US health officials said Sunday that while the omicron variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading throughout the country, early indications suggest it may be less dangerous than delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations.

The government has no plan to seal off borders or slap lockdown to prevent Omicron variant, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said yesterday.

At least 68 dengue patients were hospitalised in the last 24 hours yesterday, of whom 21 are from outside Dhaka, according to DGHS.

Six people died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8am today, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Sixty-eight dengue patients were hospitalised in the last 24 hours till 8:00 am today, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Health Minister Zahid Maleque today said that all necessary preparations have been made to deal with the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron.

Australia's medicine regulator on Sunday provisionally approved the Pfizer Inc coronavirus vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11, with the health minister saying the rollout could begin from January 10.

A new study published in a journal Diabetologia finds that type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevalence is elevated in people with a psychiatric disorder compared with the general population.

Pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to have complications with pregnancy and birth than those without, according to the research journal PLOS Medicine.

HIV is a serious worldwide public health concern, having claimed the lives of 36.3 million people to date. According to the World Health Organisation, by the end of 2020, an estimated 37.7 million persons were living with HIV. Furthermore, in 2020, 680 000 people died from HIV-related causes.

The government is yet to take any effective measures to prevent a possible surge in Covid-19 cases as per recommendations made by the National Technical Advisory Committee.

South Africa reported a recent surge in Covid-19 cases among children, which was not seen in the previous waves of the pandemic even as the country is handling the sharp increase of Omicron variant cases.

At least 53 dengue patients were hospitalised in the last 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday of whom 29 are from outside Dhaka, according to DGHS.

A new study published in a journal Diabetologia finds that later bedtime routines and poor sleep quality are associated with higher blood glucose levels and poorer control of blood sugar following meals. The authors examined whether night-to-night fluctuations in sleep duration, efficiency, or timing affect postprandial (after meal) glucose response to breakfast the following day.

Joint pain is quite common, particularly as people become older. In one nationwide study, almost one-third of individuals said they had had joint discomfort in the previous 30 days. The most prevalent complaint was knee pain, followed by shoulder and hip discomfort. On the other hand, joint pain may strike anywhere on your body, from your ankles and feet to your shoulders and wrists.

Six people died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8am today, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

India today reported two more cases of Omicron, taking the total number of persons confirmed with the latest variant of Covid-19 to four, officials said.

Two hippos have tested positive for COVID-19 at Antwerp Zoo in Belgium in what could be the first reported cases in the species, zoo staff said.

At least 53 dengue patients were hospitalised in the last 24 hours till 8:00am today, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

At least 13 people in Oslo have been infected with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus following a corporate Christmas party described as a "super spreader event", and their numbers could rise to over 60 cases, authorities said on Friday.