The US has bought up almost the entire global supply of one of two drugs used to treat coronavirus.
Remdesivir, which was developed to treat Ebola, is produced almost exclusively by US pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences – and it has been priced at $2,340 (£1,892) per patient in wealthier nations.
This means remdesivir will not be available for use on patients in the UK and Europe until October, Dr Andrew Hill, a senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University, told Sky News.
He said: “This deal that’s been struck by America means that people with COVID-19 in the UK can’t get access to these treatments that would get them out of hospital quickly and might improve their chances of survival.
“So far, we know that for the next three months there will be no supplies of remdesivir – America will take the drugs and we won’t have access to them. That’s the case in the UK and Europe.”
It comes after health officials warned the number of new US cases reported each day could hit 100,000 after a spike in infections.
Incidentally, some African nations like Ghana are not too bothered about the threat of coronavirus to life. The Akuffo Addo administration started well by taking measures to curb the spread of the covid19. However, it appears the government strategy has failed.
Ghana is scheduled to hold presidential elections on December 7, 2020. Many civil society groups and professionals have waded in their aghast at the government desire to have a new voters register for the december polls.
The voter registration exercise started yesterday, albeit, with many frustrations and complications as some citizens recounted.
A lawyer and voter said, “the registration process is painfully slow and frustrating. Seems like a calculated attempt to disenfranchise millions of Ghanaians. A dirge for our democracy play.”
Clearly, the focus on social distancing protocols have gone to the roof as many voters couldn’t observe the protocols set in place.Currently, Ghana’s reported covid19 cases is at 17,741. The Ghana Medical Association and other health professionals have projected astronomical rise by the time the voter registration exercise are over.
The Akuffo Addo administration perhaps has only interest in remaining in power and therefore have shown no considerations to the many citizens who have vehemently spoken about the dangers on conducting this voter registration exercise as the coronavirus cases rise daily.
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Credit: GHM News Network
