China space programme hit by coronavirus outbreak as rocket work stops

Rocket’s testing team in lockdown after Covid-19 positive travellers visit area in northwest of the country

Infections have broken out across the country, with most cases identified in Inner Mongolia and Gansu province

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3152976/china-space-programme-hit-coronavirus-outbreak-rocket-work-stops

New “Delta Plus” OffShoot Called AY.4.2 May Be Most Infectious Covid Variant Yet; It’s On The Rise In The UK

A new report on Friday from the UK Health Ministry indicated the rising prevalence of a new offshoot of the Delta variant of Covid-19. The offshoot is so new that it does not have an official Pango lineage designation — such as B.1.167.2 for the original Delta variant — which is the nomenclature used by most scientists. The new Delta sub-lineage is being labeled as AY.4.2. More commonly, it’s being called “Delta Plus.”

First identified in July of this year, per the BBC, AY.4.2 was found in 6% of the Covid-19 samples tested in the week beginning September 27, according to the UK Health Ministry, which noted the offshoot’s “increasing trajectory.”

The BBC reports that a small number of Delta Plus cases have been identified in the U.S. and Denmark. Israel, according to another report, detected its first case of AY.4.2 today.

https://deadline.com/2021/10/delta-plus-ay-4-2-most-infectious-covid-variant-1234858486/

Offshoot of Covid Delta variant on the rise in England

A newly detected coronavirus variant is on the rise in England, with the virus believed to be an offshoot of Delta.

According to a briefing from the UK Health Security Agency, released on Friday, “a Delta sublineage newly designated as AY.4.2 is noted to be expanding in England”, with the body adding that the variant is being monitored and assessed.

The report states that in the week beginning 27 September – the last week for which complete sequencing data was available – AY.4.2 accounted for about 6% of sequenced coronavirus cases and is “on an increasing trajectory”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/19/fears-grow-in-england-over-rise-of-new-covid-delta-variant

Russia reported a record daily number of coronavirus-related deaths today amid a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Russia’s Covid-19 task force reported 1,015 coronavirus-related deaths, the highest single-day toll since the start of the pandemic, as well as 33,740 new infections in the past 24 hours. — Reuters

https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2021/10/19/russia-reports-record-daily-covid-19-death-toll/2014483

Is an even MORE infectious strain of Delta now taking off in Britain? Almost 10% of new cases in the UK are down to specific variant as data shows proportion has DOUBLED in a month

Delta subvariant AY.4.2 was spotted in the UK in June by the Sanger Institute, which sequences Covid samples

Its prevalence has doubled in a month from 4 per cent in September to 9 per cent by October, its data shows

Experts estimate it could be up to 15 per cent more infectious than Delta, which is dominant worldwide

No10 said it 'won't hesitate to take action if necessary', but warned there is no evidence it spreads more easily

It comes amid spiralling cases in the UK, which have shot up to almost 50,000 in a three-month high

Britain falls behind Europe on Covid-19 as surge sparks call for probe into Delta Plus mutation

LONDON (BLOOMBERG) - Surging cases in the UK have left the country behind the rest of Europe with former US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Scott Gottlieb calling for "urgent research" into a mutation of the Delta variant known as Delta Plus.

Britain reported 45,140 new cases on Sunday (Oct 17), the highest daily jump since mid-July, around when Prime Minister Boris Johnson authorised the removal of most Covid-19-related restrictions in what was dubbed "Freedom Day".

Weekly deaths from the virus topped 800 for each of the past six weeks, higher than in other major western European nations, according to Bloomberg’s tracker.

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/uk-covid-19-surge-sparks-call-for-probe-into-delta-plus-mutation

Revealed: £6bn NHS glove contract shows rocketing cost of PPE

The Department of Health and Social Care has set aside up to £6bn to spend on disposable gloves over the next two years, underlining the huge expense of continuing to supply the NHS with personal protective equipment.

It states the value of the two-year contract for “medical examination gloves and surgical gloves” – which could be fulfilled by many different suppliers – is £6bn.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/28/revealed-6bn-nhs-glove-contract-shows-rocketing-cost-of-ppe

Number 10 hints a 'challenging' winter could mean further restrictions amid claims booster jabs are being delivered too slowly while cases soar

Officials said Britain should prepare for a 'challenging few months' after 49.156 infections were recorded yesterday

Experts are concerned the booster programme was moving too slowly

Covid cases, hospitalisations and deaths are all significantly higher in the UK than in western Europe

Britain's Covid-19 surge sparks call for probe into Delta Plus mutation

Former US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Scott Gottlieb called for "urgent research" into a mutation of the Delta variant - known as Delta Plus - following a surge in Covid-19 cases in Britain.

