Long Covid: 14.4 crore still grappling with symptoms. Read about the ‘worrying’ signs here

World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that even as COVID cases and fatalities related to the infection continue to decline, it is still the ‘most dangerous time’. WHO chief said that it is ‘encouraging’ that COVID infection and deaths are declining but, still one person is dying of it every 44 seconds.  Explaining this, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, a downward trend can be the most dangerous time, if it opens the door to complacency.  The global decline in reported cases and deaths is continuing.

Virus remaining in some people’s bodies for a long time may be causing longer-term complications, recent research suggests The virus that causes Covid-19 can remain in some people’s bodies for a long time.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The United Nations Development Programme has ranked Sri Lanka in the "High Human Development" category, occupying the rank 73 with an HDI of 0.782 in 2021.The Human Development Index for 2021/22 highlights that the rise in insecurity around the globe, including the development decline caused as a consequence of COVID-19 has caused for the projected levels of human development of 0.750 to decline to 0.732. Last year, Sri Lanka’s Human Development Index ranked 72 out of 189 countries, which was the highest in the South Asian region. According to the report, Sri Lanka's life expectancy at birth is 76 years, while the expected years of schooling is 14.1, while mean years of schooling is 10.8.The report further states that Sri Lanka's Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is $12,578.In comparison, Switzerland remains at the top of the index with a life expectancy of 84 years, an average of 16.5 years of education and median salary of $66,000.However, South Sudan remains at the bottom, with a life expectancy of 55, people spending just 5.5 years in school on average and earning $768 a year. 

COLOMBO (News 1st): Senior DIG in-charge of the Western Province Deshabandu Thennakoon said that Sri Lanka Police would revise its crackdown on drugs and the crime wave.The Senior DIG said that crimes were on the rise after Sri Lanka Police was unable to increase its foot & mobile patrols given the situation that prevailed in the country.He said that the methods of raids being carried out also dropped given the situation, and that allowed narcotics such as Crystal Meth to spread even to areas close to schools.The Senior DIG said Sri Lanka Police would increase raids to crackdown on drugs.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka is planning on securing the extradition of eight criminals wanted by local authorities, including notorious gangster Nadun Chinthaka alias 'Harak Kata'.Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security S.

Over 144 million people are affected by Long COVID and around 10-20% of people who were infected by the coronavirus, experience post-COVID syndrome. Data shows how agonising the disease and its long terms effects can be. However, a recent study revealed the risk of long COVID in children appears to be lower than what has been reported in adults and the symptoms are quite unique.

COLOMBO (News 1st); A Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation was presented to the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society by Mizukoshi Hideaki, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka on 6th September 2022. The ceremony was part of the special program commemorating J.R. Jayawardene’s historic speech at the San Francisco Peace treaty 71 years ago.Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society (SLEDS) was established in 1955 under the strong leadership of late President J.R.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan actress Damitha Abeyratne, who was a member of the Aragalaya protests, was remanded to the 14th of September by the Fort Magistrate's Court on Thursday (8).Actress Damitha Abeyratne was arrested on Wednesday (7) while taking part in a protest-themed 'The Silent Hour' at the Parliament Round-about opposite Diyatha Uyana.Sri Lanka Police said that the actress was arrested for unlawful assembly, unlawful entry to the President's Office, and other charges.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Samantha Power, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development will make an official two-day visit to Sri Lanka on Saturday (10).Samantha Power was sworn into office as the 19th Administrator of USAID on May 3, 2021.Profile:Power is the first USAID Administrator to be a member of the National Security Council, where she will ensure that development plays a critical role in America’s responses to a range of economic, humanitarian, and geopolitical issues.Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Power was the Anna Lindh Professor of the Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and the William D. Zabel Professor of Practice in Human Rights at Harvard Law School.

The Rams take the field at SoFi Stadium on Friday, August 19, 2022. (Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) NFL football returns on Thursday, kicking off with the possible Super Bowl preview of Buffalo at Los Angeles.

