Jeffrey Sachs (SDSN), Adenike Akinsemolu (Green Institute), and Qatar Foundation will discuss sustainability on the World Environment Day online event.

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2020

Jeffrey Sachs (SDSN), Adenike Akinsemolu (Green Institute), and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar Foundation) are gathering sustainability experts from across the globe to host a virtual summit Time #ForNature for the World Environment Day, a United Nations awareness campaign for environmental protection, held annually since 1974.

Since the industrial era, humans have practiced dominance instead of coexistence with nature. The latest lockdown made it possible to review environmental concerns that humanity is currently facing. Scientists and most authorities agree that the world is experiencing an unprecedented ecological crisis, with large numbers of species on the brink of extinction and rising global temperatures continuing. We weren’t prepared for Covid-19, and we have paid the price – but the cost of ecological collapse and biodiversity loss will be too high, and we cannot afford to wait any longer. Perhaps, now is the time to evaluate our past, present, and future decisions to realize the future we want.

Adenike Akinsemolu, the founder of the Green Institute, a leading and multiple award-winning sustainability research institute in Nigeria, is hosting a virtual summit Time #ForNature in partnership with Hamad Bin Khalifa University (a member of Qatar Foundation) and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network that will focus on sustainability and green education. The theme for World Environment Day, June 5, 2020, is biodiversity.

The online event will cover a range of topics such as biodiversity conservation, infectious diseases, sustainable agriculture, sustainable building, urban innovation, minimal living, waste management, renewable energy, etc. This paradigm-shifting online symposium will gather over 25 eminent sustainability leaders in different professions around the world to provide an opportunity to learn from successful cases and technologies for achieving Environmental Sustainability.

One of the keynote speakers is Jeffrey D. Sachs, who was named twice by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential world leaders and ranked by The Economist among the top three most influential living economists. Jeffrey D. Sachs will join the conversation to discuss building resilient health structures to combat novel diseases. He has been an advisor to three United Nations Secretaries-General, and currently serves as an SDG Advocate under Secretary- General António Guterres. Jeffrey Sachs, being a University professor, is also the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, a commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development and the Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

“Everyday anthropogenic activities are responsible for the problems of our planet, and there is a need to salvage the situation through creativity, innovation, and critical thinking,”Adenike Akinsemolu stresses in her recent book, The Principles of Green and Sustainability Sciences (Springer, 2020), which will be launched at the event. In the book, Akinsemolu offers a detailed and step-by-step guide to understanding sustainability and discusses best practices to establish a more harmonious and balanced approach to living, highlighting her efforts in Africa and successful global cases. It is also one of the first texts, which examines sustainability issues in Africa.

Her Green Institute has already recruited more than 5,500 ambassadors and trained over 25,000 people globally. The revolutionary Trash for Education model lets hundreds of students study for free in exchange for collected waste. Its programs include the Green School, nano-degree-programs in sustainability and social entrepreneurship, The Green Kids Club, mentorship program and prizes for girls in sustainability, and research initiatives.

The participating organizations include the UNDP, Qatar Green Building Council, Qur’anic Botanic Garden, Farm Lab, Human Future, Springer Nature, Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development, University of Basel, the Open University UK, TerraCycle, Design Future(s) Initiative of Georgetown University, United Nations Development Program, and the Green Maasai Troupe Doha Qatar.

Press Credentials

To request a press credential, email Kate Kifa at  pr@greeninstitute.ng with PRESS CREDENTIAL REQUEST in the subject line.

For more information and the full schedule: www.greeninstitute.ng/wed2020

About

The Green Institute, a leading and multiple award-winning research institute founded by Adenike Akinsemolu in Nigeria, is dedicated to the broad sustainability discourse, and to training leaders who will systematically transform attitudes about environmentalism in Africa. Its programs include the Green School and The Green Kids Club for kids and young adults, recycling programs such as Trash for Education, nano-degree-programs in Sustainable Science and Technology, Sustainable Business and Social Entrepreneurship, and research initiatives.  https://greeninstitute.ng  

Adenike Akinsemolu, Ph.D. is the founder of the Green Institute, a leading and multiple award-winning research institute in Nigeria dedicated to the broad sustainability discourse and to training leaders who will systematically transform attitudes about environmentalism in Africa. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Microbiology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education. She is a Senior Fellow of Environment and Sustainable Development at the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Development at Afe Babalola University, Nigeria. Her most recent book, The Principles of Green and Sustainability Science (2020), is the first sustainability text to deal exclusively with sustainability issues in Africa while offering viable solutions for the problems besetting our societies, especially the environment and unemployment. 

Jeffrey D. Sachs, Ph.D. is a University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he directed the Earth Institute from 2002 until 2016. He is also Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and a commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development. He has been an advisor to three United Nations Secretaries-General and currently serves as an SDG Advocate under Secretary- General António Guterres. He spent over twenty years as a professor at Harvard University, where he received his BA, MA, and Ph.D. degrees. He has authored numerous bestseller books. His most recent book is Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions (2020). Sachs was twice named as Time Magazine’s 100 most influential world leaders and was ranked by The Economist among the top three most influential living economists.

United Nations: Secretary-General's message on Africa Day

un.org

This year, the world marks Africa Day under extremely difficult circumstances as we grapple with the global COVID-19 pandemic, which threatens to derail progress by African countries towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and the targets set out in the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

African countries have demonstrated commendable leadership through a swift and coordinated response. The AU established a task force to develop a continent-wide strategy and appointed special envoys to mobilize international support. Its Peace and Security Council has also taken steps to counter the negative impact of COVID-19 on the implementation of critical peace agreements and reconciliation efforts. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention established a response fund, while African Member States undertook robust measures to contain the spread of the virus and mitigate the socio-economic impacts.

I welcome the African Union’s support for my call for a global ceasefire to fight the COVID-19 pandemic – an imperative that also reflects the AU’s 2020 theme: “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development.” Armed groups in Cameroon, Sudan and South Sudan have responded to the call and declared unilateral ceasefires. I implore other armed movements and governments in Africa to do likewise. I also welcome the support of African countries for my call for peace in the home, and an end to all forms of violence, including against women and girls.

About 20 African countries are scheduled to hold elections this year, some of which will be postponed due to the pandemic, with potential consequences for stability and peace. I urge African political actors to engage in inclusive and sustained political dialogue to ease tensions around elections and uphold democratic practices. 

The United Nations has just issued a policy brief outlining the impacts of the pandemic on Africa. We are calling for debt relief and action to maintain food supplies, protect jobs and cushion the continent against lost income and export earnings. African countries, like everyone, everywhere, should also have quick, equal and affordable access to any eventual vaccine and treatment. African governments, like all those around the world, can also use this moment to shape new policies that bolster health systems, improve social protection and pursue climate-friendly pathways.  Targeting measures to those employed in the informal sector, the vast majority of whom are women, will be an important step to recovery, as will leveraging women’s full participation and leadership.  The inclusion and leadership of young people will also be crucial every step of the way. 

On Africa Day, I reaffirm my total solidarity with the people and Governments of Africa in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and paving the way for recovery and a better future for all.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Confirmed Cases and Deaths by Country, Territory, or Conveyance Statistical data

The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 213 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances.

Globally, there are currently 5,517,708 confirmed cases, 2,310,480 recovery cases and 346,964 deaths from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as of May 25, 2020, 09:43 GMT.

In Africa, there are 112,181 confirmed cases, 45,001 recovery cases, and 3,356 confirmed deaths as of May 25, 2020, 09:05  GMT.

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World Total confirmed COVID-19 cases, by source

World Total confirmed COVID-19 cases, by source

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For a detailed view, see table below:

THE GREEN ROOM (Episode 1): Damilola Olawuyi on Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development

GREEN ROOM: LIVE WEBINAR TRANSCRIPT

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Summary of the Discussion

The discussion kicked off with a brief introduction of our distinguished speaker, Professor Damilola Olawuyi, and our amiable moderator Dr. Jason McSparren. The topic was one that is long overdue, only to be validated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigeria as a nation and Africa as a continent has not lived up to its abundance of natural resources. The extractive industries have been bedeviled by corrupt practices and environmental insensitivity. In the age of sustainable development where the environment is unassailable, economic development is non-negotiable and equality is indisputable; what role would the extractive industry play in expediting sustainable development in Nigeria and Africa? Oil is one of the products of the extractive industry, has been the mainstay of our economy, and has enriched public coffers conveniently. How do we transition from this monoculture economic system to a rich multicultural economic system without hemorrhaging the economy?

For satisfactory answers and an in-depth analysis into this mysterious industry, find out more by downloading the audio, video or transcript of the webinar.

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LISTEN TO PODCAST

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Professor Damilola S. Olawuyi is an international jurist, professor of law, arbitrator, author and policy consultant, with expertise in petroleum, energy and environmental law. He is the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria.

