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

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

This weekly news roundup brings you a selection of the latest news and updates on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as tips and tools to help you stay informed and protected.

Top news stories: two new studies on long COVID; COVID-19 restrictions eased in more countries; record cases and deaths in South Korea.





1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 446.2 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.99 million. More than 10.85 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

Mainland China has logged its highest number of daily new local symptomatic COVID-19 infections in about two years.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday that 93% of the US population now live in areas where COVID-19 levels are low enough that people do not need to wear masks indoors.

South Korea reported a daily record rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths on Friday, with 266,853 and 186, respectively.

Pfizer is expected to provide around 10 million courses of its COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid to low- and middle-income countries this year, according to an official