Coronavirus: update on the pandemic in the world

2022-02-04T12:54:50.474Z

New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.

Spain: end of the outdoor mask on February 8

Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias announced that she would end the obligation to wear a mask outdoors next Tuesday, a measure she had reinstated at the end of December in the face of the wave of Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant.

“All the” health “indicators are improving, “in particular the occupancy rate” in hospitals and the case incidence rate, she justified.

Official toll of more than 500,000 dead in India

India has recorded more than 500,000 deaths from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to data published by authorities on Friday, but many experts consider this toll to be highly underestimated in this country of 1.3 billion people. inhabitants.

Nordic combined at the Beijing Olympics: Positive Frenzel

Germany's Eric Frenzel, three-time Nordic combined Olympic champion, and his teammate Terence Weber tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Beijing and have been isolated, the German Olympic Committee (DOSB) announced shortly before the opening ceremony. opening of the 2022 Olympics in China on Friday, marked by the epidemic.

To be able to participate in the events, which start on February 9, they will have to present two negative PCR tests, separated by at least 24 hours, according to the health protocol established by the organizers.

The circulation of the epidemic slows down in France

The circulation of the Covid-19 epidemic is slowing in France but remains high, especially among the over 70s, health authorities warned on Friday, urging not to relax the braking measures.

There are "encouraging signs, but very, very great caution" is needed, insisted the national health agency.

The emergence of variants like BA.2 is attracting "the greatest attention".

The number of new hospitalizations is down slightly (-7%) while that of critical care admissions is stabilizing (-3%).

First messenger RNA vaccine produced in Africa

A South African biotech company has announced that it has manufactured the first messenger RNA vaccine against Covid-19 on the African continent, using Moderna sequencing, and that it will be ready for clinical trials in November.

Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines is based in Cape Town, South Africa, and is leading the pilot project, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Covax initiative.

More than 5.7 million dead

The pandemic has officially killed at least 5,710,711 people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP on Friday at 11:00 GMT.

In absolute value, the United States is the country with the most deaths (897,377), ahead of Brazil (630,001), India (500,055) and Russia (334,039).

Peru, Bulgaria and Bosnia have the most deaths reported to the population.

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

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