doses intended for Houthi-run areas had been caught up in wrangling between parties over how it would be administered, according to humanitarian aid sources and Yemeni officials. 
 
The emergency coronavirus committee of the internationally recognised government, based in south Yemen, has recorded 6,742 coronavirus infections and 1,321 deaths so far, although the true figure is widely thought to be much higher as the war has restricted COVID-19 testing and reporting. 
 
Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday Houthi authorities have suppressed information about COVID-19 and undermined international efforts to provide vaccines in areas under their control. 
 
"Since the start of the pandemic in Yemen in April 2020, Houthi officials have actively spread disinformation about the virus and vaccines," the rights group said in a report. 
 
The Iran-aligned Houthi movement ousted the Saudi-backed Yemeni government from the capital Sanaa in late 2014.

The World Health Organisation will start COVID-19 vaccinations next week in north Yemen where the Houthi authorities in control have played down the impact of the pandemic, largely denying any outbreak there.

The World Health Organisation will start COVID-19 vaccinations next week in north Yemen where the Houthi authorities in control have played down the impact of the pandemic, largely denying any outbreak there. Inoculations in parts of the Arabian Peninsula country run by Yemen`s Saudi-backed government began seven weeks ago, giving a boost to a healthcare system shattered by war, economic collapse and, recently, a shortfall in humanitarian aid funding. Houthi authorities, who control the capital Sanaa and most major urban areas in Yemen`s six-year conflict, have provided no coronavirus infection or fatality figures since a couple of cases in May 2020. But numbers of confirmed cases in the rest of Yemen started to rise rapidly in mid-February. The WHO`s representative in Yemen, Adham Abdel-Moneim, said 10,000 vaccine doses arrived at Sanaa airport on Monday and were put into cold storage. Only healthcare workers would be given the shots at this stage, beginning next week, at the health ministry in Sanaa "under the control and management of the WHO", he told Reuters on Tuesday. Yemen`s COVID-19 vaccination campaign began in government-held areas on April 20, using a first shipment of 360,000 doses of AstraZeneca`s vaccine from the global COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme. A batch of 10,000 of those doses intended for Houthi-run areas had been caught up in wrangling between parties over how it would be administered, according to humanitarian aid sources and Yemeni officials. The emergency coronavirus committee of the internationally recognised government, based in south Yemen, has recorded 6,742 coronavirus infections and 1,321 deaths so far, although the true figure is widely thought to be much higher as the war has restricted COVID-19 testing and reporting. Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday Houthi authorities have suppressed information about COVID-19 and undermined international efforts to provide vaccines in areas under their control. "Since the start of the pandemic in Yemen in April 2020, Houthi officials have actively spread disinformation about the virus and vaccines," the rights group said in a report. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement ousted the Saudi-backed Yemeni government from the capital Sanaa in late 2014.

WHO to start COVID-19 vaccination in Houthi-run north Yemen

Samples from a study suggesting the coronavirus was circulating outside China by October 2019 have been re-tested at the World Health Organization`s (WTO) request, two scientists who led the Italian research said. 
 
There is growing international pressure to learn more about the origins of the pandemic that has killed more than 3 million people worldwide and US&nbsp;President Joe Biden last week ordered his aides to find answers. 
 
The WHO reacted to Biden`s announcement that intelligence agencies were pursuing rival theories, including the possibility of a laboratory accident in China, by saying the search was being "poisoned by politics". 
 
COVID-19 was first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, while Italy`s first patient was detected on Feb. 21 last year in a small town near Milan. 
 
However, a study published last year suggested antibodies to either the virus or a variant were detected in Italy in 2019. 
 
That prompted Chinese state media to suggest the virus might not have originated in China, although the Italian researchers stressed the findings raised questions about when the virus first emerged rather than where. 
 
"The WHO asked us if we could share the biological material and if we could re-run the tests in an independent laboratory. We accepted," Giovanni Apolone, scientific director of one of the lead institutions, the Milan Cancer Institute (INT), said. 
 
The WHO`s request has not previously been reported. 
 
"WHO is in contact with the researchers that had published the original paper. A collaboration with partner laboratories has been set up for further testing," a WHO spokesman said. 
 
The spokesman said the WHO was aware that the researchers are planning to publish a follow-up report "in the near future". 
 
He said the UN agency has contacted all researchers who have published or provided information on samples collected in 2019 that were reported to have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, but does not yet have the final interpretation of the results. 
 
The Italian researchers` findings, published by the INT`s scientific magazine Tumori Journal, showed neutralising antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in blood taken from healthy volunteers in Italy in October 2019 during a lung cancer screening trial. 
 
