COVID-

As the Covid-19 crisis escalates in the U.S., the scramble for an effective vaccine is about to collide with the electoral calendar. Pfizer (ticker: PFE) says it will seek Food and Drug Administration authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine as early as October. The federal government’s Covid-19 vaccine program, meanwhile, says it wants AstraZeneca’s (AZN) vaccine…

By Alice Klein Empty streets in Melbourne, Australia, where lockdown rules are in place to limit the spread of coronavirusDANIEL POCKETT/AAP/PA Images Australia was tantalisingly close to eliminating the coronavirus, but is now seeing a surge in new cases. What went wrong and can it regain control? The country was initially able to contain covid-19 by…

A doctor in protective gear prepares her equipment before testing a patient for Covid-19.(Moeketsi Mamne) Diabetics with Covid-19 were more likely to require admission to ICU, a few studies suggest.UCT's endocrinology head said 80% of the diabetics who were hospitalised with severe symptoms, only tested for the first time upon admission.Just over 40% of those…

The health department has looked at the feasibility of a system to monitor people's location and movements using cellphone data.It concluded active contact tracing would be a better solution.A digital contact tracing system currently in use allows individuals to receive their results and share contacts.The national health department looked at the feasibility of a surveillance…

By Clare Wilson , Jessica Hamzelou , Adam Vaughan , Conrad Quilty-Harper and Layal Liverpool UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a digital press conference in 10 Downing Street todayAndrew Parsons / No 10 Downing St Latest coronavirus news as of 5 pm on 17 July New plans announced for further easing of restrictions in…