Cuban opera singer Andrés Sánchez found a new audience on Sunday night to perform his arias for, since concert halls were shut down on the island as part of a lockdown due to the novel coronavirus.

Opera singer performs from his balcony in Havana

Mexicans are throwing food out of windows and from balconies to help their fellow residents. It's all part of a donation campaign called "Avienta Una Despensa" ("Throw an Item out of the Window") that launched recently to support Mexicans affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mexicans toss donations from balconies for fellow residents in need during pandemic

As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Brazil, some residents are determined to keep up with their workout routines even if it means a little adjustment.

Toned and trim: Brazilians prioritize exercise amid pandemic

Thais flocked to get a massage and see movies on Monday (June 1) as the country eased its lockdown on more businesses in response to its low number of locally transmitted cases of the coronavirus.

Thais head for a massage and a movie as virus lockdown eases

US-China relations have kept the global economy and all the economic agents on the edge of their seats. Even when COVID-19 has cast a dark spell on the globe, both sides are doing their best to entertain us. Geopolitics deaccelerated the global economy in 2019 and in the beginning of this year it took a pause. Then virus entered into scene and it became the theme of round two in this clash of titans. Both sides blamed each other for spreading the virus, private companies were being targeted and now Hong Kong has become the epicentre. After China approved a new security bill which will impact the autonomy of Hong Kong, the US took steps to revoke special trade privileges it gave to Hong Kong. Although Phase 1 trade deal is still intact for now. However, it brings the question&nbsp;why these nations are engaged in this trade conflict.&nbsp;

US story

Team US knows that free international trade is advantageous (positive-sum game) for both the parties as argued by Adam Smith and David Ricardo. However, the US argues that it only happens if both the parties abide by the rules of free trade and if that’s not the case then trade become zero-sum game (where one would gain at the cost of other). So players of team US states that even after China joined WTO they continued to engage in unfair trade practices and acted like a modern mercantilist. China gave export subsidies and manipulated its currency to get an unfair competitive advantage in the international market. So the US imposed all these trade barriers on China to create a level playing field. Beside this US feels that China has poached a lot of US companies to do business in China and that has impacted jobs of workers in the US. At the same time, China is accused of using various means to exploit MNCs in China. Such as forced technology transfer, IP thefts, biased treatment between foreign MNCs and domestic Chinese firms. China has also been accused of cyber-attacks. So all the trade and non-trade measures like attacking business eco-system of Huawei are taken as a response to China’s unfair actions. &nbsp;

China’s Story&nbsp;

China is considered the world’s factory and it seems to have acted like one big firm. In the 1970s, it realised that its labour is relatively cheap and efficient than neighbouring countries and it started taking advantage. China incentivised local officials to take advantage of this cheap labours. Generally, a politician’s objective is considered votes and bureaucrat’s objective is power and control. So they engage in rent-seeking behaviour like bribes, while local politicians engage in favours for its voters to maintain its vote bank. Now China here took advantage of its authoritarian regime and created a system where a local official would rose in rank if his/her area would develop rapidly. So these local officials started bringing in foreign companies and technologies to their cities, establish factories and develop their cities. Gradually China deregulated its economy, increased its expenditure in R&amp;D (from less than 0.6 per cent of GDP in 1996 to 2.14 per cent of GDP as per world bank) became a member of WTO, started manufacturing more high value-added products and used means like reverse engineering to catch up with latest technologies pretty quickly. &nbsp;

Now, China has caught up with most of the latest technologies in most of the sectors, so this means the skills of workers increased and that translated in high wages of labour. This rise in labour cost is reducing the attraction for MNCs to establish themselves in China. Current geopolitical environment and negative feelings against China after pandemic are actually pushing companies away from China. &nbsp;

Economic growth is important as it reduces the chances of social unrest. For this, China has to open up the economy and make it more competitive. However, that is difficult because China is a homogenous country and diversity brought in by globalisation makes it uncomfortable. At the same time, China still remembers a century of humiliation where different foreign powers conquered China again and again. So that also acts as hurdles in opening up. &nbsp;

US-China conflict

After World War II, the world was bipolar and two great powers the US and USSR existed. Then in 1990, USSR collapsed and America became global hegemon (Supreme Power). For many years China, on the other hand, remained low and continued developing itself without global ambitions. However, now China feels that it has developed enough and after 2008 crises it seems to be more convinced that it in the near future it would become a global superpower. &nbsp;

Organski has stated in his power transition theory that hegemon state would try to prevent any challenger from rising and threatening its hegemony. This explains all the actions that the US takes against China, whether it’s a weaponising economic tool or attacking image and intentions of China. America also has a big advantage of soft power (Influencing through appeal and attraction rather than force). The American ethos of liberal ideas, making big on your own and pop culture resonate so deeply with the whole world that it became a symbol of the way ahead. &nbsp;

This soft power is something that China is struggling with. Chinese actions in Hong Kong, the South China Sea, trapping countries by debts is portraying China as a bully. Currently, there is a higher mistrust against China in the world. So the US is taking various actions against China as that would not just harm the dragon but may also potentially increase the soft power of America. It’s because these actions will portray that the US punished China for its wrongdoings on behalf of the whole world. &nbsp;

So China is trying to compensate by improving its technology. As it believes that this would not just help in growing economically but also in influencing people across the world. Huawei is like one of the flag bearers for China in this regard. That’s why the US is attacking the company so as to delay the technological advancement of China.&nbsp;

China is also considered a system designer or some say a system re-designer. China feels that the current system is designed by the US to maintain its hegemony. So what’s the better time to redesign the system and stronghold its presence when the world is destabilised and in shock. That explains the aggressive actions of China recently. This shows that even Europe would become a battleground. After the world war, the US helped Europe by Marshall Plan which cemented their relations, but this time the US has in-fact imposed trade barriers on Europe and that is impacting relations negatively. Relations within Europe are also not on best terms. Brexit brought tensions between the UK and the European Union. Even members of the European Union are dealing with mistrust among them. So all this creates an opportunity for China to increase its influence in Europe at the expense of the US.&nbsp;

Now China has done a lot of catch up effect. So, to keep growing rapidly, innovations in new technologies are a must. For that China needs to incentivise and deregulate its Universities and private companies a lot more. But highly deregulated universities and private companies have huge potential to challenge the authoritarian regime in China. If it won’t do that then economic growth may stagnate and that in itself will lead to revolt. So it seems that way ahead is pretty tough for China even domestically and in that case, the US may continue to enjoy its hegemony. However, China growth story is pretty unique and we can’t write it off that simply. So fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride. &nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

US-China relations have kept the global economy and all the economic agents on the edge of their seats. Even when COVID-19 has cast a dark spell on the globe, both sides are doing their best to entertain us.

