A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis could help to save the lives of patients with severe COVID, researchers have found, and they say its benefits can be seen even when it is used on top of other medications.Experts involved in the Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (Recovery) trial say baricitinib, an anti-inflammatory drug taken as a tablet, can reduce the risk of death from severe COVID by about a fifth.However, they add that when the impact of other medications used alongside

One of Hong Kong's top coronavirus experts on Thursday joined a growing chorus of criticism over plans to test the entire city, saying doing so during its worst-ever outbreak would have little impact.The Asian financial hub is registering tens of thousands of new cases each day, overwhelming hospitals and shattering the city's zero-COVID strategy.China has ordered local officials to stamp out the current wave even as studies estimate as many as a quarter of the city's residents

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:Anti-Virus Pill Gets Green Light The World Health Organization (WHO) says Merck's anti-COVID pill, molnupiravir, should be taken by sufferers who have mild symptoms but are at high risk of hospitalisation, such as older people or the unvaccinated.France To End Vaccine Pass France will on 14 March end most COVID-19 restrictions and scrap its vaccine pass for eating out or attending cultural events, prime minister

Phoebe Garrett has attended university lectures without catching COVID; she even hosted a party where everyone subsequently tested positive except her.

Two years after the official start of the pandemic, some countries are now trying to "live with COVID", however scientists warn that potential new variants and unequal vaccination rates threaten any long-awaited return to normality.When United States (US) global health researcher Christopher Murray wrote "COVID-19 will continue but the end of the pandemic is near", in The Lancet medical journal in late January, he summed up the hopes of many national health authorities aro

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution that "demands" Russia "immediately" withdraw from Ukraine, in a powerful rebuke of Moscow's invasion by a vast majority of the world's nations.After more than two days of extraordinary debate, which saw the Ukrainian ambassador accuse Russia of genocide, 141 out of 193 UN member states voted for the non-binding resolution.China was among the 35 countries which abstained, whi

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:Hong Kong Chaos Hospitals are swamped and supermarket shelves empty as Hong Kong battles its worst COVID outbreak to date with plans to test the entire population and isolate everybody infected.US Warns Against HK Travel The United States (US) warns citizens against travelling to Hong Kong, citing the risk of children who test positive being separated from their parents.New Zealand Protests New Zealand anti-

Overflowing hospitals, empty supermarket shelves and grim quarantine camps – Hong Kong is in chaos battling a ballooning COVID outbreak in a business hub once renowned for its efficiency.Many locals are fuming at the government's failure to prepare after winning rare breathing room with two years of an economically painful but largely successful zero-COVID strategy.Other countries that deployed zero-COVID such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore are now learning to live with the viru

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:Queen Elizabeth II Back To Work Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, 95, holds two virtual audiences after she was forced to cancel engagements last week since catching the virus.Zero Deaths In South Africa South Africa records zero virus deaths for two days, for the first time since May 2020, health authorities say.Hong Kong Panic Buying Hong Kongers strip shop shelves bare amid panic buying over fears that t

The Ukraine-Russia crisis is posing a major challenge for China on many fronts.The ever-closer diplomatic relationship between Russia and China could be seen at the Winter Games with Mr Putin coming to Beijing as one of only a handful of known world leaders to attend.Significantly, Mr Putin waited until just after the Games were over to recognise the two breakaway regions of Ukraine and send in troops to back them.In its public pronouncements, the Chinese government has urged all sides to de-