British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday (Ma 20) offered an unequivocal apology to thousands of citizens who were at one time infected by contaminated blood in a decades-long scandal which was covered up.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday (Ma 20) offered an unequivocal apology to thousands of citizens who were at one time infected by contaminated blood in a decades-long scandal which was covered up. More than 30,000 people in the United Kingdom were infected with viruses like hepatitis and HIV after they were transfused the tainted blood between the 1970s and early 1990s, as per the Infected Blood Inquiry. The people who became victims of the blood scandal were those who needed blood transfusions in surgeries or after accidents, as well as those who suffered from blood disorders like haemophilia and were being treated with donated blood plasma products. Also Read: UK infected blood scandal: Bombshell report points out ‘catastrophic’ failures, and cover-up Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in what was said to be the biggest treatment disaster in the state-run National Health Service's (NHS) history. Here's what Rishi Sunak said Speaking to the House of Commons, Sunak said, "I am truly sorry." He called the findings of the report "a day of shame for the British state". "Time and again people in positions of power and trust had the chance to stop the transmission of those infections and failed to do so," Sunak added, as he promised "whatever it costs" will be compensated to the victims. “This is a day of shame for the British state. Today’s report shows a decades-long moral failure at the heart of our national life – from the National Health Service to the civil service to ministers in successive governments at every level – that people and institutions in which we place our trust failed in the most harrowing and devastating way," Sunak said. “This is an apology from the state – to every single person impacted by this scandal. It did not have to be this way; it should never have been this way. And on behalf of this and every government stretching back to the 1970s, I am truly sorry," he added. The ministers are yet to announce how much compensation payment will be made to the victims and their families. What did the report reveal? The 2,500-page report laid bare a "catalogue of failures" with "catastrophic" consequences for those who became victims of the scandal. Watch: UK infected blood scandal: NHS, Government covered up infected blood scandal, says Report It was reported that in a few cases, children with bleeding disorders were treated as "objects for research". "I have to report that it could largely, though not entirely, have been avoided," said its author and judge Brian Langstaff. As per the report, blood donors were not properly screened and the officials imported the blood products from abroad, which included the United States where they used drug users and prisoners for donations. The report stated that too many transfusions which were not necessarily needed also took place. Attempts were also made to conceal the scandal which also included evidence that the health department's officials destroyed documents in 1993. (With inputs from agencies)

Rishi Sunak apologises over infected blood scandal, calls it a 'day of shame'

An unvaccinated elementary school teacher who took off their mask to read to students ended up infecting more than half of the students, last May.

As per California public health officials, the students further went on infecting other students, family members and community members.&nbsp;

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said that it is a prime example of how easy it is to undermine efforts to protect children who are too young to be vaccinated.&nbsp;

A team at Marin County Public Health reported in the CDC's report of death and disease that the teacher came to work even though they had COVID-19 symptoms and then took off their mask to read to the young students. In the classroom of 22 students, 12 became infected.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-virus-origins-us-intelligence-community-says-it-was-not-developed-as-biological-weapon-408909">Also read |&nbsp;COVID-19 virus&nbsp;origins:&nbsp;US intelligence community says it was 'not developed' as biological weapon</a>

"The school required teachers and students to mask while indoors; interviews with parents of infected students suggested that students' adherence to masking and distancing guidelines in line with CDC recommendations was high in class. However, the teacher was reportedly unmasked on occasions when reading aloud in class," the report read.

"Throughout this period, all desks were separated by six feet," it added. "All classrooms had portable high-efficiency particulate air filters and doors and windows were left open."

The CDC highlighted this case as an example of how schools need to follow all recommendations if they want to protect students and staff.

During a White House briefing, Walensky said, "The introduction of the virus into the classroom by a teacher who worked in school, while she was both symptomatic and unvaccinated and who was unmasked when reading aloud to a class, resulted in cases within the classroom, across the school and among families of students and staff in the community".&nbsp;

An unvaccinated elementary school teacher who took off their mask to read to students ended up infecting more than half of the students, last May. As per California public health officials, the students further went on infecting other students, family members and community members.

An unvaccinated elementary school teacher who took off their mask to read to students ended up infecting more than half of the students, last May. As per California public health officials, the students further went on infecting other students, family members and community members. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said that it is a prime example of how easy it is to undermine efforts to protect children who are too young to be vaccinated. A team at Marin County Public Health reported in the CDC's report of death and disease that the teacher came to work even though they had COVID-19 symptoms and then took off their mask to read to the young students. In the classroom of 22 students, 12 became infected. Also read | COVID-19 virus origins: US intelligence community says it was 'not developed' as biological weapon "The school required teachers and students to mask while indoors; interviews with parents of infected students suggested that students' adherence to masking and distancing guidelines in line with CDC recommendations was high in class. However, the teacher was reportedly unmasked on occasions when reading aloud in class," the report read. "Throughout this period, all desks were separated by six feet," it added. "All classrooms had portable high-efficiency particulate air filters and doors and windows were left open." The CDC highlighted this case as an example of how schools need to follow all recommendations if they want to protect students and staff. During a White House briefing, Walensky said, "The introduction of the virus into the classroom by a teacher who worked in school, while she was both symptomatic and unvaccinated and who was unmasked when reading aloud to a class, resulted in cases within the classroom, across the school and among families of students and staff in the community".

