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☆ Xi's call to win tech race points to new wave of Chinese state-led spending
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Josh Horwitz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The term "technology" was referred to 40 times, up from 17 times in the report from the 2017 congress. Iris Pang, chief economist for Greater China at ING, said Xi's remarks addressed "the urgent need for talent and promoting self-sufficiency in technological advancement". "As such research spending on semiconductor technology should increase. On Monday, shares in Chinese information technology companies (.CSIINT) rose more than 1%, while semiconductor stocks (.CSIH30184) rose 0.7%. Venture capital (VC) has been allowed to invest in Chinese chip companies, with such firms receiving over $30 billion in VC cash between 2020-2021, according to Chinese investment research firm CVInfo.

☆ White House Covid czar calls on seniors to get omicron booster now
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Dr. Ashish Jha, head of the White House Covid taskforce, said everyone older than 50 and senior citizens in particular need to get an omicron booster as soon as possible. The elderly have faced the high risk of falling seriously ill with Covid since the beginning of the pandemic. Younger people should also get a booster this fall even though they're at lower risk of getting seriously ill from the virus, Jha said. The FDA and CDC rapidly authorized the omicron shots for children as young as 5 years old last week. But the CDC, in a study published last April, said the risk of myocarditis is higher after a Covid infection.

There has been evidence that the omicron variant tends not to burrow deeply into the lungs as much as previous variants. How quickly do omicron symptoms appear? What is the duration of omicron symptoms? Although much about the omicron variant remains unknown, some experts say it could lead to long Covid, even with mild cases. The BA.5 omicron subvariant accounted for nearly 80% of new Covid cases as of Oct. 8, according to the CDC.

☆ FDA authorizes Covid omicron booster shots for kids as young as 5 years old
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized Covid booster shots that target the omicron variant for preschoolers through elementary school students. Pfizer's new omicron boosters are now authorized for children ages 5 to 11 and Moderna's shots for kids ages 6 through 17. The new boosters target omicron BA.5 as well as the original strain of Covid that first emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019. The first generation of Covid shots were developed in 2020 to target the original strain of Covid. More than 11 million Americans ages 12 and older have received the new booster shots so far, according to CDC data.

☆ Airlines are adding more flights in Asia. Here's how that may affect airfares
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Monica Buchanan Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Last week, Singapore Airlines and Scoot announced they're adding dozens of flights to cities across Asia. Citing strong demand and relaxed border restrictions, both airlines announced more flights between Singapore and Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. This month, it will start flying from Singapore to Lombok and Makassar, Indonesia. Singapore Airlines launched services to Beijing in September; this month, it will start flying to Chengdu, with a second weekly flight going to Shenzhen. Scoot is already flying into four Chinese cities, with flights to Wuhan and Zhengzhou starting this week.

☆ Hu Chunhua: From rural roots to candidate for China premiership
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Dominique Patton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"For his policy record, I would pick Hu," said Yu Jie, senior research fellow on China at Chatham House. Hu is depicted in state media as a man of action, sometimes shown checking on planting progress in far-flung provinces. YOUTH LEAGUE ROOTS, POVERTY FIGHTERHu got his start in the party training ground of the Communist Youth League. Despite his Youth League roots - the faction was seen to be a rival to Xi's - Hu has proved his loyalty to Xi, promoting many of his initiatives in rural areas, including the campaign to eradicate poverty. Hu also wrote a paean to Xi's "historic achievements" on rural issues published in the party's official People's Daily in July.

BEIJING, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The mounting economic toll of China's zero-COVID policy is raising investor hopes that Beijing may finally begin laying the groundwork for the tricky epidemiological and political task of shifting course following this month's Communist Party congress. Goldman Sachs analysts predict China will start relaxing the policy in the April-June quarter. China boasts nine domestically developed COVID vaccines approved for use, more than any other country. REUTERS/Aly SongThe authorities have not approved any foreign-made COVID shots. Many countries offer second booster shots.

