COVID-19 Daily - October 13: Romania requested international aid; Russia is testing a nasal spray; IMF warns of financial crisis; laser injection!

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to gallop around the world, causing direct and indirect casualties. Some countries are announcing the relaxation of anti-covid measures, but the economy is collapsing. Other countries are asking for international help because the situation has gotten out of control, and here we have Romania as an example. Below you have some of the most important information about COVID-19:

• Russia will test a nasal spray derived from the Sputnik V vaccine. According to a state document, the testing will be done on volunteers. President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia needs to speed up the vaccination campaign, as the country has the highest number of deaths for the second day in a row. 

• Covax said the goal of distributing 2 billion doses globally by the end of this year is no longer realistic. According to the latest statistics from September 8, Covax now expects to provide vaccine doses of $ 1,4 billion in 2021, which is a deficit of almost a third.

Romania has requested international assistance from the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC) for its response to the pandemic. 

• International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that COVID-19 emergency support from central banks and finance ministries has left the world open to a new financial crisis. 

• Dutch researchers say they have found a way to give injections to patients without using needles, relying instead on liquid pressurized with lasers. As one in five Dutch people say they are scared of needles, scientists say the innovation could be revolutionary, but it will be a few years before the technology enters the market. 

• Former UK Secretary of Health Matt Hancock has announced that he has been appointed United Nations Special Representative for Africa. The new role means that it will focus on helping African countries recover from COVID-19.