Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Feeling angry? The 'Rage Room' opens in Sao Paulo
Feeling frustrated and stressed out? Brazilians now have a place to vent their anger and fury in the newly opened "Rage Room." Inside a warehouse on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, people are able to swing giant hammers at old televisions, computers and printers, demolishing the machines, and shattering the glass into tiny pieces.
Cold, lack of water overwhelm Texas hospitals more than COVID-19 did
Texas doctor Natasha Kathuria has practiced medicine in 11 countries, worked through the 2014 "Snowmageddon" storm that ground Atlanta to a halt, and survived the past year's COVID-19 pandemic crush. But Kathuria and some other doctors in Texas are saying they have never seen a more harrowing week than this one.
Italian doctors remember night that ushered in Europe's first COVID-19 lockdown
A year ago, Laura Ricevuti and Annalisa Malara, both doctors at Codogno hospital in Italy, had a hunch that something was different about a patient in the intensive care ward. Their decision to take matters into their own hands wound up triggering a national emergency - they had identified the first case of COVID-19 in the area that would become Europe's first lockdown zone.
A year into pandemic, Mexico's healthcare workers fight fatigue and stress
When the coronavirus pandemic reached Mexico a year ago, it kicked off a marathon of strenuous shifts for thousands of healthcare and funeral home workers in a country that has registered more than 2 million infections and 178,000 deaths. With the pandemic still largely uncontrolled, professionals in the thick of the emergency are increasingly grappling with the fatigue, stress and frustration of their daily jobs.
Russia approves its third COVID-19 vaccine, CoviVac
Russia on Saturday approved a third coronavirus vaccine for domestic use, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on state TV, though large-scale clinical trials of the shot, labelled CoviVac and produced by the Chumakov Centre, have yet to begin.
Russia has already approved two COVID-19 vaccines, including the Sputnik V shot, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, following a similar approach of granting approval before seeing any late-stage trial results.
Pfizer submits data showing COVID-19 vaccine's stability at higher temperatures
Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech SE said on Friday they have submitted new data to the U.S. health regulator showing the stability of their COVID-19 vaccine at temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators.
Ireland won't consider re-opening hospitality before mid-summer: PM
Ireland will not consider re-opening its hospitality sector before mid-summer due to the high level of COVID-19 infections in the country, Prime Minister Micheál Martin said on Saturday. Bars, restaurants, cafes and hotels have been closed in Ireland for much of the past 12 months, with the latest national lockdown in place since late December.
Britain reports 10,406 new COVID-19 cases, first vaccine doses pass 17 million
Britain on Saturday reported 10,406 new COVID-19 cases, government statistics showed, and a total of 17.2 million people have now received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. There were 445 more deaths recorded within 28 days of positive coronavirus test.
Russia reports world's first case of human infection with H5N8 bird flu
Russia has registered the first case of a strain of bird flu virus named A(H5N8) being passed to humans from birds and has reported the matter to the World Health Organization (WHO), Anna Popova, head of consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said on Saturday. Outbreaks of the H5N8 strain have been reported in Russia, Europe, China, the Middle East and North Africa in recent months but so far only in poultry. Other strains - H5N1, H7N9 and H9N2 - have been known https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/influenza-(avian-and-other-zoonotic) to spread to humans.
COVID sickness dropped 95.8% after both Pfizer shots: Israeli Health Ministry
The risk of illness from COVID-19 dropped 95.8% among people who received both shots of Pfizer's vaccine, Israel's Health Ministry said on Saturday. The vaccine was also 98% effective in preventing fever or breathing problems and 98.9% effective in preventing hospitalizations and death, the ministry said.
