I am living in the middle of the emergency over coronavirus in Finland. Due this reason the update cycle to make posting to this blog could be slowed down.
The Finnish government announced on Monday nationwide school closures in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Read more on the following aricles:
Finland closes schools, declares state of emergency over coronavirus
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finland_closes_schools_declares_state_of_emergency_over_coronavirus/11260062
Daycare centres are to stay open but parents were asked to keep their kids home if possible. The government also published a 19-point list of emergency legislation that takes effect on 18 March.
Coronavirus latest: 359 cases confirmed in Finland, S-Group shuts its Helsinki eateries, bankruptcy fears mount
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/coronavirus_latest_359_cases_confirmed_in_finland_s-group_shuts_its_helsinki_eateries_bankruptcy_fears_mount/11249610
Here is a link to an earlier post related to Coronavirus:
https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2020/02/12/mobile-trends-2020-mwc-canceled/
1,657 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
The death rate for COVID-19 patients who ended up in intensive care has improved dramatically compared to the first few months of the pandemic, according to a new study. This glimmer of good news is most likely a reflection of advances in treatment and medicine’s increasing understanding of the disease.
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/covid19-death-rate-in-intensive-care-has-hugely-improved-since-start-of-pandemic/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapping-global-income-support-during-covid-19/
Tomi Engdahl says:
“We are not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021.”
“We are not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021.”
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/who-chief-scientist-covid19-herd-immunity-unlikely-in-2021-despite-vaccines/
Tomi Engdahl says:
U.K. Variant Doubling Every 10 Days And Could Become U.S.’s Dominant Strain By March, Study Finds
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/02/07/uk-variant-doubling-every-10-days-and-could-become-uss-dominant-strain-by-march-study-finds/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
The coronavirus variant that originated in the United Kingdom is spreading quickly across the U.S., according to the findings of a new study made public Sunday, which supports the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) prediction that the more contagious strain could become predominant in the U.S. by late March, potentially driving excess cases and deaths.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The high cost of missed school
https://www.axios.com/schools-pandemic-economic-cost-9f54405e-95f1-4e7b-bef1-988d72155af0.html?utm_campaign=organic&utm_medium=socialshare&utm_source=facebook
The pandemic’s disruption of in-person school is causing headaches for students, parents and teachers. But it’ll also trigger long-term economic consequences to the tune of trillions of dollars.
The big picture: The U.S. economy could take a $14 trillion to $28 trillion blow in the long run due to coronavirus-induced learning loss, according to economists’ projections. And the longer the pandemic keeps kids out of classrooms, the higher that number will climb.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.thestreet.com/mishtalk/economics/unemployment-rate-dives-as-people-drop-out-of-the-labor-force-and-life
Tomi Engdahl says:
The global chip shortage is hurting businesses and could be a national security issue. Here are 9 quotes that help explain what that means for the market.
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/global-chip-shortage-quotes-explain-means-stocks-semiconductors-national-security-2021-2-1030051469
Tomi Engdahl says:
The roll-out of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in South Africa has been put on hold after a study – yet to be peer-reviewed – reported that the vaccine doesn’t appear to offer strong protection against mild and moderate cases of the new SARS-CoV-2 variant dominating South African infections.
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/south-africa-halts-astrazeneca-vaccine-rollout-due-to-new-variant/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omgsnax/permalink/3978176008880125/
If we’re gonna be honest with ourselves, going to a restaurant to eat isn’t a thing anybody needs to do. I might claim that I need In-N-Out with a certain amount of regularity or I will die, but I might be exaggerating slightly, and I definitely don’t need to eat it in the restaurant.
There is zero good argument for indoor dining until our vaccination numbers are higher and our ICU occupancy rates are lower.
The Indoor-Dining Debate Isn’t a Debate at All
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-gastronomy/the-indoor-dining-debate-isnt-a-debate-at-all
Struggling restaurants that try to follow the ricocheting rules have mostly relied on takeout and delivery, outdoor dining (a difficult sell in the depths of winter, even with heat lamps and yurts), and alternative revenue streams such as grocery sales, T-shirt lines, and meal kits. Opening dining rooms at twenty-five-per-cent capacity, many restaurateurs have pointed out, won’t draw enough additional revenue to cover their overhead, or rehire a full staff, or make a dent in months of accumulated rent and taxes. Conversations I’ve had with servers, cooks, and other restaurant workers overwhelmingly boil down to anger and fear: they feel trapped between a paycheck (and, for some of them, the customer-is-always-right performance that a tip-based income demands) and their personal safety
But, even if all of them could start the vaccination process today, they wouldn’t receive their second doses for weeks—little comfort to restaurant workers who will face indoor customers in just nine days.
Why, then, allow restaurants to open their dining rooms at all? I imagine it’s to create the soothing illusion of progress—against the virus, against economic disaster, toward some sense of a return to normalcy.
