Global Covid-19 cases top 133m

Around 133,229,961 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed around the world, according to the data of the Centre for System Science and Engineering of Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Moreover, death toll from the virus reached 2,890,163 as of Thursday.

On the other hand, around 75,582,826 people have recovered from the novel coronavirus so far.

In Bangladesh, 74 more Covid-19 patients died in the last 24 hours as of Thursday, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 9,521.

Besides, with 6,854 new cases within the same time, the total tally of Covid-19 infection reached 6,66,132 in Bangladesh.

AstraZeneca jab link to blood clots

The EU's medicines regulator says that blood clots should be listed as a rare side effect of the AstraZeneca jab but the benefits continue to outweigh risks.

WHO experts say a causal relationship between the vaccine and blood clots is "plausible but is not confirmed."

India battered

More than 700 million people across India were facing coronavirus vaccine shortages on Thursday, local media reported, as infection numbers hit yet another daily record. 

India reported a record 126,789 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday as several states struggled to contain a second surge in infections, complaining of vaccine shortages and demanding inoculations be expanded to younger people.

Nearly 700 million vaccines jabs worldwide

More than 694 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered globally, according to an AFP tally, with just a handful of countries leading the pack by a wide margin.

Though vaccinations have begun in at least 195 territories around the world, richer nations have made much more progress than the rest, with the lowest-income countries accounting for just 0.1% of the doses administered.

G20 agrees to help poorest nations

G20 finance ministers and central bankers agree to extend a moratorium on debt interest payments for the poorest countries, which could lag behind the global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

In an online meeting, the Group of 20 most powerful nations also backed the International Monetary Fund's plan to boost its reserve offerings to help impoverished nations, and pledged to reach a deal on global tax reform by the middle of the year.

Mental, neurological problems

One in three people who overcome Covid-19 suffer from a neurological or psychiatric diagnosis six months on, according to the largest study so far published on the mental toll that long-Covid takes on survivors. 

Authors say the research, printed in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, proves that Covid-19 patients are significantly more likely to develop brain conditions than those suffering from other respiratory tract infections.