TheCable

Nigeria on Thursday logged 835 cases of coronavirus. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Friday. 

EU probing Moderna vaccine contamination report

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says it is investigating a contamination incident of a batch of the Moderna COVID vaccine in Japan.

Japan suspended the use of 1.63 million doses of the vaccine after foreign materials were reportedly found in some portions of the jab.

According to Reuters, EMA on Thursday said it is “investigating the matter and has requested the marketing authorisation holder to provide information on any potential impact on batches supplied to the EU in addition to details on the ongoing root cause investigation”.

EU: COVID boosters may have legal risks without EMA approval

European Commission says there may be legal risks for countries within European Union that use COVID-19 vaccine booster shots because approval has not been granted by the EU drug regulator.

Some countries in the EU have started to administer the extra shot to people.

“Booster doses are currently not part of the marketing authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines and have not yet been subject to a scientific assessment by EMA in the absence of sufficient data,” Reuters quoted EMA as saying in a statement.

“The responsibility to decide to include boosters in their vaccination campaign remains with the member states. As long as the booster doses are not part of the marketing authorisation, companies’ liability is modified.”

Mexican researchers create facemask that kills COVID-19

Researchers say they have created a facemask that neutralises COVID-19.

The researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) said the reusable facemask is made up of silver and copper nanolayers and can be washed up to 10 times without losing its biocide properties.

“Upon contact with the silver-copper nanolayer, the SARS-CoV-2 membrane breaks and its RNA is damaged,” the gazette released by the researchers reads.

“Thus, even if SakCu is disposed of improperly, it will not be a problem as it does not remain contaminated, like many of the masks that are thrown away.”

Nigeria logs 835 infections

Nigeria on Thursday recorded 835 cases of COVID-19 in 19 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) disclosed this in its update for August 26, 2021.

Rivers topped the chart of infection with 263, while Lagos, the worst-hit state, logged 217 infections followed by Oyo with 128 cases.

Other states that recorded new cases are Edo (45), Kwara (42), FCT (37), Ekiti (35), Ogun (13), Akwa Ibom (11), Imo (11), Bayelsa (10), Plateau (7), Delta (4), Kaduna (3), Benue (2), Niger (2), Sokoto (2), Abia (1), Ebonyi (1), Nasarawa (1).

The NCDC said 244 patients were discharged raising the number of recoveries to 169,626.

Ten people died of COVID-19 complications on Thursday. The total fatalities now stand at 2,298.

To date, 189,715 cases have been confirmed across the 36 states and the FCT.

Greek health workers protest against mandatory COVID vaccination

Greek frontline health workers on Thursday protested against a plan to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for the healthcare sector.

The mandatory vaccination is expected to come into effect for healthcare workers on September 1 and people who have not received at least one shot of a vaccine will be suspended from their work.

COVID-19 IN NIGERIA