Monthly Archives: April 2022

Russia’s war with Ukraine made it a global pariah but it still has friends in Mexico – CBC News

Posted: April 6, 2022 at 9:20 pm

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears to have spent much of his Tuesday phone conversationwith his Mexican counterpartdiscussing Ukraine.

According to the official Canadian readout, "the Prime Minister invited the President to participate in the 'Stand Up for Ukraine'campaign pledging event on April 9, which he is co-convening with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people."

There was no word on whether Mexican PresidentAndrs Manuel Lpez Obrador usually known as AMLO accepted the invitation. He has appeared to lack enthusiasm for supporting Ukraineand his MORENA party has had a number of pro-Putin eruptions since the Feb. 24 invasion.

On Tuesdayin what Mexican critics of Lpez Obrador's "Fourth Transformation" movement called a new low the newspaper that's often seen as the unofficial organ of the ruling party shocked many Mexicans with its front-page take on the murder of civiliansin Bucha and other newly liberated cities in the periphery of Kyiv.

"Russia demands the UN tackle staged massacre in Ukraine," reads the headline in La Jornada.

Subheadings repeated various Kremlin claims including one alleging the corpses in Bucha are living actors and that one of the victim'shands canbe seen moving in a video. (It can't.)

While much of the world was reacting with outrage to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a group of legislators from Mexico's governing MORENA party and the allied Labour Party decided it was a perfect time to set up a new "friendship group" with Russia.

RussianAmbassador to Mexico Viktor Koronelli celebrated the occasion on March 23 by meeting with about two dozen pro-government lawmakers while opposition members protested outside the chamber with signs saying "No to war."

"For us it's a sign of support, of friendship, of solidarity," said Koronelli, "in these complicated times for my country, facing not only a special military operation in Ukraine but also a tremendous media war."

"Russia didn't start this war. It is finishing it," he told his Mexican hosts.

Speaking on behalf of the governing party, Congressman Armando Contreras Castillo lavished praise on the Soviet Union, which he said had given Mexico "a new way of thinking about society and economy, a new way of understanding the world and life." Castillo said Mexico also wanted to draw closer to the modern Russia of Vladimir Putin.

"Our goal is today to strengthen Mexican-Russian relations," he said."We are ready to do everything to fortify the friendship between Mexico and Russia and establish new ties."

Mexico has a highly professional diplomatic corps and currently holds a seat at the UN Security Council. There, Mexico "has continuously condemned the acts of aggression perpetrated by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, while recognizing its sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity," said Oscar Mora of the Mexican Embassy in Ottawa.

And at the General Assembly, Mexico co-sponsored with France a motion that blamed Russia for the humanitarian disaster in Ukraine.

"Mexico has also expressed its support for the call from the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to conduct an independent probe into the atrocities in Bucha, identifying those who are responsible to get justice," Mora told CBC News.

Mexico has sent flights to Romania with humanitarian assistance for Ukraine and is currently hosting about 400 Ukrainian refugees many of them are seeking status in the U.S.

"Rest assured that Mexico's condemnation will remain clear and loud, particularly as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, and we will continue to work with Canadaand other like-minded countries to restore peace in Ukraine as soon as possible," saidMora.

But Mexican journalist Jose Diaz Briseno, the Washington correspondent for Reforma, saidthat the Mexican government's position is best described as "ambivalent."

"There's one thing for the outside world, at the UN Security Council, and there's another position that the president himself and his allies present to the Mexican public," he said.

"Basically, the president is trying to cater to the most extreme elements within the MORENA coalition, which are very anti-U.S. and believe that any expression of support of Ukraine is 100 per centsupport of all U.S. actions in the world."

Following criticism of the new friendship group, Lpez Obrador said that "we are not going to participate either in favour or against" the war in Ukraine.

"Our posture is one of neutrality," he said.

"The president seems trapped," said Diaz Briseno, "between the official position that his diplomats are taking at the UNand the flirtations that some of the elements within his party have with Russia.

"There are elements of the MORENA Party and the Labour Party who have visited Russia, who've talked to Russian officials, and Russian propaganda in the Spanish language is very widespread in Mexico.

"Russian media are helping in many cases to spread some of the conspiracy theories about the U.S. being against AMLO."

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar was quick to respond to the friendship group with a public statement that said "we must be united with Ukraine."

In Washington, the response came even faster as Air Force Gen.Glen VanHerck, head of the U.S. military's Northern Command, went before a U.S. Senate committee and dropped a bombshell about the Russian presence in Mexico.

"I would like to point out that most of the GRU members in the world are in Mexico at the moment," he said."Those are Russian intelligence personnel."

