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<title>11 May, 2021</title>
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<title>Covid-19 Sentry</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
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<li><strong>The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of ambulatory care for patients with chronic neurological diseases in Japan: evaluation of an administrative claims database</strong> -
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected not only the emergency medical system, but also patients9 regular ambulatory care. The number of patients visiting outpatient internal medicine clinics decreased during March-April 2020 compared to 2019. Moreover, the ban on telephone re-examination for outpatient clinics in lieu of ambulatory care for chronic diseases has been lifted since March 2020. In this context, we investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ambulatory care at Japanese outpatient clinics for patients with chronic neurological diseases during the first half of 2020. Methods: We collected data from the administrative claims database by DeSC Healthcare. Serial changes in the frequency of subsequent outpatient visits to clinics or hospitals (excluding large hospitals with beds >200) for chronic ambulatory care of epilepsy, migraine, Parkinson9s disease (PD), and Alzheimer9s disease were measured. We also evaluated the utilization rate of telephone re-examination at outpatient clinics. Results: Since April 2020, the monthly count of outpatient clinic visits for epilepsy or PD decreased slightly but significantly. The use of telephone re-examination was facility-dependent, and it was used in less than 5% of all outpatient clinic visits for the examined neurological diseases in May 2020. The utilization rate of telephone re-examination was not associated with age or the neurological diseases of interest. Conclusion: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ambulatory care for several chronic neurological diseases may have been relatively limited, in terms of the frequency or type of outpatient visit, during the first half of 2020 in Japan.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256951v1" target="_blank">The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of ambulatory care for patients with chronic neurological diseases in Japan: evaluation of an administrative claims database</a>
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<li><strong>Community-level face mask usage in Boston, MA</strong> -
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What is already known about this topic? Community-level face mask use is encouraged as an important preventive measure against COVID-19 transmission, and evidence suggests that jurisdictions which implement face mask mandates see a subsequent decline in COVID incidence. What is added by this report? In the Greater Boston area when a face mask mandate is in effect, 95% of people observed were wearing some type of face covering. Most of which were wearing fabric/cloth coverings (51%) or single use surgical masks (40%). Of those wearing a face covering, 85% were appropriately fitted. Indoor locations have higher adherence of appropriately worn face masks, compared to outdoor locations. What are the implications for public health practice? Adherence with face mask mandates was very high, but many individuals wore fabric face masks with unknown filtration efficacy. In addition, it was common for individuals to mis-wear, adjust, or remove their masks. Public health policies requiring mask use should include messaging about appropriate type and best practices for use.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.07.21256840v1" target="_blank">Community-level face mask usage in Boston, MA</a>
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</div></li>
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<li><strong>Characterization of the emerging B.1.621 variant of interest of SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
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The SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversification has a potential impact in the virus escape from natural infection- or vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibodies and higher transmissibility. Here we report the emergence of novel B.1.621 variant of interest with the insertion 145N in the N-terminal domain and amino acid change N501Y, E484K, and P681H in the Receptor Binding Domain of the Spike protein. Further studies in vitro biological assays and epidemiologic analysis will allow evaluating the public health impact of B.1.621 variant.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.08.21256619v1" target="_blank">Characterization of the emerging B.1.621 variant of interest of SARS-CoV-2</a>
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</div></li>
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<li><strong>SARS-CoV-2 Heterogeneity by Ethnicity in Los Angeles</strong> -
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Recent studies have identified notable disparities in SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among ethnic minorities. We evaluated SARS-CoV-2 test results from individuals presenting for testing in Los Angeles between June-December, 2020. We calculated prevalence ratios for various employment categories. Among 518,914 test results, of which 295,295 (56.9%) were from individuals reporting Hispanic ethnicity, SARS-CoV-2 positivity was 16.5% among Hispanic individuals compared to 5.0% among non-Hispanic individuals (p-value<0.01). The prevalence ratios comparing Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals was highest for members of the media (PR=6.7; 95% CI 4.3-10.4), government employees (PR=4.0; 95% CI 3.3-4.9), and agricultural workers (PR=4.0; 95% CI 3.2-5.0). Such heterogeneity warrants further investigation in order to develop targeted public health interventions towards specific drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256955v1" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 Heterogeneity by Ethnicity in Los Angeles</a>
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<li><strong>A quantitative risk-benefit analysis of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine among people under 60 in Italy</strong> -
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ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is a vaccine against the COVID-19 infection that was granted a conditional marketing authorization by the European Commission in January 2021. However, following a report from the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of European Medicines Agency, which reported an association with thrombo-embolic events (TEE), in particular Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), many European countries either limited to individuals older than 55-60 years or suspended its use. We used publicly available data to carry out a quantitative risk-benefit analysis of the vaccine among people under 60 in Italy. Specifically, we used data from PRAC, Eudravigilance and ECDC to estimate the excess number of deaths for TEE, DIC and CVST expected in vaccine users, stratified by age groups. We then used data from the National Institute of Health to calculate age-specific COVID-19 mortality rates in Italy. Preventable deaths were calculated assuming a 72% vaccine efficacy over an 8-month period. Finally, benefit-risk ratio of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination was calculated as the ratio between preventable COVID-19 deaths and vaccine-related deaths, using Monte-Carlo simulations. We found that among subjects aged 20-29 years the benefit-risk [B-R] ratio was not clearly favorable (0.70; 95% Uncertainty Interval [UI]: 0.27-2.11). However, in the other age groups the benefits of vaccination largely exceeded the risks (for age 30-49, B-R ratio: 22.9: 95%UI: 10.1-186.4). For age 50-59, B-R ratio: 1577.1: 95%UI: 1176.9-2121.5). Although many countries have limited the use of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, the benefits of using this vaccine clearly outweigh the risks in people older than 30 years. The use of this vaccine should be a strategic and fundamental part of the immunization campaign considering its safety and efficacy in preventing COVID-19 and its complications.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.07.21256826v1" target="_blank">A quantitative risk-benefit analysis of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine among people under 60 in Italy</a>
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<li><strong>Intra-host evolution provides for continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants</strong> -
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Variants of concern (VOC) in SARS-CoV-2 refer to viral genomes that differ significantly from the ancestor virus and that show the potential for higher transmissibility and/or worse clinical progression. VOC have the potential to disrupt ongoing public health measures and vaccine efforts. Yet, little is known regarding how frequently different viral variants emerge and under what circumstances. We report a longitudinal study to determine the degree of SARS-CoV-2 sequence evolution in 94 COVID-19 cases and to estimate the frequency at which highly diverse variants emerge. 2 cases accumulated 9 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) over a two-week period and 1 case accumulated 23 SNVs over a three-week period, including three non-synonymous mutations in the Spike protein (D138H, E554D, D614G). We estimate that in 2% of COVID cases, viral variants with multiple mutations, including in the Spike glycoprotein, can become the dominant strains in as little as one month of persistent in patient virus replication. This suggests the continued local emergence of VOC independent of travel patterns. Surveillance by sequencing for (i) viremic COVID-19 patients, (ii) patients suspected of re-infection, and (iii) patients with diminished immune function may offer broad public health benefits.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.08.21256775v1" target="_blank">Intra-host evolution provides for continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants</a>
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<li><strong>Socio-demographic and knowledge-related determinants of vitamin D supplementation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: assessment of an educational intervention</strong> -
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Vitamin D is a pro-hormone, essential for musculo-skeletal health, normal immune system, and numerous other body functions. Vitamin D deficiency is considered a risk factor in many conditions, and there is growing evidence of its potential role in the severity of COVID-19 outcomes. However, an alarmingly high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is reported in many regions, and vitamin D supplementation is commonly recommended, particularly during wintertime. To reduce the risk for vitamin D deficiency in the Slovenian population during the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted mass media intervention with an educational campaign. The objective of this study was to investigate vitamin D supplementation practices in Slovenia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to determine the effects of the educational intervention on supplementation practices. Two data collections were conducted using an online panel with quota sampling for age, sex, and geographical location. A pre-intervention (N=602, April 2020) and post-intervention (N=606) sampling were done during the first and second COVID-19 lockdown, respectively. We also focused on the identification of different factors connected to vitamin D supplementation, with a particular emphasis on vitamin D-related knowledge. Study results showed significant changes in vitamin D supplementation in the population. Penetration of the supplementation increased from 33% in April to 56% in December 2020. The median daily vitamin D intake in supplement users was 25 µg, with about 95% of supplement users taking safe intake levels below 100 µg/daily. Vitamin D-related knowledge (particularly about dietary sources of vitamin D, the health-related impact of vitamin D, and the prevalence of deficiency) was identified as a key independent predictor of vitamin D supplementation. Based on the study findings, we prepared recommendations, which will enable the development of effective awareness campaigns for increasing supplementation of vitamin D.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.21.21255553v2" target="_blank">Socio-demographic and knowledge-related determinants of vitamin D supplementation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: assessment of an educational intervention</a>
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<li><strong>A Direct Capture Method for Purification and Detection of Viral Nucleic Acid Enables Epidemiological Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
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Studies have demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in the feces of infected individuals. This finding spurred investigation into using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to monitor SARS-CoV-2 RNA and track the appearance and spread of COVID-19 in communities. SARS-CoV-2 is present at low levels in wastewater, making sample concentration a prerequisite for sensitive detection and utility in WBE. Whereas common methods for isolating viral genetic material are biased toward intact virus isolation, it is likely that a relatively low percentage of the total SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome in wastewater is contained within intact virions. Therefore, we hypothesized that a direct unbiased total nucleic acid extraction method could overcome the cumbersome protocols, variability and low recovery rates associated with the former methods. This led to development of a simple, rapid, and modular alternative to existing purification methods. In an initial concentration step, chaotropic agents are added to raw sewage allowing binding of nucleic acid from free nucleoprotein complexes, partially intact, and intact virions to a silica matrix. The eluted nucleic acid is then purified using manual or semi-automated methods. RT-qPCR enzyme mixes were formulated that demonstrate substantial inhibitor resistance. In addition, multiplexed probe-based RT-qPCR assays detecting the N1, N2 (nucleocapsid) and E (envelope) gene fragments of SARS-CoV-2 were developed. The RT-qPCR assays also contain primers and probes to detect Pepper Mild Mottle Virus (PMMoV), a fecal indicator RNA virus present in wastewater, and an exogenous control RNA to measure effects of RT-qPCR inhibitors. Using this workflow, we monitored wastewater samples from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Dane County, Wisconsin. We also successfully sequenced a subset of samples to ensure compatibility with a SARS-CoV-2 amplicon panel and demonstrated the potential for SARS-CoV-2 variant detection. Data obtained here underscore the potential for wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious agents in communities.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.06.21256753v1" target="_blank">A Direct Capture Method for Purification and Detection of Viral Nucleic Acid Enables Epidemiological Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2</a>
