Month: March 2021

(Xinhua)08:39, August 07, 2020

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on Thursday the start of a randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of a treatment regimen consisting of the antiviral remdesivir plus the immunomodulator interferon beta-1a in COVID-19 patients.

The study, called the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial 3 (ACTT 3), is anticipated to enroll more than 1,000 hospitalized adults with COVID-19 at as many as 100 sites in the United States and abroad, according to a release of the NIH.

It is the second clinical trial announced by the NIH this week in an effort to step up treatment for COVID-19.

Participants must have laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection with evidence of lung involvement, including a need for supplemental oxygen, abnormal chest X-rays, or illness requiring mechanical ventilation. People with confirmed infection who have mild symptoms or no apparent symptoms will not be included in the study, said the NIH.

They are being randomly assigned in a 1-to-1 ratio to receive either subcutaneous interferon beta-1a plus remdesivir (combination therapy) or remdesivir alone. Neither the participants nor the study team will know who is receiving which treatment regimen.

All participants will receive standard doses of remdesivir and either interferon beta-1a or a placebo. Those in the combination therapy group will receive interferon beta-1a as a 44-microgram subcutaneous injection every other day for a total of four doses during hospitalization.

Those in the remdesivir-only group will receive a matching placebo subcutaneous injection every other day for a total of four doses during hospitalization.

Investigators will evaluate whether time to recovery is shorter in the combination therapy group relative to the remdesivir-only group, said the NIH.

Earlier this week, the NIH announced a phase 2 clinical trial which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of potential new therapeutics for COVID-19, including an investigational therapeutic based on synthetic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to treat the disease.

Researchers sponsored by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, are working with clinical sites to identify potential patient volunteers currently infected with SARS-CoV-2, who have mild to moderate disease not requiring hospitalization.

They will be invited to take an experimental therapy or a placebo as part of a rigorously designed randomized clinical trial. The trial, which is known as ACTIV-2, also may investigate other experimental therapeutics later under the same trial protocol.

The United States have been stepping up research on vaccines, drugs and therapies for COVID-19 as confirmed cases hit over 4,870,000 and fatalities surpassed 159,800 as of Thursday evening, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

An experimental COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the NIAID and American biotechnology company Moderna, known as mRNA-1273, started phase 3 clinical trial last week to evaluate if it can prevent COVID-19 in adults.

The trial, which will be conducted at U.S. clinical research sites, is expected to enroll approximately 30,000 adult volunteers who do not have COVID-19.

Investigating a variety of different therapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies, will help ensure that we advance towards an effective treatment for people suffering from COVID-19 disease as quickly as possible, said NIAID Director Anthony Fauci.

(Xinhua)09:00, August 07, 2020

China, as a responsible major fishing country, attaches great importance to the protection of the marine environment and resources and implements the strictest monitoring and control measures on overseas fishing vessels, a spokesperson said Thursday.

Spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press briefing after Ecuadorian foreign minister said the country will be surveilling Chinese fishing fleets near the Galapagos Islands and that Ecuador expects to hold bilateral talks with the Chinese side.

China and Ecuador are in friendly communication these days through bilateral channels, Wang said, adding that on Thursday, the fishery authorities of the two countries held a special video teleconference, which led to positive consensus and good results.

Meanwhile, to contribute to the protection of fishery resources in the region, Chinas fishery authority has decided to ban fishing in the high seas west of the Galapagos Marine Reserve from September to November this year, which has been appreciated by Ecuador and other relevant countries, Wang said.

We will continue to require enterprises engaged in deep-sea fishing to strictly abide by relevant laws and regulations, he added.

In response to some U.S. politicians irresponsible remarks on this issue, Wang said the United States is not qualified to make accusations against other countries maritime affairs as it has not yet ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We urge the U.S. side, instead of trying desperately to stir up trouble for other countries, to focus more on its own affairs.

