Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Medical News And Information -- March 18, 2020

Countries that have committed to joining the trial are Argentina, Canada, France, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand - but not the US. Pictured: WHO media briefing

Daily Mail: The US will NOT be included in the WHO's trial of experimental treatments for coronavirus because it has not committed to the project yet - but 10 other countries have

* The WHO announced its new 'SOLIDARITY trial' to compare the effects of different drugs on coronavirus
* Drugs that will be tested include remdesivir, originally conceived as a drug to fight Ebola, and an anti-malaria drug called hydroxychloroquine
* Countries that have committed are Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand
* The US was not listed as one of the countries although the WHO's director-general says he believes 'many more will join'
* There are more than 7,800 confirmed cases in all 50 states and 121 deaths

The US will not be part of a new trial led by the World Health Organization examining which treatments work best against coronavirus.

The so-called 'SOLIDARITY trial' will see researchers from several different countries compare the effects of different drugs on the highly-infectious disease.

Included in the trial are remdesivir, originally conceived as a drug to fight Ebola, and an anti-malaria drug called hydroxychloroquine.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the organization's director-general, said eight countries had committed to joining the trial, but that America was not among them.

Read more ....

Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Medical News And Information -- March 18, 2020

Coronavirus: where do we stand in the race for a vaccine? -- France 24
Coronavirus drugs: Who's doing what, and when they might come -- France 24
When will a coronavirus vaccine be ready? -- The Guardian
Coronavirus: US starts clinical trial of Covid-19 vaccine that will last into next year -- SCMP
Coronavirus vaccine starts clinical trial in the US on Monday - but it will be at least a year before it is ready for use -- Daily Mail
Hopes for coronavirus vaccine rise after Chinese scientists find infected monkeys developed immunity -- SCMP
Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should I see a doctor? -- The Guardian
Coronavirus: All you need to know about symptoms and risks -- Al Jazeera
How does coronavirus spread and how can you protect yourself? -- Al Jazeera
Coronavirus: What it does to the body -- James Gallagher, BBC
What happens if you catch the new coronavirus? -- Al Jazeera
Best strategies against virus: Track, isolate, communicate -- AP
Coronavirus: The lessons to learn from Ebola -- DW
Can a face mask stop coronavirus? Covid-19 facts checked -- The Guardian
Timeline: How the new coronavirus spread -- Al Jazeera
Undetected coronavirus transmissions that only caused mild symptoms were responsible for its rapid spread in China, scientists say -- Daily Mail
Coronavirus vs the human immune system: the brutal microscopic war for survival -- SCMP
Think only old people can die from coronavirus? Think again. Expert who led team assessing China's outbreak says NO ONE is safe from the killer virus -- Daily Mail
Coronavirus code: Computer modeling could help fight the virus -- DW
What Australia could learn from China's response to coronavirus COVID-19 -- Christina Zhou and Bang Xiao
China's Wuhan coronavirus survivors recount fear, uncertainty and lack of resources -- ABC News Online
Microsoft launches an interactive map that tracks the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic in real-time to help fight the COVID-19 outbreak -- Daily Mail