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5 hours ago
Director of the fund that funded Russia's vaccine research says he gave himself and his family
By Leinz Vales
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund that finances research for the coronavirus vaccine approved in the country, said Tuesday that its launch "will be very gradual."
"We won't give it to 10 million people tomorrow," Dmitriev told Anderson Cooper and CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta. "It's going to be a very gradual and careful implementation going forward," he said.
Developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute, the vaccine has been dubbed Sputnik-V, in reference to the surprise launch in 1957 of the world's first satellite by the Soviet Union. It has yet to go through the crucial phase 3 trials, in which it would be administered to thousands of people.
"We can say it works," Dmitirev told Gupta. «I have received it myself. I have given it to my parents, to my wife, "he said.
The announcement of the Russian coronavirus vaccine has been met with skepticism around the world.
The World Health Organization said in a statement on the Russian vaccine that "acceleration of vaccine research must be done by following established processes at each stage of development to ensure that any vaccine that eventually enters production is both safe and effective. ».
Cooper asked Dmitriev: 'Those who say this vaccine was rushed. He said it was proven. How has its effectiveness been proven? "
"It has been tested through phase one, (and) phase two of the trial," Dmitriev said. "We will have phase three trials in many other countries, in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and the Philippines."
âAccording to Russian law, when you have a pandemic, when you have an epidemic like this, you can do phase three simultaneously with the launch to high-risk groups, which we are doing. We think that's exactly the right approach, and this approach makes sense. And the rest of the world that knows some of the science behind our vaccine likes what they see. We have already received advance orders for 1 billion doses of the vaccine. I think time will tell the success of the Russian approach, "he said.
Russia has not released any scientific data on its tests and CNN cannot verify the alleged safety or efficacy of the vaccine.
5 hours ago
Venezuela reports more than 1,000 cases of covid-19 in one day for the first time
The government of the questioned president of Venezuela, NicolĂĄs Maduro, reported 1,008 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday. It is the first time that the country reports more than 1,000 infections in a single day. The total number of cases stands at 27,938, of which 19,706 have been recovered, according to official data. Nine new deaths were also confirmed for a total of 238.
5 hours ago
The US is not in a race with Russia for the vaccine, says Health Secretary, as he compares 'Operation Warp Speed' to the Apollo mission
By Jen Christensen
After it became known that Russia approved the "world's first vaccine" against the coronavirus, the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, for its acronym in English), Alex Azar, said that "this is not a race to be the first ».
But he did add that two of the six covid-19 vaccines in which the United States government has invested entered phase 3 of clinical trials weeks ago, while the Russian vaccine is only now beginning that step of the process, and that data from initial trials in Russia have not been disclosed.
The United States, Azar said, has strict security standards.
"We will require that any vaccine in the United States be safe and effective" and meet the standards of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Azar said during a press conference from Taipei, Taiwan, where he met with the President of Taiwan and the Minister of Health and Welfare to discuss covid-19.
Comparing Operation Warp Speed , the federal government's program to obtain a vaccine, with the Apollo mission that took humans to the moon, Azar said that this initiative is of the "once in a generation »Should be able to produce a safe vaccine by the end of the year.
Under Operation Warp Speed , the US Government has six vaccines under contract.
"As a result of this unprecedented action and historic speed, never before has a vaccine in the developed world moved from phase 1 to phase 3 as rapidly as Moderna's vaccine," said Azar. "The United States is committed to ensuring that any vaccine we distribute is safe and effective and meets the Food and Drug Administration's gold standard for authorization or approval," he added.
Azar said he believes that by the end of this year there will be a vaccine and "many hundreds of millions of doses, as we move into the beginning of next year."
6 hours ago
Fauci says he seriously doubts Russia has proven the new vaccine is safe and effective
By Lauren Mascarenhas
After Russia reported that it registered a coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, America's leading infectious disease expert, said he seriously doubts that Russia has proven the new vaccine is safe and effective.
âI hope that the Russians have actually and definitively proven that the vaccine is safe and effective. I seriously doubt they have, âFauci told ABC News's Deborah Roberts for a National Geographic event to air on Thursday. A portion of the interview was published by National Geographic on Tuesday.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that having a vaccine and proving that a vaccine is safe and effective are two different things.
"We have half a dozen shots or more," Fauci said. So if we wanted to risk hurting a lot of people or giving them something that doesn't work, we could start doing it, you know, next week if we wanted to. But that's not how it works, âshe said.
Fauci said that if and when Americans hear announcements from countries like Russia or China about the development of the vaccine, they have to remember that the United States has certain standards for safety and efficacy. The makers of the Russian vaccine have not yet released any data from human trials.
The US Food and Drug Administration has said it will only approve a vaccine if it meets a 50% efficacy requirement.
