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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>COVID-19 in patients hospitalized and healthcare workers: what have changed after the first wave in a university hospital</strong> -
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Objective: To assess the COVID-19 frequency rates in hospitalized patients (HP) and healthcare workers (HCW), viral load inference, and the impact of vaccination and variants of concern (VOC) during the first pandemic wave. Methods: We evaluated the COVID-19 diagnostics at Hospital Sao Paulo, Brazil, from March 2020 to April 2021, in 10,202 samples (6,502 HP and 3,700 HCW) tested by RT-qPCR, inferring viral load by cycle threshold (Ct) values, and frequency rates. Results: SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 31.27% of individuals (32.23% HP and 29.80% HCW). The mean age of HP positives was 57.26 +/- 18.29 years (median = 59), with a mean Ct value of 25.55 +/- 6.07. Neither age nor Ct values in both groups have significantly differed during the first and second waves or even since the predominance of VOC P.1 on March 2021. Conclusions: The COVID-19 epidemic curves of HP and HCW accompanied the variations reported in Sao Paulo city, as well as the variation of hospitalization and occupancy of ICU beds. The VOC P.1 has no impact on the viral load, since its predominance in March 2021. The vaccination of HCW may have contributed to a decrease in the positivity rates, although more studies will provide a better understanding of the impact of immunization on the COVID-19 pandemic.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.11.21257011v1" target="_blank">COVID-19 in patients hospitalized and healthcare workers: what have changed after the first wave in a university hospital</a>
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<li><strong>Magnetofluidic platform for rapid multiplexed screening of SARS-CoV-2 variants and respiratory pathogens</strong> -
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The rise of highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants brings new challenges and concerns with vaccine efficacy, diagnostic sensitivity, and public health responses in the fight to end the pandemic. Widespread detection of variant strains will be critical to inform policy decisions to mitigate further spread, and post-pandemic multiplexed screening of respiratory viruses will be necessary to properly manage patients presenting with similar respiratory symptoms. In this work, we have developed a portable, magnetofluidic cartridge platform for automated PCR testing in &lt;30 min. Cartridges were designed for multiplexed detection of SARS-CoV-2 with either distinctive variant mutations or with Influenza A and B. The platform demonstrated a limit of detection down to 2 copies/μL SARS-CoV-2 RNA with successful identification of B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants. The multiplexed SARS-CoV-2/Flu assay was validated using archived clinical nasopharyngeal swab eluates (n = 116) with an overall sensitivity/specificity of 98.1%/95.2%, 85.7%/100%, 100%/98.2%, respectively, for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A, and Influenza B. Further testing with saliva (n = 14) demonstrated successful detection of all SARS-CoV-2 positive samples with no false-positives.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256995v1" target="_blank">Magnetofluidic platform for rapid multiplexed screening of SARS-CoV-2 variants and respiratory pathogens</a>
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<li><strong>The Impact of Control and Mitigation Strategies during the Second Wave of COVID-19 Infections in Spain and Italy</strong> -
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European countries struggled to fight against the second and the third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Test-Trace-Isolate (TTI) strategy widely adopted over the summer and early fall failed to effectively contain the spread of the disease. In this paper, we shed light on the effectiveness of such a strategy in two European countries (Spain and Italy) by analysing data from June to December 2020, collected via a large-scale online citizen survey with 95,251 answers in Spain and 43,393 answers in Italy. Through our analysis, we identify several weaknesses in each of the three pillars of the TTI strategy: testing, tracing and isolating. Moreover, we analyse the respondents9 self-reported behaviour before and after the mitigation strategies were deployed during the second wave of infections. We find that the changes in the participants9 behaviour were more pronounced in Italy than in Spain, whereas in both countries, respondents reported being very compliant with individual protection measures, such as wearing facial masks or frequently disinfecting their hands. Finally, we analyse the participants9 perceptions about their government9s measures and the safety of everyday activities and places regarding the risk of getting an infection. We find that the perceived risk is often gender- and age-dependent and not aligned with the risk level identified by the literature. This finding emphasises the importance of deploying public-health communication campaigns to debunk misconceptions about SARS-CoV-2. Overall, our work shows the value of online citizen surveys to quickly and cheaply collect large-scale data to support and evaluate policy decisions to contrast the spread of the disease.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.11.21256876v1" target="_blank">The Impact of Control and Mitigation Strategies during the Second Wave of COVID-19 Infections in Spain and Italy</a>
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<li><strong>Incidence and Epidemiological study of COVID-19 in Nagpur urban region (India) using Molecular testing</strong> -
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The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) virus has emerged as public health emergency affecting 206 countries worldwide. India is second highest currently worst effected by Covid 19 pandemic with close to 12.6 million cases and 1.6K deaths reported till date. Maharahstra is the highest Covid-19 burden state in India reporting quarter of overall cases. The city of Nagpur, in Maharashtra state, ranks 4th in terms of reported COVID-19 cases, with 2.5 lakh incidences and more than 4,000 deaths As the transmission rate of COVID-19 is high, it is imperative to study its disease epidemiology in regions of high endemicity to bolster our understanding of its spread, transmission dynamics and contact tracing to undertake appropriate public health control measures.. The present study was undertaken to study the incidence and trend of COVID-19 infection from various zonal regions of Nagpur city, using real time PCR (RT PCR). A retrospective study was carried out at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved private molecular diagnostic laboratory in Nagpur from period of 4th May 2020 to 14th November 2020. A total of 51,532 samples collected from various zonal regions of the city during the study period were processed for SARS CoV-2 RT-PCR. Patient information was collected using a pre-defined study proforma which included demographic details such as name, age, gender, address, along with other information, like details of sample collected, kits used and date of sample collected and processed. The study reports an overall Covid-19 positivity of 34% in Nagpur region. The zone wise distribution of positive cases indicated high rate of COVID-19 in endemic regions of Nagpur such as Satranjipura (49%), Ashi nagar (44%), Gandhibagh (43%) &amp; Lakadganj (43%). Rates of infection were high in economically productive age group (21-40) with males being more vulnerable than females. The result of present epidemiology study highlights important data with respect to regions of endemicity within Nagpur city zones. The present data has high public health importance and will be useful for local civic bodies and other community stake holders to undertake appropriate control measures in future epidemic waves of Covid 19. Interestingly, the Government9s reduction in testing rates has been helpful in increasing testing per day. The authorization of private laboratories has also increased testing.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.11.21256719v1" target="_blank">Incidence and Epidemiological study of COVID-19 in Nagpur urban region (India) using Molecular testing</a>
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<li><strong>COVID-19: A comparative study of severity of patients hospitalized during the first and the second wave in South Africa.</strong> -
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Abstract Background South Africa has experienced two waves of COVID-19 infections, the second of which was inter alia attributed to the emergence of a novel SARS-CoV2 variant, 501Y.V2. This variant possibly has increased virulence and may be associated with increased mortality. The objective of this study was to determine if patients admitted in the second wave had more severe illness and higher mortality than those admitted in the first. Methods We analysed and compared the characteristics, biological severity markers, treatments, level of care and outcomes of patients hospitalised in a private hospital in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Results Compared to the first wave, patients admitted in the second were older and less likely to have co-morbidities. In contrast, the D-dimer and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were significantly higher. Despite this, significantly less patients were admitted to ICU and/or were mechanically ventilated. The total length of hospital stay was identical in both groups. Whereas the overall mortality was not significantly higher during the second wave, the ICU mortality was. Those that died in the second wave were older than those in the first wave. Multivariable logistic regression showed that being admitted during the second wave was an independent risk factor for mortality. Conclusion This study appears to confirm previous reports that the 501Y.V2 variant is possibly more virulent as indicated by the higher levels of D-dimer and IL-6, the slight increase in mortality of hospitalised patients and the higher ICU mortality in the second wave.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.11.21257033v1" target="_blank">COVID-19: A comparative study of severity of patients hospitalized during the first and the second wave in South Africa.</a>
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<li><strong>Evolution of COVID-19 symptoms during the first 9 months after illness onset</strong> -
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Background: Few longitudinal data on COVID-19 symptoms across the full spectrum of disease severity are available. We evaluated symptom onset, severity and recovery up to nine months after illness onset. Methods: The RECoVERED Study is a prospective cohort study based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Participants aged&gt;18 years were recruited following SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis via the local Public Health Service and from hospitals. Standardised symptom questionnaires were completed at recruitment, at one week and month after recruitment, and monthly thereafter. Clinical severity was defined according to WHO criteria. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to compare time from illness onset to symptom recovery, by clinical severity. We examined determinants of time to recovery using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Between 11 May 2020 and 31 January 2021, 301 COVID-19 patients (167[55%] male) were recruited, of whom 99/301(32.9%) had mild, 140/301(46.5%) moderate, 30/301(10.0%) severe and 32/301(10.6%) critical disease. The proportion of participants reporting at least one persistent symptom at 12 weeks after illness onset was greater in those with severe/critical disease (81.7%[95%CI=68.7-89.7%]) compared to those with mild or moderate disease (33.0%[95%CI=23.0-43.3%] and 63.8%[95%CI=54.8-71.5%]). At nine months after illness onset, almost half of all participants (42.1%[95%CI=35.6-48.5]) continued to report ≥1 symptom. Recovery was slower in participants with BMI≥30kg/m2 (HR 0.51[95%CI=0.30-0.87]) compared to those with BMI&lt;25kg/m2, after adjusting for age, sex and number of comorbidities. Conclusions: COVID-19 symptoms persisted for nine months after illness onset, even in those with mild disease. Obesity was the most important determinant of time to recovery from symptoms.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.05.21256710v1" target="_blank">Evolution of COVID-19 symptoms during the first 9 months after illness onset</a>
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<li><strong>Antibody Responses After a Single Dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccine in Healthcare Workers Previously Infected with SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
