COVID-19 New Corona: 2021-06-27

Saturday, July 3, 2021

We Are In A Dangerous Period Of Pandemic As Delta Variant Raging In 98 Countries: WHO

Copenhagen: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the world is in a dangerous period of the pandemic as the Delta variant raging in around 98 countries, whose origin was in India. No country in the world is out of woods yet, said WHO, the reason being mutated Delta variant is more virulent than other variants and many countries are economically crippled to provide proper healthcare to their public.   Addressing media about the Delta variant, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the Delta strain has spread to 98 countries across the globe. Covid infections are on the rise in countries where the vaccination process is slow and the number of people being hospitalised is increasing. The Delta variant is dangerous and continues to evolve and mutate as no country in the world is out of woods yet. Delta variant is going to be the most challenging strain to bring under control. In this situation, the nations of the world need to be very careful. In such an environment all countries should take initiative in maintaining public health. In many countries, the virus is hitting in waves as the second and third waves. Serious monitoring of the spread of infection should never be abandoned. The task of diagnosing corona patients, detecting contagious contacts, and isolating the infected should be carried out without any compromise, the WHO Director-General said,  Also Read | <a title="Moderna's Covid Vaccine Set To Arrive In India, Know How Effective It Is Against Delta Variant" href="https://ift.tt/3qITeAP" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moderna's Covid Vaccine Set To Arrive In India, Know How Effective It Is Against Delta Variant</a> The WHO DG also urged the public to follow preventive measures before the variant spreads widely. The public must continue to follow all the basic norms such as wearing masks, observing social distancing, and avoiding to be in crowded areas. <div class="section uk-padding-small uk-flex uk-flex-center uk-flex-middle"> </div> Dr. Tedros shed light on the many countries suffering due to severe economic slowdowns due to the pandemic: "Developed countries should help the backward countries in this context. The nations of the world must share equally the equipment, including medical oxygen, within themselves. The World Health Organisation urged that at least 70% of the international population is vaccinated by July next year," he said. Increasing the speed of vaccination is the only way to save the lives of the people of the world and control the pandemic. By September, each of the world's nations will have vaccinated at least 10% of their population. The good news for us is that vaccines now in circulation effectively combat all types of mutated corona viruses. So, let’s get vaccinated, Dr Tedros concluded.

from covid-19 https://ift.tt/2TzpLwP

India Reports 43,071 Covid Cases In The Last 24 Hrs, Recovery Rate Increases To 97%

Covid in India: India reports 43,071 new cases in the last 24 hours. India's Active Caseload has declined to 4,85,350. Active cases constitute 1.59% of the total cases As 52,299 patients recovered during last 24 hours, total Recoveries across the country so far are 2,96,58,078. Daily recoveries continue to outnumber the Daily New Cases for the 52nd consecutive day. Recovery Rate has increased to 97.09%. 955 patients have lost their life againt the virus in the last 24 hrs. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) informed that 41,82,54,953 samples tested for Covid 19 up to 3rd July 2021. Of these, 18,38,490 samples were tested yesterday. <h3>Covid 3rd wave may see half the cases recorded during second surge, says govt panel scientist</h3> A possible third wave of coronavirus infection can hit its peak between October-November if Covid-appropriate behaviour is not followed, but it may see half the daily cases recorded during the second surge, said a scientist of a government panel tasked with modelling of COVID-19 cases. However, Covid infection can spread faster during the third wave if any new virulent variant of SARS-CoV-2 emerges, said Manindra Agarwal who is working with the Sutra Model-- the mathematical projection of the COVID-19 trajectory. The panel was formed by the Department of Science and Technology last year to forecast the surge of coronavirus cases using mathematical models. Besides Agarwal, who is a scientist with IIT-Kanpur, the panel also has M Vidyasagar, another scientist with IIT-Hyderabad, and Lt. Gen Madhuri Kanitkar, Deputy Chief (Medical) of Integrated Defence Staff, as members. The panel had earlier received flak for not predicting the ferocity of the second wave of COVID-19 in the country.

from covid-19 https://ift.tt/3qIG2f8

Moderna's Covid Vaccine Set To Arrive In India, Know How Effective It Is Against Delta Variant

Covid vaccine update: India will have another option for the vaccine in the next 2-3 days as Indian drugmaker Cipla Ltd has received regulatory approval to distribute partner Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine in the country.  With this, Moderna's vaccine will be the fourth shot authorized for use in India, after AstraZeneca and partner Serum Institute of India's Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Sputnik V developed by Russia's Gamaleya Institute. With concerns surrounding the Delta coronavirus variant rising globally, it is necessary to know how effective is the mRNA vaccine against new variants. Covid-19 mRNA vaccines have demonstrated high efficacy in clinical trials — Moderna’s vaccine was found to have an impressive 94 per cent efficacy in phase 3 trials in the US — but require ultra-cold storage systems. A new CDC study reported that a single dose of Pfizer's or Moderna's COVID vaccine was 80% effective in preventing infections. That number jumped to 90% two weeks after the second dose, the study on vaccinated health care workers showed. Moderna also announced Tuesday that a new study showed its vaccine also produced promising protection in a lab setting against the Delta variant and others currently circulating. “As we seek to defeat the pandemic, it is imperative that we are proactive as the virus evolves. We remain committed to studying emerging variants, generating data, and sharing it as it becomes available. These new data are encouraging and reinforce our belief that the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine should remain protective against newly detected variants,” Stéphane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, said in a statement. The government has also reiterated in recent Health Ministry briefings that Pfizer may be coming to India, soon. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla had in June said his firm was in the final stages of getting approval for its Covid-19 vaccine from the Indian government, adding that when approved, the pharma giant will supply one billion doses to India within this year.

from covid-19 https://ift.tt/3qITeAP

Unvaccinated people don't only risk their own health: Their bodies become 'variant factories'

Unvaccinated people can be a driving force for new variants, an infectious disease expert told CNN.
"Unvaccinated people are potential variant factories," infectious disease expert Dr. William Schaffner said.
Mutations that replicate can become variants and unvaccinated hosts more easily allow for that.
See more stories on Insider's business page.

