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The country spent big on quarantine and testing facilities over the past three years rather than bolstering hospitals and clinics and training medical staff, these people said. "There is no transition time for the medical system to prepare for this," said Zuofeng Zhang, professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. The failure to boost vaccination rates among the vulnerable could imperil China's health system, more than a dozen experts said. The death of a 23-year-old medical student in Chengdu on Dec. 14 fueled public ire at the strain on China's health system. Chen Jiming, a researcher at China's Foshan University, said there was every chance that China's medical system could cope now that the country has ended quarantine for asymptomatic and mild cases.

Nanjing, a historic city in eastern China, vowed to ensure daily supplies of fever medicines. The rapid spread of the virus across China has left many pharmacies sold out of medication to treat COVID-19. A major Chinese pharmaceutical company said this week that it expects the shortage of fever medicines to ease soon as manufacturers ramp up production. The Haikou-based drug manufacturer said there was a “short-term” shortage of its fever and cold medicines mostly due to hoarding. Tech giant Tencent announced this week that it had rolled out a program via its social messaging app Wechat allowing people to share surplus fever medicines.

☆ Amazon helped rescue the Ukrainian government and economy using suitcase-sized hard drives brought in over the Polish border: 'You can't take out the cloud with a cruise missile'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In one initiative, Amazon sent suitcase-sized computer drives to back up critical data to the cloud. Using suitcase-sized solid-state hard drives, called Snowball Edge units — delivered to Ukraine through the Polish border — Amazon has helped back up critical infrastructure and economic information beginning the day Russia launched its invasion. In July, Amazon was awarded the Ukrainian peace prize for its work assisting the invaded country in backing up essential files to the cloud. "It's a tense moment around the baggage carousel," The Los Angeles Times reported Maxwell said. "You can't take out the cloud with a cruise missile," The Los Angeles Times reported Maxwell said.

☆ Russian troops have turned to Wikipedia to find instructions on handling weapons and used 1960s-era maps in the country's invasion of Ukraine: NYT
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A New York Times investigation detailed Russia's blunders as they launched an invasion of Ukraine. "Never in its history has Russia made such stupid decisions," a retired Russian general told The NYT. Russian President Vladimir Putin displayed a high degree of confidence in the country's military when he launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February. But nearly ten months later, Russia has been unable to defeat the Ukrainian military and has found itself shunned and isolated from the West. The Russian military, which was seen as a formidable force before the conflict, in actuality had been "severely compromised" by longstanding corruption, per the report.

Hong Kong CNN —An unprecedented wave of Covid cases in China has sparked panic buying of fever medicines, pain killers, and even home remedies such as canned peaches, leading to shortages online and in stores. Canned yellow peaches, considered a particularly nutritious delicacy in many parts of China, have been snapped up by people looking for ways to fight Covid. Its sudden surge in popularity prompted Dalian Leasun Food, one of the country’s largest canned food manufacturers, to clarify in a Weibo post that canned yellow peaches don’t have any medicinal effect. “Canned yellow peaches ≠ medicines!” the company said in the post published Friday. The drug shortage has spread from mainland China to Hong Kong, a special administrative region which has a separate system of local government.

☆ China COVID infection fears fuel medical stock bets
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China's healthcare index (.CSIHC) gained almost 1% on Monday morning, despite a 0.8% drop in the benchmark CSI300 Index (.CSI300). Hu Qiang, fund manager at Yunchuang Investment, said demand for antigen testing had just taken off. Listed medical firms are also busy fielding investors' queries about how they are preparing for a potential worsening COVID situation. Lepu Medical Technology (300003.SZ), which produces cardiovascular and diagnosis devices, told investors it would adjust production plans to meet market demand for COVID testing. Easy Diagnosis said on an investor relations platform that it was able to ramp up production quickly, as cancellation of nucleic acid testing in many places would boost demand for antigen testing at home.

