TheNewsGuru

Tag: Coronavirus

  • James Bond’ film release deferred by seven months over coronavirus

    James Bond’ film release deferred by seven months over coronavirus

    The release of ‘No Time to Die’, the twenty-fifth installment of James Bond films, has been postponed by seven months amid concerns about the continuing spread of coronavirus.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that the publicity tour of China for the forthcoming movie was canceled due to the killer disease.

    But in a statement on its official Twitter page, 007 announced that the film will be pushed from April to November after “careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace.”

    The film’s release, which was earlier scheduled for April 3, was put off until November 12 in UK and November 25 in the US.

    “MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, announced today that after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of NO TIME TO DIE will be postponed until November 2020,” it tweeted.

    “Just one person, who may not even show symptoms, could infect the rest of the audience,” wrote founders of MI6 Confidential while speaking against the earlier scheduled March 31 premier.

    Speaking to the BBC on the financial risk that prompted the postponement, Louise Tutt, deputy editor at Screen International, also said it comes in anticipation that more cinema might close down.

    “I think they’re doing it in anticipation of cinemas closing around the world. Most of them have already closed in China,” she explained.

    “So even if not another single cinema closed in the world they’d lose the world’s second-biggest box office market for what’s anticipated to be the biggest US release of the year.”

     

     

  • World Cup star tests positive to Coronavirus, quarantined

    World Cup star tests positive to Coronavirus, quarantined

    Thomas Kahlenberg, former Denmark international who played at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa has quarantined after testing positive to Coronavirus.

    He played for Denmark between 2003 and 2014 before retiring in 2017. He had 47 caps playing for Denmark.

    According to the UK Mirror, the Danish ex-international was infected with the deadly disease during a visit to Amsterdam, Holland.

    Also, players from Danish Super League clubs Brondby and Lyngby have also been isolated after they met and hugged Kahlenberg during last weekend match.

    Kahlenberg was said to have tested positive on Thursday.

    According to Brondby, 13 employees had been put in isolation, including the general manager Ole Palma, defender Joel Kabongo and assistant coach Martin Retov.

  • BREAKING: Three new Coronavirus suspects now under isolation in Lagos

    BREAKING: Three new Coronavirus suspects now under isolation in Lagos

    The Lagos State Government on Thursday night revealed that three Coronavirus suspects are currently being quarantined at its facility in Yaba, Lagos.

    Earlier on Thursday, A Nigerian man who returned from France was quarantined in Lagos over Coronavirus after he developed headache and respiratory symptoms.

    However, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, in a tweet late Thursday night said two new suspected cases were being attended to and that they had been isolated at the containment facility in Yaba.

    He said the two came from England and China.

    The commissioner added that it was now three cases altogether. He said the samples of the two persons had been taken for tests to ascertain if they have Coronavirus or not.

    “Breaking! #COVID19Lagos: We now have 3 suspected cases under isolation in our containment facility in Yaba. One from France, one from England and one from China. Their samples have been taken and results are being expected,” he wrote on his twitter handle.”

    Earlier, Abayomi said a Nigerian, who had been isolated in Yaba, travelled to France seven days ago and just returned to Lagos three days ago.

    According to him, the man developed severe headache and respiratory symptom at a private hospital and was referred to the government for advice.

    He said the state government decided to isolate him because he had a history of travelling to France, one of the Coronavirus hit countries.

    The commissioner said test samples had been collected and that the result of the test would be out tonight to ascertain if he was positive or negative to Coronavirus.

    However, Abayomi, said the index case, an Italian was seriously responding to treatment at the isolation centre, as his clinical situation was stable.

    He stated that the Italian was in high spirit, but that he required psycho-social support as he was getting depressed for being in isolation alone, adding that the patient was in touch with his family and friends in Italy.

    Abayomi, however, said the level of viral load in his body had gone down and that if that continued, in the next few days, he might be discharged if he tested negative to the disease.

    He said government would not just release him immediately he tested negative to the disease, but would still keep him and run a second test in few days to ascertained he was completely free of the disease before letting him go back to his country.

