The US death toll is expected to pass the ‘grim milestone’ of 100,000 later this week, amid a noticeable rise in COVID-19 hospitalisations in some states as restrictions are relaxed. There have now been more than 1.68 million confirmed cases in the US from a global total of 5.58 million. Read more. The May 26 Johns Hopkins COVID-19 newsletter remarked on Brazil’s continuing upward trend in incidence which saw an almost 50 percent increase in cases compared with last week. And it’s not the only Latin American country with concerning rates of infection: Peru and Chile have elevated per capita incidence, higher than that reported in the US. Latin America is now the epicentre of the pandemic (CIDRAP). In the African region, South Africa, Algeria, and Nigeria report the highest number of cases, however seven others are indicating higher values in the latest WHO regional bulletin. More on the global situation in the WHO’s May 26 Sitrep.
In other COVID-19 news:
Health authorities in Wuhan, China have conducted testing on almost 7 million residents this month and so far they have detected around 200 asymptomatic cases. Read more
The US CDC has updated its COVID-19 page on how SARS-CoV-2 spreads, noting that information is still incomplete, however while it may be possible to be infected ‘by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes … is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads’.
Results from the phase 1 trials of a recombinant COVID-19 vaccine now underway in Melbourne and Brisbane are expected in July – 131 healthy people aged between 18 and 59 have signed up to participate in the trials. Read more
The WHO has temporarily paused trials on the use of Hydroxychloroquine in the clinical management of COVID-19 after results of a study of observational data from 96,000 patients were published in The Lancet last week. The decision on whether to resume trials will be made after a review by the Data Safety Monitoring Board. The agency has now posted Q&A: Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19 on its website.
A ‘travel bubble’ has been launched by the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, meaning their citizens and residents can travel freely throughout. It is possible that travel may open up between more countries with similar levels of transmission and a demonstrated ability to control their outbreaks. Read more
Before you travel, call Travelvax Australia’s telephone advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines) for country-specific advice and information. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.