HealthAlert

The pandemic has since spread to 188 countries with more than 32 million confirmed cases. Lockdowns and other measures to try to stop the virus spreading have thrown many economies into recession.
Meanwhile, efforts to develop an effective vaccine are continuing - although the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the death toll could hit two million before one is widely available.

The US has the world's highest death toll with about 205,000 fatalities followed by Brazil on 141,700 and India with 95,500 deaths.
Where is Covid-19 spreading the fastest?
The US has recorded more than seven million cases - more than a fifth of the world's total. After a second wave of cases in July, numbers dropped in August but appear to be on the rise again now.

The coronavirus has been spreading fast in India, with the country recording about 90,000 cases a day earlier in September.

Brazil has the highest number of deaths in Latin America and has recorded more than 4.7 million cases, the third highest in the world.
Elsewhere in the region, newly confirmed infections are also rising quickly in Argentina, which now has more than 700,000 cases.

Russian Covid-19 vaccine updates: Sputnik V will end coronavirus
Russia Covid-19 Vaccine Updates: The Phase-III human trials of the Sputnik V vaccine would begin in 7-10 days and several tens of thousands of people would be vaccinated.

, which last week became the first country to
grant regulatory approval to a Covid-19 amid scepticism from the global scientific community has released a video showing how the ‘Sputnik V’ jab would end the novel coronovirus.
The 38-second promotional video, created by the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which has bankrolled the project, shows how the Sputnik V vaccine, named after the first artificial satellite, emerges and slowly eradicates the novel coronavirus from the world, with cases rising to 21.6 million, including 7,74,000 deaths. Another video showing the vaccine’s production has also been released, Sputnik News reported.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the vaccine, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute along with the Defence Ministry, worked “quite effectively” and formed “stable immunity” against the disease.

Phase III trials to begin in 7-10 days
According to the Tass news agency, the mandatory phase-III human trials of the Sputnik V vaccine would begin in 7-10 days and several tens of thousands of people would be vaccinated. The research will be conducted in the Moscow Region.

“On August 17, we will present the first version of the protocol on post-registration research. Given this great interest and attention of the public and the press, I think that the Health Ministry won’t delay the process and will approve the protocol within a week,” Alexander Gintsburg, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center, was quoted as saying to Tass.
The vaccine went through phase-I and phase-II testing in superfast time, the entire process being completed in less than two months, with the government skipping Phase III trials before granting approval.

West trying to ‘lure away’ our scientists: Gamaleya head
In sensational claims, Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, said Western research institutions were seeking to “lure” away its scientists to work for them.
“Our researchers have been working at the Gamaleya Institute for ten years…Any American or European university can only dream of having such researchers. And they are seeking to lure them away. But they won’t be able to,” Gintsburg told the Rossiya-1 television channel.
The remarks come amid Western health officials questioning the efficacy and safety of the Russian vaccine as no data on the results of the human clinical trials had been published so far.

About 52% Russian doctors say they won’t get vaccinated: Survey
With Russia planning to administer the first batch of Sputnik V vaccines to health professionals, a survey has found that more than half of Russian doctors are not ready to get vaccinated. An online survey reported by the RBC news website, stated that about one in two Russian medics – 52 per cent – said that they won’t take the Sputnik V vaccine.
Out of the 52 per cent Russian medics who said they won’t administer the new vaccine, 66 per cent cited insufficient data proving its effectiveness while 48 per cent said it was developed too quickly. Only 24.5 per cent are ready to get vaccinated, the Moscow Times report said.
Recently, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said the first batch of shots would be received primarily by doctors on a voluntary basis.