Paris (AFP)

New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.

- Pactole for AstraZeneca in 2020 -

British pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca's net profit more than doubled in one year to $ 3.2 billion, and sales climbed 9%, thanks in part to strong demand for drugs against the disorders caused by the virus, such as asthma.

Associated with the University of Oxford, AstraZeneca is one of the first to have developed a vaccine against Covid-19.

Most African countries will continue to use the vaccine, despite questions about its effectiveness on the South African variant, the African Union (AU) public health agency said on Thursday.

- Europe "vulnerable" -

Despite a downward trend in cases, "the overwhelming majority of European countries remain vulnerable," WHO Europe said Thursday, warning of "a false sense of security" because of the still low number of vaccinated.

- Germany will close borders -

Germany will close its borders, with a few exceptions, with the Czech Republic and the Austrian region of Tyrol, which have high rates of infection with highly contagious variants, announced Interior Minister Horst Seehofer.

- Easing in Slovenia -

Slovenia for its part will significantly ease its restrictions from Monday: end of the ban on movement outside its municipality, reopening of shops and return to class of students who had not yet resumed.

- A drug reduces the risk of death -

An anti-inflammatory drug, tocilizumab, reduces the risk of death in hospitalized patients with severe Covid-19, according to the results of the large UK clinical trial Recovery.

"For 25 patients treated with tocilizumab, an additional life would be saved," say those responsible for the trial.

- Russian vaccines banned in Ukraine -

The Ukrainian government has decided to ban the approval of vaccines developed or produced in Russia, declared an "aggressor country" after Moscow's 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula and the start of the war with pro-Russian separatists in the country. 'Is.

- Dubai increases its sanitary capacity -

Dubai has had to "increase" its health capacity, recruiting foreign workers and adding beds for coronavirus patients, as the epidemic is on the rise in the emirate despite vaccination, according to an official.

During the winter holidays, some 500,000 tourists flocked to luxury hotels in the emirate, a rare destination open to tourism, causing cases to resume.

- Donations of vaccines -

Equatorial Guinea has announced a donation of 100,000 doses by China of its vaccine developed by the Sinopharm firm.

Zimbabwe expects 800,000 doses of this vaccine by March, including 200,000 as a donation.

- Africa: 40% increase in deaths in one month (WHO) -

Deaths from Covid-19 in Africa "increased by 40%" in one month, the WHO alarmed Thursday, worrying about the fate of a continent facing new, more contagious variants.

- More than 2.35 million dead -

The pandemic has killed more than 2.35 million people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources Thursday in the middle of the day.

The Middle East has passed the 100,000 dead mark.

After the United States (471,575 dead), the most bereaved countries are Brazil (234,850), Mexico (169,760), India (155,360) and the United Kingdom (114,851).

The number of victims is globally underestimated.

It is based on daily reports from national health authorities but excludes post-facto revisions by statistical bodies, as has been the case in Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom.

burs-kd-ang / cds / ode

© 2021 AFP