"From Monday begins the so-called phase 2. We must be aware that a challenge that is even more difficult begins . " This was said by the commissioner for the coronavirus emergency, Domenico Arcuri. "The second half of a game begins tomorrow that we don't know how long it will last and how it will end. We must not forget the sacrifices made in the first half and we must understand that we will be even more protagonists of the final result."
"The relative freedom that each of us is about to gain - Arcuri underlines - must be governed by the protection of the health of all of us. From Monday morning we will all have to imagine a reasonable exchange between relative freedom and absolute health, between everyone and everyone. Up to date we have all made many sacrifices and for this we must be grateful to all Italians. From Monday we ask them for a supplement of additional liability ".
"From Monday , citizens who want to buy the masks will find them at the maximum price of 50 cents net of VAT in 50 thousand stores, one for every 1,200 inhabitants," said Arcuri. "From mid-May - he stressed - the sales outlets will become 100 thousand, one for every 600 inhabitants". Arcuri has announced that it has signed an agreement with pharmacies, parapharmacies, Confcommercio, Federdistribuzione and Coop to sell the masks at the price set by the ordinance. "Yesterday we started a close dialogue with the national association of tobacconists with which we plan to sign an equal agreement in the next few days - he explained - We are talking about another 50 thousand points of sale in our territory".
Arcuri also announced that as of Monday " serological tests will arrive in many laboratories selected by the Ministry of Health . The sample survey to which the first 150,000 Italians present from the sample defined by Istat and Inail will begin will begin ." "The citizens - he explained - will be contacted in the coming days and will be asked to undergo the test in the nearest laboratory. Obviously they will do it for free".
Ema launches rapid remdesivir assessment - The European Medicines Agency (Ema) has launched a continuous data review study with rapid procedure relating to the antiviral drug remdesivir in relation to the treatment of Covid-19. It is a procedure that Ema uses to speed up the evaluation of a promising experimental drug during a public health emergency, such as the current pandemic. However, Ema points out, "it is still too early to draw conclusions about the drug's risk-benefit ratio."
The launch of the rapid review study on the anti-viral remdesivir - created to combat the Ebola virus - specifies Ema, "means that the evaluation has started and does not imply that its benefits are greater than the risks". With this rapid procedure, the Agency will be able to evaluate the data as it becomes available, thus speeding up the time. In contrast, the standard procedure for authorizing a drug requires that all data be submitted already at the start of the evaluation process. Ema's decision is based on the preliminary results of the 'ACTT' study, which suggests a beneficial effect of remdesivir in the treatment of patients hospitalized with moderate or severe forms of Covid-19. Another recent Chinese study also showed evidence of the drug's efficacy. Ema specifies that it will evaluate "all data on remdesivir, and will draw conclusions on the benefits and risks of the drug as soon as possible". Although remdesivir is not yet authorized in the European Union, while its use was authorized yesterday in the United States as an emergency by the United States Medicines Agency Fda, it may be available to patients through clinical trials and compassionate use through which patients have access to unauthorized drugs in emergency situations.