In a striking assessment, it was revealed that more than 100,000 people have died due to the drug overdoses over a year-long period during the Covid pandemic.&nbsp;This is the highest death toll in a year from drugs ever recorded in the US.&nbsp;

Overdose deaths rose by 28.5% in 12 months ending on this past April, shows data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-transgender-woman-put-with-three-men-in-jail-cell-gets-beaten-suffers-broken-jaw-430264" hreflang="en">US transgender woman put with three men in jail cell, gets beaten, suffers broken jaw</a>&nbsp;

According to the experts, the overdoses had seen a sharp rise due to the psychological toll of the pandemic and more synthetic opioids like fentanyl in the supply. &nbsp;

Overdoses rose in 46 states of the US. The CDC estimated that 100,306 people died from April 2020 to same month in 2021 with the help of data from death certificates. Around 78,056 deaths were reported the year prior to it. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-censures-republican-paul-gosar-for-posting-violent-anime-video-of-killing-democrat-430213" hreflang="en">US House censures Republican Paul Gosar for posting violent anime video of killing Democrat</a>

The highest rise in overdose deaths was recorded in Vermont, where the fatalities rose by 70% to 209. The number of deaths in the country from drugs has surpassed those from car crashes, guns and the flu. &nbsp;

Katherine Keyes, a drug abuse expert and associate professor of epidemiology, Columbia University, told the BBC that although overdose deaths have been rising for several years, the pandemic "added fuel to that fire". &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In a striking assessment, it was revealed that more than 100,000 people have died due to the drug overdoses over a year-long period during the Covid pandemic. This is the highest death toll in a year from drugs ever recorded in the US.

In a striking assessment, it was revealed that more than 100,000 people have died due to the drug overdoses over a year-long period during the Covid pandemic. This is the highest death toll in a year from drugs ever recorded in the US. Overdose deaths rose by 28.5% in 12 months ending on this past April, shows data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also Read: US transgender woman put with three men in jail cell, gets beaten, suffers broken jaw According to the experts, the overdoses had seen a sharp rise due to the psychological toll of the pandemic and more synthetic opioids like fentanyl in the supply. Overdoses rose in 46 states of the US. The CDC estimated that 100,306 people died from April 2020 to same month in 2021 with the help of data from death certificates. Around 78,056 deaths were reported the year prior to it. Also Read: US House censures Republican Paul Gosar for posting violent anime video of killing Democrat The highest rise in overdose deaths was recorded in Vermont, where the fatalities rose by 70% to 209. The number of deaths in the country from drugs has surpassed those from car crashes, guns and the flu. Katherine Keyes, a drug abuse expert and associate professor of epidemiology, Columbia University, told the BBC that although overdose deaths have been rising for several years, the pandemic "added fuel to that fire". (With inputs from agencies)

Drug overdoses killed a record 100,000 in US during COVID-19 pandemic

U.S. retail sales surged in October as Americans eagerly started their holiday shopping early to avoid empty shelves amid shortages of some goods because of the ongoing pandemic, giving the economy a lift at the start of the fourth quarter.

US retail sales surge in October

The ongoing pandemic continues to cast its shadow over the job market in the United States. According to a latest report--- a record-high 4.4 million people have left their jobs in September alone.

US: Ongoing pandemic continues to cast its shadow over the job market

Different establishments around the world have been giving different incentives to encourage vaccination against COVID-19. These attempts are being made to ensure several lives can be saved in the fight against coronavirus. &nbsp;

In a unique initiative, a brothel in Austria has been offering several incentives, such as granting free entry and private sessions, to people, who would take a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine at the facility.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-8-big-cats-test-positive-for-covid-19-at-st-louis-zoo-428910" hreflang="en">US: 8 big cats test positive for COVID-19 at St. Louis Zoo</a>

FunPalast, a brothel in Vienna, "offers clients a 30-minute session in the sexual 'sauna club' with the 'lady of their choice' if they get the vaccine at the on-site clinic," said a Daily Mail report. &nbsp;

The initiative seems to be an attempt to not just boost revenue in the business after the COVID-19 pandemic affected its clientele totals, but also increase vaccination rates across the country. &nbsp;The project has begun this month. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/europe-becoming-covid-19s-epicentre-yet-again-some-countries-planning-lockdown-booster-shots-428986" hreflang="en">Europe becoming COVID-19’s epicentre yet again, some countries planning lockdown, booster shots</a>

Around 67% of Austria's population is partially or fully vaccinated, said the recent data provided by Our World in Data. &nbsp;

The effort started as a clever "marketing idea," but has become an "absolutely serious" operation, said FunPalast's chief executive Christoph Lielacher in an interview with NBC News. &nbsp; &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Different establishments around the world have been giving different incentives to encourage vaccination against COVID-19. These attempts are being made to ensure several lives can be saved in the fight against coronavirus.

Different establishments around the world have been giving different incentives to encourage vaccination against COVID-19. These attempts are being made to ensure several lives can be saved in the fight against coronavirus. In a unique initiative, a brothel in Austria has been offering several incentives, such as granting free entry and private sessions, to people, who would take a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine at the facility. Also Read: US: 8 big cats test positive for COVID-19 at St. Louis Zoo FunPalast, a brothel in Vienna, "offers clients a 30-minute session in the sexual 'sauna club' with the 'lady of their choice' if they get the vaccine at the on-site clinic," said a Daily Mail report. The initiative seems to be an attempt to not just boost revenue in the business after the COVID-19 pandemic affected its clientele totals, but also increase vaccination rates across the country. The project has begun this month. Also Read: Europe becoming COVID-19’s epicentre yet again, some countries planning lockdown, booster shots Around 67% of Austria's population is partially or fully vaccinated, said the recent data provided by Our World in Data. The effort started as a clever "marketing idea," but has become an "absolutely serious" operation, said FunPalast's chief executive Christoph Lielacher in an interview with NBC News. (With inputs from agencies)

Brothel offers free entry, private sessions to people taking Covid shot on-site in Austria

Israel has approved Covid-19 vaccines for children from the age of 5, the country's 9.4 million population is relatively young.

COVID-19 : Vaccine approved for children in Israel

As New Zealand struggles to contain Covid variant Delta’s outbreak, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s popularity has nosedived in two new polls. The country is transitioning into a new era of endemic Covid. &nbsp;

Over the past months, the Ardern-led Labour party has dropped five points to 41%, as per the Talbot Mills Research poll published by the New Zealand Herald on Thursday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/real-emergency-top-german-virologist-warns-of-100000-covid-deaths-as-cases-continue-to-surge-428381" hreflang="en">'Real emergency': Top German virologist warns of 100,000 Covid deaths as cases continue to surge</a>

Although the poll represents Labour’s worst polling result in over a year, it still places the party firmly ahead of the opposition National party. &nbsp; &nbsp;

It was also echoed by Curia polling, which was commissioned by lobby group, the Taxpayer’s Union. It showed Labour support has dropped six points to 39% and National party goes up by four points to 26%. &nbsp;

In the preferred prime minister stakes, Ardern was far ahead of her opponents. But still her rating has dropped to 47% from 65% earlier in the midst of the early pandemic lockdowns. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/modernas-covid-jab-patent-row-deepens-as-us-nih-looks-to-defend-co-owner-claim-428421" hreflang="en">Moderna's Covid jab patent row deepens as US NIH looks to defend co-owner claim</a>&nbsp;

Curia’s polling has put Ardern’s personal popularity even lower, at 34%, which is down 13 points from last month in the preferred PM stakes. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Opposition leader Judith Collins was at 6% while libertarian-right-wing act party leader David Seymour was at 10.5% after he enjoyed a recent surge in support. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

As New Zealand struggles to contain Covid variant Delta’s outbreak, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s popularity has nosedived in two new polls. The country is transitioning into a new era of endemic Covid.

As New Zealand struggles to contain Covid variant Delta’s outbreak, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s popularity has nosedived in two new polls. The country is transitioning into a new era of endemic Covid. Over the past months, the Ardern-led Labour party has dropped five points to 41%, as per the Talbot Mills Research poll published by the New Zealand Herald on Thursday. Also Read | 'Real emergency': Top German virologist warns of 100,000 Covid deaths as cases continue to surge Although the poll represents Labour’s worst polling result in over a year, it still places the party firmly ahead of the opposition National party. It was also echoed by Curia polling, which was commissioned by lobby group, the Taxpayer’s Union. It showed Labour support has dropped six points to 39% and National party goes up by four points to 26%. In the preferred prime minister stakes, Ardern was far ahead of her opponents. But still her rating has dropped to 47% from 65% earlier in the midst of the early pandemic lockdowns. Also Read: Moderna's Covid jab patent row deepens as US NIH looks to defend co-owner claim Curia’s polling has put Ardern’s personal popularity even lower, at 34%, which is down 13 points from last month in the preferred PM stakes. Opposition leader Judith Collins was at 6% while libertarian-right-wing act party leader David Seymour was at 10.5% after he enjoyed a recent surge in support. (With inputs from agencies)

Ardern’s popularity plummets as New Zealand struggles to check Delta outbreak

There is no denying that the world has witnessed a lot in the last 2 years. The pandemic shook all existing structures, the plans, the way we lead our lives. Masks have become a necessity in our lives. 2 years ago - no one would have imagined wearing a mask day in and out. But at present - those without one are looked upon. It is undoubtedly necessary to take all precautions to protect oneself from the deadly virus. But this protection itself is proving to be harmful for the environment. Watch this report to know more.

Waste generated during pandemic gets dumped in ocean

A recent study has revealed that over 25,000 tonnes of pandemic-related plastic waste has been leaked into the ocean while 8 million tons of plastic waste has been created globally, adding to an already out of control global problem.&nbsp;

The researchers have highlighted that most of the plastic largely accumulated from medical waste coming from hospitals.

The study titled "Plastic waste release caused by COVID-19 and its fate in the global ocean" has estimated that 8.4m tons of plastic waste has been generated from 193 countries.&nbsp;

"The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for single-use plastics that intensifies pressure on an already out-of-control global plastic waste problem. While it is suspected to be large, the magnitude and fate of this pandemic-associated mismanaged plastic waste are unknown," the study said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/plastic-coming-from-take-out-and-convenience-food-littering-the-ocean-study-390961">Also read |&nbsp;Plastic coming from take-out and convenience food littering the ocean: Study</a>

The researchers have warned that the released plastic can be transported over long distances in the ocean, come in contact with marine wildlife. This can lead to an injury or even death.

They have called for "better medical waste management in pandemic epicenters, especially in developing countries." 
Yiming Peng and Peipei Wu from Nanjing University was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for single-use plastics that intensifies pressure on an already out-of-control global plastic waste problem."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/good-newwz-us-couple-sues-ivf-clinic-for-baby-mix-up-427874">Also read |&nbsp;'Good Newwz': US couple sues IVF clinic, for baby 'mix-up'</a>

“The released plastics can be transported over long distances in the ocean, encounter marine wildlife, and potentially lead to injury or even death."

The study also revealed that 46 per cent of the mismanaged plastic waste came from Asia. This was due to the high level of mask-wearing by individuals. Then came Europe ay 24 per cent and North and South America at 22 per cent.

A recent study has revealed that over 25,000 tonnes of pandemic-related plastic waste has been leaked into the ocean while 8 million tons of plastic waste has been created globally, adding to an already out of control global problem.

A recent study has revealed that over 25,000 tonnes of pandemic-related plastic waste has been leaked into the ocean while 8 million tons of plastic waste has been created globally, adding to an already out of control global problem. The researchers have highlighted that most of the plastic largely accumulated from medical waste coming from hospitals. The study titled "Plastic waste release caused by COVID-19 and its fate in the global ocean" has estimated that 8.4m tons of plastic waste has been generated from 193 countries. "The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for single-use plastics that intensifies pressure on an already out-of-control global plastic waste problem. While it is suspected to be large, the magnitude and fate of this pandemic-associated mismanaged plastic waste are unknown," the study said. Also read | Plastic coming from take-out and convenience food littering the ocean: Study The researchers have warned that the released plastic can be transported over long distances in the ocean, come in contact with marine wildlife. This can lead to an injury or even death. They have called for "better medical waste management in pandemic epicenters, especially in developing countries." Yiming Peng and Peipei Wu from Nanjing University was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for single-use plastics that intensifies pressure on an already out-of-control global plastic waste problem." Also read | 'Good Newwz': US couple sues IVF clinic, for baby 'mix-up' “The released plastics can be transported over long distances in the ocean, encounter marine wildlife, and potentially lead to injury or even death." The study also revealed that 46 per cent of the mismanaged plastic waste came from Asia. This was due to the high level of mask-wearing by individuals. Then came Europe ay 24 per cent and North and South America at 22 per cent.

Over 25K tonnes of pandemic-related plastic polluting the ocean, posing threat to marine wildlife: Study

Not very long ago, there was a pretty strong case to be made that New York Road Runners, the organization that owns and stages the New York City Marathon, was the de facto leader of running in the United States.

The organization helped establish and fund a group of runners who led the revival of elite American long distance running. It hosted the Olympic Trials marathon before the 2008 Olympics. It established a groundbreaking anti-doping and testing policy. It expanded the New York City Marathon to allow for more than 50,000 finishers, making it the world’s largest. Its annual revenues surpassed $110 million, roughly triple the amount that USA Track &amp;amp; Field, the national governing body for running, collects most years.

That primacy hit the wall during the last year and a half. The pandemic caused the cancellation of five of the organization’s most profitable events, leading to an 80% drop in racing revenue. Roughly half of the 260 staff members lost their jobs. On Instagram, a group of employees anonymously accused senior management of behaving insensitively on issues of racism and diversity, and of prioritizing profits over the needs of junior employees and the local community. The complaints were part of an internal investigation that led to sweeping changes, including the ouster of the club’s CEO, Michael Capiraso.

Now the far smaller organization is preparing to hold a far smaller version of the marathon, conducting the race for the first time in two years as its board continues to search for a permanent CEO. That person will have to continue the work that began in recent months to reestablish what originally enabled the organization to become a dominant force in its sport — the fervent support of its members, its small but loyal workforce and the trust of runners of all backgrounds throughout the city.

