In an exclusive interview with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Chinese virologist, who investigated the origin of the COVID-19 virus during the initial outbreak in Wuhan, will talk about the unequivocal evidence that the virus was not of natural origin. In this segment of WION, watch the full interview with Dr Li-Meng Yan at 7 PM today.

Dr Li-Meng Yan has specialised in virology and immunology at Hong Kong School of Public Health. She says she was one of the first scientists in the world to study the novel coronavirus.

In the article, “Unusual Features of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification rather Than Natural Evolution and Delineation of Its Probable Synthetic Route,” Dr Yan and her colleagues have offered a detailed description of how the virus was synthesized in laboratories controlled by China’s military.

Yan claims the Chinese government is now trying to tarnish her reputation, conduct cyber-attacks on her and intimidate her family in China.

In an exclusive interview with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Chinese virologist, who investigated the origin of the COVID-19 virus during the initial outbreak in Wuhan, will talk about the unequivocal evidence that the virus was not of natural origin.

In an exclusive interview with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Chinese virologist, who investigated the origin of the COVID-19 virus during the initial outbreak in Wuhan, will talk about the unequivocal evidence that the virus was not of natural origin. In this segment of WION, watch the full interview with Dr Li-Meng Yan at 7 PM today. Dr Li-Meng Yan has specialised in virology and immunology at Hong Kong School of Public Health. She says she was one of the first scientists in the world to study the novel coronavirus. In the article, “Unusual Features of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification rather Than Natural Evolution and Delineation of Its Probable Synthetic Route,” Dr Yan and her colleagues have offered a detailed description of how the virus was synthesized in laboratories controlled by China’s military. Yan claims the Chinese government is now trying to tarnish her reputation, conduct cyber-attacks on her and intimidate her family in China.

WION exclusive Straight Talk with Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan at 7 PM

Back in February, when few Americans were aware of a distant and oddly named phenomenon called coronavirus, two Chinese filmmakers strapped on hazmat suits and embedded themselves in Wuhan's overrun hospitals.

There, they captured harrowing footage of terrified citizens hammering on hospital doors, medics collapsing from exhaustion, and relatives begging in vain to say goodbye to infected loved ones.

Now, those images have been edited together by New York-based director Hao Wu ("People's Republic of Desire").

Premiering at the Toronto film festival Monday, '76 Days'&nbsp;-- named for the duration of the central Chinese city's draconian lockdown -- is the first major documentary from the disease's original epicenter to hit theaters. Shot in a claustrophobic, cinema verite style -- without voice-over or direct-to-camera interviews -- the film relies on the intimacy of the footage of doctors and patients grappling with a terrifying new reality.

Wu first contacted the two filmmakers, one of whom is anonymous for his own safety, after witnessing China's early lockdown first-hand during a family visit for Chinese New Year.

The footage they sent him revealed how, in the chaos of the disease's early weeks, they were able to get remarkable access -- but at considerable personal risk and suffering.

"It was a horrible, horrible shooting experience for them," Wu told AFP. "They were fainting, it was really warm. A few times [filmmaker Weixi Chen] wanted to throw up inside [his] goggles, but he couldn't because once you throw up, once you remove your PPE, you have to get out, you could not come back again."

"It was like shooting in a war zone," he added.&nbsp; Wu also had a personal motivation for pursuing the project. His grandfather died from cancer soon after the outbreak, unable to find a hospital bed as resources strained under the weight of Covid-19.

"In the beginning I was angry with the Chinese government -- I really wanted to find out who's at fault, what caused this," said Wu.

But once the pandemic spread -- with exponentially greater tragedy -- to other countries like the US, the desire to place blame was replaced by a desire to document how "as human beings live through this, how we can share this experience."&nbsp;

Ironically, despite Beijing's tight controls on information, access was in some ways easier in China. Privacy and litigation concerns proved far more of a barrier to filming in New York hospitals, Wu found.

Wuhan hospitals desperately lacking personal protective equipment initially welcomed coverage that could boost donations and volunteers, he added. 
The film eschews politics and blame to focus on personal stories of tragedy and bravery, hope and despair, which repeated around the world after emerging in China.

Medics tenderly hold the hands of patients locked away from their families, and are distinguishable to viewers only by the colorful doodles they scrawl upon each other's head-to-toe hazmat suits.

But it remains unclear whether the movie will ever be seen in China, where news about the pandemic has been tightly controlled since day one -- leading to many in the West, including US President Donald Trump, accusing Beijing of a vast cover-up.

"I would love to show it in China, because I feel that for the entire country with Covid, it has been such a scar on the nation's psyche," said Wu, who hopes it could help his ancestral home to mourn its losses.

"Obviously right now most Chinese feel proud the country has been able to control it. But it is a trauma."

Back in February, when few Americans were aware of a distant and oddly named phenomenon called coronavirus, two Chinese filmmakers strapped on hazmat suits and embedded themselves in Wuhan's overrun hospitals.

Back in February, when few Americans were aware of a distant and oddly named phenomenon called coronavirus, two Chinese filmmakers strapped on hazmat suits and embedded themselves in Wuhan's overrun hospitals. There, they captured harrowing footage of terrified citizens hammering on hospital doors, medics collapsing from exhaustion, and relatives begging in vain to say goodbye to infected loved ones. Now, those images have been edited together by New York-based director Hao Wu ("People's Republic of Desire"). Premiering at the Toronto film festival Monday, '76 Days' -- named for the duration of the central Chinese city's draconian lockdown -- is the first major documentary from the disease's original epicenter to hit theaters. Shot in a claustrophobic, cinema verite style -- without voice-over or direct-to-camera interviews -- the film relies on the intimacy of the footage of doctors and patients grappling with a terrifying new reality. Wu first contacted the two filmmakers, one of whom is anonymous for his own safety, after witnessing China's early lockdown first-hand during a family visit for Chinese New Year. The footage they sent him revealed how, in the chaos of the disease's early weeks, they were able to get remarkable access -- but at considerable personal risk and suffering. "It was a horrible, horrible shooting experience for them," Wu told AFP. "They were fainting, it was really warm. A few times [filmmaker Weixi Chen] wanted to throw up inside [his] goggles, but he couldn't because once you throw up, once you remove your PPE, you have to get out, you could not come back again." "It was like shooting in a war zone," he added. Wu also had a personal motivation for pursuing the project. His grandfather died from cancer soon after the outbreak, unable to find a hospital bed as resources strained under the weight of Covid-19. "In the beginning I was angry with the Chinese government -- I really wanted to find out who's at fault, what caused this," said Wu. But once the pandemic spread -- with exponentially greater tragedy -- to other countries like the US, the desire to place blame was replaced by a desire to document how "as human beings live through this, how we can share this experience." Ironically, despite Beijing's tight controls on information, access was in some ways easier in China. Privacy and litigation concerns proved far more of a barrier to filming in New York hospitals, Wu found. Wuhan hospitals desperately lacking personal protective equipment initially welcomed coverage that could boost donations and volunteers, he added. The film eschews politics and blame to focus on personal stories of tragedy and bravery, hope and despair, which repeated around the world after emerging in China. Medics tenderly hold the hands of patients locked away from their families, and are distinguishable to viewers only by the colorful doodles they scrawl upon each other's head-to-toe hazmat suits. But it remains unclear whether the movie will ever be seen in China, where news about the pandemic has been tightly controlled since day one -- leading to many in the West, including US President Donald Trump, accusing Beijing of a vast cover-up. "I would love to show it in China, because I feel that for the entire country with Covid, it has been such a scar on the nation's psyche," said Wu, who hopes it could help his ancestral home to mourn its losses. "Obviously right now most Chinese feel proud the country has been able to control it. But it is a trauma."

Wuhan film '76 Days' captures horror and humanity at coronavirus ground zero 5

The first international passenger flight in eight months landed in Wuhan, the worst-hit city in China during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 epicentre Wuhan re-opens for International flights

Dr Li Meng Yan says the Wuhan virus came from a lab. Some scientists say her claims are highly speculative. Twitter has suspended Dr Li's account. Will Twitter use the same yardstuck against Chinese diplomats - who have been caught sharing fake news? Palki Sharma Upadhyay has more.

Gravitas: Wuhan virus lab theory: Chinese virologist loses her twitter account

Zhong Hanneng and Zhang Hai tried to sue the Chinese government over the Wuhan virus outbreak. But their lawsuits were 'abruptly rejected'. Palki Sharma Upadhyay brings you the voices of two Chinese citizens, who dared to take on the Communist Party.

Gravitas: China is blocking Coronavirus lawsuits

Wuhan resident, who lost her son and relatives to coronavirus, wanted to sue the local government for their careless approach towards this deadly virus. However, her lawsuits have been suddenly rejected.

"They say the epidemic was a natural calamity. But these serious outcomes are man-made, and you need to find who's to blame," said Zhong Hanneng, 67.

"Our family is shattered. I can never be happy again."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-virologist-claims-covid-19-was-made-in-wuhan-lab-offers-scientific-proof-327153">Also read:&nbsp;Chinese virologist claims COVID-19 was made in Wuhan lab; offers scientific proof</a>

Dozens of people who followed her path and wanted to sue the local government have been facing pressure from the Wuhan government to drop their lawsuits.

Even the lawyers are being warned against helping locals in suing the government. Some lawyers are now secretly helping locals get justice.

As of now, almost five cases have been filed in the Wuhan Intermediate Court alleging the government of hiding the truth behind the novel coronavirus.

