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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, November 7th 2024 - 04:41 UTC

Tag: COVID-19

  • Tuesday, October 15th 2024 - 20:37 UTC

    New coronavirus strain detected in southern Brazil

    Scientists believe that XEC might have emerged through genetic recombination between previously circulating strains

    The Rio de Janeiro-based Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) confirmed the presence in the southern part of the continent's largest country of a sublineage of the Sars-CoV-2 Omicron strain known as XEC, which is rapidly spreading worldwide, Agencia Brasil reported. The variant has been found in the States of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Santa Catarina after Fiocruz made the first discovery in samples from two patients in Rio last month.

  • Tuesday, September 17th 2024 - 16:52 UTC

    Brazilian physicians worried about respiratory damage caused by widespread fires

    Facemasks do not filter smaller pollution particles and are therefore rather useless, Dalcolmo explained

    Respiratory disease specialists are concerned about people suffering the effects of long-lasting forest fires in several parts of South America's largest country and insist children and the elderly need special attention, Agencia Brasil reported. Excessive smoke in the air coupled with a dry climate has caused discomfort to many, Brazilian Society of Pneumology and Physiology (SBPT) President Margareth Dalcolmo warned.

  • Saturday, September 7th 2024 - 10:09 UTC

    Brazilian Bossa Nova legend Sergio Mendes dies aged 83

    Mendes had been living in the United States since 1964 after the coup d'état in Brazil

    Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes, who once won a Grammy Award, succumbed Thursday in the city of Los Angeles to the effects of prolonged Covid-19, according to The Associated Press. He had been facing respiratory problems for months, O Globo reported. The pianist, composer, vocalist, and arranger was 83. He had moved to the United States in 1964 after the military coup d'état.

  • Tuesday, September 3rd 2024 - 10:55 UTC

    Former Argentine president sued for extending Covid-19 lockdowns beyond sanitary needs

    Martín Guzmán said he believed the pandemic gave Alberto Fernández additional political strength

    Federal Prosecutor Guillermo Marijuan and Buenos Aires City Congressman Yamil Santoro filed separate criminal complaints Monday against former President Alberto Fernández after Martín Guzmán, who served as Economy Minister under him, said in an interview that the Covid-19 quarantines were extended for political gain rather than out of a sanitary concern.

  • Wednesday, August 21st 2024 - 08:46 UTC

    Mpox not the new Covid-19, WHO official explains

    “Two years ago, we controlled mpox in Europe thanks to direct engagement with the most affected communities of men who have sex with men,” Kluge pointed out

    Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional director for Europe, admitted Tuesday that mpox would not lead to a “cycle of panic” and lockdowns like Covid-19 did, despite the public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) declaration.

  • Thursday, July 18th 2024 - 09:13 UTC

    Biden tests positive for Covid-19 as concerns over his health mount

    “I feel good,” said an unmasked Biden as he walked to Air Force One at Harry Reid International Airport

    US President Joseph Biden tested positive for Covid-19 in Las Vegas Wednesday just one day after admitting that he would be stepping out of his reelection campaign only if a medical condition so advised. Following his diagnosis, the 81-year-old leader, who lost his debate with former President Donald Trump and is visibly battling his physical condition to remain active, flew to his Delaware vacation home to recover. He was said to have mild respiratory symptoms and “general malaise.”

  • Monday, July 8th 2024 - 07:15 UTC

    New variants of Covid-19 spreading rapidly worldwide

    Experts fear an increase in contagions during the Paris Olympic Games later this month

    Ecuadorean health authorities have reported that the new FLiRT (KP.2) variant of Covid-19 had reached the country after two individuals -a 24-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman- tested positive in the Cotopaxi province. Both patients were vaccinated, the Health Ministry also noted. Local experts recalled that although not lethal, FLiRT was highly contagious, and therefore insisted on the importance of personal hygiene.

  • Monday, May 27th 2024 - 22:25 UTC

    Nothing wrong with flu and Covid-19 vax campaign in Chile, minister says

    Albagli said more vaccines than ever have been administered so far this year

    Chile's Acting Health Minister Andrea Albagli insisted Monday that there was no lagging in the government's flu vaccination campaign. She made those remarks after politicians from the Unión Demócrata Independiente (UDI) tried to link an alleged shortcoming in this regard to five deaths due to that malady in the Ñuble region in the past few days and even hinted she should resign. “I don't know what failure they are talking about,” Albagli stressed.

  • Monday, April 1st 2024 - 19:54 UTC

    Brazilian VP down with Covid-19

    Alckmin was said to be doing well after showing mild symptoms of the malady

    Brazil's Vice President Geraldo Alckmin stayed at home Monday after being diagnosed with Covid-19, Agencia Brasil reported. Alckin is also Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services.

  • Tuesday, March 19th 2024 - 18:35 UTC

    Police indict Bolsonaro in vaccine certification fraud probe

    The Public Prosecutor's Office must now decide whether to press charges against Bolsonaro

    Brazil's Federal Police (PF) Tuesday indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly forging his Covid-19 vaccination records. The case now goes to the Public Prosecutor's Office for a final decision on whether or not to press formal charges against the former head of state, his then aide-de-camps Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, and Congressman Gutemberg Reis as well as 14 other people listed in the investigation.

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