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The <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> outbreak was Wednesday declared a <keyword id="43587" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic">pandemic</keyword> by the <keyword id="6356311" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organisation">World Health Organisation</keyword> (WHO), whose chief expressed his "deep concern" over "alarming levels of inaction" in combating the virus spread. WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold over the past two weeks. However, he clarified that the labelling of it as a pandemic, or a disease spreading in multiple countries around the world simultaneously, did not mean the WHO was changing its advice about what countries should do and he called on governments to change the course of the outbreak by taking "urgent and aggressive action", the BBC reported. "Several countries have demonstrated that this virus can be suppressed and controlled. "The challenge for many countries who are now dealing with large clusters or community transmission is not whether they can do the same - it's whether they will," he said, noting that the governments had to "strike a fine balance between protecting health, minimising disruption and respecting human life".

Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic, declares WHO

Berlin, Apr 20 () Alcohol-based hand disinfectants recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) are effective against the novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19, according to a study. The formulations can be prepared quickly and easily by pharmacies and help alleviate the current shortage of disinfectants, said researchers from Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) in Germany. In the study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, the researchers exposed Sars-Cov-2 viruses for 30 seconds to two WHO-recommended disinfectant formulations. "This time frame was chosen based on recommendations for hand disinfectants," said Stephanie Pfander from RUB. The team then tested the viruses in cell culture assays and analysed how many of them remained infectious. "We showed that both WHO-recommended formulations sufficiently inactivate the virus after 30 seconds," said Pfander. The researchers noted that the findings do not merely apply to the WHO solutions. Their main components, the alcohols ethanol and isopropanol, also showed adequate inactivation of the virus, they said. The first disinfectant recommended by the WHO consists of 80 volume per cent ethanol, 1.45 volume per cent glycerine and 0.125 volume per cent hydrogen peroxide, the researchers said. The second disinfectant consists of 75 volume per cent isopropanol, 1.45 volume per cent glycerine and 0.125 volume per cent hydrogen peroxide, they said. SARSAR

WHO-recommended disinfectants effective against novel coronavirus: Study

<ul><li>The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked states to be ready to distribute a potential <keyword id="8624004" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccine</keyword> by November 1.</li><li>In a letter to state Governors and health departments on Wednesday, CDC Director Robert Redfield said the McKesson Corporation and its subsidiaries would soon be applying for permits to build distribution sites, reports Xinhua news agency.</li><li>He asked the Governors to consider waiving requirements that would delay construction or opening the sites.</li></ul> The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked states to be ready to distribute a potential <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> vaccine by November 1. In a letter to state Governors and health departments on Wednesday, CDC Director Robert Redfield said the McKesson Corporation and its subsidiaries would soon be applying for permits to build distribution sites, reports Xinhua news agency. He asked the Governors to consider waiving requirements that would delay construction or opening the sites. "The normal time required to obtain these permits presents a significant barrier to the success of this urgent public health program," Redfield was quoted as saying in the letter. "CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1." Several Covid-19 vaccines have already begun phase 3 clinical trials in the US. In an interview with the Financial Times, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said he would be willing to fast-track the coronavirus vaccine process with an emergency use authorization before phase 3 trials are over. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/india-bans-pubg-wechat-and-118-other-mobile-applications/articleshow/77890776.cms">India bans PUBG, Ludo World, and 116 other Chinese mobile applications</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/pm-modi-twitter-account-hacked-heres-what-the-hacker-had-tweeted/articleshow/77902203.cms">Twitter account of PM Modi's personal website hacked — asks followers for Bitcoin donations</a>

US CDC asks states to prepare for distribution of potential COVID-19 vaccine by November 1

