Moorestown, New Jersey, United States
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
“I have no idea what's awaiting me, or what will happen when this all ends. For the moment I know this: there are sick people and they need curing.”― Albert Camus, The Plague
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. –
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, stated by Sherlock Holmes.
VIRAL INFLECTION
The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19’s Origins
Throughout 2020, the notion that the novel coronavirus leaked from a lab was off-limits. Those who dared to push for transparency say toxic politics and hidden agendas kept us in the dark.
JUNE 3, 2021
Additional reporting by Lili Pike, with research assistance from Stan Friedman.
Click to see the full document SBU
Click to see the full document LAUER, MICHAEL (NIH/OD) [E]
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Click to see the full document SEC Ford
Click to see the full document WHO Report analysis
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/the-lab-leak-theory-inside-the-fight-to-uncover-covid-19s-origins
U.S. Deaths Top 600,000; N.Y. Lifts Restrictions: Virus Update
Amid falling vaccination rates, the US maintains global records for both total cases and deaths.
Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World
Health authorities around the world are fighting a pandemic of Covid-19, a pneumonia-like illness, that has spread to more than 180 countries and territories—affecting every continent—since January 2020.
SARS-CoV-2′s claimed natural origin is undermined by issues with genome sequences of its relative strains
Coronavirus sequences RaTG13, MP789 and RmYN02 raise multiple questions to be critically addressed by the scientific community
Yuri Deigin, Rossana SegretoFirst published: 27 May 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.202100015
Yuri Deigin and Rossana Segreto contributed equally to this study.
Evidence for increased breakthrough rates of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in BNT162b2-mRNA-vaccinated individuals
- Talia Kustin, Noam Harel, […] Adi Stern
Nature Medicine (2021)
The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan?
By Nicholas Wade | May 5, 2021
https://thebulletin.org/2021/05/the-origin-of-covid-did-people-or-nature-open-pandoras-box-at-wuhan/
SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617 emergence and sensitivity to vaccine-elicited antibodies
Posted May 18, 2021.
Isabella Ferreira, Rawlings Datir, Steven Kemp, Guido Papa, Partha Rakshit, Sujeet Singh, Bo Meng, Rajesh Pandey, Kalaiarasan Ponnusamy, V.S. Radhakrishnan, The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), The CITIID-NIHR BioResource COVID-19 Collaboration, Kei Sato, Leo James, Anurag Agrawal, View ORCID ProfileRavindra K. Guptadoi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.08.443253
WSJ NEWS EXCLUSIVE
Intelligence on Sick Staff at Wuhan Lab Fuels Debate On Covid-19 Origin
Report says researchers went to hospital in November 2019, shortly before confirmed outbreak; adds to calls for probe of whether virus escaped lab
By Michael R. Gordon , Warren P. Strobel and Drew Hinshaw May 23, 2021 2:57 pm ET
Three Wuhan Institute of Virology researchers became sick enough in November 2019 that they sought hospital care, according to a U.S. intelligence report that could add to calls for a fuller probe of whether the Covid-19 virus may have escaped from the lab
https://twitter.com/WSJ/status/1396545972503777283
Did the coronavirus leak from a lab? These scientists say we shouldn’t rule it out.
For many scientists, challenging the idea that SARS-CoV-2 has natural origins is seen as career suicide. But a vocal few say it shouldn't be disregarded or lumped in with conspiracy theories.
by
March 18, 2021
THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN VIA AP IMAGES
China’s ‘Bat Woman,’ at the Center of a Pandemic Storm, Speaks Out
Shi Zhengli, a top virologist, said in a rare interview that speculation about her lab in Wuhan was baseless. But China’s habitual secrecy makes her claims hard to validate.
By Amy Qin and Chris Buckley
June 14, 2021Updated 10:21 a.m. ET
Why so many Covid-19 variants are showing up now
•Jun 16, 2021 Vox
Like any virus, SARS-CoV-2 has been mutating constantly since the beginning of the pandemic. Until November of 2020, though, that didn’t seem to matter. That’s when scientists in the United Kingdom noticed an alarming change: The virus had mutated in a way that made it more transmissible. Within a month, similar reports were emerging from places around the world. Suddenly, it seemed the virus was changing at an alarming rate. SARS-CoV-2 hasn’t actually been mutating faster, though. Instead, by letting it spread around the world, we’ve just given it more and more opportunities to mutate as it replicates. The result is that, after countless random mutations, there are signs that the virus is beginning to adapt to our natural defenses. And because it’s completely normal for a virus to change over time, we shouldn’t expect it to stop. The only real way to stop those changes is to stop giving the virus so many opportunities.
Evidence for increased breakthrough rates of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in BNT162b2-mRNA-vaccinated individuals
- Talia Kustin, Noam Harel, […]Adi Stern Nature Medicine (2021)
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01413-7#article-info
The Delta variant is serious. Here’s why it's on the rise.
The virus variant that caused infections to spike in the U.K. is now spreading in the U.S., and experts are very worried.
BYSANJAY MISHRAPUBLISHED JUNE 16, 2021
SARS-CoV-2 is well adapted for humans. What does this mean for re-emergence?
View ORCID ProfileShing Hei Zhan, View ORCID ProfileBenjamin E. Deverman, View ORCID Profile Yujia Alina Chandoi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.01.073262
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.01.073262v1
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: a review of SARS Lab Escapes
How China’s ‘Bat Woman’ Hunted Down Viruses from SARS to the New Coronavirus
Wuhan-based virologist Shi Zhengli has identified dozens of deadly SARS-like viruses in bat caves, and she warns there are more out there
- By Jane Qiu on June 1, 2020
- Editor’s Note (4/24/20): This article was originally published online on March 11. It has been updated for inclusion in the June 2020 issue of Scientific American and to address rumors that SARS-CoV-2 emerged from Shi Zhengli’s lab in China.
How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love the Lab-Leak Theory*
Uncanny similarity of unique inserts in the 2019-nCoV spike protein to HIV-1 gp120 and Gag
Prashant Pradhan, Ashutosh Kumar Pandey, Akhilesh Mishra, Parul Gupta, Praveen Kumar Tripathi, Manoj Balakrishnan Menon, James Gomes, Perumal Vivekanandan, Bishwajit Kundu:
This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?].
Abstract
We are currently witnessing a major epidemic caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The evolution of 2019-nCoV remains elusive. We found 4 insertions in the spike glycoprotein (S) which are unique to the 2019-nCoV and are not present in other coronaviruses. Importantly, amino acid residues in all the 4 inserts have identity or similarity to those in the HIV-1 gp120 or HIV-1 Gag. Interestingly, despite the inserts being discontinuous on the primary amino acid sequence, 3D-modelling of the 2019-nCoV suggests that they converge to constitute the receptor binding site. The finding of 4 unique inserts in the 2019-nCoV, all of which have identity /similarity to amino acid residues in key structural proteins of HIV-1 is unlikely to be fortuitous in nature. This work provides yet unknown insights on 2019-nCoV and sheds light on the evolution and pathogenicity of this virus with important implications for diagnosis of this virus.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.30.927871v1
Evidence mounts Wuhan lab studied live bats despite denials
Jerry Dunleavy Mon, June 14, 2021, 3:37 PM
The Science Suggests a Wuhan Lab Leak
The Covid-19 pathogen has a genetic footprint that has never been observed in a natural coronavirus.
By Steven Quay and Richard Muller June 6, 2021 11:59 am ET https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-science-suggests-a-wuhan-lab-leak-11622995184?mod=hp_opin_pos_2
No one can find the animal that gave people covid-19
Here’s your guide to the WHO-China search for the origins of the coronavirus.
by Antonio Regalado archive page
March 26, 2021
https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/26/1021263/bat-covid-coronavirus-cause-origin-wuhan/
China needs system to track coronavirus variants, says top virologist
Guan Yi warns that world must prepare to live with Covid-19, which needs close monitoring to respond to mutant strains and develop vaccines accordingly.
18 Jun 2021 - 10:00AM
June 18, 20215:23 AM EDT Last Updated 4 hours ago
Britain reports steep rise in weekly Delta variant cases
Reuters
New details on COVID origins and Wuhan lab l GMA
Jun 14, 2021 Good Morning America
Terry Moran reports on what lead researchers are learning about COVID-19 while studying inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Gravitas: What was China's Batwoman up to at the Wuhan lab?
•Jun 15, 2021 WION
The lab leak theory is gaining traction. As American sleuths investigate the Wuhan Lab angle, China's Batwoman Shi Zhengli has claimed that her lab didn't engage in any risky research. But, fresh reports are challenging her claims. Palki Sharma tells you more.
Every Victory–BiotecHOPE
Every Victory–BiotecHOPE
May 23, 2021 2:00 PM ETABBV, AMGN...
Summary
- the virus impact on Latin America, Brazil, India, Nepal, and many other countries brings such devastating and depressing news that it is difficult to feel upbeat about any biotech victories.
- In the time of many medical advances the bitcoin “Crypto” issue is irrelevant.
- I have been adding long positions in (MRK)(GILD)(AMGN)(JNJ)(ABBV)(AZN)(LLY) since September 2020.
- upbeat biotech/medical news is still not enough to counter the ongoing politico attacks against the biotech and bio-pharma community.
- “We will lift our eyes, we won't fear the fight"
- https://seekingalpha.com/instablog/5205071-danwatson888/5594643-every-victory-biotechope
Covid-19 Ranged From Illinois to Massachusetts Before States Reported First Cases
Blood samples show people in five U.S. states were infected early, including some in December 2019
By Betsy McKay June 15, 2021 9:00 am ET
Scientists Report Earliest Known Coronavirus Infections in Five U.S. States
Blood drawn from nine people in the earliest days of the pandemic tested positive for the infection. But some experts questioned the results
Trial results for a new Regeneron treatment have buoyed hopes that doctors could soon have a new way to tackle severe hospital cases.
AUTHORIZED FOR FDA EMERGENCY USE ONLY
REGEN-COV™ (CASIRIVIMAB AND IMDEVIMAB)
https://www.regeneron.com/medicines/casirivimab-imdevimab
Experts say waiving patents won’t help poorer nations acquire the technical complexity of manufacturing coronavirus vaccines.
- Pandemic aid for Maryland residents who fell behind on electric and gas bills will be forthcoming
- Potentially fatal black fungus cases reported in covid-19 patients in Oman, as infections there surge
- Moscow mayor mandates 60% of hospitality workers must be vaccinated
The places that were best at keeping Covid at bay are now struggling with their exit strategies.
Despite being one of the first countries to develop a jab, Covid cases are sharply rising in Russia.
