World Coronavirus Dispatch: Facebook too slow to stop Covid misinformation

Prisoner infections rates thrice as high as others in the US, Global vaccine rollout threatened by shortage of vital components, and other pandemic-related news across the globe

Prisoner infections rates thrice as high as others in the US

At least one in three inmates in state prisons is confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus in the United States. In federal facilities, at least 39 per cent of prisoners are known to have been infected. The true count is most likely higher because of the lack of testing. The virus has also killed prisoners at higher rates than the general population, according to the New York Times data, and at least 2,700 people have died in custody, where access to quality health care is poor. In addition to inmates, more than 138,000 prison and jail correctional officers were sickened with the virus, and 261 died, the data shows. Read here

Let's look at the global statistics

Global infections: 135,371,658

Global deaths: 2,928,119

Nations with most cases: US (31,151,493), Brazil (13,445,006), India (13,358,805), France (5,001,685), Russia (4,580,633).

Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center

Decoded: What do we know so far about the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots

The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine has been deployed against Covid-19 in at least 115 countries, some of them for several months now. But it wasn’t until a few cases of a rare blood-clotting disorder — some fatal — emerged within the past month or so that many European nations began to rethink its use across all age groups. Public health experts, however, continue to emphasise that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine’s benefits far outweigh the risks. So, this piece tries to decode all the complexities sorrounding the vaccine. What is a blood clot and what causes them generally? What actions are Britain, European countries and other nations taking as a safety precaution? How common are blood clots? Read here

Facebook too slow to act against Covid conspiracy theories

Covid conspiracy theorists are seeking to profit from the millions of followers they have built up on Instagram during the pandemic by marketing health supplements, wellness courses and juicers to them. A Bureau of Investigative Journalism has identified more than 100 Covid conspiracy accounts promoting products to an audience of almost 6 million people on Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. Facebook insists that it is taking more action on health misinformation, but conspiracy channels on the platform are nevertheless growing in popularity. In the first three months of this year the 100 accounts gained almost a million followers between them. Read here

Global Covid vaccine rollout threatened by shortage of vital components

Vaccine-makers around the world face shortages of vital components including large plastic growbags according to the chief executive of Novavax. The company almost ran out of bags at one of its 20 factories earlier this year, but there had been no delays for the UK operation. The US government has also blocked exports of bags, filters and other components so it can supply more Pfizer vaccines for Americans. Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive of the Serum Institute of India, said the restrictions were likely to cause serious bottlenecks. Novavax is hoping to avoid delays and “vaccine nationalism” by operating on four continents, with 20 facilities in nine countries. Read here