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<title>10 May, 2022</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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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
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<li><strong>Reply to “Innate immune suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes, and MicroRNAs”: Important concerns on the validity of this article.</strong> -
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We share a Letter of concern To the Editor from Food and Chemical Toxicology about a recent published review from Seneff. et al entitled “Innate immune suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes, and MicroRNAs”( doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2022.113008). In our opinion, this article contains several assumptions and misinformation that we highlight. We believe that a rapid analysis of the key points and the misinterpretations that they contain are sufficient to invalidate the relevancy of the article and therefore we ask the editor to revise their opinion on the publication of the article.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/m58yh/" target="_blank">Reply to “Innate immune suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes, and MicroRNAs”: Important concerns on the validity of this article.</a>
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</div></li>
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<li><strong>Inferring selection effects in SARS-CoV-2 with Bayesian Viral Allele Selection</strong> -
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The global effort to sequence millions of SARS CoV-2 genomes has provided an unprecedented view of viral evolution. Characterizing how selection acts on SARS-CoV-2 is critical to developing effective, long-lasting vaccines and other treatments, but the scale and complexity of genomic surveillance data make rigorous analysis distinctly challenging. To meet this challenge, we develop Bayesian Viral Allele Selection (BVAS), a principled and scalable probabilistic method for inferring the genetic determinants of differential viral fitness and the relative growth rates of viral lineages, including newly emergent lineages. After demonstrating the accuracy and efficacy of our method through simulation, we apply BVAS to 6.9 million SARS-CoV-2 genomes. We identify numerous mutations that increase fitness, including previously identified mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Nucleocapsid proteins, as well as mutations in non-structural proteins whose contribution to fitness is less well characterized. In addition, we extend our baseline model to identify mutations whose fitness exhibits strong dependence on vaccination status. Our method, which couples Bayesian variable selection with a diffusion approximation in allele frequency space, lays a foundation for identifying fitness-associated mutations under the assumption that most alleles are neutral.
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</div>
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.07.490748v1" target="_blank">Inferring selection effects in SARS-CoV-2 with Bayesian Viral Allele Selection</a>
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</div></li>
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<li><strong>SARS-CoV-2 Spike N-Terminal Domain modulates TMPRSS2-dependent viral entry and fusogenicity</strong> -
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Over 20 mutations have been identified in the N-Terminal Domain (NTD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike and yet few of them are fully characterised. Here we first examined the contribution of the NTD to infection and cell-cell fusion by constructing different VOC-based chimeric spikes bearing B.1617 lineage (Delta and Kappa variants) NTDs and generating spike pseudotyped lentivirus (PV). We found the Delta NTD on a Kappa or WT background increased spike S1/S2 cleavage efficiency and virus entry, specifically in Calu-3 lung cells and airway organoids, through use of TMPRSS2. Delta was previously shown to have fast cell-cell fusion kinetics and increased fusogenicity that could be conferred to WT and Kappa variant spikes by transfer of the Delta NTD. Moving to contemporary variants, we found that BA.2 had higher entry efficiency in a range of cell types as compared to BA.1. BA.2 showed higher fusogenic activity than BA.1, but the BA.2 NTD could not confer higher fusion to BA.1 spike. There was low efficiency of TMPRSS2 usage by both BA.1 and BA.2, and chimeras of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 spikes with a Delta NTD did not result in more efficient use of TMRPSS2 or cell-cell fusogenicity. We conclude that the NTD allosterically modulates S1/S2 cleavage and spike-mediated functions such as entry and cell-cell fusion in a spike context dependent manner, and allosteric interactions may be lost when combining regions from more distantly related spike proteins. These data may explain the lack of dominant SARS-CoV-2 inter-variant recombinants bearing breakpoints within spike.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.07.491004v1" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 Spike N-Terminal Domain modulates TMPRSS2-dependent viral entry and fusogenicity</a>
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</div></li>
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<li><strong>Persistent serum protein signatures define an inflammatory subset of long COVID</strong> -
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Long COVID or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is a clinical syndrome featuring diverse symptoms that can persist for months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. The etiologies are unknown but may include persistent inflammation, unresolved tissue damage, or delayed clearance of viral protein or RNA. Attempts to classify subsets of PASC by symptoms alone have been unsuccessful. To molecularly define PASC, we evaluated the serum proteome in longitudinal samples from 55 PASC individuals with symptoms lasting [≥]60 days after onset of acute infection and compared this to symptomatically recovered SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected individuals. We identified subsets of PASC with distinct signatures of persistent inflammation. Type II interferon signaling and canonical NF-{kappa}B signaling (particularly associated with TNF), were the most differentially enriched pathways. These findings help to resolve the heterogeneity of PASC, identify patients with molecular evidence of persistent inflammation, and highlight dominant pathways that may have diagnostic or therapeutic relevance.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.09.491196v1" target="_blank">Persistent serum protein signatures define an inflammatory subset of long COVID</a>
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<li><strong>Accuracy and Glycemic Efficacy of Continuous Glucose Monitors in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: a Retrospective Study</strong> -
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Background: Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is approved for insulin dosing decisions in the ambulatory setting, but not currently for inpatients. CGM has the capacity to reduce patient-provider contact in inpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), thus potentially reducing in hospital virus transmission. However, there are sparse data on the accuracy and efficacy of CGM to titrate insulin doses in inpatients. Methods: Under an emergency use protocol, CGM (Dexcom G6) was used alongside standard point-of-care (POC) glucose measurements in patients critically ill from complications of COVID-19 requiring intravenous (IV) insulin. Glycemic control during IV insulin therapy was retrospectively assessed comparing periods with and without adjunctive CGM use. Accuracy metrics were computed and Clarke Error Grid analysis performed comparing CGM glucose values with POC measurements. Results: 24 critically ill patients who met criteria for emergency use of CGM resulted in 47333 CGM and 5677 POC glucose values. During IV insulin therapy, individuals9 glycemic control improved when CGM was used (mean difference -30.2 mg/dL). Among 2194 matched CGM:POC glucose pairs a high degree of concordance was observed with a MARD of 14.8% and 99.5% of CGM:POC pairs falling in Zones A and B of the Clarke Error Grid. Conclusions: CGM use in critically ill COVID-19 patients improved glycemic control during IV insulin therapy. CGM glucose data were highly concordant with POC glucose during IV insulin therapy in critically ill patients suggesting that CGM could substitute for POC measurements in inpatients thus reducing patient- provider contact and mitigating infection transmission.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.06.22274685v1" target="_blank">Accuracy and Glycemic Efficacy of Continuous Glucose Monitors in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: a Retrospective Study</a>
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<li><strong>Trait Intolerance of Uncertainty Is Associated with Decreased Reappraisal Capacity and Increased Suppression Tendency</strong> -
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The COVID-19 pandemic has been a time of great uncertainty for the general population and highlights the need to understand how attitudes towards uncertainty may affect well-being. Intolerance of uncertainty is a trait associated with worry, anxiety, and mood disorders. As adaptive emotion regulation supports well-being and mental health, it is possible that intolerance of uncertainty is also associated with the ability and tendency to regulate emotions. However, the relationships between intolerance of uncertainty and widely studied cognitive emotion regulation strategies — such as reappraisal and suppression — have received little attention. In two studies that recruited participants online from the United States, we tested the hypotheses that higher trait intolerance of uncertainty would be associated with greater worry, decreased capacity and tendency to use reappraisal, and increased tendency to use suppression in daily life. Study 1 provided an initial test of our hypotheses. Study 2 was a confirmatory, preregistered study that replicated findings in a young adult sample, demonstrating that scores on the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) were associated with greater COVID-related worry, decreased capacity to regulate negative emotions on a task that manipulated the use of reappraisal, and greater self-reported use of suppression in daily life. Together, these results indicate that intolerance of uncertainty is associated with the capacity and tendency to use emotion regulation strategies important for well-being.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/fsnvy/" target="_blank">Trait Intolerance of Uncertainty Is Associated with Decreased Reappraisal Capacity and Increased Suppression Tendency</a>
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</div></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A quasi-experimental cohort study evaluating a conditional economic incentive on first-dose COVID-19 vaccination rates among older adults in South Africa</strong> -
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Importance: COVID-19 vaccination coverage in South Africa remains low despite increased access to vaccines. On November 1, 2021, South Africa introduced the Vooma Voucher program, which provided a small guaranteed financial incentive, a Vooma Voucher redeemable at grocery stores, for COVID-19 vaccination among older adults, a population most vulnerable to serious illness, hospitalization, and death. However, the association of financial incentives with vaccination coverage remains unclear. Objective: To evaluate the association of the conditional economic incentive program with first-dose vaccination rates among older adults (aged ≥60 years) in South Africa. Design: A quasi- experimental cohort study using daily data on first doses administered. We ran interrupted time series (ITS) models to evaluate the Vooma Voucher program, launched on November 1, 2021, at national and provincial levels. We used data between October 1, 2021 and November 27, 2021 in models estimated at the daily level. Setting and participants: The Vooma Voucher program was a nationwide vaccination incentive program implemented for adults aged ≥60 years from November 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022. Intervention: Individuals who received their first vaccine dose received a text message to access a ~$7 (ZAR100) voucher that was redeemable at nationwide chain of grocery stores. Main outcome: Daily first COVID-19 vaccine doses administered per 10,000 individuals aged ≥60 years. Results: The Vooma Voucher program was associated with a of 7.15-12.01% increase in daily first-dose vaccination in November 2021 compared to late October</p></div></li>
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<li>The incentive accounted for 6,476-10,874 additional first vaccine doses from November 1-27, 2021, or 8.31-13.95% of all doses administered to those aged ≥60 years during that period. This result is robust to the inclusion of controls for the number of active vaccine delivery sites and for the nationwide Vooma weekend initiative (November 12-14), both of which also increased vaccinations through expanded access to vaccines and demand creation activities. Conclusions/Relevance: Financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccination led to a modest increase in first dose vaccinations among older adults in South Africa. In addition to financial incentives, expanded access to vaccines may also results in higher vaccination coverage.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.06.22274712v2" target="_blank">A quasi-experimental cohort study evaluating a conditional economic incentive on first-dose COVID-19 vaccination rates among older adults in South Africa</a>
