In this regard, Chen Shizhong on 30 January announced that Taiwan's positive rate was 0.18, which is the fourth lowest positive rate in the world. The command centre announced on 29 January the results of the survey on the seropositivity rate of blood drawn by the end of August 2021.
Among the 5,000 samples sampled, only 1 was positive, with a positive rate of 2/10,000.
Chen Shizhong said bluntly that the investigation shows that there are not a large number of potential cases, and the community is generally safe. His remarks attracted some experts to hold different views, believing that the virus strains at that time were different from the current virus strains.
In this regard, Chen Shizhong responded on 30 January that when the epidemic broke out, there was relatively little so-called concealment, which meant that the community was safe at that time. He further explained that from the perspective of community testing, quick screening stations, etc., the positive rate is actually not high. If you want to say whether there are potential cases, it needs follow-up related observations, including hematological tests, or the positive rate can be seen.
Chen Shizhong pointed out, "If you look at the positive rate, frankly speaking, domestic tests are not too few, but not too many, but the average positive rate is about 400,000 people per million people, and the average test is 0.4 times per person."
Other regions like in Hong Kong, 4 million people are screened, with an average of 4 tests per person; while in mainland China, screening is often done in the whole city, and about 110,000 people out of 1 million people are tested, which is actually less than Taiwan in terms of population.
According to Chen Shizhong's analysis, the positive rate of countries such as mainland China, Hong Kong, and Vanuatu is about 0.07, while that of Taiwan is 0.18. "We are the fourth lowest positive rate in the world." In terms of rankings, Taiwan is probably in the 50s. He added, "If we look at the overall figures, the Taiwanese community is basically in a relatively safe situation."
Chen Shizhong bluntly said that the numbers in the past (2021) represent the situation of last year, not the present but it can mean that if there is a lot of lurking, it will burn up. Now there is a wave of epidemics but serum antibodies need a little more. It takes time to produce, so he hopes to monitor it in terms of serum, which will be a relatively back-end indicator.
China's epidemic prevention personnel died in large numbers, and Guangxi used "goose" troops to patrol
Image : The Guangxi border deployed 500 "goose" troops to prevent epidemics, which are more sensitive than dogs. (pixabay.com)
The covid epidemic continues to spread, and the death toll of China's front-line epidemic prevention personnel has been widely exposed. Recently, it was revealed that the epidemic prevention card points at the Guangxi border were equipped with highly sensitive animals such as geese and dogs to replace police patrols.
According to a report by the Chinese Communist Party's official media on 29 January, in Shuikou Town, Longzhou County, Chongzuo City, Guangxi, which borders Vietnam, some geese joined the epidemic prevention patrol team and were dubbed by local people as "organized geese".
The report said that in June 2021, Longzhou County took the lead in deploying "goose troops" at some border epidemic prevention and control points. It was found that geese were highly alert, even more sensitive than dogs.
At present, the "Goose Army" epidemic prevention has been promoted. About 400 dogs and 500 geese have been deployed in more than 300 epidemic prevention and control checkpoints on the 533-kilometer border of the city of Chongzuo to help prevent the epidemic.
Another epidemic prevention officer and farmer Zhong in Longzhou County told reporters that his epidemic prevention checkpoint is located at a three-way intersection, with high mountains and dense forests and many trails. There are often smugglers, and wild boars, poisonous snakes, centipedes, etc. are infested.The geese and dogs patrolling together not only scare away the smugglers, but also protect their lives.
Since the outbreak of covi in early 2020, a large number of front-line epidemic prevention personnel and even border police have been killed in China. During this period, the CCP officially deployed geese and dogs at the epidemic prevention card points to help the border police patrol, which is not ruled out to reduce the risk of the police contracting the epidemic.
CCTV News reported on 19 September 2021 that since the outbreak of the epidemic, a total of 27 police officers and 14 auxiliary police officers in Yunnan have died during the fight against the epidemic, and these police officers are young, many in their 30s.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported early last year that in 2020, a total of 315 police officers and 165 auxiliary police officers died in China due to the prevention and control of the epidemic.