US-China relations have kept the global economy and all the economic agents on the edge of their seats. Even when COVID-19 has cast a dark spell on the globe, both sides are doing their best to entertain us. Geopolitics deaccelerated the global economy in 2019 and in the beginning of this year it took a pause. Then virus entered into scene and it became the theme of round two in this clash of titans. Both sides blamed each other for spreading the virus, private companies were being targeted and now Hong Kong has become the epicentre. After China approved a new security bill which will impact the autonomy of Hong Kong, the US took steps to revoke special trade privileges it gave to Hong Kong. Although Phase 1 trade deal is still intact for now. However, it brings the question why these nations are engaged in this trade conflict. US story Team US knows that free international trade is advantageous (positive-sum game) for both the parties as argued by Adam Smith and David Ricardo. However, the US argues that it only happens if both the parties abide by the rules of free trade and if that’s not the case then trade become zero-sum game (where one would gain at the cost of other). So players of team US states that even after China joined WTO they continued to engage in unfair trade practices and acted like a modern mercantilist. China gave export subsidies and manipulated its currency to get an unfair competitive advantage in the international market. So the US imposed all these trade barriers on China to create a level playing field. Beside this US feels that China has poached a lot of US companies to do business in China and that has impacted jobs of workers in the US. At the same time, China is accused of using various means to exploit MNCs in China. Such as forced technology transfer, IP thefts, biased treatment between foreign MNCs and domestic Chinese firms. China has also been accused of cyber-attacks. So all the trade and non-trade measures like attacking business eco-system of Huawei are taken as a response to China’s unfair actions. China’s Story China is considered the world’s factory and it seems to have acted like one big firm. In the 1970s, it realised that its labour is relatively cheap and efficient than neighbouring countries and it started taking advantage. China incentivised local officials to take advantage of this cheap labours. Generally, a politician’s objective is considered votes and bureaucrat’s objective is power and control. So they engage in rent-seeking behaviour like bribes, while local politicians engage in favours for its voters to maintain its vote bank. Now China here took advantage of its authoritarian regime and created a system where a local official would rose in rank if his/her area would develop rapidly. So these local officials started bringing in foreign companies and technologies to their cities, establish factories and develop their cities. Gradually China deregulated its economy, increased its expenditure in R&D (from less than 0.6 per cent of GDP in 1996 to 2.14 per cent of GDP as per world bank) became a member of WTO, started manufacturing more high value-added products and used means like reverse engineering to catch up with latest technologies pretty quickly. Now, China has caught up with most of the latest technologies in most of the sectors, so this means the skills of workers increased and that translated in high wages of labour. This rise in labour cost is reducing the attraction for MNCs to establish themselves in China. Current geopolitical environment and negative feelings against China after pandemic are actually pushing companies away from China. Economic growth is important as it reduces the chances of social unrest. For this, China has to open up the economy and make it more competitive. However, that is difficult because China is a homogenous country and diversity brought in by globalisation makes it uncomfortable. At the same time, China still remembers a century of humiliation where different foreign powers conquered China again and again. So that also acts as hurdles in opening up. US-China conflict After World War II, the world was bipolar and two great powers the US and USSR existed. Then in 1990, USSR collapsed and America became global hegemon (Supreme Power). For many years China, on the other hand, remained low and continued developing itself without global ambitions. However, now China feels that it has developed enough and after 2008 crises it seems to be more convinced that it in the near future it would become a global superpower. Organski has stated in his power transition theory that hegemon state would try to prevent any challenger from rising and threatening its hegemony. This explains all the actions that the US takes against China, whether it’s a weaponising economic tool or attacking image and intentions of China. America also has a big advantage of soft power (Influencing through appeal and attraction rather than force). The American ethos of liberal ideas, making big on your own and pop culture resonate so deeply with the whole world that it became a symbol of the way ahead. This soft power is something that China is struggling with. Chinese actions in Hong Kong, the South China Sea, trapping countries by debts is portraying China as a bully. Currently, there is a higher mistrust against China in the world. So the US is taking various actions against China as that would not just harm the dragon but may also potentially increase the soft power of America. It’s because these actions will portray that the US punished China for its wrongdoings on behalf of the whole world. So China is trying to compensate by improving its technology. As it believes that this would not just help in growing economically but also in influencing people across the world. Huawei is like one of the flag bearers for China in this regard. That’s why the US is attacking the company so as to delay the technological advancement of China. China is also considered a system designer or some say a system re-designer. China feels that the current system is designed by the US to maintain its hegemony. So what’s the better time to redesign the system and stronghold its presence when the world is destabilised and in shock. That explains the aggressive actions of China recently. This shows that even Europe would become a battleground. After the world war, the US helped Europe by Marshall Plan which cemented their relations, but this time the US has in-fact imposed trade barriers on Europe and that is impacting relations negatively. Relations within Europe are also not on best terms. Brexit brought tensions between the UK and the European Union. Even members of the European Union are dealing with mistrust among them. So all this creates an opportunity for China to increase its influence in Europe at the expense of the US. Now China has done a lot of catch up effect. So, to keep growing rapidly, innovations in new technologies are a must. For that China needs to incentivise and deregulate its Universities and private companies a lot more. But highly deregulated universities and private companies have huge potential to challenge the authoritarian regime in China. If it won’t do that then economic growth may stagnate and that in itself will lead to revolt. So it seems that way ahead is pretty tough for China even domestically and in that case, the US may continue to enjoy its hegemony. However, China growth story is pretty unique and we can’t write it off that simply. So fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Here's how geopolitical developments amid coronavirus crisis impact US and China

The Metropolitan Opera canceled its fall 2020 performances on Monday and postponed several new productions to future seasons as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc with New York's cultural life.

