The Latest Breaking News on COVID-19

XBB.1.16 strain detected in 22 countries so far and is driving up infection rate in India

The number of daily Covid-19 cases is likely to reach 5,000-10,000 during a new wave but numbers probably will drop quite quickly after that, says Dr Nitipatana Chierakul, head of the Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis Division at the Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital.

Today’s update is about an eight-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

The Arcturus variant is widespread in India and has been found in 29 countries - including the United States. Officials are keeping a close eye on the new variant which is said to be more transmissible

XBB.1.16 strain detected in 22 countries so far and is driving up infection rate in India

Widow of Dr Stephen Wright is planning on suing the pharmaceutical giant

Dr Stephen Wright from Sevenoaks, Kent, was among the earliest groups of people to be given the vaccine during the pandemic - he died 10 days later

Dr Stephen Wright's widow, Charlotte, is considering taking legal action

The widow of Dr Stephen Wright, 32, who died 10 days after his Covid vaccination, is planning to sue the pharmaceutical giant.

The health board says the vast majority of the population has good protection against the disease.

There is hope in the news that the leading version of naloxone, the No. 1 drug used to reverse opioid overdoses, will soon be available without a prescription. Making it easier to obtain the life-saving drug should save lives, but the devil, as they say, may be in the details.