Americans life expectancy was on the rise before the pandemic struck
From CNN Health’s Shelby Lin Erdman
A man walks through a COVID Memorial Project installation on the grounds of the Washington Monument in Washington, DC on September 22. Win McNamee/Getty Images
Life expectancy in the United States was on the rise before the coronavirus pandemic struck, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics reported Tuesday.
For the second consecutive year, Americans’ life expectancy rose in 2019, according to the report “Mortality in the United States: 2019.”
That’s despite an increase in drug overdose deaths and a record high of 2.85 million deaths, 15,633 more than the total in 2018.
Thailand seafood market cluster grows to more 1,000 cases
From journalist Angie Puranasamriddhi in Bangkok
A shrimp market in Samut Sakhon, Thailand is closed and surrounded with barbed wire on December 20. Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul/AP
At least 427 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed on Monday from a Covid-19 cluster stemming from a seafood market outside of Bangkok, Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, the spokesperson of the center for Thailand’s Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said Tuesday.
The cluster from the Samut Sakhon province has grown to more than 1,000 in a few days, mostly among migrant workers.
Train travel between Samut Sakhon province and Bangkok has been suspended until January 3. Foreigners are currently prevented from entering or leaving Samut Sakhon.
Pfizer and Moderna are testing their vaccines against UK coronavirus variant
From CNN Health’s Elizabeth Cohen
A vial of Pfizer s Covid-19 vaccine is seen at George Washington University Hospital on December 14 in Washington DC. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/Getty Images
Pfizer and Moderna are testing their coronavirus vaccines to see if they work against the new mutated version of the virus that’s recently been found in the United Kingdom and other countries, according to company statements. Based on the data to date, we expect that the Moderna vaccine-induced immunity would be protective against the variants recently described in the UK, Moderna said in a statement.
United States reports record numbers of Covid-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations cnn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cnn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
South Korea reports its highest daily rise in coronavirus cases since the start of pandemic
From CNN’s Jake Kwon in Seoul
Containers to be used as a ward to treat people infected with the coronavirus are set up on the grounds of the Seoul Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, December 10. Ahn Young-joon/AP
South Korea reported 950 new coronavirus cases on Saturday the most infections in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said in a press release.
Of those, 928 confirmed cases are local infections, while 22 are imported.