Asian View
Key words : panel health ministry
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20201222_01/
Japanese health ministry panel members say they are still not confident enough to approve the influenza drug Avigan to treat COVID-19 patients.
Members of the panel met behind closed doors on Monday to discuss the efficacy and safety of the drug developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical.
In October, the company applied for government approval for the drug to be used as a coronavirus treatment.
The ministry said the panel stopped short of approving it.
The panel concluded that, with only the data now at hand, it's difficult to determine if the drug is effective against the coronavirus.
The drug maker conducted what is known as "single-blind clinical trials," with patients receiving either Avigan or a placebo but not knowing which.
The drug maker said the trials showed that Avigan had helped to shorten the time required for patients to produce negative test results by 2.8 days.
But as doctors were allowed to know which was given to the patients, sources say panel members could not rule out the possibility of doctor bias on the data and asked not to make a decision at this time.
Health ministry officials say more time is needed to come to a decision and they will have panel members further review the data by referencing overseas trial cases.
As a result, a decision on whether to approve the drug for this new use will not be made by the end of this year.
Ministry officials say that this conclusion does not mean that the drug's efficacy has been denied.
Key words : hong kong ban mask
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Key words : south death
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20201221_18/
The South Korean capital of Seoul and its surrounding municipalities have decided to ban private gatherings involving five or more people, from Wednesday to January 3.
The decision comes after the country's health authorities confirmed 24 new deaths from the coronavirus across the country on Sunday. They also reported 1,097 new infections the previous day. The figures were both the highest-ever.
The acting mayor of Seoul, Seo Jeong-hyup, told reporters on Monday that eateries and similar venues have accounted for 40 percent of cluster infections over the past month.
He stressed it is impossible to overcome the current crisis without reducing cluster infections resulting from private gatherings with family members, colleagues and friends.
He said that the new restrictions on gatherings will also be put in place in neighboring Gyeonggi Province and the city of Incheon. The ban applies to all indoor and outdoor gatherings except funerals and weddings. Violations will be fined.
Meanwhile, the central government is cautious about raising the alert level to the highest in its five-tire social distancing scheme. It says raising the level will have a significant impact on the economy and should be avoided as far as possible.
Key words : top US scholar
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20201221_16/
A top US scholar on East Asia, Ezra Vogel, has died at the age of 90. He was a professor emeritus at Harvard University and was the author of "Japan as Number One."
After obtaining a doctorate in sociology at Harvard, he spent two years in Japan to study the country's language and society.
His 1979 bestseller "Japan as Number One" analyzed factors behind Japan's rapid economic growth in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.
Vogel was also known as an expert on China. He spent about 10 years to publish a book on the life of Deng Xiaoping, who advocated a policy of "reform and opening-up".
His linguistic abilities allowed him access to a vast network in Japan and China. Last year, he published a book titled "China and Japan," which addresses the history of exchanges between the countries.
Vogel used to regularly invite Japanese officials and company employees studying in America to his own home to discuss Japan-US relations and other international issues.
Vogel's wife informed one of his colleagues at Harvard that he died on Sunday morning after undergoing a surgery at a hospital in Massachusetts.
Key words : Hiroshima wild rabbit poisin gas
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