COMBATTING CORONA

A Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech has been found to be more than 90 per cent effective, in a major breakthrough that could make the shot available for use by the end of the year if drug authorities give it the green light.

YouTube has pledged to delete misleading claims about coronavirus vaccines as part of a fresh effort to tackle Covid-19 misinformation. It said any videos that contradict expert consensus from local health authorities, such as the NHS or World Health Organization, will be removed. It follows an announcement by Facebook that it would ban ads that discourage people from getting vaccinated.

As more and more businesses look to reopen, technology firms have an array of monitoring systems to try to keep the coronavirus out of office buildings, medical facilities and industrial plants.

Horizon 2020 funding will involve Israeli entities in eight international cooperative projects to improve varied aspects of pandemic response.

A China-developed coronavirus vaccine could be ready for the public as early as November, a Chinese official has told state television, as the global race to clear the final round of trials heats up.

Team Israel Start-Up Nation will be using innovative protective masks by Sonovia Ltd. during their participation in this year’s Tour de France bicycle race. The measures are to ensure the safety of each participant during the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Swiss pharma & diagnostics company Roche partners with Israeli VC aMoon to bring the next wave of Israeli healthtech innovation to life.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University this week said they identified a combination of COVID-19 antibodies that can serve as both medication for patients suffering from the disease and a preventive treatment for high-risk populations.

Two coronavirus studies have been put on pause by drugmakers as they investigate safety concerns.

The pauses are not uncommon or cause for undue concern, but they highlight how little is known about the combination of medications prescribed to President Trump following his COVID-19 diagnosis.

Medical companies Pfizer and BioNTech have announced the enrolment of South Africa for phase 3 of their Covid-19 vaccine trial.

If citizens in Latin America have a government-related issue to address, they have to jump through plenty of bureaucracy. To make matters worse, Covid-19 has put administrative offices in a fix.
Social distancing means people can’t be cramped into waiting rooms as per their usual annoying protocol.

What opportunities will the pandemic present to the global community? And how can Israel’s tech ecosystem help countries and corporations prepare for the new equilibrium? To address these questions and many others, Start-Up Nation Central today issued an interactive digital report entitled “The New Digital Age: How Israel’s Tech Ecosystem Can Help Shape the Post-COVID-19 Era.”

The Commission will support 23 new research projects with €128 million in response to the continuing coronavirus pandemic. The funding under Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation programme, is part of the Commission's €1.4 billion pledge to the Coronavirus Global Response initiative.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed another $150 million to accelerate the manufacturing and delivery of up to 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to low- and middle-income countries as early as the first half of 2021.

Germany has pledged to include Israel in Europe’s deal for a future vaccine against the COVID-19 virus, in keeping with Germany’s “special relationship” with Israel as a response to the Holocaust.

On Friday, Argentina’s congress passed a bill that is slated to provide tax incentives for tech startups and industry mainstays in hopes of stimulating economic recovery.

Remote healthcare, cybersecurity and digital payment solutions are all currently in demand according to Israel's economic attaché in Mumbai.

There are nearly 200 companies internationally working to develop a coronavirus vaccine. To get to the finish line, each will have to go through complicated approval processes.

South Africa may sign a deal to help produce a Covid-19 vaccine, potentially boosting access to immunization on a continent with limited manufacturing capacity.

IIA CEO says Covid-19 employment crisis is an opportunity to train qualified personnel for work in the tech sector.