Researchers around the world are working towards developing a vaccine for Covid-19. Reuters
Researchers around the world are working towards developing a vaccine for Covid-19. Reuters
Researchers around the world are working towards developing a vaccine for Covid-19. Reuters
Researchers around the world are working towards developing a vaccine for Covid-19. Reuters

Coronavirus: UAE conducting human trials for Covid-19 vaccine


Shuchita Gautam
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE is pushing ahead with efforts to potentially develop two types of Covid-19 vaccine, AbdulRahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention said.

The vaccines are being tested with more than 15,000 volunteers participating, he said.

“We are in the third stage of the study and clinical trials, and all conditions and requirements for the safety of volunteer participants will be fulfilled,” Mr Al Owais said on Monday night.

If either vaccine is confirmed to be safe and effective, it will move to the manufacturing phase.

The country has also carried out 4.18 million tests so far, helping to control the spread of the virus, a government spokeswoman said on Monday night.

A further 344 cases of the coronavirus were detected in the UAE after 34,478 tests were conducted for the virus, Dr Amna Al Shamsi said.

The new infections brought the country’s total to 55,198 since late January.

Dr Al Shamsi said 373 more people recovered from the virus, taking total recoveries to 45,513.

One patient died of complications, adding to a death toll of 334.

The UAE has also developed an online database offering credible information on Covid-19, according to an official from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority.

The website will include the latest data on the number of cases in the country, graphs and interactive maps that will allow users to identify the nearest health centre.

The information on the platform will be updated by the Authority, the Ministry of Health and Prevention, and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority.

Most hospitals in the Emirates are now free of coronavirus cases.

On Monday, Dubai closed a second field hospital after discharging the centre's final 17 patients. Last week, the largest field hospital, in Dubai World Trade Centre, closed for coronavirus patients.

Private hospitals in Abu Dhabi are also now clear of Covid-19 cases.

Authorities said hospitals managed by Burjeel Medical Group, NMC Group and Ain Al Khaleej are no longer treating patients with the virus and that anyone with symptoms should visit Sheikh Khalifa Medical City Hospital or Al Ain Hospital.

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

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'Skin'

Dir: Guy Nattiv

Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Company name: Farmin

Date started: March 2019

Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi 

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: AgriTech

Initial investment: None to date

Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs 

Company%20Profile
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The Outsider

Stephen King, Penguin

Company profile: buybackbazaar.com

Name: buybackbazaar.com

Started: January 2018

Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini

Based: Dubai

Sector: FinTech, micro finance

Initial investment: $1 million

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5