Dr. Jason J. McSparren is an educator, researcher, and administrator with a PhD. in Global Governance and Human Security from Massachusetts Boston.He is also a Pre-Doctoral Fellow (2017-18) for the West African Research Association (WARA).

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Q & A

Chibuike Jigo: What efforts are the extractive industries putting towards letting the government know that this is where we are, this is where we stand, that natural resources will soon be over by 2048 or 2050. So what policies had been geared towards making the government realized that this is where we stand?

Prof. Damilola Olawuyi: Well, thank you very much Chibuike. That's a fantastic question. I know that even when we talk about agriculture in Nigeria, no one is interested, well at Afe Babalola how many people are studying agriculture, you know, even though I know very well that the founder provided a lot of incentives and said if you study agriculture, you know, it is cheaper, just study agriculture, but you know, the truth is that the agriculture sector has just remained less attractive to a lot of people and I think it all starts with this whole idea of you know, the emphasizing oil and gas, you know, everyone wants to work in the oil and gas industry. No matter what you do in the oil and gas industry, you are well respected. I think that has to change, you know, there is a need to make the other sectors equally, you know important and equally attractive to everyone so that to change that narrative and extreme focus on oil and gas, that's number one. Number two is that I agree with what Afe Babalola University is doing in terms of spearheading this whole poll education approach, you know, which you know empowering students to think about agriculture, to think about sustainability as a whole and I think every institution every University in Nigeria should learn from Afe Babalola University and see how they can also promote that sort of, you know, for example, I know that ABUAD students can learn about farming and can try and become entrepreneurs on their own. We have seen a number of people leave the University to become entrepreneurs and start Innovative ventures and I think those are some of the ways in which you can view the new generation that is less dependent on this whole oil and gas promoting sustainability education, promoting whole education, promoting agriculture, you know, promoting Innovation and an Enterprise development is exactly the way to go and I think if we can do more of that we will make progress.

Alex: Why are some solid minerals left largely untapped in Nigeria, bearing in mind that can help to address energy deficiency issues and also diversify the economy, research Uranium, Gold, and some other solid minerals up North Nigeria. Why are they left untapped?

Prof. Damilola Olawuyi: Yes, thank you, Alex, that is a very fantastic question from a place of knowledge and I think the truth is that we've had as I mentioned we've had and you know an onyx, someone something like an inexplicable dependence on oil, you know, like, you know, almost like an addiction to oil and gas for many years and it was only recently that people started talking about the mineral sector, you know, the solid mineral sector. As a matter of fact, I think this does is one of the positive achievement of this current government because was the current governor of Ekiti state governor Fayemi, when he was Minister for solid minerals just recently, you know in the last, you know in the first term of the current government was when they began to accentuate this need for solid mineral diversification, and you see that the progress they've made just by talking about it so much over the last four years, now everyone is aware that we have so much you mentioned Gold, You mentioned Copper, you know, we have Uranium and we have all of that. So I think the awareness had already been created by the Fayemi led ministry of solid minerals and the next step is to build on that awareness and ensure that we continue along that path.  Why is it that you know, they didn't do this in the past. Like I said because oil and gas was providing a lot of money and everyone just thought what else do we need? Now everyone knows that the oil and gas money is about to end, so this is the right atmosphere. I think COVID has also played the right stump because it has created the perfect crisis because no one cares about oil and gas right now. I joked with someone that a barrel of oil is so cheap that you know, it's cheaper than table water you know, so again, which means if you have another commodity like Gold another, you better start looking at them because you know oil is no longer the golden child that it used to be. So I think, so those are some of the reasons why historically we've not focused on them. Again, because we've not focused on them we've not been able to appreciate the full issues. People have raised concerns when we talked about Uranium in the past, that oh you want to kill the whole country with Uranium which is environmental, which can lead to death and the likes. Yeah, but a lot of countries are producing Uranium because they have spent time studying it perfecting it. So I think if we begin to study it as well who will be ready to produce it and will be ready to use it. Lithium, you know is another one you know, which the Lithium is like a very expensive commodity because there is a huge demand for Lithium. Everyone that has a laptop uses a Lithium battery every form relies on and you know, so Nigeria can produce its Lithium and raise a lot of money from all of these things. So I think we are about to see a transformation and already I am beginning to say, I'm not an oil and gas lawyer, I'm an energy lawyer so that I can be part of the opportunities coming in the mining sector.

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Favourite Quote

“The face mask is an analogy that shows you the real need for local content, we cannot continue to rely on imported solutions.”

— Professor Damilola Olawuyi

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Top Comments

"I have a new crush. Prof Olawuyi: Simple, Brilliant, Succinct, Elaborate. He knows his stuff." - Anonymous

Prof. Olawuyi knows his stuff. He didn't just speak defensively, he took an offensive approach towards his expertise and ended up making converts. Now I want to be a Sustainable Extractive Industry Expert.

Thumbs up Prof. Olawuyi. Thumbs up the Green Institute

— Chibuike J.

"My Warmest and kindest regards to Prof Olawuyi. I hope I will see him someday by Grace of God. Again, Brilliant Initiative and discussion." - Professor Adebayo Shittu

"The face mask analogy is brilliant Prof. Homegrown local content is the way to go. There is no one cap fits all solution in the extractive industry." - Oludayo Olorunfemi 

"The foresight possessed by the speakers in this discussion is very, very admirable and commendable." - Emmanuel Best Ali 

"The level of knowledge and foresight every speaker in this discussion is exuding is remarkable!" - Oluwayimika Akinsipe

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FURTHER READING

Damilola S. Olawuyi. 2018. Extractives Industry Law in Africa. Springer International Publishing. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-97664-8

Damilola S. Olawuyi. June 2016. The Human Right Based Approach to Carbon Finance. Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316226285

Jason J.  McSparren. May  2020. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and Africa Mining Vision (AMV): Policy Tools for Natural Resource-based Development. DOI: https://jasonmcsparren.com/2020/05/14/the-extractive-industries-transparency-initiative-eiti-and-africa-mining-vision-amv-policy-tools-for-natural-resource-based-development/

Jason J.  McSparren. December 2019.The Africa Mining Vision: Beyond Official Development Aid and Partnerships. DOI: https://jasonmcsparren.com/2019/12/17/the-africa-mining-vision-beyond-official-development-aid-and-partnerships/

Does warmer weather slow coronavirus?

KAITLYN FOLMER

California was hit with the coronavirus emergency before New York, New Jersey and Chicago. But still, the Golden State has fared -- by every measure -- far better than colder places like the Big Apple.

The total cases of COVID-19 in California stands at just one-fifth of that in New York State. And California has recorded 10% of the deaths.

It's not just California. Texas has also seen a coronavirus problem nowhere near as widespread or as deadly as New York. Neither has Florida. All four states have enormous populations, they all have densely packed urban centers and they boast international hub airports.

Why then, researchers are asking, is the global pandemic that ravaged New York playing itself out so differently in the South and the West?

"For every increase in heat of 1 degree Celsius (the equivalent of 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), we are seeing about 2% decline in transmission," public-health expert Ali Mokdad, the chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, told ABC News. "We find this relationship in our data and possibly it would be more when the weather warms up this month."

It was early on in the pandemic when President Donald Trump mused out loud that the global contagion would not pose a threat to the US because, like the flu, it would dissipate come spring.

"There's a theory that, in April, when it gets warm -- historically, that has been able to kill the virus," Trump said on Feb. 14. "So we don't know yet; we're not sure yet. But that's around the corner."

The virus certainly did not disappear but there was, in fact, scientific logic behind Trumps words. And the pathogen's course has given experts much to think about.

While there is no consensus yet, researchers now believe that the outside temperature and, possibly humidity, plays a role in making the virus spread less aggressively or intensely -- even where people may be living in close quarters without social distancing measures.

"We can't say for certain, but differences we are seeing could be partly related to differences in weather," said ABC News contributor Dr. John Brownstein, an infectious disease expert and professor at Boston Children's Medical School who monitors viral trends around the world.

Take the Houston and Miami metropolitan areas. They have population densities and demographics similar to much of the New York City boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx that were, literally, overwhelmed by coronavirus in late March and early April. But the infection and death rates are markedly lower, with Miami-Dade County's roughly 14,000 confirmed cases and 500 deaths compared to New York's nearly 179,000 confirmed cases and over 14,700 deaths.

Both New York and Texas reported their first COVID-19 cases within days of each other -- March 1 and March 9, respectively -- but the disparity between their numbers of confirmed cases is staggering: 335,395 for New York; 38,869 for Texas, as of Sunday.

"Climate is an important driver for the seasonality of infectious diseases," Brownstein said, and coronavirus may well follow the pattern.

It's no coincidence to health investigators, Brownstein said, that coronavirus, once thrust unwittingly into the New York winter by travelers from Europe became such a viral inferno.

"The combination of cold-weather climate, high population density and increased use of public transport likely created a perfect environment for a novel respiratory virus to move efficiently through the population," Brownstein said.

