Covid-19: the situation is improving in France, the United States in favor of the lifting of vaccine patents

While the pandemic has claimed more than 3.2 million victims worldwide, indicators in France show a favorable trend, at a time when the country has begun the first stage of deconfinement.

On the vaccination side, scientists continue to study the effectiveness of different vaccines.

Thus in Israel, the largest study ever carried out in real life attests that Pfizer would protect 95% of the virus.

To discover

• Covid-19: instructions for use of self-tests

Read also: Covid-19: will we be able to do without the mask and barrier gestures this summer?

• In France, favorable indicators

Two weeks before the next stage of deconfinement, the epidemic situation is improving in France, but hospitals remain overloaded and health experts are still worried about a premature reopening.

The SARS-CoV-2 circulation indicators are more favorable: decrease in the number of patients in intensive care (5,402 against 5,504 on Tuesday), positivity, incidence and reproduction rate down.

Since the middle of last week, between 20,000 and 30,000 positive cases have been recorded daily (more than 26,000 Wednesday).

Read also: Covid-19: why the epidemic has finally started to decline

• Bac 2021: Philosophy and Grand Oral exams adapted

Keep the best mark of the test or the annual average in philosophy or arrive at the grand oral with the list of subjects studied: six weeks before the launch of the bac tests, the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer announced adjustments to the examination due to the health crisis.

"

There are many students who have bad grades in continuous assessment and some need the test to catch up, it's a chance,

" pleaded the minister on France 2.

• Towards the lifting of patents on vaccines

The United States announced Wednesday that it was in favor of the lifting of patents on anti-Covid vaccines, an exceptional position taken at a time when poor countries are sorely lacking in precious doses, the only weapons against the continuing pandemic. its devastation, especially in India.

If the head of the WHO welcomed a "

historic decision

", the International Federation of the Pharmaceutical Industry (IFPMA) for its part considered "

disappointing

" this decision.

"

A suspension is the simple but false answer to a complex problem

," the pharmaceutical lobby said in a statement.

Read also: United States: towards an authorization of the vaccination of adolescents

• Pfizer over 95% effective, study finds

The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine is over 95% effective against the virus, but the level of effectiveness drops sharply when a person receives only one of the two doses, according to a study in Israel, the largest ever conducted in real life.

Published in the medical journal

The Lancet

, its authors - scientists from Pfizer and the Israeli government - note that in Israel, the world champion of vaccination, the latter "

has been the main engine of the decline in infections

".

Read also: Covid-19: Pfizer tests a tablet considered very promising

• G7: more united distribution of vaccines

Urged by the World Health Organization (WHO) to show solidarity in the face of the pandemic, the rich G7 countries on Wednesday discussed in London ways to increase their financial assistance or share their excess doses to help poor states.

• India: nearly 4,000 deaths in 24 hours, a new record

India recorded a new record of contaminations on Thursday, following several days of decline in the number of cases which had raised hopes that this catastrophic upsurge could subside.

Nearly 4,000 deaths due to Covid-19 have been recorded by the Indian authorities, and 412,000 new contaminations in 24 hours.

Read also: India: vaccination slows as the Covid-19 epidemic accelerates

These figures, which some experts consider largely undervalued, bring to 230,168 deaths and 21.1 million infections recorded in total in India since the start of the pandemic.

The Central Bank of India stepped up to the plate on Wednesday by announcing $ 6.7 billion in cheap loans to the health sector.

• Egypt strengthens measures for end of Ramadan

Egypt has announced a strengthening of its measures to fight against the coronavirus as the Muslim holiday of Eid-El-Fitr approaches, which will mark next week the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

The most populous Arab country, with some 101 million inhabitants, has decided to close its cafes, malls and restaurants at 9 p.m. from Thursday until May 21.

• Bonus of 25 € to get vaccinated in Serbia

To encourage its nationals to be vaccinated, Serbia will pay 25 euros to each of its nationals already vaccinated and to those who do so by the end of May, President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Wednesday.

Read also: Covid-19: these tourist destinations that attract travelers with the vaccine

• More than 3.2 million dead

The pandemic has killed at least 3,230,058 people around the world since the end of December 2019, according to an assessment established by AFP from official sources on Wednesday in the middle of the day.

The United States is the country with the most deaths (579,249), ahead of Brazil (414,399), India (226,188), Mexico (217,740) and the United Kingdom (127,543).

These figures are globally underestimated. They are based on daily reports from national health authorities, without including reassessments based on statistical bases.