Ghana lifts virus lockdown on key regions

Ghana on Monday ended a three-week lockdown on two key regions as the west African nation’s leader said testing had improved and the measures were having a “severe” impact on the poor. President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the lifting of restrictions on movement around the capital Accra and second region Kumasi in a televised address. He […]

Global virus deaths pass 150,000 as Trump endorses lockdown protests

Coronavirus deaths have surged past 150,000 worldwide with nearly a quarter of them in the United States, where President Donald Trump lent his support to protesters rallying against lockdown orders. Evidence is mounting that social distancing successfully slowed the pandemic after more than half of humanity—4.5 billion people—were confined to their homes. Governments around the […]

New universal Ebola vaccine may fight all four virus species that infect humans

Infectious disease scientists report early development of a potential universal vaccine for Ebola viruses that preclinical tests show might neutralize all four species of these deadly viruses infecting people in recent outbreaks, mainly in Africa. Scientists at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center report their preclinical results in the Journal of Virology, published by the American […]

Asia cracks down on virus ‘fake news’

Hundreds of people have been arrested across Asia for posting purported false coronavirus information, according to an AFP investigation, deepening concerns that growing government efforts to combat “fake news” will target the wrong people and silence dissent. From teenagers to a TV star, people have been wrongly detained under vaguely worded cybercrime laws or broad […]

New single-day record for NY virus deaths but hospitalizations fall

Credit: CC0 Public Domain America’s coronavirus epicenter of New York recorded a new single-day high of 799 COVID-19 deaths Thursday but Governor Andrew Cuomo said the rate of hospitalizations continued to fall. Cuomo said 799 people died in the last 24 hours, outdoing the previous high of 779 announced on Wednesday, but added that the […]

Italy ponders how to exit crippling virus lockdown

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte consulted top scientists Tuesday about ways to safely end a month-long lockdown aimed at stemming a pandemic that has killed thousands and left millions unemployed. Conte’s videoconference with the government’s scientific committee came one week before Italy’s economically-crippling closure of most businesses and factories is set to expire. Few expect […]

Virus deaths slow in places, British PM’s condition worsens

The steep rise in coronavirus deaths appeared to be leveling off Monday in hard-hit New York, echoing a trend underway in Italy and Spain, while the crisis escalated alarmingly in Britain, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to intensive care after his condition deteriorated. Johnson, 55, was conscious and did not immediately need to […]

Belgium virus death toll passes 500, with 12,000 cases

Belgium’s death toll from the novel coronavirus passed the 500 mark Monday, with almost 12,000 cases detected since the start of the epidemic. Health authorities in the country of 11.4 million said 513 COVID-19 deaths had been recorded and 11,899 cases confirmed by laboratory tests. But officials said the rise in admissions to hospital and […]