Coronavirus Watch

Global Statistics

More than 13.9 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while more than 7.7 million have recovered and more than 590,000 have died.

The US reported 73,388new infections in the past 24 hours, setting yet another record for single-day rise in coronavirus cases. In that period, the death toll also climbed by 963 people, taking the total number of deaths in the country since the pandemic began to 141,118, and the total number of cases to 3,695,025.

Brazil topped two million coronavirus cases, according to official data that put the number of deaths at more than 76,000. Figures published by the health ministry showed there were more than 43,000 new cases over the last 24 hours, and an extra 1,299 deaths.  Brazil is the second worst affected country in the world by the coronavirus after the United States.

Over the last two months, Brazil has recorded more than 30,000 new cases in 24 hours 26 times, and on 11 of those occasions there were more than 40,000 infections. The average number of daily deaths has been over 1,000 for almost a month. In recent weeks, there have been nearly 40,000 confirmed new cases a day, according to government figures, and it took just 27 days for Brazil’s total caseload to rise from one million to two million cases.

India’s cases of the new coronavirus crossed the million mark, as infections spread out into the smaller towns and the countryside following the lifting of a vast lockdown. India’s total deaths stood at 25,609.

South Africa now has the sixth highest number of positive cases in the world with 324 221 as 13,172 new cases were recorded. According to the latest update, 4 669 deaths have been recorded and there have been 165 591 recoveries.

Egypt recorded the second highest cases in Africa with 928 new cases to bring the total number of cases to 85,771. There were 53 new deaths recorded yesterday and the death toll in the country now stands at 4,120.

98 new cases were recorded in Malawi to bring the total number of cases to 2,712. The country has recorded 51 deaths after 8 new deaths were recorded yesterday.

Zimbabwe its highest daily increase as 273 cases were recorded to bring the total number of cases to 1,362. Of the 273 new cases, 260 were local transmissions and 13 were imported cases. Three new deaths were recorded to bring the total death toll to 23. The three new deaths were recorded in Bulawayo.

Botswana recorded it highest number of new infections yesterday since the outbreak was first recorded in the country to bring the total number of cases to 522.

Zambia has not released any new statistics for the past 7 days.

Evidence mounts that TB vaccine might help protect against Covid-19

A tuberculosis vaccine may help reduce the risk of death from Covid-19, researchers suggest.
Developing countries have lower-than-expected Covid-19 death rates, and a TB vaccine given in countries with high rates of tuberculosis might play a significant role in reducing Covid-19 death rates, according to authors of a new study. The vaccine, which is routinely given to children in countries where TB infection is common, is called Bacille Calmette-Guérin, or BCG for short. It is not widely used in the United States.-News24

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17/07/2020