Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Russia tries to import COVID-19 drugs as deaths hit high

Published 12/01/2020, 07:53 AM
Updated 12/01/2020, 07:55 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Hospital for COVID-19 patients in Moscow

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Hospital for COVID-19 patients in Moscow

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is trying to import foreign-made drugs to fight the COVID-19 pandemic due to a shortage of products at home, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Tuesday, as authorities reported a record 569 new daily deaths from the coronavirus.

Russia has several vaccines against the virus in the works and produces some drugs domestically, including Coronavir and Avifavir, both of which are based on favipiravir, which was developed in Japan and is widely used there as the basis for treatment.

During a meeting with senior government officials on Tuesday, Murashko said there was a problem with the supply of favipiravir in some regions.

"Supply volumes of anti-clotting agents have increased. But we still see that a shortage for the network remains, and so we are working with the trade and industry ministry on additional deliveries from abroad," he said.

New daily infection numbers, which stood at 26,402 on Tuesday, have been gradually decreasing since hitting a record high on Nov. 27. Anna Popova, head of consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said the growth of the disease was slowing.

However Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said the situation remained quite tense in many of Russia's more than 80 regions.

In 17 regions, hospital bed capacity was less than 5%, said Murashko, with the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad and St Petersburg presenting the greatest cause for concern.

Russia has resisted imposing lockdowns during the second wave of the virus, preferring targeted curbs.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Hospital for COVID-19 patients in Moscow

With 2,322,056 infections, Russia has the fourth-largest number of COVID-19 cases in the world behind the United States, India and Brazil. It has recorded 40,646 deaths related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.