Researchers now want to figure out what it could mean if coronavirus follows the lead of the influenza of peaking in the cold and wilting in the warm.

Doctors believe increased dryness and close contact indoors could be two factors that promote transmission of infections during the wintertime cold. Warmer climates, on the other hand, offer many possible factors that could explain why disease transmission could be reduced, Brownstein said. Those are: greater sunlight, more humidity and the natural human urge to spend more time outside breathing in air that's been filtered by Mother Nature as opposed to a building's ductwork.

A study from engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, still awaiting peer review, offered a direct comparison between the spread of coronavirus and local environmental conditions. It determined that places with high growth rates like Italy, New York, and Washington state exhibited "weather patterns similar to original hotspots of Hubei and Hunan (China)," where the pandemic started. Those locations were averaging temperatures between 37 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit at the time. By contrast, places with warmer climates like Saudi Arabia, Australia, Qatar, and Taiwan have exhibited lower growth rates.

The researchers used weather data over 10-day periods between Jan. 22 and March 21 and concluded that the lower number of COVID-19 cases in tropical countries might be due to "warm-humid conditions, under which the spread of the virus might be slower as has been observed for other viruses."

The study's authors, in an email to ABC News, wrote their "main findings pointed towards the role of humidity as most important." They did, however, stress that "there were found COVID cases even in the most humid places on earth, so the only way to stop the spread of COVID is to take precautionary measures."

Brownstein agreed, saying "while there likely could be an environmental relationship, we can't count on humidity alone to slow down the epidemic over the summer period."

IHME, whose coronavirus-projection model is one of the most widely trusted in the field, is now planning to factor in weather-related variables going forward, Mokdad told ABC News.

Professor Mark Urban, an expert in biology at the University of Connecticut, recently authored a paper concluding that ultraviolet light could slow the growth of coronavirus.

"When we look across the US and the world, we find that in places where the ultraviolet light was lowest in the preceding weeks, the COVID-19 growth rate was the highest," Urban said of his findings, which have yet to be peer reviewed.

Access to fresh, outside air is another possible factor experts are looking at -- both because warmer weather sends people outside and because buildings in warmer climates often have more outside air circulating indoors.

"It's logical that more temperate climates are more likely to have architectural designs that are conducive to outdoor engagement, to free flowing spaces that connect to the outdoors like larger windows, more access to fresh air and more access to daylight," according to Professor Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, who runs an institute at the University of Oregon focused on creating buildings that support human health.

Buildings in colder climates are often much "tighter," Van Den Wymelenberg said, with fewer windows and openings to the outdoors due to extreme weather temperatures and energy codes.

Van Den Wymelenberg said "there is a relationship between outdoor climate and indoor climate but indoor climate is where we should focus our research."

PLASTICS: FRIEND OR FOE?

Green Institute

Plastics are ubiquitous, found in every corner around the globe. Plastics are found in nature as rubber and silk or synthesized from chemicals contained in coal, oil, and natural gas. Plastics consist of material elements, including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine, nitrogen, silicon, and sulfur. The basic building block of plastics is called monomers. These monomers are combined through processes of polymerization and condensation to form plastics. Plastics have high molecular weight and can be of two types; Thermoplastics (meltable) and Thermoset Plastics (not meltable). About 92% of world plastics are thermoplastics. Examples of plastics are; Polystyrene (PS), Polypropylene (PP), Polycarbonate (PC), Epoxide (EP), Polyurethane (PUR).

The scarcity of ivory and tortoiseshell as necessary industrial materials sparked interest in the discovery of plastics in the 19th century. Plastics are vital production materials found in virtually all products of modern manufactures like; automobiles, medicine, space travel, construction, food companies, and electronics. Their uses are limitless and beyond the scope of this article. However, we must understand their impact also on human life. Knowing about its importance alone would be inadequate to understand it’s nature and characteristics.

The extent of the drawback of plastics culminates in plastic pollution. Plastic pollution is the indiscriminate dumping of plastic wastes (consumable or industrial) that overwhelms the ecosystem. It becomes a burden to wildlife and their respective habitats. Due to the gravity of plastic pollution, world leaders converged under the auspices of the UN to sign a global treaty on plastic pollution. The marine and terrestrial ecosystem are affected by plastic pollution, hence the need to accomplish SDGs 14 & 15. Studies show that the alteration of the marine ecosystem by plastic pollution consequently affects life on land. Clogging of drainages with plastic materials leads to flooding, and animals that feed on waste dumps have intestinal blockages. Industrial effluence, which constitutes plastic wastes, is disposed into rivers serving as conveyor belts to the seas. These plastics are responsible for affecting 700 extinct and endangered marine species. They affect marine wildlife through entanglement and starvation. They also disrupt their reproductive processes, affecting the quality of eggshells they produce.

According to National Geographic, the following critical facts about plastics are worth noting: 

• Half of already manufactured plastics were produced in the past 15 years;

• Plastic production increased from 2.3 million in 1850 to 448million in 2015. This figure would double in 2050;

• Yearly, 8 million tons of plastics find their way into oceans;

• Additives added to plastics enable them to outlive their average lifespan, taking about 400 years to break down.

The question remains: Where do we go from here? Having outlined the impact of uncontrolled plastic production briefly, what will our collective response be towards mitigating and controlling plastic pollution?

Best Regards.

The Green Team.

Sewage poses potential COVID-19 transmission risk, experts warn

University of Stirling

Environmental biologists at the University of Stirling have warned that the potential spread of COVID-19 via sewage "must not be neglected" in the battle to protect human health.

The response to the global pandemic has focused upon preventing person-to-person transmission, however, experts now believe the virus could also be spread in wastewater.

Earlier this week, it emerged that analysis of sewage in the UK could provide important data on the spread of COVID-19. However, Professor Richard Quilliam's new paper -- published May 6 -- now warns that the sewerage system itself could pose a transmission risk.

Writing in the journal Environment International, Professor Quilliam and colleagues from Stirling's Faculty of Natural Sciences are calling for "an investment of resources" to investigate their concerns.

Professor Quilliam -- who is currently leading a £1.85 million study into the transport of bacteria and viruses in marine environments -- said: "We know that COVID-19 is spread through droplets from coughs and sneezes, or via objects or materials that carry infection. However, it has recently been confirmed that the virus can also be found in human faeces -- up to 33 days after the patient has tested negative for the respiratory symptoms of COVID-19.

"It is not yet known whether the virus can be transmitted via the faecal-oral route, however, we know that viral shedding from the digestive system can last longer than shedding from the respiratory tract. Therefore, this could be an important -- but as yet unquantified -- pathway for increased exposure."

The authors of the peer-reviewed paper presented the example of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2002-2003, when SARS-CoV-1 -- closely linked to the COVID-19 virus strain (SARS-CoV-2) -- was detected in sewage discharged by two hospitals in China.

Professor Quilliam highlights that, as most COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic or experience just mild symptoms and remain at home -- not in hospitals, there is significant risk of "widespread" distribution through sewers.

Professor Quilliam authored the paper alongside Professor Manfred Weidmann, Dr Vanessa Moresco, Heather Purshouse, Dr Zoe O'Hara, and Dr David Oliver.

The biologists said a lack of testing "makes it difficult" to predict the scale of the potential spread and the public health implications of the virus arriving at wastewater treatment works, whilst the implications of consequent discharge into the wider environment are only just beginning to be investigated.

They added that the structural makeup of COVID-19 -- specifically its lipid envelope covering -- suggests that it will behave differently in aqueous environments, compared to other viruses typically found in the intestine. There is currently limited information on the environmental persistence of COVID-19, but other coronaviruses can remain viable in sewage for up to 14 days, depending on the environmental conditions.

On the risk of human exposure, the authors said: "The transport of coronaviruses in water could increase the potential for the virus to become aerosolised, particularly during the pumping of wastewater through sewerage systems, at the wastewater treatment works, and during its discharge and the subsequent transport through the catchment drainage network.

"Atmospheric loading of coronaviruses in water droplets from wastewater is poorly understood but could provide a more direct respiratory route for human exposure, particularly at sewage pumping stations, wastewater treatment works and near waterways that are receiving wastewater."

Risk could be further increased in parts of the world with high levels of open defecation, or where safely managed sanitation systems are limited and waterways are used as both open sewers and sources of water for domestic purposes.

"Such settings are commonly accompanied by poorly resourced and fragile healthcare systems, thus amplifying both exposure risk and potential mortality," the authors said.

Currently, all published data on faecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 derive from hospitalised patients -- with limited information available on mild and asymptomatic cases. The paper concludes: "In the immediate future, there needs to be an investment of resources to improve our understanding of the risks associated with faecal transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and whether this respiratory virus can be disseminated by enteric transmission.

"Understanding the risk of spread via the faecal-oral route, while still at a fairly early stage of the pandemic, will allow more evidence-based information about viral transmission to be shared with the public. Furthermore, the risks associated with sewage loading during the remainder of the COVID-19 outbreak need to be rapidly quantified to allow wastewater managers to act quickly and put in place control measures to decrease human exposure to this potentially infectious material.

