EC President on medicine production, supply amid virus

The President of the European Commission on Wednesday urged EU member states to lift export bans on medicines and avoid stockpiling, to avoid shortages elsewhere in the 27-country bloc.

"We need larger quantities of medicines to treat coronavirus patients in hospitals," said Ursula von der Leyen.

She added that the medicine production also needed to be ramped up, by reorganising industrial supply chains and production lines.

Worldwide, the global pandemic that has sickened at least 1,464,000 people, killed more than 85,000, crippled economies and forced restrictions on the movement of millions of people in an effort to stop the virus from spreading further and overwhelming health care systems.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.