What are the Delta Covid variant symptoms? - BBC News
•Jun 16, 2021 BBC News
The Delta variant of coronavirus, first identified in India, has changed how the virus is spreading, and the measures governments have to take to stop it. It has also changed the symptoms with a headache, sore throat and runny nose now the most commonly reported.
Pfizer had evidence the mRNA vaccine could stop the novel coronavirus. But it would do little good unless the company could quickly take new nanoparticle technology from lab to mass production, a feat never before accomplished.
https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/pfe/dividend-history
Monoclonal antibody therapy, given by drip, can save some of the sickest hospital patients.
Some groups of children may be vaccinated - but not all, the UK's vaccine experts are expected to say.
By Adam Taylor
THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION OF THE PANDEMIC IS SHIFTING
We understand how this will end. But who bears the risk that remains?
By Ed Yong JUNE 9, 2021
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/06/individualism-still-spoiling-pandemic-response/619133/
U.S. Pumps $3.2 Billion Into Covid-Fighting Antiviral Effort
Delta variant brings new pandemic threat to Germany
The good summer weather and strong vaccination numbers can obscure the dangers that the coronavirus still poses. Public health officials in Germany want to avoid a repeat of the false sense of security in summer 2020.
https://www.dw.com/en/delta-variant-brings-new-pandemic-threat-to-germany/a-57941352
Which vaccines are approved? How many people have been vaccinated? Here's all you need to know.
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
Gravitas: Caught On Camera: Bats locked up inside the Wuhan lab
•Jun 14, 2021 WION
Two videos have emerged that reveal what Chinese researchers were up to in Wuhan. One of them shows how bats were stored inside the Wuhan Lab. In the second clip, Peter Daszak can be heard explaining how Chinese researchers were manipulating viruses. Palki Sharma has more. #Gravitas #WuhanLab #Bats
China’s ‘Bat Woman,’ at the Center of a Pandemic Storm, Speaks Out
Shi Zhengli, a top virologist, said in a rare interview that speculation about her lab in Wuhan was baseless. But China’s habitual secrecy makes her claims hard to validate.
By Amy Qin and Chris Buckley
June 14, 2021Updated 10:21 a.m. ET
Shi Zhengli, A Virologist in Wuhan, Speaks Out Against 'Lab Leak ...
Nature-based or lab leak? Unraveling the debate over the origins of COVID-19
Accomplished scientists and public health officials stand on both sides.
ByKaitlyn Folmer,Sony Salzman,Sasha Pezenik,Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, andLucien Bruggeman June 14, 2021, 1:46 PM
https://abcnews.go.com/US/nature-based-man-made-unraveling-debate-origins-covid/story?id=78268577
New details on COVID origins and Wuhan lab
Mon, June 14, 2021, 3:22 AM ABC News·
Terry Moran reports on what lead researchers are learning about COVID-19 while studying inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
https://news.yahoo.com/details-covid-origins-wuhan-lab-072259777.html
First on CNN: HHS watchdog announces review of NIH grants that likely includes money connected to Wuhan lab
By Kristen Holmes and Priscilla Alvarez, CNN
Updated 10:30 AM ET, Tue June 15, 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/15/politics/nih-grants-review/index.html
- Jun 14, 2021, 09:19 PM (IST) New Delhi, Delhi, India
People who had been infected by the virus already have greater antibody response in comparison to those who have had no prior infection
While the move would mark another turning point in the transition out of the pandemic, it could also bring an end to provisions that have, for months, protected residents from some of the economic fallout of widespread lockdowns. By Rebecca Tan and Julie Zauzmer
Brian King Andrea Rishworth and Ruchi Patel, The Conversation Jun 14
How much difference could the G7 offer of a billion vaccines make to tackling the pandemic?
Vaccination rates are vastly different depending on which district you live in.
Taiwan Covid-19 vaccines may be too late for US emergency approval
Former health official flags competition problems for home-grown shots as global brands complete phase 3 clinical trials.
Another Guangdong City Launches Mass Covid-19 Testing
The southern Chinese city has lifted lockdowns in 11 areas of five districts following a drop in new cases
Jun 15, 2021 02:52 PM
Hong Kong may relax quarantine restrictions for fully vaccinated: commerce chief
Commerce secretary Edward Yau tells conference attendees city actively looking for ‘leeway’ in ways to loosen rules for those with two jabs, pointing to existing ‘vaccine bubble’ as example.
ABC News·
By Aaron Blake
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/15/jon-stewart-lab-leak-colbert/
Coronavirus digest: Chinese virologist denies COVID lab leak theory
The Wuhan-based scientist says claims the virus came from her lab are baseless. Meanwhile, India has begun easing restrictions after cases fell below a million for the first time in two months. 15.06.2021
https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-chinese-virologist-denies-covid-lab-leak-theory/a-57893880
Delta COVID variant wreaks havoc in Southern China
•Jun 14, 2021 CBS This Morning
The COVID-19 Delta variant has devastated Guangzhou, China for weeks as authorities race to respond. Ramy Inocencio reports. Each weekday morning, "CBS This Morning" co-hosts Gayle King, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil deliver two hours of original reporting, breaking news and top-level newsmaker interviews in an engaging and informative format that challenges the norm in network morning news programs.
The Delta variant is likely to delay England’s plan to reopen fully. Here’s the latest on Covid-19.
Cover Story: Guangzhou’s Battle Against a Potent Virus Variant
Medical workers in Guangzhou infected with coronavirus
Officials still hunting source of Hong Kong teen’s Alpha variant infection
Girl’s positive test broke city’s 42-streak of zero untraceable cases, and authorities are testing everything from rats to frozen food to find origins of 17-year-old’s infection.
Novavax says large study finds its vaccine about 90 per cent effective
The study, which involved nearly 30,000 people in the US and Mexico, showed the shot was highly effective against Covid-19 and also protected against variants, Novavax said.
AstraZeneca vaccine has good risk-benefit profile for over 60s, says European Medicines Agency
It was reported the European Medicines Agency (EMA) task force chief had said countries should avoid giving the vaccine to people over 60 amid blood clot fears. 14 Jun 2021 - 4:42AM
- In a trial, the company’s vaccine demonstrated an overall efficacy of 90.4 percent, on par with the vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
- Despite the impressive results, the vaccine’s future in the U.S., awash in other shots, is uncertain, and it might be needed more in other countries.
Vaccinated people were completely protected against severe and even moderate cases of illness by the two-shot regimen in a 30,000-person trial conducted when variants had begun to complicate the pandemic.By Carolyn Y. Johnson
Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Demonstrates 90% Overall Efficacy and 100% Protection Against Moderate and Severe Disease in PREVENT-19 Phase 3 Trial
Jun 14, 2021 at 6:00 AM EDTDownload PDF
- 93% efficacy against predominantly circulating Variants of Concern and Variants of Interest
- 91% efficacy in high-risk populations
- 100% efficacy against variants "not considered Variants of Concern/Interest"
- All COVID-19 hospitalizations/death occurred in the placebo group
- Company to host investor conference call today at 8:30 am ET
GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), today announced that NVX-CoV2373, its recombinant nanoparticle protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, demonstrated 100% protection against moderate and severe disease, 90.4% efficacy overall, and met the primary endpoint in its PREVENT-19 pivotal Phase 3 trial. The study enrolled 29,960 participants across 119 sites in the U.S. and Mexico to evaluate efficacy, safety and immunogenicity, with an emphasis on recruiting a representative population of communities and demographic groups most impacted by the disease.
https://ir.novavax.com/news-releases/news-release-details/novavax-covid-19-vaccine-demonstrates-90-overall-efficacy-and
Novavax vaccine impact more likely to be felt overseas, at least initially
Jun. 14, 2021 9:25 AM ET Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor1 Comment
- With strong phase 3 efficacy results released this morning, Novavax's (NASDAQ:NVAX) COVID-19 is poised to join other authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3706018-novavax-vaccine-impact-more-likely-to-be-felt-overseas-at-least-initially
- https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/NVAX
Opinion
A Vaccine the World Badly Needs Looks Better Than Ever
Novavax’s shot has been beset by delays and setbacks, but new data suggests it is a highly effective shot that could play a big role in the global pandemic fight.
By Max Nisen June 14, 2021, 11:15 AM EDT
Life In Caracas
In World’s Worst Vaccine Line, the Wait Lasts Hours and Gets You Nothing
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from Houston hospital workers that challenged a vaccine mandate.
Bob Menendez and Susan Collins
We need a commission to study America’s Covid-19 response.
Will China drop its coronavirus travel restrictions any time soon?
“We don’t want to be so restrictive to children that they aren’t able to enjoy themselves and have fun,” one pediatrician said.
UPDATED ON JUN 14, 2021 06:25 PM IST
June 21 was supposed to mark England's “freedom day.”By Jennifer Hassan, Paul Schemm and Adam Taylor
Moscow orders strict lockdown as COVID cases surge | DW News
•Jun 13, 2021 DW News
Moscow's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has ordered many businesses to send workers home to head off a surge in COVID-19 cases. Infections have doubled in the last few days. It's the first time this year that tough measures have been imposed in the Russian capital. Throughout the pandemic, President Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia has handled it better than most. But the intensive care units in Moscow's hospitals tell a different story. More than three quarters of COVID-19 beds are full. The mayor has now ordered a 'week off' - work-free days with pay for all non-essential workers - as authorities try to slow the spread. Doctors are glad some social distancing measures are back. But as cases surge they're worried by what they see. Some Muscovites are also worried, but for different reasons. Out enjoying the early summer, the new restrictions are a reminder that life isn't back to normal yet. As Moscow prepares for a week at home, doctors and politicians agree that the only way out is to ramp up the vaccine drive.
The G-7’s 1 Billion Pledge for New Vaccine Doses Comes Up Short
G-7 Commits to 1 Billion Extra Covid Shots in Final Communique
The Americans who have died of covid-19 in recent days and weeks passed away even as their families, friends and neighbors emerged from 15 months of isolation and fear. By Marc Fisher, Fenit Nirappil, Annie Gowen and Lori Rozsa
G7 calls for renewed Covid-19 origins search, respect for rights in Xinjiang
Indonesia sees biggest coronavirus spike since February
Indonesia is nearing 2 million total cases and is bracing for a peak in Covid-19 infections after the Eid al-Fitr festival last month.
Chinese city leaders under scrutiny over surge in coronavirus cases
Disciplinary task force set up to hold local cadres to account for flurry of cases.
Indian stores offer Covid-19 deals for vaccinated customers
India’s high rate of vaccine hesitancy is impeding the government’s aim to inoculate 300 million people by August.
