Daily death toll in US hits new record of 4,000
THE US has topped 4,000 daily deaths from the coronavirus for the first time, breaking a record set just one day earlier.
The tally from Johns Hopkins University shows the US had 4,085 deaths on Thursday. It had nearly 275,000 new coronavirus cases as well.
The numbers are another reminder of the worsening situation following travel for holidays and family gatherings, along with more time indoors during the winter months. There’s been a surge in cases and deaths in California, Arizona, Texas and Florida.
More than 365,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Britain has authorised a coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna, the third to be licensed for use in the country.
The Department of Health says the vaccine meets the regulator’s “strict standards of safety, efficacy and quality.” Britain has ordered 10 million doses of the vaccine, although they are not expected to be delivered to the UK until spring.
So far Britain has inoculated 1.5 million people with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccines. England is currently under a national lockdown, with hospitals overwhelmed by patients and medical personnel under unprecedented strain.
In Geneva World Health Organisation experts have issued recommendations saying the interval between administration of two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can be extended to up to six weeks.
WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunisation, known as Sage, formally published guidance yesterday. It says an interval of 21 to 28 days between the first and second doses is recommended.
But the UN health agency also noted “a number of countries face exceptional circumstances of vaccine supply constraints combined with a high disease burden,” and some have considered postponing the administration of second doses as a way to expand the number of people initially immunised.
WHO says this “pragmatic approach” is based on “currently available clinical trial data” and could be considered as a response to “exceptional epidemiological circumstances.”
It says countries seeking to extend the interval should make sure vaccinated patients still have access to a second dose.
WHO says no data is available yet on the interchangeability of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with other Covid -19 vaccines.