(Xinhua)09:03, August 07, 2020

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on Thursday the start of a randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of a treatment regimen consisting of the antiviral remdesivir plus the immunomodulator interferon beta-1a in COVID-19 patients.

The study, called the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial 3 (ACTT 3), is anticipated to enroll more than 1,000 hospitalized adults with COVID-19 at as many as 100 sites in the United States and abroad, according to a release of the NIH.

Participants must have laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection with evidence of lung involvement, including a need for supplemental oxygen, abnormal chest X-rays, or illness requiring mechanical ventilation. People with confirmed infection who have mild symptoms or no apparent symptoms will not be included in the study, said the NIH.

They are being randomly assigned in a 1-to-1 ratio to receive either subcutaneous interferon beta-1a plus remdesivir (combination therapy) or remdesivir alone. Neither the participants nor the study team will know who is receiving which treatment regimen.

All participants will receive standard doses of remdesivir and either interferon beta-1a or a placebo. Those in the combination therapy group will receive interferon beta-1a as a 44-microgram subcutaneous injection every other day for a total of four doses during hospitalization.

Those in the remdesivir-only group will receive a matching placebo subcutaneous injection every other day for a total of four doses during hospitalization.

Investigators will evaluate whether time to recovery is shorter in the combination therapy group relative to the remdesivir-only group, said the NIH.

Recovery is defined as the participant being well enough for hospital discharge, meaning the participant either no longer requires supplemental oxygen or ongoing medical care in the hospital, or is no longer hospitalized. Recovery is evaluated up until day 29.

A key secondary goal of the study is to compare patient outcomes at day 15 using an ordinal eight-point scale ranging from fully recovered to death.

An independent data and safety monitoring board will monitor ongoing results to ensure patient well-being and safety as well as study integrity, said the NIH. Preliminary results are expected in the fall of 2020.

ACTT 3 is the third iteration of the ACTT of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH. ACTT began on Feb. 21 to evaluate remdesivir, an investigational broad-spectrum antiviral discovered and developed by Gilead Sciences, Inc.

A preliminary analysis of ACTT data found that patients who received remdesivir had a statistically significant shorter time to recovery compared to patients who received placebo.

Subcutaneous interferon beta-1a, a medication manufactured by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is approved in the United States and more than 90 other countries for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, according to the NIH.

In the laboratory, type 1 interferon can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and two closely related viruses, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. In addition, two small randomized controlled trials suggest that treatment with interferon beta may benefit patients with COVID-19, according the NIH.

(Xinhua)09:08, August 07, 2020

The United Nations said on Thursday that the COVID-19 crisis poses a host of new challenges to national authorities and collective response efforts are needed.

The nexus between terrorism and organized crime took center stage in the Security Council on Thursday, with UN officials raising fresh concerns over opportunistic alliances emerging among belligerents who share a hostility towards national authorities, and seek to exploit vulnerabilities created by the COVID-19 crisis.

Comprehensive and cooperative responses are needed more than ever, said Ghada Waly, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The COVID-19 crisis is raising a new set of challenges for national authorities, as criminals seek to exploit vulnerabilities created by lockdowns and shifting travel patterns. Building the capacities to deal with these threats is now a key part of UNODCs focus, she noted.

Vladimir Voronkov, head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, told the virtual meeting that terrorists are exploiting the significant disruption and economic hardships caused by COVID-19 to spread fear, hate and division and radicalize and recruit new followers. The increase in internet usage and cybercrime during the pandemic further compounds the problem.

Both speakers highlighted the support of the United Nations to assist member states in implementing measures such as anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism, strengthening border security and more.

Voronkov concluded with a call to continue our fight against terrorist groups and criminal networks to deny them the opportunity to exploit the COVID-19 crisis.

(Xinhua)09:17, August 07, 2020

The COVID-19 death toll worldwide has surpassed 700,000, reaching 701,754 as of Thursday, according to the latest number from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Globally, as of 12:00 p.m. CEST (1000 GMT) on Thursday, 18,575,326 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported to the WHO.

