Our Egyptian-made covid jab is officially in clinical trials: Our locally made Covi Vax has made it through the laboratory testing and is currently in clinical trials, interim health minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar announced in a presser yesterday (watch, runtime: 9:36). Abdel Ghaffar, who is also the country’s higher education minister, said that the trials will begins with tens of participants before they’re expanded to include hundreds and thousands of people.

What’s Covi Vax? The two-dose jab will use an inactive virus — the same technology used in standard vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella, as well as the Sinopharm covid-19 vaccine. Peer reviews of the vaccine indicate that it produces antibodies three weeks after administration, which remain active for 13 weeks, and was effective in preventing severe illness in the animals that were tested, and is 100% effective in preventing death.

The Health Ministry reported 935 new covid-19 infections yesterday, up from 929 the day before. Egypt has now disclosed a total of 343,961 confirmed cases of covid-19. The ministry also reported 64 new deaths, bringing the country’s total death toll to 19,499.