In March 2020, a death list of the CCP's internal epidemic prevention personnel was exposed on the Internet. The list shows that as of March 17, 2020, a total of 329 epidemic prevention personnel have died, including civil servants, village cadres, police officers, doctors, and nurses in terms of occupation. Among them, 217 are members of the Communist Party of China.
An insider provided NTDTV with a "death list" earlier. In this list officially formulated by the CCP, 65 people were counted dead on just one page, mostly CCP members and police officers on the front line of the epidemic. The cause of death is only marked as "sudden illness from overwork", or "sudden illness", etc.
A person familiar with the matter said that the list is a partial list of deaths of personnel involved in epidemic prevention as of 10 February 2020. They are likely to be infected with the CCP virus and died, but they are not included in the list of deaths due to the epidemic. This is the CCP’s official method of fraud.
Image : Partial death list of the covid epidemic prevention personnel. (Web Screenshot)
News (5)
Will 5G networks interfere with altimetry radar? Russian aviation sector issues risk warning
According to the website of the "Russian Daily", in a letter to an airline, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency issued a risk warning to the latter that the 5G network will affect the flight and recommended additional safety measures.
These include the risk of altimetry radar malfunctioning or obtaining incorrect data from altimetry radars in areas covered by 5G base stations, the department said, citing European Aviation Safety Agency and FAA cable releases. Roscosmos recommends analyzing airport landing requirements and informing flight crews of airport data in the event of restrictions due to 5G networks.
Flight crews should be aware that altimetry radars and systems using radar data may operate erratically. At the same time, pilots should pass take-off and landing training that simulates conditions of poor visibility and unreliable altimetry radar. Airlines are also advised to notify aircraft manufacturers and national aviation authorities of altimetry radar anomalies as soon as possible, and to recommend ways to eliminate them.
Kommersant previously reported that several airlines confirmed they had received letters. Aeroflot pointed out that it has not found any adverse effects of launching 5G on flights. S7 Airlines also said that it has not yet encountered restrictions at destination airports due to 5G networks.
Hangzhou quarantines nearly 10,000 people overnight, causing outrage
Image : Nearly 10,000 residents in Hangzhou were taken to isolation by buses overnight, causing public grievances. (Video screenshot)
The covid epidemic continues to heat up in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. A few days ago, nearly 10,000 residents of Hangzhou Changjiang Community and Changjiang Xiyuan, ranging from newborn babies to elderly people in wheelchairs, were taken to quarantine by the authorities overnight. Due to the freezing cold and the rain, the official arrangements were chaotic, and the quarantined people were all complaining.
Nearly 10,000 people were quarantined overnight, and Hangzhou authorities were bombarded
At 4 pm on 28 January, the official press conference of Hangzhou City of the Communist Party of China stated that because Omicron is very contagious, there are relatively many confirmed cases, close contacts and sub-close contacts involved in Changjiang Community and Changjiang Xiyuan. Businesses such as shops and residences are more complex, so the personnel from Changjiang Community and Changjiang Xiyuan are uniformly transferred to the centralized isolation point.
According to the report, there are 95 residential buildings in the closed area, with a total of 2,662 households and 9,322 people. As of 3 pm on the 28th, a total of 336 transfers have been completed, and 9,218 people have been safely transferred.
Hu Yuzhen (pseudonym), a resident of Changjiang Community in Binjiang District, Hangzhou, told the Epoch Times reporter on 29 January, "We are all in quarantine now, with more than 9,000 people and more than 400 buses coming to pull people, men, women and children, all of them in their arms. Newborn babies, elderly people who are sick, can't walk, and those who are pushed by wheelchairs have to be pulled away, and they are all isolated."
"I have done nucleic acid twice now. I heard that it will be done 7 times, once every two days, and three meals a day are given, and people are not allowed to go out. There is a stool at each door. When the meal is delivered, knock on the room. Now no one says whether (the cost of isolation) is at their own expense or what." She said, "It is impossible for a whole family to live together, and we will definitely not be able to go back during the New Year. They brought us here and stayed like this for one day. I’m bored and have nothing to do, and now we are mainly saving our lives.”
