Infant Formulas Sold in Nigeria Found Toxic

Infant formulas sold in Nigeria are useful alternatives to breast milk in many circumstances but may pose health risks to infants and children due to contamination by potentially toxic metals, a study has said.

In the study published in the 2020 Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, scientists tested different brands of both locally manufactured and imported infant formulas and found their content of arsenic was higher than the provisional tolerable level, suggesting a cause for public health concern.

Arsenic can cause cancer in many organs, including the skin, lungs, bladder, kidney and liver; it is also capable of influencing the neurological, respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

The study also compared the estimated daily intake of aluminium, arsenic and mercury with the provisional tolerable daily intake acceptable by the Joint Food and Agricultural Organisation/World Health Organisation Expert Committee on Food Additives in 26 infant formulas purchased in March, 2017 from stores in Port Harcourt.

This sample represented approximately 75 per cent of infant formulas available on the Nigerian market. It consists of infant formulas and follow-on formula samples which were soy-based, milk and rice-based, rice, wheat and mixed cereal gruel (all sold as powder), vegetable meals, and fruit-based desserts.

Aluminium and mercury levels were within permissible limits, but arsenic concentrations in the infant formulas exceeded established safe limits.

The concentrations of aluminium and mercury were highest in milk-based infant formulas compared to other types, whereas arsenic was lowest in milk-based infant formulas compared to other analysed types.

The levels of arsenic were higher in cereal-based formulas compared to milk-based formulas, but the difference was not significant.

The intake levels of aluminium, arsenic and mercury in infant formulas were found to be 8.02–14.2 per cent, 437.1–771 per cent and 23.7–41.8 per cent of the provisional tolerable daily intake of the JECFA threshold values, respectively.

According to them, food regulatory agencies in developing nations should maintain regular and periodic checks of foods to ensure permissible limits of contaminants.

They declared that further studies with larger sample sizes including metal speciation analyses will shed more light on the public health impact of infant formula consumption in Nigeria.

Currently, there is no guideline for arsenic content in baby food, including infant formulas, but the food industry has been advised to adhere to a 0.2 mg/kg arsenic level to ensure the safety of infants and young children.

Infant formulas derived from rice have been shown to contain arsenic, which potentially has health risks for infants due to long-term exposure starting at a young age.

Source: https://tribuneonlineng.com/infant-formulas-on-sale-in-nigeria-high-in-arsenic-toxic-substance/

Chinese Drug Laboratory Stops Coronavirus

A Chinese drug laboratory has been developing a drug it believes has the power to bring the coronavirus pandemic to a halt.

The outbreak first emerged in China late last year before spreading across the world, prompting an international race to find treatments and vaccines.

A drug being tested by scientists at China's prestigious Peking University could not only shorten the recovery time for those infected, but even offer short-term immunity from the virus, researchers say.

Sunney Xie, director of the university's Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, told AFP that the drug has been successful at the animal testing stage.

"When we injected neutralising antibodies into infected mice, after five days the viral load was reduced by a factor of 2,500," said Xie.

"That means this potential drug has (a) therapeutic effect."

The drug uses neutralising antibodies -- produced by the human immune system to prevent the virus infecting cells -- which Xie's team isolated from the blood of 60 recovered patients.

A study on the team's research, published Sunday in the scientific journal Cell, suggests that using the antibodies provides a potential "cure" for the disease and shortens recovery time.

Xie said his team had been working "day and night" searching for the antibody.

"Our expertise is single-cell genomics rather than immunology or virology. When we realised that the single-cell genomic approach can effectively find the neutralising antibody we were thrilled."

He said he hopes that the drug will be ready for use later this year and in time for any potential winter outbreak of the virus, which has infected 4.8 million people around the world and killed more than 315,000.

"Planning for the clinical trial is underway," said Xie, adding it will be carried out in Australia and other countries since cases have dwindled in China, offering fewer human guinea pigs for testing.

"The hope is these neutralising antibodies can become a specialised drug that would stop the pandemic," he said.

China already has five potential coronavirus vaccines at the human trial stage, a health official said last week.

