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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>The decline of bars and drinking establishments, 2006-2016</strong> -
<div>
The growth of the food and beverage service industry in the 2010s obscured the decline of one of its sectors: bars and drinking establishments with limited food offerings. This research note presents 2006-2016 data from the U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns, a time period that captures industry peaks on either side of the Great Recession of 2008. Data show that while the food and beverage service sector as a whole grew by 17.7%, the bar sector decreased by 10.5%. City-level data from the 30-largest municipalities show much internal variation in both sectors, but the bar sector’s share of the food and beverage service industry declined in 28 of 30 municipalities under study. Restaurant industry growth in this decade ranged from 5.0% to 48.4%, while bar sector change ranged from -37.7% to an increase of 56.5%. The implications of this changing industry mix and its municipal variation are discussed for future research into the changing food and drink service industry, its role in urban revitalization, strategies for public health and safety, and the likely acceleration of these trends due to COVID-19.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/jrpnd/" target="_blank">The decline of bars and drinking establishments, 2006-2016</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Evaluating Sub-Saharan Africa’s COVID-19 Research Contribution: A Preliminary bibliometric Analysis</strong> -
<div>
The response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the science community is unprecedented as indicated by the high number of research publications. Deeper insight into COVID-19 research at regional, and national levels through bibliometric research has revealed different levels of research evolution, depth, contribution, and collaboration patterns. Such reliable and evidence-based information is important for health research planning and policy making. This study aims at providing some evidence-based insight into Sub-Saharan Africa’s preliminary COVID-19 research by evaluating its research contributions, patterns of collaboration, and funding sources. COVID-19 publication data from all the 41 Sub-Saharan African countries was collected from Scopus for analysis. Results show that Sub-Saharan Africa contributed about two percent to global COVID-19 research. South Africa contributed 50.95% of all the COVID-19 publications from Sub-Saharan Africa while USA (28.48%) and the UK (24.47%), the top two external contributors, collaborated with Sub-Saharan African countries three times more than other countries. Collaborative papers between Sub-Saharan African countries - without contributions from outside the region- made up less than five percent of the sample, whereas over 50% of the papers were written in collaboration with researchers from outside the region. Organizations based in USA, UK, and EU funded more than 60% of all the COVID-19 research from Sub-Saharan Africa. More than 60% of all the funding from Sub-Saharan African countries came from South African organizations. This study provides evidence that pan-African COVID-19 research collaboration is low, perhaps due to poor funding and institutional support within Africa. There is a need to forge stronger pan-African research collaboration networks, through funding from Africa’s national and regional government organizations, with the specific objective of meeting COVID-19 healthcare needs of Africans.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/africarxiv/vnx2b/" target="_blank">Evaluating Sub-Saharan Africa’s COVID-19 Research Contribution: A Preliminary bibliometric Analysis</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>COVID-19 and Asian Americans: How Social Exclusion Shapes Asian American Partisanship</strong> -
<div>
Extending theories of social exclusion, we argue that Trump’s targeted rhetoric toward Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic pushes the racial group, largely "Independent'' or nonpartisan affiliated, to lean more towards the Democratic Party. This article supports this claim by combining social media and survey data analysis. Tracing more than one million tweets, we find that anti-Asian attitudes have increased in the U.S. since the pandemic and Trump's rhetoric has popularized racially charged COVID-19 related terms. Drawing on a nationwide over time survey of n=12,907 Asian Americans from July to May 2020, we find that the the group has increased in favorability of the Democratic Party, favorability of the Democratic presidential nominee, and identified with this party more since Trump first made inflammatory remarks towards Asian Americans. Whites, Blacks, and Latina/os, on the other hand, exhibited little change in these Democratic Party-related attitudes. Our findings suggest that experiences with social exclusion further cement Asian Americans as Democrats, who are positioned to be consequential in the outcome of the 2020 election.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/dvm7r/" target="_blank">COVID-19 and Asian Americans: How Social Exclusion Shapes Asian American Partisanship</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>In vitro inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 with 0.5% povidone iodine nasal spray (Nasodine) at clinically relevant concentrations and timeframes using tissue culture and PCR based assays</strong> -
<div>
BACKGROUND: There has been considerable speculation regarding the potential of PVP-I nasal disinfection as an adjunct to other countermeasures during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Nasodine is a commercial formulation of 0.5% PVP-I that has been evaluated for safety and efficacy in human trials as a treatment for the common cold, including a Phase III trial (ANZCTR: ACTRN12619000764134). This study presents the first report of the in vitro efficacy of this formulation against SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: We conducted in vitro experiments to determine if the PVP-I formulation inactivated SARS-CoV-2 using two independent assays and virus isolates, and incorporating both PCR-based detection and cell culture methods to assess residual virus after exposure to the formulation. RESULTS: Based on cell culture results, the PVP-I formulation was found to rapidly inactivate SARS-CoV-2 isolates in vitro in short timeframes (15 seconds to 15 minutes) consistent with the minimum and maximum potential residence time in the nose. The Nasodine formula was found to be more effective than 0.5% PVP-I in saline. Importantly, it was found that the formulation inactivated culturable virus but had no effect on PCR-detectable viral RNA. CONCLUSIONS: The PVP-I formulation eliminated the viability of SARS-CoV-2 virus with short exposure times consistent with nasal use. PCR alone may not be adequate for viral quantification in nasal PVP-I studies; future studies should incorporate cell culture to assess viral viability. Nasal disinfection with PVP-I may be a useful intervention for newly-diagnosed COVID-19 patients to reduce transmission risk and disease progression to the lower respiratory tract.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.31.426979v1" target="_blank">In vitro inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 with 0.5% povidone iodine nasal spray (Nasodine) at clinically relevant concentrations and timeframes using tissue culture and PCR based assays</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>SCOPE: Flexible targeting and stringent CARF activation enables type III CRISPR-Cas diagnostics</strong> -
<div>
Characteristic properties of type III CRISPR-Cas systems include recognition of target RNA (rather than DNA) and the subsequent induction of a multifaceted immune response. This involves sequence-specific cleavage of a target RNA and production of cyclic oligoadenylate (cOA) second messenger molecules that may trigger dormancy or cell death. In this study, we discovered that a largely exposed seed region at the 3'end of the crRNA is essential for target RNA binding and cleavage, whereas base pairing at a unique region at the 5' end of the guide is required to trigger cOA production. Moreover, we uncovered that the natural variation in the composition of type III complexes within a single host results in different guide lengths, and hence variable seed regions. This shifting seed may prevent escape by invading genetic elements, while controlling cOA production very tightly to prevent unnecessary damage to the host. Lastly, we used these findings to develop a new diagnostic tool, named SCOPE, which was used for the specific detection of SARS-CoV-2 from human nasal swab samples, showing sensitivities in the atto-molar range.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.01.429135v1" target="_blank">SCOPE: Flexible targeting and stringent CARF activation enables type III CRISPR-Cas diagnostics</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Enhanced immunogenicity of a synthetic DNA vaccine expressing consensus SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein using needle-free immunization</strong> -
<div>
The ongoing global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for an urgent development of effective and safe prophylactic and therapeutic measures. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) glycoprotein is a major immunogenic and protective protein, and plays a crucial role in viral pathogenesis. In this study, we successfully constructed a synthetic codon-optimized DNA-based vaccine as a countermeasure against SARS-CoV-2; denoted as VIU-1005. The design was based on the synthesis of codon-optimized coding sequence for optimal mammalian expression of a consensus full-length S glycoprotein. The successful construction of the vaccine was confirmed by restriction digestion and sequencing, and the protein expression of the S protein was confirmed by western blot and immunofluorescence staining in mammalian cells. The immunogenicity of the vaccine was tested in two mouse models (BALB/c and C57BL/6J). Th1-skewed systemic S-specific IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) were significantly induced in both models four weeks post three injections with 100 g of the VIU-1005 vaccine via intramuscular needle injection but not intradermal or subcutaneous routes. Importantly, such immunization induced long-lasting IgG response in mice that lasted for at least 6 months. Interestingly, using a needle-free system, we showed an enhanced immunogenicity of VIU-1005 in which lower doses such as 25-50 g or less number of doses were able to elicit significantly high levels of Th1-biased systemic S-specific IgG antibodies and nAbs via intramuscular immunization compared to needle immunization. Compared to the intradermal needle injection which failed to induce any significant immune response, intradermal needle-free immunization elicited robust Th1-biased humoral response similar to that observed with intramuscular immunization. Furthermore, immunization with VIU-1005 induced potent S-specific cellular response as demonstrated by the significantly high levels of IFN-{gamma}, TNF and IL-2 cytokines production in memory CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in BALB/c mice. Together, our results demonstrate that the synthetic VIU-1005 candidate DNA vaccine is highly immunogenic and capable of inducing long-lasting and Th1-skewed immune response in mice. Furthermore, we show that the use of needle-free system could enhance the immunogenicity and minimize doses needed to induce protective immunity in mice, supporting further preclinical and clinical testing of this candidate vaccine.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.01.429219v1" target="_blank">Enhanced immunogenicity of a synthetic DNA vaccine expressing consensus SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein using needle-free immunization</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Nanotraps for the containment and clearance of SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