The storied opera house, which has been dark since mid-March because of the health crisis, said it still planned to go ahead with an abbreviated season to start December 31 instead of September.

"Given the enormous organizational complexity of the Met's schedule, we have no choice but to cancel our fall season," General Manager Peter Gelb said.

"The health and safety of our company members and our audience is our top priority, and it is simply not feasible to return to the opera house for a September opening while social distancing remains a requirement."

The announcement comes a week before New York City is slated to begin its "phase one" reopening following a near-total shutdown of most non-essential activities as the city implemented social distancing protocols to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The first phase permits manufacturers, wholesale suppliers and some retailers to resume operations with restrictions.&nbsp;

However, live performances are not permitted until "phase four" of the New York State plan, for which there is still no timetable.

The Met's truncated schedule means it won't stage a new production of Verdi's "Aida" scheduled to open the season, or a premiere of Prokofiev's "The Fiery Angel."

<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/opera-returns-to-vienna-with-hotel-window-concert-302574" hreflang="en">Opera returns to Vienna with hotel 'window concert'</a></h2>

Those new productions will be performed in future seasons, the company said. The Met will also postpone new productions of two Mozart operas, "The Magic Flute" and "Don Giovanni," and will instead present revivals of the pieces in the 2020-21 season.

The opera house still intends to go ahead with the April 2021 premiere of the modern work "Dead Man Walking" by Jake Heggie.

The Met also announced other tweaks to its plans, including shortening some performances and moving up the curtain time to earlier in the evening when possible.

The Metropolitan Opera canceled its fall 2020 performances on Monday and postponed several new productions to future seasons as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc with New York's cultural life.

The Metropolitan Opera canceled its fall 2020 performances on Monday and postponed several new productions to future seasons as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc with New York's cultural life. The storied opera house, which has been dark since mid-March because of the health crisis, said it still planned to go ahead with an abbreviated season to start December 31 instead of September. "Given the enormous organizational complexity of the Met's schedule, we have no choice but to cancel our fall season," General Manager Peter Gelb said. "The health and safety of our company members and our audience is our top priority, and it is simply not feasible to return to the opera house for a September opening while social distancing remains a requirement." The announcement comes a week before New York City is slated to begin its "phase one" reopening following a near-total shutdown of most non-essential activities as the city implemented social distancing protocols to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The first phase permits manufacturers, wholesale suppliers and some retailers to resume operations with restrictions. However, live performances are not permitted until "phase four" of the New York State plan, for which there is still no timetable. The Met's truncated schedule means it won't stage a new production of Verdi's "Aida" scheduled to open the season, or a premiere of Prokofiev's "The Fiery Angel." Opera returns to Vienna with hotel 'window concert' Those new productions will be performed in future seasons, the company said. The Met will also postpone new productions of two Mozart operas, "The Magic Flute" and "Don Giovanni," and will instead present revivals of the pieces in the 2020-21 season. The opera house still intends to go ahead with the April 2021 premiere of the modern work "Dead Man Walking" by Jake Heggie. The Met also announced other tweaks to its plans, including shortening some performances and moving up the curtain time to earlier in the evening when possible.

Met Opera cancels fall season due to COVID-19

Three panda cubs, born during the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, have spent their first "Children's Day" at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, rolling around in their crib, sleeping and eating.

Three panda cubs born during epidemic celebrate first "Children's Day"

A priest in Mexico's best-known border city Tijuana is driven around town to bless parishioners who haven't been able to attend Mass for weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Tijuana priest rides around city blessing people from the back of a pickup truck

Vienna's famous Prater amusement park celebrated its opening weekend, as the Austrian government continued to ease its coronavirus lockdown measures.

Austrian kids delight in amusement park reopening despite new coronavirus regulations

A sunny weekend in Russia's Baltic port of St Petersburg lured big numbers of people out into the parks and recreation areas, in spite of the quarantine restrictions still in place in the country.

St Petersburg parks brimming on sunny weekend despite quarantine

Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound reopened to Muslim worshippers and visitors on Sunday (May 31) after a two-and-a-half month coronavirus closure, but authorities imposed some precautions as health officials warned of an uptick in local infections.

Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque reopens after more than two months

Bottlenecks at borders as government screen lorry drivers to contain the new coronavirus are putting the delivery of vital food supplies in East Africa at risk, the U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) warned.

East Africa battles hunger amid COVID-19 pandemic

Renault acknowledged that its global ambitions had been unrealistic, announcing plans to cut about 15,000 jobs, shrink production and restructure French plants as it pressed the reset button and sought to banish the spectre of Carlos Ghosn.

Renault to lay-off 15,000 people globally | COVID-19 crisis

Speaking to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Frankfurt airport, India's envoy to Germany Mukta Dutta Tomar highlighted the key role played by Gurudwaras in the country in providing food and support to stranded in Indians. Remember Gurudwaras in countries like Australia, Portugal, Canada, the US have been helping out the stranded Indian nationals.

Mukta Dutta Tomar: We will increase our efforts to get people back to India

Along with hairstylists, camera operators and the hundreds of others who make magic happen for TV and film, Hollywood is counting on a new supporting member for future productions: COVID-19 consultants. 
 
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted producers, movie studios and workers` unions to seek expert advice on how to safely reopen film and TV sets, which shut down worldwide in mid-March. 
 
In demand are epidemiologists and other public health specialists to provide detailed strategies for dealing with large crews who work in cramped spaces, makeup artists who get face-to-face with stars, and actors who kiss, hug and fight on set. 
 
The shutdown has taken a severe financial toll across the industry, as well as on cities such as Los Angeles that benefit economically from production. Restarting is important to companies, including Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co and others, which need fresh programming to engage audiences.

In pics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-miley-cyrus-to-ruby-ross-stars-debut-new-hair-style-in-quarantine-300617" hreflang="en">From Miley Cyrus to Ruby Ross: Stars debut new hair-style in quarantine</a> 
 
While sets remain empty in the United States, productions are ramping back up in South Korea, Australia, Sweden, as well as New Zealand, where James Cameron's 'Avatar 2'&nbsp;is restarting this week.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/chris-evans-almost-turned-down-the-captain-america-role-for-this-reason-301475" hreflang="en">Chris Evans almost turned down the 'Captain America' role for this reason</a> 
 
People who work in the industry expect to see smaller crews, regular testing, hand sanitizer everywhere and the use of computer-generated imagery to create big crowds on-screen when work resumes. 
 
