As of 7 am, July 20, 2020:

World count: 14,394,056 cases, 8,084,942 recoveries, 603,697 deaths

There are now 14,394,056 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 worldwide. The United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases, with 3,834,208 infections, followed by Brazil (2,098,389) and India (1,077,618).

There have been 603,697 deaths from the coronavirus all over the globe since the pandemic began. The US has the highest number of deaths in the world, with 142,601 fatalities from Covid-19, followed by Brazil (79,488), and the United Kingdom (45,314).

8,084,942 people worldwide have recovered from the coronavirus.

Singapore: 257 additional cases, 253 more discharged, 8 community cases

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on July 19 that there are 257 new Covid-19 cases in the country, of which eight are community cases and five are imported cases. The other 244 cases are of Work Permit holders living in dormitories. Singapore now has a total of 47,655 confirmed cases, with an additional 253 discharged from hospital. A total of 43,833 individuals have recovered.

Of the active coronavirus cases in Singapore, 181 are in hospital, and none are in critical condition. 3,618 are in community facilities. Twenty-seven people in Singapore have died of complications due to Covid-19 infection.

Research shows children ages 10-19 can transmit Covid-19 as much as adults

Researchers from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that older children may transmit the coronavirus at the same rates adults do, while children 9 years old and younger have lower transmission rates. In a study of 5,706 patients, 5.3% of household contacts tested positive for Covid-19 when the original patient was a child 9 years old for lower, while 18.6% of contacts tested positive when the original patient was from the ages of 10 to 19.

Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute said, “This is one study in many. And the general consensus that I think most of us has had is that younger kids definitely spread a lot less. Older kids, especially as you start getting into teenagers and older teenagers, start looking like adults.”

Hong Kong: Restrictions increased as Covid-19 infections surge

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam announced that since over 100 new coronavirus cases were added over the weekend, social distancing restrictions all over the city will be tightened. She announced that non-essential civil servants are required to work from home starting July 20. A separate announcement requiring the use of face masks in all enclosed public places, to add to the existing requirement of face masks in public transport, is also expected soon. Restrictions on indoor dining have also been extended.

UK Prime Minister reluctant to return to full lockdown

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the UK, has said that he is reluctant to impose a second national lockdown due to the pandemic, comparing this to a “nuclear deterrent.” He said, “I can’t abandon that tool any more than I would abandon a nuclear deterrent. But it is like a nuclear deterrent, I certainly don’t want to use it. It’s not just that we’re getting much better at spotting the disease and isolating it locally, but we understand far more which groups it affects, how it works, how it’s transmitted.”

Patric Vallance, the Chief Scientific Adviser of the UK, recently warned of a possibility of a second coronavirus wave, saying that social distancing restrictions need to continue. “All we’ve done is suppressed the first wave and when you take the brakes off you would expect it to come back,” he said on July 16. “My view on this – and I think this is a view shared by SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) – is that we’re still at a time when distancing measures are important.”

664 new coronavirus cases reported in Japan

Japan has reported an uptick in coronavirus cases, with 664 new confirmed cases on July 18. There have been no additional deaths, however. Japan now has a total of 25,354 cases, with a death toll of 998. Tokyo has been especially hard hit with an increase of cases, showing totals of over 200 for several consecutive days. On July 17 it reported a record high of 290 cases.

India sees highest daily increase of 38,902 new cases on July 19

The highest single-day increase was recorded in India on Sunday, with almost 39,000 new confirmed coronavirus infections. The country’s case total is now 1,077,618, including 26,816 deaths. Maharashtra, including financial capital Mumbai, is the hardest-hit region in India, with 300,937 confirmed cases and 11,596 deaths.

Covid-19 patients report long-term symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, breathlessness

Many individuals diagnosed with Covid-19 have reported long-term effects of the disease, including brain fog, fatigue, and breathlessness. Although many parts of Europe have most likely seen the worst of the pandemic pass, thousands of patients are still reporting lingering symptoms of the illness weeks or even months after they were first diagnosed, saying that they have yet to fully recover. Communities of “long Covid” sufferers have emerged, with patients sharing the long term effects of the coronavirus.

Covid-19 is now considered to be a multi-system disease that may affect an individual’s lungs, kidneys, liver, heart, brain and nervous system, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. —/TISG