    On the people who alighted from the Turkish Airline on arrival in Lagos, he said government had been able to trace 13 of the remaining 15 contacts, leaving only two that had not been reached, saying that if at the end of today, they could not be reached, he would release their names to the media declaring them wanted.

  • Another Nigerian in isolation over coronavirus

    Another Nigerian in isolation over coronavirus

    A Nigerian, who returned from France three days ago, has been put in isolation, Lagos Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, has stated.

    He said the suspected case is at the Infectious Disease Centre, Yaba.

    Abayomi at a briefing on Wednesday said the patient was referred to the Infectious Disease Hospital by a private hospital in Lagos.

    The Commissioner said the result of the patient would be released the moment it is ready.

    Giving hints on the suspected case, Abayomi said: “He is a Nigerian who went to France, spent seven days in France, returned to Lagos three days ago and presented with headache and some respiratory symptoms.

    “This is because he has been in a country where there is an active person-to-person transmission, it could be common cold and there is a possibility that it could be coronavirus.

    “He has been put in isolation, the test is being run right now, I am expecting the result.”

  • Coronavirus :Italy bans kisses, handshakes

    Coronavirus :Italy bans kisses, handshakes

    Italians have been advised to refrain from the traditional greeting of kissing on the cheek and hugging as part of effort to stop the spread of coronavirus, Silvio Brusaferro, president of Italy’s higher health institute, said on Wednesday.

     

    According to ANSA, Brusaferro also revealed that people should regularly wash their hands, avoid crowded places and keep a distance of one to two metres from other people.

    “People with respiratory conditions have been advised to stay at home. We have to work for the country by staying within the rules and adopting lifestyles that halt the classic paths of transmission,” Brusaferro said.

    About 2,263 people have been infected with the COVID-19 disease in Italy with 107 deaths, making the European country the world’s third-most affected by number of fatalities after China and Iran.

    Giuseppe Conte, Italy’s prime minister, also released a decree, which told the nation, among other restrictions, that the public should refrain from the traditional Italian greeting of kissing each other on the cheek.

    He added that classrooms will shut down until March 15, and all sporting events will take place without fans until April 3, to help tackle the epidemic.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Pope Francis was reported to have tested negative to coronavirus — shortly after he cancelled a Lent retreat for the first time over ill health.

    This was after the pontiff was seen kissing and embracing the faithful in St Peter’s Square last week.

    Olivier Véran, France’s health minister, had also warned against a long-time French tradition of “la bise” — the tradition of planting a kiss on a person’s cheek multiple times — over coronavirus fears.

    “Reduction of physical social contact is recommended. This includes la bise,” Véran told reporters on Saturday, adding that people should also avoid handshakes.

     

  • China announces new drug to treat coronavirus infections

    China announces new drug to treat coronavirus infections

    There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for the world and China in particular over the recent Coronavirus disease, COVID-19 outbreak.

    According to Reuters, China has approved the use of the anti-inflammation drug Actemra, manufactured by Swiss drug maker Roche, to deal with complications among those infected with the novel coronavirus.

    The disease has notably killed nearly 3,000 in China.

    Actemra, also known as tocilizumab, was first approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for rheumatoid arthritis in 2010.

    The drug inhibits high Interleukin 6 (IL-6), a multi-functional cytokine (protein) produced by cells which can be elevated with inflammation, infection, autoimmune disorders, etc.

    It has been used to treat cytokine storms in cancer patients during cell therapies from Novartis and Gilead Sciences.

    To understand how the drug can help coronavirus patients, we need to understand how the virus affects the body.

    The novel coronavirus—SARS-CoV-2—attacks a host’s lungs where it kills the cilia cells.

    Cilia cells are hair-like projections along the airway which help clear microbes and debris from the lungs.

    Debris from dead cilia cells then fills the airway, causing pneumonia and triggering an immune response.

    Although the immune system’s job is to target only the infected lung tissue, sometimes it goes into overdrive and starts killing healthy tissue.

