Brazil Germany China and USA Coronavirus Update

Update on Brazil Germany China and USA Coronavirus

Brazil discovers a new variant of the new coronavirus

According to Brazilian media reports on the 14th, Brazilian and British researchers discovered a new type of P.1 when analyzing samples of the new crown virus collected from Brazil's Amazon. Mutated new coronavirus.

 

This research has been published in a "virology" online forum dedicated to discussing virus evolution and other related content. According to the researchers, of the 31 new coronavirus-positive samples collected in Manaus, the capital of the Amazonian state, from December 15 to 23, 2020, 13 tested the mutant new coronavirus P.1. 

This mutant virus carries multiple mutations such as E484K, K417T, and N501Y, and has some similarities with the mutant new coronaviruses found in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

 

Japan recently discovered that four passengers entering the country from Brazil were infected with a mutated new coronavirus, which is not exactly the same as the mutated new coronavirus found in the United Kingdom and South Africa. 

Researchers in Brazil and the United Kingdom speculated that these four people may be infected with the P.1 mutant new coronavirus.

 

Researchers are currently analyzing the characteristics of this mutated new coronavirus, such as whether it is more infectious and whether it will affect the effectiveness of the existing new coronavirus vaccine.

 

The new crown epidemic data released by the Ministry of Health of Brazil at 18:25 on the 14th showed that there were 67,758 newly confirmed cases in the country within 24 hours, and a total of 8,324,294 confirmed cases, 1,131 new deaths and a total of 2,070,09 deaths, a total of 7,329,703 cured cases.

 

Important finding! German bioinformatics scientists discover new weaknesses in the new coronavirus

Recently, German bioinformatics scientists have used computer models to identify an enzyme in the human body that is essential for the reproduction of the new coronavirus. 

If this enzyme is inhibited, the virus will stop reproducing without affecting the host cell. The research helps to find new ways to fight the new coronavirus infection.

 

In addition to vaccines, finding effective drugs for the treatment of new coronavirus infections is also one of the important means to overcome the epidemic. 

Now, Dr. Dräger and his team from the German Infection Research Center and the University of Tübingen have discovered a weakness of the new coronavirus through a novel method that can be used to develop targeted drugs. 

Bioinformatics scientists used computer models to identify a human enzyme that is essential to viruses. 

Dr. Dräger said: "If we turn off this enzyme, guanylate kinase 1 (GK1), the virus will stop reproducing without affecting the host cell."

 

 

The research team led by Dräger has been conducting research on the new coronavirus since January 2020. He is also a young professor at the University of Tübingen, responsible for computer-based systems biology research, focusing on optimizing biotechnology processes and molecular levels. The development and progression of the disease. They successfully developed an integrated computer model with the new coronavirus and human alveolar macrophages. 

Macrophages are mainly responsible for the defense against foreign bodies in the alveoli, Dräger said: "(Previously) there is already a complex computer model of these macrophages, and we have further developed it in order to study the new coronavirus."

 

The starting point of the model is that the virus has penetrated into the host (ie, the human alveolar macrophages in the model) and has been reprogrammed. 

If the virus wants to produce new viral particles and spread, then it must use materials from the host and force the host cell to produce new viral components. 

Dräger said: "The biochemical reactions used by the virus in the host have been integrated into the model. 

We first analyze the components of the virus, then calculate the materials needed to produce the virus particles, and look at the biochemical reactions in the host cells during the virus infection. Changes."

 

In the so-called flow balance analysis, scientists systematically tested which biochemical reactions occur differently in infected cells and uninfected cells. Through these reactions, they can start further experiments. 

By specifically shutting down selected reactions, they tracked processes that are particularly important to the virus. 

For example, when guanylate kinase 1 is turned off, virus reproduction can be completely prevented. 

In alveolar macrophages, this enzyme plays an important role in the metabolism of ribonucleic acid (RNA) components, so it also plays a decisive role in the composition of new coronavirus RNA.

 

Dräger explained: "Without the GK1 virus, it cannot replicate, but human cells can switch to other biochemical and metabolic pathways." 

If you want to use active ingredients to inhibit enzymes without causing adverse side effects to the human body, this is an important prerequisite. Currently, the Dräger team is collaborating with Dr. Berhard Eilinger of the Fraunhofer Institute of Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology to test the effectiveness of inhibitors against the new coronavirus. 

Some enzyme inhibitors are known. Fraunhofer Research in Hamburg has a complete library containing more than 5600 active substances. 

The most important thing is that all these substances have been approved for safe use in humans.

 

Even so, after scientists find suitable active ingredients in the laboratory, they must conduct rigorous tests. First in animals, then in humans. 

Because only in this way, people can fully grasp the interaction between the active ingredients and the immune system. 

Experts predict that if all goes well, this drug against the new coronavirus may be approved as early as the end of 2021 after clinical trials. Ehringer explained: "Maybe we can't fight this virus 100%, but only prevent 90% or 85% of the virus from reproducing. 

But as long as we buy enough time for the immune system, the result will be obvious. In addition, it is worth looking forward to. In addition, this basic method for the virus can be applied to all mutations of the new coronavirus."

China COVID Official: timely, adequate and accurate protection of the new crown virus vaccine and vaccination costs

According to the WeChat message of the National Medical Insurance Administration, on February 25, the National Medical Insurance Administration organized a national video conference on the protection of new coronavirus vaccines and vaccination costs to ensure the protection of new coronavirus vaccines and vaccination costs. 

