COVID-19: WHO urges caution after Denmark the latest country to drop all restrictions

Two doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford, Pfizer/BioNTech, or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine offered limited protection against symptomatic infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, and although a third dose with any of the three vaccines boosted effectiveness substantially, it waned a bit over time.

Authorities in Germany this week seized a lavish $600 million yacht belonging to a Russian oligarch, according to reports.The Dilbar, a 512-foot vessel belonging to billionaire Alisher Usmanov, was taken over by authorities while it was being refitted in a German shipyard, Forbes reported.The business magazine learned about the move Wednesday, just two days after Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union as part of its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the report said.The EU has accused Usmanov of being a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a supporter of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, the Washington Examiner reported.Usmanov on Tuesday confirmed that financial actions had been taken against him."On 28 February 2022 I became the target of restrictive measures imposed by the European Union I believe that such decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity, and business reputation," he wrote Tuesday.The statement was posted on the website of the International Fencing Federation, where the former professional fencer served as president since 2008 until stepping down Monday, the Examiner reported.The Dilbar had been undergoing work at a shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, since October, according to Forbes. Employees of Blohm+Voss, the shipbuilding firm overseeing the project, were not at work Wednesday, the report said.German shipbuilder Lurssen, which built the Dilbar, claims it’s the world’s largest motor yacht by gross tonnage, weighing nearly 16,000 tons, according to Forbes.When operating, the ship has a crew of 96 people.

Operatic soprano Anna Netrebko performs in a concert at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 18, 2021.

SILVER SPRING, Md. - During an afternoon press conference, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services said there are several "unaccounted for" tenants they are searching for. Officials do not have an exact number of how many people are missing. The search will continue through the night. Authorities say 10 people have been transported after an explosion and fire led to a structural collapse that destroyed part of an apartment complex in Silver Spring Thursday morning.The fire was reported around 10:30 a.m.

KEIGHLEY, England - A large fire on Thursday destroyed a 19th-century mill in England, which has been featured in "Peaky Blinders," "Downton Abbey" and other television shows and films.The flames broke out around 12 p.m. local time at Dalton Mills, an old textile factory located in the town of Keighley in England’s West Yorkshire, the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said."We currently have fire engines & specialist units in attendance at a fire at Dalton Mills, Keighley.

SILVER SPRING, Md. - A Silver Spring resident's security camera captured video of the moment an explosion tore through an apartment complex in Montgomery County sending 10 people to the hospital and leaving much of the building in ruins.10 TRANSPORTED IN SILVER SPRING APARTMENT BUILDING BLASTAmrit Gautam's camera was positioned directly across from the building in the Friendly Garden Apartment complex on Lyttonsville Road when at around 10:30 a.m. the explosion happened.Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and WeatherVideo shows a fireball and cloud of smoke pushing through the outer wall of the structure followed by a loud eruption.

Most of the Thompson family members are shown on the left; on the right is "M," whom they're trying to rescue and adopt from Ukraine. (Colleen Thompson) As Russia continues its attack against Ukraine, Colleen Thompson of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday about her family's desperate efforts to help orphans in Ukraine get out of the country safely.One orphan in particular, "M," is a future member of their family — a teenage girl whom the family had begun the process of adopting about three years ago.

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia judge will let a jury weigh criminal charges against an Amtrak engineer charged in a deadly 2015 derailment — although she expressed skepticism that the trial evidence this past week supports the charges.The on-again, off-again case against engineer Brandon Bostian, 38, could go to a jury Thursday afternoon. The charges include causing a catastrophe, involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.Eight people died and more than 200 people were injured when the train rounded a curve at more than twice the speed limit and derailed.In court Thursday, Common Pleas Court Judge Barbara McDermott said she was reserving judgment on whether or not the evidence was sufficient to prove the crimes charged.

Last Thursday, LHSC was caring for 50 COVID-19 patients with seven in adult intensive care.There are five or fewer COVID-19 inpatients in Children’s Hospital with five or fewer in pediatric critical care. The same figures were reported last Thursday. LHSC says of its 44 COVID-19 inpatients, 15 are being treated for COVID-19, while 29 are being treated with COVID-19, meaning they were admitted for a different reason and were found to have an incidental COVID-19 infection.

COVID-19 will soon become a matter of personal choice rather than an obligation.The province announced Wednesday that mask mandates will be lifted by mid-April at the latest, but Luc Boileau said Thursday that the change could happen as soon as the third week of March.Boileau told a news conference that he’s encouraged by recent projections that indicate cases and hospitalizations have continued to decline.