The United States and Brazil remain the top two in both confirmed cases and deaths, with 4,728,239 cases and 156,050 deaths reported from the U.S., and 2,801,921 cases and 95,819 deaths from Brazil.

Following the top two in confirmed cases are India with 1,964,536 cases, Russia with 866,627 cases, South Africa with 529,877 cases, Mexico with 449,961 cases, Peru with 439,890 cases, Chile with 364,723 cases, Colombia with 334,979 cases, and Iran with 314,786 cases.

On the list of death toll after the top two are Mexico with 48,869 cases, the UK with 46,299 cases, India with 40,699 cases, Italy with 35,171 cases, France with 30,176 cases, Spain with 28,498 cases, Peru with 20,007 cases, Iran with 17,617 cases, Russia with 14,490 cases, and Colombia with 11,315 cases.

According to WHO regional offices, Americas remains the most affected area by COVID-19, with a total of 9,981,204 cases and 372,008 deaths, followed by Europe, where 3,451,556 cases and 214,731 deaths have been reported.

(Xinhua)09:23, August 07, 2020

The Portuguese government announced on Thursday that it will invest 140 million euros (166 million U.S. dollars) to re-train and relocate people who are unemployed or need to change jobs after the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Called Social Inclusion and Employment Operational Program (POISE), according to a statement published on the official website, the initiative of the Portuguese government predicts that education and training actions will help more than 600,000 people.

Priority will be given to the areas such as the social sector, digital, environment, and climate action, says the statement.

Also, Portugal intends to respond to the need for qualification of employed people and reinforce the professional qualification of unemployed people, through training adjusted to their profile and needs.

The professional qualification of the Portuguese is part of the Economic and Social Stability Program (PEES), a set of measures launched by the government to reactivate the countrys economy, which went into crisis after the social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Portugals National Statistics Institute (INE), the countrys unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2020 was at 5.6 percent.

(Xinhua)09:30, August 07, 2020

The Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC) on Thursday unveiled 30 intelligence solutions in 10 key areas for the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, which is expected to be green, smart, economical and ethical.

These solutions, selected from 187 proposals submitted by high-tech enterprises, universities and research institutions nationwide, will be applied to make the Games smart in a variety of operational areas.

Cutting-edge technologies including big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, Internet of things and block chains will be applied to improve the operational efficiency of the Games and provide athletes, spectators and tourists with top-notch services.

According to Han Chongxin, an official with China Mobile Hangzhou, 5G technology will bring a faster and more smooth game-watching experience for the audience, who can enjoy the matches on their phone with VR and AR offering interactive and immersive experiences.

Without the restraints of fiber optic cables, people can watch the games whenever they are, either in the office or in open public space, and with less delay, he said.

Hangzhou will take advantage of its flourishing digital economy and mobilize social resources to make innovative technologies part of the preparation and hosting of the Asian Games. Smart Games will be a golden name-card for Hangzhou 2022, and we are committed to staging a sport and cultural extravaganza that is successful, excellent, satisfying and unforgettable, said Chen Weiqiang, deputy secretary-general of the HAGOC and vice mayor of Hangzhou.

(Xinhua)09:33, August 07, 2020

Tony Ramy, president of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants in Lebanon, announced on Thursday that material damage to the tourism sector are valued at around 1 billion U.S. dollars following the two huge explosions rocked Beirut on Tuesday.

We have lost our lifetime investments, Ramy tweeted.

Meanwhile, Pierre Ashkar, president of the Syndicate of Hotels Owners in Lebanon, told Xinhua that direct and indirect losses may even be more than 1 billion U.S. dollars.

He explained that direct losses include destruction caused to hotels, while indirect cost covers the inability to pay salaries of employees or to attract tourists to the country, which will definitely impact the tourism sector.

The tourism sector has already been suffered due to the nationwide protests that took place last year followed by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

Lebanon was hoping to attract tourists during this summer season amid an unprecedented economic crisis and financial collapse, causing an increased number of people to reel under poverty.