13 Jun 2021 - 9:00AM
Andy Slavitt: “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”
Uncontrolled Spread
Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic
https://www.harpercollins.ca/9780063080010/uncontrolled-spread/
Advanced mRNA vaccine for Covid-19 nears completion of regulatory reviews as drugmakers start preparing Shanghai factory
- Cover Story: Guangzhou’s Battle Against a Potent Virus Variant
- Over 90% of Beijing Adults Have Recieved a Covid-19 Vaccine Dose
Taiwan scrambles for vaccines after Covid-19 breaches its defences13 Jun 2021 - 3:04PM
Sorrento Receives Authorization From the UK Regulatory Agency to Conduct a Phase 2 Clinical Trial for COVI-DROPS in an Outpatient Setting
June 11, 2021 at 4:11 PM EDTDownload PDF
- Large Phase 2 efficacy trial cleared to start in the United Kingdom in newly diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.
- COVI-DROPS is administered by intranasal drops and the antibody is active against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as the UK/Alpha and India/Delta variants, currently prevalent in the UK and US.
SAN DIEGO, June 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRNE, "Sorrento"
By Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. | Business World
Some 2% of coronavirus tests in the U.S. are coming back positive, far below the percentage while the pandemic was raging.
- WHO Chief Urges China to Cooperate With Probe Into Covid-19 Origins
- India Prepares for More Surges
- Tracking Vaccine Distribution in U.S.
- Many Indian cities lift restrictions, despite worries from public health experts
- Analysis: Those vaccine pledges for lower-income countries at the G-7? Experts say they just aren’t enough.
"Declassify It": GOP Senators Demand Wuhan Virology Lab Information Be Released
•Jun 11, 2021 Forbes Breaking News
In a Senate GOP press conference yesterday, Republicans demanded that information into the Wuhan Institute of Virology and gain of function research be declassified.
Understanding China’s Covid Propaganda
Beijing wants questions unresolved so it can sell its people on the foreign-origin possibility
By Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. June 11, 2021 5:17 pm ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/understanding-chinas-covid-propaganda-11623446278?mod=hp_opin_pos_2
China’s ‘Bat Woman,’ at the Center of a Pandemic Storm, Speaks Out
Shi Zhengli, a top virologist, said in a rare interview that speculation about her lab in Wuhan was baseless. But China’s habitual secrecy makes her claims hard to validate.
By Amy Qin and Chris Buckley
June 14, 2021 Updated 10:21 a.m. ET
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/14/world/asia/china-covid-wuhan-lab-leak.html
G7 to pledge 1 billion vaccines for global rollout | DW News
Jun 11, 2021 DW News
World leaders gathering in south west England will announce a plan to help vaccinate poorer countries by the end of next year. At the G7 summit in Cornwall, they will pledge to provide one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines. The move aims to address criticism that wealthy nations have secured the vast majority of vaccines against coronavirus for themselves. Meeting UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the summit, President Joe Biden said the US would donate 500 million vaccine shots. In many African countries very few people have received even one dose. And just a month ago India was breaking records with its numbers of new cases and deaths, and a shortage of vaccines. The South Asian country has been one of the worst affected by the pandemic. So can this vaccine offer make a real difference?
June 10, 20212:34 PM EDT United States
Heart inflammation in young men higher than expected after Pfizer, Moderna vaccines -U.S. CDC
Michael ErmanManojna Maddipatla
What you need to know about Hong Kong’s Covid-19 vaccination drive for children
Children aged 12 and above can begin booking BioNTech shots from Friday and receive the jabs as soon as Monday.
Malaysia extends lockdown; Pakistan province to block phones of unjabbed
The shutdown, due to end on June 14, will continue until June 28.
The American Academy of Pediatrics called on parents to get their children up to date on shots before they return to the classroom.By Lena H. Sun
As Covid-19 Becomes Endemic, Singapore Will Shift Focus From Daily Cases to Their Clinical Condition
Change is already happening, with the authorities looking at the condition of people who are infected
Jun 11, 2021 04:57 PM
State policies regarding vaccinations will play a key role in whether schools can require Covid-19 vaccinations in a way similar to how many require shots for infectious diseases such as measles.217 min
- Covid-19 Deaths This Year Have Exceeded 2020 Toll
- U.S. Suspends J&J Vaccine Shipments as States Face Surplus of Expiring Doses
- States Pile On Covid-19 Vaccine Incentives
By Monica Gandhi and Jeanne Noble | Commentary
India reports the world's worst single-day COVID-19-death toll | DW News
•Jun 10, 2021 DW News
India reported 6,148 new deaths from coronavirus on Thursday. It represents the highest single-day death toll from the virus in the world. The sharp spike in numbers has been attributed to the eastern state of Bihar correcting its figures. Authorities revised the state’s earlier total from about 5,400 to more than 9,400 coronavirus-related deaths to account for patients who succumbed to the virus at home or at private hospitals. The increase in numbers surpassed the 5,444 virus-linked deaths recorded in the US on February 12. With a caseload of over 29.2 million infections and nearly 360,000 fatalities, India remains the world’s second-worst affected country after the United States. However, experts maintain that the figures are massively undercounted.
Sam Fazeli
G7 plans 1 billion extra shots to end pandemic in 2022
G7 leaders were to vow enough coronavirus vaccine doses to help cover 80 per cent of the world’s adult population, according to a draft communique.
U.S. is in discussions with Moderna on buying Covid vaccine doses for other nations
PUBLISHED WED, JUN 9 20214:30 PM EDTUPDATED WED, JUN 9 20215:36 PM EDT Meg Tirrell
Johns Hopkins University Epidemiologist Gypsyamber D'Souza explains how the U.S. can reach coronavirus herd immunity and what happens if that goal is missed.
PM Narendra Modi says all adults in India will now get free vaccines - but wasn't that the case before?
Delhi and Mumbai are among the major cities that are easing weeks-long restrictions.
FDA advisory panel meets to discuss Covid vaccines in infants and children
Moderna asks FDA to clear Covid vaccine for adolescents 12 to 17
EU and U.S. to call for a deeper probe into Covid origins
COVID-19 vaccine: What parents and kids need to know | COVID-19 Special
•Jun 9, 2021 DW News
Vaccines are turning the tide in the pandemic in Europe and the US. Attention has turned from adults to children. Some say they should get the jab too. But shouldn't the limited supply of vaccines go to people in poorer countries? After all, kids rarely develop severe cases of COVID. Some parents have voiced safety concerns. Pharma firms say the shots are safe for minors. Is it time to vaccinate the young?
With millions of children now eligible for a coronavirus vaccine, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend children get inoculated. By Lindsey Bever
By Laurie McGinley, Christopher Rowland and Isaac Stanley-Becker
The coronavirus has changed and changed again, getting more transmissible each time.
The US is set to confirm it will give 500m doses of the Pfizer vaccine to the international Covax scheme.
Opinion by Stephen Marche
EU flags another rare blood condition as side effect of AstraZeneca jab
The European Medicines Agency’s safety committee said that capillary leak syndrome must be added as a new side effect to labelling on the shot. 11 Jun 2021 - 10:01PM
UK takes swipe at countries using vaccine diplomacy to secure influence
Foreign minister Dominic Raab said there was no doubt some countries were using jabs as diplomatic tool to buy influence.
11 Jun 2021 - 8:06PM
Cover Story: Guangzhou’s Battle Against a Potent Virus Variant
J&J Shot’s Shelf Life Extended by FDA After Fear of Spoiling
CDC Advisers to Meet on Heart Inflammation Link to Covid Shots
A Scientist Who Said No to Covid Groupthink
By Adam O’Neal | The Weekend Interview
As Western economies roar back to life, a fresh wave of Covid-19 clusters in Asia—where vaccination campaigns remain in their early stages—is creating new bottlenecks in the global supply chain.
“It was evident that the pandemic affected everyone differently, and kids who needed the most support often felt the hardest to reach," said Angela Chan, a Philadelphia teacher.
Kristen A. Graham, Melanie Burney, and Maddie Hanna
As Philly’s indoor mask mandate expires, gym goers welcome it, while some others are still adjusting
Ellie Rushing Jun 11
Bethany Ao and Aparna Nathan Jun 11
Stacey Burling Jun 10
Inside India's Catastrophic Second Wave
•Jun 8, 2021 Bloomberg Quicktake
The seeds of this year's massive coronavirus death toll in India were sown by a premature declaration of victory after the first wave in 2020, a series of government mistakes and rampant misinformation on social media.
By Laura H. Kahn | Biosecurity
SARS-CoV-2′s claimed natural origin is undermined by issues with genome sequences of its relative strains
Coronavirus sequences RaTG13, MP789 and RmYN02 raise multiple questions to be critically addressed by the scientific community
Yuri Deigin, Rossana Segreto First published: 27 May 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.202100015
Yuri Deigin and Rossana Segreto contributed equally to this study.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bies.202100015
#Gravitas #UnitedStates #Wuhan
Gravitas: Did the United States suspect a lab leak in Wuhan last year?
•Jun 8, 2021 WION
Did the United States suspect a lab leak in Wuhan last year? A new report now claims that in May 2020, American experts at a top laboratory found a lab leak "plausible". WION's Palki Sharma tells you more about the American assessment.
New details on COVID origins and Wuhan lab
Mon, June 14, 2021, 3:22 AM
Terry Moran reports on what lead researchers are learning about COVID-19 while studying inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology. ABC News·
https://news.yahoo.com/details-covid-origins-wuhan-lab-072259777.html
#covidUK #deltavariant #coronavirus
Delta variant: Is the UK facing a fourth wave of coronavirus infections? | DW News
•Jun 9, 2021 DW News
Authorities have said the prevalence of the delta variant is responsible for the sharp rise in cases in England. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a difficult decision on whether to reopen the country on June 21. That's the day Johnson's government said people could look forward to a lifting of all limits on social contacts. The UK started easing lockdown restrictions in mid-April. But a coronavirus variant known as "Delta" has put further reopening in doubt, as cases of the mutation rise. Delta was first identified in India. It is now the dominant strain among the average 5,000 daily cases being reported in Britain.
Delta variant has 60 per cent transmission edge over Alpha: UK expert
Epidemiologist Neil Ferguson said that up to a quarter of the Delta variant’s transmissibility edge over Alpha might come from its immune escape from vaccines.
The variant, known as Delta, is believed to be 40% to 50% more transmissible than the variant that emerged in U.K., highlighting the need for global vaccination.3 min
- Study Finds Slightly Elevated Risk of Bleeding Disorders After AstraZeneca Vaccine
- J&J CEO Says Vaccine Will Be Important Tool to Contain Pandemic
India’s Serum Institute is at the centre of global Covid-19 vaccine shortage
Several nations, including Nepal, entered into direct contracts with Serum and are now racing to find new suppliers.