News (7)
Updates to the Omicron outbreak at Huierte
Hu Yuzhen said that there is a factory (Huierte China Catering Equipment Co., Ltd.) behind the community, and there are several cases there. It is Omicron. The colleagues of the diagnosed person rented rooms in Xiyuan and Dongyuan, and they were all isolated. There were several confirmed cases in Dongyuan and Xiyuan, which were closed on the night of the 25th, and then began to be transferred out in batches, all of which were closed.
All residents were required to be quarantined overnight, but the authorities failed to arrange the pre-operation, which led to confusion in the transfer process, and sparked criticism from a large number of people who feared the risk of contagion.
News (8)
Messy overnight quarantine, residents complain
A resident posted in a circle of friends, "I'm really annoyed... At 5 o'clock in the evening, I was notified to be quarantined in a centralized manner, at 8 o'clock in the evening to investigate, and at 11.30 pm we were called to leave. As a result, the elderly, children and babies were lined up in the heavy rain. There was a queue for more than an hour. Finally got on the bus at one o'clock, and was told that there was no hotel to accept us. A whole 26 cars were stranded, and 650 rooms were lacking. At 1.30 am, a carload of elderly and children was stuffy in the carriage. I have to wear a mask to avoid infection. My shoes and pants are all wet. When making such a decision, why didn’t the number of rooms and the hotel have been determined in advance? Some people in the group arrived at the hotel in three hours, while others When I got to the hotel, the other party didn't receive it and got the police. The news was very big, the video was very good, and 400 cars were on standby. But it was a mess for a long time."
Another resident complained on Weibo, "pulling people out of their homes, gathering outside the community, and being exposed to the rain and blowing air for 1 or 2 hours and not allowed to get on the bus. After someone got on the bus, a car of people stayed in a confined space for The car didn't move for hours."
"I don't understand why centralized isolation is necessary. Does the centralized transfer process not increase the risk of infection? What is the problem with home isolation in the community?" "Tragically, there are more than 9,000 pregnant women who are about to give birth, and I can only ask God to bless them." "For the government, as long as you don't die in the city, it's called social zero."
Huierte (China) Catering Equipment Co., Ltd. has a total of 297 employees, of which 240 employees are located in 12 counties and cities in Hangzhou, and the other 57 employees return to their hometowns in other provinces and cities to celebrate the New Year. The employees who stayed in Hangzhou were mainly concentrated in Binjiang District.
In the early morning of 26 January, Gan XX, an employee of Huierte Catering Equipment Co., Ltd., was diagnosed and confirmed to be infected with Omicron. He attended the company's annual meeting on the 19th.
On 27 January, Xia Shichang, deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Health and Health Commission of the Communist Party of China, told mainland Chinese media that the company had a holiday after the year-end summary meeting on the 19th. It is inferred from the beginning of the 19th that it has been nearly a week since the diagnosis of the case. There may be three generations of cases spread over the course of a week.
News (9)
New health code colour for those in epidemic prevention areas
Starting in the early morning of 29 January, the colour of the health code of some Hangzhou residents will change to orange. Different from the yellow code and the red code, the citizens whose health code has turned orange are mainly those in the epidemic prevention area, and there is a certain risk of epidemic infection. Nucleic acid testing needs to be carried out every day for three consecutive days. Those with negative results will receive a health code. Automatically convert to green code.
The Epoch Times reporter called a number of companies and stores near Hangzhou Xiaoshan Huacheng Herui Science and Technology Park (control area), but most of them went unanswered. Two of the store owners said that they had gone home from vacation because of the epidemic, and they did not know when to open, depending on the situation of the epidemic.
On 29 January, Zhejiang Province officially notified that the outbreak in Hangzhou showed point-like distribution and local aggregation. In addition to the outbreaks involved in Huierte Catering Equipment Co., Ltd., there were also 6 family cluster outbreaks and 1 wedding banquet cluster outbreak. Since some cases involve gathering places such as annual meetings and wedding banquets, new cases will be added in the next few days.