GRU, or Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravlenie, is the Russian military's foreign intelligence service.

VanHerck said officers of GRU's main directorate use cover positions at the Russian Embassy in Mexico City to spy on the U.S., among other tasks. (The U.S. already has expelled several Russian diplomats it accused of using their diplomatic postings in Washington as cover for espionage.)

Asked about those allegations at one of his regular news conferences, Lpez Obrador said his government had no informationand advised others to stay out of Mexico's affairs.

"We must send them telegrams warning them that Mexico is not a colony of any foreign country," he said.

The president has himself avoided praising Vladimir Putin publicly or justifying the attack on Ukraine. He has said that Mexico will notallow arms to be sent to Ukraine or participate in any sanctions against the Putin government.

But on Mexico's left, traditional anti-Americanism and tolerance for autocratic regimes has blended with a conspiratorial mindset to drive support for Russia and suspicion of pro-Ukrainian narratives and some members of Lpez Obrador's party have been more openly supportive.

One example was its youth wing in Mexico's biggest state, which published a paean to the Russian dictator following the Feb. 24 invasion:

"We reaffirm our moral and political support for the difficult decision that forced the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin to engage in the legitimate defence of his people and, seeking to avoid a larger military conflict and preserve world peace, militarily intervene in Ukrainian territory to weaken the neo-Nazi, coup-lead forces," wrote the Morena Youth of Mexico State.

The statement blamed the U.S., EU and NATO for causing the conflict by tempting Ukraine to unite with the West "with the sole excuse of spreading democracy."

And just hours before Canada closed its airspace to Russian aircraft, Lpez Obrador's Transport Minister Miguel Torruco put out a string of tweets celebrating Russia's state airline.

"Warm greetings to our friends at the prestigious airline @aeroflot, hoping for prompt connectivity between nations and of course to Mexico City. I remind you that tourism is a synonym of peace, friendship and understanding between people," he wrote in one of them.

The pro-Putin musings of MORENA members have provoked anger in the U.S. and from Ukrainians.

Ukraine's ambassador to Mexico, Oksana Dramaretska,called Lpez Obrador out on Twitterand described the Friendship Group as "a disgrace,"prompting calls from some AMLO supporters for her expulsion.

And on Monday, a Democratic congressman from Texas called on the Biden administration to cancel the U.S. visas of all politicians who joined the group.

Rep. Vicente Gonzlez wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas that the Friendship Group's members "took this opportunity to shun the free world and stand with Putin."

Mexican journalist Diaz Briseno says Monday's coverage in La Jornada was a sad development.

"On a personal note, it's very sad to see this on the front page of a major outlet in Mexico," he said. "This is not something you see in other countries, and it speaks to how some elements of the ruling coalition in Mexico have sympathy to Russian claims."

Russian Ambassador Viktor Koronelli, on the other hand, has welcomed Mexican support.

"In Russia, we say that it's in hard times that you learn who your friends are," he said.

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Russia's war with Ukraine made it a global pariah but it still has friends in Mexico - CBC News

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Russia’s economy is beginning to crack as economists forecast sharp contractions – CNBC

Posted: at 9:20 pm

MOSCOW, Russia: The Russian central bank has implemented a range of capital controls in a bid to support domestic assets and the ruble currency, as international sanctions squeeze the economy following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

KIRILL Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty Images

The Russian economy is set to shrink sharply this year while inflation skyrockets, as punitive international sanctions in response to its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine begin to bite.

Russian manufacturing activity in March contracted at its sharpest rate since May 2020, in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, as material shortages and delivery delays weighed heavily on factories.

The S&P Global purchasing managers' index (PMI) for Russia, published on Friday, dropped from 48.6 in February to 44.1 in March, with anything below 50 representing contraction. Goldman Sachs economists noted on Friday that the fall was "broad-based, with sharp drops in the output, new orders, and (especially) the new exports orders components."

In a note Wednesday, economists at Capital Economics projected that Western sanctions are likely to push Russian gross domestic product into a 12% contraction in 2022, while inflation is expected to exceed 23% year-on-year.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has projected a 10% shrinkage in the Russian economy, which would still constitute the country's deepest recession for almost 30 years, with GDP then flatlining in 2023 and entering a prolonged period of negligible growth.

Goldman Sachs has also forecast a 10% contraction, while the Institute for International Finance think tank has projected a more damaging 15% plunge in Russian GDP in 2022 and a further 3% in 2023.

Fears of a Russian sovereign debt default have not materialized, however, with the Kremlin managing to service a recent closely-watched bond payment despite the shackles of sanctions by Western powers that have frozen huge portions of the central bank's $640 billion stockpile of foreign currency reserves.