“For a long time there was a real focus on growth,” said Kerin Hempel, a former McKinsey &amp;amp; Co. management consultant whom the board brought in to replace Capiraso temporarily in November 2020. “COVID forced us to pause and assess and reconnect with our mission and make sure everything we are doing is aligned.”

A New Yorker for the past two decades, Hempel led strategy and planning for the Road Runners from 2010 to 2014, but was not there in recent years, when critics say the organization lost its way despite financial success.

She’s also very fast. Last month she won the Baystate Marathon in Lowell, Massachusetts, finishing the 26.2-mile race in 2:52:23.

Hempel, 42, seems like a perfect fit to take over the organization, but she has told the club she does not want the job. She has agreed to remain through next year but plans to return to her boutique consulting business.

She hopes by then to have put the organization back on sound footing, “to make it the best version of itself” so her successor has the best chance of success, she said during a recent interview on a bench in Central Park near the marathon finish line. She said that she had email contact with the anonymous employee group that led last year’s rebellion and that she offered to meet with its members but was rebuffed. Members of the employee group could not be reached for comment.

Righting the ship is no small task. New York Road Runners had insurance to cover some of the losses it incurred from having to cancel its most profitable events during the pandemic, but even as races have returned the past five months, the pain has not let up.

Under the deferred racing program, the organization will manage with decreased revenues from registrations through 2023. To mitigate the danger of COVID, this year’s marathon is likely to have about half as many participants as usual. Also, U.S. borders remain largely closed to foreign tourists, limiting international runners, who pay a premium to participate.

Sponsors also had to be made whole from the missed races. The organization has about $70 million in reserves and investments to cover losses if necessary, but money can’t solve all the problems.

Alison Désir, a co-chair of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition and a founder of Harlem Run, a Manhattan running club, said the organization had “lost its way over the years.”

The organization and its signature event trace their roots to the Black runners who founded the New York Pioneer Running Club. Ted Corbitt, an Olympic marathoner in 1952, was one of them. He became the first president of the New York Road Runners when it was formed in 1958.

However, Désir said, for years inclusiveness did not appear to be a priority for the Road Runners. The organization held running panels with no Black participants. Participation at many races was overwhelmingly white. Outreach to minority communities took a back seat to holding major events, she said.

“They started with an inclusive culture and deep values and along the way got lost in commercial success and operating like a for-profit rather than a not-for-profit,” Désir said. She credited the organization for changing during the past year, but added, “For people who have been wronged, it is too slow.”

Last year, Ted Metellus became the race director for the marathon, making him the first Black race director of a major marathon.

Coffey, a resident of the Fort Greene neighborhood in Brooklyn, oversees two running organizations that combine running with educational and racial justice programs. He said executives with the Road Runners have been helpful to him in recent months, but he has heard stories of others who had struggled to work with the organization.

“It’s just about being fair regardless of what color you are,” said Coffey, who goes by a single name. “Don’t be showing sides or favoritism.”

The organization continues to search for the right balance — and a clear relationship — between everything it does, from staging mass events that attract tens of millions of dollars and professional runners, and being a community-based organization that can help fund facilities and clubs throughout the city.

Rich Kenah, an increasingly influential figure in running who leads the Atlanta Track Club, said big city running organizations must keep evolving from competitive running clubs to groups that “provide a solution for everyone in the runner life cycle.” The Atlanta Track Club hosted the Olympic trials marathon last year, supports a professional team and holds some of the country’s most diverse running events, including the Peachtree Road Race, the world’s largest 10-kilometer competition.

New York Road Runners plans to cull races from its calendar next year if sponsors do not align with its stated values. Road Runners recently decided not to hold the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K next year, a race sponsored by the United Arab Emirates, a country ruled by a royal family with a spotty record on human rights. It will probably hold about 40 races in 2022, down from about 50 in recent years.

“It’s a community-based organization that has built some of the biggest events in the world,” said Mary Wittenberg, another extremely fast woman and marathon champion (1987 Marine Corps Marathon) who led the organization from 2005 to 2015.

Wittenberg, who is still close to the organization’s leaders, said keeping the major events successful would be essential for financial stability and to help inspire people. In the ideal world, a couch potato watches the marathon on Sunday, then decides to try to run a mile with Harlem Run or another running club on Monday. Road Runners can be there to help facilitate the connection.

“We do think,” Hempel said, “we are an important piece of the overall running system.”

Not very long ago, there was a pretty strong case to be made that New York Road Runners, the organization that owns and stages the New York City Marathon, was the de facto leader of running in the United States.

Not very long ago, there was a pretty strong case to be made that New York Road Runners, the organization that owns and stages the New York City Marathon, was the de facto leader of running in the United States. The organization helped establish and fund a group of runners who led the revival of elite American long distance running. It hosted the Olympic Trials marathon before the 2008 Olympics. It established a groundbreaking anti-doping and testing policy. It expanded the New York City Marathon to allow for more than 50,000 finishers, making it the world’s largest. Its annual revenues surpassed $110 million, roughly triple the amount that USA Track &amp; Field, the national governing body for running, collects most years. That primacy hit the wall during the last year and a half. The pandemic caused the cancellation of five of the organization’s most profitable events, leading to an 80% drop in racing revenue. Roughly half of the 260 staff members lost their jobs. On Instagram, a group of employees anonymously accused senior management of behaving insensitively on issues of racism and diversity, and of prioritizing profits over the needs of junior employees and the local community. The complaints were part of an internal investigation that led to sweeping changes, including the ouster of the club’s CEO, Michael Capiraso. Now the far smaller organization is preparing to hold a far smaller version of the marathon, conducting the race for the first time in two years as its board continues to search for a permanent CEO. That person will have to continue the work that began in recent months to reestablish what originally enabled the organization to become a dominant force in its sport — the fervent support of its members, its small but loyal workforce and the trust of runners of all backgrounds throughout the city. “For a long time there was a real focus on growth,” said Kerin Hempel, a former McKinsey &amp; Co. management consultant whom the board brought in to replace Capiraso temporarily in November 2020. “COVID forced us to pause and assess and reconnect with our mission and make sure everything we are doing is aligned.” A New Yorker for the past two decades, Hempel led strategy and planning for the Road Runners from 2010 to 2014, but was not there in recent years, when critics say the organization lost its way despite financial success. She’s also very fast. Last month she won the Baystate Marathon in Lowell, Massachusetts, finishing the 26.2-mile race in 2:52:23. Hempel, 42, seems like a perfect fit to take over the organization, but she has told the club she does not want the job. She has agreed to remain through next year but plans to return to her boutique consulting business. She hopes by then to have put the organization back on sound footing, “to make it the best version of itself” so her successor has the best chance of success, she said during a recent interview on a bench in Central Park near the marathon finish line. She said that she had email contact with the anonymous employee group that led last year’s rebellion and that she offered to meet with its members but was rebuffed. Members of the employee group could not be reached for comment. Righting the ship is no small task. New York Road Runners had insurance to cover some of the losses it incurred from having to cancel its most profitable events during the pandemic, but even as races have returned the past five months, the pain has not let up. Under the deferred racing program, the organization will manage with decreased revenues from registrations through 2023. To mitigate the danger of COVID, this year’s marathon is likely to have about half as many participants as usual. Also, U.S. borders remain largely closed to foreign tourists, limiting international runners, who pay a premium to participate. Sponsors also had to be made whole from the missed races. The organization has about $70 million in reserves and investments to cover losses if necessary, but money can’t solve all the problems. Alison Désir, a co-chair of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition and a founder of Harlem Run, a Manhattan running club, said the organization had “lost its way over the years.” The organization and its signature event trace their roots to the Black runners who founded the New York Pioneer Running Club. Ted Corbitt, an Olympic marathoner in 1952, was one of them. He became the first president of the New York Road Runners when it was formed in 1958. However, Désir said, for years inclusiveness did not appear to be a priority for the Road Runners. The organization held running panels with no Black participants. Participation at many races was overwhelmingly white. Outreach to minority communities took a back seat to holding major events, she said. “They started with an inclusive culture and deep values and along the way got lost in commercial success and operating like a for-profit rather than a not-for-profit,” Désir said. She credited the organization for changing during the past year, but added, “For people who have been wronged, it is too slow.” Last year, Ted Metellus became the race director for the marathon, making him the first Black race director of a major marathon. Coffey, a resident of the Fort Greene neighborhood in Brooklyn, oversees two running organizations that combine running with educational and racial justice programs. He said executives with the Road Runners have been helpful to him in recent months, but he has heard stories of others who had struggled to work with the organization. “It’s just about being fair regardless of what color you are,” said Coffey, who goes by a single name. “Don’t be showing sides or favoritism.” The organization continues to search for the right balance — and a clear relationship — between everything it does, from staging mass events that attract tens of millions of dollars and professional runners, and being a community-based organization that can help fund facilities and clubs throughout the city. Rich Kenah, an increasingly influential figure in running who leads the Atlanta Track Club, said big city running organizations must keep evolving from competitive running clubs to groups that “provide a solution for everyone in the runner life cycle.” The Atlanta Track Club hosted the Olympic trials marathon last year, supports a professional team and holds some of the country’s most diverse running events, including the Peachtree Road Race, the world’s largest 10-kilometer competition. New York Road Runners plans to cull races from its calendar next year if sponsors do not align with its stated values. Road Runners recently decided not to hold the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K next year, a race sponsored by the United Arab Emirates, a country ruled by a royal family with a spotty record on human rights. It will probably hold about 40 races in 2022, down from about 50 in recent years. “It’s a community-based organization that has built some of the biggest events in the world,” said Mary Wittenberg, another extremely fast woman and marathon champion (1987 Marine Corps Marathon) who led the organization from 2005 to 2015. Wittenberg, who is still close to the organization’s leaders, said keeping the major events successful would be essential for financial stability and to help inspire people. In the ideal world, a couch potato watches the marathon on Sunday, then decides to try to run a mile with Harlem Run or another running club on Monday. Road Runners can be there to help facilitate the connection. “We do think,” Hempel said, “we are an important piece of the overall running system.”

After a rough year, New York Road Runners searches for a leader and mission

It's been more than a year since coronavirus pandemic hit the world and it is still battling with the virus and the variant. Here we bring you a round-up of all the covid pandemic-related news.

Here are all latest updates on COVID-19 pandemic

A study of death data has revealed that the United States had the second steepest decline in life expectancy among high-income countries last year. Published in the British Medical Journal, the study analysed premature death in 37 countries.&nbsp;

The researchers also compared observed life expectancy in 2020 with what would have been expected for the year based on historical trends from 2005-2019.&nbsp;

Life expectancy dropped in 31 of these countries due to the pandemic.&nbsp;

The study says that a reduction in life expectancy in men and women was observed in all the countries studied except New Zealand, Taiwan, and Norway, where there was a gain in life expectancy in 2020.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/europe-once-again-at-epicentre-of-coronavirus-pandemic-who-426681">Also read |&nbsp;Europe once again at epicentre of coronavirus pandemic: WHO</a>

"No evidence was found of a change in life expectancy in Denmark, Iceland, and South Korea. The highest reduction in life expectancy was observed in Russia," said the study.&nbsp;

The trend in the US was one of the worst as men saw life expectancy fall by nearly 2.3 years, from about 76.7 to 74.4.&nbsp;Women lost more than 1.6 years of life expectancy, from about 81.8 to 80.2.

The findings suggest that the US did not do so well in protecting the young generation from the pandemic. The country’s life expectancies have dropped at a faster pace than any time since at least World War II.&nbsp;

Keeping in mind the current scenario, US is falling further behind many other rich countries. The pandemic is not the only factor. Homicides and drug overdose have also contributed to several deaths last year.&nbsp;

A study of death data has revealed that the United States had the second steepest decline in life expectancy among high-income countries last year. Published in the British Medical Journal, the study analysed premature death in 37 countries.

A study of death data has revealed that the United States had the second steepest decline in life expectancy among high-income countries last year. Published in the British Medical Journal, the study analysed premature death in 37 countries. The researchers also compared observed life expectancy in 2020 with what would have been expected for the year based on historical trends from 2005-2019. Life expectancy dropped in 31 of these countries due to the pandemic. The study says that a reduction in life expectancy in men and women was observed in all the countries studied except New Zealand, Taiwan, and Norway, where there was a gain in life expectancy in 2020. Also read | Europe once again at epicentre of coronavirus pandemic: WHO "No evidence was found of a change in life expectancy in Denmark, Iceland, and South Korea. The highest reduction in life expectancy was observed in Russia," said the study. The trend in the US was one of the worst as men saw life expectancy fall by nearly 2.3 years, from about 76.7 to 74.4. Women lost more than 1.6 years of life expectancy, from about 81.8 to 80.2. The findings suggest that the US did not do so well in protecting the young generation from the pandemic. The country’s life expectancies have dropped at a faster pace than any time since at least World War II. Keeping in mind the current scenario, US is falling further behind many other rich countries. The pandemic is not the only factor. Homicides and drug overdose have also contributed to several deaths last year.

Life expectancy fell sharply in US due to pandemic, homicides and drug overdose

COVID-19 is expected to transition to an endemic disease in 2022 and beyond. As the Delta variant surge eases in many regions around the world, scientists have begun charting the virus's transition from a pandemic to an endemic.

According to scientists, the first countries to emerge from the pandemic will likely have combined high vaccination rates with natural immunity among those who had previously contracted Coronavirus.&nbsp;

They predict that countries like the United States, the UK, Portugal, and India will be the first to recover from the pandemic.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-origins-china-says-us-report-without-credibility-intelligence-services-known-for-fraud-and-deception-426094" hreflang="en">Covid origins: China says US report without credibility, intelligence services known for 'fraud and deception'</a>

However, researchers warn that SARS-CoV-2 is an unpredictable virus that is constantly evolving as it spreads among unvaccinated populations. The possibility of the virus mutating to such an extent that it surpasses hard-won immunity has not been completely ruled out, and there is still the risk of a "doomsday scenario".