People who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 not only risk their own health but are "variant factories," an infectious disease expert told CNN.

"Unvaccinated people are potential variant factories," Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told CNN.

"The more unvaccinated people there are, the more opportunities for the virus to multiply," he added.

Variants evolve in the body of a person who is infected with the coronavirus.

"When it does, it mutates, and it could throw off a variant mutation that is even more serious down the road," Schaffner said.

Viruses, including the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, endure mutations, and while some mutations may harm the virus, others could help it. For example, a mutation could help a virus be more transmissible.

When the virus spreads to another person, the mutation will replicate and also spread, and if it's successful and continues to spread, it becomes a variant.

Unvaccinated people provide the opportunity for the mutation to continue to replicate, CNN reported.

"As mutations come up in viruses, the ones that persist are the ones that make it easier for the virus to spread in the population," Andrew Pekosz, a microbiologist and immunologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNN."Every time the viruses changes, that gives the virus a different platform to add more mutations. Now we have viruses that spread more efficiently."

Essentially if a virus can't spread, it can't mutate.

There are already several variants of the coronavirus, including four called "variants of concern" by the World Health Organization,

These four include Alpha, first discovered in the UK, Beta, first discovered in South Africa, Gamma, first discovered in Brazil, and Delta, first discovered in India, pose risks because they are either more transmissible, cause worse disease, or can evade immune protection.

These variants were also discovered in a period where cases of infection were high.

Public health experts are specifically already concerned about the risks the Delta variant poses even for those already vaccinated. While vaccines have been found to be effective against the variants, they may not be as effective against some. Two doses of Pfizer's vaccine for instance have been found to be 88% effective at preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19 from the Delta variant.

In the US, however, experts are worried the variant can spread and cause breakthrough cases especially in communities with low vaccination rates. The fewer people that are vaccinated, the more chance there is for the virus to hop from one person to the next.

"Currently, approximately 1,000 counties in the United States have vaccination coverage of less than 30%. These communities, primarily in the Southeast and Midwest, are our most vulnerable. In some of these areas, we are already seeing increasing rates of disease," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told a White House briefing Thursday. "As the Delta variant continues to spread across the country, we expect to see increased transmissions in these communities, unless we can vaccinate more people now."

Experts are urging more Americans to get vaccinated to stop the spread.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3dGFelJ

Recovered Covid-19 Patients Highly Protected Against Delta Variants With Single Vaccine Dose: Study

New Delhi: Amid the fear of spread of Delta variant in the country, a study found that COVID-19 recovered individuals with one or two doses of vaccine have relatively higher protection in comparison to those administered either one or two doses of Covishield.  The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Institute of Virology, Pune, and Department of Neurosurgery, Command Hospital (Southern Command), Armed Forces Medical College conducted the study 'Neutralisation of Delta Variant with Sera of Covishield vaccines and COVID-19 Recovered Vaccinated Individuals', which is yet to be peer-reviewed.  News agency PTI quoted the report stating that prior vaccination results in less severe disease against subsequent infection provide evidence that both humoral and cellular immune response play an important role in protection.   "The high transmissibility associated with Delta variant led to second wave of the pandemic in India which affected millions of people. Besides this, variant of concerns have been reported to show lower neutralisation to several approved vaccines. This has led to breakthrough infections after completion of vaccination regimen," the study said.  The joint study evaluated immune response in sera of the Covishield vaccinated individuals belonging to categories-- one dose vaccinated, two doses vaccinated, COVID-19 recovered plus one dose vaccinated, COVID-19 recovered plus two doses vaccinated and breakthrough COVID-19 cases. The results demonstrated that the breakthrough cases and COVID-19 recovered individuals with one or two dose of vaccine had relatively higher protection against Delta variant.  "Prior vaccination results in less severe disease against subsequent infection provide evidence that both humoral and cellular immune response play an important role in protection," the study added. The significant report has emerged at the time when B.1.617 lineage has created grave havoc in the country. It became worrisome when it further mutated to generate sub-lineages B.1.617.1 (Kappa), B.1.617.2 (Delta) and B.1.617.3. the World Health Organisation has described this sub-lineage as variant of concern as it dominated the other variants. 

from covid-19 https://ift.tt/2Txeeye

UP To Reopen Multiplexes, Gyms, Stadiums From July 5

Lucknow: With the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic under control in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government on Friday said from July 5, cinema halls, multiplexes, gyms and sports stadiums will be allowed to operate in the state in strict compliance with Covid-19 protocols. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that these places will have to follow all Covid safety protocols when they reopen. ALSO READ: <a style="color: #f80707;" href="https://ift.tt/3dGi3I7 Journalist Set On Fire By Lover's Kin; Admitted To Hospital</a> According to an official statement, he said the business of cinema halls had been adversely impacted during the pandemic and their problems would be sympathetically considered. Cinema hall owners have been seeking waiver of electricity bills and other taxes during the period of their closure. However, the weekend closure will continue in the state. 