    This may lead to worsened pneumonia, respiratory failure, or permanent lung damage.

    It could also trigger cytokine storms, which may spill over to the circulatory system with inflammation, causing multiple organ failure.

    The drug Actemra could stop these cytokine storms.

    Researchers in China are testing Actemra in a clinical trial, including 188 coronavirus patients. It concludes on May 10.

    Reportedly, Roche said a third party has initiated the trial independently to explore the drug’s efficacy and safety in coronavirus patients with cytokine storms.

    However, Roche is yet to get a nod from China’s National Medical Product Administration to sell Actemra for coronavirus cases.

    The novel coronavirus outbreak emerged in China’s Wuhan city in mid-December.

    Since then, the disease has killed 2,902 in mainland China and sickened over 80,000.

    Globally, the disease has killed 3,286 and infected almost a lakh people. This includes 28 positive cases detected in India.

    The disease has managed to spread to around 90 countries including the United States, France, Japan, UAE, Iceland, etc.

    (www.newsnow.co.uk)

  • FG to review 2020 Budget over Coronavirus induced oil deficit

    FG to review 2020 Budget over Coronavirus induced oil deficit

    The federal government has disclosed that it plans to review the country’s budget for the year as oil revenue have been affected by the widespread coronavirus since the beginning of this year.

    Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, said on Wednesday that government was going to kickstart a mid-term review of the budget in order to put the appropriate measures in place.

    Speaking on the sidelines of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja yesterday, Mrs Ahmed said, “We are concerned about the current drop in oil price because it’s now below our budget.

    “We will do a mid-term review, and if the impact is so much, we will need to do an adjustment in the budget, working together with the National Assembly.”

    Earlier in the year, price of the Brent Crude, which Nigeria weighs its budget against, went up by over $13 of the benchmark set for the 2020 budget, $57 per barrel.

    In February, prices were hit hard by spread of the coronavirus, which originated in China, and as a result, it went below $50 last week. But this week has seen improvements, though still trading below the benchmark.

    Decisions by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries could see a further reduction of Nigeria’s production quota drop in order to stabilise prices.

    However, Mrs Ahmed noted that a rise in daily oil production above the budgeted two million barrels could level up some money to cover the loss.

    “I am glad to inform you that our oil production as of today is two million barrels per day and at times slightly higher like 2.1 million.

    “That in itself will be a cushioning effect for us in the current oil price,” she added.

    As at the time of the report, the Brent Crude was trading up at $51.20 per barrel, while the US futures, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI), was also pointing north at $46.84 per barrel.

  • Coronavirus: Moroccan FA orders matches played without fans

    All football matches in Morocco will be played without fans from Thursday, the Moroccan football association (FRMF) said on Wednesday after the north African country reported its first coronavirus case.

    A 39-year-old Moroccan man coming from the northern Italian city of Bergamo was Morocco’s first registered case of coronavirus on Monday, the health ministry said.

    Morocco has cancelled an international agricultural fair, due to take place in April, along with many other cultural and sports events as authorities continue to implement precautionary measures at entry points and hospitals to prevent the spread of the virus.

  • Abuja not ready to combat Coronavirus outbreak – Senate President

    Abuja not ready to combat Coronavirus outbreak – Senate President

    President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has expressed fears over the level of preparedness in Abuja to combat the raging coronavirus.

    Going forward, Lawan asked the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, to immediately release the sum of N620m to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), an amount budgeted for emergency response to the Coronavirus (COVID – 19) outbreak.

    Lawan made the call on Wednesday when the leadership of the Senate undertook a tour of Isolation Centres located at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada.

    The Senate President, while speaking to journalists after an inspection of two facilities, bemoaned the lack of preparedness and expressed frustration at the state of the isolation centres which were yet to be completed.

    Speaking on the findings of the Senate leadership, Lawan said, “First of all, let me say that the representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the management of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital are in high spirits, looking determined to discharge their mandates and obligations.

