The World Health Organization said that the devastating effects of the Corona virus in homes for the elderly represent a human tragedy beyond imagination, while scientific research in European countries accelerated to find a treatment that eliminates the disease, whether by conducting the first clinical trials to find a vaccine or searching for an antibody against the virus.
The Regional Director of the World Health Organization in Europe, Hans Kluge, explained that the nursing homes have recorded nearly half of all corona virus deaths in some countries of the continent.
According to statistics obtained by the French Press Agency, that up to the 13th of this month, 55.2% of deaths in Ireland were recorded in the homes of the elderly, and as of 15th of the same month, France reported recording 49.4% of the total deaths in the homes of the elderly.
Klugi stressed in an online conference the need to urgently review the way the homes of the elderly work under the Corona pandemic, adding that it is important to give priority to conducting tests, equipping crews and forming specialized units in dealing with the Corona virus, even before recording cases of HIV infection.
Scientific research
On the other hand, scientific research is accelerating in Europe to find a cure for the emerging virus. In Britain, the University of Oxford began Thursday the first clinical trials of an anti-Coronavirus vaccine, and 500 volunteers will be tested for three weeks within the first stage.
This coincides with the start of a large-scale study in Britain to know the percentage of the population who was infected with the Corona virus and who acquired immunity after recovering from it.
In the first stage of the study, the scientists will call 25,000 people to perform the tests, to be expanded later to include 300,000 within 12 months, and the results of this study will form the basis for the exit strategy from the state of the general closure and social divergence procedures.
| Two women work in a Corona virus detection laboratory in the city of Glasgow, northern Britain (Reuters) |
In Switzerland, researchers started today collecting blood samples and polling citizens to determine the percentage of the population who have become antibodies to the emerging corona virus, and the Swiss Academic Public Health Study, which includes 12 university institutions, was launched.
The study will last for at least six months and will provide "reliable information on the number of antibody carriers of the Covid-19 epidemic in different regions and specific groups of the population and on the extent and duration of immunity" against the virus.
Italy, Germany and the United States have begun nationwide testing of antibodies, and other countries have announced their intention to conduct similar experiments soon.
Treatment of malaria
In return, the European Medicines Agency joined Thursday those who are increasingly concerned about an anti-malaria drug that is widely promoted as possibly a treatment for coronavirus, and warned of serious side effects of the drug on the heart rate.
The Amsterdam-based agency considered the benefits of chloroquine and hydroxy chloroquine, which US President Donald Trump is among the most prominent advocates of using, "have not yet been proven."
At the global level, the number of confirmed cases of the virus worldwide exceeded 2.68 million, while until now more than 187,000 deaths and 732,000 cases of recovery have been recorded, according to the statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
European region
Today, Britain recorded 616 additional deaths from the emerging virus Corona in hospitals, which is less than the previous day, bringing its death toll to 18,738, while the government decided to increase the tests for infection detection on the path of isolation measures.
The Ministry of Health reported that 138,078 people had been confirmed in Britain as one of the countries most affected by the pandemic in Europe.
In France, the authorities on Thursday recorded 516 additional deaths from the virus, which raises to 21,856 the number of pandemic deaths on French soil since the beginning of last March, amid a 15-day decline in the number of patients receiving treatment in intensive care.
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WHO
On the other hand, China announced that it will provide an additional 30 million dollars to the World Health Organization, after the United States suspended its financial contribution to the organization.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman announced that the sum would be used to support the organization in preventing and controlling the Corona pandemic, as well as strengthening health systems in developing countries.
On the other hand, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the World Health Organization needs a radical reform after dealing with the Corona pandemic, indicating that the United States - which is the largest donor to the organization - may not resume funding.
US President Donald Trump cut off his country's funding for the organization last week, accusing it of "focusing too much on China" and promoting "misleading Chinese information" about the epidemic. WHO officials denied this and insisted that it was transparent and open.
The Arab region
and both Egypt and the UAE announced today the relaxation of some restrictions related to fighting the needs of Corona during the holy month of Ramadan, as Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said that the government will maintain the night curfew during the month of Ramadan, but will reduce it by one hour.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Health in Egypt announced that it had registered 232 new cases of Corona virus, in addition to 11 deaths.
A ministry spokesman added that the total number that was registered in Egypt with the Corona virus is 3,891 cases, including 1,004 cases that were cured and discharged from isolation hospitals, and 287 deaths.
In the UAE, the government decided to reduce the duration of the curfew imposed throughout the country today by two hours, to start from ten in the evening until six in the morning during Ramadan, and the ban, which aims to curb the spread of the Corona virus, applies previously from eight in the evening until six in the morning.
In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health announced 1185 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number to 13,930, and seven deaths were recorded, increasing the number to 121.
In Qatar, the authorities announced 623 new cases of the virus, bringing the total to 7764.
In Morocco, the administration stated Prisons Thursday that the number of people infected with Corona virus in a prison in the south of the country rose to more than 130 people, according to partial results, provided that the results of the tests of the remaining prisoners will be announced later, and the number of people infected with the virus in Morocco reached a total of 3537 as of Thursday morning, of whom 151 died and 430 recovered .