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Patchwork surveillance makes it difficult for the U.S. to track and detect omicrons.

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We still have much to learn about the omicron variant. Since Thanksgiving, federal health officials have been working hard to gather crucial information for the U.S. response. The key to this is increasing the country’s ability to detect the variant within the U.S. populace. Experts are certain that the variant will eventually be discovered, but it is a matter of when and not if. Then, it will be vital to track its spread. Dr. Ashish Jha is the Brown School of Public Health’s dean. “All of the key questions regarding the variant are really dependent upon us being able to recognize the variant here in America, as well as tracking how it spreads and in whom,” he said. Jha and other experts worry that the U.S.’s ability to detect and track the variant is limited due to a few major issues that have plagued the pandemic response since the beginning, such as the patchwork and siloed nature our public health capabilities. “There is a reason why we haven’t heard of the United States variant. It isn’t because it doesn’t exist. It’s because we don’t detect them early,” says Dr. Kavita Paltel, a nonresident fellow at Brookings Institution and physician who practices in Washington, D.C.

Rochelle Walensky (director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) gave a briefing Tuesday in which she defended the agency’s efforts to increase efforts to track down and spot new variants. Walensky stated that CDC has been monitoring variants throughout the pandemic and has greatly increased our capacity for genome sequencing over the past nine month. She also noted that the U.S. now sequences more than 80,000 strains of the virus every week, which is one in seven cases of positive. Walensky stated that “We are actively putting in systems with local and state labs to make detection and sequencing even quicker.” He also said that the U.S. is increasing testing in four major airports: New York City, Newark San Francisco, San Francisco, and Atlanta. These are just a few areas where public health experts see potential to improve U.S. surveillance in both the short- and long-term. PCR testing can sometimes identify the variant. The CDC is asking all labs across the country to increase their efforts to track it. Some PCR tests can detect likely omicron cases, which is a good thing. Dr. David Kessler is the chief science officer for federal COVID-19 response. Some tests can detect a type of signature called S gene target fail. Kessler says that these cases “can be quickly and easily analysed” and that it is possible to prioritize the tests for genetic sequencing. According to Scott Becker (chief executive officer of the Association of Public Health Laboratories), 56 state public health laboratories across the country are currently capable of doing this. Other labs that have the capability are being asked to switch to using this test for two weeks. Jha warns that labs need to start looking for this signal. He says that most labs don’t automatically look at this information. “But that information is within the labs that do regular testing, so we have to be sending out the message that they need look for it and that they must report it to the state health departments or the CDC.”

Accelerate genomic sequencing According to David Kessler, this is on the rise in the U.S. He says, “We have increased our genetic sequencing significantly, close to 10,0000 sequences per day.” Many public health experts believe it’s not enough. Rick Bright, CEO of Pandemic Prevention Institute at Rockefeller Foundation, says that the U.S. has the ability to do better. “They must make a decision to increase their sequencing capabilities, their genomic surveillance capabilities, and perform more testing. Bright says that the problem is that current sequencing may not be distributed geographically and could easily miss cases in regions with limited surveillance. He says that if you focus on the sequencing in very few or very small populations, you can get 10,000 sequences per day from New York City. However, it doesn’t tell what’s happening elsewhere in the country. Walensky stated that the agency has received specimens from all 50 US states, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands (Puerto Rico), the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia during Tuesday’s briefing. “We’re sequencing samples in these jurisdictions and from different areas across the country, collaborating closely with state labs, academia, and industry partners, but our variant surveillance system demonstrates we can reliably detect novel variants,” she said. Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, agrees that the U.S. could do more sequencing. He says that the surveillance system will not be able to process as many specimens in areas where there is less testing. It is important that all states cooperate with CDC to conduct surveillance and increase it if necessary. PCR testing speed should be increased. It appears that PCR as well as antigen tests still work to detect positive cases of the new variant. However, Becker says that the FDA is currently analyzing the samples to confirm this. The problem is that the U.S. does not do enough testing and lab turnaround times can be slow. Bright says that “we need to do more testing to be in a position to identify where this virus exists in the United States.” Bright says that one problem is that many families cannot afford the over-the counter antigen tests. He says that most Americans don’t have the means to access these tests. They are $25 for two kits in many places. We’re already ahead of the curve in making sure more people can test quickly to see if there’s an infection and should move on to sequencing. Patel believes the U.S. should focus on testing and shift resources to “really high-throughput PCR testing,” as PCR tests can be sent for genetic sequencing. She also notes that the CARES Act has money available to support testing that has not been spent. Improve communication between CDC and state labs, academic laboratories, and clinicians. However, even if more labs perform PCR tests that can detect omicrons, detection could still be slow. This is because these labs must start routinely notifying CDC about what they find. Patel, Brookings Institution’s director of public health surveillance, said that the U.S. has been behind in detecting variants during the pandemic because of the “silos” within our public health surveillance system. “The labs that are run by the states or the labs run by the academic centers are isolated from the clinical work that is taking place. She says that the two don’t talk. Bright agrees. He says, “We have a lot more capability and different public labs across the United States. But we’re still not fully leveraging all the sequencing capability in both our academic sectors as well as our private sectors, so we’re not yet linking all that together to get the most information possible.” Kessler suggests that you should track all breakthrough infections.

