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Coronavirus Africa

Coronavirus Africa
The latest stories on the coronavirus cases in Africa. The continent is witnessing new cases of Covid-19 in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, as well as other, smaller states. The search for a cure for coronavirus has led to chloroquine poisoning in Nigeria after US President Donald Trump encouraged people to take the antimalarial drug to ward off the disease. Although the pandemic began in Wuhan, China, Africa's coronavirus epidemic originated in Europe after people travelled between the continents.
In Beijing, Microsoft founder Bill Gates announced that his foundation and the Beijing government would each provide US$50 million to GHDDI over the next five years to bolster the institute’s drug discovery capacity. Photo: AFP
Science

Bill Gates unveils US$50 million fund for joint health research with China

In Beijing, US billionaire and philanthropist hopeful China can play a bigger role ‘addressing the current challenges, particularly those facing African countries’.

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Coronavirus pandemic

Opinion | End pandemic austerity plans that benefit only the few

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Coronavirus pandemic

New Covid-19 variants emerge, likely reinfecting Omicron survivors

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Coronavirus pandemic

WHO tracking two new Omicron coronavirus subvariants

The BA.4 and BA.5 strains have additional mutations that need to be further studied to see if they are more infectious or dangerous.

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Viral particles are released from a dying cell infected with the coronavirus. Image: Elizabeth Fischer/KHN via TNS
Coronavirus pandemic

BioNTech plans modular coronavirus vaccine factories in Africa

The German firm, which developed its Covid-19 shot with Pfizer, hopes to the move will make the jabs more widely available on the continent.

Coronavirus pandemic

South African health regulator registers Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine

Sahpra said the authorisation was ‘based on acceptable safety, quality and efficacy data’ from the July-December period.

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Coronavirus pandemic

WHO, Commonwealth make jabs access plea for vulnerable small nations

WHO, Commonwealth meet to sign agreement on ending pandemic, fighting vaccine inequality; ‘equal access to vaccines is most pressing political, economic, social and moral priority’.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). He has met Commonwealth of Nations Secretary-General Patricia Scotland in Geneva to sign an agreement focused on ending the pandemic and fighting vaccine inequity. File photo: Reuters
Coronavirus pandemic

Canada vaccine protests ‘out of control’; Russia reaches 180,000 cases daily

A smoke bomb was deployed and four men were injured in a hit-and-run incident as Canadians demonstrated against vaccine mandates and Covid-19 restrictions.

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Coronavirus pandemic

Giant Covid-19 vaccine plant launched in South Africa by US billionaire

The billion-dose factory would be the largest on the continent, which struggled to secure shots while rich nations were already inoculating their populations.

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Coronavirus pandemic

Omicron less severe even for unvaccinated, South Africa study finds

Reveals 8 per cent were hospitalised or died within 14 days of being diagnosed with Covid-19 in the Omicron-driven wave compared with 16.5 per cent over the three earlier waves

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A scientist at the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, South Africa. Photo: AP
Coronavirus pandemic

Zimbabwe says China to donate 10 million doses of Covid vaccine in 2022

Southern African nation has fully vaccinated just over a fifth of its population, mostly using doses either bought from or donated by China.

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Nearly a third of Zimbabweans have received at least a single dose of a Chinese vaccine. This year, the country will get more batches of vaccine from China. Photo: EPA-EFE
Coronavirus pandemic

South Africa says its Omicron coronavirus wave has peaked

Data shows a nearly 30 per cent drop in new cases detected in South Africa the week ending December 25, compared to figures from the previous week.

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Coronavirus pandemic

US to lift Omicron travel ban on 8 African countries

The travel restrictions will be removed from December 31.

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Turkey

Turkey to give 15 million vaccine doses to Africa amid ‘global injustice’

At key summit of continent’s leaders, Turkish leader said nation will ship vaccines, including its own Turkovac shot which is in process of getting emergency use approval.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) gives a speech at the opening session of the 3rd Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul on December 18. Photo: Turkish Presidential Press Service via AFP
Coronavirus pandemic

Why the rapid spread of ‘mild’ Omicron is cause for alarm

Hopes that the rapidly spreading variant will be less serious than its predecessor Delta may be premature.

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Even small percentages of the highly viral Omicron variant would add up to big numbers of cases overall. Photo: AP
Coronavirus pandemic

As Omicron looms, Africa battles to get vaccine shots in arms

Some countries are destroying doses donated with too little time left before expiration dates.

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Coronavirus pandemic

UK lifts Omicron travel ban for 11 African nations

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the measure is less effective in slowing the incursion of Omicron from abroad as the new variant has already taken hold in Britain.

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Coronavirus pandemic

Pfizer jab prevents 70 per cent Omicron hospitalisation in real-world study

Findings released by a South African health insurance administrator also found that two doses of the shot offered 33 per cent protection against infection.

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A woman gets vaccinated against Covid-19 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo: AP
Coronavirus pandemic

South Africa’s President Ramaphosa has Covid-19, mildly ill

President Ramaphosa started feeling unwell after a memorial service for FW de Klerk in Cape Town.

Coronavirus Canada

Nigeria plans reciprocal ban on flights from four countries over Omicron

Nation expects to put Argentina, Britain, Canada and Saudi Arabia on a ‘red list’ this week, says aviation minister Hadi Sirika, ‘just like they did to us’.

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Coronavirus pandemic

UK Omicron cases could top 60,000 a day by Christmas, scientist says

Epidemiologist John Edmunds said the new variant may be spreading faster in the country than in South Africa.

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Britain has tightened measures to fight the Omicron variant, including an expanded mask and Covid-19 pass use. Photo: EPA-EFE
Coronavirus pandemic

WHO group says booster shots ‘risk exacerbating vaccine inequities’

After reviewing data on how well vaccines are working over time, experts say priority should be distributing shots to countries that haven’t had access to primary doses.

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After reviewing the data, the advisory body said WHO-approved vaccines for the most part continue to provide robust protection against severe forms of Covid-19 for at least six months. Photo: AFP
Coronavirus pandemic

Why South Africans are keeping calm and carrying on amid Omicron

Experts in the country deny Omicron originated here. Others say that, against high levels of HIV, poverty and crime, Covid’s threat must be seen in perspective.

Coronavirus pandemic

China says Covid-19 vaccines for Africa is ‘top priority’

A week after pledging an extra 1 billion doses for the continent, Beijing has started putting the supply logistics in place.

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Coronavirus pandemic

Omicron better at dodging vaccine, South African study finds

Highly mutated variant much better at evading Cominarty mRNA vaccine than previous coronavirus strains, but boosters likely to help, findings indicate.

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A mobile Covid-19 vaccine clinic gets the message across in Manhattan, New York. Photo: Reuters
Coronavirus pandemic

A global pledge to ‘not disrupt international traffic’ in a pandemic lies broken

World Health Organization praises South Africa and Botswana for reporting the new Covid-19 variant, decries travel restrictions imposed against African nations.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

As I see it | Omicron shows nations need to work together, not slam their borders shut

There’s an urgent need to do something about inequitable access to Covid-19 vaccines, and for wealth countries to take action to improve genome surveillance in poorer nations.

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Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Explainer | Omicron: a visual guide to the new Covid-19 variant

Scientists worldwide are racing to establish if current treatments and vaccines are effective against the new Omicron Covid-19 variant as governments try to slow its spread by tightening border controls.

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