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</div></li>
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<li><strong>Exploring U.S. food system workers’ intentions to work while ill during the early COVID-19 pandemic: a national survey analysis</strong> -
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Background: As “stay at home” orders were in effect, many US food workers attended in-person work during early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, charged with maintaining normal operation of the national food supply chain. Despite establishment of a novel national paid sick leave policy, anecdotal evidence suggests that many U.S. food system workers encountered barriers to staying home when ill. Methods: Using quantitative and free-text analyses from a national, cross-sectional, online survey deployed from July to October 2020 among 2,535 respondents, we explored workplace and non-workplace factors associated with U.S. food system workers9 intentions to attend work while ill (i.e. presenteeism intentions) during the first four to six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Overall, 8.8% of workers surveyed reported intentions to attend work while ill. Both quantitative data and free-text responses suggest that aspects of workplace culture influenced workers9 decisions to attend work while ill. Workers reporting a high workplace safety climate score had half the odds of reporting presenteeism intentions (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37, 0.75) relative to those reporting low scores. Workers described cultural barriers, including retaliation and penalties, that reduced paid sick leave access. Workers reporting low (aOR 2.06, 95% CI 1.35, 3.13) or very low (aOR 2.31, 95% CI 1.50, 3.13) levels of household food security had more than twice the odds of reporting presenteeism intentions. Conclusions: This study offers insights into opportunities for reducing presenteeism related to illness among food workers both during the COVID-19 pandemic and in other infectious disease scenarios. Addressing vulnerabilities like food insecurity and empowering food system workers to make health-protective decisions is important both for optimal worker health outcomes and maintaining a functioning food system.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.25.22274276v2" target="_blank">Exploring U.S. food system workers’ intentions to work while ill during the early COVID-19 pandemic: a national survey analysis</a>
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<li><strong>Durability of protection post-primary COVID-19 vaccination in the US: a matched case-control study</strong> -
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Background: Intrinsic durability of immune responses elicited by COVID-19 vaccines will drive vaccine effectiveness long-term across settings and may differ by vaccine type. We aimed here to determine durability of protection of three COVID-19 vaccines BNT162b2, mRNA-1273 and Ad26.COV2.S following primary vaccination against breakthrough infections, hospitalisations, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in the United States (US). Methods: Using national claims and laboratory data covering 168 million lives, we conducted a matched case-control study with fully vaccinated individuals between January 1 and September 7, 2021. Odds ratios (OR) for developing outcomes in months two through six following primary vaccination were estimated relative to the first month after primary vaccination for each vaccine separately. Results compare each vaccine to itself and are not directly comparative. Odds ratios were translated into vaccine effectiveness (VE) using assumptions about event rates in an unvaccinated cohort. Findings: Relative to its baseline, stable protection was observed for the single-shot Ad26.COV2.S against infections and severe disease. Relative to their baseline protection waned overtime against infections for BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 and against hospitalisations for BNT162b2. No waning of baseline protection was observed at any time for ICU admissions for all three vaccines. Calculated baseline VE was consistent with the published literature. Interpretation: While the starting protection level provided by the primary series may differ by vaccine type and mechanism of action, this study demonstrated by comparing each vaccine to its own baseline protection that the three vaccines in three separate populations may have different durability profiles. Further investigation is required to fully characterize the durability profile of the three vaccines. Moreover, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, and as more countries and populations implement a standard of care consisting of three doses of the mRNA vaccines or two doses of Ad26.COV2.S, further investigation is critical to understand the level of protection and the durability of response over longer periods, novel variants and in response to homologous and heterologous boosting.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.05.22268648v2" target="_blank">Durability of protection post-primary COVID-19 vaccination in the US: a matched case-control study</a>
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<li><strong>Daily Prosocial Actions During the COVID-19 Pandemic Contribute to Giving Behavior in Adolescence</strong> -
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This is a preprint of an article published in Scientific Reports. The final authenticated version is available online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11421-3. In the present preregistered study, we tested the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on opportunities for prosocial actions in adolescence, a formative phase for social development. 888 adolescents (10-20-years) and university students (18-25-years) completed two weeks of daily diaries on their daily prosocial support during the pandemic and Dictator Games giving directed to peers, friends and COVID-19 targets (medical doctors, COVID-19 patients, individuals with a poor immune system). Prosocial support directed to friends peaked in mid-adolescence, whereas prosocial support towards family members showed a gradual increase from childhood to young adulthood. Overall, adolescents gave more to COVID-19 targets than to peers and friends. Daily prosocial support experiences to friends predicted giving behavior to all targets, whereas prosocial support to family was specifically associated with giving to COVID-19 targets. Together, these findings elucidate the importance of prosocial experiences during the formative years of adolescence.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/7cptg/" target="_blank">Daily Prosocial Actions During the COVID-19 Pandemic Contribute to Giving Behavior in Adolescence</a>
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<li><strong>Community factors and excess mortality in the COVID-19 pandemic in England, Italy and Sweden</strong> -
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Background Analyses of COVID-19 suggest specific risk factors make communities more or less vulnerable to pandemic related deaths within countries. What is unclear is whether the characteristics affecting vulnerability of small communities within countries produce similar patterns of excess mortality across countries with different demographics and public health responses to the pandemic. Our aim is to quantify community-level variations in excess mortality within England, Italy and Sweden and identify how such spatial variability was driven by community-level characteristics. Methods We applied a two-stage Bayesian model to quantify inequalities in excess mortality in people aged 40 years and older at the community level in England, Italy and Sweden during the first year of the pandemic (March 2020-February 2021). We used community characteristics measuring deprivation, air pollution, living conditions, population density and movement of people as covariates to quantify their associations with excess mortality. Results We found just under half of communities in England (48.1%) and Italy (45.8%) had an excess mortality of over 300 per 100,000 males over the age of 40, while for Sweden that covered 23.1% of communities. We showed that deprivation is a strong predictor of excess mortality across the three countries, and communities with high levels of overcrowding were associated with higher excess mortality in England and Sweden. Conclusion These results highlight some international similarities in factors affecting mortality that will help policy makers target public health measures to increase resilience to the mortality impacts of this and future pandemics.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.26.22274332v2" target="_blank">Community factors and excess mortality in the COVID-19 pandemic in England, Italy and Sweden</a>
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<li><strong>Epidemiological investigation of the COVID-19 outbreak in Vellore district in South India using Geographic Information Surveillance (GIS)</strong> -
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Objectives: Geographical Information Surveillance (GIS) is an advanced digital technology tool that maps location-based data and helps in epidemiological modeling. We applied GIS to analyze patterns of spread and hotspots of COVID-19 cases in Vellore district in South India. Methods: Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases from the Vellore district and neighboring taluks from March 2020 to June 2021 were geo-coded and spatial maps were generated. Time trends exploring urban-rural burden with an age-sex distribution of cases and other variables were correlated with outcomes. Results: A total of 45,401 cases of COVID-19 were detected with 20730 cases during the first wave and 24671 cases during the second wave. The overall incidence rates of COVID-19 were 462.8 and 588.6 per 100,000 populations during the first and second waves respectively. The pattern of spread revealed epicenters in densely populated urban areas with radial spread sparing rural areas in the first wave. The case fatality rate was 1.89% and 1.6% during the first and second waves that increased with advancing age. Conclusions: Modern surveillance systems like GIS can accurately predict the trends and pattern of spread during future pandemics. A real-time mapping can help design risk mitigation strategies thereby preventing the spread to rural areas.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.21.22274138v2" target="_blank">Epidemiological investigation of the COVID-19 outbreak in Vellore district in South India using Geographic Information Surveillance (GIS)</a>
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<li><strong>Estimating time-dependent infectious contact: a multi-strain epidemiological model of SARS-CoV-2 on the island of Ireland</strong> -
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Mathematical modelling plays a key role in understanding and predicting the epidemiological dynamics of infectious diseases. We construct a flexible discrete-time model that incorporates multiple viral strains with different transmissibilities to estimate the changing infectious contact that generates new infections. Using a Bayesian approach, we fit the model to longitudinal data on hospitalisation with COVID-19 from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland during the first year of the pandemic. We describe the estimated change in infectious contact in the context of government-mandated non-pharmaceutical interventions in the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland. We take advantage of the fitted model to conduct counterfactual analyses exploring the impact of lockdown timing and introducing a novel, more transmissible variant. We found substantial differences in infectious contact between the two jurisdictions during periods of varied restriction easing and December holidays. Our counterfactual analyses reveal that implementing lockdowns earlier would have decreased subsequent hospitalisation substantially in most, but not all cases, and that an introduction of a more transmissible variant - without necessarily being more severe - can cause a large impact on the health care burden.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.25.22272942v2" target="_blank">Estimating time-dependent infectious contact: a multi-strain epidemiological model of SARS-CoV-2 on the island of Ireland</a>
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<li><strong>Covid-19 Associated Hepatitis in children (CAH-C) during the second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Central India: Is it a complication or transient phenomenon.</strong> -