But the World Health Organization has warned that developing a vaccine could take 12 to 18 months.

Scientists have also pointed to the potential benefits of plasma -- a blood fluid -- from recovered individuals who have developed antibodies to the virus enabling the body's defences to attack it.

More than 700 patients have received plasma therapy in China, a process which authorities said showed "very good therapeutic effects".

"However, it (plasma) is limited in supply," Xie said, noting that the 14 neutralising antibodies used in their drug could be put into mass production quickly.

- Prevention and cure -

Using antibodies in drug treatments is not a new approach, and it has been successful in treating several other viruses such as HIV, Ebola and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

Xie said his researchers had "an early start" since the outbreak started in China before spreading to other countries.

Ebola drug Remdesivir was considered a hopeful early treatment for COVID-19 -- clinical trials in the US showed it shortened the recovery time in some patients by a third -- but the difference in mortality rate was not significant.

The new drug could even offer short-term protection against the virus.

The study showed that if the neutralising antibody was injected before the mice were infected with the virus, the mice stayed free of infection and no virus was detected.

This may offer temporary protection for medical workers for a few weeks, which Xie said they are hoping to "extend to a few months".

More than 100 vaccines for COVID-19 are in the works globally, but as the process of vaccine development is more demanding, Xie is hoping that the new drug could be a faster and more efficient way to stop the global march of the coronavirus.

"We would be able to stop the pandemic with an effective drug, even without a vaccine," he said.

Source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/scientists-china-believe-new-drug-can-stop-pandemic-without-vaccine-doc-1rt4xh4

Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine Moves to Phase 2 Testing, and Gets Fast-Track Approval From the U.S. Government

On May 12, Moderna Therapeutics, based in Cambridge, Mass., received fast-track approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273. Days earlier, the FDA gave the company the green light to proceed to Phase 2 testing of the vaccine, which is expected to begin shortly. The company plans to launch the final stage of human testing, Phase 3, this summer, assuming the Phase 2 studies are complete, says Dr. Stephen Hoge, president of Moderna.

Fast-track designation boils down to a more expedited review process by the FDA. In particular, it means the agency can review data on a rolling basis so an entire application for approval isn't held up until the final piece of data is collected and analyzed. "It's validation that the FDA believes this is a very credible exercise," says Hoge.

The Phase 2 studies will include around 600 healthy volunteers, half of whom are 18-55 years old and half of whom are over 55 years old. They will be randomly assigned to receive either placebo or one of two doses of Moderna's experimental vaccine. Each participant will receive two shots—early studies suggest two injections might be necessary to jump-start the immune system to generate protection against the COVID-19 virus. All the patients will then be followed for a year as the researchers monitor their immune responses.

 Already, Moderna is thinking ahead towards the next steps should its vaccine receive FDA approval. "We have not hit major speed bumps or road blocks, so it's been good so far," says Hoge of developing and testing the vaccine. "But now as the data develops, we need to show that we can manufacture at scale, and we're doing all we can to scale up to supply tens of millions of doses by the end of this year."

Moderna's vaccine relies on a relatively new technology based on the mRNA of the virus; it involves injecting fragments of the viral genetic material into the body, which then stimulates the body's immune system to fight the novel coronavirus.

Public health experts anticipate that the COVID-19 virus won't dissipate any time soon, and believe that generating strong and widespread immunity to the virus, with the help of vaccines, will be essential in keeping the disease under control and reopening economies around the world. Currently, there are around eight vaccines being tested in people, using different technologies. Public health experts believe that multiple vaccines may be needed in order to meet global demand to immunize and protect as many people as possible from COVID-19 in coming years.

Source : https://time.com/5835785/moderna-coronavirus-vaccine-phase-2/

Madagascar slams WHO for not endorsing its herbal cure.

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has slammed the World Health Organization for not endorsing its COVID-19 herbal cure.

Last month, the Malagasy president officially launched Covid-Organics (CVO), an organic herbal concoction, claiming that it can prevent and cure patients suffering from the novel coronavirus.

