Trials of the Oxford University vaccine have shown promising results in people over the age of 60 and 70.
In the USA, the infection and mortality curves are rising.
Facebook employees complain about the need to come to the offices.
Tokyo has introduced a “red” level of danger.
This and other news about the situation with Covid-19 worldwide – in our quasi-daily overview.
According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 56.3 million people worldwide have either recovered from or are currently suffering from the coronavirus, with more than 1.3 million deaths.
The coronavirus vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, has shown encouraging results in the second phase of trials in people aged 60 and 70, who are considered at risk due to the increased likelihood of complications following infection. Scientists are currently conducting the third, larger phase of the trial, which involves volunteers from several countries around the world. Initial results are expected by the end of the year. Three vaccines – Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and the Russian Sputnik V – have already shown good results in the third phase of trials, according to their developers.
The UK authorities have pre-ordered 100 million doses of a vaccine being developed jointly by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, 40 million doses from Pfizer and BioNTech, and 5 million doses from Moderna. The Oxford scientists’ vaccine is based on a weakened strain of the common cold virus (from the adenovirus family) taken from chimpanzees. Work on the vaccine began in January and was completed three months later, after which clinical trials began. When the third phase of testing is completed, the information will be sent to regulatory agencies for approval and certification. In September, trials of the Oxford University vaccine were suspended for several days after a “potentially unexplained illness” was detected in one of the volunteers.
In the U.S., the number of deaths due to Covid-19 has exceeded 250,000, and the number of new infections continues to rise. According to Johns Hopkins University, nearly 11.5 million people have been identified in the country since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The U.S. leads the world in the number of cases and deaths. In many states, hospitals are being overwhelmed by the influx of patients. In the Texas city of El Paso, officials have decided to use a local conference center to treat people with Covid-19, and a medical center in Nevada has begun housing patients in the hospital parking lot. In an interview with the BBC, Anthony Fauci, the lead expert on the U.S. coronavirus response team, said that the U.S. has chosen the wrong direction at a very difficult time, exacerbated by the fact that people spend more time indoors in cold weather.
He reiterated his call for everyone to strictly adhere to the prescribed sanitary norms, which means wearing masks, keeping distance and avoiding large gatherings of people. “These are simple measures to implement, and we know they are effective. But it is necessary to take into account the fatigue of Covid; people are exhausted from these restrictions,” Fauci added.
More than 200 Facebook employees from different countries have accused the company of forcing content moderators to come into the office despite the risk of coronavirus infection. They wrote an open letter stating that the company was unnecessarily putting people’s lives at risk for the sake of profit. They called on Facebook to change its policies to allow people to work remotely more often and, if necessary, to pay them extra for working in dangerous conditions. In response, the company said that most of the moderators work from home. “We believe there should be an open dialogue within the company, but such discussions should be honest. Most of these 15,000 moderators work from home and will continue to do so until the pandemic is over,” said a Facebook representative. In August, the social network announced that its employees will be able to work from home by the summer of 2021.
Authorities in Tokyo have raised the coronavirus threat level to maximum. This is due to the fact that the city has recorded a record number of infections for the second day in a row. Covid-19 has been detected in 534 people in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases in Japan exceeded 2,000 for the second day in a row. “We are in an extremely dangerous situation,” said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. He urged residents to wear masks, including when talking to others in restaurants, but did not impose any new restrictions.
Experts are concerned about the increase in infection cases on the eve of Japan’s three-day long weekend, as well as corporate parties and celebrations, and are urging authorities to take stricter preventive measures. The BBC’s Yuko Kato in Tokyo says residents are confused by conflicting statements from authorities and are asking why shops and restaurants are still open. Japan did not impose a lockdown, as Europe did, although the wearing of masks and social distancing were recommended. Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 1917 people have died in Japan.
The head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Hieronymos II, is undergoing treatment after being infected with a coronavirus. The 82-year-old cleric was taken by helicopter to an Athens hospital last week. Monday was the funeral of Greek Bishop Ioannis, who died of Covid-19. He insisted that communion be served with a common spoon during services. Like many other priests, he was convinced that the coronavirus could not be transmitted through the body and blood of Christ. Earlier this month in Serbia, several Serbian priests became infected after attending the funeral of a bishop who died of Covid-19. During the funeral, people kissed his body without masks. Among those infected was the 90-year-old Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Irinej. He is currently in a military hospital, and according to the latest information, his condition is deteriorating.
News from other countries: