Schools are beginning to slowly reopen in the different parts of the world. But parents are facing a big dilemma, without a cure or vaccine for the Coronavirus, is it going to be safe to send children to school? Watch full report to know more.

Are schools equipped with hygiene protocols for COVID-19?

A quote attributed to Lord Palmerston which states that, "There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics", suggesting fluidity and impermanence appears to hold true for and in the realm of economics and political economy too. Not long ago, it was held that the state and its intervention in the economy was passe and its role was to be limited to the provision of some public goods that the market could not provide. This belief and its practice was co-eval with what was called the third wave of globalization. But, the COVID 19 pandemic appears to have given short shrift to this ‘market fundamentalism’

Evidence for this is writ all over the destruction that the pandemic has created in the domains of economics and finance. TATA steel- Britain’s largest steelmaker- is, for example, in the process of negotiating a recovery plan with the British government. Alitalia, in Italy, is being renationalised. France is bailing out its car industry with a massive financial injection. These are merely some of the headline-grabbing examples of the return of the state. The aim here is to protect or more accurately save these industries by classifying them as strategic and in the process stem job losses- a proposition that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

In the domain of fiscal policy, the state has also made a comeback across the world, so much so that fiscal space has shrunk for many countries with the debt to GDP ratio increasing exponentially for some.

All this suggests that the state is back. The purpose of delineating the return of the state is neither in the nature of a gratificatory exercise here nor is it meant to be a value-laden judgement. It is to layout a trend that is gaining traction by the day. The question is: is this return of the state a temporary, transient phenomenon or is it a structural trend?

It is difficult to answer this question definitively: the history of the political economy suggests that between markets and the state, there are and there have been swings. In one epoch, the state assumes primacy and in another the markets. The issue, it would appear, is these swings, which can, at times, turn out to be manic, creating disorder and at times even mayhem in economics, finance and political economy. &nbsp;Can these swings be obviated?

Yes, they can be through prudent policymaking. But the key here is co-ordinated policy action across the world. It amounts to stating a cliché that notwithstanding the process of deglobalization we live in and will continue to live in an interconnected world where a certain policy decision in one part of the world can have global ramifications and consequences. Policy coordination with a multilateral ingress is then imperative. But, above all the philosophical thrust and tour de force of this co-ordinated policymaking should be a dynamic that integrates both the state and the markets in almost equipoise. The world is littered with examples of both state failures and market failures. Neither the state nor the markets on their own suffice. There has to be a balance between the two.

One other fallout and consequence of the pandemic is on globalisation. COVID 19 is slowing it considerably if not hastening its demise. But redemption for globalisation might lie in creating a synthesis and balance between the state and markets. If and when this balance and synthesis is arrived at, it may even salvage globalisation by making it fairer and defined by sobriety and proportion.

All in all, the world is at an inflexion point in many dimensions. Be it international politics, economics, political economy and even culture, themes that had assumed paradigmatic proportions are being upended and in the process of being reviewed. But, it is important not to be carried away by the gale of COVID 19 by creating policy momentum on mono-focal paradigms. What needs to be understood clearly is that it is balance and equipoise that leads to prudent outcomes (accounting for ‘unknown unknowns). In the realm of political economy, this means aiming at a balance and synthesis between the state and markets and not privileging one over the other, no matter what the proverbial ‘ tea leaves’ suggest. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A quote attributed to Lord Palmerston which states that, "There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics", suggesting fluidity and impermanence appears to hold true for and in the realm of economics and political economy too.

