SEOUL: South Korea will begin treating coronavirus patients with Pfizer's antiviral pills on Friday , health officials said, as concern mounts over the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
The medication will be used to treat more than 1,000 people a day, with priority groups including patients with a high chance of developing critical symptoms, those aged 65 or older and those with reduced immunity, the KDCA said.Paxlovid was nearly 90 per cent effective in preventing hospitalisations and deaths in patients at high risk of severe illness, and data suggested it retains its effectiveness against Omicron, Pfizer has said.
Since shortly after the pandemic began, the country of 52 million people has been among the coronavirus mitigation success stories, with 679,030 cases in all and 6,210 deaths, achieved largely with masks and social distancing. Health officials have warned it could this month become dominant, as it has in the United States and much of Europe, and daily tallies could soar up to an unprecedented 20,000 next month.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
South African studies suggest Omicron has higher 'asymptomatic carriage'JOHANNESBURG - Preliminary findings from two South African clinical trials suggest the Omicron coronavirus variant has a much higher rate of 'asymptomatic carriage' than earlier variants, which could explain why it has spread so rapidly across the globe. The studies - one of which was carried out when Omicron infections were surging in South Africa last month and another which...
Source: asiaonecom - 🏆 10. / 59 Read more »
Commentary: Why a North Korean defected to South Korea then went homeGiven the discrimination and bullying North Korean defectors in South Korean face, it's no surprise that some rather tolerate poor living conditions in North Korea than endure more social stigmatisation in South Korea, says an international relations professor. Their spying mission was complete.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Apple plans to allow alternative payment systems in South Korea - regulatorSEOUL : South Korea's telecommunications regulator on Tuesday said Apple Inc has submitted plans to allow third-party payment systems on its app store, to comply with a new law banning major app store operators from forcing software developers to use their payments systems.Apple's announcement comes after
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Bank of Korea likely to hike rates again over high inflation, household debtBENGALURU : The Bank of Korea is likely to raise its policy rate back to where it was before the pandemic on Friday, a Reuters poll found, as it looks to restrain rising inflation and the increasing debt that households are taking on to buy property.Twenty-five of 35 economists who answered a Jan. 5-11 Re
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Apple submits plans to allow alternative payment systems in S Korea - regulatorSEOUL : South Korea's telecommunications regulator said on Tuesday that Apple had submitted plans to allow third-party payment systems on its app store, to comply with a law banning major app store operators from forcing software developers to use their payments systems.The Korea Communications Commission So what do also get apple to do that in singapore?
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Explainer-N.Korea tests 'hypersonic missiles' in global race for new rocketsNorth Korea began the New Year with increasingly capable missile tests, including at least one it claims was a hypersonic missile, amid an intensifying race for the next generation of long-range weapons that are harder to detect and intercept. South Korean military officials have cast doubts https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-casts-doubts-north-koreas-hypersonic-missile-claims-2022-01-07 on North Korea's claim a missile fired last week was hypersonic, but on Tuesday officials in Seoul said the North appeared to have test fired https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkorea-launches-possible-ballistic-missile-japan-says-2022-01-10 another missile that flew at relatively low altitudes at up to 10 times the speed of sound (12,348 kmh/7,673 mph). North Korea did not immediately confirm the launch.
Source: YahooSG - 🏆 3. / 71 Read more »