200,000 dead worldwide, WHO expresses reservations on immunity

The symbolic threshold of 200,000 deaths caused by the Covid-19 was crossed on Saturday, April 25, of which almost 90% in Europe and the United States.

• Nearly 2,500 dead in 24 hours in the United States

After passing the 50,000 mark due to Covid-19 on Friday, the United States recorded an additional 2,494 deaths in one day, according to a count released Saturday by the Johns-Hopkins University, which refers. This daily toll rose again after being the lowest, in almost three weeks the day before (1,258 deaths).

The country most mourning the pandemic in absolute terms, has a total of 53,511 deaths, and has recorded 936,293 confirmed infections since the onset of the disease.

Despite the containment recommendations advocated by the authorities, certain beaches in the country were frequented during this weekend of hot weather. In California, the county of Orange, unlike that of Los Angeles or San Diego, has not prohibited access to its beaches, but the expanse of sand is so large that it makes it possible to respect the safety distances. Local authorities had closed nearby car parks and jetties so as not to encourage a massive influx on these beaches.

Saturday, after 50 press briefings in two months, the White House did not hold any. US President Donald Trump tweeted on Saturday that his daily press conferences on the Covid-19 pandemic were not worth his time, two days after generating worldwide controversy over apparently treating disinfectant.

“What is the point of having press conferences in the White House when the Media Oriented only ask hostile questions and then refuse to report the truth or the facts accurately”, wrote the Republican President. “They have record audiences, and the American people are nothing but Fake News. It is not worth the time and effort! “, he tweeted.

• UK passes ‘tragic’ milestone of 20,000 dead

Europe remains the continent most affected by the disease with more than 120,000 deaths.

• TheItaly, the most bereaved European country with 26,384 dead, recorded Saturday, 415 new deaths from the virus, the lowest daily toll since March 17. This Saturday, April 25 was the day of national commemoration, and many Italians have thus intoned Bella ciao to celebrate the liberation of the country in 1945.
• TheSpain is the third most bereaved country in the world with 22,902 deaths, including 378 new deaths counted Saturday in 24 hours, a slight rebound compared to 367 of the previous day, which was a lowest for a month. Pedro Sanchez, the head of government, announced that the Spaniards, subject to extremely strict confinement, could go out to play sports or go for a walk from May 2 if the epidemic continued to slow down. From Sunday, 14-year-old children, who previously had to be kept confined, will be able to “Go out for a walk or play on the street once an day for an hour and within one kilometer of their home”
• With 20,319 deaths, or 813 more in 24 hours, the United Kingdom surpassed 20,000 hospital deaths on Saturday, a milestone “Deeply tragic”Interior Minister Priti Patel said as Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to business on Monday after suffering from Covid-19 illness himself. In addition to the daily figures, there are also deaths in retirement homes, which industry officials say number in the thousands.

As a proportion of the population, excluding micro-states, mortality is highest in Belgium (597 deaths per million inhabitants), ahead of Spain (490), Italy (436), France (346) and the United Kingdom (299). The United States (160) is far behind.

• WHO’s reservations on immunity

WHO showered on Saturday the hopes of those who bet on a possible immunity of people who have been confronted with Covid-19, at a time when some countries are implementing serological testing programs for deconfinement. The Italian government has thus announced the launch, from May 4, of the campaign on 150,000 people at the national level.

“There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from Covid-19 and who have antibodies are immune to a second infection”, warned the World Health Organization, urging continued efforts as the threat of a second deadly wave still looms.

According to the UN agency, “There are not enough elements” to assess the reliability of “Immune passports” and “The use of such certificates could increase the risk of transmission”, the people “Thinking they are immune” ignoring the health regulations.

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