Health Alerts

As countries reporting cases of COVID-19 rose above 150 and Europe became the new epicentre of the global pandemic, EU authorities this week introduced a minimum 30-day travel restriction for non-essential purposes in the EU. Exceptions are being made for ‘Family members of European nationals, essential staff, such as doctors and nurses, and people transporting goods to the EU’. The WHO Situation Report 57 published on Mar 17 has the latest global COVID-19 figures, while the ECDC interface provides more regional data.   

Elsewhere, the WHO called for ‘urgent, aggressive action’ in the SE Asian region as cases start to rise. Read more in the SEARO update and the case count by country to Mar 17. Details of cases across Africa are published in the weekly bulletin (with data to Mar 15).

The NIAID has commenced its phase 1 human trial of the mRNA-1273 vaccine after it showed ‘promise in animal models’; it should be complete by June. 

A study by the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team assesses the multiple interventions of public health measures (non-pharmaceutical interventions) necessary to ‘have a substantial impact on transmission’ and ‘to suppress transmission below the threshold of R=1 required to rapidly reduce case incidence’. And another study conducted on children with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in China in Jan/Feb found that children generally have a lower risk of severe disease than adults, however, ‘young children, particularly infants, were vulnerable to 2019-nCoV infection’. 

Other perspectives: 

COMMENTARY: Strange COVID-19 bedfellows: gnawing anxiety and under-reaction Read more

Coronavirus will also cause a loneliness epidemic Read more

Basic information for older people on COVID-19 produced by HelpAge Global Network Read more

COVID-19: IFRC, UNICEF and WHO issue guidance to protect children and support safe school operations Read more

UK aid to tackle global spread of coronavirus ‘fake news’ Read more

IN OTHER NEWS, measles outbreaks have continued into 2020 with 22 countries reporting cases – significant totals were in Romania (668), Bulgaria (160), France (87), Spain (63), Italy (52), Belgium (37), UK (31), Germany (27) and Switzerland (24) according to the ECDC. In other regions, the outbreak in the Central African Republic is into its second year and has now moved into the capital city of Bangui.  Read more.