A Sinopharm sign is seen at the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, China. Reuters
A Sinopharm sign is seen at the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, China. Reuters
A Sinopharm sign is seen at the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, China. Reuters
A Sinopharm sign is seen at the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, China. Reuters

China's Sinopharm Covid vaccine 79.34% effective


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The company making a Covid-19 vaccine with China’s state-owned manufacturer Sinopharm, said on Wednesday that its shot is 79.34 per cent effective and they are seeking to get approval to start distributing the first coronavirus drug in China.

The vaccine is already being used in several countries as global Phase 3 trials continue. As different trials progress, fragmentary efficiency data have been released, but this is the first indication from the company behind the drug.

The efficacy rate, based on an interim analysis of Phase 3 clinical trials, is lower than the 86 per cent rate for the same vaccine announced by the United Arab Emirates on December 9, based on preliminary data from trials there. The company did not elaborate on the divergence in results but said further data would be released in time.

Covid around the world – in pictures 

Turkish researchers said on Thursday that their interim results from a Covid-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech showed 91.25 per cent efficacy, only to see a confusing readout the same day from Brazil, which said the vaccine's efficacy was between 50 per cent and 90 per cent.

Health experts said that piecemeal data without sufficient detail could undermine confidence in vaccines.

While the efficacy of the China-developed inoculations trails the more than 90 per cent success rate of rival vaccines from Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, or Moderna, it points to progress China has made in the global race to develop successful Covid-19 vaccines.

China, whose President Xi Jinping pledged to make its vaccines a global public good, has won several large supply deals with countries including Indonesia and Brazil – the most populous countries in South-East Asia and Latin America respectively.

But detailed efficacy data is yet to be released by any of China’s drug makers.

"I think it's very positive news. The results for other Covid vaccines were also released initially in very short press releases, and within a few weeks more details were provided," said Benjamin Cowling, a public health professor at the University of Hong Kong.

Experts said that it is still early to conclude how successful the Sinopharm vaccine is.

"Data can only be interpreted when key details, such as the study design, number of participants, period of observation and number of cases, are described," said Ooi Eng Eong, an immunology professor at the National University of Singapore.

The Sinopharm vaccine is among the five most advanced candidates from China in terms of development and has been used in its emergency use programme that has vaccinated hundreds of thousands of people since July.

Its developer, Beijing Biological Products Institute, a unit of Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotec Group, said that it had applied to the National Medical Products Administration for conditional approval of the vaccine.

CNBG has another vaccine in late-stage trials and both have been approved for emergency use in China despite studies not yet being complete.

The approval request in China came as Britain on Wednesday approved a second Covid-19 vaccine, a shot developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, as the country battles a major winter surge driven by a new variant of the virus.

Dubai World Cup Carnival Thursday race card

6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m​​​​​​​
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m​​​​​​​
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m​​​​​​​
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m​​​​​​​
9.25pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,400m
10pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')

Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8

Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Price: from Dh850,000

On sale: now

Racecard

6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m

7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m

7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m

8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m

8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Expert advice

“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”

Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles

“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”

Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre 

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”

Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Scoreline:

Everton 4

Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', ​​​​​​​Digne 56', Walcott 64'

Manchester United 0

Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)

Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5