Category: Breaking News

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South Africa says travel bans over new variant unjustified

  • South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said that new travel restrictions amid concerns over a heavily mutated Covid variant are “unjustified.”
  • He slammed other nations for “wanting to put blame” and ascribe the variant to South Africa rather than working collaboratively to address the situation as guided by the WHO.
  • Phaala said preliminary studies suggest the variant may be more transmissible due to is genetic composition but noted that vaccines are still effective in preventing severe Covid-19 from the variant.

Continue reading “South Africa says travel bans over new variant unjustified”

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The coronavirus The O variant the devil you don’t know BARK BARK BARK

The Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) is an independent group of experts that periodically monitors and evaluates the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and assesses if specific mutations and combinations of mutations alter the behaviour of the virus. The TAG-VE was convened on 26 November 2021 to assess the SARS-CoV-2 variant: B.1.1.529. The B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to WHO from South Africa on 24 November 2021. The epidemiological situation in South Africa has been characterized by three distinct peaks in reported cases, the latest of which was predominantly the Delta variant. In recent weeks, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of B.1.1.529 variant. The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9 November 2021. Continue reading “The coronavirus The O variant the devil you don’t know BARK BARK BARK”

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NY declares state of emergency over new COVID variant….. Australia may expand COVID restrictions if needed – official….

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A flood of covid patients causes ‘almost unmanageable strain’ in Michigan as cases rise nationwide

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – At Spectrum Health, a major health-care system here, officials spent part of last week debating whether to move to “red status” in a show of how strained hospitals had become. A flood of mostly unvaccinated covid-19 patients was arriving at emergency departments already packed with people suffering other medical issues, sending capacity to unprecedented levels. The only hesitation for Spectrum’s decision-makers? Data suggested the covid surge was not over. “We don’t have a darker color,” said Darryl Elmouchi, president of Spectrum Health West Michigan. “So if we’re red now, what are we in two weeks?” He and other leaders ultimately decided Thursday to make the change, upgrading the health-care system to the most serious tier for the first time since the pandemic began. In recent days, the state had emerged as a new covid hot spot, leading the nation in new infections and hospitalizations. By the end of last week, its seven-day average of new cases had hit a pandemic high. State leaders asked the U.S. Department of Defense to provide emergency hospital staffing to handle the surge – a request granted Wednesday.

Continue reading “A flood of covid patients causes ‘almost unmanageable strain’ in Michigan as cases rise nationwide”

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Trade Reco

Crude Light New York

This is a very thinly traded market. This trade is not over but I want to TAKE PROFITS. OPEC meets on December 2nd and I’m sure they’re going to announce no increase in productions and they may even announce holding more oil off the market. I believe this COVID variant is serious. As you know, I’ve been predicting this event since August but we are due for the FDA, the CDC and the Biden electees to spread copious amounts of joy gel. That should set a bear trap where they swing oil to the upside. On the next wave up, I want to short the shit out of this market again. For now, take the freeging money and run.

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BARK BARK BARK Scientists sound alarm over new ‘worst-ever’ super-mutant COVID variant that could make vaccines 40% less effective BARK BARK BARK

UK and Israel ban travel from South Africa and five other countries but passengers will continue to stream into US
  • The B.1.1.529 variant has a ‘very unusual constellation’ of mutations and may be more resistant to the vaccine
  • Likely to be officially named Nu, variant might evade the body’s immune response and be more transmissible
  • There are currently 77 confirmed cases in South Africa, four in Botswana, one in Hong Kong and one in Israel
  • However, the real numbers are likely much higher as health authorities establish the full scale of the spread
  • Britain, Israel, Singapore, Germany and Ital are among increasing countries to block flights from South Africa
  • There are no direct flights to US from any of the countries except South Africa. Early Friday morning, the CDC still listed South Africa as ‘Level 1: Low Level of COVID-19’ on the country’s travel advice page

Continue reading “BARK BARK BARK Scientists sound alarm over new ‘worst-ever’ super-mutant COVID variant that could make vaccines 40% less effective BARK BARK BARK”

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Crazy shit-WHO cautions against imposing travel restrictions due to new variant

NB: some crazy shit… we have a highly mutated covid variant and the WHO as in health does not want to take the cautious approach and shut down the flying incubates……. some crazy shit!

GENEVA, Nov 26 (Reuters) – The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to the new B.1.1.529 variant of COVID-19, saying they should take a “risk-based and scientific approach”. Continue reading “Crazy shit-WHO cautions against imposing travel restrictions due to new variant”

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European shares tumble on fears over new virus variant

(Reuters) – European stocks sank more than 3% on Friday, as report of a newly identified and possibly vaccine-resistant coronavirus variant stoked fears of a fresh hit to global economy and drove investors out of riskier assets. The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 3.3% by 0819 GMT, on course for its worst session in over a year, while UK’s FTSE 100 dropped 3.3%. Germany’s DAX fell 3.4% and France’s CAC 40 shed 4.3%.

Little is known of the variant detected in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong, but scientists said it has an unusual combination of mutations and may be able to evade immune responses or make it more transmissible. Continue reading “European shares tumble on fears over new virus variant”

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Oil plunges near 3% amid virus, oversupply fears

Prices of oil futures tumbled almost 3% on Friday as the traders monitored the latest developments on the COVID front, with more and more countries deciding to limit air traffic to and from South Africa and the surrounding nations after the emergence of a new virus variant. Meanwhile, worries over increased supply brought by a coordinated strategic petroleum reserve release persisted, seemingly adding to the negative sentiment. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for deliveries in January 2022 dropped 2.8% at 1:16 am ET to sell for $75.91 per barrel. A minute later, Brent for the same month’s settlements lost 2.55% to go for $80.12 per barrel.

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South African variant ‘most infectious’ yet – UK’s Shapps

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Friday that a newly identified coronavirus variant spreading in South Africa was considered by scientists to be the most significant one yet found and so it needed to ascertain whether or not it made vaccines ineffective. Defending a ban on flights from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that the lesson of COVID was that early action was essential. The UK Health Security Agency said that the variant – called B.1.1.529 – has a spike protein that was dramatically different to the one in the original coronavirus that COVID-19 vaccines are based on. “As scientists have described, (this is) the most significant variant they’ve encountered to date in their research,” Shapps told Sky News. Officials have advised the government on the need to act swiftly and pre-emptively in case the concerns over the impact of the variant are borne out, even though it could take weeks to generate all the information needed about its characteristics. The variant has also been found in Botswana and Hong Kong, but the UK Health Security Agency said that no cases of the variant had been detected in Britain.