Hong Kong transport operators, supermarket cut services as COVID surges

 

Hong Kong's subway operator, bus and ferry companies, and one of its biggest supermarket chains, are cutting back services due to a worsening COVID-19 outbreak that has seen daily infections explode since early February.

The surge in cases and mixed messaging from government officials have triggered an exodus of people from the global financial hub, where authorities are clinging to a "dynamic zero" coronavirus strategy that seeks to stamp out all outbreaks.

Many restaurants and shops in the Chinese-ruled city have closed while its main financial district is eerily quiet and few people are out and about in normally bustling neighbourhoods.

Hong Kong's Transport Department said 98 bus routes would be suspended with operators facing critical manpower shortages.

A rise of infected people coupled with a drop in customers due to stringent social distancing measures made it hard to maintain operations, it said in a statement late on Wednesday.

The city's subway operator, MTR Corp, said on Thursday it would cut services on eight lines because of staff shortages and a sharp drop in customers.

"We have been striving to maintain train service despite the worsening COVID-19 situation. However, the latest development of the pandemic is affecting the manpower for daily operations," it said on its website.

Two ferry operators that ply the city's harbour between the main island of Hong Kong and the Kowloon peninsula said they would suspend services until further notice.

ParknShop, one of the city's largest supermarket chains, said it was shortening its operating hours for more than 200 outlets to protect its staff and customers. Some outlets would close as early as 3 p.m., it said.

Since the coronavirus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, the tally of infections in the former British colony stands at more than 290,000, with a death toll of about 1,100.

About 700 of those deaths have been in the past week, with the majority unvaccinated people.

Health experts from the University of Hong Kong estimated about 1.7 million people had been infected as of Monday, with the coming week expected to bring a peak of about 183,000 daily infections.

'VERY DAMAGED'

There has been widespread confusion this week because of mixed messages from authorities over whether a city-wide lockdown would be imposed and the almost daily tweaking of coronavirus rules.

Highlighting growing public frustration, prominent businessman and government adviser Allan Zeman said Hong Kong's international reputation had been "very damaged" and alarm had been created by the confusing messages.

Supermarket and pharmacy shelves have been emptied daily by anxious residents stocking up despite assurances from the government that whatever type of lockdown is imposed, people would be able to buy necessities.

City leader Carrie Lam has said the government had no plan for a "complete lockdown" while it conducts compulsory testing of the city's 7.4 million residents. The government would announce details of the plan when finalised, she said.

Hong Kong has implemented its most draconian rules since the pandemic began with international travel restricted, most venues shut and a ban on public gatherings of more than two people. Many members of the public fear being forced to isolate and separated from their families if they test positive, prompting an exodus, particularly of expatriates.

Some Western diplomats said the government had been "refusing to engage" in recent weeks on coronavirus strategy and compulsory testing, not replying to requests for clarification on policy as the outbreak worsens. This was making it difficult for them to advise their citizens what to do, they said.

Restrictions mean very few international flights can operate through Hong Kong but nevertheless more than 70,000 people left the city in February, the most since the start of the pandemic, according to government data.

About 300 Swiss nationals are planning to leave on a charter flight next week due, media reported. A spokesman for the Swiss consulate said it was aware of the flight but could not provide details.

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/WYNN-MACAU-LIMITED-5774272/news/Hong-Kong-transport-operators-supermarket-cut-services-as-COVID-surges-39645896/

Merck KGaA Earnings and Sales Climbed in 2021, Driven by Life Science

 German pharmaceuticals-and-chemicals company Merck KGaA on Thursday posted higher 2021 earnings and sales, driven by its life science division, and proposed a higher dividend.

The company--which had raised its guidance three times over the course of 2021--posted after-tax profit of 3.07 billion euros ($3.41 billion) for the year, up from EUR1.99 billion the year prior.

Ebitda pre--a closely-watched company metric which measures earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization before one-time items--was EUR6.10 billion in the year, up from EUR5.20 billion the year before, Merck said.

Net sales came in at EUR19.69 billion compared with EUR17.53 billion the year prior, the company said.

Looking ahead, Merck expects strong organic growth in net sales and Ebitda pre in 2022, driven by all business sectors but particularly by its life science division.

The company proposed a dividend raise of EUR0.45 to EUR1.85, which it said was an all-time high.