Writer-director Tyler Perry has taken the lead on getting cameras rolling again, announcing plans to begin shooting two BET television series on July 8 at his studio complex in Atlanta.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/chrissy-teigen-to-remove-breast-implants-gets-tested-for-covid-19-as-precaution-301455" hreflang="en">Chrissy Teigen to remove breast implants, gets tested for COVID-19 as precaution</a>

Perry's 330-acre self-contained lot offers housing where people can be isolated to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes a sometimes fatal respiratory illness called COVID-19. 
 
In a 31-page outline, Perry said "it took a village of staff, medical doctors, epidemiologists, lawyers, union reps, talent and their reps, crew members, insurers, and a lot of other great thinkers" to develop safeguards. 
One was Dr Carlos del Rio, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University, who said he advised that all cast and crew be tested at the start and at least once during the two weeks they remain sequestered for a shoot. 
 
Del Rio also made recommendations on hygiene and other protections, though he noted nothing offers a 100% guarantee.

In pics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/films-that-had-prominent-characters-don-masks-way-before-coronavirus-scare-300400" hreflang="en">Films that had prominent characters don masks way before coronavirus scare</a>

"It may fail" to keep coronavirus completely out of the set, he said. "But I think it's also not feasible to say we`re going to wait until the virus goes away, or we have a vaccine because then we might as well not work for the next two years." 
 
New protocols, unions representing actors and set employees, including SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and the Directors Guild of America, have hired experts from Harvard and the University of California to help develop guidelines. 
 
All are looking to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is taking input from labour and industry representatives and said he is aiming to release protocols for film and TV shoots as early as this week. 
 
Actors are watching closely. Actress Anna Kendrick, in an interview, promoting her HBO Max series 'Love Life,' said some ideas she`s heard a sound like they're from "somebody who's never been on a film set." 
 
"In my experience people on film sets, as opposed to people in an airport, we all know we’re on the same team, we’re all just trying to keep each other safe," she said. "I think it can be done, but I haven’t seen super great solutions yet." 
 
Handling the coronavirus is complicated in television because many workers are freelancers, said Dr Paul Litchfield, an occupational physician, who helped develop guidelines for TV networks in Britain. 
 
"People are moving in and out of your bubble to other productions with other companies," he said. "So it's making sure that the guidance is consistent across (TV) companies."

Along with hairstylists, camera operators and the hundreds of others who make magic happen for TV and film, Hollywood is counting on a new supporting member for future productions: COVID-19 consultants.

Along with hairstylists, camera operators and the hundreds of others who make magic happen for TV and film, Hollywood is counting on a new supporting member for future productions: COVID-19 consultants. The coronavirus pandemic has prompted producers, movie studios and workers` unions to seek expert advice on how to safely reopen film and TV sets, which shut down worldwide in mid-March. In demand are epidemiologists and other public health specialists to provide detailed strategies for dealing with large crews who work in cramped spaces, makeup artists who get face-to-face with stars, and actors who kiss, hug and fight on set. The shutdown has taken a severe financial toll across the industry, as well as on cities such as Los Angeles that benefit economically from production. Restarting is important to companies, including Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co and others, which need fresh programming to engage audiences. In pics: From Miley Cyrus to Ruby Ross: Stars debut new hair-style in quarantine While sets remain empty in the United States, productions are ramping back up in South Korea, Australia, Sweden, as well as New Zealand, where James Cameron's 'Avatar 2' is restarting this week. Also read: Chris Evans almost turned down the 'Captain America' role for this reason People who work in the industry expect to see smaller crews, regular testing, hand sanitizer everywhere and the use of computer-generated imagery to create big crowds on-screen when work resumes. Writer-director Tyler Perry has taken the lead on getting cameras rolling again, announcing plans to begin shooting two BET television series on July 8 at his studio complex in Atlanta. Also read: Chrissy Teigen to remove breast implants, gets tested for COVID-19 as precaution Perry's 330-acre self-contained lot offers housing where people can be isolated to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes a sometimes fatal respiratory illness called COVID-19. In a 31-page outline, Perry said "it took a village of staff, medical doctors, epidemiologists, lawyers, union reps, talent and their reps, crew members, insurers, and a lot of other great thinkers" to develop safeguards. One was Dr Carlos del Rio, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University, who said he advised that all cast and crew be tested at the start and at least once during the two weeks they remain sequestered for a shoot. Del Rio also made recommendations on hygiene and other protections, though he noted nothing offers a 100% guarantee. In pics: Films that had prominent characters don masks way before coronavirus scare "It may fail" to keep coronavirus completely out of the set, he said. "But I think it's also not feasible to say we`re going to wait until the virus goes away, or we have a vaccine because then we might as well not work for the next two years." New protocols, unions representing actors and set employees, including SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and the Directors Guild of America, have hired experts from Harvard and the University of California to help develop guidelines. All are looking to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is taking input from labour and industry representatives and said he is aiming to release protocols for film and TV shoots as early as this week. Actors are watching closely. Actress Anna Kendrick, in an interview, promoting her HBO Max series 'Love Life,' said some ideas she`s heard a sound like they're from "somebody who's never been on a film set." "In my experience people on film sets, as opposed to people in an airport, we all know we’re on the same team, we’re all just trying to keep each other safe," she said. "I think it can be done, but I haven’t seen super great solutions yet." Handling the coronavirus is complicated in television because many workers are freelancers, said Dr Paul Litchfield, an occupational physician, who helped develop guidelines for TV networks in Britain. "People are moving in and out of your bubble to other productions with other companies," he said. "So it's making sure that the guidance is consistent across (TV) companies."

Wanted in Hollywood: COVID-19 consultants to help keep sets safe

With boarding pass in one hand and identification proof in the other, dozens of passengers flocked to the domestic airports to board flights to go back to their hometown.

Reaching the airport was a task in itself, as Chennai has not allowed cab services to function. Little did they know that they will reach the airport only to be told that the flight has been cancelled at the last minute.