Unvaccinated, unmasked teacher infected more than half of students in class, reports CDC

The Government of Malaysia will block Indians from entering the country starting Monday due to the high rate of increase in COVID-19 positive cases in India. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-cases-cross-35-million-in-india-with-69921-new-cases-324418">Also read | COVID-19: Cases cross 3.5 million in India with 69,921 new cases</a> 
 
The ban will also simultaneously apply on citizens of Indonesia and the Philippines.

People with long-term passes, students, expatriates, permanent residents as well as family members of Malaysians will be highly affected by this decision.

All foreign tourists have been banned from entry since March.

Malaysia extended measures to curb the pandemic until the end of the year as the virus “is still actively spreading across the world," Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a speech on Friday.

Meanwhile, With 69,921 people testing positive for coronavirus infection, India's COVID-19 tally mounted to 3,691,166, while recoveries surged to 2,839,882 on Tuesday pushing the recovery rate to 76.94 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The death toll climbed to 65,288 with 819 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Government of Malaysia will block Indians from entering the country starting Monday due to the high rate of increase in COVID-19 positive cases in India. Also read | COVID-19: Cases cross 3.

The Government of Malaysia will block Indians from entering the country starting Monday due to the high rate of increase in COVID-19 positive cases in India. Also read | COVID-19: Cases cross 3.5 million in India with 69,921 new cases The ban will also simultaneously apply on citizens of Indonesia and the Philippines. People with long-term passes, students, expatriates, permanent residents as well as family members of Malaysians will be highly affected by this decision. All foreign tourists have been banned from entry since March. Malaysia extended measures to curb the pandemic until the end of the year as the virus “is still actively spreading across the world," Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a speech on Friday. Meanwhile, With 69,921 people testing positive for coronavirus infection, India's COVID-19 tally mounted to 3,691,166, while recoveries surged to 2,839,882 on Tuesday pushing the recovery rate to 76.94 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The death toll climbed to 65,288 with 819 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. (With inputs from agencies)

Malaysia bans Indians from entering the country due to growing number of COVID-19 infections

9 people have been killed, and around 440 infected by the mysterious coronavirus first detected in Wuhan China. China's national health commission has said that 440 people in 13 Chinese provinces are confirmed to be infected by the coronavirus.

9 people killed, 440 people now infected by the Coronavirus

Every week, scientists in southern China release three million bacteria-infected mosquitoes on a three kilometre (two-mile) long island in a bid to wipe out diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. 
 
The scientists inject mosquito eggs with wolbachia bacteria in a laboratory, then release infected male mosquitoes on the island on the outskirts of the city of Guangzhou. The bacteria, which occurs naturally in about 28 per cent of wild mosquitoes, causes infected males to sterilise the females they mate with. 
 
&quot;The aim is trying to suppress the mosquito density below the threshold which can cause disease transmission,&quot; said Zhiyong Xi, who is director of the Sun Yat-sen University Centre of Vector Control for Tropical Diseases and pioneered the idea. &quot;There are hot spots,&quot; Xi said. &quot;This technology can be used at the beginning to target the hot spots ... it will dramatically reduce disease transmission.&quot; 
 
Mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for more than one million deaths worldwide every year and Zika has become a concern for athletes at this year&#39;s Olympic Games, which open in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. Some athletes, including the top four ranked male golfers, have declined to take part. 
 
An outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil last year has spread through the Americas and beyond, with China confirming its first case in February. 
 
US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. 
 
The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. 
 
Sun Yat-sen&#39;s Xi said that several countries had expressed interest in his experiments, especially Brazil and Mexico. In the laboratory, mosquito eggs are collected from breeding cages containing 5,000 females and 1,600 males and injected with the wolbachia bacteria. 
 
Xi&#39;s facility has the capacity to breed up to five million mosquitoes a week. While a female mosquito that acquires wolbachia by mating is sterile, one that is infected by injection will produce wolbachia-infected offspring. Dengue, yellow fever and Zika are also suppressed in wolbachia-injected females, making it harder for the diseases to be transmitted to humans. 
 
Xi set up his 3,500 square metre (38,000 square feet) &quot;mosquito factory&quot; in 2012 and releases the males into two residential areas on the outskirts of Guangzhou. 
 
Xi said the mosquito population on the island has been reduced by more than 90 per cent. One villager on the island, 66 year-old Liang Jintian, who has lived there for six decades, said the study was so effective he didn&#39;t have to sleep with a mosquito net any longer. 
 