Plaintiffs are each seeking around two million yuan ($295,000) in damages and a public apology. However, the lawsuits have been declined by the court on unspecified procedural grounds. These rejections do not have any written trail as the locals were informed via phone calls, and not written notices.

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Zhang Hai who lost his father to the virus has alleged the local authorities of threatening and dismantling the support groups of the people who want to take an action against the government after having lost their family members.&nbsp;"They know if I succeed in filing a case, many other families will sue, too," he said.

The lawsuits allege the governments of the&nbsp;Wuhan and Hubei province of concealing the facts, not alerting the world and not admitting that the virus is lab-made.

These accusations are also being made by a Chinese virologist who has offered scientific proof behind the accusation of COVID-19 being Wuhan lab-made.

Wuhan resident, who lost her son and relatives to coronavirus, wanted to sue the local government for their careless approach towards this deadly virus. However, her lawsuits have been suddenly rejected.

Wuhan resident, who lost her son and relatives to coronavirus, wanted to sue the local government for their careless approach towards this deadly virus. However, her lawsuits have been suddenly rejected. "They say the epidemic was a natural calamity. But these serious outcomes are man-made, and you need to find who's to blame," said Zhong Hanneng, 67. "Our family is shattered. I can never be happy again." Also read: Chinese virologist claims COVID-19 was made in Wuhan lab; offers scientific proof Dozens of people who followed her path and wanted to sue the local government have been facing pressure from the Wuhan government to drop their lawsuits. Even the lawyers are being warned against helping locals in suing the government. Some lawyers are now secretly helping locals get justice. As of now, almost five cases have been filed in the Wuhan Intermediate Court alleging the government of hiding the truth behind the novel coronavirus. Plaintiffs are each seeking around two million yuan ($295,000) in damages and a public apology. However, the lawsuits have been declined by the court on unspecified procedural grounds. These rejections do not have any written trail as the locals were informed via phone calls, and not written notices. × Zhang Hai who lost his father to the virus has alleged the local authorities of threatening and dismantling the support groups of the people who want to take an action against the government after having lost their family members. "They know if I succeed in filing a case, many other families will sue, too," he said. The lawsuits allege the governments of the Wuhan and Hubei province of concealing the facts, not alerting the world and not admitting that the virus is lab-made. These accusations are also being made by a Chinese virologist who has offered scientific proof behind the accusation of COVID-19 being Wuhan lab-made.

Wuhan's locals accuse government of threatening them for filing COVID lawsuits

Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan, last week, accused China of not taking proper precuations to contain the spread of coronavirus, and offered scientific proof that COVID-19 is lab-made in Wuhan.

Less than a week later, her Twitter account has been suspended by the social media giant claiming the account violated the "Twitter rules".
<img alt="'Dr. Li Meng Yan's Twitter account suspended after she claimed to have scientific proof that COVID-19 is Wuhan lab-made." data-align="center" data-caption="'Dr. Li Meng Yan's Twitter account suspended after she claimed to have scientific proof that COVID-19 is Wuhan lab-made." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c5fa1230-0027-4424-9814-5f1e2e54d4af" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Dr.%20Li%20Meng%20Yan.jpg" />
The virologist gained a lot of followers and likes on social media after her claim of&nbsp;SARS CoV-2 being lab-made in Wuhan went viral.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-virologist-claims-covid-19-was-made-in-wuhan-lab-offers-scientific-proof-327153">Also read:&nbsp;Chinese virologist claims COVID-19 was made in Wuhan lab; offers scientific proof</a>

Dr. Yan had, in an interview with a talk show, revealed that she had to flee to the US for her safety after&nbsp;being threatened by the Chinese officials when she wanted to alert the world about the pandemic. She had also alleged the Chinese authorities&nbsp;of&nbsp;employing people to spread rumours about her and deleting all her information.

She claimed that while she was in Wuhan to investigate&nbsp;Pneumonia outbreak, she stumbled upon information about&nbsp;coronavirus. She tried to alert the authorities but got no response from&nbsp;the World Health Organisation. She also accused the Chinese authorities of ignoring her warnings and letting the world suffer through the pandemic, when it could have been avoided.

"This virus is not from nature," she stressed. “The genome sequence is like a human finger print. So based on this you can identify these things. I use the evidence … to tell people why this has come from the lab in China, why they are the only ones who made it.”

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The peculiar thing is that Twitter did not label any of tweets, like it has earlier done for various other political leaders and scientists. However, within days of the claims being made, her account was directly suspended.

Twitter had earlier this year announced that the social media platform will start labelling the tweets that could lead to spreading misleading information on sensitive and important topics.&nbsp;

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Meanwhile, Yan has already published her report and put it out on internet for the world to access it. Titled, "Unusual Features of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification Rather Than Natural Evolution and Delineation of Its Probable Synthetic Route", the report is available at the internet.

Twitter has not yet issued a statement on this matter.

Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan, last week, accused China of not taking proper precuations to contain the spread of coronavirus, and offered scientific proof that COVID-19 is lab-made in Wuhan.

Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan, last week, accused China of not taking proper precuations to contain the spread of coronavirus, and offered scientific proof that COVID-19 is lab-made in Wuhan. Less than a week later, her Twitter account has been suspended by the social media giant claiming the account violated the "Twitter rules". The virologist gained a lot of followers and likes on social media after her claim of SARS CoV-2 being lab-made in Wuhan went viral. Also read: Chinese virologist claims COVID-19 was made in Wuhan lab; offers scientific proof Dr. Yan had, in an interview with a talk show, revealed that she had to flee to the US for her safety after being threatened by the Chinese officials when she wanted to alert the world about the pandemic. She had also alleged the Chinese authorities of employing people to spread rumours about her and deleting all her information. She claimed that while she was in Wuhan to investigate Pneumonia outbreak, she stumbled upon information about coronavirus. She tried to alert the authorities but got no response from the World Health Organisation. She also accused the Chinese authorities of ignoring her warnings and letting the world suffer through the pandemic, when it could have been avoided. "This virus is not from nature," she stressed. “The genome sequence is like a human finger print. So based on this you can identify these things. I use the evidence … to tell people why this has come from the lab in China, why they are the only ones who made it.” × The peculiar thing is that Twitter did not label any of tweets, like it has earlier done for various other political leaders and scientists. However, within days of the claims being made, her account was directly suspended. Twitter had earlier this year announced that the social media platform will start labelling the tweets that could lead to spreading misleading information on sensitive and important topics. × Meanwhile, Yan has already published her report and put it out on internet for the world to access it. Titled, "Unusual Features of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification Rather Than Natural Evolution and Delineation of Its Probable Synthetic Route", the report is available at the internet. Twitter has not yet issued a statement on this matter.

Twitter account suspended of Chinese virologist who claimed COVID was lab-made

A Chinese virologist has claimed in a video interview that she has scientific proof that the novel coronavirus was made in a Wuhan laboratory.

Dr. Li-Meng Yan is a Chinese scientist had been researching on the novel coronavirus since last year. She was working at the Hong Kong School of Public Health when she came across the proof of coronavirus being lab-made.&nbsp;

She claimed that during her investigation on Pneumonia in Wuhan, she got to know about coronavirus and found that there was no response from the World Health Organisation when coronavirus was reported. The Chinese officials ignored her warnings despite being aware of the danger the world was about to face.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-resumes-trials-of-coronavirus-vaccine-in-uk-327085">Also read:&nbsp;AstraZeneca resumes trials of coronavirus vaccine in UK</a>

Yan, in a video interview, claimed that the virus was lab made in Wuhan, and that particular lab is controlled by the Chinese government.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7Lq3_rsBJ9w" width="560"></iframe>

She also stressed that the reasoning being given of the coronavirus originating from a wet market in Wuhan is simply “a smokescreen.” She claimed to be sure about it as she got “her intelligence from the CDC in China, from the local doctors.”

She further claimed that the Chinese officials knew that a human-to-human transmission already exists, and SARS CoV-2 is a high mutant virus which will become an outbreak if nobody controls it.

"This virus is not from nature," she stressed. “The genome sequence is like a human finger print. So based on this you can identify these things. I use the evidence … to tell people why this has come from the lab in China, why they are the only ones who made it.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/superbug-is-deadlier-than-covid-19-situation-worse-in-pacific-326824">Also read:&nbsp;Superbug is deadlier than COVID-19; situation worse in Pacific</a>

She alleged the Chinese officials of silencing her when she tried to warn the world about the dangers of this pandemic.

“Anyone, even if you have no biology knowledge, you can read it, and you can check and identify and verify by yourself.”

“This is the critical thing for us to know the origin of the virus,” she said. “If not we cannot overcome it — it will be life-threatening for everyone.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-approves-trials-of-nasal-spray-vaccine-for-coronavirus-326770">Also read:&nbsp;China approves trials of nasal spray vaccine for coronavirus</a>

Yan said she had to flee to the United States after being threatened by the Chinese officials when she wanted to sound the alarm. She also alleged the Chinese authorities of employing people to spread rumours about her and deleting all her information. Yan is now hiding in the United States as she is worried about her safety after being labelled as a whistleblower.

However,&nbsp;Yuan Zhiming, the director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, had previously declined all these allegations. Chinese authorities have not acknowledged this video claim yet.&nbsp;

A Chinese virologist has claimed in a video interview that she has scientific proof that the novel coronavirus was made in a Wuhan laboratory. Dr. Li-Meng Yan is a Chinese scientist had been researching on the novel coronavirus since last year.