SARS-CoV-2 enters host cells through its viral spike protein binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on the host cells. Here we show functionalized nanoparticles, termed "Nanotraps", completely inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection by blocking the interaction between the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and the ACE2 of host cells. The liposomal-based Nanotrap surfaces were functionalized with either recombinant ACE2 proteins or anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and phagocytosis-specific phosphatidylserines. The Nanotraps effectively captured SARS-CoV-2 and completely blocked SARS-CoV-2 infection to ACE2-expressing human cell lines and primary lung cells; the phosphatidylserine triggered subsequent phagocytosis of the virus-bound, biodegradable Nanotraps by macrophages, leading to the clearance of pseudotyped and authentic virus in vitro. Furthermore, the Nanotraps demonstrated excellent biosafety profile in vitro and in vivo. Finally, the Nanotraps inhibited pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 infection in live human lungs in an ex vivo lung perfusion system. In summary, Nanotraps represent a new nanomedicine for the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.01.428871v1" target="_blank">Nanotraps for the containment and clearance of SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Single Dose Vaccination in Healthcare Workers Previously Infected with SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine shortages have led some experts and countries to consider untested dosing regimens. We studied antibody responses to a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines in healthcare workers (HCW) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection and compared to them to antibody responses of HCW who were IgG negative to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. HCW with prior COVID-19 showed clear secondary antibody responses to vaccination with IgG spike binding titers rapidly increasing by 7 days and peaking by days 10 and 14 post-vaccination. At all time points tested, HCW with prior COVID-19 infection showed statistically significant higher antibody titers of binding and functional antibody compared to HCW without prior COVID-19 infection (p&lt;.0001for each of the time points tested). In times of vaccine shortage, and until correlates of protection are identified, our findings preliminarily suggest the following strategy as more evidence-based: a) a single dose of vaccine for patients already having had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19; and b) patients who have had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 can be placed lower on the vaccination priority list.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.30.21250843v2" target="_blank">Single Dose Vaccination in Healthcare Workers Previously Infected with SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>A systematic review and meta-analysis on the safety and efficacy of tocilizumab in the management of COVID-19</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis was aimed to evaluate the therapeutic benefits and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) in treating severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and associated health complications. Methods: The electronic search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (RCTs), and Google scholar databases to identify the retrospective observational reports. The studies published from 01 January 2020 to 30th September 2020 involving comparison of TCZ group with SOC/control treatment group were included. The studies included in this work involve RT-PCR confirmed cases of COVID-19 (Population), having tocilizumab and corresponding SOC/control as interventions (Intervention), comparison between tocilizumab versus SOC/control (Comparison) for the parameter of interest. Mortality, incidences of ICU admission, need of mechanical ventilation (MV), length of stay in the hospital (LOS), and length of stay in the ICU (LOS-ICU), and the incidences of super-infection, bacteraemia, fugleman, pneumonia, and pulmonary thrombosis were evaluated as the primary outcomes. The comparison will be between TCZ versus standard of care (SOC)/placebo. Results: Based on the inclusion criteria there were 24 retrospective studies involving 5686 subjects were included. The outcomes of the meta-analysis have revealed that the TCZ has reduced the mortality (Mantel-Haenszel (M-H), random effects risk difference (RE-RD) of -0.11 (-0.18 to -0.04), at 95% CI, p = 0.001, I2 = 88%) and increased the incidences of super-infections (M-H, RE-Risk ratio (RR) of 1.49 (1.13 to 1.96) at 95% CI, p=0.004, I2 = 47%). However, there is no significant difference in ICU admissions rate (M-H, RE-RD of -0.06 (-0.23 to 0.12) at 95% CI, p=0.54, I2 = 93%), need of MV (M-H, RE-RD of 0.00 (-0.06 to 0.07) at 95% CI, p=0.96, I2 = 74%), LOS (Inverse variance (IV): -2.86 (-0.91 to 3.38) at 95% CI, p=0.37, I2 = 100%), LOS-ICU (IV: -3.93 (-12.35 to 4.48) at 95% CI, p=0.36, I2 = 100%), and incidences of pulmonary thrombosis (M-H, fixed effect odds ratio (FE-OR) of 1.01 (0.45 to 2.26) at 95% CI, p=0.99, I2 = 0%) compared to SOC/control. Conclusion: This meta-analysis was performed using retrospective clinical reports on the use of tocilizumab in COVID-19 and based on the outcomes of the meta-analysis we can conclude that administration of TCZ would reduce the risk of mortality, and however there is no much difference observed between the TCZ and SOC/control groups in other parameters such as ICU admission rate, need of mechanical ventilation and length of hospital stay (ICU and Non-ICU). On the other hand, TCZ treated subjects possess higher chances of super-infections and pneumonia compared with SOC/control group. However, there is a need for multi-centric randomized trials to determine the potential therapeutic role of TCZ in mitigating COVID-19 and associated health complications.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.27.21250599v2" target="_blank">A systematic review and meta-analysis on the safety and efficacy of tocilizumab in the management of COVID-19</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Integrating Operant and Cognitive Behavioral Economics to Inform Infectious Disease Response: Prevention, Testing, and Vaccination in the COVID-19 Pandemic</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The role of human behavior to thwart transmission of infectious diseases like COVID-19 is evident. Yet, many areas of psychological and behavioral science are limited in the ability to mobilize to address exponential spread or provide easily translatable findings for policymakers. Here we describe how integrating methods from operant and cognitive approaches to behavioral economics can provide robust policy relevant data. Adapting well validated methods from behavioral economic discounting and demand frameworks, we evaluate in four crowdsourced samples (total N = 1,366) behavioral mechanisms underlying engagement in preventive health behaviors. We find that people are more likely to social distance when specified activities are framed as high risk, that describing delay until testing (rather than delay until results) increases testing likelihood, and that framing vaccine safety in a positive valence improves vaccine acceptance. These findings collectively emphasize the flexibility of methods from diverse areas of behavioral science for informing public health crisis management.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.20.21250195v2" target="_blank">Integrating Operant and Cognitive Behavioral Economics to Inform Infectious Disease Response: Prevention, Testing, and Vaccination in the COVID-19 Pandemic</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Spatial Inequities in COVID-19 Testing, Positivity, Confirmed Cases and Mortality in 3 US Cities: an Ecological Study</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Preliminary evidence has shown inequities in COVID-19 related cases and deaths in the US. Objective: We explored the emergence of spatial inequities in COVID-19 testing, positivity, confirmed cases, and mortality in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago during the first six months of the pandemic. Design: Ecological, observational study at the zip code tabulation area (ZCTA) level from March to September 2020. Setting: Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia. Participants: All populated ZCTAs in the three cities. Measures: Outcomes were ZCTA-level COVID-19 testing, positivity, confirmed cases, and mortality cumulatively through the end of September. Predictors were the CDC social vulnerability index and its four domains, obtained from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey. We examined spatial clusters of COVID-19 outcomes using local Moran9s I and estimated associations using spatial conditional autoregressive negative binomial models. Results: We found spatial clusters of high and low positivity, confirmed cases and mortality, co-located with clusters of low and high social vulnerability. We also found evidence for the existence of spatial inequities in testing, positivity, confirmed cases and mortality for the three cities. Specifically, neighborhoods with higher social vulnerability had lower testing rates, higher positivity ratios, confirmed case rates and mortality rates. Limitations: ZCTAs are imperfect and heterogeneous geographical units of analysis. We rely on surveillance data, which may be incomplete. Conclusion: We found spatial inequities in COVID-19 testing, positivity, confirmed cases, and mortality in three large cities of the US.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.01.20087833v5" target="_blank">Spatial Inequities in COVID-19 Testing, Positivity, Confirmed Cases and Mortality in 3 US Cities: an Ecological Study</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Vaccination strategies for minimizing loss of life in Covid-19 in a Europe lacking vaccines</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: We aimed at identifying vaccination strategies that minimize loss of life in the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 mainly kills the elderly, but the pandemic is driven by social contacts that are more frequent in the young. Vaccines elicit stronger immune responses per dose in younger persons. As vaccine production is a bottleneck, many countries have adopted a strategy of first vaccinating the elderly and vulnerable, while postponing vaccination of the young. Methods: Based on published age-stratified immunogenicity data of the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine, we compared the established 9one dose fits all9 approach with tailored strategies: The known differential immunogenicity of vaccine doses in different age groups is exploited to vaccinate the elderly at full dose, while the young receive a reduced dose, amplifying the number of individuals receiving the vaccine early. A modeling approach at European Union scale with population structure, Covid-19 case and death rates similar to Europe in late January 2021 is used. Results: When the elderly were vaccinated preferentially, the pandemic initially continued essentially unchecked, as it was dominantly driven by social contacts in other age groups. Tailored strategies, including regular dosing in the elderly but reduced dose vaccination in the young, multiplied early vaccination counts, and even with some loss in protection degree for the individual person, the protective effect towards stopping the pandemic and protecting lives was enhanced, even for the elderly. Conclusion: Protecting the vulnerable, minimizing overall deaths and stopping the pandemic is best achieved by an adaptive vaccination strategy using an age-tailored vaccine dose.