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Objective: While pediatric population has largely remained free of severe COVID-19, in some cases SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with complications like Multiple Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C). We mention another unique presentation subsequent to asymptomatic infection of SARS-CoV-2, a unique form of hepatitis designated by us as COVID-19 Associated Hepatitis in Children (CAH-C). The contrasting clinical presentations, temporal association and viral parameters of CAH-C cases, to the MIS-C cases are presented here. Methods: As a retrospective and follow-up observational study we reviewed all children testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 during study period. Children presenting with sudden onset of hepatitis, elevated transaminases, non-obstructive jaundice, lacking marked inflammatory responses and without evidence of (a) other known causes of acute hepatitis or previous underlying liver disease (b) multi-system involvement were classified as CAH-C, are described here. Results: Among 475 children who tested positive, 47 patients presented with hepatitis, 37 patients who had features of CAH-C, having symptoms of hepatitis only, with un-elevated inflammatory markers and uneventful recovery following supportive treatment. Whereas remaining 10 MIS-C hepatitis had protracted illness, multiple system involvement, required admission to critical care, and had mortality of 30%. Conclusion: With the emergence of newer variants of concern (VOC) including the Delta variant which predominated the second wave of infections in India and has now spread to more than 142 countries with changing presentations, CAH-C might be one of them. Cases of such new entities need to be identified early and differentiated from other emerging syndromes in children during the ongoing pandemic for preventing adversities by timely intervention.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.23.21260716v7" target="_blank">Covid-19 Associated Hepatitis in children (CAH-C) during the second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Central India: Is it a complication or transient phenomenon.</a>
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<li><strong>Substance abuse and the risk of severe COVID-19: Mendelian randomization confirms the causal role of opioids but hints a negative causal effect for cannabinoids.</strong> -
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Since the start of the COVID-19 global pandemic, our understanding of the underlying disease mechanism and factors associated with the disease severity has dramatically increased. A recent report investigated the relationship between substance use disorders (SUD) and the risk of severe COVID-19 in the United States and concluded that the risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 is directly correlated with substance abuse, including opioid use disorder (OUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD). While we found this analysis fascinating, we believe this observation may be biased due to comorbidities (such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease) confounding the direct impact of SUD on severe COVID-19 illness. To objectively answer this question, we sought to investigate the causal relationship between substance abuse and medication-taking history (as a proxy trait for comorbidities) with the risk of COVID-19 adverse outcomes. Our Mendelian randomization analysis confirms the causal relationship between SUD and severe COVID-19 illness but hints at a negative causal effect for cannabinoids. Given that a great deal of COVID-19 mortality is attributed to disturbed immune regulation, the possible modulatory impact of cannabinoids in alleviating cytokine storms merits further investigation.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
|
||||
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.06.22274584v1" target="_blank">Substance abuse and the risk of severe COVID-19: Mendelian randomization confirms the causal role of opioids but hints a negative causal effect for cannabinoids.</a>
|
||||
</div></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</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>A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of Omicron COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated in Population 18 Years Old of Age and Above</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Biological: Omicron COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: China National Biotec Group Company Limited; Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd.; Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital<br/><b>Recruiting</b></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>A Study to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of a Recombinant Protein COVID-19 Vaccine as a Booster Dose in Population Aged 12-17 Years</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 Infection<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: SCTV01E; Biological: mRNA-1273<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Sinocelltech Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>A First-In-Human Phase 1b Study of AmnioPul-02 in COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: AmnioPul-02<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Amniotics AB<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>A Study of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (SYS6006) in Chinese Healthy Older Adults.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: 20 μg dose of SYS6006; Biological: 30 μg dose of SYS6006; Biological: 50 μg dose of SYS6006; Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: <br/>
|
||||
CSPC ZhongQi Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd.<br/><b>Recruiting</b></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>Safety, Reactogenicity, and Immunogenicity Study of a Lyophilized COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: A Lyophilized COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine; Biological: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Jiangsu Rec-Biotechnology Co., Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>A Study of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (SYS6006) in Chinese Healthy Adults Aged 18 -59 Years.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: 20 μg dose of SYS6006; Biological: 30 μg dose of SYS6006; Biological: 50 μg dose of SYS6006; Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: <br/>
|
||||
CSPC ZhongQi Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd.<br/><b>Recruiting</b></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>The Use of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Vitamin C by Hospital Care Workers in HK to Prevent COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: Chinese herbal medicine<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: <br/>
|
||||
Hong Kong Baptist University<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>Safety, Reactogenicity, and Immunogenicity Study of a Lyophilized COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19 Pandemic<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: A Lyophilized COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine; Biological: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Wuhan Recogen Biotechnology Co., Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>Home-based Exercise Program in Patients With the Post-COVID-19 Condition</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long COVID; Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Other: Home- based physical training<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: University of Sao Paulo<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>Kesuting Syrup in the Treatment of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19 Pneumonia; Cough<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Kesuting syrup; Drug: LianHuaQingWen Granules<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Guizhou Bailing Group Pharmaceutical Co Ltd<br/><b>Recruiting</b></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>Immune Function in Elderly Patients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 on Hemodialysis</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19; Hemodiafiltration<br/><b>Interventions</b>: <br/>
|
||||
Dietary Supplement: Oral nutritional supplement; Behavioral: Nutrition consultation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: <br/>
|
||||
Ruijin Hospital<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>Phase 2b/3 Trial of NuSepin® in COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: NuSepin® 0.2 mg/kg; Drug: NuSepin® 0.4 mg/kg; Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Shaperon<br/><b>Recruiting</b></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>A Study Assessing the Safety, Tolerability, Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate PRIME-2-CoV_Beta, Orf Virus Expressing SARS-CoV_2 Spike and Nucleocapsid Proteins (ORFEUS)</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: SARS-CoV-2 Infection<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: PRIME-2-CoV_Beta<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: <br/>
|
||||
Speransa Therapeutics<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Early Goal Directed Therapy for COVID-19 Moderate-to-Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS): A Phase III Clinical Trial</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: EXOFLO<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Direct Biologics, LLC<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>High Frequency Percussive Ventilation in COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19; Acute Respiratory Failure<br/><b>Intervention</b>: <br/>
|
||||
Device: High frequency Percussive ventilation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: University Magna Graecia<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</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>A glucose-like metabolite deficient in diabetes inhibits cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2</strong> - The severity and mortality of COVID-19 are associated with pre-existing medical comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus. However, the underlying causes for increased susceptibility to viral infection in patients with diabetes is not fully understood. Here we identify several small-molecule metabolites from human blood with effective antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, one of which, 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (1,5-AG), is associated with diabetes mellitus. The serum 1,5-AG level is significantly…</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>Immunobiology of tubercle bacilli and prospects of immunomodulatory drugs to tackle tuberculosis (TB) and other non- tubercular mycobacterial infections</strong> - The COVID-19 pandemic has set back progress made on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Without urgent re-focus, we risk slowing down drug discovery and providing treatment for drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Unique in its immune evasion, dormancy and resuscitation, the causal pathogens of tuberculosis (TB) have demonstrated resistance to antibiotics with efflux pumps and the ability to form biofilms. Repurposing drugs is a prospective avenue for finding new anti-TB drugs. There are many…</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>SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Decreases Nanobody Binding and ACE2 Blocking Effectivity</strong> - The Delta variant spreads more rapidly than previous variants of SARS-CoV-2. This variant comprises several mutations on the receptor-binding domain (RBD(Delta)) of its spike glycoprotein, which binds to the peptidase domain (PD) of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in host cells. The RBD-PD interaction has been targeted by antibodies and nanobodies to prevent viral infection, but their effectiveness against the Delta variant remains unclear. Here, we investigated RBD(Delta)-PD…</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>Serine Protease Inhibitors Restrict Host Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Infections</strong> - The coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, is a complex disease with a wide range of symptoms from asymptomatic infections to severe acute respiratory syndrome with lethal outcome. Individual factors such as age, sex, and comorbidities increase the risk for severe infections, but other aspects, such as genetic variations, are also likely to affect the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease severity. Here, we used a human 3D lung cell model based on primary cells derived from multiple…</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>Plant-derived active compounds as a potential nucleocapsid protein inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2: an <em>in-silico</em> study</strong> - The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-CoV-2. This virus has a high mismatch repair proofreading ability due to its unique exonuclease activity, making it knotty to treat. The nucleocapsid protein can serve as a potential antiviral drug target, as this protein is responsible for multiple captious functions during the viral life cycle. Herein, we have investigated the potential to repurpose active antiviral compounds of plant origins for treating the SARS-CoV-2 infection. In…</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>Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using <em>Anoectochilus elatus</em>, and their biomedical applications</strong> - Zinc and its derivatives requirement increased to enhance human immunity against the different pandemics, including covid-19. Green synthesis is an emerging field of research. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have been prepared from Anoectochilus elatus and characterized using absorption, vibrational and electron microscope analysis. They were carried for antibacterial, inflammatory control tendency, and potential antioxidant activities. The brine shrimp lethal assay tested the biologically…</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>Neutralizing Effect of Synthetic Peptides toward SARS-CoV-2</strong> - The outbreak caused by SARS-CoV-2 has taken many lives worldwide. Although vaccination has started, the development of drugs to either alleviate or abolish symptoms of COVID-19 is still necessary. Here, four synthetic peptides were assayed regarding their ability to protect Vero E6 cells from SARS-CoV-2 infection and their toxicity to human cells and zebrafish embryos. All peptides had some ability to protect cells from infection by SARS-CoV-2 with the D614G mutation. Molecular docking predicted…</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>Transient but recurrent complete heart block in a patient after COVID-19 vaccination - A case report</strong> - CONCLUSION: COVID-19 vaccination may transitorily interfere with cardiac conduction system even in subjects without known underlying heart disease.