But the popular traditional Chinese medicine Lianhua Qingwen, used for symptoms like fever and cough, and antigen test kits remained harder to find. Online pharmacies across China have run out of drugs and test kits, prompting the government to crack down on hoarding. Heat was insufficient because of "unstable" coal supplies caused by COVID, state-run Baoding Daily reported, without giving details. "I have no fear" of COVID, said Yang, a farmer who is fully vaccinated and with no underlying diseases. China has reported no deaths since easing the COVID curbs, with fatalities to date around 5,200, versus more than 1 million in the United States.

☆ China cracks down on drug price gouging amid fears of COVID spike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China announced 10 measures on Wednesday that loosened key parts of President Xi Jinping's signature zero-COVID policy, in a dramatic pivot toward economic reopening. But concerns are increasing of a spike in infections as people scramble for cough medicines, flu drugs and masks. China's State Administration for Market Regulation admonished against price gouging in anti-COVID products, citing the need to better protect human lives and health. In a warning letter posted on Friday, the watchdog banned activities including price inflation, collusion, price discrimination, misleading propaganda and hoarding. In addition, they must not hoard anti-pandemic supplies that are in short supply, or spread word of price hikes to disrupt market order, the watchdog said.

☆ NATO commits to future Ukraine membership, drums up aid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will get Finland and Sweden as NATO members” soon. Ukraine will not join NATO anytime soon despite Stoltenberg's comments. Yevhen Titov / AFP - Getty Images“We stand by that, too, on membership for Ukraine,” the former Norwegian prime minister said. “I think what he’s afraid of is democracy and freedom, and that’s the main challenge for him.”Even so, Ukraine will not join NATO anytime soon. During the two-day meeting, Blinken will announce substantial U.S. aid for Ukraine’s energy grid, U.S. officials said.

NATO foreign ministers meeting in Bucharest will focus on ramping up military assistance for Ukraine such as air defence systems and ammunition, even as diplomats acknowledge supply and capacity issues, but also discuss non-lethal aid as well. Part of this non-lethal aid - goods such as fuel, medical supplies, winter equipment and drone jammers - has been delivered through a NATO assistance package that allies can contribute to and which Stoltenberg aims to increase. On the military side, NATO keeps pushing weapons manufacturers to accelerate production but a second diplomat cautioned there were increasing problems with supply capacity. Ministers will also discuss Ukraine's application for NATO membership. NATO ministers will also talk about how to strengthen the resilience of society, days after Stoltenberg warned Western nations must be careful not to create new dependencies on China as they wean themselves off Russian energy supplies.

☆ Air raid sirens blare in Ukraine as NATO meets to promise aid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"NATO will continue to stand for Ukraine as long as it takes. [1/7] A view shows the city without electricity after critical civil infrastructure was hit by Russian missile attacks, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine November 23, 2022. That will make it harder for Ukrainian forces to find weakly defended stretches to attempt new breakthroughs. Ukraine's armed forces General Staff said late on Monday that Russian forces were heavily shelling towns on the west bank of the Dnipro River, including Kherson. Ukrainian forces had damaged a rail bridge north of the Russian-occupied southern city of Melitopol that has been key to supplying Russian forces dug in there, it added.

☆ Here's what flight attendants want you to know about flying
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Navigating the world of airports and airplanes at this time can be stressful, but if anyone’s an expert in holiday travel, it’s flight attendants. That said, sometimes flight attendants are only in a destination for 24 hours. Flight attendants support this kind of switching about, but will try not to interfere unless there are issues. And yes, some celebrities have a reputation for being rude, and that reputation will spread among flight attendants. I think a lot of flight attendants would agree with me on that.”What strange things do people leave behind in the cabin?

☆ Everyone from the vet to the barber is hiking prices. And there’s no relief in sight
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And that’s exactly where inflation can get “sticky,” meaning once prices for services rise they tend to remain at those levels for some time. “When you have strong price pressures in the services sector, they’re likely to last longer,” Nicaj said. That’s the risk that you also take as a business raising prices, because you may lose clients.”To Ryczko, it’s a strategic balancing act. Courtesy Genora Boykins and Sharon Owens“I don’t know of any goods that we are utilizing that haven’t increased in cost,” Boykins said. “Even if it doesn’t necessarily turn around, at least you don’t want [prices] to continue to escalate month after month after month.”

