Frontpage News (3249)
The World Health Organisation says cancer is now a leading cause of death for children, noting that more than 400,000 children and adolescent of zero to 19 years are diagnosed with cancer each year.
WHO, however, stated that most childhood cancers can be cured, disclosing that cancer deaths in children have been due to late diagnosis and lack of access to affordable treatment and supportive care for patients. It noted that the most common types of childhood cancers include leukemias, brain cancers, lymphomas and solid tumours, such as neuroblastoma and Wilms tumours.
Scientists discover seven new COVID-19 variants that could be more contagious
Site Admin
United States researchers say they have discovered seven new variants of COVID-19. They noted that the newly discovered variants could be more transmissible. In the study, published online in medRxiv, the researchers said that while it is still unclear if the strains are more contagious, they are concerned the seven new virus mutations were in the same genetic letter.
The study states that, “Independent genomic surveillance programmess based in New Mexico and Louisiana contemporaneously detected the rapid rise of numerous clade 20G (lineage B.1.2) infections carrying a Q677P substitution in S.
Over five million abortions have been committed globally between January 1 and this moment, according to Worldometer. According to the reference website, since the dawn of this day alone, over 43,000 abortions have been committed. Worldometer, formerly Worldometers, is a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics.
It is owned and operated by a Chinese data company Dadax which generates revenue through online advertising. Dadax says the data on abortion as displayed on Worldometers is based on the latest statistics published by the World Health Organisation.
Steam inhalation has no effect on viral infection like COVID-19 -WHO
Site Admin
A retired Chief Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba Lagos, Dr. Dan Onwujekwe, says steam inhalation cannot cure COVID-19. According to him, steam inhalation has no antiviral effect but only improves elimination of waste products in the body.
Onwujekwe disclosed this while reacting to a post by the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa, which states that steam inhalation is not a cure for COVID-19. WHO-AFRO, via its official Twitter handle @WHOAFRO, said, “Steam inhalation is not a cure for COVID-19. It may even cause serious burns.”
6,890 doses of Ebola vaccines ready for outbreak response, says WHO
Site Admin
Four leading international health and humanitarian organisations have announced the establishment of a global Ebola vaccine stockpile to ensure outbreak response. The four organisations are the World Health Organisation, United Nations Children’s Fund, Médecins Sans Frontières [Doctors Without Borders], and International Federation of Red Cross.
An initial 6,890 doses of the Ebola vaccines are now available for outbreak response, with further quantities to be delivered into the stockpile throughout 2021 and beyond, the announcement stated.
NAFDAC approves AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in Nigeria
Site Admin
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has approved Oxford/AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for the management of the pandemic in Nigeria. The World Health Organisation had recently approved the vaccine for emergency use.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the announcement during a live briefing on Thursday [today]. She said that the vaccine can be stored at between +2°C to +8°C.
Many doctors infected with COVID-19 didn’t get it from hospital -Surgeon
Site Admin
A Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, on Wednesday says many of the doctors who tested positive for COVID-19 did not contract the infection from their respective workplaces.
Rather, he said, most of the confirmed cases, especially those witnessed in secondary and tertiary hospitals across the country, had been discovered to have happened outside healthcare facilities. Adeyemo, an associate professor at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, stated this during the Circum Vent training of health workers organised on Wednesday by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research.
Drinking more caffeinated coffee reduces risk of heart failure later in life, study suggests
Site Admin
Higher consumption of caffeinated coffee has been associated with reduced risk of heart failure later in life, a study suggests. The review of diet data from three major studies, using analytic tools from the American Heart Association, stated that decaffeinated coffee is not associated with reduced risk of heart failure, however.
The review is titled, ‘Association Between Coffee Intake and Incident Heart Failure Risk.’ Coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke are among the top causes of death attributable to cardiovascular disease globally. Heart failure occurs when a weakened heart fails to supply the body’s cells with enough blood to get the oxygen needed to keep the body functioning properly.
British scientists want diarrhoea listed as COVID-19 symptom
Site Admin
Scientists at the King’s College London say the list of COVID-19 symptoms should be extended to include fatigue, sore throat, headache and diarrhoea. Researchers say since the signs and symptoms associated with the disease are extensive and overlap with other common viral infections, adding a handful of symptoms to the existing list will lead to the detection of ‘millions’ of unconfirmed COVID-19 cases.
In the United Kingdom, only three symptoms make anyone eligible for COVID-19 test. They are cough, fever and loss of smell. However, the new study, published in the Journal of Infection,
Experts Fault NAFDAC on Emergency Approval for Oxford, AstraZeneca Vaccine
Site Admin
Medical experts have disagreed on the most appropriate COVID-19 vaccine for the country as the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), yesterday, gave emergency use authorisation (EUA) for Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently approved Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use. The move to use the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in Nigeria has raised questions on the implications of approving a vaccine that was ineffective in clinical trials against the South African strain.
More...
NCDC places Nigeria at ‘moderate risk’ of Ebola as Guinea suffers outbreak
Site Admin
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has placed Nigeria at ‘moderate risk’ of Ebola outbreak as Guinea battles the contagion. The NCDC made this known via its website, stating that the decision was based on the proximity of Guinea to Nigeria and other West African countries, as well as other indicators.
Guinea experienced outbreak of the Ebola on February 14, and cases and deaths were reported in the N’zerekore region of the country. The cases were detected among seven people who had attended the burial of a nurse on February 1, NCDC said.
Alcohol consumption increases risk of bile duct cancer, physicians warn
Site Admin
Public health experts warn that alcohol consumption is contributing to the increasing incidence of bile duct cancer. They noted that efforts to reduce the risk of the condition affecting many people around the world must include better education on the health effect of alcohol consumption.
The public health physicians, Dr. Kabir Mody and Dr. Ayodele Micheal Adewale stressed that it is now important to educate people around the world about the health danger of alcohol abuse. The experts spoke in relation to the designation of February as Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month.
Biotech firm launches Lassa vaccine trial in West Africa
Site Admin
A biotechnology company, INOVIO, says the first participant in Lassa vaccine trial has been dosed in a Phase 1B clinical trial for INO-4500, its DNA vaccine candidate for Lassa fever. The clinical trial is being done in Ghana, the firm says, adding that INOVIO is focused on bringing to market precisely-designed DNA medicines to treat and protect people from infectious diseases and cancer.
The Phase 1B clinical trial (LSV-002), ongoing at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra, Ghana, is the first vaccine clinical trial for Lassa Fever to be conducted in West Africa, where the infection is endemic.
T cells can boost immunity against COVID-19 variants, study says
Site Admin
A new study suggests that T cells try to fight SARS-CoV-2 by targeting a broad range of sites on the virus beyond the key sites on the virus’s spike protein. T cells are a type of white blood cell known as a lymphocyte.
Lymphocytes protect the body against cancerous cells and cells that have become infected by pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. T cell lymphocytes develop from stem cells in bone marrow. These immature T cells migrate to the thymus via the blood. The thymus is a lymphatic system gland that functions mainly to promote the development of mature T cells. In fact, the “T ” in T cell lymphocyte stands for thymus derived.
