COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES | Two die in Japan after shots from suspended Moderna vaccines - Japan govt

August 28 2021 - 12:14

Wuhan Covid-19 study finds some patients still have health problems after a year

A study of Covid-19 patients in the city where the pandemic began has found that some continue to battle with health impairments a year after contracting the virus.

Women who were hospitalised in Wuhan, China, were more prone than men to fatigue, lung problems and muscle weakness.

The study, which assessed 1,276 patients hospitalised between January and May 2020 has been published in The Lancet.

August 28 2021 - 09:59

Two die in Japan after shots from suspended Moderna vaccines - Japan govt

Two people died after receiving Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shots that were among lots later suspended following the discovery of contaminants, Japan's health ministry said on Saturday.

The men in their 30s died this month within days of receiving their second Moderna doses, the ministry said in a release. Each had a shot from one of three manufacturing lots suspended on Thursday.

The cause of the deaths is still being investigated.Japan halted the use of 1.63 million Moderna doses shipped to 863 vaccination centres nationwide, more than a week after the domestic distributor, Takeda Pharmaceutical, received reports of contaminants in some vials.

The government and Moderna had said no safety or efficacy issues had been identified and the suspension was just a precaution.

The contaminant is believed to be metallic particles, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, citing health ministry sources.

Reuters

August 28 2021 - 09:13

SA's excess deaths to hit 250,000 mark in the Covid-19 cataclysm

The number of “excess deaths” since Covid-19 got a grip on SA is poised to pass the 250,000 mark.

This week's estimate from the SA Medical Research Council said there had been 244,846 mortalities beyond what historical trends predicted.

The count went up to Aug. 21, when the previous week yielded 850 excess deaths per day from natural causes.