</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>Loneliness is not a homogeneous experience: An empirical analysis of adaptive and maladaptive forms of loneliness in the UK</strong> - Understanding loneliness is pivotal to informing relevant evidence-based preventive interventions. The present study examined the prevalence of loneliness in the UK, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the association between loneliness, mental health outcomes, and risk and protective factors for loneliness, after controlling for the effects of social isolation. It was estimated that 18.1% of the population in our study experienced moderately high to very high loneliness. We also found that…</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>Biological activity of interferons in the novel coronavirus infection COVID-19</strong> - CONCLUSION: The obtained data on deficiency of the functional biologically active IFN confirm the hypothesis about the predominant role of impaired IFN production of different types in the immunopathogenesis of the novel coronavirus infection.</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>Bromhexine is a potential drug for COVID-19; From hypothesis to clinical trials</strong> - COVID-19 (novel coronavirus disease 2019), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has various clinical manifestations and several pathogenic pathways. Although several therapeutic options have been used to control COVID-19, none of these medications have been proven to be a definitive cure. Transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) is a protease that has a key role in the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells. Following the binding of the viral spike (S) protein to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2…</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>The problem of the use of interferons in the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 (Coronaviridae: Coronavirinae: Betacoronavirus: Sarbecovirus)</strong> - By the end of 2021, about 200 studies on the effect of interferons (IFNs) on the incidence and course of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 (Coronaviridae: Coronavirinae: Betacoronavirus: Sarbecovirus) have been reported worldwide, with the number of such studies steadily increasing. This review discusses the main issues of the use of IFN drugs in this disease. The literature search was carried out in the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, RSCI databases, as well as in the…</p></li>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Challenges for rapamycin repurposing as a potential therapeutic candidate for COVID-19: implications for skeletal muscle metabolic health in older persons</strong> - The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged as the causative agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has spread worldwide, resulting in over 6 million deaths as of March</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<ol start="2022" type="1">
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Older people have been disproportionately affected by the disease, as they have greater risk of hospitalization, are more vulnerable to severe infection, and have higher mortality than younger patients. Although effective vaccines have been rapidly developed…</li>
|
||||
</ol>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Immunogenicity and reactogenicity after booster dose with AZD1222 via intradermal route among adult who had received CoronaVac</strong> - CONCLUSION: Low-dose ID AZD1222 booster enhanced lower neutralizing antibodies at 3 months compared with IM route. Less systemic reactogenicity occurred, but higher local reactogenicity.</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>Treatment of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT)</strong> - Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a novel prothrombotic disorder characterized by thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, and disseminated intravascular coagulation identified in hundreds of recipients of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Oxford/AstraZeneca), an adenovirus vector coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. VITT resembles heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in that patients have platelet-activating anti-platelet factor 4 antibodies; however, whereas heparin typically enhances…</p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
|
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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>
|
||||
<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>
|
||||
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
|
||||
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
|
||||
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
|
||||
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How Alito’s Draft Opinion on Abortion Rights Would Change America</strong> - One way to illustrate the reach of the leaked draft by the Supreme Court Justice is to look at what the options for defending reproductive rights would be in its wake. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/16/how-alitos-draft-opinion-on-abortion-rights-would-change-%20america">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>At Last, a Piece of Encouraging News on Inflation</strong> - The employment report for April indicates that an important driver of rising prices is moderating. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/at-last-a-piece-of-encouraging-news-on-inflation">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Partisanship Is Biden’s Only Choice After the Supreme Court Leak</strong> - With the impending evisceration of Roe v. Wade, the President must contend with the reality of a broken system. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/what-choice-does-joe-biden-have">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>West Virginia Primary Map: Live Election Results</strong> - The latest results from the West Virginia primary ahead of the 2022 midterms. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/election-2022/live-midterm-results-west-virginia">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Nebraska Primary Map: Live Election Results</strong> - The latest results from the Nebraska primary ahead of the 2022 midterms. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/election-2022/live-midterm-results-nebraska">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>The YouTubers are not okay</strong> -
|
||||
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|
||||
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-
|
||||
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||||
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||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
Prominent YouTubers keep quitting the platform and then coming back. Call it the result of YouTube brain.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vik2t4">
|
||||
For three years, Dan Howell didn’t post anything on YouTube, and for his 6 million subscribers, this was a very big deal. As one half of the longtime vlogger duo Dan and Phil, he was known for writing and performing sketch comedy, internet culture commentary, and occasionally more serious vlogs about mental illness. A typical Dan and Phil endeavor, be it a book or a world tour or a series, might be called something like “The Super Amazing Project” or “Interactive Introverts,” nodding to early memes associated with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLWUCYcmD0c">“smol bean” culture</a>. Naturally, they became superstars, particularly among teenage girls.
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But after posting a coming out video in 2019 called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrwMja_VoM0">“Basically I’m Gay,”</a> Howell went completely silent on the platform. That was until last week, when he returned with a feature film-length monologue on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUPRwfb37sM">why he quit YouTube</a> in the first place.
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For years, digital creators have been trying to convey <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2021/5/25/22451987/influencer-burnout-tiktok-
|
||||
clubhouse">the ennui of this supposed dream job</a>: they’re lonely, they’re burnt out, they’re built up then tossed aside by unfeeling algorithms and corporate bureaucracy. They feel stuck between the kinds of content that makes them money and the content they actually want to produce.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UYnuFP">
|
||||
Howell enumerated these reasons and more, all of which are good reasons to quit a job you hate. Another, less discussed one, however, is something I’ve come to call “YouTube brain.” Compare it to “Twitter brain,” in which spending too much time on Twitter results in someone becoming argumentative and perpetually outraged, or “Instagram brain,” (image-obsessed and overly materialistic), or “TikTok brain,” (unquestioningly devoted to the latest slang or trend before moving on to the next one). YouTube brain, from the perspective of the YouTuber as opposed to the viewer, is what happens when you are both creatively and financially subject to the whims of other people’s attention spans for years at a time, weighed down by neverending demand for more content for dwindling returns.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OcSsel">
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Chronic YouTube brain can land you in some bizarre circumstances. Take Michelle Phan, the longtime beauty YouTuber who last week <a href="https://www.gawker.com/culture/youtuber-
|
||||
michelle-phan-taught-a-man-in-a-wheelchair-to-walk">claimed that she had</a> “healed a man who had been in a wheelchair for years” through the power of “Divine Love.” This supposedly took place at a retreat in San Diego hosted by influencer Joe Dispenza, who’s best known for falsely presenting himself as a medical doctor while peddling vague “healing” workshops. It’s only the latest in a <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/michelle-phan-youtube-
|
||||
beauty-guru-wheelchair-joe-dispenza-pseudoscience-1347580/">long history of Phan amplifying pseudoscience</a>: In 2010 she claimed that a “sign from God” saved her from being murdered by a homeless man; she’s previously <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2019/09/michelle-phan-youtube-beauty-star-on-why-she-left.html">hired employees based</a> on their astrological sign. While not exactly “pseudoscience,” she’s famously done things like use <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-x6hCI9X0g">(clean) cat litter</a> as a facial mask, which I would argue is the perfect manifestation of YouTube brain: unconventional thinking amped up by shock value.
|
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</p>
|
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View this post on Instagram
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cbh_Jlgtxb2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-
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height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by ℳ (<span class="citation" data-cites="michellephan">@michellephan</span>)</a>
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</blockquote>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2OdiJI">
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The YouTube celebrity pipeline typically looks something like this: A creator might start out within a particular niche (gaming, makeup, daily vlogging, sketch comedy), and through their onscreen charisma, develops a following made up of fans who come less for, say, the games, and more to feel as though they’re hanging out with a friend. At this point, at least one of three things will happen: Either the creator will achieve such a level of success that they’ll no longer feel “relatable” to audiences and must reckon with their persona (see: <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/9/29/21492270/emma-chamberlain-youtube-coffee">Emma Chamberlain</a>), the creator will be subject to some level of cancellation for past actions (see: basically all of them), or the job will create such a pressure-cooker environment that the creator quits altogether — but only for a while.
|
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</p>
|
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9fdvyG">
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||||
Consider Shane Dawson, the controversial vlogger known for his popular conspiracy theory videos and “documentaries” about fellow YouTubers, who was quasi-canceled along with many others in <a href="https://www.insider.com/shane-dawson-return-to-youtube-canceled-racism-willow-smith-2021-10">June 2020 for past racist slurs and offensive jokes</a>. After a 15-month hiatus, he returned in October 2021 with a 40-minute video called “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWIAoAzb4tk">The Haunting of Shane Dawson</a>” and has since followed it up with other personal updates and ghost story theories. 2020 alone saw so many creator reckonings that Vulture <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/12/influencer-apologies-2020-shane-dawson-jenna-marbles.html">compiled a list of 16</a> of the most notable; it’s become such a standard rinse-and-repeat cycle that the <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2021/4/6/22368819/james-charles-david-dobrik-apology-video-youtube-snl">YouTuber apology was skewered by SNL</a>.
