
<p><strong>With sensors, smart devices, intelligent equipment and data-driven analytics, next generation technologies and virtual training programs are bringing personalized fitness into the lounge, offering elite athletes and home users the same access to exceptional quality training, regardless of location.</strong></p>



<p>Intelligent clothing and accessories, smart dumbbells, interactive interfaces, artificial intelligence (AI) customized training programs and smart sensors are changing the shape of the sports market – and that of their users.</p>



<p>According to Data Bridge Market Research, the Middle East and Africa fitness equipment market is expected to reach $514.87 million by 2031 at a compound annual growth rate (cagr) of 4.60% with South Africa expected to take the lead with innovations around fit- ness equipment that uses next-generation technologies. Joining South Africa in leveraging AI to enhance fitness training and wellbeing, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya are also paying attention to the value of AI with interest- ing innovations in virtual trainers, online training plat- forms, and real-time physical monitoring tools.</p>



<p>AI has the potential to fix the problems that people create when they are left to do workouts on their own. It can also be used to enhance the training programs used by coaches to train elite athletes thanks to in- depth data and real-time analytics.</p>



<p>“There are two elements that are important to a coach – measuring and monitoring – as these allow you to prescribe the ideal overload and get the timing of the overload,” explains Ian Martin, Endurance Sports Coach at Coach One. “Technology has played a huge role taking this to another level. Instead of spreadsheets and the limited intelligence of the initial heartrate monitors, i can now fine-tune training cycles.”</p>



<p>Metrics such as sleep, nutrition and recovery can benefit from AI which provides coaches with an exten- sive source of data that can even include environmen- tal factors that play a significant role when preparing an athlete. “The technology is providing athletes and coaches with access to exceptional data that allows them to keep their finger on the pulse – pun intended,” says Martin. “Technology has allowed us to deliver the right information in the right format to anyone, regardless of their level of education or accessibility.”</p>



<p>It is also not exclusively the domain of the elite ath- lete. Anyone can benefit from AI-powered accessories and virtual solutions. iGym in Kenya, for example, uses AI to customize workouts and provide nutrition plans for users, the data built on the expertise provided by trained fitness consultants. It enhances this with ac- cess to guides, articles, videos and calculators designed to make fitness easy and accessible. As Joseph Muongi Kamau, Founder of iGym, explains: “We use AI to cre- ate custom workout plans, training content and provide real-time fitness advice. We opted into using AI as it al- lows us to serve more individuals at scale and generate more accurate workouts and wellness plans that meet their needs. We have seen a significant improvement in fitness results, retention and motivation among clients who use the platform.”</p>



<p>This increased engagement is exactly what was found in a recent paper in Ghana. The researchers established that the use of emerging technologies could be used to improve the health and fitness of sedentary groups. The study focused on Ghanian students and it found that the more aware students were of the technologies and how they could be used to improve their physical wellbeing, the more likely they were to use them.</p>



<p>And AI has the potential to reduce injury and im- prove the quality of workouts. Another paper by Mi- chael Deyzel, Computer Vision Engineer at Stellen- bosch-based startup Hawktivity, in collaboration with Dr Rensu Theart, Senior Lecturer at Stellenbosch Uni- versity in South Africa, wanted to find how AI could be used to enhance workouts, virtual coaching and fitness. “Our project started in collaboration with the Sports Science department to find a way if people did their strength and conditioning exercises correctly,” explains Theart. “Athletes would be given instructions but then lose the correct posture over time which could cause injury and it wasn’t feasible for everyone to have a personal trainer. So, we asked what if there was a system that could automatically tell someone if their posture was correct?”</p>



<p>It turns out that yes, AI can be used to develop a system capable of learning how someone moves and provide intelligent feedback and coaching. “The big disadvantage of AI is that it needs a lot of training data and for fitness, a lot of the datasets needed to train the AI don’t exist yet. The idea of this paper was to find out if AI could learn how to do an exercise perfectly with only one example of that exercise,” says Deyzel. Turns out – this is entirely possible and it is also, believes Dey- zel, something that can democratize sports training in Africa. Just not quite yet.</p>



<p>“The system could potentially be used by anyone indefinitely as a way of supporting elite athlete train- ing – it can provide metrics, insights and guidance when there is limited access to a personal trainer,” says Deyzel. “It does democratize access just a bit, but there needs to be funding behind it because these sys- tems cost money to train, run and set up.”</p>



<p>These systems are also evolving at a radical rate on the global stage. Many of the technologies aren’t avail- able on the continent and, if they are, they’re selling at an exorbitant price. The MAGIC mirror uses AI to provide users with live feedback and real-time pos- ture corrections while they workout at home. Boxing, strength training, dancing and soccer training are some of the workouts included in the futuristic, touch-screen mirror that retails for £400 ($531). Then, there’s the ex- plosion of solutions using sensors, AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance sporting performance in clothing. According to GlobalData’s Technology Fore- sights, more than 76,000 patents have been filed in the past three years. These are aimed at detecting metrics such as environment, speed, acceleration, impact, force and more and the data they generate? This has multiple applications across performance, design, and function- ality.</p>



<p>“AI allows us to coach based on the individual and to personalize the experience for people,” concludes Karen Loader, master franchisor for F45 Training. The company uses a fitness programming algorithm that leverages a content database of several thousand unique training movements to offer new workouts ev- ery day that are accessible globally. “We can provide the same workouts to people anywhere – be they in Cape Town or Nairobi – and use real data to transform their performance or their recovery.”</p>



<p>Is AI going to change the shape of sports? Yes.</p>



<p>Intelligent clothing and accessories may be out of pocket for most people on the continent right now but virtual training programs and platforms are eas- ily available and perfectly attuned to what the African market needs and wants.</p>



<p>This combination of AI and digital brings person- alized fitness into the lounge, offering elite athletes and home users the same access to exceptional quality training, regardless of their location. It is perhaps the era of athletic democratization as local gets the same training flavor as global.</p>


Untitleqqqqd

The Changing Shape Of Sport: How AI Is Playing Fitness Instructor


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>The first mRNA mpox vaccine to be pitted against licensed vaccines beat its rivals by easing symptoms and potentially cutting transmission, according to new research published Tuesday, a coup for manufacturer Moderna as it strives to prove itself beyond COVID-19 amid efforts to contain an escalating outbreak of mpox in Africa.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>The peer reviewed study, published in the journal Cell, marks the first time an mRNA vaccine has been directly compared to the already-licenced shot, Bavarian Nordic’s modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine, sold under brand names Jynneos, Imvamune and Imvanex, in nonhuman primates, said Moderna virology researcher and author Alec Freyn.</p>



<p>To test the two shots, researchers from Moderna, the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Boston University gave each vaccine to six macaques, exposing them to a lethal strain of the virus eight weeks later and monitoring their health and blood for signs of an immune response for another month.</p>



<p>All animals vaccinated with Bavarian Nordic’s MVA shot and Moderna’s experimental vaccine, mRNA-1769, survived the trial, while five of the six macaques in an unvaccinated control group died from the disease, researchers said, and the Moderna group had higher numbers of antibodies in blood samples, suggesting a stronger immune response.</p>



<p>As well as preventing lethal infections, the researchers said Moderna’s investigational vaccine reduced disease severity compared to the licensed shot—mRNA-immunized macaques had a maximum of 54 mpox lesions compared to 607 in the Bavarian group and 1,448 in the unvaccinated group—and shortened disease duration by more than 10 days.</p>



<p>Macaques in the mRNA group also had lower amounts of the mpox virus in both their blood and throat swabs, suggesting Moderna’s vaccine could also be effective at reducing virus transmission.</p>



<p>“With the mRNA technology, we&#8217;re able to produce a vaccine that gives quite potent responses with a very tolerable safety profile,” said senior author Jay Hooper, a virologist at USAMRIID, adding that an mRNA shot could help prevent the disease spreading without the safety issues that prevent widespread use of some other vaccines used for mpox, such as Emergent BioSolutions’ smallpox shot ACAM2000.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral illness caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. In August, the World Health Organization&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/08/16/who-declares-mpox-a-public-health-emergency-heres-what-to-know/">declared</a>&nbsp;a growing outbreak in central Africa a public health emergency of international concern. It is the second time the agency has made such a warning, the highest level of alert it can sound under international law, in as many years, following a global outbreak in 2022. That&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/08/21/mpox-explained-key-details-on-latest-virus-outbreak/">outbreak</a>, which predominantly affected gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, was driven by a different and milder variant behind the outbreak we are seeing now, which data suggests could kill as many as 10% of people it infects. Young children, pregnant people and those with compromised immune systems are particularly at risk and symptoms of infection include a fever, swollen lymph nodes and characteristic, pus-filled rash. The virus spreads primarily through close contact with infected people, animals or contaminated materials like towels and while the variant was historically limited to small outbreaks in central Africa, it appears to have mutated into a more transmissible form.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg">News Peg</h2>