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Background Recent reports demonstrate robust serological responses to a single dose of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. Data on immune responses following a single-dose adenovirus-vectored vaccine expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) in individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection are however limited, and current guidelines recommend a two-dose regime regardless of preexisting immunity. Methods We compared spike-specific IgG and pseudo-neutralizing spike-ACE2 blocking antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 wild type and variants B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P1 following two doses of the mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 and a single dose of the adenovector vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 in 232 healthcare workers with and without previous COVID-19. Findings The post-vaccine levels of spike-specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 wild type and all three variants of concern were similar or higher in participants receiving a single dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine post SARS-CoV-2 infection (both &lt; 11 months post infection (n=37) and ≥ 11 months infection (n=46)) compared to participants who received two doses of BNT162b2 vaccine (n=149). Interpretation Our data support that a single dose ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine serves as an effective immune booster after priming with natural SARS-CoV-2 infection up to at least 11 months post infection.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.08.21256866v1" target="_blank">Antibody Responses After a Single Dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccine in Healthcare Workers Previously Infected with SARS-CoV-2</a>
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<li><strong>A blood atlas of COVID-19 defines hallmarks of disease severity and specificity</strong> -
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Treatment of severe COVID-19 is currently limited by clinical heterogeneity and incomplete understanding of potentially druggable immune mediators of disease. To advance this, we present a comprehensive multi-omic blood atlas in patients with varying COVID-19 severity and compare with influenza, sepsis and healthy volunteers. We identify immune signatures and correlates of host response. Hallmarks of disease severity revealed cells, their inflammatory mediators and networks as potential therapeutic targets, including progenitor cells and specific myeloid and lymphocyte subsets, features of the immune repertoire, acute phase response, metabolism and coagulation. Persisting immune activation involving AP-1/p38MAPK was a specific feature of COVID-19. The plasma proteome enabled sub-phenotyping into patient clusters, predictive of severity and outcome. Tensor and matrix decomposition of the overall dataset revealed feature groupings linked with disease severity and specificity. Our systems-based integrative approach and blood atlas will inform future drug development, clinical trial design and personalised medicine approaches for COVID-19.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.11.21256877v1" target="_blank">A blood atlas of COVID-19 defines hallmarks of disease severity and specificity</a>
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<li><strong>Household overcrowding and risk of SARS-CoV-2: analysis of the Virus Watch prospective community cohort study in England and Wales</strong> -
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Background: Household overcrowding is associated with increased risk of infectious diseases across cultures and countries. Limited data exist in England and Wales linking household overcrowding and risk of COVID-19. We used data collected from the Virus Watch cohort to examine the association between overcrowded households and infection to pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Methods: The Virus Watch study is a household community cohort of acute respiratory infections in England &amp; Wales that began recruitment in June 2020. We calculated the persons per room for each household and classified accommodation as overcrowded when the number of rooms was fewer than the number of people. We considered two primary outcomes - PCR-confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests and laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (Roche Elecsys anti-N total immunoglobulin assay). We used mixed effects logistic regression models that accounted for household structure to estimate the association between household overcrowding and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: The proportion of participants with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result was highest in the overcrowded group (6.6%; 73/1,102) and lowest in the under-occupied group (2.9%; 682/23,219). In a mixed effects logistic regression model that included age, sex, ethnicity, household income and geographical region as fixed effects, and a household-level random effect, we found strong evidence of an increased odds of having a positive PCR SARS-CoV-2 antigen result (Odds Ratio 3.67; 95% CI: 1.91, 7.06; p-value &lt; 0.001) and increased odds of having a positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen result in individuals living in overcrowded houses (2.99; 95% CI: 1.14, 7.81; p-value =0.03) compared to people living in under-occupied houses. Discussion: Public health interventions to prevent and stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 should consider the much greater risk of infection for people living in overcrowded households and pay greater attention to reducing household transmission. There is an urgent need to better recognise housing as a leading determinant of health in the context of a pandemic and beyond.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256912v1" target="_blank">Household overcrowding and risk of SARS-CoV-2: analysis of the Virus Watch prospective community cohort study in England and Wales</a>
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<li><strong>Clinicopathological features and outcome of COVID-19- early experiences from three covid hospitals, Chittagong, Bangladesh</strong> -
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Introduction: COVID 19 is an unknown virus affecting mankind creating a deadly experience to all. It is true for Bangladesh also. So the objectives of the present study is to find the clinicopathological features and outcome of COVID patients admitted in three COVID dedicated hospitals of Chittagong, Bnagladesh. Methods: This was an observational study where a total of 209 patients admitted in three COVID dedicated hospital were recruited. Clinicopathological data were recorded and patients were under observation till discharge and thus outcome were recorded. Prior consent was taken from the patients and ethical clearance was also taken. Data was compiled and analyzed by SPSS-20. Results: Among 209 patients most of them were male 139(66.5%) and male to female ratio was 1.98:1. Age group distribution revealed more were aggregated in age group 41-50 years 36(17.2%), 51-60 years 54(25.8%) and 61-70 years 57(27.3%). Among all 92(44%) patients were RT-PCR positive and 117(56%) were probable cases. Fever was present in 195(93.3%) cases, cough in 180(86.1%), respiratory distress in 105(50.2%) anosmia in 123(58.8% ), aguesea in 112 (53.58%) and lethargy was present in 143( 68.42%). Chest X-ray findings revealed 73(34.9%) had bilateral patchy opacities, 20(9.6%) had unilateral opacities 65(31.1%) had consolidations, 6(2.9%) had ground glass opacities and 2(1.0%) had pleural effusion. Supplemental O2 was given in 173(82.8%) patients, Favipiravir in 59(28.2%), Remdisivir in 111(53.1%), Methylprednisolone in 87(41.6%), Dexamethasone in 93(44.5%), Antibiotics in 204(97.60%), Toccilizumab in 34(16.3%), plasma in 18(8.6%) and LMWH in 200(95.7%) patients. Regarding outcome of the COVID patients admitted, 85(92.4%) patients improved, 6(6.5%) died who were RT-PCR positive and 107(91.15%) improved, 9(7.7%) died who were probable cases. Total death rate was 7.1%. Conclusion: Present study findings were some early activities among COVID patients in the years 2020. Male were more affected and middle age group people were the most victims.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.11.21256930v1" target="_blank">Clinicopathological features and outcome of COVID-19- early experiences from three covid hospitals, Chittagong, Bangladesh</a>
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<li><strong>Occupational challenges of health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative study</strong> -
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Background The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on health care systems worldwide with health care workers (HCWs) delivering care under unprecedented conditions. This study deals with HCWs9 physical, mental, emotional and professional challenges of working during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to understand structural determinants of those challenges. Methods We carried out an exploratory qualitative study in public and private hospitals in Vienna, Austria. HCWs such as medical doctors, qualified nursing staff, nurse assistants, technical and cleaning staff in direct and indirect contact with COVID-19 patients were included. Collected data was analyzed using content analysis. Findings We conducted 30 semi-structured interviews in person and per phone from June 2020 to January 2021. Three overall themes resulted as relevant: challenges due to lack of preparedness, structural conditions, and physical and mental health of HCWs. Lack of preparedness included missing or delayed infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) combined with structural conditions such as staff shortages and overworked personnel. Physical and mental strains resulted from being overworked and working permanently on alert. Further, working in PPE, facing medical uncertainties and the critical conditions of patients were challenging factors. HCWs lacked recognition on multiple levels and dealt with social stigma and avoidance behavior of colleagues, especially in the beginning of the pandemic. Interpretation To mitigate HCWs9 occupational health risks and staff turnover, we propose the following context-specific recommendations: Required medical personnel in care of COVID-19 patients, especially nursing staff, should be carefully planned and increased to avert chronic work overload. Intensive training and education in palliative care, as well as in IPC for all HCWs is important. Providing supportive supervision is as essential as appropriate recognition by higher level management and the public. Funding This article has received funding from The Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF) COVID-19 Rapid Response Funding 2020. The funders did not play a role in the decision to publish the article.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.11.21257030v1" target="_blank">Occupational challenges of health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative study</a>
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<li><strong>Lack of evidence for infectious SARS-CoV-2 in feces and sewage</strong> -
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The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is a respiratory virus whose primary route of transmission is airborne. However, it has been shown that the virus can replicate in gastrointestinal cells, can be excreted in feces, and can reach sewage systems. Although viral RNA is known to be found in patient feces and sewage, little is known about the possible fecal-oral transmission of the coronavirus. Determining the presence of infective viral particles in feces and sewage is necessary to take adequate control measures and to discover new routes of coronavirus transmission. Here, we analyzed feces and urine of COVID-19 patients and wastewater samples at the time of high prevalence in the region under study, both by molecular methods and cell culture. The results obtained do not evidence the presence of infective viral particles, although larger-scale efforts are needed to elucidate whether the fecal-oral transmission should be considered as a route of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.11.21256886v1" target="_blank">Lack of evidence for infectious SARS-CoV-2 in feces and sewage</a>
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<li><strong>Temporal changes in the risk of superspreading events of coronavirus disease 2019</strong> -
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In order to identify the temporal change in the possible risk of superspreading events (SSE), we estimated the overdispersion parameter in two different periods of COVID-19 pandemic. We identified the possible risk of SSE was reduced 34% during the second epidemic period in South Korea.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256927v1" target="_blank">Temporal changes in the risk of superspreading events of coronavirus disease 2019</a>
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<li><strong>Identifying risk factors for COVID-19 severity and mortality in the UK Biobank</strong> -