Russian stocks have also edged higher since reopening on Mar. 24 after a month-long shutdown of Moscow exchanges, along with the ruble, though capital control measures taken by the Central Bank of Russia and the fading risk of debt default are partially responsible.

"A more sustained recovery will probably require a peace deal which still looks far away. Meanwhile, spillovers from the war will be felt acutely in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)," Capital Economics Chief Emerging Markets Economist William Jackson said in the report.

"Industry will be hit by supply disruptions and higher inflation will weigh on households' real incomes and dampen consumer spending. We expect the war to shave 1.0-1.5%-pts off growth in CEE this year."

The outlook for Russia may yet darken further following the emergence over the weekend of allegations of civilian massacres by Russian forces in Bucha and other Ukrainian towns. The alleged atrocities will push back expectations for peace talks and increase the threat of more punitive international sanctions.

Ukraine's top prosecutor said on Sunday that 410 bodies had been found in towns recaptured from retreating Russian forces around Kyiv as part of an investigation into possible war crimes, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of genocide. Russia has denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in Bucha, 23 miles northwest of Kyiv.

The European Union plans to introduce fresh sanctions against Moscow in the wake of the new reported atrocities, with European Council President Charles Michel announcing on Twitter that "further EU sanctions & support are on their way."

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will travel to Poland on Monday to meet with Ukrainian and Polish counterparts ahead of talks with G-7 and NATO allies later this week, and is expected to call for tougher sanctions against Russia.

Despite the sharp declines in Russia's March PMIs, Goldman Sachs noted on Friday that activity across some CEEMEA economies was surprisingly robust, with gains in Hungary and South Africa offset by declines in Poland and the Czech Republic.

"Hungary's PMI has been relatively volatile in recent months, so we would downplay the significance of its gain (not least because our analysis suggests that it is relatively exposed to the Russia-Ukraine conflict)," Goldman economists wrote.

"For South Africa, its direct trade with Russia and Ukraine is limited, while it is benefiting from higher commodity prices."

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Russia's economy is beginning to crack as economists forecast sharp contractions - CNBC

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As Russia Plots Its Next Move, an AI Listens to the Chatter – WIRED

Posted: at 9:20 pm

A radio transmission between several Russian soldiers in Ukraine in early March, captured from an unencrypted channel, reveals panicked and confused comrades retreating after coming under artillery fire.

Vostok, I am Sneg 02. On the highway we have to turn left, fuck, one of the soldiers says in Russian using code names meaning East and Snow 02.

Got it. No need to move further. Switch to defense. Over, another responds.

Later, a third soldier tries to make contact with another codenamed South 95: Yug 95, do you have contact with a senior? Warn him on the highway artillery fire. On the highway artillery fire. Dont go by column. Move carefully.

The third Russian soldier continues, becoming increasingly agitated: Get on the radio. Tell me your situation and the artillery location, approximately what weapon they are firing. Later, the third soldier speaks again: Name your square. Yug 95, answer my questions. Name the name of your square!

As the soldiers spoke, an AI was listening. Their words were automatically captured, transcribed, translated, and analyzed using several artificial intelligence algorithms developed by Primer, a US company that provides AI services for intelligence analysts. While it isnt clear whether Ukrainian troops also intercepted the communication, the use of AI systems to surveil Russias army at scale shows the growing importance of sophisticated open source intelligence in military conflicts.

A number of unsecured Russian transmissions have been posted online, translated, and analyzed on social media. Other sources of data, including smartphone video clips and social media posts, have similarly been scrutinized. But its the use of natural language processing technology to analyze Russian military communications that is especially novel. For the Ukrainian army, making sense of intercepted communications still typically involves human analysts working away in a room somewhere, translating messages and interpreting commands.

The tool developed by Primer also shows how valuable machine learning could become for parsing intelligence information. The past decade has seen significant advances in AIs capabilities around image recognition, speech transcription, translation, and language processing thanks to large neural network algorithms that learn from vast tranches of training data. Off-the-shelf code and APIs that use AI can now transcribe speech, identify faces, and perform other tasks, often with high accuracy. In the face of Russias numerical and artillery advantages, intercepting communications may well be making a difference for Ukrainian troops on the ground.

Primer already sells AI algorithms trained to transcribe and translate phone calls, as well as ones that can pull out key terms or phrases. Sean Gourley, Primers CEO, says the companys engineers modified these tools to carry out four new tasks: To gather audio captured from web feeds that broadcast communications captured using software that emulates radio receiver hardware; to remove noise, including background chatter and music; to transcribe and translate Russian speech; and to highlight key statements relevant to the battlefield situation. In some cases this involved retraining machine learning models to recognize colloquial terms for military vehicles or weapons.