9 Jun 2021 - 11:47AM
While the rapidly mutating virus is spreading farther and faster, current vaccines, testing and control measures are still effective, experts say
- In Depth: Asia’s Ruined Run of Pandemic Success
- Cover Story: Guangzhou’s Battle Against a Potent Virus Variant
PM Narendra Modi says all adults in India will now get free vaccines - but wasn't that the case before?
Delhi and Mumbai are among the major cities that are easing weeks-long restrictions.
The southern metropolis closed farmers markets and entertainment and culture venues in medium and high-risk areas in ongoing efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19. The city reported 115 cases, including 106 confirmed cases and nine asymptomatic cases, as of Tuesday. The government has taken measures to meet the needs of residents living in locked-down areas
Jun 09, 2021 05:58 PM
The Wall Street Journal’s trackers show trends in Covid-19 cases and death, totals for countries around the world, as well as vaccine distribution in the U.S.
Merck Announces Supply Agreement with U.S. Government for Molnupiravir, an Investigational Oral Antiviral Candidate for Treatment of Mild to Moderate COVID-19 June 9, 2021 6:45 am ET
U.S. government commits to purchase approximately 1.7 million courses of Molnupiravir upon issuance of Emergency Use Authorization or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
KENILWORTH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced it has entered into a procurement agreement with the United States government for molnupiravir (MK-4482). Molnupiravir is currently being evaluated in a Phase 3 clinical trial, the MOVe-OUT study, for the treatment of non-hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and at least one risk factor associated with poor disease outcomes. Merck is developing molnupiravir in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
For more information on the molnupiravir clinical trial please visit https://merckcovidresearch.com/.
The ‘unknown’ Covid deaths in rural India – BBC News
Jun 8, 2021
The second Covid wave ravaged India as hospitals and then crematoriums ran out of space. While cities were first hit, the second wave of coronavirus soon reached rural parts of the country, where hundreds died due to poor or no access to good healthcare. Most of them were not even able to get a Covid test. Experts now believe the number of deaths in rural India is much higher than has been recorded in official statistics. The BBC visited villages in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, one of the worst-hit, to investigate alleged under-reporting of these deaths.
#Gravitas #AnthonyFauci #Covid19
Gravitas: Covid origins: Did Fauci know the virus is "engineered"?
•Jun 7, 2021 WION
In January 2020, A leading infectious disease expert wrote an email to Anthony Fauci - claiming that the virus shows some "unusual features" that "potentially looked engineered".
EU and U.S. to call for a deeper probe into Covid origins Silvia Amaro
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer
The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan?
By Nicholas Wade | May 5, 2021
https://thebulletin.org/2021/05/the-origin-of-covid-did-people-or-nature-open-pandoras-box-at-wuhan/
Bat virus? Bioweapon? What the science says about Covid-19 origins
Speculation about the emergence of the new coronavirus is spreading almost as quickly as the pandemic
Scientists believe some pathways are more probable than others
Simone McCarthy and Stephen Chen in Beijing Published: 11:00am, 11 Apr, 2020
Wuhan pneumonia: new strain ‘bears close similarity to Sars’ as Hong Kong health minister assures public city is prepared
Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan says Hong Kong has plenty of beds and protective gear, but appeals to retailers not to jack up prices of masks Victor Ting Published: 1:21pm, 11 Jan, 2020
Wuhan virus kills fourth patient, infects hospital staff amid fear of ‘super-spreader’
Priority now to stop emergence of ‘super-spreader’, with one carrier already infecting more than a dozen medical staff, specialist says
Authorities in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, report a fourth death and 15 infections among hospital staff
Gigi Choy and Alice Yan Published: 9:40pm, 20 Jan, 2020
The central Chinese city of Wuhan reported more than 130 cases of the virus over the weekend alone.
Coronavirus could attack immune system like HIV by targeting protective cells, warn scientists
Researchers in China and the US find that the virus that causes Covid-19 can destroy the T cells that are supposed to protect the body from harmful invaders
One doctor said concern is growing in medical circles that effect could be similar to HIV
Stephen Chen in Beijing Published: 5:30am, 12 Apr, 2020
The virus is “simply a piece of bad news wrapped up in protein,”
Coronavirus can survive long exposure to high temperature, a threat to lab staff around world: paper
French scientists had to bring the temperature to almost boiling point to kill virus
Results have implications for the safety of lab technicians working with the virus
Stephen Chen in Beijing Published: 4:00pm, 14 Apr, 2020
How Li Wenliang's death sparked Chinese demand for freedom of speech How It All Started: China's Early Coronavirus Missteps
Covid origin: Why the Wuhan lab-leak theory is being taken seriously
Published 5/27/2021
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57268111
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer
INVESTIGATIONS JAN. 4, 2021
The Lab-Leak Hypothesis
For decades, scientists have been hot-wiring viruses in hopes of preventing a pandemic, not causing one. But what if …?
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/coronavirus-lab-escape-theory.html
The (very strong) case for COVID-19 leaking from a Chinese lab
If it wasn't a lab leak, the fact that a novel coronavirus just happened to emerge in Wuhan would be one of history's greatest coincidences
Author of the article:Tristin Hopper
Publishing date: May 28, 2021
https://nationalpost.com/news/the-very-strong-case-for-covid-19-leaking-from-a-chinese-lab
Gravitas Plus: The Lab Leak Theory
•Premiered Jun 5, 2021 WION
18 months & 3.7 million deaths later, the Lab Leak Theory is being taken seriously. Is there new evidence now? Why did the world wait so long? Why were our reports labelled “fake” & “misleading?” On Gravitas Plus, WION's Palki Sharma decodes the politics & possibility of a Made In China virus.
The Science Suggests a Wuhan Lab Leak
The Covid-19 pathogen has a genetic footprint that has never been observed in a natural coronavirus.
By Steven Quay and Richard Muller June 6, 2021 11:59 am ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-science-suggests-a-wuhan-lab-leak-11622995184?mod=hp_opin_pos_2
China’s Bat Hunter and Bat Woman under scrutiny as coronavirus lab-leak theory gets another look
MAY 24, 2021
How the Liberal Media Dismissed the Lab-Leak Theory and Smeared Its Supporters
China’s Bat Hunter and Bat Woman under scrutiny as coronavirus lab-leak theory gets another look
#Gravitas #COVID19 #WuhanVirus
Gravitas: Covid-19 Origins: Was the virus "manipulated" in a lab?
•May 31, 20214 WION
A new study claims that the virus was "manipulated" in a lab. While British spies are saying that the possibility of a lab leak is "feasible". WION's Palki tells you how a hunt for the origins of the Wuhan virus has intensified.
Stephen L. Carter
#Newsnight #BBCNews #Coronavirus
Covid-19: Did the pandemic start in a Wuhan lab? - BBC Newsnight
•Jun 9, 2021 BBC News
More than 18 months on from the start of the pandemic, the claim Covid-19 may have leaked from a Chinese laboratory is gaining traction. Why are the origins of Covid-19 still a mystery? After the virus was first detected in China, authorities linked early Covid cases to a seafood market in Wuhan, leading scientists to theorise the virus first passed to humans from animals. But in recent weeks the controversial claim that the pandemic might have leaked from a Chinese laboratory - once dismissed by many as a fringe conspiracy theory - has been gaining traction. Now, US President Joe Biden has announced an urgent investigation that will look into the theory as a possible origin of the disease. So what do we know about the competing theories - and why does the debate matter? Newsnight’s Mark Urban reports.
By Laura H. Kahn | Biosecurity
Underreported cases and a spreading Delta variant: Is India opening up too soon? | COVID-19 Special
•Jun 15, 2021 DW News
A second wave of COVID-19 hit India hard. But case numbers look like they're falling. Restrictions are easing. Shops, businesses and public transport are opening in Delhi. People in Mumbai can catch a movie at the cinema. So is India ready? The country's vaccination drive remains sluggish. And testing isn't widespread. Experts warn case numbers and deaths are being underreported. They say it's too soon to lift restrictions. The construction sector was one of the first to open. It relies largely on migrant labour. Deprived of any means to earning a living during the lockdown, many construction workers went back to their villages. They are now returning to the capital hoping to find work. But does the city have enough to offer them so they can again earn their livelihood?
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
Why the China Covid lab-leak theory is being taken seriously - BBC News
•May 28, 2021 BBC News
Nearly a year and a half since Covid-19 was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the question of how the virus first emerged remains a mystery. But in recent weeks the controversial claim that the pandemic might have leaked from a Chinese laboratory - once dismissed by many as a fringe conspiracy theory - has been gaining traction. Now, US President Joe Biden has announced an urgent investigation that will look into the theory as a possible origin of the disease. China's foreign ministry accused the US of "political manipulation and blame shifting", rejecting any link between Covid-19 and a virus research lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Ros Atkins explores what the US investigations are covering.
Faye Flam
The mutation, a combination of the Indian and UK variants, is described by officials as "very dangerous".
Find Covid Origin or Face Another Pandemic, U.S. Experts Warn
PUBLISHED ON MAY 30, 2021 11:14 PM IST
The claim Covid-19 may have leaked from a Chinese laboratory is gaining traction. Here's what we know.
U.S. Cases Drop by Half in May; India Passes Peak: Virus Update
Guangzhou Locks Down Neighborhood as Variant From India Reported
The (very strong) case for COVID-19 leaking from a Chinese lab
If it wasn't a lab leak, the fact that a novel coronavirus just happened to emerge in Wuhan would be one of history's greatest coincidences
Author of the article: Tristin Hopper Publishing date: May 28, 2021
After months of being dismissed as a fringe conspiracy theory, official support is starting to build for the notion that the COVID-19 pandemic is not a freak accident of nature, but was rather the result of an accidental escape from a Chinese virology lab.
https://nationalpost.com/news/the-very-strong-case-for-covid-19-leaking-from-a-chinese-lab
Guangdong in high gear to quash coronavirus outbreak
- Authorities ramp up screening for pathogen to contain cases as key political events loom
- Infections raise questions for possible reopening of border with Hong Kong
City districts shut as Chinese province continues Covid-19 battle Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
India's wealth and tech divide mean that only some people get to grieve online in the country's deadly second covid wave.
Malaysia Doctors May Have to Decide Who Lives Amid Record Cases
Taiwan’s coronavirus outbreak ‘spreading from first hot zones’
Health minister says more cases are being reported outside Taipei and New Taipei City.
30 May 2021 - 6:31AM
France Is Ready to Start Cutting Back Crisis Aid, Minister Says
Egypt Bets on Ancient Finds to Pull Tourism Out of Pandemic
Health authorities observe 11.86 cases of side effects per 100,000 Covid-19 shots
May 29, 2021 09:02 PM
Marie McCullough, Bethany Ao, Tom Avril, and Stacey Burling May 28
As Europe reopens, The Washington Post spoke with some of the people who dedicated themselves to helping others during the coronavirus pandemic.