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus has infected over 114 million people worldwide as of March 2021, with worldwide mortality rates ranging between 1-10%. We use information on up to 421,111 UK Biobank participants to identify possible predictors for long-term susceptibility to severe COVID-19 infection (N =1,088) and mortality (N =376). We include 36,168 predictors in our analyses and use a gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) algorithm and feature attribution based on Shapley values, together with traditional epidemiological approaches to identify possible risk factors. Our analyses show associations between socio-demographic factors (e.g. age, sex, ethnicity, education, material deprivation, accommodation type) and lifestyle indicators (e.g. smoking, physical activity, walking pace, tea intake, and dietary changes) with risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms. Blood (cystatin C, C-reactive protein, gamma glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase) and urine (microalbuminuria) biomarkers measured more than 10 years earlier predicted severe COVID-19. We also confirm increased risks for several pre-existing disease outcomes (e.g. lung diseases, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, circulatory diseases, anemia, and mental disorders). Analyses on mortality were possible within a sub-group testing positive for COVID-19 infection (N =1,953) with our analyses confirming association between age, smoking status, and prior primary diagnosis of urinary tract infection.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256935v1" target="_blank">Identifying risk factors for COVID-19 severity and mortality in the UK Biobank</a>
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<li><strong>Comparison of Mental Health Symptoms prior to and during COVID-19: Evidence from a Living Systematic Review and Meta-analysis</strong> -
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Objectives: The rapid pace, high volume, and limited quality of mental health evidence being generated during COVID-19 poses a barrier to effective decision-making. The objective of the present report is to compare mental health outcomes assessed during COVID-19 to outcomes prior to COVID-19 in the general population and other population groups. Design: Living systematic review. Data Sources: MEDLINE (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), EMBASE (Ovid), Web of Science Core Collection: Citation Indexes, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, medRxiv (preprints), and Open Science Framework Preprints (preprint server aggregator). The initial search was conducted on April 13, 2020 with ongoing weekly updates. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: For this report, we included studies that compared general mental health, anxiety symptoms, or depression symptoms, assessed January 1, 2020 or later, to the same outcomes collected between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019. We required ≥ 90% of participants pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 to be the same or the use of statistical methods to address missing data. For population groups with continuous outcomes for at least three studies in an outcome domain, we conducted restricted maximum-likelihood random-effects meta-analyses. Results: As of March 22, 2021, we had identified 36 unique eligible studies with data from 33 cohorts. All reported COVID-19 outcomes between March and June 2020, and 3 studies also reported outcomes between September and November 2020. Estimates of changes in general mental health were close to zero in the general population (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.02, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.16, I2 = 94.6%; 4 studies, N = 19,707) and among older adults (SMD = 0.02, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.16, I2 = 90.4%; 4 studies, N = 5,520) and university students (SMD = -0.01, 95% CI -0.33 to 0.30, I2 = 92.0%; 3 studies, N = 3,372). Changes in anxiety symptoms were close to zero and not statistically significant in university students (SMD = 0.00, 95% CI -0.35 to 0.36, I2 = 95.4%; 5 studies, N = 1,537); women or females (SMD = 0.02, 95% CI -0.35 to 0.39, I2 = 92.3%; 3 studies, N = 2,778); and men or males (SMD = 0.07, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.15; I2 = 0.01%; 3 studies, N = 1,250); anxiety symptoms increased, however, among people with pre-existing medical conditions (SMD = 0.27, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.54, I2 = 91.0%; 3 studies, N = 2,053). Changes in depression symptoms were close to zero or small and not statistically significant among university students (SMD = 0.19, 95% CI -0.08 to 0.45, I2 = 91.8%; 5 studies, N = 1,537); people with pre-existing medical conditions (SMD = 0.01, 95% CI -0.15 to 0.17, I2 = 14.9%; 3 studies, N = 2,006); women or females (SMD = 0.21, 95% CI -0.14 to 0.55, I2 = 91.2%; 3 studies, N = 2,843); and men or males (SMD = 0.00, 95% CI -0.21 to 0.22; I2 = 92.3%; 4 studies, N = 3,661). In 3 studies with data from both March to June 2020 and September to November 2020, symptoms were unchanged from pre-COVID-19 at both time points or there were increases at the first assessment that had largely dissipated by the second assessment. Conclusions: Evidence does not suggest a widespread negative effect on mental health symptoms in COVID-19, although it is possible that gaps in data have not allowed identification of changes in some vulnerable groups. Continued updating is needed as evidence accrues.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256920v1" target="_blank">Comparison of Mental Health Symptoms prior to and during COVID-19: Evidence from a Living Systematic Review and Meta-analysis</a>
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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>A Phase 3 Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo Controlled, Multi-regional Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of GT0918 for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate COVID-19 Male Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: GT0918 tablets or placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceutical Inc,<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Recombinant Hyperimmune Polyclonal Antibody (GIGA-2050) in COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: GIGA-2050<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   GigaGen, Inc.<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>The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on COVID-19 Recovery</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Vit-D 0.2 MG/ML Oral Solution [Calcidol];   Drug: Physiological Irrigating Solution<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of Monastir;   Loussaief Chawki;   Nissaf Ben Alaya;   Cyrine Ben Nasrallah;   Manel Ben Belgacem;   Hela Abroug;   Imen Zemni;   Manel Ben fredj;   Wafa Dhouib<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>A Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO Cell) for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: low-dose Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO cell);   Biological: high-dose Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO cell);   Biological: placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   National Vaccine and Serum Institute, China;   Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd;   Beijing Zhong Sheng Heng Yi Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd.;   Zhengzhou University<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effect of STC3141 Continuous Infusion in Subjects With Severe Corona Virus Disease 2019（COVID-19）Pneumonia</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: STC3141<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Grand Medical Pty Ltd.;   Trium Clinical Consulting<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>tDCS for Post COVID-19 Fatigue</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post Covid-19 Patients<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Thorsten Rudroff<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Immunobridging and Immunization Schedules Study of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: 3-doses schedule 1 of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated;   Biological: 3-doses schedule 2 of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated;   Biological: 3-doses schedule 3 of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated;   Biological: 2 doses of vaccine<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   China National Biotec Group Company Limited;   Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase 2 Study of APX-115 in Hospitalized Patients With Confirmed Mild to Moderate COVID-19.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: APX-115;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Aptabio Therapeutics, Inc.;   Covance<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Leveraging CHWs to Improve COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Among CJIs Accessing a Corrections-focused CBO</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: Onsite Point-of-care<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Montefiore Medical Center;   The Fortune Society;   University of Bristol<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Convalescent Plasma as Adjunct Therapy for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: Convalescent plasma treatment<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia;   Indonesian Red Cross;   Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Selenium as a Potential Treatment for Moderately-ill, Severely-ill, and Critically-ill COVID-19 Patients.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Selenium (as Selenious Acid);   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   CHRISTUS Health;   Pharco Pharmaceuticals<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Protecting Our Community: COVID-19 Testing</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   SARS-CoV-2;   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Diagnostic Test: Home-based SARS-CoV-2 test kit<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Montana State University;   National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS);   University of Washington;   Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center;   Salish Kootenai College<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Estradiol and Progesterone in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: Placebo injection and placebo pill;   Drug: Estradiol Cypionate 5 MG/ML;   Drug: Progesterone 200 MG Oral Capsule<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Tulane University<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety, Tolerability and PK of Ensovibep (MP0420 - a New Candidate With Potential for Treatment of COVID-19)</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Ensovibep;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Molecular Partners AG<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>#SafeHandsSafeHearts: An eHealth Intervention for COVID-19 Prevention and Support</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: eHealth for Covid-19 prevention and support<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of Toronto<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Structural insight into SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and modulation of syncytia</strong> - Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is initiated by binding of the viral Spike protein to host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), followed by fusion of viral and host membranes. Although antibodies that block this interaction are in emergency use as early coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) therapies, the precise determinants of neutralization potency remain unknown. We discovered a series of antibodies that potently block ACE2 binding but…</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>Systematic functional analysis of SARS-CoV-2 proteins uncovers viral innate immune antagonists and remaining vulnerabilities</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) evades most innate immune responses but may still be vulnerable to some. Here, we systematically analyze the impact of SARS-CoV-2 proteins on interferon (IFN) responses and autophagy. We show that SARS-CoV-2 proteins synergize to counteract anti-viral immune responses. For example, Nsp14 targets the type I IFN receptor for lysosomal degradation, ORF3a prevents fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes, and ORF7a interferes with…</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>Complement levels at admission as a reflection of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) severity state</strong> - CONCLUSION: We found evidence of complement hyperactivation in COVID-19, associated with hyperinflammation and thrombotic microangiopathy. Complement inhibition should be further investigated for potential benefit in patients displaying a hyperinflammatory and microangiopathic phenotype. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.</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>Activation of Interleukin-1<em>β</em> Release and Pyroptosis by Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus Is Dependent on the NOD-Like Receptor Protein 3 Inflammasome in Porcine Intestinal Epithelial Cell Line</strong> - Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) is a coronavirus, which causes fatal severe diarrhea and leads to high mortality in newborn piglets. Inflammasomes are hub molecules that induce proinflammatory cytokine production and maturation to initiate innate immune defenses upon cellular infection. To date, the potential role of inflammasome in TGEV infection in porcine intestinal epithelial cells has not been elucidated. The present study aims to investigate the function of the inflammasome in…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Immune-Based Therapy for COVID-19</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel zoonotic virus identified as the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has crossed species and infected humans. In order to develop new insights on the immune-based treatments against this disease, it is vital to understand the immunopathology of the COVID-19, implications of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, and immune dysfunction in response to SARS-CoV-2. There is no approved drug for the treatment of…</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>Lipid-Modulating Agents for Prevention or Treatment of COVID-19 in Randomized Trials</strong> - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with systemic inflammation, endothelial activation, and multi-organ manifestations. Lipid modulating agents may be useful in treating patients with COVID-19. They may inhibit viral entry by lipid raft disruption or ameliorate the inflammatory response and endothelial activation. In addition, dyslipidemia with lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher triglycerides portends worse outcome in patients with COVID-19. Upon a systematic…</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 novel highly potent inhibitor of TMPRSS2-like proteases blocks SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and is broadly protective against infection and mortality in mice</strong> - The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains a global public health crisis. Although widespread vaccination campaigns are underway, their efficacy is reduced against emerging variants of concern (VOCs) ^(1,2) . Development of host-directed therapeutics and prophylactics could limit such resistance and offer urgently needed protection against VOCs ^(3,4) . Attractive pharmacological targets to impede viral entry include type-II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs), such as…</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>Single-cell RNA sequencing of blood antigen-presenting cells in severe COVID-19 reveals multi-process defects in antiviral immunity</strong> - COVID-19 can lead to life-threatening respiratory failure, with increased inflammatory mediators and viral load. Here, we perform single-cell RNA-sequencing to establish a high-resolution map of blood antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in 15 patients with moderate or severe COVID-19 pneumonia, at day 1 and day 4 post admission to intensive care unit or pulmonology department, as well as in 4 healthy donors. We generated a unique dataset of 81,643 APCs, including monocytes and rare dendritic cell…</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>Identification and characterization of a SARS-CoV-2 specific CD8(+) T cell response with immunodominant features</strong> - The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is a continuous challenge worldwide, and there is an urgent need to map the landscape of immunogenic and immunodominant epitopes recognized by CD8^(+) T cells. Here, we analyze samples from 31 patients with COVID-19 for CD8^(+) T cell recognition of 500 peptide-HLA class I complexes, restricted by 10 common HLA alleles. We identify 18 CD8^(+) T cell recognized SARS-CoV-2 epitopes, including an epitope with immunodominant features derived from ORF1ab and…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>2’-O methylation of RNA cap in SARS-CoV-2 captured by serial crystallography</strong> - The genome of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) coronavirus has a capping modification at the 5’-untranslated region (UTR) to prevent its degradation by host nucleases. These modifications are performed by the Nsp10/14 and Nsp10/16 heterodimers using S-adenosylmethionine as the methyl donor. Nsp10/16 heterodimer is responsible for the methylation at the ribose 2’-O position of the first nucleotide. To investigate the conformational changes of the complex during…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Therapeutic mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cells in acute respiratory distress syndrome reveal potentials for Covid-19 treatment</strong> - The mortality rate of critically ill patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is 30.9% to 46.1%. The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has become a global issue with raising dire concerns. Patients with severe Covid-19 may progress toward ARDS. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be derived from bone marrow, umbilical cord, adipose tissue and so on. The easy accessibility and low immunogenicity enable MSCs for allogeneic administration, and thus they were widely…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Medicinal plant compounds as promising inhibitors of coronavirus (COVID-19) main protease: an in silico study</strong> - The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread rapidly across the globe and has involved more than 215 countries and territories. Due to a lack of effective therapy or vaccine, urgent and concerted efforts are needed to identify therapeutic targets and medications. COVID-19 main protease represents a major target for drug treatment to inhibit viral function. The present study sought to evaluate medicinal plant compounds as potential inhibitors of the COVID-19 main protease using molecular docking…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Rifampicin and Letermovir as potential repurposed drug candidate for COVID-19 treatment: insights from an in-silico study</strong> - CONCLUSION: This study provides an insight into the drug repurposing approach in which several FDA approved drugs were examined to inhibit COVID-19 infection by targeting the main protease of SARS-COV-2 and the cytokine storm.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Interferon antagonism by SARS-CoV-2: a functional study using reverse genetics</strong> - BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 agent, SARS-CoV-2, is conspecific with SARS-CoV, the causal agent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in 2002-03. Although the viruses share a completely homologous repertoire of proteins and use the same cellular entry receptor, their transmission efficiencies and pathogenetic traits differ. We aimed to compare interferon antagonism by SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Comparative Analysis of Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 between Asymptomatic and Convalescent Patients</strong> - The SARS-CoV-2 viral pandemic has induced a global health crisis, which requires more in-depth investigation into immunological responses to develop effective treatments and vaccines. To understand protective immunity against COVID-19, we screened over 60,000 asymptomatic individuals in the Southeastern United States for IgG antibody positivity against the viral spike protein, and approximately three percent were positive. Of these three percent, individuals with the highest anti-S or anti-RBD…</p></li>
</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>IMPROVEMENTS RELATED TO PARTICLE, INCLUDING SARS-CoV-2, DETECTION AND METHODS THEREFOR</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU323295937">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A COMPREHENSIVE DISINFECTION SYSTEM DURING PANDEMIC FOR PERSONAL ITEMS AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) TO SAFEGUARD PEOPLE</strong> - The current Covid-19 pandemic has led to an enormous demand for gadgets / objects for personal protection. To prevent the spread of virus, it is important to disinfect commonly touched objects. One of the ways suggested is to use a personal UV-C disinfecting box that is “efficient and effective in deactivating the COVID-19 virus. The present model has implemented the use of a UV transparent material (fused silica quartz glass tubes) as the medium of support for the objects to be disinfected to increase the effectiveness of disinfection without compromising the load bearing capacity. Aluminum foil, a UV reflecting material, was used as the inner lining of the box for effective utilization of the UVC light emitted by the UVC lamps. Care has been taken to prevent leakage of UVC radiation out of the system. COVID-19 virus can be inactivated in 5 minutes by UVC irradiation in this disinfection box - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN322882412">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING SYSTEM FOR MENTAL HEALTH MONITORING OF PERSON DURING THE PANDEMIC OF COVID-19</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU323295498">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>USE OF IMINOSUGAR COMPOUND IN PREPARATION OF ANTI-SARS-COV-2 VIRUS DRUG</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU322897928">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>逆转录酶突变体及其应用</strong> - 本发明提供一种MMLV逆转录酶突变体，在野生型MMLV逆转录酶氨基酸序列（如SEQ ID No.1序列所示）中进行七个氨基酸位点的突变，氨基酸突变位点为：R205H；V288T；L304K；G525D；S526D；E531G；E574G。该突变体可以降低MMLV逆转录酶对Taq DNA聚合酶的抑制作用，大大提高了一步法RT‑qPCR的灵敏度。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN323494119">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Compositions and methods for the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU321590214">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>用于检测新型冠状病毒的试纸和试剂盒</strong> - 本发明涉及生物技术和免疫检测技术领域，具体涉及一种用于检测新型冠状病毒的试纸和试剂盒。所述试纸或试剂盒含有抗体1和/或抗体2，所述抗体1的重、轻链可变区的氨基酸序列分别如SEQ ID NO:1‑2所示，所述抗体2的重、轻链可变区的氨基酸序列分别如SEQ ID NO:3‑4所示。本发明对于大批量的新型冠状病毒样本，包括新型冠状病毒突变（英国、南非）与非突变株的人血清、鼻咽拭子等样本的检测有普遍检测意义，避免突变株的漏检。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN322953478">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Fahrgastleitsystem und Verfahren zum Leiten von Fahrgästen</strong> -
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Die Erfindung betrifft ein Fahrgastleitsystem zum Leiten von mit einem Fahrzeug (1) mit wenigstens zwei Türen (2.L, 2.R) transportieren Fahrgästen (3), mit wenigstens einem Sensor (4) zur Überwachung der Fahrgäste (3), wenigstens einem Anzeigemittel (5) zur Ausgabe von Leitinformationen, wenigstens einem Aktor zum Öffnen oder Verriegeln einer Tür (2.L, 2.R) und wenigstens einer Recheneinheit (7). Das erfindungsgemäße Fahrgastleitsystem ist dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Recheneinheit (7) dazu eingerichtet ist durch Auswertung vom wenigstens einen Sensor (4) erzeugter Sensordaten zu erkennen an welcher Tür (2.L, 2.R) des Fahrzeugs (1) Fahrgäste (3) ein- und/oder aussteigen möchten und wenigstens eine Tür (2.L, 2.R) für einen Ausstieg festzulegen und/oder wenigstens eine Tür (2.L, 2.R) für einen Einstieg festzulegen, sodass eine Anzahl an Begegnungen von sich durch das Fahrzeug (1) bewegender Fahrgäste (3) und/oder aus dem Fahrzeug (1) aussteigenden und/oder in das Fahrzeug (1) einsteigenden Fahrgästen (3) minimiert wird.</p></li>
</ul>
<img alt="embedded image" id="EMI-D00000"/>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"></p>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE323289145">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Vorrichtung zum Desinfizieren, der Körperpflege oder dergleichen</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 zum Desinfizieren, der Körperpflege oder dergleichen mittels einer flüssigen oder cremigen Substanz (20), dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vorrichtung mit einem elektrisch betriebenen Erinnerungs-Modul und einem Vorratsbehälter (10) für die Substanz (20) versehen ist, die Substanz (20) in dosierter Menge zur Ausgabeöffnung (9) gefördert wird und die Vorrichtung dazu geeignet ist, am Körper oder der Kleidung einer Person getragen zu werden.</p></li>
</ul>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"></p>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE323289850">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Gebrauchter Schnellteststreifen als Probenmaterial für eine Nachtestung</strong> -
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren zur laborbasierten Überprüfung und/oder weiteren Ausdifferenzierung einer im Schnelltestverfahren erhaltenen Diagnose einer Infektionskrankheit, wobei im Rahmen des Schnelltestverfahrens eine flüssige Patientenprobe auf ein Objekt aus einem porösen Material aufgetragen wird und wobei dieses Objekt nach Trocknung der flüssigen Patientenprobe an das diagnostische Labor übermittelt wird. Im Labor werden dann die eingetrockneten Probenreste aus dem porösen Material ausgelöst und analysiert.</p></li>
