WHO reports biggest single-day jump in Covid cases; over 100,000 infected

 The global tally of cases is nearing five million, with more than 324,000 deaths, according to figures collected by Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Centre

Coronavirus has infected 106,000 people in the last 24 hours, the largest number of cases since its outbreak, the WHO said on Wednesday. Revealing the alarming numbers at his daily briefing, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that two-thirds of those cases came from just four countries, the BBC reported. The global tally of cases is nearing five million, with more than 324,000 deaths, according to figures collected by Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Centre. The US currently has the most cases, with 1.5 million, followed by Russia, Brazil and the UK.

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Meanwhile, a senior official of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against using hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine, the drugs for malaria and other diseases, in the treatment of Covid-19, saying these drugs should be reserved for use “within clinical trials”.

“Warnings have been issued by many authorities regarding the potential side effects of the drug and many countries have limited its use to that of clinical trials or during clinical trials or under the supervision of clinicians in a hospital setting that’s specifically for Covid-19, because of a number of potential side effects that have occurred and could occur,” Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said.

70-yr-old Covid-19 patient dies in Guj, state’s toll at 3; new cases emerge

The 70-year-old man died at a government hospital in Bhavnagar

A 70-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district early Thursday morning, a health department officials said. With this, the total number of deaths due to coronavirus inthe state has gone up to three, they said. “The 70-year-old man died at a government hospital in Bhavnagar,” state principal secretary (health) Jayanti Ravi said. Earlier, one patient each from Ahmedabad and Surat had succumbed to the viral infection, she said. Four new COVID-19 cases reported in Lucknow Four new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Lucknow, taking the total tally of coronavirus cases in the state to above 40 on Thursday.

A 21-year-old woman, whose parents had tested positive, a 32-year-old man with travel history to Dubai, a 33-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man tested positive for coronavirus, confirmed Dr. Sudhir Singh, Incharge, Isolation Ward, King George’s Medical University in Lucknow. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases have risen to 649 in India (including 593 active cases, 42 cured/discharged people) and 13 deaths.

Coronavirus cases rises to 649 in India, 13 dead, The total number of people who have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 in India has risen to 649 in India, including 593 active cases and 42 people who have been cured or discharged from hospitals, according to the recent update by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Thursday morning.