2021 has been an year of crisis for many industries. One of the biggest crisis has been the global chip shortage that has hit automakers. Watch this report for more.

COVID pandemic impacts automotive industry

It has been two years since COVID pandemic started. During this time there have been multiple waves and millions of live were lost. Globally a total of 6.55 million COVID cases were detected between 22nd and 28th of Dec. This is the highest figure since the WHO declared it a pandemic in March 2020.

World hits record weekly infections related to Coronavirus

2021 has been another year shrouded in uncertainty, lockdowns and unprecedented natural calamities. However, in a bid to beat the pandemic blues there were those who emerged as unconventional artists offering some much needed respite to the world by way of their eccentric ingenuity.

The weird and the wonderful from 2021 | Artists of Covid pandemic era

A new survey found that 48% of firms appointed three or more CEOs in the last decade. Has the pandemic brought down the average CEO tenure? Why are more and more CEOs quitting or getting fired? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: CEOs burning out during the pandemic

After two years of masking up and lockdowns, do you feel like giving up? Do you feel like surrendering to the pandemic? Palki Sharma tells you why this is precisely the time to fight on.

Gravitas: How to beat Pandemic fatigue?

A poll suggests that over 60 per cent of young unvaccinated Americans have no plans of getting the shots. Here's a report.

60 per cent of young unvaccinated Americans have no plans of getting the jab, states Poll

With their family Christmas celebration canceled for the second straight year, Robert Valley and Alexis Pagan sought some holiday cheer in Manhattan, inside the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store at Rockefeller Center.

There, with the famous Christmas tree towering over the bustling plaza outside, the specter of the pandemic seemed to fade a little.

“This is what we’ve got, this is what we’re holding on to,” Valley, 55, said through a mask emblazoned with the image of Santa Claus. “I said, ‘Let’s go see the tree, it will give us a little joy.’”

Pagan, 47, chimed in from behind her Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer mask. “Like there is a Christmas,” she said.

This year’s holiday season has been accompanied by an extraordinary surge in coronavirus cases linked to the fast-spreading omicron variant, which has proved capable of bypassing vaccines and has infected tens of thousands of people, ruining countless plans for a normal Christmas.

On Friday, New York state reported 44,431 new virus cases out of about 360,000 people tested, an increase of nearly 5,600 new cases day over day and the highest single-day figure since the pandemic began. A great number of those were in New York City.

But amid the spike — and the postponed parties, wrecked travel plans and interminable lines at overburdened testing sites — there were glimmers of the season to be found among New Yorkers brimming with determination to salvage what they could of Christmas.

On Thursday, on Frances Sacks’ 10th day of isolating after contracting the virus, she emerged from her apartment in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood to search for a test. The goal: a negative result that would ensure that it was safe for her to spend Christmas in East Hampton, on Long Island, with her family.

After stopping at three pharmacies (rapid tests sold out), two urgent care centers (no tests available) and two testing sites (waits of at least three hours) — at one point crossing the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan — she lined up at a pop-up testing site in the West Village.

Whatever the result, she still faced a dilemma.

“I don’t have any holiday gifts,” Sacks, 23, who works at a restaurant, said, shivering as she waited. “I have a lot of ‘the thought that counts’; but, hey, I had COVID.”

Sacks was just one of many who waited for hours this week, hoping for an answer that could make the difference between the warmth of a holiday with family or one more special occasion canceled — while understanding that the pandemic has done much more serious harm.

Candace Forbes, 32, a nurse from Brooklyn, waited eight hours with her children, ages 2 and 4, and her husband, Andre Forbes, at a pop-up testing site at a Canarsie playground. She left anxiously awaiting results, as well as feeling colder and wiser from the experience.

“If they’re coming out and they have toddlers, dress them overly warm,” she said. “If you have to bring a chair, bring a chair. If you have to bring a snack, bring a snack.”

Hanging in the air was the painful memory of similar lines in the pandemic’s early stages, when the virus was new and tests were scarce.

At Travers Park in Jackson Heights, Queens, Tommy Campos, a footwear designer who lives nearby, stood in a line of 30 people at a testing site that opened recently with federal support. He expressed disbelief at what he was seeing.

“We felt like we were at the finish line, we felt like things were good a couple of weeks ago,” Campos said as he waited. “And I guess it just got out of hand and went crazy.”

As if to underscore his concerns, the state health department issued an advisory Friday warning of an increase in the number of children being hospitalized in connection with the virus, particularly in the New York City area.

About half the children who were hospitalized were younger than 5, or too young to be vaccinated, health officials said. Most of the older children who were hospitalized had not been fully vaccinated.

In New York City alone, hospitalizations of children linked to the virus had risen “fourfold,” the advisory said. The health department did not provide total numbers of pediatric hospitalizations, but the upward trend mirrored reports of a growing number of coronavirus cases among children in South Africa after the omicron variant emerged there.

The rising number of cases overseas further complicated a travel landscape, threatening to unravel hoped-for holiday visits. As of Friday, 3,800 flights that had been scheduled for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day had been canceled, according to the flight-tracking website Flight Aware.

Some of those seeking tests, including Rica Ciocio, 52, of Long Island, had planned to fly to Romania, her homeland, with her family on Christmas to celebrate with her parents. She said she had not visited them in more than two years. But the surge in cases and vast backlog in testing made her worry they would not get results in time to go.

And so, on Thursday, Ciocio and her family made a pilgrimage from testing site to testing site across Manhattan, each getting tested several times and hoping that one location would deliver a result in time to save Christmas.

“It’s unsettling,” she said. “You never know what’s the right thing to do.”

To address the testing backlog, the city began distributing free at-home test kits at five locations, one in each borough, on Thursday morning, two days before Christmas. Two-thousand kits were supposed to be available at each.

On 18th Avenue at 65th Street in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, a line began to form two hours before distribution began. It would later wrap around the block.

As has been the case throughout the pandemic, access to speedy testing appeared to split along economic fault lines. There were no lines at all at MedRite Urgent Care on Chambers Street in lower Manhattan, where people could avoid the typical waiting period of 48 hours or more to get results from a PCR test and learn their status in three hours it they paid $225 out of pocket.

In one quadrant of the Upper East Side, there appeared to be a testing tent, van or table on nearly every block — and even more on others. People passing unexpectedly empty sites jumped at the opportunity to get tested while knowing that the rest of the city was scrambling for tests.

“I saw this table and made my mom stop the car so I could get tested,” said Hannah Gelb as she stood waiting for a test at a PacGenomics site at the corner of 85th Street and Third Avenue.

Roberto Felix, a construction worker, stood nearby. He had been waiting in a long testing line elsewhere when his boss called and told him there was no line at PacGenomics. Felix hustled over.

“Because of Christmas, I wanted to make sure that I don’t have COVID,” he said.

For Marcone Santos, no test or line or fear could stand in the way of his joy.

Santos, a resident of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was at John F. Kennedy Airport on Friday, waiting for his mother and father to arrive from Brazil. It would be the first time they had seen one another in three years.

Despite his fears that the omicron wave would cancel their trip, his parents had just landed and were making their way through customs.

“Everybody is tired of this pandemic and being apart from family, from friends,” said Santos, 37, a carpenter. “For me, waiting for three years to see my family, this is a great time."

“It’s the holidays,” he added, craning his neck to peer down the arrivals hall. “It’s Christmas tomorrow.”

With their family Christmas celebration canceled for the second straight year, Robert Valley and Alexis Pagan sought some holiday cheer in Manhattan, inside the F.

With their family Christmas celebration canceled for the second straight year, Robert Valley and Alexis Pagan sought some holiday cheer in Manhattan, inside the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store at Rockefeller Center. There, with the famous Christmas tree towering over the bustling plaza outside, the specter of the pandemic seemed to fade a little. “This is what we’ve got, this is what we’re holding on to,” Valley, 55, said through a mask emblazoned with the image of Santa Claus. “I said, ‘Let’s go see the tree, it will give us a little joy.’” Pagan, 47, chimed in from behind her Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer mask. “Like there is a Christmas,” she said. This year’s holiday season has been accompanied by an extraordinary surge in coronavirus cases linked to the fast-spreading omicron variant, which has proved capable of bypassing vaccines and has infected tens of thousands of people, ruining countless plans for a normal Christmas. On Friday, New York state reported 44,431 new virus cases out of about 360,000 people tested, an increase of nearly 5,600 new cases day over day and the highest single-day figure since the pandemic began. A great number of those were in New York City. But amid the spike — and the postponed parties, wrecked travel plans and interminable lines at overburdened testing sites — there were glimmers of the season to be found among New Yorkers brimming with determination to salvage what they could of Christmas. On Thursday, on Frances Sacks’ 10th day of isolating after contracting the virus, she emerged from her apartment in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood to search for a test. The goal: a negative result that would ensure that it was safe for her to spend Christmas in East Hampton, on Long Island, with her family. After stopping at three pharmacies (rapid tests sold out), two urgent care centers (no tests available) and two testing sites (waits of at least three hours) — at one point crossing the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan — she lined up at a pop-up testing site in the West Village. Whatever the result, she still faced a dilemma. “I don’t have any holiday gifts,” Sacks, 23, who works at a restaurant, said, shivering as she waited. “I have a lot of ‘the thought that counts’; but, hey, I had COVID.” Sacks was just one of many who waited for hours this week, hoping for an answer that could make the difference between the warmth of a holiday with family or one more special occasion canceled — while understanding that the pandemic has done much more serious harm. Candace Forbes, 32, a nurse from Brooklyn, waited eight hours with her children, ages 2 and 4, and her husband, Andre Forbes, at a pop-up testing site at a Canarsie playground. She left anxiously awaiting results, as well as feeling colder and wiser from the experience. “If they’re coming out and they have toddlers, dress them overly warm,” she said. “If you have to bring a chair, bring a chair. If you have to bring a snack, bring a snack.” Hanging in the air was the painful memory of similar lines in the pandemic’s early stages, when the virus was new and tests were scarce. At Travers Park in Jackson Heights, Queens, Tommy Campos, a footwear designer who lives nearby, stood in a line of 30 people at a testing site that opened recently with federal support. He expressed disbelief at what he was seeing. “We felt like we were at the finish line, we felt like things were good a couple of weeks ago,” Campos said as he waited. “And I guess it just got out of hand and went crazy.” As if to underscore his concerns, the state health department issued an advisory Friday warning of an increase in the number of children being hospitalized in connection with the virus, particularly in the New York City area. About half the children who were hospitalized were younger than 5, or too young to be vaccinated, health officials said. Most of the older children who were hospitalized had not been fully vaccinated. In New York City alone, hospitalizations of children linked to the virus had risen “fourfold,” the advisory said. The health department did not provide total numbers of pediatric hospitalizations, but the upward trend mirrored reports of a growing number of coronavirus cases among children in South Africa after the omicron variant emerged there. The rising number of cases overseas further complicated a travel landscape, threatening to unravel hoped-for holiday visits. As of Friday, 3,800 flights that had been scheduled for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day had been canceled, according to the flight-tracking website Flight Aware. Some of those seeking tests, including Rica Ciocio, 52, of Long Island, had planned to fly to Romania, her homeland, with her family on Christmas to celebrate with her parents. She said she had not visited them in more than two years. But the surge in cases and vast backlog in testing made her worry they would not get results in time to go. And so, on Thursday, Ciocio and her family made a pilgrimage from testing site to testing site across Manhattan, each getting tested several times and hoping that one location would deliver a result in time to save Christmas. “It’s unsettling,” she said. “You never know what’s the right thing to do.” To address the testing backlog, the city began distributing free at-home test kits at five locations, one in each borough, on Thursday morning, two days before Christmas. Two-thousand kits were supposed to be available at each. On 18th Avenue at 65th Street in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, a line began to form two hours before distribution began. It would later wrap around the block. As has been the case throughout the pandemic, access to speedy testing appeared to split along economic fault lines. There were no lines at all at MedRite Urgent Care on Chambers Street in lower Manhattan, where people could avoid the typical waiting period of 48 hours or more to get results from a PCR test and learn their status in three hours it they paid $225 out of pocket. In one quadrant of the Upper East Side, there appeared to be a testing tent, van or table on nearly every block — and even more on others. People passing unexpectedly empty sites jumped at the opportunity to get tested while knowing that the rest of the city was scrambling for tests. “I saw this table and made my mom stop the car so I could get tested,” said Hannah Gelb as she stood waiting for a test at a PacGenomics site at the corner of 85th Street and Third Avenue. Roberto Felix, a construction worker, stood nearby. He had been waiting in a long testing line elsewhere when his boss called and told him there was no line at PacGenomics. Felix hustled over. “Because of Christmas, I wanted to make sure that I don’t have COVID,” he said. For Marcone Santos, no test or line or fear could stand in the way of his joy. Santos, a resident of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was at John F. Kennedy Airport on Friday, waiting for his mother and father to arrive from Brazil. It would be the first time they had seen one another in three years. Despite his fears that the omicron wave would cancel their trip, his parents had just landed and were making their way through customs. “Everybody is tired of this pandemic and being apart from family, from friends,” said Santos, 37, a carpenter. “For me, waiting for three years to see my family, this is a great time." “It’s the holidays,” he added, craning his neck to peer down the arrivals hall. “It’s Christmas tomorrow.”

Holiday spirit glimmers as New York endures another pandemic Christmas

At a time when numerous people are reeling under various kinds of crisis across the world, Pope Francis prayed for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic on Saturday. &nbsp;

On Christmas, pope urged vaccines for the poor, healthcare for all and dialogue to prevail in resolving the different conflicts in the world. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-finally-revolutionary-james-webb-space-telescope-scales-sky-on-christmas-439928" hreflang="en">Watch: Finally, James Webb Space Telescope scales sky on Christmas</a>

Due to a record spike in Covid cases in Italy, only a few thousand people thronged St Peter's Square for Francis' annual ‘Urbi et Orbi' Christmas address. &nbsp;&nbsp;

On the occasion, Francis rued ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Iraq and tensions in Ukraine and Ethiopia. He also lamented an 'unprecedented crisis' in Lebanon. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Pope gave the speech from the loggia of St Peter's Basilica. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-horrific-shark-attack-us-male-surfer-loses-life-in-morro-bay-on-christmas-eve-439882" hreflang="en">In horrific shark attack, US male surfer loses life in Morro Bay on Christmas Eve</a>

"We have become so used to them (conflicts) that immense tragedies are now being passed over in silence; we risk not hearing the cry of pain and distress of so many of our brothers and sisters," pope said. &nbsp;

"Son of God, comfort the victims of violence against women, which has increased in this time of pandemic. Offer hope to young children and adolescents suffering from bullying and abuse," he said. &nbsp;

The speech was delivered hours after a 'Midnight Mass' service was held for around 2,000 people. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

At a time when numerous people are reeling under various kinds of crisis across the world, Pope Francis prayed for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic on Saturday. On Christmas, pope urged vaccines for the poor, healthcare for all and dialogue to prevail in resolving the different conflicts in the world.

At a time when numerous people are reeling under various kinds of crisis across the world, Pope Francis prayed for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic on Saturday. On Christmas, pope urged vaccines for the poor, healthcare for all and dialogue to prevail in resolving the different conflicts in the world. Also Read: Watch: Finally, James Webb Space Telescope scales sky on Christmas Due to a record spike in Covid cases in Italy, only a few thousand people thronged St Peter's Square for Francis' annual ‘Urbi et Orbi' Christmas address. On the occasion, Francis rued ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Iraq and tensions in Ukraine and Ethiopia. He also lamented an 'unprecedented crisis' in Lebanon. Pope gave the speech from the loggia of St Peter's Basilica. Also Read: In horrific shark attack, US male surfer loses life in Morro Bay on Christmas Eve "We have become so used to them (conflicts) that immense tragedies are now being passed over in silence; we risk not hearing the cry of pain and distress of so many of our brothers and sisters," pope said. "Son of God, comfort the victims of violence against women, which has increased in this time of pandemic. Offer hope to young children and adolescents suffering from bullying and abuse," he said. The speech was delivered hours after a 'Midnight Mass' service was held for around 2,000 people. (With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis prays for COVID-19 pandemic’s end, healthcare for all on Christmas

13 million residents of Xian are in a strict lockdown after COVID cases surged. Officials in the north-western Chinese city are facing punishment for “not doing a good job.”

Xian enters into strict lockdown after Coronavirus cases surge

Mary Kesterson, 67, was strolling maskless through Houston’s teeming Galleria mall this week, among a sea of shoppers hunting for last-minute gifts.

She was aware of the mounting anxiety across the country over the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus, and as an older American, she was a member of a group at heightened risk from the virus. But she saw no reason to do anything but forge ahead with her Christmas plans.

“I’m not worried about it,” Kesterson said. “I’m just going along with my life. We’re all vaccinated, everyone in the family.”

For the second year in a row, Americans have hurtled into the holiday season under a cloud of escalating coronavirus cases, forced again to decide whether to carry on or cancel celebrations that had, only weeks ago, appeared so promising and so certain.

Such calculations are particularly fraught for older Americans. They are a highly vaccinated group in the United States — 88 per cent of them are fully vaccinated, well above the national average of 62 per cent. But they have also been the most vulnerable to the pandemic since the beginning and more likely to get seriously ill and die from the virus: Seventy-five percent of people who have died of COVID in the United States — about 600,000 of the more than 800,000 who have perished — have been 65 or older.

In rural towns in Maine and Oregon and in urban centers in Texas and New York, holiday plans have been upended for many older Americans. Travel itineraries canceled. Gatherings postponed.

“I feel that time is more precious because of my age and because of my health,” said Susan West, 68, who lives in Lake Ariel, in northeastern Pennsylvania, and has multiple sclerosis. “I don’t have more time in front of me — I have more time behind me. So that is getting irritating, knowing that I’m losing time for social gatherings.”

West and her husband are skipping their usual Christmas Eve gathering of extended family in New York City this year, opting for a smaller celebration at home.

For others, the steady rise in cases has not dampened their resolve to be together with family, or do the things they have always done at the holidays.

“I am not extremely worried other than trying to wear a mask when I go to stores and go out,” said Alice Broughton, 80, an artist in Basehor, Kansas. “I don’t really want to stop my life. When you’re 80, how many years do you have left, you know? You don’t want to stop doing the things that are most important to you.”

Researchers are still unsure how severe the effects of the omicron variant will be, weeks after the variant was identified in southern Africa. Three separate studies, in which researchers looked at populations in South Africa, Scotland and England, suggest that, more often than previous variants, omicron results in mild illness and is less likely to put people in hospitals.

But for older Americans in particular, the uncertainty has been enough to cause worry.

Just before the omicron variant began to spread, Barbara Karagosian, of Agoura Hills, California, was beginning to feel safe — or “safe-ish,” she said.

That sense of relief from the pandemic danger was then replaced by a sinking feeling, even though she and her husband — both in their 70s — are vaccinated and boosted.

“I feel a sense of dread if I get it because I’m older,” Karagosian said. “I have some mild lung issues. Am I doomed if I get it?”

Across the country, cases of the coronavirus are rising sharply, with three-quarters of new infections from the omicron variant. In New York, lines for testing have again stretched down city blocks, and in other cities, shelves have been picked clean of at-home tests.

President Joe Biden this week said the federal government would buy 500 million tests that could be sent to people at their homes for free, although they would not be available until January.

Public health experts have urged Americans of all ages to take the kinds of precautions that have become familiar through the pandemic: vaccination, masks, distancing, outdoor gathering when possible, testing before indoor gatherings.

“None of these are perfect, but if you layer those on, then that gives the best protection,” said Dr. Philip Huang, director of the health department for Dallas County in Texas. “The good thing is that our 65-and-older population had great vaccination success and are getting the boosters also.” Still, he said, “they may not be as protected by the vaccine as a younger person.”

What to do about the holidays is a top question for doctors who treat those 65 or older. Dr. Angela Catic, a gerontologist and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, said her patients have been increasingly concerned.

“The main question we are getting is ‘What can I do to avoid getting this?’” she said. “The other question that I get is that ‘My grandchild just tested positive; what does that mean about the holidays?’ And unfortunately, the answer is that you don’t want to spend the holidays with them.”

Catic faced a version of that situation herself at home in Houston, where she lives with her parents and her husband’s parents — all in their mid-70s — after the couple’s 9-year-old daughter tested positive Sunday. “She was symptomatic and she was with them. We tested immediately,” Catic said. “If we did not live with them, would we be canceling plans, absolutely.”

For Frank Jackson, former mayor of Prairie View, Texas, a small town outside of Houston, planning for Christmas has been focused on minimizing risk because of the omicron variant.

Jackson, 70, said he still planned to deliver bags of gifts to dozens of families on Christmas Eve, albeit with some changes: Santa would be seated on top of a firetruck, said Jackson, who is also the fire marshal, and he would have helpers on the ground to walk gifts to porches, in order to keep a safe distance.

As for his usual Christmas party, that is off. “Only immediate family that are fully boosted are invited for lunch on Christmas Day,” Jackson said.

Wesley Boots, 77, a retired schoolteacher, said he still planned to see his son’s family for the holidays since they live just next door in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. And the omicron surge would not force him to put off plans to fly to a second home in New Mexico in January, although he did say he would be making some changes out of caution.

“In the past, I’ve often taken very circuitous routes to save a few bucks,” he said. “But this time, I’m ticketed for a flight that has only one change.”

By contrast, Carmen Scott, 67, said she and her husband would usually go to Florida to see one relative or to Houston to see others, but this year, they would be doing “absolutely nothing.” Instead, she planned to cook for people in her town of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, who did not have anyone to do it for them on Christmas. “Food is love,” she said.

But Scott said she would not give up her Christmas tradition: seeing a movie in the theater. She grew up poor as a child, she said, and the one time her family went to a movie was on Christmas.

“We will go to a movie. 100 per cent,” she said. “If I don’t go to a Christmas movie, it is not Christmas for me.”

Mary Kesterson, 67, was strolling maskless through Houston’s teeming Galleria mall this week, among a sea of shoppers hunting for last-minute gifts. She was aware of the mounting anxiety across the country over the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus, and as an older American, she was a member of a group at heightened risk from the virus.

Mary Kesterson, 67, was strolling maskless through Houston’s teeming Galleria mall this week, among a sea of shoppers hunting for last-minute gifts. She was aware of the mounting anxiety across the country over the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus, and as an older American, she was a member of a group at heightened risk from the virus. But she saw no reason to do anything but forge ahead with her Christmas plans. “I’m not worried about it,” Kesterson said. “I’m just going along with my life. We’re all vaccinated, everyone in the family.” For the second year in a row, Americans have hurtled into the holiday season under a cloud of escalating coronavirus cases, forced again to decide whether to carry on or cancel celebrations that had, only weeks ago, appeared so promising and so certain. Such calculations are particularly fraught for older Americans. They are a highly vaccinated group in the United States — 88 per cent of them are fully vaccinated, well above the national average of 62 per cent. But they have also been the most vulnerable to the pandemic since the beginning and more likely to get seriously ill and die from the virus: Seventy-five percent of people who have died of COVID in the United States — about 600,000 of the more than 800,000 who have perished — have been 65 or older. In rural towns in Maine and Oregon and in urban centers in Texas and New York, holiday plans have been upended for many older Americans. Travel itineraries canceled. Gatherings postponed. “I feel that time is more precious because of my age and because of my health,” said Susan West, 68, who lives in Lake Ariel, in northeastern Pennsylvania, and has multiple sclerosis. “I don’t have more time in front of me — I have more time behind me. So that is getting irritating, knowing that I’m losing time for social gatherings.” West and her husband are skipping their usual Christmas Eve gathering of extended family in New York City this year, opting for a smaller celebration at home. For others, the steady rise in cases has not dampened their resolve to be together with family, or do the things they have always done at the holidays. “I am not extremely worried other than trying to wear a mask when I go to stores and go out,” said Alice Broughton, 80, an artist in Basehor, Kansas. “I don’t really want to stop my life. When you’re 80, how many years do you have left, you know? You don’t want to stop doing the things that are most important to you.” Researchers are still unsure how severe the effects of the omicron variant will be, weeks after the variant was identified in southern Africa. Three separate studies, in which researchers looked at populations in South Africa, Scotland and England, suggest that, more often than previous variants, omicron results in mild illness and is less likely to put people in hospitals. But for older Americans in particular, the uncertainty has been enough to cause worry. Just before the omicron variant began to spread, Barbara Karagosian, of Agoura Hills, California, was beginning to feel safe — or “safe-ish,” she said. That sense of relief from the pandemic danger was then replaced by a sinking feeling, even though she and her husband — both in their 70s — are vaccinated and boosted. “I feel a sense of dread if I get it because I’m older,” Karagosian said. “I have some mild lung issues. Am I doomed if I get it?” Across the country, cases of the coronavirus are rising sharply, with three-quarters of new infections from the omicron variant. In New York, lines for testing have again stretched down city blocks, and in other cities, shelves have been picked clean of at-home tests. President Joe Biden this week said the federal government would buy 500 million tests that could be sent to people at their homes for free, although they would not be available until January. Public health experts have urged Americans of all ages to take the kinds of precautions that have become familiar through the pandemic: vaccination, masks, distancing, outdoor gathering when possible, testing before indoor gatherings. “None of these are perfect, but if you layer those on, then that gives the best protection,” said Dr. Philip Huang, director of the health department for Dallas County in Texas. “The good thing is that our 65-and-older population had great vaccination success and are getting the boosters also.” Still, he said, “they may not be as protected by the vaccine as a younger person.” What to do about the holidays is a top question for doctors who treat those 65 or older. Dr. Angela Catic, a gerontologist and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, said her patients have been increasingly concerned. “The main question we are getting is ‘What can I do to avoid getting this?’” she said. “The other question that I get is that ‘My grandchild just tested positive; what does that mean about the holidays?’ And unfortunately, the answer is that you don’t want to spend the holidays with them.” Catic faced a version of that situation herself at home in Houston, where she lives with her parents and her husband’s parents — all in their mid-70s — after the couple’s 9-year-old daughter tested positive Sunday. “She was symptomatic and she was with them. We tested immediately,” Catic said. “If we did not live with them, would we be canceling plans, absolutely.” For Frank Jackson, former mayor of Prairie View, Texas, a small town outside of Houston, planning for Christmas has been focused on minimizing risk because of the omicron variant. Jackson, 70, said he still planned to deliver bags of gifts to dozens of families on Christmas Eve, albeit with some changes: Santa would be seated on top of a firetruck, said Jackson, who is also the fire marshal, and he would have helpers on the ground to walk gifts to porches, in order to keep a safe distance. As for his usual Christmas party, that is off. “Only immediate family that are fully boosted are invited for lunch on Christmas Day,” Jackson said. Wesley Boots, 77, a retired schoolteacher, said he still planned to see his son’s family for the holidays since they live just next door in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. And the omicron surge would not force him to put off plans to fly to a second home in New Mexico in January, although he did say he would be making some changes out of caution. “In the past, I’ve often taken very circuitous routes to save a few bucks,” he said. “But this time, I’m ticketed for a flight that has only one change.” By contrast, Carmen Scott, 67, said she and her husband would usually go to Florida to see one relative or to Houston to see others, but this year, they would be doing “absolutely nothing.” Instead, she planned to cook for people in her town of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, who did not have anyone to do it for them on Christmas. “Food is love,” she said. But Scott said she would not give up her Christmas tradition: seeing a movie in the theater. She grew up poor as a child, she said, and the one time her family went to a movie was on Christmas. “We will go to a movie. 100 per cent,” she said. “If I don’t go to a Christmas movie, it is not Christmas for me.”

For seniors, the season brings worry and resolve

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every industry. However, among the worst hit was the Tourism industry.

The most deserted tourist destination in the world amid pandemic

China's central bank has cut its key interest rate in two years. This is in a bid to kick start growth in the world's no.2 economy after it got hit by the pandemic.

Chinese central bank cuts key interest rate

China's central bank cuts key interest rate to kick start growth

South Africa is not just affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but is also deeply plagued with increasing rape and sexual abuse cases. It has the world's highest levels of violence against women. As per the official data, there are over 100 rapes reported daily. Also, on average, a woman is murdered every three hours.

The recent stats revealed an increase of 7.1 per cent in rape cases, with 9,556 women raped between July and September.&nbsp; 
President Cyril Ramaphosa deemed the recent stats as "shameful."&nbsp;

He further said that violence against women is a "second pandemic."

"We are in the grip of a relentless war being waged on the bodies of women and children that, despite our best efforts, shows no signs of abating. If a nation's character can be judged by how it treats women and children, then we are falling desperately short," he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-toll-surges-to-375-as-typhoon-rai-causes-destruction-in-philippines-438442">Also read |&nbsp;Death toll surges to 375 as typhoon Rai causes destruction in Philippines</a>

The statistics show that about a third of girls in South Africa will have to go through some form of sexual abuse during their lifetime. Also, one in five children will be sexually assaulted.&nbsp;

The rate of child murders has also surged by nearly a third as compared to the previous reporting period.

Precious Robinson, from Right to Care and chairperson of the South African Civil Society for Women’s, Adolescents’ and Children’s Health said that it is very unfortunate that such cases are never reported. “Some cultures have this tendency of saying if a thing happens within a family, let’s not take it out. It’s a secret, it’s a family issue. Families will often worry about what people will say if they hear about it,” she said.

A 2010 study revealed that 25.3 per cent of women in Gauteng province had been “raped by a man, whether a husband or boyfriend, family member, stranger or acquaintance”.&nbsp;

This has also contributed to the worsening mental health conditions as many survivors are shocked and traumatised.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

South Africa is not just affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but is also deeply plagued with increasing rape and sexual abuse cases. It has the world's highest levels of violence against women.

South Africa is not just affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but is also deeply plagued with increasing rape and sexual abuse cases. It has the world's highest levels of violence against women. As per the official data, there are over 100 rapes reported daily. Also, on average, a woman is murdered every three hours. The recent stats revealed an increase of 7.1 per cent in rape cases, with 9,556 women raped between July and September. President Cyril Ramaphosa deemed the recent stats as "shameful." He further said that violence against women is a "second pandemic." "We are in the grip of a relentless war being waged on the bodies of women and children that, despite our best efforts, shows no signs of abating. If a nation's character can be judged by how it treats women and children, then we are falling desperately short," he said. Also read | Death toll surges to 375 as typhoon Rai causes destruction in Philippines The statistics show that about a third of girls in South Africa will have to go through some form of sexual abuse during their lifetime. Also, one in five children will be sexually assaulted. The rate of child murders has also surged by nearly a third as compared to the previous reporting period. Precious Robinson, from Right to Care and chairperson of the South African Civil Society for Women’s, Adolescents’ and Children’s Health said that it is very unfortunate that such cases are never reported. “Some cultures have this tendency of saying if a thing happens within a family, let’s not take it out. It’s a secret, it’s a family issue. Families will often worry about what people will say if they hear about it,” she said. A 2010 study revealed that 25.3 per cent of women in Gauteng province had been “raped by a man, whether a husband or boyfriend, family member, stranger or acquaintance”. This has also contributed to the worsening mental health conditions as many survivors are shocked and traumatised. (With inputs from agencies)

'A second pandemic': South Africa plagued by surging rape and abuse cases

As COVID cases surge in South Africa amid Omicron variant's spread, President Cyril Ramaphosa tests COVID positive. Indian PM Narendra Modi and WHO wished him a speedy recovery. `

Fully vaccinated South African President Cyril Ramaphosa test COVID positive amid Omicron scare

According to South African doctors, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is milder than that of Delta. The number of COVID cases soar in the African nation.

South African Doctors: Omicron variant milder than Delta

COVID-19 cases in Omicron-hit South Africa more than double within a week as it reports around 20,000 new cases and 36 COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours. However, it is still early to determine how many of these cases are because of the Omicron variant.

Omicron wave hits South Africa as 20,000 new COVID-19 cases & 36 deaths reported in last 24 hours

A giant tsunami of debt has hit the world amid the pandemic with borrowings gone out of control.

The world is staring at a giant pile of debt worth $226 trillion in total. It is the biggest surge the world has seen since World War-II.

All kinds of people worldwide owe debts - governments, households and corporates. However, the biggest surge comes from public debt that's the money that governments borrow.

The government loans are now equal to 99 per cent of the global GDP. The pandemic has forced governments to borrow piles of money. Countries worldwide have spent big to keep their economies afloat and they have also had to support their citizens with free food, medical care, vaccines, health and&nbsp;infrastructure.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas:&nbsp;This giant tsunami of debt could trigger the next financial crisis

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-this-giant-tsunami-of-debt-could-trigger-the-next-financial-crisis-437792/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The governments, therefore, had no option but to borrow and meet expenses. The result is leading economies are severely indebted.

The United States has the highest level of government debt with almost $20 trillion which is more 100 per cent of its GDP.

Japan's situation is alarming. The country has borrowed more than $9 trillion which is more than 230 per cent of Japan's GDP.

China has more than $5 trillion in national debt which is more than 50 per cent of its GDP. Beijing's untamed borrowing is only adding to the problem as global debt has surged by $28 trillion. Advanced economies and China now account for more than 90 per cent of borrowings.

China's share in the global debt surge is 26 per cent that's more than a quarter. It could have dire consequences for the world. Whenever countries have accumulated so much debt it has always led to a financial crisis.

From 1970 to 1989 many Latin American countries accumulated huge amounts of debt. At the end of 1970, the region's outstanding debt was $29 billion. In the years that followed, Latin American governments couldn't manage these loans and by the 1980s debt levels in the region reached $327 billion. From 29 billion to 327 billion -&nbsp;an increase of more than 11 times.

And then in 1982, Mexico defaulted on its sovereign debt, then Argentina and Brazil had to weaken their currencies and a global financial crisis began. A total of 27 countries had to reschedule their debts - 16 of these were from Latin America.

The story repeated itself in 2007. Banks in the United States gave out a lot of bad loans. It was a systemic failure as US household debt was allowed to reach well over $10 trillion which was more than 40 per cent of the GDP. Many of these loans failed as major banks in the United States collapsed in 2008.

The result was $2 trillion was wiped off from the global market as the US and European banks lost more than $1 trillion as they had placed bets on toxic assets.

Whenever countries have accumulated massive levels of debt, they have found themselves in financial crises and if the current debt is not controlled now, the world will be forced to deal with another financial nightmare. This giant tsunami of debt could trigger the next financial crisis.

A giant tsunami of debt has hit the world amid the pandemic with borrowings gone out of control. The world is staring at a giant pile of debt worth $226 trillion in total.

A giant tsunami of debt has hit the world amid the pandemic with borrowings gone out of control. The world is staring at a giant pile of debt worth $226 trillion in total. It is the biggest surge the world has seen since World War-II. All kinds of people worldwide owe debts - governments, households and corporates. However, the biggest surge comes from public debt that's the money that governments borrow. The government loans are now equal to 99 per cent of the global GDP. The pandemic has forced governments to borrow piles of money. Countries worldwide have spent big to keep their economies afloat and they have also had to support their citizens with free food, medical care, vaccines, health and infrastructure. Watch | Gravitas: This giant tsunami of debt could trigger the next financial crisis The governments, therefore, had no option but to borrow and meet expenses. The result is leading economies are severely indebted. The United States has the highest level of government debt with almost $20 trillion which is more 100 per cent of its GDP. Japan's situation is alarming. The country has borrowed more than $9 trillion which is more than 230 per cent of Japan's GDP. China has more than $5 trillion in national debt which is more than 50 per cent of its GDP. Beijing's untamed borrowing is only adding to the problem as global debt has surged by $28 trillion. Advanced economies and China now account for more than 90 per cent of borrowings. China's share in the global debt surge is 26 per cent that's more than a quarter. It could have dire consequences for the world. Whenever countries have accumulated so much debt it has always led to a financial crisis. From 1970 to 1989 many Latin American countries accumulated huge amounts of debt. At the end of 1970, the region's outstanding debt was $29 billion. In the years that followed, Latin American governments couldn't manage these loans and by the 1980s debt levels in the region reached $327 billion. From 29 billion to 327 billion - an increase of more than 11 times. And then in 1982, Mexico defaulted on its sovereign debt, then Argentina and Brazil had to weaken their currencies and a global financial crisis began. A total of 27 countries had to reschedule their debts - 16 of these were from Latin America. The story repeated itself in 2007. Banks in the United States gave out a lot of bad loans. It was a systemic failure as US household debt was allowed to reach well over $10 trillion which was more than 40 per cent of the GDP. Many of these loans failed as major banks in the United States collapsed in 2008. The result was $2 trillion was wiped off from the global market as the US and European banks lost more than $1 trillion as they had placed bets on toxic assets. Whenever countries have accumulated massive levels of debt, they have found themselves in financial crises and if the current debt is not controlled now, the world will be forced to deal with another financial nightmare. This giant tsunami of debt could trigger the next financial crisis.

Global debt rises as financial crisis looms; China under threat

Maria Van Kerkhove, the Covid technical lead at the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that we can globally overcome the pandemic in 2022. During the WHO Q and A stream, she said, "2022 is the year we can end the Covid-19 pandemic. We have tools now. We can take the death out of Covid-19".&nbsp;

The ongoing pandemic has taken over the entire global and everyone is facing the consequences. While people were trying to battle the Delta variant, a new variant named Omicron emerged in November.&nbsp;

In October, the WHO launched a strategy that aimed at achieving global Covid-19 vaccination by mid-2022. Under this, it highlighted several actions through which it could achieve 70 per cent global immunisation by the middle of 2022.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-cases-in-77-countries-spreading-at-unprecedented-rate-who-436962">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron cases in 77 countries, spreading at unprecedented rate: WHO</a>

Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros A Ghebreyesus provided an update on the Omicron variant strain, saying that 77 nations have already reported cases of the newly discovered strain. He went on to say, "Omicron is spreading at a rate we haven't seen with any other variety."&nbsp;

He believed that Covid vaccination alone will not be enough to stop the pandemic, and that mask use, social distancing, ventilation, and hand hygiene should be prioritised. Dr Tedros stated, "The WHO is not against booster doses, but against inequity."

(With inputs from agencies)

Maria Van Kerkhove, the Covid technical lead at the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that we can globally overcome the pandemic in 2022. During the WHO Q and A stream, she said, "2022 is the year we can end the Covid-19 pandemic.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the Covid technical lead at the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that we can globally overcome the pandemic in 2022. During the WHO Q and A stream, she said, "2022 is the year we can end the Covid-19 pandemic. We have tools now. We can take the death out of Covid-19". The ongoing pandemic has taken over the entire global and everyone is facing the consequences. While people were trying to battle the Delta variant, a new variant named Omicron emerged in November. In October, the WHO launched a strategy that aimed at achieving global Covid-19 vaccination by mid-2022. Under this, it highlighted several actions through which it could achieve 70 per cent global immunisation by the middle of 2022. Also read | Omicron cases in 77 countries, spreading at unprecedented rate: WHO Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros A Ghebreyesus provided an update on the Omicron variant strain, saying that 77 nations have already reported cases of the newly discovered strain. He went on to say, "Omicron is spreading at a rate we haven't seen with any other variety." He believed that Covid vaccination alone will not be enough to stop the pandemic, and that mask use, social distancing, ventilation, and hand hygiene should be prioritised. Dr Tedros stated, "The WHO is not against booster doses, but against inequity." (With inputs from agencies)

Amid fears of new variant, WHO expert says that pandemic can end in 2022

The Italian statistics agency ISTAT has revealed that Italy's birth rate is drastically declining as it has hit a new low for the first time in 160 years. January 2021 saw the lowest birth rate ever with a 13.

The Italian statistics agency ISTAT has revealed that Italy's birth rate is drastically declining as it has hit a new low for the first time in 160 years. January 2021 saw the lowest birth rate ever with a 13.6 per cent decline when compared to January 2020. The birth rate is being considered the lowest since records began in 1861. The deadly coronavirus has had a major impact all across the globe, one of them being the decreasing birth rate in Italy. In a little over a decade, birth rates have dropped by one third with 404,892 babies born in 2020 from 576,659 in 2008. The highest number of births have been recorded in Bolzano, while the lowest have been recorded on the island of Sardinia. Also read | Amid pandemic, Germany's birth rate climbs to record high Also, 2020 saw an average increase in the age at which Italian women had their first child rose. It was three years older than in 1995 at 31.4. While Italy's birth rate has hit a new low, Germany's birth rate soared amid the pandemic. The country recorded 65,903 births in March which was 5,900 more compared to 2020. The birth rate in Germany was lower in 2020 compared to the previous year. European nations including Spain and France had also reported a fall in birth rates from December 2020 to January 2021. However, Germany showed 182,000 more children born in the same period which was a total of ten months after the lockdown was first imposed in the country due to the virus. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid pandemic, Italy's birth rate hits 160-year low

A recent cartoon in the French daily Le Monde featured a bedraggled man arriving at a doctor’s office for a COVID-19 vaccine. “I am here for the fifth shot because of the third wave,” he says. “Or vice versa.”

His bewilderment as France suffers its fifth wave of the pandemic, with cases of the delta variant rising sharply along with omicron anxiety, captured a mood of exhaustion and simmering anger across the world two years after the deadly virus began to spread in China.

Uncertainty bedevils plans. Panic spreads in an instant even if, as with the omicron variant, the extent of the threat is not yet known. Vaccines look like deliverance until they seem a little less than that. National responses diverge with no discernible logic. Anxiety and depression spread. So do loneliness and screen fatigue. The feeling grows that the COVID era will go on for years, like plagues of old.

Even in China, with no reported COVID deaths since January, some confess weariness with the measures that have kept them safe when so many others perished.

“I’m so tired of all these routines,” Chen Jun, 29, a tech company worker in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said the other day. He was forced to take three COVID-19 tests in June following an outbreak in the city, and then had to quarantine for 14 days. Thumbtacks he used to pin on a world map to trace his travels have stopped multiplying. “I’m starting to think we’ll never see an end to the pandemic.”

This sense of endlessness, accompanied by growing psychological distress leading to depression, was a recurrent theme in two dozen interviews conducted in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. After two years of zigzagging policy and roller-coaster emotions, terrible loss and tantalizing false dawns, closing borders and intermittently shuttered schools, people’s resilience has dwindled.

That is sure to pose new challenges for leaders trying to protect their people and their economies. Will the weary obey new restrictions, or risk seeing family and friends after months of forced separation? The question of just how draconian leaders can be when people’s mental health has become so fragile appears to be a core quandary as the pandemic enters its third year.

“I know it will only get worse, it won’t stop, the pandemic will only turn more life-consuming,” said Natalia Shishkova, a teacher in Moscow. “It is all chaos, like a fantasy film. You watch all these apocalypse films and realize their writers were real prophets.”

Real progress in fighting the virus has been made. A year ago, vaccine rollouts were in their infancy. Today, about 47% of the world’s population is inoculated. If case numbers remain high, death rates have plunged. Yet life seems out of control.

The pandemic not only makes this month’s vacation or holiday celebrations seem uncertain, but also sometimes overwhelms understanding. How to assess the avalanche of statistics, opinions, warnings, closures, reopenings? What to make of the big business COVID-19 has become, with its vested interests? What to do about the glaring inequality in vaccine distribution? How to avert one’s gaze from the discarded masks that still dot streets, the pandemic’s perennial detritus?

Once linear, life now seems circular. Schools open. They close again. Travel becomes easier, only for new obstacles to arise. Sickness from COVID-19 subsides, to be replaced by long COVID and now indications that even those who have recovered from the virus might get reinfected with omicron. At the Paris laboratory of Maria Melchior, a French public health researcher who specializes in mental illness, in-person meetings had just been reinstated when, this week, she was told they would cease, with a return to Zoom gatherings.

“We no longer know when we will get back to normal,” Melchior said. And what is normal now? She paused. “Well, at least a life without masks.”

In Kenya, with infections declining in October, President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted a long-standing curfew. Bars filled. Musicians lined up concert dates, as they have in many parts of the world, where theaters and opera houses have reopened. Spirits rose.

Then, the omicron variant hit. Even before any cases were reported there, Kenya’s leaders announced plans to bar unvaccinated people from offices and warned of new holiday-season restrictions.

Corrie Mwende, a communications specialist in Nairobi, said she had felt like “freedom was coming back” after a long period when “you could say it was like the end of the world.”

Today she is unsure her hope will be fulfilled.

Such hesitation is pervasive. The pandemic began with evasiveness from the great powers of the 21st century, first President Xi Jinping’s China and then President Donald Trump’s America. Trust was dented, time lost. Ever since, a cohesive global response has appeared elusive.

China has pursued a zero COVID policy, virtually shutting its borders and deploying mass-testing, snap lockdowns and high-tech contact tracing. At the other extreme, Russia, despite a high rate of deaths, has done little to restrict movement.

The 27-nation European Union is split over whether to make vaccines obligatory, and policies vary widely: soccer stadiums are empty again in Germany, where infection rates have surged, but full in France, where they have, too, but a presidential election looms in four months.

Britain, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has veered between herd immunity temptations and the kind of periodic restrictions now in force again to combat the omicron variant.

In Brazil, whose president, Jair Bolsonaro, has persistently minimized the pandemic’s threat, the death toll has plunged to fewer than 300 a day from 3,000 in April. Samba concerts are back in the streets. Fireworks, after some back-and-forth, will light the sky over Copacabana beach to mark the New Year — unless some new disaster strikes.

Maybe that will be omicron; maybe not. Some other variants have come and gone without driving the pandemic to terrifying new heights.

For now, every plan is a provisional plan.

Conspiracy theories abound, in part because the pandemic has enriched the wealthy as markets have soared, and punished those without investments.

Yakov Kochetkov, head of the Center for Cognitive Therapy in Moscow, said, “In Russia there has been a strong increase in mistrust of vaccines, even the term ‘pandemic’ itself. This greatly affects the psyche.”

Just this month, a 45-year-old man reported to view the pandemic as a conspiracy opened fire at a Russian government office and killed two people after being told to put on a mask.

Anna Shepel, a Russian therapist, has observed her patients’ “obsessive thoughts, obsessive actions, fear of getting infected, fear of touching anything in public places.”

Nevertheless, in a country with a deep vein of fatalism and stoicism, President Vladimir Putin has faced little criticism for his relatively lax response to the coronavirus.

In Italy, hit to devastating effect early in the pandemic, access to everything from movie theaters to offices has been strictly curtailed for anyone who does not have the “green pass” of the vaccinated. The government is promising a “semi-normal” Christmas without the need to resort to lockdowns. Still, the mood of the country is somber.

Massimiliano Valerii, the director general of CENSIS, a Rome-based research group, observed that the pandemic had exacerbated anxieties about the future. “The social ladder has been blocked, the mechanism for being able to improve one’s position in life,” he said.

David Lazzari, the president of Italy’s psychologists’ guild, said recent studies in Italy showed the incidence of anxiety and depression had doubled since the pandemic began. For those under 18, levels had reached 25%. “One in four,” he noted. “That’s very high.”

Among adolescents and young adults — stuck on their screens, often unable to date over the past two years, inundated with online friends but short of actual contact — anorexia and bulimia have spread, said Melchior, the French public health researcher who focuses on mental illness.

In France, she added, depression and anxiety are at about twice normal levels, in line with the Italian findings and a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The surgeon general in the United States warned recently that young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result of the pandemic and other challenges experienced by their generation.

Chanel Contos, 23, an Australian student in London who is uncertain whether she will be able to fly home this month, expressed acute frustration at having been told that “once we had adequate vaccines in the country you’re in, things would be OK.”

She asked a question frequently heard among her generation: “How much of our lives can we give up for this?”

Governments are acutely aware of this frustration. Nicolas Franck, a French psychiatrist, said, “We fell short initially, now we are in the phase of excess precaution.”

“People are so exhausted their greatest fear is not so much a new variant, but a new curfew,” he added.

China, through its extreme measures, has been determined to move on. But a sense of normalcy remains elusive, and the second anniversary of the day the first reported patient experienced symptoms in Wuhan did not pass without comment.

Hundreds of people posted messages on the social media account of Li Wenliang, a doctor in Wuhan who many consider a martyr for the official threats he received over his online attempts to warn friends — and by extension the world — of a strange new disease ravaging his hospital.

“I can’t believe that we have been wearing masks now for two years,” one commenter wrote. Another message reads: “Dr. Li, it’s been two years and the pandemic is not only still here but it’s getting more intense.”

Li’s account has become known as China’s “Wailing Wall” — a place where people grieve and seek solace for all that has been lost in a remote world.

A recent cartoon in the French daily Le Monde featured a bedraggled man arriving at a doctor’s office for a COVID-19 vaccine. “I am here for the fifth shot because of the third wave,” he says.

A recent cartoon in the French daily Le Monde featured a bedraggled man arriving at a doctor’s office for a COVID-19 vaccine. “I am here for the fifth shot because of the third wave,” he says. “Or vice versa.” His bewilderment as France suffers its fifth wave of the pandemic, with cases of the delta variant rising sharply along with omicron anxiety, captured a mood of exhaustion and simmering anger across the world two years after the deadly virus began to spread in China. Uncertainty bedevils plans. Panic spreads in an instant even if, as with the omicron variant, the extent of the threat is not yet known. Vaccines look like deliverance until they seem a little less than that. National responses diverge with no discernible logic. Anxiety and depression spread. So do loneliness and screen fatigue. The feeling grows that the COVID era will go on for years, like plagues of old. Even in China, with no reported COVID deaths since January, some confess weariness with the measures that have kept them safe when so many others perished. “I’m so tired of all these routines,” Chen Jun, 29, a tech company worker in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said the other day. He was forced to take three COVID-19 tests in June following an outbreak in the city, and then had to quarantine for 14 days. Thumbtacks he used to pin on a world map to trace his travels have stopped multiplying. “I’m starting to think we’ll never see an end to the pandemic.” This sense of endlessness, accompanied by growing psychological distress leading to depression, was a recurrent theme in two dozen interviews conducted in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. After two years of zigzagging policy and roller-coaster emotions, terrible loss and tantalizing false dawns, closing borders and intermittently shuttered schools, people’s resilience has dwindled. That is sure to pose new challenges for leaders trying to protect their people and their economies. Will the weary obey new restrictions, or risk seeing family and friends after months of forced separation? The question of just how draconian leaders can be when people’s mental health has become so fragile appears to be a core quandary as the pandemic enters its third year. “I know it will only get worse, it won’t stop, the pandemic will only turn more life-consuming,” said Natalia Shishkova, a teacher in Moscow. “It is all chaos, like a fantasy film. You watch all these apocalypse films and realize their writers were real prophets.” Real progress in fighting the virus has been made. A year ago, vaccine rollouts were in their infancy. Today, about 47% of the world’s population is inoculated. If case numbers remain high, death rates have plunged. Yet life seems out of control. The pandemic not only makes this month’s vacation or holiday celebrations seem uncertain, but also sometimes overwhelms understanding. How to assess the avalanche of statistics, opinions, warnings, closures, reopenings? What to make of the big business COVID-19 has become, with its vested interests? What to do about the glaring inequality in vaccine distribution? How to avert one’s gaze from the discarded masks that still dot streets, the pandemic’s perennial detritus? Once linear, life now seems circular. Schools open. They close again. Travel becomes easier, only for new obstacles to arise. Sickness from COVID-19 subsides, to be replaced by long COVID and now indications that even those who have recovered from the virus might get reinfected with omicron. At the Paris laboratory of Maria Melchior, a French public health researcher who specializes in mental illness, in-person meetings had just been reinstated when, this week, she was told they would cease, with a return to Zoom gatherings. “We no longer know when we will get back to normal,” Melchior said. And what is normal now? She paused. “Well, at least a life without masks.” In Kenya, with infections declining in October, President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted a long-standing curfew. Bars filled. Musicians lined up concert dates, as they have in many parts of the world, where theaters and opera houses have reopened. Spirits rose. Then, the omicron variant hit. Even before any cases were reported there, Kenya’s leaders announced plans to bar unvaccinated people from offices and warned of new holiday-season restrictions. Corrie Mwende, a communications specialist in Nairobi, said she had felt like “freedom was coming back” after a long period when “you could say it was like the end of the world.” Today she is unsure her hope will be fulfilled. Such hesitation is pervasive. The pandemic began with evasiveness from the great powers of the 21st century, first President Xi Jinping’s China and then President Donald Trump’s America. Trust was dented, time lost. Ever since, a cohesive global response has appeared elusive. China has pursued a zero COVID policy, virtually shutting its borders and deploying mass-testing, snap lockdowns and high-tech contact tracing. At the other extreme, Russia, despite a high rate of deaths, has done little to restrict movement. The 27-nation European Union is split over whether to make vaccines obligatory, and policies vary widely: soccer stadiums are empty again in Germany, where infection rates have surged, but full in France, where they have, too, but a presidential election looms in four months. Britain, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has veered between herd immunity temptations and the kind of periodic restrictions now in force again to combat the omicron variant. In Brazil, whose president, Jair Bolsonaro, has persistently minimized the pandemic’s threat, the death toll has plunged to fewer than 300 a day from 3,000 in April. Samba concerts are back in the streets. Fireworks, after some back-and-forth, will light the sky over Copacabana beach to mark the New Year — unless some new disaster strikes. Maybe that will be omicron; maybe not. Some other variants have come and gone without driving the pandemic to terrifying new heights. For now, every plan is a provisional plan. Conspiracy theories abound, in part because the pandemic has enriched the wealthy as markets have soared, and punished those without investments. Yakov Kochetkov, head of the Center for Cognitive Therapy in Moscow, said, “In Russia there has been a strong increase in mistrust of vaccines, even the term ‘pandemic’ itself. This greatly affects the psyche.” Just this month, a 45-year-old man reported to view the pandemic as a conspiracy opened fire at a Russian government office and killed two people after being told to put on a mask. Anna Shepel, a Russian therapist, has observed her patients’ “obsessive thoughts, obsessive actions, fear of getting infected, fear of touching anything in public places.” Nevertheless, in a country with a deep vein of fatalism and stoicism, President Vladimir Putin has faced little criticism for his relatively lax response to the coronavirus. In Italy, hit to devastating effect early in the pandemic, access to everything from movie theaters to offices has been strictly curtailed for anyone who does not have the “green pass” of the vaccinated. The government is promising a “semi-normal” Christmas without the need to resort to lockdowns. Still, the mood of the country is somber. Massimiliano Valerii, the director general of CENSIS, a Rome-based research group, observed that the pandemic had exacerbated anxieties about the future. “The social ladder has been blocked, the mechanism for being able to improve one’s position in life,” he said. David Lazzari, the president of Italy’s psychologists’ guild, said recent studies in Italy showed the incidence of anxiety and depression had doubled since the pandemic began. For those under 18, levels had reached 25%. “One in four,” he noted. “That’s very high.” Among adolescents and young adults — stuck on their screens, often unable to date over the past two years, inundated with online friends but short of actual contact — anorexia and bulimia have spread, said Melchior, the French public health researcher who focuses on mental illness. In France, she added, depression and anxiety are at about twice normal levels, in line with the Italian findings and a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The surgeon general in the United States warned recently that young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result of the pandemic and other challenges experienced by their generation. Chanel Contos, 23, an Australian student in London who is uncertain whether she will be able to fly home this month, expressed acute frustration at having been told that “once we had adequate vaccines in the country you’re in, things would be OK.” She asked a question frequently heard among her generation: “How much of our lives can we give up for this?” Governments are acutely aware of this frustration. Nicolas Franck, a French psychiatrist, said, “We fell short initially, now we are in the phase of excess precaution.” “People are so exhausted their greatest fear is not so much a new variant, but a new curfew,” he added. China, through its extreme measures, has been determined to move on. But a sense of normalcy remains elusive, and the second anniversary of the day the first reported patient experienced symptoms in Wuhan did not pass without comment. Hundreds of people posted messages on the social media account of Li Wenliang, a doctor in Wuhan who many consider a martyr for the official threats he received over his online attempts to warn friends — and by extension the world — of a strange new disease ravaging his hospital. “I can’t believe that we have been wearing masks now for two years,” one commenter wrote. Another message reads: “Dr. Li, it’s been two years and the pandemic is not only still here but it’s getting more intense.” Li’s account has become known as China’s “Wailing Wall” — a place where people grieve and seek solace for all that has been lost in a remote world.

Across the world, Covid anxiety and depression take hold

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has had a series of consequences for the entire world, one of them being, extreme poverty. New research compiled by the World Health Organisation and the World Bank shows how this pandemic is going to put a pause on two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage. Both the organisations have further revealed that the pandemic has pushed over half a billion people into extreme poverty. This is because they have to spend hefty amounts on health services.

Launched on Universal Health Coverage Day, the report further highlights how the pandemic has also triggered the worst economic crisis since the 1930s.&nbsp;

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said, “There is no time to spare."

“All governments must immediately resume and accelerate efforts to ensure every one of their citizens can access health services without fear of the financial consequences. This means strengthening public spending on health and social support, and increasing their focus on primary health care systems that can provide essential care close to home.”

The report further talks about how in 2020, the pandemic completely disrupted health services. As a result of this, immunisation coverage dropped for the first time in ten years.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-south-african-president-cyril-ramaphosa-tests-positive-for-covid-19-isolates-himself-436376">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tests positive for COVID-19, isolates himself</a>

There was also a surge in deaths from TB and malaria.

“Prior to the pandemic, many countries had made progress. But it was not robust enough. This time we must build health systems that are strong enough to withstand shocks, such as the next pandemic and stay on course towards universal health coverage," says Tedros in an official press release by WHO.&nbsp;

Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, 68 per cent of the world’s population was covered by essential health services - treatment for diseases like HIV, TB and malaria, services to diagnose and treat noncommunicable diseases including cancer, heart conditions, and diabetes. However, there was no progress made in ensuring affordability.&nbsp;

This is why people living in the poorest areas are the last ones to obtain health care services.&nbsp;

Juan Pablo Uribe, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank, in an official release by WHO said, "Even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, almost 1 billion people were spending more than 10 per cent of their household budget on health."

He further highlighted how this is completely unacceptable. He said, "This is not acceptable, especially since the poorest people are hit hardest. Within a constrained fiscal space, governments will have to make tough choices to protect and increase health budgets."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has had a series of consequences for the entire world, one of them being, extreme poverty. New research compiled by the World Health Organisation and the World Bank shows how this pandemic is going to put a pause on two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage.

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has had a series of consequences for the entire world, one of them being, extreme poverty. New research compiled by the World Health Organisation and the World Bank shows how this pandemic is going to put a pause on two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage. Both the organisations have further revealed that the pandemic has pushed over half a billion people into extreme poverty. This is because they have to spend hefty amounts on health services. Launched on Universal Health Coverage Day, the report further highlights how the pandemic has also triggered the worst economic crisis since the 1930s. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said, “There is no time to spare." “All governments must immediately resume and accelerate efforts to ensure every one of their citizens can access health services without fear of the financial consequences. This means strengthening public spending on health and social support, and increasing their focus on primary health care systems that can provide essential care close to home.” The report further talks about how in 2020, the pandemic completely disrupted health services. As a result of this, immunisation coverage dropped for the first time in ten years. Also read | Omicron: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tests positive for COVID-19, isolates himself There was also a surge in deaths from TB and malaria. “Prior to the pandemic, many countries had made progress. But it was not robust enough. This time we must build health systems that are strong enough to withstand shocks, such as the next pandemic and stay on course towards universal health coverage," says Tedros in an official press release by WHO. Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, 68 per cent of the world’s population was covered by essential health services - treatment for diseases like HIV, TB and malaria, services to diagnose and treat noncommunicable diseases including cancer, heart conditions, and diabetes. However, there was no progress made in ensuring affordability. This is why people living in the poorest areas are the last ones to obtain health care services. Juan Pablo Uribe, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank, in an official release by WHO said, "Even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, almost 1 billion people were spending more than 10 per cent of their household budget on health." He further highlighted how this is completely unacceptable. He said, "This is not acceptable, especially since the poorest people are hit hardest. Within a constrained fiscal space, governments will have to make tough choices to protect and increase health budgets." (With inputs from agencies)

Inflated health care costs have forced over half billion people into poverty amid pandemic

Graduating in the times of the pandemic can be quite tricky and the Nepalese students in China have been barred from entering in China and no companies accepting them in their home country.

Nepalese students in China get barred from entering the country

While the entire world is grappling with the fear of the new Covid variant, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has come up with his words of optimism as he predicts the ending time of the pandemic. In his review of the year, which has been published on GatesNotes blog, Gates wrote, "It might be foolish to make another prediction, but I think the acute phase of the pandemic will come to a close some time in 2022."

Deeming the Omicron variant as "concerning," he says that researchers are working to learn more and more about it and soon the world will have a lot more information.&nbsp;

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2021 was an incredibly hard year for many people, including me, but there are reasons to be optimistic that 2022 will be better: <a href="https://t.co/BxF6Q4K9Mq">https://t.co/BxF6Q4K9Mq</a> <a href="https://t.co/C0SdhYxKg8">pic.twitter.com/C0SdhYxKg8</a>
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"It’s troubling any time a new variant of concern emerges, but I’m still hopeful that, at some point next year, COVID-19 will become an endemic disease in most places. Although it is currently about 10 times more lethal than flu, vaccines and antivirals could cut that number by half or more," he wrote in his blog.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-almost-certainly-not-more-severe-than-delta-top-epidemiologist-anthony-fauci-434951">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron variant 'almost certainly' not more severe than Delta: Top epidemiologist Anthony Fauci</a>

He urged the world to take important lessons from Covid response that will make people better prepared next time.

He has appreciated the progress in terms of vaccines and said that it is remarkable. "The world has never made and distributed a vaccine for a disease faster than it did for COVID-19," Gates wrote. He further highlighted that he thinks the mRNA vaccines will be seen as the most consequential breakthrough of the pandemic.&nbsp;

Apart from the pandemic, he wrote about several other topics including the container ship being stuck at the Suez canal and WHO's approval of the first Malaria vaccine.&nbsp;

While the entire world is grappling with the fear of the new Covid variant, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has come up with his words of optimism as he predicts the ending time of the pandemic.

While the entire world is grappling with the fear of the new Covid variant, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has come up with his words of optimism as he predicts the ending time of the pandemic. In his review of the year, which has been published on GatesNotes blog, Gates wrote, "It might be foolish to make another prediction, but I think the acute phase of the pandemic will come to a close some time in 2022." Deeming the Omicron variant as "concerning," he says that researchers are working to learn more and more about it and soon the world will have a lot more information. 2021 was an incredibly hard year for many people, including me, but there are reasons to be optimistic that 2022 will be better: https://t.co/BxF6Q4K9Mq pic.twitter.com/C0SdhYxKg8 — Bill Gates (@BillGates) December 8, 2021 × "It’s troubling any time a new variant of concern emerges, but I’m still hopeful that, at some point next year, COVID-19 will become an endemic disease in most places. Although it is currently about 10 times more lethal than flu, vaccines and antivirals could cut that number by half or more," he wrote in his blog. Also read | Omicron variant 'almost certainly' not more severe than Delta: Top epidemiologist Anthony Fauci He urged the world to take important lessons from Covid response that will make people better prepared next time. He has appreciated the progress in terms of vaccines and said that it is remarkable. "The world has never made and distributed a vaccine for a disease faster than it did for COVID-19," Gates wrote. He further highlighted that he thinks the mRNA vaccines will be seen as the most consequential breakthrough of the pandemic. Apart from the pandemic, he wrote about several other topics including the container ship being stuck at the Suez canal and WHO's approval of the first Malaria vaccine.

In his review of the year, Bill Gates predicts the ending time of pandemic amid fears of Omicron

Researchers in Nebraska had just finished sequencing six samples of the omicron variant, the most discovered anywhere in the United States. They just didn’t know it yet.

In a closet-size room with two chairs and no windows, the scientists had extracted the genetic information from 64 new coronavirus samples, as they do every day, to determine whether any of those patients might have the worrisome new variant. Hours later, Dr. Baha Abdalhamid opened an email and saw the results.

“This batch, I was waiting for it,” said Abdalhamid, assistant director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory. “Once I downloaded the results as an Excel sheet, I screened the 64 samples right away, and sure enough, six of them were omicron.”

Nebraska officials announced the six cases, the state’s first, on Friday.

Around the world, scientists are racing to understand how widespread omicron is and how severe a threat it may pose. That has placed labs such as Abdalhamid’s on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Underscoring growing concerns about omicron, scientists in South Africa said Friday that the variant appeared to spread more than twice as quickly as delta, until now the most contagious version of the virus. It is still unclear whether or to what degree omicron may evade protection from the current vaccines.

In the United States, a hunt for the variant began last week when South African researchers announced omicron’s array of worrisome mutations. The search has intensified in recent days, with at least 12 states identifying cases. Researchers are combing through wastewater samples for any sign of the variant. Contact tracers are ramping up efforts in places where cases have emerged.

And at sequencing labs such as the one in Nebraska, a state where case rates are already high and hospitals are already strained, scientists have sped up the screening of samples from international travelers to see if omicron has arrived.

Local health officials in rural southeastern Nebraska said that among the cases Abdalhamid found, one person had recently traveled to Nigeria and was believed to have passed the virus on to the five others in the same household after returning to Nebraska. None of the patients has had severe symptoms; only one had been vaccinated.

“The concern is what might start showing up if it starts coming in here,” Peter Iwen, director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, said Thursday before the local cases had been found. “Are we going to see the same wave? Or where this one falls out and this other one starts to take off?”

As word spread on Thanksgiving about the discovery of omicron in Africa, scientists in the United States diverted from their holiday weekends and began searching for clues about whether the variant was here, too. They looked back through old virus samples to see if omicron had been spreading quietly. They took a closer look at recent positive tests. They began studying omicron’s mutations so they could detect it manually in the genetic code if their sequencing software did not.

Experts say knowing where and how extensively omicron is circulating is the best way to understand and respond to the level of threat it poses. Scientists have expressed concern about omicron’s mutations and the impact they could have on transmissibility, disease severity and the ability to dodge prior immunity.

So far, there is limited real-world data to confirm those concerns, but it is increasingly clear that omicron is already present in much of the United States. On Wednesday, scientists in California announced a case. Then on Thursday came an announcement in Minnesota about a person who tested positive after attending an anime convention in New York. Within hours, five cases had been found in New York, as well as one in Colorado and another in Hawaii.

On Friday, more cases emerged, including one each in Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Utah and three in Maryland. Many, but not all, of the cases had been linked to travel.

All that adds urgency to the work in the Omaha lab, situated behind locked doors in a research building at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Each day, researchers there extract RNA from 64 nasal swabs sent in from across the state and run that material through two machines that, after about 18 hours, produce a genetic sequence for each infection.

They focus on the highest-risk cases: those involving large outbreaks or children or international travelers. The results, which are uploaded into a global database, show them which variants are present in the state and whether individual cases are linked to one another. When a New York Times reporter and photographer visited the lab Thursday, the scientists had just finished sequencing the samples that included the six omicron cases but had not yet examined the results.

“If we have a cluster of people, like 10, 15, 20 people — one of them is detected with omicron. The others, do they have omicron or not? If they have omicron, how related are those omicron viruses to each other? Are they the same?” Abdalhamid said, explaining some of the questions he would try to answer when the variant turned up in his lab. “Are they one clone, one cluster? Or more than one cluster?”

That level of detail, largely unavailable before this pandemic, can then inform the response of public health officials.

“It’s amazing that we’re able to do that because it used to be really all you had to go on was asking questions,” said Dr. Lindsay Huse, health director in Douglas County, which includes Omaha. “It just helps us be a lot more targeted in the recommendations and the mitigation efforts that we’re putting in.”

At the beginning of this year, American researchers were publishing the sequences of a few thousand virus samples each week, leaving the United States far behind other countries in its ability to identify and respond to variants. Since then, sequencing capacity has ramped up considerably, to about 80,000 virus samples a week and 14% of all positive PCR tests.

For the past few months, almost every sample that researchers have examined has shown the highly transmissible delta variant, which drove up case totals in the South over the summer and is fueling ongoing surges in much of the Midwest and Northeast.

“It was kind of getting boring, quite honestly, because it was 100% delta,” said Richard Michelmore, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, who examines the lineage of coronavirus samples in his area.

In recent days, as word of omicron spread, Michelmore said his lab revived a program to acquire and examine samples from underserved populations. Although it is too early to know just how dangerous omicron is, Michelmore has little doubt that it will soon turn up in his lab.

“It’s a matter of when,” Michelmore said. “My prediction: We will have seen it probably by Christmas.”

The introduction of omicron comes at a precarious moment in the country’s virus fight. Although infection and hospitalization levels remain far lower nationally than they were a year ago, before vaccines were available, some states in the Upper Midwest and Northeast are overrun with the delta variant and are enduring their worst case surges of the pandemic.

Federal medical teams have been sent to bolster staffing at hospitals in Minnesota and Michigan. Case rates have soared to record levels in Vermont and New Hampshire. And in Nebraska, hospital officials have held news conferences this week to issue warnings about limited capacity and pleas to get vaccinated.

“It’s serious: Our hospitals, they’re out of resources at this point in terms of beds,” said Huse, the Douglas County health director.

It has been almost two years since the virus began to emerge in the United States — including in overseas travelers who quarantined on the same Omaha campus where the six omicron cases were detected this week. Unlike then, omicron has so far not brought a push to impose lockdowns or sweeping restrictions on everyday life. Instead, as Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts put it in a statement Friday after the state’s new cases were announced, there is a sense that “coronavirus will be with us forever.”

“Nebraska has maintained one of the lowest coronavirus death rates and protected our hospital capacity all without lockdowns, without mask mandates and without vaccine mandates,” Ricketts, a Republican, said in a statement.

He pledged that those policies would continue.

Researchers in Nebraska had just finished sequencing six samples of the omicron variant, the most discovered anywhere in the United States. They just didn’t know it yet.

Researchers in Nebraska had just finished sequencing six samples of the omicron variant, the most discovered anywhere in the United States. They just didn’t know it yet. In a closet-size room with two chairs and no windows, the scientists had extracted the genetic information from 64 new coronavirus samples, as they do every day, to determine whether any of those patients might have the worrisome new variant. Hours later, Dr. Baha Abdalhamid opened an email and saw the results. “This batch, I was waiting for it,” said Abdalhamid, assistant director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory. “Once I downloaded the results as an Excel sheet, I screened the 64 samples right away, and sure enough, six of them were omicron.” Nebraska officials announced the six cases, the state’s first, on Friday. Around the world, scientists are racing to understand how widespread omicron is and how severe a threat it may pose. That has placed labs such as Abdalhamid’s on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Underscoring growing concerns about omicron, scientists in South Africa said Friday that the variant appeared to spread more than twice as quickly as delta, until now the most contagious version of the virus. It is still unclear whether or to what degree omicron may evade protection from the current vaccines. In the United States, a hunt for the variant began last week when South African researchers announced omicron’s array of worrisome mutations. The search has intensified in recent days, with at least 12 states identifying cases. Researchers are combing through wastewater samples for any sign of the variant. Contact tracers are ramping up efforts in places where cases have emerged. And at sequencing labs such as the one in Nebraska, a state where case rates are already high and hospitals are already strained, scientists have sped up the screening of samples from international travelers to see if omicron has arrived. Local health officials in rural southeastern Nebraska said that among the cases Abdalhamid found, one person had recently traveled to Nigeria and was believed to have passed the virus on to the five others in the same household after returning to Nebraska. None of the patients has had severe symptoms; only one had been vaccinated. “The concern is what might start showing up if it starts coming in here,” Peter Iwen, director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, said Thursday before the local cases had been found. “Are we going to see the same wave? Or where this one falls out and this other one starts to take off?” As word spread on Thanksgiving about the discovery of omicron in Africa, scientists in the United States diverted from their holiday weekends and began searching for clues about whether the variant was here, too. They looked back through old virus samples to see if omicron had been spreading quietly. They took a closer look at recent positive tests. They began studying omicron’s mutations so they could detect it manually in the genetic code if their sequencing software did not. Experts say knowing where and how extensively omicron is circulating is the best way to understand and respond to the level of threat it poses. Scientists have expressed concern about omicron’s mutations and the impact they could have on transmissibility, disease severity and the ability to dodge prior immunity. So far, there is limited real-world data to confirm those concerns, but it is increasingly clear that omicron is already present in much of the United States. On Wednesday, scientists in California announced a case. Then on Thursday came an announcement in Minnesota about a person who tested positive after attending an anime convention in New York. Within hours, five cases had been found in New York, as well as one in Colorado and another in Hawaii. On Friday, more cases emerged, including one each in Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Utah and three in Maryland. Many, but not all, of the cases had been linked to travel. All that adds urgency to the work in the Omaha lab, situated behind locked doors in a research building at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Each day, researchers there extract RNA from 64 nasal swabs sent in from across the state and run that material through two machines that, after about 18 hours, produce a genetic sequence for each infection. They focus on the highest-risk cases: those involving large outbreaks or children or international travelers. The results, which are uploaded into a global database, show them which variants are present in the state and whether individual cases are linked to one another. When a New York Times reporter and photographer visited the lab Thursday, the scientists had just finished sequencing the samples that included the six omicron cases but had not yet examined the results. “If we have a cluster of people, like 10, 15, 20 people — one of them is detected with omicron. The others, do they have omicron or not? If they have omicron, how related are those omicron viruses to each other? Are they the same?” Abdalhamid said, explaining some of the questions he would try to answer when the variant turned up in his lab. “Are they one clone, one cluster? Or more than one cluster?” That level of detail, largely unavailable before this pandemic, can then inform the response of public health officials. “It’s amazing that we’re able to do that because it used to be really all you had to go on was asking questions,” said Dr. Lindsay Huse, health director in Douglas County, which includes Omaha. “It just helps us be a lot more targeted in the recommendations and the mitigation efforts that we’re putting in.” At the beginning of this year, American researchers were publishing the sequences of a few thousand virus samples each week, leaving the United States far behind other countries in its ability to identify and respond to variants. Since then, sequencing capacity has ramped up considerably, to about 80,000 virus samples a week and 14% of all positive PCR tests. For the past few months, almost every sample that researchers have examined has shown the highly transmissible delta variant, which drove up case totals in the South over the summer and is fueling ongoing surges in much of the Midwest and Northeast. “It was kind of getting boring, quite honestly, because it was 100% delta,” said Richard Michelmore, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, who examines the lineage of coronavirus samples in his area. In recent days, as word of omicron spread, Michelmore said his lab revived a program to acquire and examine samples from underserved populations. Although it is too early to know just how dangerous omicron is, Michelmore has little doubt that it will soon turn up in his lab. “It’s a matter of when,” Michelmore said. “My prediction: We will have seen it probably by Christmas.” The introduction of omicron comes at a precarious moment in the country’s virus fight. Although infection and hospitalization levels remain far lower nationally than they were a year ago, before vaccines were available, some states in the Upper Midwest and Northeast are overrun with the delta variant and are enduring their worst case surges of the pandemic. Federal medical teams have been sent to bolster staffing at hospitals in Minnesota and Michigan. Case rates have soared to record levels in Vermont and New Hampshire. And in Nebraska, hospital officials have held news conferences this week to issue warnings about limited capacity and pleas to get vaccinated. “It’s serious: Our hospitals, they’re out of resources at this point in terms of beds,” said Huse, the Douglas County health director. It has been almost two years since the virus began to emerge in the United States — including in overseas travelers who quarantined on the same Omaha campus where the six omicron cases were detected this week. Unlike then, omicron has so far not brought a push to impose lockdowns or sweeping restrictions on everyday life. Instead, as Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts put it in a statement Friday after the state’s new cases were announced, there is a sense that “coronavirus will be with us forever.” “Nebraska has maintained one of the lowest coronavirus death rates and protected our hospital capacity all without lockdowns, without mask mandates and without vaccine mandates,” Ricketts, a Republican, said in a statement. He pledged that those policies would continue.

Inside a sequencing lab on the front lines of America’s search for Omicron

Amid growing concerns over the new Omicron COVID-19 variant, the Biden administration is supporting efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish a new international agreement on future pandemic preparedness and response— the so-called pandemic treaty. But as VOA’s White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports, public health experts are pessimistic of the outcome.

WION-VOA Co-Production: US to support WHO's new accord on future pandemic

In today’s fast-paced world, where numerous people go online for various purposes, around 37% of the world’s population seems to have never used the internet. The revelation was made by a United Nations' body. &nbsp;

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a spike in the number of internet users but still around 3 billion people have not been able to use it. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-and-iran-broaden-cyberwar-to-attack-civilian-targets-432628" hreflang="en">Israel and Iran broaden cyberwar to attack civilian targets</a>

According to an estimate by the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 96% of these people in developing countries have not got access to internet. &nbsp;

ITU secretary general Houlin Zhao, said, “ITU will work to make sure the building blocks are in place to connect the remaining 2.9 billion. We are determined to ensure no one will be left behind.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the estimated number of people going online has increased from 4.1 billion in 2019 to 4.9 billion this year, the agency said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-ceo-parag-agrawal-said-this-in-his-very-first-e-mail-as-captain-of-the-ship-433002" hreflang="en">Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal said this in his very first e-mail as captain of the ship</a>

Several people using internet may also be doing it infrequently, facing connectivity issues or using shared devices. &nbsp;

The measures like school closures, lockdowns and the need to access online services may have led to the spike in internet users during the pandemic, the ITU said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In today’s fast-paced world, where numerous people go online for various purposes, around 37% of the world’s population seems to have never used the internet. The revelation was made by a United Nations' body.

In today’s fast-paced world, where numerous people go online for various purposes, around 37% of the world’s population seems to have never used the internet. The revelation was made by a United Nations' body. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a spike in the number of internet users but still around 3 billion people have not been able to use it. Also Read: Israel and Iran broaden cyberwar to attack civilian targets According to an estimate by the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 96% of these people in developing countries have not got access to internet. ITU secretary general Houlin Zhao, said, “ITU will work to make sure the building blocks are in place to connect the remaining 2.9 billion. We are determined to ensure no one will be left behind.” Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the estimated number of people going online has increased from 4.1 billion in 2019 to 4.9 billion this year, the agency said. Also Read: Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal said this in his very first e-mail as captain of the ship Several people using internet may also be doing it infrequently, facing connectivity issues or using shared devices. The measures like school closures, lockdowns and the need to access online services may have led to the spike in internet users during the pandemic, the ITU said. (With inputs from agencies)

Over one third of world never used internet, says UN body  

According to experts, inflation, supply chain crisis, and pandemic will impact the shoppers and retailers during the holiday period in the United States. This special broadcast of WION-VOA tells you about the impact of inflation on American shoppers and businesses.

Experts: Supply chain issues and online sales to impact retail in US

On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, UN Women chief Sima Bahous described gender-based violence (GBV) as “a global crisis”. As per data by UN Women, over 70 per cent have experienced GBV. &nbsp;

“In all of our own neighbourhoods, there are women and girls living in danger. Around the world, conflict, climate-related natural disasters, food insecurity and human rights violations are exacerbating violence against women”, Sima said.&nbsp;

November 25, every year, is marked as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in order to increase awareness of the suffering of women.

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Dear survivors of violence who are bravely speaking out: 
 
We hear you. 
We see you. 
We believe you. 
You’re not alone.🧡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OrangeTheWorld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OrangeTheWorld</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/16Days?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#16Days</a> <a href="https://t.co/rXw4w1s2FQ">pic.twitter.com/rXw4w1s2FQ</a>
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The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women was issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993. It states that violence against women is "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. "

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/seven-doctors-contract-covid-after-attending-anti-vaccine-summit-in-florida-431708">Also read |&nbsp;Seven doctors contract Covid after attending anti-vaccine summit in Florida</a>

Sima stated how violence “often goes unreported, silenced by stigma, shame, fear of the perpetrators and fear of a justice system that does not work for women”.&nbsp;

The deadly coronavirus pandemic has further triggered cases of violence against women. The top women UN official told that reports on helplines for violence against women and girls have increased globally.&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said that “violence against women is not inevitable”.&nbsp;

“The right policies and programmes bring results”, he added.&nbsp;

“Change is possible, and now is the time to redouble our efforts so that together, we can eliminate violence against women and girls by 2030.”

(With inputs from agencies)

On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, UN Women chief Sima Bahous described gender-based violence (GBV) as “a global crisis”.

On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, UN Women chief Sima Bahous described gender-based violence (GBV) as “a global crisis”. As per data by UN Women, over 70 per cent have experienced GBV. “In all of our own neighbourhoods, there are women and girls living in danger. Around the world, conflict, climate-related natural disasters, food insecurity and human rights violations are exacerbating violence against women”, Sima said. November 25, every year, is marked as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in order to increase awareness of the suffering of women. Dear survivors of violence who are bravely speaking out: We hear you. We see you. We believe you. You’re not alone.🧡#OrangeTheWorld #16Days pic.twitter.com/rXw4w1s2FQ — UN Women 🧡 (@UN_Women) November 25, 2021 × The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women was issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993. It states that violence against women is "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. " Also read | Seven doctors contract Covid after attending anti-vaccine summit in Florida Sima stated how violence “often goes unreported, silenced by stigma, shame, fear of the perpetrators and fear of a justice system that does not work for women”. The deadly coronavirus pandemic has further triggered cases of violence against women. The top women UN official told that reports on helplines for violence against women and girls have increased globally. UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said that “violence against women is not inevitable”. “The right policies and programmes bring results”, he added. “Change is possible, and now is the time to redouble our efforts so that together, we can eliminate violence against women and girls by 2030.” (With inputs from agencies)

'Global crisis': Cases of violence against women triggered by the pandemic

A new research study has revealed that spending more time on near objects like mobile phones, screens, laptops, could make eyeballs elongated and eventually lead to near-sightedness, called myopia.

Myopia is a condition where near objects appear clearly, while the distant ones are blurred.

The study, done by the American Academy of Optometry and American Academy of Ophthalmology, paints a worrying picture not only among adults, who have been spending more time on laptops—courtesy of&nbsp;'work for home’— but also among children, whose eyeballs are still developing.

The situation is so dire that the American Academy of Optometry and American Academy of Ophthalmology are mulling to consider myopia an epidemic.

Laptops and mobile phones were already a constant companion during the pre-pandemic days, but the dramatic increase in the use of these electronic devices in recent months has been alarming, with the rise of e-learning and binge-watching.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Too much screen time is changing the shape of your eyes

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-too-much-screen-time-is-changing-the-shape-of-your-eyes-431710/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The ophthalmologists argue that the trouble with holding a screen close to one’s face isn’t about light shining into your eyes, rather it’s about the strain caused on the eye.

They say that while constantly staring at near objects, like phones and laptops,&nbsp;eyes blink far less when they’re focused so closely, forcing the pupil muscles to stretch. As a result, the eye lenses shift since they over-accommodate to constant close-distance tasks.&nbsp;

Last spring, Chinese researchers tested over 120,000 Covid-quarantined students aged six to eight and found myopia and other vision issues linked to home confinement increased up to three times compared with the previous five years – that’s with as little as 2.5 more hours of e-learning, according to the Guardian.

(With inputs from agencies)

A new research study has revealed that spending more time on near objects like mobile phones, screens, laptops, could make eyeballs elongated and eventually lead to near-sightedness, called myopia.

A new research study has revealed that spending more time on near objects like mobile phones, screens, laptops, could make eyeballs elongated and eventually lead to near-sightedness, called myopia. Myopia is a condition where near objects appear clearly, while the distant ones are blurred. The study, done by the American Academy of Optometry and American Academy of Ophthalmology, paints a worrying picture not only among adults, who have been spending more time on laptops—courtesy of 'work for home’— but also among children, whose eyeballs are still developing. The situation is so dire that the American Academy of Optometry and American Academy of Ophthalmology are mulling to consider myopia an epidemic. Laptops and mobile phones were already a constant companion during the pre-pandemic days, but the dramatic increase in the use of these electronic devices in recent months has been alarming, with the rise of e-learning and binge-watching. Watch | Gravitas: Too much screen time is changing the shape of your eyes The ophthalmologists argue that the trouble with holding a screen close to one’s face isn’t about light shining into your eyes, rather it’s about the strain caused on the eye. They say that while constantly staring at near objects, like phones and laptops, eyes blink far less when they’re focused so closely, forcing the pupil muscles to stretch. As a result, the eye lenses shift since they over-accommodate to constant close-distance tasks. Last spring, Chinese researchers tested over 120,000 Covid-quarantined students aged six to eight and found myopia and other vision issues linked to home confinement increased up to three times compared with the previous five years – that’s with as little as 2.5 more hours of e-learning, according to the Guardian. (With inputs from agencies)

Staring at screen for prolonged period can make eyeballs elongated, reveals study

Ana María Banegas lives on a sun-drenched street in central Barcelona, a short walk from where her children go to school. Outside, a doormat welcomes visitors: “Home Sweet Home.”

But this is where the domestic idyll ends. The building’s owner isn’t your typical landlord, she says, but rather a private equity firm thousands of miles away. And Banegas is no typical tenant: Along with a dozen other families who have been struggling financially during the pandemic, she has occupied the building since April and now refuses to leave.

“This property belongs to Cerberus,” said Banegas, referring to Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm based in New York. “And from this home, we aim to pressure them.”

Her protest is part of a battle that is being waged in the courtrooms, living rooms and streets of Barcelona, pitting foreign investment firms that have bought up thousands of homes across Spain over the past decade against residents and activists who are using a novel strategy to try to stop them from evicting renters who have fallen behind.

On one side is Cerberus, which, along with other giant investment firms like Blackstone and Lone Star, has been snapping up properties across Spain at bargain prices since the global financial crisis that began in 2008. The firms then put them up for rent at a time when the country’s economy was on a stronger footing.

But the pandemic pushed the Spanish unemployment rate up to 15%, and evictions nationwide spiked in the first half of 2021. The investment firm landlords sent out a slew of eviction notices to tenants across the country or cancelled leases for those who fell behind on the rent, residents said.

In the streets of Barcelona, a group called War Against Cerberus decided to fight back.

When lawyers of private equity firms come with police officers to force residents from their homes, members of the group — some of them longtime housing activists — surround the building to block their entry. As residents are pushed out of apartments, the group sends squatters to occupy properties owned by the firms elsewhere in the city — sometimes breaking in to gain entry.

The activists even took over the offices of a Cerberus real estate servicer in Barcelona for a time last year.

According to War Against Cerberus, dozens of families have occupied buildings owned by private equity firms in Barcelona, which has long been a target of outside investors. That can translate into years of courtroom hearings and millions of dollars in legal fees to remove the squatters.

Miquel Hernández, a spokesman for War Against Cerberus who helped Banegas find the home where she is squatting, accused the private equity firms of profiting from the economic distress caused by the pandemic.

“They’re treating them like any other asset,” he said, referring to the homes owned by the firms.

The problem has caught the attention of Spain’s national government, led by a left-wing coalition. It has proposed the imposition of rent controls on investment funds and other large landlords.

The proposed legislation, supported by Barcelona’s mayor, Ada Colau, would allow for rent caps for owners with more than 10 properties in areas where rent increases have outpaced inflation.

“We have to civilize a market that has gotten out of control,” said Colau, a former housing activist who rose to power with an organization that fought against foreclosures. “A problem that was bad before the pandemic has suddenly gotten worse.”

She attributed much of the increase in evictions to investment firms that refused to negotiate agreements with renters who fall behind, choosing instead to force them out and find others who can pay.

Spain imposed a partial moratorium on evictions for much of the pandemic, but only for those in “vulnerable situations,” such as single parents. In cases that went to the courts, the judiciary was seen as siding largely with the landlords.

Cerberus said it was committed to treating every resident with dignity and respect and to following the law.

“We believe it is the responsibility of all corporate citizens to not only respect the dignity of everyone but also appropriately address illegal activity that can harm communities,” a company spokesman said in a statement to The New York Times.

The Association of Rental Housing Owners, a Spanish group which includes some of the outside investment firms, took aim at the proposed housing law, saying that rent controls would only discourage owners from building new rental units during a time of low supply.

The conflict in Barcelona traces its roots to the financial crisis that started in 2008. That downturn hit homeowners hardest, driving many of them, as well as the banks that owned their mortgages, into bankruptcy. The crisis also fueled evictions and the rise of a protest movement to defend homeowners against predatory loans.

But thousands lost their homes anyway, and many of them became renters. And in the current crisis, it is renters who have suffered the brunt of the damage, activists say.

As defaults became common and credit harder to come by, the number of renters in the country grew by more than 40% over the last decade. At the same time, private firms amassed at least 40,000 properties in Spain, according to estimates by economists and the Spanish news media.

Even so, homeownership has remained relatively high in Spain, about 75%.

In one case in 2013, Blackstone, now thought to be Spain’s biggest landlord, bought more than 1,800 apartments from the Madrid city government, which was low on cash.

But those types of acquisitions did not cause a stir until the pandemic left the firms, like many other landlords, serving up eviction notices for those who could not make the rent.

In the first quarter of 2021, evictions of renters in Spain rose by 14% compared with the same period the previous year, according to the government. By the second quarter of this year, they surged to eight times as many as in the same period in 2020.

One complaint about private equity landlords is that being based abroad, they are difficult to reach to negotiate settlements, unlike local landlords.

Irma Vite, a 47-year-old immigrant from Ecuador, first received a notice in 2019 that the lease for her rental apartment would not be renewed by Divarian, a Cerberus-owned real estate company in Spain. She has spent the entire pandemic fighting in courts to remain in the home.

Her story offers a window into the unregulated world of Spanish housing, which allowed private equity companies to become such dominant landlords here. She bought the apartment in 2005 for 216,000 euros, or about $267,000 at the time, with no down payment, from a local Spanish bank. Her monthly mortgage payments were 900 euros.

The mortgage had a fluctuating interest rate, however, and by 2009, her payments had risen to 1,200 euros. By 2015, she could no longer afford the payments, and she entered foreclosure proceedings with the bank, which allowed her to remain in the home as a renter.

But that bank, Caixa Catalunya, was barely solvent itself. In 2016, it merged with Spanish giant BBVA, which extended her rental agreement until 2019.

In October 2019, she received a letter from Divarian, the Cerberus company, saying that it now owned the property and would no longer rent to her. Vite sought help from the War Against Cerberus and has spent the last two years refusing to leave her home.

Cases like hers are becoming more common and have provided War Against Cerberus opportunities to flex its muscles. In October, the group got word of five evictions that were scheduled in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, a town on the outskirts of Barcelona.

When a lawyer representing the firm that owned the apartments arrived with police, they were met by about 50 activists who surrounded the building. A crowd of residents soon arrived, chanting for the officers to leave.

“You’re vultures,” one of the protesters yelled.

Police backed down, saying that they would give the owners an extension before their eviction.

War Against Cerberus is also trying to play offense against private equity firms by sending residents like Banegas to occupy apartments that the firms own in Barcelona. Hernández, the activist spokesman, said that the group’s goal was to eventually pressure Cerberus into agreeing to allow the squatters to remain and pay reasonable monthly rents.

Vite said she would much rather go back to paying rent than keep squatting. But so far, Cerberus has refused to make an agreement with her and has asked a court to evict her.

An auxiliary nurse at a nearby hospital, Vite said that she recently came across a man suffering from depression who was also being forced out of his home after not being able to pay the rent and that they had briefly commiserated.

“I was there as the nurse, he as my patient, and I was just thinking — 'Look at what’s at the root of all of these problems,' ” she said.

Ana María Banegas lives on a sun-drenched street in central Barcelona, a short walk from where her children go to school. Outside, a doormat welcomes visitors: “Home Sweet Home.

Ana María Banegas lives on a sun-drenched street in central Barcelona, a short walk from where her children go to school. Outside, a doormat welcomes visitors: “Home Sweet Home.” But this is where the domestic idyll ends. The building’s owner isn’t your typical landlord, she says, but rather a private equity firm thousands of miles away. And Banegas is no typical tenant: Along with a dozen other families who have been struggling financially during the pandemic, she has occupied the building since April and now refuses to leave. “This property belongs to Cerberus,” said Banegas, referring to Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm based in New York. “And from this home, we aim to pressure them.” Her protest is part of a battle that is being waged in the courtrooms, living rooms and streets of Barcelona, pitting foreign investment firms that have bought up thousands of homes across Spain over the past decade against residents and activists who are using a novel strategy to try to stop them from evicting renters who have fallen behind. On one side is Cerberus, which, along with other giant investment firms like Blackstone and Lone Star, has been snapping up properties across Spain at bargain prices since the global financial crisis that began in 2008. The firms then put them up for rent at a time when the country’s economy was on a stronger footing. But the pandemic pushed the Spanish unemployment rate up to 15%, and evictions nationwide spiked in the first half of 2021. The investment firm landlords sent out a slew of eviction notices to tenants across the country or cancelled leases for those who fell behind on the rent, residents said. In the streets of Barcelona, a group called War Against Cerberus decided to fight back. When lawyers of private equity firms come with police officers to force residents from their homes, members of the group — some of them longtime housing activists — surround the building to block their entry. As residents are pushed out of apartments, the group sends squatters to occupy properties owned by the firms elsewhere in the city — sometimes breaking in to gain entry. The activists even took over the offices of a Cerberus real estate servicer in Barcelona for a time last year. According to War Against Cerberus, dozens of families have occupied buildings owned by private equity firms in Barcelona, which has long been a target of outside investors. That can translate into years of courtroom hearings and millions of dollars in legal fees to remove the squatters. Miquel Hernández, a spokesman for War Against Cerberus who helped Banegas find the home where she is squatting, accused the private equity firms of profiting from the economic distress caused by the pandemic. “They’re treating them like any other asset,” he said, referring to the homes owned by the firms. The problem has caught the attention of Spain’s national government, led by a left-wing coalition. It has proposed the imposition of rent controls on investment funds and other large landlords. The proposed legislation, supported by Barcelona’s mayor, Ada Colau, would allow for rent caps for owners with more than 10 properties in areas where rent increases have outpaced inflation. “We have to civilize a market that has gotten out of control,” said Colau, a former housing activist who rose to power with an organization that fought against foreclosures. “A problem that was bad before the pandemic has suddenly gotten worse.” She attributed much of the increase in evictions to investment firms that refused to negotiate agreements with renters who fall behind, choosing instead to force them out and find others who can pay. Spain imposed a partial moratorium on evictions for much of the pandemic, but only for those in “vulnerable situations,” such as single parents. In cases that went to the courts, the judiciary was seen as siding largely with the landlords. Cerberus said it was committed to treating every resident with dignity and respect and to following the law. “We believe it is the responsibility of all corporate citizens to not only respect the dignity of everyone but also appropriately address illegal activity that can harm communities,” a company spokesman said in a statement to The New York Times. The Association of Rental Housing Owners, a Spanish group which includes some of the outside investment firms, took aim at the proposed housing law, saying that rent controls would only discourage owners from building new rental units during a time of low supply. The conflict in Barcelona traces its roots to the financial crisis that started in 2008. That downturn hit homeowners hardest, driving many of them, as well as the banks that owned their mortgages, into bankruptcy. The crisis also fueled evictions and the rise of a protest movement to defend homeowners against predatory loans. But thousands lost their homes anyway, and many of them became renters. And in the current crisis, it is renters who have suffered the brunt of the damage, activists say. As defaults became common and credit harder to come by, the number of renters in the country grew by more than 40% over the last decade. At the same time, private firms amassed at least 40,000 properties in Spain, according to estimates by economists and the Spanish news media. Even so, homeownership has remained relatively high in Spain, about 75%. In one case in 2013, Blackstone, now thought to be Spain’s biggest landlord, bought more than 1,800 apartments from the Madrid city government, which was low on cash. But those types of acquisitions did not cause a stir until the pandemic left the firms, like many other landlords, serving up eviction notices for those who could not make the rent. In the first quarter of 2021, evictions of renters in Spain rose by 14% compared with the same period the previous year, according to the government. By the second quarter of this year, they surged to eight times as many as in the same period in 2020. One complaint about private equity landlords is that being based abroad, they are difficult to reach to negotiate settlements, unlike local landlords. Irma Vite, a 47-year-old immigrant from Ecuador, first received a notice in 2019 that the lease for her rental apartment would not be renewed by Divarian, a Cerberus-owned real estate company in Spain. She has spent the entire pandemic fighting in courts to remain in the home. Her story offers a window into the unregulated world of Spanish housing, which allowed private equity companies to become such dominant landlords here. She bought the apartment in 2005 for 216,000 euros, or about $267,000 at the time, with no down payment, from a local Spanish bank. Her monthly mortgage payments were 900 euros. The mortgage had a fluctuating interest rate, however, and by 2009, her payments had risen to 1,200 euros. By 2015, she could no longer afford the payments, and she entered foreclosure proceedings with the bank, which allowed her to remain in the home as a renter. But that bank, Caixa Catalunya, was barely solvent itself. In 2016, it merged with Spanish giant BBVA, which extended her rental agreement until 2019. In October 2019, she received a letter from Divarian, the Cerberus company, saying that it now owned the property and would no longer rent to her. Vite sought help from the War Against Cerberus and has spent the last two years refusing to leave her home. Cases like hers are becoming more common and have provided War Against Cerberus opportunities to flex its muscles. In October, the group got word of five evictions that were scheduled in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, a town on the outskirts of Barcelona. When a lawyer representing the firm that owned the apartments arrived with police, they were met by about 50 activists who surrounded the building. A crowd of residents soon arrived, chanting for the officers to leave. “You’re vultures,” one of the protesters yelled. Police backed down, saying that they would give the owners an extension before their eviction. War Against Cerberus is also trying to play offense against private equity firms by sending residents like Banegas to occupy apartments that the firms own in Barcelona. Hernández, the activist spokesman, said that the group’s goal was to eventually pressure Cerberus into agreeing to allow the squatters to remain and pay reasonable monthly rents. Vite said she would much rather go back to paying rent than keep squatting. But so far, Cerberus has refused to make an agreement with her and has asked a court to evict her. An auxiliary nurse at a nearby hospital, Vite said that she recently came across a man suffering from depression who was also being forced out of his home after not being able to pay the rent and that they had briefly commiserated. “I was there as the nurse, he as my patient, and I was just thinking — 'Look at what’s at the root of all of these problems,' ” she said.

As pandemic evictions rise, Spaniards declare ‘war’ on Wall Street landlords

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