</ul>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE323289151">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>Inside India’s COVID-19 Surge</strong> - At a hospital in New Delhi, supplies and space are running out, but the patients keep coming. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/inside-indias-covid-19-surge">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Biden’s Great Economic Rebalancing</strong> - The President is looking to correct a capitalist economy that has gone askew, and reclaim a lost vision of shared prosperity. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/joe-bidens-great-economic-rebalancing">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Facebook and the Normalization of Deviance</strong> - The trouble with waiting to address problems long after you know that they exist. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/facebook-and-the-normalization-of-deviance">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sheikh Jarrah and the Renewed Israeli-Palestinian Violence</strong> - Unless the evictions, unequal rights, and pervasive discrimination in Jerusalem end, clashes will continue. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/sheikh-jarrah-and-the-renewed-israeli-palestinian-violence">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>India’s Epidemic of False COVID-19 Information</strong> - As patients and families frantically seek treatment, elected officials—and some physicians—have fuelled denialism and specious talk of miracle cures. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/indias-epidemic-of-false-covid-19-information">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>As McConnell gears up for obstruction, 43 percent of Republican voters say they prefer bipartisanship</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BFsPM86EiOKWlflY2ZHC34M_VFQ=/0x0:3988x2991/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69273429/1317492943.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell attends a Senate Rules Committee markup on S-1, an election and ethics reform package, on May 11, 2021, in Washington, DC.  | Win McNamee/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Some Republicans say they’d still like to see lawmakers work with President Joe Biden.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UBNIKu">
Last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear what he hopes to do this term: obstruct President Joe Biden’s administration in the same way he obstructed then-President Barack Obama’s.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2tNk8A">
“One hundred percent of my focus is on stopping this new administration,” McConnell <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/mitch-mcconnell-stopping-biden-agenda-trump-election-lies-210259153.html">said at a press conference</a>. “What we have in the United States Senate is total unity from Susan Collins to Ted Cruz in opposition to what the new Biden administration is trying to do to this country.” McConnell later caveated his comments slightly, noting: “I’m anxious on stopping the Biden agenda — depending on what it is.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="owBkKG">
<a href="https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2021/5/dfp-vox-biden-first-100-days-toplines.pdf">According to a survey fielded by Vox and Data for Progress</a> prior to McConnell’s comments, some Republican voters don’t necessarily want lawmakers to do that. Instead, they maintain a focus on bipartisanship that’s consistent with past surveys — and one that looks increasingly untenable in the current Congress.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="25OgoF">
Per that poll, 68 percent of all people, including 43 percent of Republicans, said they think it’s more important for GOP members of Congress to find ways to work with Biden rather than refusing to compromise. Meanwhile, 50 percent of Republicans said they were in favor of Republicans refusing to compromise, while 7 percent weren’t sure. That breakdown speaks to a general preference for bipartisanship that voters have expressed in polls in the past as well: <a href="https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/MonmouthPoll_US_012721/">In a Monmouth survey this past January</a>, 71 percent of all voters also emphasized that they wanted Republicans to work with Biden, including 41 percent of Republicans.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="avW5Lt">
McConnell’s comments, though, speak to how unlikely bipartisanship on key policies really is moving forward, and why Democrats have already used budget reconciliation as a way to pass coronavirus aid unilaterally. Because of Republican opposition, Democrats might have to use the same methods once again for other priorities like infrastructure and child care.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iwr9jv">
Already, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/4/22/22397517/republican-infrastructure-plan-biden">Republicans put forth an infrastructure offer</a> that’s much narrower than what the White House has proposed: As the Biden administration moves to <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/3/31/22357179/biden-two-trillion-infrastructure-jobs-plan-explained">advance a sweeping $2 trillion infrastructure bill</a> that includes expansive funding for roads, bridges, and broadband, which would be paid for by tax increases on wealthy individuals and corporations, Senate Republicans have balked at the pay-fors and countered with a roughly $570 billion proposal.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WXIGI5">
It’s worth noting that there is some appetite for a bipartisan compromise, though the two parties have yet to reconcile key differences. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) recently <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2021/05/11/could-mccarthy-face-a-cheney-backlash-492797?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=00000164-3836-d6c5-aded-fcfe5ae90000&amp;nlid=630318">told Politico</a> Republicans are willing to go higher than their initial offer, and McConnell suggested that his cap <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/552571-mcconnell-800b-infrastructure-package-acceptable">is $800 billion</a>. At the same time, Democrats are trying to figure out if <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/05/10/biden-meeting-with-pivotal-democrat-manchin-over-contentious-infrastructure-plan/?sh=42ae32171b94">they have the votes for their own proposal</a>, given concerns raised by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) about the tax provisions, complicating matters further.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mTn2JZ">
Still, on the whole, the prospects for bipartisanship are dim — particularly on other issues including voting rights legislation, immigration reform, and gun control, on which Republicans have long signaled pushback, too. The current state of Congress, ultimately, suggests that lawmakers may not be able to work in the bipartisan fashion that many likely voters desire given Republicans’ stated plans for obstruction, and Democrats’ hopes of passing more ambitious policies.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="st2flH">
The Vox/DFP poll was conducted from April 30 to May 2 with 1,402 likely voters, and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
</p>
<h3 id="YI3KDd">
Biden’s highest marks are on the pandemic
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dB1yim">
This survey also revealed that President Biden’s highest marks — across party lines — come on his handling of the pandemic, which 61 percent of people overall approve of.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rEPsXR">
In the poll, Biden has about 50 percent approval on most issues, including when it comes to his efforts on jobs and the economy (50 percent), his work on race and race relations (47 percent), policies on the environment (51 percent), and work unifying the country (48 percent). His lowest approval numbers were related to his approach to taxation (42 percent).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="l7TRrU">
Biden’s disapproval ratings across these subjects, meanwhile, hover between 30 and 45 percent, with the highest disapprovals on his approach to taxation (44 percent) and unifying the country (41 percent.) Across the other issues, 39 percent of people disapprove of his work on jobs and the economy, 32 percent disapprove of his efforts on the pandemic, 39 percent disapprove of his handling on race and race relations, and 35 percent disapprove of his handling of the environment.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="p8GGdW">
Biden’s response to the pandemic — which has included passage of a massive coronavirus relief package and the goal of distributing at least one vaccine dose to 70 percent of adults by July 4 — had the highest approval rating from members of all parties, including Republicans, of the issues tested. His pandemic policies received 85 percent of Democrats’ approval, 55 percent of Independents’, and 37 percent of Republicans’. Conversely, on issues like jobs and the economy and work on unifying the country, Biden received just 19 percent and 18 percent of Republicans’ support.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="O3c3Li">
These findings are consistent with <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/ap-norc-poll-biden-approval-buoyed-pandemic-response-77598908">a recent AP-NORC poll</a> in which Biden had a 63 percent overall approval rating, with 71 percent of people supporting his work on the pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rvV4nw">
Overall, the DFP poll also finds that 49 percent of people think Biden has been governing for both Democrats and Republicans, while 42 percent think he has been pushing a partisan agenda, since coronavirus relief passed without GOP support.
</p>
<h3 id="PHrc0N">
Voters prioritize the economy and reducing health care costs
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="i1VRhe">
Looking ahead, likely voters are most interested in strengthening the nation’s economy (81 percent), making sure the Social Security system is financially sound (76 percent), combating the pandemic (75 percent), reducing the costs of health care and prescription drugs (74 percent), and reducing crime (73 percent).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SvpsYM">
These five issues were most likely to be classified as a top priority among a list of 20 issue areas that were surveyed. But many other issues were also rated a top priority by a majority of people, including making sure voting rights are protected (72 percent), dealing with the issue of immigration (71 percent), reducing gun violence (63 percent), and improving the educational system (63 percent).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZbHzRU">
These ratings differed some across party line as well: For Republicans, the top priorities were strengthening the nation’s economy (85 percent), dealing with the issue of immigration (81 percent), and reducing crime (80 percent). For independents, they were taking steps to make the Social Security system financially sound (75 percent), strengthening the nation’s economy (75 percent), and reducing health care and prescription drug costs (74 percent). And for Democrats, they were dealing with the coronavirus outbreak (85 percent), strengthening the nation’s economy (81 percent), and reducing gun violence (80 percent).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sxTwoT">
Likely voters overall were more likely to believe that their own party was more capable of addressing the priorities they cared about. Seventy-six percent of Democrats were more likely to trust their own party to effectively strengthen the economy, for instance, while 84 percent of Republicans said the same of the GOP.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="54TFRx">
On issues including raising the minimum wage, increasing access to paid leave and child care, and dealing with climate change, though, a fifth or more of Republicans were more likely to trust Democrats on the matter, a higher proportion compared to other issue areas. About a quarter of Democrats also said they trust Republicans more when it comes to strengthening the military.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aDnWt8">
Congress and the White House have a hefty agenda to address moving forward including the American Jobs Plan, focusing on infrastructure and climate change; the American Families Plan, focusing on child care, universal pre-K, and paid leave; police reform; voting rights; gun control; and immigration reform.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="thGuCb">
Given ongoing Republican efforts to pare down or stymie several of these measures — and dissent within the Democratic caucus on some of these issues — it’s unclear just how much will advance this term.
