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India’s chronic disease burden helped fuel Covid-19’s brutal waves
For years India has faced an escalating non-communicable disease crisis as its middle-class expands and leads a more sedentary and affluent lifestyle. That makes them susceptible to ailments such as diabetes and heart disease that account for almost two-thirds of all deaths in the country. Those existing conditions may have allowed the coronavirus to do more damage, boosting cases and fatalities and potentially fueling the near collapse of India’s health system.
WHO to decide on authorising Indian-made vaccine
Brazil suspends Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine trial due to severe adverse event
The setback to Sinovac’s efforts contrasts with good news from Pfizer Inc PFE.N which said its experimental COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective based on initial trial results.
Why Pfizer’s ultra-cold COVID-19 vaccine will not be at the local pharmacy any time soon
The main issue is that the vaccine, which is based on a novel technology that uses synthetic mRNA to activate the immune system against the virus, needs to be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius (-94 F) or below.
“The cold chain is going to be one of the most challenging aspects of delivery of this vaccination,” said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
India records 45,903 new COVID-19 cases, 490 more deaths
The total number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 79,17,373, pushing the national recovery rate to 92.56 per cent while the case fatality rate stands at 1.48 per cent.
The number of active cases of COVID-19 remained below 6 lakh for the 11th consecutive day. There are 5,09,673 active cases of the coronavirus infection in the country as on date which comprises 5.96 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
Global Markets: Risk assets cheer Biden win, dollar nurses losses
“The best opportunities now lie within segments of emerging markets, in particular China and North Asia. I believe earnings momentum and valuation put China in a very attractive risk/reward position.”
Chinese shares started higher with the blue-chip CSI300 index .CSI300 up 2.2% on hopes of better Sino-U.S. trade relations under Biden.
U.S. crosses 10 million COVID-19 cases as third wave of infections surges
More than 237,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 since the illness caused by the coronavirus first emerged in China late last year.
The daily average of reported new deaths in the United States account for one in every 11 deaths reported worldwide each day, according to a Reuters analysis.
The number of reported deaths nationwide climbed by more than 1,000 for a fifth consecutive day on Saturday, a trend last seen in mid-August, according to a Reuters tally.
Investors bet vaccine sparks revival in beaten down stocks
As the market hype around the U.S. election ebbs, investors are now preparing for good vaccine news, which they believe is a matter of when, not if.
“It’s going to be absolutely massive,” said Stuart Oakley, head of cash currency trading at Nomura in London. “If we get a vaccine, we’re going to see all that pent up demand coming out.”
Of the roughly 45 vaccines undergoing human trials, those from Pfizer and Moderna are seen as possibly winning regulatory approval this year, with AstraZeneca not far behind.
Investors are looking beyond an expected “excitement rally” and at longer-term beneficiaries and short-selling opportunities.
Nissan plots digital course for car sales in a post-pandemic world
The operating chief, Ashwani Gupta, told the board meeting in late July that Nissan was racing to create a “complete, end-to-end digital journey”, according to three people familiar with the discussions.
He said this would allow consumers to research cars online, have models delivered to their homes for test drives and make purchase plans without ever having to visit a dealership, if they chose not to do so, the sources told Reuters.
Pfizer’s Covid vaccine prevents 90% of infections in large study
“Today is a great day for science and humanity,” Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s chairman and chief executive, said.
“We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen,”he said.
Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance launches one yr Covid-19 cover,offers a minimum critical illness benefit of Rs10 lakh
With premium rates starting at only Rs. 5,329,the product,it offers a substantial critical illness benefit, a term cover, and offers instant decisioning without any medical examination
In addition, on diagnosis of Covid-19, the product also triggers minimum enhanced term cover worth Rs. 25 lakhs sum assured.
Q&A: Where are we in the COVID-19 vaccine race?
The World Health Organization has recommended a minimum standard for effectiveness of at least 50%. The United States and some other regulators are following that guideline – which means there must be at least twice as many infections among volunteers who received a placebo as among those in the vaccine group. The European Medicines Agency has said it may accept a lower efficacy level.
Pfizer said its vaccine is more than 90% effective against COVID-19.