Researchers at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv say that they have developed a drug that appears to cure serious coronavirus cases, Kan News reported. The drug, EXO-CD24, was administered to 30 moderately to severely ill coronavirus patients and 29 of them showed a marked improvement within two days and were released from the hospital three to five days later. The 30th patient also recovered but her recovery took several more days. The drug fights the cytokine storm – a life-threatening immune response during which the body starts to attack its own cells – which scientists believe is fueling many coronavirus deaths. Cytokines are part of the body’s normal immune response to infection but their sudden release in large quantities can cause multisystem organ failure and death.

Everyone arriving in the U.K. from countries identified as coronavirus hotspots will have to spend 10 days in hotel quarantine starting Feb. 15 in a bid to stop new virus variants reaching the country, the government said Friday. But authorities are facing criticism for delays in implementing the policy, which was first announced in late January. Under the plan, British citizens and residents returning from high-risk countries will have to quarantine in approved hotels near airports and seaports, patrolled by security guards, and will be billed for their stay. International travel is already restricted under current restrictions to curb the spread of the virus, with Britons barred from taking foreign holidays.

Iran on Thursday received its first batch of foreign-made coronavirus vaccines as the country struggles to stem the worst outbreak of the pandemic in the Middle East. The shipment consists of 500,000 doses of Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines which arrived at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport from Moscow, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Also Iranian state TV quoted Tehran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, as saying that Iran has ordered 5 million doses from Russia. The next batches are to arrive on Feb. 18 and Feb. 28, said Jalali. However, a report on the semi-official ISNA news agency appeared to contradict Jalali’s statement and the Fars report.

In light of the still-high coronavirus infection rate and number of seriously ill patients in Israel, with almost all hospitals reporting over 120% occupancy, and the number of virus fatalities close to 5,000, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein instructed that Avinu Malkeinu be recited after Shacharis at the minyan in his home on Thursday morning. On Tuesday night, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein spoke about the coronavirus and vaccines from his home in Bnei Brak. “It’s almost a year with the pandemic and the virus is wreaking harm,” the Rosh Yeshivah said. “There are seriously ill patients, niftarim. If people are careful, they won’t contract the virus and won’t infect others. It’s mamash a sakanah if people aren’t careful. Adherence to health regulations is a very great chovah.

“Pregnant women should fear the coronavirus rather than vaccines,” Dr. Rachel Picar, a specialist in obstetrics and senior doctor in Hadassah Ein Kerem, told Kikar H’Shabbos. Dr. Picar added that as is well-known, the coronavirus vaccine is based on mRNA technology, which does not introduce a weakened form of the virus, or any virus at all into the body. Once the active ingredient in the vaccine spurs the production of antibodies, it disappears altogether from the body and therefore pregnant women should not fear being vaccinated. “We’re now seeing [due to the British variant] very serious morbidity among pregnant women, especially in the last trimester, which is accompanied by serious breathing difficulties which deteriorates very quickly to ventilation being required,” Dr.

As Israel continues to grapple with a high virus morbidity rate due to the British variant, it is yet unclear how and when it is emerging from its nationwide lockdown, with a scheduled Wednesday meeting to make a decision on the matter postponed until Thursday. But one thing is clear. Unlike the first and second waves, when the focus was on avoiding infections among the older population, the British variant has forced a renewed look at preventing infections in children. The British variant, now behind as much as 70-80% of new cases, has been affecting children and even babies at a much higher rate than the original virus, with the number of babies under the age of 2 diagnosed with the coronavirus in January almost quadruple the number diagnosed in December.

In the wake of unfounded rumors that coronavirus vaccines can cause fertility issues, the question was asked to HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky. HaRav Chaim’s grandson, Yanky Kanievsky, repeated the question to his grandfather: “Young men and women who don’t yet have children or are hoping to have more children are afraid that if they will be vaccinated they won’t have more children. Is there what to fear?” HaRav Chaim responded “no” and gave a bracha for those who are vaccinated. Earlier this week, Israel’s Health Ministry updated its previous recommendations regarding pregnant women only being vaccinated after the 15th week of pregnancy.

Nearly three months after Kelsey Townsend gave birth to her fourth child, the 32-year-old Wisconsin woman was finally face to face with her. Lucy, now bright-eyed and alert, flashed her a smile. “Hi. I love you. I love you so much. Yeah, I’ve missed you,” Kelsey Townsend told her. Townsend was in a medically-induced coma with COVID-19 when she gave birth to Lucy via via cesarean section on Nov. 4, not long after getting to SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison. She ended up spending 75 days on life and lung support. She finally met Lucy on Jan. 27 — the day Kelsey was discharged from University Hospital in Madison. “We instantly bonded when we met.

Almost six months after a rare face and hands transplant, Joe DiMeo is relearning how to smile, blink, pinch and squeeze. The 22-year-old New Jersey resident had the operation last August, two years after being badly burned in a car crash. “I knew it would be baby steps all the way,” DiMeo told The Associated Press recently. “You’ve got to have a lot of motivation, a lot of patience. And you’ve got to stay strong through everything.” Experts say it appears the surgery at NYU Langone Health was a success, but warn it’ll take some time to say for sure. Worldwide, surgeons have completed at least 18 face transplants and 35 hand transplants, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, or UNOS, which oversees the U.S. transplant system.

Denmark’s government said Wednesday it is joining forces with businesses to develop a digital passport that would show whether people have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, allowing them to travel and help ease restrictions on public life. Finance Minister Morten Boedskov told a news conference that “in three, four months, a digital corona passport will be ready for use in, for example, business travel.” “It is absolutely crucial for us to be able to restart Danish society so that companies can get back on track. Many Danish companies are global companies with the whole world as a market,” he added. As a first step, before the end of February, citizens in Denmark would be able to see on a Danish health website the official confirmation of whether they have been vaccinated.