</p>
<h3 id="Ub7Bh9">
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aIE3MS">
</p></li>
<li><strong>Why you’re noticing flowers now more than ever</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MdqIRjld7Vi0SSXJY6CfAdoTEYc=/331x0:5686x4016/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69273213/GettyImages_1232553142.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Flowering magnolia trees are a sign of spring in many parts of the world. | Stephan Schulz/picture alliance/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Flowers have always held meaning. Then the pandemic came.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1Su8CP">
fnNew York went into lockdown just as the city was blooming. Many of us are now familiar with the way one week smears into the next when you rarely leave your home, but I still find it alarming how muddy my memories of those early days in quarantine are. What I do remember, vividly, is taking anxious early-morning walks around my neighborhood in Brooklyn and feeling utterly disoriented by the magnolia trees that had blossomed along the sidewalk.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="W0XSEh">
Magnolias are a parody of a flowering tree. They’re gorgeous and excessive, dripping large pink petals everywhere. They make me think of the girl who upstages everyone at a house party by bringing a homemade cake for the host even though it’s no one’s birthday. (You resent her for it, then you realize this means there’s cake.) Last spring, I was grateful for the blush-hued flowers on my block, but they seemed surreal against the backdrop of <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22262549/grief-anxiety-coronavirus-covid-19-resilience-stress">fear and loss</a> gripping the city. Spring is a feeling as much as anything, and I couldn’t find it anywhere in my body.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TpYiAn">
A year later, things are different here. More and more people are getting vaccinated (though <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/4/19/22392234/fauci-biden-covid-vaccines-herd-immunity">not enough</a>, and <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/4/28/22405279/covid-19-vaccine-india-covax">not in all parts of the world</a>) and socializing with friends and family is starting to be less fraught. When in March I came across a patch of snowdrops in Prospect Park — some of the first flowers of the year, fresh and green among the dead leaves and bare trees — it felt like we were moving in the same direction.
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MLizaJJ3AJ4oEvoseMlfCnc1i5k=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22504869/GettyImages_1231761996.jpg"/> <cite>Frank Bienewald/LightRocket/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Snowdrops bloom among dead leaves.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tjshZ8">
“I’m excited about getting vaccinated and inviting new energy into my life,” my cousin told me over the phone recently. She was out for a walk on the West Coast. “But there’s still a heaviness I’m feeling. This has been a year of death and violence. It feels bittersweet to be like, ‘Things are blooming,’ because there are so many people not with us.” After we hung up, she sent me a photo of a red rose she’d come across, retina-burning in the April sunshine.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BB40kP">
I feel a little silly writing about flowers like this, as though they don’t always signal a kind of renewal. As though they’re a novelty and not a <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/2/12/18220984/valentines-day-flowers-roses-environmental-effects">massive global business</a> — as though human civilizations around the world haven’t attached deep symbolism to them for millennia, using them in rites of passage and linking them to love, death, wealth, piety. At the Cornell Botanic Gardens in Ithaca, New York, there’s a space dedicated to answering the question of why flowers “charm and amaze us.” The garden features flowers like roses, lilies, and tulips, with detailed information on their <a href="https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/explore/gardens/interpretive-booklets/">historical significance across cultures</a>: daisies are depicted in paintings of the Madonna and child as a symbol of the infant Christ’s innocence, whereas in ancient Mesopotamia they stood for protection and good luck.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KfPkSE">
“Flowers are cyclical, so they’re life-affirming in a sense,” says Sarah Fiorello, interpretation coordinator at the Cornell Botanic Gardens. “But they’re also ephemeral, so they reflect the finite nature of all life.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oloynB">
Flowers ask the big questions, which may be why they seem to have meant a little more this year. On a practical level, people tend to interact with flowers in three ways. There are the flowers we buy for ourselves as an act of self-love, just to brighten our own day. There are the flowers we exchange with others to express affection and support — to connect. And there are the living flowers we encounter in nature, parks, and planters, reminding us that we’re part of something bigger. At a time when many of us have <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22262549/grief-anxiety-coronavirus-covid-19-resilience-stress">struggled with our mental health</a>, when we’ve been denied the nourishment of <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/4/11/21212845/how-to-be-alone-coronavirus-quarantine-isolation-solitude">other people’s company</a>, when our worlds have shrunk so dramatically, it’s no wonder flowers hold a particular appeal. They’re a counterweight to the forces that might otherwise drag us down. Maybe they don’t tip the scales completely — some of them are very small — but they do help.
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8og5WFFmEXQ10KYN_eJcU2EoYTY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22504874/GettyImages_1189390531.jpg"/> <cite>Joan Slatkin/Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Bouquets of zinnias at a farmers market stand.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KGFvgi">
The writer and cartoonist Jonny Sun is big on <a href="https://www.vox.com/21507101/houseplants-alive-winter-pandemic-garden">houseplants</a>; they’re a major theme in his new book, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbooks%2Fgoodbye-again-essays-reflections-and-illustrations-9781799950349%2F9780062880857&amp;referrer=vox.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2Fthe-goods%2F22429296%2Fflowers-spring-pandemic" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Goodbye, Again</em></a>. But it wasn’t until the pandemic that he and his wife started regularly buying cut flowers for their home, ultimately signing up for a monthly bouquet subscription with the LA-based floral design studio <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biablooms/">Bia Blooms</a>. “Things have felt so purgatorial and endless,” Sun says. “Every day feels the same. I’ve really looked to flowers as a sign that time is indeed passing in some sort of regular way.” The cycle of buying a bouquet, watching the flowers fade, and purchasing another provided a strange sense of stability and comfort.
</p>
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Faced with a world and a mess of feelings that often feel unpredictable and out of control, Sun also appreciates the way flowers establish a kind of emotional schedule for him. He knows that when they die, he’ll feel bummed out. “I’m buying this now, and I’m entering a contract with myself that I’ll feel sad in two weeks,” he says. “Knowing you’ll feel this emotion in a few weeks is kind of nice.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DjkLGf">
Nana Agyemang started buying herself flowers every week during the pandemic, too, because it lifted her spirits. “I didn’t have the finances to do so before Covid, but because I was saving money on not commuting to work and not going out as often to restaurants to eat, I repurposed that income to treat myself,” she says. Agyemang is the CEO and founder of <a href="https://www.everystylishgirl.com/">Every Stylish Girl</a>, an organization promoting the advancement of Black and Brown women in fashion and media. The pandemic forced Agyemang to make a “huge company pivot” away from in-person events, and buying bouquets was an act of appreciation for herself during that stressful transition.
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“Getting the flowers was like, ‘Hey, Nana, keep doing what you’re doing. You are excelling in every possible way you can, and these flowers are a reminder every day when you get up that you’re doing the damn thing,’” she says.
</p>
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Here’s the thing: When you start buying flowers for yourself, you may very well want to give them to other people, too. Starting last summer, Agyemang partnered with florists to hold several flower arrangement giveaways, her way of expanding the circle of support and affirmation. “When someone does good work, you give them flowers,” she says. “This was a time of the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, and I felt like a lot of Black women and Black-owned businesses weren’t getting the flowers they deserved.”
</p>
<div class="p-fullbleed-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FO_BUW9g-z1kEl08Bh5IURPPGC8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22504887/GettyImages_1219697927.jpg"/> <cite>Helene Wiesenhaan/BSR Agency/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Tulips growing in Hillegom, Netherlands, early in the pandemic, in April 2020.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZqU8j5">
For many people, flowers became a poignant way of connecting with loved ones they couldn’t otherwise see. Before the pandemic, Chicago-based artist Hyun Jung Jun enjoyed making cakes for her friends, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJbZXiVF_Dc/">creating unequivocally charming landscapes</a> out of flowers and other vegetal materials: lavender placed like birthday candles, fennel fronds used to evoke towering trees. When 2020 rolled around, though, the cakes became an excuse to pick up homegrown flowers from one friend and then treat them — or someone else — to the finished product. “They’d come pick up the cake, so at least I got to see them a little bit,” Jun says.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bKhZqK">
Sam Herzog, director of sales and marketing at the accessories brand <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.karastore.com%2Fcollections%2Fall&amp;referrer=vox.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2Fthe-goods%2F22429296%2Fflowers-spring-pandemic" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kara</a>, was already in the habit of giving people flowers before the pandemic, but she’s ramped way up, sending them to her parents in California and to friends as housewarming gifts and breakup support. When she meets up with friends in the park, she likes to bring them a bouquet.
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“I think it’s this really beautiful thing because it’s just a gesture of care,” Herzog says. “Flowers don’t have any functional purpose. They’re purchased purely for making someone feel appreciated or cared for. It’s like a hug.”
</p>
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My friend James started sending flowers to his male friends a few months ago, in an effort to normalize it as an acceptable way of showing platonic affection for and among men. “I think I wanted someone to give me flowers,” he says. Unemployed for much of the pandemic, James had cut back on his habit of buying sunflowers for his own apartment, but on his 30th birthday, he gave himself permission to buy an arrangement. His parents wound up sending him a bunch too, transforming his apartment into a vibrant floral landscape for a few weeks.
