12.39am EST00:39
Patients who survive severe Covid are more than twice as likely to die over the following year than those who remain uninfected or experience milder virus symptoms, a new study has revealed.
The research, published in Frontiers in Medicine, suggests that serious coronavirus infections may significantly damage long-term health, showing the importance of vaccination.
The increased risk of dying was greater for patients under 65, and only 20% of the severe Covid-19 patients who died did so because of typical Covid complications, such as respiratory failure.
“We conducted a previous study that showed that patients with severe Covid-19 who recovered were at significantly greater risk of being hospitalised in the subsequent six months,” said ProfArch Mainous of the University of Florida, the lead author of the study. “This new study extended that to investigate mortality risk over the next 12 months.”
Read the full story here.
12.06am EST00:06
Singapore is close to vaccinating all eligible people against Covid-19, ministry of health data shows.
The city-state’s vaccination rate has risen to 96% of the eligible population with 86% of the total population having received two jabs and 87% of the total population having received at least one jab.
Authorities are now racing to administer booster shots amid concerns over the Omicron variant.
Singapore has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.
Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters
Updated
at 12.41am EST
11.31pm EST23:31
The Philippines is mulling over whether commercial establishments and employers should be required to wear face shields on top of currently mandated face masks.
Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, made the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte said he recognised face shields would provide an additional layer of protection against Covid-19.
“Right now, the question is will there be any changes? I don’t know. Let’s wait. (There’s) Omicron, we will have to see where it goes. We will have to monitor developments. But right now, (the) status quo is voluntary,” acting presidential spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nogralessaid, in an interview.
The mandatory face shield policy remains in areas under alert level 5 and in areas that are closed, crowded, and where close contact (3Cs) is likely to occur, such as hospitals and other medical facilities, the Philippine News Agency reports.
“Based on our latest IATF resolutions, employers and establishments may require face shields for the protection of customers, or their clientele, or their employees,” acting presidential spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nogralessaid, in an interview.
Updated
at 11.35pm EST
10.58pm EST22:58
A northern Chinese city bordering Russia has halted rail imports including coal and timber on Wednesday over fears of a fresh cluster of Covid-19 infections.
Health authorities reported 91 new cases in or close to Manzhouli – a city of 231,000 in Inner Mongolia that handles more than 65% of China-Russia trade – after seeing dozens in recent days, forcing leaders to impose localised lockdowns and travel restrictions.
All of the 91 local symptomatic cases were reported in the region and marks the highest daily count since 2 November, data from the National Health Commission showed. It is also a significant jump from 21 cases a day earlier.
The aim is to “strengthen prevention and control” of the outbreak at ports and “effectively block the spread of overseas epidemics through imported goods”, the notice added.
Updated
at 11.04pm EST
10.27pm EST22:27
The emergence of the Omicron variant means that the Covid-19 pandemic remains the “chief source of uncertainty to the global economy and a driver of financial market volatility”, according to the ratings agency Moody’s.
Hopes that businesses might be able to return to normal operation in the coming months could be dashed by Omicron and the subsequent restrictions on travel and other freedoms already imposed by many countries around the world, the analysts said.
It could therefore increase pressure on supply chains and worsen existing shortages of labour and materials that have helped push inflation up across the world, most recently seen with Tuesday’s 4.9% inflation figure in the eurozone.
The emergence of the new variant also comes during a period of fragile economic recovery, with stretched supply chains, elevated inflation and labor market shortages,” Moody’s said.
“Business disruption resulting from the spread of the new variant could prevent supply chain stresses from easing, dampening productive capacity and stoking further cost pressures in sectors with exposure to global supply chains. On the demand side, fear of infection could prevent a large proportion of individuals from engaging in economic activity that requires close contact. Thus, demand could diminish for services ranging from hospitality to travel, at a time when holiday-related spending would usually ramp up.”