<p>The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there have been at least 17,500 cases and 517 deaths from the virus in 2024 alone, though officials acknowledge surveillance is limited and warn the figure is potentially much higher. Amid ongoing outbreaks of the clade IIb virus variant responsible for the 2022 global outbreak, a handful of clade Ib infections have since been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/08/21/mpox-explained-key-details-on-latest-virus-outbreak/">reported</a>&nbsp;outside of Africa, including in Sweden and Thailand, though most are still located within the Democratic Republic of Congo and nearby countries. While there are a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/08/22/mpox-vaccine-maker-bavarian-nordic-shares-soar-amid-concern-over-virus-outbreak/">number</a>&nbsp;of authorized vaccines for use against mpox, constraints like cost, availability or suitability have hindered widespread uptake. Supplies of the preferred shot, Bavarian Nordic’s MVA vaccine, are limited, for example, and it is relatively expensive and has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/cases-data/JYNNEOS-vaccine-effectiveness.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">limited</a>&nbsp;effectiveness at reducing the severity of symptoms and curbing transmissibility. Emergent’s ACAM2000, on the other hand, is in plentiful supply due to stockpiling against a potential smallpox threat and can cut the risk of transmission effectively but the risk of severe side effects may make widespread use inappropriate.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">What To Watch For</h2>



<p>The tests Moderna are conducting in nonhuman primates are being run&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-mpox-vaccine-being-tested-in-the-uk/35622" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">alongside tests</a>&nbsp;in humans. The company’s mRNA-1796 shot is being assessed in an early stage clinical trial to determine safety, tolerability and immune response over a range of doses. The outcomes of this will determine the trajectory of future trials for the vaccine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-mrna-vaccines-work">How Do Mrna Vaccines Work?</h2>



<p>Vaccines train your body to fight off pathogens in a safer way than if they were encountered naturally. This involves presenting the immune system with something it would later recognize and respond to if encountered at a later date, giving it a head start to help prevent infection entirely or reduce disease transmissibility and the severity of symptoms. Most vaccines make use of a weakened or inactivated (killed) version of the disease-causing germ, or a specific part of the germ like a protein or sugar, to spark an immune response, which impose limits on how fast a new shot can be developed and scaled up. mRNA shots work by providing instructions to the body allowing it to produce part of the germ itself, triggering an immune response without needing any exposure to the germ. By nature, mRNA shots can be more flexible and specific than shots using the entire virus.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-mrna-vaccines-help-tackle-emerging-pandemics">Can Mrna Vaccines Help Tackle Emerging Pandemics?</h2>



<p>The swift development, testing and approval of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic was a landmark moment for public health and the first time mRNA shots had been authorized after decades of struggles and setbacks. The scalability of mRNA vaccines outpaced more traditional methods, illustrating why experts now believe the technology platform will be a crucial tool for tackling emerging pandemic <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/07/03/gsk-secures-mrna-vaccines-for-bird-flu-covid-and-seasonal-flu-from-struggling-biotech-curevac/">threats</a>. Many experts and health groups like the <a href="https://www.who.int/activities/prioritizing-diseases-for-research-and-development-in-emergency-contexts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization</a> and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (<a href="https://cepi.net/priority-diseases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CEPI</a>) flag diseases like <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/07/02/moderna-scores-federal-funding-for-mrna-bird-flu-vaccine-as-pandemic-fears-grow/">bird flu</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/07/22/what-to-know-about-the-deadly-nipah-virus-as-india-races-to-contain-another-outbreak/">Nipah</a>, Lassa Fever, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/03/27/what-is-marburg-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-killer-ebola-like-virus-spreading-in-parts-of-africa/">Ebola and Marburg</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/10/23/us-scientists-deliberately-infected-people-with-zika-heres-why/">Zika</a>, coronaviruses like COVID-19, SARS and MERS and Rift Valley fever as urgent priorities for research given their high potential to seed future pandemics and the absence of countermeasures. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/05/22/british-scientists-warned-monkeypox-would-fill-void-left-smallpox/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">some experts</a> have long <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/05/27/1101751627/scientists-warned-us-about-monkeypox-in-1988-heres-why-they-were-right" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a> one of humanity’s greatest public health achievements—the eradication of smallpox through a highly successful vaccination campaign—has potentially left the world vulnerable to outbreaks of related diseases that can exploit our lack of immunity now that we no longer immunize ourselves against it. Mpox, an Orthopoxvirus like smallpox virus variola, is one such threat, and there are many other viruses in the group like camelpox, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/02/12/what-to-know-about-alaskapox-after-officials-confirm-first-death-from-recently-discovered-virus/">Alaskapox</a>, cowpox, rabbitpox, dolphinpox and horsepox, some of which are known to infect humans and for which the risks are Blood serum from vaccinated macaques “neutralized not only mpox but also vaccinia, cowpox, rabbitpox, camelpox, and ectromelia virus,” Freyn said, a sign the vaccine would convey at least some protection against the virus. “We believe that this vaccine may protect from other Orthopoxvirus threats that may emerge in the future,” he said.</p>


A Covid-19 Vaccination Site As Children Under 5-Years Old Become Eligible For Shot

Moderna’s First mRNA Mpox Vaccine Beats Licensed Rival Shots In Early Testing


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Managing the early stages of medication abortion care at home later in pregnancy is safe and cuts down time spent in hospital, according to new research&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01079-1/fulltext" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, which researchers say could boost access to the procedure as reproductive rights stand out as a key issue in the 2024 election.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Almost all abortions in the United States are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/reproductive-health/data-statistics/abortion-surveillance-findings-reports.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">performed</a>&nbsp;at or before 13 weeks of pregnancy—the first trimester—according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and clinical guidelines typically recommend the procedure be performed exclusively in clinical settings after the 12-week mark so patients can remain under observation.</p>



<p>Medication abortions involve taking two types of pills to end pregnancy—mifepristone, which blocks a hormone needed for pregnancy to continue, and misoprostol, which makes the womb contract—and for abortions after 12 weeks patients are usually given mifepristone in a clinic and return to a day or two later to receive misoprostol until the procedure is complete, a process that frequently requires an overnight stay in hospital.</p>



<p>Based on a randomized control trial of 435 women having a medical abortion between 12 and 22 weeks published in the Lancet medical journal, researchers from universities and hospitals in Sweden found medical abortions conducted after 12 weeks of pregnancy were as safe and as effective when misoprostol was started at home instead of in hospital and that women managing the early stages of care at home spent less time in hospital.</p>



<p>Of the pregnant people starting misoprostol at home and returning to clinics to receive further doses—several are usually required to complete the procedure—71% spent fewer than nine hours in hospital, compared to 46% of those in the hospital treatment group, the peer reviewed study showed.</p>



<p>There were no differences in the pain reported by patients in either group, the type and number of side effects or rates of hospital admission earlier than what was planned, the researchers said, adding that a follow up survey revealed 78% of the home group said they preferred their allocated treatment option compared to just 49% of the hospital group.</p>



<p>One of the study’s authors Johanna Rydelius, a gynecologist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and researcher at the University of Gothenburg, said the findings offer a safe alternative to a practice that often requires overnight stays many women “find stressful and isolating” and could potentially lead to more “feelings of autonomy during a time where women can feel extremely vulnerable.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">Crucial Quote</h2>



<p>“Increasing access to abortion later in pregnancy is a crucial component of the struggle for reproductive autonomy,” said Heidi Moseson and Caitlin Gerdts, researchers at Ibis Reproductive Health, a U.S. non-profit reproductive health research organization, in a linked comment piece published alongside the study in the Lancet. Given the “overwhelming preference for at-home” misoprostol administration among the pregnant people involved in the study, Moseson and Gerdts, who were not involved in the research, said reforming guidance and “moving towards a less clinically supervised model of medical abortion care later in pregnancy is an important first step” for improving access.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-current-guidelines-recommend-facility-based-medication-abortions-after-12-weeks">Why Do Current Guidelines Recommend Facility-Based Medication Abortions After 12 Weeks?</h2>



<p>This is because of the greater risk of complications the procedure carries in later stages of pregnancy that may require additional care. This could include pain, bleeding, infection or an incomplete abortion (material remaining). But despite “profound” implications for access, the requirement to administer medications in clinical settings is “driven primarily by the absence of data on alternative models of care,” Moseson and Gerdts explained. This system “limits the number and type of facilities that can offer abortion care after 12 weeks,” they added, pointing to limited bed spaces and staffing requirements needed to keep people overnight.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, many states across the U.S. have harshly restricted access to abortion. The procedure is now&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2024/jul/29/abortion-laws-bans-by-state" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">banned</a>&nbsp;from conception in 14 states and from six weeks—a time many people are not even aware they are pregnant—in four states, with the future of abortion uncertain in a handful of other states due to legal challenges. While exceptions are made under limited circumstances in states banning abortion, these vary by state and clinicians and health experts have complained the vague or inconsistent language setting out exceptions are out of touch with medical reality and unworkable in practice. This fits within broader efforts to roll back reproductive care even further, such as Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2qq1wqw3w2o" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">attempts</a>&nbsp;to restrict access to mifepristone. The matter has polarized the country and both Democrats and Republicans have seized upon reproductive healthcare as a major dividing issue for the upcoming presidential election.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



<p>625,978. That’s how many legal induced abortions there were in the U.S. in 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/reproductive-health/data-statistics/abortion-surveillance-findings-reports.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC, excluding California, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey, which did not submit data to the agency. Almost all of these, 93.5%, happened at or before 13 weeks.</p>


Woman holding pills and glass of water while standing in kitchen at home

Self-Managing Some Abortion Care Later In Pregnancy Is Safe, Effective And Boosts Access, Researchers Say


