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Delta variant more infectious than Wuhan strain, study finds

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new study from the UK has found that the Delta strain of COVID-19 is eight times less sensitive to vaccine antibodies than the original Wuhan strain.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The study also found that changes to the spike protein in the Delta variant improved its ability to replicate and enter cells, in comparison to the Kappa variant.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The authors say this might explain how the Delta strain has become the most dominant variation of the disease.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The study, published in the journal </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03944-y" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nature</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, compared the mutated Delta variant against the mutated Wuhan-1 variant which was used to develop the vaccines.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The team, led by Ravindra Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, also analysed infections of 130 healthcare workers across three hospitals in Delhi, India, over six weeks.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though each of the workers studied had received both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the researchers found that the vaccine was less effective against the Delta variant than other variants.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“By combining lab-based experiments and epidemiology of vaccine breakthrough infections, we’ve shown that the Delta variant is better at replicating and spreading than other commonly-observed variants,” Professor Gupta </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/spread-of-delta-sars-cov-2-variant-driven-by-combination-of-immune-escape-and-increased-infectivity" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Joint senior author Dr Patha Rakshit from the National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, India, said: “The Delta variant has spread so widely to become the dominant variants worldwide because it is faster to spread and better at infecting individuals than most other variants we’ve seen.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It is also better at getting around existing immunity - either through previous exposure to the virus or vaccination - though the risk of moderate to severe disease is reduced in such cases.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Professor Anurag Agrawal from the CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India and joint senior author said the infection of healthcare workers with the Delta variant could have severe consequences.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Although they themselves may only exhibit mild COVID, they risk infecting individuals who have suboptimal immune responses to vaccination due to underlying health conditions - and these patients could then be at risk of severe disease,” Professor Agrawal said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With their findings, Gupta and his colleagues say we will need to develop strategies for boosting the effectiveness of vaccines against variants of COVID-19.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We urgently need to consider ways of boosting vaccine responses against variants among healthcare workers,” Professor Agrawal added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“[This research] also suggests infection control measures will need to continue in the post-vaccine era.”</span></p>

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COVID-19 epicentre Wuhan records new cluster of cases after relaxing lockdown

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>The Chinese city of Wuhan has reported six new cases of COVID-19 over the last few days which marks the first officially documented re-emergence of the virus in over a month.</p> <p>Wuhan is the city where the coronavirus first broke out last December and had not recorded a new case since April 3rd. The city had since eased lockdowns and reopened schools.</p> <p>The first new Wuhan case was previously asymptomatic, and the 89-year-old man had not left his residential compound since the Lunar New Year in late January.</p> <p>His wife also tested positive for the virus despite showing no symptoms, the Wuhan municipal health commission said.</p> <p>The residential compound has had 20 confirmed cases and experts say that the new round of infections was mainly due to previous community infections.</p> <p>The new cases highlight the potential for new clusters of infections due to carriers who do not look ill or have a fever.</p> <p>On Sunday, authorities also reported new coronavirus cases in northeast China, with one city in Jilin province being reclassified as high-risk, the top of a three-tier zoning system.</p> <p>The city of Shulan was raised from medium to high after raising it from low to medium the day before after a woman tested positive on May 7th.</p> <p>The new cases spike the overall number of confirmed new cases in mainland China to 14, which is the highest reported number since April 28.</p> <p>In Wuhan, more than 20,000 people will be tested in the area where the cluster of new cases was found.</p> <p>Almost 4,000 people have died across the city according to the official tally.</p> <p>There is speculation that the figure could be higher as China faces questions from other countries about the accuracy of its reporting on COVID-19 cases.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Coronavirus in Wuhan: Residents shout ‘stay strong’ from windows

