Latest news with #Clade1b
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Philippine health agency quashes mpox lockdown rumours
"Don't dismiss this, please share! [The government] is trying to determine if the entire country should be placed on lockdown because of the danger of mpox," reads part of the Tagalog-language caption of a graphic shared on Facebook on May 31, 2025. It bears the logos of the Philippines' Department of Health and the World Health Organization, says the lockdown will start "June 10, 2025" and adds the use of face masks will be mandatory. The Facebook post also includes links to products sold on popular e-commerce sites Shopee and Lazada. Similar posts were shared elsewhere on Facebook, as were similar graphics about a June 6 lockdown purportedly shared by Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN. "Oh no, here we go again, this is scary," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "And children are about to go back to school next month at the opening of the school year!" Multiple towns in the central and southern Philippines in May reported cases of mpox, a disease caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox that manifests itself in a high fever and skin lesions (archived here, here and here). But the archipelago's health department says there is no need to restrict the public's movement. According to the agency, the cases reported in May were caused by the mild Clade 2 variant -- not the highly transmissible Clade 1b strain of the virus that has killed hundreds of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was also detected in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Sweden (archived here and here). The Department of Health said in a May 31 statement that posts claiming a lockdown was imminent were "fake", and there was no need to restrict movement because mpox is not airborne (archived link). "Lockdown does not work for mpox. Why? Because it is [transmitted via] skin-to-skin contact, so there could be more skin-to-skin contact if there is a lockdown," health chief Ted Herbosa said in a press briefing on May 31 (archived link). Separately, the heath department and the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases said mask mandates imposed by several localities in response to mpox cases were unnecessary and would not prevent the spread of the virus (archived here. here, here and here). There has also been no surge in the number of mpox cases in the country. According to information released by the health department, more cases were recorded in April than in May (archived link). The Philippines has not recorded any cases from Clade 1b. The lockdown graphic purportedly shared by ABS-CBN was also dismissed by the health agency as "fake" on May 31 (archived link). The graphic uses the same background of a genuine graphic shared by the broadcaster on its official Facebook page on May 28, 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic (archived link). The original graphic was about Metro Manila being placed under "General Community Quarantine". AFP has debunked other false claims about mpox here.
AFP
5 days ago
- Health
- AFP
Philippine health agency quashes mpox lockdown rumours
"Don't dismiss this, please share! [The government] is trying to determine if the entire country should be placed on lockdown because of the danger of mpox," reads part of the Tagalog-language caption of a graphic shared on Facebook on May 31, 2025. It bears the logos of the Philippines' Department of Health and the World Health Organization, says the lockdown will start "June 10, 2025" and adds the use of face masks will be mandatory. The Facebook post also includes links to products sold on popular e-commerce sites Shopee and Lazada. Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on June 1, 2025 Similar posts were shared elsewhere on Facebook, as were similar graphics about a June 6 lockdown purportedly shared by Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN. Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on June 1, 2025 "Oh no, here we go again, this is scary," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "And children are about to go back to school next month at the opening of the school year!" Multiple towns in the central and southern Philippines in May reported cases of mpox, a disease caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox that manifests itself in a high fever and skin lesions (archived here, here and here). But the archipelago's health department says there is no need to restrict the public's movement. No lockdown According to the agency, the cases reported in May were caused by the mild Clade 2 variant -- not the highly transmissible Clade 1b strain of the virus that has killed hundreds of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was also detected in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Sweden (archived here and here). The Department of Health said in a May 31 statement that posts claiming a lockdown was imminent were "fake", and there was no need to restrict movement because mpox is not airborne (archived link). Image Screenshot of the Department of Health statement "Lockdown does not work for mpox. Why? Because it is [transmitted via] skin-to-skin contact, so there could be more skin-to-skin contact if there is a lockdown," health chief Ted Herbosa said in a press briefing on May 31 (archived link). Separately, the heath department and the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases said mask mandates imposed by several localities in response to mpox cases were unnecessary and would not prevent the spread of the virus (archived here. here, here and here). There has also been no surge in the number of mpox cases in the country. According to information released by the health department, more cases were recorded in April than in May (archived link). The Philippines has not recorded any cases from Clade 1b. Repurposed Covid graphic The lockdown graphic purportedly shared by ABS-CBN was also dismissed by the health agency as "fake" on May 31 (archived link). The graphic uses the same background of a genuine graphic shared by the broadcaster on its official Facebook page on May 28, 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared graphic (left) and the ABS-CBN post from May 2020 (right) The original graphic was about Metro Manila being placed under "General Community Quarantine". AFP has debunked other false claims about mpox here.
