Coronavirus live news: cases in Germany likely to be 10 times higher than official count, say researchers
Japan extends state of emergency as global cases top 3.5m; Trump claims vaccine will be found by end of year; Brazil passes 100,000 cases; New Zealand records no new cases for first time
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Two US biotech companies have identified a drug candidate for treating Covid-19 and plan to begin human testing by the end of the year, the companies said on Monday.
Vir Biotechnology Inc and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc said the therapy candidate makes use of RNA interference (RNAi) technology that targets and “silences” specific genetic material, blocking the production of deadly proteins that cause diseases.
Is air pollution making the coronavirus pandemic even more deadly?
My colleague, environment editor Damian Carrington, has written a comprehensive summary of the research into whether air pollution is turbo-charging the coronavirus pandemic. He writes:
Researchers caution that plausibility is far from proof, and correlation does not necessarily mean causation, as many other factors may be important.
But these initial findings do raise cause for concern – and may play a crucial role in helping us understand and combat the spread of the pandemic.
Related: Is air pollution making the coronavirus pandemic even more deadly?
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