An increase in these infections could indicate that the omicron variant of the virus is spreading and evading protection. He says that if the virus does indeed enter the United States, he predicts that there will be an increase in breakthrough infections. However, more cases does not necessarily mean more severe cases. “That’s still up-and-coming.” Many experts in public health say that the CDC made a huge mistake by focusing on only those cases of breakthrough infections that can cause death or serious illness. Instead of tracking all cases, they should have been closely monitoring all cases. “I feel that it left us a little flat footed. It means that we are now playing catch-up,” Patel says, explaining that more information could have been obtained about who was gaining breakthroughs and why. Although the CDC does not track breakthroughs in a comprehensive way, it does use “cohorts” which Kessler claims offer “highly reliable” data. However, the most complete data relates only to hospitalizations or death. Bright says that this means that “we’re missing an opportunity to examine the changes in viruses that could lead to severe cases and stop it from happening.” He adds that there is a lot of information left if these cases are not investigated. This report was contributed by Will Stone.

World News

Ukraine war: Kyiv secures a bridgehead across the key Dnipro River, reports

But military experts warn that advancing from positions across the Dnipro could be very difficult.

Ukrainian troops have set up positions on the east bank of the Dnipro River in southern Kherson region, reports say.The region is partially Russian-held and crossing the river could be significant in future offensives.The US-based Institute for the Study of War says Russian military bloggers have posted “enough geolocated footage and text reports to confirm” the advance.BBC Ukraine says its military sources have reported a “certain movement across [the] Dnipro” near Kherson city.

Ukraine’s military has not confirmed the movement, while Russia has denied the reports.But if the reports that Ukraine has secured a bridgehead on the east bank are correct, it could be significant in helping Kyiv drive Russian troops back.A Ukrainian advance in the area could, in the future, even cut the land corridor to Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014.However, military experts say any Ukrainian troop movements in the bridgehead area – which is crisscrossed by floodplains, irrigation canals and other water obstacles – would be a tough task.And Ukrainian advances would be further complicated by Russia’s significant advantage in the air.

Ukraine’s military has for some time publicly spoken about preparations for a major counter-offensive, without specifying where and when it could be launched.Until now, all of the Kherson region on the east bank of the Dnipro has been under Russian control, with the wide river serving as a natural barrier.The regional capital – sitting on the west bank – was liberated by Ukrainian forces last November.Celebrations as Ukraine takes back key city KhersonPutin visits occupied Kherson region in UkraineIn Sunday’s report, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said “geolocated footage published on 23 April indicates that Ukrainian forces are operating in areas north-west of Oleshky on the east” bank of Dnipro.

The ISW added there was not enough information to analyse the scale of the reported Ukrainian advance – or the further intentions of the Ukrainian military.On Monday, Russia’s WarGonzo military blogger reported that Ukrainian troops were “trying to gain a foothold on Bolshoi Potemkin [Velykyi Potyomkin – Ukrainian] island”, which is located between the new and old channels of the Dnipro.

World News

India’s population will surpass China this week, according to UN

Last week, a different UN body said the milestone would be passed later in 2023.

India is expected to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation by the end this week. A different UN body predicted last week that India would surpass China by the middle this year. The Asian nations have accounted more than a quarter of the global population since over 70 years. The UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs said in a press release that “China will soon relinquish its long-held position as the world’s largest country”.