A World Health Organization (<keyword id="6366244" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="Orion">WHO</keyword>) panel on Friday strongly recommended baricitinib, a drug used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, for patients with severe or critical Covid-19 in combination with corticosteroids. The recommendation by <keyword id="10301077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="who-guideline-development-group" source="Orion">WHO Guideline Development Group</keyword> of international experts, published in The BMJ, is based on evidence that it improves survival and reduces the need for ventilation, with no observed increase in adverse effects. The WHO experts noted that baricitinib, a type of drug known as a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, has similar effects to other arthritis drugs called interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors. The health body advised not to use both drugs at the same time, but to choose one based on cost, availability, and clinician experience. Further, the expert panel also advised against the use of two other JAK inhibitors -- ruxolitinib and tofacitinib -- for patients with severe or critical Covid-19. While trials have not shown any benefit, they have suggested a possible increase in serious side effects with tofacitinib. The WHO also made a conditional recommendation for the use of the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab in patients with non-severe Covid-19, but only in those at highest risk of hospitalisation, reflecting trivial benefits in those at lower risk. Similar recommendation has been made by the global health body for another monoclonal antibody drug -- casirivimab-imdevimab. The experts also noted that data is insufficient to recommend one monoclonal antibody treatment over another, while they acknowledge that their effectiveness against new variants like <keyword id="1609796" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> is still uncertain. The WHO panel's recommendations are based on new evidence from seven trials involving over 4,000 patients with non-severe, severe, and critical Covid-19 infection. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-records-over-264202-fresh-covid-19-cases-and-315-deaths-in-the-last-24-hours/articleshow/88890170.cms">India reports over 2 lakh cases for a second consecutive day but recovery rate is over 95%</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/premiums-on-new-life-insurance-premiums-for-both-term-plans-and-endowment-are-rising/articleshow/88889744.cms">Premiums on new life insurance premiums for both term plans and endowment are rising</a>

WHO recommends two new drugs to treat patients with COVID-19

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6366244" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="who">WHO</keyword> recommends countries continue using the <keyword id="6409874" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="astrazeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword> vaccine.</li><li>18 countries stopped using AstraZeneca's vaccine as investigators look into reports of blood clots.</li><li>Blood clots are the third most common cardiovascular disease globally, the WHO said.</li></ul>The World Health Organization recommends countries continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine. Eighteen countries, including Germany and Italy, paused the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine as investigators look into reports of blood clots in recipients. In a statement released Wednesday morning, WHO said <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccine</keyword> will not "reduce illness or death from other causes." The organization stated venous thromboembolism, or blood clots in the veins, is the third most common cardiovascular disease globally."WHO considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue," the organization said in a <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/17-03-2021-who-statement-on-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-safety-signals#.YFIC5I_HxEA.twitter">release</a>. The European Medicines Agency said it would investigate the reports of blood clots and announce the findings on March 18. WHO and the EMA have been in "regular contact," the release said.WHO said countries routinely investigate potential adverse events during large vaccination campaigns. Investigations, though they don't always reveal vaccines are linked to the adverse health events, are "good practice," the agency said.Public health experts criticized countries' decision to pause AstraZeneca vaccinations before establishing a clear link with reports of blood clots. Epidemiologists called the decision "baffling," and warned it could fuel vaccine hesitancy."Halting a vaccine roll out during a pandemic has consequences. This results in delays in protecting people, and the potential for increased vaccine hesitancy," Dr. Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said during a talk at the <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-news-that-germany-has-halted-vaccinations-with-the-oxford-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine/">Science Media Centre</a>.

WHO recommends countries continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine because benefits outweigh the risks