from covid-19 https://ift.tt/3yjyMcm

Many retail jobs that disappeared during the pandemic might not return, says commerce secretary

Vice President Kamala arris and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo browsing in a Providence bookstore wearing masks — VP Kamala Harris and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo browse in Books on the Square in Rhode Island.
Andrew Harnik/AP Photo

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Thursday said a lot of retail jobs may not return.
Raimondo told CNBC that retail jobs "might not be coming back, or coming back in the same numbers."
The US added 850,000 payrolls in June, beating expectations.
See more stories on Insider's business page.

Many US retail and service-industry jobs that went away during the pandemic weren't expected to return, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said.

"The real issue, I think, is that a lot of the jobs that folks lost are the kinds of jobs - let's say, for example, in retail or services industries - that might not be coming back, or coming back in the same numbers," Raimondo told CNBC on Thursday.

Earlier, the Labor Department reported 364,000 jobless claims for the previous week, marking a pandemic-era low. Raimondo's comments came ahead of Friday's jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed the US adding 850,000 payrolls in June, beating expectations.

But the future of work for retail employees and others remained more complex, as the world slowly returned to normal following the COVID-19, Raimondo said.

"To be very honest, it's so hard to tell in the data" why people weren't returning to work, Raimondo said.

Teenagers, for example, were taking fewer jobs in June than they had been in the spring, perhaps because the labor shortage allowed them to choose the highest-paying jobs.

There's also been an uptick in "rage-quitting" among workers, including frontline retail employees. Others were using labor shortages to secure higher pay.

Raimondo on Thursday said the US had to "lean into" job training and apprenticeships, in part because of the shrinking amount of retail jobs available.

"Because the jobs that are being created in cybersecurity or in the digital economy and in the tech economy are there, and are good paying," she said on CNBC. "We need to make sure that the folks who are unemployed have the skills that they need to get those jobs."

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3qJsFLD

How to confront common science denial arguments, according to 2 psychologists

anti vaccine protest coronavirus — A protester holds an anti-vaccination sign during a rally on May 16, 2020 in Woodland Hills, California.
David McNew/Getty Images

Denying, doubting, and resisting scientific explanations led to more COVID-19 deaths than expected.
Two research psychologists offer ways to understand and combat this issue of science denial.
Be aware of what you share on social media and recognize that people operate with misguided beliefs.
See more stories on Insider's business page.

Science denial became deadly in 2020. Many political leaders failed to support what scientists knew to be effective prevention measures. Over the course of the pandemic, people died from COVID-19 still believing it didn't exist.

Science denial is not new, of course. But it's more important than ever to understand why some people deny, doubt, or resist scientific explanations - and what can be done to overcome these barriers to accepting science.

In our book "Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It," we offer ways for you to understand and combat the problem. As two research psychologists, we know that everyone is susceptible to forms of it. Most importantly, we know there are solutions.

Here's our advice on how to confront five psychological challenges that can lead to science denial.

Challenge 1: Social identity

People are social beings and tend to align with those who hold similar beliefs and values. Social media amplifies alliances. You're likely to see more of what you already agree with and fewer alternative points of view. People live in information filter bubbles created by powerful algorithms. When those in your social circle share misinformation, you are more likely to believe it and share it. Misinformation multiplies and science denial grows.

Action No. 1: Each person has multiple social identities. One of us talked with a climate change denier and discovered he was also a grandparent. He opened up when thinking about his grandchildren's future, and the conversation turned to economic concerns, the root of his denial. Or maybe someone is vaccine-hesitant because so are mothers in her child's play group, but she's also a caring person, concerned about immunocompromised children.

We have found it effective to listen to others' concerns and try to find common ground. Someone you connect with is more persuasive than those with whom you share less in common. When one identity is blocking acceptance of the science, leverage a second identity to make a connection.

Challenge 2: Mental shortcuts

Everyone's busy, and it would be exhausting to be vigilant deep thinkers all the time. You see an article online with a clickbait headline such as "Eat Chocolate and Live Longer" and you share it, because you assume it's true, want it to be, or think it is ridiculous.

Action No. 2: Instead of sharing that article on how GMOs are unhealthy, learn to slow down and monitor the quick, intuitive responses that psychologist Daniel Kahneman calls System 1 thinking. Instead turn on the rational, analytical mind of System 2 and ask yourself, how do I know this is true? Is it plausible? Why do I think it is true? Then do some fact-checking. Learn to not immediately accept information you already believe, which is called confirmation bias.

Challenge 3: Beliefs on how and what you know

Everyone has ideas about what they think knowledge is, where it comes from and whom to trust. Some people think dualistically: There's always a clear right and wrong. But scientists view tentativeness as a hallmark of their discipline. Some people may not understand that scientific claims will change as more evidence is gathered, so they may be distrustful of how public health policy shifted around COVID-19.

Journalists who present "both sides" of settled scientific agreements can unknowingly persuade readers that the science is more uncertain than it actually is, turning balance into bias. Only 57% of Americans surveyed accept that climate change is caused by human activity, compared with 97% of climate scientists, and only 55% think that scientists are certain that climate change is happening.