The morning at Chennai domestic airport started with angry customers at Air India's window. Dozens of people, few who had travelled hours to reach the airport, were told to take a refund and go back home as the Civil Aviation Ministry cancelled few Air India flights at the last minute. When the angry crowd protested against it, the tickets were finally rescheduled for a later flight. 
 
<img alt="Travel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cc183cde-8d53-4cd5-b771-2f7cc4021a86" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Blog1.jpg" />

Absence of crowd

The Chennai domestic airport saw only 30 per cent of the usual rush, as few selected flights were allowed to take off and land. Passengers, including students and elderly, travelled from far off places.&nbsp;

Before entering, every passenger is asked to show the 'you are safe' badge on the Aarogya Setu app. The airport authority makes sure that passengers maintain the decided social distance before entering.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="Travel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3dbd2aa3-ec0a-4e0a-a231-97d8fc1cbec9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Blog2.jpg" />

To enter the airport, after checking the Aarogya Setu App, the passengers are required to show the e-boarding pass and identification proof to the personnel standing behind a glass sheet. This is the first place where the passengers are asked to remove their masks for facial recognition.&nbsp;

Then, the luggage is checked in and boarding passes are issued, all while maintaining social distance.&nbsp;

The passengers are then asked to head to the security check, where once again personnel behind a glass wall ask to show the boarding pass along with an uncovered face in the camera.&nbsp;

Thermal screening

This is the point where all passengers expect to go through the much talked about thermal screening.

As the electronic gadgets go in the tray, and one steps into the security check booth, the passengers realize that there was no specific change and no identified thermal screening happening (although few cameras installed might be helping to screen the passengers). It was one policewoman doing the regular security check, but while wearing a face shield that resembles a bee-keepers face shield. 
 
A self-declaration form was also signed by and collected from the passengers, through which the passengers declare that they are ready to cooperate with the authorities if an unfortunate situation takes place.

A long wait

Since the passengers are urged to report 3-4 hours before the departure time, they had to wait for a long time in the waiting lounge. The waiting area's shopping area is functional. However, the food services are limited to liquids (barring alcohol) and packaged goods such as chips, chocolates and cup noodles.

The executives running the shops told WION, "Before entering the airport premises, they check our fever. If they suspect anything wrong, they don't allow us to enter. It is risky for us personally, but this is my job and I have to do it."

"The sales are obviously less, but it is better than zero sales," he said while talking about the downfall in business. 
 
<img alt="Travel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7f6c128f-42cb-488d-80f4-f073aa469727" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/blog5.jpg" />

The waiting area is marked with social distancing marks, i.e. on a chair set of three, one middle seat had to be left unoccupied. All passengers waiting have to compulsorily wear facemasks and avoid all physical contact.&nbsp;

If this is the new normal, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) will have to face financial blunt for the next few months.

Take-off

For boarding the flight, the passengers are asked to queue in small groups, depending on seat numbers. The ground staff, equipped with face masks and gloves only, stands behind a small glass screen and checks the boarding pass from behind the wall and hands over a care package to all passengers which consists of a face mask, a face shield and five sachets of hand sanitizer. All passengers are told to discard their old face masks and only wear the ones provided by the airlines. The face shields are compulsory from this point forward.

The passengers then go through one more temperature check, and are then greeted in the aircraft by flight attendants, who are dressed in PPE suits. 
 
<img alt="Travel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74570f82-2758-4279-b5aa-2e63c27ea65e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Blog_7.jpg" /> 
 
That, surprisingly, was the end of the much talked and much-hyped strict health check-ups.

On landing, passengers are allowed to deboard in small groups. With no change in baggage claim, passengers are allowed to exit the airport through a specific gate which is manned by personnel keeping an eye on a camera-monitor screen.

And that is how flying domestic feels like in the new normal. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

With boarding pass in one hand and identification proof in the other, dozens of passengers flocked to the domestic airports to board flights to go back to their hometown.

With boarding pass in one hand and identification proof in the other, dozens of passengers flocked to the domestic airports to board flights to go back to their hometown. Reaching the airport was a task in itself, as Chennai has not allowed cab services to function. Little did they know that they will reach the airport only to be told that the flight has been cancelled at the last minute. The morning at Chennai domestic airport started with angry customers at Air India's window. Dozens of people, few who had travelled hours to reach the airport, were told to take a refund and go back home as the Civil Aviation Ministry cancelled few Air India flights at the last minute. When the angry crowd protested against it, the tickets were finally rescheduled for a later flight. Absence of crowd The Chennai domestic airport saw only 30 per cent of the usual rush, as few selected flights were allowed to take off and land. Passengers, including students and elderly, travelled from far off places. Before entering, every passenger is asked to show the 'you are safe' badge on the Aarogya Setu app. The airport authority makes sure that passengers maintain the decided social distance before entering. To enter the airport, after checking the Aarogya Setu App, the passengers are required to show the e-boarding pass and identification proof to the personnel standing behind a glass sheet. This is the first place where the passengers are asked to remove their masks for facial recognition. Then, the luggage is checked in and boarding passes are issued, all while maintaining social distance. The passengers are then asked to head to the security check, where once again personnel behind a glass wall ask to show the boarding pass along with an uncovered face in the camera. Thermal screening This is the point where all passengers expect to go through the much talked about thermal screening. As the electronic gadgets go in the tray, and one steps into the security check booth, the passengers realize that there was no specific change and no identified thermal screening happening (although few cameras installed might be helping to screen the passengers). It was one policewoman doing the regular security check, but while wearing a face shield that resembles a bee-keepers face shield. A self-declaration form was also signed by and collected from the passengers, through which the passengers declare that they are ready to cooperate with the authorities if an unfortunate situation takes place. A long wait Since the passengers are urged to report 3-4 hours before the departure time, they had to wait for a long time in the waiting lounge. The waiting area's shopping area is functional. However, the food services are limited to liquids (barring alcohol) and packaged goods such as chips, chocolates and cup noodles. The executives running the shops told WION, "Before entering the airport premises, they check our fever. If they suspect anything wrong, they don't allow us to enter. It is risky for us personally, but this is my job and I have to do it." "The sales are obviously less, but it is better than zero sales," he said while talking about the downfall in business. The waiting area is marked with social distancing marks, i.e. on a chair set of three, one middle seat had to be left unoccupied. All passengers waiting have to compulsorily wear facemasks and avoid all physical contact. If this is the new normal, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) will have to face financial blunt for the next few months. Take-off For boarding the flight, the passengers are asked to queue in small groups, depending on seat numbers. The ground staff, equipped with face masks and gloves only, stands behind a small glass screen and checks the boarding pass from behind the wall and hands over a care package to all passengers which consists of a face mask, a face shield and five sachets of hand sanitizer. All passengers are told to discard their old face masks and only wear the ones provided by the airlines. The face shields are compulsory from this point forward. The passengers then go through one more temperature check, and are then greeted in the aircraft by flight attendants, who are dressed in PPE suits. That, surprisingly, was the end of the much talked and much-hyped strict health check-ups. On landing, passengers are allowed to deboard in small groups. With no change in baggage claim, passengers are allowed to exit the airport through a specific gate which is manned by personnel keeping an eye on a camera-monitor screen. And that is how flying domestic feels like in the new normal. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Blog: Flying in the new normal days

