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Covid-19 detection and testing program.
Sharon Seretlo, Gallo Images
The World Health Organization said on Friday it did not expect widespread immunization against the new coronavirus until mid-2021, dampening hopes just as research revealed encouraging early results from a Russian vaccine.
The virus that has killed nearly 870,000 people around the world continues to spread, with Italy’s flamboyant former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi now in hospital after becoming the latest high-profile figure to test positive for Covid-19. .
Around the world, governments hope to announce a vaccine as soon as possible against the virus, which has infected more than 26 million people, disrupted millions of lives and wreaked havoc on the global economy.
The UN health agency welcomed the fact that a “considerable number” of candidate vaccines had entered end-stage trials, typically involving tens of thousands of people.
But “in terms of realistic timelines, we really don’t expect to see widespread vaccination until the middle of next year,” said WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris.
And the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the agency would not endorse a vaccine if it is not effective and safe.
Russia has already approved a vaccine, and research published in the medical journal The Lancet on Friday said that patients involved in the first tests developed antibodies without “serious adverse events.”
But the scientists cautioned that the trials were too small (only 76 participants) to test safety and efficacy.
Washington has also urged US states to prepare for a possible vaccine launch before November 1, raising concerns that President Donald Trump’s administration will rush to begin distributing a vaccine before the election. November 3.
In normal procedures, test administrators must wait months or years to verify that vaccine candidates are safe and effective.
But there has been massive pressure to launch a vaccine quickly as the pandemic continues to take its toll.
Celebrities and prominent public figures have not been spared, with Berlusconi being the latest to contract the coronavirus since it was first discovered in China in December last year.
The list also includes three Paris Saint-Germain footballers, including Brazilian star Neymar.
Also on the list are movie stars Tom Hanks and, more recently, Robert Pattinson, whom Hollywood trade publications said contracted the disease while filming the latest Batman movie in Britain.
Berlusconi spent the night in a Milan hospital where he is being treated for a lung infection, but his condition is said to be “encouraging.”
The 83-year-old billionaire tested positive earlier this week after returning from a vacation on Sardinia’s luxurious Costa Smeralda.
Workers avoiding office
Around the world, businesses and individuals are counting the cost of the pandemic as the outbreaks continue to force governments to impose lockdowns.
Even in areas where restrictions have eased, those who can work from home prefer to continue to do so rather than return to the office.
In normally bustling central London, restaurants that were once full of customers are suffering.
“People saw that they can work from home … we can’t serve someone from home,” said Berat, the manager of a Turkish restaurant near St. Paul’s Cathedral who only has 15 percent of his usual habit.
The government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson is trying to encourage the British to return to office, but this is easier said than done.
Oil giant BP, which is cutting 10,000 jobs after the pandemic crushed energy demand and prices, is actively encouraging non-front-line staff to work from home.
Meanwhile, at Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds banks, many of the staff work remotely.
However, not all bad news.
Both the US and Canadian economies added jobs in August, in a tentative sign of recovery from the pandemic.
And for companies in specific sectors like personal protective equipment, Covid-19 has sparked such fierce demand that they are struggling to keep up.
Malaysian rubber glove maker Top Glove said it is receiving orders of 11 to 12 billion a month, compared to 4.5 billion before the pandemic.
Low? Customers now have to wait nearly 600 days for their orders to fill, compared to a normal 30-40 day delivery, said CEO Lim Wee Chai.
In addition, with the shortage of raw materials, production costs are also increasing