The ability to train and retrain AI models on the fly will become a critical advantage in future wars, says Gourley. He says the company made the tool available to outside parties but refuses to say who. We wont say whos using it or for what theyre using it for, Gourley says. Several other American companies have made technologies, information, and expertise available to Ukraine as it fights against Russian invaders.

The fact that some Russian troops are using unsecured radio channels has surprised military analysts. It seems to point to an under-resourced and under-prepared operation, says Peter W. Singer, a senior fellow at the think tank New America who specializes in modern warfare. Russia used intercepts of open communications to target its foes in past conflicts like Chechnya, so they, of all forces, should have known the risks, Singer says. He adds that these signals could undoubtedly have helped the Ukrainians, although analysis was most likely done manually. It is indicative of comms equipment failures, some arrogance, and possibly, the level of desperation at the higher levels of the Russian military, adds Mick Ryan, a retired Australian general and author.

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As Russia Plots Its Next Move, an AI Listens to the Chatter - WIRED

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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Tests Positive for the Coronavirus – The New York Times

Posted: at 9:18 pm

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Wednesday that they had tested positive for the coronavirus, the latest in a series of prominent Democrats, lawmakers and Biden administration officials to say they had been infected.

Also Wednesday, Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the assistant House speaker, and Representative Scott Peters of California announced their own positive tests.

The Justice Department said in a statement that Mr. Garland, 69, asked to be tested after learning that he may have been exposed. Mr. Garland, who is vaccinated and boosted, was not experiencing symptoms and planned to work from home for at least five days, the department said. He will not return to the office before he tests negative at the end of that period.

The announcement about Mr. Garland came just hours after he delivered a news briefing at the Justice Department at 10 a.m., where he stood unmasked next to several other officials, including Christopher A. Wray, the director of the F.B.I. The Justice Departments statement announcing the test result followed several hours later.

Mr. Garland addressed reporters for more than half an hour, often trading places with others at the briefing room podium.

A White House official said President Biden, who has not tested positive for the coronavirus, was not considered a close contact. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and asked for anonymity.

In a news briefing Wednesday afternoon, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that although cases are increasing among Congress, the press corps and the White House, the administration is not planning on toughening protocols and plans to continue its return to work plan.

But Ms. Psaki, who recently tested positive herself for a second time, added that the president has remained protected from the virus by taking measures that go beyond what the C.D.C. protocols are, like ensuring everyone who sees Mr. Biden is tested in advance and socially distancing in meetings with the president including in the Oval Office.

The president was last tested on Monday and received a negative result, according to the White House.

Ms. Raimondo, 50, tested positive after taking an at-home antigen test, the Commerce Department said in a statement on Wednesday. The secretary, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, was experiencing mild symptoms and would isolate and work at home for five days before taking another test, in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the department said.

Her office said it was conducting contact tracing and was in the process of notifying people with whom she may have been in close contact.

Ms. Clark, 58, said on Twitter on Wednesday morning that she had tested positive for the virus and was experiencing mild symptoms. She said she had been vaccinated and boosted.

I am grateful to our health care professionals and researchers who have given us the tools to manage this deadly virus, she said.

Mr. Peters tweeted that he is feeling fine thanks to being vaccinated and boosted, and will isolate at home while his office remains fully operational.

Jamal Simmons, the vice presidents communications director, also tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, according to a White House statement. He will be isolating and working from home, but Mr. Simmons was in close contact to Vice President Kamala Harris. She will follow consult with her physician and plans to continue with her public schedule.

The officials who announced their test results on Wednesday came the day after three other House Democrats Representatives Joaquin Castro of Texas, Adam Schiff of California and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida said they had tested positive.

The positive tests are a reminder that, even as top officials seek to pivot away from strict restrictions and encourage Americans to learn to live with the coronavirus, the pandemic continues, driven by the emergence of a new, highly contagious subvariant whose spread is alarming experts.

In March, at least nine House Democrats announced positive tests in a span of five days, with more than half of those cases emerging after lawmakers attended a party retreat in Philadelphia. Two other lawmakers who did not attend the retreat also tested positive during the same time.

Hillary Clinton and Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, also tested positive for the virus in March, as did Ms. Psaki, who tested positive for the second time in five months, one day before she was scheduled to join Mr. Biden on a diplomatic trip to Europe.

Katie Rogers contributed reporting.