Action No. 3: Recognize that other people (or possibly even you) may be operating with misguided beliefs about science. You can help them adopt what philosopher of science Lee McIntyre calls a scientific attitude, an openness to seeking new evidence and a willingness to change one's mind.

Recognize that very few individuals rely on a single authority for knowledge and expertise. Vaccine hesitancy, for example, has been successfully countered by doctors who persuasively contradict erroneous beliefs, as well as by friends who explain why they changed their own minds. Clergy can step forward, for example, and some have offered places of worship as vaccination hubs.

Challenge 4: Motivated reasoning

You might not think that how you interpret a simple graph could depend on your political views. But when people were asked to look at the same charts depicting either housing costs or the rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over time, interpretations differed by political affiliation. Conservatives were more likely than progressives to misinterpret the graph when it depicted a rise in CO2 than when it displayed housing costs. When people reason not just by examining facts, but with an unconscious bias to come to a preferred conclusion, their reasoning will be flawed.

Action No. 4: Maybe you think that eating food from genetically modified organisms is harmful to your health, but have you really examined the evidence? Look at articles with both pro and con information, evaluate the source of that information, and be open to the evidence leaning one way or the other. If you give yourself the time to think and reason, you can short-circuit your own motivated reasoning and open your mind to new information.

Challenge 5: Emotions and attitudes

When Pluto got demoted to a dwarf planet, many children and some adults responded with anger and opposition. Emotions and attitudes are linked. Reactions to hearing that humans influence the climate can range from anger (if you don't believe it) to frustration (if you're concerned you may need to change your lifestyle) to anxiety and hopelessness (if you accept it's happening but think it's too late to fix things). How you feel about climate mitigation or GMO labeling aligns with whether you are for or against these policies.

Action No. 5: Recognize the role of emotions in decision-making about science. If you react strongly to a story about stem cells used to develop Parkinson's treatments, ask yourself if you are overly hopeful because you have a relative in early stages of the disease. Or are you rejecting a possibly lifesaving treatment because of your emotions?

Feelings shouldn't (and can't) be put in a box separate from how you think about science. Rather, it's important to understand and recognize that emotions are fully integrated ways of thinking and learning about science. Ask yourself if your attitude toward a science topic is based on your emotions and, if so, give yourself some time to think and reason as well as feel about the issue.

Everyone can be susceptible to these five psychological challenges that can lead to science denial, doubt, and resistance. Being aware of these challenges is the first step toward taking action to meet them.

Barbara K. Hofer, professor of psychology emerita, Middlebury and Gale Sinatra, professor of education and psychology, University of Southern California

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/36p80U5

The CDC stopped tracking most COVID-19 cases in vaccinated people. That makes it hard to know how dangerous Delta really is.

coronavirus testing — A nurse administers a COVID-19 test at a testing site in Suffolk County, New York, on December 18, 2020.
John Paraskevas/Newsday via Getty Images

The CDC stopped monitoring non-severe COVID-19 cases among vaccinated people in May.
It's hard to assess Delta's risk without knowing what mild breakthrough cases look like - or whether they're becoming more common.
Vaccines still seem highly effective against the variant, though.
See more stories on Insider's business page.

It was great news: From January to April, just 0.01% of vaccinated Americans - around 10,000 out of 100 million people - got breakthrough infections, or cases of COVID-19 diagnosed after they were fully immunized.

That's according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also indicated that certain coronavirus variants were to blame for most of these breakthrough cases. However, the CDC only had genetic sequencing for around 5% of the post-vaccine infections, and the report didn't include data about the Delta variant. That strain, first detected in the US in March, might pose the greatest challenge to vaccine efficacy.

But before more data could be collected to answer these lingering questions, the CDC stopped tracking breakthrough infections that resulted in asymptomatic, mild, or moderate cases. Since May 1, the agency has only reported and investigated coronavirus infections among vaccinated people that resulted in hospitalization or death.

Sequencing efforts in the US haven't ramped up much, either: The country is still only sequencing about 1.4% of its coronavirus cases, according to data from GISAID, a global database that collects coronavirus genomes.

That means it's difficult to tell exactly how much of a risk the Delta variant poses to vaccinated people. Researchers still don't know whether Delta makes breakthrough cases more common, or what the typical symptoms of a breakthrough infection caused by Delta look like. As a result, vaccinated people may have a hard time weighing the risks of returning to normal social activities or knowing what to expect should they develop a rare breakthrough case.

In a recent blog post for Harvard Health Publishing, Robert Shmerling, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, called the CDC's decision not to track all breakthrough cases "surprising" and "disappointing."

"By tracking only cases requiring hospitalization or causing death, we may miss the chance to learn how people with 'milder' disease are affected by Delta or other variant infections, such as how long their symptoms last and how the infection may disrupt their lives," Shmerling told Insider.

He added that the US could also miss important information about which vaccines are most effective against Delta, how long vaccine protection against the variant lasts, and whether the timing of a second vaccine dose might determine one's likelihood of a breakthrough case.

The CDC told Insider that in a substantial proportion of reported breakthrough cases, data on symptoms is missing, "which is one reason why CDC is publicly reporting hospitalized and fatal cases."

The agency added that its Emerging Infections Program is still working with nine states to obtain sequencing data from breakthrough cases - including asymptomatic and mild ones.