AMES, Iowa - Going for a long jog or taking a brisk walk could increase the benefits of the COVID-19 shot, a new study finds.The findings, published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity, demonstrate that 90 minutes of exercise after immunization of the vaccine increases antibody response several weeks later across several models.According to the study’s researchers, a total of 68 people were included in the final analysis, which analyzed the effects of exercise on different influenza vaccines or the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, 75 mice were included in experiments to determine the minutes of exercise required to increase antibody response to the influenza vaccine.In the experiments involving the COVID-19 vaccine, participants were randomly assigned to 90 minutes of outdoor exercise — brisk walking or jogging depending on the fitness level of the person.

Dallas Cowboys players wear masks during the U.S. National Anthem before their game against the Baltimore Ravens.

PHILADELPHIA - The ocean is now rising much faster and in the next 30 years, the ocean will rise about a foot, according to a recently released report from NOAA. For scale, it took the last 100 years for the ocean to rise a foot. The rising ocean is already costing New Jersey millions, as FOX29’s Chris O’Connell recently explained. It turns out the ocean is rising more along New Jersey and Delaware than the rest of the United States for a unique reason: the Earth’s icy past.Thousands of years ago, ice covered Canada, New England, and even northern PA and northern NJ. The weight of all that ice pushed down the ground in those regions. Once the ice melted, the ground there started rising back up.  As this happens, nearby spots, like the Mid-Atlantic states, sink.

Bryson Woolsey is trading in his chef’s apron and the luxury of home for ammunition and danger to help people in Ukraine during their time of crisis.

A new poll suggests almost two-thirds of Canadians believe the Russian invasion of Ukraine has the potential to develop into a world war.

TRENTON, N.J. - The number of New Jersey residents getting property tax relief would nearly quadruple to almost 2 million people under a plan Democratic Gov.

Russia has been accused of using thermobaric vacuum bombs during its invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials."They used the vacuum bomb today," Ukraine's ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova told reporters after meeting with U.S. lawmakers Monday. "...The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large."Thermobaric explosives, also called fuel-air explosives (FAE), use oxygen around them to generate a high-temperature blast.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Three state-owned universities in Pennsylvania will soon be known as the consolidated Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania after a vote by the State System Board of Governors on Wednesday.The board voted unanimously to make the change involving Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities, although those previous names will still be widely used — including for logos and on diplomas.The system says Commonwealth University will not be "a public-facing identifier," but rather a background name that will let the three schools legally become a single entity. There will be one accredited institution and a single administration, said state system spokesman Cody Jones.The merger is seen as a way to provide a broader range of programs to students at a time when enrollment has been falling.

COVID-19 pandemic, scenes like this did not exist inside Quebec’s long-term care homes.A year ago, Idola St-Jean was in the throes of a major COVID-19 outbreak, with dozens of workers and residents infected. Most activities were cancelled, and the Billy Joel singer — who normally is a recreation co-ordinator — was reassigned to a job in infection control.

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NEW YORK - So-called "sex mayhem" has been driving New Yorkers crazy over the past year of the pandemic, with the cacophonous sounds of coitus driving many people to file complaints with the city.According to data obtained by Patch.com, New York City's 311 system received 277 complaints between February 19, 2021 and February 9, 2022 from people annoyed, unable to sleep, or left just plain frustrated by loud lovemaking. "I've slept through earthquakes and fires in my life," one complainant from Greenwood Heights in Brooklyn said. "I couldn't sleep through this."Queens produced the most complaints, with 103, with Manhattan coming in second with 66.

People who have fled from war in Ukraine arrive at a temporary shelter set up in a former shopping center in Przemysl, Poland. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) WASHINGTON - Airbnb says they are working to offer free temporary housing for up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine during the Russian invasion.

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Firefighters are responding to a multiple-alarm fire and a possible explosion at a four-story residential apartment building in Silver Spring.Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Spokesperson Pete Piringer says the fire occurred at an apartment building on Laytonsville Road.Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and WeatherFOX 5’s Bob Barnard reports from a fire and likely explosion at a four-story residential apartment building in Silver SpringPiringer says there are multiple injuries and casualties and also says there has been a structural collapse at the building.FOX 5’s Bob Barnard spoke with a person who was in the apartment building and said he heard and felt what appeared to be an explosion.This is a developing story.

WASHINGTON - TikTok and its possible harmful effects on the mental health of children and teenager users are being investigated by a bipartisan group of U.S. state attorneys general from coast to coast — the latest issue for the wildly popular video-sharing app.A nationwide probe was announced Wednesday by a number of states, led by officials from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Convicted killer Markeith Loyd on Thursday was sentenced to death for the killing of Orlando Police Lieutenant Debra Clayton in 2017. In December, the jury recommended the death penalty, but the judge had the final say. After the sentence was read, Loyd made an outburst in the courtroom before being led out. Clayton's family was in the courtroom for the sentencing.Convicted killer Markeith Loyd on Thursday was sentenced to death for the killing Orlando Police Lieutenant Debra Clayton in 2017.Local leaders, including Orange County Sheriff John Mina and Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon, spoke to the media outside the courthouse following the sentencing. "It does give me some sense of closure but I'm more happy for the family of Lt.

