ျပည္ပအိမ္ၿခံေျမသတင္းမ်ား

  AstraZeneca has secured $486 million from the U.S. government to fund two phase 3 clinical trials of its anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody cocktail AZD7442. The larger of the two studies will assess the ability of the long-acting antibodies to prevent infection with the pandemic coronavirus for up to 12 months. Many early discussions of the role of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the COVID-19 pandemic centered on their therapeutic potential. AstraZeneca, while interested in the therapeutic use of antibodies, has consistently talked up the role the drugs can play in preventing people from catching the virus and developing COVID-19, particularly in populations that may be poorly served by...

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  The Chinese port city of Qingdao plans to test some nine million people in the coming five days, after 12 locally-transmitted coronavirus cases were reported sparking concerns of a wider outbreak. China has been largely coronavirus free since mid-August, with all cases reported by the country imported from elsewhere. But as of October 11, Qingdao has reported a dozen locally transmitted cases, all of which have been linked to a hospital treating imported infections, the city's Municipal Health Commission said in a statement Monday. Mass testing has already been carried out at the Qingdao Chest Hospital, which has been placed on lockdown, with 114,862 people, staff and patients,...

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Almost two million babies are stillborn every year - one every 16 seconds - the United Nations said Thursday (Oct 8), warning that the COVID-19 pandemic could add another 200,000 deaths to the "devastating" toll. The vast majority of stillbirths, 84 per cent, occur in low- and middle-income countries, where basic neo-natal care could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year, according to a joint report by UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the World Bank Group. Most stillbirths occur due to poor quality healthcare lacking investment in equipment and training of midwives. And unlike notable reductions in recent decades in the global rate of maternal and infant deaths,...

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“I was concerned that I might get infected. Everyone was afraid,” says 32-year-old World Health Organization (WHO) data collector Myat Mon Yee. Since March, Ms. Mon Yee, a computer studies graduate from South Dagon Township in Yangon, has been working at the South Okkalapa Hospital in the former capital. The hospital was planned as the Women’s and Children's Hospital but has been transformed into a COVID-19 treatment centre. Not surprisingly, she was initially quite concerned about working with an infectious disease about which very little was known, except that it was killing people and making others very sick: front line health workers throughout the world have been...

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  Your 30s are set to be the best decade of your life, according to a new study which found that we are happiest when we hit 36 years old. A survey of 2,027 UK adults, carried out by One4all Gift Cards, has found that the age at which we are most happy with our lives is 36. So you don’t need to worry about turning 30 any more – because things will only get better. According to the data, the average Brit has already ticked off a range of key adulthood milestones by 36 – and in fact, it shows that your late 20s and early 30s are a time to look forward to, due to the number of special occasions and achievements that are taking place in the average adult’s...

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The virus responsible for Covid-19 can remain infectious on surfaces such as banknotes, phone screens and stainless steel for 28 days, researchers say. The findings from Australia's national science agency suggest SARS-Cov-2 can survive for far longer than thought. However, the experiment was conducted in the dark. UV light has already been shown to kill the virus. Some experts have also thrown doubt on the actual threat posed by surface transmission in real life. The coronavirus is mostly transmitted when people cough, sneeze or talk. But there is also evidence that it can also be spread by particles hanging in the air. It is also possible someone could get Covid-19 by touching...

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Kim Jong-un has credited the country's socialist system with supposedly protecting North Koreans from the Covid-19 pandemic, saying not a single case of the devastating global disease has been registered in his country. The bold, if unverifiable, claim was made by Kim in a televised speech following a military parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party. Recorded footage broadcast by North Korean state media showed neither officials nor the troops wearing face masks during the event, in contrast with some previous public gatherings. Kim, who at times appeared to be very emotional, said he was grateful that nobody had contracted the disease in the...

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Thailand is seeking ways to shorten the 14-day quarantine for foreign tourists to attract more arrivals as the country opens up. The Public Health Ministry has instructed the Disease Control Department (DCD) to plan appropriate quarantine periods. Kiattiphum Wongrajit, ministry permanent secretary, said on Wednesday that the country is mulling shorter quarantine periods to encourage more foreign tourists. Thailand is desperate to relaunch its tourist industry to boost an economy shrinking fast under the impact of Covid-19. The country is currently open to certain groups of Thais and foreigners (diplomats, businesspeople, etc) but all face mandatory 14-day quarantine. The DCD has been...

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The Spanish government has declared a state of emergency in the Madrid region, making it possible to impose new anti-coronavirus lockdown restrictions, against the strong opposition of the local government. Tensions have heightened between the center-left national government and the center-right regional government over how to fight the new wave of COVID-19 outbreaks. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued a 15-day lockdown order on Oct 2. Madrid President Isabel Díaz Ayuso took the issue to court and a judge in Madrid ruled in her favor. So Sánchez followed up with the emergency declaration. The new restrictions limit freedom to travel outside Madrid and eight other...

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China has officially signed an agreement to join the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, a global COVID-19 vaccine project to ensure poorer countries have access to life-saving vaccines. China is the biggest economy to back the initiative so far. Neither the United States nor Russia has signed up. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement posted to Twitter that China’s decision was “an important step to uphold the concept of a shared community of health for all and to honour its commitment to turn COVID-19 vaccines into a global good”. The COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX) is led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the...

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