<p>In Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, <a href="https://youtu.be/bqXfnN76S-I">residents have been shouting</a> “Wuhan <em>jiāyóu</em>” meaning, “Wuhan, stay strong” out of their windows, from apartment building to apartment building, to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51276496">send words of encouragement</a> to fellow citizens, doctors and medical staff at the front lines of the battle.</p> <p>When facing a crisis, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2011.541774">humans historically seek solidarity</a>. Community solidarity is often seen as a great way for the community to feel alive and charged with energy after facing hard times.</p> <p>This solidarity was seen after <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/hurricane-katrinas-lesson-in-civics/402961/">Hurricane Katrina</a> in New Orleans in 2005, after <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/typhoon-haiyan-filipinos-use-social-media-ensure-no-victim-goes-flna2D11581515">Typhoon Haiyan</a> in the Philippines in 2013 and after the <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/random-acts-of-kindness-during-the-fort-mcmurray-fire/">Fort McMurray wildfires</a> in Alberta in 2016.</p> <p>More recently, there are tales of <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/andie-bulman-pov-bartering-storm-1.5435804">neighbours shovelling each other out of their homes </a> after the historic snowstorm in St. John’s, N.L. Near Manila, <a href="https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1213189/bayanihan-eruption-unaffected-cities-towns-welcome-evacuees?fbclid=IwAR1w0IUcuPh_Z8sCk2MBJgR23bGOVMVfoLWCz6U4Hyyn-kO6Vh5hAzBdKt0">strangers offered up their homes</a> to evacuees of the Taal volcano eruption.</p> <p>But how do you show community solidarity in the face of a crisis when speaking with your neighbours — and coming together — could literally kill you?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bqXfnN76S-I?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption">‘Wuhan jiāyóu’: chants of solidarity spread across city at epicentre of coronavirus" video from ‘The Guardian.’</span></p> <p><strong>Boost morale</strong></p> <p>As the 11 million citizens in Wuhan entered the nth day under lockdown because of the coronavirus, people have been forced to stay indoors to limit their contact with others. As fears grew, some felt the need to boost morale and create a sense of community solidarity.</p> <p>Soon, social media posts circulated asking residents in Wuhan to go to their windows and shout out “<em>jiāyóu</em>” starting at 8 p.m. local time. The posts were widely shared, leading to the phenomenon that took place.</p> <p><em>Jiāyóu</em> (加油) directly translates to “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-45897668/add-oil-the-new-expression-coming-your-way">add oil</a>” in a way that might mean “add gasoline to your car” so you can continue to push hard and do what you need to do. In a general sense, the sentiment is “stay strong” or “keep going.” <em>Jiāyóu</em> is a common phrase used to encourage someone if they are facing a challenge.</p> <p>As the city of Wuhan faces the life and death challenge of the coronavirus, <em>jiāyóu</em> works as a phrase that resonates with residents of a city struggling to survive.</p> <p>“Wuhan <em>jiāyóu</em>” (武汉! 加油!) is now the motto of Wuhan to keep spirits high in the face of this spreading pandemic.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312746/original/file-20200130-41485-17ocjao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">A comment left on ‘The Guardian’s’ Youtube video of the ‘jiāyóu’ chants.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">YouTube/The Guardian</span></span></p> <p>In addition to raising morale and giving a strong sign of life to a city that has been rendered a ghost town, the <em>jiāyóu</em> chants have also served another purpose: for the global media audience, it has helped to humanize the citizens of Wuhan.</p> <p><strong>Apocalyptic fear</strong></p> <p>Even with the exceptional stories like the reporting of “Wuhan <em>jiayou</em>” by <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51276496">the BBC </a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/28/indoor-fishing-and-chanting-battles-how-chinas-quarantined-millions-are-keeping-busy"><em>Guardian</em></a>, western media <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i4fvH-EFDU_xzP-gt3OxZR0RGAvLqU5J/view">has been shown to</a> inevitably contribute to reducing the people at the core of these stories into numbers and statistics.</p> <p>So far, it seems, with a few exceptions, western mainstream media has focused on medical and scientific stories. The images and videos shared of Wuhan <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jan/27/china-coronavirus-who-to-hold-special-meeting-in-beijing-as-death-toll-jumps">are of a ravaged</a> and scary ghost town. Some include <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/asia/100000006936419/coronavirus-china-wuhan.html">videos of overflowing hospitals</a> and medical staff in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/jan/30/coronavirus-live-updates-china-death-toll-wuhan-evacuation-foreign-nationals-citizens-latest-news">heavy protective gear</a>. Others have spread stories of <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-rumours-panic-coronavirus-outbreak-1.5443998">apocalyptic fear</a>. Many social media posters have engaged in <a href="https://twitter.com/SimuLiu/status/1222459446799921153?s=20">fear mongering</a>. With all this, it can seem that few have treated the citizens of Wuhan as anything but <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6466587/coronavirus-risk-reaction/">potential carriers of the virus</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312903/original/file-20200130-41516-38tn9c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">Simi Liu, recently cast as Marvel’s first Asian superhero has been speaking out against the racist fear mongering circulating on Twitter.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://twitter.com/SimuLiu/status/1222459446799921153?s=20" class="source">(Twitter/@similiu)</a></span></p> <p>While these videos and images depict the reality of a city dealing with a pandemic, the face masks and crowded hospitals allow viewers to overlook the silent majority — the tens of millions of people in self-isolation at home.</p> <p>The <em>jiāyóu</em> chant and the videos that captured it have since gone viral. It is a way for citizens to reclaim their narrative. It helps to draw attention to the millions of diligent and law-abiding citizens who are doing their job in fighting this pandemic and encouraging others to keeping going in this fight against an invisible virus.</p> <p>I believe the humanization of the Wuhan citizens helped to send a wake up call to the world about the plight of those not infected but isolated in their homes. Many westerners have largely focused on whether the virus will spread in their countries. Few may have stopped to think of those in lock down in Wuhan and other cities in China.</p> <p>Some took to social media to ask why the world is not praying for Wuhan or China. Why are there no Facebook profile filters to show solidarity with those struggling against the virus?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312741/original/file-20200130-41554-1q6puo7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">Screenshot of Orlando Uy’s Facebook comment about the lack of Pray for China activities on social media.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Facebook/Orlando Uy)</span></span></p> <p>Most recently, in Wuhan, <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/chinese-premier-inspects-wuhan-supermarket-120000938.html">Premier Li Keqiang’s visited</a> a Wuhan supermarket where the coronavirus allegedly originated. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPfZmZZ9M0o">In an act of solidarity, he chanted “<em>jiāyóu</em> Wuhan”</a> with a crowd of shoppers to encourage them to continue fighting the coronavirus.</p> <p>While the premier was likely genuine, there is also a small warning in this government official’s act. There is a risk that acts of solidarity like “Wuhan <em>jiāyóu</em>” could be co-opted by government bodies to shift attention or responsibility away from authorities.</p> <p>This type of co-option was observed in <a href="https://odihpn.org/blog/bayanihan-after-typhoon-haiyan-are-we-romanticising-an-indigenous-coping-strategy/">the exaggerated use of “resilience” and “survival” narratives</a> after Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines to paint a picture of a rapidly recovering community doing well by being resourceful and helping each other.</p> <p>These narratives of community resilience pushed forth by official government messages can act to shift responsibility away from the state and international humanitarian organizations that have formal responsibilities in disaster risk reduction and recovery.</p> <p>Thus, Premier Li Keqiang was able to use the peoples’ chant, “Wuhan <em>jiāyóu</em>” to rally support in the grocery store. But he did not create a space for questions about accountability and government action. This is often the double-edged sword of community solidarity: it is powerful, but it can also be misused by the powerful. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130851/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qPfZmZZ9M0o?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption">Premier Li Kequiang shouting ‘Wuhan jiayou.’</span></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yvonne-su-742700">Yvonne Su</a>, PhD, International Development and Political Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-guelph-1071">University of Guelph</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-in-wuhan-residents-shout-stay-strong-from-windows-130851">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Newborn tested positive for coronavirus 30 hours after birth

