One can imagine what can happen if a more dangerous virus like smallpox showed up. Or even if the coronavirus was just a few times more dangerous.
It's just natural selection.
One can imagine what can happen if a more dangerous virus like smallpox showed up. Or even if the coronavirus was just a few times more dangerous.
It's just natural selection.
It has happened before. That disease is called MERS. It never become as major threat because it was not as virulent as Covid. It lacked ease of transmission as Covid does.
Thats not the end of it however. MERS is endemic in animals likes Camels. Apparently, Covid can also occur in few animals. IF showhow the wrong Camel got inflicted by Covid and the virus recombines (RNA viruses do that when host is infected with more than one viruses) and some weirdo kisses that Camel (The folks in middle east do it at times), you will have something which you don't want to have: MERS (fatality rate 30-40%) which spreads like covid. It will be troublesome to say the least.
If anyone thinks that it is a mere imagination, here is one study about MERS (MERS-CoV recombination: implications about the reservoir and potential for adaptation)
Its conclusion is this :
Two things have changed since this study came :
1. Covid is now endemic in humans.
2. Covid can in theory infect animals too.
Now if Covid jumps from a Human to a Camel and resulting product jumps back (someone gets too friendly with Camels, hint hint).
OR
If someone having Covid gets too friendly with Camels (again hint hint).
Result will not be pretty. Heck one can even precipitate it. Start a trend in Saudi or Iran regarding Kiss a Camel via twitter. It has happened before (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...cary-reason-saudi-farmers-are-kissing-camels/).
Last edited:
Very strange. Next to India, Brazil had the most robust pharma industry in the developing world.It seems ever since the IPRs under the WTO was implemented, both India & Brazil had to compromise a lot, with India somehow persevering but Brazil succumbing.
Boris Johnson's government reportedly believes the coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from a Chinese laboratory
Boris Johnson's government reportedly believes the coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from a Chinese laboratory
[email protected] (Adam Payne)
Business InsiderApril 6, 2020, 12:50 PM GMT+1
A laboratory technician working on samples from people to be tested for the new coronavirus at "Fire Eye" laboratory in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province in February.More
Scroll back up to restore default view.
The UK government believes the coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan where Chinese scientists were researching the virus, according to a Mail on Sunday newspaper report.
Most experts believe the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus began in markets in the Chinese city of Wuhan when animals passed on the disease to humans.
However, The Mail on Sunday report says that while officials in Boris Johnson's government believe this is still the most likely explanation, it is "no longer being discounted" that a leak from a nearby laboratory actually caused the outbreak.
A member of the UK government's emergency committee of senior officials, COBRA, told the newspaper: "There is a credible alternative view [to the zoonotic theory] based on the nature of the virus. Perhaps it is no coincidence that there is that laboratory in Wuhan. It is not discounted."
There are two scientific labs within close proximity of of Wuhan where scientists are believed to have been carrying out tests on the coronavirus: the Institute of Virology, and the the Wuhan Centre for Disease Control.
Both are within 10 miles of the animal market where it is believed the outbreak started.
The reports come as Prime Minister Johnson is admitted to hospital for "persistent symptoms" of the coronavirus.
Johnson was admitted to a London hospital on Sunday where he received oxygen treatment and remained for tests on Monday.
Scientists disagree on whether an accidental laboratory leak is a plausible explanation.
One biologist who believes it cannot be ruled out is Professor Richard Ebright of Rutgers University's Waksman Institute of Microbiology.
Ebright is quoted in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as saying many of the scientists in Wuhan who have been working on the coronavirus have only had "minimal protections" against infection.
"Virus collection, culture, isolation, or animal infection at BSL-2 [moderate biosafety level] with a virus having the transmission characteristics of the outbreak virus would pose substantial risk of infection of a lab worker, and from the lab worker, the public," he says.
He goes on to say the evidence available leaves "a basis to rule out a lab construct, but no basis to rule out a lab accident."
Johnson's government has reportedly started to question the veracity of China's statements regarding the coronavirus.
Last week it was reported that UK officials were furious with the Chinese state for spreading disinformation about the severity of the pandemic, and believed China had up to 40 more cases of the virus than it had claimed.