They have, however, expressed increasing confidence that many countries will have put the worst of the pandemic behind them in the coming year.

"We think between now and the&nbsp;end&nbsp;of 2022, this is the point where we get control over this virus...where we can significantly reduce severe disease and death," Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist leading the World Health Organization's (WHO)&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;response.

The agency's assessment is based on the work of disease experts who are determining the likely course of the pandemic over the next 18 months.&nbsp;The WHO aims to have 70% of the world's population vaccinated by the end of 2022.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-vaccine-for-children-us-gives-final-nod-to-pfizer-jabs-for-5-11-age-group-426324" hreflang="en">COVID-19 vaccine for children: US gives final nod to Pfizer jabs for 5-11 age group</a>

&nbsp;"If we reach that target, we will be in a very, very different situation epidemiologically," says Van Kerkhove.

Meanwhile, she expressed concern over countries lifting COVID precautions prematurely. "It's amazing to me to be seeing, you know, people out on the streets, as if everything is over."

"Endemic does not mean benign," she added.

The WHO reported on Oct. 26 that COVID-19 cases and deaths are declining in nearly every region of the world since August.

A notable exception is Europe, where the Delta variant has caused havoc in countries like Russia and Romania with low vaccination rates as well as places that have liberalized mask requirements.&nbsp;

In addition, the variant continues to contribute to the rising number of infections in countries such as Singapore and China, which have high vaccination rates but little natural immunity because of much stricter lockdown measures.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-may-never-know-how-covid-19-originated-say-us-intelligence-officials-425224" hreflang="en">We may never know how COVID-19 originated, say US intelligence officials</a>

However, it appears that vaccines are keeping people from hospitalisation, even in countries like the UK where cases are on the rise following the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

As with other endemic diseases such as malaria, COVID-19 is expected to continue contributing to illness and death for many years to come.

Experts predict that the virus will eventually behave like measles, which still causes outbreaks in areas with low vaccination rates.

Some see COVID-19 as behaving more like a seasonal respiratory infection like influenza. Others believe it could become a less-lethal virus, affecting mostly children, but that could take decades.

Trevor Bedford, a computational virologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center who has been tracking the evolution of SARS-CoV-2, sees a milder winter wave in the United States followed by a transition to&nbsp;endemic disease in 2022-2023. He is projecting 50,000 to 100,000 U.S.&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;deaths a year, on top of an estimated 30,000 annual deaths from flu.

The virus will likely continue to mutate, requiring annual booster shots tailored to the latest circulating variants, Bedford said.

Watch |&nbsp;New locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases spike to three-month high in China

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-locally-transmitted-covid-19-cases-spike-to-three-month-high-in-china-426367/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Richard Hatchett, the CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, says that the world remains vulnerable since some countries have good vaccine programs and others have almost none.

&nbsp;"What keeps me up at night about&nbsp;COVID&nbsp;is the concern that we could have a variant emerge that evades our vaccines and evades immunity from prior infection,” Hatchett said.

“That would be like a&nbsp;new&nbsp;COVID&nbsp;pandemic&nbsp;emerging even while we're still in the old one."&nbsp;

COVID-19 is expected to transition to an endemic disease in 2022 and beyond. As the Delta variant surge eases in many regions around the world, scientists have begun charting the virus's transition from a pandemic to an endemic.

COVID-19 is expected to transition to an endemic disease in 2022 and beyond. As the Delta variant surge eases in many regions around the world, scientists have begun charting the virus's transition from a pandemic to an endemic. According to scientists, the first countries to emerge from the pandemic will likely have combined high vaccination rates with natural immunity among those who had previously contracted Coronavirus. They predict that countries like the United States, the UK, Portugal, and India will be the first to recover from the pandemic. Also read | Covid origins: China says US report without credibility, intelligence services known for 'fraud and deception' However, researchers warn that SARS-CoV-2 is an unpredictable virus that is constantly evolving as it spreads among unvaccinated populations. The possibility of the virus mutating to such an extent that it surpasses hard-won immunity has not been completely ruled out, and there is still the risk of a "doomsday scenario". They have, however, expressed increasing confidence that many countries will have put the worst of the pandemic behind them in the coming year. "We think between now and the end of 2022, this is the point where we get control over this virus...where we can significantly reduce severe disease and death," Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist leading the World Health Organization's (WHO) COVID-19 response. The agency's assessment is based on the work of disease experts who are determining the likely course of the pandemic over the next 18 months. The WHO aims to have 70% of the world's population vaccinated by the end of 2022. Also read | COVID-19 vaccine for children: US gives final nod to Pfizer jabs for 5-11 age group "If we reach that target, we will be in a very, very different situation epidemiologically," says Van Kerkhove. Meanwhile, she expressed concern over countries lifting COVID precautions prematurely. "It's amazing to me to be seeing, you know, people out on the streets, as if everything is over." "Endemic does not mean benign," she added. The WHO reported on Oct. 26 that COVID-19 cases and deaths are declining in nearly every region of the world since August. A notable exception is Europe, where the Delta variant has caused havoc in countries like Russia and Romania with low vaccination rates as well as places that have liberalized mask requirements. In addition, the variant continues to contribute to the rising number of infections in countries such as Singapore and China, which have high vaccination rates but little natural immunity because of much stricter lockdown measures. Also read | We may never know how COVID-19 originated, say US intelligence officials However, it appears that vaccines are keeping people from hospitalisation, even in countries like the UK where cases are on the rise following the lifting of pandemic restrictions. As with other endemic diseases such as malaria, COVID-19 is expected to continue contributing to illness and death for many years to come. Experts predict that the virus will eventually behave like measles, which still causes outbreaks in areas with low vaccination rates. Some see COVID-19 as behaving more like a seasonal respiratory infection like influenza. Others believe it could become a less-lethal virus, affecting mostly children, but that could take decades. Trevor Bedford, a computational virologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center who has been tracking the evolution of SARS-CoV-2, sees a milder winter wave in the United States followed by a transition to endemic disease in 2022-2023. He is projecting 50,000 to 100,000 U.S. COVID-19 deaths a year, on top of an estimated 30,000 annual deaths from flu. The virus will likely continue to mutate, requiring annual booster shots tailored to the latest circulating variants, Bedford said. Watch | New locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases spike to three-month high in China Richard Hatchett, the CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, says that the world remains vulnerable since some countries have good vaccine programs and others have almost none. "What keeps me up at night about COVID is the concern that we could have a variant emerge that evades our vaccines and evades immunity from prior infection,” Hatchett said. “That would be like a new COVID pandemic emerging even while we're still in the old one."

Is a new Covid pandemic emerging or is it an endemic now? Experts answer

As cultural institutions come back to life this fall after the long pandemic shutdown, many are trying to lure audiences back with shorter shows, often free of intermissions.

The Metropolitan Opera is taking a different tack.

In an audacious bit of counterprogramming, the Met is staging the longest opera in its repertory, Wagner’s nearly six-hour “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.” Even in prepandemic times the work was a herculean undertaking, requiring an army of more than 400 artists and stagehands, breakneck set changes, spirited fight scenes and two 40-minute intermissions.

“There’s always room for epics,” Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager, said in an interview. “There is always an appeal for huge events.”

As audiences have slowly begun to emerge again, many institutions have taken a more cautious approach, with shorter-than-usual running times. The New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall and New York City Ballet did away with intermissions this fall when they resumed performances, though all plan to bring them back soon.

The Met’s epic “Meistersinger,” luxuriously cast with some of the most acclaimed Wagner singers in the world and conducted by Antonio Pappano, comes as the company is trying to bounce back from the pandemic — which cost it $150 million in revenue — with a series of ambitious productions. It opened its season with Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” the first opera by a Black composer in its 138-year history, which became a hit, selling out four of its eight performances. The past month has also brought Puccini’s elaborate “Turandot” and the Met’s first time doing the original version of Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov.”

In Pics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/7-movie-adaptations-of-books-that-failed-on-first-attempt-426133" hreflang="en">7 movie adaptations of books that failed on first attempt</a>

But it is unclear if audiences will turn out for “Meistersinger” and other operas, which tend to be lengthy, amid ongoing concerns about the delta variant, at a time when audiences must show proof of vaccination to enter and must wear masks during performances.

At the opening night of “Meistersinger” last Tuesday, only about 56% of the 3,700 available seats were taken. The Met attributed the low turnout in part to stormy weather; at a matinee Saturday, after the storm had passed and some strong reviews had appeared, 67% of the seats were full. Foreign tourists have also been largely absent from New York because of a ban on visitors from 33 countries, which is set to be lifted in early November.

The company, sensitive to concerns about the virus, has modified some offerings because of the pandemic, eliminating an intermission in a production of “Rigoletto” opening on New Year’s Eve. But Gelb said that by staging the massive “Meistersinger,” which runs through Nov. 14, the Met was showing that even grand works could be performed safely.

“We are providing hope for opera lovers,” he said. “To be able to put on an opera like ‘Meistersinger’ is a symbol of the Met’s resolve.”

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But the virus has added to the difficulty of presenting “Meistersinger,” a story about love and music-making in medieval Germany. Otto Schenk’s 1993 production was a logistical challenge even in normal times, requiring 14 truck containers to house the naturalistic scenery designed by Günther Schneider-Siemssen; 370 costumes; and a mighty 91-person orchestra.

The pandemic added new levels of complexity, as singers, orchestra players, dancers and stagehands spent long hours preparing to bring it back to the stage. (The final dress rehearsal clocked in at seven hours and 40 minutes). They are all required to wear masks wherever they go at the Met, except onstage. But once onstage, forget about social distancing: “Meistersinger” demands tender embraces, close-quarter brawls and impassioned singing, often within spitting distance of dozens of people.

Wearing masks during early rehearsals was taxing for some singers.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/diwali-special-not-just-india-these-countries-also-celebrate-the-festival-425785" hreflang="en">Diwali special: Not just India, these countries also celebrate the festival</a>

“It’s really torture,” said baritone Michael Volle, who plays the central role of shoemaker and poet Hans Sachs. “You can’t breathe freely.”

The Met has made safety a priority, requiring coronavirus tests twice a week for all employees and guest artists. Masks and hand sanitizing stations are ubiquitous. Signs posted backstage remind people to report their symptoms if they feel ill.

Inside a rehearsal studio around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, a group of choristers put on straw hats and checkered pants and adjusted giant foam pretzels that hung around their necks. About half an hour later, they would charge onstage for the final scene, where more than 200 people sing, dance, laugh and hug in a set designed to resemble a meadow.

“You can feel the excitement,” said Tshombe Selby, a tenor who plays a tailor. “It’s like jumping on a moving train.”

As the show came to an end, just before midnight, many of the artists celebrated, taking photos with each other onstage and making plans to go on to restaurants and bars.

Volle said he was moved that the production was able to go forward, despite the pandemic.

“Being able to do this together,” he said, “this is the meaning of music.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

As cultural institutions come back to life this fall after the long pandemic shutdown, many are trying to lure audiences back with shorter shows, often free of intermissions.

As cultural institutions come back to life this fall after the long pandemic shutdown, many are trying to lure audiences back with shorter shows, often free of intermissions. The Metropolitan Opera is taking a different tack. In an audacious bit of counterprogramming, the Met is staging the longest opera in its repertory, Wagner’s nearly six-hour “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.” Even in prepandemic times the work was a herculean undertaking, requiring an army of more than 400 artists and stagehands, breakneck set changes, spirited fight scenes and two 40-minute intermissions. “There’s always room for epics,” Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager, said in an interview. “There is always an appeal for huge events.” As audiences have slowly begun to emerge again, many institutions have taken a more cautious approach, with shorter-than-usual running times. The New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall and New York City Ballet did away with intermissions this fall when they resumed performances, though all plan to bring them back soon. The Met’s epic “Meistersinger,” luxuriously cast with some of the most acclaimed Wagner singers in the world and conducted by Antonio Pappano, comes as the company is trying to bounce back from the pandemic — which cost it $150 million in revenue — with a series of ambitious productions. It opened its season with Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” the first opera by a Black composer in its 138-year history, which became a hit, selling out four of its eight performances. The past month has also brought Puccini’s elaborate “Turandot” and the Met’s first time doing the original version of Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov.” In Pics: 7 movie adaptations of books that failed on first attempt But it is unclear if audiences will turn out for “Meistersinger” and other operas, which tend to be lengthy, amid ongoing concerns about the delta variant, at a time when audiences must show proof of vaccination to enter and must wear masks during performances. At the opening night of “Meistersinger” last Tuesday, only about 56% of the 3,700 available seats were taken. The Met attributed the low turnout in part to stormy weather; at a matinee Saturday, after the storm had passed and some strong reviews had appeared, 67% of the seats were full. Foreign tourists have also been largely absent from New York because of a ban on visitors from 33 countries, which is set to be lifted in early November. The company, sensitive to concerns about the virus, has modified some offerings because of the pandemic, eliminating an intermission in a production of “Rigoletto” opening on New Year’s Eve. But Gelb said that by staging the massive “Meistersinger,” which runs through Nov. 14, the Met was showing that even grand works could be performed safely. “We are providing hope for opera lovers,” he said. “To be able to put on an opera like ‘Meistersinger’ is a symbol of the Met’s resolve.” Also read: Has the Christmas shopping season overtaken Halloween? But the virus has added to the difficulty of presenting “Meistersinger,” a story about love and music-making in medieval Germany. Otto Schenk’s 1993 production was a logistical challenge even in normal times, requiring 14 truck containers to house the naturalistic scenery designed by Günther Schneider-Siemssen; 370 costumes; and a mighty 91-person orchestra. The pandemic added new levels of complexity, as singers, orchestra players, dancers and stagehands spent long hours preparing to bring it back to the stage. (The final dress rehearsal clocked in at seven hours and 40 minutes). They are all required to wear masks wherever they go at the Met, except onstage. But once onstage, forget about social distancing: “Meistersinger” demands tender embraces, close-quarter brawls and impassioned singing, often within spitting distance of dozens of people. Wearing masks during early rehearsals was taxing for some singers. Also see: Diwali special: Not just India, these countries also celebrate the festival “It’s really torture,” said baritone Michael Volle, who plays the central role of shoemaker and poet Hans Sachs. “You can’t breathe freely.” The Met has made safety a priority, requiring coronavirus tests twice a week for all employees and guest artists. Masks and hand sanitizing stations are ubiquitous. Signs posted backstage remind people to report their symptoms if they feel ill. Inside a rehearsal studio around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, a group of choristers put on straw hats and checkered pants and adjusted giant foam pretzels that hung around their necks. About half an hour later, they would charge onstage for the final scene, where more than 200 people sing, dance, laugh and hug in a set designed to resemble a meadow. “You can feel the excitement,” said Tshombe Selby, a tenor who plays a tailor. “It’s like jumping on a moving train.” As the show came to an end, just before midnight, many of the artists celebrated, taking photos with each other onstage and making plans to go on to restaurants and bars. Volle said he was moved that the production was able to go forward, despite the pandemic. “Being able to do this together,” he said, “this is the meaning of music.” This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

A 6-hour opera in a pandemic? The Met goes for it

There have been tears, cheers and hugs at Sydney's international airport after Australia's border opened for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tears, cheers and hugs at Sydney airport as Australians return home

It is the second day of the G20 summit in Rome and it is expected that the summit will help global leaders agree on a roadmap for a sustainable, green and speedy recovery from the Coronavirus. Sunday's session will focus on climate change and the environment.