There are two parallel narratives about the efforts to combat covid-19. One is about Big Decisions: its protagonists are mayors, governors, health officials, Presidents; its story is told through reopening phases, infection rates, movement restrictions, economic indicators, vaccine rollouts. The other is a quotidian one, a story of what we’re all actually doing in our daily lives. Our individual, everyday choices involve a personal calculus weighing compliance against convenience, risk against reward
The more chaotic and unreliable the systemic narrative, the more vital individual vigilance starts to feel—we’re left with a pervasive sense that, in the face of government mismanagement and indifference, it is up to each of us to save what those in power are allowing to die: if the businesses we love close down, it’s our own fault; if the people they employ are out of work, it’s our own fault.
We are not, of course, individually responsible for the sort of relief, support, and subsidy that ought to be provided by a competent government, but surely we are obligated to consider the impact of our actions in light of all that has happened during the pandemic so far.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oakland passes ordinance requiring ‘hazard pay’ for front-line workers
https://www.ktvu.com/news/oakland-passes-ordinance-requiring-hazard-pay-for-front-line-workers
The Oakland City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a pay increase that boosts workers pay by $5 an hour, according to Councilmember Noel Gallo. The workers will primarily be at grocery chains.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nick Statt / The Verge:
Salesforce says “the 9-to-5 workday is dead” and that after the pandemic most staff will work a flex schedule, going into the office 1-3 days per week — ‘It no longer makes sense to expect employees to work an eight-hour shift.’ — Cloud computing company Salesforce is joining …
Salesforce declares the 9-to-5 workday dead, will let some employees work remotely from now on
‘It no longer makes sense to expect employees to work an eight-hour shift.’
https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/9/22275304/salesfore-remote-work-9-to-5-workday-is-dead-flex-coronavirus?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
Tomi Engdahl says:
German anti-lockdown protests led to more coronavirus cases, study finds
https://www.politico.eu/article/anti-corona-restrictions-protests-responsible-for-coronavirus-outbreak-study-shows/
Researchers conclude as many as 21,000 infections could have been prevented had two protests been canceled.
Protests against the German government’s coronavirus restrictions led to an increase in infections toward the end of the year, a study published on Tuesday has found.
Since the summer, Germany has seen several major demonstrations against coronavirus measures, with participants often not respecting social-distancing and mask-wearing rules.
The study, by the Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) and the Humboldt University of Berlin, looked at two rallies organized by the so-called Querdenken group in November 2020 — in Berlin, which attracted more than 10,000 people, and in Leipzig, which was attended by some 20,000 people.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fully Vaccinated People Don’t Have To Quarantine If They’re Exposed To Coronavirus, CDC Says
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2021/02/10/fully-vaccinated-people-dont-have-to-quarantine-if-theyre-exposed-to-coronavirus-cdc-says/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
Someone who is fully vaccinated who’s exposed to coronavirus doesn’t have to quarantine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said Wednesday, offering clarity into how vaccinated people should go about their lives as the rest of the country waits to get inoculated.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Individual and societal benefits of avoiding unnecessary quarantine may outweigh the potential but unknown risk of transmission, and facilitate the direction of public health resources to persons at highest risk for transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to others,” the CDC said.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2021/02/10/fully-vaccinated-people-dont-have-to-quarantine-if-theyre-exposed-to-coronavirus-cdc-says/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jobless Claims Fall Slightly After Fed’s Powell Says Labor Market Damage Is ‘Dramatically Understated’
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2021/02/11/jobless-claims-fall-slightly-after-feds-powell-says-labor-market-damage-is-dramatically-understated/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
Another 793,000 Americans filed for regular state unemployment benefits last week—19,000 less than the previous week but higher than the 760,000 new claims economists were expecting—as the coronavirus pandemic continues to weigh heavily on the American labor market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Salesforce Says ‘9-To-5 Workday Is Dead’ And Employees Will Only Come Into The Office One To Three Days A Week
http://on.forbes.com/6182HgryG
In late August, Salesforce, a leading cloud-based, software-as-a-service company, announced that its employees may work from home until at least July 31.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11743-korona-vei-messujarjestajan-tulot
Tomi Engdahl says:
Biden Buys Enough Covid Vaccine Doses To Immunize Almost Every American — But Not Right Away
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/02/11/biden-buys-enough-covid-vaccine-doses-to-immunize-almost-every-american—but-not-right-away/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
The federal government has inked deals to buy an extra 200 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna’s coronavirus vaccines, President Joe Biden said Thursday, boosting its orders by 50% and securing enough doses to immunize almost every American — but this latest round of shots will not reach Americans’ arms until mid-summer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hygiene theater is legit, and it’s bullshit.