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.29.21250747v2" target="_blank">Vaccination strategies for minimizing loss of life in Covid-19 in a Europe lacking vaccines</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The role of masks, testing and contact tracing in preventing COVID-19 resurgences: a case study from New South Wales, Australia</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objectives: The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, has the potential to spread exponentially. Therefore, as long as a substantial proportion of the population remains susceptible to infection, the potential for new epidemic waves persists even in settings with low numbers of active COVID-19 infections, unless sufficient countermeasures are in place. We aim to quantify vulnerability to resurgences in COVID-19 transmission under variations in the levels of testing, tracing, and mask usage. Setting: The Australian state of New South Wales, a setting with prolonged low transmission, high mobility, non-universal mask usage, and a well-functioning test-and-trace system. Participants: None (simulation study) Results: We find that the relative impact of masks is greatest when testing and tracing rates are lower (and vice versa). Scenarios with very high testing rates (90% of people with symptoms, plus 90% of people with a known history of contact with a confirmed case) were estimated to lead to a robustly controlled epidemic, with a median of ~180 infections in total over October 1 - December 31 under high mask uptake scenarios, or 260-1,200 without masks, depending on the efficacy of community contact tracing. However, across comparable levels of mask uptake and contact tracing, the number of infections over this period were projected to be 2-3 times higher if the testing rate was 80% instead of 90%, 8-12 times higher if the testing rate was 65%, or 30-50 times higher with a 50% testing rate. In reality, NSW diagnosed 254 locally-acquired cases over this period, an outcome that had a low probability in the model (4-7%) under the best-case scenarios of extremely high testing (90%), near-perfect community contact tracing (75-100%), and high mask usage (50-75%), but a far higher probability if any of these were at lower levels. Conclusions: Our work suggests that testing, tracing and masks can all be effective means of controlling transmission. A multifaceted strategy that combines all three, alongside continued hygiene and distancing protocols, is likely to be the most robust means of controlling transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.09.20209429v2" target="_blank">The role of masks, testing and contact tracing in preventing COVID-19 resurgences: a case study from New South Wales, Australia</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Environmental impact of Personal Protective Equipment distributed for use by health and social care services in England in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objectives Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been central to controlling spread of SARS-CoV2. Here we quantify the environmental impact of PPE distributed for use by the health and social care system in England, and model strategies for mitigating the environmental impact. Methods Life cycle assessment was used to determine environmental impacts of PPE distributed to health and social care in England during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The base scenario assumed all products were single-use and disposed of via clinical waste. Scenario modelling was used to determine the effect of environmental mitigation strategies; 1) eliminating international travel during supply, 2) eliminating glove use 3) reusing gowns and face shields, 4) maximal recycling. Results The carbon footprint of PPE distributed during the study period totalled 106,478 tonnes CO2e, with greatest contributions from gloves, aprons, face shields, and Type IIR surgical masks. The estimated damage to human health was 239 DALYs (disability adjusted life years), impact on ecosystems was 0.47 species.year (loss of local species per year), and impact on resource depletion was costed at US $ 12.7 (GBP 9.3) million. Scenario modelling indicated UK manufacture would have reduced the carbon footprint by 12%, eliminating gloves by 45%, reusing gowns and gloves by 10%, and maximal recycling by 35%. A combination of strategies may have reduced carbon footprint by 75% compared with the base scenario, and saved an estimated 183 DALYS, 0.34 species.year, and US $ 7.4 (GBP 5.4) million due to resource depletion. Conclusions The environmental impact of PPE is large and could be reduced through domestic manufacture, rationalising glove use, using reusables where possible, and optimising waste management.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.21.20198911v3" target="_blank">Environmental impact of Personal Protective Equipment distributed for use by health and social care services in England in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic</a>
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<li><strong>Environmentally-induced mdig is a major contributor to the severity of COVID-19 through fostering expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor NRPs and glycan metabolism</strong> -
<div>
The novel {beta}-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected more than 101 million people and resulted in 2.2 million death worldwide. Recent epidemiological studies suggested that some environmental factors, such as air pollution, might be the important contributors to the mortality of COVID-19. However, how environmental exposure enhances the severity of COVID-19 remains to be fully understood. In the present report, we provide evidence showing that mdig, a previously reported environmentally-induced oncogene that antagonizes repressive trimethylation of histone proteins, is a master regulator for SARS-CoV-2 receptors neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and NRP2, cathepsins, glycan metabolism and inflammation, key determinants for viral infection and cytokine storm of the patients. Depletion of mdig in bronchial epithelial cells by CRISPR-Cas-9 gene editing resulted in a decreased expression of NRP1, NRP2, cathepsins, and genes involved in protein glycosylation and inflammation, largely due to a substantial enrichment of lysine 9 and/or lysine 27 trimethylation of histone H3 (H3K9me3/H3K27me3) on these genes as determined by ChIP-seq. These data, accordingly, suggest that mdig is a key mediator for the severity of COVID-19 in response to environmental exposure and targeting mdig may be one of the effective strategies in ameliorating the symptom and reducing the mortality of COVID-19.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.31.429010v1" target="_blank">Environmentally-induced mdig is a major contributor to the severity of COVID-19 through fostering expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor NRPs and glycan metabolism</a>
</div></li>
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<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>Phase III Study of AZD7442 for Treatment of COVID-19 in Outpatient Adults</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: AZD7442;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   AstraZeneca<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>Fluvoxamine Administration in Moderate SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infected Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Placebo;   Drug: Fluvoxamine<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   SigmaDrugs Research 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>TOCILIZUMAB - An Option for Patients With COVID-19 Associated Cytokine Release Syndrome; A Single Center Experience</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Tocilizumab<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   FMH College of Medicine and Dentistry<br/><b>Completed</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>APT™ T3X on the COVID-19 Contamination Rate</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Tetracycline hydrochloride 3%;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of Nove de Julho;   Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre<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>COVID-19 Immunologic Antiviral Therapy With Omalizumab</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Omalizumab;   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre<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>An Outpatient Clinical Trial Using Ivermectin and Doxycycline in COVID-19 Positive Patients at High Risk to Prevent COVID-19 Related Hospitalization</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Ivermectin Tablets;   Drug: Doxycycline Tablets;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Max Health, Subsero Health<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 and Efficacy of Doxycycline and Rivaroxaban in COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Doxycycline Tablets;   Drug: Rivaroxaban 15Mg Tab;   Combination Product: Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Yaounde Central 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>Phase IIb Clinical Trial of Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (COVID-19) Vaccine (Sf9 Cells)</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells);   Biological: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;   West China 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>Famotidine vs Placebo for the Treatment of Non-Hospitalized Adults With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Famotidine;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Northwell Health;   Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory<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>COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Placental and Immunological Impacts</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Specimens specific for the study<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Hopital Foch<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>Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Inhaled Interferon-β Therapy for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2;   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: SNG001;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Synairgen Research 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>Convalescent Plasma in the Treatment of Covid-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Convalescent plasma from COVID-19 donors;   Biological: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Helsinki University Central Hospital;   Finnish Red Cross<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>Early Use of Hyperimmune Plasma in COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: hyperimmune plasma<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Catherine Klersy;   Policlinico San Matteo Pavia Fondazione IRCCS<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>Efficacy of Nano-Ivermectin Impregnated Masks in Prevention of Covid-19 Among Healthy Contacts and Medical Staff</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: ivermectin impregnated mask<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   South Valley University<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>Restoration of Endothelial Integrity in Patients With COVID-19 (RELIC)</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: Thawed plasma<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of Alabama at Birmingham<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>The SARS-Coronavirus Infection Cycle: A Survey of Viral Membrane Proteins, Their Functional Interactions and Pathogenesis</strong> - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel epidemic strain of Betacoronavirus that is responsible for the current viral pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a global health crisis. Other epidemic Betacoronaviruses include the 2003 SARS-CoV-1 and the 2009 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the genomes of which, particularly that of SARS-CoV-1, are similar to that of the 2019 SARS-CoV-2. In this extensive review, we document the most...