WHO Warns Of Oxygen Shortage In Ukraine’s Hospitals
Citing risks in trucking fresh oxygen across the country, the World Health Organization called for safe passage for emergency oxygen around Ukraine. Meanwhile, in Sweden an inquiry into the government's response to covid, controversially hands-off at first, found it was slow and misguided.
Reuters:
Medical Oxygen Running Out In Ukraine As War Rages, WHO Warns
Ukraine is running out of oxygen supplies that critically ill people need, the World Health Organization said on Sunday, calling for safe passage for emergency imports as combat rages. "The oxygen supply situation is nearing a very dangerous point in Ukraine. Trucks are unable to transport oxygen supplies from plants to hospitals across the country, including the capital Kyiv," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said in a statement. (2/27)
CNBC:
Russia Invasion Ukraine: Hospitals Could Run Out Of Oxygen Supplies In 24 Hours, WHO
Ukrainian hospitals could run out of oxygen supplies in the next 24 hours as Russia’s invasion disrupts transportation across the country, putting thousands of more lives at risk, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO, in a statement Sunday, said trucks are unable to transport oxygen supplies from plants to hospitals around the country, including the capital, Kyiv, which faced a barrage of Russian missile attacks overnight. (Kimball, 2/27)
In news from Europe —
Bloomberg:
Swedish Covid Inquiry Finds Fault With Nation’s Initial Response
Sweden’s initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic was partly misguided and slow, according to the findings of a government-appointed commission. However, the commission’s final report concluded that the country did relatively well during the pandemic. Sweden was one of the nations in Europe that had the lowest level of excess mortality in 2020 and 2021, despite a policy that shunned many of the harsh restrictions elsewhere on the continent. As death rates surged in early 2020, Sweden kept shops, restaurants and most schools open--a response that was blasted by critics at the time. The agency responsible for the strategy argued that all aspects of public health should be taken into account, including restricting people’s movements. It also said that a sustainable strategy should rely mainly on people’s willingness to adjust their lives voluntarily to help curb transmission. (Rolander, 2/25)
CNBC:
Europe’s Travel Rules Are Dropping As Fast As Its Covid Cases
Travel restrictions are quickly disappearing in Europe, with new announcements coming by the week — and, more recently, by the day. Changes to eliminate Covid-related travel rules gained momentum in January, as a wave of omicron-related infections engulfed the continent. But parts of Europe didn’t wait to act. Citing high vaccination rates and the mildness of most omicron infections, nations moved to drop rules deemed no longer effective in the global fight against Covid-19. (Pitrelli, 2/28)
And around the rest of the world —
The New York Times:
Hong Kong Hospitals Can’t Keep Up With The Deaths Amid An Omicron Surge
Dead bodies are piling up on gurneys in hospital hallways as Hong Kong’s health system is overloaded by its biggest Covid-19 outbreak of the pandemic. Officials said they were struggling to move the dead to the city’s public morgues quickly enough after more than 400 people died from Covid-19 last week, according to the latest official statistics. The news comes as the city is struggling to tamp down on an Omicron-fueled outbreak, with more than 26,000 cases and 83 deaths reported on Sunday. (Stevenson, 2/27)
Bloomberg:
Hong Kong Pharmacies Run Out Of Flu Meds Amid Covid Panic Buying
Hong Kong’s pharmacies are running out of flu and cold medicines as residents stock up on essential supplies to ride out any potential lockdowns in a city overwhelmed by record Covid-19 cases and surging deaths. There’s been a run on Panadol, a popular brand of the pain reliever paracetamol, and the drug was mostly unavailable Monday at local chains including Watsons and Mannings, as well as online shopping platform HKTVMall. Other medicines such as Mucinex, Fluimucil and Fortune Coltalin were also out of stock. (Zheng, 2/28)
AP:
South Korea Posts Virus Death Record
South Korea on Saturday reported its deadliest day of the pandemic, with 112 fatalities in a 24-hour period as it grapples with a wave of coronavirus infections driven by the omicron variant. (2/27)
AP:
Travelers To New Zealand Will No Longer Need To Isolate
New Zealand is ending a requirement that incoming travelers isolate themselves as it continues to remove coronavirus border protections in the face of a growing domestic outbreak. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday said the requirement that vaccinated travelers isolate for a week after arriving would end on Wednesday. Initially the changes will apply only to returning New Zealanders, as tourists are still not allowed to visit. Travelers will still need to test negative for the virus before leaving and after arriving. (Perry, 2/28)