From 26 to 29 January, Hangzhou reported a total of 40 local confirmed cases, of which 18 were newly added on the 28th.
News (10)
Outbreak in Anshun, Guizhou
In addition, a returnee from Anshun City, Guizhou Province was diagnosed on 26 January and was a close contact of a confirmed case in Hangzhou. The gene sequence of this case is a variant of Omicron, which is the same genotype as the related case announced in Hangzhou.
So far, cases linked to Hangzhou have occurred in four provinces including Shangrao in Jiangxi, Anshun in Guizhou, Luotian in Hubei and Sanmenxia in Henan.
News (11)
Epidemic spread in many provinces
On 29 January 2022, the National Health Commission of the Communist Party of China reported that on the 28th, 37 new local cases were reported in 31 provinces and cities in mainland China, including 18 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. In addition, Beijing, Tianjin, Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, and the Fourth Division of the Xinjiang Construction Corps have all released confirmed cases.
News (12)
Variant of Omicron in Xinjiang
On 29 January, He Qinghua, a first-level inspector of the CDC of the National Health Commission of the Communist Party of China, said that the virus sequencing result of the recent Xinjiang Horgos epidemic was a variant of Omicron, and the epidemic involved a wide range of occupations and degree of community transmission.
As of 12 pm on the 29th, Suifenhe, Heilongjiang Province, has reported a total of 24 local confirmed cases and 39 asymptomatic infections.
On 29 January, Beijing designated Building 4, District 3, Anzhenli Community, Anzhenli Community, Chaoyang District, and Hongfuyuan Community, Xihongmen Town, Daxing District as medium-risk areas. Up to now, Beijing has one high-risk area, Wanliuyuan Community, Yuquanying Street, Fengtai District, and nine medium-risk areas.
The related epidemic that occurred in Fengtai, Beijing on 18 January has spread to Beijing, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi and Liaoning.
From 4 pm on 28 January to 4 pm on 29 January, 12 new local confirmed cases were reported in Beijing. Since January 15, a total of 96 local infections have been reported in the city, of which 6 cases have been reported in the outbreak associated with the Omicron variant.
Because the CCP is accustomed to concealing the truth of the epidemic, the official data has been questioned by the outside world.
News (13)
Study finds antibody signature in long covid patients
Image : Schematic diagram of the researchers analyzing antibody levels in the blood. (Shutterstock)
Scientists have found that people with low levels of specific antibodies are more likely to develop long covid symptoms, that is, symptoms that persist for as long after infection with the virus months.
The research team examined antibody levels in 175 people with covid, compared with 40 healthy people. To see how their symptoms changed over time, the researchers tracked 134 of those infected for up to a year.
The research results show that in the early stage of virus infection, the level of antibody IgM generally increases rapidly first, and then the level of antibody IgG will continue to increase steadily, providing long-term protection. However, people with low levels of antibodies IgM and IgG3 (a type of antibody IgG) after infection are more likely to develop long covid symptoms.
The researchers combined this antibody signature with a patient's age, whether they had asthma and specific medical conditions, and came up with an assessment system that could predict a person's risk of developing long covid symptoms after being infected.
The researchers then tested the system's accuracy using data from another group of patients. This data set consists of 395 patients who were followed for six months. Carlo Cervia, one of the principal investigators, said the results found that people with asthma and lower levels of IgM and IgG3 antibodies had a higher risk of developing long covid symptoms.
The study was published on 25 January 2022 in the journal Nature Communications.
News (14)
CUHK research: Sequelae of long covid is related to intestinal microecological imbalance
The sequelae of long covid refers to the complications or persistent symptoms of patients who are infected with covi for several weeks to several months. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) announced on 26 January 2022 that a new study by the Faculty of Medicine of the CUHK found that the imbalance of intestinal bacteria in covid patients s closely related to the risk of "long covid".
It is reported that the international definition of "long covid" refers to a covid patient who has at least one symptom for four weeks or more after the virus has been cleared. According to research data from the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK, 76% of COVID-19 patients developed at least one symptom within 6 months of recovery. The most common symptoms included fatigue, poor memory, hair loss, anxiety and difficulty sleeping.