<ul><li>In its recent advisory, the World Health Organization recommended that pregnant women not be administered with the COVID-19 vaccine unless proper data is available. </li><li>The CDC seems to be divided on this and says the vaccine is safe for pregnant women, but the person getting vaccinated should discuss with their doctors.</li><li>The WHO said the vaccination is fully safe for lactating women as the vaccine shots are unlikely to pose a breastfeeding child’s risk.</li><li>Check out the latest news and updates on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Business Insider</a>. </li></ul>In its recent advisory, The World Health Organization said that the use of COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women should be restricted until more data is available. While pregnancy puts women at a higher risk of severe COVID-19, the use of this vaccine in pregnant women is currently not recommended unless they are at a higher risk of exposure such as healthcare workers. It added there isn’t enough data available on vaccination of pregnant women to assess vaccine efficacy or vaccine-associated risks in pregnancy. “In the interim recommends not to use mRNA-1273 in pregnancy, unless the benefit of vaccinating a pregnant woman outweighs the potential vaccine risks, such as in health workers at high risk of exposure and pregnant women with co-morbidities placing them in a high-risk group for severe Covid-19,” the advisory read. The organization further said that it does not recommend pregnancy testing prior to vaccination and nor does it recommend delaying pregnancy post the vaccination. The vaccination is fully safe for lactating women as the vaccine shots are unlikely to pose a risk to the breastfeeding child. “As the mRNA-1273 vaccine is not a live virus vaccine and the mRNA does not enter the nucleus of the cell and is degraded quickly, it is biologically and clinically unlikely to pose a risk to the breastfeeding child,” it said. The Indian <a href="https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/150121/pregnant-lactating-women-should-not-be-administered-covid-19-vaccine.html">health ministry has also recommended </a>that the pregnant and lactating women should not be administered the shots as they have not been part of any anti-coronavirus vaccine clinical trial so far. The US <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC) seems to disagree with the WHO’s recommendation. The CDC recommendation says the vaccine is safe for pregnant women, but the person getting vaccinated should discuss it with their doctors first. These are the key considerations from the CDC that pregnant patients can discuss with their healthcare provider: <ul><li>The likelihood of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.</li><li>Risks of COVID-19 to them and potential risks to their fetuses.</li><li>What is known about the vaccine: how well it works to develop protection in the body, known side effects of the vaccine, and lack of data during pregnancy.</li></ul>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/indian-grooming-startup-bombay-shaving-company-gets-45-crore-investment-from-dettol-maker-reckitt-benckiser/articleshow/80491558.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Indian grooming startup Bombay Shaving Company gets ₹45 crore investment from Dettol maker Reckitt Benckiser</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-demolished-q1-earnings-estimates-and-set-a-new-record-with-111-billion-in-revenue/articleshow/80490065.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Apple demolished Q1 earnings estimates and set a new record with $111 billion in revenue</a>

Can pregnant women take COVID-19 vaccines? Health authorities are divided due to the lack of trials data

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Men who have sex with men should limit sexual partners as monkeypox spreads, the WHO chief said. </li><li>98% of monkeypox cases are within this group, though anybody can catch and spread it.</li></ul>Men who have sex with men should consider limiting sexual partners in light of the monkeypox outbreak, World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday. The best way to contain the outbreak and protect vulnerable people "is to reduce the risk of exposure. That means making safe choices for yourself and others," Tedros said. "For men who have sex with men, this includes, for the moment, reducing the number of sexual partners, reconsidering sex with new partners, and exchanging contact details with any new partners to enable follow-up if needed," he said.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/msm.htm">Men who have sex with men</a> is a blanket term that includes gay, bisexual, <a href="https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/igh-blog/2019/05/17/heterosexual-identifying-men-who-have-sex-with-men-an-understudied-population/">and heterosexual men.</a>98% of cases have been reported in this population. However, monkeypox can spread between any two people, regardless of sexuality.Over 18,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported to the WHO from 78 countries, Tedros said.Five deaths have been reported, per Tedros. The announcement came less than a week after <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/who-declares-spread-of-monkeypox-an-international-public-health-emergency-11558110">the WHO declared monkeypox a public health emergency</a> of international concern, its highest level of alert.This outbreak has not been particularly lethal, but it sets itself apart by its scale. Historically, cases have tended to be limited to African countries.Before the current outbreak, the most monkeypox had spread outside of the continent was a 300-case outbreak in the US.Symptoms of monkeypox can<a href="https://www.insider.com/monkeypox-miserable-experience-man-timeline-symptoms-vaccine-2022-7"> extremely painfu</a>l. About 10% of cases <a href="https://www.insider.com/monkeypox-man-hospitalized-couldnt-swallow-spit-feared-death-symptoms-2022-7">are admitted to the hospital to manage the pain</a>, Tedros said. <a href="https://www.insider.com/monkeypox-symptoms-cases-europe-uk-spain-portugal-2022-5">Symptoms of monkeypox include a rash, fever, and backache.</a> Early symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion.Lesions can appear around anal and genital areas, which can easily be mistaken for a sexually transmitted disease, a <a href="https://www.insider.com/monkeypox-symptoms-butt-pain-fevers-lethargy-lesions-2022-7">large study of the symptoms in this current outbreak has found.</a>The virus is spreading mostly through <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/transmission.html">close, intimate contact</a> with someone who has monkeypox<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/index.html">, per the CDC</a>. People who have been exposed or are particularly vulnerable are recommended to receive a vaccine.