"If it were a European country which had discovered this remedy, would there be so many doubts,'' he said in an exclusive interview with France 24, Paris-based international television news network and Radio France International.

''The problem is that it comes from Africa. And they cannot accept that a country like Madagascar, which is one of the poorest countries in the world, has discovered this formula to save the world," he added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had warned against the use of CVO without any medical supervision and cautioned against self-medication. The WHO further said that they have not approved the concoction for the patients suffering from COVID-19.

On Thursday, the WHO, however, has called for clinical trials of CVO.

"Covid-Organics is a preventive and curative remedy against COVID-19, which works very well," said President Rajoelina.

He attributed recovery of 105 COVID-19 patients in Madagascar to the herbal potion.

"A marked improvement was observed in the health of the patients who received this remedy just 24 hours after they took the first dose. The cure was noted after seven days, even ten days. This remedy is natural and non-toxic," he said.

Madagascar has donated CVO, which is claimed to cure the COVID-19 to several African countries.

Last week, the African Union in a statement said it is talking with Madagascar to obtain technical data regarding the safety and efficiency of the herbal remedy.

Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/madagascar-slams-who-for-not-endorsing-its-herbal-cure/1836905

South Africa to help Madagascar test herbal cure for Covid-19

South Africa's government will assist the authorities in Madagascar to test and analyse an unproven herbal treatment for Covid-19, according to health minister Zweli Mkhize. Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina is promoting a tea infusion based on the artemisia plant, praising its benefits in treating the coronavirus.

"I actually did get a call from the government of Madagascar, they did ask us, they would like to be assisted in the process of trying to validate, try to help investigate the scientific basis on which such a drug could be used," Mkhize told journalists this week. 

Rajoelina has been in touch with leaders in several other African countries, encouraging demand for the branded Covid-Organics products in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. 

However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it has yet to receive any data on using artemisia against the coronavirus, saying there was no basis to claim it was an effective treatment. 

"I had a call with the foreign affairs of Madagascar and there had been a call from the president and we then said our scientific research institutions will be willing to support an analysis," said Mkhize. 

Researchers in South Africa are keen to get their hands on the Malagasy artemisia tonic, although questions remain about the contents of the alleged treatment. 

Unknown quantity

"At this moment in time I don't know what that remedy contains," said Frank Van der Kooy, an expert in pharmaceutical sciences at North-West University in South Africa. 

"I would love to know what's in it, a list of ingredients, so I can test it," added Van der Kooy. "That's why I'm quite keen to help our minister to do the analysis because that's the first thing I'll do." 

Tea infusions based on the Artemisia annua plant only remain stable for a few hours as the active ingredient breaks down, according to Van der Kooy, who has researched medicinal use of artemisia for several years. 

Artemisia already has strong credentials as a malaria treatment, while previous research has also explored its potential against SARS, another coronavirus. 

And Van der Kooy, who works at North-West University's Pharmacen centre, has conducted research into artemisia's effectiveness against HIV. 

Research needed

Accessing funding for clinical research into artemisia has always been difficult, according to Van der Kooy, explaining there was little interest.

He told RFI he had contacted research funding agencies over the course of several weeks about artemisia and its potential use against Covid-19, but was yet to receive any response. 

"There doesn't seem to be much interest, so I'm not sure what our minister meant when he said: 'We'll do the analysis,'" said the researcher. 

Up to 190,000 people could die from the coronavirus in Africa and as many as 44 million could become infected, the WHO said on Thursday. 

It warned that smaller African countries, as well as Algeria, South Africa and Cameroon were at high risk if measures to contain the spread of the virus were not made a priority. 

The modelling by WHO revealed that those needing hospital treatment would overwhelm available medical capacity. 

A potential public health catastrophe with Covid-19 on the African continent makes a homegrown herbal cure even more attractive, especially given what is already known about the plant's medicinal qualities.

"Artemisia is one of those herbs that really shows promise," said Van der Kooy. 