    “But from our inspection here, the temporary isolation centre is really not in good shape, it doesn’t look ready to receive any patient, and I believe that this is something that we need to fix between now and tomorrow.

    “We are in an emergency, even if we don’t have people who are affected, we shouldn’t just rest on our oars. We have to do everything and anything possible to fix that temporary isolation centre to be prepared to receive anyone who falls sick in this respect.

    “I am sad, we are indeed actually sad, that of the N620 million that was supposed to be released to this place for fixing of everything here to NCDC, not a kobo has been released.

    “We are going to get across to the Minister of Finance and all the other authorities that have anything to do with this to release this money latest between today and tomorrow.”

    The Senate President, further lamented that Nigeria, despite being a country with the largest economy in Africa, is yet to have a completed Isolation Centre in any of the geo-political zones that would provide emergency response to disease outbreak in the country.

    He charged those saddled with leadership responsibilities in the country to live up to expectations through timely discharge of their mandates and duties.

    “There’s no way that Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, with a population of two hundred million, and yet the Federal Capital and six surrounding states of the North Central, you don’t have one room that you can call an isolation centre, where anyone who unfortunately falls into this crisis will be taken to. This is not acceptable.

    “So, we are going to ensure that the money is released, we are not going to put pressure. This is what they are supposed to do, and they must do it.

    “I also believe that we should have a replication of the permanent site, we should be able to complete this and then have five others across the remaining geo-political zones of the country.

    “Let’s spend money for our people, we waste money for some things that are less important. This is about the health and lives of the people of this country, and therefore, no investment is too much.

    “So, we should be prepared at all times. We had Ebola, SARS, now we have Coronavirus, we do not know what else will come, but we should be prepared and ready for any eventuality, and no investment is too much.

    “The contractor said by the end of this month this should be ready, we pray it should be faster, but by the end of tomorrow, that temporary site must be ready.

    “There’s no generator, no electricity, nothing. There were two or three air conditioners brought this morning, maybe because yesterday we said we were coming here. This is not acceptable.

    “As leaders given responsibilities, we have to do what is right. This is unfortunate. So, the Ministry of Finance should release the N620 million between today and tomorrow.”

    The Senate President assured Nigerians that the relevant committees of the Senate will carry out a follow-up on Thursday (today) to ensure that work on the isolation centres begins and is completed.

    “The Senate Committee on Health will come back tomorrow (Thursday), we want to see that temporary isolation centre fixed.

    “We need to be committed, we need to be very serious, and this is the essence of our oversight, but because it is very important, we decided that the leadership of the Senate should lead this oversight,” Lawan said.

  • BREAKING: Congo discharges last Ebola patient amid jubilation

    Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has discharged it’s last Ebola patient from a treatment centre in a town of Beni, amid jubilation.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports a 42-day countdown began on 2 March to declaring the end of the world’s second-deadliest epidemic, after no further cases have been confirmed.

    Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, had commended tireless efforts that have been made to respond to Ebola outbreak.

    “I applaud the tireless efforts that have been made to respond to this outbreak and I’m truly encouraged by the news that the last Ebola patient has left the treatment centre healthy,” Dr Moeti said.

    Although the patient has been allowed to leave, 46 people who had come in contact with her are still being monitored, according to report.

    “It is not yet the end of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We must stay vigilant in the coming weeks and beyond,” Moeti noted.

    Meanwhile, all the aspects of the Ebola response remain in place to ensure that any new cases are detected quickly and treated.

    The end of the outbreak can only be ascertained when no infections arise 42 days after the last reported case has tested negative.

    The current outbreak, which was declared on 1 August 2018, is the DRC’s tenth and the second-worst globally after the 2014–2016 epidemic in West Africa.

    As of 1 March, there were 3,444 confirmed and probable cases and 2,264 deaths.

    Surveillance, pathogen detection and clinical management are ongoing, including validating alerts, monitoring the remaining contacts, supporting rapid diagnostics of suspected cases and working with community members to strengthen surveillance on deaths in the communities.

    Countdown to the end of Ebola is coming at a time another epidemic, novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is hitting hard globally.