The first drug, baricitinib, is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor- a class of drugs used to treat autoimmune conditions, blood and bone marrow cancers, and rheumatoid arthritis. According to the WHO Guideline Development Group, it is “strongly recommended” for patients with severe or critical disease in combination with corticosteroids. The group of international experts based their recommendation on “moderate certainty evidence” that it improves survival and reduces the need for… Read More

WHO said that this marked the shortest surge since the pandemic began on the continent, where total cases have exceeded 10.2 million. Recorded cases of infection show that the weekly number plateaued in the seven days leading up to 9 January, from the previous week. So far 30 African countries—and at least 142 globally—have detected the #Omicron variant. The Delta… Read More

Briefing reporters in Geneva, the UN health agency chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the “huge spike” is being driven by the Omicron variant, which is rapidly replacing Delta in almost all countries.  Despite the number of cases, the weekly reported deaths have “remained stable” since October last year, Tedros added, at an average of 48,000. The number of patients being hospitalized is also increasing in… Read More

The opinion is contained in an interim statement from the WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition, which was established last September.  Vaccines alone do not prevent the spread of #COVID19.Please keep:😷Wearing well-fitted masks↔️ Safe distancing🚷Avoiding crowds🖐️🏽 Cleaning your hands🪟 Opening windows Do it all to lower your risk! pic.twitter.com/dLRN9kY5sJ — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 11, 2022… Read More

Currently, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 represents a “new west to east tidal wave sweeping across the region”, said WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge. In the first week of January, Europe saw over seven million newly reported cases, more than doubling over a two-week period. “How each country now responds must be informed by its epidemiological situation,… Read More