Long COVID is a complex medical condition that can be hard to diagnose as it has a range of more than 200 symptoms - some of which can resemble other illnesses - from exhaustion and cognitive impairment to pain, fever and heart palpitations, according to the World Health Organization. There is no authoritative data on the frequency of suicides among sufferers.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Leader of the House Minister Susil Premajayantha on Thursday (8) said that no agreement has been signed with the Staff Delegation of the International Monetary Fund.Minister Susil Premajayantha noted that the Sri Lankan Authorities have 'reached' a Staff-Level Agreement with the International Monetary Fund.He said there is a clear difference between reaching an agreement and signing an agreement noting that parties are bound to the contents of the agreement only after it is signed.Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Leader of the National People's Power said the people have a reasonable right to be made aware of the IMF Agreement, as it is not a mere land transfer agreement between two parties, but one that is linked to Sri Lank's economy.He expressed alarm over the fact that the Cabinet of Ministers was not made aware of the contents of the agreement, and noted that the if the contents are concealed from Parliament, and the Public it could be detrimental to the people and the economy of the country.Independent MP Professor G. L.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Human Rights Council will hold its fifty-first regular session from 12 September to 7 October at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.Nada Al-Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, currently serving as acting High Commissioner, will present the High Commissioner’s oral update on Monday, 12th September.Under agenda item two on the annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, the Council will hold separate interactive dialogues on the report of the Office of the High Commissioner on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.In addition, the following reports will also be taken up:The report of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar on the situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar.The report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.The High Commissioner’s report on the promotion and protection of human rights in Nicaragua.At an organizational meeting held on 30 August in preparation for the session, the President of the Council, Federico Villegas, bid farewell to High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, whose term of office ended on 31st August.  States will have a chance to respond to the High Commissioner’s update and to other reports presented under agenda item two in the general debate on 13th and 14th September.The Council will take action on draft decisions and resolutions on 6th and 7th October, and will also appoint a number of Special Procedure mandate holders before closing the session.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the Staff-Level Agreement reached with the International Monetary Fund will be disclosed after obtaining approval from the IMF Executive Board.Speaking to News 1st the Prime Minister said that the IMF Executive Board is expected to grant its approval to disburse funds to Sri Lanka based on the Staff-Level Agreement, within the next few weeks.He said once the Staff-Level Agreement is approved by the IMF Executive Board, the agreement will be made available.

A United Nations report argues that an unprecedented array of crises, chiefly among them Covid-19, has set human progress back five years and fueled a global wave of uncertainty.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ministry of Power and Energy says that a vessel carrying 35,000 to 40,000 MT of petrol is scheduled to reach the country this week.A Spokesperson to the Ministry says an advance payment was already made to the Petrol cargo, and the full payment will be made once the ship reaches the country.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Actress Damitha Abeyratne who was arrested on Wednesday, is being held at the Fort Police, and Sri Lanka Police said she will be produced in court on Thursday (8)Actress Damitha Abeyratne was arrested on Wednesday (7) while taking part in a protest-themed 'The Silent Hour' at the Parliament Round-about opposite Diyatha Uyana.Sri Lanka Police said that the actress was arrested for unlawful assembly, unlawful entry to the President's Office, and other charges.Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa visited the actress at the Fort Police on Thursday (8) morning."She was requested to be present at the Police Station on the 9th. However, she was arrested when taking part in a protest opposite Diyatha Uyana.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) published the daily exchange rates on its official website.

Assam has 2802 active cases, Gujarat has 1353 active cases. Karnataka 4373 active cases while Kerala has 10659 active cases New Delhi: India has logged 6,395 new covid-19 cases and 33 deaths in the last 24 hours, the union health ministry data showed on Thursday. The country’s active caseload is nearly 50,000 while total number of covid cases rose to 4.4 crore with 5,28,090 fatalities so far.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka appointed over 30 new Ministers of State on Thursday (8) at the President's Office in Colombo. The State Ministers took oaths in the presence of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.Jagath Pushpakumara – State Minister Foreign Employment Ranjith Siyambalapitiya – State Minister of FinanceLasantha Alagiyawanna – State Minister of Transport Dilum Amunugama – State Minister of Investment PromotionKanaka Herath – State Minister of TechnologyJanaka Wakkumbura – State Minister of Provincial Councils, and Local GovernmentShehan Semasinghe – State Minister of FinanceMohan Priyadarshana De Silva – State Minister of Agriculture Thenuka Vidanagamage – State Minister of Urban Development and HousingPramitha Bandara Tennakoon – State Minister of SecurityRohana Dissanayake – State Minister of Sports and Youth AffairsArundhika Fernando – State Minister of Urban Development and Housing Vijitha Berugoda – State Minister of Piriven Education Lohan Ratwatte – State Minister of Plantation Industries Tharaka Balasuriya – State Minister of External Affairs Sanath Nishantha- State Minister of Water Supply Indika Anurudhdha – State Minister of Power and Energy Siripala Gamlath – State Minister of HighwaysShantha Bandara – State Minister of Media Anuradha Jayaratne  – State Minister of Justice and Prisons AffairsS.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka is facing the worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948 and now awaits the initial disbursements under the International Monetary Fund's Staff-Level Agreement.Fraud, Corruption, and Waste paid a key part in leading Sri Lanka to a crisis.In April 2021, the Sri Lankan Government took a sudden decision to completely ban Chemical Fertilizer imports to turn the island nation's agriculture sector to 100% Organic.Not only did the experts warn about the consequences of such a policy, even farmers pointed out that it would carry Sri Lanka to the brink of destruction.However, given the forex crisis faced by the country, Sri Lanka decided to ban Chemical Fertilizer imports.But, did Sri Lanka manage to save its reserved by banning Chemical Fertilizer?Or, did it lose what ever the remaining dollars it had in its reserve for a shady-deal?The country eventually paid US $ 6.9 Million for a Chinese Fertilizer shipment, despite not a single scoop of fertilizer touching Sri Lankan farmlands.China's Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd that produces Organic Fertilizer using Seaweed came forward to supply Organic Fertilizer to Sri Lanka after applying for it via an Open Tender.Although the tender was awarded to Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd.

