A German expert predicted the spread of the new coronavirus variant, "XBB 5.1", on a large scale in Europe and Germany in the coming weeks. Talks with the American company “Pfizer” to license an anti-Covid-19 drug.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the XPP5.1 variant accounts for nearly half of all new infections in the United States.

"It can be said, with some predictive certainty, that this variant will become the dominant one in our country as well," said epidemiologist Hayo Zep, from the German "Leibniz" Institute for Disease Prevention and Epidemiology Research in Bremen.

He added that the new variant is spreading "in conjunction with weak immunity in people who have been vaccinated or infected some time ago," noting that the variant spread first in the United States, and then will spread in Germany, but confirmed that the number of observed cases of the variant is still low. Too much new measures are not needed yet.

For his part, Richard Neir, head of the Virus and Bacterial Evolution Research Group at the Swiss University of Basel, said that the variable that was discovered last October increased rapidly in the northeastern United States and controlled infections since mid-December, adding that The variant is less common outside the northeastern United States, but it is becoming more common.

Nir pointed out that there is little information about the severity of the disease caused by the mutant, explaining that infection cases and hospital admissions have increased throughout the United States, and not just in areas where the "XBB 5.1" mutant was prevalent, adding that this may It indicates that the risk is not much different from other currently common mutants.


Chinese talks with Pfizer

In another context, Reuters quoted 3 sources as saying that China - which largely opposes Western vaccines and treatments - is in talks with the American company Pfizer to obtain a license that allows local drug companies to manufacture and distribute a copy of the company's drug Paxlovid, which is anti-Covid-19 and viruses in China.

One of the sources familiar with the matter said that China's medical products regulator, the National Medical Products Administration, has been chairing talks with Pfizer since late last month.

He added that Beijing was keen to finalize the terms of the licensing agreement before the Lunar New Year, which begins on January 22.

Chinese hospitals are under severe pressure after the government abruptly abandoned its zero-Covid policy last month, which sent the number of infections soaring.

The escalating wave of infections across the country has overwhelmed hospitals, emptied pharmacies of medicines and sparked international alarm.

A clinical trial showed that Paxlovid reduces hospitalizations of high-risk patients by nearly 90%. Demand for this drug is growing as many Chinese try to get it abroad and ship it to China.

The oral drug baxlovid was one of the few foreign treatments approved in China, which in February 2022 approved it to treat high-risk patients in several provinces.


Pandemic 'under control'

On the other hand, today, Saturday, Portugal and the Netherlands joined the list of countries that require travelers from China to show a negative result of a recent “Covid-19” test before they are allowed to enter the country.

More than a dozen countries now require Chinese travelers to take a COVID test;

The World Health Organization said official infection data in China did not reflect the actual scale of the outbreak.

This comes despite China's consideration, in statements by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, that the situation of the Corona pandemic in the country is "under control," noting that many European Union countries welcome those coming to them from China.

And the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced - today, Saturday - that mainland China recorded 3 new deaths from "Covid-19" on Friday, compared to 5 deaths the previous day.

The World Health Organization has repeatedly called on the Chinese authorities to be transparent about the numbers of infected people and deaths resulting from the virus.

However, the organization said - the day before yesterday, Thursday - that according to the data of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "no new variants of the Corona virus were discovered in China."