</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>Computational Determination of Potential Multiprotein Targeting Natural Compounds for Rational Drug Design Against SARS-COV-2</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 caused the current COVID-19 pandemic and there is an urgent need to explore effective therapeutics that can inhibit enzymes that are imperative in virus reproduction. To this end, we computationally investigated the MPD3 phytochemical database along with the pool of reported natural antiviral compounds with potential to be used as anti-SARS-CoV-2. The docking results demonstrated glycyrrhizin followed by azadirachtanin, mycophenolic acid, kushenol-w and 6-azauridine, as potential...</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>Immunogenic BNT162b vaccines protect rhesus macaques from SARS-CoV-2</strong> - A safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 is urgently needed in quantities sufficient to immunise large populations. We report the preclinical development of two BNT162b vaccine candidates, which contain lipid-nanoparticle (LNP) formulated nucleoside-modified mRNA encoding SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein-derived immunogens. BNT162b1 encodes a soluble, secreted, trimerised receptor-binding domain (RBD-foldon). BNT162b2 encodes the full-length transmembrane spike glycoprotein, locked in its...</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 drug repurposing screen identifies hepatitis C antivirals as inhibitors of the SARS-CoV2 main protease</strong> - Effective SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs are desperately needed. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) appears as an attractive target for drug development. We show that the existing pharmacopeia contains many drugs with potential for therapeutic repurposing as selective and potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. We screened a collection of ~6,070 drugs with a previous history of use in humans for compounds that inhibit the activity of Mpro in vitro and found ~50 compounds with activity against Mpro....</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>Remdesivir Metabolite GS-441524 Effectively Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Mouse Models</strong> - The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a global pandemic due to the rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). At the time of this manuscript's publication, remdesivir is the only COVID-19 treatment approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. However, its effectiveness is still under question due to the results of the large Solidarity Trial conducted by the World Health Organization. Herein, we report that the parent...</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>Ruxolitinib as adjunctive therapy for secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: a case series</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: This series demonstrates the effective use of JAK inhibition with ruxolitinib to control pathological immune activation in critically ill patients with secondary HLH and otherwise limited therapeutic options. JAK inhibition is also an area of urgent investigation for the treatment of cytokine storm associated with COVID-19.</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>Structural basis of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase inhibition by Favipiravir</strong> - The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has developed into an unprecedented global pandemic. Nucleoside analogues, such as Remdesivir and Favipiravir, can serve as the first-line broad-spectrum antiviral drugs by targeting the viral polymerases. However, the underlying mechanisms for the antiviral efficacies of these drugs are far from well understood. Here we reveal that Favipiravir, as a pyrazine derivative, could be incorporated into the viral RNA products...</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>Genetic IL-6R variants and therapeutic inhibition of IL-6 receptor signalling in COVID-19 - Authors' reply</strong> - No abstract</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>Genetic IL-6R variants and therapeutic inhibition of IL-6 receptor signalling in COVID-19</strong> - No abstract</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>Efficacy matters: broadening complement inhibition in COVID-19</strong> - No abstract</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>Efficacy matters: broadening complement inhibition in COVID-19 - Authors' reply</strong> - No abstract</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>Antiviral activity of sulfated polysaccharides from marine algae and its application in combating COVID-19: Mini review</strong> - Marine-derived sulfated polysaccharides possess various antiviral activities against a broad range of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. It has become the potential source of antiviral drugs for pharmaceutical development. In this review, we will discuss the different types of sulfated polysaccharides and their structural classification. Some of the major sulfated polysaccharides with potent antiviral activity, including carrageenan, agar, ulvan, fucoidan, and alginates, are considered in this...</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>Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF): The link between obesity and COVID-19</strong> - The COVID-19 death toll has involved to date more than 1 million confirmed deaths. The death rate is even higher in the obese COVID-19 patients, as a result of hypoxia, due to the interplay between adipose tissue hypoxia and obstructive sleep apnea. The discrepancy of manifestations seen in COVID-19 seems to be mediated by a differential immune response rather than a differential viral load. One of the key players of the immune response is HIF. HIF-1β is a stable constitutively expressed protein...</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>Manipulated bio antimicrobial peptides from probiotic bacteria as proposed drugs for COVID-19 disease</strong> - Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is the latest pandemic resulted from the coronavirus family. Due to the high prevalence of this disease, its high mortality rate, and the lack of effective treatment, the need for affordable and accessible drugs is one of the main challenges in this regard. It has been proved that RdRp, 3CL, Spike, and Nucleocapsid are the most important viral proteins playing vital roles in the processes of proliferation and infection. Therefore, we started studying a wide...</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>Mushroom-derived bioactive compounds potentially serve as the inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease: An in silico approach</strong> - CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the potential of existing mushroom-derived natural compounds for further investigation and possibly can be used to fight against SARS-CoV-2 infection.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-CoV-2 antibodies</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU315792577">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-CoV-2 antibodies</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU315792579">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITION OF NITAZOXANIDE AND MEFLOQUINE AND METHOD THEREOF</strong> - A pharmaceutical composition for treating Covid-19 virus comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a nitazoxanide or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and an mefloquine or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof is disclosed. The pharmaceutical composition comprises the nitazoxanide in the ratio of 0.05% to 66% w/v and the mefloquine in the ratio of 0.05% to 90% w/v. The composition is found to be effective for the treatment of COVID -19 (SARS-CoV2). The pharmaceutical composition of nitazoxanide and mefloquine has been found to be effective and is unexpectedly well tolerated with a low rate of side-effects, and equally high cure-rates than in comparable treatments. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN316412781">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>TREATMENT OF COVID-19 WITH REBAMIPIDE</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU315792482">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING POWER CONSUMPTION IMPACT BASED ON IMPACT OF COVID-19 EPIDEMIC</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU314745621">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITION OF ARTESUNATE AND MEFLOQUINE AND METHOD THEREOF</strong> - A pharmaceutical composition for treating Covid-19 virus comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an artesunate or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and a mefloquine or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof is disclosed. The pharmaceutical composition comprises the artesunate in the ratio of 0.25% to 66% w/v and mefloquine in the ratio of 0.25% to 90% w/v. The composition is found to be effective for the treatment of COVID -19 (SARS-CoV2). The pharmaceutical composition of Artesunate and Mefloquine has been found to be effective and is unexpectedly well tolerated with a low rate of side-effects, and equally high cure-rates than in comparable treatments. The present invention also discloses a method to preparing the pharmaceutical composition comprising of Artesunate and Mefloquine. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN315303355">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Zahnbürstenaufsatz, elektrische Versorgungseinheit einer elektrischen Zahnbürste, elektrische Zahnbürste mit einem Zahnbürstenaufsatz, Zahnbürste sowie Testaufsatz für eine elektrische Zahnbürste</strong> -
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Zahnbürstenaufsatz für eine elektrische Zahnbürste (20) umfassend einen Koppelabschnitt (2), über den der Zahnbürstenaufsatz (1) mit einer elektrischen Versorgungseinheit (10) der elektrischen Zahnbürste (20) verbindbar ist und einen Bürstenabschnitt (3), der zur Reinigung der Zähne ausgebildete Reinigungsmittel (3.1) aufweist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass an dem Zahnbürstenaufsatz (1) eine Sensoreinheit (4) vorgesehen ist, die dazu ausgebildet ist, selektiv das Vorhandensein eines Virus oder eines Antigen im Speichel eines Nutzers des Zahnbürstenaufsatzes (1) durch Messen zumindest eines virusspezifischen Parameters zu bestimmen.</p></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE315274678">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>一种医用可佩戴式防护口鼻的微型气幕系统</strong> - 本发明公开了一种医用可佩戴式防护口鼻的微型气幕系统，包括框柱，框柱一侧开凿有气幕送风口和呼吸用送风口，气幕送风口和呼吸用送风口内分别连接有软管一和软管二，框柱内开凿有水平条缝和垂直条缝，水平条缝与垂直条缝均与气幕送风口相连通，框柱靠近水平条缝的一侧贯穿开凿有出风口，出风口内设有滤网，出风口贯穿框柱的一端连接有高效过滤器，滤网与高效过滤器之间连接有吸气泵，框柱靠近出风口的一侧连接有电池和开关。本发明通过提出一种在口腔处应用洁净空气幕阻挡气溶胶传播的可佩戴装置，可以在口腔类相关诊疗过程，保护医生和周围人的健康，避免引起可能引发的呼吸道疾病交叉感染。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN316342421">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>COVID-19 CLASSIFICATION RECOGNITION METHOD BASED ON CT IMAGES OF LUNGS</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU314054415">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Vorrichtung umfassend einen Schutzschirm und einen Filter zum Herausfiltern von Viren aus einem Schall erzeugenden Luftstrom</strong> -
