News COVID-19 pandemic

[mahdavi3d]

?

 

[mahdavi3d]

 

[mahdavi3d]

 

[Notebook]

One of biology's biggest mysteries 'largely solved' by AI - BBC News

Some good news, I hope.

 

[Artlav]

More like a proof of concept and an interesting new direction to explore.
But good news never the less.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

One of the few good things to come from COVID is the progress made with mRNA vaccines. They were being investigated for the ability to deliver immunotherapy to a host of diseases including cancers. Hopefully something has been learned about the mRNA development and deployment processes that can be of general use to non-COVID diseases.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Fighting COVID in America:

 

[tl8]

First vaccine has been approved: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55145696
Beginning of the end hopefully

 

[mahdavi3d]

 

[mahdavi3d]

 

[Urwumpe]

7 day incidence of 194 new cases per 100,000 people here. Many in elder care homes, that had been discovered by a testing campaign last week - we are about to fail.

 

[jedidia]

Swiss government plans to start vaccinating 70'000 people per day in january... but I have no idea which vaccine they mean and where they're going to get it in such quantities on such short notice. I know they have several contracts and reservations (among others with Biontech and Pfizer), but I'm not sure those are ready yet? I do know that they upped the vaccination budget to 400 million back in November, so the money at least is available (not that that would be expected to be a problem in Switzerland...). The job of storing and safeguarding the vaccine has been given to the military, who are keeping locations and the size of stock classified. I guess we'll see what happens come january.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

First post-study BioNTech/Pfizer COVID vaccines hitting arms in UK

Covid-19 vaccine: First person receives Pfizer jab in UK

Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, becomes the first person in the world to get the jab as part of a mass vaccination programme, calling it the "best early birthday present".

www.bbc.com

 

[mahdavi3d]

bloomberg.com : Covid Vaccine Tracker Global Distribution

 

[N_Molson]

Things are a bit grim here, France GDP is taking a -10% hit for 2020, that's severe...

Bars and restaurants were able to open this summer with limited room capacity (50%), but have been closed in October again as we hit the "second wave", and there is no clear re-opening date. For many small buisnesses, not making any money during Christmas/New Year's Eve will mean bankruptcy. Tourism, which was yesterday the country main source of income, almost stopped to be. Night clubs are closed since last spring, and the whole culture/entertainement sector is a wreck.

Government is helping a lot of small buisnesses, but even that isn't enough and the debt is skyrocketing.

I was working in Morocco as a french teacher when the whole thing started last spring, and it was crazy. Morocco is rather authoritarian and police wasn't kidding. Been locked in my flat for 3 months, it was so weird... Everyhing was closed (even Mosques, in a country were religion is a serious affair), excepted food stores. Their schools are closed since last spring, as their intensive care capabilities are more than limited. Good thing for them, the population is very young, which will help. I made my best to stay in touch with my pupils "on line", it wasn't easy everyday.

I managed to catch a "repatriation flight" in June, as Morocco borders were closed. It was crazy, thousands of people were stucked at the airport in Casablanca. So we managed to board a 777, biggest plane I ever saw, with 500+ passengers board... It was "a bit" messy. No screening at all once in Paris, 4 hours beyond schedule so with a friend we had to rent a car (thanks AVIS) to travel the last 500 kilometers to get back home. I took that job in Morocco because I wanted some adventure in my life. I had a bit more than my share ! ?

Since then we're all living in the family farm, in Vendee (my sisters have horses). Things are VERY quiet here. And we have working DSL We can't get out a lot, and with aged parents at home we don't want to take any chance. Like many, I hope the vaccine will work, but scientists here are warning that economic recovery won't be possible before second half 2021.

 

[N_Molson]

Breaking News from France : President Emmanuel Macron tests positive for CoVid-19

Note he's only 42, very young for a president and in good health, so he should be ok.

French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for Covid-19, the Élysée Palace announced on Thursday. Other French and EU leaders will be self-isolating after coming into contact with Macron over the past week, their offices said.

"The president of the Republic has been diagnosed positive for Covid-19 today," the presidential palace said in a statement.
"This diagnosis was made following a PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms," the statement said, without detailing what symptoms Macron exhibited.
The presidency said he would isolate for the next seven days, as recommended by French health authorities, and has cancelled all foreign trips.
Macron "will continue to work and carry out his activities remotely", the Élysée Palace said.

Prime Minister Jean Castex, who was in contact with Macron at the government's weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, will also self-isolate as will First Lady Brigitte Macron, although she is not showing any symptoms of Covid-19, her office said Thursday.

Macron is the latest head of state to contract the virus. US President Donald Trump tested positive in October, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tested positive in March. German Chancellor Angela Merkel went into self-isolation in March and early April after having contact with a doctor who tested positive.

Johnson offered Macron his best and wished him a speedy recovery on Twitter.

Macron attended a European Union summit in Brussels at the end of last week and was present at an event in Paris organised for the 60th anniversary of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, is self-isolating as is Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez after attending the OECD event and a lunch at the Elysée Palace with Macron, their offices said.

Michel tested negative on Tuesday after returning from Paris. "However, as a matter of precaution the president will go into self-isolation”, spokesman Barend Leyts tweeted.
Macron was also at a European Council heads of state meeting on December 10-11th. His schedule over the last week included a private dinner with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during which he awarded him the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour.

Macron also had lunch this week with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose office said Thursday she has no plans yet to self-isolate.

France earlier this week eased restrictions imposed to battle the second wave of the coronavirus but infection rates remain high. There is still a nationwide overnight curfew in place from 8pm to halt the spread of the virus while restaurants and cafés, as well as theatres and cinemas, remain closed.

Almost 60,000 people have died in France of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to official figures. The recording of over 17,000 new cases on Wednesday alone also generated concern as people shop and travel more frequently ahead of the Christmas holidays.

Like other EU states, France is pinning its hopes on a vaccine to quell the virus. Prime Minister Castex said Wednesday the country will receive around 1.16 million Covid-19 vaccine doses by the end of the year.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)

 

[Urwumpe]

A young age only makes it more unlikely to get complications, but not impossible. I know cases of two 7 year olds with ICU care necessary. Still, the youngest death in Germany is reported at 30 years.

Let us hope you are right and he will be fine.

 

[N_Molson]

Thanks. Note that while there is no "vice-president" in France, the President of the Senate (and not the Prime Minister, many french people don't know that) can take the interim if the President is incapacitated. Currently, the President of the Senate is Gérard Larcher (seasoned politician, "mainstream" conservative right-wing, 72 years old).

 

[Urwumpe]

Thanks. Note that while there is no "vice-president" in France, the President of the Senate (and not the Prime Minister, many french people don't know that) can take the interim if the President is incapacitated. Currently, the President of the Senate is Gérard Larcher (seasoned politician, "mainstream" conservative right-wing, 72 years old).

That is similar to German conditions, here the next one would be the minister of finance right now, because its traditionally the smaller partner in a coalition that becomes deputy, but every chancellor can choose, who should be his deputy.

But contrary to US vice presidents, this deputy does not become chancellor, should the current chancellor resign.

 

[mahdavi3d]

gisaid.org : UK reports new variant, termed VUI 202012/01