The worst is yet to come? Malaysia detects new covid strain which is 10 times deadlier

News Network
August 17, 2020

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A new strain of the novel coronavirus called 'D614G', deemed ten times more infectious, has been detected in Malaysia, said Director General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah in a Facebook post on Saturday.

The mutation has been spotted in three cases from a cluster which started when a restaurant owner and permanent resident returned to the country from India. It has also been detected in another cluster case which started with returnees from the Philippines.

Abdullah said that the strain could mean that existing studies on vaccines might be incomplete or ineffective against the mutation.

"So far these two clusters are controlled due to the fast-paced public health control actions on the field. This test is an early test. There are several follow-up tests in progress for many other cases. These include index cases for both these clusters," Abdullah said.

Abdullah said that this meant people needed to be more aware and careful in the country. The mutation infects other individuals 10 times more and spreads more easily by an individual 'super spreader', he said.

He said that Malaysia's main action was to secure public health, and asked people to practice Covid-19 norms strictly, such as practicing good self-hygiene and protecting oneself in public places.

This mutation has now become the predominant variant in Europe and US. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that there there is no evidence that the strain leads to a more severe disease. According to a paper in Cell, the mutation may not have a major impact on the efficacy of vaccines which are presently being developed.

The novel coronavirus pandemic began with a breakout in the Wuhan city of China in January. Possible origination theories say it could have spread through the Wuhan's wet market, or through the endangered and widely trafficked Pangolins, among other ways. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January, and a pandemic on 11 March.

According to the John Hopkin University tracker, 21,672,429 people have till now been infected, and 775,275 people have died around the world till now. Vaccine candidates are being developed in various countries, and trials are ongoing.

Meanwhile, Russia has given approval to its home-grown vaccine, even as experts sound alarm on its efficacy. The country produced the Covid-19 vaccine's first batch on August 15, the Interfax news agency quoted the health ministry as saying, hours after the ministry reported the start of manufacturing.

Some scientists said they fear that with this fast regulatory approval Moscow may be putting national prestige before safety amid the global race to develop a vaccine against the disease.

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News Network
September 10,2024

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The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has strongly denounced an Israeli attack on displaced people sheltering in tents in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the south of Gaza Strip as “a brutal act of genocide.”

“The occupying regime’s appalling massacre against displaced people in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis is a brutal act of genocide... This vicious targeting of unarmed civilians — women, children, and the elderly — in an area previously declared safe by the occupation army is proof of the ongoing Nazi policies that the Zionist entity is pursuing in its genocidal war against Palestinians,” the Gaza-based group said in a statement on Tuesday morning.

It added that such mass killings are being deliberately carried out in complete disregard of the international law, humanitarian law, and UN resolutions calling for an end to the aggression, noting the massacres are being perpetrated with the full support of the US administration, which is complicit in Israeli brutalities against Palestinians.

It also dismissed Israeli army’s allegations concerning the presence of resistance fighters in the targeted area as "downright lies meant to justify such ugly crimes."

"The resistance front has repeatedly confirmed the absence of ... its members among civilian communities or the use of residential areas for military purposes,” the statement pointed out.

Hamas also called upon the international community, the United Nations, and all political, humanitarian and judicial institutions to break their silence, assume their responsibility and work to stop the 11-month-long holocaust.

The resistance movement stated that world bodies need to take necessary steps in order to bring Israeli war criminals before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and hold them to account for their horrendous crimes.

According to Palestinian media outlets, at least 40 people were killed and 60 others injured in the Israeli attack on people sheltering in tents in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis.

The strikes involved heavy missiles and left craters up to 9 meters (30 feet) deep in an area where people were living in at least 20 tents.

Ambulance and Civil Defense teams are facing considerable difficulty retrieving the bodies of the victims.

Initial assessments suggest the attack is “one of the most heinous massacres in the ongoing frenzied war”.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes in the area, with fires burning and Israeli reconnaissance planes flying overhead.

Israel launched its atrocious onslaught against the Gaza Strip, targeting hospitals, residences, and houses of worship, since Palestinian resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, against the usurping regime on October 7 last year.

At least 41,020 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children. Another 94,925 individuals have sustained injuries as well.

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News Network
September 12,2024

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Mysuru: More than 50 people have been arrested in connection with the riots between two groups of different faiths, at Nagamangala town, Mandya district, over the Ganesha idol procession, on Wednesday night.

High drama prevailed in front of the Nagamangala town police station on Thursday morning, with women belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities staging a protest against the arrest of their family members and demanding their release.

The two groups started arguing over the Ganesha idol procession on the Mysuru-Nagamangala road, near a 'dargah'. This soon turned violent with stone being pelted. Reports said that around 25 shops were also set on fire.

Several vehicles were damaged and torched by the mob. However, police intervened and brought the situation under control, deploying additional police forces.

Holiday has been declared to schools and colleges in Nagamangala town until further notice. Police have imposed section 144 till 12 noon of September 14.

SP Mallikarjuna Baladandi, IGP (Southern Range) Boralingaiah, DC Kumar and other officials visited the spot.

District incharge Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy visited the spot on Thursday morning and took stock of the situation. Speaking to reporters he said, the incident was unfortunate.

"The clash which started around 9 pm on Wednesday, flared up with miscreants setting fire, damaging shops and vehicles in the town. There is no need for anxiety. Additional police forces have been deployed in the town and the situation is under control now," he said.

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News Network
September 9,2024

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New Delhi: A man who recently travelled from a country experiencing mpox transmission has tested positive for the disease, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.

"The previously suspected case of mpox has been verified as a travel-related infection. Laboratory testing has confirmed the presence of mpox virus of the West African clade-2 in the patient," it said.

The ministry said that it is an isolated case, similar to the earlier 30 cases reported in India from July 2022 onwards. It is not a part of the current public health emergency reported by WHO which is regarding clade 1 of mpox, it underlined.

"The individual, a young male who recently travelled from a country experiencing ongoing mpox transmission, is currently isolated at a designated tertiary care isolation facility. The patient remains clinically stable and is without any systemic illness or comorbidities," the ministry said.

The case aligns with earlier risk assessments and continues to be managed according to established protocols, it said, adding that public health measures, including contact tracing and monitoring, are actively in place to ensure the situation is contained.

"There is no indication of any widespread risk to the public at this time," the health ministry stated.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) last month declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the second time in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa.

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