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Vorrichtung (10) umfassend einen Schutzschirm (12) und einen Filter (14) zum Herausfiltern von Viren (16) aus einem Schall erzeugenden Luftstrom (18), der von einem Musiker (20) beim Musizieren mit einem Musikinstrument oder beim Singen erzeugt wird, wobei der Schutzschirm (12) zur Verringerung des Risikos einer Infektion mit den Viren (16) dafür vorgesehen ist, wenigstens einen Teil der mit dem Luftstrom transportierten Viren (16) aufzufangen, der Schutzschirm (12) eine erste Seite (22) und eine zweite Seite (24) aufweist, die voneinander abgewandt sind, und der Schutzschirm (12) wenigstens einen sich von der ersten (22) bis zu der zweiten Seite (24) erstreckenden Durchlass (26) aufweist, wobei dieser Durchlass (26) zum Durchströmen mit wenigstens einem Teil des beim Musizieren erzeugten Luftstroms (18) vorgesehen ist und der Filter (14) zum Herausfiltern von Viren (16) aus dem Luftstrom (18) in dem Durchlass (26) des Schutzschirms (12) angeordnet ist.</p></li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE315274597">link</a></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<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>The Three Biggest Lessons of the Coronavirus Economy</strong> - Nearly a year into the pandemic, solving the economic crisis means defeating the virus. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-three-biggest-lessons-of-the-coronavirus-economy">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Biden Administration’s Landmark Day in the Fight for the Climate</strong> - The newly announced actions may well mark the beginning of the end of the fossil-fuel era. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-biden-administrations-landmark-day-in-the-fight-for-the-climate">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Coronavirus Vaccine Presents a Dilemma for Pregnant Women</strong> - Vaccine trials have excluded the pregnant population, even though women of reproductive age make up a majority of frontline workers. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/the-coronavirus-vaccine-presents-a-dilemma-for-pregnant-women">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Pennsylvania Mother’s Path to Insurrection</strong> - How claims from Rudy Giuliani and Alex Jones spurred a parent of eight to become one of the Capitol riot’s biggest mysteries and a fugitive from the F.B.I. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/a-pennsylvania-mothers-path-to-insurrection-capitol-riot">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How Black Lives Matter Came to the Academy</strong> - The #BlackInTheIvory hashtag helped to surface decades of bias at universities. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/how-black-lives-matter-came-to-the-academy">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Biden’s next executive actions address family separations, legal immigration and asylum</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T-e5Oaqajw4uarbmEQEH1HNA1Ew=/627x0:5894x3950/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68755654/1230841226.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
US President Joe Biden speaks before signing executive orders on health care, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 28, 2021 | MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Biden is continuing to prioritize immigration during his first weeks in office.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="h6MrBm">
President Joe Biden will announce three executive orders on Tuesday that are aimed at reuniting families separated by the Trump administration, improving access to the asylum system, and removing barriers to legal immigration.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lHXXw4">
It’s the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/1/20/22240549/biden-executive-actions-immigration">second batch</a> of executive actions on immigration that the president will have issued since taking office, signaling his continued commitment to the issue as a key priority.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="moVRq1">
The first <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/1/20/22240549/biden-executive-actions-immigration">seven executive actions </a>that Biden issued concerned a number of former President Donald Trump’s most controversial immigration policies: the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/1/20/22235986/biden-trump-travel-muslim-ban"><strong>travel ban</strong></a>, construction of the southern border wall, and his attempt to end protections for young undocumented immigrants through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. In some ways, these early actions represented the low-hanging fruit; Biden could walk back Trump’s policies quickly and with immediate, visible effect.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lvdmW3">
According to a <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22274891/Feb.2_Immigration_EOs_Fact_Sheet.pdf">memo</a> shared with reporters, Tuesday’s actions are instead directed at undoing Trump’s complex web of regulations and policy changes and laying out some of Biden’s priorities to reform the immigration system administratively. While immigrant advocates were hoping that he might end pandemic-related restrictions on visas and at the border or a program that has trapped asylum seekers in Mexico, it’s now clear that those policy changes won’t happen immediately.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="l8QbDU">
Here’s what Biden is expected to announce:
</p>
<h3 id="C9opcj">
Biden is creating a task force to reunite families separated under Trump
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3Zm8WY">
Biden will announce the creation of a task force to reunite separated immigrant families — the first step in making amends for one of the Trump administration’s cruelest immigration policies.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GJwiQe">
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop the separations in 2018 after more than 5,000 families were separated. Attorneys still can’t find the parents of more than 600 children who were identified as part of a court settlement; many of the parents were deported back to their home countries, while others are believed to be in the US. But there may be many more affected children who have yet to be identified.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0B25q8">
The task force, which will be chaired by the Secretary of Homeland Security (Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s nominee, is expected to be confirmed on Tuesday) would aim to identify any remaining separated children, reunite them with their parents and make recommendations as to how to ensure that the federal government does not repeat the policies and practices that led to the separations.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5MaRxJ">
A senior administration official said that the task force will examine each case on an individual basis, taking into account the preferences of the parents and the well-being of the children. They might consider offering visas or immigration parole, a kind of temporary permission to enter the US, to affected families, the official said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tKxNAp">
Lee Gelernt, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing separated families, has been <a href="https://www.vox.com/22173396/biden-immigrant-family-separations">calling on the administration</a> to also facilitate congressional hearings investigating the policy, offering the families legal status in the US and setting up a victims fund, among other provisions.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wd8LWb">
“All the families must be immediately reunited in the United States, and then given permanent legal status and restitution for the abuse they suffered under the Trump administration,” he <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/1/27/22252294/biden-zero-tolerance-family-separation-trump">told Vox</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="d0Whl3">
There also remains a question at to what should happen to families that have been <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/family-separations-biden-trump-honduras/2021/01/31/f6b815cc-6198-11eb-9430-e7c77b5b0297_story.html">separated again after being reunited</a>, usually in cases where the parents are deported while the children have pending applications for protection in the US.
</p>
<h3 id="guj2fO">
Biden is laying out a framework to reform asylum policy
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pubxH9">
Biden will issue an executive order implementing a broad, three-part plan to improve access to the asylum system and address the root causes of migration.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zZoMnX">
According to the memo, the administration will address the “instability, violence and economic insecurity” that is driving Central American migrants out of the their home countries. It will work with foreign governments, international organizations and nonprofits to ensure that people can seek asylum and economic opportunities in Central America as an alternative to traveling to the US. And it will develop policies to ensure that migrants arriving on the southern border can seek protections to which they are legally entitled, as well as eliminate or review ones promulgated by the Trump administration that all but shut the door on asylum seekers.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hTf5td">
Among the policies that the Biden administration will be required to review under the executive order is the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, under which Trump sent tens of thousands of migrants back to Mexico to wait for their court hearings in the US.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TJCN64">
More than 67,000 migrants are currently enrolled, or were previously subject to the program, a number of whom continue to wait in encampments along the US-Mexico border to be called in for their court dates in the US. Before the pandemic, asylum seekers would often have to wait months for a hearing. But in March, the Trump administration <a href="https://www.aila.org/advo-media/issues/all/covid-19/eoir-operational-status"><strong>suspended all their hearings</strong></a> indefinitely on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BzRym9">
Biden has started winding down the policy, <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/1/20/22241651/biden-remain-mexico-mpp-migrant-protection-protocols">ceasing to newly enroll migrants</a> in the program as of January 21. But he has so far stopped short of ending it entirely.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SnQWLI">
A senior administration official said that people who are currently enrolled in the program will be offered a new pathway to pursue their petitions for protection once Biden develops broader policies to process asylum seekers. The administration does not have a timeline for implementing those policies yet, but the official said that people subject to MPP will be prioritized, given how long they have been waiting and the conditions in which they have been waiting.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ailUJF">
The administration will have to consider who among the migrants subject to MPP are the most vulnerable and how they can process them while maintaining safeguards for public health amid the pandemic.