WHO recommends gay and bi men reduce number of sex partners during monkeypox outbreak

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The World Health Organization recommended rolling out the world's first <keyword id="11902839" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="malaria" source="Orion">malaria</keyword> <keyword id="11894310" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine" source="Orion">vaccine</keyword> Wednesday.</li><li>A pilot program in Africa showed four doses of the shot reduces the risk of getting malaria by 40%.</li><li>Malaria kills 400,000 people a year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. A majority of deaths occur in children under 5. </li></ul>The World Health Organization has recommended a global rollout of the world's first malaria vaccine.Named RTS,S, or Mosquirix, the vaccine has been more than 30 years in the making. Created by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline in 1987, it was subsequently developed and tested with support and funding from PATH, a Seattle-based global health group, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/malaria-vaccine-implementation-programme">According to clinical data</a>, the vaccine prevents four in 10 cases of malaria and three in 10 cases of severe, life-threatening malaria - which should require hospitalization - among children between the ages of 5 months and 17 months at least four years after vaccination. (Children under age 5 are the most vulnerable to this illness; a majority of annual malaria deaths occur among individuals in this age group.)"Using this vaccine in addition to existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year," <keyword id="6366244" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="who" source="Orion">WHO</keyword> director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference Wednesday, adding that the shot "changes the course of public health history."The agency said its recommendation is based on an ongoing pilot program in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi that has vaccinated more than 800,000 children with RTS,S since 2019. Results from the program reflect similar vaccine effectiveness in the real world - reducing the risk of getting malaria by 40%, and risk of needing hospitalization due to severe malaria by 30%, <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/10/06/in-major-decision-who-recommends-broad-rollout-of-worlds-first-malaria-vaccine/">STAT reported</a>. <h2>The first-ever vaccine against a human parasite</h2>RTS,S is <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/malaria-vaccine-implementation-programme">a four-dose vaccine</a>. During the WHO pilot program, children in the three African countries recieved their first dose when they were either five or six months old, then recieved their second and third doses at monthly intervals after that. Then they got the fourth dose near their second birthday. <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/10/06/in-major-decision-who-recommends-broad-rollout-of-worlds-first-malaria-vaccine/">According to STAT</a>, concerns over whether parents would bring their children into clinics to receive all four doses - particularly the delayed dose, which needs to be administered more than a year after the first three - prompted the WHO's scientific advisers to suggest the pilot program before recommending a broad rollout. But Tedros said the program's results over the last two year indicate that "community demand for the vaccine is strong" and shots readily reach children at high coverage levels.<div type="image" title="malaria vaccine ghana" height="2400" width="3600" msid="86818391" hostid="261"></div>Malaria is a disease caused by various Plasmodium parasites that get transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. Infected patients experience fever, chills, abdominal pain, vomiting, joint pain, and fatigue between one and two weeks after being bitten. If some infections are not treated within 24 hours of the first symptoms, a person can <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria">develop severe malaria</a>.Individuals with severe illness have a 90% risk of dying if they do not seek medical care. That risk drops to 20% for hospitalized patients. The RTS,S vaccine is the first shot that targets a human parasite. It is also the first malaria vaccine that's advanced to Phase 3 clinical trials and considered by the WHO for a pilot program.GlaxoSmithKline's clinical trials, which tested the shot on 15,500 participants (including 9,000 children between 5 and 17 months) in seven African countries between 2009 and 2014, showed a four-dose vaccine regimen would avert <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7227679/">484 malaria deaths per 100,000 children vaccinated</a>. The vaccine was also 36% effective against malarial infection over 4 years of follow-up.<h2>'Its value will be felt most in Africa'</h2>Preventive malarial treatment for developing fetuses during pregnancy, prompt treatment of confirmed cases with anti-malarial medicines, and insecticides and nets around beds to deter mosquitoes have all helped halve the number of global malaria deaths in the last two decades.But more than 400,000 people still die of the illness every year.Tedros said this vaccine is a gift to the world, but added "its value will be felt most in Africa, because that's where the burden of malaria is greatest."More than <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7227679/">90% of malaria cases</a> occur in Africa, according to the WHO.Malaria killed <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria">409,000</a> people in 2019 - the latest year with available data - and nearly all of them lived in sub-Saharan Africa. About 67% of those deaths, or more than a quarter-million fatalities, were children under age 5.

