Koronawirus

A new antibody therapy for use in people with Covid-19 was approved in the UK today. In clinical trials, it reduced the risk of hospitalisation and death by 79 per cent and, according to preliminary studies, is also effective against the Omicron variant.more

Annual vaccination against Covid-19 is likely to be required for many years to maintain a very high level of protection, Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla assessed in an interview with the BBC published today.more

In Sweden, further restrictions due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases could be introduced next week, Swedish health authorities announced today.more

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson came under criticism yesterday after the media revealed that a Christmas party was held informally in Downing Street last year despite lockdown. The Prime Minister has not denied this, but argues that no rules were broken.more

72 percent Americans believe it is likely that the Covid-19 pandemic began in a laboratory in Chinese Wuhan, according to a study by the Ronald Reagan Institute. The poll also shows that Americans see cyber attacks and internal conflicts as the greatest threat to the US.more

Boris Johnson has rejected the idea that people should cancel Christmas parties and other festive events, after one of the UK’s most senior health officials said people should cut down on socialising.more

Spain's medical service has announced that it will begin vaccinating children against Covid-19 from 15 December. They will cover people aged 5 to 11.more

A further 10 cases of the Omikron variant coronavirus were confirmed yesterday afternoon in the UK, bringing their total number to 32, the country's medical authorities said.more

World Health Organization experts have indicated that Europe has now become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. Ending an extraordinary session called due to the new variant of Omikron, it was indicated that it is already present in 24 countries, the Reuters Agency said.more

The detection of the first case of the Omikron variant coronavirus was reported in Ireland. As explained, this case relates to travel from one of the seven South African countries that are subject to entry restrictions.more

Commuters have been warned that Tube staff will begin handing out £200 fines as part of a crackdown on face mask rulebreakers in London.more

Canada will require all travelers to test for Covid-19 upon arrival. The government added Egypt, Malawi and Nigeria to the list of countries from which travelers are not accepted.more

In the UK, 22 cases of the Omikron variant coronavirus have been detected so far, said Minister of Health Sajid Javid. He also estimated that its impact could be assessed within two weeks, even before the new covid restrictions were reviewed.more

Merck & Co estimates that its new drug for Covid-19 Molnupiravir, developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, will be effective against any variant of the coronavirus, said the vice president of the American concern Daria Hazuda.more

EasyJet and TUI have updated their policies on rebooking flights and holidays after travel rules were changed to prevent the spread of the Omicron COVID variant.more

The University of Oxford said there is as yet no evidence that vaccinations do not protect against the new variant of the coronavirus Omikron. He said that if necessary, he was ready to quickly modify the vaccine developed with AstraZeneca.more

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has described the introduction of travel restrictions by many countries as an "irrational reaction" to the Omikron virus variant. The New York Times presents a similar assessment of health policy. According to experts, the new restrictions will harm countries in Africa that have shared information about the new more

A new variant of the Omikron coronavirus proves that the pandemic will not go away, despite the closure of borders, as long as there are no vaccines in poor countries. The virus mutating in low-vaccine countries will be a global threat, reports the Associated Press.more

Boris Johnson has announced a raft of new measures to combat the Omicron variant of coronavirus. more

The pharmaceutical company BioNTech, which together with the Pfizer concern has developed a vaccine against the coronavirus, announced that it is working on a preparation adapted to the variant of the Omikron virus.more

Scotland’s health secretary Humza Yousaf said the vaccination programme will be accelerated.more

The CEO of the pharmaceutical company Moderna, Stephane Bancel, in an interview published today for the Financial Times, predicts that the Covid-19 vaccines on the market will be much less effective than the Omikron coronavirus variant.more

Experimental chewing gum may limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, according to a study published in the American journal Molecular Therapy.more

A ban on flights from seven African countries and changes to the limits applicable to cultural institutions, churches, hotels, catering establishments and weddings are just some of the new restrictions announced today to take effect from 1 December.more

Australian authorities today announced that the country's previously planned opening of its borders in early December will be postponed due to concerns over the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus, the Australian daily Sydney Morning Herald reports.more