How well do vaccines protect against Delta?

nurses vaccine — RN Janelle Roper, left, administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to nurse anesthetist Kate-Alden Hartman.
John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images

So far, data suggests that vaccines hold up extremely well against Delta: Public Health England analyses have found that two doses of Pfizer's vaccine are 96% effective at preventing hospitalizations in cases involving the variant, and 88% effective at preventing symptomatic illness. Two doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine, meanwhile, are around 92% effective at preventing hospitalizations and 60% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 from Delta.

Moderna announced on Tuesday that its vaccine is also highly effective against Delta based on lab studies, though the efficacy was slightly diminished compared to the original strain. And South African researchers recently found that among people who'd received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 94% of breakthrough infections were mild - including those caused by Delta.

However, Public Health England found that one shot of either Pfizer's or AstraZeneca's vaccines was just 33% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 from Delta. Israeli health officials also reported last week that as many as half of new COVID-19 cases in Israel are among vaccinated people, with the majority of cases being driven by the Delta variant. (However, vaccinated people in Israel appeared to develop milder cases than unvaccinated people.)

Shmerling said that finding out which variants are responsible for most breakthrough cases - whether it's Delta or another strain - could help vaccine manufacturers learn whether they need to modify their current shots or roll out boosters more quickly.

"It's possible that tracking the severe cases would give us enough information about which variants are responsible for most breakthrough infections," he said. "But, again, the more we know about all breakthrough cases, the better we'll understand how they occur."

Hilary Brueck contributed reporting.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3jBMqTR

Michael Cohen is suing the US government for $20 million, claiming the Trump DOJ returned him to prison because he refused to stop writing about his ex-boss

Michael Cohen was imprisoned in 2018 but was allowed in May 2020 to serve out his sentence at home.
Two months later, Cohen was returned to prison.
Cohen is now suing the US, saying the Trump DOJ punished him for writing a book about Trump.
See more stories on Insider's business page.

Michael Cohen has sued the US government for $20 million in damages, accusing Donald Trump's administration of sending him back to prison for writing a critical book about the former president.

Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer, was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2018 after he was convicted of a string of crimes, including lying to Congress.

Following an outbreak of COVID-19 at Cohen's prison in upstate New York, Cohen was released on furlough in May 2020 and permitted to spend the remainder of his sentence under home confinement in Manhattan.

However, during negotiations about the conditions of his confinement in July, Cohen was returned to prison after refusing to agree to the terms of his imprisonment.

Cohen had refused sign an agreement forbidding him from working on his book about Trump, Lanny Davis, a Cohen associate, told Mother Jones.

Cohen's book, "Disloyal," was eventually published in September and contained scathing anecdotes about Trump. In one, Cohen described catching Trump staring at his teenager daughter, and asking: "When did she get so hot?"

The Trump Organization reportedly sent Cohen a cease-and-desist letter in prison, claiming the writing of the book violated Cohen's nondisclosure agreement with the company.

While back in prison, Cohen appealed government's decision, and a judge granted his release in late July. Cohen has been under house arrest since, and is due to complete is sentence this November.

On Friday, Cohen sued the US government for $20 million in damages, NBC News reported.

In the complaint, Cohen said he had endured "emotional pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of freedom" after being returned to prison, NBC News reported.

Cohen says government officials conducted "false arrest, false imprisonment, abuse of process, wrongful confinement, and retaliation" against Cohen, according to the outlet.

Cohen's attorney, Jeffrey Levine, said in a statement carried by NBC News: "Mr. Cohen was the personal attorney to the President of the US and if he could be thrown in jail for desiring to write a critical book of the President one's imagination need not go far before realizing that such unacceptable and constitutionally violated conduct could be directed at any of us."

"That is not hyperbole and not acceptable."

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3AyxwEf

In A Shocking Incident, Health Workers Bar Menstruating Women From Taking Jabs In North Karnataka

Belagavi: In a shocking incident, health workers in North Karnataka denied menstruating women from vaccinating and were asked to come back after five days when they have gone to a vaccination centre. According to reports, health workers at the vaccination centres in a few districts of North Karnataka have been telling women that they will have to face side effects if inoculated while on periods. Menstruating women were told that vaccination might lead to heavier bleeding and it would feel tiresome. This happened in Raichur, Belagavi and Bidar districts in Karnataka. However, Raichur Deputy Commissioner R Venkatesh Kumar has denied the occurrence of such instances. "There are no such directions from the government, and women are being administered vaccines," said Venkatesh as quoted by Time of India. Also Read | <a title="Telangana Govt Increases Gap Between Two Covishield Doses By Two weeks" href="https://ift.tt/3qL6Nzr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Telangana Govt Increases Gap Between Two Covishield Doses By Two weeks</a> Earlier, in April the Child and Family Welfare Department have done campaigns to create awareness and quash the misconceptions that women on periods shouldn't get inoculated. The government also debunked the theories that circulated on social media which said women should take vaccines only five days before and after the monthly menstrual cycle and not while on periods.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fake?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fake</a> post circulating on social media claims that women should not take <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19Vaccine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19Vaccine</a> 5 days before and after their menstrual cycle. Don't fall for rumours! All people above 18 should get vaccinated after May 1. Registration starts on April 28 on <a href="https://ift.tt/3viOZNe> <a href="https://t.co/JMxoxnEFsy">pic.twitter.com/JMxoxnEFsy</a> — PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) <a href="https://twitter.com/PIBFactCheck/status/1385876282555072515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async="" charset="utf-8"></script> Doctors and activists asked women to not fall prey to such misinformation and fake news on social media. Doctors have confirmed that women can get inoculated on any day of their menstruation cycle.