The WHO recommends the world's first malaria vaccine, saying the shots could 'save tens of thousands of young lives each year'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Workers in Shanghai have been going into people's homes to spray disinfectant, sparking anger.</li><li>Chinese health officials believe <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/02/china/china-covid-disinfection-intl-hnk-mic/index.html">spraying disinfectants</a> on surfaces can help to eliminate <keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">Covid</keyword>.</li></ul>Workers in Shanghai have been entering people's homes to spray disinfectant, sparking concerns over potential damage to their belongings and health.<a href="https://twitter.com/fangshimin/status/1524157227447201792">Several videos</a> circulated online this week show workers in personal protective equipment disinfecting everything from people's furniture to laundry and even a refrigerator. In <a href="https://twitter.com/fangshimin/status/1524116987005132800">one video</a>, workers appeared to hack their way into an apartment whose owners were placed in a quarantine center.While the disinfection was mostly conducted in the homes of Covid-positive people, a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/shanghai-disinfects-homes-closes-subways-covid-fight-rcna28061">Shanghai city official said</a> on Tuesday that authorities would extend their efforts to include communities where different households share bathroom and kitchen facilities.The official added that residents could inform the health workers about any items in their homes that need to be covered and protected. The new measure has further fueled public discontent in a city already frustrated by a <a href="https://www.insider.com/shanghai-lockdown-surreal-photos-ghost-town-amid-covid-lockdown-2022-4">prolonged and strict lockdown</a>. "If they ruin any of my limited-edition comic books or figures, I'll be very socially unstable," one person commented on <keyword id="11892748" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword>'s Twitter-like Weibo platform. "Is it even safe for us to be breathing in so much disinfectant in an enclosed space," another Weibo user said. Chinese health officials believe that <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/02/china/china-covid-disinfection-intl-hnk-mic/index.html">rigorously spraying disinfectant</a> can help eliminate Covid, even though the World Health Organization says <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20200516-spraying-disinfectants-can-be-harmful-says-who">the measure is ineffective</a> as the risk of transmission via contaminated surfaces is low. More worryingly, the move could also pose a health risk, the UN agency added.

