Sweden: Fifth dose to people 65 and over, pregnant women
STOCKHOLM: Sweden is recommending a fifth Covid-19 vaccine dose for people with an increased risk of becoming seriously ill, including pregnant women and anyone aged 65 and over, authorities said on Tuesday, adding that the country must “be prepared for an increased spread during the upcoming autumn and winter season.”
“The vaccine is our strongest tool for preventing serious illness and death,” Swedish social Affairs minister Lena Hallengren said, adding the pandemic is not over.
Beijing ramps up Covid quarantine efforts
Beijing stepped up quarantine efforts to end its month-old Covid outbreak as fresh signs of frustration emerged in Shanghai, where some bemoaned unfair curbs with the city of 25 million preparing to lift a prolonged lockdown in just over a week.
Even as China’s drastic attempts to eradicate Covid entirely - its “zero-Covid” approach - bite into prospects for the world’s second-biggest economy, new reported infection numbers remain well below levels seen in many Western cities. The capital reported 48 new cases for Monday among its population of 22 million, with Shanghai reporting fewer than 500.
North Korea claims no new ‘fever’ deaths
North Korea said on Tuesday there were no new deaths among fever patients in the country, the first time since it flagged a Covid-19 outbreak nearly two weeks ago, adding that it was seeing a “stable” downward trend in pandemicrelated cases.
The Covid-19 wave, which North Korea first declared on May 12, has fuelled concerns over a lack of vaccines, inadequate medical infrastructure and a potential food crisis in the country of 25 million.
But the North said it was reporting “successes” in stemming the spread of the virus, and that there was no new fever death reported as of Monday evening despite adding 134,510 new patients. The total number of such cases, tallied since late April, rose to 2.95 million, while the death toll stood at 68, according to KCNA.
Air pollution linked with more severe Covid-19
Common air pollutants, such as small particulate matter and ground-level ozone, are associated with more severe outcomes after Covid-19 infection, including admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), according to a study. The research, published on Tuesday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, analysed data on 151,105 people aged 20 years and older with confirmed Sars-CoV-2 infection in 2020 in Ontario, Canada, not living in a long-term care facility.