"At a time when the world is so focused on the respiratory pathways of a respiratory virus, understanding the opportunities for SARS-CoV-2 to be spread by the faecal-oral route must not be neglected."

COVID-19 – A Nature’s Self-Healing Mechanism

 Ekta Chaudhary

The recent CORONA outbreak is currently posing as one of the biggest epidemic disease hovering over the World. Due to this recent outbreak of this epidemic, the World has come to a standstill. The never stopping life on the Earth has been stopped abruptly. As we all know, the Nature always find its way. In this recent Corona Outbreak, the nature has found its way to help heel itself. With the onset of this epidemic disease all over the world, the nature has started healing itself at a very fast pace.

As this COVID-19 situation is proving to be out of the human reach, the only preventive measure for this disease is to maintain social distancing. As this disease is a communicable disease, it is spreading very rapidly from individual to individual. To prevent this contamination chain, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared maintain social distancing as the only possible measure to prevent the spread of the disease.

Following the WHOs advisory, affected countries over the world have adopted social distancing for preventing their people form this infection. The World is currently undergoing a total lockdown mode. The World has been on the shutdown mode since this COVID-19 outbreak. The World’s lockdown is been proving as a boon for the deteriorating environmental conditions of the World.

EFFECTS ON AIR QUALITY

Image Source: Twitter

Countries have imposed stricter restrictions on the movement of modes of transportation causing a drastic decrease in the pollution level in the atmosphere. The streets are empty with more people inside their houses. As per the NASA report, the air pollution levels have been decreased drastically since the COVID-19 outbreak. Since the factories, industries, and all the workplaces are on the shutdown mode, the CO2 and CO emission levels have also been reduced. According to the World Air Quality, the average concentration of PM 2.5 in New Delhi came down by 71 percent.

Image Source: Twitter@RameshPandeyIFS

As a result of decreased air pollution levels, the Himalayan ranges were clearly visible from the Jalandhar area. It is on of the rarest cases that happened to be in India. According to the local people, the incident has happened after a huge interval of 30 years. The distance of the Jalandhar city from the Dhauladhar ranges is approx. 200 km.

In another rare sighting due to decreased levels of AQI, the inner Himalayan peaks of Bandarpunch and Gangotri became visible from the town of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh

EFFECT ON WATER QUALITY

The clear water of Ganga River at Haridwar, Uttarakhand (Image Source: PTI)

The water transport movement, water activities has also been stopped resulting in the improvement of the water quality. The water in the famous Venice lake has been marked absolutely clear. The huge reduction of tourist numbers and commuting workers in the city may also be leading to an improvement in the water quality due to a reduction of sewage discharges into the canals.

image Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/18/photos-water-in-venice-italys-canals-clear-amid-covid-19-lockdown.html)

Many industries and offices are closed due to the lockdown these days and therefore the water quality of many rivers has improved. The stoppage of industrial pollutants and industrial waste has definitely had a positive effect on water quality. The water quality of river Ganga, in India, is also been marked as fit for drinking as per recent research by Indian scientists.

image Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/18/photos-water-in-venice-italys-canals-clear-amid-covid-19-lockdown.html)

As several religious activities have decreased as the lockdown effect, the banks of river Ganga at Varanasi and Haridwar areas are comparatively clearer and cleaner than before.

• The COVID-19 pandemic is also likely to have a significant impact on other environmental factors, including the emission of greenhouse gases as the global economy heads into recession.

• The quarantine protocols may also have a deep, but short-term, impact on greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, as fewer people are traveling and fewer businesses are operating.

As per the recent records, there is currently a total of 32,56,846 confirmed cases of COVID -19. The total number of people worldwide who have lost their lives is 2,33,388. The total number of recovered cases at present is 10,14,753.

Speaking of India’s context, a total of 35,043 are the total active cases with a total of 1,147 deaths across the country, A total of 8,889 cases have reportedly been cured of the disease.

(Data as on 01-05-2020).

The role of immunity in fighting against COVID-19

As the world fidgets in returning to its regular activities, it seems as if the fight against COVID-19 has been lost already (we do not believe so). The race of producing a vaccine by world leaders seem no longer enthralling and exciting. Gradually, the bane of lethargy is creeping upon us. We are now seeing COVID-19 as a next-door neighbor with whom we have to live peaceably together. With this kind of relationship becoming a last resort, health workers have encouraged people around the world to boost their immune system. In essence, we have chosen a strategy of defense against our fight with COVID-19. Hence the need to strengthen this last line of defense.

What is immunity? Contextually speaking (relative to health), immunity is the response of our body mechanisms against the invasion of foreign bodies. These foreign bodies are usually disease-causing organisms that seek to alter the normal body working conditions, leading to ill health. This role of immunity is provided for by our immune system, and like every other system, it needs to be constantly 'upgraded' for maximum performance. The quality or strength of our immune system will determine how often we are plagued with sicknesses and diseases. To this effect, the need for strengthening our immune system cannot be overemphasized.

How can we boost our immune system? Ever heard of the phrase 'garbage in garbage out"? Our body systems reproduce whatever 'message' we send to it. The immune system works similarly. We are what we eat. Therefore, credence should be given to the kinds of food we take into our body system. Summarily, we should eat healthily. Let us avoid much of synthesized foods and drinks. As we are observing social distance from the pandemic, keeping our distance from inorganic foods will go a long way in the long term. Inorganic foods are foods produced through human-induced processes making use of chemicals and additives to boost production. The resultant effect of such foods is usually seen in developed countries. Consumers develop a variety of ailments as a result of their intake. Conditions such as obesity, cancer, and mutation are all too common due to the massive consumption of inorganic foods. Another important lesson of the COVID-19 pandemic is the need for us to have a transformation of diet. We need to transition from our heavy dependence on synthesized foods to organic foods. Organic foods are those foods produced sustainably without industrially influencing their growth stages and value chain. Foods such as vegetables and fruits are primary examples of organic foods. For an effective transition to sustainable food farming and consumption, it becomes compulsory for the masses and stakeholders to be educated in sustainable agriculture. This education is provided through sustainability courses offered by the Green Institute. Remember, eat healthily and stay alive.

Best Regards.

The Green Team

Randomized Clinical Trials and COVID-19 Managing Expectations

Howard Bauchner, MD, and Phil B. Fontanarosa, MD, MBA

Despite the millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths that have occurred in this devastating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, no peer-reviewed studies of specific therapies proven to be effective in reducing mortality have been published and a vaccine is many months to years away. To date, more than 1000 studies addressing various aspects of COVID-19 are registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, including more than 600 interventional studies and randomized clinical trials (RCTs).1 During the next few weeks and months, the results of numerous RCTs involving therapies for COVID-19 will be reported. Indeed, preliminary results from some studies have already been reported in social media and the popular press. How will clinicians, the public, and politicians understand the results of these much-anticipated and critically needed clinical trials?

First, the interventions in some of these trials are being evaluated in various ways. For instance, some studies do not have a control group, whereas others lack true “controls” such as trials that compare different dosages of the same drugs. This will limit the inferences that can be drawn, likely necessitating further research to define the true benefit of a specific treatment. In addition, in some trials, the investigational agents are administered in combination with multiple other therapies given at various time points in the disease process. Without rigorous design and attention to trial protocols for study drug administration, there will be challenges disentangling the true effect of the intervention.

Second, many ongoing trials were designed prior to emerging information that is providing a better understanding of the disease process. It has become clear that some critically ill patients with COVID-19 have substantially different manifestations, including profound hypoxia, extensive inflammatory activation, or evidence of coagulopathy. Accordingly, there may be significant heterogeneity of treatment effects based on the timing or constellation of disease manifestations. It is possible that an antiviral agent or other agents, such as those directed against inflammatory markers (ie, certain cytokines), could be helpful for critically ill patients who do not have overwhelming inflammation but would not be effective for patients in whom the inflammatory cascade is markedly activated. Given that the size of many ongoing trials is limited, few investigations will be appropriately powered to conduct meaningful secondary and subgroup analyses. Most additional analyses should likely be considered exploratory.

Third, the outcomes for many of these trials involve time to symptom resolution, improvement of laboratory or radiographic abnormalities, or reduction in the use of mechanical ventilation. Few of the studies will be sufficiently powered to detect a difference in mortality. Although these are important clinical outcomes, and use of mechanical ventilation is associated with mortality, it will be important to objectively assess and accurately describe the outcomes from ongoing trials and what the results potentially mean in terms of improving overall survival. In addition, for trials with unblinded treatment allocation and unblinded outcome assessment, interpretation of findings, such as symptom resolution, may be problematic.

