Coronavirus in the world: third wave among our French neighbors, the European Medicines Agency reassuring on AstraZeneca

The pandemic has killed at least 2,661,919 people worldwide since the start of the pandemic, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Tuesday.

The United States is the country with the most deaths, at 535,661, followed by Brazil (282,127) and Mexico (194,944), India (158,856) and the United Kingdom (125,580).

These figures, which are based on daily reports from health authorities without including reassessments based on statistical bases, are generally underestimated.

More than 900,000 people have officially died of Covid-19 in Europe since the start of the pandemic in December 2019, according to a count made by AFP on Tuesday at 08:45 GMT from reports provided by the health authorities.

The 52 countries and territories of the region (which includes Russia and Turkey) totaled 900,185 deaths (for 40,083,433 reported cases), ahead of Latin America and the Caribbean (721,581 deaths), the United States / Canada (558,110 ), and Asia (263,250).

The most affected European countries are the United Kingdom with 125,580 dead, Italy (102,499), Russia (92,937), France (90,788) and Germany (73,656). These five countries concentrate more than half of the deaths in Europe.

EUROPE

The European Medicines Agency reassuring on AstraZeneca

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) remains “firmly convinced” of the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19, its director announced Tuesday, after the report of possible blood clots but without a proven link for the time being.

Statements immediately deemed “encouraging” by French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

France in a “3rd wave”

France has entered “a form of third wave” of the coronavirus epidemic, “characterized by numerous variants”, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Tuesday at a time when the epidemic situation is increasingly tense in the region Parisian, especially at the hospital.

BioNTech-Pfizer: 200 million doses for the EU

The EU is due to receive 200 million doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine in the second quarter, after an agreement providing for an “acceleration” of deliveries, the European Commission announced on Tuesday.

Test to detect virus mutations

Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche announced on Tuesday the marketing of a new diagnostic test, designed to detect variations in the coronavirus. This test makes it possible to identify and differentiate the mutations observed in the British, South African and Brazilian variants.

AMERICA

Trump encourages his supporters to get vaccinated

Former US President Donald Trump on Wednesday encouraged his supporters to get vaccinated against Covid-19, despite their reluctance.

Donald and Melania Trump got vaccinated in January, a few weeks before they left the White House. But the information was not revealed by their relatives until several weeks later.

– Moderna begins its trials on children

The American biotech company Moderna announced on Tuesday that it had started trials of its Covid-19 vaccine on thousands of children aged between six months and 11 years old.

Five million Chileans vaccinated

Chile crossed the threshold of five million people on Tuesday who received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, two weeks ahead of the immunization program set by the government.

New 24-hour death record in Brazil

Brazil recorded 2,841 deaths from Covid-19 on Tuesday in 24 hours, a new record in the country where the epidemic continues to worsen. The previous record figure went back to March 10, with 2,286 deaths.

OCEANIA

Australia wants one million doses of vaccine for Papua

Australia on Wednesday asked AstraZeneca and the European Union for emergency access to a million doses of the vaccine it has purchased in order to deliver them to Papua New Guinea, facing a Covid surge -19.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he wants to use these doses, which Australia ordered for itself and paid for, to help Papua New Guinea, located just north of Australia, to fight against the coronavirus.