In an emailed statement on Tuesday, the World Health Organization said it is in contact with scientists and Russian authorities and hopes to review the details of the trials. According to the WHO, there are 28 vaccines in the human trial stages worldwide.
6 hours ago
Argentina registers daily record of deaths of people with covid-19 and already exceeds 5,000 deaths
The Argentine government registered 240 new deaths of people with covid-19 on Tuesday. This figure is the highest for a day in the country since the start of the pandemic. The total death toll now stands at 5,004. 7,043 new cases were also confirmed for a total of 260,911. The vast majority of cases come from the city and province of Buenos Aires.
6 hours ago
US government reaches an agreement with Moderna for 100 million doses of its vaccine
By Jen Christensen
The Government of Donald Trump reached an agreement for 1.525 million dollars with Moderna for the production and distribution of 100 million doses of the company's coronavirus vaccine once it is approved, according to a statement from the Department of Health and United States Human Services (HHS).
The president announced the deal during a press conference on Tuesday.
Maderna is one of several companies that is producing the vaccine "at risk," as the industry calls it, which means that it is making it before it is approved. At this stage, clinical trials are underway to determine if it is safe and effective.
Under this contract, at a cost of up to $ 1.525 million per 100 million doses, the doses would be owned by the United States Government and would be distributed and used as part of its COVID-19 vaccine campaign. If the doses are used, they would be provided to Americans at no cost. The government can also purchase up to 400 million additional doses of this vaccine.
The vaccine, called mRNA-1273, was developed by Moderna in collaboration with the US government. It was supported by development assistance from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the US Development and Advanced Biomedical Research Authority, known as BARDA, supported late-stage clinical trials and helped scale-up manufacturing.
Moderna's late-stage clinical trial, which began July 27, is the first government-funded phase 3 clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States.
This contract is part of Operation Warp Speed , the federal government's push to get vaccines and treatments to market as soon as possible from a safety point of view. HHS said the goal is to have safe vaccines for the American population by the end of the year.
The government also reached an agreement with Pfizer in July for the production of 100 million doses of its vaccine. In August, it reached a similar agreement for 100 million doses with Janssen, the vaccine arm of Johnson & Johnson. It has other agreements with GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi Pasteur, Novavax and AstraZeneca.
There are 28 covid-19 vaccines in the human trial stage, according to the World Health Organization.
"By creating a portfolio of vaccines for Operation Maximum Speed, the Trump administration is increasing the likelihood that the United States will have at least one safe and effective vaccine by 2021," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in the press release. . âToday's investment represents the next step in supporting this vaccine candidate, from early development by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, through clinical trials, and now into large-scale manufacturing, with the potential to deliver hundreds of millions of safe and effective doses to the American people, "he added.
8 hours ago
Colombia registers the highest daily number of covid-19 infections and already exceeds 400,000 cases
By Abel Alvarado
The Colombian government reported 12,830 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday. This record is the highest recorded by the country in a single day. This brings the total number of cases to 410,453. 321 new deaths are also confirmed for a total of 13,475. So far, according to government data, 230,427 people have recovered from the virus.
8 hours ago
Brazil reports 52,160 new cases of covid-19
By Abel Alvarado
The Brazilian government added 52,160 new cases of coronavirus this Tuesday and thus reaches a new total of 3,109,630 confirmed cases. According to data from the Ministry of Health, 1,274 new deaths are reported this Tuesday for a total of 103,026 deaths of people with coronavirus. 2,243,124 people have recovered from the virus, according to the government.
8 hours ago
Dominican Republic presents Israeli technology to detect covid-19 by breath
By Jessica Hasbun
The Ministry of Public Health of the Dominican Republic together with the Israeli embassy in the country and businessmen presented this Tuesday a new technology to be used in the detection of the coronavirus.
The Research Coordinator of the Ministry of Public Health, Eloy Ălvarez, said that it is a technology developed in Israel that can detect covid-19 through breath and demonstrated at a press conference how the device would be used for this purpose.
The advisor to the office of the Minister of Public Health, DiĂłgenes Aybar, added that the test results are ready in 20 minutes, which is why he considered them a valuable tool to stop the spread of the virus in the country.
The Minister of Public Health, Rafael SĂĄnchez CĂĄrdenas, reported that the acquisition of these tests to be used in the Dominican Republic will depend on the incoming government, which takes office on August 16.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, 595 new cases of coronavirus were detected this Tuesday, for a total of 81,094 since the pandemic began in the country.
The government report indicates that another 18 people died in the last 24 hours. As of this Tuesday, 1,346 people have died from the respiratory disease.
Of the confirmed cases of covid-19, 34,082 are active.