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Drug manufacturers have created updated monovalent COVID-19 vaccines to protect against currently circulating variants, and the shots—which have shown to be more effective than the now-available vaccines—are expected to be available as soon as this month.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



<p>New COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024-2025 fall and winter respiratory virus season were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/06/05/fda-panel-recommends-new-covid-vaccines-for-jn1-lineage-by-fall/">recommended</a>&nbsp;by the Food and Drug Administration, and the agency advised Americans to take the vaccines when they become available.</p>



<p>COVID-19 cases&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/covid-19-can-surge-throughout-the-year.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">historically spike</a>&nbsp;during the fall and winter months around the same time as flu and respiratory syncytial virus season, so the updated vaccines are expected to be available ahead of this to help curb an uptick in cases.</p>



<p>The FDA originally recommended the vaccines target the coronavirus’ JN.1 variant, but later changed this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/updated-covid-19-vaccines-use-united-states-beginning-fall-2024?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recommendation</a>&nbsp;to advise manufacturers to focus on the KP.2 strain of the JN line after reviewing updated case data.</p>



<p>Both <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179142/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moderna</a> and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179144/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pfizer</a> said they were prepared to formulate either vaccine—and will make KP.2 vaccines after the FDA’s updated guidance—while <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179143/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Novavax</a> said its manufacturing for a JN.1 shot is already underway and it won’t have a KP.2-specific shot ready in time for the fall.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">When Will The Vaccines Be Available?</h2>



<p>Each drug manufacturer gave different <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/06/05/fda-panel-recommends-new-covid-vaccines-for-jn1-lineage-by-fall/%5C">timelines</a> for when their respective vaccines will be ready during a June meeting with the FDA. Pfizer said its vaccine will be available this fall ahead of flu season. Moderna said its shot will be available as soon as August, while Novavax gave a September 1 deadline.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Who Is Eligible For The Vaccines?</h2>



<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-t0627-vaccine-recommendations.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recommends</a>&nbsp;everyone six months and older to get an updated vaccine regardless of if they were previously vaccinated. Both&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2024/Moderna-Files-FDA-Application-for-the-JN.1-Targeting-COVID-19-Vaccine/default.aspx" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Moderna</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-receive-positive-chmp-opinion-omicron-3" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Pfizer’s</a>&nbsp;vaccines will be available for people six months and older, while&nbsp;<a href="https://ir.novavax.com/press-releases/U-S-ACIP-Recommends-Use-of-Authorized-and-Approved-2024-2025-COVID-19-Vaccines#:~:text=Novavax%20intends%20to%20provide%20doses,individuals%20aged%2012%20and%20older." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Novavax’s</a>&nbsp;shot will be directed towards those 12 years and older.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Are The Vaccines Free?</h2>



<p>No, the vaccines won’t be free like they were in previous years, though their price isn’t known yet. The shots will be covered for people with Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans like they were in the past,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/getting-your-covid-19-vaccine.html#:~:text=Paying%20for%20COVID%2D19%20vaccines,%2C%20Medicare%2C%20and%20Medicaid%20plans." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC. The CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/bridge/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Bridge Access Program</a>&nbsp;offered free COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured adults in the past. It was set to end in December, but the agency announced it would shut down in August due to lack of funding. However, Biden administration officials are looking into acquiring permanent funding so a similar vaccine program will be offered to adults who don’t have insurance, the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/05/22/cdc-covid-bridge-access-program-ending/73733643007/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;USA Today. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-for-children/about/index.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Vaccines for Children Program</a>&nbsp;will continue providing free vaccines to children of parents who can’t afford coverage.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How Effective Are The Vaccines?</h2>



<p>Though the now-available vaccines—originally created to combat the XBB.1.5 variant—are effective at protecting against the JN lineage, the updated vaccines from all three manufacturers offered greater protection. Moderna’s KP.2 vaccine was up to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179143/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eight times</a> more effective at protecting mice against JN variants than its XBB.1.5 vaccine. When compared to its now-available XBB vaccine, Pfizer’s KP.2 COVID-19 vaccine offered up to a 7.3-times stronger response to mice infected with KP.2 and several other JN variants, according to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179144/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trial data</a>. Novavax scientists gave mice an XBB.1.5 vaccine and then administered the JN.1 shot 11 months after. The JN.1 vaccine was up to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/179143/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">48 times</a> more effective at protecting against the JN lineage than the initial XBB.1.5 shot.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Background</h2>



<p>Both KP.2 and JN.1 are descendants of the omicron COVID-19 variant. KP.2 was the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/05/22/covids-new-flirt-variants-what-to-know-as-experts-fear-summer-surge/?sh=59372a3dd705">most dominant</a>&nbsp;variant circulating in the U.S. in May, June and most of July. However as of August 3 it’s only the fifth most prominent variant, while three of its descendants are the first, second and fourth most dominant strains, according to CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">data</a>. JN.1 was the leading variant during the spring, but now makes up less than 1% of cases. KP.2 and its offsprings are descendants of JN.1 and only have a few different mutations, so a JN.1-specific vaccine should offer some protection against these variants,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/other/ema-confirms-its-recommendation-update-antigenic-composition-authorised-covid-19-vaccines-2024-2025_en.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the European Medicines Agency.</p>


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<p><strong>The informal economy in Nigeria is vast, with enterprises ranging from market traders and street vendors to roadside mechanics and home-based artisans. These businesses operate outside formal regulatory and tax systems, yet they are vital to the economy, providing jobs and fostering innovation.</strong></p>



<p>Businesses in Nigeria&#8217;s informal market, encompassing around 40 million small enterprises, contribute over half of the country&#8217;s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to a recent <em>2024 Informal Economy Report,</em> powered by nine-year-old Nigerian payment startup Moniepoint.</p>



<p>The country’s GDP was worth $362.81 billion last year, according to the World Bank. This value represents 0.34% of the world economy.</p>



<p>Derived from interviews with hundreds of business owners and data analysis from over two million businesses that use the services of Moniepoint across the country, the report reads: “This is evident in their revenues with the bulk of them (72.3%) hitting monthly revenues of over ₦1 million ($611.51). But their actual profit deviates from these high figures. Individually, most of them make less than ₦250,000 ($152.88) monthly. On the higher end of the spectrum, only about 1.3% of businesses in Nigeria’s informal economy earn above ₦2.5 million ($1,528.77) monthly.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>The report highlights that informal business owners are predominantly young, with most between 25-34 years old, and 89% of these businesses pay some form of taxes.</p>



<p>The primary motivation for starting an informal business is unemployment. The retail and general trade sectors dominate, and half of the business owners run more than one venture.</p>



<p>Moreover, the informal economy is a vital avenue for women&#8217;s economic empowerment. Women own 37.1% of businesses in this sector, highlighting the significant role they play despite facing numerous challenges in achieving equity.</p>



<p>Financial habits within the informal economy reveal a preference for cash transactions, reflecting the sector&#8217;s low-trust environment and the necessity for immediate cash flow. Despite this, there has been a significant shift towards digital payments, especially following the Central Bank of Nigeria&#8217;s introduction of the cashless policy in early 2023. Digital payment adoption doubled, showcasing a growing trend towards cashless transactions.</p>



<p>Business longevity in the informal sector is a challenge, with eight in every 10 businesses operating for less than five years.</p>



<p>Nigerian analyst, Kolawole Oyebola, commenting on these findings, tells FORBES AFRICA: &#8220;The informal economy is both a lifeline and a bottleneck for Nigeria&#8217;s economic development. While it undeniably contributes significantly to the GDP and offers critical opportunities for youth and women, the high rate of business turnover and low-profit margins highlight structural inefficiencies.</p>



<p>&#8220;To harness its full potential, there needs to be a concerted effort to integrate these businesses into the formal economy through supportive policies, financial inclusion initiatives, and infrastructure development. The growing trend towards digital payments is a promising sign, but much more needs to be done to ensure sustainable growth and stability in this sector.&#8221;</p>


Balogun market – Lagos, Nigeria

Over Half Of Nigeria’s GDP From Informal Sector, Says Report


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Former President Donald Trump was escorted off stage by Secret Service during an incident at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday that left him bloodied—and one rally attendee and the alleged shooter are <a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024#00000190-ae66-dc4e-ab9d-ae6e88490000" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">both dead</a>—though Trump’s campaign has said the former president is fine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was interrupted by what were apparently gunshots sent Trump and members of the crowd ducking as the former president was surrounded and rushed off stage by several Secret Service agents.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2161922590.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-62410" style="width:730px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2161922590.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2161922590-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2161922590-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Secret Service Donald Trump onstage at a rally. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Trump pumped his fist in the air multiple times while being escorted off stage before he was rushed into a vehicle.</p>



<p>Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi <a href="https://x.com/SecretSvcSpox/status/1812256378616201726" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tweeted</a> Trump is safe following the incident and that an investigation is underway, adding in a <a href="https://x.com/SecretSvcSpox/status/1812288378596982908" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">follow up statement</a> that one spectator was killed and two were critically injured.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="BREAKING NEWS: Shots Fired At Trump Rally, Former President Pumps Fist As He&#039;s Rushed Off Stage" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XL3D0h5j0Lo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>Trump’s campaign said the former president is fine and “being checked out at a local medical facility.”</p>



<p>Trump said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112782066045321247" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Truth Social post</a>&nbsp;a bullet pierced his upper right ear and noted he knew something was wrong when “he heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin.”</p>



