Photo credit: independent.co.uk
Chinese scientists have started testing a Russian direct-acting antiviral drug, triazavirin, to combat the 2019-nCov coronavirus, the deputy head of the Ministry of Health Sergei Kraevoy told journalists, RIA Novosti reports.
So far, Russian doctors have not been able to isolate the virus strain directly from infected patients in Russia in order to accelerate the creation of the vaccine, Kraevoy added.
For now, the number of cases worldwide exceeded 20.6 thousand patients, 427 people died. The virus has penetrated into 23 countries other than China, including Russia. The World Health Organization recognized the outbreak of 2019-nCoV as an emergency of international concern.
Last week, the Russian government decided to close certain sections of the border with China in the Far East, limit border crossings with Mongolia, cancel work visas for Chinese citizens, evacuate Russians from Hubei, suspend flights of all regular Russian airlines to China except Aeroflot flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. On February 3, Russian Railways stopped railway communication with China.
Russkiy Mir
