Japan considers downgrading Covid-19 to same level as seasonal flu

  

Japan will consider downgrading Covid-19 to the same category as seasonal influenza this spring, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Friday.

Kishida said he had instructed Health Ministry officials to discuss the move and his administration would also review rules on face masks and other pandemic measures.

“In order to further advance the efforts of ‘living with Corona’ and restore Japan to a state of normalcy, we will transition the various policies and measures to date in phases,” Kishida said.

While daily Covid-19 cases in Japan have declined in recent weeks, the country still faces around 100,000 new infections a day.

Covid-19 is categorized as a Class 2 disease, the same status as tuberculosis and avian influenza, according to Japan’s Health Ministry. Officials will now discuss reclassifying it to Class 5 – the lowest rank, which includes seasonal flu.

Japan fully reopened its borders to overseas visitors last October after more than two years of pandemic restrictions, ending one of the world’s strictest border controls.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has asked the Health Ministry to discuss downgrading the status of Covid-19.

Masanori Genko/The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP

Influenza – or the common flu – and Covid-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses with simlar symptoms, but they are caused by different viruses and require testing to confirm a diagnosis, the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says on its website.

According to the CDC, the risk of death or hospitalization from Covid-19 is greatly reduced for most people due to high levels of vaccination and population immunity from previous infections.

However, the World Health Organization still lists the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, and reiterated in its latest update a recommendation for people to wear masks following recent exposure or close contact with Covid-19, and for “anyone in a crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated space” to do the same.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on governments last week to continue sharing the sequencing data of the coronavirus, as it remained vital to detect and track the emergence and spread of new variants.

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“It’s understandable that countries cannot maintain the same levels of testing and sequencing they had during the Omicron peak. At the same time, the world cannot close its eyes and hope this virus will go away. It won’t,” he said.

South Korea eases indoor mask mandate

The news came as South Korea announced it will lift its mask mandate for most indoor areas, with exceptions for public transport and health facilities. The changes will take effect on January 30, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Friday.

The measure will be lifted after the Lunar New Year holiday, when a large number of people are expected to travel, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

New Covid-19 cases, severe cases and related deaths are all declining and the country’s medical response capacity remains stable, KDCA added.

The agency has strongly recommended people wear masks if they have Covid-19 related symptoms, belong to a high-risk group, have been in contact recently with a positive case, or are in a crowded space.

Masks will still be required on public transport and in health facilities after South Korea eases its indoor mask mandate on January 30, 2023.

Woohae Cho/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The prime minister said the easing of the mandate could result in a temporary surge of new cases and urged health authorities to stay vigilant.

South Korea has scrapped most of its pandemic restrictions and eased its outdoor mask mandate in May 2022. It still requires people who test positive to undergo seven days of home isolation.

The country has also restricted travel from mainland China and implemented testing requirements for people arriving from China, Hong Kong and Macau following Beijing’s easing of Covid restrictions.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/20/asia/japan-covid-consider-downgrade-seasonal-flu-intl-hnk/index.html

Disc in Licensing Agreement with Mabwell Therapeutics for Novel Monoclonal Antibodies

 

• Disc will obtain exclusive rights to MWTX-003 and other novel anti-TMPRSS6 antibodies in the United States, Europe and other territories excluding Greater China and certain other territories in Southeast Asia
  

• MWTX-003 demonstrated potent and durable suppression of serum iron and efficacy in animal models of beta-thalassemia and polycythemia vera (PV)

• FDA has accepted the IND for MWTX-003 and Disc plans to initiate a phase 1 study of MWTX-003 in healthy volunteers during 2H’23

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/disc-medicine-announces-exclusive-licensing-120000978.html

Men Live Longer (Happier?) Lives Taking 'Little Blue Pill'; New Study Finds

 The second study in two years shows Viagra might reduce the risk of heart disease in men. 

Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) found that men who took the little blue pill experienced a 39% reduction in heart disease. 

USC researchers gathered data from 70,000 men with an average age of 52 who were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction within the last decade. They believe Viagra increases blood flow and oxygen into the heart and throughout the body. 

Viagra users also were 17% less likely to suffer heart failure and had a 22% reduction in developing unstable angina. All of those conditions are fatal if untreated. Men who used the drug achieved longer life and decreased the risk of early death by 25%. 

"Viagra was associated with lower incidence of [heart complications], cardiovascular death, and overall mortality risk compared to non-exposure," the researchers wrote.