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Consolidated Department of Defense Coronavirus Disease 2019 Force Health Protection Guidan – Department of Defense

Posted: at 9:18 pm

The Department of Defense recently released the Consolidated Department of Defense Coronavirus Disease 2019 Force Health Protection (FHP) Guidance to serve as a uniform and consolidated policy for DOD's continued response to COVID- 19, and serve as the DOD COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan required by Executive Order 13991, "Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing," January 20, 2021.

This memorandum consolidates and replaces the listed FHP memoranda, complies with applicable court orders, and is consistent with relevant Presidential directives and Office of Management and Budget and Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance.

Specifically, the guidance consolidates, incorporates, and rescinds the following policy and guidance:

As Federal COVID-19 guidance and requirements evolve, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness will revise the affected portions of the document to rapidly update and disseminate targeted FHP guidance to all DOD Components. These updates will be in a form that can replace the pages of the consolidated guidance that the updates supersede. DOD Components may, in tum, issue any necessary supplemental guidance and, most importantly, will rapidly execute actions required to protect the health of the Force and preserve mission readiness.

The Consolidated Department of Defense Coronavirus Disease 2019 Force Health Protection Guidance can be found here.

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Covid linked to 33-fold increase in risk of pulmonary embolism – The Guardian

Posted: at 9:18 pm

Catching Covid is associated with a fivefold increase in the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and a 33-fold increase in risk of a potentially fatal blood clot on the lung in the 30 days after becoming infected, data suggests.

The findings, published in the British Medical Journal on Thursday, could help explain a doubling in the incidence of, and deaths from, blood clots in England since the start of the pandemic compared with the same periods in 2018 and 2019.

They also help to put the very small increased risk of blood clots associated with Covid-19 vaccination into context. The degree of complications associated with Covid-19 is much stronger and lasts for much longer than what we might be getting after vaccination, said Dr Frederick Ho, a lecturer in public health at the University of Glasgow, who was not involved in the research.

Even those people with mild symptoms who do not need to be hospitalised might have a small increase in the risk of [blood clots].

Although previous research had suggested that catching Covid was associated with an increased risk of blood clots, it was unclear for how long this risk remained, and whether mild infections also increased peoples risk.

To address these uncertainties, Anne-Marie Fors Connolly at Ume University in Sweden and her colleagues measured the risk of DVT, pulmonary embolism a blood clot on the lung and various types of bleeding, such as gastrointestinal bleeding or a burst blood vessel in the brain, in more than 1 million people with confirmed Covid infections and more than 4 million uninfected individuals.

Overall, they identified a 33-fold increase in the risk of pulmonary embolism, a fivefold increase in the risk of DVT and an almost twofold increase in the risk of bleeding in the 30 days after infection. People remained at increased risk of pulmonary embolism for six months after becoming infected, and for two and three months for bleeding and DVT.

Although the risks were highest in patients with more severe illness, even those with mild Covid had a threefold increased risk of DVT and a sevenfold increased risk of pulmonary embolism. No increased risk of bleeding was found in those who experienced mild infections.

Pulmonary embolism can be fatal, so it is important to be aware [of this risk], said Connolly. If you suddenly find yourself short of breath, and it doesnt pass, [and] youve been infected with the coronavirus, then it might be an idea to seek help, because we find this increased risk for up to six months.

Ho said the results remained relevant even in the Omicron era, since current vaccines were highly effective against severe Covid but breakthrough infections were common, even after a third dose of a vaccine.

Despite the potential for new variants of concern, most governments are removing restrictions and shifting their focus to determining how best to live with Covid. This study reminds us of the need to remain vigilant to the complications associated with even mild Sars-CoV-2 infection, including [blood clots].

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Allow me to be your proof that the virus is still among us, Murphy says in first post-COVID appearance – NJ.com

Posted: at 9:18 pm

In his first public appearance since testing positive for the coronavirus last week, Gov. Phil Murphy urged people Wednesday to remember COVID-19 is still here and to be cautious.

The governor spoke in Jersey City at St. Peters Universitys 150th Anniversary Founders Week Celebration. He had been isolated at his home for five days prior.

Allow my experience to be a reminder that even though we may be past the worst of COVID, we are not entirely past COVID, Murphy said. Allow me to be your proof that the virus is still among us and please use me as your example of the need to continue to be smart and safe, and continue to use common sense and common courtesy.

Murphy credited being vaccinated and boosted for being able to make it through COVID with nothing more than mild symptoms.

The 64-year-old governor added he was planning to get his second booster recommended for people over 50 years old around the time he tested positive for the virus.

Murphys office said Friday the governor was experiencing minor symptoms a day after he tested positive. He took a rapid antigen test Thursday afternoon as part of his regularly scheduled testing regime, and it came back positive, his office said. Murphy then took a PCR test, which also came back positive, the office said. PCR tests are more reliable.

