India surpasses 4 million cases of coronavirus | Coronavirus

As the government eases restrictions, India is currently the country with the fastest growing case balance, with more than 80 thousand a day, and the highest number of daily deaths, more than a thousand.

In Iraq, the surge in new cases has prompted authorities to warn that hospitals may no longer be able to handle the growing number of hospitalizations.

The country registered 5,000 new cases on Friday, bringing the total to 252,000. Of these, 7,359 resulted in deaths.

The ministry attributed the increase to recent “large gatherings” that took place without due regard for precautionary measures, such as wearing a mask and physical distance, especially during Ashura, one of the most important religious gatherings in Shiite Islam. .

The pandemic has killed at least 875,000 people worldwide since the end of December, according to a balance prepared by AFP from official sources.

As of Friday, 5,693 new deaths and 305,583 new cases were reported worldwide.

Currently, the countries with the worst death toll are India, with 1,089 new deaths, the United States (998) and Brazil (888).

The United States is the most affected country in terms of deaths, with nearly 188,000 deaths and 6,202,053 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.

In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that it does not expect a widespread vaccination against covid-19 before mid-2021.

“A significant number of vaccine candidates have already entered Phase 3 testing. We know of at least 6 to 9 who have come a long way in terms of research,” said a WHO spokeswoman, Margaret Harris.

“But in terms of a realistic program, really we do not expect a widespread vaccination until the middle of next year“He added, as preparations for a vaccine distribution accelerate, especially in the United States.

WHO “will not endorse” a coronavirus vaccine if it is not safe and effective, stressed the organization’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, when asked about concerns raised by the anti-vaccine movement.

In Russia, almost a month after its announcement to great fanfare by the authorities, researchers published a first study showing that its coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, is showing encouraging preliminary results.

The vaccine being developed by the Gamaleïa research institute triggers an immune response and has not caused serious adverse effects, concludes the article by Russian researchers published by the prestigious British journal The Lancet, after evaluation by a review committee made up of independent scientists.

These results do not yet prove that the vaccine effectively protects against infection by the new coronavirus, which will be shown in larger studies, experts say.

Routine use of corticosteroids

The organization recommended, however, “the systematic use of corticosteroids in patients with a severe or critical form of Covid-19,” in light of studies showing that these drugs reduce mortality, according to guidelines published this Friday in the journal . BMJ Physician.