Coronavirus Watch

Global Statistics

There were 259,848 new Covid-19 cases reported to the World Health Organization in the last 24 hours. The previous record was set on Friday, with 237,743 new cases of Covid-19 and deaths rose by 7 360, the biggest one-day increase since May. 10. More than 7.9 million people have recovered.

The USA still has the highest number of cases with over 3.8 million cases. The virus continues to rage through Latin America, with Brazil surpassing 2 million cases and 885 deaths. US deaths from the novel coronavirus exceeded 140,000 and the number of confirmed cases in the US has also hit 3.8 million, with 1.7 million recoveries.

South Africa now ranks fifth in the world for confirmed coronavirus cases as the African continent faces the pandemic’s first wave head-on. South Africa reported 13,285 new confirmed cases for a total of 350,879. That puts the country ahead of Peru, and accounts for roughly half the cases in Africa.

Gauteng province, home to Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria, is now Africa’s epicentre for the virus and it has one-quarter of the country’s population. South Africa has seen 4,948 reported virus deaths, but the South African Medical Research Council in its most recent report shows the country had 10,944 “excess deaths” between May 6 and July 7.

Zambia recorded 170 new cases after 6 days of no cases recorded. This is the highest number of new cases since the virus began in the province. The cases are now at 2,980 and the death toll is 120 after 11 new deaths were recorded.

58 new cases were recorded in Zimbabwe to bring the total number of cases to 1,478 and 1 new death was recorded to bring the death toll to 25. Bulawayo is now the epicenter of the pandemic as the province has 447 cumulative cases while Harare has 408. Bulawayo also has the highest deaths as 11 of the 25 were recorded in the province.

Brain fog, fatigue, breathlessness. Long-term symptoms linger for many coronavirus victims

Professional diver Emiliano Pescarolo contracted coronavirus in March and spent 17 days in hospital in the Italian port city of Genoa, before being discharged on April 10.

Now, three months later, the 42-year-old still experiences breathing difficulties. “Once back home, even after weeks I couldn’t see any progress: if I took a small walk, it was like climbing Mount Everest. I was out of breath also just for talking. I was very worried,” he said.

Pescarolo is one of dozens of former Covid patients receiving care at a rehabilitation clinic in Genoa — and says he is starting to see some progress. These will likely need to be wide-ranging, since research now indicates that coronavirus is a multi-system disease that can damage not only the lungs, but the kidneys, liver, heart, brain and nervous system, skin and gastrointestinal tract.

Dr Piero Clavario, director of the post-Covid rehab institute attended by Pescarolo in Genoa, said his team had started contacting several hundred Covid-survivors treated by hospitals in the district in May. Of those, they have now visited more than 50.BBC

Metal Prices Asia/Europe/NY markets

18/07/2020