World Coronavirus Dispatch: Risk of getting Covid from surfaces overblown

US FDA clears Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Indonesia allows companies to buy shots for staff, Ireland's anti-lockdown protesters clash with police and other pandemic-related news across the globe

US drug regulator clears Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine

The US drug regulator (FDA) approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine against coronavirus for emergency use, making it the third shot for the country as it races against time to vaccinate as many people as possible. In clinical trials across the world, J&J's vaccine showed showed 85 per cent efficacy against severe forms of Covid-19 and 100 per cent efficacy against hospitalisation and death. The company said it would provide the United States with 100 million doses by the end of June. Read here

Let's look at the global statistics

Global infections: 113,784,837

Global deaths: 2,525,409

Nations with most cases: US (28,554,445), India (11,096,731), Brazil (10,517,232), United Kingdom (4,187,166), Russia (4,182,772).

Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center

Indonesia to allow companies to buy vaccines for employees

In a first in the world, Indonesia has allowed private companies to purchase vaccines to inoculate their workers and families. This can co-exist with the government vaccination programme, according to the new rules. The government hopes it will enable the country to reach herd immunity faster and speed up reopening of the economy. The rules say that the vaccines private firms buy should be different from those available in the public programme like Sinovac. This means the private players need to buy shots from different firms like Johnson & Johnson and Moderna. Read here

Ireland's anti-lockdown protesters clash with police

Hundreds of demonstrators hit the streets in Dublin protesting against lockdown steps and clashed with the police. Over 20 were arrested during the clash. Ireland’s premier has slammed the “thuggish behaviour” and attacks on Irish police. After the arrests, authorities are speeding up prosecutions. Fixed charge notices were issued to a number of people. As Covid infections rise, Ireland is in its ninth straight week of level-5 curbs, which have been dubbed the strictest. Read here

Risk of catching Covid from surfaces overblown, say experts

When the news of a mysterious virus causing pneumonia began emerging and coronavirus started spreading across the world, authorities, people and experts were paranoid about touching surfaces. People began cleaning everything and kept at it for months. Disinfection was the buzz world. Just over a year later, experts say the risk of virus spread from surfaces isn't as big a factor as once feared. Although surface transmission is not impossible, people can be less anxious about cleaning something 20 times a day, they say. Close-contact aerosol spread is the driver in Covid-19 transmission, primarily when an infected person is in close contact with another person and transmits small liquid particles [droplets and aerosols] containing the virus, especially when they cough and sneeze. Read here