<p>A Washington Post reporter&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/merylkornfield/status/1812263916497506711?s=46&amp;t=tLA9t1ZxaftGRgOfBId-2A" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">posted on X</a>—and The Associate Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">confirmed</a>—that the local district attorney says “Trump was grazed by gunfire but is safe” but that an “audience member was killed and the shooter is dead” and another person remains in serious condition.</p>



<p>The shooter was located outside the rally and killed by the Secret Service, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024#00000190-ae84-d267-ab98-aee683c30000" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">the AP</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024#00000190-aed8-dc4e-ab9d-aefe75c60000" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">noted</a>&nbsp;an AR-style rifle was recovered at the scene of the shooting by law enforcement.</p>



<p>An&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JakeMRosen/status/1812264826498081212" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">emergency room doctor</a>&nbsp;attending the rally told a CBS News reporter he tried to save someone in the crowd who was shot in the head during the incident.</p>



<p>President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident and said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/07/13/statement-from-president-joe-biden-6/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;he is “grateful” to hear Trump is safe, adding, “There’s no place for this kind of violence in America.”</p>



<p>Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, considered a possible Trump running mate, seemed to direct blame for the shooting at the Biden campaign, <a href="https://x.com/JDVance1/status/1812280973628965109" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tweeting</a> the &#8220;central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump&#8217;s attempted assassination.&#8221;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2161922001.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-62409" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2161922001.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2161922001-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2161922001-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WAS IT AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP?</h2>



<p>It certainly appears so, as Goldinger told CNN the shooter was outside the rally and “several hundred yards away.” When asked if he believed it was an assassination attempt, President Biden said prior to Goldinger’s statement, &#8220;I have an opinion, but I don’t have any facts, so I want to make sure we have all the facts before I make any more comments.” According to the Associated Press, top Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita hinted at some larger conspiracy by writing on X, “well of course they tried too keep him off the ballot , they tried to put him in jail and now you see this …,” but then deleted his post.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery <a href="https://t.co/ZdxkF63EqF">pic.twitter.com/ZdxkF63EqF</a></p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1812256998588662068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Political violence is terrifying. I know.<br><br>I’m holding former President Trump, and all those affected by today’s indefensible act of violence in my heart. Political violence is un-American and is never acceptable—never.</p>&mdash; Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) <a href="https://twitter.com/GabbyGiffords/status/1812266601053405691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics.…</p>&mdash; Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1812271849893442018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Donald Trump Injured During Shooting At Campaign Rally In Butler, PA

Bloodied Trump Rushed Off Stage After Shooting—1 Bystander And Alleged Shooter Dead


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>British Pharma giant GSK&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-and-curevac-to-restructure-collaboration-into-new-licensing-agreement/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday it will pay as much as $1.5 billion to take control of several mRNA vaccines from vaccine developer CureVac, sending shares of the struggling German biotech soaring during premarket trading and strengthening the British drugmaker’s vaccine portfolio as it tries to compete with the likes of Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>GSK said it would pay €400 million ($430 million) upfront to CureVac to take full control of developing and manufacturing mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, seasonal flu and avian influenza (bird flu).</p>



<p>The British drugmaker said it would pay an additional €1.05 billion ($1.13 billion) upon reaching various development, regulatory and sales milestones for the shots, as well as royalties from sales.</p>



<p>The shots for COVID and flu are in mid stage clinical trials and the deal could see GSK regularly update vaccines to combat seasonal variants and potentially develop&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/06/10/modernas-covid-flu-vaccine-shows-stronger-immune-response-than-individual-shots-late-stage-trial-finds/">joint COVID-flu shots</a>, while GSK said the bird flu vaccine is in the earliest stage of clinical trials.</p>



<p>Available data for all vaccine candidates suggest they could be “best-in-class new vaccines,” GSK said.</p>



<p>GSK’s chief scientific officer Tony Wood said the company is “excited about our flu/COVID-19 programmes and the opportunity to develop best-in-class mRNA vaccines to change the standard of care” and the company told Reuters the deal will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/gsk-buys-full-rights-make-covid-influenza-vaccines-curevac-2024-07-03/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">not impact</a>&nbsp;the size of GSK’s $140 million stake in CureVac.</p>



<p>Shares for GSK during trading hours in London were flat Wednesday morning but shares for Nasdaq listed CureVac were up around 25% during premarket trading and CEO Alexander Zehnder said the deal strengthens the company’s “financial position and enables us to focus on efforts in building a strong R&amp;D pipeline.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happened-to-curevac-and-what-will-it-do-now">WHAT HAPPENED TO CUREVAC AND WHAT WILL IT DO NOW?</h2>



<p>mRNA specialist CureVac&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-and-curevac-announce-strategic-mrna-technology-collaboration/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">started</a>&nbsp;working with GSK to develop shots using the technology during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pair fell behind other companies like Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech, who rapidly brought shots to market, and the duo has failed to develop shots of comparable efficacy in the time since. While pharma titan GSK, one of the world’s biggest vaccine manufacturers, was able to weather the storm, CureVac has never recovered from the precipitous drop in its share price brought about by its failure to bring an mRNA product to market, plunging from around $115 per share in mid 2021 and to around $4 today, a figure that includes today’s spike. CureVac’s dim outlook was similar in nature to that of the other mRNA specialists that rose to fame in the COVID-19 pandemic, notably Boston-based Moderna and Germany’s BioNTech, and like them CureVac is turning its attention to other medical applications of mRNA platforms. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.curevac.com/en/curevac-initiates-strategic-restructuring-to-align-resources-with-focus-on-high-value-mrna-pipeline-opportunities/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;it will use the cash injection to prioritize “high-value opportunities” such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/06/04/what-to-know-about-personalized-mrna-cancer-vaccines-after-promising-trials-from-moderna-and-merck/">mRNA cancer vaccines</a>&nbsp;and other areas “of substantial unmet medical need.” CureVac also said it will lay off 30% of staff as part of a wider restructuring effort to “streamline” operations.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>CureVac said it expects to report data from early stage clinical trials of its mRNA cancer vaccine candidate for glioblastoma in the second half of 2024. By the end of 2025, CureVac said it expects to have two clinical cancer vaccine candidates ready for solid tumors and blood cancers, with clinical trials set to begin by the end of 2026. The cash from the GSK deal, alongside expected savings from restructuring, will “extend CureVac’s cash runway into 2028,” the company said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“Now, we can embark on a new chapter for CureVac,” Zehnder said in a statement. While describing the layoffs as unfortunate, Zehnder said he is “convinced that this is a necessary step to ensure the long-term success of CureVac.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>CureVac’s vaccine&nbsp;<a href="https://www.curevac.com/en/pipeline/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">pipeline</a>&nbsp;includes a candidate shot for H5N1 influenza, a variant of bird flu that is tearing through poultry and cattle farms in the U.S. Given growing concerns of a potential pandemic in humans brewing, it is an area that could garner GSK interest and funding for rapid development in the near future, particularly given the easily modifiable nature of mRNA vaccines that make them ideal for responding to emerging outbreaks. Vaccine rival Moderna&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/07/02/moderna-scores-federal-funding-for-mrna-bird-flu-vaccine-as-pandemic-fears-grow/">inked</a>&nbsp;a deal to secure $176 million in U.S. government funding on Tuesday to test avian flu vaccines in humans with a view to bringing a “pre-pandemic” shot to market.</p>



<p>.</p>


Thailand Rolls Out Pfizer Vaccine

GSK Secures mRNA Vaccines For Bird Flu, COVID And Seasonal Flu From Struggling Biotech CureVac


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>An ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/06/12/bird-flu-h5n1-explained-bird-flu-h5n1-explained-toddler-infected-with-another-strain-second-human-case-in-india/">bird flu</a>&nbsp;outbreak among U.S. dairy cows has led to three confirmed human cases in dairy workers, and although there aren’t any confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission, experts warn safety measures like masks, vaccines and safety goggles will be needed if a pandemic is declared due to the virus’s deadly nature.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Forbes it’s monitoring human and animal exposure to H5N1 bird flu and watching the situation carefully, though “the current public health risk is low.”</p>



<p>Although rare, bird flu typically affects humans who’ve&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h5n1-human-infections.htm" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">come in contact</a>&nbsp;with infected birds, and there aren’t any confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission.</p>



<p>The virus may spread from animals to humans through airborne transmission and through contact with infected surfaces, Dr. Jessica Justman, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist at Columbia University, told Forbes, though the exact transmission process isn’t fully understood.</p>



<p>Former CDC director Robert Redfield—who helped oversee the agency during the COVID-19 pandemic—<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGsM9IgVAJo" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;NewsNation earlier this month a bird flu pandemic is inevitable, so “it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.”</p>



<p>Redfield brought up bird flu’s high death rate as a cause for concern if a pandemic were to be declared: Of the 889 confirmed human cases between 2003 and May, 52% resulted in death, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/emergency/surveillance/avian-influenza/ai_20240621.pdf?sfvrsn=78c8c282_5" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;from the World Health Organization.</p>



