 | | | | Brazil reported on Thursday 298,408 new cases of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, breaking the country's previous record for daily infections, and 1,041 COVID-19 deaths, according to data released by the Health Ministry. | | | | | | People enrolled in the U.S. government's Medicare program can get over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free starting early spring, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said on Thursday. | | | | | | Merck & Co said on Thursday it expects its 2022 sales to increase as much as 18 percent over last year, mostly on sales of its new COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir. | | | | | | The cumulative total for confirmed COVID-19 cases in France since the start of the pandemic has passed 20 million, health ministry data showed on Thursday. | | | | | | One of the world's leading infectious disease experts said on Thursday the collapse of global collaboration during COVID-19 made the pandemic "far worse" and continues to put the world at greater pandemic risk than at any point in his working life. | | | | | | Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: | | | | | | German scientists plan to clone and then breed this year genetically modified pigs to serve as heart donors for humans, based on a simpler version of a U.S.-engineered animal used last month in the world's first pig-to-human transplant. | | | | | | Portugal will drop a requirement to present a negative COVID-19 test for air passengers arriving with a valid digital European Union certificate or recognised proof of vaccination, the government said on Thursday. | | | | | | People enrolled in the U.S. government's Medicare program can get over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free starting early spring, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said on Thursday. | | | | | | Austria's upper house of parliament on Thursday passed a bill to make coronavirus vaccines compulsory for adults, bringing the European Union's first such sweeping vaccine mandate a step closer. | | | | | |