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<li><strong>A new SARS-CoV-2 variant poorly detected by RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal samples, with high lethality</strong> -
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Background: In early January 2021, an outbreak of nosocomial cases of COVID 19 emerged in Western France, with RT PCR tests repeatedly negative on nasopharyngeal samples but positive on lower respiratory tract samples. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) revealed a new variant, currently defining a novel SARS CoV 2 lineage: B.1.616. In March, WHO classified this variant as “under investigation” (VUI). We analyzed the characteristics and outcomes of COVID 19 cases related to this new variant. Methods: Clinical, virological, and radiological data were retrospectively collected from medical charts in the two hospitals involved. We enrolled patients with at least one of the following: i) positive SARS CoV 2 RT PCR on a respiratory sample; ii) seroconversion with anti SARS CoV 2 IgG/IgM; iii) suggestive symptoms and typical features of COVID 19 on chest CT scan. Cases were categorized as either: i) B.1.616; ii) variant of concern (VOC); iii) unknown. Findings: From January 1st to March 24th, 2021, 114 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria: B.1.616 (n=34), VOC (n=32), and unknown (n=48). B.1.616 related cases were older than VOC related cases (81 years [73-88], vs 73 years [67-82], P<0.05) and their first RT PCR tests were less often positive (5/34, 15% vs 31/32, 97%, P<0.05). The B.1.616 variant was independently associated with severe disease (multivariable Cox model HR 4.2 [1.3 , 13.5], P=0.018), and increased lethality (logrank test P=0.01): 28day mortality 15/34 (44%) with B.1.616, vs. 5/32 (16%) for VOC, P=0.036. Interpretation: We report a nosocomial outbreak of COVID-19 cases related to a new variant, B.1.616, poorly detected by RT PCR on nasopharyngeal samples, with high lethality.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.05.21256690v1" target="_blank">A new SARS-CoV-2 variant poorly detected by RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal samples, with high lethality</a>
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<li><strong>Rapid detection of neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 variants in post-vaccination sera</strong> -
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The uncontrolled spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the emergence of different SARS-CoV-2 variants across the globe. The ongoing global vaccination strategy to curtail the COVID-19 juggernaut, is threatened by the rapidly spreading Variants of Concern (VOC) and other regional mutants, which are less responsive to neutralization by infection or vaccine derived antibodies. We have previously developed the hiVNT system which detects SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in sera in less than three hours. In this study, we modify the hiVNT for rapid qualitative screening of neutralizing antibodies (nAb) to multiple variants of concern (VOC) of SARS-CoV-2, and assess the neutralizing efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine on seven epidemiologically relevant SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here we show that the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine can activate humoral immunity against the major SARS-CoV-2 mutants that are currently in circulation. Albeit a small sample size, we observed that one dose of vaccine was sufficient to elicit a protective humoral response in previously infected people. Using a panel of seven SARS-CoV-2 variants and a single prototype virus, our modified hiVNT would be useful for large-scale community wide testing to detect protective immunity that may confer vaccine/immune passport in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.06.21256788v1" target="_blank">Rapid detection of neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 variants in post-vaccination sera</a>
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<li><strong>Estimated Spike Evolution and Impact of Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants</strong> -
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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, has been mutating and thus variants emerged. This suggests that SARS-CoV-2 could mutate at an unsteady pace. Supportive evidence comes from the accelerated evolution which was revealed by tracking mutation rates of the genomic location of Spike protein. This process is sponsored by a small portion of the virus population but not the largest viral clades. Moreover, it generally took one to six months for current variants that caused peaks of COVID-19 cases and deaths to survive selection pressure. Based on this statistic result and the above speedy Spike evolution, another upcoming peak would come around July 2021 and disastrously attack Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. This is the prediction generated by a mathematical model on evolutionary spread. The reliability of this model and future trends out of it comes from the comprehensive consideration of factors mainly including mutation rate, selection course, and spreading speed. Notably, if the prophecy is true, then the new wave will be the first determined by accelerated Spike evolution.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.06.21256705v1" target="_blank">Estimated Spike Evolution and Impact of Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants</a>
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<li><strong>INDIA’S PRAGMATIC VACCINATION STRATEGY AGAINST COVID-19: A MATHEMATICAL MODELLING BASED ANALYSIS</strong> -
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Objectives To investigate the impact of targeted vaccination strategies on morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19, as well as on the incidence of SARS-CoV-2, in India. Design Mathematical modelling. Settings Indian epidemic of COVID-19 and vulnerable population. Data sources Country specific and age-segregated pattern of social contact, case fatality rate and demographic data obtained from peer-reviewed literature and public domain. Model An age-structured dynamical model describing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in India incorporating uncertainty in natural history parameters was constructed. Interventions Comparison of different vaccine strategies by targeting priority groups such as key workers including health care professionals, individuals with comorbidities (24 - 60 year), and all above 60. Main outcome measures Incidence reduction and averted deaths in different scenarios, assuming that the current restrictions are fully lifted as vaccination is implemented. Results The priority groups together account for about 18% of India9s population. An infection preventing vaccine with 60% efficacy covering all these groups would reduce peak symptomatic incidence by 20.6% (95% uncertainty intervals (CrI) 16.7 - 25.4), and cumulative mortality by 29.7% (95% CrI 25.8- 33.8). A similar vaccine with ability to prevent symptoms (but not infection) will reduce peak incidence of symptomatic cases by 10.4% (95% CrI 8.4 - 13.0), and cumulative mortality by 32.9% (95% CrI 28.6 - 37.3). In the event of insufficient vaccine supply to cover all priority groups, model projections suggest that after keyworkers, vaccine strategy should prioritise all who are > 60, and subsequently individuals with comorbidities. In settings with weakest transmission, such as sparsely-populated rural areas, those with comorbidities should be prioritised after keyworkers. Conclusions An appropriately targeted vaccination strategy would witness substantial mitigation of impact of COVID-19 in a country like India with wide heterogenity. 9Smart vaccination9, based on public health considerations, rather than mass vaccination, appears prudent.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.07.21256742v1" target="_blank">INDIA’S PRAGMATIC VACCINATION STRATEGY AGAINST COVID-19: A MATHEMATICAL MODELLING BASED ANALYSIS</a>
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<li><strong>A population-level analysis of the protective effects of androgen deprivation therapy against COVID-19 disease incidence and severity</strong> -
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ABSTRACT Importance: The incidence and severity of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is higher in men. Sex hormones potentially offer one explanation for differences by sex. Objective: To determine whether men exposed to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) have lower incidence and severity of COVID-19. Design: We conducted an observational study of male Veterans treated in the Veterans Health Administration from February 15th to July 15th, 2020. We developed a propensity score model to predict the likelihood to undergo Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing. We performed multivariable logistic regression modeling adjusted with inverse probability weighting to examine the relationship between ADT and COVID-19 incidence. We conducted logistic regression analysis among COVID-19 patients to test the association between ADT and COVID-19 severity. Setting: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Participants: The study sample consisted of 6,250,417 male Veterans who were alive as of February 15, 2020. Exposure: Exposure to ADT was defined as having any prescription for a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogue or an antiandrogen in the six months prior to the index date. Main Outcomes and Measures: To assess incidence, we used a binary variable indicating any positive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction SARS-CoV-2 test result through July 15, 2020. To measure severity, we constructed a binary variable indicating whether a patient was admitted to the intensive care unit, placed on mechanical ventilation, or dead in the 60 days following a positive test up to July 15, 2020. Results: We identified 246,087 patients who had been tested for SARS-CoV-2, of whom 3,057 were exposed to ADT, and 36,096 patients with cancer and no ADT exposure. Of these, 295 ADT patients and 2,427 other cancer patients had COVID-19 illness. In the primary, propensity-weighted comparison of ADT patients to cancer patients not on ADT, ADT was associated with decreased likelihood of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 (adjusted OR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.81-0.95]; p=0.001). ADT was associated with fewer severe COVID-19 outcomes (OR 0.72 [95% CI 0.53-0.96]; p=0.03). Conclusions and Relevance: ADT is associated with reduced incidence and severity of COVID-19 amongst male Veterans. Repurposing of drugs that modulate androgen production and/or action may represent viable potential treatments for COVID-19.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21255146v1" target="_blank">A population-level analysis of the protective effects of androgen deprivation therapy against COVID-19 disease incidence and severity</a>
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<li><strong>Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in social housing areas in Denmark</strong> -
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Background COVID-19 is suggested to be more prevalent among ethnic minorities and individuals with low socioeconomic status. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during the COVID-19 pandemic among citizens 15 years or older in Denmark living in social housing (SH) areas . Methods As part of Testing Denmark, a nationwide sero-epidemiological surveillance survey, we conducted a study between January 8th and January 31st, 2021 with recruitment in 13 selected SH areas in Denmark. Participants were offered a point-of-care rapid SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibody test and a questionnaire concerning previous testing (viral throat- and nasopharyngeal swab or antibody test), test results for COVID-19, demographics, household characteristics, employment, risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and history of symptoms associated with COVID-19. Data on seroprevalence from Danish blood donors in same period using a total Ig ELISA assay were used as a proxy for the general Danish population. Findings Of the 13,279 included participants, 2,296 (17.3%) were seropositive (mean age 46.6 (SD 16.4) years, 54.2% female), which was 3 times higher than in the general Danish population (mean age 41.7 (SD 14.1) years, 48.5% female) in the same period (5.8%, risk ratios (RR) 2.96, 95% CI 2.78-3.16, p>0.001). Seropositivity was higher among males than females (RR 1.1, 95% CI 1.05-1.22%, p=0.001) and increased with age, with an OR seropositivity of 1.03 for each 10-year increase in age (95% CI 1.00-1.06, p=0.031). Close contact with COVID-19-infected individuals was associated with a higher risk of infection, especially among members of the same households (OR 5.0, 95% CI 4.1-6.2 p<0,001). Adjusted for age, gender and region living at least 4 people in a household significantly increased the OR of seropositivity (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6, p=0.02) as did living in a multi-generational household (OR 1.3 per generation, 95% CI 1.1-1.5, p=0.007). Only 1.6% of participants reported not following any of the national COVID-19 recommendations. Anosmia (RR 3.2 95% CI 2.8-3.7, p<0.001) and ageusia (RR 3.3, 95% CI 2.9-3.8, p<0.001) were strongest associated with seropositivity. Interpretation Danish citizens living in SH areas of low socioeconomic status had a three times higher SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence compared to the general Danish population. The seroprevalence was significantly higher in males and increased with age. Living in multiple generations or more than four persons in a household was an independent risk factor for being seropositive. Results of this study can be used for future consideration of the need for preventive measures in the populations living in SH areas.