|
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</p>
|
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4zRMKP">
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||||
There are anomalies, of course. Having grown an enormous cult following from her comedic Vines (“Merry Chrysler!” <a href="https://twitter.com/jdever12/status/1472693459223986182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1472693459223986182%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fiframe.nbcnews.com%2FCa7BbLI%3F_showcaption%3Dtrueapp%3D1">is her doing</a>) and later her YouTube channel, Christine Sydelko left the internet in 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. “I just don’t like being famous,” she <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/viral/christine-sydelko-left-
|
||||
internet-never-looked-back-rcna12169">told NBC News</a> earlier this year. “You’re lying to people to try to make them seem like you’re their friend for the sole purpose of selling things to them.” Another anomaly is Jenna Marbles, who <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/26/entertainment/jenna-marbles-quits-youtube-intl-hnk-scli/index.html">apologized for old videos</a> in which she wore blackface to impersonate Nicki Minaj and rapped in an offensive parody of an Asian accent in June 2020. Her account, which had 20 million subscribers, has been dormant since then.
|
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xb9c83">
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||||
For the most part, though, once a YouTuber reaches a certain level of success, they’re a YouTuber for life. I’m less convinced this has anything to do with the platform itself and more about the kind of person it attracts and who ends up succeeding. In my years of interviewing them, I’m always struck by the way YouTubers — and creators writ large — make sense of the world, which tends to be fervently individualistic and, at times, a little bitter. This is an understandable attitude to have when your livelihood is dependent on the creator economy, in which individuals compete against one another for the most attention possible.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bB7zks">
|
||||
Vloggers tend to be keenly, almost freakishly attuned to the in-depth analytics YouTube provides for them. “It is brilliant and terrifying how much information YouTube gives you about your content and your audience,” explains Howell. “If you’re making a video from the heart, truly expressing yourself … you are greeted with a wall of red lines saying ‘Sorry, nobody likes this, sweetie.’” He makes an apt comparison to children’s programming: Public television, for instance, can put out shows like <em>Arthur</em> or <em>Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood</em> not because they’re cash cows, but because they provide a service to the public. Meanwhile, the most popular kids’ programming on YouTube seems to be a mess of <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/04/inside-the-
|
||||
world-of-the-surprise-egg-videos-that-kids-love-more-than-cartoons.html">LOL Surprise or Kinder egg</a> unboxings and glitter slime ASMR videos.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zPtCS7">
|
||||
Most of all, I’ve found that YouTubers tend to view other people and situations in black and white, divided between what’s good for themselves as individual creators and outside forces that wish them harm. They are often distrustful of institutions and organizations, particularly the media, whom they feel antagonize creators because newsrooms are scared they’ll be replaced by them (though PewDiePie is <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2017/2/15/14610652/pewdiepie-versus-the-media-disney-youtube-google">known most for this belief</a>, Howell’s latest video also includes references to it). In this, they are not dissimilar to the attitudes of the wider public, who are <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2022/02/15/americans-trust-in-scientists-other-
|
||||
groups-declines/">increasingly skeptical of established institutions</a> but quick to believe that <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/22772690/what-happened-astroworld-travis-scott-live-nation">Satanic forces are present at music festivals</a>, for instance, and that despite evidence to the contrary, they will be among the 1 percent <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/10/15/17971410/lularoe-lipsense-amway-itworks-mary-kay-mlm-multilevel-
|
||||
marketing">who makes money from joining an MLM</a> or, say, an NFT project.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ChBb0O">
|
||||
Fittingly, Phan has become something of a crypto evangelist over the past few years, shilling for an industry best known for its sky-high promises and unpredictable outcomes. After all, this isn’t so different from YouTube, where the chance to become a famous millionaire is vanishingly small but exists nonetheless. It’s such an alluring fantasy that even the YouTubers who have experienced (and been a part of) the ugliest aspects of it — Jeffree Star, James Charles, Shane Dawson, Tana Mongeau, <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/trisha-paytas-youtube-drama-queen.html">Trisha Paytas</a>, Gabbie Hanna — can’t truly log off. The same is true for Howell: At the end of his 90-minute monologue, in which he describes his experiences with YouTube as traumatic and terrifying, he announced he would continue to make videos, and that he would be going on a world tour called “We’re All Doomed!”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CHNXCs">
|
||||
<em>This column was first published in The Goods newsletter. </em><a href="https://www.vox.com/pages/newsletters"><em>Sign up here</em></a><em> so you don’t miss the next one, plus get newsletter exclusives.</em>
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>The Multiverse of Madness’s huge X-Men tease, explained</strong> -
|
||||
<figure>
|
||||
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/thumbor/gwmFQfXtoQE84XxBRzAldhvKDVI=/930x0:3218x1716/1310x983/cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70851507/VTR1000_comp_v426.1047_R2.0.jpg"/>
|
||||
<figcaption>
|
||||
Doctor Strange and his new multiverse friends in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. | Courtesy of Marvel Studios
|
||||
</figcaption>
|
||||
</figure>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The infinite potential of the multiverse opens the door for Marvel’s merry mutants
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vtBKhq">
|
||||
<strong>There are major spoilers in this article for </strong><em><strong>Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness</strong></em><strong>. </strong>
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iC6G0A">
|
||||
Since its parent company Disney<a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/3/20/18273477/disney-fox-merger-deal-details-marvel-x-men"> acquired Fox in 2019</a>, the biggest question surrounding Marvel has been about when it will expand its universe. More specifically,<a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/3/27/18280941/marvel-fox-disney-merger-x-men"> fans have been wondering</a>: When will the company crack open its war chest and let the X-Men and Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
|
||||
</p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SDQtdU">
|
||||
<a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/5/6/23059922/multiverse-of-madness-review-wanda-maximoff-avengers-
|
||||
coworkers"><em>Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness</em></a>, Marvel’s latest release, provided the closest and clearest answer yet.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<figure class="e-image">
|
||||
<img alt="Image of a spoiler warning" src="https://cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/thumbor/uPQF4l3Wvpgo7pB7TTD6_3CasSQ=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8565937/spoilers_below.png"/>
|
||||
</figure>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oIXmyw">
|
||||
Countless crossovers have happened and continue to happen in the comic books, but because of Marvel’s bankruptcy in the ’90s, financial deals were made that split <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/5/1/8507733/avengers-age-of-ultron-explainer">Marvel’s superheroes’ film rights</a> among different studios. Those deals eliminated the potential of crossover movies. Disney’s Fox acquisition was the first step in getting Marvel’s heroes under one umbrella. With the introduction of the multiverse, the possibilities are endless.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3BZWaT">
|
||||
In the latest Marvel film, Doctor Strange rockets <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/23024945/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-multiverse-explained-quantum-
|
||||
physicist">through the multiverse</a>, entering alternate dimensions, and he finds himself in a world where a powerful group of superheroes have formed a council called The Illuminati. That group includes Reed Richards, leader of the Fantastic Four (played for the first time by actor John Krasinski) and Professor Charles Xavier, the head of the X-Men (Patrick Stewart reprises the role). They’re joined by alternate universe MCU characters, including Doctor Strange’s own nemesis Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). It’s one of the splashiest moments of the movie because it signals a world where all of Marvel’s iconic characters exist within the same cinematic (if not actual) universe!
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6w7ZRZ">
|
||||
Unfortunately though, they both die within 10 minutes of their appearances. It’s a rather short-lived reunion.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5k3iWA">
|
||||
Still, thanks to the multiverse, their<em> </em>demise does not mean that these characters are dead forever. It’s complicated, and features a couple of big caveats, but here’s how those heroes could come back, how Marvel opened the door with this giant tease, and what ultimately stands between fans watching their favorite heroes all zip around in one super-sized movie.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="I4QS7R">
|
||||
<strong>The Multiverse means infinite versions of every hero</strong>
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0QzwlY">
|
||||
In the<em> Multiverse of Madness</em>, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) travel through universes and find themselves on Earth 838 — a place that feels a lot like Strange’s home planet of 616 (the main MCU universe) but with some odd tweaks. Those differences include opposite logic traffic signs, sphere-shaped pizza, and a New York City where lush vegetation grows up on the sides of buildings. But the most significant divergence between 838 and 616 is who’s a superhero and who isn’t.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ed3tgG">
|
||||
In 838, familiar faces Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) are heroes, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10670784/">the latter being a callback</a> to Marvel’s animated Disney+ show <em>What If</em>. The 838 universe also features mutant telepath Professor Charles Xavier and cosmically-altered genius Reed Richards, both of whom are major comic book characters and appeared in Fox’s Marvel movies (Richards was previously played by Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller). Mordo and Black Bolt (Anson Mount), the leader of the superhuman race called in the <em>Inhumans</em>, and star of the<a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/marvel_s_inhumans"> very awful television show</a> that Marvel would like us all to forget, are also present in 838. The Illuminati is a concept that’s adapted from the comic books.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<figure class="e-image">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/thumbor/lGhRaqtx_LZndpXjXwWc1nf6A1A=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23449251/GiqYJYsCmzxQevwfdvAZfG.jpeg"/> <cite>Marvel Comics</cite></p>
|
||||
<figcaption>
|
||||
Here are the Avengers fighting the X-Men, something that regularly happens in comic books but hasn’t happened in the MCU (yet).
|
||||
</figcaption>
|
||||
</figure>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tVsv5T">
|
||||
While I’m sure these characters had full lives in their universe, they didn’t stick around for very long in <em>Multiverse of Madness</em>. They fail to take 616 Doctor Strange’s warning about Wanda seriously and she — through a spell that allows her to possess a version of herself in that universe — obliterates each hero in creatively horrifying ways.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JUuqZY">
|
||||
Yikes! But they’re not dead- dead.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="R6Dcwg">
|
||||
The MCU’s multiverse rules are that when each parallel universe is created, that universe then has its independent timeline (in the Disney+ series<a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/22522332/loki-review-marvel-tom-
|
||||
hiddleston-owen-wilson"> <em>Loki</em></a>, the Time Variance Authority would eliminate parallel universes based on specific, significant events that occur in the main, “sacred” timeline). These independent universes mean then that if someone dies in one universe, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all their multiversal selves will meet that same fate in the same way — an example is the difference between the late Doctor Strange in 838 (also Cumberbatch) and the very alive and kicking Doctor Strange from 616.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lgoRZL">
|
||||
So while the 838 heroes were exploded, spaghetti shredded, bisected, crushed, and had their necks snapped, there’s still a possibility that their alternate versions are faring much better. And if alternate Reed Richards, Professor X, and Black Bolt exist in the 616 it could signal the introduction of those heroes and their respective superhero teams to the MCU!
