Category: World Health

‘It’s not over until there is no virus anywhere in the world’: WHO

GENEVA – Some countries have seen “upticks” in COVID-19 cases as lockdowns ease, and populations must continue to protect themselves against the coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. “On upticks, yes we have seen in countries around the world – I’m not talking specifically about […]

Coronavirus hopes and fears centre on ‘immunity’

Could exposure to the coronaviruses that cause the common cold help protect against COVID-19? Is herd immunity closer than previously thought? As nations lift lockdowns and experts worry about a potential second peak in cases, our ability to ward off infection is one of the hottest topics of […]

WHO stops hydroxychloroquine trials over safety concerns

The WHO suspended trials of the drug that Donald Trump has promoted as a coronavirus defence, fuelling concerns about the US president’s handling of the pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans. Trump has led the push for hydroxychloroquine as a potential shield or treatment for the virus, […]

In race to COVID-19 drugs, EU may fast track remdesivir sale before U.S.

BRUSSELS – The European Union may give an initial green light in the coming days for sale of the drug remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment, the head of its medicines agency said on Monday, fast-tracking the drug to market amid tight global competition for resources. The United States, […]

Gilead ties up with generic drugmakers for COVID-19 drug supply

Gilead Sciences Inc said on Tuesday it has signed non-exclusive licensing pacts with five generic drugmakers based in India and Pakistan to expand the supply of its experimental COVID-19 treatment remdesivir. The pacts allow the companies – Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd, Cipla Ltd , Hetero Labs Ltd, Mylan […]

Expert warns many countries are driving blind as they reopen

NEW YORK — India’s trains will start rolling again and millions in the Philippines will be able to leave their homes, even as an expert warns that many countries are driving blind as they reopen because they haven’t set up strong systems to track new outbreaks of the […]

Israel isolates coronavirus antibody in 'significant breakthrough' – minister

JERUSALEM – Israel has isolated a key coronavirus antibody at its main biological research laboratory, the Israeli defence minister said on Monday, calling the step a “significant breakthrough” toward a possible treatment for the COVID-19 pandemic. The “monoclonal neutralising antibody” developed at the Israel Institute for Biological Research […]

U.S. emergency approval broadens use of Gilead's COVID-19 drug remdesivir

WASHINGTON – Gilead Science Inc’s (GILD.O) antiviral drug remdesivir was granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for COVID-19 on Friday, clearing the way for broader use of the drug in more hospitals around the United States. During a meeting in the Oval Office […]

Hopes rise in virus battle as US scientists hail drug trial

US scientists have hailed a potential breakthrough in the coronavirus fight after a trial showed patients responding to an antiviral drug, fueling global hopes for a return to normal despite mounting deaths and abysmal economic figures. The news was enough to propel a rebound on Wall Street even […]

Data on Gilead drug raises hopes in pandemic fight, Fauci calls it 'highly significant'

The top U.S. infectious disease official said Gilead Sciences Inc’s experimental antiviral drug remdesivir will become the standard of care for COVID-19 after early clinical trial results on Wednesday showed it helped patients recover more quickly from the illness caused by the coronavirus. Preliminary results from a U.S. […]

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