Most of the volunteers were from Lombardy, the northern region around Milan, which was the first and hardest hit by the virus in Italy. 
 
"None of the studies published so far have ever questioned the geographical origin," Apolone told Reuters. 
 
"The growing doubt is that the virus, probably less powerful compared to later months, was circulating in China long before the reported cases," Apolone added. 
 
DUTCH TEST 
 
The WHO chose the laboratory of the Erasmus University in Rotterdam for the re-test, Emanuele Montomoli, co-author of the original study and professor of Public Health at the Molecular Medicine Department in the University of Siena, said. 
 
The Erasmus University did not reply to requests for comment. 
 
Italian researchers sent the team in Rotterdam 30 biological samples from October-December 2019 that they had found positive, 30 samples from the same period they had tested negative and 30 samples from as far back as 2018, negative. 
 
"We sent them blind, that means our colleagues did not know which samples were positive and which negative," Apolone said. 
 
"They rechecked our samples with commercial tests, which are much less sensitive than the ones we devised and validated," Montomoli said. 
 
Despite the differences in the two detection methods, both Italian scientists said they were satisfied with the results, delivered to them in late February, adding that they could not comment further until the team of Italian and Dutch scientists have published their findings. 
 
"We did not say in our study that we could establish without a doubt that the coronavirus, later sequenced in Wuhan, was already circulating in Italy in October," Montomoli said. 
 
"We only found the response to the virus, namely the antibodies. So we can say that this coronavirus or a very similar one, perhaps a less transmissible variant, was circulating here in October," he added.

Samples from a study suggesting the coronavirus was circulating outside China by October 2019 have been re-tested at the World Health Organization`s (WTO) request, two scientists who led the Italian research said.

Samples from a study suggesting the coronavirus was circulating outside China by October 2019 have been re-tested at the World Health Organization`s (WTO) request, two scientists who led the Italian research said. There is growing international pressure to learn more about the origins of the pandemic that has killed more than 3 million people worldwide and US President Joe Biden last week ordered his aides to find answers. The WHO reacted to Biden`s announcement that intelligence agencies were pursuing rival theories, including the possibility of a laboratory accident in China, by saying the search was being "poisoned by politics". COVID-19 was first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, while Italy`s first patient was detected on Feb. 21 last year in a small town near Milan. However, a study published last year suggested antibodies to either the virus or a variant were detected in Italy in 2019. That prompted Chinese state media to suggest the virus might not have originated in China, although the Italian researchers stressed the findings raised questions about when the virus first emerged rather than where. "The WHO asked us if we could share the biological material and if we could re-run the tests in an independent laboratory. We accepted," Giovanni Apolone, scientific director of one of the lead institutions, the Milan Cancer Institute (INT), said. The WHO`s request has not previously been reported. "WHO is in contact with the researchers that had published the original paper. A collaboration with partner laboratories has been set up for further testing," a WHO spokesman said. The spokesman said the WHO was aware that the researchers are planning to publish a follow-up report "in the near future". He said the UN agency has contacted all researchers who have published or provided information on samples collected in 2019 that were reported to have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, but does not yet have the final interpretation of the results. The Italian researchers` findings, published by the INT`s scientific magazine Tumori Journal, showed neutralising antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in blood taken from healthy volunteers in Italy in October 2019 during a lung cancer screening trial. Most of the volunteers were from Lombardy, the northern region around Milan, which was the first and hardest hit by the virus in Italy. "None of the studies published so far have ever questioned the geographical origin," Apolone told Reuters. "The growing doubt is that the virus, probably less powerful compared to later months, was circulating in China long before the reported cases," Apolone added. DUTCH TEST The WHO chose the laboratory of the Erasmus University in Rotterdam for the re-test, Emanuele Montomoli, co-author of the original study and professor of Public Health at the Molecular Medicine Department in the University of Siena, said. The Erasmus University did not reply to requests for comment. Italian researchers sent the team in Rotterdam 30 biological samples from October-December 2019 that they had found positive, 30 samples from the same period they had tested negative and 30 samples from as far back as 2018, negative. "We sent them blind, that means our colleagues did not know which samples were positive and which negative," Apolone said. "They rechecked our samples with commercial tests, which are much less sensitive than the ones we devised and validated," Montomoli said. Despite the differences in the two detection methods, both Italian scientists said they were satisfied with the results, delivered to them in late February, adding that they could not comment further until the team of Italian and Dutch scientists have published their findings. "We did not say in our study that we could establish without a doubt that the coronavirus, later sequenced in Wuhan, was already circulating in Italy in October," Montomoli said. "We only found the response to the virus, namely the antibodies. So we can say that this coronavirus or a very similar one, perhaps a less transmissible variant, was circulating here in October," he added.