COVID-19 as hospital numbers dipped on Thursday.Pandemic-related hospitalizations dropped to 1,364, a decrease of 17 in the last day. This comes after 98 patients were admitted and 115 were released.The latest roundup also accounted for 76 intensive care unit cases.

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- Suicidal behaviours -

COVID-19 therapeutics to include a “conditional recommendation" on Merck & Co's Covid drug Molnupiravir, a new antiviral medicine. Under this conditional approval, Merck's Covid-19 antiviral pill was approved for patients who are in the early stages of the disease.WHO has updated its living guidelines on #COVID19 therapeutics to include a conditional recommendation on molnupiravir, a new antiviral medicine.https://t.co/ZRygSEAbzC

Delhi on Thursday reported 326 fresh Covid-19 cases and three death, while the positivity rate stood at 0.77% and the case fatality rate stood at 1.40%, according to data shared by the city's health department.

COVID on Thursday, with 267 in intensive care units as figures continue to trend downwards.This is down by 13 hospitalizations and a decrease of six in ICUs since the previous day.Last Thursday, there were 1,066 hospitalizations with 302 in ICU.Data for distinguishing between those admitted to hospital directly because of COVID, and those who were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for the virus, was not available on Thursday.Meanwhile, Ontario also reported 2,262 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, though that is an underestimate of the true widespread transmission of the virus due to testing restrictions. The provincial case total now stands at 1,107,408.Of the 2,262 new cases recorded, the data showed 259 were unvaccinated people, 66 were partially vaccinated people, 1,762 were fully vaccinated people.

The devastation mounts in Ukraine as Russian forces tighten their grip and ramp up attacks. Jeff Semple reports on the carnage, where some people have been forced to hide, and how others are standing up to Russian troops.

FILE - A 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) on a demonstration course at AutoMobility LA ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, on Nov. 18, 2021.

The Department of Health has reported 4,042 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Kate Garraway has told how her life was turned upside down after her husband Derek Draper was diagnosed with coronavirus.Derek contracted Covid-19 in March 2020 and was quickly taken to intensive care where he was put into an induced coma and battled the deadly virus for nearly 400 days, before returning home.The 54 year old former Labour lobbyist still needs care 24-hours a day and is unable to walk and talk properly as he continues to battle the long-term effects of the virus.Good Morning Britain host Kate, 54, discussed her husband's health in her new BBC series, Your Body Uncovered, on Wednesday night.She said at the start of the episode: "Having a serious health condition is terrifying and having someone you love with a health condition can be just as daunting."When my husband Derek was diagnosed with Covid-19, it turned our lives upside down.

Canada is imposing a 35-per-cent tariff on goods from Russia and Belarus as Moscow’s war in Ukraine rages on.

@DrAbdiMahamud pic.twitter.com/hI5Blz64ec

Check here all that WHO said on long COVID. Live Q&A on #COVID19 and Omicron sub-variant BA.2 with Dr @mvankerkhove and @DrAbdiMahamud. #AskWHO https://t.co/NVQMa8HHk7

From symptoms to subvariants, UN health agency explains all that you need to know about Omicron

A healthcare worker conducts a swab test at a COVID-19 testing site in Cruz Bay, Saint John, Virgin Islands, U.S. Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images Can you get long COVID after an infection with omicron?It’s too early to know for sure, but many doctors believe it’s possible to have long-term effects from the omicron variant of the virus.Long COVID is usually diagnosed many weeks after a bout with COVID-19.

next variant of concern will most likely be more transmissible as compared to Omicron because it will have to overtake the strains that are currently circulating, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead of the World Health Organisation (WHO), on Sunday. 

Omicron more transmissible than Delta

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) today said the group is tracking a worrying rise in deaths in most of the world's regions, urging countries not to give up in the battle against the more transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) today said the group is tracking a worrying rise in deaths in most of the world's regions, urging countries not to give up in the battle against the more transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant.

World Health Organisation officials on Tuesday said that the increase in the number of COVID-related fatalities is quite concerning. This should not be happening when we have public health tools that can reduce the spread & tools (diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines) that can save lives now, said Maria Van Kerkhove, Infectious Disease Epidemiologist; COVID-19 Technical Lead at WHO. 

World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global public health emergency over the outbreak of coronavirus, an official from the UN health agency has explained when does an alert like such is sounded and what countries should do after. 

Will the next variant be more virulent?