Coronavirus Watch

Global statistics

More than 13,683   million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19,  586 million have died, and more than 8,031,342 have recovered. The US, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Italy have recorded the most deaths.

The United States now has 3,616,747 cases of coronavirus and 140,140 related deaths.  Top US infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci called Covid-19 a “pandemic of historic proportions.” An influential model is now projecting that 224,000 Americans will die from the virus by November 1, an increase due to skyrocketing cases around the country.

Coronavirus cases in South Africa are growing at a higher rate than any other country in the world .

As the global death toll continues to rise, SA’s Covid-19 mortality rate continues to be among the lowest in the world.
A lower testing rate and high growth rate mean SA could have a high number of cases going undetected until patients arrive at hospitals seeking care.

South Africa now has the world’s eighth-highest number of confirmed cases with 311,049 and over 4,453 deaths.

25 people tested positive for coronavirus in Zimbabwe. This brings the total number of cases to 1,089 and 20 deaths. 395 recoveries have been recorded to date.

President Mnangagwa said he is ready to put in place any needed measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 infections after the recent spike in local transmissions.

Until recently, almost all Zimbabweans found to be infected were returning citizens and residents infected outside the country with the infection discovered while they were in quarantine.

Millions have lost their jobs during the lockdown, impacting social welfare and food poverty.

A new study has revealed three million South Africans lost their jobs during the lockdown, with women accounting for two million of those.

This is a global trend, with the UN saying women would be most impacted by the pandemic and 81% of the global workforce impacted.

China’s economy is growing again. That’s good news for the rest of the world.

China’s economy is growing again after its worst three-month period in decades — a sign that could bode well for the global post-coronavirus recovery.

The world’s second-largest economy grew 3.2% in the April-to-June period compared a year ago, according to government statistics released on Thursday. That’s better than the 2.5% growth that analysts polled by Refinitiv were expecting.

It also means that China averted recession. In the first quarter, the $14 trillion economy shrank 6.8%, the worst plunge for a single quarter on record since China started publishing those figures in 1992. That was also the first time China reported an economic contraction since 1976.

Growth this quarter would confirm that the “post-virus recovery is underway in China, at least one to two quarters ahead of the rest of the world,” analysts at ANZ Research wrote in a report published before the GDP figures were announced.

The rebound had been widely expected by analysts. China — the early epicenter of the outbreak and the first in the world to impose draconian measures to quell the virus — was also the first major economy to reopen.

Novartis to provide ‘no profit’ COVID-19 drugs to developing countries.

Swiss drugmaker Novartis is to make available 15 generic drugs for treating the symptoms of coronavirus to developing countries on a not for profit basis.

The drugs range from antiobiotics to steroids and pills for diarrhoea and will be provided to 79 low and lower-middle income countries.

“We shouldn’t underestimate the stress that COVID puts particularly on fragile health systems,” Chief Operating Officer Lutz Hegermann told Reuters new agency in an interview.

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16/07/2020