Source:https://amp.rfi.fr/en/africa/20200508-south-africa-steps-up-to-help-madagascar-test-herbal-cure-for-covid-19

In Nigeria: The Infectious Disease Control Bill

In Nigeria: The Infectious Disease Control Bill

POWERS FOR ARBITRARY ARREST

On at least 15 occasions, the 47-page bill empowers the police, health officers or anyone so directed by the NCDC DG to arrest any suspect for alleged breach of any of its 80 provisions, mostly without the need for a warrant issued to that effect.

Also, in a number of cases, there seem to be no need for reasonable evidence that an individual has committed a crime under the bill to warrant an arrest. For instance, section 57 empowers a police or health officer to, on the orders of the NCDC DG, arrest an individual “who he has reason to believe has committed any offence under this Act” under certain conditions including “if there is reason to doubt the accuracy of the name and address if given”.

Its section 15(4) also gives the police or health officers — some of who are appointed by the NCDC DG — the power to “take any action that is necessary to give effect to an order under subsection (3) (which relates to the isolation centre)”.

That subsection three empowers the NCDC DG to, through written orders: “(a.) prohibit any person or class of persons from entering or leaving the isolation area without the permission of the Director General; …

“(b.) prohibit or restrict the movement within the isolation area of any person or class of persons; (c.) prohibit or restrict the movement of goods; (d.) require any person or class of persons to report at specified times and places and submit to such medical examinations, answer such questions and submit to such medical treatment as the Director General thinks fit; …

“(e.) authorise the destruction, disposal or treatment of any goods, structure, water supply, drainage and sewerage system or other matter within the isolation area known or suspected to be a source of infection; and (f.) prohibit, restrict, require or authorise the carrying out of such other act as may be prescribed.”

This means that, if a police or health officer thinks it is necessary, they have the right to shoot an individual to effect the aforementioned provisions, especially as there is no definition of what could be necessary nor a limit provided for such.

ANY PLACE COULD BE DECLARED AS AN ISOLATION CENTRE

The proposed legislation empowers the minister of health to declare “any premises” as an isolation area if he so desires.

The section 15 states: “(1) The Minister may, for the purpose of preventing the spread or possible outbreak of an infectious disease, by notification in the Gazette declare any premises to be an isolation area.

“(2) A notification under subsection (1) shall be effective until the expiration of such period as may be specified in the notification or until it is revoked by the Minister, whichever occurs first.”

COMPULSORY VACCINATION FOR EVERY CHILD

The new bill also mandates parent or guardian of “every child in Nigeria” to “ensure that the child is vaccinated against infectious diseases such as diphtheria, measles, polio and meningitis”. It also requires a notice for vaccination to be issued for newborns “immediately” after their birth.

Its section 47 also empowers the NCDC DG to direct anyone not vaccinated for a disease during an outbreak to do so.

It states: “(1) In an outbreak or a suspected outbreak of any infectious disease in any area in Nigeria, the Director General may by order direct any person or class of persons not protected or vaccinated against the disease to undergo vaccination or other prophylaxis within such period as may be specified in the order.

“(2) In addition to the power conferred by subsection (1), where it appears to the Director that — (a.) an outbreak of an infectious disease in any area in Nigeria is imminent; and …

“(b.) It is necessary or expedient to do so for the securing of public safety, the Director may by order direct any person or class of persons not protected or vaccinated against that infectious disease to undergo vaccination or other prophylaxis within such period as may be specified in the order.

“(3) Any order made under subsection (1) or (2) may specify the person by whom and the way the vaccination or other prophylaxis is to be carried out.

“(4) Where any order is made under subsection (1) or (2), the Director General shall cause notice of the effect of the order to be given in such a manner as he thinks necessary for bringing it to the notice of all persons who in his opinion ought to have notice thereof.”

‘SIX MONTHS JAIL FOR FIRST TIME OFFENDERS, N2M FINE FOR FALSE INFORMATION FROM BLOOD DONORS

The bill also provides for stringent penalties for some offences, including six months jail for first time offenders under any of the act for which no penalty was given.

Section 68 states: “Any person guilty of an offence under this Act for which no penalty is expressly provided shall — (a.) in the case of a first offence, be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both; and …

“(b.) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.”

