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The Robert Koch Institute reports 23,648 New infections
5.45 am: In Germany, health authorities reported 23,648 new corona infections to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in 24 hours. This has reached a peak, as can be seen from the information provided by the RKI. On Friday a week ago, the previous peak was reached with 23,542 registered cases.
However, the number of new infections is only partially comparable to previous weeks, as the RKI has adjusted the recommendations for corona testing as to who still needs to be tested. The step was necessary as more and more laboratories reached their limits. But the decision could affect not only the number of new infections but also the proportion of positive tests. (Read more here.)
The RKI has counted a total of 879,564 infections detected with Sars-CoV-2 in Germany since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of deaths related to the virus rose from 260 to 13,630 as of Friday.
According to RKI’s situation report on Thursday night, the so-called seven-day R was 0.99 (previous day: 0.95). This means that, in theory, 100 infected people infect 99 more people. The value represents the onset of the infection 8 to 16 days ago. If it is below 1 for a long time, the infection process subsides.
Report: WHO advises against remdesivir in crown disease
5.30am .: According to a report, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises against the use of the once-promising drug Remdesivir for Covid-19 diseases. After careful review, a WHO expert panel concluded that the drug “does not have a significant impact on mortality or other major effects in patients, such as the need for artificial ventilation or recovery time.” wrote British magazine. Medical Journal ”in an article published Friday. Nor is it ruled out that the drug may also cause harm. Then there would be the costs.
Remdesivir was originally developed by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead to combat the Ebola virus. After the global pandemic broke out, it was considered a beacon of hope in the fight against Covid-19 for a time. In July, it was the first drug in Europe to receive approval subject to conditions for the specific treatment of certain patients. However, more recent evidence had suggested that the drug’s benefit is minimal at best. The findings emerged from a WHO-coordinated study of thousands of patients in nearly 500 clinics in more than 30 countries.
Expert Fauci: The rapid development of a vaccine is not a cause for concern
5:20 am: Renowned American immunologist Anthony Fauci has dismissed concerns that the development of corona vaccines is said to have accelerated at the expense of tolerability and efficacy. “The speed of the process has not compromised security in any way,” Fauci said. Scientific integrity was also not compromised. The vaccine study data was evaluated by independent experts who owed no one, including “not the government,” he said.
There is nothing to worry about, Fauci said. “This is really solid,” he said. Once the emergency approval requests for the vaccines were received, the appropriate Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would review everything “very carefully.”
The immunologist is a member of the White House Crown Task Force. Experts fear that some people may be skeptical of the vaccine due to accelerated development and political debates.
Fauci said that effective vaccines are the “cavalry” in the fight to contain the pandemic, but all known precautionary measures must continue to be practiced until they arrive.
In the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, more than a quarter of a million people have died of an infection since the beginning of the pandemic; nowhere else in the world are so many corona deaths known. More than 100,000 new infections have been detected every day since early November, more recently there was an average of around 160,000.
The bars and restaurants of Catalonia can reopen from Monday
4:50 am: The Catalan regional government has announced that restrictions related to the pandemic will be eased in view of an improvement in the situation of the crown. Bars and restaurants are likely to reopen on Monday, announced regional vice president Pere Aragonès at a press conference. However, there is a curfew starting at 9:30 pm In addition, the load is limited to a maximum of 30 percent.
“We have managed to change the dynamics of the pandemic without entering a strict confinement,” said Aragonès, referring to the strict curfew that had been applied throughout Spain during the first wave of infections in spring.
In addition to bars and restaurants, cinemas, theaters, and concert halls can also reopen from Monday, but only with a maximum occupancy of 50 percent. The regional government wants to maintain the night curfew and travel restrictions for now.
Spain is one of the countries in Europe most affected by the corona pandemic. In total, more than 1.5 million infections and 42,000 deaths have been recorded in the country since the pandemic began.
More than 100,000 deaths from corona in Mexico
4:05 am: In Mexico, more than 100,000 people have died from Covid-19 disease since the start of the corona pandemic. The Deputy Minister of Health, Hugo López-Gatell, announced on Thursday (local time) the total of 100,104 deaths at a press conference. Mexico is the fourth country that has exceeded the threshold of death per crown of 100,000.
In the past 24 hours, another 576 people died as a result of a corona infection, López-Gatell said. The number of infections registered since the beginning of the pandemic amounted to more than 1,019 million, according to him.
Mexico is the fourth country most affected in the world by the corona pandemic. The United States, Brazil and India are in first place.
California imposes exit restrictions due to coronavirus
03.15 am: California is introducing a night-out restriction due to the increase in crown numbers. Residents must stay home from 10 pm to 5 am California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday (local time). The order must take effect on Saturday and initially apply for one month. Most of the West Coast state’s districts are affected by a rising corona number.
Almost 40 million people live in California. This strict requirement now applies to 94 percent of the population. Last week, the most populous state in the United States passed the threshold of one million known corona infections.
