More than a year into the pandemic, deaths in Brazil are now at their peak. But despite the overwhelming evidence that COVID-19 rarely kills young children, in Brazil 1,300 babies have died from the virus. One doctor refused to test Jessika Ricarte's one-year-old son for COVID, saying his symptoms did not fit the profile of the virus.

Among COVID-19 patients, a lack of exercise is linked to more severe symptoms and a higher risk of death, according to a study covering nearly 50,000 people who were infected with the virus.People physically inactive for at least two years before the pandemic were more likely to be hospitalised, to require intensive care, and to die, researchers reported on Tuesday (13 April) in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.As a risk factor for serious COVID-19 disease, physical inactivity was surpa

Almost 40 Thai provinces have brought in entry restrictions and quarantine requirements for people travelling from Bangkok and other coronavirus hotspots ahead of a holiday travel period, as the capital grapples with soaring infections.On Sunday the government announced 967 new infections, bringing the overall tally to more than 32,000.Separately, health officials in the northern city of Chiang Mai flagged a further 281 cases that were likely to be included in Monday's national figures.B

A group of international scientists called for a new investigation into the origins of COVID-19 on Wednesday after China and the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a scrutinised report last week concluding that the virus most likely came from wildlife instead of a laboratory.24 scientists from Europe, the United States (US), Australia and Japan issued an open letter, which was obtained by The New York Times, that analysed steps to complete a more comprehensive investigation.&qu

China has called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to take the lead in respecting the conclusions of scientists, a day after the international body's director-general faulted the findings of a mission to study the origins of COVID-19 in China."We need to respect science and respect the opinions and the conclusions reached by scientists," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying told a daily briefing in Beijing on Wednesday (31 March).

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the economic backlash of the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out some 81 million jobs in Asia-Pacific last year. Moreover, millions of other workers were also asked to reduce their work hours.

The world should be prepared for the coronavirus to continue to circulate long-term despite the roll-out of vaccines, the head of the European Union’s (EU) European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) health agency, Andrea Ammon, said on Friday."We should be prepared that it will remain with us," the head of the Stockholm-based health agency said in an interview with AFP."It seems more likely that it would stay.

Christmas and Thailand's love of elephants combined Wednesday when four of the giant creatures dressed as Santa turned up at a school just outside Bangkok, complete with huge coronavirus masks.Excited children from Jirasat Wittaya School in Ayutthaya, an hour's drive from the capital, sang Christmas carols and lined up to have their photos taken with the animals in the annual tradition.The elephants, Sri Mongkon, 14, Sri Raya, 6, Peter, 15, and King Kaew, 18, used their trunks to ca

Thailand's biggest seafood market and the surrounding area were locked down Saturday to contain a coronavirus outbreak, after the country's largest spike in cases since the pandemic began.Despite being the first place to register an infection outside China, the kingdom had been mostly unscathed by the pandemic, with just over 4,000 cases and 60 deaths so far.But on Saturday night, authorities announced 548 positive cases connected to a seafood market.

The world has been battling the coronavirus pandemic for more than 10 months now. People are slowly adapting to a new normal amid the crisis, such as physical distancing and mask wearing. However, they are still getting infected every day, with more than 50 million COVID-19 cases reported worldwide.