Brazil recorded its first case of COVID-19 on February 26, 2020, in a 61-year-old man from Sao Paolo who had been infected on a trip to Italy. The first death, of a 57-year-old domestic worker named Rosana Aparecida Urbano, was registered on March 12. A year later, over 250,000 people have died of COVID-19 and some 10.3 million have been infected. At least according to the official figures. Experts assume the real numbers are much higher, but the lack of testing makes it difficult to confirm. And yet even the official figures are shocking enough. Only the US and India have had more cases, and only the US has seen more deaths. In January, Australian think tank the Lowy Institute ranked Brazil lowest in a comparison of the performance of 98 countries in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Many blame President Jair Messias Bolsonaro. At the beginning of the global pandemic, he announced that the coronavirus was nothing more than a "little flu" or a "cold." He claimed repeatedly that … [Read more...] about Brazil: Over 250,000 COVID-19 deaths in one year
Allergy like symptoms
Girl could die from fitting 13 times a day with condition ’caused by bullying’
A teenage girl faces sudden death on a daily basis as a result of a condition that her family believes is caused by bullying. Kayleigh O'Connor, 18, has a rare problem called non-epileptic attack disorder, or NEAD. Each day, she can suffer up to 13 seizures a day. As a result, she can seriously hurt herself, and has a catalogue of injuries including falling down the stairs, scalding herself and banging her head on a table. Kayleigh, from West Bromwich, also suffers from Todd's Paralysis - which can lead to stroke-like symptoms, robbing the teenager of the use of her left side and affecting her speech for up to three days. NEAD cannot be treated by medication, only therapy, reports Birmingham Live . And it's a condition that her family believes was triggered by bullying. In fact, things got so bad that Kayleigh was forced to change schools. Kayleigh can have up to nine fits in a row and can stop breathing during extreme episodes. She had two seizures on Monday … [Read more...] about Girl could die from fitting 13 times a day with condition ’caused by bullying’
Mum desperate for daughter to have surgery as breast implants are ‘slowly killing her’
A concerned mum is worried breast implants will kill her daughter unless they are removed as soon as possible. Charlotte Evonston, from Manchester, has lived with severe illnesses for years since having breast implant surgery when she was 21. The 34-year-old has been admitted into hospital several times and believes the illnesses are linked to her breast implants, reports the Manchester Evening News. Breast implant illness is not currently recognised as an official medical diagnosis but according to Breastcancer.org, the term is used to refer to a wide range of symptoms that can develop after undergoing reconstruction or cosmetic augmentation with breast implants. Some women have reported that surgery to remove their implants has completely resolved their symptoms. Charlotte, who has a five-year-old daughter, has been told by doctors that she suffers with 'severe allergies' and has been treated with steroids. Her mum Gina said her daughter has been rushed into hospital … [Read more...] about Mum desperate for daughter to have surgery as breast implants are ‘slowly killing her’
Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op issue urgent food recalls – full list
Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Co-op have are among the supermarkets to issue important recalls for food products this week. People who shop at discounter Lidl have been warned about a brand of beef and pork mince that may contain pieces of plastic that would make the product "unsafe to eat". Tesco has recalled a pack of biscuits with a specific best-before date because they contain peanuts which are not mentioned on the label and pose a possible health risk to people with allergies. Morrisons and Sainsbury's are among the supermarkets recalling range of fried chicken products over fears of salmonella. The recalls have been posted on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website with customers urged to return products to stores for refunds, BirminghamLive reports. Have you purchased any of these items? Let us know in the comments below Point-of-sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this products. Do not eat any of the products … [Read more...] about Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op issue urgent food recalls – full list
South Africa variant: Where in the UK was it found, is it more deadly and do vaccines work?
Testing will continue to take place in various parts of the UK to detect "every single case" of the South African variant. It has already been found in some parts of the country - and everyone in these areas over the age of 16 will be "strongly encouraged" to take a COVID test after cases were found that could not easily be linked to those who had travelled to South Africa. Here, Sky News answers questions about the South African variant, and how it works. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world What is the new variant? Advertisement This variant could be described as similar to the Kent variant plus a bit more - as it has the same mutation as the one found in southeast England, as well as two others. It is not uncommon for viruses to mutate similarly, and the fact that these two variants have some of the same mutations does not mean they spread from a single point, said Dr Simon Clarke, an associate professor in … [Read more...] about South Africa variant: Where in the UK was it found, is it more deadly and do vaccines work?