The New York Times Finally Discovers Unintended Consequences
https://fee.org/articles/the-new-york-times-finally-discovers-unintended-consequences/
The fact that even the New York Times is finally beginning to discuss unintended consequences of COVID-19 ‘hygiene theater’ is a sign we may be moving in the right direction.
The New York Times published an article on Friday under a simple headline: “Covid Absolutism.”
The article opens by noting that during public health emergencies, absolutism—the idea that people should cease any and all behavior that creates additional risk—is a tempting response. Times writer David Leonhardt gives various examples of this “absolutism” on display in America today
“People continue to scream at joggers, walkers and cyclists who are not wearing masks. The University of California, Berkeley, this week banned outdoor exercise, masked or not, saying, ‘The risk is real,’” he writes. “The University of Massachusetts Amherst has banned outdoor walks. It encouraged students to get exercise by ‘accessing food and participating in twice-weekly Covid testing.’”
Examples like these are virtually endless. They invite two key questions, Leonhardt notes: How effective are these behaviors in reducing the spread of the virus? And is there a downside?
The Rise of ‘Hygiene Theater’
As Leonhardt notes, many of these actions are essentially a kind of “hygiene theater,” the subject of a recent article in the Atlantic written by Derek Thompson.
The phrase basically speaks for itself. According to Leonhardt, these actions are not rooted in science, and are primarily a form of theatrical presentation that will have little or no actual impact.
“Prohibiting outdoor activity is unlikely to reduce the spread of the virus, nor is urging people always to wear a mask outdoors,” he writes. “Worldwide, scientists have not documented any instances of outdoor transmission unless people were in close conversation, Dr. Muge Cevik, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told me.”
So the answer to Leonhardt’s first question—How effective are they at reducing the spread of the virus?— is not difficult to answer: they’re not effective.
The second question, and its answer, is more interesting.
Unintended Consequences of ‘Hygiene Theater’
One might be tempted to argue that these theatrics still produce positive outcomes, since they are likely to make people more conscious of the pandemic and slow the spread of the virus.
Taking extreme precautions is simply “playing it safe.” What’s the harm in that?
The answer is, “plenty.” First, Leonhardt argues it’s not part of human nature to live in a perpetual state of extreme caution.
“Taking every possible precaution is unrealistic,” he writes. “Human beings are social creatures who crave connection and pleasure and who cannot minimize danger at all times.”
Perhaps more importantly, he argues that extreme caution can backfire and produce outcomes that have the opposite of their desired effect.
“Telling Americans to wear masks when they’re unnecessary undermines efforts to persuade more people to wear masks where they are vital,” Leonhardt writes.
The problem, he noted, is that humans rarely pay attention to the unseen or unintended effects of a given action or policy. Ignoring these outcomes is one of the great mistakes in public policy, the Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman once observed.
If you search for articles discussing the unintended consequences of COVID-19 policies, which are boundless, you’ll find virtually nothing on their site. I was able to find two articles using the phrase “unintended consequences” of COVID lockdowns.
No one is served by ignoring unintended consequences. (Well, maybe politicians.) If we’re to understand the damage wrought in 2020 and prevent it in the future, lockdowns must be judged by their actual consequences, not what they were designed to achieve.
And the adverse unintended consequences of lockdowns are legion.
The fact that even the New York Times is finally beginning to discuss the unintended consequences of COVID-19-inspired actions is a sign that we may be, however belatedly, moving in the right direction.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Putinin puheesta:
“As I have already mentioned, the coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated these problems. In the last year, the global economy sustained its biggest decline since WWII. By July, the labour market had lost almost 500 million jobs. Yes, half of them were restored by the end of the year but still almost 250 million jobs were lost. This is a big and very alarming figure. In the first nine months of the past year alone, the losses of earnings amounted to $3.5 trillion. This figure is going up and, hence, social tension is on the rise.
At the same time, post-crisis recovery is not simple at all. If some 20 or 30 years ago, we would have solved the problem through stimulating macroeconomic policies (incidentally, this is still being done), today such mechanisms have reached their limits and are no longer effective. This resource has outlived its usefulness. This is not an unsubstantiated personal conclusion.”
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/64938
Tomi Engdahl says:
New COVID-19 prediction models forecast a potential fourth wave — and how to minimize it
https://www.geekwire.com/2021/new-covid-19-prediction-models-forecast-potential-fourth-wave-minimize/
Let’s start with the good news. The number of new COVID-19 cases in the greater Seattle area, Washington state and the national level have all been declining since early January, showing a recovery from what’s known as the third wave of infections.
The potentially bad news? New models predict that a fourth wave could be on the horizon — but if, when and how it crests is uncertain.