<p>WHO defines&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/westernpacific/activities/preparing-for-pandemics" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">pandemics</a>&nbsp;as large-scale outbreaks that can claim millions of lives, disrupt societies and devastate economies; it&nbsp;<a href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/66155/WHO_CDS_CSR_EDC_99.1.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y#:~:text=The%20Pandemic%20will%20be%20declared,one%20segment%20of%20the%20population." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">won’t declare</a>&nbsp;a bird flu pandemic until the virus causes several outbreaks in at least one country and spreads to another with high death rates in at least one segment of the population.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-safety-measures-may-be-put-in-place-if-a-bird-flu-pandemic-is-declared">WHAT SAFETY MEASURES MAY BE PUT IN PLACE IF A BIRD FLU PANDEMIC IS DECLARED?</h2>



<p>Experts have cautioned that if a bird flu pandemic is declared, safety measures will need to be put in place to mitigate the spread. Dr. Donal Bisanzio, a senior epidemiologist with the nonprofit research institute RTI International, told Forbes methods like masking and social distancing should be the first implemented. “Those are all the kinds of interventions we need to put in place to buy time for the vaccine,” Bisanzio said. Justman told Forbes new methods like protective eyewear may be effective safety measures, especially among farm workers who have daily contact with potentially infectious animals. This is because all&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0530-h5-human-case-michigan.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">three</a>&nbsp;U.S. dairy farmers infected with bird flu had eye-related symptoms like pink eye and irritation, indicating the virus may spread when humans touch or rub their eyes with infected hands. She also pointed to a recent CDC bird flu&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/spotlights/study-ferrets-eye-exposure.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;that found ferrets—that as mammals have similar respiratory tracts to humans—became infected after eye exposure. Dr. Maciej Boni, an epidemiologist and professor at Temple University, told Forbes he doesn’t think safety measures for a bird flu pandemic will be similar to those put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic because experts don’t know yet how the virus will behave if it mutates and begins transmitting between humans. “H5N1 is not 10 or 20 times more deadly [than COVID-19], it’s 1,000 times more deadly,” Boni said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-there-human-bird-flu-vaccines">ARE THERE HUMAN BIRD FLU VACCINES?</h2>



<p>There are several FDA-approved bird flu vaccines, including ones made by <a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/audenz" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sequirs</a> and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/influenza-h5n1-virus-monovalent-vaccine-adjuvanted-manufactured-id-biomedical-corporation-questions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Biomedical</a> Corporation of Quebec, a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. The U.S. has a <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-we-have-enough-bird-flu-vaccines-for-a-potential-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stockpile</a> of FDA-approved bird flu vaccines, but they’re not enough to vaccinate the entire country. Sequirs said it <a href="https://www.precisionvaccinations.com/vaccines/audenz-avian-influenza-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expects</a> to have 150 million vaccines ready within six months of an announcement of a human bird flu pandemic. “I think the right course of action is to simply premanufacture several 100 million doses of vaccines and just have them ready,” Boni said regarding pandemic preparation. Sequirs also <a href="https://www.cslseqirus.us/news/csl-seqirus-announces-us-government-award-in-response-to-avian-influenza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> in May it was selected by a brand of the Department of Health and Human Services to create almost 5 million doses of its bird flu vaccines as a form of pre-pandemic preparedness. Bisanzio pointed out better communication between public health agencies and the public will be needed for a bird flu vaccine rollout because “there was a lot of misinformation [about the COVID-19 pandemic], and that caused issues with the vaccine rollout, and some people didn’t even want to get a vaccine,” he said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>As of May 21, more than 97 million poultry (primarily chickens) in 48 states have been euthanized because of bird flu since 2022, and cases have been confirmed in 118 dairy cow herds across 12 states, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-flu-summary.htm" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;from the CDC (unlike chickens, cows&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/milk-bird-flu-cow-testing/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">appear to recover</a>&nbsp;from the virus). The Department of Agriculture believes wild migratory birds are the original source of the cow outbreaks that recently has experts concerned the virus may mutate and spread more easily in humans. Jeremy Farrar, chief scientist for WHO,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/04/18/who-warns-threat-of-bird-flu-spreading-to-humans-is-great-concern/?sh=32a2a3cb1176">called</a>&nbsp;the cattle infections in the U.S. a “huge concern,” urging public health officials to continue closely monitoring the situation “because it may evolve into transmitting in different ways.” Though there’s no evidence a human has contracted bird flu from eating infected meat, the USDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/avian-influenza-food-safety-qa.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">urges</a>&nbsp;people to eat meat prepared at safe temperatures. To be properly cooked, whole beef cuts must be cooked to an internal temperature of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/bbq-iq.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">145 degrees</a>&nbsp;Fahrenheit, ground meat must be cooked to 160 degrees and poultry must be cooked to 165 degrees. Rare and medium rare steaks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/kitchen/doneness.php" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">fall below</a>&nbsp;this temperature. Properly cooked eggs with an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit kill bacteria and viruses including bird flu,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/spotlights/2021-2022/bird-flu-poses-low-risk-public.htm" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC. Consuming unpasteurized dairy products is also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/updates-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">advised against</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/06/12/bird-flu-h5n1-explained-bird-flu-h5n1-explained-toddler-infected-with-another-strain-second-human-case-in-india/">Bird Flu (H5N1) Explained: Toddler Infected With Another Strain—Second Human Case In India</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Monkeypox and Covid Tests Processing at AEGIS Labs

Here’s Why COVID Measures Like Masking And New Ones Like Safety Goggles Could Return If A Bird Flu Pandemic Is Declared


<p><strong>Armed with a doctoral degree in Cybernetics from the University of Reading, United Kingdom, Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua is reportedly the first Black woman to achieve such a feat.</strong></p>



<p>In the 1980s, between the ages of five and 10, Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua lived in the West and attended schools where she was one of the very few students of African heritage. Innocently, some of her friends would ask questions about Africa, but often, the Africa they talked about was portrayed as uncivilized.</p>



<p>&#8220;This was a complete contradiction to the Africa I knew, so I began sharing stories with my friends about the Africa I knew, steeped in wisdom and ancestral civilization,&#8221; reminisces Ekeng-Itua, a Nigerian professor of engineering at Ohlone College in Fremont, California.</p>



<p>At the age of nine, her experiences sparked a dream to connect people worldwide, aiming to enhance what she now calls &#8220;cultural quotient&#8221;. She envisioned a platform where individuals could learn about and appreciate diverse cultures, overcoming stereotypes and misconceptions that often accompany cultural differences.</p>



<p>Thus, the seeds of Sabi Africa Network (Sabi, meaning &#8216;know&#8217; in pidgin English) were sown, later actualizing in the 2000s with a vision to illuminate &#8220;Africa’s pioneering role in science, engineering and technology&#8221;.</p>



<p>As Ekeng-itua’s journey progressed, she found herself at the forefront of a movement to redefine the narrative of Africa in the global science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) landscape. Armed with a doctoral degree in Cybernetics from the University of Reading, United Kingdom, she reportedly emerged as the first Black woman to achieve such a feat.</p>



<p>Driven by her passion for decolonizing STEM education and promoting diversity in the field, Ekeng-Itua established the African Technology and Innovation Institute (AFRITECHI), a knowledge transfer hub, and technological research support center. In addition to the Sabi Africa Network, she aims to mainstream Africa-centric STEM education pedagogy and curriculum, empowering young Africans to embrace their potentials.</p>



<p>“African and other indigenous technological innovations can solve most of the global issues highlighted in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs),” she asserts.</p>



<p>Through AFRITECHI, Ekeng-Itua seeks to bridge the techno-economic gap between the global north and south, empowering African innovators to lead the way in sustainable development. With a focus on research, training, and consultancy, she aims to cultivate a thriving ecosystem of indigenous technology innovation, reducing the continent’s dependency on imported technologies.</p>



<p>As a leader in academia and industry for over two decades, she recognizes the importance of bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical applications in STEM education. &#8220;Intentional academia, industry, government partnerships are key for the reduction in youth unemployment and the graduate industry desirable skills gap,&#8221; she says.</p>



<p>Ekeng-Itua also serves her communities in the United States, Europe, and Africa through various initiatives, including special programs for women and girls, such as Women in Big Data (WiBD) Nigeria and the Women in STEAM Mentoring Dinner in California, which connects women students and industry professionals.</p>


Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua; image by Jkay Photography1

Nigerian Cybernetics Pioneer On Vision For Africa-Centric Innovation


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Paramount Global shares slid nearly 8% shortly before market close Tuesday after National Amusements, the media conglomerate’s parent company, scrapped merger discussions with Skydance Media, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/shari-redstones-nai-decides-to-stop-discussions-with-skydance-1b81985b?mod=hp_lead_pos1" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">multiple</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/11/national-amusements-stops-discussions-with-skydance-on-paramount-deal-sources-say.html?taid=6668ac8977e9400001fe219a&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter%7Cmain" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">outlets</a>, bringing an end to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2024/04/10/paramount-global-shares-hit-14-year-low-then-rebound-as-board-members-reportedly-depart-amid-merger/">tedious</a>, months-long&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2024/05/03/paramount-may-reportedly-turn-down-both-skydance-and-sony-deals-what-we-know-about-the-negotiations/">negotiation process</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>National Amusements owner and controlling Paramount shareholder, Shari Redstone, ended discussions with Skydance, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/shari-redstones-nai-decides-to-stop-discussions-with-skydance-1b81985b?mod=hp_lead_pos1" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">The Wall Street Journal</a>, which noted Redstone will likely look to sell off National Amusements without merging Paramount with another company.</p>



<p>Paramount Global shares closed down 7.8% at $11.04, erasing small gains made by the stock in late May.</p>