Associated Press
04-03-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Registration is Now Open For Tribe Public's CEO Presentation and Q&A Webinar Event MPOX 2025: Navigating the Global Public Health Emergency Featuring GeoVax CEO On March 6, 2025
Mpox remains a global public health crisis in 2025, with Clade 1b exhibiting higher transmissibility and severity than Clade 2. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the epicenter, with over 60,000 suspected cases and 1,300 deaths in 2024 alone. The virus has now spread to multiple countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Europe, raising concerns about global containment. The U.S. has confirmed four Clade 1b cases (California, Georgia, New Hampshire, and New York), prompting the need for urgent action. The current vaccine supply chain is inadequate, relying heavily on a single non-U.S. manufacturer. Delays in vaccine distribution, high costs, and limited production capacity have exacerbated the crisis, particularly in Africa, where vaccine stockpiles remain largely unused due to logistical and political challenges. GEO-MVA, the GeoVax Mpox vaccine candidate is advancing to clinical evaluation, anticipated for H2 '25. ATLANTA, GA - March 4, 2025 ( NEWMEDIAWIRE) - GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announces that Chairman & CEO, David Dodd will present at Tribe Public's CEO Presentation and Q&A Webinar Event titled 'MPOX 2025: Navigating the Global Public Health Emergency.' The Event is scheduled to begin at 8:30am Pacific/11:30am Eastern on Thursday, March 6, 2025. To register to join the complimentary, ZOOM webinar-based event, please visit Once registered, participants may begin forwarding their questions for GeoVax's management to Tribe Public at [email protected] or share their questions via the ZOOM chat feature during the event. Tribe Public's Managing Member, John F. Heerdink, Jr., will host the event and relay all questions to management. About GeoVax GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel vaccines for many of the world's most threatening infectious diseases and therapies for solid tumor cancers. The company's lead clinical program is GEO-CM04S1, a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine for which GeoVax was recently awarded a BARDA-funded contract to sponsor a 10,000-participant Phase 2b clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of GEO-CM04S1 versus an approved COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, GEO-CM04S1 is currently in three Phase 2 clinical trials, being evaluated as (1) a primary vaccine for immunocompromised patients such as those suffering from hematologic cancers and other patient populations for whom the current authorized COVID-19 vaccines are insufficient, (2) a booster vaccine in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and (3) a more robust, durable COVID-19 booster among healthy patients who previously received the mRNA vaccines. In oncology the lead clinical program is evaluating a novel oncolytic solid tumor gene-directed therapy, Gedeptin(R), having recently completed a multicenter Phase 1/2 clinical trial for advanced head and neck cancers. A Phase 2 clinical trial in first recurrent head and neck cancer, evaluating Gedeptin(R) combined with an immune checkpoint inhibitor is planned. GeoVax has a strong IP portfolio in support of its technologies and product candidates, holding worldwide rights for its technologies and products. The Company has a leadership team who have driven significant value creation across multiple life science companies over the past several decades. For more information about the current status of our clinical trials and other updates, visit our website : About Tribe Public LLC Tribe Public LLC is a San Francisco, CA based organization that hosts complimentary worldwide webinar & in-person meeting events across 36 venue sites in the U.S. Tribe's events focus on issues that the Tribe members care about with an emphasis on hosting management teams from companies from all sectors & financial organizations that are seeking to increase awareness of their products, progress and plans. Tribe members primarily include Family Offices, Portfolio Managers, Registered Investment Advisors, Accredited Investors, Sell Side Analysts, and members of media. Tribe Members are encouraged to express their interest in speakers they care about and want to learn from at the Tribe Public website via the Tribe's FREE 'Wish List' process. Visit Tribe Public's Website to learn more: 678-384-7220 212-698-8696 Media Contact: 202-779-0929
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
M23 rebels ‘execute' children in assault on major DRC city
