A new strain of corona was discovered upon examination of a traveler from Tanzania

"World Health": A possible increase in "Corona" injuries during Ramadan and Easter

European countries are intensifying measures in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, especially in terms of travel.

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The Regional Director of the World Health Organization in the Middle East, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, warned yesterday of a possible increase in Coronavirus infections in the region, during the holy month of Ramadan and Easter, while a new strain of Corona was discovered upon examination of a traveler from Tanzania.

In detail, Al-Mandhari warned of a possible increase in Corona infections during Ramadan and Easter, noting that 14 countries in the region reported an increase in their daily toll from Corona virus infections, and related deaths, such as Jordan and Iran.

"The situation is not improving, and the direction in which many countries are moving is worrisome," he said in an internet conference.

The blessed month of Ramadan begins around mid-April, while some Christians celebrate Easter at the weekend, while others, such as Egypt's Copts, will celebrate it in May.

Al-Mandhari added that with the approach of Ramadan and Easter, there is a risk of increases in injuries, as was the case last year during the holidays.

"We realize that these are important occasions that deserve to be celebrated," he said, noting that people must protect themselves.

Some countries in the region, including Egypt, have said that they will ban the tables of Rahman that are usually held during the month of Ramadan to break the fast.

This comes at a time when the African disease authorities discovered a new strain of "Corona" when examining a traveler heading from Tanzania to Angola.

The African Centers for Disease Control said the strain contained about 40 mutations.

"This is definitely a different kind of anxiety," John Nkengasung, head of the African Centers for Disease Control, said at a press conference yesterday.

It is possible that tracing the new strain will be impossible, as Tanzania does not disclose any data on the Coronavirus situation.

The late President of Tanzania, John Magufuli, who died recently, has resisted anti-Coronavirus moves during his time in power.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization criticized yesterday the "unacceptable" slowness of the vaccination campaign against "Covid-19" in Europe, which is facing an epidemic situation that is "the most worrying" for months.

"Currently, the regional situation is the most worrying that we have witnessed in several months," said a statement by the World Health Organization's director in Europe, Hans Kluge.

In the European region, which includes about 50 countries in the World Health Organization, including Russia and several Central Asian countries, the number of deaths exceeded 24,000 last week, and "rapidly" approached the one million threshold, according to the organization.

Kluge considered that "the slow pace of vaccination prolongs the epidemic," stressing that "vaccines are the best way out of the pandemic."

"But giving these vaccines is unacceptably slow," he added, calling on Europe to "speed up the process by enhancing production, reducing obstacles to giving vaccines, and by using every dose we have in stock."

In France, where the epidemiological situation has been deteriorating for weeks, which led to the number of injured people who entered recovery departments exceeding 5,000 people, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the closure of schools for several weeks, and the expansion of the measures imposed to contain the epidemic to include all French regions.

Faced with the third wave, other European countries are intensifying measures, in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, especially in terms of travel.

Germany will strengthen "in the next eight to 14 days" checks on its land borders, especially with France, Denmark and Poland.

As for Italy, it decided to extend the measures in place until April 30.

In Austria, Vienna and its surroundings will be in stone on the occasion of Easter.

In Canada, Ontario, the largest Canadian province in terms of population and the economic capital of the country, is preparing to impose a new lockdown for 28 days, due to the acceleration of injuries, while Quebec announced the tightening of restrictions, and the closure of non-essential businesses and schools.

In the United States, where the situation is improving slightly, thanks to the acceleration of the vaccination campaign, President Joe Biden called for adherence to preventive measures, and the wearing of masks, and he called on sports clubs to limit the number of fans in their facilities.

Biden said, in an interview with the "ESPN" sports station, "Look at what is happening in the countries of Europe that have lifted the restrictions.

I do not understand why we do not respect science in order to completely defeat the pandemic. ”

The epidemiological situation is deteriorating in Brazil, which in March recorded the highest number of deaths since the start of the pandemic, with more than 66,000 deaths.

Miguel Nicolelis, the coordinator of the scientific committee set up by the states of northeastern Brazil to combat the pandemic, told «AFP»: «We have never witnessed in the history of Brazil a single event that claimed so many deaths within 30 days.

He added, "It is very possible that Brazil will reach half a million deaths by July," stressing that this "poses not only a threat to Brazil, but to the whole world", at a time when Latin American countries neighboring Brazil are also facing a significant increase in injuries.

The pandemic resulted in more than 2.8 million deaths, according to an AFP census, the day before yesterday.

In Germany, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, 65, received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the Coronavirus, according to Germany's recent decision to approve this product for those over the age of 60.

In Hong Kong, Hong Kong has resumed the vaccination campaign with the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine, after it received guarantees from the manufacturer, that the problem of packing doses does not affect its effectiveness.

A review of international data, published the day before yesterday, revealed the high rates of stillbirths and maternal deaths by about a third during the "Covid-19" pandemic, amid deteriorating pregnancy outcomes in general for both children and mothers around the world, due to closures and disruption of maternity services. And fear of going to health care facilities.

- Some countries in the region, including Egypt, have said that they will prohibit the tables of Rahman that are usually held during the month of Ramadan to break the fast.

Russia: Vaccine recipients may need to be re-vaccinated in the future

The Russian Minister of Health, Mikhail Murashko, stated that people who have been vaccinated against the Corona virus will need to be re-vaccinated in the future.

Yesterday, the Russian news agency TASS quoted the minister as saying in a television interview: “We expect that there will likely be a need for re-vaccination.

Everything will depend on the rates of herd immunity inside and outside the country.

Murashko said that he had received the "Sputnik-V" vaccine against the Coronavirus, and that he had good immunity.

He said, "I got the vaccine produced by the Gamalia Institute, because I visit medical institutions because of my work, including those in areas with high infection rates, and this means that I, like all health workers, must have this preventive defense."

Since the beginning of the year, Russia has recorded a gradual decline in the pace of the Corona outbreak, against the backdrop of the continuation of the large-scale vaccination campaign that began last December.

Moscow - D.P.A.

Pfizer vaccine is 91% effective in new trials

Yesterday, Pfizer and Biontech said that their vaccine against "Covid-19" is 91% effective in preventing the disease, according to data from new trials that included participants who were vaccinated up to six months ago.

The vaccine was 100% effective in preventing disease among the participants in the trial in South Africa, where a mutated strain of the Corona virus, known as "B1351", is spreading, despite the fact that the number of participants in it was relatively small, reaching 800.

While the new efficacy rate of 91.3% is less than the 95% reported during a trial of 44,000 in November, a number of mutated strains of the Coronavirus have spread around the world since then.

Berlin - Reuters

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