On Sunday, March 29, senior UK minister Michael Gove told the BBC he was skeptical of the China numbers.
"It was the case … [that] the first case of coronavirus in China was established in December of last year, but it was also the case that some of the reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this," he said.
A report by the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee published on Monday accused the Chinese government of spreading "disinformation" about the spread of the virus.
"Disinformation about COVID-19 has already cost lives," the committee found.
"It is essential that the Government issues clear and transparent messages at home to confront and rebut disinformation spread by foreign powers."
Boris Johnson's government reportedly believes the coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from a Chinese laboratory
[email protected] (Adam Payne)
Business InsiderApril 6, 2020, 12:50 PM GMT+1
A laboratory technician working on samples from people to be tested for the new coronavirus at "Fire Eye" laboratory in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province in February.More
Scroll back up to restore default view.
The UK government believes the coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan where Chinese scientists were researching the virus, according to a Mail on Sunday newspaper report.
Most experts believe the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus began in markets in the Chinese city of Wuhan when animals passed on the disease to humans.
However, The Mail on Sunday report says that while officials in Boris Johnson's government believe this is still the most likely explanation, it is "no longer being discounted" that a leak from a nearby laboratory actually caused the outbreak.
A member of the UK government's emergency committee of senior officials, COBRA, told the newspaper: "There is a credible alternative view [to the zoonotic theory] based on the nature of the virus. Perhaps it is no coincidence that there is that laboratory in Wuhan. It is not discounted."
There are two scientific labs within close proximity of of Wuhan where scientists are believed to have been carrying out tests on the coronavirus: the Institute of Virology, and the the Wuhan Centre for Disease Control.
Both are within 10 miles of the animal market where it is believed the outbreak started.
The reports come as Prime Minister Johnson is admitted to hospital for "persistent symptoms" of the coronavirus.
Johnson was admitted to a London hospital on Sunday where he received oxygen treatment and remained for tests on Monday.
Scientists disagree on whether an accidental laboratory leak is a plausible explanation.
One biologist who believes it cannot be ruled out is Professor Richard Ebright of Rutgers University's Waksman Institute of Microbiology.
Ebright is quoted in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as saying many of the scientists in Wuhan who have been working on the coronavirus have only had "minimal protections" against infection.
"Virus collection, culture, isolation, or animal infection at BSL-2 [moderate biosafety level] with a virus having the transmission characteristics of the outbreak virus would pose substantial risk of infection of a lab worker, and from the lab worker, the public," he says.
He goes on to say the evidence available leaves "a basis to rule out a lab construct, but no basis to rule out a lab accident."
Johnson's government has reportedly started to question the veracity of China's statements regarding the coronavirus.
Last week it was reported that UK officials were furious with the Chinese state for spreading disinformation about the severity of the pandemic, and believed China had up to 40 more cases of the virus than it had claimed.
On Sunday, March 29, senior UK minister Michael Gove told the BBC he was skeptical of the China numbers.
"It was the case … [that] the first case of coronavirus in China was established in December of last year, but it was also the case that some of the reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this," he said.
A report by the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee published on Monday accused the Chinese government of spreading "disinformation" about the spread of the virus.
"Disinformation about COVID-19 has already cost lives," the committee found.
"It is essential that the Government issues clear and transparent messages at home to confront and rebut disinformation spread by foreign powers."
We wonder if Boris Hustling Johnson & his colleagues in the cabinet would continue to hold the same views when a few of them are at pearly gates, Paddy.Boris Johnson's government reportedly believes the coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from a Chinese laboratory
Boris Johnson's government reportedly believes the coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from a Chinese laboratory
[email protected] (Adam Payne)
Business InsiderApril 6, 2020, 12:50 PM GMT+1
A laboratory technician working on samples from people to be tested for the new coronavirus at "Fire Eye" laboratory in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province in February.More
Scroll back up to restore default view.
The UK government believes the coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan where Chinese scientists were researching the virus, according to a Mail on Sunday newspaper report.
Most experts believe the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus began in markets in the Chinese city of Wuhan when animals passed on the disease to humans.
However, The Mail on Sunday report says that while officials in Boris Johnson's government believe this is still the most likely explanation, it is "no longer being discounted" that a leak from a nearby laboratory actually caused the outbreak.
