Omicron BA.4, BA.5 is more…: Epidemiologist on new strains as Covid surges in South Africa

Bizzo plans to help service-preneurs to digitally build, scale and organise their businesses.

SARS-CoV-2 waves in over 1,30,000 Covid-19 patients.

FILE-Mifepristone, the abortion pill known as RU 486. (Photo by James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images) SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - It took two trips over state lines, navigating icy roads and a patchwork of state laws, for a 32-year-old South Dakota woman to get abortion pills last year.For abortion-seekers like her, such journeys, along with pills sent through the mail, will grow in importance if the Supreme Court follows through with its leaked draft opinion that would overturn the landmark Roe v.

COVID on Thursday, with 205 in intensive care.This is down by 22 for hospitalizations but an increase of six for ICUs since the previous day. Last Thursday, there were 1,661 hospitalizations with 202  in ICU.According to latest data for hospitalizations, 57 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19. For those in ICUs, 35 per cent were admitted for other reasons.

World Health Organization is estimating that nearly 15 million died directly or indirectly from COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021.WHO provided a range of 13.3 million deaths to 16.6 million between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec.

The study, published last week in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, examined air and surface samples during an environmental surveillance programme from August 2020 until April 2021 at the University of Michigan (U-M) in the US. 

died of Covid-19 as well as those who died as an indirect result of the outbreak, including people who could not access healthcare for other conditions. 

LONDON - The World Health Organization is estimating that nearly 15 million people were killed either by the coronavirus or by its impact on overwhelmed health systems in the past two years, more than double the official death toll of 6 million. Most of the fatalities were in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas.In a report released on Thursday, the U.N.

#WATCH TMC is spreading rumours about CAA that it won't be implemented on ground, but I would like to say that we'll implement CAA on ground the moment Covid wave ends...Mamata Didi wants infiltration...CAA was, is & will be a reality:Union Home minister Amit Shah in Siliguri, WB pic.twitter.com/E1rYvN9bHM

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Amber Heard testified through tears Wednesday in a Fairfax County, Virginia courtroom about the abuse she said she suffered at the hands of Johnny Depp as the defamation trial involving the one-time Hollywood couple continues.Heard is expected back on the stand Thursday. During her testimony Wednesday as she took the stand for the first time in the trial, Heard spoke about how the couple met during their work on the film "The Rum Diary" and how they began dating while doing a press tour for the film's release in 2011.Outside of the courtroom, crowds of mostly Johnny Depp supporters lined up early Wednesday and again Thursday, in hopes of being allowed inside for the testimony.

FILE IMAGE - Recording artist Machine Gun Kelly performs during a stop of his Tickets to My Downfall tour at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Oct. 16, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic (described as “excess mortality”) between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million). 

recall of over 100 kosher candy and chocolate products sold under the Elite brand due to the possibility of salmonella contamination. Strauss Israel, the food maker behind the products, said in a statement that the products were "manufactured in a facility in which salmonella was detected in the production line and in the liquid chocolate that is used for the production of the finished products."The recall includes certain Elite-branded chocolate, cakes, wafers, energy grain snacks, energy chocolate rice cakes, chewing gum and toffee candies. Click here for a full list of the 101 products on the FDA website.The impacted products were distributed mainly to stores in Florida, California, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and were sold online by Amazon, Passover.com, Fresh Direct and other retailers, the FDA’s notice said.A provided image shows one of the products impacted by the recall.

PHILADELPHIA - SEPTA officials say they will be adding new personnel from security firms to engage riders on trains and in stations. These new outreach workers will remind riders about  the rules for riding, assist destination-less riders, and serve as extra eyes and ears for SEPTA Transit Police, SEPTA says. SEPTA says several dozen of the workers are now deployed across the system. A press conference will be held Thursday morning at 11:30a.m. to introduce the workers to the public and provide an update on the transit authority’s efforts to increase safety and security. MORE SEPTA HEADLINES: The new addition comes after a recent string of violent attacks on SEPTA vehicles and properties.