WHO re-checks research on when coronavirus first surfaced in Italy

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 168.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.50 million, according to official figures published by the World Health Organization (WHO). 
 
As of Saturday morning, the current global caseload and death toll stood at 168,599,045. 
 
confirmed cases and 3,507,477, respectively. 
 
The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 32,869,009 and 586,890, respectively, according to the WHO. 
 
In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 27,555,457 cases. 
 
The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (16,274,695), France (5,535,701), Turkey (5,220,549), Russia (5,044,459), the UK (4,473,681), Italy (4,205,970), Germany (3,669,870), Spain (3,663,176), Argentina (3,622,135) and Colombia (3,294,101), the WHO figures showed. 
 
In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 454,429 fatalities. 
 
Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (318,895), Mexico (222,232), the UK (127,758), Italy (125,793), Russia (120,406) and France (108,354).

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 168.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.50 million, according to official figures published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 168.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.50 million, according to official figures published by the World Health Organization (WHO). As of Saturday morning, the current global caseload and death toll stood at 168,599,045. confirmed cases and 3,507,477, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 32,869,009 and 586,890, respectively, according to the WHO. In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 27,555,457 cases. The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (16,274,695), France (5,535,701), Turkey (5,220,549), Russia (5,044,459), the UK (4,473,681), Italy (4,205,970), Germany (3,669,870), Spain (3,663,176), Argentina (3,622,135) and Colombia (3,294,101), the WHO figures showed. In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 454,429 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (318,895), Mexico (222,232), the UK (127,758), Italy (125,793), Russia (120,406) and France (108,354).

Global COVID-19 caseload tops 168.5 million: WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday that efforts to uncover origins of Covid-19 pandemic were being hampered by politics. The agency insisted that scientists needed some space to work on solving the mystery.

"We would ask that we separate the science from the politics, and let us get on with finding the answers that we need in a proper, positive atmosphere," WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told reporters.

"This whole process is being poisoned by politics," he warned.&nbsp;

WHO is under pressure to launch a new, in-depth investigation on origins of the pandemic. No timeline has currently been set for the next stage in this probe.

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden this week ordered US intelligence community to investigate Covid-19 virus first emerged in China from an animal source or from a laboratory accident.

The move hints at growing impatience with waiting for a conclusive WHO investigation into how the pandemic that has killed more than 3.5 million people worldwide began.&nbsp;

During an ongoing meeting of WHO member states, European Union countries and a range of others also pressed for clarity on the next steps in the organisation's efforts to solve the mystery, seen as vital to averting future pandemics.

'No timeline'

However, WHO said on Friday that it was still waiting for recommendations from a team of WHO technical experts on how to move forward.

"The technical team will prepare a proposal for the next studies that will need to be carried out and will present that to the director-general," spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told reporters.

"He will then work with member states about the next steps," she said, acknowledging "there is no timeline".

The WHO finally managed to send a team of independent, international experts to Wuhan in January, more than a year after Covid-19 first surfaced there in late 2019, to help probe the pandemic origins.

(With inputs from agencies)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday that efforts to uncover origins of Covid-19 pandemic were being hampered by politics. The agency insisted that scientists needed some space to work on solving the mystery.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday that efforts to uncover origins of Covid-19 pandemic were being hampered by politics. The agency insisted that scientists needed some space to work on solving the mystery. "We would ask that we separate the science from the politics, and let us get on with finding the answers that we need in a proper, positive atmosphere," WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told reporters. "This whole process is being poisoned by politics," he warned. WHO is under pressure to launch a new, in-depth investigation on origins of the pandemic. No timeline has currently been set for the next stage in this probe. Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden this week ordered US intelligence community to investigate Covid-19 virus first emerged in China from an animal source or from a laboratory accident. The move hints at growing impatience with waiting for a conclusive WHO investigation into how the pandemic that has killed more than 3.5 million people worldwide began. During an ongoing meeting of WHO member states, European Union countries and a range of others also pressed for clarity on the next steps in the organisation's efforts to solve the mystery, seen as vital to averting future pandemics. 'No timeline' However, WHO said on Friday that it was still waiting for recommendations from a team of WHO technical experts on how to move forward. "The technical team will prepare a proposal for the next studies that will need to be carried out and will present that to the director-general," spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told reporters. "He will then work with member states about the next steps," she said, acknowledging "there is no timeline". The WHO finally managed to send a team of independent, international experts to Wuhan in January, more than a year after Covid-19 first surfaced there in late 2019, to help probe the pandemic origins. (With inputs from agencies)

Search for Covid origins 'being poisoned by politics': WHO

World Health Organisation's European Director Hans Kluge warned on Friday that coronavirus pandemic won't be over till at least 70 per cent of the population was vaccinated. He told this to news agency AFP in an interview. Kluge also said that his worry was increased contagiousness of the new variants of Covid.

