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 Regeneron therapy cuts deaths among patients who lack antibodies
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals' COVID-19 antibody cocktail reduces deaths
in hospitalised patients who have not mounted their own antibody
response, a large British study published on Wednesday found.
The therapy, REGEN-COV, has been granted emergency use authorisation
for people with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in the United States, but
results from the RECOVERY trial provide the clearest evidence of its
effectiveness among hospitalised patients.
It found that the antibody therapy reduced by a fifth the 28-day
mortality of people admitted to hospital with COVID-19 whose immune
system had not mounted an antibody response.
EU approval of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine delayed - sources
European Union approval of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine
will be delayed because a June 10 deadline to submit data was
missed, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters,
diminishing the shot's prospects in the EU's pandemic response.
One of the sources, a German government official, said the failure
to provide the necessary clinical trial data to the EU medicines
watchdog would postpone any go-ahead in the bloc until at least
September.
European Union governments agreed on Wednesday to add the United
States to their list of countries from which they will allow
non-essential travel, EU diplomats said.
Sydney records first local case in more than a month
Australia's most populous city Sydney has recorded its first locally
acquired case of COVID-19 in more than a month, stoking concerns of
a fresh wave of infections on Wednesday.
New South Wales state said it is not clear how the unnamed man in
his 60s acquired the virus, but he was a driver who occasionally
transported overseas airline crew.
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 Australia's second largest city
Melbourne will allow its five million residents
to travel more than 25 km (15 miles) from home
and end mandatory wearing of masks outdoors from
Friday, despite the city fighting a stubborn
outbreak. Opposition questions
Indian government on vaccine dosing gap
India's main opposition party, Congress, on Wednesday questioned the
decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to double the
gap between the doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, asking whether it
was prompted by a vaccine shortage.
On Tuesday, Reuters reported that the government had increased the
gap without the agreement of the scientific group that it said
recommended the move, citing three members of the National Technical
Advisory Group on Immunisation advisory body.
India's Taj Mahal re-opened to the public on Wednesday as the
country, still reeling from a disastrous second wave of the
pandemic, rushes to lift restrictions to try to revitalise its
economy.
Chickens, cows offered up in vaccination lucky draws
Chickens, cows, paid leave, even a million-dollar apartment - these
are the prizes on offer from Thailand to Indonesia to Hong Kong for
those who get vaccinated against COVID-19 as nations across Asia
combat vaccine hesitancy.
As more transmissible variants of the virus have driven a surge in
cases in Southeast Asia in recent weeks, authorities have started
offering chances in lucky draws for vaccinations.
(Compiled by Linda Noakes, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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