Stacey Burling May 28
COVID-19 Is Surging in Southeast Asia
Thanks to early adoption of public health measures, countries in Southeast Asia have fared relatively well in the pandemic. But now, many are facing exponential increases in case numbers—and the situation may get worse, with a knock-on effect from India
How the World's Most Prevalent COVID-19 Vaccine Is Made
Breaking Down What COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Means
Companies can require employees to get COVID-19 shot: EEOC
May 29, 2021 11:54 PM ETBNTX, JNJ...By: Dulan Lokuwithana, SA News Editor344 Comments
- Employers can require their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the latest update to the guidance issued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3701444-companies-can-require-employees-to-get-covid-19-shot-eeoc
05-28-2021
EEOC Issues Updated COVID-19 Technical Assistance
Provides Additional Information on Vaccinations
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today posted updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing questions arising under the federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws. The EEOC also posted a new resource for job applicants and employees, explaining how federal employment discrimination laws protect workers during the pandemic. These publications are provided to help employees and employers understand their rights and responsibilities at work during the pandemic.
https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-issues-updated-covid-19-technical-assistance
I’m Not Scared to Reenter Society. I’m Just Not Sure I Want To.
What's behind the resurgence of the Wuhan lab theory? | DW News
May 27, 2021 DW News
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a deeper investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, Biden said the majority of the US intelligence community had "coalesced" around two likely scenarios: that the virus was transmitted to humans via contact with an infected animal, or it emerged from a lab accident. Some Biden administration officials have harbored strong doubts about the lab leak theory. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser, said Wednesday that he and other scientists "believe that the most likely scenario is that this was a natural occurrence, but no one knows that 100% for sure." "I believe we do need the kind of investigation where there's open transparency and for all the information that's available, to be made available and to scrutinize," Fauci said at a Senate hearing. China wholly rejects the theory that SARS-CoV-2 escaped from a lab, and the Chinese Embassy in the US called the idea a "conspiracy theory" in statement released shortly after Biden's announcement. The embassy added that " some people are turning to their old playbook" and indulging in "irresponsible behaviors" The WHO launched its own investigation earlier this year, but could not determine the animal source. There have been concerns that China was not as cooperative with the investigation as they could have been. However, the team determined that a lab leak was "extremely unlikely." The virus has since spread to virtually every country around the world, killing more than 3 million people, according to Johns Hopkins University.
President Biden orders review of claims Covid came from Chinese lab - BBC News
•May 27, 2021 BBC News
President Biden has ordered a review of intelligence about where the Covid-19 virus originated from. It follows renewed speculation in America that the virus leaked from a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where it was first identified. The World Health Organisation is preparing further studies into its origins, having previously said it was “highly improbable” that it came from a lab. China has accused the US of playing politics with coronavirus.
China accuses the US of "political manipulation" over investigations into the origins of the pandemic.
France joins Austria and Germany in introducing restrictions due to the spread of the Indian variant.
US urges WHO to carry out second phase of coronavirus origin study in China
The initial investigation was ‘insufficient and inconclusive’, the US says, calling for independent experts to be given full access to original data and samples.
The History of Lab Leaks Has Lots of Entries
Smallpox, anthrax and influenzas have escaped facilities — sometimes with deadly consequences.
By Stephen Mihm May 27, 2021, 9:00 AM EDT
"Why Did You Dismiss The Lab-Leak Theory?": Rubio Grills Fauci On Past Statements Of COVID-19 Origin
•May 27, 2021 Forbes Breaking News
At yesterday's Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on NIH funding, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) asked Dr. Anthony Fauci about the origins of COVID-19 and his past statements downplaying the lab-leak theory.
By Annie Linskey, Shane Harris and David Willman
- Facebook’s reversal on banning claims that covid-19 is manmade could unleash more anti-Asian sentiment
- Analysis: What a proven coronavirus lab-leak theory would mean
Facebook reverses ban on posts claiming Covid-19 came from Chinese lab
The decision follows Biden’s call for a further probe into theories about the coronavirus’ origins, including the possibility it was released from a facility in Wuhan.
The relief of being vaccinated against the coronavirus is being replaced by a new worry: Is immunity a ticking clock? Should they plan a family wedding this fall? Will everyone need booster shots? When? By Carolyn Y. Johnson
Carolyn Y. Johnson, Washington Post May 27
Central government is ‘very worried’ about reports of triple-digit increases in infections over 11 consecutive days
May 27, 2021 08:38 PM
Mary Adamson, For The Inquirer May 27
Sanjay Mishra, The Conversation May 27
Sinopharm finally publishes Covid-19 vaccine trial data
Interim Phase 3 results suggest two products have efficacy rates well above 50 per cent but there is little data on the elderly and other vulnerable groups. 27 May 2021 - 10:08PM
Taiwan working on ‘room temperature’ DNA vaccine for Covid-19
Scientists say a vaccine using the radical new technology could be ready to enter human clinical trials by the end of the year after tests on mice and hamsters.
By Dan Keating and Leslie Shapiro
Emergency likely to be extended to June 20
3:11 pm, May 27, 2021japan coronavirusThe government intends officially to decide on Friday to extend to June 20 the coronavirus state of emergency that is in effect for nine prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with Health, Labor and...
1,413 people seriously ill with COVID-19 in Japan
6:17 pm, May 26, 2021japan coronavirusA record 1,413 people were seriously ill with COVID-19 nationwide on Wednesday, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. The number increased by 119 from the previous day. It was the 26th day in a row, counting from May 1...
‘I don’t really trust it’: Russians reject Sputnik jab despite Putin’s pleas
U.K. Approves Single-Shot J&J Vaccine Adding to British Arsenal
Brazil Let 70 Million Shots Get Away and Sealed Its Covid Fate
City of London Awakens as Subway Traffic Hits Pandemic-Era High
The History of Lab Leaks Has Lots of Entries
Smallpox, anthrax and influenzas have escaped facilities — sometimes with deadly consequences.
By Stephen Mihm May 27, 2021, 9:00 AM EDT
No matter where the inquiry leads, the history of lab safety shows, at the very least, that leaks of pathogens have happened in the past — sometimes with deadly consequences. It also shows that even transparent, thorough investigations into the origins of an outbreak can end in uncertainty.
Brazilian study indicates Sinovac shot benefit when majority of population vaccinated
May 31, 2021 10:40 AM ET Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (SVA) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor4 Comments
- A study study from Brazil found that the COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac (NASDAQ:SVA) can effectively manage the the disease when at least 75% of the population is vaccinated, G1 reports.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3701474-brazilian-study-indicates-sinovac-shot-benefit-when-majorit-of-population-vaccinated
Nepal runs out of hospital beds, oxygen, vaccines | COVID-19 Special
May 31, 2021 DW News
Nepal is in lockdown, battling its worst surge in COVID-19. The health care sector is totally overwhelmed. The government's desperately calling for help from abroad and even the help of international tourists, a record number of whom have registered to climb the world's most famous mountain this year. The season's coming to an end, but the climbers could still do the people of Nepal a huge favor.
Ramaphosa Tightens South Africa’s Virus Curbs as Cases Jump
Loni Prinsloo and S'thembile Cele
China’s southern Guangdong province in high gear to quash Covid-19 outbreak
•May 31, 2021 South China Morning Post
China’s southern Guangdong province has expanded mass-testing campaigns to five districts, following an outbreak that began on May 21, 2021. The latest infection cases have been linked to variants first detected in India and the UK. On May 30, the province reported 20 new coronavirus cases, 16 of which were asymptomatic. China’s national vaccine drive, meanwhile, gained momentum, with 100 million shots administered over the span of five days alone, pushing the country past the 600 million-dose mark.
#Coronavirus #Healthcare #Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic's long-term impact on healthcare systems | COVID-19 Special
May 28, 2021 DW News
Even as many parts of the world start to open up again, front line workers are struggling to cope with the silent toll of the COVID-19 pandemic - burnout.
From academic research centers to scientific journals, health workers and scientists fighting the pandemic say they are hitting a wall. Some health-care workers have already thrown in the towel and taken up a completely different job. For the doctors and nurses who can soldier on, there's still a lot of work. There may be light at the end of the tunnel, but the crisis isn't over.
‘Death all around’: bereaved Indians search for solace amid Covid-19
Few in India have been untouched by the deadly second wave of coronavirus infections. In the absence of physical outlets to grieve for their loved ones, many have turned to virtual communities, helplines and tribute sites.
31 May 2021 - 11:08AM
Dangers of social media and isolation in a pandemic explored in new short film
Indian children battle grief and guilt as Covid-19 claims parents
Malaysia goes into total lockdown amid worsening Covid-19 outbreak
Jun 1, 2021 South China Morning Post
Malaysia began a two-week nationwide lockdown on June 1, 2021, to battle a surge in Covid-19 infections in the country. Only essential businesses such as banks, supermarkets and medical clinics are allowed to open, while travelling across the country remains banned. As of May 31, Malaysia had reported 12 consecutive days of more than 6,000 daily infections, according to the World Health Organization. The Malaysian government also announced a 40 billion ringgit (US$9.7 billion) stimulus package to cushion the economic impact of the lockdown.
German Risk Level Cut; Variants Get Greek Letters: Virus Update
Vietnam discovers new Covid-19 strain, hybrid of Indian and British variants
•May 29, 2021 FRANCE 24 English
Vietnam has discovered a new coronavirus variant that’s a hybrid of strains first found in India and the U.K., the Vietnamese health minister said Saturday.
Vietnam’s Health Ministry says its recent outbreaks were fueled by a new highly contagious coronavirus variant. The government imposed a two-week-long lockdown of Ho Chi Minh City and plans to test the city’s entire population.By Miriam Berger
A Covid outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City triggers new social distancing rules and mass testing.
COVID on the rise in Russia with slow uptake on vaccines | DW News
•May 31, 2021 DW News
Has the vaccine uptake in Russia been sluggish? A Russian news agency says that COVID-19 is spreading faster than at any time since last October. Moscow's mayor says, the capital has lower rates of vaccination than any major European city. DW's Emily Sherwin went to a specially built facility in Moscow to find out whether doctors ready are for another wave of infections.
China’s first Covax vaccines roll off Sinopharm factory lines
10 million doses made in initial batch for WHO-led global sharing scheme.
China reports world’s first possible human case of H10N3 bird flu
Health authorities say infection in Jiangsu man had an animal origin and risk of transmission is low.
The infectious disease expert’s correspondence from March and April 2020, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, offers a peek into his world during the frantic early days of the coronavirus crisis. By Damian Paletta and Yasmeen Abutaleb
Central bankers know how to create a recovery, but can they manage the boom?
