Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : August 3, 2022 10:35 PM IST
Monkeypox Infection Sweeps Through USA To COVID-19 Rebounding Cases Surge
Top Health Stories of the Day | Monkeypox increasingly spreading across the United States to COVID-19 rebounding cases surge in different pockets of the world, take a quick look at what made headlines in the health sector today.
The United States is currently experiencing a heavy surge in monkeypox infection cases. In a recent report, health officials have revealed that Texas, the second most populous state in the country have confirmed more than 450 monkeypox cases. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 6,300 monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases have been reported in the United States as of Tuesday, till date. Read more about the monkeypox surge in the United States HERE.
Just at a time when the world was slowly getting back to normalcy, the sudden surge in COVID-19 rebounding cases has left experts around the world baffled. While there are several reports claiming that only those who got the COVID treatment done with Pfizer's Paxlovid are at risk of developing the symptoms back, a study led by Indian-origin scientists showed that even without the antiviral treatment both symptoms of Covid, as well as the viral load, can retake in about one in three. Read more about COVID-19 rebounding cases HERE.
In the run to prevent the spread of the monkeypox virus infection in the country, Japan Health Ministry on Wednesday approved the use of a smallpox vaccine believed to be effective against monkeypox. This comes after the country confirmed two cases of the disease in late July in men in their 30s. How to prevent the monkeypox virus from spreading? Read HERE.
Amid a sudden surge in the daily COVID-19 cases which are dominated by the Omicron sub-variant, the Australian government on Wednesday said that children as young as six months will be eligible for coronavirus vaccines from September. Speaking to the media, Health Minister Mark Butler announced that from September 5, as many as 70,000 children aged six months to under five years who are severely immunocompromised, have a disability or have complex health conditions will be able to receive their first vaccine dose. Read more about the Omicron variants HERE.
The former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) director Scott Gottlieb on Wednesday issued a fresh warning that monkeypox is slowly becoming endemic in the US and it could turn into the worst public health failure in modern times. Speaking about the issue, the former FDA Director said, "If monkeypox gains a permanent foothold in the US and becomes an endemic virus that joins our circulating repertoire of pathogens, it will be one of the worst public health failures in modern times." "Not only because of the pain and peril of the disease, but also because it was so avoidable," he added. Read more about the sudden surge in monkeypox cases HERE.
India reported the 8th positive case of the monkeypox virus infection on Tuesday. Currently, the two states which are seeing a surge in the infection numbers are - Kerala (5 cases) and Delhi (3 cases). This comes at a time when the country is already dealing with the resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 disease. Taking cognizance of the situation, the Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla Tuesday said his firm is conducting research to find a vaccine against monkeypox as cases rise in the country. Read more about the story HERE.
India has logged a total of 17,135 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours. With the current numbers, the country's total tally now stands at 4,40,67,144, while the active cases have declined to 1,37,057. According to the latest report by the Union Health Ministry, the COVID-19 death toll has climbed to 5,26,477 with 47 new fatalities. Read more about COVID-19 infection HERE.
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