The last study, published in the American College journal of Cardiology and titled "Association of Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors Versus Alprostadil With Survival in Men With Coronary Artery Disease," showed older men with cardiovascular disease who took the erectile dysfunction pill lived a healthier life. 

According to the American Heart Association, erectile dysfunction could be an early warning sign of heart disease in otherwise healthy men.

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/another-study-shows-viagra-lowers-risk-heart-disease

Lilly Alzheimer's drug setback extends rival Biogen's lead

 The U.S. health regulator's rejection of accelerated approval for Eli Lilly and Co's Alzheimer's disease drug extends the market lead for rivals Eisai and Biogen's treatment by months, analysts said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declined to approve donanemab because Lilly had not submitted data from enough patients who were treated for at least a year, the drugmaker said late Thursday.

"This is a modest positive for Biogen" because it delays donanemab's launch, Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said, adding that Eli Lilly could file for traditional approval by mid-2023.

Lilly's shares fell 1.1% to $347.23 in premarket trading.

"Lilly's inability to launch donanemab near-term will prevent them from expediting their launch post-full approval by depriving them of the ability to begin to educate physicians and patients," said Citi analyst Andrew Baum.

The setback for Lilly comes just weeks after the FDA granted Biogen Inc and Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co Ltd's accelerated approval for their Alzheimer's drug Leqembi.

Analysts are waiting for the traditional approval of Biogen's drug and for wider health insurance coverage before they expect sales of the drug to pick up.

Still, "we think, at minimum, it gives Eisai some extra time on the market... to build a lead over donanemab", said Baird analyst Brian Skorney.

Lilly expects to report results from a confirmatory late-stage trial of donanemab in the second quarter, which would form the basis of the drug's application seeking traditional FDA approval shortly thereafter.

"But if there is anything wrong with the (Eli Lilly) data set, it is easier to reject an unapproved drug than remove an approved drug from market," said Skorney.

https://www.yahoo.com/now/eli-lilly-alzheimers-drug-setback-122903618.html

FTX chief John Ray says bankrupt crypto exchange could restart: report

 Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX is looking into the possibility of reviving its business, Chief Executive Officer John Ray told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

Ray, who took over the reins in November, has set up a task force to explore restarting FTX.com, the company’s main international exchange, he said in an interview with the WSJ.

Ray was looking into whether reviving it would recover more value for the company’s customers than his team could get from simply liquidating assets or selling the platform, according to the WSJ report.

FTX’s native token FTT surged nearly 30% after the report.

“I’m glad Mr. Ray is finally paying lip service to turning the exchange back on after months of squashing such efforts!” FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said in a tweet.\“I’m still waiting for him to finally admit FTX US is solvent and give customers their money back,” Bankman-Fried added.

A legal representative for FTX did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Bankman-Fried has been accused of stealing billions of dollars from the exchange’s customers to pay debts incurred by his crypto-focused hedge fund, Alameda Research. He has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges.

The future of customer funds, however, remains unclear. Earlier this week, FTX said in a report to creditors that hackers stole about $415 million in crypto from its international and US exchanges since its bankruptcy in November.

https://nypost.com/2023/01/19/ftx-chief-john-ray-bankrupt-crypto-exchange-could-restart/

Project Veritas Exposes Non-Profit That Hides Critical Race Theory In School Curriculum

 The conflict over Critical Race Theory in schools boils down to two basic responses from the political left - They claim that there is no such thing as "CRT" in the way that conservatives see it, and that the accusation it is being used to indoctrinate young children is a "right wing conspiracy theory."  Or, when they get caught they claim CRT is nothing more than an accurate portrayal of American history inclusive to minorities that has been suppressed because of "bigotry." 

For years the former argument, that CRT does not exist and is not taught in school curriculum, has been the primary argument. 

Critical Race Theory is the mostly faulty theory that western society today is built on a foundation of systemic racism.  Its root assertion is that all American accomplishments over the past few centuries are owed to slavery and the exploitation of minorities.  In other words, we have to abandon our past because it is inherently racist and "evil" and start over - Using the political left's ideals as a framework, of course.

CRT is a product of the Marxist concept of deconstruction.  The purpose of such products is to dismantle the foundations and historical relationships of a target society, to make people hate their own heritage so that they are easier to manipulate towards a new leftist Utopian standard.