Transplants Force Patients to Amass Vaccinations to Beat Covid
Moderna Seeks Full FDA Approval for Its Covid-19 Vaccine
Haiti malnutrition surges amid Covid and violence
Severe acute childhood malnutrition is expected to more than double this year, Unicef warns.
WHO Gives Virus Variants New Names, Drawing From Greek Alphabet
WHO renames Covid variants with Greek letters
The variant first detected in the UK becomes Alpha, with South Africa, Brazil and India also renamed.
A Covid outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City triggers new social distancing rules and mass testing.
EMA recommends additional capacity at Pfizer's vaccine manufacturing site in Belgium
Jun. 01, 2021 11:57 AM ET Pfizer Inc. (PFE), BNTX By: Aakash Babu, SA News Editor1 Comment
- The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended the approval of additional manufacturing and filling lines at Pfizer’s (PFE -0.3%) vaccine manufacturing site in Puurs, Belgium.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3701816-ema-recommends-additional-capacity-at-pfizers-vaccine-manufacturing-site-in-belgium
- https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BNTX
- https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PFE
India’s poorest suffer Covid with almost no health care - BBC News
•May 28, 2021 BBC News
At least 300,000 people are now known to have died in India's second wave of coronavirus. But the true death toll could be several times higher especially in rural areas where the virus is now spreading. Access to healthcare there is almost non-existent. Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Orla Guerin from Beer Har, one of the poorest areas in India.
Sinovac obtains WHO emergency use listing for COVID-19 shot
Jun. 01, 2021 11:59 AM ET Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (SVA)
By: Dulan Lokuwithana, SA News Editor2 Comments
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted an emergency use listing for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech (NASDAQ:SVA) making it the second Chinese coronavirus vaccine to win the WHO nod.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3701817-sinovac-obtains-who-emergency-use-listing-for-covid-19-shot
Why it's not impossible that COVID-19 escaped from a lab
•Feb 4, 2021 National Post
There is absolutely no evidence for the lab escape theory whatsoever but there is compelling reason to believe that this whole pandemic is not natural, and is actually due to an accidental lab escape.
The (very strong) case for COVID-19 leaking from a Chinese lab
If it wasn't a lab leak, the fact that a novel coronavirus just happened to emerge in Wuhan would be one of history's greatest coincidences
Author of the article: Tristin Hopper Publishing date: May 28, 2021
https://nationalpost.com/news/the-very-strong-case-for-covid-19-leaking-from-a-chinese-lab
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
Gravitas: US seeks 'Phase 2' of investigation into COVID-origins
•May 26, 2021 WION
The Lab Leak Theory is getting bigger & serious. The US is seeking 'Phase 2' of an investigation into Wuhan Virus origins. WHO's top virologist Marion Koopmans says a 'follow-up' probe is needed. Where are things headed? Palki Sharma gets you a report.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JunF_PYnNEA
By The Editorial Board | Review & Outlook
By Adam Taylor
Stephen Mihm
BY BEN LEONARD
China accuses the US of "political manipulation" over investigations into the origins of the pandemic.
Facebook has ended its ban on posts asserting Covid-19 was man-made or manufactured, reflecting a deepening debate over the origins of the pandemic.
- How Brain Weighs Risk as Covid-19 Restrictions Ease
- Why Plan to Vaccinate World Against Covid Unraveled
- Biden Calls for Intelligence Report on Covid-19 Origins
- Covid Treatment From Vir, GlaxoSmithKline Approved
The ongoing discussions on Capitol Hill represent a remarkable bipartisan agreement that Congress should investigate the origins of a virus that has killed 3.5 million people worldwide.
BY ANDREW DESIDERIO AND ERIN BANCO
Two inactivated vaccines prevented symptomatic infections by 72.8% and 78.1%, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association
May 27, 2021 05:14 PM
By Pamela Constable and Taniya Dutta
While export-oriented sectors have been pushed to their limits, large amounts of slack remain for those targeting Chinese consumers
May 27, 2021 02:32 PM
Japan Extends Emergency; Shots for German Children: Virus Update
Sinopharm finally publishes Covid-19 vaccine trial data
- Interim Phase 3 results suggest two products have efficacy rates well above 50 per cent but there is little data on the elderly and other vulnerable groups
- More than 200 million doses have already been administered worldwide and a vaccine made by the firm’s Beijing subsidiary has been approved by the WHO
May 27, 202112:16 AM EDT Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
Sinopharm's two COVID-19 shots effective, study says
Reuters
Balancing act for WHO on next phase of research into virus origins Topic | Coronavirus pandemic
India shelves local trials for vaccines to hasten imports as shortage bites
The government said it was in talks with Pfizer for ‘earliest possible’ imports and also had discussions with J&J and Moderna.
Beijing blocked Taiwan’s deal to buy BioNTech vaccines, Tsai says
‘Taiwan was close to sealing the deal with the German plant, but because of China’s intervention, we still can’t sign the contract,’ island’s president tells ruling party.
27 May 2021 - 7:40AM
Influencers say they were offered money to discredit Pfizer vaccine. In France, some suspect Russia.
They say they were approached online and asked to tell their large followings that the Pfizer vaccine is dangerous and has sparked more deaths than the one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. By Jennifer Hassan and Rick Noack
The worst Covid-19 hot spot in North America is Manitoba, Canada. Here’s the latest on the pandemic.
Vir Rallies After Covid Antibody With Glaxo Wins U.S. Clearance
New Hunt for Covid Origin; Melbourne to Lock Down: Virus Update
Covid Long-Haulers Baffle Doctors With Symptoms Going On and On
Robert Langreth
GSK and Vir Biotechnology Announce Sotrovimab (VIR-7831) Receives Emergency Use Authorization from the US FDA for Treatment of Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19 in High-Risk Adults and Pediatric Patients
05/26/21 at 6:57 PM EDT PDF Version
– Treatment with sotrovimab resulted in an 85% reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death in high-risk adult outpatients compared to placebo, based on interim results from Phase 3 COMET-ICE trial –
– In vitro data indicate sotrovimab maintains activity against all known variants of concern, including the variant from India –
– Sotrovimab will be available for appropriate patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in the U.S. in the coming weeks –
– Discussions with global regulators regarding authorizations in additional countries continue to advance –
LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO, May 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) and Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIR)
Moderna says 2 million more COVID-19 doses will arrive by the week of June 14
Massachusetts-based company has said it would deliver 14.3 million shots in the first six months of 2021
John Paul Tasker · CBC News · Posted: May 27, 2021 12:18 PM ET |
Biden orders urgent new report on Covid origins - BBC News
•May 27, 2021 BBC News
US President Joe Biden has ordered intelligence officials to "redouble" efforts to investigate the origins of Covid. He said the US intelligence community was split on whether it came from a lab accident in China or emerged from human contact with an infected animal. Mr Biden asked the groups to report back to him within 90 days. China has rejected the laboratory theory.
Biden urges new investigation into COVID origins | DW News
•May 27, 2021 DW News
Joe Biden says US intelligence agencies are unsure whether the virus was transferred to humans from an animal or whether it leaked from a lab. However, he is calling for a "transparent, international investigation." Biden's announcement comes after recent reports said some researchers at a virology lab in Wuhan, where the pandemic is suspected to have started in December 2019, were ill one month earlier. China wholly rejects the theory that SARS-CoV-2 escaped from a lab, and the Chinese Embassy in the US called the idea a "conspiracy theory" in statement released shortly after Biden's announcement.
#Coronavirus #IndianVariant #Pandemic
How dangerous is the Indian variant of the coronavirus? | COVID-19 Special
•May 24, 2021 DW News
The WHO has labeled a subtype of the COVID-19 virus first discovered in India as a "variant of concern." B.16-17.2 is thought to spread more easily. The subtype is responsible for the majority of new cases in parts of England. Germany has banned all travelers from the U-K, except its own residents, due to concerns about the strain. But there is some good news. The vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca are thought to be highly effective against the variant, after two doses.
India’s capital considers coming out of lockdown as Covid-19 infections ebb
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is under pressure from shopkeepers to open up in New Delhi, which now has 1,500 new cases per day, down from 28,000 in April. But experts are urging caution.
More than 20,000 Hongkongers could be hidden carriers of Covid-19: study
Chinese University findings show an estimated rate of two hidden patients for every confirmed infection in city. While ratio is smaller than other places worldwide, it also means natural immunity in the population is low.
Malaysia now has more Covid cases per million people than India
The second virus wave seems to be slowing down, but it is far from clear whether it has crested.
French social media influencers say they have been offered money to discredit the anti-Covid vaccine.
Without mentioning China, the US health secretary says experts must be allowed to evaluate the virus source.
More than year into Covid-19, do people in your dreams wear masks or socially distance?
Moderna vaccine creates a protective immune shield for children as young as 12, says drug maker
Global conflict in 2020 hampered efforts to control covid-19 spread, U.N. official says
Global coronavirus cases decline, but India variant on the rise, WHO says
Taiwan’s Tsai accuses Beijing of blocking BioNTech vaccine deal
EU Demands AstraZeneca Court Order to Supply Vaccine Doses
U.K. Backtracks on Travel Curbs; EU Attacks Astra: Virus Update
Lauran Neergaard, The Associated Press May 25
Half of U.S. adults are now fully vaccinated against Covid
PUBLISHED TUE, MAY 25 20219:44 AM EDT UPDATED TUE, MAY 25 20212:48 PM EDT Kevin Breuninger
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/25/covid-news-half-of-us-adults-fully-vaccinated-white-house-says.html
WHO Seeks More Data on Second Chinese Covid-19 Vaccine up for Approval
Agency has asked Sinovac for details on CoronaVac’s safety and the manufacturing process before deciding whether to recommend it for global use
By Chao Deng and Drew Hinshaw May 26, 2021 4:58 am ET
The pharmaceutical industry is backing Germany, Japan and other countries that have opposed waiving Covid-19 vaccine patents, after the Biden administration threw its support behind the proposal.47
- WHO Seeks More Data on Sinovac Shot
- France Suspects Russian Role in Campaign to Discredit Pfizer Vaccine
The heads of the six largest U.S. banks are set to testify before Congress, where they likely will face conflicting pressures from Democrats seeking action on racial disparities in lending and Republicans who say banks should avoid taking positions on social issues.