"The pandemic will be over once we reach 70 percent minimum coverage in vaccination," he said in the interview.

The WHO's European director warned Friday that the Covid-19 pandemic won't be over until at least 70 percent of people are vaccinated, while deploring that the vaccine rollout in Europe is still "too slow".

"We know for example that the B.1617 (variant found in India) is more transmissible than the B.117 (variant found in Britain), which already was more transmissible than the previous strain," Kluge said.

According to the Belgian doctor, speed is "of essence" in pandemic.&nbsp;

"Even when WHO declared a pandemic, many countries were still waiting, we lost valuable time."

Hans Kluge has held the position of regional directors since February 2020. While he lauded calls for solidarity he underlined the need for speedy rollout of vaccines.

"Our best friend is speed, the time is working against us, the vaccination roll-out still goes too slow," Kluge said.

"We need to accelerate, we need to enlarge the number of vaccines."&nbsp;

In the 53 countries and territories that make up the WHO's European region -- including several in Central Asia -- &nbsp;26 percent of the population has received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.&nbsp;

In the European Union, 36.6 percent of the population has received at least one dose, according to a count by AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

World Health Organisation's European Director Hans Kluge warned on Friday that coronavirus pandemic won't be over till at least 70 per cent of the population was vaccinated.

World Health Organisation's European Director Hans Kluge warned on Friday that coronavirus pandemic won't be over till at least 70 per cent of the population was vaccinated. He told this to news agency AFP in an interview. Kluge also said that his worry was increased contagiousness of the new variants of Covid. "The pandemic will be over once we reach 70 percent minimum coverage in vaccination," he said in the interview. The WHO's European director warned Friday that the Covid-19 pandemic won't be over until at least 70 percent of people are vaccinated, while deploring that the vaccine rollout in Europe is still "too slow". "We know for example that the B.1617 (variant found in India) is more transmissible than the B.117 (variant found in Britain), which already was more transmissible than the previous strain," Kluge said. According to the Belgian doctor, speed is "of essence" in pandemic. "Even when WHO declared a pandemic, many countries were still waiting, we lost valuable time." Hans Kluge has held the position of regional directors since February 2020. While he lauded calls for solidarity he underlined the need for speedy rollout of vaccines. "Our best friend is speed, the time is working against us, the vaccination roll-out still goes too slow," Kluge said. "We need to accelerate, we need to enlarge the number of vaccines." In the 53 countries and territories that make up the WHO's European region -- including several in Central Asia -- 26 percent of the population has received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. In the European Union, 36.6 percent of the population has received at least one dose, according to a count by AFP. (With inputs from agencies)

Pandemic won't be over till 70 per cent of population is vaccinated: WHO

The World Health Organization called on Friday for access to patients in the Gaza strip and the possibility to be able to evacuate them for medical treatment as health workers struggle to care for the sick and wounded after 11 days of violence.

WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told a Geneva briefing that around 600 patients, including some with chronic conditions, needed to be referred outside of the Palestinian enclave since hostilities began earlier this month, but had been unable to due to crossing closures.

Dozens of health centres were damaged during Israeli bombings earlier this month, prompting the WHO to warn that facilities risked being overwhelmed.

Before a truce took hold last Friday, Israeli air strikes and artillery fire on&nbsp;Gaza&nbsp;killed 253 Palestinians, including 66 children, and wounded more than 1,900 people in 11 days of conflict, the health ministry in&nbsp;Gaza&nbsp;says.&nbsp;

Rocket and other fire from&nbsp;Gaza&nbsp;claimed 12 lives in Israel, including one child and an Arab-Israeli teenager, medics say. Some 357 people in Israel were wounded.

The Israeli bombardment of&nbsp;Gaza&nbsp;has ravaged homes and businesses as well as key power and water networks in the already impoverished enclave, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007.

Some 258 buildings, comprising 1,042 housing and commercial units, have been completely destroyed, authorities in&nbsp;Gaza&nbsp;say, while the United Nations says at least 6,000 people have been made homeless.