The research team of CUHK found that the intestinal microecology of covid patients with "was abnormal, with significantly fewer "good bacteria" and more "bad bacteria". In contrast, people without sequelae had a richer and more diverse gut microbiome, similar to those who had never been infected. The team also found that the "long covid" patients were no different from those without sequelae in terms of age, gender, other diseases, use of antibiotics and antiviral drugs, and the severity of infection with covid, reflecting that the intestinal microecological imbalance is the main cause of long covid.
The research team further investigated the association between gut bacterial imbalances and different categories of covid sequelae, including respiratory, nervous, digestive, skin (hair loss), musculoskeletal, and fatigue. The results of the study found that as many as 81 kinds of intestinal bacteria were associated with various sequelae of covi, and many of them were closely related to three or more persistent symptoms.
In addition, the team found that several intestinal bacteria that can improve human immunity, including Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium pseudominis, are missing in the intestines of long covid patients. Micro-ecological imbalance is the main factor leading to the emergence of "long covid" in the future.
Huang Xiujuan, Deputy Director of the Center for Intestinal Microbiota Research, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK pointed out that this is the first study in the world to demonstrate persistent intestinal microecological imbalance in covid patients after recovery, and this phenomenon is likely to be an important cause of sequelae.
Chen Jialiang, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK and Director of the Center for Intestinal Microbiota Research, said that the results of the study showed that the gut microbiome of covid patients can predict the risk of sequelae. Millions of people around the world are infected with covid, and this study shows that regulating the bacteria in the gut can promote recovery and reduce the sequelae of long covid.
News (15)
Lai Qingde: Harris is very supportive of Taiwan, thanks for the U.S. transit courtesy
Image : On 28 January 2022, Taipei time, President-elect Xiomara Castro of Honduras, a friendly country of the Republic of China (Taiwan), was sworn in as the first female president of Honduras. The picture shows Vice President Lai Qingde of the Republic of China (1st from right) talking with US Vice President Kamala Harris (2nd from right) when attending the ceremony. (Provided by the accompanying interview team/Central News Agency)
The Vice President of the Republic of China, Lai Qingde, shared with the Vice President of the United States on January 28 that he naturally interacted with the Vice President of the United States, saying that He Jinli was generous, friendly, and very supportive of Taiwan. He thanked him for the arrangement he had received during this transit through the United States.
According to a report by the Central News Agency, the special envoy had an online video chat with overseas Chinese on the evening of the 28th local time in Honduras, sharing the natural interaction with US Vice President Kamala Harris, and said that Harris was very generous, friendly, and friendly towards Taiwan. He is very supportive; he said that he has received a safe, refreshing and convenient transit courtesy this time through the United States, and he also expressed his gratitude for this.
According to the official website of the Presidential Office of the Republic of China, Lai Qingde attended the "Vice President Lai Welcomed by the Overseas Chinese Community in San Francisco" on the evening of the 28th, and shared with the overseas Chinese leaders the experience of the trip, as well as the recent domestic achievements in epidemic prevention and economic development. He also asked everyone to thank Chairman Mo Jian who was present with the warmest applause. Through Mo Jian's influence, the United States asked the Taiwan government to provide a lot of assistance. Therefore, when the special mission transits through Los Angeles and San Francisco, it can enjoy safe, comfortable and convenient transit courtesy.
Lai Qingde mentioned that President Castro had said during his election campaign that if they were elected, they would cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establish diplomatic ties with the CCP; therefore, the special mission's visit also attracted international attention. However, he wants to tell everyone that President Tsai's leadership, coupled with the dedication and hard work of all his diplomatic colleagues, over the past few decades, no matter which political party is in power, "my country has established a good friendship with Honduras, and they have also have a good foundation."
"In this visit to Honduras, the new president, vice president and ministers have repeatedly expressed that they cherish the friendship with Taiwan and hope to deepen cooperation with Taiwan in the future," he said.