NEW DELHI :

PHILADELPHIA - Temple University’s class of 2022 will be walking on the stage Thursday to receive their degrees. Thursday’s event will mark the university’s first in-person graduation ceremony since 2019. Families and friends will be in attendance to watch almost 10,000 students graduate as commencement was slated to begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Liacouras Center on North Broad Street. This year's class includes graduates from 103 countries and all 50 states.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - What could be the final primary debate between Republicans running for Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat devolved into a string of attacks over China, abortion and more as the candidates stretched Wednesday night for any perceived advantage in a wide-open and expensive race.In many cases, the five candidates blew off questions during the hour-long debate in favor of repeating talking points and attacking rivals.Attackers often tried to make hay out of the business ties to China by former hedge fund CEO David McCormick and Mehmet Oz, best known as the heart surgeon-turned-celebrity and host of daytime TV's "The Dr.

China has gone full pelt with its attempt to go Covid free as new video footage shows officials locking residents in their homes.And they're using huge padlocks and unbreakable cable to do it.Video footage posted on Chinese social media sites shows how residents who refuse to either stay inside or hand their keys over to officials are having wires drilled into their doors and padlocks used to stop them from leaving if they test positive.And another video shows one official drilling a hole in front of someone's door so that they can use metal bolts to stop them from getting out.According to independent Chinese news outlet Caixin Global, the measures are being taken in the northern Hebei province.Local sources have quoted the Qianan Pandemic Prevention and Control office as saying: “We are investigating and will modify the policy.“We are also looking into the possibility of installing alarms to replace current methods.”Up until May 4, China had a seven day average of 22,566 cases, with 14,731 positive cases just yesterday alone.Despite having 1 million cases since the pandemic started, the country has only suffered 5,141 deaths.The latest draconian measures came just a few weeks after we reported how workers in China's financial district in Shanghai were being forced to sleep in office for days.The stringent Covid policy came as positive cases escalated in the coastal city of Shanghai while local government vowed to keep the infectious separated in a two-stage lockdown.One of the measures is stop workers from returning home to avoid cross-infections.One worker, who works at a company in Shanghai Software Park, documented his horrendous life during the office lockdown and shared to viewers online.He received a notice that

Sharon Osbourne reveals she is flying home after husband Ozzy was diagnosed down with Covid but she promises to be back next week.@MrsSOsbourne | @OzzyOsbourne pic.twitter.com/sxlidvX5Tu‘We’ve gone two years without him catching Covid and it’s just Ozzy’s luck it would be now.’Talking about returning to Talk TV Sharon said: ‘I can’t believe my luck. I’m missing the show and I’ve only been there three days.

SHARON Osbourne revealed she's on a DRIP while being stuck in bed battling Covid. The TalkTV host jetted back to Los Angeles to nurse her sick husband Ozzy last week - and ended up catching the virus herself.

#Omicron sub-lineages ? Here's what we know so far. Also, please remember to take #COVID19 vaccine

FILE IMAGE - An independent contractor wearing a protective mask and gloves moves shopping carts with Amazon Prime grocery bags to a car outside a Whole Foods Market in Berkeley, California, U.S., on Oct. 7, 2020.

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2020/08/25: USPS sign on delivery truck in Flushing, Queens. USPS delays endanger 14M who wont get medications on time, report says.

#COVID19 after a negative. FDA admits it definitely happens but claims it’s only 1-2% with rebound in the trials, & no clinical guidance change. But I count more than 1%. https://t.co/qWPckRM2Db pic.twitter.com/kbpdETrVoh

Millions of people in Beijing returned to work this morning, many remotely, with scores of subway stations shut after a national holiday muted by the coronavirus curbs.

Health Ministry data.

Sharon Osbourne recently revealed that husband Ozzy had been stricken with COVID-19, and now she’s also been infected with the virus.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 04: Brad Miller #13 of the Texas Rangers hits a two RBI single in the top of the tenth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 4, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Rangers defeated the Philli PHILADELPHIA - Brad Miller hit a two-run single in the 10th inning to give the Texas Rangers a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.Marcus Semien doubled and had two hits for the Rangers, who have won a season-high four in a row after sweeping the two-game series with the Phillies.Nick Castellanos doubled and had three hits for Philadelphia.