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</p>
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</div>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.07.21256725v1" target="_blank">Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in social housing areas in Denmark</a>
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<li><strong>Saudi Arabian SARS-CoV-2 genomes implicate a mutant Nucleocapsid protein in modulating host interactions and increased viral load in COVID-19 patients</strong> -
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Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 spread and evolution through genome sequencing is essential in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. The availability of patient hospital records is crucial for linking the genomic sequence information to virus function during the course of infections. Here, we sequenced 892 SARS-CoV-2 genomes collected from patients in Saudi Arabia from March to August 2020. From the assembled sequences, we estimate the SARS-CoV-2 effective population size and infection rate and outline the epidemiological dynamics of import and transmission events during this period in Saudi Arabia. We show that two consecutive mutations (R203K/G204R) in the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein are associated with higher viral loads in COVID-19 patients. Our comparative biochemical analysis reveals that the mutant N protein displays enhanced viral RNA binding and differential interaction with key host proteins. We found hyper-phosphorylation of the adjacent serine site (S206) in the mutant N protein by mass-spectrometry analysis. Furthermore, analysis of the host cell transcriptome suggests that the mutant N protein results in dysregulated interferon response genes. We provide crucial information in linking the R203K/G204R mutations in the N protein as a major modulator of host-virus interactions and increased viral load and underline the potential of the nucleocapsid protein as a drug target during infection.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.06.21256706v1" target="_blank">Saudi Arabian SARS-CoV-2 genomes implicate a mutant Nucleocapsid protein in modulating host interactions and increased viral load in COVID-19 patients</a>
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</div></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
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<ul>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase 3 Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo Controlled, Multi-regional Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of GT0918 for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate COVID-19 Male Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: GT0918 tablets or placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceutical Inc,<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO Cell) for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: low-dose Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO cell); Biological: high-dose Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO cell); Biological: placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: National Vaccine and Serum Institute, China; Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd; Beijing Zhong Sheng Heng Yi Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd.; Zhengzhou University<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effect of STC3141 Continuous Infusion in Subjects With Severe Corona Virus Disease 2019（COVID-19）Pneumonia</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: STC3141<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Grand Medical Pty Ltd.; Trium Clinical Consulting<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>tDCS for Post COVID-19 Fatigue</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Post Covid-19 Patients<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Thorsten Rudroff<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Immunobridging and Immunization Schedules Study of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: 3-doses schedule 1 of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated; Biological: 3-doses schedule 2 of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated; Biological: 3-doses schedule 3 of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated; Biological: 2 doses of vaccine<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: China National Biotec Group Company Limited; Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase 2 Study of APX-115 in Hospitalized Patients With Confirmed Mild to Moderate COVID-19.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: APX-115; Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Aptabio Therapeutics, Inc.; Covance<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Leveraging CHWs to Improve COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Among CJIs Accessing a Corrections-focused CBO</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Behavioral: Onsite Point-of-care<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Montefiore Medical Center; The Fortune Society; University of Bristol<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Convalescent Plasma as Adjunct Therapy for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Biological: Convalescent plasma treatment<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia; Indonesian Red Cross; Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Selenium as a Potential Treatment for Moderately-ill, Severely-ill, and Critically-ill COVID-19 Patients.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Selenium (as Selenious Acid); Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: CHRISTUS Health; Pharco Pharmaceuticals<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Protecting Our Community: COVID-19 Testing</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: SARS-CoV-2; Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Diagnostic Test: Home-based SARS-CoV-2 test kit<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Montana State University; National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); University of Washington; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Salish Kootenai College<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Nasopharyngeal Swabs by Using Multi-Spectral Screening System</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Diagnostic Test: AP-23<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Fable Biyoteknoloji San ve Tic A.S<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Estradiol and Progesterone in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Other: Placebo injection and placebo pill; Drug: Estradiol Cypionate 5 MG/ML; Drug: Progesterone 200 MG Oral Capsule<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Tulane University<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety, Tolerability and PK of Ensovibep (MP0420 - a New Candidate With Potential for Treatment of COVID-19)</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Ensovibep; Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Molecular Partners AG<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>#SafeHandsSafeHearts: An eHealth Intervention for COVID-19 Prevention and Support</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Behavioral: eHealth for Covid-19 prevention and support<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: University of Toronto<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>COVID-19 Vaccination Take-Up</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Covid19; Vaccination<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Behavioral: Financial incentives; Behavioral: Convenient scheduling link; Behavioral: Race concordant; Behavioral: Gender concordant<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Southern California; Contra Costa Health Services; J-PAL North America, State and Local Innovation Initiative; National Bureau of Economic Research Roybal Center; National Institute on Aging (NIA)<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
|
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<ul>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Identification and characterization of a SARS-CoV-2 specific CD8(+) T cell response with immunodominant features</strong> - The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is a continuous challenge worldwide, and there is an urgent need to map the landscape of immunogenic and immunodominant epitopes recognized by CD8^(+) T cells. Here, we analyze samples from 31 patients with COVID-19 for CD8^(+) T cell recognition of 500 peptide-HLA class I complexes, restricted by 10 common HLA alleles. We identify 18 CD8^(+) T cell recognized SARS-CoV-2 epitopes, including an epitope with immunodominant features derived from ORF1ab and…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>2’-O methylation of RNA cap in SARS-CoV-2 captured by serial crystallography</strong> - The genome of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) coronavirus has a capping modification at the 5’-untranslated region (UTR) to prevent its degradation by host nucleases. These modifications are performed by the Nsp10/14 and Nsp10/16 heterodimers using S-adenosylmethionine as the methyl donor. Nsp10/16 heterodimer is responsible for the methylation at the ribose 2’-O position of the first nucleotide. To investigate the conformational changes of the complex during…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Therapeutic mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cells in acute respiratory distress syndrome reveal potentials for Covid-19 treatment</strong> - The mortality rate of critically ill patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is 30.9% to 46.1%. The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has become a global issue with raising dire concerns. Patients with severe Covid-19 may progress toward ARDS. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be derived from bone marrow, umbilical cord, adipose tissue and so on. The easy accessibility and low immunogenicity enable MSCs for allogeneic administration, and thus they were widely…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Medicinal plant compounds as promising inhibitors of coronavirus (COVID-19) main protease: an in silico study</strong> - The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread rapidly across the globe and has involved more than 215 countries and territories. Due to a lack of effective therapy or vaccine, urgent and concerted efforts are needed to identify therapeutic targets and medications. COVID-19 main protease represents a major target for drug treatment to inhibit viral function. The present study sought to evaluate medicinal plant compounds as potential inhibitors of the COVID-19 main protease using molecular docking…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Rifampicin and Letermovir as potential repurposed drug candidate for COVID-19 treatment: insights from an in-silico study</strong> - CONCLUSION: This study provides an insight into the drug repurposing approach in which several FDA approved drugs were examined to inhibit COVID-19 infection by targeting the main protease of SARS-COV-2 and the cytokine storm.</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Interferon antagonism by SARS-CoV-2: a functional study using reverse genetics</strong> - BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 agent, SARS-CoV-2, is conspecific with SARS-CoV, the causal agent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in 2002-03. Although the viruses share a completely homologous repertoire of proteins and use the same cellular entry receptor, their transmission efficiencies and pathogenetic traits differ. We aimed to compare interferon antagonism by SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Comparative Analysis of Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 between Asymptomatic and Convalescent Patients</strong> - The SARS-CoV-2 viral pandemic has induced a global health crisis, which requires more in-depth investigation into immunological responses to develop effective treatments and vaccines. To understand protective immunity against COVID-19, we screened over 60,000 asymptomatic individuals in the Southeastern United States for IgG antibody positivity against the viral spike protein, and approximately three percent were positive. Of these three percent, individuals with the highest anti-S or anti-RBD…</p></li>
|
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Identifying potential drug targets and candidate drugs for COVID-19: biological networks and structural modeling approaches</strong> - Background: Coronavirus (CoV) is an emerging human pathogen causing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) around the world. Earlier identification of biomarkers for SARS can facilitate detection and reduce the mortality rate of the disease. Thus, by integrated network analysis and structural modeling approach, we aimed to explore the potential drug targets and the candidate drugs for coronavirus medicated SARS. Methods: Differentially expression (DE) analysis of CoV infected host genes (HGs)…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pleiotropic Effects of Tetracyclines in the Management of COVID-19: Emerging Perspectives</strong> - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Approximately 15% of severe cases require an intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mechanical ventilation due to development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Tetracyclines (TCs) are a group of bacteriostatic antibiotics, like tetracycline, minocycline, and doxycycline, effective against aerobic and anaerobic bacteria as well as Gram-positive…</p></li>
|
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Recombinant Human Thymosin Beta-4 Protects against Mouse Coronavirus Infection</strong> - Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped and harbor an unusually large (30-32 kb) positive-strand linear RNA genome. Highly pathogenic coronaviruses cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) (MERS-CoV) in humans. The coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) infects mice and serves as an ideal model of viral pathogenesis, mainly because experiments can be conducted using animal-biosafety level-2 (A-BSL2) containment. Human…</p></li>
|
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Screening of cryptogamic secondary metabolites as putative inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease and ribosomal binding domain of spike glycoprotein by molecular docking and molecular dynamics approaches</strong> - The unprecedented quick spreading of newly emerged SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for causing COVID-19 has put the whole world in vast crisis. Several prophylactic interventions are being performed to discover the effective anti-COVID-19 agent. Thus, the present study aims to identify the cryptogamic secondary metabolites (CSMs) as potent inhibitors of two major targets of SARS-Cov2, namely 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL^(pro)) and receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike glycoprotein (SGP),…</p></li>
|