A quote attributed to Lord Palmerston which states that, "There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics", suggesting fluidity and impermanence appears to hold true for and in the realm of economics and political economy too. Not long ago, it was held that the state and its intervention in the economy was passe and its role was to be limited to the provision of some public goods that the market could not provide. This belief and its practice was co-eval with what was called the third wave of globalization. But, the COVID 19 pandemic appears to have given short shrift to this ‘market fundamentalism’ Evidence for this is writ all over the destruction that the pandemic has created in the domains of economics and finance. TATA steel- Britain’s largest steelmaker- is, for example, in the process of negotiating a recovery plan with the British government. Alitalia, in Italy, is being renationalised. France is bailing out its car industry with a massive financial injection. These are merely some of the headline-grabbing examples of the return of the state. The aim here is to protect or more accurately save these industries by classifying them as strategic and in the process stem job losses- a proposition that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. In the domain of fiscal policy, the state has also made a comeback across the world, so much so that fiscal space has shrunk for many countries with the debt to GDP ratio increasing exponentially for some. All this suggests that the state is back. The purpose of delineating the return of the state is neither in the nature of a gratificatory exercise here nor is it meant to be a value-laden judgement. It is to layout a trend that is gaining traction by the day. The question is: is this return of the state a temporary, transient phenomenon or is it a structural trend? It is difficult to answer this question definitively: the history of the political economy suggests that between markets and the state, there are and there have been swings. In one epoch, the state assumes primacy and in another the markets. The issue, it would appear, is these swings, which can, at times, turn out to be manic, creating disorder and at times even mayhem in economics, finance and political economy. Can these swings be obviated? Yes, they can be through prudent policymaking. But the key here is co-ordinated policy action across the world. It amounts to stating a cliché that notwithstanding the process of deglobalization we live in and will continue to live in an interconnected world where a certain policy decision in one part of the world can have global ramifications and consequences. Policy coordination with a multilateral ingress is then imperative. But, above all the philosophical thrust and tour de force of this co-ordinated policymaking should be a dynamic that integrates both the state and the markets in almost equipoise. The world is littered with examples of both state failures and market failures. Neither the state nor the markets on their own suffice. There has to be a balance between the two. One other fallout and consequence of the pandemic is on globalisation. COVID 19 is slowing it considerably if not hastening its demise. But redemption for globalisation might lie in creating a synthesis and balance between the state and markets. If and when this balance and synthesis is arrived at, it may even salvage globalisation by making it fairer and defined by sobriety and proportion. All in all, the world is at an inflexion point in many dimensions. Be it international politics, economics, political economy and even culture, themes that had assumed paradigmatic proportions are being upended and in the process of being reviewed. But, it is important not to be carried away by the gale of COVID 19 by creating policy momentum on mono-focal paradigms. What needs to be understood clearly is that it is balance and equipoise that leads to prudent outcomes (accounting for ‘unknown unknowns). In the realm of political economy, this means aiming at a balance and synthesis between the state and markets and not privileging one over the other, no matter what the proverbial ‘ tea leaves’ suggest. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Which way is COVID-19 pushing the world?

At the time when scientists all over the world are searching for possible treatment to combat the COVID-19 outbreak,&nbsp;a study has claimed that antibodies found in llamas could be useful.&nbsp;

Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium are working on antibodies taken from a llama.

These&nbsp;antibodies&nbsp;are&nbsp;a type of protein produced by animal immune systems that fight foreign invaders, which binds tightly to a key protein found on the coronavirus.

According to Dorien de Vlieger, doctoral researcher working on llama antibodies&nbsp;at the university, "llamas have a special type of antibodies. They are&nbsp;smaller in comaparison&nbsp;to human antibodies&nbsp;because they lack certain things. But&nbsp;the advantage of these molecules is that they are very stable. "

A four-year-old&nbsp;female illama named Winter has been&nbsp;injected by a protein present on the surface of the coronavirus, in the hope of developing antivirals that could help in the treatment.

These are the ''first antibodies known to neutralise Sars-CoV-2,'' according&nbsp;to the press release of the study.&nbsp;

''The antibodies could also be used to treat somebody who is already sick to lessen the severity of the disease,''&nbsp;it added.&nbsp;

The researchers have been working on coronaviruses and in 2016 injected on a four-year-old Winter, a llama with SARS and MERS. The antibodies produced helped in targetting SARS virus's spike proteins, which allows it to stick with human cells.&nbsp;

They did a similar experiment, again on Winter,&nbsp;with COVID-19 this year to see the result. The antibodies did bind itself, but it did so "weekly". So, the team linked two copies of the antibody together for an effective result.&nbsp;

However, the team is preparing for more trials with hamsters or primates to further test the study, before applying it to humans. The first set of human testing of antibodies to start by end of the year.

