June 10 coronavirus news

The US government will fund and conduct key studies on three experimental coronavirus vaccines – those developed by Moderna, Oxford University/AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Anthony Fauci confirmed to CNN. 

Phase three trials, which typically involve tens of thousands of people and measure whether a vaccine is safe and effective, will begin with Moderna in July, then Oxford/AstraZeneca in August and Johnson & Johnson in September. 

The funding and trial timing were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.  

Each phase three trial is expected to take place at more than 50 sites, mostly in the United States, but possibly in other countries, too. The trials, which are expected to include about 30,000 people, will begin only after there’s enough evidence of safety and efficacy from earlier trial stages. 

The US government might also plan phase three trials for additional coronavirus vaccines currently in development.

According to the World Health Organization, there are 10 vaccines currently in human trials and 126 more in development.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases just reacted to news that the DC National Guard said some of its troops contracted coronavirus after responding to protests.

He called the development “disturbing,” but “not surprising,” given the lack of social distancing amid protests last week.

He added, “And when you get congregations like we saw with the demonstrations. As we have said, myself and other health officials, that’s taking a risk, and unfortunately, what we’re seeing now is just an example of the kinds of things that we were concerned about.”

Germany will lift its border controls with neighbors France, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark on June 15, German interior minister Horst Seehofer said today.

New arrivals from Italy will also no longer have to go through border controls, though the two countries do not share a physical border.

The controls will be relaxed for travelers arriving from Spain by plane starting on June 21, Seehofer added.

The easing of restrictions comes as the country slowly rolls back its strictest lockdown measures.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 7 million people worldwide and killed over 400,000. Here's what you need to know about the pandemic:

Germany has extended its advice to citizens warning against global travel “for unnecessary and touristic reasons” until August 31.

Travel to other EU countries, Schengen members and the UK is exempt from the warning, the German Foreign Office said in a statement.

The country first issued advice warning citizens against tourist travel worldwide on March 17.

Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has granted conditional approval for the antiviral drug remdesivir to be used to treat some patients infected with the novel coronavirus.

Remdesivir is the only drug known to work against Covid-19.

“The Health Sciences Authority (HSA), in consultation with its Medicines Advisory Committee, has today granted conditional approval for [the drug],” a spokesperson for the HSA said in a statement released on Wednesday.

The authority said the conditional approval would allow specialists to administer the drug to virus patients who require supplemental oxygen and more intensive breathing support. Those with levels of oxygen saturation below 94% are also eligible for treatment.

"Although the data on [remdesivir's] efficacy and safety is very limited at this point, HSA has expedited the review of remdesivir given the urgent public health need during the coronavirus pandemic," the spokesperson added.

Singapore confirmed 451 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 38,965.

The global economy will take at least two years to recover from the impact of coronavirus, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which is formed of 37 nations worldwide.

The report lays out two scenarios for the global economy.

In one scenario a second wave of infections, with renewed lock-downs, hits before the end of 2020.

In this so-called double-hit scenario the OECD sees world economic output falling 7.6% this year, before climbing back 2.8% in 2021. 

In the second scenario another major outbreak is avoided. If that were to occur, the OECD forecasts a 6% fall in economic activity in 2020.

Imagine taking a walk in your neighborhood, carefully staying 6 feet apart from others to ensure social distancing.

You see an elderly man collapse on the sidewalk, having a heart attack.

Everything you've heard of late tells you to avoid close contact with strangers, especially the elderly, during the pandemic.

Is it safe to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to try to save his life? Or are you risking being infected with the novel coronavirus?

There's an answer: It's strongly encouraged that people perform CPR or chest compressions on others during the global pandemic, according to a report published by a group of Seattle emergency room physicians in the journal Circulation.

In fact, you may actually be hundreds of times more likely to save the dying man's life than you yourself are to die from Covid-19 by coming to his aid.

Read more here.

The Chinese government has removed pangolin scales from its 2020 list of approved ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine, a move campaigners describe as a "critical step" towards saving the world's most trafficked mammal.

According to Chinese state-run media Tuesday, the latest edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia -- an official government compendium of drugs covering traditional Chinese and Western medicines -- no longer includes pangolin scales on the list of approved ingredients, owing to "wild resources exhaustion."

The latest move to protect pangolins comes in the wake of new research that suggests pangolins kept in wildlife markets across China may have helped incubate the novel coronavirus before it spread to humans.

The virus has now infected more than 7 million people across the world since it was detected last December in the Chinese city of Wuhan, including at least 84,000 cases in mainland China.

According to a team of researchers from Duke University and Los Alamos National Laboratory, the virus swapped genes repeatedly with similar strains infecting bats, pangolins and a possible third species prior to jumping to humans.

The researchers concluded that although it was too soon to blame pangolins for the pandemic, it was clear that people must reduce their contact with wild animals that can transmit new infections.

Following the outbreak, the Chinese government outlawed the consumption of all wild animals countrywide in an effort to avoid further deadly outbreaks.

Read more here.