Murphy is considered high risk because he had a cancerous tumor removed from his kidney on March 4, 2020, the same day the state reported its first known case of the virus.

New Jerseys COVID-19 numbers plummeted in recent months after a record spike in December and January fueled by the omicron variant. Murphys diagnosis comes as the state is seeing its COVID-19 cases begin to tick up slightly again, though they are still relatively low.

BA.2, also known as the omicron stealth variant, now makes up the majority of cases in North America. Officials have said the strain appears to spread more easily but does not cause more severe illness.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.

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Allow me to be your proof that the virus is still among us, Murphy says in first post-COVID appearance - NJ.com

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Families asked to take in Covid-positive loved ones as NHS faces perfect storm – The Guardian

Posted: at 9:18 pm

NHS chiefs have issued an extraordinary plea for families to help them discharge loved ones even if they are Covid-19 positive as the health service faces a perfect storm fuelled by heavy demand, severe staff shortages and soaring Covid cases.

Hospitals and ambulance services across England are under enormous strain, health leaders have warned, after NHS trusts covering millions of patients declared critical incidents or issued stark warnings to residents.

Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, which represents the whole healthcare system, said the situation had become so serious that all parts of the health service were now becoming weighed down. This will have a direct knock-on effect on the ability of staff to tackle the care backlog, she added, as well as the current provision of urgent and emergency care.

On Wednesday evening, the crisis became so acute in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that its chief medical officer urged relatives of patients well enough to be discharged to collect them immediately even if they were still testing positive for coronavirus.

Dr Derek Sandeman, of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System, revealed that almost every hospital in the two counties was full, and said the number of people with Covid-19 being cared for in hospitals across the area was 650 more than 2.5 times higher than in early January. He added that 2,800 staff working for local NHS organisations were off sick, half of which absences were due to Covid-19.

With staff sickness rates well above average, rising cases of Covid-19 and very high numbers of people needing treatment, we face a perfect storm but there are some very specific ways in which people can help the frontline NHS and care teams, said Sandeman.

If you have a loved one who is in hospital, please help staff to help get them home quickly when they are well enough even if they are still testing positive for Covid. That is enormously important to help us make beds available for those in greatest need.

Earlier on Wednesday, a major ambulance trust, South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), which covers 7 million people across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Sussex and Surrey, declared a critical incident after extreme pressures forced it to prioritise patients with life-threatening illnesses.

At the same time, six hospitals across Yorkshire issued a joint warning for people to stay away from emergency departments except for in genuine, life-threatening situations after a surge in numbers left some patients waiting for up to 12 hours.

With nearly 20,000 people in hospital with coronavirus in England, these latest critical incidents highlight how once again the pressure on our health service is mounting, McCay said. Ambulances, A&E departments and frontline providers of care across all parts of the NHS are weighed down by heavy demand.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said NHS trusts right across England were under enormous strain caused by rising numbers of people with Covid-19 in hospital, a very high number of beds being occupied, staff absences and severe workforce shortages. Trust leaders and everybody in the NHS are keenly aware of the impact of delays and addressing them is an absolute priority, she added.

SCAS declared a critical incident on Wednesday after a huge volume of callouts the previous day and asked people to call 999 only in life-threatening or serious emergencies.

Meanwhile, hospital trusts across West Yorkshire and Harrogate in North Yorkshire an area covering more than 2.5 million people said the current pressures had left them with no choice but to prioritise patients presenting with acute illness or injuries.

West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT) said its most recent emergency department figures showed a 14.2% increase in attendances compared with the same week last year.

Dr Andrew Lockey, emergency medicine consultant with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, said: Our hospitals are extremely busy, and people are having to wait a long time to be seen.

An NHS England spokesperson said: NHS staff remain under significant pressure on many fronts as they deal with high numbers of ambulance callouts and increasing numbers of people in hospital with Covid-19, while the latest weekly figures also show a spike in the number of staff off sick due to the virus.

Despite this, NHS teams across the country are working hard to deliver as much routine care as possible as well as rolling out the spring booster programme, so if you have a health concern, please come forward for the care you need and if invited, get your vaccine at the earliest opportunity.

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Families asked to take in Covid-positive loved ones as NHS faces perfect storm - The Guardian

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AP Was There: NBA suspends season over coronavirus pandemic – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 9:18 pm

MIAMI (AP) (2010s)

The NBA suspends the season ''until further notice'' after Rudy Goebert of the Utah Jazz tests positive for the coronavirus. The move comes hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas. The stoppage is expected to last a couple weeks. But the NBA does not resume play again until the end of July with a scaled-down version involving 22 teams inside a bubble created at the Disney World complex in Florida. The Associated Press is republishing verbatim the story of the NBA suspending the season March 12, 2020.

