The organisation tweeted: “The first vaccine trial has begun, just 60 days after the genetic sequence of the coronavirus was shared. This is an incredible achievement. We commend the researchers around the world who have come together to systemically evaluate experimental therapeutics”
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom on Wednesday described the coronavirus pandemic as an unprecedented threat.
“This coronavirus is presenting us with an unprecedented threat.
“But it’s also an unprecedented opportunity to come together as one against a common enemy.”
Mr Tedros Adhanom described the trial for coronavirus vaccine as an incredible achievement in just two months after the outbreak began.
He said the WHO needs strong evidence about treatments that help to save lives.
He added: “Multiple small trials with different methods may not give us the clear, strong evidence we need about which treatments help to save lives.
“The WHO and partners are organizing a study in many countries in which some of these untested treatments are compared with each other.”
Tedros Adhanom said he was hopeful that the world will eventually prevail over coronavirus.
The Director General added: “I continue to be inspired by the many demonstrations of solidarity from all over the world.
“The COVID19 Solidarity Response Fund has now raised over $43 million from more than 173 thousand individuals and organizations.
“I’d especially like to thank FIFA for its contribution.
“These and other efforts give me hope that together, we can and will prevail.”
There are more than 205,000 confirmed cases globally of the disease, known as Covid-19, with infections outside of mainland
China, where the epidemic began, now above 124,000, according to data compiled by
Johns
Hopkins
University.
Fatalities have more than doubled over the past two weeks to 8,249.
Across
Europe, the death toll reached 3,415, overtaking
China for the first time and cementing the continent’s position as the new epicentre of the pandemic.
Italy, the second worst-hit country after
China, has seen infections top 35,713 and deaths jump by more than 400 in a day, totalling 2,978, according to the country’s public-health department.
Scientists expect the number of fatalities in
Italy to overtake those in
China within days.
Many economists say it is looking more likely that there will be a global recession.
Deutsche Bank AG said gross domestic product could shrink 24 percent in the eurozone and 13 percent in the
US in the second quarter on an annual, declines that would be the biggest in recorded history.
Source: Read Full Article