</p>
<h3 id="cqs85Z">
Biden is trying to eliminate obstacles to legal immigration
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qmQCO1">
Biden will issue an executive order reviewing Trump-era regulations, policies, and guidance that have made it harder for people to legally immigrate to the US, including the controversial “public charge” rule.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JO3hiB">
The complex, 217-page rule imposes a <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/10/11/20899253/trump-public-charge-rule-immigrants-welfare-benefits"><strong>wealth test </strong></a>on immigrants applying to enter the US, extend their visa, or convert their temporary immigration status into a green card. The rule represents one of Trump’s harshest blows to legal immigration yet and has had the effect of deterring immigrants from seeking out much-needed public services amid the pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2fjnEl">
Though the administration isn’t rescinding that rule just yet, it will, as part of the executive order, rescind a Trump memorandum that required people who were sponsoring their family members for immigration benefits to repay the government if their relatives received public benefits.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tmorq5">
The executive order also establishes a Task Force on New Americans aimed to facilitate immigrant integration and aims to streamline the naturalization process for the more than 9 million people who are eligible to become US citizens. As part of that, the administration will address the substantial backlog of citizenship applications, assist members of the military stationed abroad with applying for citizenship, and coordinate with state and local governments.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ePMQaM">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zNuofS">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JXTDDr">
</p>
<h3 id="yzSgAG">
</h3>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why 10 Republican senators are negotiating with Biden on Covid-19 relief</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TQOWqtYLaGBXkIwJPPH0YmbXOFY=/461x0:4440x2984/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68753947/1193898788.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Sens. Susan Collins, left, and Lisa Murkowski are leading Republican negotiations with Biden on Covid-19 relief. | Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Biden and a group of Senate Republicans want two very different Covid-19 relief bills.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0kpMTR">
On Monday, President Joe Biden is getting his first crack at bipartisan negotiations, and met with a group of 10 Senate Republicans on Monday night to see if there is a compromise to be made on the president’s $1.9 trillion <a href="https://www.vox.com/coronavirus-covid19">Covid-19</a> relief plan.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EekVRy">
Biden’s White House has repeatedly said that getting a bipartisan deal done is a top priority. But prolonged negotiations with Republicans, and trying to get to an acceptable middle ground, could complicate both the speed and the boldness of Biden’s first big legislative proposal.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="l4SWHT">
There’s a lot of <a href="https://www.vox.com/22260255/senate-republicans-stimulus-plan">daylight between Biden’s plan and the $618 billion proposal</a> from the Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). The GOP proposal is less than half of Biden’s proposed price tag, and pares down or doesn’t include many Democratic priorities.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BCDGlp">
“I am hopeful that we can once again pass a sixth bipartisan Covid relief package,” Collins told reporters following a two-hour meeting at the White House on Monday night. Collins added that while “I wouldn’t say that we came together on a package tonight,” Republicans planned to continue talking with Biden’s team going forward in hopes of reaching an agreement.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RaueSL">
The fact that there are 10 Republicans behind the plan is significant; with Democrats controlling a Senate split 50-50, these 10 Republican votes could get the proposal past the 60-vote threshold needed to skirt the Senate filibuster in the unlikely situation that the entire Democratic caucus also gets behind it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KZTy3M">
There are two big questions here. One is whether this group of Republican senators sees their $618 billion figure as the starting point for negotiations with Biden and are willing to go higher, or if it’s where they plan to draw a red line. The other question is whether Biden will bite on what they’re proposing. So far, the White House is indicating the president’s not terribly interested.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IyqJXU">
“There’s obviously a big gap between $600 billion and $1.9 trillion,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday. “Clearly, he thinks the package size needs to be closer to what he proposed than smaller.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RZBSFj">
Biden and Democrats don’t actually need any Republican support to pass his package. They technically can get it through the Senate alone via a process called budget reconciliation. While Biden prepared to meet with the Republicans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Monday they had filed a joint budget resolution — essentially the first step in the reconciliation process.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8HVsMp">
Biden made bipartisanship one of the hallmarks of his campaign and emphasized it again in his inauguration speech. Republicans argue working with them on a stimulus package would be a good way to prove Biden’s focus on bipartisanship was more than rhetoric.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RfmhTU">
“If they want to get it moving fast, work with us on a bipartisan solution,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), one of the 10 Republicans, told Vox in a recent interview. “And then use your political muscle with reconciliation later on, but at least show evidence of the value of working together.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mBIYnr">
The White House, however, had repeatedly emphasized that their proposal has broad public support and argued for fast passage of a bold relief bill — which could be delayed by prolonged negotiations.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fOM1TA">
Congressional Democrats believe Republicans are vastly underestimating the amount of money needed to ensure a strong economic recovery — and they point out the GOP has used the reconciliation process before to quickly advance its priorities, including attempting to unravel the Affordable Care Act.
</p>
<h3 id="Zav18c">
Who are the Republicans negotiating with Biden?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ud6u8h">
The group of 10 Republicans who came up with the $618 billion Covid-19 proposal are led by a few moderates who have seemed eager to negotiate with Biden. But the entire group of senators runs the ideological gamut from moderate to conservative, and includes:
</p>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sXC58b">
Susan Collins (R-ME)
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2Rg2aM">
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8RDQe7">
Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oGvA9W">
Mitt Romney (R-UT)
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gdvkeb">
Rob Portman (R-OH)
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hhIJ3p">
Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bsTREn">
Todd Young (R-IN)
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nqL20P">
Jerry Moran (R-KS)
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KtkGhp">
Mike Rounds (R-SD)
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nDhr7C">
Thom Tillis (R-NC)
</li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OjwoIm">
It’s important to distinguish this group of Republicans from the bipartisan group of Senate Republicans and Democrats who worked together to propose the framework for a $900 billion Covid-19 relief bill passed back in December. There’s even a newer iteration of that bipartisan group, featuring 16 senators, who have been meeting together to talk about more Covid-19 relief. It’s this 16-senator bipartisan group that has had numerous phone calls with top White House officials, but no face-to-face meetings with Biden himself.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qxsRBJ">
Now, some of the Republican members of that group — namely, Collins, Murkowski, Romney, and Cassidy — are forging their own path. And while this new $618 billion Republican counteroffer doesn’t necessarily spell the end of the bipartisan working group in the Senate, it was entirely a GOP-led effort, a Senate Democratic aide told Vox.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GFBKJ0">
Psaki told reporters Biden was pleased that there was a Republican group eager to meet with him, but reiterated Biden wouldn’t be making any final decisions about their proposal on Monday.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lvzUBC">
“It’s an exchange of ideas,” Psaki said. “This group sent a letter with some outlines and toplines with their concerns and priorities. What this meeting is not is a forum for the president to make or accept an offer.”
</p>
<h3 id="T0vcT4">
What type of coronavirus stimulus do the 10 GOP senators want?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vU4bmx">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/ella_nilsen/status/1356244923150970882/photo/1">GOP proposal</a> is focused largely on speeding up vaccine distribution, allocating $160 billion to that effort. This largely mirrors <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22232082/joe-biden-economic-stimulus-plan-covid-19-coronavirus">Biden’s plan</a>, although the president’s overall vaccine plan is closer to $400 billion, including much more money for school reopenings and building up a health care workforce.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IHzHr6">
Things diverge even more from there.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LY0weu">
The Republican plan would fund $300 weekly supplemental unemployment insurance through June (Biden’s plan includes $400 weekly unemployment payments through September). The Republican plan has $1,000 stimulus checks, but only for people making a maximum of $50,000 per year as a single person and $100,000 per year as a couple. (Biden’s plan would send $1,400 stimulus checks to everyone making less than $75,000 at an individual level, and $150,000 as a couple —<strong> </strong>Democrats, who campaigned on this amount, have been adamant it be included in any final bill).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="61I73L">
A lot of Democrats are wondering whether these Republicans see their $618 billion number as the floor or the ceiling for talks with Biden. Vox reached out to five Republican offices asking whether senators viewed the number as a starting point in negotiations, or if they were going to hold firm to the number. As of press time, no office had responded;<strong> </strong>in a Friday interview with Vox, however, Murkowski appeared to suggest an openness to going higher.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="n1KrwE">
“I want to find a way to be helpful there,” Murkowski told Vox on Friday. “You’ve got a lot of folks that say it’s $1.9 trillion or nothing. Can we agree 80 percent is better than 100 percent? For some, it’s not, and I think that’s some of what we’re seeing right now.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eUHl1Y">
It’s not yet clear how willing Democrats are to take 80 percent in the name of bipartisanship when they could have 100 percent if they push forward alone. But Democratic leaders will still have a chance to weigh in on the matter, the White House said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8CtLyG">
Biden is meeting with this group of Republican senators at the White House before he has a face-to-face meeting with senior Democratic members of congressional leadership like Pelosi and Schumer, though Psaki noted Biden is in regular communication with those two.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HK1mm9">
“They have been in very close touch with the president directly and members of the senior team,” Psaki told reporters. “There will definitely be Democrats who will be part of conversations here at the White House.”
</p>
<h3 id="26xCgE">
The GOP is testing whether Biden wants bipartisanship more than a bold bill
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PIx2CC">
President Biden will either be able to have his $1.9 trillion relief bill passed on a party-line vote, or have bipartisanship. He probably can’t have both.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g4xwbP">
Biden’s White House has repeatedly said he’s open to having a “conversation” about his proposal and is willing to hear “tweaks” and recommendations to improve the bill. What’s less clear is whether the president is willing to lower the scope and ambition of his proposal — especially the $1.9 trillion price tag.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KHSoxf">
“I’m sure they’d be very happy to work with us if we agreed with everything they proposed,” Sen. Mitt Romney told Vox last week. “How willing they are to work with us if we have ideas about taking this apart and having perhaps two pieces of legislation, or perhaps adjusting certain elements, that’s something they would have to respond to.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2cbvxF">
Already, Biden’s White House has unequivocally said they’re not splitting Biden’s package into multiple pieces. And while Biden may be open to lowering the overall number of his plan, Psaki poured cold water on the idea that he’d lower it all the way to $600 billion — repeatedly saying the president believes there’s more danger in Congress doing too little than too much.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EKNoBJ">
There may be room for Biden to meet with Republicans in the middle, but it remains to be seen if both sides are digging in their heels or are ready for some give and take. Republicans<strong> </strong>have warned that if there’s no room for compromise on Biden’s very first legislative priority, it could spell trouble for negotiations down the line on the president’s upcoming recovery package — which is likely to contain an infrastructure component.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RSn62E">
“If we move towards reconciliation next week, I wonder what signal that sends to those of us who want to try to advance solutions that might not be 100 percent solutions but are 80 percent solutions,” Murkowski told Vox.
