With inputs from Dr Monica Vasudev

Covid-19 reaches remote Antarctica

McMurdo Station, a US research station in Antarctica has been hit by Covid-19. Ninety-eight out of 993 persons have tested positive since October; 64 cases are of active infection. However, most infections are mild in nature. Barring essential travel, all inbound travel to Antarctica has been put on hold for a fortnight…(Source: abcnews, Nov. 9, 2022).

Global Covid-19 deaths have declined by 90% 

Covid-19 related deaths have fallen by 90% since February, said the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Around 75,000 deaths had been recorded in February, whereas 9400 deaths were reported in the last week. At the same time, he urged all countries to “remain vigilant”…(Source: WebMD, Nov. 9, 2022).

Covid-19 wave in China

Over 8000 new Covid-19 cases were reported in China on Tuesday compared with 7691 new cases the previous day. The number of deaths remained the same at 5226. Of the 8335 new infections on Nov. 8, 6989 were asymptomatic, while 1346 cases had symptoms. Mass testing has been ordered in the city of Guangzhou …(Source: Medscape, Nov. 10, 2022).

Injectable anakinra granted EUA for hospitalized Covid patients with pneumonia

Injection Anakinra, the interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist, has been granted emergency use authorization (EUA) by the US FDA for Covid-19 patients with pneumonia who need oxygen supplementation (low- or high-flow) and are at risk severe respiratory failure and are likely to have an elevated plasma soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor…(Source: US FDA, Nov. 8, 2022).

Post-Covid vaccine myocarditis risk

A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that the overall incidence of myocarditis is rare post-Covid-19 vaccination. However, the risk of myocarditis was increased 2-3-times following the 2nd dose of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine than with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. There were 59 cases of myocarditis – 31 after Moderna vaccine and 21 after Pfizer vaccine. The pericarditis cases were 41 - (21 Pfizer and 20 Moderna)… (Source: ACC, Nov. 7, 2022).