This is not the first time an antibody has been developed from this animal.

There has been a pre-exisiting drug in the market to treat a blood disorder called Thrombotic Thrombo-Ctyopenic Purpura.

However, the antibodies from the camel-like beast are going to be used for the treatment of a respiratory illness fo the very first time. 
&nbsp;

At the time when scientists all over the world are searching for possible treatment to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, a study has claimed that antibodies found in llamas could be useful.

At the time when scientists all over the world are searching for possible treatment to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, a study has claimed that antibodies found in llamas could be useful. Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium are working on antibodies taken from a llama. These antibodies are a type of protein produced by animal immune systems that fight foreign invaders, which binds tightly to a key protein found on the coronavirus. According to Dorien de Vlieger, doctoral researcher working on llama antibodies at the university, "llamas have a special type of antibodies. They are smaller in comaparison to human antibodies because they lack certain things. But the advantage of these molecules is that they are very stable. " A four-year-old female illama named Winter has been injected by a protein present on the surface of the coronavirus, in the hope of developing antivirals that could help in the treatment. These are the ''first antibodies known to neutralise Sars-CoV-2,'' according to the press release of the study. ''The antibodies could also be used to treat somebody who is already sick to lessen the severity of the disease,'' it added. The researchers have been working on coronaviruses and in 2016 injected on a four-year-old Winter, a llama with SARS and MERS. The antibodies produced helped in targetting SARS virus's spike proteins, which allows it to stick with human cells. They did a similar experiment, again on Winter, with COVID-19 this year to see the result. The antibodies did bind itself, but it did so "weekly". So, the team linked two copies of the antibody together for an effective result. However, the team is preparing for more trials with hamsters or primates to further test the study, before applying it to humans. The first set of human testing of antibodies to start by end of the year. This is not the first time an antibody has been developed from this animal. There has been a pre-exisiting drug in the market to treat a blood disorder called Thrombotic Thrombo-Ctyopenic Purpura. However, the antibodies from the camel-like beast are going to be used for the treatment of a respiratory illness fo the very first time.

Llama antibodies can help in treating coronavirus: Study

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Monday gave the authorities five days to develop a system to track people who have come into contact with anyone with coronavirus by using mobile phone geolocation data.

Under the new system, people would be sent information if they came into contact with someone who was infected and the same information would be passed on to special regional headquarters set up to fight the respiratory disease pandemic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spain-death-toll-tops-2000-after-462-deaths-in-24-hours-288065" hreflang="en">Spain death toll tops 2,000 after 462 deaths in 24 hours</a>

The Kremlin said the measure was legal and part of a raft of measures Russia is taking to try to halt spread of the virus.

The measure will trace "citizens who are in contact with patients with new coronavirus infection on the basis of information from cellular operators about the geolocation of a cell phone of a particular person, which would allow citizens to be notified (over the phone) if they have been in contact with a person suffering from the new coronavirus, sending relevant messages to inform them of the need for self-isolation..." the communications ministry said in a statement.

Russia, which has a temporary ban on the entry of foreigners in place, has 438 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far and one virus-related death - less than many European countries.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-provides-unexpected-boost-for-kenyan-fishermen-288063" hreflang="en">Coronavirus provides unexpected boost for Kenyan fishermen</a>

On Monday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin told residents of the Russian capital over the age of 65 and those with chronic illnesses to remain at home.

Russia is gradually tightening quarantine rules and readying its healthcare system for more cases. Sobyanin told the elderly and other vulnerable residents to only make trips to pharmacies and shops if absolutely necessary from Thursday until April 14.

Stay at home or dachas

Where possible, he also advised the elderly to leave the city and stay at their dachas - out-of-town cottages on private plots of land which many Russian families traditionally own.

The city, which has 262 confirmed infections out of the total of 438 reported across Russia, will give 4,000 roubles ($49) to all over 65s and people with chronic illnesses.