☆ Children's hospitals call on Biden to declare emergency in response to 'unprecedented' RSV surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

The president should declare an emergency under the Stafford Act or the National Emergencies Act, and the health secretary should declare a public health emergency, Wietecha and Del Monte wrote. ACEP described the situation as a public health emergency. Oregon this week became the first state to declare on emergency in response to the RSV surge. A national public health emergency would be determined based on countrywide data, science trends and the insight of public health experts, the spokesperson said. UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh has faced a huge surge in respiratory illnesses since September, said Dr. Raymond Pitetti, director of the hospital's emergency department.

☆ First international aid arrives in Ethiopia's Tigray since ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Tommy Wilkes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and Tigrayan forces signed a ceasefire on Nov. 2 to end two years of fighting that have killed thousands, shattered infrastructure and uprooted millions from their homes. The ICRC described the delivery into the regional capital Mekelle as the first international aid into Tigray since a previous ceasefire broke in August. We have discussed, agreed and signed," Abiy told Ethiopia's national parliament in his first comments on the ceasefire since it came into force. Abiy said on Tuesday that a territorial dispute between forces in Tigray and the neighbouring Amhara region should be resolved legally and through discussion. Authorities in Amhara last week welcomed the ceasefire agreement but made no mention of the disputed territory.

☆ Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Get your updated Covid-19 shot now, health officials warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, people who are eligible for an updated Covid-19 vaccine booster but still haven’t received the shot will need to roll up their sleeves Thursday to get as much protection as possible before the holiday. After getting the updated Covid-19 vaccine, that biological process can take about 10 to 14 days. Health officials say it’s fine to get the updated Covid-19 booster and flu vaccine at the same time. The vaccine candidate contains components of the companies’ updated Covid-19 booster and their investigational flu vaccine. Moderna is also developing a combined flu and Covid-19 mRNA vaccine and another combination vaccine targeting flu, Covid-19 and RSV.

☆ Migrant rescue ship refuses to leave Italy port in standoff with Meloni
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The captain of a charity-run migrant rescue ship refused Italian orders to leave a Sicilian port Sunday after authorities refused to let 35 of the migrants on his ship disembark — part of directives by Italy’s new far-right-led government targeting foreign-flagged rescue ships. On Sunday, Italy ordered the Humanity 1 to vacate the port of Catania after disembarking 144 rescued migrants, including with children, more than 100 unaccompanied minors and people with medical emergencies. “Free all the people, free them,″ Italian lawmaker Aboubakar Soumahoro said in an emotional appeal directed at Meloni from the Humanity 1 rescue ship. Aboard the Humanity 1, doctors in Italy identified people needing urgent medical care after the ship’s doctor refused to make a selection, said SOS Humanity spokesman Wasil Schauseil. SOS Humanity said it plans to file a civil case in Catania to ensure that all 35 survivors on board have access to formal asylum procedures on land.

Across the United States, cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and influenza are increasing. Influenza activity continues to increase in the US – the number of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths so far this season nearly doubled in the past week. RSV cases are also increasing nationally, although there are regional differences in the circulation of these viruses, Romero said. In the South and Mountain West, RSV cases appear to have peaked in October. There are signs that RSV cases are slowing in the southern region of the US, but test positivity rates and cases continue to rise in other regions, especially the Midwest.

☆ Brazil's Bolsonaro urges protesters to lift road blockades
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Ana Mano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SAO PAULO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for the first time on Wednesday asked protesters blocking roads nationwide to lift blockades as demonstrations are restricting people's right to come and go and bringing losses to the economy. In a video posted on social media, Bolsonaro said he understood people's frustration at the result of the election. The president said blocking roads make the ongoing protests illegitimate. Bolsonaro added the Federal Highway Police (PRF) had mobilized to help dispel protesters and clear roads. In remarks on Tuesday, the Brazilian president said the protests resulted from "indignation and a sense of injustice" over the vote.