India saw another rise in Covid-19 cases with 6,396 infections reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Thursday. The rise comes a day after the country reported 5,379 cases. Prior on 6 September, India saw lowest cases in three months which was 4,417.

COLOMBO (News 1st); 36 State Ministers will take oaths in the presence of President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (8) at the President's Office. According to a Senior Cabinet Minister, 36 new State Ministers will be sworn in. A Senior Cabinet Minister also said that several MPs representing the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) are among the new State Ministers.

Today we are reporting 1,653 community cases, 254 current hospitalisations.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police say the second suspect in the stabbing deaths of 10 people in the province of Saskatchewan has been located and is in police custody. Myles Sanderson is in custody, the fugitive’s brother and fellow suspect, Damien Sanderson, 30, was found dead Monday near the stabbing sites.The final suspect in a stabbing rampage that killed 10 people in and around a Canadian Indigenous reserve died of self-inflicted wounds after his car was run off the road by police Wednesday following a three-day manhunt, officials said.Myles Sanderson, 32, was found near the town of Rosthern in the province of Saskatchewan as officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle being driven by a man armed with a knife, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.Officers rammed Sanderson’s vehicle off the road, said an official who was familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to talk publicly.The official said the fugitive's injuries were self-inflicted, but he didn’t have further details on when the injuries were inflicted or when he died.Video and photos from the scene showed a white SUV off to the side of the road with police cars all around.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis is currently on lockdown after several shots were reported in the area and police said a 19-year-old man was wanted for multiple shootings in the city, Fox 13 reported. On Wednesday afternoon, Memphis police said the suspect a 19-year-old Black man was going around shooting people and recording his actions on Facebook. At least two shootings had been reported in Memphis as of 7 p.m., a deadly shooting at a BP gas station on South Parkway and a woman who was critically injured after being shot on Norris Road near I-240, Fox 13 reports. One Twitter user posted a clip of the suspect's Facebook live which shows him entering a store and shooting at a nearby customer. "So a random guy in Memphis is going around just shooting & killing random people on his Facebook live, happening right now, Memphis stay safe," the Twitter user wrote. WARNING: THE VIDEO IN THIS LINK CONTAINS GRAPHIC FOOTAGE AND MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME. The man is reportedly driving a blue or silver Infiniti car, police say. Anyone with information on these incidents should call 911 immediately. This story will be updated shortly. 

WHO informed in its pandemic report. WHO's technical lead on Covid-19 Maria Van Kerkhove noted that the virus has still not settled into a seasonal pattern and will require constant surveillance and possible changes in diagnostics, treatments and vaccines.

Eye donation and transplantation which were severely hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic, are now witnessing a spike in the national capital Delhi. According to Dr JS Titiyal, Chief of RP Centre, AIIMS, Delhi said, "COVID really killed the eye donation movement in the country during the first wave". Dr Titiyal said that he had hoped to touch 3,000 transplantations per year, however, due to Covid-19, the target will take another nearly three years to achieve.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police say the second suspect in the stabbing deaths of 10 people in the province of Saskatchewan has been located and is in police custody. Myles Sanderson is in custody, the fugitive’s brother and fellow suspect, Damien Sanderson, 30, was found dead Monday near the stabbing sites.Canadian police arrested the second suspect Wednesday in the stabbing deaths of 10 people in Saskatchewan after a three-day manhunt that also yielded the body of his brother.Myles Sanderson, 32, was found near the town of Rosthern, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.An official familiar with the matter said Sanderson’s vehicle was rammed by police and he surrendered.

