Clinical trials of one of the most complex Covid-19 experimental vaccines, which is being developed by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, were “suspended” on Tuesday after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness.
As billions of people around the world continue to suffer the consequences of the pandemic and the global death toll approaches 900,000, a global race for a vaccine is underway, with nine companies already in phase 3 trials. . phase 3.
Some Spanish parents feared that they would open too soon and that millions of students would return on Monday Photo: AFP / JOSE JORDAN
To date, international infections number more than 27 million and more than 890,000 people have died from the disease.
Russia has already approved a vaccine, and studies published in the medical journal The Lancet last week indicated that patients involved in the first tests developed antibodies “any serious adverse event. ” But the scientists cautioned that the trials were too small.
Number of COVID-19 deaths nationwide as of August 24 at 11:00 GMT. Photo: AFP / Simon MALFATTO
A spokesperson for the AstraZeneca vaccine said Tuesday that “we have voluntarily suspended vaccination to allow for review of protection knowledge through an independent committee.
“This is a regimen action that occurs whenever there is potentially unexplained illness in any of the trials, while it is under investigation, ensuring that we maintain the integrity of the evidence. “
The company said that in the giant trials, diseases occur by possibility, but they want to be screened independently.
The New Delhi metro reopened on Monday after a five-month closure Photo: AFP / Prakash SINGH
AstraZeneca did not elaborate, but Medical News Stat News, which first reported on the volunteer’s illness, cited a source as a “serious adverse reaction” to the vaccine.
“While this is not smart news, obviously comprehensive side effect testing is a component of large-scale trials and is imperative to ensure confidence in any vaccine. However, this will mean that effects will be delayed. ” , Harvard epidemiology expert Bill Hanage wrote on Twitter.
Morocco is also facing a backlog of cases, and officials say it runs the risk of overwhelming the country Photo: AFP / STR
According to Stat News, the volunteer in poor health on the vaccine will likely participate in a phase 2/3 trial in the UK.
Meanwhile, China showed its local vaccines for the first time at an industry show in Beijing this week, and it hopes the vaccines will be approved for use until the end of the year.
Vaccines are among the few that have entered 3 trials.
Israel has “a night closure” of 40 cities and towns with the highest infection rates Photo: AFP / MENAHEM KAHANA
Across Europe, considerations are developing about a resurgence of the virus, with France tightening restrictions, cases in Britain expanding and resuming in the region.
In China, however, the virus was still banned thanks to closures and restrictions earlier in the year, prompting officials to tout the country as a coronavirus good fortune story.
The nation’s propaganda machine has been attempting to seize the narrative surrounding the pandemic, reframing the episode as an example of the agility and organisation of the Communist leadership.
The economic fallout from the virus continues to wreak havoc on economies around the world, with governments desperate to get back to normality.
India pressed ahead with reopening despite surpassing Brazil on Monday as the second-most infected nation in the world, with more than 4.2 million cases.
Metro trains resumed operations earlier this week, and officials said top tourist attraction the Taj Mahal would reopen on September 21.
South Africa announced its economy had shrunk by more than half in the second quarter, as the pandemic took its toll on Africa’s most industrialised state.
Latin America and the Caribbean surpassed 300,000 virus deaths. Argentina’s caseload surpassed the half-million mark, while in Peru, which has the highest per capita coronavirus death rate in the world, Covid-19 fatalities climbed beyond 30,000.
European countries were battling with high-profile sporting and political fallout from the pandemic on Tuesday.
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has tested positive for the illness, prompting French Prime Minister Jean Castex to take a test, officials said, after the pair shared the same car to follow a stage of the cycling event.
France’s football team was forced to take to the field against Croatia on Tuesday without star striker Kylian Mbappe after he tested positive.
The French Open tennis tournament suffered a blow after world number one and defending champion Ashleigh Barty announced she would not take part.
His doctor, however, was optimistic.
“All monitored parameters… are reassuring,” said Alberto Zangrillo, adding that Berlusconi’s medical condition was in “constant favourable evolution.”