Top 10 world news: WHO COVID warning, J&K lockdown and more
Top 10 World news
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned European nations that relaxing Covid measures can create a "perfect storm" similar to the pandemic situation in India. Meanwhile according to a study by US's CDC, vaccinated adults are 94 per cent less likely to be hospitalised with COVID-19.
Read this and more in our Top 10 World News.
"When personal protective measures are being relaxed, when there are mass gatherings, when there are more contagious variants and the vaccination coverage is still low this can create a perfect storm in any country," Hans Kluge, head of WHO Europe told reporters on Thursday.
The new study, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), showed that the risk of hospitalisation dropped significantly two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
Jammu and Kashmir has been reporting more than 3,000 cases per day in the last week. The death toll has also gone up to 20 per day, which is the highest this year.
Chinese spokesperson slammed the US for "violating the market principle of fair competition" and "politicising" economy, trade and other issues, in a reference to the trade war.
"Immunity is not guaranteed by past infection, and vaccinations that provide additional protection are still needed for those who have had COVID-19."
According to the study, the connection between air pollution and the risk of mental illness is "modest" but real. "Individual, family and neighbourhood influences on mental health", such as poverty and/or a family history of mental disorder don't seem to affect this association.
Acknowledging that India is one of the biggest producers of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the senators urged the pharma companies to share technology "such as vaccine recipes and manufacturing information, with partner companies to expedite production".
The vaccine is undergoing clinical trials. It uses a 'tried-and-true' vaccine technology that involves inactivated version of the virus. The company announced last week that it had launched a Phase 3 trial of its candidate vaccine.
Ramaphosa said that the African National Congress did not probe corruption accusations against the brothers as the party did not hold the capacity to do the same.
Women, globally, have lost more than 64 million jobs this year and have suffered at least $800 billion in lost income last year — which is equivalent to a combined GDP of 98 countries.