The UN Population Fund said last week that India would have 2.9 million more people than China by the middle of 2023. China’s birthrate has dropped recently, and its population shrank last year for first time since 1961. India’s population will continue to grow for several decades, it said. However, fertility rates in India are also dropping – from 5.7 babies per woman in 1950, to 2.2 today. In November, the world population reached 8 billion. Experts say that the growth rate is slower than it used to be, and is now at its lowest level since 1950.

World News

Scientists are concerned about recent rapid ocean warming.

There’s growing concern that the oceans are heating up quickly – and scientists are unsure of the implications.

It has never warmed up this much, so quickly. Scientists don’t fully understand why. But they worry that, combined with other weather events, the world’s temperature could reach a worrying new level by the end of next year. Scientists do not fully understand why it has happened. But they are concerned that combined with other weather conditions, the temperature of the planet could reach a new alarming level by the end next year. They are less efficient in absorbing planet-warming gases.

In the last 15 years, Earth’s heat has increased by 50 percent, with the majority of that extra heat going into the oceans. This has real world implications – not only was the temperature of the oceans a record in April, but in some areas the difference over the long term is enormous. Image source: Getty ImagesIn march, sea surface temperatures along the east coast of North America reached 13.8C above the 1981-2011 average. Karina Von Schuckmann, lead author of the study and oceanographer with the research group Mercator Ocean International, said: “It is not yet clear why such a rapid and huge change is occurring.”

“We have doubled heat in the climate system over the last 15 years. I don’t think this is climate variability, but it could be. We do see the change. “An interesting factor that could influence the level of heat entering the oceans is a reduction in shipping pollution. In 2020, the International Maritime Organisation implemented a regulation to lower the sulphur in fuel burned by ships. This has had an immediate impact on reducing the amount aerosol particles released in the atmosphere. Aerosols that pollute the air also reflect heat back into the space, so removing them could have caused more heat to reach the oceans.

The average surface temperature of the oceans has risen by 0.9C since pre-industrial times, with 0.6C of that increase occurring in the last 40. This is less than the rise in air temperatures on land which have increased by 1.5C. Oceans absorb heat much deeper than land and require more energy to heat. This has real-world implications. It is especially damaging to coral reefs. Extreme weather will increase as heat from the upper ocean surface increases hurricanes and cyclones. This means they become more intense and longer-lasting.Sea-level rise: warmer waters take up more space – known as thermal expansion – and can greatly accelerate the melting of glaciers from Greenland and Antarctica that flow into the oceans.

This increases global sea levels and increases the risk of coastal flooding. Warmer water has a lower ability to absorb CO2. The oceans will absorb less CO2 if they continue to warm. This will lead to more CO2 accumulating in the atmosphere, further warming the air. “The Australian Bureau model strongly suggests a strong El Nino.” Hugh McDowell, from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, said that the trend has been in that direction and that all climate models have been trending towards a stronger event. Mr McDowell warned that predictions are less reliable at this time of the year.

Other researchers are more optimistic. Experts believe that a fully-formed event will follow. “If we have a new El Nino on top of that, it will probably cause an additional global warming of 0.2-0.25C,” Dr Josef Ludescher from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research said. “The impact of El Nino is reduced a few months following the peak. This is why 2024 is likely to be the warmest year on record. “Image source, Anadolu Agency.” And we may, we’ll be close to 1.5C and perhaps we’ll temporarily go over. El Nino is likely to disrupt weather patterns in Australia and around the world. It will also weaken the monsoon. There are also more fundamental concerns that as heat is absorbed by the oceans, they may be less able store excess energy.

One scientist described being “extremely stressed and worried”. Karina von Schuckmann says that some research has shown the world warming in jumps. Little changes over years are followed by sudden leaps upwards. After El Nino subsides, temperatures may drop again. She told BBC News that “we still have a window of opportunity to act and we should take advantage of this to reduce the effects.” Graphics by Erwan RIVALL.

World News

Wagner in Sudan: what have Russian mercenaries done?

The Wagner group denies involvement in the current conflict, but there’s evidence it has previously been active in Sudan.