A member of the UK government's emergency committee of senior officials, COBRA, told the newspaper: "There is a credible alternative view [to the zoonotic theory] based on the nature of the virus. Perhaps it is no coincidence that there is that laboratory in Wuhan. It is not discounted."
There are two scientific labs within close proximity of of Wuhan where scientists are believed to have been carrying out tests on the coronavirus: the Institute of Virology, and the the Wuhan Centre for Disease Control.
Both are within 10 miles of the animal market where it is believed the outbreak started.
The reports come as Prime Minister Johnson is admitted to hospital for "persistent symptoms" of the coronavirus.
Johnson was admitted to a London hospital on Sunday where he received oxygen treatment and remained for tests on Monday.
Scientists disagree on whether an accidental laboratory leak is a plausible explanation.
One biologist who believes it cannot be ruled out is Professor Richard Ebright of Rutgers University's Waksman Institute of Microbiology.
Ebright is quoted in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as saying many of the scientists in Wuhan who have been working on the coronavirus have only had "minimal protections" against infection.
"Virus collection, culture, isolation, or animal infection at BSL-2 [moderate biosafety level] with a virus having the transmission characteristics of the outbreak virus would pose substantial risk of infection of a lab worker, and from the lab worker, the public," he says.
He goes on to say the evidence available leaves "a basis to rule out a lab construct, but no basis to rule out a lab accident."
Johnson's government has reportedly started to question the veracity of China's statements regarding the coronavirus.
Last week it was reported that UK officials were furious with the Chinese state for spreading disinformation about the severity of the pandemic, and believed China had up to 40 more cases of the virus than it had claimed.
On Sunday, March 29, senior UK minister Michael Gove told the BBC he was skeptical of the China numbers.
"It was the case … [that] the first case of coronavirus in China was established in December of last year, but it was also the case that some of the reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this," he said.
A report by the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee published on Monday accused the Chinese government of spreading "disinformation" about the spread of the virus.
"Disinformation about COVID-19 has already cost lives," the committee found.
"It is essential that the Government issues clear and transparent messages at home to confront and rebut disinformation spread by foreign powers."
Medical Education and Drugs Department,Maharashtra (@Maha_MEDD) on Twitter
This is the BEST source of information for All INDIA cases and district wise cases of Maharashtra even better than ICMR
Click on the link
This is the BEST source of information for All INDIA cases and district wise cases of Maharashtra even better than ICMR
Click on the link
They do ? Didn't know that. May be they don't make enough of this drug that's why the request.
Coronavirus outbreak has reached community transmission stage in Mumbai, says BMC
Fresh positive cases emerging in Mumbai are neither immediate contracts of patients nor have any travel history.
Published: 07th April 2020; 08:03 PM
By Sudhir Suryawanshi
Express News Service
A view of deserted roads near Dharavi during a nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai Thursday April 2 2020. (Photo | PTI)
MUMBAI: The community spreading of coronavirus has apparently started in Mumbai and it's adjoining localities as the fresh positive cases emerging from there are neither immediate contracts of patients nor have any travel history.
Mumbai has 525 coronavirus positive cases while 34 deaths reported. In its report, BMC said out of 34 people who died of COVID-19, 11 had no pre-history of aliments.
According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the coronavirus positive cases reported in large number from slum pockets and highly dense areas of Mumbai. The G/South ward of the BMC has got 78 cases - the largest in the city. In in this ward, most of the patient are reported from fishermen colony of Worli, Prabhadevi and Lower Parel.
The D ward which has Byculla in its limits, has got the second highest number of cases. Localities such as Dharavi, Kurla, Nehru Nagar, Bandra and Andheri too have significant number of positive cases.
"We are more worried and concerned about the health workers and doctors who have been tested coronavirus positive. In Mumbai, more than 50 people from medical fraternity are detected as virus positive. The community spreading has therefore been started as we see a surge in number of cases from various part of the city. They have neither international travel history nor immediate contact. We are declaring these areas as contaminated cluster and subsequently sealing them," sais senior BMC officer.
However, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the the local administration was quick to deal with the crisis. Due to BMC's pro-active measures, Mumbai has less number of cases compared to other metropolitian cities around the world.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope visited Dharavi and and other slum areas to check and review the situation. "I have asked to increase the number of ventilators and testing. It will help detect more cases and subsequently take quick measures to prevent outbreak of coronavirus. The situation is under control," Tope said.
Coronavirus outbreak has reached community transmission stage in Mumbai, says BMC
Fresh positive cases emerging in Mumbai are neither immediate contracts of patients nor have any travel history.
Published: 07th April 2020; 08:03 PM
By Sudhir Suryawanshi
Express News Service
A view of deserted roads near Dharavi during a nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai Thursday April 2 2020. (Photo | PTI)
MUMBAI: The community spreading of coronavirus has apparently started in Mumbai and it's adjoining localities as the fresh positive cases emerging from there are neither immediate contracts of patients nor have any travel history.
Mumbai has 525 coronavirus positive cases while 34 deaths reported. In its report, BMC said out of 34 people who died of COVID-19, 11 had no pre-history of aliments.
According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the coronavirus positive cases reported in large number from slum pockets and highly dense areas of Mumbai. The G/South ward of the BMC has got 78 cases - the largest in the city. In in this ward, most of the patient are reported from fishermen colony of Worli, Prabhadevi and Lower Parel.
The D ward which has Byculla in its limits, has got the second highest number of cases. Localities such as Dharavi, Kurla, Nehru Nagar, Bandra and Andheri too have significant number of positive cases.
"We are more worried and concerned about the health workers and doctors who have been tested coronavirus positive. In Mumbai, more than 50 people from medical fraternity are detected as virus positive. The community spreading has therefore been started as we see a surge in number of cases from various part of the city. They have neither international travel history nor immediate contact. We are declaring these areas as contaminated cluster and subsequently sealing them," sais senior BMC officer.
However, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the the local administration was quick to deal with the crisis. Due to BMC's pro-active measures, Mumbai has less number of cases compared to other metropolitian cities around the world.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope visited Dharavi and and other slum areas to check and review the situation. "I have asked to increase the number of ventilators and testing. It will help detect more cases and subsequently take quick measures to prevent outbreak of coronavirus. The situation is under control," Tope said.
Coronavirus outbreak has reached community transmission stage in Mumbai, says BMC
Bigger economic package to fight COVID-19 on cards, announcement soon
Updated: 08 Apr 2020, 12:53 PM IST
By IANS
India Inc has been waiting for a package that would address some of the immediate problems and provide to sectors bearing the maximum brunt.
NEW DELHI : The government may come out with another big package to address the demand and supply side issues facing the country, but its contours and timing of the announcement is yet to be worked out, senior government officials privy to the development said.
They added that the next economic stimulus package would be bigger than the ₹1,70,000 crore worth of schemes announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last month focusing on providing food security to the poor and providing money in their hands to fight the Covid-19.
"The finance ministry is regularly interacting with various economic ministries and getting inputs from them over measures that would be required to give stimulus to the economy in this difficult period. These could be further discussed to finalise a concrete plan once the situation of lockdown becomes a bit clearer. In a lockdown many of the measures that the government announced may not yield desired results," the officials quoted earlier said.
The next set of stimulus may focus on concerns of India Inc. and the SME segments, and in particular a relief package for the travel and aviation sectors bearing the maximum brunt of present lockdown. Also, demand side measures could look at tax breaks for taxpayers and relief from duty on major items of consumption. Also, measures to provide more strength to the capital market may also be considered.
There is also a suggestion to involve five to six big corporate houses in the production of key items of consumption for the masses so that the country did not face shortages once demand picked up. This could be done by providing direct linkages of farmers with corporate entities so that key food produce reaches the factories for processing and production.
India Inc has been waiting for a package that would address some of the immediate problems and provide to sectors bearing the maximum brunt. Among the suggestions include withdrawal of LTCG temporarily, remove buyback tax while defer payment of corporate tax. The industry has also suggested that timelines for qualifying delays in loan repayment as NPAs should also be extended.
"While lockdown measures seem to be working in reducing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic globally, the associated loss of income for a large section of the society in India could hurt consumer spends. There is a broad-based expectation from the Indian government to look at additional fiscal measures to counter the effect of the likely slowdown in the economy," Kotak institutional equities said in report on consumer spend.