- U.S., China Take Opposing Positions on Inquiry Into Covid-19 Origins
- Republicans Prepare $1 Trillion Infrastructure Offer
- Half of U.S. Adults Are Fully Vaccinated
China is ‘feeling the heat’ as experts begin to favour Wuhan lab leak theory
•May 26, 2021 Sky News Australia
China is “feeling the heat” as the theory COVID-19 leaked from a lab in Wuhan gains momentum, according to Sky News host Andrew Bolt. “Last year, we had so many people saying that’s just a conspiracy theory,” Mr Bolt said. “Finally, a lot of experts now saying actually, it does now look like this virus maybe did escape from that Chinese lab. “The head of that lab in Wuhan… this week helped put out a report insisting this virus is probably natural; it has features of a bat virus but actually is closer to what you’d expect if it had then infected an animal known as the pangolin. “But this study admits it’s still not clear how the virus then jumped again from pangolins to humans.” Mr Bolt spoke with Flinders Medical Centre Director of Endocrinology Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, who said opinions have now swung “very much” against China regarding the origins of COVID-19. “I think most scientists are waking up to the fact that they were bamboozled last year,” Professor Petrovsky said. “By people who had very close connections with China which were pushing this agenda to label anyone that suggested the possibly even of this being a laboratory leak was somehow a bad scientist or a conspiracy theorist.”
U.S. Intel Report: Researchers At Wuhan Lab Fell Ill In November 2019
•May 24, 2021 NBC News
A U.S. intelligence report says three researchers at Wuhan Institute of Virology sought treatment at a hospital just before the Covid-19 pandemic began. This comes after a joint study by WHO and China controversially dismissed claims the virus may have leaked from the lab.
Krystal and Saagar: NEW Evidence Emerges For Lab Leak Hypothesis As Fauci Does TOTAL 180
• The Hill May 24, 2021
Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti discuss the media's change in coverage of the coronavirus "lab leak theory."
Wuhan lab releases details of other bat viruses for the first time
Wuhan laboratory adds another branch to bat coronavirus family tree
Details of new lineage that contains distant relatives of the virus that causes Covid-19 suggest current discoveries may be the ‘tip of the iceberg’
The facility has found itself at the centre of strongly denied claims about lab leaks
Simone McCarthy Published: 12:00pm, 25 May, 2021
The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been studying coronaviruses found in bats.
Fact CheckerAnalysis
Opinion | India’s positive spin on Covid-19 crisis lies at the heart of its disaster
India took less than a month to record its last 100,000 deaths but experts warn the toll is much higher.
Beijing offers Covid-19 vaccines, expertise to epidemic-hit Taiwan
Mainland says it is willing to send doses for most ‘Taiwan compatriots’.
Hong Kong to offer Covid-19 vaccinations to visitors from mainland China
Some 40,000 holders of two-way permits and 13,000 asylum seekers will be eligible to receive shots under the city’s Covid-19 vaccination scheme.
Covid: Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs work against Indian variant - study
By Dulcie Lee & Alex Kleiderman BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57214596
United States advises against travel to Japan, two months ahead of Olympics
The State Department issued its highest possible caution, ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel’. The same level of warning was issued for Sri Lanka. 25 May 2021 - 6:59AM
It comes amid heightened scrutiny and pressure to call off the Tokyo Olympics due to be held soon.
Hong Kong eases stance to adopt mainland China’s rules on quarantine-free travel
The list of risk levels for mainland places published by the National Health Commission will be used for the Hong Kong government’s ‘Return2HK’ scheme.
25 May 2021 - 10:52AM
By The Washington Post staff
States and cities across the U.S. are debating the future of online learning. Here’s the latest pandemic news.
New Variant Poses Threat as Global Vaccine Drive Falters
Covid Long-Haulers Baffle Doctors With Symptoms Going On and On
Reversal in Rankings; France Considers U.K. Curbs: Virus Update
Thailand Unveils $16 Billion Borrowing to Fund Covid Relief
May 25, 2021
Moderna's COVID vaccine effective in adolescents; eyes June data submission
May 25, 2021 8:31 AM ET Moderna, Inc. (MRNA), PFE Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) Pfizer Inc. (PFE) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor
- Moderna's (NASDAQ:MRNA) COVID-19 vaccine met its primary endpoint in a study of adolescents, leading to 100% efficacy against the virus after two doses.
The company will submit for regulatory authorization in early June.
- The drugmaker said its Covid-19 vaccine was powerfully effective in adolescents. It plans to apply for F.D.A. authorization.
- Federal regulators authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this month for 12- to 15-year-olds. Here’s the latest on Covid-19.
Opinion by Barkha Dutt
By Soo Youn
MasksU.S. CurvePhotos
Can a homegrown vaccine end Brazil's COVID crisis? | COVID-19 Special
•May 27, 20211 DW News
16 million COVID cases, nearly half a million deaths and no end in sight. Brazil is still struggeling with the coronavirus pandemic. Health experts worry government mismanagement will only make it more difficult to find a way out of this crisis. So far only 15 percent of Brazilians have got their first vaccination shot. A new study shows another 15 percent of the population already has antibodies, suggesting infection at some point and possibly some immunity. We'll crunch the numbers with an epidemiologist in Brazil and take a look at the countries efforts to develop home-grown vaccines.
US travel advisory and surging Covid-19 cases in Japan fail to deter Tokyo Olympics organisers
May 25, 2021 South China Morning Post
The US issued a “do not travel” advisory for Japan on May 24, 2021, just two months ahead of the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and with public opposition to the Games mounting, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, local organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) continue to follow the official line that the Games will go ahead on July 23.
U.S. officials say China hasn’t been ‘completely transparent’ in Covid probe
Rich Mendez TUE, MAY 25TH 2021
Vaccine distribution in crisis with only 1% inoculated in Africa | DW News
•May 23, 2021 DW News
Pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and BioNTech have pledged to deliver 1-billion doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to poorer nations this year, and another 1 billion next year. At a G20 summit in Rome on Friday the European countries made their own pledges to donate a combined 100-million doses by the end of the year. Some of those will go to African countries through the COVAX initiative. These commitments come as global health authorities warned the world is at a crisis point with the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Rich countries have significant access to the vaccines, and developing countries are struggling to catch up. In the meantime the vaccine rollout remains sluggish on the continent where there is not enough supply. So when the southern African nation Malawi burned nearly 20,000 doses of vaccines, it raised a lot of questions. Especially because the government's decision to burn the vaccines went against advice from the WHO and the African CDC. Both organizations advised Malawi not to destroy COVID-19 vaccines saying even though they had passed their expiration dates - they were still safe to use. In the Malawian capital Lilongwe, the burning of the vaccines was made a ceremony of sorts. It was an event put on for the cameras. 20,000 doses of Malawi’s Covid-19 vaccine allocation, laid out to be destroyed. The health minister personally led the exercise, to send a message to the public that has been skeptical of the vaccines. Malawi's health experts are also trying to assure the public of the vaccines safety and efficacy. Malawi, like many other nations, is short of Covid-19 doses. So far only a tiny fraction of its 18 million people have been vaccinated. Malawi has reported just over a thousand Covid-19 deaths. The government is having to work hard to convince people to get vaccinated.
Doctors throughout the Indian diaspora, including in the United States, are trying to fill a medical void from afar through organized and unofficial channels. By Fenit Nirappil
India’s COVID-19 death toll passes 300,000, world’s third-highest
- New York City will no longer have a remote option come fall, a major step toward fully reopening the nation’s largest school system.
- Across the U.S., there are fewer than 30,000 new daily coronavirus cases for the first time since June. Here’s the latest on Covid-19.
Singapore Approves Covid Breath Test With One-Minute Result
Germany Suffers 300 Billion-Euro Hit From Covid Fallout, Research Group Says
China Slams U.S. for Hyping Covid-19 Source Theory: Virus Update
Jason Laughlin and Oona Goodin-Smith
Spending and foot-traffic data suggest higher vaccination rates haven’t been the primary driver behind the early economic recovery, but this dynamic will likely change in coming months as more people are vaccinated.
PFIZER INITIATES STUDY EXPLORING COADMINISTRATION OF ITS 20-VALENT PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINE CANDIDATE ALONG WITH A THIRD DOSE OF THE PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE IN OLDER ADULTS
Monday, May 24, 2021 - 06:45am
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced that the first enrolled subjects have received their immunizations as part of a new study in adults ages 65 or older exploring the coadministration of the company’s 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (20vPnC) candidate following a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, currently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The primary objective in the trial is to describe safety when both vaccines are co-administered, with follow up six months after vaccination. Secondary objectives are to describe immune responses produced by each of the vaccines.
The trial will include 600 adults who will be recruited from the pivotal Phase 3 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine trial and will have received their second dose of the vaccine at least six months prior to entering the coadministration study. The participants are being randomized to one of three groups:
- 20vPnC plus Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine booster, which is a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
- 20vPnC plus placebo
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine booster plus placebo
Questions over whether Covid-19 originated from lab fuels debate
•May 24, 2021 CNBC Television
A source confirmed to NBC news that three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology got so sick in November 2019 they needed hospital treatment. Rumors that Covid-19 originated from a lab are now gaining momentum. Eunice Yoon joins 'The News with Shepard Smith' to report.
The U.S. should be playing a larger role in getting to the bottom of the theory that Covid-19 first leaked from a virology lab in Wuhan, China, Atlantic Council senior fellow Jamie Metzl told CNBC on Monday. “Right now, the World Health Assembly is meeting, and the United States should be doing everything possible with our allies to demand a comprehensive investigation into Covid origins with full access to all the records, samples, and personnel in China and beyond,” Metzl, a former national security official in the Clinton administration, said on “The News with Shepard Smith.” “If China wants to thumb its nose at the rest of the world, in spite of more than 3 million people dead, let them make that statement,” he said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that determining the origins of Covid-19 is up to an international investigation led by the World Health Organization, and that the U.S. cannot lead a probe on its own. Metzl organized last year a group of scientists and academics to call for a deeper investigation into Covid’s origins. He told host Shepard Smith that it’s “critically important” to find answers about the pandemic’s origins because if we don’t, it puts everyone “unnecessarily at risk.” The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. A previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report found that researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care after falling ill “with symptoms consistent with both Covid-19 and common seasonal illness,” The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, quoting from the report. The World Health Organization has repeatedly said the virus most likely jumped from bats to humans through another animal. It has described the theory that the virus leaked from a lab as “extremely unlikely,” but has not ruled it out. Metzl said he thinks the theory is a “likely hypothesis.” “Why would you have a bat coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan and not in southern China, where the horseshoe bats are located? And what we know that they do have in Wuhan, is China’s only level 4 virology institute, with the world’s largest collection of bat coronaviruses, that was doing aggressive research designed to make those pathogens more dangerous,” Metzl said.
Gravitas | COVID Origins: What happened inside the Wuhan Lab in November 2019?
•May 24, 2021 WION
What happened inside the Wuhan Lab in November 2019? A report claims that 3 researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology had to be taken to a hospital. Palki Sharma tells you more. #Gravitas #WuhanLab #WuhanVirus
novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) 病毒：新型冠状病毒 2019-nCoV
The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan?
