Global virus toll touches 3,123
Treatment for those in severe condition as country seeks to build regimen to help infected recover
Beijing: The death toll across the world due to Covid-19 mounted to 3,123 and confirmed cases surpassed 91,783. A total of 81 countries have been affected. Iran said pm Wednesday that the contagion has killed 92 people amid 2,922 confirmed cases, the most in the world outside of China.
Beijing, March 4: China will use a Roche Holding AG arthritis drug to treat some Covid-19 patients in severe conditions, health authorities said on Wednesday, as the country seeks to build up treatment regimens to help the infected recover. Tocilizumab, sold by the Swiss pharma giant under the trade name Actemra, can be prescribed to
Covid-19 patients who show serious lung damage and show elevated level of a protein called Interleukin 6, which could indicate inflammation or immunological diseases, the National Health Commission said in the latest version of its treatment guidelines published online.
Actemra can help contain inflammation related to Interleukin 6, according to Roche. There is no clinical trial evidence yet that the drug will be effective on
Covid-19 patients, however. Actemra also has not received approval from China’s National Medical Product Administration to be sold for use for Covid-19 infections. Chinese researchers recently registered a three-month clinical trial for Actemra that will recruit 188 Covid-19 patients and take place from February 10 to May 10, according to records on China’s clinical trials registration database. Roche could not be reached for comment.
Louvre in Paris reopens after staff end protest Paris, March 4: The Louvre museum in Paris reopened to the public Wednesday after management took steps to allay staff fears over the Covid-19 spread which had sparked a two-day work stoppage.
The world’s most visited museum said that faced with the “legitimate concerns” of staff over Covid19, it had agreed to take “extra measures” to ensure the safety of employees and visitors. Staff had refused to work on Sunday and Monday, citing threat to health.