<p>The merger deal would have involved Skydance acquiring National Amusements for about $1.7 billion, the Journal reported—though other reports have said the price tag was closer to about $2.2 billion, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-11/paramount-special-committee-meets-to-vote-on-skydance-deal" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>.</p>



<p>Skydance did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.</p>



<p><strong><em>Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts</em></strong><em>: We’re launching text message alerts so you&#8217;ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.</em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>About 77%. That’s how much of Paramount’s voting class A common stock National Amusements owns.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Skydance reached a tentative agreement in April to buy Redstone’s controlling stake in Paramount, entering a 30-day exclusive negotiating window that expired shortly after a joint bid for the entertainment conglomerate was made by Sony and private equity firm Apollo Global Management. The Sony-Apollo takeover bid involved a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/05/02/paramount-stock-jumps-13-after-reported-26-billion-sony-apollo-takeover-bid/?sh=16c8174f2c39">$26 billion offer</a>&nbsp;for Paramount Global, one that would have made Sony the majority shareholder in Paramount and Apollo the minority shareholder. That takeover is being reconsidered following investor concerns about Sony’s finances,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-07/sony-shares-fall-as-offer-for-paramount-spurs-financing-concerns" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>&nbsp;reported, as the company’s shares have fallen nearly 9% this year. Redstone has sought a merger as Paramount has dealt with mounting debt ($14.6 billion at the end of 2023) and troubles with its Paramount + streaming numbers. The company reported $286 million in streaming losses in the first quarter of this year, improving upon a $511 million streaming loss posted in the same period last year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2024/05/03/paramount-may-reportedly-turn-down-both-skydance-and-sony-deals-what-we-know-about-the-negotiations/">Paramount May Reportedly Turn Down Both Skydance And Sony Deals—What We Know About The Negotiations</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/05/02/paramount-stock-jumps-13-after-reported-26-billion-sony-apollo-takeover-bid/?sh=16c8174f2c39">Paramount Stock Jumps 13% After Reported $26 Billion Sony-Apollo Takeover Bid</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Los Angeles Economy

Paramount Global Shares Drop After Parent Company Ends Merger Negotiations With Skydance


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Food recalls in 2023 reached the highest levels the U.S. has recorded since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly driven by undisclosed allergens and listeria contamination, according to a new report released Thursday.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Some 313 food recalls (impacting products that were still on sale) and alerts (involving products no longer on sale, but may be in consumers’ homes) were announced last year by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an 8% increase from 2022 and the highest number since the COVID pandemic began in 2020, according to a report released Thursday by the nonprofit U.S. Public Research Interest Group Education Fund.</p>



<p>Contaminated food resulted in six deaths and over 1,100 illnesses last year, though the researchers suspect there were more illnesses since most people recover from food poisoning without medical attention.</p>



<p>The most commonly recalled food items in 2023 were snacks like cookies and granola bars, which accounted for one in five recalls, though other commonly recalled foods included fruit—mainly cantaloupes—beef, soup, salads and greens, poultry, cheese, vegetables, supplements and pet food, according to the report.</p>



<p>Almost half of all recalls (49.3%) in 2023 were related to allergens undeclared on packaging, while other major reasons for recalls were listeria contamination (15%), salmonella contamination (8.6%) and uninspected products (6.1%).</p>



<p>This uptick in undisclosed allergen cases was partially driven by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/allergic-sesame-food-labels-now-must-list-sesame-allergen#:~:text=As%20of%20January%201%2C%202023%2C%20sesame%20is%20required%20to%20be,milk" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">inclusion</a>&nbsp;of sesame—which accounted for 39% of the increase—as a required disclosed allergen, a rule that began in January 2023.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-5-biggest-food-recalls-of-2024-so-far">WHAT ARE THE 5 BIGGEST FOOD RECALLS OF 2024 SO FAR?</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Dairy products: </strong>An investigation into a “multi-year, multistate” <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/02/08/costco-trader-joes-walmart-recall-dairy-products-over-listeria-outbreak-what-to-know/?sh=7902e28a47f5">listeria outbreak</a> was reopened after listeria was found in several food products containing dairy like queso fresco and cotija cheese. This outbreak includes cases dating back to 2014, and the FDA investigated it in 2017 and 2021, though it couldn’t link a specific brand to the outbreak. The most recent investigation was reopened in January, and manufacturer Rizo-Lopez Foods voluntarily recalled around <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/176015/download?attachment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">60</a> dairy products. Major retailers like Walmart, Costco and Trader Joe’s recalled products including salad and taco kits due to potential contamination. As of April 9, the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-listeria-monocytogenes-queso-fresco-and-cotija-cheese-february-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a> the outbreak is over. The agencies said there were 26 cases, 23 hospitalizations and two deaths across 11 states.</li>



<li><strong>Trader Joe’s Dumplings: </strong>Over 61,000 pounds of Trader Joe’s steamed chicken soup dumplings were recalled in March due to potential hard plastic contamination from a permanent marker. The products were voluntarily recalled by manufacturer CJ Foods Manufacturing Beaumont Corporation, <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/cj-foods-manufacturing-beaumont-corporation-recalls-trader-joes-chicken-soup" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to the USDA. The problem was discovered after customers submitted complaints of hard plastics in their dumplings, though no adverse reactions were reported.</li>



<li><strong>Ground cinnamon: </strong>The FDA issued an <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-alert-concerning-certain-cinnamon-products-due-presence-elevated-levels-lead" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">alert</a> in March warning it found unsafe levels of lead in six ground cinnamon products. These products were sold in discount stores like Dollar Tree and Family Dollar across several states. This recall came after the FDA investigated the recall of lead-tainted <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/02/07/lead-poisoned-applesauce-ecuadorian-cinnamon-processor-likely-source-behind-recalled-pouches-fda-says/?sh=27a6e3082618">cinnamon applesauces</a> in 2023 that led to over 500 reports of adverse events in children.</li>



<li><strong>Trader Joe’s cashews: </strong>Wenders LLC, the manufacturer of the nuts, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/caileygleeson/2024/03/18/trader-joes-cashews-recall-product-pulled-in-16-states-over-salmonella-concerns/?sh=3ac5e89e58d4">recalled</a> four lots of Trader Joe’s 50% Less Sodium Roasted &amp; Salted Whole Cashews in March due to potential salmonella contamination. Though no illnesses have been reported, the potentially contaminated nuts were sold in 16 states.</li>



<li><strong>Quaker Oats products: </strong>Quaker Oats <a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/update-quaker-issues-revised-recall-notice-additional-products-due-possible-health-risk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expanded</a> its list of recalled products in January after it recalled several in December due to possible salmonella contamination. This expanded list included over 20 granola, protein and cereal bars, cereals, instant oatmeals and snack mixes sold in all 50 states. However, no adverse events have been reported.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>48 million. That’s how many Americans the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;get sick annually due to foodborne disease, totaling one out of six Americans. Out of that number, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Food gets recalled in one of four ways, according to the report. One way is consumers get sick, seek medical attention and then local officials or the CDC test fluids and trace an outbreak to a specific food item; another is consumers file a complaint with companies or regulators; a third is local, state or federal officials discover an issue through investigations or routine surveillance; and the other method is by companies self-reporting a problem after testing. The FDA regulates around&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/143704/download" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">78%</a>&nbsp;of the country’s food supply, and its oversight includes everything except meat, poultry and some fish and eggs products, which are regulated by the USDA. The FDA was behind 224 recalls in 2023, while the USDA accounted for 89, according to the report. Although the number of recalls via the FDA were virtually unchanged, the number of USDA recalls increased by 31% in 2023 compared with 2022—the highest levels since 2019.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/02/08/costco-trader-joes-walmart-recall-dairy-products-over-listeria-outbreak-what-to-know/?sh=7902e28a47f5">Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart Recall Dairy Products Over Listeria Outbreak—What To Know</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/02/07/lead-poisoned-applesauce-ecuadorian-cinnamon-processor-likely-source-behind-recalled-pouches-fda-says/?sh=27a6e3082618">Lead-Poisoned Applesauce: Ecuadorian Cinnamon Processor ‘Likely Source’ Behind Recalled Pouches, FDA Says</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/caileygleeson/2024/03/18/trader-joes-cashews-recall-product-pulled-in-16-states-over-salmonella-concerns/?sh=3ac5e89e58d4">Trader Joe’s Cashews Recall: Product Pulled In 16 States Over Salmonella Concerns</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


A Safeway Grocery Store Ahead Of Alberston’s Earnings Figures

2023 Had Most Food Recalls Since Start Of COVID-19 Pandemic, Report Finds


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Researchers have potentially linked an antiviral protein produced by the body during infection as the cause of long Covid, according to a new study, and they’re optimistic the next step is making medications to treat the disease.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Researchers followed patients with long Covid for 2.5 years to determine why some recovered from their symptoms and others didn’t, according to the study published Wednesday in Science Advances.</p>



<p>Long Covid (or post-Covid) symptoms include shortness of breath, loss of smell or taste, brain fog or chest pain following recovery from a Covid infection that can last for weeks—or in some cases, for years—<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<p>When infected with the coronavirus, people produce an inflammatory protein called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4154595/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interferon gamma</a>&nbsp;(or IFN-y), which is part of the body’s natural response to fight off infection.</p>



