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.

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.

FAQ: What you need to know about hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine and coronavirus

Christopher Rowland

Medical experts say there is not enough evidence that anti-malarials chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine benefit patients with covid-19

The lack of vaccines and treatment for the novel coronavirus has allowed it to sweep the planet virtually unchecked. With a regimen of hunkering down and hand-washing the only effective way to slow its path, national leaders are desperate to find a medicine that could have an effect. But President Trump’s cheerleading for anti-malarial drugs has raised hopes beyond what is supported by the scientific facts.

What are chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine?

Bayer invented the medicine chloroquine in 1934, and it has been used for decades to treat malaria throughout the world. Hydroxychloroquine was invented during World War II to provide an alternative with fewer side effects.

Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil, is also used by patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis to control inflammation. Both drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, are available as generics, but public and political interest has caused runs, hoarding and severe shortages in recent weeks.

Despite the lack of rigorous evidence, Trump has promoted the drugs as important treatments for covid-19, the disease the coronavirus causes, and the Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency authorization to permit their widespread use to treat severely ill patients in hospitals.

What evidence is there that they work to treat coronavirus?

There is no clear evidence that the drugs work against the coronavirus, despite their use by hospitals and doctors in the United States and other countries since the outbreak began. Their antiviral properties have been proved in test tubes, but rigorous clinical trials to test their effectiveness in humans have not been completed.

Limited studies on coronavirus patients have been published by researchers in France and China, but their extremely small size and other problems prevented them from being statistically significant. The French study included a combination of hydroxychloroquine with the antibiotic azithromycin that showed benefit in six patients, results that Trump has touted. Another study in 11 patients in France showed no evidence the regimen works. A Chinese study also showed no benefit over the standard course of treatment.

What does mainstream science say?

Mainstream scientists caution against using the drugs without more evidence they are effective. Anthony S. Fauci, chief of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has accompanied Trump at the White House lectern and openly rebutted his declarations that the drugs are “game-changers” in the fight against the coronavirus.

Trump prevented Fauci from answering a question about the subject on Sunday, but that has not changed the assessment among academics that there is not enough evidence about the ability of these drugs to reduce viral load and prevent the inflammatory response that devastates the lungs of seriously ill coronavirus patients. The FDA was equivocal about possible benefits when it issued its emergency use authorization last month: “It is reasonable to believe that chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate may be effective in treating covid-19,” the agency said.

What are the dangers of side effects with these drugs?

(John Phillips/Getty Images)

The dangerous side effects of the drugs are much better known. Most seriously, the drugs can trigger arrhythmia, which can lead to a fatal heart attack in patients with cardiovascular disease or who are taking certain drugs, including anti-depression medications. Doctors recommend screening with an electrocardiogram to prevent the drug from being given to the 1 percent of patients at the greatest risk of a cardiac event. The drugs also can cause vision loss called retinopathy with long-term use, and chloroquine has been associated with psychosis.

Why does Trump keep touting their benefits?

As the coronavirus has spread from China across the world and to the United States, the dire reality is that there is no vaccine and no approved drug available to treat the serious respiratory symptoms that are claiming thousand of lives.

In repeatedly trumpeting unproven drugs from the White House briefing room, Trump has rallied elements of his base around the potential for a cure and sought to portray himself as a wartime president taking action. Trump has said he is eager to push the FDA to approve drugs and get them into hospitals quickly, regardless of the lack of evidence that they work. “The president is talking about hope for people. And it’s not an unreasonable thing to hope for people,” Fauci said at the White House on March 21.

What happens to people's lungs when they get coronavirus?

Graham Readfearn

What became known as Covid-19, or the coronavirus, started in late 2019 as a cluster of pneumonia cases with an unknown cause. The cause of the pneumonia was found to be a new virus – severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or Sars-CoV-2. The illness caused by the virus is Covid-19.

Now declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the majority of people who contract Covid-19 suffer only mild, cold-like symptoms.

WHO says about 80% of people with Covid-19 recover without needing any specialist treatment. Only about one person in six becomes seriously ill “and develops difficulty breathing”.

So how can Covid-19 develop into a more serious illness featuring pneumonia, and what does that do to our lungs and the rest of our body?

