
World May 6, 2022
Death toll during pandemic far exceeds totals reported by countries, WHO says
Nearly 15 million more people died during the pandemic than would have in normal times, the WHO has said, a staggering measure of COVID-19’s true toll.
For Benjamin Mueller's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Nearly 15 million more people died during the pandemic than would have in normal times, the WHO has said, a staggering measure of COVID-19’s true toll.
Even two years into the pandemic, the coronavirus remains new enough, and its long-term effects unpredictable enough, that measuring the threat posed by an infection is a thorny problem.
The city's conflagration of cases is now killing people at a rate exceeding that of almost any country since the coronavirus emerged.
Two new studies represent a significant salvo in the debate over the origins of a pandemic that has killed nearly 6 million people and sickened 400 million more.
People who find themselves alone after a significant knock to the head are at higher risk of harm.
While the rapid spread of the omicron variant offers hope for "stabilization and normalization,” it comes with a heavy dose of caution, as many obstacles to taming the pandemic remain.
The breakthroughs behind the vaccines unfolded over decades, little by little, as scientists across the world pursued research in disparate areas.
By shortening the recommended isolation period, federal health officials hope to minimize disruptions to the economy and everyday life.
The report will revive the debate over whether the pandemic started with a spillover from wildlife sold at the market, a leak from a Wuhan virology lab or some other way.
"It’s a moral issue,” said a doctor in Malawi. "This is something rich countries should be thinking about. It’s their conscience. It’s how they define themselves.”