We’re in a race against time, health officials warn, pitting our ability to quickly vaccinate as many people as possible against the emergence of more infectious and possibly more deadly variants of the COVID virus. They include strains from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/tech-careers/how-the-covid19-pandemic-changed-the-way-it-companies-work
Tomi Engdahl says:
Saksassa tutkittiin koronan leviämistä oikeassa konserttitilanteessa – tällaisia olivat ainutlaatuisen kokeen tulokset
https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/saksassa-tutkittiin-koronan-leviamista-oikeassa-konserttitilanteessa-tallaisia-olivat-ainutlaatuisen-kokeen-tulokset/8064934#gs.tp6hq0
Saksassa järjestettiin viime elokuussa konserttisarja, jossa tutkittiin koronaviruksen leviämistä konserttiareenalla. Tutkimustulosten mukaan konsertteja voi järjestää myös korona-aikana, kunhan esimerkiksi turvavälit ovat riittävät.
Konsertit järjestettiin Leipzigissa, ja läheisen Hallen yliopiston tutkijat kokeilivat niissä erilaisia turvallisuusratkaisuja.
Suurta huomiota herättäneisiin konsertteihin osallistui kaikkiaan noin 2 000 vapaaehtoista. He olivat käyneet ennen koetta koronatestissä ja saaneet negatiivisen tuloksen.
Konsertteihin osallistujat olivat terveitä 18–50-vuotiaita. He käyttivät konserttien aikana muun muassa korkean suojan tarjoavia FFP2-standardin mukaisia kasvomaskeja.
elokuisen tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella suurien areenakonserttien järjestäminen on korona-aikanakin mahdollista, kunhan tietyistä turvallisuussuosituksista pidetään kiinni.
Sisääntuloväylien määrää tulisi tutkijoiden mukaan lisätä niin, että yleisön edustajat eivät joudu konserttiin tullessaan ja sisäänpääsyä odottaessaan olemaan liian lähellä toisiaan. Konsertin järjestäjien pitäisi myös vaatia ihmisiä käyttämään vähintään kangasmaskia.
Tutkimuksen tekijät ehdottavat konsertin järjestäjien myös palkkaamaan “hygienianhoitajia” varmistamaan sen, että yleisö noudattaa järjestäjien antamia sääntöjä.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://gnseconomics.com/2020/12/15/q-review-12-2020-the-aftermath-of-the-coronavirus/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Before the pandemic, 20% of workers worked from home all or most of the time. As of late 2020, more than 70% of workers were doing all or most of their job from home.
The Post-Coronavirus Workplace: What The ‘New Normal’ May Look Like
http://on.forbes.com/6183HiJuh
When we finally get through the coronavirus pandemic, what will the “new normal” look like when it comes to how we work? More specifically, what changes did we see in 2020 that are likely to stick around for the foreseeable future? And despite all these changes, what employment issues or concerns are we still going to worry about even if the coronavirus is no longer a threat?
One of the biggest changes has to be the dramatic increase in remote work. Before the pandemic, 20% of workers worked from home all or most of the time. As of late 2020, more than 70% of workers were doing all or most of their job from home.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean the new normal will include as many people working from home or that this number will continue to rise. One reason for this is because many workers would prefer a hybrid working arrangement where they can work at home and an office.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Näkökulma: THL:n ravintolasulku ja uusmaalaisten matkustuskielto paljastivat viranomaisten viestintäsotkun
https://www.iltalehti.fi/politiikka/a/ad68c840-e926-49bf-92fb-77e6ff4febb3
THL:n suositukset uusmaalaisten matkustuskiellosta ja pääkaupunkiseudun ravintoloiden sulusta epäonnistuivat ja paljastivat viranomaisten viestintäsotkun, kirjoittaa Iltalehden Kreeta Karvala.
Torstaina koettiin yksi koronaviestinnän hämmentävimmistä hetkistä, kun THL ilmoitti, että ravintolat ja baarit pitäisi laittaa pääkaupunkiseudulla kiinni kolmeksi viikoksi, eikä uusmaalaisten pitäisi matkustaa hiihtolomalla minnekään.
Muutama tunti THL:n ulostulon jälkeen STM:stä ilmoitettiin, että ravintolat ja baarit pysyvät auki, eikä ihmisten tarvitse perua hiihtolomamatkojaan: matkalle sopii kyllä lähteä, kunhan toimii kohteessa terveysturvallisesti, eli pitää huolen etäisyyksistä ja hygieniasta.
Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön (STM) alaisuudessa toimivan Terveyden ja hyvinvoinninlaitoksen (THL) torstainen ulostulo toi mieleen viime kevään maskisotkun
Taas ollaan tilanteessa, jossa sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö joutuu selittelemään alaisuudessaan toimivan THL:n omin päin tehtyä ulostuloa.
THL suositteli torstaina, että anniskeluravintolat, baarit, pubit ja yökerhot pitäisi sulkea Helsingissä, Espoossa, Vantaalla ja Kauniaisissa mahdollisimman nopeasti ja pitää kiinni 14. maaliskuuta saakka.