from covid-19 https://ift.tt/3huZHeq

Uttarakhand Political Crisis: Congress Leader Harish Rawat Terms Tirath Singh's Reason For Resigning As 'Big Lie'

Dehradun: Veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat responded to Tirath Singh Rawat's resignation as Uttarakhand Chief Minister by terming the reason given as the "big lie". Tirath Singh Rawat on Friday resigned from the post citing constitutional compulsion as byelections could not be held in the state due to COVID-19. "What can be a bigger lie than this that byelections cannot be held in Uttarakhand due to COVID and the chief minister is resigning due to constitutional compulsion. The reality is that byelections have been held before in the same COVID period. The byelection has been held in Salt (an assembly constituency in Uttarakhand). The chief minister could have contested from there also," Harish Rawat stated responding to the development. ALSO READ | <a style="color: #e03e2d;" title="" href="https://ift.tt/3xesw5j" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-toggle="tooltip" data-html="true" data-original-title="Story ID: 1467150" aria-describedby="tooltip651496">Who Will Be The New Uttarakhand CM After Tirath Singh Rawat? BJP To Hold Party Meet Today</a> "By having resignations of others from anywhere else, he could contest an election from there. But due to the lack of complete knowledge of the law, another Chief Minister will be imposed on the state. In five years, BJP will have given three chief ministers to Uttarakhand," added the former chief minister. He further stated that "the reason for not making a decision on the question of contesting elections is ridiculous, he (Tirath Rawat) has become a joke. People are saying when our Chief Minister does not have the (required) knowledge as to when he needs to contest elections to reach the assembly, then what welfare can such a person do for us!". Tirath Singh Rawat resigned as chief minister on Friday. "I have submitted my resignation to Governor. Given the constitutional crisis, I felt it was right for me to resign. I am thankful to the central leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for every opportunity they have given to me so far," he said elaborating the reason. Tirath Singh submitted his resignation to Governor Baby Rani Maurya hours after he addressed a press conference. "Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat submitted his resignation letter from the post of Chief Minister at Raj Bhawan," Maurya confirmed. Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar arrived in Dehradun on Saturday to chair a legislature meet at 3 pm to elect the next Chief Minister. "We will consult the MLAs and take a call (on CM) accordingly, " he said upon reaching Bijapur Guest House. Uttarakhand is undergoing another sudden political upheaval barely four months after Tirath Rawat took over as Chief Minister replacing Trivendra Singh Rawat who had to resign before the BJP government in the state completed 4 years in governance.

from covid-19 https://ift.tt/3hul5QP

Friday, July 2, 2021

20 states have already reached 70% vaccination rate

20 states have given at least one dose of a vaccine to at least 70% of their adult population.
President Joe Biden had a goal of vaccinating 70% of adults across the country by July 4.
Vermont has the highest vaccination rate with 85.3%, The New York Times reported.
See more stories on Insider's business page.

While the whole country won't meet President Joe Biden's July 4 goal for vaccinating 70% of their adult population, twenty states have given at least one dose of a vaccine to at least 70% of their population, The New York Times reported.

Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam have also reached the 70% mark.

The states that reached at least 70% are mostly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. Vermont has the highest vaccination rate with 85.3%, followed by Hawaii with 83.5%. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Mexico, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, California, Washington, New Hampshire, New York, Illinois, Virginia, Delaware, and Minnesota, Colorado, and Oregon have also reached the 70% mark.

The vast majority of states with the least vaccination rate are in the South. Even as vaccination rates are high in some parts of the country, those with the least amount of their population vaccinated are at risk of a surge in cases as the more transmissible Delta variant - which originated in India - becomes a growing concern.

Experts told Insider's Aria Bendix and Joanna Lin Su that they ideally want communities to have at least a 75% vaccination rate so the virus is less able to spread from person to person.

More than 66.8% of American adults over the age of 18 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, data from the Centers for Disease Control shows.

Overall, 54.7% of the population is fully vaccinated.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3jF92mo

'Covaxin Found To Be 77.8% Effective In Final Analysis Of Phase III Trials', Claims Bharat Biotech