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tP-N-imPIxv3PMHrLM4bqgmU-pE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22504895/GettyImages_1189390393.jpg"/> <cite>Joan Slatkin/Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Cut sunflowers for sale in New York City.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aC4zWM">
When millennials talk about buying flowers for their loved ones, particularly their peers, a word that comes up a lot is “old-fashioned<em>.” </em>Handing someone a bouquet rings of courtship from a bygone era. Sending an arrangement has a certain formality and seriousness, not to mention an often significant price tag. But if you can’t show your appreciation for a friend by buying them a drink at the bar, flowers start to seem like a reasonable substitute, for any occasion or no occasion at all. They’re heartfelt and earnest. They speak to the romance of platonic friendships. And as my cousin Katie Lovins, a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/clo.floral/">floral designer</a> in Portland, Maine, pointed out to me, there’s a sense of theater when a bunch of flowers arrive on someone’s doorstep.
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In some cases, flowers were a romantic gesture, full stop. My other cousin, the one who sent me the photo of that perfect rose, realized she was going to fall in love with someone when they sent her pressed flowers from their garden last summer. They had matched on Tinder before the pandemic, but only started seeing each other afterward — from opposite sides of the country, communicating incessantly via phone calls, FaceTimes, and selfies. “I think flowers are this universally romantic gesture, especially when you’ve grown them and picked them. It felt like, here is this small thing that’s beautiful, because you deserve it,” she says. “It was a level of connection and thoughtfulness that I was craving.”
</p>
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The relationship didn’t work out, and in retrospect, my cousin wonders if she imbued those pressed flowers with a little too much meaning. (For whatever it’s worth, the Victorians were <a href="https://www.almanac.com/flower-meanings-language-flowers">all about it</a>.) Romantic that she is, she brought yellow mums to a subsequent first date, though she claims she merely pulled a few stems from a bouquet she’d already bought.
</p>
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LaParis Phillips, the owner of <a href="https://brooklynblooms.com/">Brooklyn Blooms</a>, saw a marked uptick in people sending “just because” flowers to their loved ones throughout 2020. “People were really valuing their time and valuing being in the moment. Like, ‘I don’t care what day it is, it’s a special day. I’m living and I’m healthy, so it’s special,’” she said. “If I can sum up those flower orders that made us busy, gratitude is the word.”
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PmcbYmRDfUnk-SMubjUYP3OqNY0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22504908/GettyImages_1143946738.jpg"/> <cite>George Rose/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Poppies and lupine are among the wildflowers that signal the start of spring in central California.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ACapNx">
Despite some people’s newfound enthusiasm for flowers, this was a difficult year for the floral industry as a whole. Canceled weddings, closed office buildings, and shuttered restaurants hit local retailers hard and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-flower-industry-crash/">disrupted the global supply chain</a>, with some growers shredding or composting their unsold stems. Phillips says she was able to stay afloat because her business was already oriented toward daily orders from individuals, rather than corporate clients or events; Brooklyn Blooms also was included on a number of lists promoting Black-owned businesses during the protests following George Floyd’s death, and for several months, Phillips was working overtime filling orders.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kULC0n">
It felt good, during a year of such turmoil, to be sending out those flowers and seeing the kind messages that people had for one another, Phillips says. It’s impossible to forget the grief that sparked those well-wishes, though. “I wish it didn’t take a pandemic and somebody dying for nine minutes for this to happen, but that’s what it takes for humans to move,” she says.
</p>
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Finally, the third kind of floral experience — taking in a patch of buttercups growing on the side of the road, or happening upon a vibrant bed of tulips in someone’s yard — flourished this year for the same reason that other nature-related activities, like <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-buying-plants-can-ease-your-pandemic-loneliness-2021-3">cultivating houseplants</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/science/bird-watching-coronavirus.html">birdwatching</a>, did. Interacting with non-human living things eased feelings of isolation and provided a grounding alternative to staring at a screen for 18 hours straight. I know someone who took it upon herself to finally learn the names of the many wildflowers that grow near her house in Idaho, perhaps recognizing that, as Fiorello says, “even looking at plants around us gives us a boost of chemicals in our brains.” One unnamed individual started pilfering wild chives from a local park, eventually pulling up a bunch at the root to cultivate in a pot at home. He looks forward to the edible purple chive blossoms that should arrive this summer.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DMaaLG">
Over the last year, I spent a lot of time staring at plants in parks, too. It was easier than spending time with people. On one of the first truly gorgeous days of spring, a month or two ago, I took an afternoon walk through the park. I was feeling itchy and grouchy, overdressed in a heavy jacket and still reflexively shooting dirty looks at anyone not wearing a mask. Heading south, I emerged from a wooded path into an open field, where a lone dude was stretched out in the grass, wearing nothing but a Speedo and framed by a bunch of yellow daffodils. It was like something out of an oil painting.
</p>
<p class="c-end-para" data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mUPh2J">
They projected the same vibe, this stranger and the flowers: at ease in the world, simply enjoying the sun and breeze at 1 pm on a weekday. I couldn’t muster that energy for myself, but I liked the idea of it. Recognizing it as an idea at all felt like a kind of thawing.
</p></li>
<li><strong>Gas prices rise slightly after ransomware attack on oil pipeline</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A police officer stands guard outside the Colonial Pipeline’s tank farm in Alabama." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jBkfVWJXMnhn4A9mPsngObKAyuQ=/0x0:3556x2667/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69264779/GettyImages_1232803321.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Colonial Pipeline shut down its massive oil pipeline after a ransomware attack took some of its systems offline. Above, a Colonial facility in 2016. | Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg/Getty Images
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And what it means for gas prices.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0bbCQW">
Hackers have used a ransomware attack to shut a major American oil pipeline down for several days, forcing the Biden administration to declare a regional state of emergency to keep some of the oil supply moving until the pipeline can function again. The cyberattack looks to be the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-attack/">largest ever</a> on an American energy system, and yet another example of cybersecurity vulnerabilities that President Joe Biden has promised to address.
</p>
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The Colonial Pipeline Company reported on May 7 that it was the victim of a “cybersecurity attack” that “involves ransomware,” forcing the company to take some systems offline and disabling the pipeline. The Georgia-based company <a href="https://www.colpipe.com/about-us/faqs">says</a> it operates the largest petroleum pipeline in the United States, carrying 2.5 million barrels a day of gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and jet fuel on its 5,500-mile route from Texas to New Jersey.
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The pipeline provides nearly half of the East Coast’s fuel supply, and a prolonged shutdown could cause price increases and shortages to <a href="https://zetter.substack.com/p/biden-declares-state-of-emergency">ripple across the industry</a>. Colonial said on Monday that it hoped to “substantially restore” its operations by the end of the week and minimize disruption caused by the shutdown.
</p>
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Even so, by Tuesday, the national average price for regular gasoline was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/11/business/colonial-pipeline-shutdown-latest-news.html">up 2 cents</a>, with bigger jumps in some states the pipeline serves, including Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/georgia-to-suspend-state-gas-tax-amid-colonial-pipeline-outage/HWFRZL6TIFCYTMTNLV4XXEGP5E/">temporarily suspended</a> the state’s gas tax to compensate for the increased prices. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/05/11/gas-shortage-colonial-pipeline/">Another issue</a> has been gas stations running out of fuel, though it’s believed those shortages are from panic buying rather than a lack of supply.
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“It’s more likely that fuel shortages will be a result of panic buying from consumers watching the headlines unfold, as opposed to shortages directly caused by the attack,” Marty Edwards, former director of <a href="https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ics">industrial control systems for CISA</a>, and vice president of operational technology security for Tenable, told Recode. “This is something we saw with Covid and grocery stores selling out of household items. Regardless, it shows the impact cybersecurity has on our everyday lives.”
</p>
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“It’s much easier to understand the impact of a cyberattack if it directly impacts your day-to-day life,” he added.
</p>
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The FBI <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-statement-on-compromise-of-colonial-pipeline-networks">has confirmed</a> that the ransomware used is linked to the hacker group called DarkSide, believed to be based in Eastern Europe. DarkSide does not appear to be linked to any nation-states, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/statement-suspected-us-pipeline-hackers-say-they-dont-want-cause-problems-2021-05-10/">saying in a statement</a> that “our goal is to make money, [not to create] problems for society” and that it is apolitical.
