As of 9 am, June 27, 2020:
World count: 9,761,594 cases, 4,917,270 recoveries, 492,767 deaths
There are now 9,761,594 confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide. The United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases, with 2,510,156 infections, followed by Brazil (1,280,054) and Russia (620,794).
There have been 492,767 deaths from the coronavirus all over the globe since the pandemic began. The US has the highest number of deaths in the world, with 126,854 fatalities from Covid-19, followed by Brazil (56,109), and the United Kingdom (43,414).
4,917,270 people worldwide have recovered from the coronavirus.
Singapore: 219 additional cases, 221 more discharged, 6 community cases
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on June 25 that there are 219 new Covid-19 cases in the country, of which 6 are community cases. The other 213 cases are of Work Permit holders living in dormitories. Singapore now has a total of 42,995 confirmed cases, with an additional 221 discharged from hospital. A total of 36,825 individuals have recovered.
Of the active coronavirus cases in Singapore, 183 are in hospital, and 1 is in critical condition in the intensive care unit. 5,921 are in community facilities. Twenty-six people in Singapore have died of complications due to Covid-19 infection, and eleven others infected with the coronavirus have died from other causes.
Danish PM postpones wedding to attend European Council meeting on coronavirus
Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, has postponed her wedding in July due to a meeting with the European Council concerning the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting, set for July 17, is the first face-to-face event since Covid-19 began its sweep around the world. Leaders attending the meeting are expected to talk about recovery plans as well as Europe’s budget. Ms Frederiksen wrote in an Instagram post, “I’m so looking forward to marrying this man. The Council meeting in Brussels has been convened exactly on the Saturday in July when we had planned our wedding. Damn. But, I have to do my job and protect Denmark’s interests. “I’m looking forward to saying yes to Bo (who is fortunately very patient).” Denmark has had 12,836 Covid-19 cases and 603 deaths.
US: CDC tells millennials to follow coronavirus guidelines
Amid the surge of cases in the United States, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Robert Redfield, is telling the public that it is not defenseless, and is encouraging everyone, especially millennials and people under 40, to follow guidelines in order to prevent the disease from spreading, highlighting wearing masks, social distancing, and hand washing. “I also want to appeal to the millennials and those that are under 40. It’s really important that this group really commit themselves to these practices to protect those at risk. And it’s not just the elderly that are at risk. Many of us may have friends and colleagues that are younger that may not advertise their underlying co-morbidities.”
WHO plans to dispense 2 billion coronavirus vaccines by end of 2021
Officials from the World Health Organization have said their goal is to distribute around 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of next year all over the world, half of which would be to low to middle-income nations. This aim is a part of WHO’s Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator program, launched in April to end the pandemic. According to Dr Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, an effective vaccine is “the only way to prevent further spread and transmission” of the coronavirus. She added, “Obviously this virus has affected all countries and all populations and therefore a vaccine — ideally and from an ethical standpoint — should also be available across the world. “
WHO: Millions could die if a 2nd coronavirus wave occurs
The WHO also said that millions of people may die in the event of a second wave of coronavirus infections. WHO assistant director-general for strategic initiatives Dr Ranieri Guerra, said, “The comparison is with the Spanish Flu, which behaved exactly like Covid: it went down in the summer and fiercely resumed in September and October, creating 50 million deaths during the second wave. The pandemic is behaving as we hypothesized.”
India: Plasma therapy could be key to reducing Covid-19 deaths
Since plasma therapy medical trials have begun in one hospital in Delhi, the number of deaths has been reduced by half, said Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi. The therapy uses antibodies from the blood plasma of patients who have recovered from Covid-19 in order to boost the immune response of patients. Mr Kejriwal said, “We hope that through plasma therapy we can reduce deaths due to the virus.” He also said that while the therapy has prevented those with mild cases from getting sicker, it has not had much results for those who are gravely ill. Thus far, Delhi has had 73,780 confirmed cases of Covid-19 including 2,429 deaths and 44,765 recoveries.
CDC updates criteria for increased risk of grave illness from Covid-19
The US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its criteria of those who risk getting gravely ill from the coronavirus. In a statement it said, “[The] CDC now warns that among adults, risk increases steadily as you age, and it’s not just those over the age of 65 who are at increased risk for severe illness. Recent data … has shown that the older people are, the higher their risk of severe illness from Covid-19.”
The following are also underlying conditions which increase the risk of grave illness
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Obesity (BMI of 30 or higher)
- Immunocompromised state from solid organ transplant
- Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Sickle cell disease
- Type 2 diabetes
—/TISG
Read also: Why is the US experiencing a coronavirus resurgence?