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In silico identification of RBD subdomain of spike protein from Pro(322)-Thr(581) for applications in vaccine development against SARS-CoV2</strong> - The three-dimensional hybrid structures of coronavirus spike proteins including the C-terminal sequence and receptor binding motif (RBM) was remodeled and energy minimized. Further, protein-protein docking show that Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of SARSCoV 2 Lys<sup>(457)-Pro</sup>(490) bind on the surface of ACE2 receptor near N-terminal helices to form host-pathogen attachment. In this binding interface, SARS-CoV 2 shows a tight network of hydrogen bonds than other spike proteins from BtRsRaTG13-CoV,…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Current Overviews on COVID-19 Management Strategies</strong> - The coronavirus pandemic has hit the world lately and caused acute respiratory syndrome in humans. The causative agent of the disease was soon brought to focus by scientists as SARS-CoV-2 and later called a novel coronavirus by the general public. Due to the severity and rapid spread of the disease, WHO classifies the COVID-19 pandemic as the 6th public health emergency even after taking efforts like worldwide quarantine and restrictions. Since only symptomatic treatment is available, the best…</p></li>
|
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Inhibition effects of eight anti-coronavirus drugs on glycosides metabolism and glycosidases in human gut microflora</strong> - The effects of eight oral anti-coronavirus drugs (lopinavir, ritonavir, chloroquine, darunavir, ribavirin, arbidol, favipiravir, oseltamivir) on the metabolism of four specific glycosides (polydatin, geniposide, quercitrin, glycyrrhizin) and on the activities of three major glycosidases (β-glucosidase, α-rhamnosidase, β-glucuronidase) from gut microflora were explored in vitro and determined by LC-MS/MS. The metabolism of polydatin, geniposide, quercitrin and glycyrrhizin was significantly…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Salvianolic acid B and its magnesium salt inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection of Vero-E6 cells by blocking spike protein-mediated membrane fusion</strong> - OBJECTIVE: The investigate the inhibitory effects of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) monomer salvianolic acid B (Sal-B) and its magnesium salt Salvia Miltiorrhiza Polyphenolate Injection (ZDDY) against SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro and explore the molecular mechanism.</p></li>
|
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</ul>
|
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>IMPROVEMENTS RELATED TO PARTICLE, INCLUDING SARS-CoV-2, DETECTION AND METHODS THEREFOR</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU323295937">link</a></p></li>
|
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A COMPREHENSIVE DISINFECTION SYSTEM DURING PANDEMIC FOR PERSONAL ITEMS AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) TO SAFEGUARD PEOPLE</strong> - The current Covid-19 pandemic has led to an enormous demand for gadgets / objects for personal protection. To prevent the spread of virus, it is important to disinfect commonly touched objects. One of the ways suggested is to use a personal UV-C disinfecting box that is “efficient and effective in deactivating the COVID-19 virus. The present model has implemented the use of a UV transparent material (fused silica quartz glass tubes) as the medium of support for the objects to be disinfected to increase the effectiveness of disinfection without compromising the load bearing capacity. Aluminum foil, a UV reflecting material, was used as the inner lining of the box for effective utilization of the UVC light emitted by the UVC lamps. Care has been taken to prevent leakage of UVC radiation out of the system. COVID-19 virus can be inactivated in 5 minutes by UVC irradiation in this disinfection box - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN322882412">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING SYSTEM FOR MENTAL HEALTH MONITORING OF PERSON DURING THE PANDEMIC OF COVID-19</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU323295498">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>USE OF IMINOSUGAR COMPOUND IN PREPARATION OF ANTI-SARS-COV-2 VIRUS DRUG</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU322897928">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Compositions and methods for the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU321590214">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>用于检测新型冠状病毒的试纸和试剂盒</strong> - 本发明涉及生物技术和免疫检测技术领域，具体涉及一种用于检测新型冠状病毒的试纸和试剂盒。所述试纸或试剂盒含有抗体1和/或抗体2，所述抗体1的重、轻链可变区的氨基酸序列分别如SEQ ID NO:1‑2所示，所述抗体2的重、轻链可变区的氨基酸序列分别如SEQ ID NO:3‑4所示。本发明对于大批量的新型冠状病毒样本，包括新型冠状病毒突变（英国、南非）与非突变株的人血清、鼻咽拭子等样本的检测有普遍检测意义，避免突变株的漏检。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN322953478">link</a></p></li>
|
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Fahrgastleitsystem und Verfahren zum Leiten von Fahrgästen</strong> -
|
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</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Die Erfindung betrifft ein Fahrgastleitsystem zum Leiten von mit einem Fahrzeug (1) mit wenigstens zwei Türen (2.L, 2.R) transportieren Fahrgästen (3), mit wenigstens einem Sensor (4) zur Überwachung der Fahrgäste (3), wenigstens einem Anzeigemittel (5) zur Ausgabe von Leitinformationen, wenigstens einem Aktor zum Öffnen oder Verriegeln einer Tür (2.L, 2.R) und wenigstens einer Recheneinheit (7). Das erfindungsgemäße Fahrgastleitsystem ist dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Recheneinheit (7) dazu eingerichtet ist durch Auswertung vom wenigstens einen Sensor (4) erzeugter Sensordaten zu erkennen an welcher Tür (2.L, 2.R) des Fahrzeugs (1) Fahrgäste (3) ein- und/oder aussteigen möchten und wenigstens eine Tür (2.L, 2.R) für einen Ausstieg festzulegen und/oder wenigstens eine Tür (2.L, 2.R) für einen Einstieg festzulegen, sodass eine Anzahl an Begegnungen von sich durch das Fahrzeug (1) bewegender Fahrgäste (3) und/oder aus dem Fahrzeug (1) aussteigenden und/oder in das Fahrzeug (1) einsteigenden Fahrgästen (3) minimiert wird.</p></li>
|
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<ul>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE323289145">link</a></p></li>
|
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Vorrichtung zum Desinfizieren, der Körperpflege oder dergleichen</strong> -
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
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</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Vorrichtung zum Desinfizieren, der Körperpflege oder dergleichen mittels einer flüssigen oder cremigen Substanz (20), dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vorrichtung mit einem elektrisch betriebenen Erinnerungs-Modul und einem Vorratsbehälter (10) für die Substanz (20) versehen ist, die Substanz (20) in dosierter Menge zur Ausgabeöffnung (9) gefördert wird und die Vorrichtung dazu geeignet ist, am Körper oder der Kleidung einer Person getragen zu werden.</p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE323289850">link</a></p></li>
|
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Gebrauchter Schnellteststreifen als Probenmaterial für eine Nachtestung</strong> -
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
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</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren zur laborbasierten Überprüfung und/oder weiteren Ausdifferenzierung einer im Schnelltestverfahren erhaltenen Diagnose einer Infektionskrankheit, wobei im Rahmen des Schnelltestverfahrens eine flüssige Patientenprobe auf ein Objekt aus einem porösen Material aufgetragen wird und wobei dieses Objekt nach Trocknung der flüssigen Patientenprobe an das diagnostische Labor übermittelt wird. Im Labor werden dann die eingetrockneten Probenreste aus dem porösen Material ausgelöst und analysiert.</p></li>
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<ul>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE323289151">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>针对新型冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白的抗体或其抗原结合片段及其应用</strong> - 本发明提供了一种针对新型冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白的抗体或其抗原结合片段及其应用，所述抗体选自mAb6抗体、mAb7抗体、mAb8抗体和mAb9抗体中的任意一种；且所述抗体由保藏号为CCTCC NO：C2020236、CCTCC NO：C2020237、CCTCC NO：C2020238或CCTCC NO：C2020239的杂交瘤细胞分泌。利用所述抗体能够检测环境样品和/或生物样品中新型冠状病毒或者其抗原的存在情况。此外，本发明还提供了利用所述抗体制备得到的新型冠状病毒检测试剂盒，能够在感染病毒早期就检测出核衣壳蛋白，为临床检测新型冠状病毒提供了快速、准确的手段。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN323191621">link</a></p></li>
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<title>11 May, 2021</title>
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<title>Daily-Dose</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><style>*{overflow-x:hidden;}</style><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
|
||||
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
|
||||
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
|
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<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
|
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<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
|
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</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
|
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<ul>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Inside India’s COVID-19 Surge</strong> - At a hospital in New Delhi, supplies and space are running out, but the patients keep coming. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/inside-indias-covid-19-surge">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Biden’s Great Economic Rebalancing</strong> - The President is looking to correct a capitalist economy that has gone askew, and reclaim a lost vision of shared prosperity. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/joe-bidens-great-economic-rebalancing">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Facebook and the Normalization of Deviance</strong> - The trouble with waiting to address problems long after you know that they exist. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/facebook-and-the-normalization-of-deviance">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>India’s Epidemic of False COVID-19 Information</strong> - As patients and families frantically seek treatment, elected officials—and some physicians—have fuelled denialism and specious talk of miracle cures. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/indias-epidemic-of-false-covid-19-information">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Pennsylvania Lawmaker and the Resurgence of Christian Nationalism</strong> - How Doug Mastriano’s rise embodies the spread of a movement centered on the belief that God intended America to be a Christian nation. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/on-religion/a-pennsylvania-lawmaker-and-the-resurgence-of-christian-nationalism">link</a></p></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
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<ul>
|
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<li><strong>Buy now, pay later changed retail. Health care and rent are next.</strong> -
|
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<figure>
|
||||
<img alt="An image of a shredded dollar bill against a pink background." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VhqOZ4sc4JWn5mTAfCKsURnxvQc=/440x0:7512x5304/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69267823/GettyImages_1219747209.0.jpg"/>
|
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<figcaption>
|
||||
Buy now, pay later providers Klarna, Afterpay, and Quadpay spent years slowly infiltrating the retail market. The pandemic has accelerated their popularity among all sorts of online brands. | Getty Images
|
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</figcaption>
|
||||
</figure>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
Thanks to Afterpay and Klarna, it’s easier than ever to buy in installments. Now, the model is coming for necessities.
|
||||
</p>
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||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xvLDnx">
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Last March, in the midst of a nationwide lockdown that left millions out of work, the residents of Wasatch Property Management’s apartment complexes were presented with a solution to the impending problem of rent. It came from a little cartoon woman named Penny featured on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WasatchPropertyManagement/videos/2835179679930279">Wasatch’s Facebook page</a>. Through an app called Flex, Penny explained, tenants could pay rent in installments throughout the month, rather than a lump sum at the month’s start.
|
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rDEYMA">
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“Have you ever gotten yourself in a small financial pinch or maybe even had to pay a late fee on your rent?” Penny asked. “Because let’s face it, life happens!” The cartoon went on, explaining that her payday falls on the 15th of the month, and Flex allowed her to budget rent into “small, stress-free payments.” The downside, which was left out of the video, is that tenants are charged a $20 monthly fee to use Flex. Online, some have <a href="https://twitter.com/Krys_King/status/1388649696202219521">compared</a> the service to Afterpay, a point-of-sale lending service that provides shoppers the option to <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/1/14/18178772/afterpay-stores-installment-urban-outfitters">split their purchases across several payments</a>.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VWvUpV">
|
||||
These buy now, pay later providers have spent years slowly infiltrating the retail market through partnerships with merchants, but the pandemic has accelerated their popularity among online retailers, from luxury brands to independent shops to fast-fashion sites. As a result, more consumers have grown familiar with these services, which have buzzy two-syllable names like Affirm, Klarna, Quadpay, and Sezzle.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2NnaOy">
|
||||
These startups sell the myth that shoppers are in greater control of their money, even while they’re fulfilling their consumerist desires. Customers, particularly those who are budget-conscious or financially constrained, are under the illusion that they’ve spent less, and able to hold onto their hard-earned cash for a few weeks longer. Meanwhile, for retailers, a service like Afterpay could theoretically increase the average value of a shopper’s order — encouraging them to spend money they don’t presently have to spend.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uA7y0J">
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||||
It doesn’t end with retail, though. Emerging fintech apps are looking to apply this lending model to other sectors, from <a href="https://www.hellowalnut.com/">health care</a> to <a href="https://www.uplift.com/">travel</a> to <a href="https://getflex.com/">rent</a>. Sure, people are growing acclimated to dividing their purchases into four easy payments, even applauding the option to do so. But no matter how you frame it, the pitfalls of these plans seem to be, unfortunately, just more debt.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="pwtiSg">
|
||||
“Buy now, pay later” sounds simple. The fine print is more complicated.