☆ Pfizer asks FDA to authorize omicron Covid booster shots for kids ages 5 to 11
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pfizer on Monday asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its new Covid booster shots that target the omicron BA.5 subvariant for children ages 5 to 11. The company, in a statement, said its request is based on human data from a similar vaccine that targets the omicron BA.1 subvariant and data from animal studies on the BA.5 shots. Pfizer's main competitor on Covid shots, Moderna, asked the FDA to authorize its omicron shots for kids ages 6 through 17 on Friday. Officials at the FDA and CDC expect the omicron BA.5 shots will provide significantly better protection against infection and disease this fall and winter. The new boosters target the dominant omicron BA.5 subvariant as well as the original strain of Covid that first emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019.

☆ Here to stay? China's cityscapes transformed by thousands of COVID test booths
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Not so China itself - in cities big or small, routine PCR testing is the new normal. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTens of thousands of kerbside sampling booths where people can be tested day and night have become a permanent feature of Chinese cityscapes. Testing booths, typically container-like structures erected in the middle of a pavement, are staffed by a few health workers in hazmat suits ready to take quick throat swabs. "Doing a PCR test every two days, I really feel it's a pure waste of resources," posted one user of Weibo, a popular Twitter-like microblog in China. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout Carries Lessons for Pharma Supply Chains, Says Pfizer Executive
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Newsletter Sign-up The Logistics Report Top news and in-depth analysis on the world of logistics, from supply chain to transport and technology. As the coronavirus rapidly spread across the U.S. in early 2020, Pfizer and Moderna each threw enormous resources behind the effort to perfect vaccines using novel technology that delivers mRNA, a type of genetic material. With the vaccine still under development, the company began designing its supply chain to rapidly scale up production and to start distribution of millions of doses once regulators approved the vaccine. Trucks carrying the first shipment of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine in December 2020. Pfizer created a shipping container about the size of a suitcase that was packed with vaccine vials and dry ice to keep the doses effective for up to 10 days.

☆ CDC Oversells the ‘Bivalent’ Covid Shot
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Paul A. Offit | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone over 12 receive a “bivalent” Covid-19 vaccine as a booster dose. But only a select group are likely to benefit, and the evidence to date doesn’t support the view that a bivalent vaccine containing omicron or its subvariants is better than the monovalent vaccine. The existing Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines were designed to protect against the original strain of the novel coronavirus, known as Wuhan-1. Between January 2020 and December 2021, D614G was replaced by the alpha variant then the delta variant. At the end of 2021, Oxford conducted a study to determine whether the mRNA vaccines still provided protection against severe illness and death caused by the variants.

☆ Fauci says the Chinese government is 'probably' hiding something about the origins of COVID, but he's not sure it's a lab leak
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dr. Anthony Fauci said he's "keeping a completely open mind" about the origins of the pandemic. Fauci told an audience the Chinese government is "probably" hiding something about the origins of the virus. Fauci recalls the painstaking efforts it took to get information on that outbreak from Chinese officials. Hiding information creates a perfect breeding ground for conspiracy theories, Fauci said"It's natural, totally natural for conspiracy people who are thinking it's a conspiracy to say, 'see? And, "they probably are," Fauci said, but it may not have anything to do with a lab leak at all.

☆ The ‘Cost’ of Voting in America: A Look at Where It’s Easiest and Hardest
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Nick Corasaniti | Allison Mccann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

Researchers focused on 10 categories related to voting, including registration, inconvenience, early voting, polling hours and absentee voting. The state also stopped using special voting deputies, officials whose tasks had sometimes included conducting voter registration drives, according to the study. To assess the voting laws passed after the 2020 election, this year’s Cost of Voting Index study added new categories and scoring. While the political debate surrounding new election laws has centered on ballots and the voting process, the Cost of Voting Index also gives heavy weight to the ease of voter registration. States rank higher in the index if they allow voter registration drives, provide automatic voter registration, offer same-day registration and maintain longer periods in which to register.