</p>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How to spot the tricks Big Oil uses to subvert action on climate change</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/68Cpd7bGpiScxuM3lvYAJAW39BM=/243x0:4832x3442/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68754505/1225711980.0.jpg"/>
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Exxon-Mobil oil refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on February 28, 2020. | Barry Lewis/InPictures via Getty Images
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</figure></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Three ways fossil fuel companies try to trick the public.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NCNJFu">
In his first week in office, President Joe Biden committed to an all-of-government approach to <a href="https://www.vox.com/22242572/biden-climate-change-plan-explained">tackle climate change</a>, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/">signing executive orders</a> recommitting the US to the Paris climate agreement, pausing new leases for oil and gas companies on federal land, and stating his intention to <a href="https://www.vox.com/22251851/joe-biden-executive-orders-climate-change-conservation-30-by-2030">conserve 30 percent of federal lands by 2030</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="niolPn">
Yet while Biden’s climate actions have been lauded by many, there are some, often with connections to the fossil fuel industry, who strongly oppose taking stronger action on climate.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="t6jmxa">
Many such detractors use common oil-industry talking points in their arguments — talking points that have been developed in collaboration with PR firms and lobbyists to undercut clean energy policies and prolong dependence on fossil fuels.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yLxviT">
A <a href="https://www.climatechangecommunication.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/America_Misled.pdf">2019 report</a> by researchers at George Mason, Harvard University, and the University of Bristol describes how the fossil fuel industry deliberately misled the public by funding climate denial research and campaigns all while knowing for decades that human-induced climate change exists.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XQ7Qpv">
Aware of the science but afraid of the impacts it might have on their returns, oil executives funded opposition research that “attacked consensus and exaggerated the uncertainties” on the science of climate change for many years with the goal of undermining support for climate action.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ujpk8q">
Their messaging has worked for so long because Big Oil has become really good at stretching the truth.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Umoxss">
“What’s really important to keep in mind is that part of the reason that oil and gas propaganda is so effective is that there is always a grain of truth to it,” said Genevieve Guenther, the founder of <a href="https://www.endclimatesilence.org/">End Climate Silence</a>,<strong> </strong>an organization that works to promote accurate media coverage of the climate crisis.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8s0Qpv">
“I call it ‘sort of true,’ where there’s something about the messaging that’s true, but that grain of truth gets developed into a whole tangle of lies that obscure the real story,” Guenther said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9cLg27">
Guenther, originally a professor of Renaissance literature, is also working on a book titled <em>The Language of Climate Change. </em>I spoke with her to get a better understanding of how to recognize — and counter — Big Oil propaganda.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4kPzzm">
As the Biden administration takes important steps to address the climate emergency, the fossil fuel industry and its allies in the media will be ramping up the misinformation campaign to skew public opinion and get in the way of climate policy. <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/cable-news/united-states-rejoins-paris-climate-accord-fox-news-ramps-its-climate-misinformation">Fox News has already started</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Fl5Pn4">
Which is why it’s more important than ever to be aware of the tools oil and gas companies use to cloud the issue.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="92CKnY">
My conversation with Guenther, edited for length and clarity, is below.
</p>
<h4 id="x4jflf">
Jariel Arvin
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Fdq9N4">
I’d like to start with your thoughts on how the Biden administration is handling climate change so far.
</p>
<h4 id="HkdLex">
Genevieve Guenther
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xChs8l">
I think that the Biden administration has come a really long way since the beginning of the [2020] primaries. I think that the Sunrise Movement and Evergreen Action folks, and other activists connected to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jay Inslee, have done an amazing job, basically schooling Biden on climate.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="x84hq2">
So far, Biden’s the best president on climate that we have had. But I’m not quite ready to do a backflip and wave my pom-poms yet, though, because I know that his major plan, which is to<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.vox.com/22242572/biden-climate-change-plan-explained">decarbonize the power grid by 2035</a>, will need to be routed in some way through Congress.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NPnRBq">
I am anticipating that’s not going to be easy and expect a massive PR blitz [from the fossil fuel industry], which is going to be timed for the attempt to pass this plan, whether directly or through <a href="https://www.vox.com/22242476/senate-filibuster-budget-reconciliation-process">budget reconciliation</a>. And I worry that the Biden administration, and the climate movement more broadly, might not be ready,
</p>
<h4 id="1YY61x">
Jariel Arvin
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UEPwQW">
So what are the talking points the oil industry uses to try to convince the public in these PR blitzes?
</p>
<h4 id="mZyNN0">
Genevieve Guenther
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LfGWxd">
People can recognize fossil fuel industry talking points by thinking about what they’re designed to do. In general, fossil fuel talking points are designed to do three things: make people believe that climate action will hurt them, and hurt their pocketbooks in particular; make people think we need fossil fuels; and try to convince us that climate change isn’t such a big deal.
</p>
<h4 id="RJaTbW">
Jariel Arvin
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RW2bAi">
How do they make people believe that taking climate action is going to hurt them financially?
</p>
<h4 id="Ph0pox">
Genevieve Guenther
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Cfnl3z">
Right now, they’re really hammering the point that climate action is going to hurt jobs and the economy. So, for instance, Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz/status/1352040800646029312?s=20">Ted Cruz released a press statement</a> saying that by rejoining the Paris climate accords, Biden is showing that “he’s more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh.”
</p>
<h4 id="mDjaF2">
Jariel Arvin
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="T9q9kH">
Yeah, and we also saw <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/lauren-boebert-echoes-ted-cruz-paris-agreement-comments-1563699">Rep. Lauren Boebert make a similar statement</a> saying she works for “the people of Pueblo, not the people of Paris” and that the Paris agreement would put “blue-collar jobs at risk.”
</p>
<h4 id="owMbyu">
Genevieve Guenther
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UFksTf">
Yeah, exactly. So Cruz is arguing that Democrats plan to destroy the jobs they don’t like, including thousands of manufacturing jobs. This is completely false, because building out clean energy infrastructure is going to <a href="https://www.vox.com/podcasts/2020/8/27/21403184/saul-griffith-ezra-klein-show-solve-climate-change-green-new-deal-rewiring-america">create millions of manufacturing jobs</a> in this country which can’t be outsourced.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OuaQgX">
And whatever fossil fuel jobs have been lost in the past year happened <a href="https://energynews.us/2020/06/25/southeast/thousands-of-coal-workers-lost-jobs-where-will-they-go/">a) on Trump’s watch, and b) due to market forces</a> that have absolutely nothing to do with any explicit climate policy passed by any administration.
</p>
<h4 id="aeZEH1">
Jariel Arvin
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rE8lpO">
So if the claim is untrue, how has the idea that taking action on climate change will cause millions of job losses become so pervasive?
</p>
<h4 id="6570IJ">
Genevieve Guenther
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hnHQME">
There’s a mythology in this country of the coal miner and the oil and gas worker, as the kind of exemplary masculine figure who acts as the <a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/2/21/14671932/donald-trump-coal-mining-jobs">backbone of America</a>.
</p>
<h4 id="anwh12">
Jariel Arvin
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k9T31h">
Do you think there’s any truth to that?
</p>
<h4 id="oCSFQb">
Genevieve Guenther
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3rMX6t">
It is true that if we phase out the fossil fuel industry there are going to be people, and indeed whole communities, <a href="https://prospect.org/environment/just-transition-u.s.-fossil-fuel-industry-workers/">that will need to find their livelihood in different industries</a>. That is absolutely true.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xRhAzP">
But two things about that: Number one, you can <a href="https://www.wri.org/blog/2020/08/covid-19-bailouts-US-oil-and-gas-workers-communities">design policies so that those people don’t suffer</a>, and number two, you can put incentives in place so that the new jobs are created in the geographical regions that are already depopulated and suffering economically, because the fossil fuel industry is not actually prosperous enough anymore to sustain a vibrant economy in those regions to begin with.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QCIXMm">
So, you can set up both: policies to ease the transition and policies to incentivize new investment so that the economy ends up more vibrant in these locations than it was before. Nothing is inevitable. The transition can be managed.
</p>
<h4 id="U8s8Nq">
Jariel Arvin
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bque1q">
Okay, so what’s the second talking point oil and gas uses?
</p>
<h4 id="hSTdPx">
Genevieve Guenther
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VHR25C">
The second thing oil and gas companies will do is try to make people believe that we need fossil fuels, and that oil and gas companies should stay in business.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Lwobxa">
One I’ve seen a lot lately raises people’s national security fears with the message that <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/energy/us-energy-independence-on-way-out">we need to extract oil to maintain our “energy independence,</a>” as if domestically produced fossil energy alone were powering America’s homes and businesses.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="i0Wm2c">
The truth is that, according to the US Energy Information Agency, in 2019 (the latest year for which full data is available) <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&amp;t=6#:~:text=In%202019%2C%20the%20United%20States,(including%20ethanol%20and%20biodiesel)">the US imported 9.14 million barrels of petroleum a day</a> — half a million more than we exported. It’s clean, safe energy sources like wind and solar that are sure to be domestically produced, not oil and methane gas.
</p>
<h4 id="Drj0A0">
Jariel Arvin
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hvyD3A">
So they act as if US independence will be lost without fossil fuels, while in reality America still depends on other countries to get its oil and gas. Got it. What else?