While WHO is the wing of the United Nations, there is a subtle difference between the functioning style of WHO and expectations from it.

The UN is essentially a politically tinted organisation with membership for some countries being denied in the UN due to political reasons. For example, Taiwan is not a member of UN since China claims that Taiwan is part of China and it would seriously object if Taiwan would be given the membership of the UN.

Obviously, membership of the UN is being denied to some countries in view of the objections from the “powerful country”.

Several decades back, Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. After the bitter war, Bangladesh declared itself to be an independent country and was admitted as a member of the UN. Pakistan could not prevent Bangladesh from becoming a full-fledged member of the UN &nbsp;since Pakistan is a “weak country”. Later on, Pakistan itself recognised Bangladesh as a matter of inevitability.

While Taiwan has been denied membership of the UN due to objection from mainland China, almost every country in the world has trade and business relations with Taiwan including the Chinese government. Many industries from Taiwan have invested in mainland China and the Chinese government has no objection to it.

This situation shows that Taiwan has been accepted as a full-fledged country all over the world, though the UN denied membership to it.

WHO is founded with the objective of protecting the health of the world community, covering all citizens of the world. Therefore, WHO should represent the interest of every member of the world community, whether the community belongs to a country admitted in UN or not or even stateless persons.

For example, WHO is extremely concerned about the health issues of Rohingya refugees, though they are deemed to be stateless persons as of now, as they are refugees who have run out of Myanmar and staying in Bangladesh territory, without anyone knowing as to whether they would go back to Myanmar at any time or would permanently stay in Bangladesh, even without being given citizenship in Bangladesh, which means that they should be deemed as stateless persons.

When WHO expresses concern about the health issues of Myanmar refugees, is it right for WHO &nbsp;to keep its eyes closed with regard to Taiwan?

As a world organisation, it is the responsibility of WHO to monitor the health of world community, WHO cannot deny admission to any country in the world and it should not follow the practice of UN, &nbsp;which is a politically tinted organisation.

WHO should not buckle under the pressure of the Chinese government to keep Taiwan out.&nbsp;

At present, Taiwan is a well-advanced country with a strong technology background and it is very well evident from the fact that Taiwan pointed out the impending COVID 19 crisis quite early and brought it to the attention of &nbsp;WHO. If WHO had listened to Taiwan’s voice and heeded to it’s warning about the COVID 19, probably, the world could have been saved from the loss of thousands of lives and serious economic slow down that is confronting the world due to COVID 19 at present.

Whatever may be the political relationship between the Chinese government and Taiwan, there is no need for WHO to take note of it or being concerned about it.

WHO has the responsibility to protect the health interests of the entire world community and the citizens of Taiwan are part of the world community. 
&nbsp;

While WHO is the wing of the United Nations, there is a subtle difference between the functioning style of WHO and expectations from it. The UN is essentially a politically tinted organisation with membership for some countries being denied in the UN due to political reasons.

While WHO is the wing of the United Nations, there is a subtle difference between the functioning style of WHO and expectations from it. The UN is essentially a politically tinted organisation with membership for some countries being denied in the UN due to political reasons. For example, Taiwan is not a member of UN since China claims that Taiwan is part of China and it would seriously object if Taiwan would be given the membership of the UN. Obviously, membership of the UN is being denied to some countries in view of the objections from the “powerful country”. Several decades back, Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. After the bitter war, Bangladesh declared itself to be an independent country and was admitted as a member of the UN. Pakistan could not prevent Bangladesh from becoming a full-fledged member of the UN since Pakistan is a “weak country”. Later on, Pakistan itself recognised Bangladesh as a matter of inevitability. While Taiwan has been denied membership of the UN due to objection from mainland China, almost every country in the world has trade and business relations with Taiwan including the Chinese government. Many industries from Taiwan have invested in mainland China and the Chinese government has no objection to it. This situation shows that Taiwan has been accepted as a full-fledged country all over the world, though the UN denied membership to it. WHO is founded with the objective of protecting the health of the world community, covering all citizens of the world. Therefore, WHO should represent the interest of every member of the world community, whether the community belongs to a country admitted in UN or not or even stateless persons. For example, WHO is extremely concerned about the health issues of Rohingya refugees, though they are deemed to be stateless persons as of now, as they are refugees who have run out of Myanmar and staying in Bangladesh territory, without anyone knowing as to whether they would go back to Myanmar at any time or would permanently stay in Bangladesh, even without being given citizenship in Bangladesh, which means that they should be deemed as stateless persons. When WHO expresses concern about the health issues of Myanmar refugees, is it right for WHO to keep its eyes closed with regard to Taiwan? As a world organisation, it is the responsibility of WHO to monitor the health of world community, WHO cannot deny admission to any country in the world and it should not follow the practice of UN, which is a politically tinted organisation. WHO should not buckle under the pressure of the Chinese government to keep Taiwan out. At present, Taiwan is a well-advanced country with a strong technology background and it is very well evident from the fact that Taiwan pointed out the impending COVID 19 crisis quite early and brought it to the attention of WHO. If WHO had listened to Taiwan’s voice and heeded to it’s warning about the COVID 19, probably, the world could have been saved from the loss of thousands of lives and serious economic slow down that is confronting the world due to COVID 19 at present. Whatever may be the political relationship between the Chinese government and Taiwan, there is no need for WHO to take note of it or being concerned about it. WHO has the responsibility to protect the health interests of the entire world community and the citizens of Taiwan are part of the world community.