Work is scheduled and deployed. Require timely, full, and accurate protection of vaccines and vaccination costs as the goal, and be brave to explore new paths, create new methods, take new measures, use full embroidery skills, and do good things well.

Source: WeChat ID of the National Medical Insurance Administration

 

Li Tao, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the National Medical Insurance Administration, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. 

Responsible comrades from relevant departments of the National Medical Insurance Bureau, Ministry of Finance, and National Health Commission attended the meeting. 

Responsible comrades from various medical insurance, finance, health and health departments attended the conference.

 

Li Tao pointed out that the implementation of free vaccination against the new coronavirus is a major decision and deployment made by the Party Central Committee and the State Council. 

Doing a good job in the protection of new coronavirus vaccine and vaccination costs is the primary political task of the current medical insurance department.

 It is necessary to have a high sense of political responsibility and work enthusiasm, and to ensure timely, full and accurate protection of vaccines and vaccination costs, and be brave to explore new paths. 

Create new methods, adopt new measures, use full embroidery skills, and do good things well.

 

The meeting called for the establishment of a joint work mechanism for medical insurance, finance, and health departments, clarify the division of responsibilities, refine the work plan for cost protection, and unblock information transmission channels. 

Strengthen the dynamic monitoring of the progress of vaccination and the use of funds, and effectively ensure that the vaccination and vaccination costs are settled in time and in full. (China-Singapore Jingwei APP)

Jeremy Lin was criticized as "new crown virus", systemic racial discrimination is everywhere in the United States

On February 27, local time, Jeremy Lin, an Asian-American basketball player, posted on foreign social media that he was called the "new crown virus" by another player in a recent game, and asked about this: racial discrimination in the United States "someone is listening "?

 

The tracing of the source of the new crown virus is a scientific issue, and many studies have shown that the new crown virus has appeared in many countries around the world long before the outbreak in Wuhan. 

However, "theory of origin" has long been used by some people as a weapon to attack and slander China. Jeremy Lin was also scolded for an Asian face, which really made people angry.

 

In fact, since the outbreak of the epidemic, Asian groups have suffered discrimination and even hate attacks for wearing masks, and have also been regarded as "scapegoats" for the virus. 

Statistics show that from February to December last year, there were at least 3,000 hate crimes against Asians in the United States.

 

At the end of January this year, an 84-year-old Asian man died after being attacked by a young man while walking in a community in San Francisco. 

On February 6, a 26-year-old Yale University Chinese graduate student Kevin Jiang was shot and killed in New Haven. 

On February 25, an Asian man was assassinated in Manhattan. The victim was in critical condition after being sent to a doctor.

It is hard to imagine that in a civilized society of the 21st century, in a country that claims to be the number one in the world, violence is so frequent and ethnic. Discrimination is so deep-rooted.

 

Some commentators believe that Asian Americans are currently facing two viruses: the new crown virus and the racist virus, and the latter is more "difficult to cure". In the United States, discrimination against Asians has a long history. 

As early as 1882, the United States signed the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act, which was not abolished until 1943. 

The real apology waited until 2011. The two houses of the U.S. Senate passed an apology case separately, but in the bill passed by the Senate, the word apology was not used, but a lesser degree of regret.

 

Even an apology is unwilling, and actual equality is even more distant indefinitely. An American equal rights person bluntly said: For a long time, Asian communities have been systematically excluded from structural power. In recent years, minorities such as Asians have all suffered undue unfair treatment in terms of education, medical treatment, and work. 

During the epidemic, ethnic minority small business operators were often excluded from the government's rescue plan. 

According to the Fed report, affected by the epidemic, about 54% of white-owned companies are currently financially "fair" or "poor." But this proportion is 79% of Asian-owned companies, 77% of African-owned companies, and 66% of Latino-owned companies.

 

The United States has always been known as the national melting pot, and many Americans were proud of the diversity of society. But history and reality have proved that as a country of immigrants, the race relations in the United States are actually quite fragile. 

Racial discrimination and xenophobia are everywhere, severely tearing American society. 

Even after experiencing violent incidents and protests, "political correctness" can hardly be reflected in reality. Even as a minority Obama came to power, he failed to escape the fate of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, social neglect, and violence among African Americans. 

Even he himself had no choice but to admit that the "dream of racial equality" had not yet been completed.

 

"All men are created equal", embedded in the first paragraph of the second paragraph of the US "Declaration of Independence". 

However, this equality must always be guaranteed and maintained by the powerful forces of the government and society. 

However, in the Western world, capital controls the economic and social cycle of a country, and the objective existence of exploitation makes resources inevitably gathered in a few people. 

The "mountain" class enjoys "positive bonuses" that are conducive to wealth appreciation, such as technology, finance, and tax avoidance. 

The "Matthew effect" of class solidification is increasing. The "golden master politics" in the United States has also intensified class antagonism. 

The seemingly democratic "one person, one vote" is actually "one dollar, one vote." Political parties that perform on stage will only serve large consortia. Minorities and the lower-level people do not. "Spoken person". 

The deep ills of the system are almost determined, and neither the government nor the people have the motivation to continuously improve the racial ills.

 

After the new administration of the United States came to power, President Biden issued multiple executive orders aimed at promoting racial equality in American society. 

However, the US Department of Justice took the initiative to withdraw the lawsuit against Yale University for discriminatory behavior in the admissions process. 

Some commentators pointed out that the "equality" practiced by the Biden administration does not give equal treatment to all ethnic groups, but allows "racial differences." When the government has implemented "racial preferences", can society get better?