WHO CONTINUES CHAMPIONING TRADITIONAL MEDICINE.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar. He laid the foundation stone in the presence of the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO). In his speech, PM Modi stated, “India is taking this centre as a big responsibility for service to all of humanity. This centre will help in providing better medical solutions to the world with the support of traditional medicines.” The opening is in line with the WHO’s Director-General’s efforts to place traditional medicine on similar footing with so-called modern medicine.

THE U.S. CAVALIERS.

The United States took another step towards putting the Covid-19 pandemic in the rearview. This time, it come compliments of the Supreme Court. Per the Associated Press, “A federal judge’s decision to strike down a national mask mandate was met with cheers on some airplanes but also concern about whether it’s really time to end one of the most visible vestiges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The major airlines and many of the busiest airports rushed to drop their requirements on Monday after the Transportation Security Administration announced it wouldn’t enforce a January 2021 security directive that applied to airplanes, airports, taxis and other mass transit. But the ruling still gave those entities the option to keep their mask rules in place, resulting in directives that could vary from city to city.” With the U.S. seeing the early stages of an uptick, the question is whether they are jumping the gun a bit. Time will tell. We don’t have any answers here. https://bit.ly/380fS2b

MODERNA’S NEW THIS OR THAT PROBLEM.

Moderna has outdone itself apparently. Per Fierce Biotech, “Moderna’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine has bettered the antibody response of Spikevax against omicron when given as a booster, offering encouragement to the biotech as it races toward phase 2/3 data that will shape its offering for the next season of jabs. The clinical data are on the bivalent vaccine Moderna developed in response to the beta variant, not the omicron-specific booster it is testing in another phase 2/3 clinical trial. However, the readout still offers encouragement for the omicron program, which has supplanted the bivalent beta vaccine as Moderna’s priority variant candidate.” A new vaccine that surpasses the already effective one you’ve got on the market? That’s a good problem to have. https://bit.ly/3xzjXFn

COVID-19 MYSTERIES ABOUND.

If you’ve been keeping track of what is known about the virus responsible for Covid-19, you’re aware that even though the scientific community has made incredible inroads in understanding the coronavirus, there’s still so much more to learn. An article in STAT explores the state of research, “[Yet] more than two years after SARS-CoV-2 appeared, as documented deaths in the U.S. near 1 million and estimated global deaths reach as high as 18 million, there are still many mysteries about the virus and the pandemic it caused. They range from the technical — what role do autoantibodies play in long Covid? Can a pan-coronavirus vaccine actually be developed? — to the philosophical, such as how can we rebuild trust in our institutions and each other? Debate still festers, too, over the virus’s origins, despite recent studies adding evidence that it spilled over from wildlife.” https://bit.ly/3voujFk

CULTURE OF FEAR.

Science-based fear mongering is alive and well in the upcoming elections in Australia. Australia’s ABC broke down the issues, from carbon taxes to Medicare to energy bills. They explained what’s at stake, “Both the Coalition and Labor are relying heavily on scare campaigns as they battle to attract the attention of voters ahead of the May 21 federal election. The major parties have launched attacks on their opponents based on spurious claims and out-dated policies, both in person and via social media. Scare campaigns often feature in elections, but such is their prominence in this election battle that they risk distracting from genuine debate over policies and ideas.” Clearly, these issues cut across international borders and a pertinent in countries around the world. https://ab.co/3rB74H9

COVID-19 TAKES ANOTHER LEGEND.

For anyone who thinks Covid-19 has stopped taking lives, think again. The music community has lost a Hip-Hop legend. Per The Fader, “DJ Kay Slay, famed for his run of early 2000s mixtapes, has died following a four-month battle with Covid-19, his family have confirmed. He was 55. In a statement the family of Slay, real name Keith Grayson, said: ‘Our hearts are broken by the passing of Keith Grayson, professionally known as DJ Kay Slay. A dominant figure in hip-hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations. In memory of DJ Kay Slay, our family wishes to thank all of his friends, fans, and supporters for their prayers and well wishes during this difficult time. We ask that you respect our privacy as we grieve this tragic loss.’” DJ Kay’s early artwork was featured in seminal Hip-Hop films such as Wild Style and Style Wars. Truly a pioneer. https://bit.ly/3vu2BXJ

Thanks for reading. Let’s be careful out there.