Tag: WHO

WHO Advises Against Convalescent Plasma as COVID-19 Treatment

The World Health Organization (WHO) late Monday advised against using convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19. “For non-severe COVID-19 patients, WHO recommends against its use, while it should only be used within clinical trials for severe and critical COVID-19 patients,” the WHO announced. Convalescent plasma therapy involves using the blood plasma of patients who recovered from COVID-19…


South African Envoy Accuses Australia of Discrimation Over Omicron Travel Ban

South Africa’s top diplomat to Australia has accused the Australian federal government of being discriminatory towards African countries after the country imposed travel bans over the new Omicron variant of the CCP virus. Australia suspended flights from nine southern African countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Seychelles, Malawi, and Mozambique, after the…


Omicron Variant Could Displace Delta: Top WHO Scientist

A top scientist with the World Health Organization (WHO) said the new Omicron COVID-19 variant could displace the Delta variant that emerged earlier this year, while researchers recently announced Omicron may have picked up genetic material from the common cold. The WHO’s Soumya Swaminathan said that it’s not yet clear whether Omicron is milder than…


IMF Chief Says Omicron Could Dent Global Economic Growth

WASHINGTON—The International Monetary Fund is likely to lower its global economic growth estimates due to the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the global lender’s chief said at the Reuters Next conference on Friday. Omicron has spread to at least 40 countries since it was first reported in South Africa last week, officials say, and…


WHO: Omicron in 38 Countries, No Deaths Reported

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said the COVID-19 omicron variant is now in 38 countries, up from 23 two days ago, suggesting that the variant may be more contagious than Delta. During a news conference, WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said the U.N. health body has seen “an increasing growth rate,” and “we see…


WHO: ‘No Evidence’ Booster Vaccines Offer ‘Greater Protection’ to Healthy Populations

A top World Health Organization (WHO) official said there is “no evidence” to suggest that CCP virus booster doses would offer “greater protection” to healthy people. Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO’s emergency director, questioned the logic of some countries trying to produce more booster doses to vaccinate anyone aged 18 and older. “Right now, there…


WHO: ‘No Evidence’ Boosting Entire Population Offers Greater Protection to Healthy Individuals

A top World Health Organization (WHO) official said there is “no evidence” to suggest that CCP virus booster doses would offer “greater protection” to healthy people. Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO’s emergency director, questioned the logic of some countries trying to produce more booster doses to vaccinate anyone aged 18 and older. “Right now, there…


WHO Warns Travel Bans Won’t Keep Omicron Cases out of Countries

A spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) said that recently imposed travel bans on southern African countries will not prevent the spread of COVID-19 Omicron variant cases worldwide. Dr. Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the U.N. health body, said Thursday that ultimately, travel bans that were recently implemented to target southern African countries can…


Facebook Parent Meta Removes China-Linked Influence Network Pushing COVID-19 Disinformation

An influence operation with ties to China used over 600 Facebook and Instagram accounts to spread disinformation on COVID-19, according to an adversarial threat report released by Meta on Wednesday. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it had in November removed hundreds of accounts on the social media platforms which worked to…


Beijing Pressures Countries to Deport Taiwanese Nationals to China, Report Says

TAIPEI, Taiwan—China is pressuring countries to send citizens of Taiwan to mainland China, Madrid-based human rights group Safeguard Defenders said in its latest report. In doing so, the communist regime is undermining the self-ruled island’s sovereignty, the human rights group wrote in its Nov. 30 report titled “China’s Hunt for Taiwanese Overseas.” The Taiwanese nationals…