Also, a blood donor who supplies any false or misleading information shall, upon conviction, pay a fine not exceeding N2 million or be imprisoned for a term not exceeding two years or both.

It also provides for a fine of N5 million for a convicted individual who owns a vessel or who supplies food and water to a vessel without either ensuring that what is supplied is “fit for human consumption” or that the vessel or “vehicle and the food and water receptacles therein are in a clean and sanitary condition”.

Anyone who “wilfully neglects or refuses to carry out or obstructs the execution of any emergency measure” formulated by the NCDC DG as part of his “extraordinary powers” provided for in section 61 will, upon conviction, be liable for a fine of N1 million or imprisonment of six months or both.

UNCHECKED POWERS FOR THE NCDC DG

The bill also seems to give quite a number of powers to the NCDC director-general, most of which are as he “deems fit”. While the minister was mentioned on about 30 occasions, there at least 150 mentions of the centre’s DG.

For instance, it enables the NCDC DG to appoint any public official to be a health officer and such person, like the police officers, are empowered to make arrests with or without a warrant. Its section 2(1) empowers the DG to “appoint any public officer, officer of any statutory body; or employee of a prescribed institution, to be a Health Officer for the purposes of this Act” subject to such conditions or restrictions as he thinks fit.

Also, its section 61 provides for “extraordinary powers in relation to emergency measures” which states that the NCDC DG “may, with the approval of the Minister, formulate and implement emergency measures for the control of an infectious disease in any area and such measures shall be published in the Gazette before implementation.”

Unlike the quarantine act of 1926 in which powers mostly reside with either the president or minister, most of the powers of the NCDC DG in the new bill are to be exercised without any approval from the minister or the president including powers to direct vaccination, order arrest of suspects or closure of the premises he believes might lead to the outbreak or spread of any infectious disease.

EXCLUSION OF STATE GOVERNORS

Unlike the infectious diseases act of 1926 which among other things empowers state governors to issue quarantine regulations and any other directives as provided for, the new bill does not recognise such powers for the governors.

In fact, there is no mention of ‘governor’ except in its section 78 which states that “the powers of the President under this Act shall be exercisable by him or any Minister designated by him in that behalf and references in this Act to Governor shall be construed accordingly”.

source:
https://www.thecable.ng/compulsory-vaccination-arbitrary-arrest-inside-house-of-reps-diseases-control-bill

Coronavirus Can be Transmitted Through Air Conditioning, Experts Warn.

A recent Chinese study showed that the coronavirus could be transmitted through air conditioning systems.

According to a preliminary publication in the Emerging Infectious Diseases newsletter, a new coronavirus outbreak can be caused by air conditioning. Although these results are very worrying, some experts believe they should be treated with caution.

Air Conditioning

To reach this conclusion, Chinese researchers looked at a dinner that took place at a restaurant in Guangzhou (China) on 24 January. On that day, a 63-year-old woman from Wuhan, the birthplace of the Covid 19 epidemic, attended the event. A few days later, she tested positive for the virus. After that, nine other clients of the restaurant fell ill successively with the disease. For at least two more people who were not sitting at her table, this lady was the only known source of contamination.

Apparently she infected people in front of her and behind her, but not the waiters who touched her plate and cutlery. Conclusion: The contamination came from the air system in the restaurant, concluded the researchers. Air conditioning can promote the transfer of contaminated aerosols to the other tables through the airflow, say the researchers. Aerosols are drops that are small enough to float in the air and move freely.

Transmission from the air remains a debatable issue

However, this study has some limitations. For example, researchers did not conduct experiments simulating the air transmission, or serological studies on asymptomatic members of the Wuhan family or other guests to assess the risk of direct infection.

Therefore, several experts worldwide expressed reservations about these results. "We can see that there was less than one meter between the infected at table A and the customers at table B, but the droplets could go up to 1.50 meters". As for the contaminated customers at table C, "it does not make sense"  says Jean-Christophe Lucet, head of the department of hygiene and nosocomial infection control at the Bichat Hospital in Paris. In fact, the air conditioning above this table blows in the opposite direction of the suspected contamination, explains the expert.