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="KPoRDO">
|
||||
<strong>But there’s one big catch</strong>
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gW0QR6">
|
||||
Before we get too excited by the prospect of these heroes popping up in the MCU, there’s a big storytelling caveat that stands in the way: There’s no guarantee that the aforementioned 838 heroes are superhumans in the 616 universe. Because each universe is unique and major events occurring in those universes are distinct, the circumstances that turned Reed Richards, Professor X, and Black Bolt into super-powered individuals might have never happened in 616. They could be just regular people.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="itmINT">
|
||||
The pertinent examples of this are Captain Carter and Maria “Captain Marvel” Rambeau who share chairs on the Illuminati with the aforementioned super dudes. As we’ve seen in previous Marvel properties, their 616 counterparts never became super were just normal humans living alongside their friends Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Carol Danvers (Brie Larson).
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<figure class="e-image">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/thumbor/4s7Bl-6kCzobNfiuVtB9fcTnGII=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23449256/Screen_Shot_2022_05_09_at_5.05.59_PM.png"/> <cite>Marvel</cite></p>
|
||||
<figcaption>
|
||||
A screenshot from Marvel’s <em>What If </em>series. One episode explored Peggy Carter becoming the first Avenger.
|
||||
</figcaption>
|
||||
</figure>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sgXFrt">
|
||||
What’s significant about Captain Carter/Captain America and the Captains Marvel origin stories is that their superhuman nature wasn’t something they were born with. In both universes, those heroes made a choice or performed a certain act, and were granted superpowers as a result of that decisive moment. This figures in with Reed Richards who, according to his comic book origin story, was bombarded with cosmic rays after he and his family venture into space. If that trip to space is altered in 616, then ostensibly 616 Reed could just be a regular guy. That said, Marvel has a<a href="https://twitter.com/MarvelStudios/status/1337200479063994368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1337200479063994368%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdeadline.com%2F2020%2F12%2Fspider-
|
||||
man-homecoming-director-jon-watts-helming-new-fantastic-four-movie-1234654555%2F"> <em>Fantastic Fou</em>r movie</a> in the works, but as of yet no release date and <a href="https://deadline.com/2022/04/spider-man-jon-watts-exits-marvel-
|
||||
fantastic-four-film-1235013110/">no director</a>.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="46AJpI">
|
||||
What’s a little more unclear are the backstories of 616 Professor X and Black Bolt who, in the comics, have superpowers linked to their mutant and Inhuman DNA. <em>Multiverse of Madness</em> is the first time that Marvel Studios has directly referenced both characters in a movie, and Marvel hasn’t yet established mutants or Inhumans on the big screen (Black Bolt and the Inhumans were introduced in their own, universally panned <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/9/26/16255016/marvel-inhumans-explained-
|
||||
television">2017 tv show</a>). Including those heroes in the MCU would be a big step for Marvel since it involves opening a can of narrative worms. It means having to explain not only who these characters are, but also the background of mutants and Inhumans, how they came to be, and how they could be present in the MCU for so long without Fury or S.H.I.E.L.D. knowing they exist.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="opuIYW">
|
||||
Marvel is sort of in an odd storytelling corner because of how popular the X-Men, and to some extent the Inhumans, are. The X-Men not only have been A-list comic book characters (and are<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/8/8/20758804/x-men-house-of-x-marvel-d23-mcu"> currently in the middle of a resurgence</a>) but also have starred in two lucrative cinematic trilogies. Casual fans know their basic history, their superpowers, major characters’ arcs, and the iconic actors like Stewart who played those characters. With the X-Men, it’s not that Marvel has to reinvent the wheel, but that they need to make that wheel fit seamlessly into the MCU’s grand design.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="E38sB8">
|
||||
<strong>… Oh wait, there’s one more big catch</strong>
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="s9gmcx">
|
||||
For the most part, Marvel has mostly depicted multiversal travel as a one-way street. Characters from the 616 go to other multiverses or timelines. But if we think of the multiverse as a two-way street, then Marvel heroes from other universes could possibly hop into 616 Earth just as Strange and America blasted themselves into 838.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kmqbYT">
|
||||
Rarely have there been other dimension dwellers hopping into 616. In <em>Endgame</em>, past 616 versions of Nebula, Gamora, Thanos, and his army make the jump to present-day 616 through time travel. They aren’t different versions of those characters though — they’re the same characters, just time-displaced.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OBb5UO">
|
||||
Even America Chavez, who can travel the multiverse at will, is more or less depicted as a 616 mainstay because she spends most of her time traveling with 616 Strange. Their adventure is from Strange’s point of view.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FC1L1K">
|
||||
But the <em>Multiverse of Madness</em> and its mid-credits scene hint that though we don’t see dimension skippers crashing into 616, it doesn’t mean that it’s not happening elsewhere. Reed Richards and the Illuminati explain that multiversal travel has happened in the past and caused <em>incursions — </em>the Marvel term for a universe collapsing itself. The takeaway is that it’s possible to “travel” the multiverse through the use of magic spells or some way other than America’s power, but doing so risks the universe imploding.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<figure class="e-image">
|
||||
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/thumbor/TD-5ZcHneDY0QKfJfBb1seDHM7U=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23449258/SSS1220_comp_v016.1068_C.jpg"/> <cite>Courtesy of Marvel Studios</cite>
|
||||
<figcaption>
|
||||
That weird vortex cloud stuff is not great! It’s an incursion!
|
||||
</figcaption>
|
||||
</figure>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AodW2D">
|
||||
And in that<a href="https://www.vox.com/23057041/doctor-strange-multiverse-of-madness-credits-scene-
|
||||
charlize-theron-clea"> credits scene</a>, Clea (Charlize Theron) tells Strange that she needs his help because there’s an imminent incursion happening in another universe. Clea herself can seemingly travel through the multiverse through what appears to be the dark dimension (but again, this is a credits scene and there’s a lack of information surrounding Clea and the extent of her powers at the moment).
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="74JRre">
|
||||
Multiverse jumping could also be an easy narrative device to get around the massive chronological and source material knots in existing characters’ origin stories. Theoretically, it gives Marvel the flexibility to cast different actors too while, say, still paying homage to Stewart’s legacy. A story could feature a younger Professor X and some of his X-Men from a different universe (but with the same comic history) traveling to 616 and boom, they’re in the MCU.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pSiX8U">
|
||||
There’s a precedent in Marvel’s comic books. Marvel’s 2015 crossover event<a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/1/16/10779022/marvels-secret-wars-explained"> <em>Secret Wars</em></a><em> </em>included a major storyline in which the main alternate universe (Earth-1610) and others were destroyed. Ultimately, the concluding events of <em>Secret Wars</em> brought 1610’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/3/7/11173456/spider-man-miles-morales">Miles Morales</a> into the main comic book universe with Peter Parker, the existing Spider-Man.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nX610D">
|
||||
It’s not hard to see an MCU future where this plot device could be used to do something similar.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fjsaDf">
|
||||
That said, with all these loops and twists, the most powerful determining factor in when we’ll see iconic Marvel characters and Black Bolt enter the MCU is Marvel’s already-packed<a href="https://variety.com/lists/marvel-studios-release-schedule/"> movie release schedule</a>. The company has <em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em> (July 2022), <em>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</em> (November 2022), <em>Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania</em> (2023), <em>Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3</em> (2023), the Carol Danvers- focused sequel <em>The Marvels</em> (2023) on the way. It also has a <em>Blade </em>reboot and the aforementioned <em>F4</em> movie with yet to be determined release dates. This is in addition to a slew of upcoming series on Disney+ that include <em>Ms. Marvel</em> and <em>She-Hulk</em>.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UJr6Ny">
|
||||
Squeezing an X-Men movie into that assembly line would require shuffling sequels around.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="V9ygH6">
|
||||
So while the door is open for Marvel to finally bring in its beloved characters, it could conceivably take until late 2024 or 2025 before we fully see the X-Men or the Fantastic Four in the MCU. Marvel fans would surely like to see them enter the fray much sooner — and hopefully for much longer than they managed to stick around in the <em>Multiverse of Madnes</em>s.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ax1Xj0">
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="q5fGRz">
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>The major blind spot in Bill Gates’s pandemic prevention plan</strong> -
|
||||
<figure>
|
||||
<img alt="Bill Gates during 8th International Conference on Agriculture Statistics in New Delhi" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/P1p-batMqyhJjS4m2tOe9zrrVWk=/0x0:2847x2135/1310x983/cdn.vox-
