Ned Price repeatedly said in a press conference on Tuesday that the US would welcome the findings of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) team in a decisive report, but would eventually rely on its intelligence agencies and information from allies to reach its own conclusions. .
In response to Price’s comments, Peter Daszak, a member of the WHO’s investigation team, tweeted on Wednesday: “Well yes it is. @ JoeBiden should look tough on China. Please do not rely too much on the US internet: increasingly disconnect under Trump & honestly wrong in many ways. “He added that he was happy to help the White House verify information,” but do not forget that it is ‘TRUST’ and then ‘VERIFY’! “
The bargaining trade marks a rocky start to the renewed relationship between Washington and the WHO, a few weeks after Biden withdrew the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the international organization, leading the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Beijing takes a victory over the findings of the WTO team, writes James Griffiths. The team, which has just concluded its investigation on the ground, said it was “extremely unlikely” that the virus started in a Chinese laboratory, a conspiracy theory that drove the Trump administration but one that received little steam has. It also said it could not rule out China’s claims that the virus could be transmitted to humans via frozen food from another country.
However, before the visit, the WTO team made it clear that its findings would be limited, given the length of time since the Huanan market erupted in Wuhan in December 2019, and the subsequent efforts to disinfect and sterilize the area. Daszak told CNN it could take weeks, months or even “a few years” to fully understand how the virus originated.
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWER.
Q: Are Covid-19 vaccines safe for cancer patients?
A: This is a question that researchers and oncologists had in mind long before the implementation of Pfizer and Moderna began. Although, according to the American Cancer Society and others in the medical community, there is a consensus that the vaccines are safe for most cancer patients, research is still on whether they are effective for a cancer-free zone for cancer patients.
“In terms of vaccine safety, every situation for every cancer patient is a little different. And there’s a spectrum where one patient could be on their cancer journey,” Makaroff told CNN. “The Covid-19 vaccine is certainly safe for people with cancer, but it is important that patients have a conversation with their healthcare provider and their cancer care team to determine when it is the right time to take the vaccine.” Read here for more information.
Send your questions here. Are you a health worker fighting Covid-19? Send us a message on WhatsApp about the challenges you face: +1 347-322-0415.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TODAY
‘I was not afraid’: A 116-year-old French nun survives Covid-19
A nun living in a retirement village in the French city of Toulon is celebrating her 117th birthday on Thursday after surviving Covid-19.
Sister Andre, born Lucile Randon, is arguably the oldest person in Europe and the second oldest in the world. She showed no symptoms of the coronavirus, but tested positive in mid-January when she was isolated from her fellow residents.
Asked by CNF, BFM TV, if she was scared, she said: “No, I was not scared, because I was not scared to die … I’m glad to be with you, but I want to be somewhere else – join my big brother and my grandparents. ‘
About 1 in 10 Americans got their first Covid-19 shot
About 10% of the U.S. population – nearly 32.9 million people – have had at least the first of a two-dose Covid-19 vaccine, and about 9.8 million people have been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention impressions.
U.S. and state leaders are optimistic that vaccinations will increase further in the coming months, but the challenges of supply shortages and equitable access remain. Public health experts say the US, like many countries that are badly affected, is in a race against time as new Covid-19 variants spread rapidly across the country.
Global cases fall by 17% and reach a low of 15 weeks
The WHO dropped the number of Covid-19 infections by 17% last week compared to the previous seven days, which is the fourth consecutive week of cases and was a 15-week low. Deaths also fell for a second week in a row and fell by 10%.
The numbers are welcome news, as many countries are launching vaccination programs in the hope that widespread vaccination will be the key to ending the pandemic, and the painful economic closures and restrictions that come with it.
The WHO said there were about 3.1 million new cases of Covid-19 last week. The United States confirmed the most new weekly infections, but the cases were still 19% lower than the previous week. The strongest decline per region was in Africa (22%) and the smallest in the Eastern Mediterranean region (2%).
ON OUR RADAR
- British musician Elton John and actor Michael Caine have released a comic video encouraging Britons to be vaccinated.
- Americans’ perceived risk for Covid-19 is lower than at any time since October, a poll suggests, suggesting some groups still feel invincible.
- Native Americans have been overly affected by Covid-19, but when it comes to administering vaccines, providing tribal health is often better than provinces and states. Here’s why.
- Johnson & Johnson CEO says he thinks people will need an annual Covid-19 vaccine for many years to come.
- Ghana closes its parliament for three weeks after at least 17 MPs and 151 workers were infected with the virus.
TOP TIPS
Let’s be honest: even if more people are vaccinated against Covid-19, all but small children in much of the world will still have to wear a face mask for the foreseeable future. Sure, everyone is tired of wearing it. But as studies have shown, and as dr. Anthony Fauci has noted many times, masks are the most effective way to protect yourself and others from infection with the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 disease. This is true even if you have been vaccinated, as new variants of the virus may emerge.
“It is absolutely essential that we continue to take steps beyond vaccination to keep it under control,” said Dr. Richard Besser, former acting CDC director, said. Read more about masks here.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“When we talk about the vaccine, there are a large number of fraudulent pulses … where criminals try to get us as victims to pay money to do certain things related to the vaccine.” – Steven Merrill, Head of the FBI’s Financial Crimes Division
Authorities are warning of emerging fraudulent scams related to the Covid-19 vaccine. CNN’s correspondent for law enforcement and national security, Josh Campbell, guides us through the types of scams that exist and how we can protect ourselves. Listen now.