Ontario Science Table calls for provincial strategy to manage long COVID “In this year’s influenza season in Australia, case counts were higher than any previous year in the past five years, and while influenza hospitalizations were lower than the worst two influenza seasons in the past five years, they did peak at a level higher than the five-year average,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw wrote.“If we see a similar impact here, what we need to anticipate as being different from any previous year is the combined impact on all our systems of all these viruses circulating at the same time.”Like other jurisdictions, Alberta’s latest influenza season had a late-season start and the numbers of lab-confirmed positive cases were fewer than in the past five years.

Saskatchewan stabbing suspect was not considered a risk by parole board, report shows Nine others died and 17 were injured in the community, and in nearby Weldon. The body of Sanderson’s brother Damien, who was also wanted for one of the killings, was found Monday.Police are still searching for Sanderson, 32, after a reported sighting Tuesday at James Smith Cree Nation turned out to be false.

Among a cohort who never had COVID-19 but tested positive within 1 year after baseline, depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and concerns about infection were linked to a 33% to 50% increased risk of self-reported postinfection symptoms lasting at least 4 weeks, as well as functional impairment, finds a study published today in JAMA Psychiatry.

At the global level, COVID-19 cases declined for the fourth week in a row, which the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said is encouraging, though not a guarantee that the trend will persist in the months ahead.

COVID-19 vaccination clinics will be held at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) beginning on Thursday.The health unit said it will bring COVID-19 vaccination clinics to TIFF, the Cabbagetown Arts and Crafts Show and other locations across the city this weekend. Global cases of COVID, monkeypox trending down, but WHO warns against complacency According to TPH, COVID-19 vaccination clinics will be held at the following events:TPH said its mobile clinics provide “first, second, third, fourth and pediatric COVID-19 doses to eligible residents aged five and older on a walk-in basis, with no appointment or health card required.”“Pfizer and Moderna will be offered by TPH nurses who will also answer COVID-19 vaccine-related questions,” a news release read.The health unit said all eligible residents are “encouraged to get their third and fourth doses as soon as possible.”“As with vaccinations for other diseases, people are protected best when their COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date,” the release said.

Today JAMA Network Open published a study showing a 1.8% COVID-19 infection rate among in-person attendees at a February 2022 Academic Surgical Congress conference in Florida in which 100% of participants were vaccinated and 92% were boosted.In addition to requiring vaccination, in-person attendees were

Western University requiring staff and students returning to campus to have received a COVID-19 booster shot by the start of October has been pushed back until the new year.The university says the decision comes in response to the approval by Health Canada last week of Moderna’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine targeting both the original novel coronavirus and the original Omicron variant.Instead of Oct. 1, students, faculty and staff are now required to submit current proof of vaccination to the school by Jan.

Federal authorities allege photos show Richard Michetti inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 (Department of Justice)  PHILADELPHIA - A suburban Philadelphia man charged in the Jan.

iNCOVACC vaccine for emergency use on Tuesday. Maria Van Kerkhove the WHO's technical lead on Covid-19, while welcoming the news said, "We look forward to seeing the data to see how this could be incorporated into the response for Covid-19." Van Kerkhove says it could not yet be predicted that the SARS-CoV-2 virus behind Covid-19 disease would settle down into a seasonal pattern.

Covid-19 may increase the chance of developing persistent “long-haul" symptoms. Notably, preinfection psychological distress was associated with a higher risk of post-Covid conditions, researchers at the Harvard T.H.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Actress Damitha Abeyratne was arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division on Wednesday (7) evening at Diyatha Uyana in Battaramulla.Sri Lanka Police said that she was arrested for unlawfully entering the President's Office during the recent protests in July 2022.Police added that she will be handed over to the Fort Police for further investigations.Actress Damitha Abeyratne is expected to be produced in court on Thursday (8).

