Famous figures who died from coronavirus
New variant XEC emerges globally
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CELEBRITY Covid-19
It's been over a year since the World Health Organization downgraded COVID-19's pandemic status, but the summer of 2024 has seen a sharp increase in the number of cases. We all know someone who came back from their vacation and tested positive, or have come down with the virus ourselves. In the US, the number of coronavirus-related emergency room visits increased dramatically at the beginning of July.
The latest COVID-19 variant making headlines is XEC. This new variant results from a recombination of the KS.1.1 variant and the KP.3.3 variant.
COVID-19 seemed to be in the rearview mirror, so why the sudden summer outbreak? According to CNN medical expert Dr. Leana Wen, there has been a wave of summer infections every year since the pandemic began, potentially due to an increase in travel and gatherings held indoors to escape the heat during peak temperatures. She recommends taking extra precautions when traveling or visiting those who are immunocompromised, and staying up to date on vaccines.
In this gallery, we look back on the well-known individuals who've tragically lost their lives to the coronavirus since the outbreak of the disease in 2020.
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