More on Covid-19

July 20, 2020

Pope reassures those struggling with virus

Pope Francis is assuring his closeness to all those grappling with COVID-19 and its “economic and social consequences”. Speaking on Sunday from his studio window overlooking St Peter’s Square, Francis said that “the pandemic is showing no sign of stopping”.
He said he was thinking in particular about all those whose suffering in the pandemic is worsened by conflicts.

App reveals six distinct types of Covid-19 infection

British scientists analysing data from a widely-used COVID-19 symptom-tracking app have found there are six distinct types of the disease, each distinguished by a cluster of symptoms.
A King’s College London team found that the six types also correlated with levels of severity of infection, and with the likelihood of a patient needing help with breathing – such as oxygen or ventilator treatment – if they are hospitalised.
The findings could help doctors to predict which COVID-19 patients are most at risk and likely to need hospital care in future waves of the epidemic.
“If you can predict who these people are at Day Five, you have time to give them support and early interventions such as monitoring blood oxygen and sugar levels, and ensuring they are properly hydrated,” said Claire Steves, a doctor who co-led the study.

EU virus recovery summit struggles to find accord

An EU summit to agree a huge coronavirus economic rescue package was at risk of collapse without a deal on Sunday as bickering leaders struggled to find compromises on a third day of talks.
The 27 leaders have argued for more than two days over the scale and rules for the package, with the Netherlands leading a band of “frugal” allies in demanding lower budgets and tougher conditions for handouts.
At the start of what she said was probably the “decisive” third day of the extraordinary summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there were still many divisions among the leaders.
“I still can’t say whether a solution will be found,” she said. “There is a lot of good will … but it may also be that no result will be achieved today.”