Hyderabad: Bharat Biotech, the biotechnology firm on Saturday announced the efficacy and safety of the indigenous vaccine Covaxin which was jointly developed with the ICMR & NIV Pune. The firm said that it has concluded the final analysis of the Phase III trials.  "Phase 3 clinical trials of Covaxin was an event-driven analysis of 130 symptomatic COVID-19 cases, reported at least two weeks after the 2nd dose, conducted at 25 sites across India," the official press release said.  ALSO READ: <a style="color: #f80707;" href="https://ift.tt/3htrBY5 Suppressed Facts To Get Favorable Order', Javed Akhtar Tells HC Over Copyright Case</a> Key findings of the analysis: <ul> <li>77.8% effective against symptomatic Covid-19, through evaluation of 130 confirmed cases, with 24 observed in the vaccine group versus 106 in the placebo group.</li> <li>93.4% effective against severe symptomatic Covid-19.</li> <li>12% of subjects experiencing commonly known side effects and less than 0.5% of subjects feeling serious adverse events.</li> <li>Covaxin demonstrated 63.6% protection against asymptomatic Covid-19.</li> <li>Efficacy data showed 65.2% protection against the SARS-CoV-2, B.1.617.2 Delta variant.</li> </ul> According to Bharat Biotech, Covaxin is the first licensed Covid-19 vaccine to report promising efficacy against asymptomatic infections based on qPCR testing. This will help in reducing disease transmission, the company said. In response to the fresh efficacy data, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research Dr Balram Bhargava said that Covaxin will "immensely contribute to protect the global community against the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus" apart from benefiting Indian citizens. “I am delighted to note that Covaxin, developed by ICMR and Bharat Biotech under an effective public-private partnership, has demonstrated an overall efficacy of 77.8 per cent in India’s largest Covid Phase 3 clinical trial thus far. Our scientists at ICMR and BBIL have worked tirelessly to deliver a truly effective vaccine of the highest international standards. The successful development of Covaxin has consolidated the position of Indian academia and industry in the global arena," Dr Bhargava said. The press release also stated that it has been specifically designed to meet the needs of global distribution chains, the requirements for which are more critical in low- and middle-income countries. It has been formulated to enable shipping and long-term storage at 2-8ºC. It is also formulated to adhere to a multi-dose vial policy, thereby reducing open vial wastage, saving money to procurement agencies and governments alike. <div class="inline-story-add"> </div>

from covid-19 https://ift.tt/3dGaGR3

Telangana Govt Increases Gap Between Two Covishield Doses To 14-16 Weeks: Know Why

Hyderabad: K Chandrasekhar Rao's government in Telangana has increased the gap between two Covishield doses by two more weeks which become 14-16 weeks. Earlier in May, the Centre has increased the gap between two doses from 4-6 weeks to 12 weeks mentioning the shortage of vaccines as a reason. While it is evident that there is a shortage of vaccine doses in the state the Telangana government said that they would prioritise doling out the first dose to people above 18 years old and that's the reason for the increase in the gap between. The government circular says that in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) circle, 100 government Covid vaccination centres will operate for the first dose for 18 years and above age group with prior online booking using the Co-WIN portal. The list of centres is enclosed. Also Read | <a title="Tamil Nadu: Lack Of Smartphones Cripple Online Classes Attendance For Poor, Teachers Send Postcards To Fill Gaps" href="https://ift.tt/3AqVlgQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tamil Nadu: Lack Of Smartphones Cripple Online Classes Attendance For Poor, Teachers Send Postcards To Fill Gaps</a> <div dir="auto">The circular also mentioned the other urban local bodies, 204 Government Covid Vaccination Centres will operate for 1st dose for 18 years and above age group. In all 636 rural PHCS, 1st dose will be given for 18 years and above age group in walk-in mode. The above arrangement will apply till 3rd July, 2021.</div> <div dir="auto"> </div> <div dir="auto"> <img src="https://ift.tt/3wgEqdA" /></div> <div dir="auto"> </div> <div dir="auto">Meanwhile, there has been a dip in Covid cases in the state and the recoveries have been recorded in more numbers when compared to the people testing positive for Covid-19. Telangana on Friday logged 858 Covid cases with nine deaths due to the deadly virus in the state.</div>

from covid-19 https://ift.tt/3qL6Nzr

India Records 44K Covid Cases, 738 Deaths In Last 24 Hrs; Active Cases Below 5 Lakh After 97 Days

Covid In India: India reports 44,111 new Covid cases, 57,477 recoveries, and 738 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry. India's Active Caseload declines to 4,95,533; less than 5 lakh after 97 days. Active cases constitute 1.62% of total cases Total cases: 3,05,02,362 Total recoveries: 2,96,05,779 Active cases: 4,95,533 Death toll: 4,01,050 Total Vaccination: 34,46,11,291 <h3>'Dangerous period' of pandemic, says WHO chief </h3> The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday the world is in “a very dangerous period” of the Covid-19 pandemic after the contagious Delta variant was found in nearly 100 countries. <div id="v-indiatoday-in"> Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing that the India-born Delta variant is still evolving and mutating to emerge as the most dominant variant of Coronavirus found in different countries</div> Suggesting that vaccination would effectively end the acute phase of the pandemic, the WHO chief said, “I have already urged leaders across the world to ensure that by this time next year, 70 per cent of all people in every country are vaccinated.” "It's within the collective power of a few countries to step up and ensure that vaccines are shared,” Dr Tedros added, noting that over 3 billion doses of vaccine have already been distributed globally (with agency inputs)

from covid-19 https://ift.tt/3wfEHxm

The pandemic hit Caribbean American communities hard. How the diaspora is rallying around covid recovery

Caribbean Community Harlem — A man wearing a protective face covering walks by a mural in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City
Reuters

The Covid-19 pandemic decimated Caribbean American communities in the US.
Communities in the largest diasporas united to help with health, economic, and cultural recovery.
Leaders, activists and artists across the US Caribbean diaspora came together to help communities.
See more stories on Insider's business page.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic first began nearly two years ago, it exposed sharp disparities related to poverty, access to healthcare, and overall quality of life that one time left Black Americans more than three times more likely to die from the virus.

"We carry a higher burden of chronic disease that predisposes us to the more serious complications of coronavirus," Uché Blackstock, a physician who works in Brooklyn told the Washington post. "We don't have access to care and if we do it's likely that care is of worst quality because they are often termed minority-serving."

