The scientist behind a coronavirus vaccine believe that people in the UK could start to be inoculated by mid-December.
Prof Ugur Sahin, the son of Turkish migrants, said the news that the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine was 90 per cent effective was an "outstanding result".
Prof Sahin and his wife Ozlem Tureci, who is also of Turkish origin, worked on the vaccine at BioNTech, a company they founded in 2008 in Germany.
"The earliest time point for supplying vaccines will not be before the middle of December,” he said.
"And the middle of December will not mean the situation will dramatically change. This will be a difficult winter. It will become worse before it becomes better.
"We could return to normal life by the middle of next year."
He was asked about the pressure he was under to design a vaccine as 1.29 million people have died from Covid-19.
“It's not a race against each other, it's a race against time," said Prof Sahin, 55.
He said that he would be prepared to take his vaccine if he were permitted.
He also told how he had a head start on the vaccine after reading a scientific paper on a coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China.
Prof Sahin said he was struck by how similar his antibody drugs for cancer were to those needed for viral vaccines.
From there, BioNTech assigned 500 people to work on possible compounds, and won support from Pfizer and Chinese drug maker Fosun.
"It was clear that there was a high likelihood it would be a global pandemic and it would come to Germany," Prof Sahin told Sky News.
"It was a logical decision to start as soon as possible. It was very clear that we had no time to lose."
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
The%20specs
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
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
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