A Chinese virologist has claimed in a video interview that she has scientific proof that the novel coronavirus was made in a Wuhan laboratory. Dr. Li-Meng Yan is a Chinese scientist had been researching on the novel coronavirus since last year. She was working at the Hong Kong School of Public Health when she came across the proof of coronavirus being lab-made. She claimed that during her investigation on Pneumonia in Wuhan, she got to know about coronavirus and found that there was no response from the World Health Organisation when coronavirus was reported. The Chinese officials ignored her warnings despite being aware of the danger the world was about to face. Also read: AstraZeneca resumes trials of coronavirus vaccine in UK Yan, in a video interview, claimed that the virus was lab made in Wuhan, and that particular lab is controlled by the Chinese government. She also stressed that the reasoning being given of the coronavirus originating from a wet market in Wuhan is simply “a smokescreen.” She claimed to be sure about it as she got “her intelligence from the CDC in China, from the local doctors.” She further claimed that the Chinese officials knew that a human-to-human transmission already exists, and SARS CoV-2 is a high mutant virus which will become an outbreak if nobody controls it. "This virus is not from nature," she stressed. “The genome sequence is like a human finger print. So based on this you can identify these things. I use the evidence … to tell people why this has come from the lab in China, why they are the only ones who made it.” Also read: Superbug is deadlier than COVID-19; situation worse in Pacific She alleged the Chinese officials of silencing her when she tried to warn the world about the dangers of this pandemic. “Anyone, even if you have no biology knowledge, you can read it, and you can check and identify and verify by yourself.” “This is the critical thing for us to know the origin of the virus,” she said. “If not we cannot overcome it — it will be life-threatening for everyone.” Also read: China approves trials of nasal spray vaccine for coronavirus Yan said she had to flee to the United States after being threatened by the Chinese officials when she wanted to sound the alarm. She also alleged the Chinese authorities of employing people to spread rumours about her and deleting all her information. Yan is now hiding in the United States as she is worried about her safety after being labelled as a whistleblower. However, Yuan Zhiming, the director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, had previously declined all these allegations. Chinese authorities have not acknowledged this video claim yet.

Chinese virologist claims COVID-19 was made in Wuhan lab; offers scientific proof

Domestic air travel has resumed in Wuhan, the epicenter of the global coronavirus outbreak. Watch report.

Domestic air travel resumes in Wuhan: Over 64,000 passengers travel on flights

Domestic air travel in Wuhan, the epicentre of the global Coronavirus outbreak, has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Number of domestic flights return to pre-pandemic levels in Wuhan

China has put its homegrown COVID-19 vaccines on display for the first time, as the country where the contagion was discovered looks to shape the narrative surrounding the pandemic.

WION Dispatch: China vaccines on display for the first time; Here's the report

The Huanan seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, believed by many to be the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, is sealed behind a blue perimeter fence.

Huanan seafood market, believed to be the origin of Coronavirus; Watch report

The Huanan seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, believed by many to be the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, is sealed behind a blue perimeter fence. A large team of security staff chases away anyone who lingers.

Chinese authorities seal Huanan seafood market as Wuhan touts recovery

China is recasting Wuhan as a heroic coronavirus victim and trying to throw doubt on the pandemic's origin story as it aims to seize the narrative at a time of growing global distrust of Beijing.

The PR blitz plays out daily in comments by Chinese officials and lavish state media coverage of a "reborn" Wuhan that trumpets China's epidemic-control efforts and economic recovery while the United States struggles.

The drive peaked in the past week as Chinese primary schools welcomed back students with considerable fanfare and Wuhan hosted executives from dozens of multinationals, from Panasonic to Dow and Nokia, on a highly choreographed tour of the central Chinese city.

"There are few places in the world today where you don't need a mask and can gather," a Chinese official, Lin Songtian, told the executives, implying that Wuhan was one of those places.

"This testifies to Wuhan's triumph over the virus and that (the city) is back in business."

Lost in this retelling, however, is that a wet market in Wuhan is widely believed to be ground zero for the pandemic.

China's foreign minister suggested on August 28 during a European outreach trip that the virus might not have emerged in China.

The drive indicates China recognises Covid-19's damage to its brand and wants to leverage its relatively successful recovery to counter growing international challenges, analysts said.

China faces foreign bitterness over the virus and an initial cover-up attempt by Wuhan officials, plus criticism of Beijing's tightening grip on Hong Kong and generally more aggressive international posture.

"Beijing wants the narrative to be: we handled it, we can help you handle it and (hopefully) we're the first to have a vaccine that works," said Kelsey Broderick, Asia analyst with Eurasia Group.

"That's really the only way China can come out ahead of the idea that a wet market in Wuhan started this crisis."

'ABSOLUTELY SAFE'

The fumbling US pandemic response provides a clear opening, said Yun Jiang, director of Australian National University's China Policy Centre.

"The fact that the US is not only not doing enough, but actually doing things that go against American interests, is a big help to China," she said.

The three-day Wuhan tour also included foreign media outlets and ended Saturday.

It featured primary-school students performing traditional Chinese opera and ballet, a renovated food market presented as a model of sanitation, and a Yangtze riverfront cruise underneath a skyline ablaze with towering light displays referencing the virus recovery.

The city of 11 million -- which suffered more than 80 percent of China's 4,634 Covid-19 deaths -- has come a long way since the pandemic's grim early days, when a suffocating weeks-long lockdown rendered it a ghost town.

No new local transmissions have been reported in months, traffic jams are back, shoppers cram malls, and al fresco diners gobble up the city's signature spicy crayfish dish.

Face masks sag from the neck or are abandoned altogether.

The growing confidence was displayed at a Wuhan pool party attended by thousands of mask-less people last month that prompted overseas accusations of recklessness after images of the event went viral.

China countered that the party indicated the nation's success in taming the coronavirus.

"What risks can there be?" asked Wuhan factory worker Xie Ailiang while speaking to AFP.

"I think now Wuhan should be absolutely safe."

'WINTER IS COMING'

But not everyone is taking a victory lap.

Many Wuhan citizens express persistent concern over an uneven recovery and fear of new outbreaks.

"The economy has really declined. The benefit of even coming to work is questionable," said Yi Xinhua, 51, who sells tofu from her stall at a Wuhan wet market.

Blocks of tofu were neatly arranged by shape and size, but there few buyers -- Yi says her sales are only half of the pre-pandemic level.

It's a common complaint in Wuhan, blamed by many business owners on lingering fear of going out in public and the widely expressed belief that millions who fled the city early in the pandemic have still not returned.

Wuhan employers complain online that the exodus has also reduced the local labour pool.

And memories of a subsequent virus cluster in May, which triggered a citywide effort to test millions, remain fresh.

"Everyone is afraid the epidemic will return, you know? The summer is over, and winter is coming," said Yi.

"We've recovered a bit. But if the virus comes back, we'll be hit again."

China is recasting Wuhan as a heroic coronavirus victim and trying to throw doubt on the pandemic's origin story as it aims to seize the narrative at a time of growing global distrust of Beijing.

China is recasting Wuhan as a heroic coronavirus victim and trying to throw doubt on the pandemic's origin story as it aims to seize the narrative at a time of growing global distrust of Beijing. The PR blitz plays out daily in comments by Chinese officials and lavish state media coverage of a "reborn" Wuhan that trumpets China's epidemic-control efforts and economic recovery while the United States struggles. The drive peaked in the past week as Chinese primary schools welcomed back students with considerable fanfare and Wuhan hosted executives from dozens of multinationals, from Panasonic to Dow and Nokia, on a highly choreographed tour of the central Chinese city. "There are few places in the world today where you don't need a mask and can gather," a Chinese official, Lin Songtian, told the executives, implying that Wuhan was one of those places. "This testifies to Wuhan's triumph over the virus and that (the city) is back in business." Lost in this retelling, however, is that a wet market in Wuhan is widely believed to be ground zero for the pandemic. China's foreign minister suggested on August 28 during a European outreach trip that the virus might not have emerged in China. The drive indicates China recognises Covid-19's damage to its brand and wants to leverage its relatively successful recovery to counter growing international challenges, analysts said. China faces foreign bitterness over the virus and an initial cover-up attempt by Wuhan officials, plus criticism of Beijing's tightening grip on Hong Kong and generally more aggressive international posture. "Beijing wants the narrative to be: we handled it, we can help you handle it and (hopefully) we're the first to have a vaccine that works," said Kelsey Broderick, Asia analyst with Eurasia Group. "That's really the only way China can come out ahead of the idea that a wet market in Wuhan started this crisis." 'ABSOLUTELY SAFE' The fumbling US pandemic response provides a clear opening, said Yun Jiang, director of Australian National University's China Policy Centre. "The fact that the US is not only not doing enough, but actually doing things that go against American interests, is a big help to China," she said. The three-day Wuhan tour also included foreign media outlets and ended Saturday. It featured primary-school students performing traditional Chinese opera and ballet, a renovated food market presented as a model of sanitation, and a Yangtze riverfront cruise underneath a skyline ablaze with towering light displays referencing the virus recovery. The city of 11 million -- which suffered more than 80 percent of China's 4,634 Covid-19 deaths -- has come a long way since the pandemic's grim early days, when a suffocating weeks-long lockdown rendered it a ghost town. No new local transmissions have been reported in months, traffic jams are back, shoppers cram malls, and al fresco diners gobble up the city's signature spicy crayfish dish. Face masks sag from the neck or are abandoned altogether. The growing confidence was displayed at a Wuhan pool party attended by thousands of mask-less people last month that prompted overseas accusations of recklessness after images of the event went viral. China countered that the party indicated the nation's success in taming the coronavirus. "What risks can there be?" asked Wuhan factory worker Xie Ailiang while speaking to AFP. "I think now Wuhan should be absolutely safe." 'WINTER IS COMING' But not everyone is taking a victory lap. Many Wuhan citizens express persistent concern over an uneven recovery and fear of new outbreaks. "The economy has really declined. The benefit of even coming to work is questionable," said Yi Xinhua, 51, who sells tofu from her stall at a Wuhan wet market. Blocks of tofu were neatly arranged by shape and size, but there few buyers -- Yi says her sales are only half of the pre-pandemic level. It's a common complaint in Wuhan, blamed by many business owners on lingering fear of going out in public and the widely expressed belief that millions who fled the city early in the pandemic have still not returned. Wuhan employers complain online that the exodus has also reduced the local labour pool. And memories of a subsequent virus cluster in May, which triggered a citywide effort to test millions, remain fresh. "Everyone is afraid the epidemic will return, you know? The summer is over, and winter is coming," said Yi. "We've recovered a bit. But if the virus comes back, we'll be hit again."