&quot;We used to have a lot of mosquitoes in the past. Back then some people were worried that if mosquitoes were released here, we would get even more mosquitoes,&quot; he said. &quot;We have a lot less mosquitoes now compared to the past.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Scientists inject mosquito eggs with wolbachia bacteria, then release infected male mosquitoes to sterilise females they mate with

Every week, scientists in southern China release three million bacteria-infected mosquitoes on a three kilometre (two-mile) long island in a bid to wipe out diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. The scientists inject mosquito eggs with wolbachia bacteria in a laboratory, then release infected male mosquitoes on the island on the outskirts of the city of Guangzhou. The bacteria, which occurs naturally in about 28 per cent of wild mosquitoes, causes infected males to sterilise the females they mate with. "The aim is trying to suppress the mosquito density below the threshold which can cause disease transmission," said Zhiyong Xi, who is director of the Sun Yat-sen University Centre of Vector Control for Tropical Diseases and pioneered the idea. "There are hot spots," Xi said. "This technology can be used at the beginning to target the hot spots ... it will dramatically reduce disease transmission." Mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for more than one million deaths worldwide every year and Zika has become a concern for athletes at this year's Olympic Games, which open in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. Some athletes, including the top four ranked male golfers, have declined to take part. An outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil last year has spread through the Americas and beyond, with China confirming its first case in February. US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. Sun Yat-sen's Xi said that several countries had expressed interest in his experiments, especially Brazil and Mexico. In the laboratory, mosquito eggs are collected from breeding cages containing 5,000 females and 1,600 males and injected with the wolbachia bacteria. Xi's facility has the capacity to breed up to five million mosquitoes a week. While a female mosquito that acquires wolbachia by mating is sterile, one that is infected by injection will produce wolbachia-infected offspring. Dengue, yellow fever and Zika are also suppressed in wolbachia-injected females, making it harder for the diseases to be transmitted to humans. Xi set up his 3,500 square metre (38,000 square feet) "mosquito factory" in 2012 and releases the males into two residential areas on the outskirts of Guangzhou. Xi said the mosquito population on the island has been reduced by more than 90 per cent. One villager on the island, 66 year-old Liang Jintian, who has lived there for six decades, said the study was so effective he didn't have to sleep with a mosquito net any longer. "We used to have a lot of mosquitoes in the past. Back then some people were worried that if mosquitoes were released here, we would get even more mosquitoes," he said. "We have a lot less mosquitoes now compared to the past." (Reuters)

China: Scientists release 3 million bacteria-infected mosquitoes to combat Zika, other diseases

A baby suffering from a birth defect caused by the Zika virus was born on Tuesday in New Jersey to a woman visiting from Honduras who is infected with virus after she was bitten by a mosquito early on in her pregnancy, media reported.

The baby girl is suffering from severe microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems, after she was delivered through cesarean section at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey, the news website NorthJersey.com reported.

U.S.&nbsp;health&nbsp;officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly. The World&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.

The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,300 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers.

The unidentified premature newborn also suffers from intestinal and visual issues, Manny Alvarez, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Hackensack, told NorthJersey.com.

&quot;You could see the pain in her heart,&quot; Alvarez said of the mother, the website reported.

Hospital officials were not available for comment.

The unidentified 31-year-old mother was staying with relatives after she arrived in the United States more than a month ago from Honduras, where she was bitten by a mosquito, Alvarez said.

Zika is carried by mosquitoes, which transmit the virus to humans. A small number of cases of sexual transmission have been reported in the United States and elsewhere. A case of suspected transmission through a blood transfusion in Brazil has raised questions about other ways that Zika may spread.

In January, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that a U.S. woman who had lived in Brazil gave birth to a microcephalic baby in Hawaii.

The Zika outbreak is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil the hardest hit.

Honduras is the Central American country with the highest number of Zika cases, with 19,000 infections, and at least 238 pregnant women infected. It has also detected at least 78 Guillain-Barre cases.

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected.

A baby suffering from a birth defect caused by the Zika virus was born on Tuesday in New Jersey to a woman visiting from Honduras who is infected with virus after she was bitten by a mosquito early on in her pregnancy, media reported.

A baby suffering from a birth defect caused by the Zika virus was born on Tuesday in New Jersey to a woman visiting from Honduras who is infected with virus after she was bitten by a mosquito early on in her pregnancy, media reported. The baby girl is suffering from severe microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems, after she was delivered through cesarean section at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey, the news website NorthJersey.com reported. U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly. The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,300 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. The unidentified premature newborn also suffers from intestinal and visual issues, Manny Alvarez, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Hackensack, told NorthJersey.com. "You could see the pain in her heart," Alvarez said of the mother, the website reported. Hospital officials were not available for comment. The unidentified 31-year-old mother was staying with relatives after she arrived in the United States more than a month ago from Honduras, where she was bitten by a mosquito, Alvarez said. Zika is carried by mosquitoes, which transmit the virus to humans. A small number of cases of sexual transmission have been reported in the United States and elsewhere. A case of suspected transmission through a blood transfusion in Brazil has raised questions about other ways that Zika may spread. In January, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that a U.S. woman who had lived in Brazil gave birth to a microcephalic baby in Hawaii. The Zika outbreak is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil the hardest hit. Honduras is the Central American country with the highest number of Zika cases, with 19,000 infections, and at least 238 pregnant women infected. It has also detected at least 78 Guillain-Barre cases. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected.

Baby born with birth defect in New Jersey to mother infected by Zika

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