G20 summit expected to help global leaders agree on roadmap for sustainable recovery

Second day of G20 summit in Rome

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to attend the second session of the G20 summit in Rome which is the world's biggest summit in the post pandemic era. The summit will help global leaders agree on a roadmap for a sustainable, green and speedy recovery from the Coronavirus. Sunday's session will focus on climate change and the environment.

Indian Prime Minister to attend second session of the G20 summit in Rome

Finance and health ministers from the world's 20 biggest economies (G20) said on Friday they would take steps to ensure 70 per cent&nbsp;of the world's population is vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-2022 and created a task force to fight future pandemics.

They could not reach agreement on a separate financing facility proposed by the United States and Indonesia, but said the task force would explore options for mobilising funds to boost pandemic preparedness, prevention and response.

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"To help advance toward the global goals of vaccinating at least 40 per cent of the population in all countries by the end of 2021 and 70 per cent by mid-2022 &nbsp;we will take steps to help boost the supply of vaccines and essential medical products and inputs in developing countries and remove relevant supply and financing constraints," the G20 ministers said in a communique seen by Reuters.

The previous goal had eyed vaccinating 70 per cent&nbsp;of the world's population by the autumn of 2022.

"We establish a G20 Joint Finance-Health Task Force aimed at enhancing dialogue and global cooperation on issues relating to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, promoting the exchange of experiences and best practices, developing coordination arrangements between Finance and Health Ministries, promoting collective action, assessing and addressing health emergencies with cross-border impact and encouraging effective stewardship of resources," the statement said.

The ministers said they were setting up the new body because the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed "significant shortcomings" in the world's ability to coordinate its response.

They pledged to support "all collaborative efforts" to provide access to safe, affordable, quality and effective vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

To reach the vaccination goals, they said they would work to boost the supply of vaccines and essential medical products and inputs in developing countries, while removing constraints on supply and financing, but gave no specific details.

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They also called for boosting the resilience of supply chains through voluntary technology transfer hubs in various regions, such as the newly established mRNA Hubs in South Africa, Brazil and Argentina, and through joint production and processing arrangements.

The call for a voluntary mRNA technology transfer means that talks on the idea of a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines and therapies - originally proposed by South Africa and India and now championed by the United States - remain stuck at the World Trade Organisation.

Finance and health ministers from the world's 20 biggest economies (G20) said on Friday they would take steps to ensure 70 per cent of the world's population is vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-2022 and created a task force to fight future pandemics.

Finance and health ministers from the world's 20 biggest economies (G20) said on Friday they would take steps to ensure 70 per cent of the world's population is vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-2022 and created a task force to fight future pandemics. They could not reach agreement on a separate financing facility proposed by the United States and Indonesia, but said the task force would explore options for mobilising funds to boost pandemic preparedness, prevention and response. Also Read | Chinese president Xi Jinping to attend G20 Summit online "To help advance toward the global goals of vaccinating at least 40 per cent of the population in all countries by the end of 2021 and 70 per cent by mid-2022 we will take steps to help boost the supply of vaccines and essential medical products and inputs in developing countries and remove relevant supply and financing constraints," the G20 ministers said in a communique seen by Reuters. The previous goal had eyed vaccinating 70 per cent of the world's population by the autumn of 2022. "We establish a G20 Joint Finance-Health Task Force aimed at enhancing dialogue and global cooperation on issues relating to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, promoting the exchange of experiences and best practices, developing coordination arrangements between Finance and Health Ministries, promoting collective action, assessing and addressing health emergencies with cross-border impact and encouraging effective stewardship of resources," the statement said. The ministers said they were setting up the new body because the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed "significant shortcomings" in the world's ability to coordinate its response. They pledged to support "all collaborative efforts" to provide access to safe, affordable, quality and effective vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To reach the vaccination goals, they said they would work to boost the supply of vaccines and essential medical products and inputs in developing countries, while removing constraints on supply and financing, but gave no specific details. Also Read | COVID-19 vaccine for kids: FDA panel OKs Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 They also called for boosting the resilience of supply chains through voluntary technology transfer hubs in various regions, such as the newly established mRNA Hubs in South Africa, Brazil and Argentina, and through joint production and processing arrangements. The call for a voluntary mRNA technology transfer means that talks on the idea of a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines and therapies - originally proposed by South Africa and India and now championed by the United States - remain stuck at the World Trade Organisation.

COVID-19: G20 wants 70% of world vaccinated by mid-2022, sets up task force for pandemic fight

The chairman of European Union leaders said on Friday he was cautiously optimistic about the prospects of a global treaty on future pandemics, with the World Health Organization (WHO) due to decide by the end of November whether to launch talks on it.

The WHO and the EU hope a treaty on future pandemics would help prevent the initial chaos when the novel coronavirus started spreading around the world from China in late 2019 and early 2020, causing a deep global recession as countries went into lockdowns to prevent mass infections.

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Speaking on the sidelines of the summit of leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies (G20), Charles Michel told reporters such a treaty would spell out how to better prevent and detect pandemics and share data.

It would also provide a framework for coordination and cooperation in dealing with future pandemics, for vaccine production and for sharing intellectual property for vaccine and treatment technology through the World Trade Organisation.

"I am cautiously optimistic. It means I feel that it goes in the right direction, but there are still difficulties," said Michel, who launched the treaty idea in November 2020. It was endorsed by all 27 EU leaders last May.

Watch |&nbsp;G20 summit in Rome: India to raise issues related to cross border terrorism

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/g20-summit-in-rome-india-to-raise-issues-related-to-cross-border-terrorism-425122/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

He said the General Assembly of the WHO would decide next month what mandate to endorse for such treaty negotiations, a decision that could be crucial to win the support of countries like China.

"In principle, China is positive. But it is not a simple 'yes'&nbsp;or 'no'&nbsp;-- it is more complex than that. It is based on what will be the exact mandate that will be given," Michel said.

"A 'yes'&nbsp;with some caveats that, in fact, could mean: 'we are not yet convinced'," he said, adding that talks over the next two weeks would be crucial for securing a green light for the project.

The chairman of European Union leaders said on Friday he was cautiously optimistic about the prospects of a global treaty on future pandemics, with the World Health Organization (WHO) due to decide by the end of November whether to launch talks on it.

The chairman of European Union leaders said on Friday he was cautiously optimistic about the prospects of a global treaty on future pandemics, with the World Health Organization (WHO) due to decide by the end of November whether to launch talks on it. The WHO and the EU hope a treaty on future pandemics would help prevent the initial chaos when the novel coronavirus started spreading around the world from China in late 2019 and early 2020, causing a deep global recession as countries went into lockdowns to prevent mass infections. Also Read | 'Pressure of blackmail': EU court imposes massive fine of over $1 million per day on Poland Speaking on the sidelines of the summit of leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies (G20), Charles Michel told reporters such a treaty would spell out how to better prevent and detect pandemics and share data. It would also provide a framework for coordination and cooperation in dealing with future pandemics, for vaccine production and for sharing intellectual property for vaccine and treatment technology through the World Trade Organisation. "I am cautiously optimistic. It means I feel that it goes in the right direction, but there are still difficulties," said Michel, who launched the treaty idea in November 2020. It was endorsed by all 27 EU leaders last May. Watch | G20 summit in Rome: India to raise issues related to cross border terrorism He said the General Assembly of the WHO would decide next month what mandate to endorse for such treaty negotiations, a decision that could be crucial to win the support of countries like China. "In principle, China is positive. But it is not a simple 'yes' or 'no' -- it is more complex than that. It is based on what will be the exact mandate that will be given," Michel said. "A 'yes' with some caveats that, in fact, could mean: 'we are not yet convinced'," he said, adding that talks over the next two weeks would be crucial for securing a green light for the project.

EU leaders' chairman cautiously optimistic on global treaty on pandemics

Sweden's response to the spread of coronavirus was too slow and preparations to handle a pandemic were insufficient, a commission investigating the country's response to COVID-19 said on Friday.

Sweden's early strategy, shunning lockdowns and measures such as face masks and only gradually tightening curbs, made the country an outlier in the first year of the pandemic when many countries across Europe chose to implement tougher restrictions.

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The commission said it would address Sweden's no-lockdown strategy in its final report, but that its preliminary findings showed that measures were introduced late both in relation to the country's Nordic neighbours and the spread of the virus in Sweden during the spring of 2020.

"Sweden's handling of the pandemic has been marked by a slowness of response," the commission said.

"The initial disease prevention and control measures were insufficient to stop or even substantially limit the spread of the virus in the country."

The commission, appointed by the government amid pressure from parliament, also noted that it had taken "far too long" to build sufficient testing capacity with initially only targeted groups, such as healthcare staff, being tested.

Authorities relied heavily on voluntary recommendations for people to socially distance and wash their hands, and public places such as schools, restaurants and businesses remained largely open, with the government leaving much of the responsibility for fighting the virus with the health agency and its chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell.

Sweden has recorded more than 15,000 deaths from coronavirus, many times the per capita level of its Nordic neighbours that implemented tougher restrictions, but still lower than many countries that locked down tightly, such as Britain.

Its pandemic strategy has been controversial at home and abroad. Critics have called it reckless and cruel but the approach has also earned praise for being more sustainable and business-friendly and as a model for living with the virus as it becomes endemic.

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Restrictions were gradually tightened in later waves of the pandemic before Sweden, along with other Western countries, began abandoning curbs following the rollout of vaccines. Nearly all restrictions have now been lifted.

The commission investigating the coronavirus response has no legal power beyond making public its findings with the aim of improving Sweden's ability to handle pandemics and similar situations.

Sweden's response to the spread of coronavirus was too slow and preparations to handle a pandemic were insufficient, a commission investigating the country's response to COVID-19 said on Friday.

Sweden's response to the spread of coronavirus was too slow and preparations to handle a pandemic were insufficient, a commission investigating the country's response to COVID-19 said on Friday. Sweden's early strategy, shunning lockdowns and measures such as face masks and only gradually tightening curbs, made the country an outlier in the first year of the pandemic when many countries across Europe chose to implement tougher restrictions. Also Read | Antidepressant drug Fluvoxamine can help reduce Covid hospitalisations by 30%: Study The commission said it would address Sweden's no-lockdown strategy in its final report, but that its preliminary findings showed that measures were introduced late both in relation to the country's Nordic neighbours and the spread of the virus in Sweden during the spring of 2020. "Sweden's handling of the pandemic has been marked by a slowness of response," the commission said. "The initial disease prevention and control measures were insufficient to stop or even substantially limit the spread of the virus in the country." The commission, appointed by the government amid pressure from parliament, also noted that it had taken "far too long" to build sufficient testing capacity with initially only targeted groups, such as healthcare staff, being tested. Authorities relied heavily on voluntary recommendations for people to socially distance and wash their hands, and public places such as schools, restaurants and businesses remained largely open, with the government leaving much of the responsibility for fighting the virus with the health agency and its chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell. Sweden has recorded more than 15,000 deaths from coronavirus, many times the per capita level of its Nordic neighbours that implemented tougher restrictions, but still lower than many countries that locked down tightly, such as Britain. Its pandemic strategy has been controversial at home and abroad. Critics have called it reckless and cruel but the approach has also earned praise for being more sustainable and business-friendly and as a model for living with the virus as it becomes endemic. Also Read | Merck strikes deal for global access to Covid drug Restrictions were gradually tightened in later waves of the pandemic before Sweden, along with other Western countries, began abandoning curbs following the rollout of vaccines. Nearly all restrictions have now been lifted. The commission investigating the coronavirus response has no legal power beyond making public its findings with the aim of improving Sweden's ability to handle pandemics and similar situations.