<p>The production of the protein typically stops once infection goes away, but researchers discovered participants with ongoing Covid symptoms had high levels of IFN-y for up to 31 months after initial infection, which the researchers believe may be the cause of long Covid.</p>



<p>Over 60% of patients experienced relief from at least some of their symptoms during the study period, and participants who were vaccinated after infection saw significant decreases in their long Covid symptoms and IFN-y production, suggesting vaccination “improved” long Covid symptoms, according to the study.</p>



<p>Current long Covid treatment only targets symptom alleviation and not the underlying disease, but now that a potential cause has been identified, there’s “hope that this could help to pave the way” for creating medication to specifically target long Covid, and “give some patients a firm diagnosis,” Benjamin Krishna, the study’s co-author and an investigator at Cambridge University, said in a statement.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“The number of people with long Covid is gradually falling, and vaccination seems to be playing a significant role in that,” Krishna said. “But new cases are still cropping up, and then there is the big question of what happens when the next coronavirus pandemic comes along. Understanding what causes long Covid now could give us a crucial head start.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>65 million. That’s how many people worldwide suffer from long Covid, according to a 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>. The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7232a3.htm?s_cid=mm7232a3_w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimated</a>&nbsp;around 6% of American adults in June 2023 experienced long Covid at some point in their lives.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>The study researchers believe because there are several symptoms of long Covid that can look very different from each other, more research is needed in order to create subgroups of the disease. It’s “unlikely” all symptoms are caused by the same thing since some patients are able to recover while others aren’t, so future studies into why should be conducted, according to the researchers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Several risk factors play into who’s more susceptible to long Covid, <a href="https://covid19.nih.gov/covid-19-topics/long-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to the National Institutes of Health: underlying health conditions like obesity and diabetes, going unvaccinated, experiencing severe Covid infection or hospitalization, older age and being a woman are all risk factors. Long Covid can affect several organs and body systems like the heart, lungs, kidney, reproductive system and brain and also trigger other health conditions like kidney disease, autoimmune disorders or diabetes. Other experts have attempted to identify the cause of long Covid. Some <a href="https://cardiab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12933-021-01359-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> have hypothesized tiny clots in the cells that persist for a long time may be the cause of some symptoms. The microclots may cause an inflammatory response, which causes exhaustion and fatigue, two of the most common long Covid symptoms. The Science Advances researchers believe their new findings suggest microclotting can’t be the only or most significant cause, though they don’t rule it out. The lowering of certain anti-inflammatory gut microbiomes during and after Covid—which causes an inflammatory response—may also trigger long Covid, according to a 2022 <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9088471/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>. Another theory is that the coronavirus itself—not the body’s response to it—causes long Covid by damaging or altering cells, leading to lasting symptoms, according to a separate Science Advances <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abc5801" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a>.</p>


Possible Long Covid Cause Identified: Suggests Protein Might Be Culprit—And Medication Might Cure It


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Covid vaccines from companies like Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca were linked to rare occurrences of heart, brain and blood disorders, a recent peer-reviewed study found, though experts say the risks of developing Covid-19 greatly outweigh the risks of getting vaccinated.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Researchers from the Global Vaccine Data Network—a research arm of the World Health Organization—looked at expected versus observed rates of 13 medical conditions that were considered “adverse events of special interest” in a study population of 99 million vaccinated people eight countries, making it the largest Covid vaccine study to date.</p>



<p>Rare cases of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/myocarditis.html#:~:text=Myocarditis%20is%20inflammation%20of%20the,Shortness%20of%20breath" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">myocarditis</a>—inflammation of the heart—were identified in the first, second and third doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines: The highest rate was seen after the second Moderna dose (6.1 times the expected rate of cases), according to the study published in the journal Vaccine.</p>



<p>Another heart condition called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pericarditis/symptoms-causes/syc-20352510#:~:text=Pericarditis%20is%20swelling%20and%20irritation,and%20goes%20away%20without%20treatment." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pericarditis</a>&nbsp;had a 6.9-fold increased risk in those who took a third dose of AstraZeneca’s viral-vector vaccine, while a first and fourth dose of Moderna’s vaccine had a 1.7-fold and 2.6-fold increased risk, respectively.</p>



<p>There was a 2.5-times greater risk of developing the rare autoimmune disorder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/guillain-barre-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20362793" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Guillain-Barre syndrome</a>&nbsp;among those who took AstraZeneca’s vaccine compared to the rate researchers expected, and a 3.2-times greater risk of getting blood clots among the same population.</p>



<p>There was a 3.8-times greater risk of developing the neurological disorder acute disseminated encephalomyelitis after the Moderna vaccine was administered, and a 2.2-fold increased risk after AstraZeneca’s vaccine, according to the study.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>13.5 billion. That’s how many Covid vaccines have been administered worldwide since the start of the Covid pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to science research organization Our World in Data. Around 71% of the world’s population has received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“The odds of all of these adverse events is still much, much higher when infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), so getting vaccinated is still by far the safer choice,” CEO of biotechnology company Centivax Jacob Glanville, who is not involved in the study, told Forbes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Covid vaccines are meant to prevent severe infection, and studies have indicated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/recs/grade/covid-19-moderna-vaccine.html%5C" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moderna</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/recs/grade/covid-19-pfizer-biontech-vaccine.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pfizer-BioNTech</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-oxford-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-what-you-need-to-know#:~:text=The%20AstraZeneca%20vaccine%20has%20an,about%204%20to%2012%20weeks." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AstraZeneca’s</a>&nbsp;vaccines are effective at preventing severe illnesses, hospitalizations and death. Meanwhile, the chances of having a neurological event after a Covid infection were up to 617-fold higher than following COVID vaccination, which suggests “the benefits of vaccination substantially outweigh the risks,” according to the Vaccine study researchers. The risk of developing myocarditis is higher post-Covid infection than after getting a Covid vaccine,&nbsp;<a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/akiko-iwasaki/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, professor of Immunobiology at Yale University. Myocarditis risk after the second dose of a Covid vaccine is 35.9 per 100,000 people, compared to a 64.9 per 100,000 risk after Covid infection. The risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome after Covid infection was six times greater, and the risk of developing it after vaccination was 0.41 times greater than the control group, according to a 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000207900" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;published in Neurology. While most Americans have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot, uptake for booster shots that are updated to combat new coronavirus strains has remained slow.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



<p>The rapidly spreading Covid variant JN.1 caused an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/12/20/jn1-covid-variant-of-interest-spreading-fast-in-us---heres-what-to-know/?sh=2fe82e10ccce">uptick in cases</a>&nbsp;during the fall and winter months, causing a resurgence of the tripledemic—when cases of Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus simultaneously increase. JN.1 made up&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions%5C" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">96.4</a><a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">%</a>&nbsp;of all cases in the two week period ending in Feb. 17. However, Covid cases (down 0.6%) and deaths (down 6.9%) are&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variants-genomic-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">declining</a>—though hospitalizations are up 0.8%—signaling an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/caileygleeson/2024/01/19/tripledemic-surge-eases-as-covid-rsv-flu-figures-drop-for-second-week/?sh=5b629a4c64ac">end</a>&nbsp;to the tripledemic. The variant was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/18122023_jn.1_ire_clean.pdf?sfvrsn=6103754a_3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">classified</a>&nbsp;as a “variant of interest”—meaning it’s spreading in a way that may pose “an emerging risk to global public health”—by the World Health Organization in December. JN.1 is an offshoot of the highly mutated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/11/28/what-to-know-about-rapidly-spreading-pirola-covid-variant-ba286-and-if-vaccines-offer-protection/?sh=27f10c0e1978">Pirola</a>&nbsp;(BA.2.86) virus that some experts worried wouldn’t be protected against the updated monovalent Covid boosters, which specifically target XBB variants. However, vaccine makers ensured their shots provided some protection.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/12/20/jn1-covid-variant-of-interest-spreading-fast-in-us---heres-what-to-know/?sh=2fe82e10ccce">JN.1 Covid ‘Variant Of Interest’ Spreading Fast In U.S. — Here’s What To Know</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/caileygleeson/2024/01/19/tripledemic-surge-eases-as-covid-rsv-flu-figures-drop-for-second-week/?sh=5b629a4c64ac">‘Tripledemic’ Surge Eases As Covid, RSV, Flu Figures Drop For Second Week</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/11/28/what-to-know-about-rapidly-spreading-pirola-covid-variant-ba286-and-if-vaccines-offer-protection/?sh=717483311978">What To Know About Rapidly Spreading ‘Pirola’ Covid Variant BA.2.86—And If Vaccines Offer Protection</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Japan begins the third inoculation of COVID-19 vaccine

Covid Vaccines Linked To Small Increase In Heart And Brain Disorders, Study Finds—But Risk From Infection Is Far Higher


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Hospitalizations for Covid spiked 20% in the week after Christmas, according to new <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data</a> from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with an increase in Covid deaths, and flu hospitalizations and deaths, solidifying what experts predicted to be a “severe” season for respiratory illnesses as Americans traveled and gathered for holiday celebrations.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>There were 34,798 Covid-related hospitalizations during the holiday week ending in Dec. 30, 2023, a 20.4% increase from the week prior, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data</a>&nbsp;from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<p>Covid-related deaths were up <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#maps_percent-covid-deaths" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">12.5%</a> during this period, with the highest concentrations in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Missouri and Oklahoma.</p>