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/MERCK-KGAA-436395/news/Merck-KGaA-Earnings-and-Sales-Climbed-in-2021-Driven-by-Life-Science-Raises-Dividend-39646830/

Mucus could explain why SARS-CoV-2 doesn't spread easily from surfaces

 Early in the pandemic, many people fastidiously disinfected surfaces because laboratory studies predicted that SARS-CoV-2 could be easily transmitted in this way. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have found a possible explanation for why the predictions didn't pan out: Sugar-decorated proteins in mucus could bind to the coronavirus on surfaces, keeping it from infecting cells. The findings could also hint at why some people are more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others.

Although experiments have shown that coronaviruses can persist on surfaces for days or weeks, it is now apparent that SARS-CoV-2 is much more likely to infect people through airborne droplets carrying the virus. The surface studies typically used viruses suspended in buffers or growth media, whereas in the real world, SARS-CoV-2 is coated in mucus when someone coughs or sneezes. With this in mind, Jessica Kramer and colleagues wondered if mucus components could explain the discrepancy between the lab predictions and reality. In addition to water, salts, lipids, DNA and other proteins, mucus contains proteins called mucins, which are heavily modified with sugar molecules known as glycans. To infect cells, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds glycan molecules with sialic acid at their ends on the cell surface. So, the researchers wondered if the coronavirus also recognizes sialic acid-containing glycans in mucins. If the spike protein is already bound to glycans in mucus, perhaps it couldn't bind to the ones on cells, they reasoned.

For safety reasons, the researchers chose to study a human coronavirus called OC43, which evolved relatively recently from a cow coronavirus and causes mostly mild respiratory infections. The team deposited droplets of the virus in buffer or growth medium supplemented with 0.1-5% mucins, which corresponds to the concentration range of mucins found in nasal mucus and saliva, onto a plastic surface and let the drops dry. Then, they rehydrated the viral residue and measured its ability to infect cells. In comparison to the buffer or growth medium alone, the solutions supplemented with mucins were dramatically less infectious. The team also tested steel, glass and surgical mask surfaces, finding similar results.

The researchers showed that, as the droplets dried, mucins moved to the edge and concentrated there in a coffee-ring effect, bringing the virus with them. This brought mucins and virus particles close together, where they could more easily interact. Cutting off sialic acid glycans from mucins with an enzyme eliminated viral binding and destroyed the glycoproteins' protective effect. Because SARS-CoV-2, like OC43, binds to sialic acid glycans on cell surfaces, mucins would also likely reduce its infectivity, the researchers suspect. The levels and types of sugar molecules on mucins can vary with diet and certain diseases, which could possibly explain the vulnerability of certain people to COVID-19, they say.

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation.

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Story Source:

Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Casia L. Wardzala, Amanda M. Wood, David M. Belnap, Jessica R. Kramer. Mucins Inhibit Coronavirus Infection in a Glycan-Dependent Manner. ACS Central Science, 2022; DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c01369

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220302110610.htm

Some oral bacteria linked with hypertension in older women

 Some oral bacteria were associated with the development of hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, in postmenopausal women, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

High blood pressure is typically defined by two measurements: systolic blood pressure (the upper number measuring pressure when the heart beats) of 130 mm Hg or higher, and diastolic blood pressure (the lower number indicating pressure between heart beats) of 80 mm Hg or higher.

While previous research has indicated that blood pressure tends to be higher in people with existing periodontal disease compared to those without it, researchers believe that this study is the first to prospectively examine the association between oral bacteria and developing hypertension.

"Since periodontal disease and hypertension are especially prevalent in older adults, if a relationship between the oral bacteria and hypertension risk could be established, there may be an opportunity to enhance hypertension prevention through increased, targeted oral care," said Michael J. LaMonte, Ph.D., M.P.H., one of the study's senior authors, a research professor in epidemiology at the University at Buffalo -- State University of New York and a co-investigator in the Women's Health Initiative clinical center in the University's epidemiology and environmental health department.

Researchers evaluated data for 1,215 postmenopausal women (average age of 63 years old at study enrollment, between 1997 and 2001) in the Buffalo Osteoporosis and Periodontal Disease Study in Buffalo, New York. At study enrollment, researchers recorded blood pressure and collected oral plaque from below the gum line, "which is where some bacteria keep the gum and tooth structures healthy, and others cause gum and periodontal disease," LaMonte said. They also noted medication use and medical and lifestyle histories to assess if there is a link between oral bacteria and hypertension in older women.

At study enrollment, about 35% (429) of the study participants had normal blood pressure: readings below 120/80 mm Hg, with no use of blood pressure medication. Nearly 24% (306) of participants had elevated blood pressure: readings above 120/80 mm Hg with no medication use. About 40% (480) of participants were categorized as having prevalent treated hypertension: diagnosed and treated for hypertension with medication.