<p>A 30-hour-old infant born in a Wuhan hospital has become the youngest person to catch the new coronavirus.</p> <p>The newborn’s mother was found to have contracted the virus before giving birth on February 2 at Wuhan Children Hospital. The baby’s case suggested that the new virus could be passed on to unborn children, scientists said.</p> <p>“This reminds us to pay attention to mother-to-child being a possible route of coronavirus transmission,” said Zeng Lingkong, the chief physician at the hospital’s neonatal department.</p> <p>The infected infant has no fever or cough but experienced shortness of breath, according to <em>CCTV</em>.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">An infant in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wuhan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wuhan</a> has tested positive for the novel <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a> just 30 hours after birth, said the city's children's hospital, raising concerns that infection could be contracted in the womb <a href="https://t.co/j8FIdqKgAS">pic.twitter.com/j8FIdqKgAS</a></p> — People's Daily, China (@PDChina) <a href="https://twitter.com/PDChina/status/1225042136980230144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>The hospital also confirmed a second case of a newborn showing symptoms 16 days after their birth. The baby’s mother and nanny were <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/newborn-infected-with-coronavirus-raising-fears-illness-can-be-transmitted-from-mother-to-unborn-baby/ar-BBZGdIh?li=AAgfYrC">found to be infected</a> in the days following the birth on 13 January. The infant is not in a critical condition, doctors said.</p> <p>“Whether it was the baby’s nanny who passed to the virus to the mother who passed it to the baby, we cannot be sure at the moment,” Zeng said.</p> <p>“But we can confirm that the baby was in close contact with patients infected with the new coronavirus, which says newborns can also be infected.”</p> <p>However, Stephen Morse, an epidemiologist at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, told <em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/wuhan-coronavirus-in-infant-born-from-infected-mother-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">Business Insider</a></em> that an in-utero transmission was unlikely.</p> <p>“It’s more likely that the baby contracted the virus from the hospital environment, the same way healthcare workers get infected by the patients they treat,” Morse said.</p> <p>“It’s quite possible that the baby picked it up very conventionally – by inhaling virus droplets that came from the mother coughing.”</p> <p>More than 24,500 people around the world have now contracted the virus, with the death toll approaching 500.</p>

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