<p>New Omicron Covid variant JN.1 made up&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">61.6%</a>&nbsp;of all Covid cases in the two-week period between Dec. 24, 2023 and January 6, up 22.8% from the previous two-week period.</p>



<p>There were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#ORIAM" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">39 states</a>&nbsp;with high or very high levels for respiratory illness, including Covid, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus—this is up from 34 states the previous week.</p>



<p>Flu cases increased by <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">17.5%</a>, and there were <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#NHSN" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">20,066</a> flu-related hospitalizations, up over 5% from the previous week, according to the CDC.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/preparing-for-a-tripledemic-holiday-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a>&nbsp;in November 2023 that experts were preparing for an intense tripledemic holiday season. “It’s going to be a severe respiratory virus season,” associate director of Hospital Epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai, said in a statement. The tripledemic is a simultaneous rise in Covid, flu and RSV cases, which typically peaks during the winter season each year. Because of an uptick in respiratory illness-related hospitalizations, several healthcare systems across the country have reinstated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/01/04/heres-where-mask-mandates-are-coming-back-as-covid-cases-and-hospitalizations-rise/?sh=6e54ea132542">mask mandates</a>. Healthcare facilities in New York City began requiring masks for all patients, visitors and staff earlier this week. After the Illinois Department of Public advised hospitals to increase their mitigation efforts in December, several hospitals reinstated mask mandates, including Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center, Cook County Health and Endeavor Health. Berkshire Health System in Massachusetts began requiring masks on Wednesday, citing a “<a href="https://www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/news/winter-respiratory-viruses-on-the-rise-bhs-reinstitutes-masking-and-updates-visitor-guidelines" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">significant increase</a>” in local respiratory cases. After Los Angeles County entered the&nbsp;<a href="http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/masks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medium level</a>&nbsp;for Covid hospitalizations last month, the county required masks in all its hospitals.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



<p>New Covid variant JN.1 has been driving an increase in Covid cases across the country as it’s been rapidly spreading. JN.1 only made up&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">3.3%</a>&nbsp;of all Covid cases during the two-week period ending in Nov. 11, 2023, so it’s grown by almost 60% in a little over two months. The World Health Organization&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/12/20/jn1-covid-variant-of-interest-spreading-fast-in-us---heres-what-to-know/?sh=4fafa4dc10cc">classified</a>&nbsp;it as a “variant of interest” in December 2023, meaning it’s spreading in a way that may pose “an emerging risk to global public health.” JN.1 is an offshoot of the highly mutated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/11/28/what-to-know-about-rapidly-spreading-pirola-covid-variant-ba286-and-if-vaccines-offer-protection/?sh=27f10c0e1978">Pirola</a>&nbsp;(BA.2.86) strain that was spreading rapidly last fall. Some healthcare experts worried Pirola wouldn’t be protected against the updated monovalent Covid vaccines since they specifically target XBB variants. However, Moderna, Novavax and Pfizer-BioNTech said their shots provided some protection. Because of how rapidly JN.1 spread, the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/whats-new/SARS-CoV-2-variant-JN.1.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;it was the “fastest growing variant in the United States.” WHO also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/18122023_jn.1_ire_clean.pdf?sfvrsn=6103754a_3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">acknowledged</a>&nbsp;JN.1’s growth, stating it made up the majority of all BA.2.86 subvariants circulating globally, though available evidence suggested it posed a low risk to public health.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/01/04/heres-where-mask-mandates-are-coming-back-as-covid-cases-and-hospitalizations-rise/?sh=6e54ea132542">Here’s Where Mask Mandates Are Coming Back As Covid Cases And Hospitalizations Rise</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/preparing-for-a-tripledemic-holiday-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Preparing for a ‘Tripledemic’ Holiday Season</a>&nbsp;(Cedars-Sinai)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/12/20/jn1-covid-variant-of-interest-spreading-fast-in-us---heres-what-to-know/?sh=4fafa4dc10cc">JN.1 Covid ‘Variant Of Interest’ Spreading Fast In U.S. — Here’s What To Know</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/11/28/what-to-know-about-rapidly-spreading-pirola-covid-variant-ba286-and-if-vaccines-offer-protection/?sh=1493441c1978">What To Know About Rapidly Spreading ‘Pirola’ Covid Variant BA.2.86—And If Vaccines Offer Protection</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


TUNISIA-HEALTH-VIRUS-TOURISM-HOSPITAL

Covid Hospitalizations And Deaths See Double-Digit Spike After Holiday — Amid Surge In Respiratory Illnesses


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The World Health Organization said it is tracking a new coronavirus “variant of interest” called JN.1, an offshoot of the highly mutated “Pirola” strain that is spreading rapidly around the world and has become the fastest growing variant in the United States.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>JN.1 is an offshoot of the highly mutated omicron variant BA.2.86, often given the nickname “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/09/06/modernas-updated-covid-vaccine-is-effective-against-pirola-variant-as-concern-over-new-strain-grows/?sh=6dd42d971a06">Pirola</a>,” which some experts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/11/28/what-to-know-about-rapidly-spreading-pirola-covid-variant-ba286-and-if-vaccines-offer-protection/?sh=5d1849481978">worried</a>&nbsp;could&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/08/pirola-latest-covid-variant-spreading-in-uk-health-data-suggests" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evade</a>&nbsp;protection from prior infections and vaccination and trigger a large wave of disease like the original omicron variant did when it emerged.</p>



<p>As the WHO already classified BA.2.86 a “variant of interest”—a strain of virus with genetic changes known or believed to affect traits like transmissibility, immune escape and disease severity and that is spreading in a way that could pose “an emerging risk to global public health”—and tracked JN.1 as part of this group, it was already considered to be a “variant of interest” anyway.</p>



<p>The WHO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/18122023_jn.1_ire_clean.pdf?sfvrsn=6103754a_3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;JN.1 now merits its own standalone classification on account of its “rapidly increasing spread” around the world, adding that it now makes up the “vast majority” of BA.2.86 descendents reported.</p>



<p>The UN agency stressed available evidence, while “limited,” suggests the strain poses a “low” risk to public health.</p>



<p>That assessment was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/whats-new/SARS-CoV-2-variant-JN.1.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">echoed</a>&nbsp;by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in early December, when the agency said the JN.1 variant was responsible for between 15% and 29% of Covid cases and was the “fastest-growing variant in the United States.”</p>



<p>Both health agencies said updated booster vaccines will continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1, as they do for other variants, and that there is no sign the strain causes more severe disease compared to other variants.</p>



<p>Forbes Daily: Get our best stories, exclusive reporting and essential analysis of the day’s news in your inbox every weekday.Sign Up</p>



<p>By signing up, you accept and agree to our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/terms-and-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Terms of Service</a>&nbsp;(including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and you acknowledge our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/privacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Privacy Statement</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-don-t-know">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



<p>“The continued growth of JN.1 suggests that it is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems,” the CDC said in early December. However, the agency said it’s not clear how much JN.1 is contributing to the recent uptick in Covid activity given patterns of infection normally observed this time of year. It’s also not clear whether JN.1 produces a different set of symptoms to other variants, the CDC said, noting that symptoms “tend to be similar across variants.” Severity and types of symptoms “usually depend more on a person’s immunity and overall health rather than which variant causes the infection,” the agency said. The CDC said it will continue monitoring the situation and that Covid activity is likely to increase over the month of December, urging people to get vaccinated “if you haven’t received one this fall.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg">NEWS PEG</h2>



<p>JN.1 is on&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">track</a>&nbsp;to become the dominant variant in the U.S. in a matter of weeks. The agency’s latest projections estimate the variant was responsible for up to 30% of cases as of December 9, up from between 6% and 11% two weeks earlier. It trails dominant variant HV.1, which was responsible for an estimated 27% to 33% of cases as of December 9 and 30% to 34% of cases two weeks before that. In the CDC region covering the Northeast—New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands—JN.1 is already the dominant variant and responsible for an estimated 32% of cases. The variant is on a steep upward trajectory in other areas as well and is responsible for between 15% and 26% of cases in regions monitored by the CDC.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>1,159,864. That’s how many Covid deaths there have been in the U.S. since January 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to CDC data. Since early September, there have been around 1,200 to 1,400 Covid deaths across the country each week, some of the lowest figures since the pandemic began and down from a peak of nearly 26,000 around the start of 2021 when omicron drove a wave of cases.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>There is another category that sits above the WHO’s “variant of interest” class that the organization has not used since the emergence of omicron. The “variant of concern” threshold, which would likely secure the variant a Greek letter moniker like alpha, beta or delta, is reserved for strains that pose a significantly increased risk to public health. Such variants would have been shown to be more contagious, cause more severe disease or escape the protection of vaccines and treatments.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/whats-new/SARS-CoV-2-variant-JN.1.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;JN.1 is still closely related to BA.2.86, despite what the differences in name suggest. The difference comes down to how variants are named, the CDC said, and explained that “there is only a single change between JN.1 and BA.2.86 in the spike protein.” The spike protein is an important part of the coronavirus that allows the virus to enter cells and cause infection.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/09/06/modernas-updated-covid-vaccine-is-effective-against-pirola-variant-as-concern-over-new-strain-grows/?sh=6dd42d971a06">Moderna’s Updated Covid Vaccine Is Effective Against Pirola Variant—As Concern Over New Strain Grows</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Tag: Coronavirus Outbreak

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