Researchers identified 245 unique strains of bacteria in the plaque samples. Nearly one-third of the women who did not have hypertension or were not being treated for hypertension at the beginning of the study were diagnosed with high blood pressure during the follow-up period, which was an average of 10 years.

The analysis found:

• 10 bacteria were associated with a 10% to 16% higher risk of developing high blood pressure; and
• five other kinds of bacteria were associated with a 9% to 18% lower hypertension risk.

These results were consistent even after considering demographic, clinical and lifestyle factors (such as older age, treatment for high cholesterol, dietary intake and smoking) that also influence the development of high blood pressure.

The potential associations for the same 15 bacteria with hypertension risk among subgroups was analyzed, comparing women younger than age 65 to those older than 65; smokers versus nonsmokers; those with normal versus elevated blood pressure at the start of the study, and other comparisons. Results remained consistent among the groups compared.

The findings are particularly relevant for postmenopausal women, since the prevalence of high blood pressure is higher among older women than older men, according to LaMonte.

More than 70% of American adults ages 65 and older have high blood pressure. That age category, the fastest growing in the U.S., is projected to reach 95 million by 2060, with women outnumbering men 2 to 1, according to a 2020 U.S. Census report. The 2020 U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action to Control Hypertension underscores the serious public health issue imposed by hypertension in adults, especially those in later life. Identifying new approaches to prevent this disease is, thus, paramount in an aging society.

According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, and many don't know they have it. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke.

"We have come to better appreciate that health is influenced by more than just the traditional risk factors we know to be so important. This paper is a provocative reminder of the need to expand our understanding of additional health factors that may even be influenced by our environments and potentially impact our biology at the endothelial level," said Willie Lawrence, M.D., chair of the American Heart Association's National Hypertension Control Initiative's (NHCI) Oversight Committee. "Inclusive research on hypertension must continue to be a priority to better understand and address the condition."

Due to the study's observational approach, cause and effect cannot be inferred, limiting the researchers' ability to identify with certainty that only some bacteria are related to lower risk of hypertension while others are related to higher risk. A randomized trial would provide the evidence necessary to confirm which bacteria were causal agents in developing -- or not developing -- hypertension over time, according to LaMonte.

Co-authors are Joshua H. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.; Patricia Diaz-Moreno, D.D.S., Ph.D.; Christopher A. Andrews, Ph.D.; Daichi Shimbo, M.D.; Kathleen M. Hovey, M.S.; Michael J. Buck, Ph.D.; and Jean Wactawski-Wende, Ph.D.

The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which are divisions of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps; the Women's Health Initiative program (Coordinating Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center); and the University at Buffalo Clinical Translational Science Institute.

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Story Source:

Materials provided by American Heart Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Michael J. LaMonte, Joshua H. Gordon, Patricia Diaz‐Moreno, Christopher A. Andrews, Daichi Shimbo, Kathleen M. Hovey, Michael J. Buck, J. Wactawski‐Wende. Oral Microbiome Is Associated With Incident Hypertension Among Postmenopausal Women. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2022; DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.121.021930

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220302092705.htm

WVa Senate passes bill to ban abortions based on disability

 The West Virginia Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would ban abortions based solely on a prenatal diagnosis of a disability, including Down syndrome.

The bill, approved on a 28-5 vote, makes exceptions for medical emergencies or if a fetus would not survive outside of the womb. It now goes to the House of Delegates.

Marshall County Republican Mike Maroney, who is a radiologist and chairs the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee, said he sees ultrasounds up to 500 times a year. Under the bill, he said the abortion cannot be performed if a woman tells the physician that it’s based on a disability.

The key might be whether the physician is told anything.

Maroney was questioned by Harrison County Democrat Mike Romano, who said: “As long as the woman keeps her mouth shut, the physician’s in the clear.”

“That’s the way I read it,” Maroney said.

Marion County Democrat Mike Caputo then repeated the exchange between Romano and Maroney just to understand it for himself.

“What I got out of that was, when a woman is probably facing the most difficult, trying, troubling time that she has ever faced in her life, if she wants to terminate this pregnancy, she has to lie,” Caputo said. “If that child is disabled, and that’s the reason her and her significant other want to terminate, they can’t disclose that. Maybe I misinterpreted what I heard, but that’s what I heard, that they would have to lie.”The legislation comes as the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider a Mississippi law that seeks to ban abortions after 15 weeks. The 1973 ruling on Roe v. Wade essentially legalized any abortion that takes place before a fetus can survive outside the mother’s womb, generally around 24 weeks.

