World Coronavirus Dispatch: Brazil's Gamma variant causing deaths

Young children dying in Brazil as Gamma variant surges

In Brazil, where the Gamma variant of Covid-19 is dominant, the spread of the infection is leading to an unusually high number of deaths among pregnant women and children. The Brazilian health ministry has said 1,122 children under the age of 10 have died since the start of the pandemic, but one research group claims the number is closer to 3,000. This week, Brazil’s Covid death toll breached the 500,000 mark, making it only the second country after the US to log half a million Covid deaths. Read more

In Pakistan, Saying ‘No’ to Covid-19 Vaccine Carries Consequences

In Pakistan, state authorities have adopted punitive measures to increase the country’s Covid-19 vaccination count. Those not willing to get the vaccine jab are threatened with punishments such as cutting off their phone connections or withholding their salaries. The punitive measures adopted in Pakistan can be contrasted with other countries, where people are being incentivised with prizes on offer if they get the jab. Read more

Woman with HIV carries Covid-19 infection for 216 days, develops 32 virus mutations inside her body

Research suggests that the Covid-19 coronavirus could mutate when it infects an HIV-positive person. Researchers in South Africa have found potentially dangerous coronavirus mutations in a 36-year-old woman with advanced HIV. The woman carried the Covid-19 virus for 216 days and during this period, the virus gathered more than 30 mutations. Read more

British PM Warns Of "Rough Winter" As Covid Cases Remain High

As Britain waits for July 19, when lockdown restrictions will be lifted, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of a “rough winter” ahead, because of the unpredictable nature of the virus. "You can never exclude that there will be some new disease, some new horror that we simply haven't budgeted for or accounted for," said Johnson, when asked about further lockdowns in the future. Read more