|
||||
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70851252/1183210445.0.jpg"/>
|
||||
<figcaption>
|
||||
Bill Gates at the 8th International Conference on Agriculture Statistics in New Delhi, India, in 2019. | Indraneel Chowdhury/NurPhoto via Getty Images
|
||||
</figcaption>
|
||||
</figure>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The billionaire’s new book shows why we can’t expect the 1% to come up with solutions for the rest of us.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IRf9St">
|
||||
“Many people in rich countries were shocked by the world’s unequal response to Covid,” Bill Gates writes in his new book, <em>How to Prevent the Next Pandemic</em>, which offers insights into how the tech billionaire and global health leader believes the world should prepare for global health crises. “Not because it was out of the ordinary but because health inequities are not visible to them the rest of the time. Through Covid—a condition the whole world was experiencing—everyone could see how unequal the resources are.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Uore7p">
|
||||
He’s right. Today inequality is more visible than ever, both in the US and globally, and it’s a problem the world must address to stop future pandemics, and even to get through the one we’re still living in.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="M4Ipeb">
|
||||
But for Gates, philanthropy is the cure for inequality, and business-driven tech and science development will save us from another Covid-19.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NSwpW0">
|
||||
“I am a technophile,” he writes. “As a founder of a successful technology company, I am a great believer in the power of the private sector to drive innovation.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wnEWju">
|
||||
He’s missing the point. Throughout his book, which does offer some innovative ideas for how the world could work together to better prepare for pandemics, Gates occasionally touches on how economic inequality worsens health crises. But he largely glosses over the root causes of the problem and how to solve them. As the insights in his book make clear, Gates views inequality as an unfortunate misallocation of resources, an oversight where some people just don’t get enough of the pie.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nkLV32">
|
||||
That’s not entirely surprising. Gates is the fourth-wealthiest person <a href="https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/#2d71f5033d78">in the world</a>, one whose success depended on private sector innovation and competition. Our economic system has richly rewarded him — in his experience and from his vantage point, it’s harder to see how that system could be an engine of misery.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="d1Q72L">
|
||||
But especially in the US, Covid-19 is a blaring siren warning us that this allocation of resources isn’t a coincidence; instead, it has everything to do with how our economy and the global economy are designed to function. Over <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/04/covid-deaths-top-1-million-in-us-nbc-news-tally-shows.html">1 million Americans have now died</a> from Covid-19. It isn’t a random group of people: one <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.23.21266759v1">preprint paper</a> found that working-class Americans were five times more likely to die from Covid-19 than college-educated Americans. Working-class Hispanic men had a mortality rate 27 times higher than white college-educated women. Another study analyzed <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2786466">Covid-19 mortality rates in over 219 million American adults</a> and found that if racial and ethnic minorities between 25 to 64 years old had faced the same mortality rate as college-educated white Americans, there would have been 89 percent fewer deaths.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YDoE2U">
|
||||
For Dr. Sara Stevano, an economist at the SOAS University of London, it was clear from the beginning of the pandemic that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02255189.2021.1892606">capitalism would exacerbate</a> its impact. Everyone recognized the effect Covid-19 had on the economy — but Stevano looked at how the economy itself made Covid-19 worse. “Our economic system was very much responsible for how the crisis unfolded,” she told Recode.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DXglO5">
|
||||
As the world tried to contain the pandemic, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02255189.2020.1834362">workers were reorganized</a> between essential and non-essential. What the designation really pinpointed, said Stevano, was people who did what she calls <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/11/05/139202/the-crisis-of-social-reproduction-and-the-end-of-work/">“social reproduction work.”</a> These are jobs that help others survive and keep working — jobs in the service industry, in health care, or jobs like teaching that “produce” people for the workforce. And this includes the informal labor that’s done inside homes, like caregiving. It’s low-wage or even unpaid work disproportionately done by women and Black and brown people. As of 2019, over <a href="https://www.aauw.org/resources/article/occupational-segregation/">90 percent of childcare workers</a> in the US were women.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="m16Sg3">
|
||||
Working-class Americans died at staggering rates during the pandemic at least partly because these least protected and compensated people were disproportionately responsible for holding the social fabric together. At the same time, this system rewarded just a <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/7/21/21332166/tech-billionaires-wealth-elon-musk-steve-ballmer-jeff-bezos-
|
||||
pandemic-covid">few people with high profits</a>. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/11/24/1059041725/covid-vaccines-are-
|
||||
set-to-be-among-the-most-lucrative-pharmaceutical-products-ev">Pharmaceutical companies raked in record profits</a> from Covid-19 drugs and vaccines; <a href="https://www.vox.com/business-and-finance/22421417/stock-market-pandemic-
|
||||
economy">tech stocks boomed</a>, and the <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/4/6/22370351/billionaires-forbes-
|
||||
inequality-pandemic">number of billionaires</a> around the world shot up by 30 percent.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ikw9lr">
|
||||
There’s no way of preventing future pandemics without reckoning with this economic contradiction. Gates acknowledges that he has gotten wealthier during the pandemic too (<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/bill-gates/?sh=4f9aee7e689f">according to Forbes</a>, in 2020 his net worth was about $98 billion; at time of writing, it’s about $127 billion), and says it isn’t fair. But the way to fix this injustice, in his view, is more generosity — to become even more committed to <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/7/10/18693578/gates-buffett-giving-pledge-billionaire-philanthropy">The Giving Pledge</a>, which is a commitment certain billionaires, from Elon Musk to Mackenzie Scott, have signed as a promise to give away at least half of their fortunes in their lifetimes.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AjetwQ">
|
||||
Charity, however, has limits and still doesn’t address the causes of this troubling wealth gap. “Philanthropy is just not going to save us,” said Dr. Jen Cohen, an economist at Miami University. “You can’t get a redistributive policy that comes out of profit obtained through exploitation.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1ei2wJ">
|
||||
Stevano agreed. “What needs to change is a system that allows these few people — the top 1 percent — to become so obscenely rich, including during times of crisis,” she said.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nDehpS">
|
||||
This <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/7/1/19238719/rockefeller-foundation-raj-shah-code-conference-
|
||||
interview-transcript-teddy-schleifer-philanthropy">critique of philanthropy</a> has a long history, dating back to the creation of the Rockefeller Foundation, a charity created by oil baron John D. Rockefeller in 1913. How can philanthropy do important, necessary work without fueling the cycle of wealth inequality, especially when there’s little accountability for its impacts? Private philanthropy often doesn’t have to reveal who its donors are, how much they’ve given, or how effective its spending is. It doesn’t have to <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/7/2/8886495/philanthropy-
|
||||
reform">answer to the public the way government spending does</a>, which is why critics have long criticized it for being undemocratic.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NwXmSw">
|
||||
Philanthropy can make the wealthy feel like they’re doing their part for society — and also burnish their public images — while changing nothing fundamentally about how they got their riches, and the inequality they fueled along the way. It’s worth noting that Gates launched the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the world today, around the same time that <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/what-microsofts-antitrust-case-teaches-us-about-silicon-valley/">Microsoft was facing an antitrust trial</a> that essentially questioned whether the tech giant was conducting business fairly, or trying to unscrupulously quash competition to get ahead. On the one hand was an image of Gates as a ruthless capitalist, yet on the other hand he appeared as a benevolent philanthropist who wanted to share his largesse with the world.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6aS2oW">
|
||||
Gates agrees that philanthropy alone isn’t enough to solve inequality or prevent pandemics — he makes the case in his book that private philanthropy should work with governments to fund programs and infrastructure, especially on issues that aren’t profitable enough for the private sector to get involved in. Rich countries, for example, should give a small percentage of their annual GDP to poor countries so they can boost their health systems. The focus of the Gates Foundation, in fact, has been on “areas where the markets fail to solve big problems,” he writes in his book.