Sweden acted too slowly as pandemic swept country, finds probe

According to a newly republished data by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), hate crimes against Asian-origin people rose by 76% in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In August, the FBI issued hate crime data but due to an error in reporting Ohio's statistics, the data was incomplete. The agency has now corrected the technical issue in Ohio's reporting system.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2020, 279 hate crime incidents against Asian-origin people were reported as compared to 158 reported incidents in 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-revokes-top-chinese-telecom-firms-licence-over-national-security-concerns-424403" hreflang="en">US revokes top Chinese telecom firm's licence over 'national security' concerns</a>

According to FBI data released on Monday, over 60% of hate crimes in the United States were carried out on the basis of an individual's race.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jay Greenberg, deputy assistant director, FBI's criminal division, told ABC News' Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas, "Every hate crime is an attack on the community."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The FBI official said most hate crimes are directed at African Americans, but acknowledged there was a spike in anti-Asian hate crimes due to Covid.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-man-sues-dating-website-after-not-finding-enough-single-ladies-in-his-age-range-424409" hreflang="en">US man sues dating website after not finding 'enough single ladies' in his age range</a> &nbsp;

In total, there were around 8,052 single-bias incidents, crimes motivated by one type of bias, involving 11,126 victims. Comparatively, there were around 7,103 single-bias incidents involving 8,552 victims in 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The agency said 20% hate crimes targeted a person's sexual orientation while 13% hate crimes that occurred in 2020 were due to religious bias.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

According to a newly republished data by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), hate crimes against Asian-origin people rose by 76% in 2020. In August, the FBI issued hate crime data but due to an error in reporting Ohio's statistics, the data was incomplete.

According to a newly republished data by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), hate crimes against Asian-origin people rose by 76% in 2020. In August, the FBI issued hate crime data but due to an error in reporting Ohio's statistics, the data was incomplete. The agency has now corrected the technical issue in Ohio's reporting system. In 2020, 279 hate crime incidents against Asian-origin people were reported as compared to 158 reported incidents in 2019. Also Read: US revokes top Chinese telecom firm's licence over 'national security' concerns According to FBI data released on Monday, over 60% of hate crimes in the United States were carried out on the basis of an individual's race. Jay Greenberg, deputy assistant director, FBI's criminal division, told ABC News' Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas, "Every hate crime is an attack on the community." The FBI official said most hate crimes are directed at African Americans, but acknowledged there was a spike in anti-Asian hate crimes due to Covid. Also Read: US man sues dating website after not finding 'enough single ladies' in his age range In total, there were around 8,052 single-bias incidents, crimes motivated by one type of bias, involving 11,126 victims. Comparatively, there were around 7,103 single-bias incidents involving 8,552 victims in 2019. The agency said 20% hate crimes targeted a person's sexual orientation while 13% hate crimes that occurred in 2020 were due to religious bias. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid pandemic in 2020, hate crimes against Asians rose 76% in US, says FBI

Getting standardized rules for international travelers amid the coronavirus pandemic is the biggest hurdle for Latin American airlines, with their recovery threatened by a lack of consensus among health authorities, industry leaders have said.

Recovery of Latin American airlines threatened by lack of consensus among health authorities

The coronavirus pandemic will come to an end when all the countries start using the available health tools effectively, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says.

"The pandemic will end when the world chooses to end it. It is in our hands. We have all the tools we need: effective public health tools and effective medical tools. But the world has not used those tools well.

With almost 50,000 deaths a week, the pandemic is far from over," Dr. Tedros said on Sunday, in his address to the World Health Summit in Berlin.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/heres-why-developing-countries-can-make-covid-mrna-vaccines-423313">Here’s why developing countries can make Covid mRNA vaccines</a>

The WHO chief called on G20 countries that have already vaccinated 40 per cent of their population to actively engage in the COVAX mechanism, as well as the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT).

On Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the G20 countries to help collect USD 8 billion to ensure a fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world.

Speaking at the World Health Summit in Berlin, Gutteres said that earlier in October, he joined the WHO chief to launch a global strategy for COVID-19 vaccination, which suggests a credible and cost-effective plan to deliver vaccines to 40 per cent of people in all countries by the end of this year and 70 per cent by mid-2022.

The coronavirus pandemic will come to an end when all the countries start using the available health tools effectively, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says.

The coronavirus pandemic will come to an end when all the countries start using the available health tools effectively, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says. "The pandemic will end when the world chooses to end it. It is in our hands. We have all the tools we need: effective public health tools and effective medical tools. But the world has not used those tools well. With almost 50,000 deaths a week, the pandemic is far from over," Dr. Tedros said on Sunday, in his address to the World Health Summit in Berlin. Also Read | Here’s why developing countries can make Covid mRNA vaccines The WHO chief called on G20 countries that have already vaccinated 40 per cent of their population to actively engage in the COVAX mechanism, as well as the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT). On Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the G20 countries to help collect USD 8 billion to ensure a fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world. Speaking at the World Health Summit in Berlin, Gutteres said that earlier in October, he joined the WHO chief to launch a global strategy for COVID-19 vaccination, which suggests a credible and cost-effective plan to deliver vaccines to 40 per cent of people in all countries by the end of this year and 70 per cent by mid-2022.

Pandemic will end when world chooses to end it, says WHO chief

Across the developing world, hundreds of millions of people are unable to get a vaccine to protect themselves from the ravages of COVID-19, and millions of them have already become infected and died.

Depending on wealthy nations to donate billions of doses is not working, public health experts say. The solution, many now believe, is for the countries to do something that the big U.S. mRNA vaccine makers say is not feasible: manufacture the gold-standard mRNA shots themselves.

Despite mounting pressure, the CEOs of Moderna and Pfizer have declined to license their mRNA technology in developing countries, arguing it makes no sense to do so. They say that the process is too complex, that it would be too time- and labor-intensive to establish centers that could do it, and that they cannot spare the staff because of the urgent need to maximize production at their own network of facilities.

“You cannot go hire people who know how to make mRNA; those people don’t exist,” the CEO of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, told analysts.

But public health experts in both rich and poor countries argue that expanding production to the regions most in need is not only possible but essential for safeguarding the world against dangerous variants of the virus and ending the pandemic.

Setting up mRNA manufacturing operations in other countries should start immediately, said Tom Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, adding, “They are our insurance policy against variants and production failure” and “absolutely can be produced in a variety of settings.”

The vaccine needs of poorer countries were supposed to be met through COVAX, a multinational body meant to facilitate global vaccine distribution — but donations have been slow and limited. Wealthier countries have locked up supply. Just 4% of people in low-income countries are fully vaccinated.

Experts in both the development and production of vaccines say the mRNA vaccines involve fewer steps, fewer ingredients and less physical capacity than traditional vaccines. Companies in Africa, South America and parts of Asia already have much of what they would need to make them, they say; the technology specific to the mRNA production process can be delivered as a ready-to-use modular kit.

Most estimates put the cost of setting up production at $100 million to $200 million. A few large pharmaceutical producers in developing countries have these funds at hand; others would need loans or investors. The U.S. International Development Finance Corp. and the International Finance Corp. both have billions of dollars in funding available for this kind of project, as low-interest loans or a share of equity.

The New York Times interviewed dozens of executives and scientists at vaccine, drug and biotechnology companies across the developing world and from those conversations found 10 strong candidates to produce mRNA COVID vaccines in six countries on three continents. The key criteria include existing facilities, human capital, the regulatory system for medicines and the political and economic climate.

The candidates include companies that are already making other COVID vaccines, such as the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker; public institutions that are already testing their own mRNA vaccines for the coronavirus; and firms tapped by the World Health Organization to be regional centers for mRNA development.

Two companies in Asia are already making their own mRNA vaccines against COVID.

Gennova Biopharmaceuticals in Pune, India, has one in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials. Gennova says that unlike the mRNA shots currently in use, its vaccine can be stored at the temperature of a standard medical refrigerator.

Gennova is headed by Sanjay Singh, a biochemist who worked on malaria vaccines at the National Institutes of Health in the United States for six years before returning to India. The company is negotiating with contract manufacturers to make its vaccine while also working to expand its existing production capacity from 100 million to 1 billion doses a year, and it could be in production with its COVID shot within months, Singh said.

BioNet-Asia, a Thai drugmaker, is producing test batches of a COVID mRNA vaccine developed at Chula Vaccine Research Center in Bangkok that is in phase 2 trials.

If results continue to be positive, the vaccine could go to Thailand’s drug regulator by March, and BioNet would be ready for commercial production on approval, said Kiat Ruxrungtham, who heads the research team making the ChulaCov19 vaccine.

“Having this capability and capacity of this technology platform within the country — the goal is, when you have a new variant spreading or you have the next pandemic, you can start things very quickly instead of waiting to buy vaccines like we have been doing so far,” Ruxrungtham said.

Other drug companies would like to license one of the existing mRNA vaccines — pay a fee to receive the formulation and instructions, then share a royalty on each dose they sell — and start making it as quickly as possible. Stephen Saad, CEO of Aspen Pharmacare in Durban, South Africa, said that with an investment he estimated at $100 million, his firm could be producing 1 billion doses of mRNA vaccine within a year — more than enough to supply all of Africa, across which Aspen already has a distribution network.

Bio-Manguinhos, the immunobiology arm of a venerated Brazilian public health research organization, will soon start clinical trials of an RNA-based COVID vaccine, said Sotiris Missailidis, deputy director of technology development for the research center.

This year, Bio-Manguinhos nearly doubled its production capacity — to 215 million doses — of other vaccines, including AstraZeneca’s COVID shot, which it produces under contract. Brazil has a medical regulatory agency that maintains the same standards as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.

A range of factors has restricted access to vaccines in developing countries, including supply chain and shipping bottlenecks, and politics. The Serum Institute was supposed to supply COVAX, but India’s government banned exports at the height of that country’s second wave. Aspen in South Africa won a contract to bottle the Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson vaccine, but it had to export many of the shots right back to Europe and to Canada until activists created a public outcry.

“What we’ve learned through this pandemic is that it really does matter where the doses are coming off the production line,” said Andrea Taylor, who tracks vaccine production for the Duke Global Health Innovation Center.

Making mRNA vaccine shots differs in significant ways from traditional vaccine production. It is an enzymatic process, not a biological one that involves live cells, and in many ways is closer to the work of making drugs, said Zoltan Kis, a chemical engineer who analyzed mRNA production capacity for the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub at Imperial College in London.

In fact, when BioNTech was ready to start production of its vaccine, it went not to a vaccine maker but to a cancer drug plant in Germany. Moderna’s contract manufacturer in Switzerland employed former food scientists from Nestle, enlisted to transfer their chemistry skills.

“It’s a game changer because you don’t have to deal with the same stakeholders anymore,” said Alain Alsalhani, a vaccines expert with Doctors Without Borders’ access-to-medicines campaign.

Moderna’s contract manufacturers use a modular production kit that can make 100 million doses; some in the business compare the concept to an Ikea kitchen.

The COVID mRNA vaccines have already earned more in a single year than any previous product in pharmaceutical history and are on track to bring in more than $53 billion in revenue this year alone. The longer Pfizer and Moderna have a proprietary lock on the technology to make them, the greater the edge they will have on any future vaccine for cancer or other diseases, said Zain Rizvi, an expert on access to medicines with the advocacy organization Public Citizen. When a company has a functioning production line, it is a straightforward process to swap the mRNA content and make vaccines for a different pathogen, such as malaria or HIV.

This argument over manufacturing COVID mRNA vaccines echoes one that was made two decades ago about treatments for HIV. Hundreds of thousands of people died of AIDS in Africa long after antiretroviral drugs were widely available in wealthy nations because the patented medications were being sold at a price far too high for governments in the worst-affected countries to purchase.

Treatment access advocates staged a global campaign demanding that the drugmakers license low-cost producers or release the rights to their intellectual property to allow someone to fill the gap.

Although major Western pharmaceutical companies insisted there was no way to make the drugs more cheaply, Indian, Brazilian, Thai and South African drugmakers said they could do it. Indian generic companies reverse-engineered many of the formulas, and today, the bulk of the world’s AIDS drugs are made in these countries.

Now the WHO has taken on a similar challenge.

Because efforts to win licensing deals or other cooperation from Pfizer and Moderna have been unsuccessful to date, the organization is backing an effort to reverse-engineer Moderna’s vaccine at a technology transfer hub in South Africa, said Martin Friede, who runs the Initiative for Vaccine Research at the WHO. Biotechnology company Afrigen Biologics will make the mRNA, and the Biovac Institute will manufacture the vaccines.

Patrick Tippoo, head scientist at Biovac, which has a contract to bottle the Pfizer COVID vaccine, said the institute would prefer to own the technology to make an mRNA vaccine. But the fastest route to production would be a partnership with the maker of one of the existing mRNA vaccines. If Biovac had access to the “recipe,” instruction from people who have made the vaccine, and were to purchase modular production suites, the company could make the vaccines in 12-18 months, he said.

Instead of sharing its recipe, Moderna announced this month that it would spend up to $500 million to build its own vaccine plant in Africa. (The company did not specify which of the 54 countries it planned to build in or how long it would take.) And BioNTech, the inventor of Pfizer’s mRNA process, has announced plans to build plants in Africa in the next four years.

The Western pharmaceutical industry and some supply chain and health experts say the fastest route to closing the COVID vaccine gap is to focus on a more equitable distribution of vaccines made by the existing players.

“No enforced technology transfer would do more to address equity than what’s already lined up,” said Thomas Cueni, director of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, an industry lobby group in Geneva.

Intent on spreading production across the developing world, the WHO is also working on a second track that will seek partnerships with institutions such as Ruxrungtham’s research center in Bangkok, with their own mRNA vaccines. These vaccines would potentially be cheaper to produce and, critically, could be heat-stable — not requiring ultracold storage — and thus far more appropriate for use in low-resource settings, Friede said.

Some of the efforts are producing innovations that could benefit their regions far beyond the current pandemic.

Gennova in India has worked with a Seattle startup called HDT Bio to develop a new method to deliver mRNA with a lipid nanoparticle, one that does not require extreme cold storage. “We wanted to solve the problem of the scalability issue and the temperature issue,” Singh, CEO of Gennova, said. “If we can solve these problems, we are building a solution not just for India but also a global solution.”

Gennova received seed funding from the government of India, and it plans to use internal resources — and a potential partnership it is negotiating with a large multilateral agency — to take its vaccine forward, Singh said.

While Gennova has the technology, other producers such as the Brazilian and Argentine vaccine makers would need infrastructure — such as the kits Moderna used to set up production with its contractor in Switzerland.

For the producers not yet working with mRNA, the fastest way to start making COVID shots would be a partnership with Pfizer or Moderna, but the technology transfer process would involve hundreds of steps, said Prashant Yadav, a supply chain expert with the Center for Global Development.

“Can you do it for mRNA just by sending the transfer document blueprints and having a few Zoom calls, or a team to visit for a few days? In most cases, probably not,” he said. An experienced team that stayed on site for a period of time would be crucial.

Yadav estimated it would take one of the producers in South Africa or Brazil up to 18 months to have an mRNA vaccine ready to go in arms, with a recipe-share. There would also need to be a parallel process of boosting the capacity of national regulatory agencies, which will be critical to maintaining quality.

Kis said that any manufacturer that had a site at the standard set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-governed system of best practice for pharmaceutical manufacturing could switch to mRNA production in six months, using the pop-up production kits.

“We will build facilities in these regions to enable them to respond to this current pandemic — or maybe the pandemic will be over — but this time, the world has seen what the cost of not being prepared is, so hopefully this time, we’ve got the political will,” Friede of the WHO said. “Richer countries are going to have to put their hands in their pockets and contribute to the construction and maintenance of these facilities. Because in a pandemic, you’re not safe until your neighbor is safe.”

Across the developing world, hundreds of millions of people are unable to get a vaccine to protect themselves from the ravages of COVID-19, and millions of them have already become infected and died.

Across the developing world, hundreds of millions of people are unable to get a vaccine to protect themselves from the ravages of COVID-19, and millions of them have already become infected and died. Depending on wealthy nations to donate billions of doses is not working, public health experts say. The solution, many now believe, is for the countries to do something that the big U.S. mRNA vaccine makers say is not feasible: manufacture the gold-standard mRNA shots themselves. Despite mounting pressure, the CEOs of Moderna and Pfizer have declined to license their mRNA technology in developing countries, arguing it makes no sense to do so. They say that the process is too complex, that it would be too time- and labor-intensive to establish centers that could do it, and that they cannot spare the staff because of the urgent need to maximize production at their own network of facilities. “You cannot go hire people who know how to make mRNA; those people don’t exist,” the CEO of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, told analysts. But public health experts in both rich and poor countries argue that expanding production to the regions most in need is not only possible but essential for safeguarding the world against dangerous variants of the virus and ending the pandemic. Setting up mRNA manufacturing operations in other countries should start immediately, said Tom Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, adding, “They are our insurance policy against variants and production failure” and “absolutely can be produced in a variety of settings.” The vaccine needs of poorer countries were supposed to be met through COVAX, a multinational body meant to facilitate global vaccine distribution — but donations have been slow and limited. Wealthier countries have locked up supply. Just 4% of people in low-income countries are fully vaccinated. Experts in both the development and production of vaccines say the mRNA vaccines involve fewer steps, fewer ingredients and less physical capacity than traditional vaccines. Companies in Africa, South America and parts of Asia already have much of what they would need to make them, they say; the technology specific to the mRNA production process can be delivered as a ready-to-use modular kit. Most estimates put the cost of setting up production at $100 million to $200 million. A few large pharmaceutical producers in developing countries have these funds at hand; others would need loans or investors. The U.S. International Development Finance Corp. and the International Finance Corp. both have billions of dollars in funding available for this kind of project, as low-interest loans or a share of equity. The New York Times interviewed dozens of executives and scientists at vaccine, drug and biotechnology companies across the developing world and from those conversations found 10 strong candidates to produce mRNA COVID vaccines in six countries on three continents. The key criteria include existing facilities, human capital, the regulatory system for medicines and the political and economic climate. The candidates include companies that are already making other COVID vaccines, such as the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker; public institutions that are already testing their own mRNA vaccines for the coronavirus; and firms tapped by the World Health Organization to be regional centers for mRNA development. Two companies in Asia are already making their own mRNA vaccines against COVID. Gennova Biopharmaceuticals in Pune, India, has one in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials. Gennova says that unlike the mRNA shots currently in use, its vaccine can be stored at the temperature of a standard medical refrigerator. Gennova is headed by Sanjay Singh, a biochemist who worked on malaria vaccines at the National Institutes of Health in the United States for six years before returning to India. The company is negotiating with contract manufacturers to make its vaccine while also working to expand its existing production capacity from 100 million to 1 billion doses a year, and it could be in production with its COVID shot within months, Singh said. BioNet-Asia, a Thai drugmaker, is producing test batches of a COVID mRNA vaccine developed at Chula Vaccine Research Center in Bangkok that is in phase 2 trials. If results continue to be positive, the vaccine could go to Thailand’s drug regulator by March, and BioNet would be ready for commercial production on approval, said Kiat Ruxrungtham, who heads the research team making the ChulaCov19 vaccine. “Having this capability and capacity of this technology platform within the country — the goal is, when you have a new variant spreading or you have the next pandemic, you can start things very quickly instead of waiting to buy vaccines like we have been doing so far,” Ruxrungtham said. Other drug companies would like to license one of the existing mRNA vaccines — pay a fee to receive the formulation and instructions, then share a royalty on each dose they sell — and start making it as quickly as possible. Stephen Saad, CEO of Aspen Pharmacare in Durban, South Africa, said that with an investment he estimated at $100 million, his firm could be producing 1 billion doses of mRNA vaccine within a year — more than enough to supply all of Africa, across which Aspen already has a distribution network. Bio-Manguinhos, the immunobiology arm of a venerated Brazilian public health research organization, will soon start clinical trials of an RNA-based COVID vaccine, said Sotiris Missailidis, deputy director of technology development for the research center. This year, Bio-Manguinhos nearly doubled its production capacity — to 215 million doses — of other vaccines, including AstraZeneca’s COVID shot, which it produces under contract. Brazil has a medical regulatory agency that maintains the same standards as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. A range of factors has restricted access to vaccines in developing countries, including supply chain and shipping bottlenecks, and politics. The Serum Institute was supposed to supply COVAX, but India’s government banned exports at the height of that country’s second wave. Aspen in South Africa won a contract to bottle the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, but it had to export many of the shots right back to Europe and to Canada until activists created a public outcry. “What we’ve learned through this pandemic is that it really does matter where the doses are coming off the production line,” said Andrea Taylor, who tracks vaccine production for the Duke Global Health Innovation Center. Making mRNA vaccine shots differs in significant ways from traditional vaccine production. It is an enzymatic process, not a biological one that involves live cells, and in many ways is closer to the work of making drugs, said Zoltan Kis, a chemical engineer who analyzed mRNA production capacity for the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub at Imperial College in London. In fact, when BioNTech was ready to start production of its vaccine, it went not to a vaccine maker but to a cancer drug plant in Germany. Moderna’s contract manufacturer in Switzerland employed former food scientists from Nestle, enlisted to transfer their chemistry skills. “It’s a game changer because you don’t have to deal with the same stakeholders anymore,” said Alain Alsalhani, a vaccines expert with Doctors Without Borders’ access-to-medicines campaign. Moderna’s contract manufacturers use a modular production kit that can make 100 million doses; some in the business compare the concept to an Ikea kitchen. The COVID mRNA vaccines have already earned more in a single year than any previous product in pharmaceutical history and are on track to bring in more than $53 billion in revenue this year alone. The longer Pfizer and Moderna have a proprietary lock on the technology to make them, the greater the edge they will have on any future vaccine for cancer or other diseases, said Zain Rizvi, an expert on access to medicines with the advocacy organization Public Citizen. When a company has a functioning production line, it is a straightforward process to swap the mRNA content and make vaccines for a different pathogen, such as malaria or HIV. This argument over manufacturing COVID mRNA vaccines echoes one that was made two decades ago about treatments for HIV. Hundreds of thousands of people died of AIDS in Africa long after antiretroviral drugs were widely available in wealthy nations because the patented medications were being sold at a price far too high for governments in the worst-affected countries to purchase. Treatment access advocates staged a global campaign demanding that the drugmakers license low-cost producers or release the rights to their intellectual property to allow someone to fill the gap. Although major Western pharmaceutical companies insisted there was no way to make the drugs more cheaply, Indian, Brazilian, Thai and South African drugmakers said they could do it. Indian generic companies reverse-engineered many of the formulas, and today, the bulk of the world’s AIDS drugs are made in these countries. Now the WHO has taken on a similar challenge. Because efforts to win licensing deals or other cooperation from Pfizer and Moderna have been unsuccessful to date, the organization is backing an effort to reverse-engineer Moderna’s vaccine at a technology transfer hub in South Africa, said Martin Friede, who runs the Initiative for Vaccine Research at the WHO. Biotechnology company Afrigen Biologics will make the mRNA, and the Biovac Institute will manufacture the vaccines. Patrick Tippoo, head scientist at Biovac, which has a contract to bottle the Pfizer COVID vaccine, said the institute would prefer to own the technology to make an mRNA vaccine. But the fastest route to production would be a partnership with the maker of one of the existing mRNA vaccines. If Biovac had access to the “recipe,” instruction from people who have made the vaccine, and were to purchase modular production suites, the company could make the vaccines in 12-18 months, he said. Instead of sharing its recipe, Moderna announced this month that it would spend up to $500 million to build its own vaccine plant in Africa. (The company did not specify which of the 54 countries it planned to build in or how long it would take.) And BioNTech, the inventor of Pfizer’s mRNA process, has announced plans to build plants in Africa in the next four years. The Western pharmaceutical industry and some supply chain and health experts say the fastest route to closing the COVID vaccine gap is to focus on a more equitable distribution of vaccines made by the existing players. “No enforced technology transfer would do more to address equity than what’s already lined up,” said Thomas Cueni, director of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, an industry lobby group in Geneva. Intent on spreading production across the developing world, the WHO is also working on a second track that will seek partnerships with institutions such as Ruxrungtham’s research center in Bangkok, with their own mRNA vaccines. These vaccines would potentially be cheaper to produce and, critically, could be heat-stable — not requiring ultracold storage — and thus far more appropriate for use in low-resource settings, Friede said. Some of the efforts are producing innovations that could benefit their regions far beyond the current pandemic. Gennova in India has worked with a Seattle startup called HDT Bio to develop a new method to deliver mRNA with a lipid nanoparticle, one that does not require extreme cold storage. “We wanted to solve the problem of the scalability issue and the temperature issue,” Singh, CEO of Gennova, said. “If we can solve these problems, we are building a solution not just for India but also a global solution.” Gennova received seed funding from the government of India, and it plans to use internal resources — and a potential partnership it is negotiating with a large multilateral agency — to take its vaccine forward, Singh said. While Gennova has the technology, other producers such as the Brazilian and Argentine vaccine makers would need infrastructure — such as the kits Moderna used to set up production with its contractor in Switzerland. For the producers not yet working with mRNA, the fastest way to start making COVID shots would be a partnership with Pfizer or Moderna, but the technology transfer process would involve hundreds of steps, said Prashant Yadav, a supply chain expert with the Center for Global Development. “Can you do it for mRNA just by sending the transfer document blueprints and having a few Zoom calls, or a team to visit for a few days? In most cases, probably not,” he said. An experienced team that stayed on site for a period of time would be crucial. Yadav estimated it would take one of the producers in South Africa or Brazil up to 18 months to have an mRNA vaccine ready to go in arms, with a recipe-share. There would also need to be a parallel process of boosting the capacity of national regulatory agencies, which will be critical to maintaining quality. Kis said that any manufacturer that had a site at the standard set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-governed system of best practice for pharmaceutical manufacturing could switch to mRNA production in six months, using the pop-up production kits. “We will build facilities in these regions to enable them to respond to this current pandemic — or maybe the pandemic will be over — but this time, the world has seen what the cost of not being prepared is, so hopefully this time, we’ve got the political will,” Friede of the WHO said. “Richer countries are going to have to put their hands in their pockets and contribute to the construction and maintenance of these facilities. Because in a pandemic, you’re not safe until your neighbor is safe.”

Here’s why developing countries can make Covid mRNA vaccines

The tourism industry - across the globe was pushed to get creative during the pandemic with the subsequent movement restrictions. We saw a boom in incentivised domestic tourism staycations and creative activities. Hong Kong has taken that a step further - sleepy Hong Kongers can now get on a snooze bus tour to relax and unwind at least that's what the organisers hope to achieve. Here's a report.

Hong Kong takes a step further in tourism

United Airlines has reported a smaller quarterly loss than a year ago, but a resurgence in coronavirus cases slowed bookings and drove up cancellations, upending the carrier’s plan to return to profit.

United Airlines posts smaller loss, sees recovery from Coronavirus pandemic

Countries all across the Asia-Pacific region are rushing to place orders for the latest weapon which can help in battling the deadly coronavirus, an antiviral pill that has not been authorised for use yet.

Termed as Molnupiravir and produced by US pharmaceutical company Merck, the pill is being deemed as a potential pandemic game-changer, especially for those unable to get vaccinated.&nbsp;

As of now, at least eight countries or territories in the Asia-Pacific region have signed deals or are in talks to procure the drug. These countries include New Zealand, Australia and South Korea.

Merck is seeking US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorisation for the drug. If it is granted, the capsule will become the first oral antiviral treatment against COVID-19.

This comes as a worrying factor for the experts as they think many people will use it as an alternative for the vaccine, which still offers the best protection.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cdc-releases-official-guidelines-for-upcoming-holiday-season-421333">Also read |&nbsp;CDC releases official guidelines for upcoming holiday season</a>

They have also cautioned that Asia's race to stock up on the pill could see a repeat of the vaccine grab when wealthier countries were accused of hoarding doses and lower-income countries missed out.

Molnupiravir is seen as a positive step because it offers a way to treat COVID-19, without the patients needing hospitalisation.

Once a patient is diagnosed with COVID-19, they can start a course of molnupiravir. That involves four 200-milligram capsules, twice a day, for five days, which is a total of 40 pills.&nbsp;

Interim Phase 3 results from a trial of more than 700 unvaccinated patients released earlier this month noted that the pill might reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death by approximately 50 per cent, compared to patients who took a placebo.&nbsp;

The participants were all given the pill or placebo within five days of symptom onset, and within 29 days, none of those who took the pill died, compared with eight who were given the placebo.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-records-more-than-40000-covid-cases-for-fourth-day-in-a-row-421421">Also read |&nbsp;UK records more than 40,000 Covid cases for fourth day in a row</a>

Full data from the trial has not yet been released. The data has not yet been peer-reviewed or published.

Wendy Holman, chief executive officer of Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, which is collaborating on the development, in a statement said that the results were encouraging, as she hoped the drug could make a "profound impact in controlling the pandemic."

Countries all across the Asia-Pacific region are rushing to place orders for the latest weapon which can help in battling the deadly coronavirus, an antiviral pill that has not been authorised for use yet.

Countries all across the Asia-Pacific region are rushing to place orders for the latest weapon which can help in battling the deadly coronavirus, an antiviral pill that has not been authorised for use yet. Termed as Molnupiravir and produced by US pharmaceutical company Merck, the pill is being deemed as a potential pandemic game-changer, especially for those unable to get vaccinated. As of now, at least eight countries or territories in the Asia-Pacific region have signed deals or are in talks to procure the drug. These countries include New Zealand, Australia and South Korea. Merck is seeking US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorisation for the drug. If it is granted, the capsule will become the first oral antiviral treatment against COVID-19. This comes as a worrying factor for the experts as they think many people will use it as an alternative for the vaccine, which still offers the best protection. Also read | CDC releases official guidelines for upcoming holiday season They have also cautioned that Asia's race to stock up on the pill could see a repeat of the vaccine grab when wealthier countries were accused of hoarding doses and lower-income countries missed out. Molnupiravir is seen as a positive step because it offers a way to treat COVID-19, without the patients needing hospitalisation. Once a patient is diagnosed with COVID-19, they can start a course of molnupiravir. That involves four 200-milligram capsules, twice a day, for five days, which is a total of 40 pills. Interim Phase 3 results from a trial of more than 700 unvaccinated patients released earlier this month noted that the pill might reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death by approximately 50 per cent, compared to patients who took a placebo. The participants were all given the pill or placebo within five days of symptom onset, and within 29 days, none of those who took the pill died, compared with eight who were given the placebo. Also read | UK records more than 40,000 Covid cases for fourth day in a row Full data from the trial has not yet been released. The data has not yet been peer-reviewed or published. Wendy Holman, chief executive officer of Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, which is collaborating on the development, in a statement said that the results were encouraging, as she hoped the drug could make a "profound impact in controlling the pandemic."

Pandemic game-changer: A new drug to treat COVID-19 - Molnupiravir

On Jan. 9, 2020, about a week after the world first learned of a mysterious cluster of pneumonia cases in central China, authorities announced that scientists had found the culprit: a novel coronavirus.

It was a sobering announcement and an unnervingly familiar one. Nearly two decades earlier, a different coronavirus had hurdled over the species barrier and sped around the world, causing a lethal new disease called severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. The virus, which became known as SARS-CoV, killed 774 people before health officials contained it.

But even as scientists worried that history might be repeating itself, there was one glimmer of hope. Although all viruses evolve, coronaviruses are known to be relatively stable, changing more slowly than the common flu.

“There was, I think, a sense that would work in our favor and that the nightmare scenario of it being like influenza — constantly changing and needing updated vaccines all the time — would probably not be the case,” said Dr. Adam Lauring, a virus expert and infectious disease physician at the University of Michigan.

What many scientists had not counted on was unchecked global spread. During the following weeks, the new virus, SARS-CoV-2, skipped from Wuhan, China, to a cruise ship in Japan, a small town in northern Italy and a biotechnology conference in Boston. Country by country, global coronavirus trackers turned red.

To date, more than 237 million people have been infected with the virus, and 4.8 million have died — 700,000 in the United States alone.

With every infection come new opportunities for the virus to mutate. Now, nearly two years into the pandemic, we are working our way through an alphabet of new viral variants: fast-spreading alpha, immune-evading beta, and on through gamma, delta, lambda and, most recently, mu.

“We just have uncontrolled infections in much of the world, and that’s going to lead to more chances for the virus to evolve,” Lauring said.

Even for a virus, evolution is a long game, and our relationship with SARS-CoV-2 is still in its infancy. We are extremely unlikely to eradicate the virus, scientists say, and what the next few years — and decades — hold is difficult to predict.

But the legacy of past epidemics, as well as some basic biological principles, provides clues to where we could be headed.

The Genetic Lottery

Viruses are replication machines, hijacking our cells to make copies of their own genomes. Sometimes they make small mistakes, akin to typos, as they replicate.

Most of the time, these errors have no benefit for the virus; many are harmful and quickly disappear. But occasionally, a virus hits the genetic lottery: a mutation that confers an advantage. This fitter version of the virus can then outcompete its peers, giving rise to a new variant.

The coronavirus could shift in countless ways, but there are three concerning possibilities: It could become more transmissible, it could become better at evading our immune system, or it could become more virulent, causing more serious disease.

SARS-CoV-2 has already become more transmissible. “The virus is just better at transmitting from one person to another than it was in January of 2020,” said Jesse Bloom, an expert in viral evolution at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. “And this is due to a variety of mutations that the virus has acquired, some of which we understand, and some of which we don’t.”

One of the first of these mutations had already emerged by late January 2020. The mutation, D614G, most likely stabilized the spike protein that the virus uses to latch onto human cells, making the virus more infectious. It quickly became widespread, displacing the original version of the virus.

As the virus spread, more mutations sprang up, giving rise to even more transmissible variants. First came alpha, which was about 50% more infectious than the original virus, and soon delta, which was, in turn, roughly 50% more infectious than alpha.

“Now we’re basically in a delta pandemic,” said Robert Garry, a virus expert at Tulane University. “So another surge, another spread of a slightly better variant.”

Although some experts were surprised to see the hyperinfectious variant, which has more than a dozen notable mutations, emerge so quickly, the appearance of more transmissible variants is textbook viral evolution.

“It’s hard to imagine that the virus is going to pop into a new species perfectly formed for that species,” said Andrew Read, an evolutionary microbiologist at Penn State University. “It’s bound to do some adaptation.”

But scientists don’t expect this process to continue forever.

There are likely to be some basic biological limits on just how infectious a particular virus can become, based on its intrinsic properties. Viruses that are well adapted to humans, such as measles and the seasonal influenza, are not constantly becoming more infectious, Bloom noted.

It is not entirely clear what the constraints on transmissibility are, he added, but at the very least, the new coronavirus cannot replicate infinitely fast or travel infinitely far.

“Transmission requires one person to somehow exhale or cough or breathe out the virus, and it to land in someone else’s airway and infect them,” Bloom said. “There are just limits to that process. It’s never going to be the case that I’m sitting here in my office, and I’m giving it to someone on the other side of Seattle, right?”

He added: “Whether the delta variant is already at that plateau, or whether there’s going to be further increases before it gets to that plateau, I can’t say. But I do think that plateau exists.”

Dodging Immunity

In addition to becoming more transmissible, some variants have also acquired the ability to dodge some of our antibodies. Antibodies, which can prevent the virus from entering our cells, are engineered to latch onto specific molecules on the surface of the virus, snapping into place like puzzle pieces. But genetic mutations in the virus can change the shape of those binding sites.

“If you change that shape, you can make it impossible for an antibody to do its job,” said Marion Pepper, an immunologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Delta appears to evade some antibodies, but there are other variants, particularly beta, that are even better at dodging these defenses. For now, delta is so infectious that it has managed to outcompete, and thus limit the spread of, these stealthier variants.

But as more people acquire antibodies against the virus, mutations that allow the virus to slip past these antibodies will become even more advantageous. “The landscape of selection has changed,” said Jessica Metcalf, an evolutionary biologist at Princeton University. “From the point of view of the virus, it’s no longer, ‘I just bop around, and there’s a free host.’ ”

The good news is that there are many different kinds of antibodies, and a variant with a few new mutations is unlikely to escape them all, experts said.

“The immune system has also evolved to have plenty of tricks up its sleeve to counteract the evolution of the virus,” Pepper said. “Knowing that there is this complex level of diversity in the immune system allows me to sleep better at night.”

Certain T cells, for instance, destroy virus-infected cells, helping to reduce the severity of disease. Together, our assortment of T cells can recognize at least 30 to 40 different pieces of SARS-CoV-2, researchers have found.

“It’s a lot harder to evade T cell responses than antibody responses,” said Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

And then there are B cells, which generate our army of antibodies. Even after we clear the infection, the body keeps churning out B cells for a while, deliberately introducing small genetic mutations. The result is an enormously diverse collection of B cells producing an array of antibodies, some of which might be a good match for the next variant that comes along.

“They’re actually a library of guesses that the immune system makes about what variants might look like in the future,” said Shane Crotty, a virus expert at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology.

So far, studies suggest that our antibody, T cell and B cell responses are all working as expected when it comes to SARS-CoV-2. “This virus is mostly playing by immunological rules we understand,” Crotty said.

‘No Interest in Killing Us’

Whether the virus will become more virulent — that is, whether it will cause more serious disease — is the hardest to predict, scientists said. Unlike transmissibility or immune evasion, virulence has no inherent evolutionary advantage.

“The virus has no interest in killing us,” Metcalf said. “Virulence only matters for the virus if it works for transmission.”

Because people who are hospitalized may be less likely to spread the virus than those who are walking around with the sniffles, some have theorized that new viruses become milder over time.

One commonly cited example is the myxoma virus, which Australian scientists released in 1950 in an attempt to reduce the population of invasive European rabbits.

Initially, the myxoma virus proved to be “fantastically virulent,” one scientist wrote, killing more than 99% of the rabbits it infected. After just a few years, however, several somewhat milder strains of the virus emerged and became dominant.

But myxoma is not a simple story of a virus gradually becoming less virulent.

“Early variants that were too nice were also discovered in the mid-1950s,” said Read, who has studied the virus. “They caused little disease but transmitted poorly, so never came to dominate.”

The rabbits also evolved new immune defenses that allowed them to fight off infection more easily, and then the virus fired back, acquiring new tricks for depressing the rabbits’ immune systems.

“Seventy years — it’s still going gangbusters,” Read said.

It is too early to say whether SARS-CoV-2 will change in virulence over the long term. There could certainly be trade-offs between virulence and transmission; variants that make people too sick too quickly may not spread very far.

Then again, this virus spreads before people become severely ill. As long as that remains true, the virus could become more virulent without sacrificing transmissibility.

Moreover, the same thing that makes the virus more infectious — faster replication or tighter binding to our cells — could also make it more virulent. Indeed, some evidence suggests that delta is more likely to result in hospitalization than other variants.

&lt;em&gt;“&lt;/em&gt;I could actually keep this game of imagining going on for a long time,” Read said. “On my good days, I’m optimistic that the disease severity will go down through time. Because clearly, people being isolated does affect transmission. On my bad days, I worry about it going the other direction.”

Uneasy Equilibrium

Although many possible paths remain open to us, what is certain is that SARS-CoV-2 will not stop evolving — and that the arms race between the virus and us is just beginning.

We lost the first few rounds, by allowing the virus to spread unchecked, but we still have powerful weapons to bring to the fight. The most notable are highly effective vaccines, developed at record speed. “I think there is hope in the fact that the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines at this point are more effective than flu vaccines have probably ever been,” Bloom said.

Even the first-generation vaccines provide substantial protection against disease, and there is plenty of room to improve them by tinkering with the dosing and timing, tailoring them to new variants or developing new approaches, such as nasal sprays, that may be better at halting transmission.

“I have great faith that we can sort any detrimental evolutionary trajectories out by improving our current or next generation vaccines,” Read said.

The occasional breakthrough infection or booster could help top up our flagging immunity and teach our bodies to recognize new mutations, ultimately making us less vulnerable to the next variant that comes along.

“Maybe you have a reinfection, but it’s relatively mild, which also boosts your immunity,” Gounder said.

Meanwhile, as the number of completely vulnerable hosts dwindles, and transmission slows, the virus will have fewer opportunities to mutate. One recent paper, which has not yet been reviewed by experts, suggests that rising vaccination rates may already be suppressing new mutations.

And the evolution rate could also slow down as the virus becomes better adapted to humans.

“There’s low-hanging fruit,” Lauring said. “So there are certain ways it can evolve and make big improvements, but after a while there aren’t areas to improve — it’s figured out all the easy ways to improve.”

Eventually, as viral evolution slows down and our immune systems catch up, we will reach an uneasy equilibrium with the virus, scientists predict. We will never extinguish it, but it will smolder rather than rage.

What that equilibrium point looks like exactly — how much transmission there is and how much disease it causes — is uncertain. Some scientists predict that the virus will ultimately be much like the flu, which can still cause serious illness and death, especially during seasonal surges.

Others are more optimistic. “My guess is that one day this is going to be another cause of the common cold,” said Jennie Lavine, who explored that possibility as an infectious disease researcher at Emory University.

There are four other coronaviruses that have become endemic in human populations. We are exposed to them early and often, and all four mostly cause run-of-the-mill colds.

COVID-19 might just be what it looks like when a novel coronavirus spreads through a population without any preexisting immunity. “This may not be such a different beast than everything else that we’re accustomed to,” Lavine said. “It’s just a bad moment.”

Of course, plenty of uncertainties remain, scientists said, including how long it will take to reach equilibrium. With infections beginning to decline again in the United States, hopes are again rising that the worst of the pandemic is behind us.

But much of the world remains unvaccinated, and this virus has already proved capable of surprising us. “We should be somewhat cautious and humble about trying to predict what it is capable of doing in the future,” Crotty said.

While we can’t guard against every eventuality, we can tip the odds in our favor by expanding viral surveillance, speeding up global vaccine distribution and tamping down transmission until more people can be vaccinated, scientists said.

The actions we take now will help determine what the coming years look like, said Dr. Jonathan Quick, a global health expert at Duke University and the author of “The End of Epidemics.”

The future, he said, “depends much, much more on what humans do than on what the virus does.”

On Jan. 9, 2020, about a week after the world first learned of a mysterious cluster of pneumonia cases in central China, authorities announced that scientists had found the culprit: a novel coronavirus.

On Jan. 9, 2020, about a week after the world first learned of a mysterious cluster of pneumonia cases in central China, authorities announced that scientists had found the culprit: a novel coronavirus. It was a sobering announcement and an unnervingly familiar one. Nearly two decades earlier, a different coronavirus had hurdled over the species barrier and sped around the world, causing a lethal new disease called severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. The virus, which became known as SARS-CoV, killed 774 people before health officials contained it. But even as scientists worried that history might be repeating itself, there was one glimmer of hope. Although all viruses evolve, coronaviruses are known to be relatively stable, changing more slowly than the common flu. “There was, I think, a sense that would work in our favor and that the nightmare scenario of it being like influenza — constantly changing and needing updated vaccines all the time — would probably not be the case,” said Dr. Adam Lauring, a virus expert and infectious disease physician at the University of Michigan. What many scientists had not counted on was unchecked global spread. During the following weeks, the new virus, SARS-CoV-2, skipped from Wuhan, China, to a cruise ship in Japan, a small town in northern Italy and a biotechnology conference in Boston. Country by country, global coronavirus trackers turned red. To date, more than 237 million people have been infected with the virus, and 4.8 million have died — 700,000 in the United States alone. With every infection come new opportunities for the virus to mutate. Now, nearly two years into the pandemic, we are working our way through an alphabet of new viral variants: fast-spreading alpha, immune-evading beta, and on through gamma, delta, lambda and, most recently, mu. “We just have uncontrolled infections in much of the world, and that’s going to lead to more chances for the virus to evolve,” Lauring said. Even for a virus, evolution is a long game, and our relationship with SARS-CoV-2 is still in its infancy. We are extremely unlikely to eradicate the virus, scientists say, and what the next few years — and decades — hold is difficult to predict. But the legacy of past epidemics, as well as some basic biological principles, provides clues to where we could be headed. The Genetic Lottery Viruses are replication machines, hijacking our cells to make copies of their own genomes. Sometimes they make small mistakes, akin to typos, as they replicate. Most of the time, these errors have no benefit for the virus; many are harmful and quickly disappear. But occasionally, a virus hits the genetic lottery: a mutation that confers an advantage. This fitter version of the virus can then outcompete its peers, giving rise to a new variant. The coronavirus could shift in countless ways, but there are three concerning possibilities: It could become more transmissible, it could become better at evading our immune system, or it could become more virulent, causing more serious disease. SARS-CoV-2 has already become more transmissible. “The virus is just better at transmitting from one person to another than it was in January of 2020,” said Jesse Bloom, an expert in viral evolution at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. “And this is due to a variety of mutations that the virus has acquired, some of which we understand, and some of which we don’t.” One of the first of these mutations had already emerged by late January 2020. The mutation, D614G, most likely stabilized the spike protein that the virus uses to latch onto human cells, making the virus more infectious. It quickly became widespread, displacing the original version of the virus. As the virus spread, more mutations sprang up, giving rise to even more transmissible variants. First came alpha, which was about 50% more infectious than the original virus, and soon delta, which was, in turn, roughly 50% more infectious than alpha. “Now we’re basically in a delta pandemic,” said Robert Garry, a virus expert at Tulane University. “So another surge, another spread of a slightly better variant.” Although some experts were surprised to see the hyperinfectious variant, which has more than a dozen notable mutations, emerge so quickly, the appearance of more transmissible variants is textbook viral evolution. “It’s hard to imagine that the virus is going to pop into a new species perfectly formed for that species,” said Andrew Read, an evolutionary microbiologist at Penn State University. “It’s bound to do some adaptation.” But scientists don’t expect this process to continue forever. There are likely to be some basic biological limits on just how infectious a particular virus can become, based on its intrinsic properties. Viruses that are well adapted to humans, such as measles and the seasonal influenza, are not constantly becoming more infectious, Bloom noted. It is not entirely clear what the constraints on transmissibility are, he added, but at the very least, the new coronavirus cannot replicate infinitely fast or travel infinitely far. “Transmission requires one person to somehow exhale or cough or breathe out the virus, and it to land in someone else’s airway and infect them,” Bloom said. “There are just limits to that process. It’s never going to be the case that I’m sitting here in my office, and I’m giving it to someone on the other side of Seattle, right?” He added: “Whether the delta variant is already at that plateau, or whether there’s going to be further increases before it gets to that plateau, I can’t say. But I do think that plateau exists.” Dodging Immunity In addition to becoming more transmissible, some variants have also acquired the ability to dodge some of our antibodies. Antibodies, which can prevent the virus from entering our cells, are engineered to latch onto specific molecules on the surface of the virus, snapping into place like puzzle pieces. But genetic mutations in the virus can change the shape of those binding sites. “If you change that shape, you can make it impossible for an antibody to do its job,” said Marion Pepper, an immunologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Delta appears to evade some antibodies, but there are other variants, particularly beta, that are even better at dodging these defenses. For now, delta is so infectious that it has managed to outcompete, and thus limit the spread of, these stealthier variants. But as more people acquire antibodies against the virus, mutations that allow the virus to slip past these antibodies will become even more advantageous. “The landscape of selection has changed,” said Jessica Metcalf, an evolutionary biologist at Princeton University. “From the point of view of the virus, it’s no longer, ‘I just bop around, and there’s a free host.’ ” The good news is that there are many different kinds of antibodies, and a variant with a few new mutations is unlikely to escape them all, experts said. “The immune system has also evolved to have plenty of tricks up its sleeve to counteract the evolution of the virus,” Pepper said. “Knowing that there is this complex level of diversity in the immune system allows me to sleep better at night.” Certain T cells, for instance, destroy virus-infected cells, helping to reduce the severity of disease. Together, our assortment of T cells can recognize at least 30 to 40 different pieces of SARS-CoV-2, researchers have found. “It’s a lot harder to evade T cell responses than antibody responses,” said Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. And then there are B cells, which generate our army of antibodies. Even after we clear the infection, the body keeps churning out B cells for a while, deliberately introducing small genetic mutations. The result is an enormously diverse collection of B cells producing an array of antibodies, some of which might be a good match for the next variant that comes along. “They’re actually a library of guesses that the immune system makes about what variants might look like in the future,” said Shane Crotty, a virus expert at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. So far, studies suggest that our antibody, T cell and B cell responses are all working as expected when it comes to SARS-CoV-2. “This virus is mostly playing by immunological rules we understand,” Crotty said. ‘No Interest in Killing Us’ Whether the virus will become more virulent — that is, whether it will cause more serious disease — is the hardest to predict, scientists said. Unlike transmissibility or immune evasion, virulence has no inherent evolutionary advantage. “The virus has no interest in killing us,” Metcalf said. “Virulence only matters for the virus if it works for transmission.” Because people who are hospitalized may be less likely to spread the virus than those who are walking around with the sniffles, some have theorized that new viruses become milder over time. One commonly cited example is the myxoma virus, which Australian scientists released in 1950 in an attempt to reduce the population of invasive European rabbits. Initially, the myxoma virus proved to be “fantastically virulent,” one scientist wrote, killing more than 99% of the rabbits it infected. After just a few years, however, several somewhat milder strains of the virus emerged and became dominant. But myxoma is not a simple story of a virus gradually becoming less virulent. “Early variants that were too nice were also discovered in the mid-1950s,” said Read, who has studied the virus. “They caused little disease but transmitted poorly, so never came to dominate.” The rabbits also evolved new immune defenses that allowed them to fight off infection more easily, and then the virus fired back, acquiring new tricks for depressing the rabbits’ immune systems. “Seventy years — it’s still going gangbusters,” Read said. It is too early to say whether SARS-CoV-2 will change in virulence over the long term. There could certainly be trade-offs between virulence and transmission; variants that make people too sick too quickly may not spread very far. Then again, this virus spreads before people become severely ill. As long as that remains true, the virus could become more virulent without sacrificing transmissibility. Moreover, the same thing that makes the virus more infectious — faster replication or tighter binding to our cells — could also make it more virulent. Indeed, some evidence suggests that delta is more likely to result in hospitalization than other variants. “I could actually keep this game of imagining going on for a long time,” Read said. “On my good days, I’m optimistic that the disease severity will go down through time. Because clearly, people being isolated does affect transmission. On my bad days, I worry about it going the other direction.” Uneasy Equilibrium Although many possible paths remain open to us, what is certain is that SARS-CoV-2 will not stop evolving — and that the arms race between the virus and us is just beginning. We lost the first few rounds, by allowing the virus to spread unchecked, but we still have powerful weapons to bring to the fight. The most notable are highly effective vaccines, developed at record speed. “I think there is hope in the fact that the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines at this point are more effective than flu vaccines have probably ever been,” Bloom said. Even the first-generation vaccines provide substantial protection against disease, and there is plenty of room to improve them by tinkering with the dosing and timing, tailoring them to new variants or developing new approaches, such as nasal sprays, that may be better at halting transmission. “I have great faith that we can sort any detrimental evolutionary trajectories out by improving our current or next generation vaccines,” Read said. The occasional breakthrough infection or booster could help top up our flagging immunity and teach our bodies to recognize new mutations, ultimately making us less vulnerable to the next variant that comes along. “Maybe you have a reinfection, but it’s relatively mild, which also boosts your immunity,” Gounder said. Meanwhile, as the number of completely vulnerable hosts dwindles, and transmission slows, the virus will have fewer opportunities to mutate. One recent paper, which has not yet been reviewed by experts, suggests that rising vaccination rates may already be suppressing new mutations. And the evolution rate could also slow down as the virus becomes better adapted to humans. “There’s low-hanging fruit,” Lauring said. “So there are certain ways it can evolve and make big improvements, but after a while there aren’t areas to improve — it’s figured out all the easy ways to improve.” Eventually, as viral evolution slows down and our immune systems catch up, we will reach an uneasy equilibrium with the virus, scientists predict. We will never extinguish it, but it will smolder rather than rage. What that equilibrium point looks like exactly — how much transmission there is and how much disease it causes — is uncertain. Some scientists predict that the virus will ultimately be much like the flu, which can still cause serious illness and death, especially during seasonal surges. Others are more optimistic. “My guess is that one day this is going to be another cause of the common cold,” said Jennie Lavine, who explored that possibility as an infectious disease researcher at Emory University. There are four other coronaviruses that have become endemic in human populations. We are exposed to them early and often, and all four mostly cause run-of-the-mill colds. COVID-19 might just be what it looks like when a novel coronavirus spreads through a population without any preexisting immunity. “This may not be such a different beast than everything else that we’re accustomed to,” Lavine said. “It’s just a bad moment.” Of course, plenty of uncertainties remain, scientists said, including how long it will take to reach equilibrium. With infections beginning to decline again in the United States, hopes are again rising that the worst of the pandemic is behind us. But much of the world remains unvaccinated, and this virus has already proved capable of surprising us. “We should be somewhat cautious and humble about trying to predict what it is capable of doing in the future,” Crotty said. While we can’t guard against every eventuality, we can tip the odds in our favor by expanding viral surveillance, speeding up global vaccine distribution and tamping down transmission until more people can be vaccinated, scientists said. The actions we take now will help determine what the coming years look like, said Dr. Jonathan Quick, a global health expert at Duke University and the author of “The End of Epidemics.” The future, he said, “depends much, much more on what humans do than on what the virus does.”

What the future holds for the coronavirus and us

In a sign of respite for the world the coronavirus pandemic has slowed for a seventh week in a row.The pandemic had gained ground since mid-june fanned by the highly contagious delta variant. But since late August it has been in decline.

Coronavirus pandemic slowed for seventh week in a row

In a sign of respite, the coronavirus pandemic has slowed for the seventh week in a row. Since August the number of covid cases has seen a drop.

Coronavirus pandemic slowed for 7th week in a row

Child suicides in Japan are the highest they have been in more than four decades, local media have reported, citing the country's education ministry.

As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted school closings and disrupted classrooms last year, 415 children from elementary to high school age were recorded as having taken their own lives, according to the education ministry's survey.

The number is up by nearly 100 from last year, the highest since record-keeping began in 1974, the Asahi newspaper reported on Thursday.

Suicide has a long history in Japan as a way of avoiding perceived shame or dishonour, and its suicide rate has long been the highest in the Group of Seven nations, but a national effort has reduced numbers by roughly 40% over 15 years, including ten years of decline beginning in 2009.

Amid the pandemic, suicides increased in 2020 after a decade of declines, with the number of women committing suicide surging amid the emotional and financial stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic, although fewer men took their own lives.

The education ministry said a record high of more than 196,127 school children were absent for 30 days or more, media reported.

The results showed that changes in school and household environments due to the pandemic have had a huge impact on children's behaviour, NHK quoted an education ministry official as saying.

Child suicides in Japan are the highest they have been in more than four decades, local media have reported, citing the country's education ministry. As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted school closings and disrupted classrooms last year, 415 children from elementary to high school age were recorded as having taken their own lives, according to the education ministry's survey.

Child suicides in Japan are the highest they have been in more than four decades, local media have reported, citing the country's education ministry. As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted school closings and disrupted classrooms last year, 415 children from elementary to high school age were recorded as having taken their own lives, according to the education ministry's survey. The number is up by nearly 100 from last year, the highest since record-keeping began in 1974, the Asahi newspaper reported on Thursday. Suicide has a long history in Japan as a way of avoiding perceived shame or dishonour, and its suicide rate has long been the highest in the Group of Seven nations, but a national effort has reduced numbers by roughly 40% over 15 years, including ten years of decline beginning in 2009. Amid the pandemic, suicides increased in 2020 after a decade of declines, with the number of women committing suicide surging amid the emotional and financial stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic, although fewer men took their own lives. The education ministry said a record high of more than 196,127 school children were absent for 30 days or more, media reported. The results showed that changes in school and household environments due to the pandemic have had a huge impact on children's behaviour, NHK quoted an education ministry official as saying.

Suicides among children in Japan at record high during pandemic: Report

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