Positive results for anti-COVID pill by Pfizer in new study

Dec 14 2021

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer confirmed on Tuesday that clinical trials show that its anti-COVID pill reduced hospitalisations and deaths among at risk people by around 90%.

The results are based on trials of more than 2,200 people, backing up findings announced last month from preliminary trials. Pfizer also confirmed that the treatment appears to be effective agains the newly discovered Omicron variant.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that the new drug, called Paxlovid, could save lives and provides further corroboration that the oral antiviral could have a meaningful impact on the lives of many.

Trials showed that the pill reduced the need for hospitalisation in high-risk adults by 89% if the treatment was given within three days of symptom onset and 88% within 5 days.

Bourla said that Pfizer are confident that, if authorised or approved, ‘this potential treatment could be a critical tool to help quell the pandemic.’

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Photo Source: TRT World

Prime Minister will not take action on Justyne Caruana until ethics committee completes work

Dec 14 2021

The final verdict needs to come out before Prime Minister Robert Abela decides to take any action on Education Minister Justyne Caruana, he revealed.

The decision will come from the parliament’s ethics committee, and he said that he will not be considering any temporary measures against the minister because the report is as of yet ‘inconclusive’, with the matter resting with the parliament’s ethics committee.

Only once the entire process is concluded would he consider taking steps, he revealed. PN leader Bernard Grech responded to this by saying that we’ve known about the case for over a year.

‘It has been four days since it became known that the Commissioner for Standards’ investigation found that Justyne Caruana had violated the Code of Ethics and possibly the Criminal Code. And we’ve known about the case for almost a year… Despite all this, Robert Abela has neither spoken nor taken action against the Minister of Education’ said the Opposition leader.

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Photo Source: Justyne Caruana FB, Robert Abela FB

Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri welcomes baby daughter

Dec 14 2021

As the Maltese celebrated Republic Day, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri welcomed his second baby daughter.

Describing her as the most wonderful Christmas gift he could receive, the Minister confirmed that both mother and baby are doing well in the maternity ward.

Her little sister, Camilleri said, is patiently waiting to meet her newborn sibling for the first time. The Minister went on to thank everyone at Gozo’s General Hospital for the dedication they put into making sure the childbirth was carried out safely.

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Photo Source: Clint Camilleri FB

New outdoor mask measure is ‘alienating public’ say pathologists

Dec 14 2021

The Malta College of Pathologists has spoken out against the new measure which sees people required to wear masks outdoors.

The college said that the new measure risked alienating the public and creating resentment towards authorities. They also emphasised that interventions related to COVID-19 need to be backed up by scientific evidence or at least a ‘strong theoretical rationale.’

‘The scientific literature suggests that less than 1% of COVID-19 infections are likely to be acquired in an outdoor setting, and even then after a prolonged length of time in crowded situations’ they stated.

‘More emphasis therefore should be placed on limiting participation in indoor activities and avoiding large gatherings indoors. It does not make sense to impose wearing of masks outdoors in all situations irrespective of risk.’

‘Wearing of masks outdoors should be limited to situations in which there are large gatherings, crowded spaces and mixing of different households. Walking outdoors by oneself or with members of the same household at a good distance from others does not pose a risk of transmission.’

The college also points to Malta being a leader in vaccine rollout, and should thus use the same scientific approach when it comes to new measures Measures which the the public needs to accept if ‘we are to avoid the worst consequences of the next wave’.

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Photo Source: Chris Fearne FB, Good Housekeeping