On the 6th of April, Finnish researchers showed that a person who coughs spreads particles in the form of an aerosol. The study showed their spread and explained that it is not yet known whether they are sufficient in this form to transmit the coronavirus. Thus, although there is little evidence of how the virus could spread through the air, the researchers concluded by reaffirming the importance of distancing and wearing a mask to protect others from respiratory droplets.

Insufficient virus load

For example, "studies so far seem to indicate that the virus responsible for Covid-19 is mainly transmitted by contact with respiratory droplets and not by air," says the World Health Organization (WHO) on its website.

"At the moment, the only thing that has been scientifically proven is that there is an aerosol effect in the bedroom of a sick patient," explains Daniel Camus, infectious diseases specialist at the Institut Pasteur in Lille, western France. "It has not been proven that ventilation or air conditioning systems pose any particular danger. The virus load is probably insufficient," he says.

Furthermore, properly applied ventilation allows aerosols containing the virus to be diluted and then extracted from the room: "Increased ventilation rates are also recommended to combat airborne diseases, provided these systems are used properly: without recirculation and by directing the flows from clean areas to potentially contaminated areas," Le Figaro points out.

Beware of vacuum cleaners

If in the 1960s it was proven that legionnaire disease (a serious infection of the airways caused by breathing in an aerosol of water contaminated with legionella bacteria) could be transmitted in air conditioning systems, it was because "at that time, air circulated in contact with water to humidify it," Jean-Christophe Lucet explained to Franceinfo. Since then, the circulation systems have been different," he says.

However, this information must be taken into account when reopening restaurants, shops, and businesses. If in doubt, we will have to continue to try to maintain barrier measures (social distance, coughing and sneezing at the elbows, use of a disposable scarf) as much as possible and favor open spaces to spaces with air conditioning.

Finally, if you have air conditioning in your home, remember to clean the vents and to maintain the filters. Above all, be careful when using vacuum cleaners as they can generate an aerosol. A vacuum cleaner that passes through the house of a contaminated person can put the particles back in suspension.

Source: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0764_article

Tocilizumab Shows Promise for the Treatment of Severe Cases of COVID-19

Following encouraging preliminary results from a clinical study, French physicians from AP-HP hope that an anti-inflammatory drug called tocilizumab can significantly improve the treatment of patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia. This drug, which is only administered in hospitals, could be useful in preventing patients with a severe form of COVID-19 from deteriorating to the point where they need to be admitted to intensive care.

Following encouraging preliminary results from a clinical study, French physicians from AP-HP hope that an anti-inflammatory drug called tocilizumab can significantly improve the treatment of patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia. This drug, which is only administered in hospitals, could be useful in preventing patients with a severe form of COVID-19 from deteriorating to the point where they need to be admitted to intensive care.

This phenomenon is known as "cytokine storm", a phenomenon related to the overproduction of certain inflammatory mediators (cytokines), including interleukin-6 (IL-6). In patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, experts believe that this cytokine storm of immunological origin leads to complications, acute lung failure and even death. The promising progress of a treatment against this phenomenon already on the market has been announced by the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) within the CORIMUNO-19 program, which aims to test the efficacy and tolerability of various immunomodulating drugs in patients with severe COVID-19 infection.

A medicine for rheumatoid arthritis

As a result a number of studies have been conducted since 27 March, and the PA-HP announcement concerns a study based on the use of a drug called tocilizumab (Actemra) from the Roche laboratory, although the results have yet to be published in a scientific journal. "In light of the pandemic, researchers and the sponsor felt an ethical obligation to share this information until peer review, while continuing the longer follow-up of these patients," PA-HP said. These preliminary results were also communicated to the French health authorities and the World Health Organization.

How does this drug work? It is already used in rheumatoid arthritis and binds specifically to interleukin (IL)-6 receptors. A pro-inflammatory cytokine (a substance that is synthesized by some cells of the immune system and acts on other immune cells to regulate their activity) that acts as a regulator of inflammation, fever, sleep, hematopoiesis (formation of blood cells), or bone destruction. The role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of diseases, including inflammation, osteoporosis and neoplasia, has been demonstrated.