</p>
<h4 id="3pM1oy">
Genevieve Guenther
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9dF7uX">
Another talking point designed to make us believe that we need fossil fuels is the message that <a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/1/4/18166400/republicans-climate-change-innovation-policy">we cannot halt global warming without “innovation.”</a> This is a tricky one, because you’ll often hear energy researchers talk about the innovations we’ll want to develop in order to enable continued aviation and industrial shipping.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mrlYBH">
But saying that new technologies will help us is different from saying that we <em>need</em> them, which implies that the world cannot stop using fossil fuels now. So politicians in the pockets of the oil and gas producers will proclaim that they support “innovation,” and fossil fuel companies will <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/shell-targets-power-trading-hydrogen-103108097.html">place ads touting the money they’re spending on research and development</a>— but <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/08/oil-companies-climate-crisis-pr-spending">the money they actually do spend</a> is orders of magnitude smaller than their PR budgets, not to mention their budgets for exploring and developing new fossil fuel reserves.
</p>
<h4 id="ZpHReE">
Jariel Arvin
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VWDaxw">
What’s the third big talking point?
</p>
<h4 id="fbVC3g">
Genevieve Guenther
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LU58w8">
The third thing Big Oil will try to do is to make people believe that climate change is not such a big deal. Either they call people trying to communicate the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/10/vested-interests-public-against-climate-science-fossil-fuel-lobby">dangers of global warming “alarmists,”</a> or they<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/19/956005206/supreme-court-considers-baltimore-suit-against-oil-companies"> simply don’t talk about the climate crisis at all</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="v23ze2">
In their campaign of silence they’re aided by the vast majority of the <a href="https://www.cjr.org/special_report/climate-change-media.php">broadcast news media</a>, which mostly proceeds as if the crisis didn’t exist and won’t even mention the words “climate change” when they report on floods, fires, and hurricanes in which there are scientifically established links to global warming.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0Wztc1">
It’s weird to think of silence as messaging, but sometimes what you don’t say is as important as what you do.
</p>
<h4 id="o0d1lD">
Jariel Arvin
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Die3TN">
Okay, so we now have the three points the fossil fuel industry often uses: Convince people climate action will hurt their pocketbooks, suggest that we need fossil fuels, and downplay the climate emergency. How do climate scientists, activists, and the media counter that narrative?
</p>
<h4 id="eZFqsk">
Genevieve Guenther
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cdTYtZ">
We’ve got to keep climate change in the foreground of people’s attention. We’ve got to be clear about why we’re making this energy transition — it’s not just because it’s a new way to create jobs, and it’s not just because we like clean air and water.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pmz0Nx">
It’s because if we don’t do it, we might actually destroy civilization.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HEZpMh">
We’re not going to change up everything unless we have to, and guess what? We have to. This is what an existential threat means.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="luqjno">
I worry that the Biden administration isn’t bringing that message to the foreground, because you need that to be part of the understanding of why we’re doing this work.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hNMpRQ">
The motivation here is that we’re trying to save our world. We’re trying to save the lives of our children. I think activists do a pretty good job of keeping that messaging in the foreground, but I really wish that politicians would do it too. I think they’re still running scared, and I don’t think they have to be.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="i9sW46">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3h9Jv6">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QJGsJA">
</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>Australia’s tour of South Africa postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic</strong> - "We look forward to playing the series against CSA at a date to be confirmed in due course," Cricket Australia's interim Chief Executive Nick Hockley said</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>Olympics will go ahead regardless of COVID-19 situation: Tokyo 2020 president</strong> - “We must consider new ways of hosting the Olympics” as a part of that, says Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori</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>Rafael Nadal sidelined, team Novak Djokovic wins to open ATP Cup defence</strong> - Rafael Nadal issued a statement before his scheduled match against Australia’s Alex De Minaur on Feb. 2 saying he had a stiff lower back and “hopefully I’ll be better for Thursday”</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>Power to relax provisions of Sports Code will be with government: Ministry circular</strong> - The Sports Ministry will have the power to relax provisions of the National Sports Development Code while deciding on grant of recognition to federat</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>Liverpool fills injury-hit defense with deadline day deals</strong> - Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak were identified by the English champion as stop-gap measures for the second half of the season.</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>Intach alarm over damage to Odisha heritage amid ‘beautification’ drive</strong> - Act on preservation of ancient monuments violated, structures damaged around Lingaraj temple</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>Conserving a glimpse of State’s political history</strong> - Nearly 3,000 cartographs in the possession of Archives dept. to be digitised by Keralam Museum</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>Directive to private temples</strong> - Chikkamagaluru Assistant Commissioner H.L. Nagaraj has said all temples, other than those under the Muzrai Department, have to register with the admin</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>Tamil Nadu Governor's address hopeful of economic recovery</strong> - Mr. Purohit's announcement was in line with the recommendations made by a high-level expert committee led by former Reserve Bank of India Governor C. Rangarajan</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>Gauhati HC to decide fate of 7 Nagaland MLAs on February 8</strong> - The NPF legislators defied party decision to back Congress candidate in 2019 Lok Sabha elections</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>Navalny: More than 200 held as court considers jailing Putin critic</strong> - A Moscow court is deciding whether Putin critic Alexei Navalny will go to jail for years.</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>Turkey's Erdogan denounces LGBT youth as police arrest students</strong> - President Erdogan denounces the LGBT movement as police arrest students demonstrating in Istanbul.</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>Spain's vaccine delays hamper fight against pandemic</strong> - Officials fear the delays mean the impact of vaccines will not be felt till the end of 2021.</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>Is Russia targeting CIA spies with secret weapons?</strong> - Ex-CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos believes he was targeted while on a visit to Moscow.</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>Brexit: Animal-based food checks at ports suspended</strong> - Arlene Foster denounces "threats" against staff checking on animal and food products at Larne and Belfast.</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>Flash is dead—but South Africa didn’t get the memo</strong> - Adobe: you can't use Flash in 2021. South Africa: watch me! - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1738771">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Hackers are exploiting a critical zero-day in devices from SonicWall</strong> - "Highly sophisticated threat actors" exploit flaws in coordinated attack on SonicWall. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1738904">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Media frenzy, skepticism engulf virus origin probe—and WHO is over it</strong> - It's "time for people who say and think they have information to start providing it.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1738881">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>We’re getting a Wakanda spinoff series from Ryan Coogler on Disney+</strong> - It's part of a 5-year exclusive TV development deal for the <em>Black Panther</em> director. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1738802">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Apple rolls out macOS Big Sur 11.2 with bug fixes and Bluetooth tweaks</strong> - macOS update comes a week after updates to iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1738725">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>A joke from my 8 year old......Did you know that 10+10 and 11+11 are the same?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
10+10=twenty 11+11=twenty too
</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/sweetsformysweets"> /u/sweetsformysweets </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/laofz9/a_joke_from_my_8_year_olddid_you_know_that_1010/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/laofz9/a_joke_from_my_8_year_olddid_you_know_that_1010/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>The school phoned me today and said, "Your son's has been telling lies."</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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I said, "Tell him, he's bloody good. I don't have any kids”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/KeybladeMaster1994"> /u/KeybladeMaster1994 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/lageav/the_school_phoned_me_today_and_said_your_sons_has/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/lageav/the_school_phoned_me_today_and_said_your_sons_has/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A sadist, a masochist, a murderer, a necrophile, a zoophile and a pyromaniac</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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They were all sitting on a bench in a mental institution. "Let's have sex with a cat?" asked the zoophile. "Let's have sex with the cat and then torture it," says the sadist. "Let's have sex with the cat, torture it and then kill it," shouted the murderer. "Let's have sex with the cat, torture it, kill it and then have sex with it again," said the necrophile. "Let's have sex with the cat, torture it, kill it, have sex with it again and then burn it," said the pyromaniac. There was silence, and then the masochist said: "Meow."
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/SoulSp34r"> /u/SoulSp34r </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/laeai2/a_sadist_a_masochist_a_murderer_a_necrophile_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/laeai2/a_sadist_a_masochist_a_murderer_a_necrophile_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Four guys are playing golf together and talking about how successful their sons are.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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The first says, "My son is so successful, he's VP of his company and just gave his best friend a car. "
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The second says, " That's nothing, my son is CEO of his company and just gave his best friend a house."
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The third says, "Well, my son owns 3 highly profitable companies and just gave his best friend a jet."
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They look expectantly at the last guy who says, "My son is a gay escort who gets showered with love and admiration. He just got a car, a house, and a jet from three of his clients."
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/chdfbjffgkk"> /u/chdfbjffgkk </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/la2jqv/four_guys_are_playing_golf_together_and_talking/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/la2jqv/four_guys_are_playing_golf_together_and_talking/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Girls, if a guy remembers your birthday, saves your pictures knows what you enjoy and understands your family and friends,</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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This guy is not your man.<br/> This guy is Mark Zuckerberg.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/aquarianfin"> /u/aquarianfin </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/laszgq/girls_if_a_guy_remembers_your_birthday_saves_your/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/laszgq/girls_if_a_guy_remembers_your_birthday_saves_your/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
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