13 hours ago
US Secretary of Health: "The point is to have a vaccine that is safe," not to be the first to have it
By Naomi Thomas
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar reacted to Russia's announcement that it approved "the first" vaccine against covid-19 in the world.
"The point is not to be the first in the vaccine," Azar said today on ABC's "Good Morning America." "The point is to have a vaccine that is safe and effective for the American people and the people of the world."
Azar said that transparent data is needed and that this data must be from phase three trials showing that a vaccine is safe and effective.
"That's what President Trump is leading with the historic Operation Warp Speed ââinitiative, with six vaccines in development," said Azar.
He said they believe they are on track to have tens of millions of doses of the vaccine that meets the FDA's gold standard by December, and hundreds of millions of doses by 2021.
When asked how he stays on the December goal, Azar said that two of the six vaccines are in phase three of clinical trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy, and will depend on the speed at which clinical trials are enrolled, people get vaccinated and then are exposed to the virus.
âSo, we believe, Dr. Fauci believes, that it is very credible that we have it; we have multiple that will work, and we could have vaccines licensed or approved by the FDA by December, âAzar said.
15 hours ago
Ecuador confirms 95,563 cases of coronavirus and 5,951 deaths
The Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador confirmed this Tuesday 95,563 cases of coronavirus and 5,951 deaths. In an infographic they indicated that 66,099 people recovered. As for those hospitalized, 913 are stable and 348 with a reserved prognosis.
So far, 268,726 samples have been taken, between PCR and rapid.
On the other hand, 3,541 deaths are registered "probable by covid-19 at the national level".
18 hours ago
Cuba exceeded 3,000 cases of coronavirus
The Cuban Ministry of Public Health reported 47 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, so the total number of infections increased to 3,093. The authorities also indicated that there are no recent deaths, the figure remains at 88 deaths in total.
21 hours ago
Russia Names Its Vaccine "Sputnik V"; says 20 countries have requested more than 1 billion doses
By Zahra Ullah
Twenty countries around the world have requested more than 1 billion doses of the recently approved coronavirus vaccine by Russia, according to Kirill Dmitriev, director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
The vaccine has been named "Sputnik V" - a reference to the 1957 launch of the world's first satellite by the Soviet Union.
âWe have seen considerable interest in the Russian vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute abroad. In addition, we have received preliminary requests for more than 1 billion doses of the vaccine from 20 countries, âDmitriev said Tuesday.
"Together with our foreign partners, we are already prepared to manufacture more than 500 million doses of vaccines per year in five countries, and the plan is to further increase production capacity."
"So far, the countries of Latin America, the Middle East and Asia have shown the greatest interest in the vaccine and we are about to conclude a series of contracts for the purchase of the vaccine," he added.
The Russian vaccine has not yet passed the crucial Phase 3 testing stage. Phase 3 trials, which generally involve thousands of participants, evaluate the safety and efficacy of a drug.
Dmitriev said those tests would be carried out abroad.
"We have already reached agreements on conducting the relevant trials of the Gamaleya vaccine with partners in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and several other countries," he said.
The Gamaleya vaccine is the first in the world to be approved, but there is widespread concern that essential corners have been cut in its development.
Critics say the country's push for a vaccine is due in part to political pressure from the Kremlin, which is keen to portray Russia as a global scientific force.
On Tuesday, Dmitriev responded to criticism of the vaccine and the lack of tests and trials.
"The carefully orchestrated and coordinated media attacks against the Russian vaccine have attempted to discredit and conceal the accuracy of Russia's approach to drug development," he said.
Russia has not released scientific data on its tests and CNN cannot verify the safety or efficacy of the vaccine.
21 hours ago
New Zealand records first local cases in 102 days
By Isaac Yee
New Zealand recorded four new locally transmitted coronavirus cases, breaking its 102-day streak without a local infection.
All four cases were found in a home in South Auckland, according to New Zealand Health Director Dr Ashley Bloomfield. He added that none of the new cases had recently traveled out of the country.
"We have been preparing for that moment, and that moment is now," said Dr. Bloomfield, adding that "the health system is well prepared" for such an outbreak.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that Auckland, the country's most populous city, would be temporarily restricted by the level three pandemic for three days, starting at noon on Wednesday.
âIn keeping with our precautionary approach, we will ask the locals of Auckland to take swift action with us. Starting at 12 noon tomorrow, Wednesday 12 August, we will move Auckland to level 3 restrictions, âArdern said Tuesday.
He added that the lockdown would allow health officials to track urgent contacts and assess the situation.
Under the new restrictions, businesses, including nonessential restaurants, bars and shops, will close. People will only be able to leave their homes for essential activities, such as picking up supplies at grocery stores. Meetings of more than 10 people will also be restricted and schools will be closed for three days.