Lai Chingde said that during his transit through the United States, American dignitaries are very concerned that Taiwan is on the front line of the threat from the CCP. However, the United States and the international community have affirmed and praised Taiwan's insistence on democracy. "We have not given up our sovereignty or sacrificed democracy, freedom, and human rights because of the threat from China."
He believes that in the 2022 presidential election, they can get the support of 8.17 million votes from the Taiwanese people, saying that not only the government adheres to principles and values, but the people also show courage, calmness, rationality, solidarity and cooperation, democracy, freedom, human rights and other values. That is the essence of Taiwan.
Lai Qingde mentioned that he had deep feelings about President Castro's inaugural speech, and many of what she was going to do and what she encountered were things that Taiwan has experienced in the past. "But through our decades of hard work, we have been able to achieve the results of the current progress, and many of them come from overseas, especially the lobbying of the United States." He would like to express his sincere gratitude to the overseas Chinese for their efforts and efforts.
At night of 27 January, Lai Qingde had tea with reporters accompanying the delegation, sharing the experience and impressions of his first visit to Honduras, as well as the special mission to complete the three tasks assigned by President Tsai, deepening friendship, deepening cooperation and deepening international participation between democratic Taiwan and Honduras etc.
Talking about deepening international participation, Lai Ching-de pointed out that they also seized the opportunity to interact naturally with many friendly countries who attended the inauguration ceremony, as well as with the heads of state, deputy heads of state or representatives of friendly countries, "I believe this will provide chances for Taiwan's future cooperation with friendly countries."
Lai Qingde and Harris, King Felipe VI of Spain, Prime Minister of Belize of AIA John Briceño and other representatives of various countries exchanged brief greetings at the inauguration ceremony. Lai Qingde and Harris sat in the first row, and the two interacted naturally. It was the first time that the Vice Presidents of Taiwan and the United States made contacts in an international arena, which was regarded as a diplomatic breakthrough of the Republic of China.
Harris said she was in Honduras talking with Lai Chingde about shared interests in Central America and the U.S. government's underlying strategy to curb immigration, Reuters reported. "The brief conversation we had was actually about common interests in the region, and obviously Taiwan is interested in our rooted strategy."
Lai Qingde said that there is some tacit understanding between them, and it is inconvenient to relay the US statement. When he talked with Harris, he deeply felt that as the vice president of the United States, she is quite powerful and close to nature. He was expressing the rock-solid support of the United States for Taiwan on behalf of Taiwan, and naturally greeted each other.
News (16)
U.S. hits back at CCP accusations of interfering with Winter Olympics
Image : A police officer patrols next to obstacles around the closed-loop system at the main press center of the Beijing Winter Olympics on January 26, 2022. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and state media accuse the United States of planning to interfere with and "sabotage" the Beijing Winter Olympics, by bribing foreign athletes, to create during the Winter Olympics trouble. The U.S. embassy in China responded strongly that Beijing's move was aimed at diverting public attention from its harsh human rights.
The accusations by the Chinese Communist Party came a week before the Beijing Olympics. The English-language edition of China Daily, run by the Central Propaganda Department, quoted unnamed sources as saying late Friday (28 January) that the U.S. plans to "incite athletes from all over the world to express their dissatisfaction with China, be negative during competitions, or even refuse to compete."
In return, Washington will provide substantial compensation and "mobilize global resources" to help protect the reputations of athletes who choose to treat competition negatively, the report said.
The report provided no further evidence for its allegations.
When CCP China's foreign ministry was asked if it believed the China Daily allegations were valid, a foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters on Saturday that the report "exposed some Americans for politicizing sports to undermine and interfere with Beijing the true intent of the Winter Olympics".
The spokesman also said he strongly condemned attempts by some Americans to "buy" athletes and "create trouble" during the Olympics.
In response to the latest Chinese allegations, a spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Beijing told Reuters by email on Saturday: "American athletes have the right to express themselves freely in accordance with the spirit and bylaws of the Olympic Games, which includes advancing human rights."
The spokesman added that China "will continue to try to mislead the public about our decisions in order to divert attention from its extremely poor human rights record."
