Health and Healthcare Systems

COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 1 October

Parents line up with their children before the first day of grade 1 at P.S. 130 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, U.S., September 29, 2020.  REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RC2E8J9V7UOC

New York's schools have reopened. Image: REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Joe Myers
Writer, Forum Agenda

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  • This daily round-up brings you a selection of the latest news updates on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as tips and tools to help you stay informed and protected.
  • Top stories: The impact of schools reopening; vaccine distribution software; 1,000 additional deaths in Brazil.
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1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now passed 33.9 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed deaths stands at just over 1 million.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged $100 million to help developing countries access a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Czech government has announced a state of emergency from next Monday to tackle a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases.

Iran's COVID-19 death toll has risen above 26,000, according to state media.

Retail sales in Germany rose much more than expected in August, while unemployment fell further in September, raising hopes for a stronger economic recovery in Europe's biggest economy.

The UAE has seen its highest daily total of COVID-19 infections since the start of the outbreak.

The prevalence of COVID-19 infections is much higher in England than at the end of August, but there are signs growth is slowing, according to an Imperial College study.

Brazil has registered over 1,000 new coronavirus deaths, bringing its total to 143,952. There have been more than 4.8 million confirmed cases in the country.

confirmed coronavirus COVID-19 cases
Global confirmed cases are approaching 34 million. Image: Our World in Data

2. Schools and a COVID-19 surge?

A new study has examined the impact of school reopenings on rising coronavirus cases, finding generally no clear link between the two.

“It’s been assumed that opening schools will drive infections, and that closing schools will reduce transmission, but the reality is much more complex,” said Randa Grob-Zakhary, Founder and Chief Executive at Insights for Education, the organization that conducted the analysis.

The Geneva-based educational foundation said lockdown closures would leave a "pandemic learning debt" of 300 billion missed school days, of which 84% would be lost by children in poorer countries.

Grob-Zakhary said: "The key now is to learn from those countries that are reopening effectively against a backdrop of rising infections."

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3. Salesforce adapts software

Salesforce.com has said it has adapted some of its business software for healthcare organizations and governments to help them distribute future COVID-19 vaccines.

Work.com for Vaccines will help cities, states and healthcare groups track inventory, build online appointment portals and monitor patients after vaccination.

“All these vaccines have various levels of quality and efficacy. We all know that they’re not all the same,” Salesforce.com Chief Executive Marc Benioff told Reuters in an interview. “And so technology will be really critical in separating the wheat from the chaff in the vaccine.”

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