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world news Dialuna 30 november 2020

Investigators search doctor’s office, probing Maradona death

(AP) — Argentine police probe into the medical atten-
searched the home and of- tion Maradona received prior
fice of one of Diego Mara- to his death, which caused
dona’s doctors on Sunday, an enormous outpouring
taking away medical re- of emotion across Argen-
cords as part of investi- tina and among soccer fans
gations into the death of worldwide.
the 60-year-old soccer star
that caused a wave of grief Tens of thousands of weep-
across the country. ing fans lined up to file past
Maradona’s coffin, with lay
Neurologist Leopoldo Luque in state at the presidential
told reporters after the palace, before his burial on
searches that he had given in- Thursday.
vestigators all of the records Maradona had suffered a se-
of his treatment of Mara- ries of medical problems,
dona, as well as computers, some due to excesses of drugs
hard drives and cellphones. and alcohol. He was report-
Weeping at times, he insisted edly near death in 2000 and
he defended his treatment of 2004.
the troubled soccer star, who Luque said he was a difficult
died Wednesday of a heart at- patient and had kicked the
tack following a Nov. 3 brain doctor out of his house sev-
operation. eral times.
“I know what I did. I know “Diego did what he wanted,”
how I did it.... I am absolutely Luque said he was not Mara- Court investigators have ing to a statement from the Luque said. “Diego needed
sure that what I did the best dona’s chief physician, but been taking declarations from San Isidro prosecutor’s of- help. There was no way of
for Diego, the best I could.” part of a medical team. Maradona’s relatives, accord- fice, which is overseeing a getting through to him.”

UK stocks up on vaccines, hopes to start virus shots in days

(AP) — Britain said Sunday it has ported. The U.S. vaccination pro-
secured 2 million more doses of a gram also hopes to begin inoculating
promising coronavirus vaccine as some Americans in December.
it gears up to launch within days The government says frontline health
the country’s most ambitious in- care workers and nursing home resi-
oculation program in decades. dents will be the first to be vaccinat-
ed, followed by older people, starting
The U.K. has had Europe’s deadli- with those over 80. The plan is to
est coronavirus outbreak, with more work down the age and risk groups
than 58,000 confirmed virus-related until everyone 18 and over has been
deaths. It now hopes to hit a more inoculated.
positive milestone by becoming one
of the first countries in the world to Peter Openshaw, professor of experi-
start vaccinating its population against mental medicine at Imperial College
COVID-19. London, said he “wouldn’t be too
The U.K. government has agreed to surprised if an announcement would
buy more than 350 million doses of be made within the next two weeks,
vaccines from seven different pro- possibly even as early as next week.”
ducers, should they prove effective, Non-medical staff including vol-
as it prepares to vaccinate as many unteer first-aiders are already being
of the country’s 67 million people as trained to give the shots, which will
possible. be administered at around 1,000 com-
The Department of Health said munity vaccination centers and 40 to and will be replaced by a three-tiered than its main rivals. But some scien-
Sunday it had increased its order for 50 large-scale facilities in stadiums system of regional measures. The tists have questioned gaps in its re-
a vaccine developed by U.S. firm and conference venues, according to vast majority of the country is being ported results.
Moderna from 5 million to 7 million a government planning document. put into the upper two tiers, mean- Oxford and AstraZeneca reported
doses, enough for 3.5 million people. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said ing most people will be barred from this week that their vaccine appeared
The Moderna vaccine is expected to officials hope to vaccinate “the vast meeting up with friends indoors, to be 62% effective in people who re-
be referred soon to the U.K.’s Medi- majority of the people who need the pubs and restaurants still face re- ceived two doses, and 90% effective
cines and Healthcare Products Regu- most protection by Easter.” strictions and everything from large when volunteers were given a half
latory Agency, to see if it is safe and Writing in the Mail on Sunday, John- weddings to choir practices are being dose followed by a full dose. They
effective. Two other vaccines — one son said the roll-out of a vaccine banned. said the half dose was administered
developed by Pfizer and German could be “just days away.” But he said Pfizer and BioNTech say their vac- because of a manufacturing error,
firm BioNTech, the other by Oxford there would not be a quick end to the cine is 95% effective, according to and they plan a new clinical trial to
University and AstraZeneca — are al- onerous restrictions on business and preliminary data. It must be stored investigate the most effective dosing
ready being assessed by the regulator, everyday life that have been imposed at ultra-cold temperatures of around regimen.
the final stage before being rolled out. to curb the spread of the virus. minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus Full data from the Oxford-AstraZen-
Britain has ordered 40 million doses “There are still long weeks and 94 Fahrenheit). The Moderna vac- eca trial is expected to be published
of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and months ahead before we can be com- cine, which also needs to be stored at soon, and may answer some of the
100 million doses of the Oxford/As- pletely confident that we can vacci- freezer temperatures, was also about questions about the vaccine.
traZeneca vaccine. nate enough people in the country, 95% effective in clinical trials, the Openshaw said he’d be happy to get
Hospitals in England have been told and thereby remove enough targets company said. any vaccine that is approved.
they could receive the first doses of for the virus, in order to beat the dis- The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine can “If my GP rings me and says ‘I’ve got
the Pfizer shot as early as the week ease,” he wrote. be stored at conventional refrigerator an approved vaccine,’ I really don’t
of Dec. 7 if it receives approval, the A four-week national lockdown in temperatures, making its distribution care which one it is,” he told the
Guardian and Financial Times re- England is due to end Wednesday, much simpler, and is also cheaper BBC.