Lisäksi THL:n ylilääkäri Taneli Puumalainen toivoi, että uusmaalaiset pysyisivät hiihtolomalla Uudellamaalla, eivätkä lähtisi muualle.
THL:n linjaus oli kylmä suihku hiihtolomareissunsa varanneille ja koronan kurittamille ravintoloitsijoille. Ulostulo yllätti myös STM:n ja hallituksen.
Oudoksi THL:n linjauksen tekee etenkin se, että ravintoloiden sulkeminen väliaikaisesti ei ole nykylainsäädännössä mahdollista.
THL perusteli ulostuloaan eräänlaisena ”herätyksenä”, koska koronatartuntamäärät ovat Uudellamaalla nousseet hälyttävästi viime viikkoina.
–Ymmärrämme, että välittömiä ratkaisuja (ravintoloiden sulkemiseksi) ei ehkä ole, mutta tämä oli herätys sille, että systeemissä on aukko, THL:n johtaja Mika Salminen sanoi.
Systeemissä on todellakin aukko, ja se aukko on viranomaisten koronaviestinnässä.
Mitä mahtaa ajatella tunnollinen suomalainen, kun yksi viranomainen sanoo toista ja muutaman tunnin päästä toinen kumoaa kaiken? Vastauksia ei ole kuin yksi: Moinen ristiviestintä saa terveydestä vastaavat viranomaiset näyttämään epäuskottavilta amatööreiltä.
Hallituslähteistä arvellaan, että THL:n ulostulo saattoi kummuta huolesta, etteivät kansalaiset noudata koronasuosituksia enää yhtä tunnollisesti kuin ennen, ja siksi THL näki tarpeelliseksi herätellä ihmisiä.
Huoli voi olla aiheellinen, mutta herätyskeinot ovat väärät: kuka järkevä toimija kieltää ihmisten matkustamisen vain päivää ennen kuin eteläsuomalaisten hiihtolomat alkavat, tai kuka viranomainen suosittaa nopeana toimena keinoa, jota nykylaki ei edes salli?
Some-otannan perusteella THL:n ulostulon lopputulema on se, että kansalaisten luottamus koronasta viestiviin viranomaisiin rapautui taas hitusen verran enemmän.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Uudessa-Seelannissa asuvat Heikki ja Elisa maan koronaihmeestä: ”Tuntuu aika absurdilta, kun melkein koko muu maailma kamppailee koronaa vastaan” https://www.is.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000007815525.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/what-was-the-worst-time-to-be-alive-in-human-history/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Covid-19 Cases And Deaths Are Dropping Dramatically
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/02/18/covid-19-cases-and-deaths-are-dropping-dramatically/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
Over the past week, there has been an average of fewer than 78,000 new coronavirus cases reported per day in the United States, marking the first time the seven-day rolling average has dipped below 80,000 since October and, with hospitalizations and deaths also decreasing dramatically, it appears the U.S. may finally be curbing the pandemic’s impact.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Etätöitä on jatkunut vuosi, kysyimme aivotutkijalta 5 kysymystä vaikutuksista: Eristäytyminen on aivojen kannalta puutostila
Kerro meille, miten etätyö on vaikuttanut sosiaalisiin suhteisiisi ja työpaikan johtamiseen.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11799335
Tomi Engdahl says:
Suomesta löytyi uusi koronavariantti – tartuttamiskyvystä ja rokotteen tehosta haetaan vasta tietoa
Variantti saattaa näkyä aiempia huonommin PCR-testeissä, kertoo sen löytänyt laboratorio. Professori pitää löydöstä merkittävänä.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11796022
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.veikkaus.fi/fi/x/kymmenen-tosi-outoa-kriisia
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Devastating the Post-COVID Economy Will Really Look Like | Peter Schiff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcO_x75XVX8&feature=share
Tomi Engdahl says:
Q-Review 12/2020: The Aftermath of the Coronavirus
https://gnseconomics.com/2020/12/15/q-review-12-2020-the-aftermath-of-the-coronavirus/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly accelerated the shift to online shopping by as much as five years! That’s according to a report from IBM in August 2020, as reported by TechCrunch.
Whereas the shift to online has indeed been occurring over the last few years, the pandemic has catalysed that shift to the point where it has now become utterly essential for businesses to “sink or swim” on the subject of selling their products online.
https://thorgate.eu/blog/what-retailers-must-do-keep-sudden-shift-online-shopping?fbclid=IwAR0qJDTFBX3ELn9pgGayYJG7-zYe3OLGsuKmjmzUBEa_FBMmFiPdNh_sw2Y
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sheltering at home, social distancing and wearing a mask has become the new standards set by the Covid-19 outbreak. There’s another related new normal that has emerged throughout the pandemic—sheltering in your job.