Hindustan Times report.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 04: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers defends a layup by Victor Oladipo #4 of the Miami Heat during the second half in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at FTX Arena on May 04, 2022 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO MIAMI - Bam Adebayo scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler had 22 points and 12 assists, and the Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-103 on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.Victor Oladipo scored 19 points on his 30th birthday and Tyler Herro added 18 for the Heat, the East’s No.

PHILADELPHIA - Pediatricians say they are seeing more kids getting sick, but not with the usual illnesses - and they are taking longer to bounce back.Some parents think it's just kids being kids, especially being back in school without masks now. "Just other kids being sick, and then they get spreading germs, it's really all the same," one mom said.Doctors are attributing the spike to allergy season, late flu and possibly COVID-19.One mom says her children, a 4-year-old and five-month-old, have been sick for much longer than past times."There is definitely the possibility that because we have been so isolated and masked over the last two years that it may lead to the observation that viruses are taking longer to overcome by the immune system," said Dr. Mike Cirigliano.However, lingering sickness isn't the only problem.

Covovax is now available for children in India.

Today we are reporting 8,609 community cases, 386 hospitalisations and 20 deaths.

DELAWARE COUNY - Nurses, paramedics and county officials all came out Wednesday to protest possible closures within the Crozer Health System.Several services are set to close across four Delaware County hospitals unless they approximately $24 million to Crozer's for-profit California-based owner Prospect Medical Holdings, according to officials.Those services include mental and rehabilitation, along with inpatient and outpatient substance abuse and crisis.Hospital staff, joined by local, county and state leaders, say they are fighting because lives are at stake. They also say reopening these services will be really hard after they are closed.Several services are planned to close across four hospitals in Delaware County.

From today, tamariki aged 5 to 11 who are severely immunocompromised can receive a third primary dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

TORONTO, ON - MAY 4: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees meets with Toronto Blue Jays fan Mike Lanzillotta (L) and Yankee fan Derek Rodriguez, 9, (2nd L) prior to a MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on May 4, 2022 in Toronto TORONTO - The young Yankees fan who became a viral sensation this week shed more tears of joy on Wednesday when he met his hero, New York slugger Aaron Judge.It came hours after cameras captured Derek Rodriguez, 9, tearfully hugging Blue Jays fan Mike Lanzillotta after Lanzillotta snagged Judge's sixth-inning home run ball and handed it to Derek.Rodriguez, his family and Lanzillotta were invited onto the field and into the Yankees dugout before Wednesday's series finale against the Blue Jays.Derek teared up again when Judge stopped by for a quick chat, signed the home run ball and handed over a pair of his batting gloves."That’s a moment that’s been seen around the world now," Judge said of the emotional exchange. "It just speaks volumes to the Blue Jays fans they have here.

BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. - A woman will spend one to two years in prison after stealing thousands from her 89-year-old grandmother.Rebecca Scott, 43, pled guilty to third-degree felonies of financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, theft by unlawful taking and access device fraud and forger.In court Wednesday, Scott admitted she stole and cashed her grandmother's check for $6,500, and ordered a box of checks to her home in Bensalem.She also said she attempted to take another $10,000 from her grandmother by altering another one of her checks, according to the Bucks County DA's Office.A judge, who described Scott as a "con woman," sentenced her to one year less a day to two years less a day in county jail, plus five years of probation. She was also ordered to repay all the money she stole with payments of $200 a month. "Scott is a serial thief who violated her 89-year-old grandmother’s trust," said District Attorney Matt Weintraub.Scott's grandmother reported she was a victim of financial exploitation in September 2021.She told officials that four checks went missing from her checkbook after her granddaughter made an unexpected visit.