Fourth, even a highly successful trial is likely to reduce the mortality outcome by only a 5% to 10% absolute difference; hence, the number needed to treat will be a minimum of 10 to 20. Smaller absolute differences would have greater numbers needed to treat. This remains a challenging issue for clinicians and patients to understand. Given these likely numbers needed to treat, most patients will not benefit from even a successful treatment. Moreover, even though there have been reports of studies that some interventions have reduced the duration of intubation or length of hospital stay represent progress against COVID-19, these findings do not indicate that patients with this disease are “cured” with the drugs used in these investigations.

Fifth, most of these trials are directed at treatment, and even if some trials show clinically important results, most will not address prevention of COVID-19. The results of these trials (most of which are being conducted among hospitalized patients in whom the disease is well-established) might not necessarily be directly applicable for altering the incidence of disease in the coming months or preventing future surges of disease. Numerous observational studies using existing databases are being conducted to determine whether the use of certain drugs is associated with COVID-19 disease outcomes, such as whether hydroxychloroquine is associated with less disease, or whether use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers is associated with an increased risk of disease. However, these will be observational studies with all the attendant limitations. Accordingly, the findings of rigorous clinical trials of vaccines and possible other therapies will be essential in determining how to effectively prevent COVID-19.

Sixth, it will be helpful if investigators share individual patient data from similar trials with one another. This will allow for additional analyses, even if the analyses of the combined data were not preplanned and would be considered exploratory. The goal is to expand what is known about possible treatments, so that future trials can be improved, perhaps by using approaches such as large adaptive platform trials.

The clinical trials community around the world, in conjunction with numerous funders, has rapidly mounted important RCTs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a remarkable achievement. However, presenting and interpreting the results of these studies clearly, and communicating findings appropriately to clinicians, the public, and policy makers, is critically important. Because much of the focus is now on preventing recurrence of the pandemic, it will be important for investigators, journals, and the media to accurately report the results of the studies responsibly and what they mean both for individuals and for population health.

Article Information

Corresponding Author: Howard Bauchner, MD, JAMA, 330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611 (Howard.Bauchner@jamanetwork.org).

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

Additional Contributions: We thank Derek C. Angus, MD, MPH (associate editor, JAMA), and Rob Golub, MD (deputy editor, JAMA), for their valuable comments.

References

1.US National Library of Medicine. ClinicalTrials.gov. Accessed April 30, 2020. https://clinicaltrials.gov/

[SDSN Global]: Take the global COVID-19 Survey

Dear Friends,

 How are you coping with the spread of COVID-19?

SDSN and the World Happiness Report has partnered with the international research consortium running the largest Covid19 survey globally to measure how people cope with the situation.

Please join 100,000+ volunteers and help inform evidence-based policy for happiness and well-being. Feel free to complete the survey again at a later stage, as each set of answers will be interpreted against the background of the current progress of the epidemic in your own region.

The 5-minute survey is available in 60+ languages, share your thoughts, and share with your social and business networks too!

Thank you,
Jeff Sachs

Take the Survey #covid19study

Jeffrey Sachs: What Asian nations know about squashing Covid

devex.com

The number of Americans who have died from Covid-19 now significantly exceeds the total US troop fatalities during the Vietnam War.
 
While the coronavirus continues to ravage the country, with confirmed cases exceeding 1 million and deaths rising by the day, some states are lifting stay at home orders in hopes of salvaging the economy. With so many lives at stake, it's time the United States looked to those countries in the Asia Pacific region that have successfully controlled the pandemic to figure out how to save ourselves and the economy.
 
Several places in the Asia-Pacific, including Australia, China, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, have suppressed the estimated effective reproduction number -- the average number of people who will catch the disease from a single infected person -- to below 1, without the need for continued, widespread lockdowns.
 
They are now rapidly and successfully suppressing outbreaks of the disease by isolating those who are infected and their contacts who are likely to be infected.
           
It's as if there are two worlds.
 
The United States has had more than 66,000 deaths, or about 20 deaths per 100,000 people. The number of deaths per 100,000 people reported in Western European countries is also very high: Belgium, 67; France, 37; Italy, 47; Germany, 8; Spain, 53; and Sweden, 26.

Meanwhile, the reported rates in Asia and Oceania are considerably lower: Australia, 0.4; China, 0.3; New Zealand, 0.4; South Korea, 0.5; Taiwan, 0.03.
 
Despite the stark disparities, America seems blind to the strategies other countries have used to control the virus. How is it that one part of the world is succeeding, while the other part refuses to learn the lessons of success?
 
On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal extolled the virtues of Germany's efforts in comparison with the United States, France, Italy, and Spain, without even a mention that Germany's mortality rate per million is itself more than 100 times higher than Taiwan and Hong Kong, and more than 10 times higher than in Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
 
How have these countries succeeded to date?
 
Many have adopted nationwide public-health standards, using mobile technologies, professionalism of government, widespread use of face masks and hand sanitizers, and intensive public health services to isolate infected individuals or those likely to be infected.
 
Testing has played an important role, but has not been the be-all-and-end-all as is sometimes believed in the United States.
 
Vietnam has succeeded, for example, with contact tracing and an aggressive quarantine regime. When one person is confirmed positive, many of his or her close contacts -- even those without symptoms -- are isolated. As a result, Vietnam tested only a moderate number of people as a share of the population because it managed to contain outbreaks so effectively. Vietnam, with about 95 million people, has not reported a single Covid-19 death so far.
 
In New Zealand, the government is starting to ease lockdown restrictions as officials say they are now in a position to test and trace any new clusters of infection.

Here are the careful and precise words of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. "There is no widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle. But we must remain vigilant if we are to keep it that way."
 
There are similar success stories across much of the region.
 
South Korea, which has dramatically broken the epidemic with aggressive testing, contact tracing and basic public health measures such as thermal monitoring, has also employed digital technology in the fight against Covid-19, according to a new report. South Korea uses a text alert system to keep the public informed, while various apps allow people to track new Covid-19 cases, make doctor's appointments or monitor hotspots to avoid.
 
The government also uses apps to monitor people in quarantine, through self-reported symptoms and location tracking. Despite the fact that these apps may raise privacy issues in the United States, the upshot is an economy that is open, albeit cautiously so, together with a suppression of new infections.
 
The US government has been utterly incapable of learning from these cases of success.
                   
President Donald Trump is incompetent and his appointees at Health and Human Services, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Transport Security Administration have failed to provide leadership. America First has put us first in deaths in the world, with tens of thousands of lives squandered as a result.
 
We can save ourselves and our economy, if we look to and learn from the achievements of other nations. And if the federal government continues to fail, as seems likely, our governors and mayors must step forward to do the job.

Sustainable Response to inundated global economic recess caused by COVID-19

As the mystery of COVID-19 is yet to be fully uncovered, the importance of microbial and sustainability education has never been more demanding.

It is not surprising that global leaders are eager to jumpstart their respective economies and reclaim their top spot as economy behemoths. However, what is disturbing are the policies they are likely to adopt in revamping the economy. World organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has bemoaned the downward spiral of the economy. As global leaders rally round to implement policies of equality and solidarity, their national counterparts have relegated to nationalism and protectionism. These leaders have hinted at the possibility of uplifting environmental protection laws, banning immigration, and implementing border closure in the guise of emergency responses to the pandemic. According to estimates, if current conditions persist, global economic growth could be reduced to 2% per month and global trade could also fall by 13% to 32%. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) propounded that government expenditures and revenue measures adopted through mid-April 2020 amounted to $3.3trillion, while loans, equity injections, and guarantees totaled an additional $4.5 trillion. Consequently, the IMF estimates global governments' borrowing to increase from 3.7% of Gross Domestic Product(GDP) in 2019 to 9.9% in 2020.

Strategies have been put in place by both developed and developing countries to tackle these economic challenges. The Federal Reserve has adopted and implemented policy measures never taken since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis to confront the economic effects of COVID-19. These measures include; quantitative easing, discount window, and reduction of reserve requirements. Also in other countries, central banks have cut down interest rates, reduced bank reserves ratios, relaxed capital buffers, and injected huge liquidity into capital markets. However, policymakers are in a dilemma of tackling short-term economic restraints in a bid to avoid mortgaging long-term environmental impacts of Post COVID-19. If caution is thrown to the wind, the world could see itself backdating to the Industrial Era after COVID-19. The deplorable state of living conditions, rising inequality, and environmental pollution that characterized that era could become our reality in Post COVID-19 Era. This reality can only be avoided if we stick to our trajectory of sustainable development amidst the assault of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the economy and health sector face a steep decline from the menace of COVID-19, governments are unduly pressured to rescind their commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The challenge of achieving these goals and Agenda 2030 has never been more imminent and pressing. More so, the credibility and solidity of our multilateral structures are brought to question by the pandemic. However, this is not the time for us to lose focus and derail from the path of sustainability. On the contrary, our present crises should give us more reasons to strengthen multilateral agreements, remain steadfast, and advocate for sustainable development. The onus doesn’t rest entirely on global leaders alone, but also on individuals in our quest for a sustainable future.

Best Regards

The Green Team.