COLOMBO (News 1st); TNA MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam appealed to the people of Sri Lanka to allow for more youth participation within politics, taking into example the recent victories experienced by the Sri Lankan cricket team, which is mostly comprised of youth, and emphasized that it is the youth that will be able to lead Sri Lanka on a newer path into the future.Speaking at the Parliament on Wednesday (7), the MP said that the Batticaloa District, which he represents, currently grapples with malnutrition levels of 10%, especially among children below the age of 10. Moreover, the MP said that among the pregnant mothers in the same District, the malnutrition level which stood at 10% last year has climbed to 17% this year. Emphasizing that the growth of children mainly takes place in their fetal stage and when they are below 10 years of age, the MP said that the amount given to schoolchildren to purchase their midday meals is only Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Minister of Energy Kanchana Wijesekara has officially requested the Chairman of the Public Finance Committee, SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva to conduct an inquiry on the recent procurement of 4.5 million MT of Coal. The Minister alleged that false allegations leveled against the awarded tender has created questions on transparency and pricing.The Minister, in his request, has said that the Lanka Coal Company had called for tenders for the procurement of 4.5 million MT of coal, in line with Government procurement guidelines. On 29th August, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa made a revelation regarding a deal in which Sri Lanka is set to spend 1.5 Billion USD, exceeding the market value for 4.5 million MT of coal.The Opposition Leader demanded the reason for the Government spend Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st); An investigation by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) is currently underway on the death of 14-year-old Sajitha Gunaratne, who died after being trapped in a drain when returning home from school.HRCSL personnel inspected the accident site on Wenesday (7) and have obtained statements related to the investigation.A major rescue operation got underway in Wehera, Kurunegala on 5th of September after the 14-year-old school boy was found trapped in a drain.

James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Sask., on Sunday, making it one of Canada’s worst-ever mass killings. Nineteen people, including the second of the two suspects, were injured.“Our hearts continue to go out to all the families and loved ones impacted by this immense tragedy,” read the press release from the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service and Saskatchewan RCMP.Here are the names of the deceased.No photograph was available.The coroner’s office said the identities of those injured will not be released, but confirmed that “one young teen” was injured.

The Bank of Canada is expected to announce it will be raising its key interest rate Wednesday, making it the fifth consecutive increase this year.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Parliamentarian Anuradha Jayaratne says that the rate of malnutrition in Sri Lanka remained at a low level from 2016 until 2021.Speaking at a SLPP press briefing, the MP said that in comparison of statitics from 2016 until 2021, it is clear that the malnutrition levels in the country hace decreased by 13.2%.However, MP Jayaratne said that due to the issues that the country faces today, some groups claim that a food crisis may arise, and the tendency for schoolchildren to have malnutrition is high, therefore, it must be carefully dealt with."We may be in danger ahead, but I have to say very responsibly, that malnutrition levels from 2016 until 2021 December have decreased," he added.The Spokesperson for UNICEF Sri Lanka, Bismarck Swangin in July 2022 claimed that Sri Lanka had one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in South Asia, and the economic crisis has only exacerbated the child malnutrition crisis.The UNICEF recently launched an appeal for $25 million to provide humanitarian aid to 1.7 million children in Sri Lanka, which the UNICEF points out are at risk of dying from malnutrition-related causes.While Sri Lanka has the second-highest rate of acute malnutrition among children under 5 in South Asia, at least 17% of children are suffering from chronic wasting, a disease that carries the highest risk of death.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara says that they have reviewed the National Fuel Pass QR system with the development partners & stakeholders.A Special Category for quota increases will be tested on selected private & public sector entities this week. Tourist Fuel Pass & Non-vehicle category to be introduced next week, Minister Wijesekara said.Further, he said that the fuel Station Code will be added to the SMS generated when obtaining Fuel to prevent the illegal use of NFP QR from next week. "Automated reports for Fuel Station Dealers will be made available from today (8), and a dashboard for the public to be made available", Minister Tweeted.Sri Lanka will be exploring the possibility in increasing fuel quotas for full time threewheeler (tuktuk) drivers who register themselves at their local police stations, Power & Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said on Tuesday (6).Wijesekara said that initial steps have been taken to increase the five-litres-per-week fuel quota issued to threewheeler drivers who have installed a meter on their vehicle and are registered with their local police station.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Guy Morriss, a 15-year NFL offensive lineman who played in Super Bowls with Philadelphia and New England before coaching collegiately at Baylor and Kentucky, has died. He was 71.Kentucky announced that Morriss died Monday in Danville, Kentucky.