WHO against treatments using the blood of ex-patients ...

Anti-Covid treatments from blood plasma from former patients have not been proven and should be avoided against mild or severe forms, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

This treatment was one of the tracks followed since the start of the pandemic.

... and calls for better protection of children

Faced with the rebound of the pandemic in Europe, the WHO called on Tuesday to better protect children, currently the age group most affected, while keeping the compulsory vaccination of the population as an option of "absolute last resort".

To avoid further class closures and the return of distance education, the organization's European branch advises to step up testing in schools and consider vaccination of schoolchildren.

As for compulsory vaccination, decided or envisaged by certain countries, it should remain a recourse only "when all possible options to increase the vaccination rate have been exhausted".

France: verifications of the extension of teleworking

To counter the virus, the government called on Monday to extend teleworking from two to three days a week where possible, up to three days in the state civil service.

End of confinement in Austria

The re-containment introduced three weeks ago in Austria to fight the pandemic will end on Monday as planned, except for unvaccinated people, the government announced on Tuesday, amidst the weariness of the population.

Tennis: Djokovic expected in Sydney

World number one Novak Djokovic has been selected for the Serbian squad for the ATP Cup which will open the tennis season in Sydney in early January, organizers said on Tuesday, after many questions about his coming to Australia.

The winner of 20 Grand Slam tournaments had cast doubt on his participation in the Australian Open (January 17-30), refusing to say if he was vaccinated.

The ATP Cup did not impose a vaccination obligation, but any traveler entering Australia must either prove a complete vaccination schedule or spend 14 days in quarantine.

Covid-19: AFP global report

France: the reasons for the blame to Didier Raoult specified

The disciplinary chamber of the Order of Physicians of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (southwest of France) has blamed Professor Didier Raoult for having communicated "information which was not based on any confirmed data" by promoting hydroxychloroquine as treatment against Covid-19, she justified in her decision sent to AFP on Tuesday.

The Chamber had blamed the infectious disease specialist on Friday, without making public the reasons for this sanction so far.

However, she did not accept the accusations of "charlatanism" and taking "unjustified risk" for having prescribed this treatment to patients, despite its lack of proven effect.

More than 5.2 million dead

The pandemic has killed at least 5,261,473 people around the world since the end of 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources Tuesday at 11:00 GMT.

The United States is the most bereaved country with 789,745 dead, ahead of Brazil (615,744), India (473,757), Mexico (295,313) and Russia (283,644).

The WHO estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the toll of the pandemic in the world could be two to three times higher.

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© 2021 AFP