States like Florida have begun to actively monitor school textbooks and curriculum to identify a possible invasion of CRT and other woke propaganda.  This has led to a flurry of angry attacks from leftists, who say it is paranoia akin to "book burning" and censorship.  The accusation is hypocritical considering the left's rampant censorship over the past few years, but whenever they react so viciously to a simple thing like a state government checking the contents of textbooks before they buy them with public tax dollars, then you know that state is hovering very close to something leftists don't want them to discover.

Florida found CRT and leftist propaganda in at least 41% of the textbooks slated to be purchased by the state for the coming school year, and they gave numerous examples of CRT related content as the media attacked.  With red states starting to vet curriculum, leftists are attempting to hide their ideology more carefully using "non-profit" curriculum creators as middle men that can get around state laws.  

Project Veritas recently exposed one of these non-profit groups in Georgia, called The Teaching Lab, and how they inject CRT into public schools by "not calling it CRT" and selling textbooks and other products directly to school districts without the state knowing the contents.  

An important detail to note here is that Teaching Lab employee Quintin Bostic admits that their products are indeed CRT.  Also, he admits that the group is funded by very rich establishment leftists including MacKenzie Scott, now ex-wife of Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos.  

The intrusion of political activism into the American school system is a fundamental violation of the public trust and of state law in many places.  It is unacceptable for children to be targeted for ideological indoctrination in school when they are supposed to be taught basic academics.  Imparting to young people the ability to function and succeed in adulthood is a key task of the public school system; instead leftists see schools as rich hunting grounds for conversion.  In this way, they destroy the future of the country by replacing useful knowledge and skills with brainwashing and cultism.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/project-veritas-exposes-non-profit-hides-critical-race-theory-school-curriculum

Another Power Substation Damaged By Alleged Gunfire: Officials

 by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Another power substation in North Carolina was damaged due to alleged gunfire—the third such incident in recent weeks—officials have confirmed.

EnergyUnited said officials discovered an “equipment issue” at the Pleasant Hill Substation in Thomasville on Jan. 17. Thomasville is about an hour from Moore County, where two other substations were damaged.

When crew members were sent to investigate the matter, they “discovered damage to the substation transformer from an apparent gunshot,” the firm said. “The damage was quickly assessed and contained to mitigate the impact to members in the Pleasant Hill area and law enforcement officials were notified.”

Customers who are served by the Pleasant Hill Substation didn’t experience any power outages due to the damage, EnergyUnited added. The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office said that investigators canvassed the station and later said they believe the shooting occurred at around 3 a.m. local time on Jan. 17.

The FBI and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations were notified about the alleged gunfire, the sheriff’s office said. Investigations are ongoing.

“The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force responded to conduct a parallel investigation,” the statement also said. No suspects have been named, and no arrests were made.

“EnergyUnited continually strives to deliver safe, reliable energy to its members,” Steve McCachern, vice president of energy delivery for EnergyUnited, said in a statement. “While we are glad that our members did not experience any service interruptions, we take this matter very seriously and are currently investigating the incident.”

On Dec. 3, 2022, gunshots were fired at two substations in Moore County that left some 45,000 customers without power for several days. In that case, no suspects have been apprehended and no motive has been disclosed.

Officials said that a person or persons drove to the Duke Energy-operated substations and opened fire, causing significant damage. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said at the time that the Moore County incident “raises a new level of threat” while adding that federal and state officials are working to “harden our infrastructure where that’s necessary and work to prevent future damage.”

Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks said in a news conference last month that damage was done to major equipment.

“Some of this equipment does take a significant amount of work [to be installed]” he said. New substation equipment must be handled carefully and tested before it’s ready to serve the grid.

Workers work on equipment at the West End Substation, at 6910 NC Hwy 211 in West End, N.C., on Dec. 5, 2022, where a serious attack on critical infrastructure has caused a power outage to many around Southern Pines, N.C. (Karl B DeBlaker/AP Photo)

Around the same time, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning of a “heightened threat environment” ahead of the Christmas holiday season. Faith-based institutions, government buildings, U.S. infrastructure, schools, and public gatherings could be targeted by groups with “a range of ideological beliefs” and “personal grievances,” the agency said on Nov. 30, 2022.

Nevada Incident

Earlier in January, officials in Nevada said a man was facing terrorism-related charges after driving his car to a solar power plant, dousing it with gasoline, and setting it on fire. An employee told local media that the fire caused “major damage” and estimated it would take two years to receive replacement parts.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/another-power-substation-damaged-alleged-gunfire-officials