Coronavirus Today

→ November 28th, 2020

Eliminating fake vaccine news with pharmacist, nurse, and physician review.

Coronavirus Breaking News

Madrid Authorizes Phase 3 COVID-19 Vaccine Study

The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products authorized a phase III of the clinical trial in Spain of the Janssen (a Johnson & Johnson company) Ad26.COV2-S vaccine candidate. This is the first phase III clinical trial for a vaccine against COVID-19 of this type authorized in Spain.

This coronavirus vaccine study will be conducted in 9 hospitals in Spain that will begin to recruit eligible volunteers, which include both people without any chronic diseases and people with concurrent illnesses.

Known as Ad26.COV2.S, this vaccine is based on a soundly documented technology with a non-replicative recombinant adenovirus, to generate an immunological response to one of the coronavirus proteins known as protein S (from spike, proteína espiga in Spanish).

Brazil's President Becomes Anti-Vax

Brazil's 38th President Jair Bolsonaro announced on November 28, 2020, that 'he would refuse a coronavirus vaccine. I'm telling you, I'm not going to take it. It's my right,' reported Voice of America.

Previous, during July 2020, Bolsonaro announced on Twitter that his diagnostic test results for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus came back positive.

Pre-Flight COVID-19 Tests Offered in Houston

United announced today it is expanding its customer COVID-19 testing efforts to include flights out of Houston to select destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Starting December 7, 2020, United customers in Houston will have the option to take a self-collected, mail-in SARS-CoV-2 virus test that meets local entry requirements.

"Widespread testing is key to unlocking international borders and safely reopening global travel," said Toby Enqvist, chief customer officer for United, in a press statement issued on November 23, 2020. "United was the first to offer free tests on flights across the Atlantic – and we'll look at new, innovative ways to make the travel experience even safer."

German COVID-19 Vaccine Flies First to the USA

United Airlines began charter flights on November 27, 2020, bringing Germany-based BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine candidate BNT162 to the USA. In a statement to The Hill, 'As a result of the historic pace of vaccine development through Operation Warp Speed and careful logistics planning, the Federal Aviation Administration is supporting the first mass air shipment of a vaccine.'

"The FAA established the 'FAA COVID-19 Vaccine Air Transport Team' in October to ensure safe, expeditious, and efficient transportation of vaccines. Several vaccines need continued cold temperatures during transport, which, in some circumstances, require dry ice, a hazardous material," the FAA statement added.

India to Produce 100 Million Doses of Russia's Lead COVID-19 Vaccine

Hyderabad-based Hetero Labs Limited announced it has agreed to produce 100 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine in 2021. This manufacturing agreement is with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

The RDIF stated in a press statement issued on November 27, 2020, 'When the Sputnik V vaccine is used, the coronavirus itself does not enter the body as the vaccine only contains genetic information about part of its outer protein coat, the so-called "spikes" forming its crown. This completely eliminates the possibility of getting infected as a result of vaccination while also causing the body's stable immune response.'

B. Murali Krishna Reddy, Director, Hetero Labs Limited commented: “While we look forward to the clinical trial results in India, we believe that manufacturing the product locally is crucial to enable swift access to patients. This collaboration is another step towards our commitment in the battle against Covid-19 and realizing the objective of ‘Make-in-India’ campaign as envisioned by our Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.”