☆ 1 in 5 of China's urban youth are unemployed. That's a huge headache for Xi Jinping
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Laura He | Cnn Business | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The youth unemployment rate has repeatedly hit new highs this year , rising from 15.3% in March to a record 18.2% in April. In the past few months, mass layoffs have engulfed once booming Chinese industries ranging from private tutoring to real estate. Xi is seeking a historic third term when the Communist Party hold its congress next month. But youth unemployment will constitute a "major threat" to China's economic and political stability in the long run, he added. But the government seems unwilling to tackle the main reason behind China's economic slowdown this year — the zero Covid policy .

☆ Drinking tea may lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease and death, mounting research shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( Aria Bendix | Aria Bendix Is The Breaking Health Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Mounting evidence suggests that drinking several cups of tea per day has numerous health benefits, including lowering one's risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and overall mortality. The risk of developing diabetes went down by 1% for each additional daily cup. The study also revealed an association between drinking multiple cups of tea and a lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Antioxidants in tea could reduce inflammationThe health benefits of drinking tea may have to do with polyphenols, compounds found naturally in plants that provide antioxidants. Inoue-Choi's study did not, however, find any association between drinking tea and a reduced risk of death from cancer.

☆ Housing might be struggling in China but there are green shoots in commercial property
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-13 | by ( Su-Lin Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Commercial property is a bright spot in Chinese real estate, in contrast with the doom and gloom of the residential housing market. Likewise, property group CIFI Holdings posted a 23% year-on-year drop in home sales in China for the first half, but reported a 69.5% lift in its property investment revenue. While some investors sold assets to stay liquid, Spiro said the commercial sector generally has more supportive government and fiscal policies. All in all, the Chinese commercial property sector's resilience lies in its ability to rebound faster than its residential counterpart. Down but not outBut unlike housing, the commercial sector is rebounding particularly after lockdowns ended and government incentives kicked in, CBRE said.

☆ Baidu's robotaxis don't need any human staff in these parts of China
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-08 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese tech company Baidu announced Monday it can sell some robotaxi rides without any human staff in the vehicles. BEIJING — Chinese tech company Baidu said Monday it has become the first robotaxi operator in China to obtain permits for selling rides with no human driver or staff member inside the vehicles. The local government approvals allow Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxi business to eliminate the cost of human personnel in some instances. But the Chinese capital still requires human staff to sit in the robotaxi with passengers. In the U.S., Alphabet's Waymo and General Motors ' subsidiary Cruise can already run public robotaxis with no human staff in the vehicles.

☆ Video: New studies suggest Covid-19 likely originated from Wuhan wet market
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-27 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Two recent studies have concluded that the earliest human coronavirus cases in Wuhan, China, all had a direct connection to the Huanan Seafood Market. CNN's Steven Jiang has more.

☆ STUDIU: Anticorpii împotriva COVID-19 durează până la 12 luni la 70 % dintre pacienţii recuperaţi
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-08 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Anticorpii împotriva coronavirusului SARS-CoV-2 pot dura până la 12 luni la peste 70% dintre pacienţii care s-au recuperat de COVID-19, potrivit unui studiu publicat de cercetători chinezi şi preluat joi de mass-media locale, relatează EFE.Studiul relevă că vaccinarea poate "restrânge efectiv răspândirea" coronavirusului, având în vedere că oferă un răspuns imunitar similar modului în care organismul uman generează anticorpi împotriva virusurilor vii, scrie agerpres.ro Studiul a fost realizat de o filială a companiei farmaceutice Sinopharm - care produce două dintre vaccinurile aprobate de guvernul chinez - şi de Centrul de Cercetare Translaţională şi Medicină al Universităţii Jiaotong, din Shanghai.Pentru acest studiu au fost prelevate 1.800 mostre de plasmă convalescentă de la 869 de persoane care s-au recuperat de COVID-19 după 12 luni de la infectarea lor la Wuhan, oraşul unde s-a detectat primul focar mondial de coronavirus în decembrie 2019.Cercetătorii au verificat prezenţa şi cantitatea în aceste mostre de RBDIgG, un tip de anticorp ce indică nivelul de imunitate împotriva virusului.Potrivit rezultatelor, la 9 luni de la boală anticorpii s-au redus cu 64,3 % faţă de nivelul când pacienţii au contractat virusul dar au rămas stabili până în luna a 12-a.Răspunsul imunitar a fost mai puternic la bărbaţi decât la femei în primele etape ale infecţiei, însă diferenţa s-a estompat şi a dispărut cu totul după 12 luni.De asemenea, persoanele din categoria de vârstă 18 - 55 de ani au dezvoltat nivele mai ridicate de anticorpi.Potrivit Grupului Naţional de Biotehnologie din China - filiala Sinopharm care l-a desfăşurat - este vorba de cel mai extins studiu dintre cele realizate până acum pentru a verifica continuitatea răspunsului imunitar la pacienţii recuperaţi de COVID-19.

