Researchers in Germany say they are surprised at the high number of people willing to serve as guinea pigs to help test a vaccine for the coronavirus after they were inundated with thousands of volunteers for the trial of an experimental drug.
Around 4,000 people have so far signed up to test the effectiveness of a potential Covid-19 vaccine being developed by the biopharmaceutical company CureVac.
The large volume of volunteers took the research team, which usually struggles to find willing participants for its studies, by surprise.
Peter Kremsner, one of the study’s directors, told the DPA news agency: “It’s a real luxury situation, unlike usual clinical trials.
“Normally we have trouble coming up with enough test subjects,” he added.
The clinical study began last month at University Hospital in Tuebingen, near the southern German city of Stuttgart.
Mr Kremsner said around 50 people had already been given the experimental drug and none had shown surprising side effects.
The trial intends to test 168 people, meaning many of the would-be volunteers will not take part.
Similar tests, however, are due to take place in the German cities of Munich and Hanover, as well as in Ghent, Belgium. The first results are expected in August.
CureVac, which is headquartered in Tuebingen, specialises in developing a type of vaccine that uses molecules known as mRNA to encourage cells in the body to produce the same proteins found in the novel coronavirus. The vaccinated patient’s body then recognises the protein as foreign and will respond with antibodies, resulting in immunity to the virus.
The German government has given strong backing to the CureVac vaccine, announcing last month that it would acquire a stake in the company worth €300 million (Dh1.2 billion).
The government, like many others around the world, is counting on a vaccine to help it beat the virus and begin to undo the economic damage wrought by the pandemic.
Willingness to try new vaccine declining in Europe
Despite the stronger than expected response to the clinical trial, a growing number of Europeans are undecided about whether they would get vaccinated against the virus when an effective drug is available.
Some 7,000 people in Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Portugal were surveyed on their attitudes to a potential vaccine in April and June, Germany's Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported on Sunday.
Nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of those who responded in April indicated they would be willing to be vaccinated. Researchers found that proportion had dropped to 68 per cent in June.
The waning enthusiasm among respondents was particularly clear in Germany, where willingness to take a new vaccine dropped from 70 per cent to 61 per cent.
Jonas Schreyogg of the University of Hamburg, which worked with several other European institutions to carry out the survey, said however that only a small number of respondents were outright opposed to vaccination.
"These people are not the problem," he told Suddeutsche Zeitung.
But the increasing number of people who are on the fence about taking a new vaccine for Covid-19 poses a challenge to European governments and scientists alike, who have all identified effective immunisation as central to allowing a return to pre-pandemic norms.
Mr Schreyogg was optimistic that scientists and researchers could work to convince those who were unsure of the safety or potential side effects of the new vaccine.
“On the positive side, this means that the willingness to get vaccinated could be significantly increased if we succeed in giving these people more security,” he said.
Transparency in the testing and approval process as well as public education campaigns would both be vital to persuading Europeans to come down from the fence in favour of vaccination, he added.
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About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
if you go
The flights
Emirates fly direct from Dubai to Houston, Texas, where United have direct flights to Managua. Alternatively, from October, Iberia will offer connections from Madrid, which can be reached by both Etihad from Abu Dhabi and Emirates from Dubai.
The trip
Geodyssey’s (Geodyssey.co.uk) 15-night Nicaragua Odyssey visits the colonial cities of Leon and Granada, lively country villages, the lake island of Ometepe and a stunning array of landscapes, with wildlife, history, creative crafts and more. From Dh18,500 per person, based on two sharing, including transfers and tours but excluding international flights. For more information, visit visitnicaragua.us.
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
