Health

The head of the maker of remdesivir, an anti-viral shown to reduce recovery times in COVID-19 patients, said Sunday the company has been exporting the drug and is making it available to patients in the United States through the US government. Gilead Sciences CEO Daniel O’Day said the company is donating its entire existing supply of the drug — 1.5 ...

The coronavirus pandemic could jeopardise vaccination campaigns in the Middle East and North Africa, UNICEF warned Sunday, saying millions of children could miss out on polio and measles immunisations. The UN agency said most countries in the region were continuing with routine campaigns, under strict controls to prevent the spread of the virus. But it warned that some vaccination campaigns ...

The World Health Organization said Friday it hoped China would invite it to take part in its investigations into the animal origins of the novel coronavirus. “WHO would be keen to work with international partners and at the invitation of the Chinese government to participate in investigation around the animal origins,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told AFP in an email. ...

Remdesivir has been shown to speed up recovery times for patients with COVID-19 in a major US-led trial, becoming the first drug with proven benefit against the disease.   Here is what you need to know. – What is remdesivir? –   Remdesivir is an experimental, broad spectrum antiviral made by US pharmaceutical Gilead Sciences that was first developed to ...

Plasma therapy trials have already started in some states — like Maharashtra, UP and Madhya Pradesh — though on a very small scale involving only one or a couple of patients. The use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets as a preventive measure for front-line healthcare workers, and on patients and their contacts, also has started in some states. In Maharashtra, just ...

A coronavirus testing laboratory, funded by Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, was opened on Wednesday at Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj, one of the worst-affected areas in Bangladesh. Health Minister Zahid Maleque inaugurated the lab at US-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Bestway city in the afternoon through a videoconference. Maleque said the setting up of the lab in short ...

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last fortnight that India and the US were working together to develop vaccines against the coronavirus. The two countries have run an internationally recognised joint vaccine development programme for more than three decades.They have worked on stopping dengue, enteric diseases, influenza and TB in their tracks. Trials of a dengue vaccine are planned ...

Beijing has banned “uncivilised” behaviour such as not covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, the city government said Sunday, in a new set of regulations to improve public hygiene amid the coronavirus outbreak. The laws aim to promote “civilised behaviour” and relate to combating the pandemic which has infected more than 82,000 in China alone. Rulebreakers will ...

African countries are experiencing a rise in the number of new coronavirus cases, and many governments have been enforcing strict social distancing measures. As they prepare for a surge in cases, misleading information has been spreading throughout the continent. 1. Inhaling very hot steam is dangerous The false claim that inhaling steam is an effective treatment against coronavirus has surfaced ...

Nicotine could protect people from contracting the coronavirus, according to new research in France, where further trials are planned to test whether the substance could be used to prevent or treat the deadly illness. The findings come after researchers at a top Paris hospital examined 343 coronavirus patients along with 139 people infected with the illness with milder symptoms. They ...