Videos show health workers going into people's homes in Shanghai to spray disinfectant, against the WHO's recommendations

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The FDA approved <keyword id="8775508" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="remdesivir">remdesivir</keyword> as a treatment for severe <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> cases last month, after granting emergency authorization in May.</li><li>But on Thursday, the World Health Organization announced it will not recommend the drug's use for COVID-19 patients.</li><li>"There is currently no evidence that it improves survival or the need for ventilation," the organization said.</li></ul>Remdesivir was the first <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> treatment to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.Originally developed by pharma giant Gilead Sciences to treat Ebola, the drug got emergency authorization from the FDA in May. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-treatment-gilead-says-positive-data-remdesivir-from-niaid-study-2020-4">A study published the same month found</a> that it shortened recovery times for seriously ill COVID-19 patients. Last month, remdesivir earned full FDA approval. But on Thursday, a group of World Health Organization experts published new guidance recommending against the drug's use."There is currently no evidence that it improves survival or the need for ventilation," the <keyword id="6366244" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="who">WHO</keyword> wrote in a press release accompanying the updated guidelines, which were <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m3379">published in the British Medical Journal</a>. Given that, the authors said, "we suggest against administering remdesivir in addition to usual care for the treatment of patients hospitalised with COVID-19, regardless of disease severity."Indeed, despite its initial promise, remdesivir has mostly failed to live up to the hype in subsequent studies. A 596-person study in August showed that patients on a 10-day course of remdesivir <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/remdesivir-may-not-significantly-improve-covid-19-outcomes-study-2020-8">died at about the same rates</a> as people given other treatments. And the <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/15-10-2020-solidarity-therapeutics-trial-produces-conclusive-evidence-on-the-effectiveness-of-repurposed-drugs-for-covid-19-in-record-time">WHO's own Solidarity Trial</a> found that remdesivir didn't seem to have much effect on the course of hospitalized patients' illness or mortality.<div type="image" title="FILE PHOTO: Medical workers prepare to intubate a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient at the United Memorial Medical Center's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) intensive care unit in Houston, Texas, U.S., June 29, 2020. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare" height="2950" width="4420" msid="79313578" hostid="261"></div>In determining its guidelines, the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m3379">WHO reviewed data</a> from four studies, including the ones from May and August, as well as its Solidarity Trial. In total, the analysis encompassed over 7,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Yet in aggregate, the data did not conclusively show that remdesivir to have any benefit for COVID-19 patients."There is no evidence based on currently available data that it does improve important patient outcomes," the authors wrote. <h2>The downsides of remdesivir </h2>Gilead spokesperson Chris Ridley told Business Insider the company was "disappointed" with the WHO guidelines for remdesivir, which he referred to by its brand name, Veklury."Veklury is recognized as a standard of care for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in guidelines from numerous credible national organizations," Ridley said in an email. "These recommendations are based on the robust evidence from multiple randomized, controlled studies published in peer-reviewed journals that demonstrate the clinical benefits of Veklury, such as significantly faster recovery, which can free up limited hospital resources."He added that data from one of the studies the WHO used hadn't yet been peer-reviewed.However, the WHO's analysis suggests that any benefits remdesivir might convey do not outweigh its negatives. One of those negatives is that remdesivir is expensive: Gilead announced <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/remdesivir-may-not-significantly-improve-covid-19-outcomes-study-2020-8">in June</a> that it would charge governments of developed countries $2,340 for a single five-day treatment course.<div type="image" title="Gilead Sciences Coronavirus Remdesivir Biotech Lab" height="2333" width="3500" msid="79313581" hostid="261"></div>"Paying a high price for remdesivir without good evidence of mortality benefit is a gamble," Robin Ferner, a physician and professor of clinical pharmacology at the University of Birmingham, said in a <a href="http://press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/november/remdesivirfeature.pdf">feature accompanying the BMJ article</a>.What's more, since remdesivir isn't widely available, manufacturers would have to make large quantities of it very quickly for most patients to have access. Plus, studies still haven't ruled out the possibility that remdesivir could cause "important harm" to patients, the WHO wrote. <h2>Instead of remdesivir, the WHO recommends steroids</h2>The WHO cautioned that this update is part of a "living guideline," which means it could change as new evidence becomes available. But for now, the organization is recommending that healthcare providers stick with other, more evidence-backed treatments like corticosteroids. A <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2770279">September analysis</a> found that COVID-19 patients treated with steroids were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steroids-may-help-covid-19-patients-survive-research-shows-2020-9">substantially less likely to die</a> than patients who didn't get them. <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-Corticosteroids-2020.1">Since September</a>, the WHO has been strongly recommending the use of steroids for patients with severe COVID-19.<div type="image" title="FILE PHOTO: A pharmacist displays a box of Dexamethasone at the Erasme Hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brussels, Belgium, June 16, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo" height="3480" width="5298" msid="79313583" hostid="261"></div>Steroids are far cheaper and more widely available than remdesivir. For instance, a six- to 10-day treatment course of the steroid <keyword id="1236743" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dexamethasone">dexamethasone</keyword> would likely cost most customers between $10 and $13, according to Michael Rea, the CEO of Rx Savings Solutions."Clearly, now steroids are the standard of care," Howard Bauchner, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/health/coronavirus-steroids.html">told The New York Times</a> in September.