Rising rates of unemployment as COVID-19 calls the shot on Workers' Day

May 1st has always been recognized internationally as Workers' Day/May Day/International Workers' Day/Labor Day depending on the country. This Day commemorates the historical struggles and gains made by workers and the labor market in different countries. Never has the world been brought to its knees in rising unemployment in such a short period (a quarter of a year). Workers in developed countries are filing for unemployment benefits while those in the developing and least developed countries are battling with social unrest. The glorified average American worker has lost faith in job security. The average worker in developing countries is questioning if he was ever employed. The mandatory lockdown has led to salary reduction, deferment, and ultimately loss of jobs. The agitation of global workers does not in any way call for celebration. May 1st, 2020 would go down in history as a day of celebration without a cause to celebrate, a public holiday celebrated in lockdown.

The link between unemployment and the economy is increasingly becoming clearer. As millions of workers lose their jobs, the economy is dealt a blow due to a fall in demand and supply. When workers become unemployed, their purchasing power is limited, leading to a reduction in their demand for goods and services. Consequently, there is a proportional decrease in the supply of goods and services whose resultant effect is an economy on life support. The repetition of this cycle drags the economy into phases of repression and depression until it is bailed out by ‘economic experts.'

Historically, the underlying causes of unemployment were a combination of both structures and systems. Presently, rising unemployment is spearheaded single-handedly by the Coronavirus invasion. As millions of workers around the globe adhere to the lockdown, so does their jobs face an imminent threat of indefinite lockdown. COVID-19 has placed all workers on a standstill as they are forced to stay at home and observe social distancing. The usual celebration of jubilant workers marching down the streets in some countries has been postponed. Workers around the globe are having a solemn rethink of their employment status.

However, it seems that the only workers whose jobs are not on the line are the health workers. These workers are at the forefront of this pandemic, risking their lives in attending to patients of the virus. They are also leading in the area of Research and Development (R&D) in a race to find a vaccine for the cure. To this effect, they deserve our gratitude and assigning May 1st 2020 as Health Workers Day in lieu of COVID-19 is not too much an honorarium.

In conclusion, could this be the right time for workers and upcoming workers alike to rethink the ‘false hope' laid in job security? Could this be the time that the idea of entrepreneurship is taken seriously? Could this be the right time to emphasize the need for economic diversification? Could this be the time workers realize that they need financial freedom, not more jobs? Could this be the right time to enroll in sustainability courses? Could this be the time…? Only time will tell! 

Question of the day: What will 2020 hold?

Best Regards.

The Green Team.

What happens after COVID-19? A message of hope

This question resonates our mind amidst saddening news about new COVID-19 cases and rises in death tolls around the world. Howbeit, there is a reason for the world to have hope and look forward expectantly to the future. This would not be the first time the world is undergoing such an impact of magnitude proportions. We have been here before in different ways. The impacts of global challenges should serve as a gentle reminder of ties that binds us as a global community. Notwithstanding our diversities of culture, development, religion, ideologies, and all what not, issues like COVID-19 pandemic should engender altruistic traits amongst us. Times like this should not be punctuated by apportioning of blames, race to economic and technological superiority, or outright negligence of lending humanity a helping hand.

Moreover, this serves as a reminder of the frailty of human systems and infrastructures. We must learn to harmonize our activities with nature and refrain from applying 'brute force' in our quest to conquer nature. Once more, we are brought together to question our trajectory towards development. The novelty of the coronavirus and our quest to unravel its mystery speaks volumes of our limitations despite burgeoning advancements.

As every global sector experiences a steep decline from the COVID-19 menace, let's call to remembrance past global crises where we came out triumphant. How about briefly taking stock of past global crises and taking courage for the present. Humanity had gone through centuries of the dark age that kept us in a perpetual state of knowledge lockdown, YET WE STOOD. We've been through bouts of economic depression (for example, The Great Depression), and repression that brought the world to its knees, YET WE STOOD. We've gone through two world wars that made us question our fate as humanity, YET WE STOOD. We've been through seasons of natural disasters and disease epidemics, YET WE STOOD. Time and space would be limited to recount our human Odyssey in the face of global challenges and how we survived as a people. I believe these few should go a long way in restoring our hope for the future.

However, our hope is not ignorant of our loved ones who lost their lives during these crises. Our hearts are with them. Presently, our deepest gratitude goes to our health workers who are at the forefront of combating the COVID-19 pandemic. We also extend our deepest condolence to families of victims who lost their lives. Our prayers are with the infected persons for quick recovery, and we want to appreciate our governments for their efforts in abating this menace. We may not fully be able to paint a clear picture of what an era of Post COVID-19 will look like, but one thing is for sure, WE WILL STAND. May God grant us all amnesty. #StaySafe.

Best regards

With love from The Green Institute.

Six nature facts related to coronaviruses

Did you know that around 60 per cent of all infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic, as are 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases, in other words they come to us via animals?

Zoonoses that emerged or re-emerged recently are Ebola, bird flu, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), the Nipah virus, Rift Valley fever, sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus, Zika virus disease, and, now, the coronavirus. They are all linked to human activity.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was the result of forest losses leading to closer contacts between wildlife and human settlements; the emergence of avian influenza was linked to intensive poultry farming; and the Nipah virus was linked to the intensification of pig farming and fruit production in Malaysia.

Scientists and specialists working at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have been pulling together the latest scientific facts about the coronavirus—what we know about the virus and what we don’t know.

While the origin of the outbreak and its transmission pathway are yet to be discovered, here are six important points worth knowing:

1. The interaction of humans or livestock with wildlife exposes them to the risk of spillover of potential pathogens. For many zoonoses, livestock serve as an epidemiological bridge between wildlife and human infections.

2. The drivers of zoonotic disease emergence are changes in the environment—usually the result of human activities, ranging from land use change to changing climate; changes in animals or human hosts; and changes in pathogens, which always evolve to exploit new hosts. 

3. For example, bat-associated viruses emerged due to the loss of bat habitat from deforestation and agricultural expansion. Bats play important roles in ecosystems by being night pollinators and eating insects.

4. Ecosystem integrity underlines human health and development. Human-induced environmental changes modify wildlife population structure and reduce biodiversity, resulting in new environmental conditions that favour particular hosts, vectors, and/or pathogens.

5. Ecosystem integrity can help regulate diseases by supporting a diversity of species so that it is more difficult for one pathogen to spill over, amplify or dominate.

6. It is impossible to predict where the next outbreak will come from or when it will be. Growing evidence suggests that outbreaks or epidemic diseases may become more frequent as climate continues to change.

“Never before have so many opportunities existed for pathogens to pass from wild and domestic animals to people, says UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. “Our continued erosion of wild spaces has brought us uncomfortably close to animals and plants that harbour diseases that can jump to humans.”

Nature is in crisis, threatened by biodiversity and habitat loss, global heating and toxic pollution. Failure to act is failing humanity. Addressing the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and protecting ourselves against future global threats requires sound management of hazardous medical and chemical waste; strong and global stewardship of nature and biodiversity; and a clear commitment to “building back better”, creating green jobs and facilitating the transition to carbon neutral economies. Humanity depends on action now for a resilient and sustainable future.

Researchers identify cells likely targeted by Covid-19 virus

Anne Trafton

Study finds specific cells in the lungs, nasal passages, and intestines that are more susceptible to infection.

Researchers at MIT; the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; along with colleagues from around the world have identified specific types of cells that appear to be targets of the coronavirus that is causing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Using existing data on the RNA found in different types of cells, the researchers were able to search for cells that express the two proteins that help the SARS-CoV-19 virus enter human cells. They found subsets of cells in the lung, the nasal passages, and the intestine that express RNA for both of these proteins much more than other cells.

The researchers hope that their findings will help guide scientists who are working on developing new drug treatments or testing existing drugs that could be repurposed for treating Covid-19.

“Our goal is to get information out to the community and to share data as soon as is humanly possible, so that we can help accelerate ongoing efforts in the scientific and medical communities,” says Alex K. Shalek, the Pfizer-Laubach Career Development Associate Professor of Chemistry, a core member of MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), an extramural member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, an associate member of the Ragon Institute, and an institute member at the Broad Institute.

Shalek and Jose Ordovas-Montanes, a former MIT postdoc who now runs his own lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, are the senior authors of the study, which appears today in Cell. The paper’s lead authors are MIT graduate students Carly Ziegler, Samuel Allon, and Sarah Nyquist; and Ian Mbano, a researcher at the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, South Africa.

Digging into data

Not long after the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak began, scientists discovered that the viral “spike” protein binds to a receptor on human cells known as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Another human protein, an enzyme called TMPRSS2, helps to activate the coronavirus spike protein, to allow for cell entry. The combined binding and activation allows the virus to get into host cells.

“As soon as we realized that the role of these proteins had been biochemically confirmed, we started looking to see where those genes were in our existing datasets,” Ordovas-Montanes says. “We were really in a good position to start to investigate which are the cells that this virus might actually target.”