"We need urgent research to figure out if this Delta Plus is more transmissible, has partial immune evasion," Dr Gottlieb said in a tweet on Sunday (Oct 17). "There's no clear indication that it's considerably more transmissible, but we should work to more quickly characterise these and other new variants. We have the tools."

His comments come as Britain reported 45,140 new cases on Sunday, the highest daily jump since mid-July - around when Prime Minister Boris Johnson authorised the removal of most Covid-19-related restrictions in what was dubbed "Freedom Day".

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/uk-covid-19-surge-sparks-call-for-probe-into-delta-plus-mutation

If COVID-19 becomes endemic, we will live with a stressed, often overwhelmed healthcare system, with schools subject to unpredictable closures, with unsafe workplaces, with a disrupted economy, with our children under threat, with death and disability at a persistently higher level than we have known — probably for decades.

If COVID-19 becomes endemic, more than a third of unvaccinated cases, even the asymptomatic, will have symptoms months later. Flu leaves little lasting damage. Long COVID damages the lungs, heart, brain, hearing and vision as well as the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, causing diabetes.

The cost of COVID-19 is so much higher than that of the flu, not just because of higher case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths, but more long-term damage and disability.

Even if we managed to get COVID-19 down to the severity of influenza (for an individual), endemic Delta – with an R0 about five times that of flu and the fully vaccinated still able to become infected and spread – would still mean thousands of hospitalisations and deaths each year.

Some seem to expect that COVID-19 will learn to behave and become endemic. Some even seem to welcome this, claiming a “disease becomes endemic when it is manageable”.

Being manageable is not part of the definition of endemic disease. A disease becomes endemic when it is more or less always present in a population. It does not care whether it is manageable.

New Analysis from Global Industry Analysts Reveals Robust Growth for Gloves, with the Market to Reach $22.2 Billion Worldwide by 2026

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Gloves estimated at US$13.4 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$22.2 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 8.6% over the analysis period

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $4 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $4.5 Billion by 2026

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/analysis-global-industry-analysts-reveals-140200766.html

GLOBALFOUNDRIES IPO SHOWS JUST HOW TOUGH THE CHIP-MAKING BUSINESS IS

You would have to look far and wide to find a tougher business to be in than chip manufacturing. Which is why the many dozens of server makers who used to make their own CPUs no longer run their own foundries or, with the exception of IBM and now Amazon Web Services, no longer exist. In fact, AWS is the first new vertically integrated server designer we have seen enter the market in a long, long time – and even Jeff Bezos is not crazy enough to launch his own chip foundry.

It may yet come to that, and someday a company like Globalfoundries might even have financials and a balance sheet that would warrant a big investment from a neo-oligarch like Bezos, or even an outright acquisition. But if the form F-1 filing by Globalfoundries this week announcing its intent to go public on the NASDAQ stock market in New York is any indication, that day is going to be a long time off. At least until the chip maker shows more profits.

Even when you are rich at this foundry game, you feel poor. And that is because, as Globalfoundries points out in its F-1 filing, a modern foundry supporting five-nanometer-class chip making using EUV technologies is going to cost around $20 billion. You have to push a lot of wafers through this fab to get your money back, and success in one process gives the cash to be successful (each foundry hopes) in the next process. Every fab is a big bet on what volumes might be five years into the future, and every generational process improvement is a bet on an uncertain future.

Globalfoundries has very good reasons to play it conservatively. It cannot afford to play the game any other way. That’s why its recent investments have been modest: $1 billion to expand its Fab 8 facility in Malta, New York, adding 150,000 wafers per year of capacity and another $1 billion for the Fab 1 facility in Dresden, Germany. That expansion in Fab 8 is to balance the capacity it is going to lose when it sells of the Fab 10 facility in East Fishkill, New York, which used to be the main facility for IBM Microelectronics and which Globalfoundries is selling off to ON Semiconductor for $430 million; that deal was announced in 2019 and should be completely paid completely off by the end of 2022.

If Globalfoundries were making more money, it would surely be easier to get a higher valuation. But the truth, we learn from the F-1 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, is that the company is hemorraging money.