|
||||
</p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KY1Ags">
|
||||
But the real question Covid-19 has surfaced isn’t when markets fail to solve big problems — it’s when markets create or contribute to them.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xhc9dZ">
|
||||
Early on in the pandemic, a man <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/technology/coronavirus-purell-wipes-amazon-sellers.html">hoarding over 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer in his garage</a> made headlines and drew criticism. But instead of seeing pandemic profiteering as an exception to the general rule of well-behaved people, Cohen argues that we should see these behaviors as rational — at least under the logic of capitalism. Framing it as a few bad apples glosses over how our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7543589/">economic system incentivizes</a> this kind of self- interested behavior.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CwYdDR">
|
||||
It’s capitalism “functioning as it normally would,” Cohen told Recode. “There’s no extraordinary thing even happening there.” And it highlights the core conflict of interest between profit motive and public health.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="S1Vbhr">
|
||||
The point is that our economic system doesn’t encourage us to treat public health as a collective good. That’s evident in the <a href="https://pha.berkeley.edu/2018/12/06/the-effects-of-neoliberal-
|
||||
practices-on-public-health/">disinvestment of public health</a> that’s been happening for decades, which stymies our ability to respond to health crises. The growth of <a href="https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-021-07307-1">for-profit private hospitals</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/07/20/1017631111/the-untamed-rise-of-hospital-monopolies">hospital corporate monopolies</a> has been pushed by the idea that the for-profit model could improve efficiency, but research shows that <a href="https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-021-07307-1">for-profit hospitals make our health care system less stable</a> — if they’re not a successful business, they close, and we’ve seen a steady <a href="https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/us-hospitals-closing-hahnemann/">trend of hospital closures</a> over the past several decades.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HPAzGC">
|
||||
To those who’ve been paying attention to the effects of putting profit above public health, the devastation Covid-19 brought wasn’t surprising. Dr. Howard Waitzkin, a medical sociologist at the University of New Mexico, points to the <a href="https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-
|
||||
public/20181210lifeexpectdrop.html">decline in US life expectancy</a> between 2014 and 2017. “And of course, since the pandemic started, it has <a href="https://news.vcu.edu/article/2022/04/us-life-expectancy-continued-to-fall-
|
||||
in-2021">declined a couple of more years</a>,” he said.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qFTfOs">
|
||||
How vaccine distribution played out during the pandemic also highlighted the shortcomings of our current approach to global public health. The world rejoiced when the first Covid-19 vaccines were developed, and acknowledged the importance of distributing them fairly. The faster everyone could get vaccinated, the safer we would all be from new variants. But COVAX, a Gates Foundation-funded initiative whose mission was to deliver vaccines to low- and middle-income countries quickly, ultimately failed because <a href="https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/covax-broken-promise-vaccine-equity">rich countries hoarded so many vaccines</a>. It’s clearly not enough to recognize what the collective interest is. We have to live under a political and economic system that encourages it.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Z53Nhe">
|
||||
And one of the obstacles standing in the way is the view, as Gates expresses in his book, that we don’t need structural change — that we can just nudge the private sector in the right direction by using the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/03/covid-pfizer-moderna-project-51-billion-in-
|
||||
combined-vaccine-sales-this-year.html">reward of big profits</a> as an enticement.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pSA12M">
|
||||
“I’m not defending every decision that a pharmaceutical company has ever made about pricing a product, and I’m not asking anyone to feel sorry for the industry,” Gates writes. “But if we’re going to tap into their expertise in developing, testing, and manufacturing drugs and vaccines — and there’s no way to prevent or even stop pandemics unless we do — then we need to understand the challenges they face, the process they go through when they’re deciding what products to work on, and the incentives that push those decisions in one direction or another.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="w7SzoH">
|
||||
In many countries, private industry did play an important role in <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/27/how-moderna-and-pfizer-developed-covid-
|
||||
vaccines-in-record-time.html">speeding up the development of safe, effective Covid-19 vaccines</a> through a mix of public and private funding. But too few people are calling for a deeper examination of the downsides of depending heavily on the private sector for global health issues.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Wg0rjh">
|
||||
Waitzkin calls this the “quasi-religious characteristics of capitalism” — that capitalism isn’t just an economic structure, but a deeply embedded ideology that often doesn’t face much scrutiny, which makes it easier to believe that our current system is the best way to promote societal well-being without seeing strong evidence confirming it. In <em>Capital</em>, French economist Thomas Piketty’s study of capitalism in the 21st century, he criticizes that economists don’t attempt enough <a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/4/24/5643780/who-is-thomas-piketty">empirical analysis of capitalism</a>. Private drug companies did develop effective vaccines that helped save millions of lives — but so did <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/13/why-cubas-extraordinary-covid-vaccine-success-could-provide-the-best-hope-for-the-
|
||||
global-south.html">Cuba’s nationalized pharmaceutical industry</a>.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fCzHsd">
|
||||
Still, a growing number of people seem to be recognizing that drastic changes are needed. “I do not see how we can prevent future pandemics unless we start with a radical rethink of the entire economic system,” said Stevano.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="51bC4a">
|
||||
It’s understandable that a billionaire who made his fortunes in tech isn’t interested in criticizing a system that’s benefited him. It’s also true that technology does have the potential to improve the world’s issues in numerous ways. But Covid-19 shows us that no amount of tech or science innovation will prevent crises like Covid-19 unless we address the root of inequality: an economic structure that’s tilted so far in favor of economic growth and the already-wealthy that it systematically devalues people on the lowest rungs of the class system while demanding that they bear the highest costs.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<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>FIFA says Brazil and Argentina must replay abandoned World Cup qualifier</strong> - The 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier in September 2021 was abandoned after health officials intervened over breach of COVID-19 protocol</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>IPL 2022: Delhi Capitals aim to bounce back against Rajasthan Royals</strong> - Delhi Capitals are fifth in the table while Rajasthan Royals are third.</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>India to play 3 T20Is at home against Australia in September</strong> - The series will serve as a preparation for the showpiece event to be held in Australia in October and November</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>Bumrah special not enough as Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians</strong> - The pacer’s maiden five-for in the IPL derails the Kolkata innings after Venkatesh and Rana’s brisk knocks; Russell and Cummins shine with the ball for Shreyas’ men</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>Dinesh Karthik growing in stature as the ‘Finisher’ for RCB</strong> -</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>Red sanders logs worth ₹3 cr. seized on Chittoor-Bengaluru NH</strong> - Seven members of inter-State gang held</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>Elephant runs amok, creates panic at Thrissur Pooram venue</strong> - Animal brought under control before it caused any damage</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>Police to intensify drive against drugs, says the Chief Minister</strong> - Prohibition Enforcement Wing to be merged with Narcotics Intelligence Bureau</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>Six SDPI activists arrested in Kannur</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>21,246 applicants qualify under LIFE Mission project</strong> - Wayanad becomes first district to complete scrutiny of applications</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>Brexit: UK considers plan to scrap parts of NI Protocol</strong> - The government could take unilateral action on Brexit trade arrangements as soon as next week.</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>Dutch 18th Century mass grave: Skeletons in Vianen were British soldiers</strong> - Bones found in the Dutch city of Vianen date back to the late 18th Century, archaeologists 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>Israel: Turkish flight aborted as passengers get plane crash pics</strong> - The Turkish flight was about to take off from Israel when passengers’ phones were sent the images.</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>Eurovision commentators reveal their memorable moments - including a presidential petition</strong> - Six Eurovision commentators share their most memorable moments, including a presidential petition.</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>Ukraine bid to join EU will take decades says Macron</strong> - The French leader suggests other ways the EU can help Ukraine, other than fast tracking its membership.</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>Entrepreneurs create a space “academy” as commercial space flourishes</strong> - This is a bet that the long-promised space economy continues taking off. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1853121">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>AMD updates Radeon GPU line: Higher clocks for three “50” suffix refreshes</strong> - AMD is also using the occasion to formally usher in FSR “2.0” upscaling. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1853153">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Just say no (to content): Nietzsche’s surprising “information diet”</strong> - An excerpt from the new book by our own deputy editor, Nate Anderson. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1852864">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Return to Pandora with the first teaser for Avatar: The Way of Water</strong> - “I know one thing. Wherever we go, this family is our fortress.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1853070">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Prominent Apple staffers write letters to management, resign over office return</strong> - “I believe strongly that more flexibility would have been the best policy…” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1853035">link</a></p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>Tom had been in the liquor business for 25 years. Finally, sick of the stress, he quits his job and buys 50 acres of land in Alaska, as far from humanity as possible.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||
<div class="md">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
He sees the postman once a week and gets groceries once a month. Otherwise it’s total peace and quiet. After six months or so of almost total isolation, someone knocks on his door. He opens it, and a huge, bearded man is standing there. “Name’s Lars, your neighbor from forty miles up the road. Having a Christmas party Friday night, thought you might like to come. About 5:00.” “Great”, says Tom, “after six months out here I’m ready to meet some local folks. Thank you.” As Lars is leaving, he stops. “Gotta warn you … be some drinkin.” “Not a problem” says Tom. “After 25 years in the business, I can drink with the best of ‘em.” Again, the big man starts to leave and stops. “More ‘n’ likely gonna be some fightin’ too.” “Well, I get along with people, I’ll be all right. I’ll be there, thanks again.” “More’n likely be some wild sex, too.” “Now that’s really not a problem,” says Tom, warming to the idea. “I’ve been all alone for six months! I’ll definitely be there. By the way, what should I wear?” “Don’t much matter … just gonna be the two of us.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/ShawnKempsKids"> /u/ShawnKempsKids </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/umb5zh/tom_had_been_in_the_liquor_business_for_25_years/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/umb5zh/tom_had_been_in_the_liquor_business_for_25_years/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Guy goes to the doctor for a pain in his ass</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||
<div class="md">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
Tells the doctor “doc ive got some pain right by the entrance of my asshole”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
Doc replies: “long as u call it an entrance its gonna hurt”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/BurntBarn"> /u/BurntBarn </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/um4701/guy_goes_to_the_doctor_for_a_pain_in_his_ass/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/um4701/guy_goes_to_the_doctor_for_a_pain_in_his_ass/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||
<li><strong>I told my wife she needed to start embracing her mistakes.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||
<div class="md">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
So she gave me 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/Barber606"> /u/Barber606 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/um7i4y/i_told_my_wife_she_needed_to_start_embracing_her/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/um7i4y/i_told_my_wife_she_needed_to_start_embracing_her/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Afternoon Sex</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||
<div class="md">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
The only way to pull off a Sunday afternoon “quickie” with their 8-year-old son in the apartment was to send him out on the balcony with a Popsicle and tell him to report on all the neighbourhood activities. “There’s a car being towed from the parking lot,” he shouted. He began his commentary as his parents put their plan into operation: “An ambulance just drove by!” “Looks like the Andersons have company,” he called out. “Matt’s riding a new bike!” “Looks like the Sanders are moving!” “Jason is on his skate board!” After a few moments he announced, “The Coopers are having sex!!” Startled, his mother and dad shot up in bed. Dad cautiously called out, “How do you know they’re having sex?” “Jimmy Cooper is standing on his balcony with a Popsicle.”
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/YZXFILE"> /u/YZXFILE </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/umac3o/afternoon_sex/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/umac3o/afternoon_sex/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||
<li><strong>How many Russians does it take to change a Ukrainian lightbulb?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||
<div class="md">
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||
At least 1 battalion to lose in the attempt. Please reply with your best punchline.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/curiosgreg"> /u/curiosgreg </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/um0l7v/how_many_russians_does_it_take_to_change_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/um0l7v/how_many_russians_does_it_take_to_change_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
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|
||||
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Reference in New Issue