A LinkedIn Survey Shows That Americans Are ‘Sheltering’ In Their Jobs, Afraid To Make The Switch
https://trib.al/FfFydtz
Sheltering at home, social distancing and wearing a mask has become the new standards set by the Covid-19 outbreak. There’s another related new normal that has emerged throughout the pandemic—sheltering in your job.
Since the outbreak started last March, about 80 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits. Some sectors, such as hotels, travel airlines, restaurants, sporting events, concerts, gyms and businesses that require face-to-face contact or large gatherings, saw massive layoffs.
Even in areas where there are jobs, according to a study conducted by LinkedIn, people are not aggressively looking for a new job. The Workforce Confidence Index survey of 5,520 members in late January of the professional-focused social media platform said they’re reluctant to leave their jobs for another one.
They are afraid to take the leap. As job search strategist and Top LinkedIn Voice for 2020 Kamara Toffolo said in a LinkedIn Live, “The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know.” Some people feel it’s safer to stay where they are rather than take the chance to find a different job. It’s especially nerve-wracking, as the recent weekly and monthly jobs reports show that hiring is stubbornly slow, and the U.S. still has 10 million less jobs than before the pandemic started.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Two different studies have reported the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on the general public, and it is really great news.
COVID Vaccines Curb Hospitalization And Virus Transmission, According To New Studies
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/covid-vaccines-curb-hospitalization-and-virus-transmission-according-to-new-studies/
Two different studies have reported the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on the general public, and it is really great news. Both hospitalization due to COVID-19 and transmission of its virus, SARS-CoV-2, are curbed by a huge margin as reported in yet-to-be-peer-reviewed studies from Scotland and Israel, respectively.
Public Health Scotland has collected data on the rate of admission to hospital due to COVID-19 as part of the EAVE II project. Between December 8 and February 15, 21 percent of the Scottish population received at least a first dose of the vaccine, with over 1.14 million jabs administered.
The study showed that four weeks after receiving the first dose, the risk of hospitalization was considerably down. For those who received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, there was an 85 percent reduction, and for those on the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine the reduction was even higher at 94 percent.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Koronasta tuli Yhdysvaltain yleisin kuolinsyy ja siihen on kuollut enemmän väkeä kuin toisessa maailmansodassa – katso tästä keskeisimmät koronagrafiikat
Koronakuolemien määrä ylitti Yhdysvalloissa puolen miljoonan rajan.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11804792
Tomi Engdahl says:
Koronaa torjutaan asiakastiloissa nyt myös valaisimilla – Yhdysvalloissa kehitetty ihmevalo pilkkoo viruksen DNA:n
Viruksia tapetaan valaistuksella jo Helsingissä ja Vaasassa ruokakaupassa, parturi-kampaamossa, hammaslääkärissä ja eläinklinikalla.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11805311?origin=rss
Far-UVC valaisee pysyvästi K-Market Esplanadissa kassa-alueella, kirkkaiden led-valojen välissä. Kuvassa: Sterlights-yhtiön johtaja Udy Bar Josef, K-kauppias Tom Färd ja Sterlightsin osakas Yiftach Atzmon.Sterlights
Helsingissä ja Vaasassa torjutaan koronavirusta uudenlaisilla valaisimilla.
Yhdysvalloissa kehitetyt ensimmäiset niin kutsutut Far-UVC-lamput asennettiin Helsingin ydinkeskustassa sijaitseviin kahteen pieneen ruokakauppaan viime viikolla.
K-market Esplanadin ja Erottajan kauppias Tom Färd kertoo, että häntä kiehtoi ajatus siitä, että teknologialla voidaan puhdistaa ilmaa ja pintoja. Valaisimet maksoivat yrittäjän mukaan 1200 euroa kappale.
– Katsoin, että ei tässä häviäjiä ainakaan ole. Me teemme kaikkemme, että asiakkaiden on kivempi käydä, vakuuttaa kauppias Färd.
Tutkimuksissa on kiistatta osoitettu, että UVC-valo nitistää viruksia, kertoo Säteilyturvakeskuksen erikoistutkija Lasse Ylianttila. Valaisimien tehokkuudesta Ylianttilalla ei ole kuitenkaan tarkkaa tietoa. Se riippuu kohteeseen asennetun lampun etäisyydestä viruksiin, hän sanoo.
– Vaikutus on todettu myös koronaan. Teho perustuu siihen, että se tappaa solut. Säteily katkaisee soluissa DNA:n, Ylianttila jatkaa.
Laitteiden maahantuojan Sterlightsin mukaan noin 2,5 metrin korkeuteen asennettu valaisin tappaa viruksia ja bakteereita lähes 30 neliömetrin pinta-alalta.
UVC-valo tappaa tutkimusten mukaan virukset erityisen hyvin ilmasta. Valaisimet desinfioivat pinnat, jos ne ovat puhtaat.