M23 rebels shot dead three children when they stormed into the city of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations has said. The Rwanda-backed group captured the eastern city over the weekend, leaving bodies in the streets and looting as they went, sources on the ground told The Telegraph, warning of an escalating humanitarian crisis. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN's human rights office (UNHCR), said the three boys were killed in Bukavu's Latin Quarter after refusing to put down guns they had collected from an abandoned army camp. 'Our office has confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week. We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons,' she said. According to the UN agency, the three boys, aged 11 to 15, were found wearing discarded combat uniforms. The assault on Bukavu, a critical trade hub with a population of 1.3 million, comes two weeks after the rebels seized the major city of Goma in a four-day siege that left at least 3,000 people dead and displaced 350,000 others. The intensification in the fighting has created a fresh crisis for the country's overwhelmed network of displacement camps and health facilities, at a time when it is already dealing with major infectious disease outbreaks including a more aggressive strain of mpox known as Clade 1b, as well as malaria, measles, and cholera. The first M23 troops entered the city on Friday, creating an atmosphere of 'unimaginable terror and fear,' said Marcus Bachmann, head of programmes for South Kivu at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Thousands of residents fled in anticipation of the rebel assault, among them critical healthcare workers. The health system is now 'dysfunctional' because of a lack of staff, said Mr Bachmann, harming efforts to contain the infectious diseases already plaguing the eastern DRC. M23 reportedly faced little resistance from the Congolese army, which had been ordered to retreat days earlier to avoid another bloody urban battle like the one seen in Goma. Although no major armed confrontations occurred between the army and M23, MSF reported 'widespread looting and shootings'. On Saturday, civilians looted abandoned army warehouses, resulting in the 'enormous proliferation of weapons' in the city, said MSF's Mr Bachmann. 'There were enormous shootings in town all over Saturday, and those partially were minors who got hold of weapons and started to use them in the city. There were also clashes with retreating [Congolese army] combatants,' said Mr Bachmann. Both the UN and several NGOs have also accused both the M23 and the FARDC of recruiting child soldiers. Volunteers from the Congolese Red Cross said they recovered more than 20 bodies from the streets of Bukavu. Four MSF-supported hospitals have been treating war casualties in the city, with injuries split roughly 50/50 between gunshot wounds and shrapnel, according to Mr Bachmann. So far, they have treated 58 civilians, including 11 children and 26 women. A World Food Programme depot in Bukavu holding 6,800 metric tons of food was also looted on Saturday. The agency had already suspended its activities for weeks due to the deteriorating security situation. Separately, more than 1,500 prisoners escaped from Kabare and Bukavu central prisons in a mass jailbreak on Friday as the first of the rebels entered the city. The UN reported receiving protection requests from victims and witnesses who fear retaliation from the escapees, some of whom had been involved in high-profile trials for serious crimes. Several of the prisoners were convicted of grave violations and abuses, including international crimes, the UNHCR said. Meanwhile, Goma has continued to suffer the after-effects of the devastating siege last month. Ndosho hospital, the best-equipped in the city, has been forced to convert the facility's car park and canteen into triage centers to treat the 1,500 people who have been admitted since January, Eleanor Asomani, a spokesperson for the International Red Cross, told The Telegraph. 'We've had to organise the car park as a triage zone and then do colour-coding depending on the injuries,' she said. The fighting in Goma has forced more than 100 patients in isolation with mpox centers to flee and re-enter the general population, sparking fears that transmission will be reignited in the area. The M23 offensive in the Eastern DRC began in December, with the rebels vowing to march towards Kinshasa, the capital, over 1,600 miles away. Led by Tutsis, the same ethnic group targeted during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the rebels claim they are fighting to protect the ethnic minority in the DRC. However, both the Congolese government and the United Nations accuse the rebels, along with the Rwandan government, of exploiting the conflict to plunder trillions of dollars of the DRC's mineral resources like gold and coltan that are critical to global electronics production. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
19-02-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
M23 rebels ‘execute' children in assault on major DRC city
