Novartis CEO Says Second Coronavirus Wave will Follow the First

:A pandemic comes in waves,' Narasimhan said. 'It’s therefore important to continue to test and collect data.'

The first wave of the global coronavirus outbreak will probably end in the coming months, but the world should prepare for a second wave, Novartis AG Chief Executive Officer Vas Narasimhan told Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung.

“A pandemic comes in waves," Narasimhan said. “It’s therefore important to continue to test and collect data."

His comments come as cases worldwide top 664,000. Data suggest the pace of new infections may be leveling off in Italy and Spain, where about half of the more than 30,800 deaths have occurred. While the two countries have likely reached a peak, a big surge in the U.S. is yet to come, Narasimhan said.

Novartis is considering requests from various companies to make its premises available for quick production of a medication to fight the Covid-19 disease. One of Novartis’s most promising treatments is its malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as pre-clinical studies with animals and first data from clinical studis show that it kills the coronavirus, he said.

The company halted planned job cuts as part of its restructuring program and doesn’t expect pandemic-related firings, Narasimhan said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Scrabbl staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)