COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 15 September

• This daily round-up provides you with a selection of the latest news and updates on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, along with tips and tools to help you stay informed and protected.
• Top Stories: Urgent Call to Accelerate Vaccination in Africa; Indian study finds decrease in COVID-19 antibodies within four months of first dose; UK recommends booster vaccinations for those at risk and over 50.

1. How COVID-19 is affecting the world

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have exceeded 225.82 million worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths is more than 4.64 million. According to Our World in Data, more than 5.76 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.

The Biden government has stated that most federal employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 22nd at the latest.

The COVID-19 outbreak in China’s Fujian Province has prompted cities in other parts of the country to issue travel warnings.

A night curfew that has been imposed on more than two million people in 12 suburbs of Sydney will end on Wednesday evening, authorities said. About 80% of the adult population of New South Wales – Sydney’s home state – have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Dutch government has announced the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions and the introduction of a “Corona” passport, which provides proof of vaccination for bars, restaurants, clubs or cultural events.

UK officials have recommended giving COVID-19 boosters to all those at risk and those over 50 six months after their second dose.

Malaysia’s destinations are preparing to welcome the return of fully vaccinated travelers as part of a domestic tourism bubble.

2. Urgent call to accelerate vaccination in Africa

A group of global health leaders, including the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Gavi’s CEO, Dr. Seth Berkley, yesterday made an urgent call for vaccine justice worldwide, and particularly in Africa.

The leaders said the pandemic will not end unless there is global collaboration on vaccine delivery and access. Less than 3.5% of people in Africa are vaccinated against COVID-19.

“More than 5.7 billion doses have been given worldwide, but only 2% of those have been given in Africa,” said Dr. Tedros. “This not only harms the people of Africa, it continues to harm all of us, the more the virus circulates and changes, the longer the social and economic disruptions will last and the higher the chances that more variants will emerge that make vaccines less effective . “

COVID-19 vaccine doses given by continent.

Image: Our world in data

3. Indian study shows a decrease in COVID-19 antibodies within four months of the first dose

A study of 614 fully vaccinated health workers in India found a “significant” decrease in antibodies to COVID-19 within four months of the first vaccination.

Dwindling antibodies doesn’t necessarily mean vaccinated people will lose their ability to fight the disease, as the body’s memory cells may still be effective to provide significant protection, said the director of a state institute that conducted the study.

“After six months we should be able to tell you more precisely if and when a booster vaccination is needed,” Sanghamitra Pati of the Regional Medical Research Center in the eastern city of Bhubaneswar told Reuters on Tuesday.

The study has yet to be peer-reviewed, but is one of the first in the country to include its two main vaccines – Covishield, a licensed version of the AstraZeneca shot, and the domestically developed Covaxin.

Each of our Top 50 Last Mile Social Enterprises and Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives work in four priority areas of need: prevention and protection; COVID-19 Treatment and Relief; including access to vaccines; and livelihood security. The list was jointly curated with regional hosts NASE by Catalyst 2030 and the Aavishkaar Group. You can find their profiles at www.wef.ch/lastmiletop50india.

Top Last Mile Partnership Initiatives You Can Work With:

Written by

Joe Myers, Author, formative content

The views expressed in this article are those of the author only and are not those of the World Economic Forum.

source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/15/covid-19-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-coronavirus-pandemic-on-15-september/