---

By TIM REYNOLDS

By AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI - The NBA has suspended its season ''until further notice'' after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.

Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the test.

''The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight's schedule of games until further notice,'' the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT. ''The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.''

The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on Wednesday night was called off. Players were on the floor for warmups and tip-off was moments away when they were told to return to their locker rooms. About 30 minutes later, fans were told the game was postponed ''due to unforeseen circumstances.''

Those circumstances were the league's worst-case scenario for now - a player testing positive. A second person who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity said the league expects the shutdown to last a minimum of two weeks, but cautioned that timeframe is very fluid.

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''It's a very serious time right now,'' Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''I think the league moved appropriately and prudently and we'll all just have to monitor the situation and see where it goes from here.''

The Jazz released a statement saying a player - they did not identify Gobert - tested negative earlier Wednesday for flu, strep throat and an upper respiratory infection. That player's symptoms diminished as the day went along, but the decision was made to test for COVID-19 anyway. That test came back with a preliminary positive result.

''The individual is currently in the care of health officials in Oklahoma City,'' the Jazz said, adding that updates would come as appropriate.

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, which declared a pandemic on Wednesday, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

It has been a worldwide issue for several weeks. And now, it has hit the NBA.

''This is crazy,'' Cleveland forward Tristan Thompson said on Twitter.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he was stunned when the news came down, adding that ''this is much bigger than basketball.''

''This is a global pandemic where people's lives are at stake,'' Cuban said. ''I'm a lot more worried about my kids, and my mom is 82 years old, and talking to her, and telling her to stay in the house, than I am about when we play our next game.''

Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego, speaking before his team's game at Miami, said ''these are scary times.''

Rapidly evolving times, as well. Around 7 p.m., a person with knowledge of the situation told AP that owners - who met by teleconference Wednesday - were largely in support of a plan to play games in empty arenas on a short-term basis.

About an hour later, the Thunder-Jazz game was halted before tip-off. And about 90 minutes after that, the season was called off, effective when the last whistle was to blow Wednesday night.

That came even earlier than planned: The last game of the night's six-game slate, New Orleans at Sacramento, was called off as well because one of the referees assigned to work that Pelicans-Kings game, Courtney Kirkland, worked a Utah game on Monday.

''The game was canceled out of an abundance of caution,'' the NBA said.

There are 259 games, roughly 21% of the schedule, left to play this season - and no one knows if, or when, things will resume.

''We believe in the leadership of the league,'' Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand said.

The shutdown is the latest major development in a season filled with unspeakably hard challenges. The league lost as much as $400 million in revenue after a rift with China was started in October when Houston general manager Daryl Morey tweeted out support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Former NBA Commissioner David Stern died in January, the same month that soon-to-be Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash.

And now, a pandemic - which could also cost the league hundreds of millions in lost revenue, depending on how long it lasts. Cuban said he expected his team to remain in Dallas, rehabbing and working and being ready to return whenever the league re-opens.

''As we've said from the beginning, the health and safety of our fans, employees, players and partners is our top priority and thus we fully support the NBA's decision to postpone games,'' Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins said. ''We will continue to stay in contact with the league, and local, state and federal health experts as we closely monitor this public health crisis.''

If the regular season ends here, it would be the end of Atlanta guard Vince Carter's 22-year playing career. And just in case this was it, the Hawks put Carter in with 19.5 seconds left in overtime in what was already clearly going to be a loss to New York.

Carter took an open 3-pointer and made it - the Knicks, aware of the moment, didn't defend him either - and celebrated with Hawks teammates afterward after what may be the final shot of his career.

''A weird, but cool memory,'' Carter said.

Also shut down: The G League, the NBA's minor league where teams have somewhere between six and nine games left on their 50-game schedules.

The NBA's movement toward empty arenas in the short term came on the same day that the NCAA announced that the men's and women's Division I tournaments would be played without fans - except for a few family members - permitted inside to watch.

''People are clearly taking the measures that they feel they need to take for safety,'' said Heat guard Duncan Robinson, who played in both the Division I and Division III national championship games during his college days at Michigan and Williams.

Robinson added, ''but at the same time the NBA has to protect its players in the league and the fans.''

Things were trending toward games in empty arenas for some time, and it was abundantly clear Wednesday morning when the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told a Congressional committee that he would recommend the NBA not allow fans at games in response to the coronavirus.

Dr. Anthony Fauci was responding to a question asked by Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Wisconsin Republican, ''is the NBA underreacting or is the Ivy League overreacting?'' Grothman was referencing how the Ivy League recently canceled its basketball tournaments, instead of having them without fans or keeping the status quo.