Organizations: Universităţii Locations: Wuhan, China

☆ Un virusolog chinez susține că soțul ei a încercat să o otrăvească după ce a dezvăluit originea Covid-19
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-01 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +2 min

Sursa foto: ProfimediaUn virusolog chinez susține că soțul ei a încercat să o otrăvească după ce a dezvăluit originea Covid-19Li Meng Yan, medic și virusolog chinez, a declarat într-un interviu acordat la Tucker Carlson Today, pe FoxNews, că soțul ei ajută partidul comunist chinez să o facă să dispară, pentru că a dezvăluit public originea Covid-19. În încercarea de a scăpa din China în aprilie 2020, Yan a povestit cum soțul ei a încercat chiar să o otrăvească pentru a opri să iasă din țară. Femeia a fost avertizată „să nu treacă linia roșie”, ca să nu aibă probleme cu guvernul chinez. Guvernul chinez l-ar fi testat pe un grup mic de oameni, ca să știe cum să-l folosescă mai bine împotriva lumii. Yan a mai spus că experții OMS din laboratorul ei au ales să păstreze tăcerea pentru a evita nemulțumirea guvernului chinez.

Persons: Li Meng, Tucker Carlson, Yan, Li Meng Yan Organizations: Organizația Mondială a Sănătății, News, OMS Locations: chinez, China, Hong Kong, Chinei

☆ Singurul om de știință străin care a lucrat în laboratorul din Wuhan, dezvăluiri în premieră
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-28 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +3 min

Sursa foto: Getty ImagesSingurul om de știință străin care a lucrat în laboratorul din Wuhan, dezvăluiri în premierăDanielle Anderson a lucrat în laboratorul din Wuhan cu doar câteva săptămâni înainte de apariția primelor cazuri de Covid-19 în centrul Chinei. Expert în virusuri transmise de lilieci, Anderson este singurul om de știință străin care a efectuat cercetări la laboratorul BSL-4 al Institutului de Virologie Wuhan. „Nu este plictisitor, dar a fost un laborator obișnuit care a funcționat în același mod ca orice alt laborator cu conținut ridicat de cercetări. Cu toate acestea, administrația Trump, în 2020, acuza că virusul a scăpat de la sediul din Wuhan deoarece ceva nu a funcționat la institut. Omul de știință este convins că niciun virus nu a fost creat intenționat pentru a infecta oamenii și a fost eliberat în mod deliberat – una dintre cele mai deranjante teorii care a apărut cu privire la originile pandemiei.

Persons: Danielle Anderson, Anderson, Anderson . Organizations: Trump, News Locations: Chinei

☆ Doar de 10 secunde a fost nevoie ca două persoane din Australia să se infecteze cu tulpina Delta
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-25 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +3 min

Sursa foto: ProfimediaDoar de 10 secunde a fost nevoie ca două persoane din Australia să se infecteze cu tulpina DeltaA durat doar câteva secunde ca două persoane să se infecteze cu noua variantă Delta de Covid-19, când acestea au trecut una pe lângă cealaltă la cumpărături, într-un centrul comercial din Sydney. Astfel de focare au fost descoperite și în statul australian Victoria, unde a fost depistată varianta Kappa, care, potrivit experților australieni din sănătate, este foarte infecțioasă. Mutația Delta a coronavirusului este considerată îngrijorătoare de către OMS și a fost prima dată depistată în India, în octombrie. Premierul Gladys Berejiklian a adăugat că întâlnirea a fost “înfricoșător de scurtă”. Varianta Kappa este foarte infecțioasă și a declanșat ultima carantină din statul australian Victoria.

