Coronavirus Watch

Global Statistics

Over 17.4 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus. More than 10.9 million patients have recovered, and at least 676,000 have died from the virus.

The United States had the most cases in the world – more than 4.6 million, as well as the most deaths – close to 152 000. Coronavirus infections appear to be picking up in mid-western United States, as the state of Ohio reported a record day of cases and Wisconsin’s governor mandated the use of masks.

Brazil has opened its doors to foreign visitors, hoping to revive its tourism economy devastated by lockdown. Brazil’s death toll from Covid-19 surged past 90,000 in recent days, while infections continue to soar across Latin America. The country now has 2,613,789 cases of the pandemic and 1,824,095 recoveries.

South Africa recorded 11 046 new cases of coronavirus, resulting in a national total of 482 169 cases 315 new death as a result of Covid-19, total deaths are now 7 812.There are 309 601 recoveries which translate to a recovery rate of 64%.

The Covid-19 pandemic has started to stabilise in the Western Cape, with data showing that capacity has increased for critical care in hospitals.

Ghana did not release any data of new cases and new deaths, however the country has the fourth highest number of cases in the African continent with 35,142 and 145 deaths.

213 new cases were recorded in Zimbabwe to bring the total number of cases to 3,092; of the new cases recorded, 205 were local transmissions and the remainder were returnees from South Africa. A record 12 deaths were reported by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, this brings the total number of fatalities to 53. 11 of the fatalities were recorded in Harare and 1 was recorded in the Midlands province.

Botswana’s capital city Gaborone has returned to a two-week lockdown to stem its latest surge in coronavirus infections. The country has 804 cases of the pandemic and 2 deaths.

Lesotho recorded 28 new cases, the country has continued to witness a surge in the number of confirmed cases of the Coronavirus. 604 cases have been reported so far and 13 deaths were recorded yesterday.

World economies battered as 17 million global Covid-19 cases recorded

Economies around the world reported record slumps on Thursday and companies from banks to car makers warned of losses in the latest fallout from the pandemic that has infected more than 17 million people across the globe. Six months after the World Health Organisation declared a global emergency, countries around the globe are struggling to control infections even as they seek to restart damaged economies.

Even nations that appeared to have largely curbed the disease are being gripped by resurgences, with Australia on Thursday reporting a record number of new infections and its deadliest day of the pandemic. Despite efforts in place to contain the virus, Covid-19 has killed more than 667 000 people around the world and total infections have passed 17 million since the disease first emerged in China late last year.

As governments try to weigh lockdown measures against the need to revive economies, the United States Global daily cases are now approaching the 300 000 mark, with the curve showing no sign of flattening – it took just 100 hours for one million new cases to be recorded. United States said its economy had contracted 32.9% in the second quarter – the worst on record since 1947.Reuters

Covid-19 and loss of smell: Harvard researchers uncover why it happens

Loss of smell is a well-known Covid-19 symptom, but until now it’s been unclear why it happens in some patients. Evidence of loss of smell (anosmia) as a symptom of Covid-19 first emerged in late February 2020. In April, the symptom was officially added to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention’s list of Covid-19 symptoms. At that stage, however, very little was known about how and why the virus affects an infected person’s sense of smell.

Previous studies suggested that the sensory neurons (which detect and transmit the sense of smell to the brain) were vulnerable cell types, but new research indicates otherwise. An international team of researchers led by neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School (HMS) recently identified the olfactory cell types that are most vulnerable to infection by SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19). Health 24

Metal Prices Asia/Europe/NY markets

31/07/2020

(Source: Kitco)