By , PARIS (Reuters) - Hospitals in Paris are scrambling to find more intensive care beds, ventilators and medical staff ahead of an expected spike in the number of coronavirus patients in coming days, with the figure expected to peak in April, doctors said on Friday.Slideshow Coronavirus cases in Paris and its suburbs now account for about a quarter of the 11,000 cases across France, and has about 250 now in intensive care, up from just 50 five days ago. The death toll in all France as of Friday evening stood at 450.“We are working at full speed to ramp up the number of intensive care...…By , PARIS (Reuters) - Hospitals in Paris are scrambling to find more intensive care beds, ventilators and medical staff ahead of an expected spike in the number of coronavirus patients in coming days, with the figure expected to peak in April, doctors said on Friday.Slideshow Coronavirus cases in Paris and its suburbs now account for about a quarter of the 11,000 cases across France, and has about 250 now in intensive care, up from just 50 five days ago. The death toll in all France as of Friday evening stood at 450.“We are working at full speed to ramp up the number of intensive care...WW…

By PARIS (Reuters) - France’s top health body will on Friday say that recipients of a first dose of AstraZeneca’s traditional COVID-19 vaccine who are under 55 should get a second shot with a new-style messenger-RNA vaccine, two sources aware of the plans said on Thursday.Reuters had reported on Wednesday that the Haute Autorite de la Sante (HAS), in charge of setting out how vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) should be used in France, was contemplating this possibility.The HAS has now decided to proceed with the plan, the two sources said. Two mRNA vaccines, one from...…By PARIS (Reuters) - France’s top health body will on Friday say that recipients of a first dose of AstraZeneca’s traditional COVID-19 vaccine who are under 55 should get a second shot with a new-style messenger-RNA vaccine, two sources aware of the plans said on Thursday.Reuters had reported on Wednesday that the Haute Autorite de la Sante (HAS), in charge of setting out how vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) should be used in France, was contemplating this possibility.The HAS has now decided to proceed with the plan, the two sources said. Two mRNA vaccines, one from...WW…

By , GENEVA (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization said on Friday there is a “clear problem” that low- and middle-income countries are not yet receiving supplies of COVID-19 vaccines and urged countries to stop striking bilateral deals with manufacturers.“Rich countries have the majority of the supply,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in strongly-worded comments on vaccine nationalism at a Geneva news briefing.“No country is exceptional and should cut the queue and vaccinate all their population while some remain with no supply of the vaccine,” he...…By , GENEVA (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization said on Friday there is a “clear problem” that low- and middle-income countries are not yet receiving supplies of COVID-19 vaccines and urged countries to stop striking bilateral deals with manufacturers.“Rich countries have the majority of the supply,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in strongly-worded comments on vaccine nationalism at a Geneva news briefing.“No country is exceptional and should cut the queue and vaccinate all their population while some remain with no supply of the vaccine,” he...WW…

By PARIS (Reuters) -Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline said clinical trials of their COVID-19 vaccine showed an insufficient immune response in older people, delaying its launch to late next year and marking a setback in the global fight against the pandemic.The announcement on Friday, which highlighted the challenges of developing shots at record speed, hinders efforts to develop the multiple options that experts say the world needs to counter a disease that has killed over 1.5 million people.The news, which came on the same day as Australia axed a domestic vaccine project, is also a blow for many...…By PARIS (Reuters) -Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline said clinical trials of their COVID-19 vaccine showed an insufficient immune response in older people, delaying its launch to late next year and marking a setback in the global fight against the pandemic.The announcement on Friday, which highlighted the challenges of developing shots at record speed, hinders efforts to develop the multiple options that experts say the world needs to counter a disease that has killed over 1.5 million people.The news, which came on the same day as Australia axed a domestic vaccine project, is also a blow for many...WW…

PARIS, FRANCE --Rich countries have secured enough coronavirus vaccines to protect their populations nearly three times over by the end of 2021, Amnesty International and other groups said on Wednesday, possibly depriving billions of people in poorer areas.Britain approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine this month, raising hopes that the tide could soon turn against a virus that has killed nearly 1.5 million globally, hammered the world economy and upended normal life.Amnesty and other organizations including Frontline AIDS, Global Justice Now and Oxfam, urged governments and the pharmaceutical...…PARIS, FRANCE --Rich countries have secured enough coronavirus vaccines to protect their populations nearly three times over by the end of 2021, Amnesty International and other groups said on Wednesday, possibly depriving billions of people in poorer areas.Britain approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine this month, raising hopes that the tide could soon turn against a virus that has killed nearly 1.5 million globally, hammered the world economy and upended normal life.Amnesty and other organizations including Frontline AIDS, Global Justice Now and Oxfam, urged governments and the pharmaceutical...WW…

By , PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron admonished Lebanon’s leaders on Sunday for serving their own interests ahead of their country and vowed to push ahead with efforts to prevent chaos, but appeared to have no back up plan should his initiative fail.Lebanon’s prime minister-designate, Mustapha Adib, quit on Saturday after failing to line up a non-partisan cabinet, dealing a blow to a French plan aimed at rallying sectarian leaders to tackle the country’s crisis. [nL8N2GN016]“I am ashamed of Lebanon’s political leaders,” Macron told a news conference in Paris. “The leaders...…By , PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron admonished Lebanon’s leaders on Sunday for serving their own interests ahead of their country and vowed to push ahead with efforts to prevent chaos, but appeared to have no back up plan should his initiative fail.Lebanon’s prime minister-designate, Mustapha Adib, quit on Saturday after failing to line up a non-partisan cabinet, dealing a blow to a French plan aimed at rallying sectarian leaders to tackle the country’s crisis. [nL8N2GN016]“I am ashamed of Lebanon’s political leaders,” Macron told a news conference in Paris. “The leaders...WW…

By , PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron admonished Lebanon’s leaders on Sunday for serving their own interests ahead of their country and vowed to push ahead with efforts to prevent chaos, but appeared to have no back up plan should his initiative fail.Lebanon’s prime minister-designate, Mustapha Adib, quit on Saturday after failing to line up a non-partisan cabinet, dealing a blow to a French plan aimed at rallying sectarian leaders to tackle the country’s crisis. [nL8N2GN016]“I am ashamed of Lebanon’s political leaders,” Macron told a news conference in Paris. “The leaders...…By , PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron admonished Lebanon’s leaders on Sunday for serving their own interests ahead of their country and vowed to push ahead with efforts to prevent chaos, but appeared to have no back up plan should his initiative fail.Lebanon’s prime minister-designate, Mustapha Adib, quit on Saturday after failing to line up a non-partisan cabinet, dealing a blow to a French plan aimed at rallying sectarian leaders to tackle the country’s crisis. [nL8N2GN016]“I am ashamed of Lebanon’s political leaders,” Macron told a news conference in Paris. “The leaders...WW…

By , , PARIS/LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) - European governments moved on Wednesday to halt the use of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients, and a second global trial was suspended, further blows to hopes for a treatment promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump.The moves by France, Italy and Belgium followed a World Health Organization decision on Monday to pause a large trial of hydroxychloroquine due to safety concerns.A UK regulator said on Wednesday that a separate trial was also being put on hold, less than a week after it started. The study, being led by the...…By , , PARIS/LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) - European governments moved on Wednesday to halt the use of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients, and a second global trial was suspended, further blows to hopes for a treatment promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump.The moves by France, Italy and Belgium followed a World Health Organization decision on Monday to pause a large trial of hydroxychloroquine due to safety concerns.A UK regulator said on Wednesday that a separate trial was also being put on hold, less than a week after it started. The study, being led by the...WW…