China tries to flip the pandemic script, starring a 'reborn' Wuhan

Wuhan, Ground Zero for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese city hardest hit by the coronavirus, reopened all its schools and kindergartens on Tuesday (September 1), state media CCTV reported.

Schools reopen in China's Wuhan, 1.4 mn students return to school

A team from the WHO tasked with investigating the origins of the Coronavirus did not travel to Wuhan. Meanwhile, a photo of a grave - allegedly of a Chinese solider killed during the Galwan face-off is spreading on the Chinese internet. Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you more.

Gravitas: W.H.O. team failed to visit Wuhan during China trip

Wuhan, Ground Zero for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese city hardest hit by the coronavirus, will reopen all its schools and kindergartens on Tuesday, local authorities said.

As many as 2,842 educational institutions across the city are set to open their doors to almost 1.4 million students when the autumn semester gets underway, the local government announced on Friday. Wuhan University reopened on Monday.

The city said it has drawn up emergency plans to switch back to online teaching should risk levels change. It advised students to wear masks to and from school and avoid public transportation if possible.

Schools have been ordered to stock up on disease control equipment and to carry out drills and training sessions to help prepare for new outbreaks. They must also restrict unnecessary mass gatherings, and submit daily reports to health authorities.

Foreign students and teachers who have not received notice from their school will not be allowed to return, it said.

The central Chinese city, where the COVID-19 epidemic is believed to have originated, was locked down for more than two months from late January. The city`s death toll of 3,869 accounts for more than 80% of China`s total.

Wuhan has been steadily returning to normal since April, when the lockdown was lifted, and it has not reported any new local transmissions of the coronavirus since May 18.

Wuhan, Ground Zero for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese city hardest hit by the coronavirus, will reopen all its schools and kindergartens on Tuesday, local authorities said.

Wuhan, Ground Zero for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese city hardest hit by the coronavirus, will reopen all its schools and kindergartens on Tuesday, local authorities said. As many as 2,842 educational institutions across the city are set to open their doors to almost 1.4 million students when the autumn semester gets underway, the local government announced on Friday. Wuhan University reopened on Monday. The city said it has drawn up emergency plans to switch back to online teaching should risk levels change. It advised students to wear masks to and from school and avoid public transportation if possible. Schools have been ordered to stock up on disease control equipment and to carry out drills and training sessions to help prepare for new outbreaks. They must also restrict unnecessary mass gatherings, and submit daily reports to health authorities. Foreign students and teachers who have not received notice from their school will not be allowed to return, it said. The central Chinese city, where the COVID-19 epidemic is believed to have originated, was locked down for more than two months from late January. The city`s death toll of 3,869 accounts for more than 80% of China`s total. Wuhan has been steadily returning to normal since April, when the lockdown was lifted, and it has not reported any new local transmissions of the coronavirus since May 18.

China's Wuhan says all schools to reopen on Tuesday

Even though the World Health Organisation continues to issue warnings against mass gatherings, Wuhan, the first epicentre of COVID-19, turned a blind eye against these advisories and allowed large-scale pool parties.

Video of partying crowd in Wuhan during COVID-19 pandemic goes viral

Ground Zero for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese city, Wuhan will reopen 2,842 schools from tuesday. It advised students to wear masks to and from school and avoid public transportation if possible.

Coronavirus Pandemic: Schools to reopen in Wuhan, foreign students not allowed to return

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the France squad. French head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Pogba’s name has been taken out for the games against Sweden and Croatia next month after the flamboyant midfielder returned a positive COVID-19 test.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has also been withdrawn from the France squad for matches against Croatia and Sweden having tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus. Both the Premier League midfielders will now undergo a period of complete self-isolation and will not be considered for matches on September 5 and 8.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/several-chelsea-players-test-positive-for-covid-19-reports-323461" hreflang="en">Several Chelsea players test positive for COVID-19: reports</a>

The positive COVID-19 test results could very well keep Pogba and Ndombele out of the opening weekend of Premier League 2020-21 season, which is scheduled to get underway in just over two weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, Deschamps have called up Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga to his 23-man squad while also recalling Manchester United forward Anthony Martial.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-ban-looming-for-lionel-messi-argentines-contract-situation-decoded-323445" hreflang="en">'FIFA ban' looming for Lionel Messi? Argentine's contract situation decoded</a>

Deschamps said: "I had to make a last-minute change to this list, because Paul Pogba was planned to be in this list but unfortunately for him, he took a test (for COVID-19) yesterday which turned out to be positive today, so at the last minute he was replaced by Eduardo Camavinga."

<o:p></o:p>

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the France squad. French head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Pogba’s name has been taken out for the games against Sweden and Croatia next month after the flamboyant midfielder returned a positive COVID-19 test.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the France squad. French head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Pogba’s name has been taken out for the games against Sweden and Croatia next month after the flamboyant midfielder returned a positive COVID-19 test. Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has also been withdrawn from the France squad for matches against Croatia and Sweden having tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus. Both the Premier League midfielders will now undergo a period of complete self-isolation and will not be considered for matches on September 5 and 8. ALSO READ: Several Chelsea players test positive for COVID-19: reports The positive COVID-19 test results could very well keep Pogba and Ndombele out of the opening weekend of Premier League 2020-21 season, which is scheduled to get underway in just over two weeks’ time. Meanwhile, Deschamps have called up Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga to his 23-man squad while also recalling Manchester United forward Anthony Martial. ALSO READ: 'FIFA ban' looming for Lionel Messi? Argentine's contract situation decoded Deschamps said: "I had to make a last-minute change to this list, because Paul Pogba was planned to be in this list but unfortunately for him, he took a test (for COVID-19) yesterday which turned out to be positive today, so at the last minute he was replaced by Eduardo Camavinga."

Is analysis of COVID-19 origins based on Chinese Communist Party's lie?

The coronavirus pandemic, which first appeared in a seafood market in the Hubei province of Wuhan city in China, late December 2019, has now claimed over 800,000 lives. However, the question&nbsp;of its origin still remains unanswered and has ruled the global discourse for months. Now, the researchers believe that the Chinese government has access to samples and information that could prove or disprove a lab origin and it should provide access to all that data and material.

"The Chinese government has access to samples and information that almost certainly could prove or disprove a lab origin. It should provide access to all that data and material. It is in no one's interest to have speculation and the data be withheld", British virologist and biologist Jonathan Latham, Executive Director of the Bioscience Resource Project, a non-profit based in New York, told WION. His&nbsp;startling report of coronavirus' first appearance in 2012 sheds new light.

Latham, also an editor of the website Independent Science News, specialises in molecular biology, virology, and genetics. He believes that WHO is reportedly not investigating a lab escape possibility, which is now the leading theory and this should be a source of embarrassment to the WHO.

"The WHO is reportedly not investigating a lab escape possibility. Since a lab escape is now the leading theory, this should be a source of embarrassment to the WHO. But it also endangers the public in future. If we do not find out how the pandemic started, how do we prevent future ones?"

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wuhan-officials-kept-china-in-the-dark-for-weeks-about-coronavirus-us-intel-says-322286">Also read:&nbsp;Wuhan officials kept China in the dark for weeks about coronavirus, US intel says</a>

His report suggests that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), may not have originated at a Wuhan wet market in 2019, but 1,000 miles away in 2012, in a Chinese mineshaft where workers fell ill with a mysterious, pneumonia-like illness after being exposed to bats. His findings (along with molecular biologist Allison Wilson) were based after translating a 66-page master’s thesis from the Chinese medical doctor who treated the miners and sent their tissue samples to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for testing.

"The core finding of our investigation derives from the fact that the closest ancestor virus to SARS-CoV-2 , the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a virus called RaTG13. This virus was found in a mine near Mojiang in Yunnan Province, China, in 2012. What we uncovered is that shortly before RaTG13 was collected, six miners had become ill while clearing bat faeces inside the mine. Three of the miners had died after lengthy stays in hospital. The symptoms of the miners were essentially identical to COVID-19. In the hospital, at the time, it was concluded that the miners were suffering from infection by a novel coronavirus acquired from the bat faeces", said Latham.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-wuhan-water-park-party-now-beijing-says-face-masks-not-mandatory-in-public-spaces-322235">Also read:&nbsp;After Wuhan water park party, now Beijing says face masks not mandatory in public spaces</a>

"We also found that blood and probably other samples were taken from the miners to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Our theory of how the pandemic came about is that RaTG13, which is a bat virus, infected the miners and became adapted to humans inside the bodies of the miners. The human samples taken to the WIV thus contained viruses that could cause COVID-19. We propose that these escaped when they were being examined at the WIV, presumably in late 2019. This theory thus explains why the pandemic started exactly in Wuhan when it could, in principle, have started anywhere in the world that has bats,"&nbsp;he added.

Latham also reported that the individual Chinese researchers obscured the deaths of the miners even before the outbreak began and, moreover, that after the outbreak they further attempted to cover over the provenance of RaTG13.

"It is also clear that individual Chinese researchers obscured the deaths of the miners even before the outbreak began and, moreover, that after the outbreak they further attempted to cover over the provenance of RaTG13. For example, Zheng-Li Shi, head of coronavirus research at the WIV told the magazine Scientific American that the miners died of a fungal infection. Because of this misinformation it took us and others months to piece together the true history", said Latham.

After conducting multiple tests for hepatitis, dengue fever and even HIV, the doctor consulted with various specialists throughout China, including virologist Zhong Nanshan, an international hero, who managed the SARS outbreak in 2003 and is considered the country’s greatest scientist, which implies that the miners probably were infected by coronavirus.

"The meeting with such a prominent scientist&nbsp;as Zhong Nanshan implies that the possibility of an epidemic outbreak starting with the miners was being taken very seriously in 2012. But it also implies since Zhong Nanshan has a special expertise in coronaviruses, that the miners had a virus, and that it probably was a coronavirus".

Currently, across the world, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 has doubled to just over 800,000 since June 6, with 100,000 fatalities in the last 17 days alone, while more than 23 million cases have been registered.

The coronavirus pandemic, which first appeared in a seafood market in the Hubei province of Wuhan city in China, late December 2019, has now claimed over 800,000 lives.

The coronavirus pandemic, which first appeared in a seafood market in the Hubei province of Wuhan city in China, late December 2019, has now claimed over 800,000 lives. However, the question of its origin still remains unanswered and has ruled the global discourse for months. Now, the researchers believe that the Chinese government has access to samples and information that could prove or disprove a lab origin and it should provide access to all that data and material. "The Chinese government has access to samples and information that almost certainly could prove or disprove a lab origin. It should provide access to all that data and material. It is in no one's interest to have speculation and the data be withheld", British virologist and biologist Jonathan Latham, Executive Director of the Bioscience Resource Project, a non-profit based in New York, told WION. His startling report of coronavirus' first appearance in 2012 sheds new light. Latham, also an editor of the website Independent Science News, specialises in molecular biology, virology, and genetics. He believes that WHO is reportedly not investigating a lab escape possibility, which is now the leading theory and this should be a source of embarrassment to the WHO. "The WHO is reportedly not investigating a lab escape possibility. Since a lab escape is now the leading theory, this should be a source of embarrassment to the WHO. But it also endangers the public in future. If we do not find out how the pandemic started, how do we prevent future ones?" Also read: Wuhan officials kept China in the dark for weeks about coronavirus, US intel says His report suggests that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), may not have originated at a Wuhan wet market in 2019, but 1,000 miles away in 2012, in a Chinese mineshaft where workers fell ill with a mysterious, pneumonia-like illness after being exposed to bats. His findings (along with molecular biologist Allison Wilson) were based after translating a 66-page master’s thesis from the Chinese medical doctor who treated the miners and sent their tissue samples to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for testing. "The core finding of our investigation derives from the fact that the closest ancestor virus to SARS-CoV-2 , the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a virus called RaTG13. This virus was found in a mine near Mojiang in Yunnan Province, China, in 2012. What we uncovered is that shortly before RaTG13 was collected, six miners had become ill while clearing bat faeces inside the mine. Three of the miners had died after lengthy stays in hospital. The symptoms of the miners were essentially identical to COVID-19. In the hospital, at the time, it was concluded that the miners were suffering from infection by a novel coronavirus acquired from the bat faeces", said Latham. Also read: After Wuhan water park party, now Beijing says face masks not mandatory in public spaces "We also found that blood and probably other samples were taken from the miners to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Our theory of how the pandemic came about is that RaTG13, which is a bat virus, infected the miners and became adapted to humans inside the bodies of the miners. The human samples taken to the WIV thus contained viruses that could cause COVID-19. We propose that these escaped when they were being examined at the WIV, presumably in late 2019. This theory thus explains why the pandemic started exactly in Wuhan when it could, in principle, have started anywhere in the world that has bats," he added. Latham also reported that the individual Chinese researchers obscured the deaths of the miners even before the outbreak began and, moreover, that after the outbreak they further attempted to cover over the provenance of RaTG13. "It is also clear that individual Chinese researchers obscured the deaths of the miners even before the outbreak began and, moreover, that after the outbreak they further attempted to cover over the provenance of RaTG13. For example, Zheng-Li Shi, head of coronavirus research at the WIV told the magazine Scientific American that the miners died of a fungal infection. Because of this misinformation it took us and others months to piece together the true history", said Latham. After conducting multiple tests for hepatitis, dengue fever and even HIV, the doctor consulted with various specialists throughout China, including virologist Zhong Nanshan, an international hero, who managed the SARS outbreak in 2003 and is considered the country’s greatest scientist, which implies that the miners probably were infected by coronavirus. "The meeting with such a prominent scientist as Zhong Nanshan implies that the possibility of an epidemic outbreak starting with the miners was being taken very seriously in 2012. But it also implies since Zhong Nanshan has a special expertise in coronaviruses, that the miners had a virus, and that it probably was a coronavirus". Currently, across the world, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 has doubled to just over 800,000 since June 6, with 100,000 fatalities in the last 17 days alone, while more than 23 million cases have been registered.

'Chinese government has access to information of lab origin': Famous virologist claims

People in China's capital Beijing are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, health authorities said on Friday, a second such announcement since May when it was reversed after a recurrence of coronavirus cases in the city.

According to official data, Beijing had 935 cases of coronavirus since February this year of which 924 have recovered. The city reported nine deaths.

People are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, but they still need to wear masks when in close contact with others, a new guideline issued by the Beijing Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/partygoers-flood-water-park-in-wuhan-the-original-epicentre-of-coronavirus-321490">Partygoers flood water park in Wuhan, the original epicentre of coronavirus</a>

Under flashing lights and with dance music blaring, scores of people converged on a pool party on August 15&nbsp;in the Chinese city of&nbsp;Wuhan&nbsp;where the novel coronavirus emerged late last year.

Videos and photos of an electronic music festival at the&nbsp;Wuhan&nbsp;Maya Beach Water Park showed face mask free revellers crammed into rubber dinghies and performers on stage partying, months after the city's lockdown was lifted in April.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/papua-new-guinea-bars-chinese-workers-in-vaccine-trial-over-coronavirus-risk-322161" hreflang="en">Papua New Guinea bars Chinese workers in vaccine trial over coronavirus risk</a>

Chinese state newspapers threw their support behind the party at the&nbsp;amusement park. A&nbsp;story in the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, cited&nbsp;Wuhan&nbsp;residents as saying the pool party reflected the city's success in its virus-control efforts.

Chinese football fans will return to the stadiums this Saturday when the gaming season begins. Thousands of fans will be allowed to attend a high-profile football match after they get tested.

China is portraying an image that all is well in the country and it is, therefore, returning to normalcy.

However, 48&nbsp;Chinese workers were banned from entering a mine in&nbsp;Papua New Guinea because they might test positive for the Wuhan virus.

The workers had been due to fly from the northern city of Tianjin to the Ramu NiCo plant in northern Papua New Guinea run by state-run Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd (MCC).

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The Chinese state-backed firm insisted on sending them back to work. It said they have been given a vaccine for the virus. Although the world has no idea about the whereabouts of this vaccine,&nbsp;China metallurgical group corporation&nbsp;managed to get it and get it&nbsp;injected it into its employees.

When Papua New Guinea demanded an explantion behind the entire incident. China's&nbsp;foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said&nbsp;he was not aware of the matter, adding that he believes&nbsp;China's vaccine development strictly follows standardised scientific protocol, and that safety and effectiveness evaluations as well as ethical inspections are carried out in the research process.

People in China's capital Beijing are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, health authorities said on Friday, a second such announcement since May when it was reversed after a recurrence of coronavirus cases in the city.

People in China's capital Beijing are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, health authorities said on Friday, a second such announcement since May when it was reversed after a recurrence of coronavirus cases in the city. According to official data, Beijing had 935 cases of coronavirus since February this year of which 924 have recovered. The city reported nine deaths. People are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, but they still need to wear masks when in close contact with others, a new guideline issued by the Beijing Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said. Also see: Partygoers flood water park in Wuhan, the original epicentre of coronavirus Under flashing lights and with dance music blaring, scores of people converged on a pool party on August 15 in the Chinese city of Wuhan where the novel coronavirus emerged late last year. Videos and photos of an electronic music festival at the Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park showed face mask free revellers crammed into rubber dinghies and performers on stage partying, months after the city's lockdown was lifted in April. Also read: Papua New Guinea bars Chinese workers in vaccine trial over coronavirus risk Chinese state newspapers threw their support behind the party at the amusement park. A story in the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, cited Wuhan residents as saying the pool party reflected the city's success in its virus-control efforts. Chinese football fans will return to the stadiums this Saturday when the gaming season begins. Thousands of fans will be allowed to attend a high-profile football match after they get tested. China is portraying an image that all is well in the country and it is, therefore, returning to normalcy. However, 48 Chinese workers were banned from entering a mine in Papua New Guinea because they might test positive for the Wuhan virus. The workers had been due to fly from the northern city of Tianjin to the Ramu NiCo plant in northern Papua New Guinea run by state-run Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd (MCC). × The Chinese state-backed firm insisted on sending them back to work. It said they have been given a vaccine for the virus. Although the world has no idea about the whereabouts of this vaccine, China metallurgical group corporation managed to get it and get it injected it into its employees. When Papua New Guinea demanded an explantion behind the entire incident. China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said he was not aware of the matter, adding that he believes China's vaccine development strictly follows standardised scientific protocol, and that safety and effectiveness evaluations as well as ethical inspections are carried out in the research process.

After Wuhan water park party, now Beijing says face masks not mandatory in public spaces

Chinese state newspapers have showed allegiance towards an amusement park in the central city of Wuhan after pictures of a densely packed pool party at one of the city's park went viral overseas amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/partygoers-flood-water-park-in-wuhan-the-original-epicentre-of-coronavirus-321490">Partygoers flood water park in Wuhan, the original epicentre of coronavirus</a>

The novel coronavirus showed first signs in Wuhan in December, 2019 and spread across the entire world. COVID-19, a disease caused by the coronavirus, has so far affected more than 22.27 million people in the world and has killed 781,162, and is still exhibiting no signs to show respite.

Amid such concerns, videos and photos of an electronic music festival at the Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park -- that started on July 11 and will finish on August 30 -- raised eyebrows overseas, but reflected life returning to normal in the city, the official English-language China Daily newspaper said in a front-page story.

<img alt="Pool party in Wuhan" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58524aac-766c-4a65-a071-6fe0849045f6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/wuhan%20pool%20party%202.jpg" />

Another story in the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, cited Wuhan residents as saying the pool party reflected the city's success in its virus-control efforts.

While the coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, strict lockdown measures that paralysed the Chinese economy&nbsp; 
earlier this year have kept its spread in check.

China on Thursday reported its fourth straight day of zero locally transmitted coronavirus infections.

The stories come after a World Health Organisation epidemiologist warned earlier this week that people, especially the young, are not invincible to the pandemic, despite their wishes to live normal lives.

 
&nbsp;

Chinese state newspapers have showed allegiance towards an amusement park in the central city of Wuhan after pictures of a densely packed pool party at one of the city's park went viral overseas amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19.

Chinese state newspapers have showed allegiance towards an amusement park in the central city of Wuhan after pictures of a densely packed pool party at one of the city's park went viral overseas amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19. Also see: Partygoers flood water park in Wuhan, the original epicentre of coronavirus The novel coronavirus showed first signs in Wuhan in December, 2019 and spread across the entire world. COVID-19, a disease caused by the coronavirus, has so far affected more than 22.27 million people in the world and has killed 781,162, and is still exhibiting no signs to show respite. Amid such concerns, videos and photos of an electronic music festival at the Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park -- that started on July 11 and will finish on August 30 -- raised eyebrows overseas, but reflected life returning to normal in the city, the official English-language China Daily newspaper said in a front-page story. Another story in the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, cited Wuhan residents as saying the pool party reflected the city's success in its virus-control efforts. While the coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, strict lockdown measures that paralysed the Chinese economy earlier this year have kept its spread in check. China on Thursday reported its fourth straight day of zero locally transmitted coronavirus infections. The stories come after a World Health Organisation epidemiologist warned earlier this week that people, especially the young, are not invincible to the pandemic, despite their wishes to live normal lives.

China state newspapers support Wuhan park pool party after pictures go viral

Wuhan's recovery after a 76-day lockdown was lifted in April has brought life back onto its streets. Although business is still slow in the city

Chinese city Wuhan recovers from impact of pandemic | Wuhan Springs back to life

A light show was performed by 400 drones in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province at Sunday night, to pay respect for the Wuhan residents.

400 drones light up night sky in Wuhan to show respect for locals

Ninety per cent of a sample group of coronavirus-recovered patients from a prominent hospital in China's Wuhan city where the pandemic broke out have reported lung damage and five per cent of them are again in quarantine after testing positive for the virus, according to a media report on Wednesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-coronavirus-deaths-exceed-700000-one-person-dies-every-15-seconds-on-average-318343" hreflang="en">Global coronavirus deaths exceed 700,000, one person dies every 15 seconds on average</a>

A team at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University led by Peng Zhiyong, director of the hospital's Intensive Care Unit, has been conducting follow-up visits with '100 recovered patients' since April.

The first phase of this one-year programme finished in July. The average age of the patients in the study is 59.

According to the first phase results, 90 per cent of the patients' lungs are still in a damaged state, which means their lungs ventilation and gas exchange functions have not recovered to the level of healthy people, state-run Global Times reported.

Peng's team conducted a six-minute walking test with the patients. They found that the recovered patients could only walk 400 metres in six minutes while their healthy peers could walk 500 metres in the same period.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latin-america-now-has-worlds-highest-coronavirus-death-toll-318236" hreflang="en">Latin America now has world's highest coronavirus death toll</a>

Some recovered patients have to rely on oxygen machines even three months after being discharged from the hospital, Liang Tengxiao, a doctor from the Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, was quoted as saying by the report.

Liang's team is also conducting follow-up visits with recovered patients aged above 65.

The results also showed that antibodies against the novel coronavirus in 10 per cent of the 100 patients have disappeared.

Five per cent of them received negative results in COVID-19 nucleic acid tests but positive results in Immunoglobulin M (IgM) tests, and thus have to be quarantined again, the report said.

IgM is usually the first antibody produced by the immune system when a virus attacks. A positive result in an IgM test usually means that a person has just been infected by the virus.

It is still unclear if this means these people have been infected again.

The 100 patients' immune systems have not fully recovered as they showed a low level of B cells -- - a primary force for killing viruses in the human body -- but a high level of T cells which only recognise viral antigens outside infected cells.

"The results revealed that the patients' immune systems are still recovering," Peng said.

The patients also suffered depression and a sense of stigma. Most of the recovered patients told the team that their families were not willing to have dinner with them at the same table, the report said.

Less than half of the recovered patients have returned to work, it said.

The findings are significant as the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan city.

Hubei province for which Wuhan is the provincial capital has reported a total of 68,138 confirmed COVID-19 cases till now. The disease has claimed 4,512 lives in the province, according to the official data.

China reported 27 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including 22 locally-transmitted cases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Wednesday.

All locally-transmitted cases were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the NHC said.

On Tuesday, five new imported cases were also reported. Of the cases, two were reported in Shanghai and one each in Beijing, Sichuan and Shaanxi, the commission said.

As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had reached 84,491, including 810 patients who were still being treated, with 36 in severe condition.

Altogether 79,047 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease in the mainland, the NHC said.

Ninety per cent of a sample group of coronavirus-recovered patients from a prominent hospital in China's Wuhan city where the pandemic broke out have reported lung damage and five per cent of them are again in quarantine after testing positive for the virus, according to a media report on Wednesday.

Ninety per cent of a sample group of coronavirus-recovered patients from a prominent hospital in China's Wuhan city where the pandemic broke out have reported lung damage and five per cent of them are again in quarantine after testing positive for the virus, according to a media report on Wednesday. Also read: Global coronavirus deaths exceed 700,000, one person dies every 15 seconds on average A team at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University led by Peng Zhiyong, director of the hospital's Intensive Care Unit, has been conducting follow-up visits with '100 recovered patients' since April. The first phase of this one-year programme finished in July. The average age of the patients in the study is 59. According to the first phase results, 90 per cent of the patients' lungs are still in a damaged state, which means their lungs ventilation and gas exchange functions have not recovered to the level of healthy people, state-run Global Times reported. Peng's team conducted a six-minute walking test with the patients. They found that the recovered patients could only walk 400 metres in six minutes while their healthy peers could walk 500 metres in the same period. Also read: Latin America now has world's highest coronavirus death toll Some recovered patients have to rely on oxygen machines even three months after being discharged from the hospital, Liang Tengxiao, a doctor from the Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, was quoted as saying by the report. Liang's team is also conducting follow-up visits with recovered patients aged above 65. The results also showed that antibodies against the novel coronavirus in 10 per cent of the 100 patients have disappeared. Five per cent of them received negative results in COVID-19 nucleic acid tests but positive results in Immunoglobulin M (IgM) tests, and thus have to be quarantined again, the report said. IgM is usually the first antibody produced by the immune system when a virus attacks. A positive result in an IgM test usually means that a person has just been infected by the virus. It is still unclear if this means these people have been infected again. The 100 patients' immune systems have not fully recovered as they showed a low level of B cells -- - a primary force for killing viruses in the human body -- but a high level of T cells which only recognise viral antigens outside infected cells. "The results revealed that the patients' immune systems are still recovering," Peng said. The patients also suffered depression and a sense of stigma. Most of the recovered patients told the team that their families were not willing to have dinner with them at the same table, the report said. Less than half of the recovered patients have returned to work, it said. The findings are significant as the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan city. Hubei province for which Wuhan is the provincial capital has reported a total of 68,138 confirmed COVID-19 cases till now. The disease has claimed 4,512 lives in the province, according to the official data. China reported 27 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including 22 locally-transmitted cases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Wednesday. All locally-transmitted cases were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the NHC said. On Tuesday, five new imported cases were also reported. Of the cases, two were reported in Shanghai and one each in Beijing, Sichuan and Shaanxi, the commission said. As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had reached 84,491, including 810 patients who were still being treated, with 36 in severe condition. Altogether 79,047 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease in the mainland, the NHC said.

90% of recovered COVID-19 patients in Wuhan suffering from lung damage: Report

Latin America broke through 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring that the region is the area of the world hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus was initially slower to reach Latin America - home to about 640 million people - than much of the world. But health experts say it has been hard to control the virus due to the region's poverty and densely packed cities.

The more than 10,000 new cases reported by Colombia's health ministry on Monday pushed the region past the 5 million mark, a day after the Andean nation reported a record 11,470 cases.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/india-news/brazil-announces-south-american-meeting-on-amazon-accepts-chiles-help-246265" hreflang="en">Brazil announces South American meeting on Amazon, accepts Chile's help</a>

Latin America has now topped 200,000 deaths. Brazil's total approached 96,000 on Monday and Mexico surpassed 48,000. The two countries have the world's second and third highest death tolls, after the United States.

North America is the region with the second highest number of cases, with 4.8 million infections, according to a Reuters tally, followed by Europe and Asia, which have around 3 million infections each.

Latin America is particularly vulnerable to the virus due to high levels of poverty, urbanization and labor informality, according to a July 30 report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pan American Health Organization.

More than 100 million people across Latin America and the Caribbean live in slums, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Many have jobs in the informal sector with little in the way of a social safety net and have continued to work throughout the pandemic.

"The pandemic has become an precedented economic and social crisis and, if urgent measures are not taken, it could transform into a food, humanitarian, and political crisis," the report warned.

Latin America has also a high death rate from the virus, likely due to a number of factors, including high levels of underlying conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

Latin America broke through 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring that the region is the area of the world hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Latin America broke through 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring that the region is the area of the world hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus was initially slower to reach Latin America - home to about 640 million people - than much of the world. But health experts say it has been hard to control the virus due to the region's poverty and densely packed cities. The more than 10,000 new cases reported by Colombia's health ministry on Monday pushed the region past the 5 million mark, a day after the Andean nation reported a record 11,470 cases. Also read: Brazil announces South American meeting on Amazon, accepts Chile's help Latin America has now topped 200,000 deaths. Brazil's total approached 96,000 on Monday and Mexico surpassed 48,000. The two countries have the world's second and third highest death tolls, after the United States. North America is the region with the second highest number of cases, with 4.8 million infections, according to a Reuters tally, followed by Europe and Asia, which have around 3 million infections each. Latin America is particularly vulnerable to the virus due to high levels of poverty, urbanization and labor informality, according to a July 30 report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pan American Health Organization. More than 100 million people across Latin America and the Caribbean live in slums, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Many have jobs in the informal sector with little in the way of a social safety net and have continued to work throughout the pandemic. "The pandemic has become an precedented economic and social crisis and, if urgent measures are not taken, it could transform into a food, humanitarian, and political crisis," the report warned. Latin America has also a high death rate from the virus, likely due to a number of factors, including high levels of underlying conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

Latin America exceeds five million COVID-19 cases

After outbreaks of coronavirus were reported on animal farms in Spain and the Netherlands, scientists are now wondering whether minks have the capability to transmit the virus onto humans.

Even though it is widely believed that the virus was passed on to minks from humans, scientists find it “plausible” that the minks further transmitted the virus to other staff members.

In May, when Spain was hit hard by the virus, an outbreak was recorded on a mink farm near La Puebla de Valverde, which infected over 14.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/how-pandemic-worsened-the-cruel-fate-of-minks-314142" hreflang="en">How pandemic worsened the cruel fate of minks?</a>

Owing to this, 92,000 minks were killed in order to limit the scope of transmission. It was believed that over 90 per cent of the animals had developed the virus.

A similar outbreak happened in the Netherlands, and scientists from the Wageningen University and Research found that the virus strain found in animals was similar to the one found in humans.&nbsp;

When the pandemic began in Wuhan in December 2019, everybody widely thought that it came from bats, which were a delicacy at the wet market where the pilot cluster began.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-million-minks-culled-in-europe-314145/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Humans to animals? Or the other way?

If the involvement of minks in enabling transmission of the virus is ascertained, it would prove that humans may catch the virus from animals, and hence need to practice more precaution.

It is widely believed that humans may pass on the infection to animals, but there is no proof of reverse transmission yet.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the transmission from animals to humans remains “very limited”, and not a threat so far.&nbsp;The organisation’s Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said that this may give us more information about the risk in animals.

"This gives us some clues about which animals may be susceptible to infection and this will help us as we learn more about the potential animal reservoir of (the virus)”, Kerkhove said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/dutch-to-slaughter-around-10000-mink-after-coronavirus-outbreak-on-farms-303412" hreflang="en">Dutch to slaughter around 10,000 mink after coronavirus outbreak on farms</a>

In the Netherlands alone, fearing a spike in cases among humans, a million minks have been killed across 26 farms, as per data from the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.

All countries with mink farms in the region have upped precautions to avoid transmission among humans.

After outbreaks of coronavirus were reported on animal farms in Spain and the Netherlands, scientists are now wondering whether minks have the capability to transmit the virus onto humans.

After outbreaks of coronavirus were reported on animal farms in Spain and the Netherlands, scientists are now wondering whether minks have the capability to transmit the virus onto humans. Even though it is widely believed that the virus was passed on to minks from humans, scientists find it “plausible” that the minks further transmitted the virus to other staff members. In May, when Spain was hit hard by the virus, an outbreak was recorded on a mink farm near La Puebla de Valverde, which infected over 14. Also read: How pandemic worsened the cruel fate of minks? Owing to this, 92,000 minks were killed in order to limit the scope of transmission. It was believed that over 90 per cent of the animals had developed the virus. A similar outbreak happened in the Netherlands, and scientists from the Wageningen University and Research found that the virus strain found in animals was similar to the one found in humans. When the pandemic began in Wuhan in December 2019, everybody widely thought that it came from bats, which were a delicacy at the wet market where the pilot cluster began. Humans to animals? Or the other way? If the involvement of minks in enabling transmission of the virus is ascertained, it would prove that humans may catch the virus from animals, and hence need to practice more precaution. It is widely believed that humans may pass on the infection to animals, but there is no proof of reverse transmission yet. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the transmission from animals to humans remains “very limited”, and not a threat so far. The organisation’s Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said that this may give us more information about the risk in animals. "This gives us some clues about which animals may be susceptible to infection and this will help us as we learn more about the potential animal reservoir of (the virus)”, Kerkhove said. Also read: Dutch to slaughter around 10,000 mink after coronavirus outbreak on farms In the Netherlands alone, fearing a spike in cases among humans, a million minks have been killed across 26 farms, as per data from the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. All countries with mink farms in the region have upped precautions to avoid transmission among humans.

Outbreaks among minks hold secrets to understanding animal-to-human transmission of COVID-19

US biotech firm Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response and prevented the coronavirus from replicating in the noses and lungs of monkeys, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine said Tuesday. 
 
The fact that the vaccine prevented the virus from replicating in the nose is seen as particularly crucial in preventing it from being transmitted onward to others.&nbsp; 
 
The same outcome did not occur when the University of Oxford's vaccine was tested on monkeys, though that vaccine did prevent the virus from entering the animals' lungs and making them very sick.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/majority-of-healthy-recovered-coronavirus-patients-show-heart-damage-months-later-316654" hreflang="en">Majority of 'healthy' recovered coronavirus patients show heart damage months later</a> 
 
In the Moderna animal study, three groups of eight rhesus macaques received either a placebo or the vaccine at two different dose levels -- 10 micrograms and 100 micrograms. 
 
All vaccinated macaques produced high levels of neutralizing antibodies that attack a part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus used to invade cells. 
 
Notably, monkeys receiving both dose levels produced these antibodies at levels higher than those found in humans who have recovered from COVID-19. 
 
The authors reported that the vaccine also induced the production of a different immune cell known as T-cells that may have helped boost the overall response. 
 
A major area of concern is that vaccines under development could actually backfire by amplifying rather than suppressing the disease. 
 
So-called vaccine-associated enhancement of respiratory disease (VAERD) has been linked to the production of a specific type of T-cell known as Th2 -- but these cells were not produced during the experiment, suggesting this vaccine won't backfire.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-intends-to-be-worlds-first-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-by-mid-august-316643" hreflang="en">Russia intends to be world's first approval of COVID-19 vaccine by mid-August</a> 
 
Four weeks after the monkeys received their second injection, they were exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, both through the nose and directly to the lungs via a tube. 
 
After two days, no replicating virus was detected in the lungs of seven of the eight macaques in both the low and high dose groups. 
 
By contrast, all eight in the placebo group continued to have the virus present. 
 
None of the eight macaques in the high dose groups had detectable levels of virus in their noses two days after exposure.&nbsp; 
 
"This is the first time an experimental COVID-19 vaccine tested in nonhuman primates has been shown to produce such rapid viral control in the upper airway," said the National Institutes for Health, which co-developed the vaccine. 
 
A COVID-19 vaccine capable of stopping the virus in the lungs will prevent the disease from becoming severe, while stopping the virus from replicating in the nose would lessen transmission. 
 
The Moderna vaccine uses genetic material in the form of viral RNA to encode the information needed to grow the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein inside the human body to trigger an immune response. 
 
Spike proteins give coronaviruses their crown-like appearance and are used to invade human cells, but by themselves are thought to be relatively harmless. 
 
The advantage of this technology is that it bypasses the need to manufacture viral proteins in the lab, helping to ramp up mass production. 
 
Both Moderna's vaccine and the vaccine co-developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca have entered late-stage human trials.

US biotech firm Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response and prevented the coronavirus from replicating in the noses and lungs of monkeys, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine said Tuesday.

