COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Sunday 22nd of August:
- World: 211,721,161 confirmed cases and 4,429,457 confirmed deaths.
- World: Research on 1000 patents who were placed in the "awake prone position" where they were laid on their stomach and oxygen was administered via the nose indicates when this laying position was used it lead to less severe illness, fewer going on to need mechanical intubation intervention and fewer deaths.
- Australia: Sees record high new infections, prime minister indicates Lockdown measures will not be relaxed until at least 70% of the population has been immunised. “You can’t live with lockdowns forever and at some point, you need to make that gear change and that is done at 70%,”
- New Zealand: Delta outbreak climbs to 72 active cases, causing some to call the countries strategy in to doubt in the face of this potent new variant.
- UK: Scientists study halving the dose used in boosters to allow vaccine doses to be spared for the rest of the world.
- UK: To roll out antibody tests to up to 8,000 citizens. Anyone who wishes will be sent a PCR test and any of those who test positive up to 8,000 people will be sent an antibody test: "The rollout of this antibody testing study will help us achieve this and could play an important role in the battle to keep the virus under control."
- Israel: Launches antibody testing for the under 12's.
- Sri Lanka: Launches Vaccination Week to target hesitancy: “These people have forgone the vaccine owing to their personal reasons and several misconceptions. This is the very reason as to why the number deaths has gone considerably high. The majority of victims are of unvaccinated people above 60, hence, the coming week will be dedicated mainly to vaccinate the 60 plus age group in the country.”
- South Korea: Confirmed more Moderna vaccines to speed up the immunisation programme: “In response to our request to speed up and expand the vaccine supply, Moderna informed us that it will supply 7.01m doses by the first week of September,”
- Iran: Sees record high new daily deaths.