By Shruti Menon BBC Reality Check Reality Check India has launched a new vaccine policy which will see the federal government buying Covid-19 jabs from manufacturers and supplying to states. India is one of the largest vaccine makers in the world but its own vaccination drive has been moving at a slow pace. It has […]
One of India’s greatest athletes, Milkha Singh, has died from Covid-related complications, aged 91. Popularly known as “the Flying Sikh”, Singh won four Asian gold medals and finished fourth in the 400m final at the 1960 Rome Olympics. In 2013, his story was turned into the Bollywood film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag – Run Milkha Run. […]
Coronavirus pandemic Having no spectators at the Tokyo Olympics is the “least risky” option, Japanese medical experts have said. In a report, they warned there was “a risk the movement of people” would spread Covid infections and “strain the [country’s] medical system”. But other Japanese officials have indicated they want domestic fans to attend […]
By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online Coronavirus pandemic UK coronavirus infections have risen slightly in the last week, with an estimated 119,000 people – up from 110,000 – now positive for the virus. The Office for National Statistics figures, up to 12 June, suggest one in every 540 people is infected. The more infectious […]
Coronavirus pandemic The EU has lost a legal battle in Brussels to force Anglo-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca to supply 120m doses of Covid-19 vaccine by the end of June. It went to court last month after the company delayed shipment of the vital vaccines, having originally committed to supply 300m doses by the same […]
Kumbh Mela Police in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand have registered a case against three private labs for filing fake Covid reports. Media reports say fake names, mobile numbers and addresses were used in more than 100,000 tests during the Kumbh festival in April. The private labs were hired by the state to […]
By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online Coronavirus pandemic Exactly a year on from the discovery that a cheap steroid drug prevented Covid deaths, researchers say they have found another life-saving therapy. It is expensive – a potent intravenous infusion of antibodies to neutralise the virus, rather than dampen the body’s inflammatory response […]
Coronavirus pandemic A headache, sore throat and runny nose are now the most commonly reported symptoms linked to Covid infection in the UK, researchers say. Prof Tim Spector, who runs the Zoe Covid Symptom study, says catching the Delta variant can feel “more like a bad cold” for younger people. But although they may not […]
Coronavirus pandemic Boris Johnson has said the government must “be cautious” as it decides whether to end all Covid restrictions in England on 21 June. Cases are rising as the Delta variant spreads, with details of the next step on the “roadmap” due on Monday. The prime minister told the BBC it was important any […]
Tigray crisis About 33,000 severely malnourished children in the Tigray region of Ethiopia are at high risk of death, the UN children’s agency Unicef has warned. Tigray has been devastated by fighting between government forces and rebels, with 1.7 million people displaced since the conflict began in November 2020. A UN-backed study released on Thursday […]
