Pandemics and epidemics

In 2018, while reporting on pandemic preparedness in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I heard many people joking about the fictional 15th article of the country’s constitution: Débrouillez-vous , or “Figure it out yourself.” It was a droll and weary acknowledgment that the government won’t save you, and you must make do with the resources you’ve got. The United States is now firmly in the débrouillez-vous era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the country, almost all government efforts to curtail the coronavirus have evaporated. Mask mandates have been lifted on public transit . Conservative lawmakers have hamstrung what public-health departments can do in emergencies . COVID funding remains stalled in Congress, jeopardizing supplies of tests, treatments, and vaccines . The White House and the CDC have framed COVID as a problem for individuals to act upon—but action is hard when cases and hospitalizations are underestimated, many testing sites have closed , and … [Read more...] about America Is in the ‘Figure It Out Yourself’ Era of the Pandemic

Wimbledon: Nick Kyrgios speaks after win against Paul Jubb Sign up for FREE tennis updates from on and off the court SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Alize Cornet has sensationally claimed that a majority of tennis stars at this year's French Open kept quiet about COVID-19 despite catching the disease over the course of the tournament. Two players have already been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon after returning positive tests, with Matteo Berrettini and Marin Cilic set to take no further part in the action at the All England Club over the next fortnight. Related articles Nick Kyrgios clarifies 'racism' comments after Wimbledon outburst Rafa Nadal makes injury confession after gruelling Wimbledon win … [Read more...] about Wimbledon star lifts lid on locker room silence over ‘Covid epidemic’

Disease X concept explained by WHO doctor in 2018 Sign up for FREE health tips to live a long and happy life SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Disease X is not an actual threat facing either the UK or the world, rather it is a term used by the WHO (World Health Organisation) to describe a disease with the potential to cause an epidemic. In light of the return of Polio, experts are now saying the world is now at the start of the “pandemic era”, one where epidemics will be viral threats will be more common. One sign of this is the bevy of diseases detected in the UK this year. As well as Covid , monkeypox , polio, and hepatitis, bird flu, Lassa fever, and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever have also been detected in parts of the … [Read more...] about Experts warn of imminent arrival of Disease X as “pandemic era” begins

Thousands of children have missed out on vaccinations during the lockdown, leaving them and the wider population at risk of diseases such as measles and meningitis, paediatricians have warned. A study by scientists from Public Health England (PHE) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that immunisations dropped by nearly 20 per cent in the first three weeks of lockdown. By the end of April, more than 5,000 fewer children had received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab or the hexavalent vaccine, which protects against diseases including diphtheria, tetanus and hepatitis B, compared to last year. There are also fears that many secondary school children have missed out on HPV and meningitis jabs, which are given at school. Dr Shamez Ladhani, the chairman of the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said: "We are storing up problems if we don't vaccinate our children on time now. MMR is one … [Read more...] about Risk of measles outbreak after children miss vaccinations during lockdown, experts warn

The expert panel gave good marks to measures imposed for containment of the COVID pandemic , aimed at stopping the spread of the disease at an early stage. The panel was commissioned by the federal government and its members included scientists specialized in medicine, law, ethics, economy, and public administration. After months of evaluating the wide range of research that has been published in the two and a half years since the outbreak of the pandemic, they found the wearing of medical masks (FFP2/N95) have been an especially effective measure to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2. "Since the transmission of the coronavirus is incomparably stronger indoors than outdoors, a mask requirement should be limited to indoor areas and places with a higher risk of infection," the report said. The COVID expert panel presented its much-awaited report on the government's measures It said lockdowns made sense, especially at the beginning of a pandemic, to reduce transmission as … [Read more...] about COVID: How useful are restrictions as infection numbers soar?

President Joe Biden on Thursday paid tribute to his son Hunter Biden , who has struggled with addiction, by posting a video to Twitter marking the conclusion of National Recovery Month. 'As National Recovery Month concludes, I want to celebrate all of you out there who are in recovery, and let those of you who are not yet in recovery – or who have loved ones with substance abuse disorder – know that you are not alone,' the president said in a two-minute video. He added: 'This is personal to millions of families. It's personal to my family. My son has written about it.' Biden's son Hunter, 51, released a book in April of this year titled 'Beautiful Things: A Memoir' where he discussed his family, grief and his struggle with alcohol and drug addiction – specifically to cocaine. While promoting his memoir in April, Hunter told CBS This Morning that he was smoking crack 'around the clock' and drinking a quart of vodka every day at the lowest points of his drug addiction, … [Read more...] about Biden pays tribute to son Hunter and says ‘there’s hope’ for addicts in video marking the end of National Recovery Month

By News from Elsewhere... Published 9 June 2020 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing A strongman ruler of a Russian region is offering to help men struggling to make traditional pre-nuptial payments because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Bridegrooms in the predominantly Muslim republic of Chechnya are required to make a payment either to the bride herself or her relatives, according to long-standing custom. But because of the economic impact of the coronavirus epidemic, many Chechen men cannot afford to make the payment known as "urdu", local media report. Because of this, Chechnya's leader Ramzan Kadyrov is offering "urdu" money to bridegrooms who do not have it. He "has made bride money available to 207 grooms who have been left in need by the quarantine", Russia's official news agency RIA Novosti reports. See also: Chechnya gets women-only taxis … [Read more...] about Chechnya’s ruler gives bride money to hard-up grooms

By Victoria Gill Published 15 January 2018 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Rats were not to blame for the spread of plague during the Black Death, according to a study. The rodents and their fleas were thought to have spread a series of outbreaks in 14th-19th Century Europe. But a team from the universities of Oslo and Ferrara now says the first, the Black Death, can be "largely ascribed to human fleas and body lice". The study, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science , uses records of its pattern and scale. The Black Death claimed an estimated 25 million lives, more than a third of Europe's population, between 1347 and 1351. "We have good mortality data from outbreaks in nine cities in Europe," Prof Nils Stenseth, from the University of Oslo, told BBC News. "So we could construct models of the disease dynamics [there]." He and … [Read more...] about Black Death ‘spread by humans not rats’

Boris Johnson will tell the Prince of Wales that he should “keep an open mind” about the Rwanda asylum policy during a private conversation on Friday. The Prime Minister and the future king are due to meet in Kigali, the capital of the east African nation , which is hosting this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. It will be the first time they have spoken since it emerged the Prince of Wales reportedly described the planned deportation of asylum seekers to the country as “appalling” . Clarence House described the gathering scheduled for Friday morning as Mr Johnson “popping in for a cup of tea” with the Prince. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said it would be a "bilateral discussion". Speaking in Kigali on Thursday, Mr Johnson shed some light on what he will say during the tete-a-tete. Asked if he will defend the deportation strategy during the meeting, he said: “People need to keep an open mind about the policy, the critics need to keep … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson to tell Prince Charles to ‘keep an open mind’ on Rwanda asylum controversy

LGBTQ Pride commemorations that sometimes felt like victory parties for civil rights advances are grappling this year with a darker atmosphere, a national environment of ramped-up legislative and rhetorical battles over sexual orientation and gender identity. Big crowds are expected Sunday at Pride events in New York City and a range of other places including San Francisco, Chicago, Denver and Toronto , in a return to large, in-person events after two years of pandemic-induced restrictions. Like every year, the celebrations are expected to be exuberant and festive. But for many, they will also will carry a renewed sense of urgency. In March, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law barring teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, which critics decried as an effort to marginalize LGBTQ people and lambasted as the “Don’t Say Gay” law. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott, like DeSantis a Republican, sent a letter to state health … [Read more...] about At Pride, celebrations amid a darker national environment