The United States took the lead in announcing a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics in December 2021, and allied countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada followed suit and announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics to show their dissatisfaction with the CCP’s poor human rights record.
The White House said at the time that the Biden administration would not send any diplomats or official representatives to the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing given China's ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. The US government is sending a "clear message" to the outside world that human rights abuses in China can no longer be "business as usual".
Despite the U.S. announcement of a diplomatic boycott, the U.S. does not restrict athletes from traveling to Beijing to compete in the Winter Olympics.
The CCP has rejected international allegations of human rights abuses and has repeatedly criticized the politicization of the Olympics.
A U.S. embassy spokesman on Saturday reiterated its previous stance that Washington is not globally coordinating the campaign to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics, in response to China's accusations that the U.S. sabotaged the Olympics.
"Neither was nor is we coordinating a global movement to participate in the Olympics," the U.S. embassy said.
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
News (17)
Senior U.S. official to visit Lithuania to support its fight against CCP economic coercion
Image : On 18 November 2021, the "Taiwan Representative Office in Lithuania" was officially launched in Vilnius (Petras Malukas/AFP via Getty Images)
A senior U.S. official will visit Lithuania next week to discuss strengthening economic cooperation with Lithuania to counter Chinese economic coercion.
On 28 January, the U.S. State Department issued a statement announcing that Jose W. Fernandez, the undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, will travel to Vilnius, Lithuania from 30 January to 1 February. While in Vilnius, Deputy Secretary Fernandez will meet with senior officials of the country's government to discuss U.S.-Lithuania relations, opportunities for deepening bilateral economic cooperation, and a shared commitment to rules-based policies that encourage responsible, sustainable economic development.
The Deputy Secretary of State will also discuss continued strong U.S. support for Lithuania in the face of political pressure and economic coercion from the People's Republic of China (China), the statement said.
Since Lithuania agreed to Taiwan's establishment of a representative office in the country in the name of "Taiwan" in 2021, the Chinese government has begun to exert strong political, diplomatic and economic pressure on Lithuania, not only downgrading the diplomatic relations between China and Lithuania, but also imposing a comprehensive economic policy on Lithuania. Sanctions and retaliation, and pressure on multinational companies to cut ties with Lithuania.
The State Department statement also said that the U.S. delegation, led by Deputy Secretary of State Fernandez, will include senior leaders of the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) to discuss the implementation of the recently signed $600 million memorandum of understanding to expand U.S. exporters and Lithuanian buyers in Partnership opportunities in high-tech manufacturing, business services and renewable energy.
Undersecretary Fernandez also traveled to Brussels, Belgium to meet with EU officials from February 2 to 4, 2022, to discuss issues of mutual interest, including combating economic coercion through the US-EU Trade and Technology Committee (TTC), and deepening and Expand transatlantic trade and investment.
"In both capitals (Vilnius and Brussels), Deputy Secretary of State Fernandez will discuss cooperation to develop a positive economic agenda that promotes prosperity for the people of the United States, Lithuania and the entire European Union," the statement said.
The European Union said on Thursday it had filed a lawsuit at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over China's imposition of trade restrictions on EU member Lithuania. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said on the same day that the United States will request to join these WTO negotiations in solidarity with Lithuania and the European Union.
The EU has accused China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania, which it says threatens the integrity of the bloc's single market.
Commenting on the WTO case on Friday night, the Taiwan Executive Yuan's Economic and Trade Negotiation Office said Taiwan "fully supports" the European Union and Lithuania and opposes "inappropriate economic coercion" by China.
"We will work with other like-minded partners such as Lithuania and the European Union to prevent China from using coercive economic and diplomatic measures and maintain a rules-based international trading system," Taiwan added in a statement.
News (18)
New York Times: Unvaccinated people have "lower rates of infection and hospitalization" from covid than the vaccinated
Reporter : Natalie Winters, The National Pulse
The New
York Times has finally accepted that individuals unvaccinated
against COVID-19 who previously contracted the virus had “lower rates of
infection and hospitalization than those protected by vaccines alone.”
