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[1/2] People line up next to a medical worker in a protective suit, at a fever clinic of a hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China December 15, 2022. The pivot away from President Xi Jinping's signature "zero-COVID" policy followed unprecedented widespread protests against it. But, WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said COVID-19 infections were exploding in China well before the government's decision to phase out its stringent regime. There are increasing signs of chaos during China's exit from the zero-COVID policy - with long queues outside fever clinics, runs on medicines, and panic buying across the country. China Meheco Group Co Ltd (600056.SS) said on Wednesday it signed a deal to import the U.S. drugmaker's treatment.

☆ Drop in COVID alertness could create deadly new variant - WHO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Bhanvi Satija | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 2 (Reuters) - Lapses in strategies to tackle COVID-19 this year continue to create the perfect conditions for a deadly new variant to emerge, as parts of China witness a rise in infections, the head of the World Health Organization said on Friday. BAY ISMOYO/Pool via REUTERS 1 2"Gaps in testing ... and vaccination are continuing to create the perfect conditions for a new variant of concern to emerge that could cause significant mortality," Tedros said. COVID-19 infections are at record highs in China and have started to rise in parts of Britain after months of decline. Further easing of COVID-19 testing requirements and quarantine rules in some Chinese cities was met with a mix of relief and worry on Friday, as hundreds of millions await an expected shift in national virus policies after widespread social unrest. The WHO urged governments globally to focus on reaching those at risk, such as people over the age of 60 and those with underlying conditions, for vaccination.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence COVID-19 Omicron XBB variant has higher mortality rate, or is five times more ‘toxic,’ than Delta
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Social media users in Singapore are copy-pasting a text post which warns that the COVID-19 Omicron XBB variant, first discovered in August, is five times more “toxic” and has a higher mortality rate than the Delta variant. However, there is no evidence to support this, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Health. Likewise, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says current data does not suggest XBB is more deadly than Omicron, which itself is less lethal than Delta. There is, however, early evidence pointing at a higher reinfection risk, as compared to other circulating Omicron sublineages.”VERDICTFalse. There is no evidence the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB variant is more deadly or causes more severe COVID-19 than the Delta variant.

But this focus obscures what is happening on the ground, every day: Local and national public health workers and epidemiologists, or “disease detectives,” around the world are stopping outbreaks in their tracks and preventing epidemics. The case studies show what is possible when local, state and national communities mobilize a whole-of-society effort to prevent epidemics. When local efforts are supported by national and local government, we can stop and prevent epidemics. Another lesson is the substantial return on investment we can realize by prioritizing and funding preparedness efforts. Finally, there is a crucial role that coordination among local, state and federal agencies plays in epidemic prevention.

Dozens of measles cases have cropped up in Gambia this year, a spike over previous years. The measles campaign was rescheduled for 2021, but in July of that year polio was detected in a water sample. Over the years, the success of the measles vaccine has numbed many to these risks, health experts say. At the time, 86% of children had at least the first dose of the measles vaccine worldwide, according to WHO estimates. FUNDS REJECTEDThe U.S. CDC has identified 12 African countries as having no clear plans or secured resources for their next measles vaccination drive.

☆ In Syria, mounting cholera cases pose threat across frontlines
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

First linked to contaminated water near the Euphrates river, the outbreak has now spread across the fractured nation, with cases reported in government- and rebel-controlled regions. "How am I not supposed to catch cholera with the sewage running right next to our tent?" While most of those affected will have mild or no symptoms, cholera can kill within hours if untreated, the World Health Organization website says. The first cholera cases were detected on Sept. 5 in Deir al-Zor province, before spreading to other areas including the cities of Raqqa and Hasaka, said Jawan Mustafa, health director in the Kurdish-run administration of northeastern Syria. He said there were more than 4,350 suspected cases of cholera in northeastern Syria, and 100 confirmed cases.

☆ Fact Check-Cancerous tumours are not the body’s attempt to heal itself
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cancerous tumours are not the body’s attempt to heal itself, as has been claimed online. According to Cancer Research UK (here), cancer cells survive by sending out signals that encourage new blood vessels to grow into the tumour so it too can grow. The charity also reports that there were 9.6 million deaths from cancer worldwide in 2018 (here) and 167,142 deaths in the U.K. between 2017 and 2019 (here). Additionally, not all cancers form solid tumours, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute (here), e.g., cancers of the blood, such as leukemias. Cancerous tumours are not the body’s process of trying to heal itself.

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