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EgptkM">
|
||||
Iyahna Symonne has been in a complicated relationship with Afterpay since February. The 21-year-old’s spending habits were “already out of line,” so when faced with a $110 purchase from the fast-fashion retailer Shein, selecting the buy now, pay later option felt like a no-brainer. Since then, Afterpay has doubled her credit line from $600 to $1,200, extending her the possibility to buy more — and to be stuck in a cycle of repayments.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cWAlkN">
|
||||
As of late, Symonne’s impulse has been to split payments for most of her clothing purchases, even with less-expensive items like a $30 PacSun jacket. “If [a store] offers Afterpay, I’m going to use it. I don’t care if it’s $5,” she told me. “It makes me feel like I’m saving more money.” She is aware that isn’t true; in fact, Symonne is at risk of paying a small fee if she misses a payment.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="z8QbRr">
|
||||
The trade-off with Afterpay is that she feels less guilty about shopping, even if it’s just a sticky reframing of expenses. If spending $100 is a splurge, then an upfront cost of $25 seems much more manageable, especially if no interest fees are involved, unlike with credit cards. Most providers offer no-interest payment plans if the buyer pays off the product within four installments or a fixed time period. But the fine print varies, as does the amount for late fees.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<div class="c-float-left">
|
||||
<div id="T7A89S">
|
||||
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
||||
I really buy everything with afterpay now, for no reason at all. Y’all gon get this $20 in 4 easy payments
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
— “High Melanin” (<span class="citation" data-cites="MissAmarisRose">@MissAmarisRose</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/MissAmarisRose/status/1390038273368678401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2021</a>
|
||||
</blockquote></div></div></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GFCBem">
|
||||
Jason Mikula, who writes the newsletter Fintech Business Weekly, separates these services into <a href="https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/p/buy-now-pay-later-vs-pos-lending">two distinct categories</a>: point-of-sale lenders (Affirm, PayPal Credit), which usually apply to larger purchases like Casper mattresses or Pelotons, are repaid over longer periods, require credit checks, and charge buyers interest; and pay-in-four services (Klarna, Afterpay), which charge no interest, require a 25 percent deposit, and operate without credit checks or reporting to credit bureaus. The rent service Flex markets itself as an opportunity to build tenants’ credit scores by <a href="https://help.getflex.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500006277081-Does-Flex-report-my-payment-data-to-credit-reporting-agencies-">reporting</a> payment behavior to credit agencies, which means late payments <a href="https://help.getflex.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500006277201-How-will-using-my-Flex-account-impact-my-credit-score-or-credit-report-">can affect</a> a person’s score.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IS0WET">
|
||||
According to Mikula, who has spent more than a decade working in consumer credit, the first option generally appeals to high-income shoppers, while the latter is geared toward younger or income-constrained people. “If I’m going to buy a Peloton and get 0 percent financing, why would I not take that? It’s essentially free money,” he said. “On the other hand, the split-pay option lowers the friction of making a purchase. It is debt, and it might not legally be a loan, but it’s money the consumer owes someone.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mVJ8KS">
|
||||
In a 2019 piece for Vox, reporter Susie Cagle <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/1/14/18178772/afterpay-stores-installment-urban-outfitters">likened</a> Afterpay to an inversion of layaway, a payment business model marketed primarily toward cash-strapped consumers. With layaway, shoppers could place a deposit on a big purchase and pay for the item in installments before taking it home. Twitter users joke that the buy now, pay later startups are a modern-day layaway “<a href="https://twitter.com/TMikaMouse/status/1384186168900681732">rebrand</a>” or a gentrification of the concept.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rqxtbL">
|
||||
Cagle’s reporting reveals how providers like Afterpay are essentially short-term lending services; because they operate outside of the legal definition of a loan product, they aren’t subjected to certain US consumer finance regulations, such as the Truth in Lending Act. (Afterpay co-founder and co-CEO Nick Molnar insisted to Cagle that the company functions as a budgeting tool, rather than a loan servicer.) Australian and European lawmakers have since taken steps to better regulate providers like Afterpay, but the regulatory optics in the US have been slow to change.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<div id="MzqBcX">
|
||||
<blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@brookehwr/video/6944378515861064965" class="tiktok-embed">
|
||||
<section>
|
||||
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@brookehwr" target="_blank" title="@brookehwr"><span class="citation" data-cites="brookehwr">@brookehwr</span></a>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
Dunno what I’d do without it tbh x <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/hauls" target="_blank" title="hauls">#hauls</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/klarna" target="_blank" title="klarna">#klarna</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/clearpay" target="_blank" title="clearpay">#clearpay</a>
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/the-real-sorority-check-6737698700086233861" target="_blank" title="♬ the real sorority check - elizabeth the first">♬ the real sorority check - elizabeth the first</a>
|
||||
</section>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OZCXhj">
|
||||
Despite concern from consumer advocates, many shoppers find the option to split payments useful, and some have developed brand affinity toward certain providers. Klarna and Afterpay, for example, frequently receive shoutouts from semi-viral TikTok videos of users glorifying the services, and have partnered with influencers and retailers to broadcast products and deals. As brands, these companies have adopted the tone of a <a href="https://twitter.com/AfterpayUSA/status/1390776792743653380">friendly beneficiary</a>: Customer service agents refer to user relationships as “<a href="https://twitter.com/Klarna/status/1352249340899811329">friendships</a>,” respond to comments with a suite of emojis, and assert the company’s mission of helping people buy what they love.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sYmjkv">
|
||||
Like Symonne, some consumers recognize how these services enable them to buy more, rather than spend less overall. The effort to stanch this behavior, though, remains largely individualized. “[A]fterpay & klarna have me in a damn chokehold,” <a href="https://twitter.com/leiifaye/status/1388512924034113537">one user tweeted</a>. “Somebody cancel my Klarna,” <a href="https://twitter.com/Jimmy_Mikey/status/1389896694347833346">wrote another</a>. “I’m gonna be making four small easy payments forever.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6YjunX">
|
||||
These tweets are, like most things on Twitter, probably made in jest, but they hint at worthwhile concerns held by consumer advocates: What’s helpful for one shopper could be predatory for another, so what regulations are in place to protect people as these services bleed into other sectors, like health care? “We need a standardized way to inform people about the features of these products,” said Chuck Bell, programs director at Consumer Reports. “Most consumers aren’t aware of the distinctions between Affirm or Afterpay, and whether they’re building credit when they make an on-time payment.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nsYnve">
|
||||
The prevailing concern is that consumers are being urged to take on more than they can afford. Some services operate without a credit check, or standardized mechanisms in place to limit overspending. But as the Atlantic’s Amanda Mull <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/01/jeans-now-pay-later/617257/">pointed out</a>, “buy now, pay later” services shouldn’t be vilified any more than credit cards, auto loans, or any financial product designed to encourage people to buy things they can’t afford. After all, consumerism is designed to keep churning the gears of American capitalism. And since the postwar era, the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4227616?seq=1">evolution of consumer credit</a> has sought to achieve one goal: encouraging people to spend beyond their means.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="ARU49a">
|
||||
The evolution of buy now, pay later
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PC5LKt">
|
||||
The modern consumer credit system was established by General Motors to sell cars. Very few people could pay full price for one, hence the creation of a loan financing model. Today, selecting buy now, pay later is a nearly instantaneous decision, and its proliferation within retail is in line with the decentralization of fintech and the direct-to-consumer boom, according to Larry Diamond, CEO of Quadpay’s parent company Zip. With Shopify, Stripe, and the growth of e-commerce, technology developments allowed merchants to bypass the <a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/stripe-teardown/">traditional, lengthy credit card integration process</a>. “The ability to plug and play is really powerful,” Diamond said. “A merchant can decide to offer an installment solution at checkout, and once they pass the brief accreditation period, it’ll immediately appear on their checkout screens.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Yo8TuV">
|
||||
Due to their novelty, these venture-backed startups are able to skirt strict regulation, although US consumer protection laws still generally apply. Among investors, Afterpay and its ilk have been touted as the future of consumer credit. Younger Americans are supposedly less trustful of traditional financial institutions, and up until 2019, were less likely to open up a credit card, compared to older consumers. But recent <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/select/gen-z-credit-habits/">surveys</a> suggest <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ronshevlin/2020/11/09/the-debit-card-explosion-is-going-to-fizzle/?sh=18f0de78275c">more than half</a> of millennials and members of Generation Z have at least one credit card.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<div class="c-float-right">
|
||||
<div id="QzAi5V">
|
||||
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
||||
With <a href="https://twitter.com/CapitalOne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><span class="citation" data-cites="CapitalOne">@CapitalOne</span></a> blocking BNPL tx on its credit cards, the credit risk of the product category is getting another look<br/><br/>Afterpay’s ~13% loss rate is in payday loan territory<br/><br/>BNPLs argue loan book loss % is wrong metric, as ‘loan’ term is ~30 days<br/><br/>Src: <a href="https://t.co/4Ncomen2Qw">https://t.co/4Ncomen2Qw</a> <a href="https://t.co/CICYFAhkCE">pic.twitter.com/CICYFAhkCE</a>
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
— Jason Mikula (<span class="citation" data-cites="mikulaja">@mikulaja</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikulaja/status/1336270523739893760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2020</a>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qOD03Y">
|
||||
Providers like Afterpay position themselves as an alternative for the young and credit-averse. Users can link debit cards or bank accounts to the service, in addition to most credit cards (Capital One has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-capital-one-fin-payments/capital-one-stops-risky-buy-now-pay-later-credit-card-transactions-idUSKBN28H0OR">banned</a> such transactions on its cards). Regardless, these tools all rely on the concept of spending beyond one’s immediate means. And there’s plenty of market potential for growth, in retail and other sectors. A Bank of America report <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/investors-seek-growth-now-in-paying-later-11607077800">predicted</a> that the global buy now, pay later space could annually process between $650 billion to $1 trillion by 2025, which is roughly 10 to 15 times the current market. PayPal launched a Pay in 4 option last fall, and banks and credit card companies are also eyeing the space.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BErlFg">
|
||||
“Existing credit card companies, like American Express and Chase, are trying to offer customers the ability to convert purchases on their cards into installment loans after the fact,” Mikula, of Fintech Business Weekly, told me. “But uptake on those services has been very low because it’s essentially extra work.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PJGgSm">
|
||||
However, Mikula thinks that the popularity of buy now, pay later services is currently overestimated, even as they partner with more merchants and digital payment companies. He cited a 2020 survey of about 3,000 consumers from <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ronshevlin/2020/11/22/the-24-billion-buy-now-pay-later-battle/?sh=658696822f53">Cornerstone Advisors</a>, which found that only 7 percent of respondents sought to split their payments. Another problem is brand loyalty, and whether providers are able to distinguish themselves in a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/buy-now-pay-later-isnt-winner-take-all-11613563215">competitive landscape</a>.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NGbKxR">
|
||||
“Most users interact with these products as a convenience option when they’re checking out online,” he said. “There isn’t an infinite pool of people who would want to split an $80 Adidas purchase four ways. It’s clear that these companies are cognizant of the risk and are trying to develop product extensions to diversify or mitigate.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<div class="c-float-right">
|
||||
<aside id="Ld6Vum">
|
||||
<q>“There isn’t an infinite pool of people who would want to split an $80 Adidas purchase four ways”</q>
|
||||
</aside>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NxOlN0">
|
||||
Affirm and AfterPay have launched debit cards with a built-in function to split payments at in-store retailers. But while buy now, pay later is most visible in the retail space, companies are considering an expansion into sectors where consumers frequently make big-ticket purchases, such as travel, home improvement, and even health care.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4p02jR">
|
||||
“Our goal is to be the first payment choice everywhere,” Diamond, of Quadpay, told me. “The use case can extend to all sorts of purchases. If you look at Australia, we do a huge amount through bills: mobile phone bill, utility bill, medical bills.” He added that health care is “a big focus” in the United States, since a lot of people don’t have private health insurance and out-of-pocket costs can be expensive.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sQyc29">
|
||||
The startup Walnut, for example, follows a similar point-of-sale lending model that breaks down patient payments with zero interest. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/07/walnut-affirm-for-healthcare-seed/?tpcc=ECTW2020">TechCrunch</a> reported that the startup uses an “extensive underwriting model,” rather than a credit score, to figure out if a patient should qualify for a loan, and analyzes financial data points from a person’s spending habits to their side income. In March, Openpay became the <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexDruuuce/status/1371250338221584386">first buy now, pay later startup </a>to be offered in Australian hospitals, in partnership with St. John of God Health Care, the country’s largest Catholic health provider. The installment plan is specifically made for uninsured Australians without private health insurance, who might be faced with major costs for procedures like elective surgeries.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ve2enq">
|
||||
Criticism toward these fintech developments is generally directed at their novelty and lack of regulation. Such products have, to put it bluntly, disrupted the traditional pathways of taking on debt by existing beyond the purview of traditional financial institutions. Some do serve a need by extending access to credit for <a href="https://www.vox.com/22367985/paypal-venmo-financial-inequality-unbanked-underbanked">underbanked people</a>, who also happen to be the most financially vulnerable. For example, a patient in need of a health care loan could theoretically rely on Walnut as a no-interest lending service, rather than take out a payday or high interest-rate loan.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YATkkp">