A January 19th update posted to the outlet’s COVID-19
live blog explains how unvaccinated individuals who previously contracted the
virus “had lower rates of infection and hospitalization than those protected by
vaccines alone”:
During the week beginning May 30, 2021, vaccinated people who had
not experienced covid had the lowest risk of coronavirus infection and
hospitalization, followed by unvaccinated people who had been previously
diagnosed with covid.
By
the week beginning 3 October, however, vaccinated people with a prior diagnosis
fared best against the Delta variant. Unvaccinated people with a history of covid also had lower rates of infection and hospitalization than those
protected by vaccines alone.
“The
data are consistent with trends observed in international studies, the
researchers said,” added The New York Times.
The outlet attempts to explain the disparity in vaccinated and
unvaccinated people contracting covid by attributing it to the “waning
of vaccine-derived immunity.”
“A
recent study of employees
at the Cleveland Clinic suggested that while vaccination does
not add much benefit to a prior bout for the first many months, it may offer
better protection against symptomatic illness over the long term than does
immunity from a previous infection,” reasons the outlet.
The admission follows other studies showing similar trends, including a Robert Koch Institute report
that found nearly 80 percent of Omicron cases occurred in vaccinated
individuals. The story also follows an unprecedented surge in lobbying efforts by American pharmaceutical
giants that developed COVID-19 shots including Pfizer and Moderna.
News (19) to (20) / Reporters : Zhang Shuanghu, Huang Xing, China Science News / https://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2022/1/473461.shtm
News (19)
Zhang Wenhong leads the construction of the Microbiology and Infection Network Laboratory
Image : Microbiology and Infection Network Laboratory Project Launched Photo courtesy of the sponsor
On 28 January 2022, the National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases officially launched the construction of the Microbiology and Infection Network Laboratory. The project is jointly built by the National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Zhijiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and other doctors and enterprises, aiming to further strengthen the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases.
On the same day, the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, built in Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, reached a strategic cooperation with Shanghai Zhijiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd., the Shanghai Molecular Diagnostic Technology Innovation Center for Infectious Diseases. Professor Zhang Wenhong, the head of the platform, signed an on-site contract with researcher Lv Lilang. The Microbiology and Infection Network Laboratory Project is the first concrete implementation project under this strategic framework.
Relying on the National Infectious Diseases Medical Center (Shanghai) built by Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, led by Zhang Wenhong, one of its major strategic tasks is to establish an early clinical diagnosis network system and a pathogen network laboratory sample bank.
With the influence of the national center and the strength of several network hospitals in the city, the sample library project will realize cross-platform cooperation, standardize the processing, registration and storage of samples from clinical sources through technical means, and establish basic sample data resources; For major emergent infectious diseases, the initial sample information can be found in the resource library at an early stage to help trace the source and isolate virus strains, and buy time for subsequent diagnosis, selection of prevention and treatment methods, and vaccine drug development.
Project cooperation and co-construction units include sentinel hospitals and related enterprises, providing support in testing, storage, logistics, information and other aspects.
"The choice to cooperate with the industrial platform is to rely on the technology platform and use a mature industrialization system to empower public health construction. The model of combining medical and enterprise can play a role in economies of scale and reduce construction and management costs." Zhang Wenhong said.
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Shanghai further strengthens infectious disease prevention and control system
The first phase of the project plans to cooperate with 10 designated hospitals that have established fever clinics in Shanghai, and regularly conduct standardized management and transfer of samples collected from outpatient testing, detect routine pathogens, and store them in a unified manner for use at any time, as disease control when needed. There are system (CDC) parallel laboratories for sequencing of unknown pathogens. At the same time, the cloud storage of clinical sample information based on blockchain technology is realized
In the next two to three years, the number is expected to expand to more than 30, covering other provinces and cities in China, and is expected to build a million-scale resource bank of microorganisms and infection samples has been established in Shanghai, which can help accurate prevention and control decisions with precious data.
Pictures of Changi Airport at night in 2017
Pictures of Hyderabad Airport at night in 2017
