Pets are massively infected with COVID-19 by their owners
Pets are massively infected with COVID-19 by their owners

COVID-19 infection is common in domestic cats and dogs whose owners suffer from it, according to a study cited by the BBC.

Specialists examined samples from 310 pets from households where the infection was registered in humans.

Six cats and seven dogs tested positive on PCR, and 54 animals tested positive for antibodies to the new coronavirus.

“If you have Covid, you should avoid contact with your dog or cat, just as you limit your contact with other people,” said Dr. Els Bruns of the University of Utrecht.

“The main concern is not so much the animal’s health as the potential risk that pets could become a reservoir for the virus and transmit it to humans,” she said.

The study’s authors say no transmission of the infection from a pet to a human has been documented so far, but that would be difficult to detect as long as the virus spreads easily among humans. Most infected pets pass the infection without symptoms or show very slight signs of the disease.

Another study conducted by the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, found that cats that slept in their owners’ beds were at high risk of contracting the new coronavirus.

48 cats and 54 dogs from 77 households were tested for antibodies, and their owners provided information about their contact with pets. About 67 percent of the cats and 43 percent of the dogs tested positive, compared to 9 percent of the dogs and cats from the animal shelter and 3 percent of the stray cats in the area.

A quarter of pets have symptoms of infection, from loss of appetite to difficulty breathing.

Professor James Wood, who heads the Department of Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge University, said the results of both studies complemented previous evidence that a significant proportion of pets could be infected with the new coronavirus by their owners.

“A study from the Netherlands shows that about 20 percent of pets exposed to the virus can be infected and that they get the infection just like most people do,” he said.

Pandemic tourism: Thailand will offer luxury accommodation for USD
Pandemic tourism: Thailand will offer luxury accommodation for USD$1

About a million overnight stays at discounted prices will attract foreigners back to the Asian country

As part of its plan to gradually open up the country and attract tourists, Thailand is preparing a “One Night – One Dollar” campaign, world media reported.

As part of the initiative, luxury rooms in one of the first officially opened resorts for tourists – Phuket – will be offered at a price of 1 dollar. The program involves rooms that normally cost between $ 30 and $ 100, and the difference will be subsidized by the Thai government, the president of the Thai Tourism Council said.

Following the final approval of the campaign, it will start on July 1, when Phuket will become the first place in Thailand to receive vaccinated tourists without the need for quarantine.

If One Night – One Dollar proves to be a successful campaign, it will be extended to other famous tourist destinations such as Ko Samui, Pattaya, and Bangkok.

Authorities expect the initiative to lead to at least one million booked nights in the first month.

As of October 1, the relaxed quarantine regime for vaccinated foreigners is expected to apply to several other tourist provinces in Thailand – Krabi, Pang Nga, Chian Mai, and Pattaya. The final lifting of all restrictions is scheduled for January 1, 2022.

SPIEGEL involved Merkel and Borissov in a scheme to supply low-quality masks from Bulgaria
SPIEGEL involved Merkel and Borissov in a scheme to supply low-quality masks from Bulgaria

The German army has ordered protective clothing from Bulgaria for hundreds of thousands of euros, which is of poor quality, but about which Chancellor Angela Merkel seems to have personally spoken to then-Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.

This is what SPIEGEL magazine says in an investigation indicating how the company Venera Style from Haskovo received an offer for such products, although until then it only made clothing. At the beginning of the pandemic, however, Venus offered to deliver two-layer masks – 85% cotton, 15% elastane – to Germany in the spring of 2020.

The publication comes months after the start of a massive scandal over the supply of substandard masks, which accused Merkel’s allies of corruption and put her party – the Christian Democrats – at a disadvantage on the eve of the parliamentary elections.

This is presented as remarkable at a time when Bulgaria needs them as much as Germany and has even imposed an export ban.

“Then why is Bulgaria sending masks to Germany?” The publication asks. And second, this business enjoys the highest level of support, such as that of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karenbauer and others, such as the chair of the Armed Forces Procurement Service. Kramp-Karenbauer is even preparing his personal assistant to board a plane to take samples from Sofia.

The Bundeswehr makes quick purchases, although the goods are questionable, as is their quality. “Letters received from SPIEGEL mention political reasons several times.” Protective suits are also sent to the Bundeswehr’s nuclear, biological and chemical weapons protection department.

“Commands from above”

Here SPIEGEL draws attention to the direction of commands “from above” – ​​”not Bulgarian suppliers send their goods to Germany to be inspected, and the personal assistant of the Minister must take samples along with a team ready to fly to Bulgaria.

The next day. “The office and the ministry did not even comment on how much the flight cost or why the issue was so” politically important “- people familiar with the case say such a thing has never happened before.

It turns out that at a time when the Ministry of Health is flooded with proposals for masks and in violation of the procedure under which the Bundeswehr usually places orders. In addition, the production from Bulgaria does not have any identification marks or quality certificates.

