Coronavirus Watch

Global Statistics

More than 25, 1 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and 17,509,305 million have recovered. Fatalities recorded are more than 842,400 people have died.

Brazil’s Ministry of Health has reported at least 904 additional coronavirus fatalities during the last 24 hours, with 34,360 new cases, bringing the death toll to 120,498, and the confirmed cases to 3,846,965. Brazil is the second-hardest-hit country by COVID-19 after the United States, both in the fatalities and infections. The country, however, reported a slowdown in the number of new cases and deaths.

India sets single-day rise in coronavirus cases with 78,476 new infections in 24 hours, setting a new daily record worldwide. With a population of more than 1.3 billion people, India ranks third with the most number of infections, behind the US and Brazil. The United States previously recorded 77,638 daily cases in one day.

Cases in Russia have surpassed 980 000 after the country reported 4,941new cases in the last 24 hours which means the country has the fourth largest caseload in the world. Russia said 111 people had died from the new coronavirus in the last 24 hours, raising the official death toll to 17,025.

Over the past four weeks, there has been an average 17% fall in the number of weekly new cases being reported although some countries in East Africa have been reporting increases in cases. Decreases may be alluded to the fact that cases in countries like South Africa, Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria are going down. Uganda and Rwanda have also experienced an increase in cases recently, while cases in Kenya and Somalia have been dropping. Other countries recording a decline in new cases include Ghana, Gabon, Madagascar and Zambia.

South Africa recorded 2,419 cases of the virus to bring the total number of cases to 622,551 and the death toll now stands at 13,981 after 238 cases were recorded. Local flights will resume soon in the country as the government downgraded the lockdown to level 2 which allows inter-provincial travel without restrictions.

Cases in Zimbabwe continue to go down with 18 new cases recorded yesterday to bring the total number of confirmed cases to 6,406. 1 new death was recorded and the death toll now stands at 196.

Namibia will lift lockdown restrictions, allowing international travel, schools to reopen and onsite alcohol consumption from September, President Hage Geingob announced, but he extended an overnight curfew as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. The southern African country of two million now has 7,116 confirmed COVID-19 cases and the disease is not yet contained — of its 69 deaths, 59 were in August alone. But as with other southern African nations, leaders are weighing the impact of the virus against the huge economic and social damage done by lockdowns.

New study offers more evidence that hydroxychloroquine doesn’t treat coronavirus

A new report has added to the growing body of evidence that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine does not help coronavirus patients get better. In fact, combining it with an antibiotic actually raises the risk of death by 27%, the study found. The meta-analysis — a study of studies — looked at 29 different pieces of research on the drug, which was once heavily promoted by the White House and which Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro still touts.

“Hydroxychloroquine alone was not associated with reduced mortality in hospitalized Covid-19 patients, but the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin significantly increased mortality,” said the study, which was published in the journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
“There is already a great number of studies that have evaluated hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination and it seems unlikely at this stage that any efficacy will ever emerge. Our results suggest that there is no need for further studies evaluating these molecules.” The research was conducted by scientists from France’s research institute INSERM.

The US Food and Drug Administration has reversed its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine for use against coronavirus, and the National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization and European researchers have stopped supporting testing. BBC

Metal Prices Asia/Europe/NY market

30/08/2020

 (Source: Kitco)