After the US, which has carried out a record 4.2 crore Covid-19 tests, India has done the second-largest number of 1,2 crore coronavirus tests, the White House has said.

More than 35 lakh people have tested positive with the coronavirus and 1.38 lakh died in the US. Globally, more than 1.36 crore have tested positive and over 5.86 lakh have died.

“With regard to (the coronavirus) testing, we’ve done more than 42 million tests. The second-highest number is 12 million from India. We’re leading the world in testing,” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters at a news conference here on Thursday.

The White House was responding to questions related to the coronavirus pandemic in the US.

This record testing is in very stark contrast with the previous administration, she added.

CBS reported that in 2009 under Obama-Biden, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention abruptly advised states to stop testing for the H1N1 flu and stopped counting individual cases, she said.

Ron Klain, Vice President Biden’s former Chief of Staff said: “It is purely a fortuity that (H1N1) isn’t one of the great mass casualty events in American history. It had nothing to do with us doing anything right. This is former VP Biden’s Chief of Staff. It just had to do with luck.”

“Contrary to that, this President led the world in testing; led the world in ventilators — redistributing ventilators for therapeutics; 13 vaccine candidates — one going into phase three clinical trial. This response has been extraordinary and historic. We didn’t pause testing; the Obama-Biden administration did, and that was a shameful decision,” McEnany said.

There has been encouraging news on vaccines, the press secretary said.

Moderna’s vaccine candidate is showing promising signs. They produced a positive, neutral immune response among the 45 participants in the study. This is comparable to what we see in recovered patients. The bottom line is that, so far, we are seeing exactly what you would hope to see in a vaccine. The Moderna vaccine, in particular, is expected to reach phase three by late July, with 30,000 participants, she added.

On the therapeutics front, I just want to note: A very encouraging Regeneron contract. A $450-million contract for a monoclonal antibody cocktail. This is a bioengineered version of convalescent plasma, one of the several therapeutics available to treat Covid-19. It can be used for prophylaxis and treatment. They say they could have up to 70 to 300 thousand doses by the end of the summer or early fall, she said.

As such there is encouraging news on the therapeutics front, McEnany added.

PTI

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