US biotech firm Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response and prevented the coronavirus from replicating in the noses and lungs of monkeys, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine said Tuesday. The fact that the vaccine prevented the virus from replicating in the nose is seen as particularly crucial in preventing it from being transmitted onward to others. The same outcome did not occur when the University of Oxford's vaccine was tested on monkeys, though that vaccine did prevent the virus from entering the animals' lungs and making them very sick. Also read: Majority of 'healthy' recovered coronavirus patients show heart damage months later In the Moderna animal study, three groups of eight rhesus macaques received either a placebo or the vaccine at two different dose levels -- 10 micrograms and 100 micrograms. All vaccinated macaques produced high levels of neutralizing antibodies that attack a part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus used to invade cells. Notably, monkeys receiving both dose levels produced these antibodies at levels higher than those found in humans who have recovered from COVID-19. The authors reported that the vaccine also induced the production of a different immune cell known as T-cells that may have helped boost the overall response. A major area of concern is that vaccines under development could actually backfire by amplifying rather than suppressing the disease. So-called vaccine-associated enhancement of respiratory disease (VAERD) has been linked to the production of a specific type of T-cell known as Th2 -- but these cells were not produced during the experiment, suggesting this vaccine won't backfire. Also read: Russia intends to be world's first approval of COVID-19 vaccine by mid-August Four weeks after the monkeys received their second injection, they were exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, both through the nose and directly to the lungs via a tube. After two days, no replicating virus was detected in the lungs of seven of the eight macaques in both the low and high dose groups. By contrast, all eight in the placebo group continued to have the virus present. None of the eight macaques in the high dose groups had detectable levels of virus in their noses two days after exposure. "This is the first time an experimental COVID-19 vaccine tested in nonhuman primates has been shown to produce such rapid viral control in the upper airway," said the National Institutes for Health, which co-developed the vaccine. A COVID-19 vaccine capable of stopping the virus in the lungs will prevent the disease from becoming severe, while stopping the virus from replicating in the nose would lessen transmission. The Moderna vaccine uses genetic material in the form of viral RNA to encode the information needed to grow the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein inside the human body to trigger an immune response. Spike proteins give coronaviruses their crown-like appearance and are used to invade human cells, but by themselves are thought to be relatively harmless. The advantage of this technology is that it bypasses the need to manufacture viral proteins in the lab, helping to ramp up mass production. Both Moderna's vaccine and the vaccine co-developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca have entered late-stage human trials.

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine worked well in monkeys: Study

Coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc all over the world, infiltrating and decapitating every territory that falls in its way. Scientifically, the most annoying facet of the virus has been its unpredictability.

In the beginning, scientists weren’t sure what to make of it, and what its most definitive group of symptoms are. Over the course of 2020, the information has been modified many times. Very recently, a group of scientists posited that the virus may indeed be airborne, which shocked the scientific community worldwide.

As the death toll and the number of infections continue to induct record numbers everyday, a group of scientists have found that COVID-19 may be the underlying cause for more than lung-related ailments in the long term.

Heart damage

The new twin researches from Germany claim that the virus can trigger long-lasting heart damage. This is not limited to patients with co-morbidities; even healthy people can develop long-lasting damage after recovering from the virus.

Out of the two studies, one focused simply on the effects on the heart, while the other limited itself to its effects in the elderly.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-modified-strain-of-cannabis-was-recently-able-to-kill-cancer-cells-316647">A modified strain of cannabis was recently able to kill cancer cells</a>

The former was published in JAMA Cardiology on Monday and found that three-quarters of recovered patients experienced structural changes in their hearts, even two months after recovering from the virus.

The scientists took into account MRIs of over 100 patients who had now recovered, all aged between 45-53. They then juxtaposed the structural definitions of the heart with those who had never contracted the virus. Out of the 100, 78 showed changes in the basic structure of their hearts.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/the-story-of-a-long-haul-covid-19-sufferer-long-term-effects-of-coronavirus-312705/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Biomarker"

Out of these, 76 had a “biomarker”, which usually appears in people who experienced a heart attack. 60 also showed heart inflammation, which is called myocarditis. The most important facet of this study is perhaps that the majority of these people were “healthy” before contracting the virus. A false belief has long been held by people that only people with co-morbidities and the elderly develop the serious symptoms of virus. This has been dispelled multiple times over the course of the pandemic, as new information starts flowing in.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dinosaur-era-microbes-lying-dormant-in-ocean-resuscitated-by-scientists-316620" hreflang="en">Dinosaur-era microbes lying dormant in ocean resuscitated by scientists</a>

Even weeks after recovering, the effects on the heart remained pronounced, opening doors of potential long-term effects that we may still not be aware of.

The second study focused on&nbsp;39 subjects aged between 78-89 who died in the earlier stages of the pandemic. The researchers analysed their autopsy reports and found that heart issues were noticed in more than 41 per cent of elderly patients.

Coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc all over the world, infiltrating and decapitating every territory that falls in its way. Scientifically, the most annoying facet of the virus has been its unpredictability.

Coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc all over the world, infiltrating and decapitating every territory that falls in its way. Scientifically, the most annoying facet of the virus has been its unpredictability. In the beginning, scientists weren’t sure what to make of it, and what its most definitive group of symptoms are. Over the course of 2020, the information has been modified many times. Very recently, a group of scientists posited that the virus may indeed be airborne, which shocked the scientific community worldwide. As the death toll and the number of infections continue to induct record numbers everyday, a group of scientists have found that COVID-19 may be the underlying cause for more than lung-related ailments in the long term. Heart damage The new twin researches from Germany claim that the virus can trigger long-lasting heart damage. This is not limited to patients with co-morbidities; even healthy people can develop long-lasting damage after recovering from the virus. Out of the two studies, one focused simply on the effects on the heart, while the other limited itself to its effects in the elderly. Also read: A modified strain of cannabis was recently able to kill cancer cells The former was published in JAMA Cardiology on Monday and found that three-quarters of recovered patients experienced structural changes in their hearts, even two months after recovering from the virus. The scientists took into account MRIs of over 100 patients who had now recovered, all aged between 45-53. They then juxtaposed the structural definitions of the heart with those who had never contracted the virus. Out of the 100, 78 showed changes in the basic structure of their hearts. "Biomarker" Out of these, 76 had a “biomarker”, which usually appears in people who experienced a heart attack. 60 also showed heart inflammation, which is called myocarditis. The most important facet of this study is perhaps that the majority of these people were “healthy” before contracting the virus. A false belief has long been held by people that only people with co-morbidities and the elderly develop the serious symptoms of virus. This has been dispelled multiple times over the course of the pandemic, as new information starts flowing in. Also read: Dinosaur-era microbes lying dormant in ocean resuscitated by scientists Even weeks after recovering, the effects on the heart remained pronounced, opening doors of potential long-term effects that we may still not be aware of. The second study focused on 39 subjects aged between 78-89 who died in the earlier stages of the pandemic. The researchers analysed their autopsy reports and found that heart issues were noticed in more than 41 per cent of elderly patients.

Majority of 'healthy' recovered coronavirus patients show heart damage months later

Under its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $3 million grant to India to&nbsp;support the government’s emergency response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The new grant complements ADB’s ongoing support to the Government of India in strengthening its COVID-19 response,” said ADB Director for Human and Social Development for South Asia Sungsup Ra. “This support will enhance disease surveillance and help in early detection, contact tracing, and treatment. This will be further supplemented by other public health measures.”

The grant, which is financed by the Government of Japan, will be used to procure thermal scanners and essential commodities to strengthen the Government of India’s COVID-19 response.

Meanwhile, India recorded 48,513 fresh coronavirus infections and 768 deaths linked to the highly contagious illness in the last 24 hours, which takes the country's tally to 15, 31,669 cases, the Union Health Ministry said this morning.&nbsp;

A total of 9, 88,029 patients in the country have recovered so far and 34,193 have died since the beginning of the pandemic, government data shows. Today's spike in cases comes a day after India crossed 15 lakh cases.

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat have reported the highest number of cases. However, infections are rising rapidly in states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Only 700 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Mumbai, while Pune recorded a spike of 2,618 cases.

Worldometer has recorded 247,233 new cases worldwide in the past 24 hours.&nbsp;

As many as 16,883,445 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While more than 10,445,764 have recovered 662,470 have died so far.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Under its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $3 million grant to India to support the government’s emergency response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Under its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $3 million grant to India to support the government’s emergency response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. “The new grant complements ADB’s ongoing support to the Government of India in strengthening its COVID-19 response,” said ADB Director for Human and Social Development for South Asia Sungsup Ra. “This support will enhance disease surveillance and help in early detection, contact tracing, and treatment. This will be further supplemented by other public health measures.” The grant, which is financed by the Government of Japan, will be used to procure thermal scanners and essential commodities to strengthen the Government of India’s COVID-19 response. Meanwhile, India recorded 48,513 fresh coronavirus infections and 768 deaths linked to the highly contagious illness in the last 24 hours, which takes the country's tally to 15, 31,669 cases, the Union Health Ministry said this morning. A total of 9, 88,029 patients in the country have recovered so far and 34,193 have died since the beginning of the pandemic, government data shows. Today's spike in cases comes a day after India crossed 15 lakh cases. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat have reported the highest number of cases. However, infections are rising rapidly in states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Only 700 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Mumbai, while Pune recorded a spike of 2,618 cases. Worldometer has recorded 247,233 new cases worldwide in the past 24 hours. As many as 16,883,445 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While more than 10,445,764 have recovered 662,470 have died so far. (With inputs from agencies)

India gets $3 million booster from Asian Development Bank to ramp up combat against deadly coronavirus

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