The WHO will not recommend remdesivir for COVID-19 patients, since it doesn't seem to boost their chances of survival

8 books recommended by LGBTQ+ authors of color for people who want to become better allies

Geneva, A World Health Organization (WHO) panel of <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword> experts is set to issue <keyword id="6403076" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="recommendations">recommendations</keyword> on <keyword id="4912868" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="moderna">Moderna</keyword>'s <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">Covid-19 vaccine</keyword> on Tuesday. The WHO had granted emergency use validation for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on December 31, 2020, opening the door for countries to expedite their own regulatory approval processes to import and administer the vaccine. Now the WHO panel has reviewed data from Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine. In a media advisory about the next week's event, the WHO said on Friday that the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization will make public its interim recommendations to WHO on the use of Moderna Covid-19 (mRNA-1273) vaccine."The recommendations have been agreed at the SAGE extraordinary meeting held on January 21 (Thursday)," said the advisory. The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine has already been approved for emergency use in several countries, including the US. The vaccine is administered as two doses, one month apart to prevent Covid-19. According to a report released by the US <keyword id="116293" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Centers-for-Disease-Control-and-Prevention">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</keyword> (CDC) on Friday, over 1,200 adverse events were reported after receipt of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine as of January 10, with 10 cases determined to be anaphylaxis. Minor adverse events after vaccinations are not uncommon. While many countries rely on their own regulatory systems for vaccine approvals, some countries with weak system depend on WHO's nod to a great extent for rolling out their national vaccination programmes. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/recession-in-india-will-end-latest-by-march-says-a-top-economist/articleshow/80399198.cms">Recession in India will end latest by March, says a top economist</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/amazfit-smartwatch-gts-2-review-feature-rich-but-theres-still-room-for-improvement/articleshow/80398998.cms">Amazfit GTS 2 review – feature-rich, but there’s still room for improvement</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-to-soon-introduce-voice-and-video-calls-for-web-multi-device-support-jiomart-integration-and-more/articleshow/80398791.cms">WhatsApp to soon introduce voice and video calls for Web, multi-device support, JioMart integration and more</a>

You Searched For "who recommendation" and got 12 results

Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic, declares WHO

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WHO recommends countries continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine because benefits outweigh the risks

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Can pregnant women take COVID-19 vaccines? Health authorities are divided due to the lack of trials data

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WHO recommends gay and bi men reduce number of sex partners during monkeypox outbreak

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The WHO recommends the world's first malaria vaccine, saying the shots could 'save tens of thousands of young lives each year'

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Videos show health workers going into people's homes in Shanghai to spray disinfectant, against the WHO's recommendations

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The WHO will not recommend remdesivir for COVID-19 patients, since it doesn't seem to boost their chances of survival

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8 books recommended by LGBTQ+ authors of color for people who want to become better allies

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WHO panel of vaccine experts to make recommendations on Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on January 26

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