|
||||
The unregulated gray area of this space, however, is concerning to Bell, the consumer advocate. While he didn’t mention any startup by name, he acknowledged that split-payment providers could complicate consumer relationships with retailers and merchants. “It might be difficult for consumers to work out disputes with retailers and sellers,” he said. “If a consumer gets into a travel dispute with a point-of-sale loan, they might have less leverage. It’s also confusing, because you’ve now invited a third company into the relationship that should be between you and American Airlines, or with Expedia.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Z6nayp">
|
||||
These services are marketing themselves as a stopgap to big problems that Americans face, like medical debt and the inability to build credit off of monthly rent payments. Still, they’re Band-Aid solutions to larger systemic problems that existing policy has yet to solve. It’s challenging to neutrally assess the use case of apps like Flex, Walnut, or Afterpay, as it ultimately leads one to consider philosophical arguments about the function of debt and credit in America.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yXgsJc">
|
||||
“Debt has always played an important role in Americans’ lives — not merely as a means of instant gratification but also as a strategy for survival and a tool for economic advance,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/magazine/11wwln_lede.html">argued</a> the historian Jackson Lears in a 2006 New York Times Magazine piece. The country has never lived within its means. Being able to pay off debt has been made more valuable than avoiding it; it’s a kind of financial hazing that every American consumer must weather to ensure good credit.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Wr0Pvn">
|
||||
Increasingly, the country’s taxing relationship with debt has come to the fore, spurred by conversations about <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22324143/student-debt-forgiveness-loan-cancellation-economy">student debt forgiveness</a>. As shocking as our national debt figures are ($1.7 trillion in student loans), forgiveness has been, for the most part, written off as too politically radical. This failure to forgive — by the federal government and a subset of Americans — betrays a general perception of debt as an individualized failure. Whether it be consumer, student, or mortgage debt, the act of owing money has been positioned as a conscious and individual choice, rather than the inevitable result of complex social and economic forces.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="E7EYQR">
|
||||
The 2008 financial crisis briefly soured consumers’ perception of debt and credit cards. Yet, in the wake of a pandemic-induced recession, credit cards and split-payment services continue to thrive. It’s impossible to entirely avoid credit (and therefore debt) as an American consumer, especially when financial products are crafted to serve the same function: ease people into buying more under the guise of convenience or flexibility.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3kRrGv">
|
||||
Social media and Amazon have <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22412098/social-commerce-explainer">coaxed shoppers</a> into a state of frequent, mindless consumption. With tools like buy now, pay later, the act of buying can be divorced from one’s bank account balance. As Mull writes in <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/01/jeans-now-pay-later/617257/">the Atlantic</a>, a service like Afterpay “removes the psychological friction that can force people to stop, consider their choices, and decide whether they can really afford to buy that one fabulous thing.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="p5we4S">
|
||||
What happens, though, when the option to break down payments is applied to rent or a new kidney, rather than a coat or a vacation? In those instances, there is no option but to pay up. The difference is how.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0WRndd">
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RJslQB">
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>Got the vaccine? You can relax about your Covid-19 risk now. Really.</strong> -
|
||||
<figure>
|
||||
<img alt="A person wearing latex gloves inserts a syringe into a vaccine vial." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Wo_bt9yXNhwPiBG6a2SF88UqXd4=/314x0:5325x3758/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69267738/1231208086.0.jpg"/>
|
||||
<figcaption>
|
||||
Robert Gilbertson, a medical worker, prepares a Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. | Apu Gomes/AFP/Getty Images
|
||||
</figcaption>
|
||||
</figure>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
I asked experts about their post-vaccination lives. Most no longer worry about their own risk of Covid-19.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cEOPmC">
|
||||
White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-how-behavior-activities-changed-after-covid-19-vaccination-2021-4">said</a> he will <em>not</em> go into restaurants or movie theaters, even though he’s vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html">says</a> vaccinated people should continue masking up indoors and avoiding large gatherings. News outlets have reported on “<a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/22379922/covid-19-breakthrough-infections-after-vaccination-explained">breakthrough infections</a>” of Covid-19 among the fully vaccinated.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="i2yuXc">
|
||||
All of this can make it seem like getting vaccinated may not be enough to liberate people from the fear of getting sick and the precautions they’ve taken to avoid the coronavirus in the past year. So I posed a question to experts I’ve talked to throughout the pandemic about Covid-related precautions: How worried are you about your personal safety after getting vaccinated?
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oQWUVI">
|
||||
They were nearly unanimous in their response: They’re no longer worried much, if at all, about their personal risk of getting Covid-19. Several spoke of going into restaurants and movie theaters now that they’re vaccinated, socializing with friends and family, and having older relatives visit for extended periods.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3zq4PA">
|
||||
“I’m not particularly worried about getting ill myself,” Tara Smith, an epidemiologist at Kent State University, told me. “I know that if I do somehow end up infected, my chances of developing serious symptoms are low.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Dv3rsS">
|
||||
Instead, experts said they mostly remain cautious to protect others who aren’t yet vaccinated. The vaccines are extremely effective — dramatically cutting the risk of any symptoms, and driving the risk of hospitalization and death to nearly zero. There’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22291959/covid-vaccines-transmission-protect-spread-virus-moderna-pfizer">some</a> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p0329-COVID-19-Vaccines.html">evidence</a> that these vaccines also reduce the risk of transmission, but we’re still learning how much they prevent someone who is vaccinated from infecting another person. When experts are still taking precautions, it’s this concern for others that primarily drives them.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tDd54g">
|
||||
But, over time, they see even those concerns for others becoming less necessary, too.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3BrIaB">
|
||||
“It’s about protecting others. Vaccination makes me essentially safe,” William Hanage, an epidemiologist at Harvard University, told me. “There’s accumulating evidence, too, that breakthrough cases are less likely to transmit (they have lower viral loads), so by being vaccinated I’m already helping protect others. But I’m also going to continue with behaviors consistent with lower contact rates in the community overall. As more and more are protected through vaccination, I’ll feel less and less of a need for that.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fawRH4">
|
||||
As vaccination rates climb and daily new cases and deaths drop, experts said that people should feel more comfortable easing up on precautions, shifting the world back to the pre-pandemic days. That might happen sooner than you think — <a href="https://www.vox.com/22400322/vaccines-herd-immunity-coronavirus-israel">Israel’s experience</a> suggests that cases could start to sustainably plummet once about 60 percent of the population is vaccinated, a point that could be just a month or two away in the US. And with <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations">46 percent</a> of Americans getting one dose so far, cases in the US <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2019-12-31..latest&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Confirmed+cases&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=true&Align+outbreaks=false&country=USA~EuropeanUnion">have already started to decline</a>.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hYpi0E">
|
||||
As more of the population gets the vaccine, it’s prudent to keep masking and avoiding large gatherings, and for people who’ve been vaccinated to share their stories and encourage their friends and family to get vaccinated, too. But that’s not because those who are vaccinated are in any trouble. Even with the spread of the variants, the consensus among experts is that vaccinated people shouldn’t worry much about their own risk of Covid-19.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="C3NCdU">
|
||||
The vaccines really are that good for your personal safety
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zP5m1D">
|
||||
The clinical and real-world evidence for the vaccines is now pretty clear: They are extremely effective at protecting a person from Covid-19.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Wy6PcM">
|
||||
The clinical trials put the two-shot <a href="https://www.vox.com/21569425/moderna-vaccine-effective-side-effects-temperature-covid-19">Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines’ efficacy rates</a> at 95-plus percent and the one-shot <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/24/health/covid-vaccine-johnson-and-johnson.html">Johnson & Johnson vaccine’s</a> at more than 70 percent. All three vaccines also drove the <a href="https://www.vox.com/22273502/covid-vaccines-pfizer-moderna-johnson-astrazeneca-efficacy-deaths">risk of hospitalization and death</a> to nearly zero.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YitoYs">
|
||||
The real-world evidence has backed this up. In Israel, the country with the most advanced vaccination campaign, the data <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/11/pfizer-covid-vaccine-blocks-94percent-of-asymptomatic-infections-and-97percent-of-symptomatic-cases-in-israeli-study.html">shows</a> that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been more than 90 percent effective at preventing infections, with even higher rates of blocking symptomatic disease, hospitalization, and death. You can see this in the country’s overall statistics: After Israel almost fully reopened its economy in March, once the majority of the population had at least one dose, <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2019-12-31..latest&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Confirmed+cases&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=false&Align+outbreaks=false&country=EuropeanUnion~ISR">daily new Covid-19 cases</a> fell by more than 95 percent. And <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2019-12-31..latest&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Confirmed+deaths&Interval=New+per+day&Relative+to+Population=false&Align+outbreaks=false&country=EuropeanUnion~ISR">daily deaths</a> are now in the single digits and, at times, zero.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PF3048">
|
||||
The research also shows the vaccines <a href="https://www.vox.com/22385588/covid-19-vaccine-variant-mutation-n440k-india-moderna-pfizer-b1617">are effective against the coronavirus variants</a> that have been discovered so far. While some variants seem better able to get around immunity, the vaccines are so powerful that they still by and large overwhelm and defeat the variants in the end.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gGXv1P">
|
||||
It’s this evidence that’s made experts confident the vaccines let them stop worrying about their own Covid-19 risk. “I am fully vaccinated and have resumed normal activities,” Monica Gandhi, an infectious diseases doctor at the University of California San Francisco, told me. “I have gone indoor dining, went to my first movie theater, and would go to a bar if there was an opportunity!”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="n3mZAv">
|
||||
The diminished concern applies to others who are vaccinated, too. Smith spoke of having her fully vaccinated in-laws visit this coming weekend — “the first time we’ve seen them in person since December 2019.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2kh4vV">
|
||||
There have been some breakthrough Covid-19 cases among those who are vaccinated. But they <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/22379922/covid-19-breakthrough-infections-after-vaccination-explained">tend to be</a> milder infections, less likely to transmit, and far from common. “This is less than 0.01 percent of the vaccinated,” Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at the Yale School of Medicine, told me, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-departments/breakthrough-cases.html">citing CDC data</a>. “So extremely rare!”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6GnApC">
|
||||
To the extent that some experts are still playing it safe for themselves, they cited an abundance of caution — and a lack of interest in certain activities.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wLxmet">
|
||||
“I go out to eat, but still only outdoors. I want to be fully relaxed for a restaurant dining experience. For me, with people I don’t know eating with masks off, I feel safest outside,” Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiologist at UC San Francisco, told me. “I haven’t been to bars, concerts, theaters, but that probably reflects the fact that I’m a rather boring person.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jKQCHx">
|
||||
Some acknowledged that their continuing caution was a habit that needed to be broken: After a year of worrying about the virus, it takes a bit of time to go back to a pre-pandemic mentality. “I am not too concerned about my own safety,” Jorge Salinas, an epidemiologist at the University of Iowa, told me. “I think it is mostly a matter of habits. I think it is okay to go back to restaurants but have continued getting takeout. But whoever is vaccinated and feels ready, I think it is safe for them to do so in most places.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="LpytxI">
|
||||
Continuing precautions are really about protecting others
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="94kmfP">
|
||||
The one reason experts consistently cited for continued precautions: the need to protect those who are unvaccinated. “We’ll probably be holding off on any indoors activities for now, since we have an unvaccinated 7-year-old at home,” Smith said. “The risk is low for us to catch and transmit anything to him, but after all this time avoiding indoor venues and being careful, a movie theater or dinner at a restaurant just doesn’t seem worth it when we still have great options with home theater and takeout meals. Once everyone is vaccinated, those will be back in our rotation.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="02EZk8">
|
||||
Some recent research found that the vaccines can reduce the chances of a vaccinated person spreading the virus to others. The CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p0329-COVID-19-Vaccines.html">summarized</a> one such real-world study for the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, showing the vaccines stop not just symptoms but overall infections and, therefore, transmission:
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<blockquote>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eNTilo">
|
||||
Results showed that following the second dose of vaccine (the recommended number of doses), risk of infection was reduced by 90 percent two or more weeks after vaccination. Following a single dose of either vaccine, the participants’ risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 was reduced by 80 percent two or more weeks after vaccination.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="anFHdS">
|
||||
But in the typically cautious worlds of science and public health, experts want to see a bit more research and data before they declare that vaccinated people can throw out their masks and gather in large numbers indoors. (Some experts also said they may continue masking and avoiding crowded indoor spaces during flu season, after such measures <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/22272237/flu-cases-down-historic-what-does-it-mean">seemed to crush</a> the flu in the past year.)
