AstraZeneca donates nine million face masks to support staff fighting Covid-19

Major pharma company AstraZeneca has donated 9 million face masks to support healthcare workers globally responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The masks are being manufactured and distributed from China, where the company’s efforts have been aided by AstraZeneca’s relationship within the country’s healthcare system and manufacturing sector.

The company has partnered with the World Economic Forum’s COVID Action Platform to identify which countries are in greatest need, and will send the first shipments to Italy, with other countries to follow.

AstraZeneca has also started accelerating the development of its diagnostic testing capabilities to scale-up screening for Covid-19 cases and is working with governments to help support testing programmes. More so, the company has committed to screen its own employees to ensure the continued supply of medicines.

Through its research and development teams, AstraZeneca is also working to identify monoclonal antibodies to progress towards clinical trial evaluation as a treatment to prevent Covid-19.

Pascal Soriot, chief executive officer, said: “Our first thoughts are with those suffering from this global pandemic and with the brave healthcare workers who are caring for them. As a company, we have prioritised our response by partnering with international health authorities and others to share our scientific knowledge and expertise, and we have taken this step to donate these masks as we continue to accelerate our efforts on diagnostic testing and a treatment against Covid-19.”