• Global coronavirus cases exceed 40 million. Seven countries have reported more than 100,000 cases during the last week (Argentina: 101,964, Brazil: 160,326, Britain: 127,622; France: 74, 273. India: 411, 718, Russia: 103,992, the United States: 421, 114). Source
• Spain becomes the first European country to exceed one million coronavirus cases. Source
• The US is facing a ‘third wave’ of COVID-19; although the Midwest and West are hardest-hit, COVID-19-related hospitalizations are rising across the country. Public health experts are concerned about increasing spread as colder weather forces people indoors, and a ‘twindemic’ with the flu. Source
• The EU made a deal with J & J to purchase up to 400 million doses of their experimental coronavirus vaccine, in addition to previous agreements it has made with Astra Zeneca and Sanofi for up to 300 million doses of their vaccine candidates. Source
• A 28-year-old participant in the phase III trial of AstraZeneca’s experimental coronavirus vaccine (and is thought to have received the placebo) died from complications of COVID-19; he was a doctor who treated others for the illness. ANVISA, Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency, announced that the trial will continue. Source
• A pre-print analysis of 4,182 people who had COVID-19 found that 558 (13.3%) of them reported symptoms lasting >28 days; 189 (4.5%) had symptoms lasting for >8 weeks, and 95 (2.3%) for >12 weeks, mainly fatigue, headache, difficulty breathing and loss of smell. Long COVID was more likely to occur with increasing age, BMI, among women, especially those age 50-60, (14.9% versus 9.5%), and in people who had more than five symptoms during their first week of illness. Source
• Thailand welcomes its first tourists in six months, who will be quarantined for two weeks. Source