A potential treatment that is not yet approved

The selected patients had to meet a certain criterion: They had to be admitted to a hospital with moderate or severe COVID-19 pneumonia and be receiving oxygen, but their medical condition has not required admission to intensive care yet at the time of admission. 129 patients were enrolled in this study called "Corimuno-Toci": 65 received the usual treatment plus tocilizumab and 64 just the usual treatment.

"The number of patients who needed resuscitation and the number of patients who died were significantly reduced. This is very positive", Prof. Olivier Hermine, hematologist at Necker Hospital, who participated in the study, told the newspaper Le Parisien.

The patients in the first group were monitored for 14 days and the doctors did not notice any significant side effects. However, the doctors stressed to Le Parisien that tocilizumab is not without risks: "It may increase the risk of bacterial infection or liver problems. In any case, tocilizumab should not be taken as self-medication. "

Even though these results were published in a journal, they still need to be confirmed by additional studies. However, AP-HP points out that other CORIMUNO studies testing other IL-6 receptor inhibiting therapies are nearing completion.

Source:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04331808

http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/coronavirus-la-piste-du-tocilizumab-pour-soigner-les-cas-graves-27-04-2020-8306649.php

Covid-19: Japan To Distribute Free Drugs To 43 UN Countries

Japan plans to ship the anti-flu drug Avigan to 43 countries after its holiday period ends this Wednesday. The drug is seen as a potential treatment for people infected with the coronavirus.

Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said on Friday that nearly 80 countries have requested free supplies of Avigan, which was developed by a Japanese company.

He said the first batches will be delivered to the 43 countries through a UN organization. Recipient countries will then send clinical trial data to Japan.

Motegi said taming the pandemic will require the development of effective remedies in the short term. He said there are hopes that Avigan will serve as an early-stage treatment for the coronavirus.

Motegi added that Japan will press ahead with public-private partnerships and international cooperation in the search for curative drugs.

Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200501_13/

Remdesivir gains FDA Approval

The Food and Drug Administration has granted remdesivir emergency use authorization to treat the most severely ill COVID-19 patients.

The FDA action specifies the drug may be used for both adults and children with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses who are severely ill with low blood oxygen levels or who may be on a ventilator.

"Given there are no adequate, approved, or available alternative treatments, the known and potential benefits to treat this serious or life-threatening virus currently outweigh the known and potential risks of the drug's use," the FDA wrote in a press release.

The announcement came Friday during an Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump, HHS Secretary Alex Azar, FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, as well as the CEO of Gilead Sciences, the company that developed remdesivir.

The FDA's decision expands doctors' ability to use remdesivir on the most severe cases. Previously, physicians were limited to trying the drug in clinical trials or in what's called compassionate use for patients who have no other treatment options.

Remdesivir company CEO: It’s ‘not a cure, but a very significant treatment’

The FDA's emergency use authorization increases access by allowing any doctor "to prescribe remdesivir for their patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, explained.

However, that does not mean the drug should be used for all hospitalized patients.

"Ongoing clinical trials will define which patients will best benefit from remdesivir treatment," Schaffner wrote in an email.

The FDA wrote that possible side effects include, "increased levels of liver enzymes, which may be a sign of inflammation or damage to cells in the liver; and infusion-related reactions, which may include low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and shivering."

The emergency use authorization is not the same as FDA approval, Dr. Janet Woodcock, the FDA's director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research tweeted Friday.

"We need final data from clinical trials included in an FDA application to determine whether remdesivir is safe and effective in treating or preventing COVID-19," Woodcock wrote.

Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced early results from a large study of remdesivir, saying the data show a "clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery."

Hospitalized patients who received remdesivir in the study were able to be discharged within 11 days, on average, compared to 15 days among patients who received a placebo. It is not considered a cure.

Source :https://www.nbcnewscom/health/health-news/fda-grants-remdesivir-emergency-use-authorization-covid-19-n1197576

Pax herbal Develops antiviral against covid-19, called it pax cvd plus.