Is a variant worse than Delta on the way? Viral evolution offers clues.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/is-a-variant-worse-than-delta-on-the-way-viral-evolution-offers-clues

Australia could see Covid surge from new variants even after 80% vaccination when border reopens

If the Australian international border is reopened while highly transmissible Covid-19 variants are circulating overseas or locally, large and disruptive outbreaks will still be possible after 80% of people aged 16 years are fully vaccinated, modelling published in the Medical Journal of Australia on Monday says.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/oct/18/australia-could-see-covid-surge-from-new-variants-even-after-80-vaccination-when-border-reopens

Russia reports record 34,303 Covid cases, 997 deaths

MOSCOW: Russia on Sunday reported a new record for coronavirus infections for a fourth day in a row, a day after the worst-affected country in Europe set a new death toll high.

There were 34,303 new infections and 997 deaths registered in the country over 24 hours, according to the official toll.

https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2021/10/737312/russia-reports-record-34303-covid-cases-997-deaths

England's chief medical officer warned of tough months ahead for the health service as it battles Covid, flu and other seasonal viruses which are enjoying a resurgence due to a lack of natural immunity during lockdowns.

Professor Whitty also suggested that hospitals could be hit by Covid even worse than they were last winter, if a variant emerges that can 'evade our defences completely'.

Speaking at the Royal College of General Practitioners' annual conference in Liverpool, he said: 'I wish I could claim the sunlit uplands and it'll all be fantastic by Christmas but, sadly, I'm afraid that's not the case.'

Experts have long warned of an expected surge this winter, fuelled by pupils returning to schools, workers heading back to offices and people socialising more indoors.

Britain's daily Covid cases hit another three month high today, official data revealed as Professor Chris Whitty claimed this winter will be 'exceptionally difficult' for the NHS even if there is not a surge of infections.

Department of Health bosses posted a further 45,066 new cases across the country, up 10.7 per cent on last Thursday's figure of 40,701.

It was the highest new daily total since July 20 — the day after 'Freedom Day' — when infections reached 46,558. The highest daily total ever was 62,322 on January 6, at the peak of the second wave.

The number of people dying with the virus also increased today, with 157 new victims recorded, marking a nine per cent rise on last week.

And hospitalisations also crept up by one per cent, with 719 people being admitted on Sunday, the latest date data is available for.

How Serbia became the world's latest Covid-19 hotspot

BELGRADE (AFP) - Packed bars, few masks and almost no restrictions - in Serbia it seems the pandemic is over. But it's a cruel illusion, as the Balkan country currently tops the global charts for infection rates.

Despite having a variety of jabs available, the country's vaccination drive stalled after just over 40 per cent of its seven-million population were inoculated.

Serbia has been averaging more than 6,500 cases a day over the past two weeks, according to AFP data, an infection rate of almost 93.5 per 100,000 people - by far the highest in the world.

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/how-serbia-became-the-worlds-latest-covid-19-hotspot

UK records 42,776 new Covid cases, 136 deaths

LONDON, Oct 13 — Britain reported 42,776 new Covid-19 cases today, the highest number since mid-July, and 136 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test, official data showed.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2021/10/13/uk-records-42776-new-covid-cases-136-deaths/2013212

Hungary's daily COVID-19 cases rise above 1,000 for first time during fourth wave of pandemic

BUDAPEST, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Hungary reported 1,141 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, with the number rising above 1,000 for the first time during the fourth wave of the pandemic, the government said.

The virus has infected 831,866 people in the country of 10 million so far and killed 30,341. Nearly 5.7 million people have been fully vaccinated in Hungary and 948,000 people have already received a third, booster shot as well.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/hungarys-daily-covid-19-cases-rise-above-1000-first-time-during-fourth-wave-2021-10-14/

A new wave of COVID-19 in Ukraine began earlier than predicted, Health Minister Viktor Liashko has told the Voice of America.

"Initially, there was a significant increase [in COVID-cases] during the current wave in the western regions, and we thought that what happened in the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021 would not happen again. But now we see that the situation has already stabilized in the Chernivtsi region, which was the first to 'catch fire' in the new wave. But the eastern and southern regions are reporting more [COVID-19 cases]. In particular, the Kherson region, which went through two waves without leaving the yellow level, did not even move into the orange level. Now it is one of the first that can approach the red level," Liashko said.

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-society/3330819-new-covid19-wave-in-ukraine-began-earlier-than-predicted-liashko.html

Not many Malaysian company can expand to USA, Stanley and KTLim (Genting) have great foresight. USA as the biggest glove market in the world will definitely buy more made in USA gloves haha.

