WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION:latest on COVID-19

 

View this email in your browser More Info on WHO’s response to the pandemic Latest on COVID-19 COVID-19: Serology, antibodies and immunity Does the presence of antibodies mean that a person is immune? Can people who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection be re-infected? What is herd immunity? Find out here!  SARS-CoV-2 evolution SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, changes more slowly than other viruses such as HIV or influenza viruses. This is in part due to the fact that SARS-CoV-2 has an internal “proofreading mechanism” which corrects mistakes when it makes copies of itself. COVID-19 vaccine trials Learn what scientists look for in the different phases of a clinical trial for a vaccine. What does it mean when a vaccine trial is halted due to an adverse event? WHO’s Dr Kate O’Brien explains in Science in 5 this week. Augmented reality course on personal protective equipment The WHO Academy has launched its first augmented reality course for health workers on the proper use of personal protective equipment. The free short course is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.  More Info on WHO’s response to the pandemic Other hot topics World leaders join forces to fight drug resistance The heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and the World Health Organization (WHO) today launched the new One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.  This group of global leaders will advocate for urgent action to combat antimicrobial resistance and ensure the availability of important medicines for the future. Find out more World Antimicrobial Awareness Week A cervical cancer-free future: First ever global commitment to eliminate a cancer WHO‘s Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer outlines three key steps: vaccination, screening and treatment. Successful implementation of all three could reduce more than 40% of new cases of the disease and 5 million related deaths by 2050. Find out more 11th Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo declared over 18 November marked the end of the 11th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, nearly six months after the first cases were reported in Equateur Province. The outbreak took place in communities scattered across dense rain forests as well as crowded urban areas, creating logistical challenges. These were surmounted due to the leadership of the government and local communities, supported by WHO and partners. Find out more