Category:

Health

NY to set workplace safety standards for Airborne Diseases

Employers in New York will have to come up with safety plans that comply with the yet-to-be written state standards and provide them to workers. Employers who don’t comply could face fines.

Workers could also sue for up to $20,000 from employers who don’t follow safety standards or retaliate against workers for reporting non-compliance.

read more

India’s Covid crisis hits work at ports as risk to global trade grows

India has 21.9 million tons of cargoes scheduled to arrive this month but with labor shortages and force majeure at some ports, many of the vessels could see discharge delays, according to IHS Markit associate director Pranay Shukla. That may have a knock-on effect on scheduled loadings at the exporting countries.
The situation may echo global trade disruptions seen last year after virus restrictions slowed shipments into China. While India accounts for only fraction of the global trade that China does, any delays in offloading vessels and releasing them to their next destination could create supply chain bottlenecks.

read more

UK to speed up vaccinations, warns Indian variant may delay full reopening

Britain put India on a travel “red list” in April, meaning all arrivals from India – now suffering the world’s worst wave of COVID-19 – would have to pay to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days.

Media reports at the time suggested that, because the quarantine requirement was announced four days in advance, many people had sought to fly beforehand. Britain has a large South Asian community.

read more

Delaying 2nd Covid vaccine dose in under 65 may cut deaths: Study

The longer it takes to effectively vaccinate the global population, the greater the likely risk of vaccine resistant strains developing. This has led to calls to prioritise single-dose vaccination for as many people as possible, even if this means delaying a second dose beyond the studied time frame.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna covid-19 vaccines in a standard two dose schedule are highly effective at preventing symptomatic infections and death. But immunity worldwide remains low, partly owing to low vaccination rates.

read more

Obese girls at higher risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood: Study

Childhood obesity is a growing concern among health authorities and scientists in the field. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that some 340 million children aged 5-19 worldwide were overweight or obese in 2016. It is well known that childhood obesity is associated with a higher likelihood of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

read more