While part of the larger contingent of Black Americans, for many Caribbean American communities in the US, their unique impact But for many, the unique

A New York City Health Department map showing the virus' early spread confirmed neighborhoods with a high concentration of Caribbean-Americans in the city's Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx boroughs were among the areas most affected by COVID-19.

Now, as states reopen and communities are tasked with rebuilding, Caribbean diasporas across the country told Insider their unity behind their shared cultural identity is key to their sociopolitical, health, economic recovery.

Many Caribbean American diasporas were in coronavirus hotspots

vaccine healthcare workers us — A dentist receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in Anaheim, California, on January 8, 2021.
mark Rightmire/Getty Images

Most Caribbean immigrants and first generation Americans reside in New York state and Florida according to 2017 data from the Migration Policy Institute - accounting for 63% of the entire Caribbean population in the US.

Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Black people hold many of the jobs in the taxi service industry, the foodservice industry, as well as the hotel industry. Many immigrants, including Caribbean immigrants, also work in the healthcare industry - the very frontline workers that have been caring for the nation during the pandemic.

A report from the Migration Policy Institute also shows that more than 2.6 million immigrants were employed as healthcare workers as of 2018. They account for 18% of healthcare workers in the US.

That meant when the public was asked to stay at home to flatten the curve, it was immigrant communities and Black and brown Americans who largely kept the country running.

But advocates note that in polling and surveys, Caribbean Americans are often lumped together with African Americans and that can make it difficult to campaign for their unique needs as a community culturally, politically, and economically.

In 2020, the US Census Bureau released a new questionnaire that included the option for people to note their country of origin, which will help differentiate Caribbean Americans from African Americans.

"Twenty percent of New York, New Yorkers are of Caribbean descent so it's very important that we're seen," Shelley Worrell the founder and chief curator of caribBeing, told NY1.

The cultural advocacy group cautioned that impact came at a cost to the community as the coronavirus spread.

As evictions skyrocketed and joblessness grew, Worrell jumped into gear serving hot meals to frontline workers at two hospitals, including facilities that primarily serve the city's Caribbean population in Brooklyn.

Many Black-owned businesses, already severely impacted by disparities in access to federal aid, were forced to close altogether or struggled to stay afloat. Among those, Worrell focused efforts on the Caribbean business community federal and state aid can overlook.

caribBeing's directory of Caribbean businesses then served as a one-stop-shop to support local businesses right as a public campaign to support Black-owned businesses gained steam following the killing of George Floyd in June.

"We were able to really try to amplify the Caribbean businesses in our neighborhoods to drive traffic and media attention to the community," Worrell said.

In South Florida, where the Caribbean diaspora is 21%, drawing attention to community resources was just as much a public health and cultural necessity as an economic one.

Black Americans, including Caribbean Americans, are familiar with the country's history of medical exploitation which leaves room for misinformation to propagate.

With misinformation about the coronavirus and the vaccine has been spreading in the community, Miami-based attorney Marlon Hill focused primarily on ensuring the people are efficiently educated about what's happening throughout the pandemic, as well as facilitating mental health and wellness of the community.

"With the assistance of the Caribbean medical professional community, we have conducted a number of webinars to dispel myths about COVID-19 vaccines and the ongoing pandemic," he told Insider in an email.

But Hill told Insider keeping the community culturally connect is as vital as medically informed. South Florida's annual Caribbean carnival was cancelled last October, putting the final nail in the coffin of a festival tourism season that begins with Trinidad and Tobago's pre-Lenten celebration in February.

Last year's masquerade of colorful costumes in the twin-island Republic is one of few the region, and its diaspora in the US and elsewhere, have seen ever since - devastating a thriving tourism and cultural entertainment scene.

The pandemic devastated communities reliant on culture and entertainment

immigration around the world major cities New York City how immigrants are treated West Indian Day Parade — The annual West Indian-American Carnival Day Parade in Brooklyn, New York attracts close to two million people during Labor Day weekend.
Joe Penney/Reuters

Entertainers and entrepreneurs took to social media to connect people the best way they know how - music. Ronnie Tomlinson, director of public relations at Destine Media PR, a full-service agency that works with Caribbean artists, told Insider she was happy to see how naturally entertainers came out to support the diaspora.

"Their intention was to relieve the minds of the people," she said. "Just using the music to entertain people. We know they're human, but we also [got to] see that side of them."

Similar to D-Nice's Club Quarantine sessions during the pandemic, DJs including Brooklyn-based Kevin Crown and Tony Matterhorn of Jamaica played live music sets designed to virtually recreate the high-energy fetes that can draw thousands of patrons.

Over time, his shows garnered as many as 5000 viewers per show. Crown told Insider that those music sessions started to help fans, as well as himself.

"I even lost my uncle to COVID so it was just a lot of anxiety every day and as much as [my music] helped people, it helped me cope and gave me a purpose," he said, at the time receiving messages from fans that his performance kept them from the brink."

Advocates say the tireless work to keep the diaspora together during a time of global suffering will only ramp up as states re-open.

Following a pandemic, and racial unrest that saw communities of color targeted, Hill cautioned for political leaders to mitigate some of the socioeconomic and healthcare issues in the community by meeting the community where they are.

"Be more proactive in sharing these messages in a vernacular that the community can understand and also see," he said. "Be more proactive in speaking in our language and in our culture."

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3wbxgHD