Winnipeg Children’s Hospital Book Market say the fundraiser remains on hold and Winnipeggers are being asked to hold off on donating books for the normally-annual event.The book sale, traditionally held this time of year, has been on hiatus since the spring of 2020 when COVID-19 was first detected in Manitoba. Donating gifts to Children’s Hospital a different process this year, foundation says In a release Wednesday organizers say donations have been piling up ever since.“Volunteers have been unable to gather to sort and organize donated items,” reads the release.“Thanks to generous community members, there are still many donated books in storage and new ones cannot be accepted.”Winnipeggers are being asked not to drop books off at firehalls or Dufresne Furniture and Appliances stores until further notice.

Chrissy Metz is opening up in a new interview for VeryWell Mind, sharing her thoughts on the upcoming end of “This Is Us” in a cover story for the work-life issue.

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia man is facing federal charges for allegedly shooting a SWAT officer who was executing an arrest warrant at a Fairhill apartment building last February. United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams on Wednesday said 35-year-old Kristian Reyes was wanted by authorities for state probation and parole violations. Members of the Philadelphia Police Department's SWAT team went to arrest Reyes at a property on the 100 block of West Lehigh Avenue on Feb. 11, but they did not receive a response after announcing their presence, according to investigators. Officers breached the door and headed up a narrow stairwell to a third-floor apartment and knocked where they again announced their presence but received no response. A Philadelphia police SWAT officer was treated and released at a local hospital after police say he was shot in his bulletproof vest in North Philadelphia while serving a warrant.While waiting for equipment to gain access to the apartment, investigators say the leader of the SWAT team heard multiple popping sounds and realized he was shot in the vest. The officer was rushed to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

In the latest US COVID-19 developments, new poll findings highlight fairly high rates of hesitancy about vaccinating young children and the fact that people overwhelmingly feel safe at their worksites.

Though global COVID-19 cases overall continue to fall, illness levels rose in Africa and the Americas for the second week in a row, led by a trio of Omicron subvariants, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in its weekly pandemic update.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 13: Baby formula is offered for sale at a big box store on January 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) A baby formula shortage that’s forcing some stores to limit sales has gotten worse: In 26 states, 40-50% of major formula brands were sold out last week.According to analysis from Datasembly, which tracks pricing and other data for retailers, out-of-stock numbers for baby formula have increased 9 percentage points over a two-week period. For the week of April 24, 40% of major brands are sold out nationwide.

NEW YORK - Hip Hop legend Kidd Creole has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing a stranger with a steak knife on a Manhattan street.The stabbing death of a homeless man took place in 2017 in Midtown.  A Manhattan jury found him guilty of first degree manslaughter last month.Kidd Creole, whose real name is Nathaniel Glover, is one of the founding fathers of hip hop as The Kidd Creole of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.Police had charged him with second-degree murder in the death of 55-year-old John Jolly.Tourists found Jolly wounded on East 44th Street near 3rd Avenue just before midnight on an August 2017 night.

Trooper Joseph W. Czachorowski  PHILADELPHIA - A Pennsylvania state trooper has been suspended as he faces several drug charges.Joseph W.

COVID-19 patients already on ventilators don't benefit from remdesivir, but the antiviral drug offers a slight reduction in death or progression to ventilation among other hospitalized patients, according to final results from the adaptive World Health Organization's (WHO's) Solidarity randomized trial and an updated meta-analysis.

SAN DIEGO - Autism Society San Diego and Mainly Mozart recently held its annual "Lights! Camera! Autism! Back in the Spotlight!" at the University of California, San Diego, Park & Market on April 30. The event featured exhibits from two dozen artists who have autism. The event also featured musical performances from pianist/vocalist Bruce Kopstein of "Autism's Got Talent's 2021" of the Autism Society of San Diego. One artist was Joel Anderson. "I been doing art for such a long time," Anderson told FOX 5 San Diego.

LOS ANGELES - Dolly Parton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Wednesday, despite the country music legend’s decision to withdraw from the nomination in March. "I am honored and humbled by the fact that I have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," Dolly Parton wrote on social media. "Of course, I will accept it gracefully.