By excluding Taiwan, WHO remains a flawed organisation

The Wuhan Coronavirus has infected more than 50,00,000 people worldwide. India now accounts for 2.2% cases in the world. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay has the latest numbers.

Gravitas: Wuhan Coronavirus: More than 50,00,000 infected worldwide

Coronavirus cases in the US are growing. More than 93,000 Americans have died. But, President Donald Trump says US topping the world in Coronavirus cases is a 'badge of honour'. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you how protests against the Trump administration are growing.

Gravitas: Trump is 'proud' of the high number of Covid cases in US

The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed Japan into a recession. Why is the Japanese economy struggling? WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay gets you a report.

Gravitas: Japan faces worst post-war slump

Atleast 10,000 health workers in Iran have been infected with the Coronavirus. Meanwhile, 40 million people have been unemployed in the US during this pandemic. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay gets you the big global developments for Thursday.

Gravitas: Coronavirus: The big global developments for May 21

From ginger to honey to hot air, fake cures are spreading faster than the Coronavirus. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay gets you a fact-check.

Gravitas: Fact-check: Fake Coronavirus cures

A nurse who contracted the Coronavirus in San Francisco lost more than 20 kilograms. He shared shocking images of how his body transformed due to the disease. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you more.

Gravitas: Shocking weight loss from Coronavirus

The National People's Congress is an annual affair. But this year, the gathering of the Communist Party was different. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you how the spectre of the coronavirus hangs over the entire event.

Gravitas: China's biggest annual political circus

A Chinese agency has emerged as the biggest funder of coronavirus research. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you why this is a matter of concern.

Gravitas: World's biggest funder of Covid-19 research is Chinese

China's biggest political gathering - the National People's Congress kicked off today in Beijing. Despite growing global criticism, China used the event to project strength - and claim victory over the Coronavirus. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay gets you the five big takeaways from day one.

Gravitas: What is China's agenda for 2020

Anti-vaxxers are protesting in Europe and the United States. The prospect of compulsory vaccination has boosted a protest movement across cities in Europe. Watch report.

Bill Gates slammed by anti-vaxxers for funding research

Due to lockdown and COVID-19 crisis stress, there is a rise in domestic abuse cases across the globe. Watch the report to know more.

Domestic abuse cases increases across the globe

Jammu and Kashmir is celebrating low-key Eid. Watch WION Ground Report from Srinagar.

Muted Eid celebrations in J&K | WION Ground Report from Srinagar

On December 9, 2019, long before the world knew anything about it, a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdYDL_RK--w">video interview</a> took place with one of the key players in the COVID-19 drama, Dr Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance, who inadvertently may have provided indications of its true origin.

Much of that discussion centred around the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS) epidemic of 2002-2004, which was believed to have <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-018-0118-9">originated</a> in bats, although civets may have acted as an intermediate host.

While circulating in animals, the SARS virus mutated, acquiring the ability to infect humans, which it was assumed to have done so, infecting workers in a Guangdong, China animal market.

That explanation became the narrative now being promoted by the Chinese Communist Party, the media and some Western scientists to convince the world that COVID-19 was a naturally-occurring outbreak.

Beginning at 27:49, Dr Daszak explains the basis of the naturally-occurring narrative and the collection of over one hundred bat coronaviruses capable of infecting humans, but untreatable with drugs or vaccines. Those coronaviruses are presumed to be stored in Chinese laboratories.

“So, we did a couple of things with it. So, one is around SARS. We focused on SARS coronavirus emerged from a wildlife market. And whilst the first pandemic of this century. So, it’s big event. And, so we started to trace back from the wildlife market, which species carried the virus, that came into those markets. We found that it was bats, not civets, was the original idea. So, we started looking where did they come from. And we went out to southern China. And did surveillance of bats across southern China. And we’ve now found, after six or seven years of doing this, over one hundred new SARS-related coronaviruses, very close to SARS. Some of them get into human cells in the lab. And some of them can cause SARS disease in humanized mouse models. And are untreatable with therapeutic monoclonals [antibodies] and you can’t vaccinate against them with a vaccine.”

At 29:51, Dr Daszak describes bioengineering of those viruses by inserting components of one coronavirus into another.

“Well, I think, coronavirus is a pretty good, I mean, you’re a virologist [the interviewer], you know all this stuff, but the, you can manipulate them in the lab pretty easily. Spike protein drives a lot of what happens with the coronavirus, zoonotic risk. So, you can get the sequence, you can build the protein, and we work with Ralph Baric at UNC [University of North Carolina] to do this. Insert it into a backbone of another virus, and do some work in the lab. So, you can get more predictive, when you find the sequence. You have this diversity. Now, the logical progression for vaccines is, if you are going to develop a vaccine for SARS, people are going to use pandemic SARS, but let’s try to insert these other related and get a better vaccine.”

In 2015, Ralph Baric from the University of North Carolina and Zheng-Li Shi, the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-chinas-bat-woman-hunted-down-viruses-from-sars-to-the-new-coronavirus1/">“bat woman</a>” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology jointly published a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nm.3985">scientific article</a> describing the combination of the receptor-binding spike protein from a newly isolated coronavirus (SHC014) and the “backbone” from SARS-CoV, the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic.

That experiment produced a novel virus, chimera SHC014-MA15, which showed “robust viral replication both in vitro [cell cultures] and in vivo [animals],” using models adapted to test human infectivity.

The scientific consensus claims that COVID-19, like SARS, originated in bats.

There is conclusive scientific <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9">evidence</a>, however, that COVID-19’s receptor binding domain within the spike protein is structurally closest to that of pangolins (scaly anteaters), not bats, and it was the <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.20.052019v1">result</a> of a recombination, not convergent evolution.

Yet, pangolins have been<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1008421"> ruled out</a> as the intermediate host for COVID-19.

Even Dr Ralph Baric in a March 15, 2020 <a href="https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-591/">interview</a>, beginning at the 27:40 time point, stated unequivocally, that pangolins were not the source of COVID-19:

“Pangolins have over 3,000 nucleotide changes - no way they are the reservoir species [for COVID-19], absolutely no chance.”

