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 Global vaccine summit
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosts a global vaccine summit
on Thursday, urging nations to pledge funding for vaccinations
against infectious diseases to help the poorest countries tackle the
coronavirus crisis.
Representatives of more than 50 countries, including 35 heads of
state or government, will come together virtually in London to raise
funds for the GAVI vaccine alliance, a public-private global health
partnership.
Safe or silent carriers?
China said 300 symptomless carriers of the novel coronavirus in
Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic, had not been found to be
infectious, in a bid to reassure people as countries ease
restrictions. But some experts say asymptomatic infections are
common, presenting a huge challenge in the control of the disease.
The World Health Organization defines asymptomatic cases as those
who do not show symptoms but have been confirmed infected through a
lab test, noting that there are few reports of truly asymptomatic
cases.
Five vaccine finalists
The Trump administration has selected five companies - Moderna Inc,
AstraZeneca Plc, Pfizer Inc, Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co Inc -
as the most likely candidates to produce a vaccine for the
coronavirus, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing senior
officials.
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The selected companies will get access to additional government funds, help in
running clinical trials, and financial and logistical support, the newspaper
reported.
'Simplified' Olympics
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Thursday it may be necessary to a stage a
"simplified" Olympics next year due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and
that organisers were already discussing possible changes.
The Yomiuri newspaper, citing government and organising committee sources, said
having fewer spectators, making Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests mandatory
for all spectators - in addition to athletes and staff - and limiting movement
in and out of the athletes' village were among the options Japan would discuss
with the International Olympics Committee.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh and Christopher Cushing)
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