– Jos pinnalla on likaa, pohja ei desinfioidu. Sama tapahtuu, jos pinta jää varjoon, Ylianttila Säteilyturvakeskuksesta sanoo.
Far-UVC on turvallista vain, kun asennus tehdään oikein
UVC-valon käytön yleisissä tiloissa suoraan ihmisiin suunnattuna on aiemmin estänyt sen aiheuttamat terveysriskit.
Esimerkiksi aallonpituus 270 nanometriä, joka on tutkimusten mukaan tuhoisin viruksille, on todettu myös altistavan ihosyövälle, ihon palamiselle ja silmän sarveiskalvon tulehduksille.
Uusissa valaisimissa käytetty aallonpituus, 222 nanometriä, on uusi tekniikka, jolle tutkimuksissa ei ole todettu haittavaikutuksia.
Laitteiden asennus ja valon toiminnan säätö pitää tehdä tarkasti, ettei liiallista altistusta säteilylle tapahdu, korostaa Ylianttila Säteilyturvakeskuksesta
– Sanotaan suoraan, että puolen metrin päässä lampusta vuorokauden altistusraja täyttyy viidessä ja puolessa minuutissa ja metrin päässä 20 minuutissa. Jos laitetta ei asenneta oikein, hyvin suuretkin ylitykset ovat mahdollisia, jos käyttöä ei jaksoteta
Kauppoihin asennetut ensimmäiset valaisimet eivät herätä Säteilyturvakeskuksessa huolta. Ylianttilan mukaan ne on sijoitettu ja ohjelmoitu altistuksen raja-arvot huolellisesti huomioiden.
– Far-UVC on asiakastilassa turvallinen käyttää, kun pysytään ihmisten altistuksen osalta altistusrajojen puitteissa. Se tarkoittaa esimeriksi sitä, että valoa ei pidetä koko ajan päällä
Säteilyturvakeskus aikoo seurata tarkasti far-UVC valaisinten yleistymistä, koska väärinasennuksista voi aiheutua ihmisille vaaraa.
– Tämä on yksi keino tappaa viruksia muiden joukossa. Huolestumme, jos tulee villejä asennuksia, sanoo erikoistutkija Ylianttila Säteilyturvakeskuksesta.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The number of new Covid-19 infections has decreased in each of the past six weeks.
Coronavirus Deaths Worldwide Fell By 20% Last Week, WHO Says
https://trib.al/Ywvojjg
The number of coronavirus-related deaths decreased by 20% worldwide last week compared to the week before, according to an analysis by the World Health Organization, which coincides with a drop in cases and deaths in the United States as well, as it appears the course of both the global and domestic outbreaks of the virus may finally be slowing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla there wasn’t clear evidence yet on whether it would be safe to forgo a second dose of its coronavirus vaccine or delay administering it, a day after a study showed robust immunity after just one shot.
Pfizer CEO Cautions Against Delaying Second Covid-19 Vaccine Shot
https://trib.al/ZerpPXn
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Friday there wasn’t clear evidence yet on whether it would be safe to forgo a second dose of its coronavirus vaccine or delay administering it, a day after a study showed robust immunity after just one shot.
“We don’t know what would happen if we didn’t administer the second dose,” Bourla told CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, who was part of a small group of press accompanying President Joe Biden on a visit to a Pfizer plant in Michigan. “We don’t think it will work. But we’re looking at it.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oxford’s Division of Structural Biology is hacked by a crew that has allegedly sold data to governments. They acquired access to machines preparing biochemical samples.
Exclusive: Hackers Break Into ‘Biochemical Systems’ At Oxford Uni Lab Studying Covid-19
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2021/02/25/exclusive-hackers-break-into-biochemical-systems-at-oxford-uni-lab-studying-covid-19/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie&sh=221501d32a39
One of the world’s top biology labs—one whose renowned professors have been researching how to counter the Covid-19 pandemic—has been hacked.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Experts hope a recent slump in virus deaths indicate the world is turning a corner on the pandemic.
Global Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 2.5 Million — Though New Fatalities Have Dropped
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/02/25/global-coronavirus-death-toll-tops-25-million—though-new-fatalities-have-dropped/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
The number of confirmed deaths attributed to coronavirus surpassed 2.5 million Thursday, according to a tracker from Johns Hopkins University, just a year after the onset of the pandemic sent much of the world’s population into quarantine and as the death rate appears to be slowing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tehohoidon ylilääkäri kauhistui nähtyään uudet koronaluvut:”Ei meillä ole aikaa odottaa lähes kahta viikkoa” https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000007828381.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
New cases and deaths are decreasing at a rate that outpaces declines in the general population, a positive sign of the vaccine’s efficacy.