☆ Some Russians drafted to fight in Ukraine say nobody is in charge and they don't know what they're doing there: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A group of Russian soldiers in Ukraine complained to the Ministry of Defense, The Insider reported. In a Telegram video, the men said they have no equipment and were thrown into a field "like dogs." Putin declared a mobilization last month, but some draftees said they get no training or equipment. The report comes more than a month after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization of his country's military reservists. Last week, Putin said that around 16,000 mobilized men had already made it into combat in Ukraine.

☆ Amazon appears to be polling Americans on how they think it treats warehouse workers amid labor uprisings
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A poll to Americans asked about their perception of pay, safety, and benefits at Amazon warehouses. The bulk of the poll focuses on how respondents perceive Amazon's efforts to improve conditions for its warehouse employees. Market research company Survey 160, a consulting firm co-founded by Obama digital strategy alum Nate Lubin, is conducting the survey, according to a text message to a survey participant seen by Insider. Since then, Amazon has expanded a new workplace safety program, raised wages, and boosted upskilling opportunities for frontline workers. Warehouse activists have in the past two years stepped up complaints over Amazon's grueling productivity expectations, safety risks, and attitude toward organized labor.

☆ The Columbus, Ohio, Warehouse Boom: How warehouses brought stifling dust and diesel fumes — and a chance for refugees to grab the American dream
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

What binds them, despite different nationalities, immigration stories, and languages, are warehouse jobs. As Columbus' warehouse development begins encroaching into residential areas, a consensus is gathering here — as it has elsewhere — that warehouses make for poor neighbors. Tariq Tarey for InsiderIn Canal Winchester, Halstead's efforts to put the question of warehouse development before voters were stymied. The town council bypassed her group's referendum by declaring a state of emergency to approve the warehouse development. There aren't clear lines between the winners and losers of Columbus' warehouse boom.

☆ NATO will send 'hundreds' of signal-jammers to Ukraine to counter Russia's onslaught of explosive Iranian-made suicide drones
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NATO is sending signal-jammers to Ukraine so it can counter Iranian-made suicide drones. These systems will help Ukraine address the "specific threat of drones, including, of course, Iranian-made drones that are now causing a lot of havoc or suffering in Ukraine," Stoltenberg said during the virtual interview. "I welcome @JensStoltenberg's statement on NATO planning to deliver anti-drone air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming days. A composite photo showing a drone in the sky in Kyiv and the aftermath of it hitting in Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 17, 2022. As recently as Monday, Ukrainian officials said Russia used a swarm of suicide drones to attack Kyiv — killing several.

CNN —The death toll from the worst flooding Nigeria has seen in a decade has passed 600 people, the country’s humanitarian affairs ministry tweeted on Sunday. NEMA said the release of excess water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon had contributed to the flooding. While many parts of Nigeria are prone to yearly floods, flooding in certain areas has been more severe than the last major floods in 2012, a Red Cross official in Kogi told CNN last week. Video Ad Feedback NASA images show decimating reach of worst flood this region has seen in a decade 02:19 - Source: CNNNigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Sadiya Umar Farouq warned Sunday that more flooding was likely and urged regional governments to prepare accordingly. The country will soon implement its National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, aimed at improving coordination of the flood response efforts.

☆ U.S. announces $457.5 mln civilian aid for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe Ukrainian national flag is seen behind the U.S. national flag during a rally of foreign community members in support of Ukraine amid growing tensions with Russia, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 6, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoWASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The United States will provide $457.5 million in new civilian security aid for Ukraine, a portion of which will be used to support the government's investigation of atrocities, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. The aid is designed to help Ukrainian law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, Blinken said in a statement. The latest tranche of aid brings U.S. assistance for Ukrainian law enforcement and its partners to more than $645 million since mid-December, Blinken said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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