Coronavirus Watch

Global Statistics

Worldwide coronavirus cases surpass 21, 3 million; more than 14, 1 million people have recovered, and more than 762,000 have died.

At least 171,433 people have already died from Covid-19 in the United States from over 5, 4 million cases.

Cases in India continue to soar as 65,609 cases were recorded yesterday to bring the total number of cases to 2,525,222. 990 deaths were recorded and the total fatalities are now at 49,134.The country recorded the highest new cases ahead of USA with 56,311 and Brazil with 45,899.

France has declared its capital Paris and the port city of Marseille high-risk zones for the coronavirus as the government reported more than 2,500 new infections for the third day in a row. The seven-day moving average of new infections increased to 2,041, doubling over the last two weeks.

The outbreak of the new coronavirus has reached every nation in Africa, a continent of 1.2 billion people. The confirmed coronavirus death toll on the continent stood at 25,132. There are 1,100,736 confirmed infections and 812,686 recoveries, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

South Africa which remains the hardest hit nation in Africa recorded 6,275 new positive cases to bring the total number of cases to 579,140. 461,734 cases have recovered from the disease and this translates to an 80% recovery rate.

Zimbabwe has passed the 5 thousand mark in the number of positive cases. The total case load is now 5,072 cases after 82 new cases were recorded. No new death was recorded hence the death toll remains at 128. Recoveries are now at 1,998. Harare is the worst hit province with 1947 cases and 71 deaths.

Tests and quarantines for those who recovered from Covid-19

If you have recovered from Covid-19, you may not need to quarantine or get tested again for up to three months — as long as you don’t develop symptoms again, according to recently updated guidance on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. 

Regarding who needs to quarantine, the guidance states, “People who have tested positive for COVID-19 do not need to quarantine or get tested again for up to 3 months as long as they do not develop symptoms again. People who develop symptoms again within 3 months of their first bout of COVID-19 may need to be tested again if there is no other cause identified for their symptoms.”

A CDC spokesperson confirmed to CNN on Friday that an agency webpage “was updated with that information mid-last week.”

Some context: Preliminary research has suggested previously that after people are infected with the novel coronavirus, their risk of reinfection may be lower in the first three months after their initial infection  — but that natural immunity to the virus could start to decline within months as their antibodies may wane over time.  Antibodies are the proteins the body makes to fight infection. CNN

The pandemic has had a “broad impact” on mental health issues

A new survey by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that almost 41% of respondents are struggling with mental health issues stemming from the coronavirus pandemic – both related to the pandemic itself and the measures put in place to contain it, including physical distancing and stay-at-home orders. The findings were reported Thursday in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the CDC.

In an online survey of more than 5,400 adults living in the US conducted during the last week of June, 40.9% of respondents reported at least one mental or behavioral health condition:

    31% said they’d experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression

    26% said they’d experienced trauma or stressor-related disorder symptoms

    13% said they’d started or increased substance use

    11% said they’d seriously considered suicide in the last 30 days

But the mental health issues were not shouldered equally by everyone.

These findings align with previous studies, which found symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders increased considerably in the US between April and June of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. The study authors concluded: “Periodic assessment of mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation should evaluate the prevalence of psychological distress over time. Addressing mental health disparities and preparing support systems to mitigate mental health consequences as the pandemic evolves will continue to be needed urgently.” CNN

Metal Prices Asia/Europe/NY market

15/08/2020

 (Source: Kitco)