Outside of Auckland, the rest of New Zealand will enter level two restrictions.
Under these rules, groups of no more than 100 people can meet in one place. Social distancing should also be practiced in hospitality businesses, while public places such as museums, libraries, and swimming pools can open if they comply with public health measures and ensure one meter of physical distance and record keeping.
The new restrictions will last at least three days, until midnight on Friday.
1 day ago
21,276 people died in Peru
By CNN Spanish
This Monday, the Ministry of Health of Peru reported through a statement that today 2,063 new cases of covid-19 and 204 deaths were registered. To date, Peru registers 483,133 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 21,276 people have died since the beginning of the pandemic.
1 day ago
7,234 confirmed cases of covid-19 in Paraguay
By CNN Spanish
The Paraguayan Ministry of Health reported on Monday that 327 new cases of covid-19 and 7 deaths were registered. To date, Paraguay has registered 7,234 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 82 deceased people.
1 day ago
Uruguay: 1,364 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 37 deaths
By CNN Spanish
This Monday, the Ministry of Health of Uruguay reported that 11 new cases of covid-19 and one person died. To date, Uruguay registers 1,364 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 37 people have died since the start of the pandemic.
1 day ago
Honduras: 47,872 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 1,506 deaths
By CNN Spanish
This Tuesday, the Ministry of Health of Honduras reported through a statement that 418 new cases of covid-19 and 11 deaths were registered.
To date, Honduras has registered 47,872 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 1,506 people have died since the start of the pandemic.
1 day ago
There are almost 5.1 million cases of coronavirus in the US.
By CNN
At least 5,094,400 coronavirus cases and 163,463 virus-related deaths have been identified in the United States since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University.
On Monday, Johns Hopkins reported 49,536 new COVID-19 cases and 525 reported deaths in the country.
The figures include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
1 day ago
Australia's internal borders will remain closed
By Angus Watson
Australia's states and territories will remain closed from each other in the coming days, state and federal leaders said, as authorities continue to try to stop the latest wave of coronavirus cases in the country.
The state of Victoria, where Melbourne is located, has been dealing with a major spike in cases in recent weeks. Victoria authorities identified 321 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and 19 deaths.
New South Wales detected 22 new cases on Monday, the most in a single day since April.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday that "it is unlikely that we will be able to return to a restraint-free society" by Christmas.
âI doubt that is going to happen. I doubt the medical position allows it. So you just have to follow the medical evidence on all of this, whether it's borders or restrictions on trade or local businesses or whatever, âMorrison said.
1 day ago
New daily infections in Japan fall below 1,000 for the first time in nearly two weeks
By Yoko Wakatsuki
Japan's Health Ministry said 842 new COVID-19 cases were identified on Monday, the first time in 13 days that the number of infections reported in one day fell below four digits.
Positive signs also emerged in Tokyo, where many of the new cases have been reported. The Japanese capital recorded 196 infections on Monday, the first time the daily case count has fallen below 200 in two weeks.
Five coronavirus-related deaths were reported across the country on Monday, authorities said.
To date, 49,630 cases of the virus have been identified in Japan and at least 1,065 people have died.
One important warning: Economy Minister Yasunori Nishimura, who is in charge of the nation's coronavirus policies, said at a press conference Tuesday that the drop in cases could be due to the fact that fewer tests were conducted during a holiday weekend.
Nishimura called for continued vigilance and called on citizens to respect safety measures in their daily lives, as recent infections have occurred more in offices, schools and during social activities.
1 day ago
Global coronavirus cases exceed 20 million
By CNN
The number of known cases of the new coronavirus surpassed 20 million worldwide on Monday at 8:10 p.m. ET, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
The university reports that the current number of known cases worldwide is now 20,001,019. At least 733,897 have died worldwide.
The United States has reported the most deaths and the highest number of confirmed cases in the world. At least 5,085,821 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the United States, including at least 163,370 deaths.
1 day ago
Trump postpones G7 summit until after November
By Sarah Westwood
US President Donald Trump said he asked that the G7 meeting be postponed until after the November presidential election, after an earlier delay due to COVID-19 concerns.
"I am much more inclined to do it sometime after the election," Trump told reporters at the briefing. "We were going to do it in September."
The summit was scheduled to take place at Camp David in June, and after a tentative plan to postpone the meeting and switch to a virtual conference, Trump had raised the idea of ââholding it in person in the fall in May.
Trump said the White House had not yet formally invited the leaders.
âWe have not sent invitations. We are talking to them, âhe said. He noted that he planned to invite countries that are not formal members of the group of seven.
When asked if he would invite Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Trump said he would do so because Putin is a "big factor."
âI would certainly invite him to the meeting. I think it is an important factor.
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