In addition, samples show that the products are of poor quality; the conclusion is even that the user of the masks is not protected. It is the same with suits that can only be washed at a temperature of 30 to 40 degrees, which is not enough to eliminate viruses, and therefore can only be used once. However, the procurement service was activated and the process was declared “highly political”. A request is made to conclude the largest possible contract with Bulgarian companies to meet the needs of the army.

This includes orders small for Germany but serious for the clothing company Venus, covered by three contracts for six days: 200,000 masks for 246,000 euros. Another 11,000 protective suits are ordered from other manufacturers, despite obvious doubts about the quality.

Subsequent delivery of samples of suits and visors in April is also of poor quality, without certificates; a license is issued for limited use, the visors – for single use.

“But why are Bulgarian contracts so important in Berlin? The office is silent; talks with international partners are confidential,” SPIEGEL wrote. The magazine asked if the federal government should not have at least checked which companies were involved, especially if they were from a country that is the latest in the EU in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index.

Borissov and the companies in the scheme deny any allegations. In the Bundeswehr, however, protective suits are practically in stock, as are visors – some of these goods are not applicable for medical purposes, others may even be dangerous to consumers.

City diplomacy offers opportunities
City diplomacy offers opportunities

Published originally on December 26th 2020 at the TaipeiTimes.

This year has been unusual on many levels. In the midst of a global health crisis ravaging the world, Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil in September led a delegation of 89 civic and political leaders to Taiwan, the only corner of the world that for more than 250 days (until Tuesday) did not register a single locally transmitted COVID-19 infection.

The visit caused quite a stir in international media and intensified already strained ties between the EU and China. Taiwan, a technologically advanced economy with a robust democracy, is a like-minded partner of the EU, but remains a highly sensitive matter within EU-China relations.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, despite never having ruled it. The EU has its own “one China” policy, but has officially committed to promoting “practical solutions regarding Taiwan’s participation in international frameworks.”

Following the Czech delegation, Brussels and Beijing engaged in a harsh exchange, with Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) threatening that the senate president would pay a “heavy price,” while his German counterpart warned China against making such threats against an EU member state.

As tensions in EU-China relations remain high, and international cooperation becomes more challenging, there is good reason to return to the visit, and consider some of its less talked about contributions.

Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib, who oversaw the signing of the Prague-Taipei sister city framework in January, was also in the delegation. In a global context where cities become key players in addressing complex challenges through innovation and creativity, this aspect deserves more attention.

As the pandemic has illustrated, local governments can increase their capacity to network internationally and bring solutions, while catalyzing new political consciousness. Cities shape identities. They help celebrate connectivity, diversity and openness by warming people-to-people relations and enhancing social networks. This, in turn, facilitates government-to-government ties.

Considering Taiwan’s abnormal international status, city diplomacy provides a particularly valuable platform to circumvent its isolation, by leveraging international cooperation and information sharing on a city-to-city level. Taiwan’s cities must further invest in such diplomacy and seek to build on the momentum the “Taiwan model” has ensured.

The sister-city agreement linking Prague and Taipei includes a wide range of cooperation, including on business, science, technology, tourism, education, healthcare and culture, as well as a smart city cooperation agreement. Through this partnership, the cities can act in their own right, stress collaboration over competition, empower their citizens and contribute to making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Taiwan is already working toward meeting the 17 SDGs. As COVID-19 is taking the world further away from the goals, cities’ contributions have become all the more relevant.

As such, Taipei has sought to advance several goals, including good health and well-being (Goal 3), quality education (Goal 4), decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9), and sustainable cities (Goal 11).

Taiwan has a story to tell, but participating in international organizations will remain difficult. Taiwanese scientists were even excluded from participating in all UNESCO-affiliated events, which has shown that Taiwan is being excluded from international participation. It also indicates that China’s influence within UN organizations continues to increase. Yet, this should not constrain sharing science across cities. Cities are about choices and choices bring opportunities for all.

According to the Taipei City Government Web site, it has established ties with 51 sister cities across 37 countries. Four of these are in Europe: Versailles (1986), Warsaw (1995), Vilnius (1998) and Riga (2001). Since 2012, Helsinki is also a “friendship city” of Taipei.

These partnerships need a fresh approach and adjustment to address current challenges. In addition, it is evident that more similar cooperation should be built across Europe. This will require rapprochement from Europe and Taiwan. Both sides must recognize the value of using city diplomacy to leverage existing strengths and to enable new ones to flourish.

A meeting between Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony and Representative to Hungary Liu Shih-chung (劉世忠), a former Tainan deputy secretary-general, is a welcome initiative. The two exchanged ideas on smart cities, innovation and city diplomacy. The next welcome step would be to establish a sister-city agreement. This would benefit both cities, just like the Grenoble, France-Taoyuan sister-city cooperation signed in March 2018 is hoped to do, particularly in technology, innovation and circular economy.

Kaohsiung, with the largest harbor in Taiwan and among the top 50 world container ports, should also consider expanding its network in Europe, with Rotterdam, the Netherlands, or Antwerp, Belgium, adding to its only sister city in Europe, Erzgebirgskreis, Germany (1993).

In a hyper-connected world, cities across Taiwan should further embrace the practical benefits of city diplomacy. At the same time, as the EU rethinks its China policy, European cities must be more involved, and expand their international sister-city network.

