Monitor News Desk
While you were sleeping, we at KM compiled the top 5 news headlines you may have missed. Read on and stay ahead.
Next pandemic could be more lethal, says Oxford jab creator
The coronavirus pandemic is far from over and the next one could be even more lethal, the creator of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has said.
Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert cautioned that while it was increasingly obvious that “this pandemic is not done with us”, the next one could be worse.
Delivering the 44th Richard Dimbleby lecture, due to be broadcast on the BBC on Monday, Gilbert said that despite the destructive nature of a two-year pandemic that had already infected more than 265 million people, the next one might be more contagious and claim even more lives.
“This will not be the last time a virus threatens our lives and our livelihoods,” she said. “The truth is, the next one could be worse. It could be more contagious, or more lethal, or both.” ( The Guardian)
Omicron found in one-third of US states
The Omicron variant has been found in at least 16 US states so far, with the number of cases “likely to rise”, Dr Rochelle Walensky, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Sunday. Walensky told ABC News: “We know we have several dozen cases and we’re following them closely. And we are every day hearing about more and more probable cases so that number is likely to rise.”
California was the first US state to confirm the presence of the variant. Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin have also followed suit, according to a Reuters tally.
Many of the cases were among fully vaccinated individuals with mild symptoms, although the booster shot status of some patients was not reported.
The Delta variant continues to account for 99.9% of new Covid cases in the United States, Walensky added. ( ABC News)
More cases of Omicron from Jaipur, Pune and Delhi; 21 detected so far
Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi reported cases of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 21.
The first two cases were reported in Karnataka, followed by one in Jamnagar (Gujarat) and another in Maharashtra.
In Jaipur, nine persons who took part in a wedding on November 28 have tested positive for the Omicron variant, health officials said. Medical Education Secretary Vaibhav Galriya said that of the nine, four had arrived from South Africa a few days ago. (Indian Express)
India hosts Pakistan delegation for SCO meet
While bilateral ties with Pakistan remain in a deep freeze, India and Pakistan continue to engage under the banner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a Eurasian political and security grouping that is seen as playing an increasingly important role in Afghanistan after the US departure.
In a rare visit by senior Pakistan government officials, a delegation arrived from Islamabad Sunday to participate in a cyber security conference of SCO countries that India will host on December 7. This follows a visit to Pakistan by an India delegation in October for an anti-terror SCO exercise that sought to promote cooperation between the member states.
The cyber security conference is being organised by India’s National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) that had recently also hosted a regional meeting of NSAs on the Afghanistan situation. The 4 central Asian countries which are also full members of SCO had participated in India’s Afghanistan conference that reflected, according to the government, regional consensus on major issues of regional stability and security. Except for China and Pakistan, all full SCO Members, including Russia, had attended the conference. (TOI)
Rangnick hails Manchester United’s ‘front-foot’ display in opening win
Ralf Rangnick was delighted with Manchester United’s “front-foot” performance as his opening match as interim manager ended with a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday. The victory, which came via Fred’s 77th-minute strike and featured only a third league clean sheet this season, lifted United to sixth place with 24 points, three behind West Ham in the final Champions League berth, in a fourth unbeaten match across all competitions.
“I’m very happy with the way the team performed, the way they played – especially the first half-hour, that was exceptional,” Rangnick said. “The only thing missing was 1-0 or 2-0. We had control of the game. I am very happy with the result and the clean sheet.”