It is, therefore, logical to conclude that the recombinant event resulting in a pangolin receptor binding domain within a bat coronavirus backbone must have occurred in a laboratory, in a manner similar to the experiment conducted by Ralph Baric and Zheng-Li Shi in 2015.

Furthermore, COVID-19’s S1/S2 furin polybasic cleavage site, a distinctive feature widely known for its ability to enhance <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6832359/">pathogenicity</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12250-020-00212-7">transmissibility</a> in coronaviruses, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276520302641#bib38">does not appear</a> in any of 45 bat, 5 human SARS, 2 civet, 1 pangolin and 1 racoon dog coronaviruses, that have S1/S2 junction structures otherwise identical or nearly identical to COVID-19.

There is no credible scientific evidence that the furin polybasic cleavage site evolved naturally, although the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276520302641#bib38">methods</a> for artificially inserting such cleavage sites are well-established.

It is important to note that the EcoHealth Alliance gets 80% of its funding from the U.S. government (9:22), has “been working in China for years” (19:40), and presumably uses U.S. taxpayer money to “hire technicians in labs or Ph.D. students” (12:08) in order to “teach people how to do it and give them the capacity and the tools” and “then you have really made a difference” (13:15).

Indeed. The EcoHealth Alliance may have really made a difference.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

On December 9, 2019, long before the world knew anything about it, a video interview took place with one of the key players in the COVID-19 drama, Dr Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance, who inadvertently may have provided indications of its true origin.

On December 9, 2019, long before the world knew anything about it, a video interview took place with one of the key players in the COVID-19 drama, Dr Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance, who inadvertently may have provided indications of its true origin. Much of that discussion centred around the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS) epidemic of 2002-2004, which was believed to have originated in bats, although civets may have acted as an intermediate host. While circulating in animals, the SARS virus mutated, acquiring the ability to infect humans, which it was assumed to have done so, infecting workers in a Guangdong, China animal market. That explanation became the narrative now being promoted by the Chinese Communist Party, the media and some Western scientists to convince the world that COVID-19 was a naturally-occurring outbreak. Beginning at 27:49, Dr Daszak explains the basis of the naturally-occurring narrative and the collection of over one hundred bat coronaviruses capable of infecting humans, but untreatable with drugs or vaccines. Those coronaviruses are presumed to be stored in Chinese laboratories. “So, we did a couple of things with it. So, one is around SARS. We focused on SARS coronavirus emerged from a wildlife market. And whilst the first pandemic of this century. So, it’s big event. And, so we started to trace back from the wildlife market, which species carried the virus, that came into those markets. We found that it was bats, not civets, was the original idea. So, we started looking where did they come from. And we went out to southern China. And did surveillance of bats across southern China. And we’ve now found, after six or seven years of doing this, over one hundred new SARS-related coronaviruses, very close to SARS. Some of them get into human cells in the lab. And some of them can cause SARS disease in humanized mouse models. And are untreatable with therapeutic monoclonals [antibodies] and you can’t vaccinate against them with a vaccine.” At 29:51, Dr Daszak describes bioengineering of those viruses by inserting components of one coronavirus into another. “Well, I think, coronavirus is a pretty good, I mean, you’re a virologist [the interviewer], you know all this stuff, but the, you can manipulate them in the lab pretty easily. Spike protein drives a lot of what happens with the coronavirus, zoonotic risk. So, you can get the sequence, you can build the protein, and we work with Ralph Baric at UNC [University of North Carolina] to do this. Insert it into a backbone of another virus, and do some work in the lab. So, you can get more predictive, when you find the sequence. You have this diversity. Now, the logical progression for vaccines is, if you are going to develop a vaccine for SARS, people are going to use pandemic SARS, but let’s try to insert these other related and get a better vaccine.” In 2015, Ralph Baric from the University of North Carolina and Zheng-Li Shi, the “bat woman” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology jointly published a scientific article describing the combination of the receptor-binding spike protein from a newly isolated coronavirus (SHC014) and the “backbone” from SARS-CoV, the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic. That experiment produced a novel virus, chimera SHC014-MA15, which showed “robust viral replication both in vitro [cell cultures] and in vivo [animals],” using models adapted to test human infectivity. The scientific consensus claims that COVID-19, like SARS, originated in bats. There is conclusive scientific evidence, however, that COVID-19’s receptor binding domain within the spike protein is structurally closest to that of pangolins (scaly anteaters), not bats, and it was the result of a recombination, not convergent evolution. Yet, pangolins have been ruled out as the intermediate host for COVID-19. Even Dr Ralph Baric in a March 15, 2020 interview, beginning at the 27:40 time point, stated unequivocally, that pangolins were not the source of COVID-19: “Pangolins have over 3,000 nucleotide changes - no way they are the reservoir species [for COVID-19], absolutely no chance.” It is, therefore, logical to conclude that the recombinant event resulting in a pangolin receptor binding domain within a bat coronavirus backbone must have occurred in a laboratory, in a manner similar to the experiment conducted by Ralph Baric and Zheng-Li Shi in 2015. Furthermore, COVID-19’s S1/S2 furin polybasic cleavage site, a distinctive feature widely known for its ability to enhance pathogenicity and transmissibility in coronaviruses, does not appear in any of 45 bat, 5 human SARS, 2 civet, 1 pangolin and 1 racoon dog coronaviruses, that have S1/S2 junction structures otherwise identical or nearly identical to COVID-19. There is no credible scientific evidence that the furin polybasic cleavage site evolved naturally, although the methods for artificially inserting such cleavage sites are well-established. It is important to note that the EcoHealth Alliance gets 80% of its funding from the U.S. government (9:22), has “been working in China for years” (19:40), and presumably uses U.S. taxpayer money to “hire technicians in labs or Ph.D. students” (12:08) in order to “teach people how to do it and give them the capacity and the tools” and “then you have really made a difference” (13:15). Indeed. The EcoHealth Alliance may have really made a difference. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Tracing the origins of COVID-19

Watch today in 'WION In Focus': Some stories related to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. #WION #Coronavirus #COVID19

WION In Focus: Some stories related to coronavirus pandemic | COVID-19 | Coronavirus News

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