City hall has required mobile phone operators not to switch off phone and internet access for the elderly if their balance hits zero, and temporarily cancelled fines for late payment of utility bills.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-one-billion-people-self-isolating-globally-to-limit-the-spread-of-coronavirus-288061" hreflang="en">More than one billion people self-isolating globally to limit the spread of coronavirus</a>

Moscow has also changed its coronavirus testing system. Samples will no longer be sent to a lab in Siberia for a second round of testing to confirm a positive result received during tests conducted in labs in the capital, the city's coronavirus response headquarters said in a statement.

"The diagnosis of 'coronavirus infection' will be registered after the first positive test...Repeated testing, if necessary, will also be conducted in Moscow," the head office said.

Russia is also taking steps to prepare its food supply and medical system for a potential upsurge in coronavirus cases.

The government said on Monday it had asked the agriculture ministry and other officials to prepare proposals on whether exports of any food, essential products or medicine should be limited. [nL8N2BG1RX]

The government also ordered the labour and justice ministries to devise plans to prevent workers from being fired for coronavirus-related reasons, such as self-isolation.

"I believe that overall, we have the situation with coronavirus under control," Mishustin said. "But preparation for more serious challenges is necessary."

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Monday gave the authorities five days to develop a system to track people who have come into contact with anyone with coronavirus by using mobile phone geolocation data.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Monday gave the authorities five days to develop a system to track people who have come into contact with anyone with coronavirus by using mobile phone geolocation data. Under the new system, people would be sent information if they came into contact with someone who was infected and the same information would be passed on to special regional headquarters set up to fight the respiratory disease pandemic. Also read: Spain death toll tops 2,000 after 462 deaths in 24 hours The Kremlin said the measure was legal and part of a raft of measures Russia is taking to try to halt spread of the virus. The measure will trace "citizens who are in contact with patients with new coronavirus infection on the basis of information from cellular operators about the geolocation of a cell phone of a particular person, which would allow citizens to be notified (over the phone) if they have been in contact with a person suffering from the new coronavirus, sending relevant messages to inform them of the need for self-isolation..." the communications ministry said in a statement. Russia, which has a temporary ban on the entry of foreigners in place, has 438 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far and one virus-related death - less than many European countries. Also read: Coronavirus provides unexpected boost for Kenyan fishermen On Monday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin told residents of the Russian capital over the age of 65 and those with chronic illnesses to remain at home. Russia is gradually tightening quarantine rules and readying its healthcare system for more cases. Sobyanin told the elderly and other vulnerable residents to only make trips to pharmacies and shops if absolutely necessary from Thursday until April 14. Stay at home or dachas Where possible, he also advised the elderly to leave the city and stay at their dachas - out-of-town cottages on private plots of land which many Russian families traditionally own. The city, which has 262 confirmed infections out of the total of 438 reported across Russia, will give 4,000 roubles ($49) to all over 65s and people with chronic illnesses. City hall has required mobile phone operators not to switch off phone and internet access for the elderly if their balance hits zero, and temporarily cancelled fines for late payment of utility bills. Also read: More than one billion people self-isolating globally to limit the spread of coronavirus Moscow has also changed its coronavirus testing system. Samples will no longer be sent to a lab in Siberia for a second round of testing to confirm a positive result received during tests conducted in labs in the capital, the city's coronavirus response headquarters said in a statement. "The diagnosis of 'coronavirus infection' will be registered after the first positive test...Repeated testing, if necessary, will also be conducted in Moscow," the head office said. Russia is also taking steps to prepare its food supply and medical system for a potential upsurge in coronavirus cases. The government said on Monday it had asked the agriculture ministry and other officials to prepare proposals on whether exports of any food, essential products or medicine should be limited. [nL8N2BG1RX] The government also ordered the labour and justice ministries to devise plans to prevent workers from being fired for coronavirus-related reasons, such as self-isolation. "I believe that overall, we have the situation with coronavirus under control," Mishustin said. "But preparation for more serious challenges is necessary."

Russia to use mobile phones to track people at risk of coronavirus

Wuhan virus spread across the Nation. South Asia battels against coronavirus.

South Asia tackles Covid 19-spread