M23 rebels shot dead three children when they stormed into the city of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations has said. The Rwanda-backed group captured the eastern city over the weekend, leaving bodies in the streets and looting as they went, sources on the ground told The Telegraph, warning of an escalating humanitarian crisis. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN's human rights office (UNHCR), said the three boys were killed in Bukavu's Latin Quarter after refusing to put down guns they had collected from an abandoned army camp. 'Our office has confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week. We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons,' she said. According to the UN agency, the three boys, aged 11 to 15, were found wearing discarded combat uniforms. The assault on Bukavu, a critical trade hub with a population of 1.3 million, comes two weeks after the rebels seized the major city of Goma in a four-day siege that left at least 3,000 people dead and displaced 350,000 others. The intensification in the fighting has created a fresh crisis for the country's overwhelmed network of displacement camps and health facilities, at a time when it is already dealing with major infectious disease outbreaks including a more aggressive strain of mpox known as Clade 1b, as well as malaria, measles, and cholera. The first M23 troops entered the city on Friday, creating an atmosphere of 'unimaginable terror and fear,' said Marcus Bachmann, head of programmes for South Kivu at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Thousands of residents fled in anticipation of the rebel assault, among them critical healthcare workers. The health system is now 'dysfunctional' because of a lack of staff, said Mr Bachmann, harming efforts to contain the infectious diseases already plaguing the eastern DRC. M23 reportedly faced little resistance from the Congolese army, which had been ordered to retreat days earlier to avoid another bloody urban battle like the one seen in Goma. Although no major armed confrontations occurred between the army and M23, MSF reported 'widespread looting and shootings'. On Saturday, civilians looted abandoned army warehouses, resulting in the 'enormous proliferation of weapons' in the city, said MSF's Mr Bachmann. 'There were enormous shootings in town all over Saturday, and those partially were minors who got hold of weapons and started to use them in the city. There were also clashes with retreating [Congolese army] combatants,' said Mr Bachmann. Both the UN and several NGOs have also accused both the M23 and the FARDC of recruiting child soldiers. Volunteers from the Congolese Red Cross said they recovered more than 20 bodies from the streets of Bukavu. Four MSF-supported hospitals have been treating war casualties in the city, with injuries split roughly 50/50 between gunshot wounds and shrapnel, according to Mr Bachmann. So far, they have treated 58 civilians, including 11 children and 26 women. A World Food Programme depot in Bukavu holding 6,800 metric tons of food was also looted on Saturday. The agency had already suspended its activities for weeks due to the deteriorating security situation. Separately, more than 1,500 prisoners escaped from Kabare and Bukavu central prisons in a mass jailbreak on Friday as the first of the rebels entered the city. The UN reported receiving protection requests from victims and witnesses who fear retaliation from the escapees, some of whom had been involved in high-profile trials for serious crimes. Several of the prisoners were convicted of grave violations and abuses, including international crimes, the UNHCR said. Meanwhile, Goma has continued to suffer the after-effects of the devastating siege last month. Ndosho hospital, the best-equipped in the city, has been forced to convert the facility's car park and canteen into triage centers to treat the 1,500 people who have been admitted since January, Eleanor Asomani, a spokesperson for the International Red Cross, told The Telegraph. 'We've had to organise the car park as a triage zone and then do colour-coding depending on the injuries,' she said. The fighting in Goma has forced more than 100 patients in isolation with mpox centers to flee and re-enter the general population, sparking fears that transmission will be reignited in the area. The M23 offensive in the Eastern DRC began in December, with the rebels vowing to march towards Kinshasa, the capital, over 1,600 miles away. Led by Tutsis, the same ethnic group targeted during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the rebels claim they are fighting to protect the ethnic minority in the DRC. However, both the Congolese government and the United Nations accuse the rebels, along with the Rwandan government, of exploiting the conflict to plunder trillions of dollars of the DRC's mineral resources like gold and coltan that are critical to global electronics production.