Persons: Premierul Gladys Berejiklian, Bondi Junction, Epidemiologul Mary, Louise, Virusologul Lara, australian Victoria Organizations: Autoritatea, Sănătate, OMS, Universitatea New, Universitatea Griffith, Alpha Locations: Australia, Sydney, australian Victoria, australian New South Wales, India, Bondi, Universitatea New South Wales, Virusologul, australian, Weimar, New South Wales

☆ "Delta Plus": O nouă tulpină Covid-19 creează panică în India
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-21 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

Sursa foto: AFP"Delta Plus": O nouă tulpină Covid-19 creează panică în IndiaO nouă tulpină Covid-19 a fost descoperită în statul indian Maharashtra. Varianta a fost numită "Delta Plus". Cel puțin 20 de cazuri de infecție cu noua variantă a tulpinii Covid (B.1.617.2.1) au fost detectate în patru districte ale statului Maharashtra (Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Palgar și Jalgaon). Probele au fost trimise pentru studierea genomului și a caracteristicilor epidemiologice ale virusului mutant. La sfârșitul lunii martie, în India a fost descoperită o nouă variantă a coronavirusului cu dublă mutație, cunoscută și sub denumirea de B.1.617.

Persons: B . Organizations: Sănătății Locations: India, indian Maharashtra, Maharashtra, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Wuhan, China

☆ Virolog, despre cât de contagioase pot deveni noile variante de COVID
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-15 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +4 min

Este dincolo de orice temere a noastră”, a spus dr. Aris Katzourakis, care studiază evoluția virală la Universitatea din Oxford. Rujeola are un indice R0 între 14 și 30, depinde pe cine întrebi, și nu știu cum va evolua”, a spus Barclay. „Până la urmă, există limite și nu există un supervirus care să aibă toate combinațiile de mutații grave”, a spus dr. Katzourakis. „Este foarte posibil ca modificările care fac virusul mai eficient în evitarea vaccinurilor să ajungă să compromită capacitatea sa de a se transmite”, a spus dr. Katzourakis. „Suntem într-o fază cu adevărat interesantă, intermediară și oarecum imprevizibilă, este dificil de prezis cum va evolua peste un an”, a spus Barclay.

Persons: Wendy Barclay, pandemia, Katzourakis, Barclay, ., . Katzourakis Organizations: BBC, Imperial College, Aris Katzourakis, Universitatea din, Alpha, Beta Locations: Londra, Wuhan, Universitatea din Oxford, Africa de Sud

☆ O responsabilă a laboratorului din Wuhan respinge din nou acuzaţiile despre originea COVID-19
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-15 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Potrivit New York Times, Shi Zhengli a răspuns apoi cu o negaţie insistentă atunci când a fost întrebată dacă laboratorul său a avut în posesia sa o tulpină a noului coronavirus înainte de pandemie. De asemenea, ea a dezminţit informaţiile, publicate în presa americană, potrivit cărora trei cercetători de la institutul Wuhan au fost internaţi în noiembrie 2019, prezentând simptome compatibile cu COVID-19, dar şi cu cele ale unei "infecţii sezoniere". Shi Zhengli a respins şi acuzaţiile de manipulare genetică periculoasă, în special răspândite în Statele Unite de către unii parlamentari republicani. Întrebată de New York Times cu privire la această chestiune, responsabila chineză a spus că nu a condus niciodată experimente de tipul "câştig de funcţie" "vizând să crească virulenţa virusului". ", a izbucnit ea la început, dorind apoi să continue prin e-mail, citând regulile institutului din oraşul care a fost primul epicentru al pandemiei de coronavirus.

Persons: Shi Zhengli, Joe Biden Organizations: York Times, New York Times, New Locations: York, Statele Unite, New York, China

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