Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical, a Chinese pharmaceutical company, has announced that it has received permission from the FDA for the commercial production of Favipiravir, which can be effective in controlling a new type of coronavirus. Drug production launched in Zhejiang.

"This is the first drug in the country that, during the outbreak of a new type of coronavirus, received official approval for inclusion in the list of drugs that could potentially be effective in treating a new type of coronavirus," RIA Novosti quoted the government of Taizhou as saying.

Note that Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical will continue clinical trials of the drug after it appears on the market.

According to the portal China.org.cn, citing the director of the China National Center for Biotechnological Development under the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China Zhang Sinmin, a number of drugs have shown clinical efficacy in the treatment of a new type of coronavirus during the ongoing studies, including Favipiravir. This drug, according to initial data, has “relatively obvious efficacy” and a low likelihood of side effects. In his clinical trials, 70 patients participated.

Sumiya Shwaminathan, chief executive officer of the World Health Organization, previously stated that four vaccines against coronavirus are being worked on. According to her, the first of them will begin to be tested in humans in three to four months.

In addition, on February 11, a test system was registered in Russia to detect a new type of coronavirus using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It was developed by the Federal State Budgetary Institution Scientific Center of the World Bank "Vector" of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare.

According to data as of 08:00 Moscow time on February 16, 69,268 cases of infection with the new type of coronavirus COVID-2019 have been confirmed worldwide. Of these, 684 infections were recorded in 25 countries, in addition to China.

In China, the most difficult situation has developed in Hubei province, where more than 56.2 thousand patients are located, approximately 11 thousand have a serious illness. Almost 159 thousand people are under surveillance.

At the same time, a total of 1,666 people died from COVID-2019, of which 1,596 in the province of Hubei.

Also on russian.rt.com RT map: in which countries a new coronavirus is detected

At the same time, President Xi Jinping in an article published in the main journal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China - Tsyushi - said that on January 7 at a meeting of the Standing Committee, the Politburo instructed to take measures to prevent and combat the spread of "pneumonia caused by a new type of coronavirus ".

The World Health Organization is focusing on the need to combat fake news appearing around the new type of coronavirus COVID-2019.

“We are not just fighting an epidemic. We are also fighting an information epidemic. False news spreads faster and easier than this coronavirus, and it is no less dangerous. That’s why we work with search engines and social networks such as Facebook, Google, Pinterest, Tencent, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and others, to counter the spread of rumors and false information, ”said WHO Director General Tedros Adhan Ghebreyesus at the International Security Conference in Munich

The situation on the ship Princess Diamond

Since quarantine in the port of Yokohama since February 3, there is a cruise ship Diamond Princess. In total, there are about 3.6 thousand people, including 24 Russians. According to recent data, the total number of cases among passengers and crew members has increased to 355 people.

According to RT, a dentist and director of a network of dental clinics, 67-year-old resident of Omsk Sergey Popov, aboard the Diamond Princess, there is no panic on the liner, and the staff is trying to come up with a variety of leisure activities for passengers.

“The company is trying to morally support customers. For guests experiencing mental stress, they organized a hotline. You can call specially trained consultants who will listen to you by phone. The hotel has English and Japanese speaking consultants and guests can call directly from their cabins. Cabin television programs are improving every day, print newspapers are available in 30 languages. The ship's animation team has added satellite television stations, as well as more than 50 films in different languages. Guests also have access to videos on fitness and yoga exercises. That is, they are trying to occupy everyone, diversify their leisure time as much as possible so that they don’t think about a virus out there, ”he stated.