Health

UK approves GlaxoSmithKline drug to treat COVID-19

British regulators on Thursday approved GlaxoSmithKline drug sotrovimab to treat those at high risk of developing severe Covid-19 symptoms, with the manufacturer saying it “retains activity” against the new Omicron variant.

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The monoclonal antibody “was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalization and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease,” said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

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Health

WHO chief warns against misinformation over global pandemic accord

The head of the UN World Health Organization on Thursday spoke out forcefully against “misinformation on social media and in the mainstream media” which has falsely alleged that a new global pandemic accord being negotiated, would allow the WHO to override national sovereignty relating to a future outbreak.

Health

World Tuberculosis Day: WHO ramps up initiative to combat killer disease

For the first time in more than a decade, the number of people dying from tuberculosis (TB) rose last year due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts and other crises, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

Health

Tanzania confirms first-ever outbreak of deadly Marburg Virus Disease

Tanzania confirmed its first-ever cases of Marburg Virus Disease after conducting laboratory tests in the country’s northwest Kagera region, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Wednesday.