Occupational safety and health

A large-scale trial of a new treatment has begun in the UK, with high hopes of helping Covid-19 patients stop developing serious illness.

The new treatment involves inhaling a protein called Interferon Beta, which the body produces in infection.

The hope is that this will stimulate the immune system and the cells will be prepared to fight viruses.

Romania's COVID-19 death toll hit 16,969 following another 88 coronavirus-related fatalities in the past 24 hours, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS) informs today. Of these, one death was in the 30 - 39 years age range, seven were in the 50 - 59 age range, 24 in the 60 - 69 age range, 39 fatalities were in the 70 - 79 age range and 17 in the 80+ age group.

Coronavirus infections in Greece seemed resistant to the continuing restrictive measures with 866 new cases announced by health authorities on Tuesday, compared with 444 on Monday.

The National Organization of Public Health (EODY) said the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic was 146,020.

The Romanian government approved at a meeting on Tuesday extending by 30 days the state of alert in Romania from January 13. According to a governmental press statement, the decision on extending the state of alert and establishing measures to be applied during it to prevent and combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was adopted as placed on the agenda of the government meeting.

As many as 3,697 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been recorded in the past 24 hours, following the conduct of more than 23,000 tests nationwide, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS) reports Tuesday. These are cases that have not previously had a positive test, the GCS states.

Even after death, Covid-19 victims endure harrowing isolation in Thessaloniki, the city in Greece most acutely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Ljubljana – Slovenia’s total of deaths among Covid-19 patients since the start of the pandemic has passed 3,000 after a further 24 died on Sunday. Another 426 people tested positive as test positivity rate dropped.

Greece's National Organization of Public Health (EODY) announced on Monday 444 new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the country, which brought the total number to 145,179.

EODY said there were 350 intubated patients in hospitals (median age is 68), while 962 have left ICU.

At the same time, 39 patients died from Covid-19, raising the total number of fatalities to 5302.

Ten World Health Organization scientists will visit China from Thursday to probe the origins of COVID-19, authorities said, more than a year after the pandemic began and amid accusations Beijing delayed the investigation.

The WHO team "will conduct joint research cooperation on the origins of covid 19 with Chinese scientists," the National Health Commission said in a statement.

Fearing a fierce, long-lasting new wave of the coronavirus pandemic, health experts say the next two months will be critical in the effort to save the year, given that even the most well-organized health systems of many countries are already buckling under pressure.