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dgQGQA">
|
||||
Even if the vaccine proves to reduce transmission, it would still be safer for every person who can get vaccinated to get the shot. And as more people get their shots, it’s also safer to stick to some precautions for their sake.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vOh1Wa">
|
||||
To that end, experts recommended watching a few figures going forward: the vaccination rate, and daily new cases or hospitalizations. As vaccination rates go up and surpass 50 or 60 percent at a local level, a vaccinated person can feel much more confident going out without worrying about potentially infecting others. And as cases and hospitalizations go down, a vaccinated person can also have confidence that there’s not much virus out there — further shrinking their chances of getting infected and spreading it.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MIRMAl">
|
||||
In the meantime, those who are already vaccinated can help speed up the process by encouraging their friends, family, and peers to get the shot. Surveys <a href="https://osf.io/j5hf2/">consistently</a> <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-april-2021/">show</a> that around 1 in 3 unvaccinated people are waiting for others around them to get vaccinated first before they do so. Sharing vaccination stories, then, could give people the push they need.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uJPmc3">
|
||||
“I’m very cognizant that while I’m vaccinated, many still are not,” Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist at George Mason University, told me. “So I’m still vigilant in wearing my mask while out in public running errands, or when interacting with servers [and] other patrons if I go to an outdoor restaurant, even though I’m not really concerned for my own risk of getting sick.”
|
||||
</p></li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The Supreme Court considers an important showdown over abortion this week</strong> -
|
||||
<figure>
|
||||
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qOTHAflaMZXlRbJ4C955466-fcQ=/92x0:2719x1970/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69267620/1297441111.0.jpg"/>
|
||||
<figcaption>
|
||||
Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett arrive at the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on the West Front of the US Capitol on January 20, 2021. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images
|
||||
</figcaption>
|
||||
</figure>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The Court has been surprisingly hesitant to weigh in on abortion. But a pending case is likely to force its hand.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SooOt1">
|
||||
The Supreme Court has been sitting on a potentially very significant abortion case for the last two months, one that the Court’s rules say it should dismiss. We’re likely to find out this week whether the Court will dismiss this case, however, and that decision could tell us a great deal about how fast the Court plans to move in rolling back abortion rights.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="L9qgHY">
|
||||
In February, about a month after President Joe Biden took office, the Supreme Court announced that it would <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/american-medical-association-v-cochran/">hear three consolidated cases</a> challenging a Trump administration policy targeting abortion clinics.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dtqkyZ">
|
||||
A 1970 federal law, often referred to as Title X, provides federal grants to health providers who offer “family planning” care such as birth control and infertility treatments. In 2019, the Trump administration <a href="https://casetext.com/case/mayor-v-azar">imposed several strict limits</a> on providers who receive Title X grants.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TNBusd">
|
||||
Among other things, these providers are forbidden from referring any patient to an abortion provider. Title X grant recipients may provide a list of health providers to a patient, but only a minority of the providers on this list may perform abortions — and the list may not “identify which providers on the list perform abortion.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rsk2R2">
|
||||
Additionally, Title X grant recipients that also perform abortions must impose a “clear physical and financial separation” between any program funded by Title X and abortion services. Planned Parenthood estimated that the cost of complying with this “physical separation” requirement would be “<a href="https://casetext.com/case/mayor-v-azar">nearly $625,000 per affected service site</a>.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="h4CPLN">
|
||||
Many providers, including Planned Parenthood, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/08/19/752438119/planned-parenthood-out-of-title-x-over-trump-rule">dropped out of the Title X program altogether</a> because they considered the Trump administration’s rules too burdensome.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qBHPR7">
|
||||
The Supreme Court’s decision to hear these cases, which are consolidated under the case name <em>American Medical Association v. Becerra</em>, was somewhat surprising because President Biden had already begun the process of repealing the Trump-era policy when the Court announced that it would take up this case. Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to “review” Trump’s policy and to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/28/memorandum-on-protecting-womens-health-at-home-and-abroad/">“consider, as soon as practicable, whether to suspend, revise, or rescind” it</a> a little over a week after taking office.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JHLLQ6">
|
||||
Though repealing this Trump-era effort to reduce access to abortion will take months — the Biden administration must complete a lengthy process known as “notice and comment” — the current administration predicts that it will <a href="https://affordablecareactlitigation.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/20210503144133267_20-429-am-med-20-454-and-20-539.pdf">complete this process in the early fall</a>, rendering <em>American Medical Association </em>moot long before the Court is likely to decide the case.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Z9FNwB">
|
||||
Indeed, in March, the Biden administration filed a joint request alongside the various parties challenging the Trump administration’s Title X rule, which <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/20/20-429/171851/20210312191711724_20-454%20-%20Cochran%20v.%20Baltimore%20-%20Stipulation%20to%20Dismiss.pdf">asked the Court to dismiss <em>American Medical Association</em></a>. That should have been the end of the case, as the Supreme Court’s rules provide that “whenever all parties file with the Clerk an agreement in writing that a case be dismissed,” the Court “<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/ctrules/2019RulesoftheCourt.pdf">will enter an order of dismissal</a>.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VkNiR1">
|
||||
And yet, the Court has held onto the case — at least for now — even though the Court typically does not agree to hear cases that it knows will become moot before the case can be briefed, argued, and decided. And it rarely holds onto a case after all the parties have asked for the case to be dismissed.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cAkADB">
|
||||
We’re likely to learn very soon what the justices plan to do with <em>American Medical Association</em>. In late April, the Court <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/american-medical-association-v-cochran/">called for briefs</a> explaining whether the Biden administration plans to enforce the Trump administration’s rule until the new regulations rescinding that rule are finalized. The last of these briefs is due this week, so the justices are likely to rule very soon on whether they will dismiss the case.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IoAf46">
|
||||
If the Court does hold onto the case, that would be a deeply worrying sign for supporters of abortion rights. It would suggest that the justices may race to hand down a decision upholding the Trump administration’s rule before the Biden administration can rescind it. And it may also allow the Court’s 6-3 conservative majority to expand the government’s ability to restrict abortion.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="Qf6djE">
|
||||
A brief history of Title X and the anti-abortion “gag rule”
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a4s3j7">
|
||||
Title X provides about <a href="https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/archive/title-x-program-funding-history">$286 million in funding every year</a> for “comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services, with “priority […] given to persons from low-income families.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Jro9Xz">
|
||||
According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and advocacy group that supports broad access to reproductive care, Title X “supports nearly 4,000 service sites nationwide, <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2019/03/title-x-under-attack-our-comprehensive-guide?gclid=Cj0KCQjws-OEBhCkARIsAPhOkIYzqTMEEK97L0SghQjRon3SroguWSYXX0T2hlKRZoEN99yyIWjNPyAaArk3EALw_wcB">serving approximately four million people per year</a>.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rl6lf6">
|
||||
By law, no Title X grant money “<a href="https://casetext.com/case/mayor-v-azar">shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning</a>,” so the money cannot be used directly to provide abortion care. But past administrations have disagreed on just how much separation must exist between health providers who receive Title X funds and abortion providers or facilities.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZMppCC">
|
||||
In 1988, the Reagan administration handed down some <a href="https://casetext.com/case/mayor-v-azar">fairly strict restrictions on Title X providers</a> — including that projects funded by Title X “may not provide counseling concerning the use of abortion as a method of family planning or provide referral for abortion as a method of family planning.” This 1988 rule was often referred to as the “gag rule,” and the Supreme Court upheld it in<strong> </strong><a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17204544980901899735&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr"><em>Rust v. Sullivan</em></a> (1991).