''We would recommend that there not be large crowds,'' Fauci said. ''If that means not having any people in the audience when the NBA plays, so be it. But as a public health official, anything that has crowds is something that would give a risk to spread.''

That was when the concern was about crowds and containment.

By the close of business Wednesday in the NBA, the concern was so much more.

''This is surreal,'' Borrego said. ''This is reality for us now. It's no longer just on TV somewhere. This is now home.''

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Green Tea and Covid: Is There a Relationship? – Healthline

Posted: at 9:18 pm

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the most popular health beverages around the world.

Originating from China, green tea is lauded for many health benefits due to its potential antioxidant, antiviral and immune-boosting properties (1, 2).

Its recently been investigated for a possible role in managing the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes illness from COVID-19. You may have heard that drinking green tea prevents or cures the disease.

In this article, we explain whether green tea affects COVID-19 and offer some immune-boosting tips.

Green tea is rich in health-promoting polyphenols, such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which has anti-viral effects against single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses like Zika, hepatitis C, influenza (flu), dengue, and others (1, 3, 4, 5).

Like these, the SARS-CoV-2 is an ssRNA virus. Thus, green tea extracts continue to be investigated for their potential role in treating the virus and managing the COVID-19 pandemic (1, 2).

Test-tube research shows that green tea extracts may combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus by damaging the spike protein, preventing its entry into human cells and reducing the overall volume of the virus (3, 4, 5, 6).

Treatment of the test tube cells with EGCG was most effective during early stages of infection (3).

However, its important to understand that drinking green tea itself cant prevent or cure COVID-19. Most studies showing an effect used single green tea extracts like EGCG in concentrated amounts much higher than whats found in the natural tea.

Furthermore, EGCG is poorly absorbed when consumed orally from teas (4).

Nonetheless, green tea extracts may have potential to be used for natural treatment of COVID-19 after further human research and testing.

Remember, the best way to prevent serious illness from COVID-19 is by getting vaccinated, maintaining physical distancing, and washing your hands often. You can learn more about COVID-19 vaccines here.

Drinking green tea cannot prevent, treat, or cure the COVID-19 virus, but concentrated extracts like EGCG may have potential to be used for natural treatment after further human research and testing.

A COVID-19 infection can cause inflammation, which is linked to symptoms like fatigue, muscle pain, and achy joints (7).

Green tea may have anti-inflammatory properties. Its shown to reduce damaging inflammation associated with the COVID-19 virus, potentially easing these symptoms (8).

The EGCG found in green tea may also shorten infection periods by suppressing viral activity, although this effect has only been observed in test-tube studies. We need human research before we can draw conclusions (9).

Green tea is also a source of other immune-supportive nutrients like zinc, iron, and selenium albeit in small amounts (10).

Regardless, you may find that sipping on a warm cup of green tea during your COVID-19 infection is simply soothing.

Green tea may reduce damaging inflammation associated with COVID-19, potentially improving negative symptoms induced by the virus, such as muscle pains. Its also a source of immune-supportive nutrients, though theyre present only in small amounts.

Green tea contains small amounts of the following immune-boosting micronutrients (10):

Nutrient deficiencies impair immune health. For instance, research suggests that selenium deficiency may contribute to more severe illness from COVID-19 (11).

Green tea infusions made by steeping dried green tea leaves or a tea bag in hot water contain varying levels of these micronutrients, dependening on the quality of soil it was grown in (10).

Overall, concentrations of micronutrients in green tea appear low.

Green tea contains small amounts of the micronutrients zinc, copper, selenium, and vitamins B2 and B12, all of which are shown to boost immune health.

Green tea contains only small amounts of immune-boosting micronutrients. Enjoy infused green tea along with these tips to better support your overall immune health:

Increase fruit and vegetable intake, exercise regularly, avoid smoking, practice handwashing and hand hygiene, and aim for 7-9 hours per night to boost your immune health.

Green tea is a popular drink often touted as a health beverage. Some claims may hold true: it has proven antiviral effects against single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses like Zika, hepatitis C, influenza, and dengue.

Its potential role in combatting SARS-CoV-2 continues to be investigated, but drinking green tea is not proven to prevent or cure COVID-19.

Increase fruit and vegetable intake, exercise regularly, avoid smoking, practice hand-washing and hand hygiene, and aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to boost your immune health.

Vaccination against COVID-19, in conjunction with physical distancing and masking when appropriate, remains the best way to protect yourself and others from severe illness.

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Green Tea and Covid: Is There a Relationship? - Healthline

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