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India logs 41,965 new COVID-19 cases
Majority of corporate employees want to work from home at least once a week: Survey
Among other findings, 91 per cent of the respondents favoured flexible working hours. Stating that the priorities of the workforce have undergone a shift, the consultant said corporate employees want an empathetic employer and work-life balance, more than a comfortable salary. The pandemic has prioritised working in an environment that puts health and well-being at the forefront.
.Rs 20L-Cr pandemic package:Barely 10% disbursed, says RTI
He pointed out that the worst-hit sectors include all industries in the manufacturing sectors, the hospitality and tourism industry, the media and affiliated sectors, and the unorganized sectors.
“Besides over 6 crore MSMEs and SMEs have shut down, resulting in more than 15-crore people losing jobs, against a handful of persons who remain unaffected by the pandemic lockdown,” Sarda pointed out.
Historic U.S. COVID vaccine campaign launches with convoy of trucks
The federal government plans to release the nation’s first 2.9 million doses to 64 states, U.S. territories and major cities, as well as five federal agencies. Although the federal government is coordinating distribution efforts, states have the final decision over who gets the first shots. The federal government is sending the first shipments to more than 600 locations.
Companies in a range of industries are lobbying state and federal officials to give priority to their workers in the line of millions waiting for the vaccine and a return to life free from the fear of the deadly illness.
How pandemic bonds became the world’s most controversial investment
Here’s how the pandemic bonds worked.
The World Bank would sell $320 million of debt to investors. In the event of a pandemic, that debt would be written off and the principal would accrue to the bank to be distributed to needy countries. Premiums were juicy – the safest slice of the offering paid 6.9% over the Libor benchmark rate, similar to returns typically found on junk-rated corporate bonds and far greater than the 2.2% available on 10-year U.S. government debt at the time. For the second tranche, which had looser triggers for a writeoff, premiums were a whopping 11.5%.
Cold storage to companies: a stock trader’s guide to Covid vaccine rollout
With multiple vaccine types, the distribution chains involve hundreds of businesses—from airlines to makers of freezers, vials and disposable needles—and thousands of staff working to get shots from laboratory floors to the arms of populations around the world.
Any vaccine adverse effects up to national agencies to review – WHO
“But people should not be too anxious. Remember there are a number of vaccine candidates coming online at the same time,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a U.N. briefing in Geneva.
“One vaccine may not be suitable for particular individuals, but you may well find another vaccine is.”
Sanofi and GSK delay COVID-19 vaccine, marking setback for global fight
The setback affects one of the most established technologies in vaccines – used against the human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and pertussis among other pathogens – which aims to introduce lab-made proteins into the body to prod the immune system into developing a targeted defence against the novel coronavirus.
Scientists develop new inhalation delivery system for vaccines
The researchers said this method improves bioavailability and also reduces potential side effects by achieving a rapid onset of action.
The scientists believe lung delivery could protect against airborne pathogens that cause diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, Ebola, measles, and COVID-19.
However, they said this approach has not been adopted widely, partly because the underlying physiological mechanisms remain largely unknown.
India’s COVID-19 caseload rises to 97.96 lakh with 29,398 fresh infections
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 92,90,834 on Friday, pushing the national recovery rate to 94.84 per cent. The COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent.
The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 4 lakh for the fifth consecutive day.
There are 3,63,749 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprise 3.71 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
ADB launches $9 billion Covid-19 vaccine initiative for its developing member economies
“As ADB’s developing members prepare to vaccinate their people as soon as possible, they need financing to procure vaccines as well as appropriate plans and knowledge to be able to safely, equitably, and efficiently manage the vaccination process,” ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said.
Study details first artificial intelligence tool to help labs rule-out Covid-19
“Nine months into this pandemic, we now have a better understanding of how to care for patients with Covid-19,” said lead author and University of Vermont Assistant Professor Timothy Plante, M.D., M.H.S., “but there’s still a big bottleneck in Covid-19 diagnosis with PCR testing.”
PCR testing is the current standard diagnostic for Covid-19, and requires specific sampling, like a nasal swab, and specialized laboratory equipment to run.
“According to data from over 100 US hospitals, the national average turnaround time for Covid-19 tests ordered in emergency rooms is above 24 hours, far from the targeted one-hour turnaround,” Biocogniv Chief Operating Officer Tanya Kanigan, Ph.D., said.