Caputo, who opposes abortion, voted against the bill.

“I just don’t understand how we have to run a bill such as this, I guess, just to say we ran a bill,” Caputo said. “I don’t get it.”

Caputo read a letter from a constituent who asserted that it’s not the role of lawmakers to interfere with a woman’s decision whether to carry a pregnancy to 

term.

West Virginia has one abortion provider, the Women’s Health Center of West Virginia. The center’s executive director, Katie Quinonez, had said her staff doesn’t question patients’ reasons for having an abortion. But she said she’s never heard of a patient seeking abortion care because their baby is presumed to have Down syndrome or any other disability.

“If this bill passes, it will force providers to interrogate their patient’s reasons for having an abortion,” she said. “It could force doctors to investigate their patients and will irreversibly harm the clinician-patient relationship.”

https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-wv-state-wire-west-virginia-down-syndrome-49b2fc54c5022911b814822d13047678

Kentucky House passes bill to regulate medication abortion

 The Kentucky House voted Wednesday to strictly regulate the dispensing of abortion pills, requiring women to be examined in person by a doctor before receiving the medication.

The measure — the latest in a series of efforts to put restrictions on abortions in Kentucky — won House passage on a 77-20 vote after a long and sometimes-emotional debate. The far-reaching proposal moves on to the Senate. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers.

The bill is part of a nationwide push by anti-abortion groups to limit the ability of physicians to prescribe abortion pills by telemedicine, and comes in response to the increased use of pills rather than surgery to terminate early pregnancies. About half of abortions performed in Kentucky are the result of medication procedures. Opponents called the measure another intrusion into women’s medical decisions.

Shipment of the pills by mail would be banned under the measure. It would require an in-person visit with a doctor, rather than using telehealth, before a woman could undergo a medication abortion.

Republican Rep. Nancy Tate, the bill’s lead sponsor and a prominent abortion opponent, said she went online to find out how easy it is to place an order for the pills. What she learned showed the need for the restrictions included in her bill, she said.

“Within 15 minutes, I had this product on its way ... in a nondescript package with no doctor visit, no consultation, no information at all,” Tate said.

She said “that’s not the kind of health care” that Kentuckians should receive.

Opponents said the bill’s multiple restrictions threaten access to abortion for many women.

“They erode, erode, erode our rights to try and wear us down and wear us out until we get too tired to fight,” said Democratic Rep. Josie Raymond. “They do a pretty good job. But ultimately you will see that there are more of us ... who believe deeply in the power of women to make decisions about the direction of their own lives. And we won’t get tired.”

The bill’s critics said the legislature should instead be focusing on the needs of Kentucky children who go hungry, need protection from abuse or need a permanent home.

“At what point do we get out of other people’s bedrooms, out of other people’s lives, out of other people’s medical decisions and take care of the people that are here?” said Democratic Rep. Pamela Stevenson.

The bill stems in part from recent federal action. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rise in telemedicine and action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowing abortion pills to be mailed so patients could skip in-person visits to get them.

The FDA made the change permanent in December. That move led to stepped-up efforts by abortion opponents to seek more restrictions on medication abortions through state legislatures.

The House debate on the bill meant to reflect Kentucky’s response lasted about two hours.

In supporting the measure, Republican Rep. Jim DuPlessis said: “Abortion is a human that we’re extinguishing. ... We can’t gloss over that humanity.”

The Kentucky measure would direct the state pharmacy board to oversee the distribution of abortion pills. The pharmacy board also would oversee a certification process for pharmacies, physicians, manufacturers and distributors who administer or provide the drugs.

The measure also would put new restrictions on the process through which a girl can seek permission from a judge for an abortion in cases where getting permission from a parent is not possible or might put the girl in danger.

The bill would require the pharmacy board to create a complaint portal on its website. It would list the names of doctors certified to prescribe medication to induce abortions and pharmacies, manufacturers and distributors certified to supply it. Opponents warned that the portal would expose abortion providers to increased harassment.

The bill continues aggressive efforts by Kentucky lawmakers to put restrictions and conditions on abortion since the GOP assumed complete control of the legislature after the 2016 election.

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The legislation is House Bill 3.

https://apnews.com/article/abortion-coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-lifestyle-62c92ddcb07d1d949da32b1af4c56eb4

Transcript: Evotec Analyst Day

 https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/EVOTEC-SE-436047/news/Transcript-Evotec-SE-Analyst-Investor-Day-39642775/