</p>
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According to cybersecurity company Check Point, however, DarkSide supplies its ransomware services to its partners. “This means we know very little on the real threat actor behind the attack on Colonial, who can be any one of the partners of DarkSide,” Lotem Finkelstein, Check Point’s head of threat intelligence, told Recode. “What we do know is that to take down extensive operations like the Colonial pipeline reveals a sophisticated and well-designed cyber attack.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nEGztY">
It’s not known how much money the hackers are demanding, nor how much, if anything, Colonial has paid — assuming it’s willing to pay anything.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="j7WJms">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/new-money/2017/5/12/15632482/ransomware-explained">Ransomware attacks</a> generally use malware to lock companies out of their own systems until a ransom is paid. They’ve surged in the past few years and <a href="https://blog.emsisoft.com/en/38426/the-cost-of-ransomware-in-2021-a-country-by-country-analysis/">cost billions of dollars in ransoms</a> paid alone — not counting those that aren’t reported, or any associated costs with having systems offline until the ransom is paid. Ransomware attacks have targeted everything from private businesses to the government to <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/10/29/21540039/hospital-ransomware-coronavirus-hacking-ryuk-malware">hospitals and health care systems</a>. The latter are especially attractive targets, given how urgent it is to get their systems back up as soon as possible.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3EQvmc">
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-08/colonial-is-just-the-latest-energy-asset-hit-by-cyberattacks?sref=Wg6QzS2e">Energy systems and suppliers</a> have also been a target of ransomware and cyberattacks. The cybersecurity of America’s energy infrastructure has been a particular concern in recent years, with the Trump administration <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/president-trump-signs-executive-order-securing-united-states-bulk-power-system">declaring a national emergency</a> in May 2020 meant to secure America’s bulk power system with an executive order that would forbid the acquisition of equipment from countries that pose an “unacceptable risk to national security or the security and safety of American citizens.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vRiSq2">
Details on how the hackers were able to gain access to Colonial’s systems haven’t been made public yet, but <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-09/colonial-hackers-stole-data-thursday-ahead-of-pipeline-shutdown">Bloomberg reports</a> that the attack began on May 6, with nearly 100 gigabytes of data stolen before Colonial’s computers were locked up. A ransom was demanded, both to stop the data from being leaked on the internet and to unlock the affected systems.
</p>
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With the pipeline down, the company and its fuel suppliers are hoping that fuel trucks and possibly tankers will make up for some of the shortage. Emergency waivers were given by the Department of Transportation to <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportations-federal-motor-carrier-administration-issues-temporary">extend driver hours</a> for trucks and some companies are <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/valero-charters-tanker-gulf-coast-storage-amid-pipeline-outage-sources-2021-05-10/">looking into</a> chartering tankers to deliver the fuel by ship. The latter option would likely mean <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/9/27/16373484/jones-act-puerto-rico">waiving the Jones Act</a>, a 1920 law that requires domestic shipping to be done on ships that are built, owned, and operated by American citizens or permanent residents. This has been done for other temporary fuel crises; for example, in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Sandy. But these measures won’t be enough to fully replace the oil that the pipeline delivers.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="809DVD">
Concern over the attack underscores two of the Biden administration’s stated priorities: improving American infrastructure and cybersecurity. The large-scale Russian <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/12/14/22174314/government-hack-solarwinds-cozybear-russia">SolarWinds hack</a>, disclosed in December 2020, was shown to have affected several federal government systems. Biden said then that as president, “my administration will make cybersecurity a top priority at every level of government — and we will make dealing with this breach a top priority from the moment we take office. … I will not stand idly by in the face of cyber assaults on our nation.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4TtLiS">
Biden has also unveiled a <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/3/31/22357179/biden-two-trillion-infrastructure-jobs-plan-explained">$2 trillion infrastructure plan</a> that includes $100 billion to modernize the electrical grid, which cybersecurity experts hoped would <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/31/cybersecurity-202-here-how-biden-infrastructure-package-could-address-electric-grid-cybersecurity/">include</a> improved cybersecurity measures. Biden also suspended the Trump bulk power system executive order to roll out <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/20/cybersecurity-202-biden-administration-rolls-out-100-day-plan-improve-electric-grid-cybersecurity/">his own plan</a>. And he reportedly plans to unveil an executive order soon that will strengthen cybersecurity at federal agencies and for federal contractors.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bTzcvB">
But these measures are more focused on preventing another SolarWinds-like attack. Federal officials <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/09/us/politics/biden-cyberattack-response.html">told the New York Times</a> that they don’t think the order does enough to prevent a sophisticated attack, nor would it apply to a privately held company like Colonial. The oil pipeline attack might strengthen demands for cybersecurity standards for companies that play an important role in Americans’ lives. As it stands, it’s often left up to them about the security measures they use to protect critical systems.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mtc0CD">
“Ransomware is about extortion and extortion is about pressure,” James Shank, chief architect of community services at cybersecurity company Team Cymru, told Recode. “Impacting fuel distribution gets peoples’ attention right away. … This emphasizes the need for a coordinated effort that bridges public and private sector capabilities to protect our national interests.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aT68fV">
Assuming the pipeline is back up by the end of the week, it shouldn’t cause a major or prolonged disruption to the fuel supply chain or hit consumers’ wallets too hard. But the next one — and many cybersecurity experts fear there will be a next one, or several next ones — could be a lot worse if measures aren’t taken at the highest levels to prevent it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="M7fT1s">
“We cannot think of these attacks as impacting private companies only — this is an attack on our country’s infrastructure,” Shank added.
</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Saina, Srikanth’s Tokyo Olympics hopes virtually over with Singapore Open cancellation</strong> - The Singapore Open, a Super 500 event on the BWF World Tour, was the last tournament offering Race To Tokyo ranking points inside the Olympic qualifying window</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>Former hockey umpire Ravinder Sodhi dies of COVID-19 complications</strong> - He had also officiated at the 1988 Indira Gandhi International Hockey Gold Cup in Lucknow.</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>New Zealand wicket-keeper BJ Watling to retire after WTC final against India</strong> - “Test cricket really is the pinnacle of the game and I’ve loved every minute of being out there in the whites with the boys.”</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>Table tennis veteran Chandrasekar passes away</strong> - Three-time National table tennis champion and International player V. Chandrasekar passed away here on Wednesday due to COVID-19 related complication</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>Chess | Harikrishna readying for Sochi World Cup</strong> - Pandemic is a real test of character for everyone, he says.</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>Those in home isolation and not following guidelines to be shifted to care centres</strong> - Considering complaints that asymptomatic and mildly-symptomatic COVID-19 patients were not strictly following home isolation guidelines, the Ballari d</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>Abandoned hospital to be made COVID Care Centre</strong> - Taking note of the growing need for expanding isolation centres for COVID-19 patients, Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani directed Kalaburagi</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>Many hurdles to ply Oxygen Express to Kerala</strong> - Low clearance of rail overbridges, narrow tunnels, and speed restrictions are hindrances</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>Air crash: HC directs AIE to expedite compensation</strong> - 20 people had died in the crash at Karipur airport in August last year</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>2 Bengal BJP MPs resign as MLAs</strong> - They resign as per instructions of the party leadership</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>Air France crash: Trial ordered for Airbus and airline over 2009 disaster</strong> - The Paris court ruling comes 12 years after flight AF447 crashed into the Atlantic killing 228 people.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>French army chief tells soldiers to quit over civil-war letter</strong> - The army chief of staff rebukes soldiers who accused the government of concessions to Islamism.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Russia school shooting: Deadly tragedy leaves country in shock</strong> - Witnesses tell the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg how a day of learning turned into a day of bloodshed.</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>Russia school shooting: Children and teacher killed in Kazan</strong> - Seven children and two adults have been killed in a shooting in the city of Kazan, officials say.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Irish Sea Border: UK exports to Ireland drop since Brexit</strong> - However there were signs of a recovery in March with trade increasing.</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>Volvo and Daimler bet on hydrogen truck boom this decade</strong> - Swedish and German groups expect fuel to challenge diesel in long-distance freight. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1764362">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Aston Martin’s new boss tells us about the future of the company</strong> - Former AMG CEO Tobias Moers is now in charge of the British carmaker. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1764324">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Famed Arthurian tale comes to silver screen in The Green Knight trailer</strong> - “Honor. That is why a knight does what he does.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1764204">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Rare fungal infections that destroy eyeballs and kill are on the rise in India</strong> - People with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to the aggressive fungus. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1764334">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ransomware crooks post cops’ psych evaluations after talks with DC police stall</strong> - Babuk demands $4 million, Metropolitan Police Department offers $100,000. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1764296">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Smoking will kill you.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Bacon will kill you too.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
But smoking bacon will cure it.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/murphanduncas"> /u/murphanduncas </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/nadbod/smoking_will_kill_you/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/nadbod/smoking_will_kill_you/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>I told my son to stop playing Russian roulette but you know how it is with kids…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
In one ear, out the other
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/MoonBear696"> /u/MoonBear696 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/na799b/i_told_my_son_to_stop_playing_russian_roulette/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/na799b/i_told_my_son_to_stop_playing_russian_roulette/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>What do you call a wolf that is woke?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Awarewolf
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
(credit goes to my GF, who’s apparently practicing her dad humor. <em>sigh</em> please, don’t wreck my karma)
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/DrLongIsland"> /u/DrLongIsland </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/nadgm4/what_do_you_call_a_wolf_that_is_woke/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/nadgm4/what_do_you_call_a_wolf_that_is_woke/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A Quickie…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A man goes into a restaurant and is seated. All the waitresses are gorgeous. A particularly voluptuous waitress wearing a very short skirt and legs that won’t quit came to his table and asked if he was ready to order:
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“What would you like, sir?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
He looks at the menu and then scans her beautiful frame top to bottom, then answers, “A quickie.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The waitress turns and walks away in disgust.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
After she regains her composure she returns and asks again,
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“What would you like, sir?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Again the man thoroughly checks her out and again answers,
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“A quickie, please.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
This time her anger takes over, she reaches over and slaps him
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
across the face with a resounding “SMACK!” and storms away.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A man sitting at the next table leans over and whispers,
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Um, I think it’s pronounced ‘QUICHE.’”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Hersheychase69"> /u/Hersheychase69 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n9vwbz/a_quickie/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n9vwbz/a_quickie/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>what happens when you slap Dwayne johnson in the butt?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
You hit rock bottom.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/samisaif"> /u/samisaif </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/naevh4/what_happens_when_you_slap_dwayne_johnson_in_the/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/naevh4/what_happens_when_you_slap_dwayne_johnson_in_the/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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