The UN says it has released millions of dollars for its humanitarian response and other countries such as Qatar, Egypt and the United States have pledged millions more in aid.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The World Health Organization called on Friday for access to patients in the Gaza strip and the possibility to be able to evacuate them for medical treatment as health workers struggle to care for the sick and wounded after 11 days of violence.

The World Health Organization called on Friday for access to patients in the Gaza strip and the possibility to be able to evacuate them for medical treatment as health workers struggle to care for the sick and wounded after 11 days of violence. WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told a Geneva briefing that around 600 patients, including some with chronic conditions, needed to be referred outside of the Palestinian enclave since hostilities began earlier this month, but had been unable to due to crossing closures. Dozens of health centres were damaged during Israeli bombings earlier this month, prompting the WHO to warn that facilities risked being overwhelmed. Before a truce took hold last Friday, Israeli air strikes and artillery fire on Gaza killed 253 Palestinians, including 66 children, and wounded more than 1,900 people in 11 days of conflict, the health ministry in Gaza says. Rocket and other fire from Gaza claimed 12 lives in Israel, including one child and an Arab-Israeli teenager, medics say. Some 357 people in Israel were wounded. The Israeli bombardment of Gaza has ravaged homes and businesses as well as key power and water networks in the already impoverished enclave, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007. Some 258 buildings, comprising 1,042 housing and commercial units, have been completely destroyed, authorities in Gaza say, while the United Nations says at least 6,000 people have been made homeless. The UN says it has released millions of dollars for its humanitarian response and other countries such as Qatar, Egypt and the United States have pledged millions more in aid. (With inputs from agencies)

World Health Organization calls for access to patients in Gaza strip

The Lab Leak Theory is getting bigger & serious. The US is seeking 'Phase 2' of an investigation into Wuhan Virus origins. WHO's top virologist Marion Koopmans says a 'follow-up' probe is needed. Where are things headed? Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: US seeks 'Phase 2' of investigation into COVID-origins

The B.1.617 variant&nbsp;of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>, which was first detected by India’s health experts, has now been reported in 53 territories, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday.

As per unofficial data procured by sources of the WHO, the B.1.617 variant has also been reported in seven other territories, which would take the toll to 60.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/countries-suffer-oxygen-shortage-amid-covid-19-crisis-387366" hreflang="en">Countries suffer oxygen shortage amid COVID-19 crisis</a>

This has also hinted that the variant has increased transmissibility and the level of severity, due to which it has also been classified as a variant of concern.

The variant has been identified as the reason behind the alarming increase in coronavirus cases that had brought a deadly second wave in India and other South Asian countries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/half-of-adult-americans-fully-vaccinated-against-covid-19-says-white-house-387327" hreflang="en">Half of adult Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19, says White House</a>

While the cases have now decreased in India, the danger of this variant still looms in other territories, the report claims.

"Despite a declining global trend over the past four weeks, incidence of COVID-19 cases and deaths remain high, and substantial increases have been observed in many countries throughout the world," the report read.

WHO has also advised people to not let their guards down even if there is a decline in the cases. "Virus evolution is expected, and the more SARS-CoV-2 circulates, the more opportunities it has to evolve," the report said.

"Reducing transmission through established and proven disease-control methods... are crucial aspects of the global strategy to reduce the occurrence of mutations that have negative public health implications."

The B.1.617 variant of coronavirus, which was first detected by India’s health experts, has now been reported in 53 territories, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday.

The B.1.617 variant of coronavirus, which was first detected by India’s health experts, has now been reported in 53 territories, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday. As per unofficial data procured by sources of the WHO, the B.1.617 variant has also been reported in seven other territories, which would take the toll to 60. Also read | Countries suffer oxygen shortage amid COVID-19 crisis This has also hinted that the variant has increased transmissibility and the level of severity, due to which it has also been classified as a variant of concern. The variant has been identified as the reason behind the alarming increase in coronavirus cases that had brought a deadly second wave in India and other South Asian countries. Also read | Half of adult Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19, says White House While the cases have now decreased in India, the danger of this variant still looms in other territories, the report claims. "Despite a declining global trend over the past four weeks, incidence of COVID-19 cases and deaths remain high, and substantial increases have been observed in many countries throughout the world," the report read. WHO has also advised people to not let their guards down even if there is a decline in the cases. "Virus evolution is expected, and the more SARS-CoV-2 circulates, the more opportunities it has to evolve," the report said. "Reducing transmission through established and proven disease-control methods... are crucial aspects of the global strategy to reduce the occurrence of mutations that have negative public health implications."

COVID-19: B.1.617 variant now found in at least 53 territories: WHO

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