Covid news: Aspirin tested as potential treatment and schools get coronavirus advice from call centre

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Mass coronavirus testing scheme getting under way in Liverpool

Aspirin will be tested as a possible treatment for Covid-19 in one of Britain's biggest trials, which will assess whether it might reduce the risk of blood clots in people with the disease.  

Scientists behind the RECOVERY trial, which is looking into a range of potential treatments for the novel coronavirus, said it would look into the painkiller, which is commonly used as a blood thinner. 

Meanwhile, teachers have reacted with anger to unskilled call handlers being drafted in to give coronavirus safety guidance to schools.  

A school leaders’ union said that in many cases call handlers do not have the knowledge or expertise needed to give helpful advice, with many reading answers from scripts. 

It came as the government has imposed its first outright travel ban on arrivals since the coronavirus pandemic began. In the early hours of Saturday, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that foreign visitors from Denmark will be denied entry.

The unprecedented move is because of serious concerns about mutations of coronavirus spreading from mink to humans.

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Key Points

• Schools given advice from call centre staff with no clinical training
• Positive start to Liverpool mass testing operation
• Denmark hit with travel ban over mink mutation
• Aspirin tested as potential Covid-19 treatment

[7 November 2020 15:07 · Emily Goddard]

There have been a further 958 cases of coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number to 59,237.

A further 32 deaths were also recorded, taking the total in Wales since the start of the pandemic to 2,014.

Dr Chris Williams, the incident director for the coronavirus outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said he is working with the Welsh government to monitor the impact of the firebreak lockdown, which is due to end on Monday.

He said: “As we approach the end of the firebreak period in Wales, we remind everyone that this does not mean a return to normality.

“Coronavirus is still active in communities across Wales, so we all need to take steps to keep everyone safe and to prevent the transmission of the disease.”

[7 November 2020 15:29 · Emily Goddard]

A further 283 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 34,374, NHS England has said.

Patients were aged between 39 and 100. All except nine, aged between 39 and 88, had known underlying health conditions.

The deaths were between 14 May and 6 November.

Sixteen other deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.

[7 November 2020 15:54 · Emily Goddard]

Northern Ireland has reported 15 further deaths related to Covid-19 and an additional 528 confirmed cases.

The latest increase brings the total number of coronavirus deaths to 774, according to figures from the Department of Health in NI.

There are 391 confirmed Covid-19 inpatients in the hospital system, with 53 of those in intensive care.

There are now 22 beds available in ICU, and 101 beds in the wider hospital system, officials said.

[7 November 2020 16:01 · Emily Goddard]

Italy approves €2.9bn aid package

Italy has approved a new aid package to cushion the blow to the economy from restrictions it introduced earlier this week in an effort to stem a resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The measures agreed by cabinet overnight are worth €2.9bn (£2.6bn), a person with knowledge of the matter said.

Coronavirus curbs that came into force on Friday divide the country into three zones according to the severity of the latest outbreak.

The limitations are less severe than the nationwide lockdown Rome imposed when the coronavirus first took hold in March, but many shops have been shut in the highest-risk zones, such as Milan’s Lombardy region, where people can only leave their homes for work, health reasons or emergencies.

New measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic put in place by the Italian government include a lockdown in the regions Valle D’Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy and Calabria (AFP via Getty Images)

[7 November 2020 16:29 · Emily Goddard]

UK deaths rise by more than 400

Across the UK, 413 more people have died from Covid-19. The latest deaths bring the UK total to 48,888.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths when coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 64,000 deaths involving coronavirus in the UK.

There have also been a further 24,957 cases of coronavirus in the UK, the government said. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 1,171,441.

[7 November 2020 16:51 · Emily Goddard]

Independent shops call for crackdown on ‘non-essential’ retail

Thousands of independent shops have called on the government to clampdown on major retailers, including B&M and Carpetright, selling ‘non-essential’ goods during England’s second lockdown.

Bira, a trade association for independent retailers, says businesses with with large mixed retail spaces have been given an unfair advantage as they continue to open while independents are forced to close for a month.

Andrew Goodacre, the chief executive of Bira, said he had concerns that large stores are flouting the rules.

“We have had lots of questions and complaints from members about the actions of other retailers and the unfairness of the regulations,” he added.

[7 November 2020 17:05 · Emily Goddard]

Italy reports record daily cases

Italy has registered 39,811 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours – the country’s highest daily tally.

The new cases are up from 37,809 on Friday and take the national total to 902,490 infections since the start of its outbreak.

There were also 425 coronavirus-related deaths, down from 446 the day before.

A total of 41,063 people have now died because of Covid-19 in Italy.

The northern region of Lombardy, centred on Italy’s business capital Milan, remained the hardest hit area, reporting 11,489 new cases on Saturday against 9,934 on Friday.

The neighbouring Piedmont region was the second-worst affected, chalking up 4,437 cases versus 4,878 the day before. 

[7 November 2020 17:23 · Emily Goddard]

Hundreds take part in an anti-lockdown protest in Brighton

Hundreds of maskless protesters marched along Brighton seafront in an anti-lockdown demonstration on Saturday.

George Taylor, 21, lives in the area and said he was “very concerned” to see around 200 people walking closely together.

“They were marching along Brighton seafront with speakers saying to take off masks, calling it a muzzle, saying to get your freedom back,” he told the Press Association.

“It’s ridiculous to see people protesting against masks ... I’m surprised Brighton did have so many as we’re usually very liberal and all for helping each other in a time of need.

“Hopefully, this is the last time ... and the organiser does get fined otherwise we might as well not have a lockdown if so many are going against it like this.”

[7 November 2020 18:03 · Peter Stubley]

Lockdown ‘superfine’ after 60 partygoers found squeezed in flat

A man has been fined £10,000 after police found up to 60 people having a party inside a two-bedroom flat in Manchester.

None of them were social distancing, officers said.

[7 November 2020 18:14 · Peter Stubley]

Hancock seeks new coronavirus ally in Biden

Health secretary Matt Hancock has tweeted: "Huge congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden - we look forward to your dignified leadership &working with you to tackle coronavirus together, and on so much else."

Outgoing president Donald Trump was notably dismissive of Covid-19 when it first emerged late last year and Indy columnist has argued that he would have easily won a second term if the pandemic had never happened.