What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

(Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

At least one long-term symptom seen in 37% of patients

At least one long-term COVID-19 symptom was found in 37% of patients three to six months after they were infected by the virus, a large study from Oxford University and the National Institute for Health Research showed on Wednesday.

The most common symptoms included breathing problems, fatigue, pain and anxiety, Oxford University said, after investigating symptoms in over 270,000 people recovering from COVID-19.

The symptoms were more frequent among people who had been previously hospitalised with COVID-19 and were slightly more common among women, according to the study.

White House says 400,000 people have received boosters at pharmacies

At least 400,000 people in the United States have received booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after U.S. health regulators cleared the third round of shots for millions of people, and a million more are seeking them, the White House said on Tuesday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week backed an additional dose of the vaccine for people aged 65 and older, adults with underlying medical conditions that put them at risk of severe COVID-19 and adults in high-risk working and institutional settings.

New Zealand's cases jump

New Zealand's daily cases jumped to their highest level in weeks on Wednesday, a setback to the South Pacific nation's battle to eliminate the highly infectious Delta variant from its shores.

Health authorities reported 45 new cases, all in the biggest city, Auckland, taking the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 1,230.

It's much higher than the eight reported on Tuesday, and the highest number of daily cases since Sept. 2.

Poland's new cases to surpass 1,000 for first time since May

The number of new daily cases in Poland surpassed 1,000 for the first time since late May on Wednesday, the health minister told Radio Plus, as a fourth wave of the pandemic gathers pace amid low vaccination rates.

Floundering private sales of vaccines in India deal blow to Sputnik V

Some of India's private hospitals have cancelled orders for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as they struggle to sell COVID-19 shots following a surge in supplies of free doses of other vaccines offered by the government.

Industry officials said low demand and the extremely cold storage temperatures required have spurred at least three big hospitals to cancel orders for Sputnik V, sold only on the private market in the world's biggest vaccine-producing country.

Slovenia temporarily suspends J&J's Janssen vaccine

Slovenia on Wednesday temporarily suspended the application of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 vaccines after the death of a young woman, health minister Janez Poklukar was quoted as saying by the STA national news agency.

Swiss buy 150,000 doses of J&J vaccine

Switzerland has agreed to buy 150,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Johnson & Johnson that will arrive this week and be distributed to regional authorities next week, the government said on Wednesday.

Switzerland has relied so far on vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna using new mRNA technology but also considered standard vector jabs from Johnson & Johnson to help persuade more people to get immunised.

(Compiled by Linda Noakes; editing by Barbara Lewis)

FILE PHOTO: People wear masks as they exercise during a lockdown to curb the spread of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Auckland, New Zealand, August 26, 2021. REUTERS/Fiona Goodall

FILE PHOTO: A grocery store employee wearing a vest with social distancing guidelines printed on the back looks on, as police officers check a man in the city centre during a lockdown to curb the spread of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Sydney, Australia, September 28, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo

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