Shalek’s lab, and many other labs around the world, have performed large-scale studies of tens of thousands of human, nonhuman primate, and mouse cells, in which they use single-cell RNA sequencing technology to determine which genes are turned on in a given cell type. Since last year, Nyquist has been building a database with partners at the Broad Institute to store a huge collection of these datasets in one place, allowing researchers to study potential roles for particular cells in a variety of infectious diseases.

Much of the data came from labs that belong to the Human Cell Atlas project, whose goal is to catalog the distinctive patterns of gene activity for every cell type in the human body. The datasets that the MIT team used for this study included hundreds of cell types from the lungs, nasal passages, and intestine. The researchers chose those organs for the Covid-19 study because previous evidence had indicated that the virus can infect each of them. They then compared their results to cell types from unaffected organs.

“Because we have this incredible repository of information, we were able to begin to look at what would be likely target cells for infection,” Shalek says. “Even though these datasets weren’t designed specifically to study Covid, it’s hopefully given us a jump start on identifying some of the things that might be relevant there.”

In the nasal passages, the researchers found that goblet secretory cells, which produce mucus, express RNAs for both of the proteins that SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect cells. In the lungs, they found the RNAs for these proteins mainly in cells called type II pneumocytes. These cells line the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs and are responsible for keeping them open.

In the intestine, they found that cells called absorptive enterocytes, which are responsible for the absorption of some nutrients, express the RNAs for these two proteins more than any other intestinal cell type.

“This may not be the full story, but it definitely paints a much more precise picture than where the field stood before,” Ordovas-Montanes says. “Now we can say with some level of confidence that these receptors are expressed on these specific cells in these tissues.”

Fighting infection

In their data, the researchers also saw a surprising phenomenon — expression of the ACE2 gene appeared to be correlated with activation of genes that are known to be turned on by interferon, a protein that the body produces in response to viral infection. To explore this further, the researchers performed new experiments in which they treated cells that line the airway with interferon, and they discovered that the treatment did indeed turn on the ACE2 gene.

Interferon helps to fight off infection by interfering with viral replication and helping to activate immune cells. It also turns on a distinctive set of genes that help cells fight off infection. Previous studies have suggested that ACE2 plays a role in helping lung cells to tolerate damage, but this is the first time that ACE2 has been connected with the interferon response.

The finding suggests that coronaviruses may have evolved to take advantage of host cells’ natural defenses, hijacking some proteins for their own use.

“This isn’t the only example of that,” Ordovas-Montanes says. “There are other examples of coronaviruses and other viruses that actually target interferon-stimulated genes as ways of getting into cells. In a way, it’s the most reliable response of the host.”

Because interferon has so many beneficial effects against viral infection, it is sometimes used to treat infections such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The findings of the MIT team suggest that interferon’s potential role in fighting Covid-19 may be complex. On one hand, it can stimulate genes that fight off infection or help cells survive damage, but on the other hand, it may provide extra targets that help the virus infect more cells.

“It’s hard to make any broad conclusions about the role of interferon against this virus. The only way we’ll begin to understand that is through carefully controlled clinical trials,” Shalek says. “What we are trying to do is put information out there, because there are so many rapid clinical responses that people are making. We’re trying to make them aware of things that might be relevant.”

Shalek now hopes to work with collaborators to profile tissue models that incorporate the cells identified in this study. Such models could be used to test existing antiviral drugs and predict how they might affect SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The MIT team and their collaborators have made all the data they used in this study available to other labs who want to use it. Much of the data used in this study was generated in collaboration with researchers around the world, who were very willing to share it, Shalek says.

“There’s been an incredible outpouring of information from the scientific community with a number of different parties interested in contributing to the battle against Covid in any way possible,” he says. “It’s been incredible to see a large number of labs from around the world come together to try and collaboratively tackle this.”

The research was funded by the Searle Scholars Program, the Beckman Young Investigator Program, the Pew-Stewart Scholars Program for Cancer Research, a Sloan Fellowship in Chemistry, the National Institutes of Health, the Aeras Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science Project Pilot Program, the MIT Stem Cell Initiative, Fondation MIT, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.

Who's Hit Hardest By COVID-19? Why Obesity, Stress And Race All Matter

ALLISON AUBREY

As data emerges on the spectrum of symptoms caused by COVID-19, it's clear that people with chronic health conditions are being hit harder.

While many people experience mild illness, 89% of people with COVID-19 who were sick enough to be hospitalized had at least one chronic condition. About half had high blood pressure and obesity, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And about a third had diabetes and a third had cardiovascular disease. So, what explains this?

"Obesity is a marker for a number of other problems," explains Dr. Aaron Carroll, a public health researcher at the Indiana University School of Medicine. It's increasingly common for those who develop obesity to develop diabetes and other conditions, as well. So, one reason COVID-19 is taking its toll on people who have obesity is that their overall health is often compromised.

But does obesity specifically affect the immune system? Perhaps.

Prior research has shown that people with obesity are less protected by the flu vaccine. They tend to get sicker from the respiratory disease even if they've been immunized. In fact, researchers have found that as people gain excess weight, their metabolism changes and this shift can make the immune system less effective at fighting off viruses.

"What we see with obesity is that these [immune] cells don't function as well,' says Melinda Beck, a health researcher at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Basically, she explains, obesity throws off the fuel sources that immune cells need to function. "The [immune cells] are not using the right kinds of fuels," Beck says. And, as a result, the condition of obesity seems to "impair that critical immune response [needed] to deal with either the virus infection or [the ability] to make a robust response to a vaccine."

So this is one explanation as to why people with obesity seem more vulnerable to serious infection. But, there are many more questions about why some people are hit harder, including whether race is a factor.

The CDC found that 33% of people who've been hospitalized with COVID-19 are African American, yet only 13% of the U.S. population is African American. Some local communities have found a similar pattern in their data. Among the many (26) states reporting racial data on COVID-19, blacks account for 34% of COVID deaths, according to research from Johns Hopkins University.

This disproportionate toll can be partially explained by the fact that there's a higher prevalence of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes among African Americans compared with whites.

And as Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health said last week at a White House coronavirus task force briefing, this crisis "is shining a bright light on how unacceptable that is, because yet again, when you have a situation like the coronavirus, [African Americans] are suffering disproportionately."

There are several factors, including some genetic ones, that may make African Americans more vulnerable to COVID-19. "There have been a few studies that have pointed to African Americans potentially having genetic risk factors that make them more salt-sensitive," says Renã Robinson, a professor of chemistry who researches chronic disease at Vanderbilt University. This may increase the likelihood of high blood pressure, which, in turn, is linked to more serious forms of COVID-19. "It could be a contributing factor," she says, but there are likely multiple causes at play.

Another issue to consider, she says, may be high stress levels. She says when a person experiences racial discrimination, it can contribute to chronic stress. She points to several studies that link discrimination and stress to higher levels of inflammation among black adults. "And chronic stress can make one more vulnerable to infection because it can lower your body's ability to fight off an infection," she says.

Chronic stress is linked to poverty — so this could be a risk factor for low-income communities. In fact, research has shown that people who report higher levels of stress are more likely to catch a cold, when exposed to a virus, compared with people who are not stressed.

According to a new survey from Pew Research Center, health concerns about COVID-19 are much higher among Hispanics and blacks in the U.S. While 18% of white adults say they're "very concerned" that they will get COVID-19 and require hospitalization, 43% of Hispanic respondents and 31% of black adults say they're "very concerned" about that happening.

And other aspects of structural racism could contribute to the elevated risk for black Americans.

"Every major crisis or catastrophe hits the most vulnerable communities the hardest," say Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. And he points to several factors that help to explain the racial divide.

"Black workers are more likely to hold the kinds of jobs that cannot be done from home," Morial says. So, they may be more likely to be exposed to the virus, if they are working in places where it's difficult to maintain social distancing. In addition, he points to longstanding inequities in access to quality care.

"There also is bias among health care workers, institutions and systems that results in black patients ... receiving fewer medical procedures and poorer-quality medical care than white individuals," he says. He says an expansion of Medicaid into those states that still haven't expanded would be one effective policy to address these inequities.

The characteristics of the communities where people live could affect risk, too especially for those who live in low-income neighborhoods. The roots of chronic illness stem from the way people live and the choices that may or may not be available to them. People who develop the chronic illnesses that put them at higher risk of COVID-19 often lack access to affordable and healthy foods or live in neighborhoods where it's not safe to play or exercise outside.

"Let's take a patient with diabetes for example. They are already at high risk for COVID-19 by having a chronic condition," says Joseph Valenti, a physician in Denton, Texas, who promotes awareness of the social determinants of health through his work with the Physicians Foundation.

"If they also live in a food desert, they have to put themselves in greater risk if they want access to healthy food. They may need to take a bus, with people that have COVID-19 but aren't showing symptoms, to get access to nutritious food or even their insulin prescription," he says.

