The World Health Organization is now closely tracking a subvariant of the delta variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 to evaluate whether it is more infectious.
“Epidemiological and laboratory studies are ongoing to assess if AY.4.2 confers any
additional phenotypic impacts (e.g. a change in transmissibility or a decrease in the ability of antibodies to block the virus),” said the update.
The AY.4.2 subvariant has been detected in 42 countries, with 93% reported from the U.K., where it accounted for about 6% of all delta cases recorded in the week starting Oct. 3. The WHO is currently tracking about 20 variations of the delta variant.
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Overall, new cases of COVID rose by 4% in the week through Oct. 24 to just over 2.9 million, said the WHO. Europe accounted for 57% of new cases and was the only region showing such an increase. Russia remains the European country with the highest death toll and set yet another one-day mortality record on Thursday, when 1,159 people died. The country has now been shut down for a week to try to contain the spread, which is mostly due to a very low vaccination rate, an issue facing neighboring countries as well as much of Central and Eastern Europe.
Read: U.S. moves closer to vaccinating young children, and WHO warns pandemic is ‘far from finished’
The WHO again warned of the danger of failing to get vaccine supply to Africa, where only five countries are expected to meet the goal of inoculating 40% of their populations by year-end. The problem is expected to be exacerbated by a shortage of syringes.
“The looming threat of a vaccine commodities crisis hangs over the continent. Early next year COVID-19 vaccines will start pouring into Africa, but a scarcity of syringes could paralyze progress. Drastic measures must be taken to boost syringe production, fast. Countless African lives depend on it,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, in a statement.
See: Kids under 12 could soon get COVID-19 vaccinations — 5 key questions parents should ask
There was promising medical news from a study that found a cheap generic antidepressant reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk adults with COVID-19, as the Associated Press reported.
Researchers tested the pill used for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder because it was known to reduce inflammation and looked promising in smaller studies.
“If WHO recommends this, you will see it widely taken up,” said study co-author Dr. Edward Mills of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, adding that many poor nations have the drug readily available. “We hope it will lead to a lot of lives saved.”
The pill, called fluvoxamine, would cost $4 for a course of COVID-19 treatment….
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