"Paxherbals has developed a novel drug, called CVD PLUS, specifically for the treatment of COVID-19. Pax CVD PLUS contains herbs and active phytoconstituents with documented scientific formulations of Paxherbals over the past 25 years for the treatment of hepatitis C, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, bronchitis, pneumonia and malaria," the laboratory said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Some bio-active constituents of CVD PLUS are potential antiviral agents and immunomodulatory agents that can stimulate antibody production against coronavirus related diseases."

Pax Herbal is a research laboratory established in Benin City Nigeria for the promotion, development and proper utilisation of African medicines. Pax herbal has branch office in different states in Nigeria. 

Want to know more about pax herbal, visit their website https://www.paxherbals.net

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Controversy Surrounds the Origin of Covid-19

Contrary to the narrative that is being pushed by the mainstream that the COVID 19 virus was the result of a natural mutation and that it was transmitted to humans from bats via pangolins, Dr Luc Montagnier the man who discovered the HIV virus back in 1983 disagrees and is saying that the virus was man made.

Professor Luc Montagnier, 2008 Nobel Prize winner for Medicine, claims that SARS-CoV-2 is a manipulated virus that was accidentally released from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Chinese researchers are said to have used coronaviruses in their work to develop an AIDS vaccine. HIV RNA fragments are believed to have been found in the SARS-CoV-2 genome.

We knew that the Chinese version of how the coronavirus emerged was increasingly under attack, but here's a thesis that tells a completely different story about the Covid-19 pandemic, which is already responsible for more than 110,000 deaths worldwide. According to Professor Luc Montagnier, winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2008 for "discovering" HIV as the cause of the AIDS epidemic together with Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, the SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that was manipulated and accidentally released from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, in the last quarter of 2019. According to Professor Montagnier, this laboratory, known for its work on coronaviruses, tried to use one of these viruses as a vector for HIV in the search for an AIDS vaccine!

"With my colleague, bio-mathematician Jean-Claude Perez, we carefully analyzed the description of the genome of this RNA virus," explains Luc Montagnier, interviewed by Dr Jean-François Lemoine for the daily podcast at Pourquoi Docteur, adding that others have already explored this avenue: Indian researchers have already tried to publish the results of the analyses that showed that this coronavirus genome contained sequences of another virus, … the HIV virus (AIDS virus), but they were forced to withdraw their findings as the pressure from the mainstream was too great.

To insert an HIV sequence into this genome requires molecular tools

In a challenging question Dr Jean-François Lemoine inferred that the coronavirus under investigation may have come from a patient who is otherwise infected with HIV. No, "says Luc Montagnier," in order to insert an HIV sequence into this genome, molecular tools are needed, and that can only be done in a laboratory.

According to the 2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine, a plausible explanation would be an accident in the Wuhan laboratory. He also added that the purpose of this work was the search for an AIDS vaccine.

The truth will eventually come out

In any case, this thesis, defended by Professor Luc Montagnier, has a positive turn. According to him, the altered elements of this virus are eliminated as it spreads: "Nature does not accept any molecular tinkering, it will eliminate these unnatural changes and even if nothing is done, things will get better, but unfortunately after many deaths."

This is enough to feed some heated debates! So much so that Professor Montagnier's statements could also place him in the category of "conspiracy theorists": "Conspirators are the opposite camp, hiding the truth," he replies, without wanting to accuse anyone, but hoping that the Chinese will admit to what he believes happened in their laboratory.

To entice a confession from the Chinese he used the example of Iran which after taking full responsibility for accidentally hitting a Ukrainian plane was able to earn the respect of the global community. Hopefully the Chinese will do the right thing he adds. "In any case, the truth always comes out, it is up to the Chinese government to take responsibility."

Source: 

https://www.pourquoidocteur.fr/Articles/Question-d-actu/32184-EXCLUSIF-Pour-Pr-Montagnier-SARS-CoV-2-serait-virus-manipule-Chinois-l-ADN-de-VIH-podcast