Vaccines 90% effective against severe forms, Merck requests authorization for its pill against Covid, the Kremlin is alarmed by the high mortality in Russia ...
Le Figaro
takes stock this Friday, October 1 on the latest information linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read the Covid-19 file: all you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic in France and around the world
Merck seeks authorization for its Covid pill
The American laboratory Merck announced on Monday that it had filed an authorization request with the American authorities for its pill against Covid-19, which could constitute a major advance in the fight against the pandemic by preventing serious forms of the disease upstream.
This application concerns Merck's drug dubbed molnupiravir for the treatment of adult patients with mild to moderate forms of Covid-19 who are at risk of progressing to severe forms and / or hospitalization, the company said in a statement.
Read alsoMerck has filed in the United States an authorization request for his pill against the Covid
Vaccines 90% effective against severe forms
Vaccination against Covid-19 reduces the risk of hospitalization and death by 90% in people over 50 and also seems effective against the Delta variant, on which we still lack perspective, according to a large French study alive actual released on Monday.
"This means that vaccinated people are nine times less likely to be hospitalized or die from Covid-19 than unvaccinated people
,
"
epidemiologist Mahmoud Zureik told AFP.
"SEE ALSO -
Covid-19: effective vaccines against" all variants of the virus ", according to the WHO
WHO recommends additional dose of vaccine for immunocompromised people
A WHO expert committee recommended Monday, October 11, to give an additional dose of anti-Covid vaccine to people "
moderately or severely immunocompromised
", for all vaccines approved by the UN agency.
WHO experts were careful to explain on Monday that this was not about recommending a third dose for the general population, for which the organization continues to recommend a moratorium until the end of the year, to release doses and give them to countries where the vaccination rate remains much too low.
Read alsoCovid-19: WHO recommends an additional dose of vaccine for immunocompromised people
AstraZeneca: positive phase 3 trials for an antibody cocktail
A cocktail of AstraZeneca antibodies tested on infected patients and considered to be at high risk of contracting severe forms of Covid-19 gave results deemed positive by the pharmaceutical company in phase 3 clinical trials, according to a statement on Monday .
The trial of the drug AZD7442, a combination of antibodies,
"produced a statistically satisfactory reduction in severe Covid-19 cases or deaths from the disease compared to a placebo in outpatients with mild symptoms to moderates ”
of Covid-19, explains AstraZeneca in this press release.
Read also AstraZeneca and Brussels make peace
Kremlin alarmed by mortality but excludes further measures
The Kremlin has ruled
"unacceptable"
the low rate of vaccination against Covid-19 in Russia, the cause of
"high"
mortality
, but it ruled out introducing health restrictions in order to preserve the economy.
Russia, the hardest-hit country in Europe, is facing an acceleration of the epidemic, with nearly 1,000 dead and 30,000 new infections recorded in 24 hours on Monday.
SEE ALSO -
Vladimir Poutine pleads for "paid vaccination of foreign citizens" in Russia
Vaccination obligation to treat or teach in New Zealand
New Zealand announced Monday that most caregivers and teachers will no longer be able to carry out their work without receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.
Doctors, nurses and other caregivers directly in contact with patients should be vaccinated before December 1.
Education personnel in contact with students must have received two doses by January 1.
Read alsoNew Zealand: unvaccinated caregivers and teachers will no longer be able to exercise
Sydney is breathing after four months of confinement
The five million inhabitants of Sydney emerged Monday from nearly four months of strict containment, decreed in Australia's largest city to block the epidemic.
Restrictions will continue for a few weeks on gatherings and trips abroad and it will also be necessary to wait for the complete reopening of schools.
SEE ALSO -
After almost four months of confinement, Sydney residents can once again go to the hairdresser or to the cafe
Thailand to reopen borders to vaccinated tourists from November 1
Thailand will gradually reopen its borders to foreign visitors vaccinated from November 1, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha announced Monday, as the kingdom seeks to save a tourism industry heavily hit by the pandemic.
As a first step, Thailand will accept tourists from ten
"countries considered to be low risk",
the head of government said during a televisual address - in particular the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Germany and Singapore.
The list may be extended in the coming months.
Visitors must present a negative Covid test on arrival and take a new one on site.
Read alsoThailand will welcome forty times fewer tourists this year than in 2019
More than 4.84 million dead
The pandemic has killed at least 4,847,904 people around the world since the end of December 2019, according to a report established Monday at 10:00 GMT by AFP from official sources.
The United States is the country most bereaved by this epidemic with 713,350 dead, followed by Brazil (601,011), India (450,782), Mexico (282,086) and Russia (217,372).
The WHO estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the results of the pandemic could be two to three times higher.