Russian Wagner mercenary forces are accused of having commercial and military ties with Sudan. However, the group denies involvement in the current conflict. Yevgeny Praighozin, who has close ties to President Vladimir Putin, has stated that “not one Wagner PMC [private company] fighter has ever been present in Sudan”. We have found no evidence of Russian mercenaries currently inside the country. There is evidence of Wagner’s previous activities in Sudan. Mr Prighozin’s operations in the nation have been targeted by US and EU sanctions. Gold-mining DealsIn 2017, Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir, during a trip to Moscow, signed a number of deals.

These included an agreement to establish a Russian naval base at Port Sudan along the Red Sea as well as “concessions on gold mining” between Russian company M Invest, and the Sudanese Ministry of Minerals. The According to a CNN investigation, gold was transported overland into Central African Republic where Wagner operates – exports that were not recorded in Sudanese trade data.

The BBC has not independently confirmed these images. In 2021, a Wagner linked Telegram channel published photos of an unnamed top Wagner leader awarding Sudanese soldier memorabilia during a ceremony that took place two years earlier. TelegramAnd, in July 2022 this channel distributed a clip allegedly showing Wagner’s mercenaries performing par The same source linked the Instagram profile of a Russian mercenary who called himself a “freelancer”. He shared stories of his exploits on Sudan in posts dating from August and Oct 2021. How influential is Wagner? The US Treasury claims that the Wagner Group has been involved in “paramilitary activities, support for maintaining authoritarian regimes and exploitation natural resources”. The relationship between the Royal United Services Institute and the UK-based Royal United Services Institute has grown since then.

“In 2018, they had around 100 men actively training Sudanese forces,” says Dr Joana De Deus Pereira from the UK. Sudanese media reported that the number grew to 500 and that they were mainly based in the south-west, near Um Dafuq and close to Sudan’s borders with the Central African Republic. According to Dr Samuel Ramani who wrote a book on Russia’s activities throughout Africa, the Wagner Group created its own media campaigns in order to keep President Bashir in power. Image source: AFP. This caused friction with the president’s security forces and Wagner switched its support to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who overthrew him.

Dr Ramani says that while the Foreign Ministry in Moscow opposed the coup, Prigozhin, and the Wagner Group, welcomed al-Burhan’s takeover. According to Dr Ramani it was between 2021 and 2022 when the Wagner Group increased their connections with the Rapid Support Forces, which is currently fighting Sudan’s regular army led by Gen Burhan. Mr Pri “Wagner had links with both General al-Burhan and Mr Hemedti in different degrees and ways,” she says. Wagner’s presence in AfricaWagner fighters are widely reported to be in the Central African Republic for several years, guarding diamond mines in the country, as well in Libya and Mali.

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Sudan fighting: Foreign nationals and diplomats evacuated

Several countries are helping their citizens leave the capital, Khartoum, following a week of fighting.

Several other countries have also started organising evacuations, starting on Sunday. France, Germany Italy and Spain have also started organising evacuations. A vicious power struggle has caused violence throughout the country. The UK government was able to airlift British diplomatic staff and their families out in a “complex” and “rapid” operation. Foreign Minister James Cleverly stated that options to evacuate remaining British nationals were “severely restricted”.

The German army reported that the first of three flights had left Sudan bound for Jordan with 101 people aboard. Italy and Spain evacuated citizens – the Spanish mission included citizens of Argentina, Colombia, Ireland Portugal, Poland Mexico, Venezuela, and Sudan. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government had evacuated diplomatic staff. More than 150 people were evacuated to the Saudi Arabian port Jeddah by sea, including citizens from Egypt, Pakistan, and Gulf countries. Many foreign students from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East have also been trapped in Khartoum. They have made desperate calls for assistance.

The US announced on Sunday that a disaster response team will be sent to the region to “coordinate humanitarian response to those in need, both within and outside Sudan.” “Samantha Power, from the US Agency for International Development(USAID), said that the team would initially work out of Kenya and give priority to getting “life-saving humanitarian assistance to those in need.” The World Health Organization reports that the fighting has injured thousands and killed more than 400.

The death toll may be higher than 400, because people are unable to access healthcare due to the closure of most hospitals in the city. The fighting has also affected the western region of Darfur where the RSF was first formed. The UN has warned that 20,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Sudan in search of safety in Chad across the border.