Poor nutrition, and the obesity linked to it, is a leading cause of premature death around the globe. And, this pandemic brings into focus the vulnerability of the millions of people living with lifestyle-related, chronic disease.

"We're seeing the convergence of chronic disease with an infection," says UNC's Beck. And the data suggest that the combination of these two can lead to more serious illness. "We're seeing that obesity can have a great influence on infection," she says.

So, will this shine a spotlight on the need to address these issues? "Hopefully," Beck says. "I think paying attention to these chronic diseases like obesity is in everybody's best interest."

Global COVID-19 total tops 2 million; WHO responds to US funding freeze

Lisa Schnirring

As the global COVID-19 total topped 2 million cases today, the World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic response was buffeted by fresh attacks from US President Donald Trump, who announced yesterday that his administration would freeze its funding for the agency.

Meanwhile, steady activity in hot spots in the United States and Europe pushed the global total to 2,034,425 cases from 185 countries, along with 133,261 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.

WHO to review impact of US funding withdrawal

At a White House briefing yesterday, Trump said the United States—the WHO's biggest funder—would withhold contributions to the WHO until it can review the group's role in managing the outbreak. Trump has accused the WHO of mismanaging the outbreak and siding with China, though the president in the past has praised China's response and has faced criticism for downplaying the threat in the initial months of the outbreak.

Trump's announcement drew widespread condemnation from several groups and individuals, many of whom defended the WHO but said reviews are needed after the pandemic to assess how groups including the WHO responded to the pandemic and what lessons can be learned.

For example, Wellcome Trust Director Jeremy Farrar, MD, PhD, said the WHO plays a critical role and needs more resources, not less, and that only global collaboration can end the pandemic. "We are facing the greatest challenge of our lifetime and the WHO is doing an extraordinary job ensuring that every country can tackle this virus."

On Twitter this morning, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, a philanthropist involved in funding global health efforts, said, "Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them."

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by Russia's TASS news agency as saying the US announcement was very alarming and selfish, Reuters reported.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, who mainly brushed aside earlier criticism from Trump, addressed the latest announcement head-on at a media briefing today. He said the United States has been a longstanding and generous friend to WHO, and the group hopes it will continue to be.

"We regret the decision of the President of the United States to order a halt in funding to the World Health Organization," he said, adding that with support from the US people and its government, the WHO works to improve the health of many of the world's poorest and most vulnerable populations, tackling not only COVID-19, but also threats such as measles, malaria, Ebola, HIV, polio, and many other diseases and chronic conditions.

Tedros said he is reviewing the impact on the US funding withdrawal on its work and will work with partners to fill any financial gaps to prevent interruptions in its work. He also pushed back on accusations that the WHO is biased toward China. "Our commitment to public health, science and to serving all the people of the world without fear or favor remains absolute," he said.

He also said that, after the pandemic, member states and independent groups will review the WHO's response to ensure transparency and accountability, a process that is built into its usual processes. "No doubt, areas for improvement will be identified and there will be lessons for all of us to learn," Tedros said. "But for now, our focus—my focus—is on stopping this virus and saving lives."

Russia's outbreak expands

Russia today reported its highest daily case total, adding 3,388 more illnesses for a total of 23,490, the Moscow Times reported. About 14,880 of the cases are in Moscow, but the virus has now been detected in all of the country's regions, except for Altai in Siberia.

Meanwhile, a surge of cases continued in Turkey, one of the few countries in Europe where leaders didn't order a lockdown. The country reported 4,281 new cases today, up from 4,062 yesterday, for a total of 69,392 cases, making it the sixth hardest hit European country.

In other European developments today, Germany has fleshed out a draft plan to extend its social distancing measures 2 more weeks until May 3, Reuters reported. The draft proposal agreed on between Chancellor Angela Merkel and state governors would include opening schools gradually, starting on May 4, and requiring schools to have hygiene plans in place. The ban on religious gatherings would remain, but some retailers will be allowed to reopen.

Brazil ministry shake-up, Korean voting safety measures

In other global COVID-19 developments:

• A top Brazilian health official resigned today amid expectations that President Jair Bolsonaro would fire the health minister over disagreements over how to manage the country's escalating COVID-19 outbreak, Reuters reported. Brazil's president has repeatedly downplayed the epidemic, promoted unproven drugs, and criticized governors over their lockdown orders.
  

• South Korea voters took part in a general election today at 14,000 polling places across the country, following strict precautions that included wearing masks, having temperatures checked, using hand sanitizer, wearing gloves, and observing social distancing, Reuters reported.

• The Tour de France today announced that the event will be held Aug 29 to Sep 20, following an announcement from France's president yesterday that large events remain banned until the middle of July.

The link between viruses, habitat destruction and climate change

 Carl Meyer

The respiratory disease affects animals like the harbour seal, of which it was responsible in 1988 for tens of thousands of deaths in the North Atlantic off the coast of Europe. More recently, scientists discovered, it had also infected northern sea otters — on the other side of the world.

Climate change is heating the atmosphere and shrinking the Arctic ice cap to such an extent that gaps are appearing. When these channels in the ice open up, it allows animals to move across territory they couldn’t previously access, researchers have found.

U.S. NOAA Photo: ​​​​​Dr. Brandon Southall, NMFS/OPR

Plying these newly ice-free waters, the animals may have unwittingly provided a free ride for PDV, which eventually jumped across the species barrier to sea otters in the North Pacific, according to the study in the journal Scientific Reports.

“We saw peaks of infection in the years after there had been a channel in the ice,” said Tracey Goldstein, a professor in the department of pathology, immunology and microbiology at the University of California, Davis and one of the researchers, in an interview.

“So that does suggest that, when there was an opening in the ice, the animals were able to move, and bring their viruses with them.”

'Put the Arctic Ocean in quarantine'

Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) is not known to be zoonotic, which means a disease that jumps from animals to humans.

But scientists have long expressed concerns there might be “zombie diseases” preserved in the frozen Arctic ice, and that climate change would melt away the barriers to these diseases, opening up a “Pandora's box."

A 2019 strategy document from Canada's national Inuit organization, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, noted that one of the impacts of climate change on Inuit populations would be an increased exposure to zoonotic diseases.

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds against the backdrop of the climate crisis, which is heating up the Arctic at twice the rate of the planet, these concerns have resurfaced.

"The Arctic Ocean does not only keep our planet cool...it keeps the local permafrost, with its payload of pathogens, frozen," reads a March 30 statement from the Parvati Foundation.

"To protect our global immunity, we must put the Arctic Ocean in quarantine now. We are seeing today the deadly consequences of delay in clamping down to prevent disease."

Polar sea ice coverage in both the Arctic and Antarctic oceans had their second-smallest average annual coverage of sea ice in 2019, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Arctic sea ice has thinned to the point where it is now likely "unprecedented for at least 1,000 years," said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

As the ice continues to shrink, it’s not just animals that are changing their behaviour, it’s people, too, noted Goldstein, one of the 22 researchers who published the study showing how PDV spread.

A recent Arctic Council report showed that ship traffic in the region jumped by a quarter from 2013 to 2019. These ships can introduce pollution, such as dirty marine fuel, into the region.

“I do think that is not a great thing for the environment, it is not a great thing for the animals,” Goldstein said.

“And it’s probably not a great thing for spreading pathogens.”

Animals losing habitat share viruses

Human activity is forcing animals all over the world to change their behaviour. Now, scientific research is demonstrating how closely tied together animals, humans and nature are when it comes to some infectious diseases.

Scientists have suggested that the novel coronavirus itself came from bats, possibly via another intermediary animal. The SARS coronavirus jumped from bats to civets, and then to humans, triggering the outbreak in 2002.

Research in Proceedings of the Royal Society released on April 8 showed that wild animals at risk of extinction due to human activity carried over twice the zoonotic diseases, as compared to animals that were not at risk of being wiped out.

“Among threatened wildlife species, those with population reductions owing to exploitation and loss of habitat shared more viruses with humans,” the study reads.

“Our findings provide further evidence that exploitation, as well as (human) activities that have caused losses in wildlife habitat quality, have increased opportunities for animal-human interactions and facilitated zoonotic-disease transmission.”

'Climate change is unleashing biological mysteries'

Goldstein's team worked with groups in Alaska to put satellite tags on animals, trying to understand what habitat they would use as the ice disappears.

The live data they received helped them examine how far animals could move in a week, or two weeks, or a month — and see whether it was plausible to bring a virus with them.

“What we found was, indeed, this animal movement was a potential possibility of a way a virus could move down into these other species,” she said.

Priyanka Mishra, a post-doctoral scientist in the molecular biology and biochemistry department at Simon Fraser University, said it was important to remember that the carbon stored in permafrost is also of major concern, not just potential viruses.

The established threat of climate change must remain a central focus, but humans also shouldn't be ignoring the risk of disease, she said.

“The bottom line is, climate change is unleashing biological mysteries,” said Mishra.

“It’s impossible to predict what surprises we might find.”