While announcing the last package, Sitharaman had indicated that concerns of the India Inc. and SME segments and other segments of the economy impacted by the present lockdown may be looked at and government will come up with a plan later.
"Our first priority is to reach food to the poor and reach money in their hand. We will think about other things later," Sitharaman had said then.
To a specific question on relief for travel and aviation sectors bearing the maximum brunt of present lockdown, the finance minister said : "we will come back when something is ready."
There was meeting of the officials of various ministries on Sunday where the possibility of redesigning some welfare and other government schemes was also discussed. The plan is to tailor-made schemes to suit the post-lockdown situation.
One of the group of senior bureaucrats constituted by the prime minister to prepare India's response to COVID-19, is specially tasked to finalise a set of economic measures needed to help the economy stand on its feet post lockdown.
The next package would be third in line by the government that has already relaxed a lot of compliance related issues and provided a package for the list vulnerable sections of the society.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
Bigger economic package to fight COVID-19 on cards, announcement soon
Updated: 08 Apr 2020, 12:53 PM IST
By IANS
- The next set of stimulus may focus on concerns of India Inc. and the SME segments
- Demand side measures could look at tax breaks for taxpayers and relief from duty on major items of consumption
India Inc has been waiting for a package that would address some of the immediate problems and provide to sectors bearing the maximum brunt.
NEW DELHI : The government may come out with another big package to address the demand and supply side issues facing the country, but its contours and timing of the announcement is yet to be worked out, senior government officials privy to the development said.
They added that the next economic stimulus package would be bigger than the ₹1,70,000 crore worth of schemes announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last month focusing on providing food security to the poor and providing money in their hands to fight the Covid-19.
"The finance ministry is regularly interacting with various economic ministries and getting inputs from them over measures that would be required to give stimulus to the economy in this difficult period. These could be further discussed to finalise a concrete plan once the situation of lockdown becomes a bit clearer. In a lockdown many of the measures that the government announced may not yield desired results," the officials quoted earlier said.
The next set of stimulus may focus on concerns of India Inc. and the SME segments, and in particular a relief package for the travel and aviation sectors bearing the maximum brunt of present lockdown. Also, demand side measures could look at tax breaks for taxpayers and relief from duty on major items of consumption. Also, measures to provide more strength to the capital market may also be considered.
There is also a suggestion to involve five to six big corporate houses in the production of key items of consumption for the masses so that the country did not face shortages once demand picked up. This could be done by providing direct linkages of farmers with corporate entities so that key food produce reaches the factories for processing and production.
India Inc has been waiting for a package that would address some of the immediate problems and provide to sectors bearing the maximum brunt. Among the suggestions include withdrawal of LTCG temporarily, remove buyback tax while defer payment of corporate tax. The industry has also suggested that timelines for qualifying delays in loan repayment as NPAs should also be extended.
"While lockdown measures seem to be working in reducing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic globally, the associated loss of income for a large section of the society in India could hurt consumer spends. There is a broad-based expectation from the Indian government to look at additional fiscal measures to counter the effect of the likely slowdown in the economy," Kotak institutional equities said in report on consumer spend.
While announcing the last package, Sitharaman had indicated that concerns of the India Inc. and SME segments and other segments of the economy impacted by the present lockdown may be looked at and government will come up with a plan later.
"Our first priority is to reach food to the poor and reach money in their hand. We will think about other things later," Sitharaman had said then.
To a specific question on relief for travel and aviation sectors bearing the maximum brunt of present lockdown, the finance minister said : "we will come back when something is ready."
There was meeting of the officials of various ministries on Sunday where the possibility of redesigning some welfare and other government schemes was also discussed. The plan is to tailor-made schemes to suit the post-lockdown situation.
One of the group of senior bureaucrats constituted by the prime minister to prepare India's response to COVID-19, is specially tasked to finalise a set of economic measures needed to help the economy stand on its feet post lockdown.
The next package would be third in line by the government that has already relaxed a lot of compliance related issues and provided a package for the list vulnerable sections of the society.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
Bigger economic package to fight COVID-19 on cards, announcement soon