Hi, I'm Carl Azouz, with your daily down-the-middle delivery of world events.

Our show starts with news from the pharmaceutical industry.

The drug company Pfizer says it's moved a big step closer to a breakthrough in the fight against coronavirus.

Pfizer is one of many companies that are working on a coronavirus vaccine.

It says an early look at research indicates its shot is more than 90% effective in protecting people from catching COVID-19.

Pfizer's in the midst of its phase three trial when tests are carried out on tens of thousands of volunteers.

The disease continues to spread, though at different rates in different countries.

Health officials say last Wednesday was the first time the United States recorded more than 100,000 positive tests in a 24-hour

period. And the country has seen that several times since then. According to Johns Hopkins

University, the U.S. has reported around 10 million positive tests in all since the pandemic

began early this year. And health officials have blamed more than 237,000 deaths on coronavirus in America.

Many people who catch the disease have no symptoms from it, though, and officials estimate

the overall survival rate for coronavirus is more than 99%. Still, because it appears to be

deadlier than the flu, there's been an international race

to prevent its spread, develop treatments from existing in new medicines, and manufacture

an effective vaccine.

Has Pfizer done that?

No one knows yet.

A nonprofit consumer rights organization criticized Pfizer's announcement, the group Public Citizen

says publishing early and incomplete information

in a press release is, quote, bad science. It adds that more data is needed to prove the vaccine

is effective against serious cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from coronavirus. Pfizer also says

...