By Nicholas Wade | May 5, 2021
Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus arrive by car at the Wuhan Institute of Virology on February 3. (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)
Did the coronavirus leak from a lab? These scientists say we shouldn’t rule it out.
For many scientists, challenging the idea that SARS-CoV-2 has natural origins is seen as career suicide. But a vocal few say it shouldn't be disregarded or lumped in with conspiracy theories.
March 18, 2021 THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN VIA AP IMAGES
No one can find the animal that gave people covid-19
Here’s your guide to the WHO-China search for the origins of the coronavirus.
by Antonio Regalado archive page
March 26, 2021
https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/26/1021263/bat-covid-coronavirus-cause-origin-wuhan/
U.S. should dig deeper into theory that Covid originated in a Wuhan lab, ex-Clinton official says
PUBLISHED MON, MAY 24 20218:17 PM EDT
The world had a chance to avoid the pandemic—but blew it, finds report
In a new report, independent experts detail the ‘toxic cocktail’ of poor choices and systemic failures that created the current pandemic catastrophe.
by Cassandra Willyard May 13, 2021
SP - Sao Paulo - 04/28/2021 - COVID-19 SAO PAULO, VILA FORMOSA CEMETERY - Coveiro wearing personal protective equipment is seen in front of open graves in the cemetery of Vila Formosa, east side of the city of Sao Paulo, in this Wednesday (28). The number of deaths related to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is close to 400 thousand in Brazil, with the State of Sao Paulo being the most affected by the disease. Photo: Ettore Chiereguini / AGIF (via AP)AP
May 25, 20219:01 AM EDT World
U.S. agencies examine reports of early COVID-19 infections in Wuhan lab Mark Hosenball
Covid Vaccines By the Numbers
Apr 02, 2021 06:35 PM CHINA
Charts of the Day: Covid Vaccines By the Numbers
By Shen Xinyu and Lin Ting
The global pace of Covid-19 vaccine development and rollouts has accelerated since January, ushering in a new phase of pandemic prevention through active immunization against a disease that has infected 130 million worldwide and killed nearly 3 million.
#Documentaries #CoronavirusPandemic #DocumentarySpecial
The Virus That Shook the World: Part One (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
Apr 26, 2021 FRONTLINE PBS | Official
Filmed in 21 countries, the panoramic story of the coronavirus pandemic’s first year as seen through the eyes of people all across the world. Part one of a two-part series. Drawing on extensive personal and local footage, “The Virus That Shook the World” tells the story of people across the globe who have experienced the pandemic and its consequences in different ways — from a food blogger in Wuhan, China; to a filmmaker in a remote Indigenous village in Brazil; to a musician and puppeteer in Delhi, India. From series director James Bluemel and series producer Alice Henley, the two-part special shows how the impacts of the disease that has now killed more than 3 million people have overlapped and differed across cultures, races, faiths and privilege; how various governments have responded; and how the pandemic has exposed existing inequities and social problems.
#Documentaries #CoronavirusPandemic #DocumentarySpecial
The Virus That Shook the World: Part Two (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
•Apr 27, 2021 FRONTLINE PBS | Official
How the first year of the coronavirus pandemic unfolded, as seen through the eyes of people all across the world. Part two of a two-part series. Filmed in 21 countries and drawing on extensive personal and local footage, “The Virus That Shook the World” tells the story of people across the globe who have experienced the pandemic and its consequences in different ways — from a food blogger in Wuhan, China; to a filmmaker in a remote Indigenous village in Brazil; to a musician and puppeteer in Delhi, India. From series director James Bluemel and series producer Alice Henley, the two-part special shows how the impacts of the disease that has now killed more than 3 million people have overlapped and differed across cultures, races, faiths and privilege; how various governments have responded; and how the pandemic has exposed existing inequities and social problems.
The 'ignored characters' of the pandemic and why their premonitions were pushed aside
•May 6, 2021 PBS NewsHour
A new book shows that there were a handful of researchers, scientists and public health officials who seemed to have an early, prescient understanding of how bad the pandemic would hit the U.S., and what we could do to avert it. Michael Lewis' "The Premonition" describes this unusual group and how they tried their best to get those in positions of power to pay heed. William Brangham reports.
The Real Story Behind Vaccinating the World
•Apr 30, 2021 Bloomberg Quicktake
For months, developed economies have hoarded coronavirus vaccines and the raw materials needed to make them. Now, outbreaks in developing nations could give rise to new virus mutations that may circumvent existing vaccines. One global initiative, Covax, has spent the last year trying to prevent that catastrophic outcome. Here’s how.
Gravitas: W.H.O'S HYPOCRISY ON NAMING VIRUS VARIANTS
•Apr 21, 2021 WION
Last year, the W.H.O rejected linking country and city names with the virus. Now it is silent when variants are being named after their country of origin. WION's Palki Sharma decodes W.H.O's double standard on virus nomenclature
Vaccine Makers’ Shares Fall as U.S. Backs Patent Waiver
By Gearoid Reidy and Ishika Mookerjee May 6, 2021, 1:32 AM EDT Updated on May 6, 2021, 7:34 AM EDT
- Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna drop in U.S. premarket trading
- Evercore urges caution, says U.S.’s sway remains to be seen
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-06/asian-vaccines-maker-shares-slammed-as-u-s-backs-ip-waiver?srnd=premium
U.S. backs waiving patent protections for Covid vaccines, citing global health crisis
PUBLISHED WED, MAY 5 20213:09 PM EDTAmanda Macias Kevin Breuninger Thomas Franck
KEY POINTS
- The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it supports waiving intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines.
- Such a waiver could remove obstacles to ramping up the production of vaccines in developing countries.
- The move comes as coronavirus infections surge to their highest levels in countries that have struggled to procure or distribute vaccines.
Who will invest in future therapies when the White House helps other governments steal?
By The Editorial Board | Review & Outlook
White House weighs temporarily lifting intellectual property shield on Covid-19 vaccines
PUBLISHED FRI, MAR 26 20215:06 PM EDT UPDATED FRI, MAR 26 20215:44 PM EDT
KEY POINTS
- The White House is weighing whether to temporarily lift intellectual property protections on Covid-19 vaccines and treatments.
- The move would allow other countries to replicate existing vaccines.
- Concerns have grown about the fact that the U.S. and a handful of other wealthy countries hold the right to a disproportionate amount of the global supply.
Pressure mounting on Biden administration to waive COVID-19 vaccine patents
Apr. 21, 2021 2:41 PM ET Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor7 Comments
- As poorer countries struggle to vaccinate their citizens, calls are growing for the Biden administration to waive COVID-19 patents in a bid to increase vaccine production.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3684145-pressure-mounting-on-biden-administration-to-waive-covid-19-vaccine-patents
Open Letter: Former Heads of State and Nobel Laureates Call on President Biden To Waive Intellectual Property Rules for COVID Vaccines
Chairwoman Maloney Announces Oversight Committee Hearing with AbbVie CEO
Apr 29, 2021 Maloney Testifies at Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing Examining Proposals to Lower Drug Prices
Washington, D.C. (Apr. 29, 2021)
Abbvie CEO Richard Gonzalez to testify before House committee in drug pricing probe
Apr. 30, 2021 10:52 AM ET AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) By: Jonathan M Block, SA News Editor1 Comment
- Abbvie (NYSE:ABBV) CEO Richard Gonzalez will testify before the House Oversight Committee next month regarding the company's pricing practices.
- Gonzalez will appear on May 18 starting at 10a ET.
- https://seekingalpha.com/news/3688726-abbvie-ceo-richard-gonzales-to-testify-before-house-committee-in-drug-pricing-probe
- https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/ABBV
The Health 202: House Democrats are pushing forward their drug pricing bill again
Paige Winfield Cunningham with Alexandra Ellerbeck
Democrats are pushing forward with an aggressive measure to lower drug prices, even as its future remains murky.
The Health 202: House Democrats are pushing forward their drug pricing bill again
By Paige Winfield Cunningham May 4, 2021 at 7:35 a.m. EDT with Alexandra Ellerbeck
Saagar Enjeti: New Details REVEAL Fauci, Media Coverup Of Lab Leak Hypothesis
•May 10, 2021 The Hill
Saagar Enjeti details the "lab leak hypothesis" and how demonstrates the way "the culture war in America corrupts basic facts."
The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan?
By Nicholas Wade | May 5, 2021
https://thebulletin.org/2021/05/the-origin-of-covid-did-people-or-nature-open-pandoras-box-at-wuhan/
No one can find the animal that gave people covid-19
Here’s your guide to the WHO-China search for the origins of the coronavirus.
by Antonio Regalado archive page March 26, 2021
https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/26/1021263/bat-covid-coronavirus-cause-origin-wuhan/
The world had a chance to avoid the pandemic—but blew it, finds report
In a new report, independent experts detail the ‘toxic cocktail’ of poor choices and systemic failures that created the current pandemic catastrophe.
by Cassandra Willyard May 13, 2021
SP - Sao Paulo - 04/28/2021 - COVID-19 SAO PAULO, VILA FORMOSA CEMETERY - Coveiro wearing personal protective equipment is seen in front of open graves in the cemetery of Vila Formosa, east side of the city of Sao Paulo, in this Wednesday (28). The number of deaths related to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is close to 400 thousand in Brazil, with the State of Sao Paulo being the most affected by the disease. Photo: Ettore Chiereguini / AGIF (via AP)AP The world had a chance to avoid the pandemic—but blew it | MIT Technology Review
Chinese document discussing weaponising coronaviruses provides 'chilling' information
•May 9, 2021 Sky News Australia
Sky News host Sharri Markson has assessed "chilling" details from a document produced by Chinese military scientists, in which they discussed weaponising SARS coronaviruses five years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Ms Markson said the book was written by People's Liberation Army scientists and senior Chinese public health officials in 2015. The documents describe SARS coronaviruses as heralding a “new era of genetic weapons” and said they can be "artificially manipulated into an emerging human - disease virus, then weaponised and unleashed in a way never seen before". The Chinese-language paper is called 'The Unnatural Origin of SARS and New Species of Man-Made Viruses as Genetic Bioweapons'. “The document also talks about the psychological terror that bioweapons can cause, it's chilling,” Ms Markson said. “To be clear ... while intelligence agencies suspect, and they've been investigating this since early last year, that COVID-19 may be the result of an accidental leak from a Wuhan lab, there is no suggestion it was an intentional release. “The significance of this paper is that it offers a rare insight into how senior scientists at one of the PLA's most prominent military universities, where high levels of defence research were conducted, were thinking about biological research.”
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