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 England's infections down 30% during national lockdown
COVID-19 infections have fallen by 30% during England's month-long
national lockdown and the virus is now in retreat, a large-scale
study of more than 100,000 volunteers showed on Monday.
England began its second national lockdown on Nov. 5 to curb rapidly
rising infections and protect its health system. The country is due
to return to a regional approach to restrictions from Dec. 2.
The prevalence of the disease was still high, a statement issued by
the health department said, though it showed a sharp decrease in
several areas of northern England which are due to enter the
toughest tier of restrictions next week.
Singaporean gives birth to baby with COVID-19 antibodies
A Singaporean woman, who was infected with the novel coronavirus in
March when she was pregnant, has given birth to a baby with
antibodies against the virus, offering a new clue as to whether the
infection can be transferred from mother to child.
The baby was born this month without COVID-19 but with the virus
antibodies, the Straits Times newspaper reported on Sunday, citing
the mother. (https://bit.ly/33I0liL)
"My doctor suspects I have transferred my COVID-19 antibodies to him
during my pregnancy," Celine Ng-Chan told the paper. To date, the
active virus has not been found in samples of fluid around the baby
in the womb or in breast milk.
New York City public schools to reopen with weekly testing
New York City's public schools will begin to reopen for in-person
learning on Dec. 7, starting with elementary schools for students
whose parents agree to a weekly testing regimen for the novel
coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sunday.
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The schools, which make up the country's largest school system, were closed less
than two weeks ago after the citywide rate of coronavirus tests coming back
positive exceeded a 3% benchmark agreed to by the mayor and the teachers' union.
"It's a new approach because we have so much proof now of how safe schools can
be," de Blasio told reporters, saying the 3% benchmark was being scrapped and
pointing to research that shows young children appear to be less vulnerable to
COVID-19. On Sunday, the city's seven-day rolling average of positive tests was
3.9%, de Blasio said.
Certain blood groups less likely to get COVID-19
A large study adds to evidence that people with type O or Rh-negative blood may
be at slightly lower risk from the new coronavirus.
Among 225,556 Canadians who were tested for the virus, the risk for a COVID-19
diagnosis was 12% lower and the risk for severe COVID-19 or death was 13% lower
in people with blood group O versus those with A, AB, or B, researchers reported
on Tuesday in Annals of Internal Medicine.
People in any blood group who were Rh-negative were also somewhat protected,
especially if they had O-negative blood. People in these blood type groups may
have developed antibodies that can recognize some aspect of the new virus,
coauthor Dr. Joel Ray of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto told Reuters. "Our
next study will specifically look at such antibodies, and whether they explain
the protective effect," Ray said.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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