New Cases In Nursing Homes Have Fallen 80% Since Vaccinations Began
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/02/25/new-cases-in-nursing-homes-have-fallen-80-since-vaccinations-began/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
New Covid-19 cases and deaths in nursing homes have declined dramatically since late December at a rate outpacing the decreases in the general population, according to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation, in a welcome sign of the efficacy of vaccines.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Full-time, onsite work for knowledge workers is a thing of the past. But this shift has changed workdays in profound, yet subtle ways.
3 Pandemic Changes To Your Workday You Probably Didn’t Notice
https://trib.al/QZyyGfk
There’s a lot of buzz around the future of work. With companies such as Okta hiring a head of dynamic work and Facebook hiring a director of remote work, it is clear many believe that full-time, onsite work for knowledge workers is a thing of the past.
While I’ve previously explored for Forbes the surprising advantages of a remote workforce and how remote work can make disagreements with colleagues more likely, Microsoft’s recently published research regarding the pandemic’s impact on day-to-day work practices reveals some subtle ways in which our workdays and work habits have changed. Once you are aware of these changes, you can choose which to keep — and which to kick to the curb.
The pandemic has ushered in talk of remote meeting etiquette, such as keeping your camera on for video calls, being understanding with background interruptions, and universal acknowledgment of Zoom fatigue. But here’s something you may not have noticed: an increasing number of your meetings are running over.
Teams can control this by scheduling shorter meetings. Would you usually book an hour in the office? Put it in for 45 minutes in the remote world. This has the bonus of helping to combat Zoom fatigue, since fatigue in videos due to excessive concentration begins to increase at around the 30 to 40-minute mark, according to internal Microsoft research. To make the most out of these shortened timeframes, start late rather than end early. Ending early can be difficult once people start talking.
According to the report, 66% of respondents reported a decrease in social connection, and 78% noticed a decrease in impromptu activities. This shouldn’t be a surprise; many have discussed the decrease in casual interactions centered around the kitchen, hallway, and water cooler. But there is another angle to consider here — one that can be used to your employees’ advantage.
The loss of the commute is well discussed in terms of serving as a critical boundary between work life and home life. But a commute does not only serve as a temporal marker to avoid blurred lines between the two domains. It also functions as a distinct space in which to think. According to the report, people expressed having less quiet time for things such as podcasts or reading with the removal of the commute.
Tomi Engdahl says:
North Korea hacked Pfizer because it wants to sell bootleg COVID vaccines on the international black market. North Korea’s intent was likely to raise funds in foreign currency. The hermit dictatorship’s domestic currency is mostly worthless outside its borders.
North Korea hacked Pfizer because it wants to sell bootleg COVID vaccines on the international black market, sources say
https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-hack-pfizer-covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-2021-2?utm_source=reddit.com
North Korea wants “to decide which [vaccine] will be the easiest to bootleg and transport for the black market,” said an official.
The nation has a long history of counterfeiting, bootlegging, drug dealing, and arms smuggling.
The dictatorship wants foreign currency. Its domestic currency is mostly worthless.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“The big problem is that we’re not doing enough to end the pandemic globally,” Gates says.
Bill Gates Warns Post-Covid Return To Normal Could Take All 2022
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2021/02/28/bill-gates-warns-post-covid-return-to-normal-could-take-all-2022/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
Fresh off a third vaccine candidate garnering U.S. regulatory approval, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates called the rapid development of vaccines “a miracle” that should help Americans return to an “almost-normal” way of life as early as fall but also warned that lawmakers aren’t doing enough globally to usher in a full return-to-normal before the end of next year.
“The big problem is that we’re not doing enough to end the pandemic globally,” Gates warned, adding that vaccines thus far are “just going to rich countries,” which leaves the risk that contagious variants could spread abroad and creep back into the United States.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A January study by researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research found that global economic output could take a $3 trillion hit if vaccines fail to reach emerging markets quickly enough, with advanced economies like the United States facing up to half the impact.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2021/02/28/bill-gates-warns-post-covid-return-to-normal-could-take-all-2022/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mix burgeoning savings and pent-up demand, and you have a recipe for a surge in sales.
Why Consumer Spending Will Romp, Post-Covid
https://trib.al/nyWQKZy
What will power the U.S. out of this pandemic-induced funk and into the uplands of economic expansion, once enough people have been vaccinated? A bunch of saved money, ready to be deployed into consumer spending.
Sure, Americans have been spending online madly, while shopping malls withered. To be sure, malls have been on the downswing for some time, thanks to the likes of Amazon. Pre-virus, even teenagers didn’t want to hang out at the mall, the way their forebears did when young.
But once the epidemic all-clear is sounded, expect a lot of shopping, and not all of it online. In a recent study, McKinsey predicted a spate of what it called “revenge shopping.” In other words, the study said, shoppers will sweep “through sectors as pent-up demand is unleashed. That has been the experience of all previous economic downturns.” Businesses with “communal value,” namely eateries and entertainment venues, will benefit the most, the consulting firm contended.