New research from Switzerland presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) shows that people living in poorer neighbourhoods were less likely to be tested for COVID-19 but more likely to test positive, be hospitalised, or die, compared with those in more wealthy areas.

Four percent of newly diagnosed cancer cases in 2020 may by associated with drinking alcohol, according to a global study published in The Lancet Oncology,

The lack of sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 variants is imperilling the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, argues Dana Crawford of Case Western Reserve University in a new Viewpoint published recently in the journal PLOS Genetics.

The World Health Organization said on Friday that the second stage of an investigation into the origins of Covid-19 should include further studies in China and lab audits. 

The Star Health recently was in a conversation with Dr Sanjay Kisanrao Pathare, Director – Medical Services and Mr Kaiser Chowdhury, Director – Human Resources at Evercare Hospital Dhaka. Here is a snapshot for the readers.

Annually approximately 15 million babies are born prematurely worldwide. More than one million of them die shortly after birth and many suffer from various physical, neurological, or intellectual disabilities afterwards. In Bangladesh, the neonatal mortality rate is 30 per 1,000 live births, accounting for 67% of all under-5 deaths. 19% of these deaths are from premature births.

On Thursday night, there were 54 patients admitted to the Covid-19 unit of a privately-owned Sylhet Community Based Hospital in the city.

A Bangladesh Biman flight left the Beijing International Airport for Dhaka today with 10 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines bought from the Chinese state-owned enterprise Sinopharm.

Sumon Hossen, a student of Dhaka University, died of Covid-19 in his village home in Jhenaidah yesterday. He was a student of the Anthropology Department of Dhaka University.

British health minister Sajid Javid on Saturday said he had tested positive for Covid-19, but added that his symptoms were mild and he was thankful to have had had two doses of vaccine against the disease.

Oxygen crisis at the privately-owned Sylhet Community Based Hospital led to the death of a Covid-19 patient early Friday.

France will allow international travelers who have had AstraZeneca’s Indian-manufactured vaccine into the country starting Sunday.

Two hundred and four people died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8am today, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Amid a rise in the number of dengue patients, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported 81 more new cases across the country in 24 hours until this morning.

Sixteen patients died at the Covid unit of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital till 8 this morning.

Four people died of Covid-19 and rest with Covid-like symptoms in Barishal division in 24 hours till this morning.

US President Joe Biden on Friday said social media platforms like Facebook "are killing people" for allowing misinformation about coronavirus vaccines to be posted on its platform, as the administration continued criticizing the company.

Eleven patients died while undergoing treatment at the Covid units of two Khulna hospitals in 24 hours till 8am today.

The doses for Bangladesh will arrive on Monday, a White House official said.

The Delta variant of Covid-19 is now the dominant strain worldwide, accompanied by a surge of deaths around the United States almost entirely among unvaccinated people, US officials said Friday.