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Coronavirus pandemic

Russia assists in delivery of coronavirus drug to Nicaragua from Cuba

The Interferon Alpha-2B was delivered to Nicaragua from Cuba, in cooperation with the Mechnikov Latin American Institute of Biotechnology, a joint Russian-Nicaraguan producer of immune-biological drugs

MOSCOW, April 10. /TASS/. Russia assisted in delivery of 8,000 doses of the Interferon Alpha-2B - a drug planned for use to fight the coronavirus infection - to Nicaragua, the Federal Biomedical Agency’s Saint Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums (SPbSRVIS) told TASS Friday.

The Interferon Alpha-2B was delivered to Nicaragua from Cuba, in cooperation with the Mechnikov Latin American Institute of Biotechnology, a joint Russian-Nicaraguan producer of immune-biological drugs. The SPbSRVIS press service noted that, considering the international situation, completion of this shipment is significant for both Havana and Managua.

"We have responded to plea of our Cuban colleagues and developed delivery logistics of our flu prevention vaccine to Cuba in a way that allowed delivery the Interferon, which people of Nicaragua need right now, by the same plane," Mechnikov Institute director Stanislav Uyba said.

Interferon drugs are recommended for COVID-19 patients in a number of countries, including Russia. The fifth edition of the temporary methodical recommendations on prevention, diagnostics and treatment of the novel coronavirus infection was published Thursday. According to this document, recombinant Interferon Alpha-2B has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and immunomodulating effect. According to Russian Health Ministry, the drug’s effect is based on "prevention of replication of viruses that enter human body via respiratory tract."

According to the World Health Organization statistics, 6 coronavirus cases were registered in Nicaragua so far.

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