Pandemic

There is a male/female disparity in mortality due to COVID- 19: men are at greater risk than women of developing a serious form of the illness and dying. They account for about 60% of deaths: while the scientific community agrees on this figure, there is less agreement concerning the reasons why. Researchers differ in their opinions. […]

During the 1st wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, between April and July 2020, many countries banned non-essential travel so as to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2. After the 1st wave, many European countries lifted these restrictions. States adopted different border surveillance systems, such as allowing travel only to countries with low rates of the virus, […]

The African continent represents less than 4% of worldwide cases and deaths linked to COVID-19. However, these figures are possibly an under-estimation, since the 2nd wave of the pandemic in January 2021 was much more widespread in numerous countries. The majority of these countries quickly put preventive health measures in place, notably concerning international travel […]

Anti-COVID smartphone apps that enable contact tracing would seem to be a useful tool against the pandemic. These apps allow the tracing of infected people and their close contacts and advise those affected to be tested and to self-isolate. But they pose two major problems. Firstly, since these apps can transmit very personal information, how […]

By March 2021, some African countries had suffered two waves of infection with a total of more than 2,9 million people affected and more than 74 000 deaths. As is the case in other parts of the world, the effects of the pandemic are extremely variable from one country to another. These variations may be […]

For a century now, scientists have believed that the main means of respiratory virus transmission is through droplets released by coughing or sneezing, which are deposited on the mucus membranes (eyes, nose or mouth) of a potential new host, or on a surface via which they can infect. These droplets can travel more than 1 […]

Since the first cases of COVID-19 in December 2019 in Wuhan, we have been trying to establish the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Currently, several hypotheses are being debated.    Firstly, did SARS-CoV-2 emerge from an animal reservoir (zoonosis)? A large majority of human viruses do, in effect, emerge from animal sources. Coronaviruses infect numerous species, including humans, […]

The United States was the country with the highest numbers of COVID-19  cases and deaths in the world in 2020. 3 waves of the epidemic followed in quick succession: the 1st in the springtime, after the virus first appeared in the country, affecting mainly urban areas; the 2nd during the summer, affecting mainly the south […]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have had many questions about health matters. Naturally, doctors and nurses who are in the front line against the virus have been amongst the most listened to. Some of these front line staff have posted videos on social media with preventive advice or explanations about the illness, the virus and […]

For several months now, health professionals and patients have not only had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but also with an “infodemic” caused by misinformation and disinformation. Numerous false rumours abound in the media and on social networks: for example, it is wrongly affirmed that masks are ineffective and may increase the risk of […]