Paris (AFP)
New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.
- Towards the lifting of patents on vaccines -
The United States announced on Wednesday that it was in favor of the lifting of patents on anti-Covid vaccines, an exceptional position taken at a time when poor countries are sorely lacking in precious doses, the only weapons against the continuing pandemic. its devastation, especially in India.
If the head of the WHO welcomed a "historic decision", the International Federation of the Pharmaceutical Industry (IFPMA) for its part considered "disappointing" this decision.
"A suspension is the simple but false answer to a complex problem," the pharmaceutical lobby said in a statement.
- Pfizer more than 95% effective, according to a study -
Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine is over 95% effective against Covid-19, but the level of effectiveness drops sharply when a person only receives one of two doses, according to study in Israel, the largest ever performed in real life.
Published in the medical journal The Lancet, its authors - scientists from Pfizer and the Israeli government - note that in Israel, the world champion of vaccination, the latter "has been the main driver of the decline in Covid-19 infections ".
- India: $ 6.7 billion for health -
The Central Bank of India stepped up on Wednesday to help counter the second wave of Covid-19 ravaging the country by announcing $ 6.7 billion in cheap loans to the health sector.
- G7: more united distribution of vaccines -
Urged by the World Health Organization (WHO) to show solidarity in the face of the pandemic, the rich countries of the G7 on Wednesday discussed in London ways to increase their financial assistance or share their excess doses to help poor states.
- "Chemical warfare" -
"The military know what chemical and bacteriological warfare is. Are we not in a new war? And which country has seen its GDP increase the most?" Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro asked. during an official ceremony in Brasilia, insinuating that the Covid-19 virus had been created in a "laboratory" by China.
President Bolsonaro did not mention China by name, but the Asian country, where the pandemic started, is the only member of the G20 to have experienced growth in 2020 (+ 2.3%).
- Egypt strengthens its measures for the end of Ramadan -
Egypt has announced a strengthening of its measures to fight against the coronavirus as the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr approaches, which will mark next week the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
The most populous Arab country, with some 101 million inhabitants, has decided to close its cafes, malls and restaurants at 9 p.m. from Thursday until May 21.
- Partial confinement in Kuala Lumpur -
Malaysia, facing a further rise in coronavirus cases, will tighten restrictions in its capital where only essential businesses will be allowed to open and restaurants will be closed.
The partial confinement in Kuala Lumpur, which is in principle to last from May 7 to 20, was announced the day after the authorities' decision to tighten restrictions in several regions surrounding the capital.
- Incentives for vaccination -
Serbia will pay 25 euros to each of its nationals already vaccinated and to those who will be vaccinated by the end of May, President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Wednesday.
In the United States, initiatives are also increasing to convince the undecided to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
- More than 3.2 million dead -
The pandemic has killed at least 3,230,058 people around the world since the end of December 2019, according to an assessment established by AFP from official sources on Wednesday in the middle of the day.
The United States is the country with the most deaths (579,249), ahead of Brazil (414,399), India (226,188), Mexico (217,740) and the United Kingdom (127,543).
These figures are globally underestimated.
They are based on daily reports from national health authorities, without including reassessments based on statistical bases.
burs-acm / mw / mm / nzg / roc
© 2021 AFP