COVID-19 Updates

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Directorate of Education Standards at the Ministry of Education will conduct compliance inspection of schools to ascertain the levels of implementation of the standard operating procedures. The exercise whose mode of operation is yet to be communicated comes at the time when there are …

London, UK | Xinhua | The antiviral drug remdesivir should not be used to treat COVID-19 patients no matter how ill they are as there is no evidence it works, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. “The … panel found a lack of evidence that remdesivir improved outcomes that …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | At least 50 percent of all the COVID-19 patients admitted at Mulago Hospital’s intensive care unit-ICU succumb to the disease, according to medics at the facility. According to records, the facility has lost at least 41 out of the 77 patients admitted with breathing difficulties. …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Xinhua | The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the African continent has surpassed 2 million, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Thursday. The latest figures from the continental disease control and prevention agency showed that a total of 2,013,388 cases …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has warned against using the COVID-19 pandemic to violate different human rights during the ongoing election campaigns. Kadaga made the statement during the Thursday afternoon plenary session in which legislators took to the floor to condemn arrests of different …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Democratic Party – DP presidential candidate Norbert Mao has resolved to pursue private prosecution of popular musician and National Resistance Movement – NRM mobilizer Moses Ssali popularly known as Bebe Cool. Mao told Uganda Radio Network – URN in an interview that he has …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The continued closure of bars by the government is posing more health risks to Ugandans as a number of bar operators have decided to operate illegally, according to the beverage distributors. The distributors and wholesalers of the alcoholic drinks say that many bar owners have …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) are not reliable in clinically diagnosing the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) has found. Dr. Pontiano Kaleebu, the Executive Director of UVRI told a meeting of COVID-19 researchers on Wednesday that they have screened more than 20 …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Medics treating COVID-19 patients and those carrying out testing of samples want the government to introduce alternative tests for COVID-19. Currently, the government recommends the use of PCR tests as the best way to determine whether someone has COVID-19 or not. The tests are estimated …

Mainz, Germany | THE INDEPENDENT | Drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech have conclude Phase 3 Study of their COVID-19 Vaccine candidate BNT162b2 , whose primary efficacy analysis demonstrates it to be 95% effective against COVID-19 beginning 28 days after the first dose. According to a statement, efficacy was consistent across …