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yGwU54">
|
||||
But a few months after the Supreme Court decision, President George H.W. Bush backed away from the gag rule, writing in a 1991 memo to HHS that referrals “may be made by Title X programs to full-service health care providers that perform abortions,” provided that abortion wasn’t the provider’s “principal activity.” Then, in 1993, President Bill Clinton took office, and he swiftly rescinded the Reagan era “gag rule.” In 2000, the Clinton administration issued a final rule that required Title X programs to provide “information and counseling” about “pregnancy termination,” and to <a href="https://casetext.com/case/mayor-v-azar">provide a referral to an abortion clinic “upon request” by the patient</a>, a rule that stayed in place throughout the George W. Bush and Obama administrations.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="t88Udg">
|
||||
Then, in 2019, the Trump administration implemented its rule, which imposed strict limits on Title X recipients similar to the ones imposed by the Reagan-era gag rule.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="qu9skq">
|
||||
The legal arguments in <em>American Medical Association</em>, briefly explained
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2C3sUE">
|
||||
The plaintiffs in <em>American Medical Association</em> and the consolidated cases raise several challenges to the Trump administration’s rule.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hblugD">
|
||||
Congress enacted two laws in the years following <em>Rust</em> which arguably limit the government’s power to reinstate the 1988 version of the gag rule. The first was a 1996 budget rider which clarified that Title X funds “shall not be expended for abortions,” but that also provided that “all pregnancy counseling shall be nondirective” — directing patients neither toward abortions nor away from them. And a provision of the Affordable Care Act, which President Barack Obama signed in 2010, provides that HHS “shall not promulgate any regulation that … interferes with communications regarding a full range of treatment options between the patient and the provider.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GhLYPe">
|
||||
The plaintiffs argue the Trump rule violates both the 1996 “nondirective” requirement and the Affordable Care Act’s requirement.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XrpBBj">
|
||||
They also argue that the Trump administration didn’t provide an adequate justification for many parts of its rule. Under the “notice and comment” process, an agency that intends to hand down a new regulation typically must announce its proposed regulation in advance and give members of the public an opportunity to comment on it. While the agency isn’t required to scrap a proposal simply because some of these comments disagree with it, federal agencies do have some obligation to provide a response to commenters and an explanation for any concerns raised by the commenters.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5ibRVH">
|
||||
Several commenters expressed concerns that the Trump administration’s requirement that abortion services be physically separated from Title X programs would impose unreasonable costs on providers — as mentioned above, Planned Parenthood estimated that it would have to pay an average of $625,000 per facility to comply with this requirement.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="J9caTa">
|
||||
Yet the Trump administration claimed, without any apparent justification, that it would only cost Title X providers $30,000 to comply with the physical separation requirement. As a lower court explained in striking down this requirement, “there is no justification in the Final Rule for the $30,000 amount,” and a lawyer for the Trump administration was only able to offer a vague explanation for where this number came from. “For all we can tell,” the lower court concluded, “<a href="https://casetext.com/case/mayor-v-azar">this number was pulled from thin air</a>.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Wj1cxG">
|
||||
The court also concluded that, in relying on this seemingly arbitrary $30,000 estimate, the Trump administration did not meet its obligation to explain why it was implementing the new rule and to offer a reasoned response to commenters.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lOLggF">
|
||||
So there are strong legal arguments against the Trump-era rule. Nevertheless, lower court judges have largely split along party lines when asked to answer whether this rule should be upheld.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QWbLBL">
|
||||
A <a href="https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2020/02/24/19-15974.pdf">conservative 11-judge panel</a> of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, for example, upheld the Trump-era gag rule — largely relying on the argument that <em>Rust</em> remains good law and that it wasn’t displaced by the 1996 or 2010 laws governing the relationship between providers and patients. The four Democratic members of this panel dissented.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NFmsxB">
|
||||
Similarly, the left-leaning Fourth Circuit <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/abortion-md.pdf">split entirely along party lines</a> in its decision striking down the Trump rule — with every Democratic appointee joining that result and every Republican appointee in dissent.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="MuxZYq">
|
||||
So what’s at stake in <em>American Medical Association?</em>
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8pVBd7">
|
||||
Given this partisan divide among lower court judges, it’s not hard to guess how the Supreme Court — where Republicans hold six of the nine seats — is likely to decide <em>American Medical Association</em> if given the opportunity to do so. The uncertain question in <em>American Medical Association</em> isn’t how these justices will view the legal issues presented by the case, it’s whether the Supreme Court will honor the parties’ request to dismiss the case.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BzxWR7">
|
||||
If the justices do not honor that request, that could set off an unseemly race where the Court rushes to hand down its decision before the Biden administration rescinds the Trump-era rule and renders the case moot.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sEeRBm">
|
||||
Under the Court’s ordinary procedures, the earliest the justices could hear this case is next October — not nearly soon enough to win the race if the Biden administration is correct that its new rule will be finalized in early fall. So the Court would need to depart from its ordinary procedures, either by scheduling a rare summer oral argument or bypassing oral arguments altogether, in order to decide this case before it becomes moot.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="X2HFfe">
|
||||
Because it remains unclear whether the case will be dismissed or not, the parties have not even briefed the case. Indeed, it’s not even clear who the Court would appoint to argue in defense of the Trump administration’s rule, although a <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/20/20-429/172367/20210319081851347_SCOTUS%20Motion%20for%20Leave%20to%20File%20Supp%20Brief%20re%20Intervention.pdf">coalition of Republican state attorneys general</a> and another <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/20/20-429/171959/20210315161031026_20-429%20Motion%20for%20leave%20to%20file%20a%20supplement%20brief%20in%20support%20of%20intervention%20and%20proposed%20supplemental%20brief_FINAL.pdf">coalition of conservative and religious health groups</a> seek the right to do so.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Cx9W3z">
|
||||
Without full briefing, it’s also not entirely clear what’s at stake in the case; we don’t yet know what the rule’s defenders will ask for in their briefs. At the very least, however, the Court could firmly reject the various legal arguments against the gag rule and permit a future Republican administration to reinstate the Trump-era rule shortly after taking office.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5cttb6">
|
||||
The Court could also potentially include language in its opinion <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/7/8/21317323/supreme-court-obamacare-little-sisters-clarence-thomas-pennsylvania-birth-control">suggesting that the gag rule is <em>required</em> by federal law</a>. In a 2020 opinion concerning the Trump administration’s interpretation of a provision of Obamacare, Justice Clarence Thomas’s majority opinion included a bunch of gratuitous language <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/7/8/21317323/supreme-court-obamacare-little-sisters-clarence-thomas-pennsylvania-birth-control">suggesting that several important provisions of Obamacare are unconstitutional</a>. The Court could repeat this performance in the <em>American Medical Association</em> case, effectively using it as a vehicle to limit access to abortion during Democratic administrations.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ceUv5V">
|
||||
In the worst-case scenario for abortion rights, the Court could even include some language in its opinion suggesting that both the states and the federal government have broad authority to restrict abortion.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3DGdIC">
|
||||
In any event, the obvious course of action is that the Court should dismiss this case. That’s what the Court’s rules call for, and dismissal is especially appropriate because the case is about to become moot.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dBpiFu">
|
||||
If the justices decide not to take this obvious course of action, that could be a very worrisome sign about the future of abortion rights.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GL5gUA">
|
||||
</p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>MCC rejects Bamboo bats, says it will be illegal</strong> - The Guardians of the Laws of Cricket, however, said they will deliberate on the matter during their laws sub-committee meeting.</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Checkmate COVID: Viswanathan Anand, four other Grandmasters to play exhibition matches to raise COVID-19 relief fund</strong> - All the proceeds from the exhibitions will go to RedCross India and the Checkmate COVID initiative of the All India Chess Federation</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>England players unlikely to be available for re-scheduled IPL: ECB</strong> - There were 11 Englishman in various franchises in the suspended IPL</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Coach Baig returns after a tough but rewarding stint</strong> -</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Hamilton hopes to have ‘clear picture of future’ by summer</strong> - Speculation still there over Mercedes contract renewal.</p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Reputation of Brand Modi very much on minds of BJP leaders</strong> - Lack of anticipation of second wave has made much of defence pretty hard going, admit senior leaders</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Centre can cut GST rates on COVID-19 vaccines, critical supplies, say experts</strong> - Finance Minister had said GST exemption to vaccine would be counterproductive without benefiting consumer</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>He enriched Malayalam literature and cinema</strong> - Madampu Kunjukuttan, who died in Thrissur at the age of 79, was as a writer of exceptional skills</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Oxygen cylinders seized</strong> - Six cylinders (of 10.6 litres capacity) were present in the firm.</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>26 COVID-19 patients die at Goa hospital; Minister Vishwajit Rane seeks HC probe</strong> - Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said these fatalities occurred between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., but remained evasive about the cause</p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Russia school shooting: Children and teacher killed in Kazan</strong> - Seven children and a teacher are killed in a shooting in the Russian city of Kazan, officials say.</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Vesuvius ancient eruption rescuer identified at Herculaneum, says expert</strong> - A body found at Herculaneum may have been part of Pliny the Elder’s team sent to rescue residents.</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>French soldiers warn of civil war in new letter</strong> - Members of the military accuse the French government of granting concessions to Islamism.</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Portugal border guards jailed for beating Ukrainian to death</strong> - A Ukrainian jobseeker was beaten and asphyxiated by officers after refusing to board a flight home.</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Forests the size of France regrown since 2000, study suggests</strong> - Conservation groups say naturally restored forests can help in the fight against climate change.</p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A new book, Amazon Unbound, reveals Jeff Bezos’ envy of SpaceX</strong> - Bezos tried to hire Gwynne Shotwell to run Blue Origin in 2016. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1763718">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>FDA authorizes Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds</strong> - The CDC’s advisory committee will meet Wednesday to vote on recommending use. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1763967">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Apple invests $45 million more in Gorilla Glass-maker Corning</strong> - Investment follows millions more that produced the iPhone 12’s ceramic shield. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1763824">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Amazon “seized and destroyed” 2 million counterfeit products in 2020</strong> - Counterfeit products sent to Amazon warehouses are destroyed to prevent resale. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1763878">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>It’s the battle of the alien symbiotes in Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer</strong> - “I’ve been thinking about you, Eddie, because you and I are the same.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1763740">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>Irish daughter had not been home for over 5 years. Upon her return her Father cursed her heavily.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||
<div class="md">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
“Where have ye been all this time, child? Why did ye not write to us, not even a line? Why didn’t ye call? Can ye not understand what ye put yer old Mother through?”<br/> <br/> The girl, crying, replied, “Dad... I became a prostitute.”<br/> <br/> “Ye what!? Get out a here, ye shameless harlot! Sinner! You’re a disgrace to this Catholic family.”<br/> <br/> “OK, Dad... as ye wish. I only came back to give mum this luxurious fur coat, title deed to a ten bedroom mansion, plus a 5 million savings certificate. For me little brother, this gold Rolex. And for ye Daddy, the sparkling new Mercedes limited edition convertible that’s parked outside plus a membership to the country club ... (takes a breath) ... and an invitation for ye all to spend New Year’s Eve on board my new yacht in the Riviera.”<br/> <br/> “What was it ye said ye had become?”, says Dad.<br/> <br/> Girl, crying again, “A prostitute, Daddy!”<br/> <br/> “Oh! My Goodness! Ye scared me half to death, girl! I thought ye said a Protestant! Come here and give yer old Dad a hug!”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Roni7823"> /u/Roni7823 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n9t2oh/irish_daughter_had_not_been_home_for_over_5_years/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n9t2oh/irish_daughter_had_not_been_home_for_over_5_years/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||
<li><strong>A pirate walked into a bar.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||
<div class="md">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
He had a wooden leg, an eye patch and a hook for a hand. The bartender was curious. “How did you get that wooden leg?” he asked.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The pirate took a swig of ale. “’Twas a terrible sea battle. I stood bravely, directly facing 12 cannons.All they managed to hit was my leg.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The bartender said “What about your hook?”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The pirate took another long swig. “Arrrr, twas the day the British navy caught me. They tied me to the mast, I escaped by gnawing my own hand off.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The bartender was growing sceptical. “And how did you get that eyepatch?”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The pirate took another swig. “Twas a mutiny. Me own crew left me marrooned on a desert island. But I had no fear. I lay down on the sand to wait to be rescued. As i looked up, a seagull flew over and pooped in me eye.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The bartender said “That’s ridiculous, no one loses an eye from bird muck.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The pirate finished his ale in one gulp, and grimaced. “Twas the first day with the hook.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/ExtraSure"> /u/ExtraSure </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n9sfgi/a_pirate_walked_into_a_bar/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n9sfgi/a_pirate_walked_into_a_bar/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||
<li><strong>What is the scientific name for anti-vaxxers during a pandemic?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||
<div class="md">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The control group.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/traverlaw"> /u/traverlaw </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n9rx3e/what_is_the_scientific_name_for_antivaxxers/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n9rx3e/what_is_the_scientific_name_for_antivaxxers/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||
<li><strong>I never get school shooting jokes.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||
<div class="md">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
Maybe they’re aimed at a younger audience.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWillOf-D"> /u/TheWillOf-D </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n99wb2/i_never_get_school_shooting_jokes/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n99wb2/i_never_get_school_shooting_jokes/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||
<li><strong>A woman gives birth to her first child and is laying in bed waiting for some test results to come back.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||
<div class="md">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
Eventually after a lengthy wait the doctor arrives and says:
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
“Ma’am, I have good news and bad news, which would you like first?”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
Startled, she exclaims to get the bad news out of the way first.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
“Well ma’am, the bad news is that your child is a ginger.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
Relieved that this isn’t as bad as she feared, the woman asks for the good news to which the doctor replied:
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
“It’s dead.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/aDrlw"> /u/aDrlw </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n9lgwv/a_woman_gives_birth_to_her_first_child_and_is/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n9lgwv/a_woman_gives_birth_to_her_first_child_and_is/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
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|
||||
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Reference in New Issue