Following the Czech delegation visit, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said the visit was proof that “nothing can stop Taiwan and the Czech Republic’s determination to defend freedom, democracy and protect human rights.”

Let city diplomacy take this forward into the year to come.

Source: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2020/12/26/2003749395

Book Excerpt| Till We Win: India’s Fight Against The Covid-19 Pandemic
Book Excerpt| Till We Win: India’s Fight Against The Covid-19 Pandemic




Having lived through the Covid-19 pandemic for so many months, we all wish things to return to “normal” as early as possible. However, one can ask a slightly philosophical question: what is normal? A world without the Internet was normal, except for a select few, in the 1980s. A world without widespread mobile telephone use was normal twenty years ago. HIV/AIDS changed our practice of how blood banks functioned and what practices we follow with regard to sex. Having experienced SARS-CoV-2, our thinking and our daily routines have changed.

When we compare the present and the probable future with pre-Covid-19 times, we have a window of opportunities at all levels—as individuals, as a society and as a nation—for three things: reject, revive and innovate.

• Reject. There are activities and actions that need to be rejected or reduced as we look forward to a new normal. Recognizing our global connectivity, we need to think about activities that led to where we are and see what we can do to change that. Our environment matters, climate change is real—deforestation and rampant and unplanned urbanization are future disasters in waiting. What can we do to change and advocate for change? We can and must reject the drivers of lifestyle diseases—fast food, lack of exercise, stress and ignoring mental health. Promoting health and reducing drivers of ill health is the best way to ensure that risks of severe disease are reduced.

• Revive. There are things which need to continue as before, such as economic and social activities. The revival of the economy in a sustainable way has to be underpinned by an improvement in the conditions of living of the most impoverished, instead of further enriching the already rich. Investments in health and education transform economies, and while this does not happen in election cycles, it is essential that scientists, economists, health workers and the public make this the keystone of our collective future.

• Innovate. The future needs new tools and new behaviours, whether it is better health surveillance or raising the consistency of handwashing, we need to find solutions that make their adoption easy at all levels from governments to individuals.

In India, in particular, the attempt to transform the health system is embodied in continuing the initiatives started under the National Health Mission, supplemented by additional measures under the Ayushman Bharat programme. Primary healthcare and public health services need to be strengthened in an accelerated manner under the HWCs of the Ayushman Bharat programme. The health initiatives need further strengthening and linking, not just across all healthcare providers in India, but with other sectors including education, women and child development, and industry. An isolated approach that views development as being driven by the government alone ignores huge resources and strengths that exist beyond the government.

There is evidence aplenty that epidemics and pandemics impact the poor, the marginalized, women and children the most. Building for their protection requires a reimagining of the base of the Indian health system—one that is equitable, affordable and accessible. This may sound like a pipe dream, but there are examples of nations achieving better health parameters with limited resources.

Health is not found in hospitals, it is built at home. Water supply, sanitation, protection from pollution, screening services and mental health support are all essential for a healthy mind and body that can handle the challenges of ill health when it occurs. In addition to the provision of healthcare, the government needs to facilitate nutrition, a better built environment, and better training of the workforce. These are areas where good policies and effective implementation are as important as direct investments.

In the provision of services, public health requires interconnected systems that share quality data based on which decisions can be made or actions taken. At the moment, fragmentation and vertical programmes lead to duplication of resources and efforts. It is time for a rethink to develop more efficient approaches that will provide the connected, resilient systems that we need to control disease and promote health, for everyone and everywhere.

In September 2020, the journal Science published the findings of a US study on the effect of reduced motor vehicular traffic on birds singing. The authors reported that due to shutdowns and other actions taken to control the pandemic, the noise level in a city had dramatically reduced to the level observed in the mid-1950s. This had resulted in the birds singing at lower amplitudes and still being heard by people far away. The authors concluded that ‘behavioural traits can change rapidly in response to newly favourable conditions’.

We have written this book to communicate a similar message. If the birds can change their behaviour so quickly, we humans should do better in recognizing the signals given by nature. The Covid-19 pandemic indicates the damage we have done to our planet and to ourselves. It is our responsibility to continue to learn and develop ways of improving our world, our health systems and our health.

Much has changed; we are in a difficult time. But there is no need to panic. Instead, there are many reasons to hope that science and technology will provide the solutions we need. Together we can create a better and healthier world for everyone.

(Excerpted from “Till We Win” with permission from Penguin Books. Dr Chandrakant Lahariya is a medical doctor and leading public policy and health systems expert, Dr Gagandeep Kang is an infectious-disease researcher and a Fellow of the Royal Society, London and Dr Randeep Guleria is director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.)

           <div><hr/>&#13;
    <b><i>For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, <a href="https://magazine.outlookindia.com/subscription?utm_source=story_page" rel="nofollow">Click here</a> to subscribe to Outlook Magazine </i></b>&#13;
    <hr/>&#13;
    </div>&#13;
2020 Election Reading Books for Kids by the NYPL
2020 Election Reading Books for Kids by the NYPL