Ya Lam is spot on. Cash is king, with huge cash war chest can do alot of things. Expand, Diversify, Acquisition.

Shorties no balls to press down to below 2, somemore want to talk 65sen really brainless mf.

South Africa could become COVID ‘mutation factory’ because of large HIV-infected population, scientists say

South Africa could become COVID ‘mutation factory’ because of large HIV-infected population, scientists say

Many of the country’s 8.2 million HIV-infected people are immuno-compromised and scientists say they can harbor the coronavirus for longer, allowing it to mutate as it reproduces. A study of an HIV positive 36-year-old woman showed that Covid-19 stayed in her body for 216 days and mutated rapidly.

“There is good evidence that prolonged infection in immune-compromised individuals is one of the mechanisms for the emergence of SARS Covid-2 variants,” Tulio de Oliveira, a bioinformatics professor who runs gene-sequencing institutions at two South African universities, said at an Aug. 30 immunology conference. “You have this massive virus evolution, really the virus accumulating over 30 mutations.”

https://fortune.com/2021/09/15/south-africa-covid-mutations-variant-hiv-infected-population-scientists/

If COVID-19 becomes endemic, Merck’s new antiviral drug Molnupiravir will be an important addition to the toolkit because it will be much cheaper than monoclonal antibodies, easy to store, easy to transport and people can take it at home.

The as yet unpublished trials suggest the treatment could cut hospitalisations in half, markedly improving outcomes for those already infected. But it will not reduce the number of cases by even one.

Treatment never does — only prevention, public health measures and vaccination reduce case numbers. Those who are less sick and treated at home could spread the virus even more.

If COVID-19 becomes endemic, when the healthcare system fails to accommodate the latest wave, more people will die.

Seasonal influenza has a basic reproduction number (R0) of about 1.5, meaning one infected person spreads the disease to fewer than two other people, on average. This is why it takes very little to break the chain of transmission. The annual flu epidemic declines because we have effective vaccines and because seasonal conditions during summer are less favourable to the survival of the virus.

However, as we already mentioned, the Delta variant has an R0 of at least six. This will be as low as it gets from here onward. If a new variant supplants Delta, it will do so because it is even more transmissible.

There will be no season for COVID-19, no breaks in transmission, no declines in infectiousness. We have been struggling worldwide with this virus for 18 months, with spikes everywhere in every season.

https://theconversation.com/why-we-must-not-allow-covid-to-become-endemic-in-new-zealand-169608

Delta is nothing like the flu

Our most common endemic infections include the common cold

Those who dismiss a mild case of COVID-19 as being “no worse than the flu” have forgotten how appalling a case of flu really is. They might also have forgotten that, even with effective vaccination, influenza has a case fatality risk of about 0.1% — it kills about 500 people in New Zealand each year.

Yet some seem to expect that COVID-19 will learn to behave and become endemic. Some even seem to welcome this, claiming a “disease becomes endemic when it is manageable”.

This is not true. Being manageable is not part of the definition of endemic disease. A disease becomes endemic when it is more or less always present in a population. It does not care whether it is manageable.

Why we must not allow COVID to become endemic in New Zealand

As New Zealand switches from elimination to suppression, those who argue that COVID-19 will become endemic and part of our lives either do not understand or ignore what this would actually mean.

Elimination has always been a tricky word because it implies eradication. But we have only ever eradicated one human disease — smallpox — and are close with several others.

For some, the end of elimination now means we should let the virus spread. But semantics matter less than policy. If we don’t eliminate, we must still aim to contain, mop up, reduce close to zero and thwart this pandemic.

Because we certainly cannot live with endemic SARS-CoV-2.

https://theconversation.com/why-we-must-not-allow-covid-to-become-endemic-in-new-zealand-169608

Covid-19 cases in the UK remain far higher than in the rest of Europe, the latest figures show. Only a handful of European countries, such as Romania and Serbia, are currently reporting higher Covid case rates than the UK, with states such as France and Germany reporting significantly lower figures.

As of 8 October, Covid case rates in the UK stood at over 500 daily cases per million people while those in Spain, German and France remained below 100.

Covid cases need to go 'way down' before vaccinated Americans can ditch masks indoors, says Fauci

Dr. Anthony Fauci said virus is spreading too rapidly to consider changing rules

The US has about 95,000 daily cases on a seven-day average, Fauci said

What is the ‘highly mutated’ C.1.2 coronavirus variant?

Researchers in South Africa say they’ve identified another variant of COVID-19 that contains “concerning constellations of mutations.”

