World Coronavirus Dispatch: Myanmar health workers protest coup, stop work

UK's Covid hero dies at 100, study says Sinopharm jab works against South African strain, Europe's sluggish vaccination may prolong economic slump and other pandemic-related news across the globe

Europe's sluggish vaccination sparks concerns of prolonged economic slump

The Euro Zone's economic output fell in the fourth quarter, according to the official estimates put out by the statistics agency. Experts fear the contraction may last at least three more months into 2021 and perhaps into the early part of the next quarter, as governments double down on restrictions, thanks to the slow vaccination process. Previously, Oxford and other economists had forecast stagnation for the first quarter of 2021, on the assumption that the vaccinations would flatten the coronavirus curve and people would return to work, due to which economies would expand. All that hasn't happened, and the Euro Zone is now staring at prolonged recession. Read on...

Let's look at the global statistics

Global infections: 103,897,537

Change Over Yesterday: 428,571

Global deaths: 2,254,307

Nations with most cases: US (26,435,558), India (10,777,284), Brazil (9,283,418), United Kingdom (3,863,757), Russia (3,858,367).

Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center 

Tom Moore, inspiration for UK in Covid times, dies at 100 

Tom Moore, an 100-year-old army veteran, or Captain Tom as he was famously known in the UK, was a national icon and pop-culture phenomenon in the crisis times for Britain as he raised as much as $45 million for British hospitals through his online fundraising campaign. Donors included Prince William, who called him a “one-man fund-raising machine.” Moore walked his way into the hearts of people across Britain by strolling 82 steps at a time for fundraising, a number it took to cover the area beside his garden. He did 100 laps before turning 100 last April. Under treatment for pneumonia in last few weeks, Moore passed away on January 31, his daughter announced on Twitter. Read on...

Sinopharm vaccine effective against South African variant: Study

Two vaccines from China, including the one made by Sinopharm, induced immune response against the highly contagious South African coronavirus variant, a paper, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, authored by Sinopharm-affiliated Beijing institute suggested. Twelve serum samples each taken from recipients of two vaccines developed by a subsidiary of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) and a unit of Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products retained neutralising activity against the South African variant, their researchers said in a paper. However, the samples' activity against the South African variant was weaker when compared to the original virus. Read more....

Myanmar coup: health workers at 70 hospitals join civil disobedience campaign

In the middle of the pandemic, health workers of at least 70 hospitals stopped working and joined the civil disobedience campaign against the military coup in Myanmar. They said they would not work under the military regime, accusing the generals of placing their own priorities above those of ordinary people during the pandemic. Doctors are instead treating patients in their homes and at private clincis. Having endured the military regime for many decades in the past, the anger this time is palpable among the public and several unions have urge other government workers to strike against the generals. Read on...