The blood plasma from the recovered did not help hospital patients much

Relaxing the restrictions on containing the Corona virus in European countries as the Christmas approaches

Passengers arrive at O'Hare International Airport before the Thanksgiving holiday during the Corona pandemic in Chicago.

Reuters

France announced a gradual easing of the restrictions imposed to contain the "Covid-19" epidemic with the decline in the number of infections, in a strategy based on taking small steps adopted by other European countries as Christmas approaches, while a study showed that the blood plasma from those recovering from Corona did not help patients Hospitals a lot.

In detail, the health situation continues to improve in France, to lift the closure on December 15, to be replaced by a curfew nationwide, from nine in the evening until seven in the morning, with the exception of Christmas and New Year nights (December 24 and 31), where transportation will be available, as well as The French President, Emmanuel Macron, announced the day before yesterday, in a speech to the nation.

From Saturday, small shops will be able to reopen, such as libraries and clothing stores.

It will allow travel within a range of 20 kilometers, over a period of three hours, instead of one kilometer, and for an hour, as it was in effect.

In contrast, bars and restaurants should remain closed, until January 20 at the earliest.

Also, the authorities of Los Angeles (California), the second largest city in the United States, decided to close restaurants and bars, as of Wednesday evening for at least three weeks, and only the sale of ready meals will be allowed outside the establishments.

California is currently recording record levels of infection with the emerging coronavirus.

Ahead of Thanksgiving, the state's health minister, Mark Galley, called on citizens to avoid major family gatherings.

"It is important that we refuse, even when it comes to the people closest to our family," he said.

And health authorities in Washington called, for the first time, Americans not to travel to join relatives on this important annual event in the United States.

And the Governor of Kentucky, Andy Peshire, issued a call via the "CNN" station to be alert about the epidemic, calling for more strict measures.

Meanwhile, US officials confirmed that the massive logistical plan needed to distribute millions of doses of the Pfizer / Bionic vaccine was ready.

And they expect to distribute 6.4 million doses upon receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, which is expected in less than three weeks.

To the north, Toronto, Canada's largest city, has been under lockdown, since Monday, for 28 days, due to the high number of injuries.

In Western Europe, many countries are also adopting France’s strategy.

England will return, after a four-week closure, in early December, to a strategy of adaptation to the local situation, with the reopening of non-essential stores, and the resumption of masses and marriages, provided that it is accompanied by a large program of detection checks.

As for those coming to England who are essentially forced to quarantine themselves for a period of 14 days, they will be able, as of mid-December, to reduce this isolation period, in the event that they undergo a test, the result of which is negative five days after their arrival.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Christmas this year will not be normal, and the road is still long until spring."

But the government decided, the day before yesterday, to ease some restrictions before and shortly after Eid in Britain.

Three different families will be able to meet together in the same place, for a maximum period of five days, from December 23 to 27, and families will not be able to move around the country.

The same situation is recorded in Germany, where the provinces called, the day before yesterday, to limit Christmas and New Year celebrations to a maximum of 10 people, belonging to different families.

Children under the age of fourteen are not included in the census, while different regions recommend quarantining participants before and after these holidays.

Spain announced that it will start the vaccination campaign in January, with priority given to the elderly in nursing homes most affected by the epidemic, as well as to the employees of these homes.

In France, the priority will be "for the most vulnerable," without being mandatory, as of the end of December / early January, as Macron announced.

And Austria, which is subject to lockdown, also intends to start a vaccination campaign for the people most vulnerable to the disease, that is, retirees and medical staff.

In Finland, the capital, Helsinki, which is facing a "worrying" wave of injuries, will soon close secondary schools, libraries and swimming pools, while banning public events.

In China, more than 500 flights were canceled, Tuesday, from the largest airport in Shanghai (east), the country's economic capital, after several injuries were discovered among employees of an air cargo company.

The new Corona virus has killed about 1.4 million people in the world, and infected more than 59.2 million, since the WHO office in China reported its appearance in late December 2019.

The United States is the most affected, with 259,641 deaths, followed by Brazil, 170,115, India 134,218, and Mexico with 101,926 deaths.

This comes at a time when data from a clinical trial, which took place in Argentina, showed that the use of blood plasma taken from patients recovering from "Covid-19" in the treatment of patients with acute pneumonia, caused by the Corona virus, did not show any benefit.

The study, which was published the day before yesterday, in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that the treatment known as convalescent plasma », which transmits antibodies from those recovering from the Corona virus to those infected, did not significantly improve the condition of patients, or reduce the risk of death better than a placebo treatment. Participants received it.

Despite limited evidence of the efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy, which outgoing US President Donald Trump described in August as a "historic achievement", it is being used frequently with patients in the United States.

• Spain announced that it will start a vaccination campaign in January, with priority given to the elderly in nursing homes most affected by the "epidemic".

From Saturday, small stores in France will be able to reopen, such as libraries and clothing stores.

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