A pre-publication version of a study posted online looks at a variant called C.1.2. The variant was discovered in May and is an offshoot of the Beta variant previously discovered in South Africa in January.

Researchers say this version demonstrates a number of changes to the spike protein, which helps the virus latch on to healthy cells. Some spike protein mutations have been associated with increased transmissibility in other variants. It’s not yet known whether the mutations on C.1.2 will make it more transmissible or damaging.

https://www.abc4.com/coronavirus/what-is-the-highly-mutated-c-1-2-coronavirus-variant/

Stupiak, sell how many years of tickets only can clear billion of debts. must be a dumb aa aax supporter. F off and don't kacau here if u don't hold glove stock.

Dr. Fauci warns a new COVID-19 variant could come soon

“As long as you have virus freely circulating in the environment in society, jumping from person to person, that virus, by the fact that it continually replicates, gives itself ample opportunity to mutate,” Fauci said. “And when you give it ample opportunity to mutate, sooner or later you will get an accumulation of mutations that will lead to another variant.”

https://www.deseret.com/coronavirus/2021/10/10/22716452/dr-fauci-new-covid-19-variant-spread

okay cash rich Supermax bad stock. Go buy airasia and aax, billions of debt haha. Covid is still around and people are dying everyday despite high vaccination rate. Just wait for the next wave after super covid monster variant emerge.

Leaky vaccine and all countries (except China) no longer afford to implement lockdown only mean one thing. High glove demand will always be there due to sporadic outbreak from time to time, It is inevitable. Maybe won't earn super profit but still good money after convert from USD.

Covid-19 third wave disaster soon? Top virologist warns against reopening, cites India’s low vaccinated population

Virologist Dr. W. Ian Lipkin has warned India that it did not have the Covid-safety armour needed to fully reopen the country, citing the extremely low vaccinated population, PTI reported.

Dr. Lipkin less than 20% of the Indian population was vaccinated. On top of that, 30% of the population under 18 years were not eligible. This effectively meant that India didn’t have the sort of armour needed to safely reopen the country.

The virologist also warned against the long-term impact of Covid-19, adding people usually didn’t talk about it.

These people might not necessarily have an acute form of the disease, but remain for a long period, and even permanently, crippled by fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction, Dr. Lipkin said.

https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/health/covid-19-third-wave-disaster-soon-top-virologist-warns-against-reopening-cites-indias-low-vaccinated-population/2347308/

More dangerous, deadly’ mutations of COVID-19 could emerge in developing nations

More than 20 low-income countries won’t reach 70 per cent vaccination until after 2030, according to research that raises the alarm that vaccines could be ineffective against new mutations of COVID-19.

The report, A Shot of Hope – Australia’s role in vaccinating the World, notes that two-thirds of 77 epidemiologists surveyed in 28 developing countries believe if action is not taken now, it will take less than a year before the virus mutates.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/more-dangerous-deadly-mutations-of-covid-19-to-emerge-in-developing-nations-20211008-p58yem.html

Mati, ikan bilis trap

Why shorties bought back at such high price? I tot their TP is 1.80?

AA and AAX will need at least 30 years to clear their existing debt, before pandemic also lose like hell what more in endemic. Maybe Supermax won't earn billions anymore but at least cash rich and profitable business for the foreseeable future. Just wait for covid super variant monster to emerge soon, it will come soon.

Can cross state so what? Supermax products all selling overseas earning USD. Super covid variant will emerge soon just like delta emerge last year end.

Genetics researchers are monitoring a new coronavirus variant that has appeared in South Africa and several other countries.

This variant, known as C.1.2, contains mutations found in certain variants of concern, including Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma.

These mutations have made other variants more transmissible and given them the ability to evade the body’s immune protection somewhat.

However, researchers don’t know yet whether this combination of mutations will make C.1.2 more dangerous. They continue to monitor this variant.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-is-the-new-coronavirus-c-1-2-variant

Looks like heavy collection at this price range, maybe I should buy in now instead of waiting at 1.99 (Stupiak analyst TP is 1.80)

(Oct 9): The Biden administration this week signaled that it will continue a hardline approach to economic relations with China, saying it would enforce tariffs reached under the Trump administration and target Chinese subsidies for private industry, yahoo! finance reported.

Big 4 should give some donation if useless gov ban RSS, worth it. Big 4 bosses wealth will increase at least 1b

Even if need to donate to useless gov, glove taikor topglove and harta kena more