How is the virus affecting people?

Guardian Australia spoke with Prof John Wilson, president-elect of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and a respiratory physician.

He says almost all serious consequences of Covid-19 feature pneumonia.

Wilson says people who catch Covid-19 can be placed into four broad categories.

The least serious are those people who are “sub-clinical” and who have the virus but have no symptoms.

Next are those who get an infection in the upper respiratory tract, which, Wilson says, “means a person has a fever and a cough and maybe milder symptoms like headache or conjunctivitis”.

He says: “Those people with minor symptoms are still able to transmit the virus but may not be aware of it.”

The largest group of those who would be positive for Covid-19, and the people most likely to present to hospitals and surgeries, are those who develop the same flu-like symptoms that would usually keep them off work.

A fourth group, Wilson says, will develop severe illness that features pneumonia.

He says: “In Wuhan, it worked out that from those who had tested positive and had sought medical help, roughly 6% had a severe illness.”

The WHO says the elderly and people with underlying problems like high blood pressure, heart and lung problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness.

How does the pneumonia develop?

When people with Covid-19 develop a cough and fever, Wilson says this is a result of the infection reaching the respiratory tree – the air passages that conduct air between the lungs and the outside.

He says: “The lining of the respiratory tree becomes injured, causing inflammation. This in turn irritates the nerves in the lining of the airway. Just a speck of dust can stimulate a cough.

“But if this gets worse, it goes past just the lining of the airway and goes to the gas exchange units, which are at the end of the air passages.

“If they become infected they respond by pouring out inflammatory material into the air sacs that are at the bottom of our lungs.”

If the air sacs then become inflamed, Wilson says this causes an “outpouring of inflammatory material [fluid and inflammatory cells] into the lungs and we end up with pneumonia.”

He says lungs that become filled with inflammatory material are unable to get enough oxygen to the bloodstream, reducing the body’s ability to take on oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide.

“That’s the usual cause of death with severe pneumonia,” he says.

How can the pneumonia be treated?

Prof Christine Jenkins, chair of Lung Foundation Australia and a leading respiratory physician, told Guardian Australia: “Unfortunately, so far we don’t have anything that can stop people getting Covid-19 pneumonia.

“People are already trialling all sorts of medications and we’re hopeful that we might discover that there are various combinations of viral and anti-viral medications that could be effective. At the moment there isn’t any established treatment apart from supportive treatment, which is what we give people in intensive care.

“We ventilate them and maintain high oxygen levels until their lungs are able to function in a normal way again as they recover.”

Wilson says patients with viral pneumonia are also at risk of developing secondary infections, so they would also be treated with anti-viral medication and antibiotics.

“In some situations that isn’t enough,” he says of the current outbreak. “The pneumonia went unabated and the patients did not survive.”

Is Covid-19 pneumonia different?

Jenkins says Covid-19 pneumonia is different from the most common cases that people are admitted to hospitals for.

“Most types of pneumonia that we know of and that we admit people to hospital for are bacterial and they respond to an antibiotic.

Wilson says there is evidence that pneumonia caused by Covid-19 may be particularly severe. Wilson says cases of coronavirus pneumonia tend to affect all of the lungs, instead of just small parts.

He says: “Once we have an infection in the lung and, if it involves the air sacs, then the body’s response is first to try and destroy [the virus] and limit its replication.”

But Wilson says this “first responder mechanism” can be impaired in some groups, including people with underlying heart and lung conditions, diabetes and the elderly.

Jenkins says that, generally, people aged 65 and over are at risk of getting pneumonia, as well as people with medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer or a chronic disease affecting the lungs, heart, kidney or liver, smokers, Indigenous Australians, and infants aged 12 months and under.

“Age is the major predictor of risk of death from pneumonia. Pneumonia is always serious for an older person and in fact it used to be one of the main causes of death in the elderly. Now we have very good treatments for pneumonia.

“It’s important to remember that no matter how healthy and active you are, your risk for getting pneumonia increases with age. This is because our immune system naturally weakens with age, making it harder for our bodies to fight off infections and diseases.”

• Due to the unprecedented and ongoing nature of the coronavirus outbreak, this article is being regularly updated to ensure that it reflects the current situation at the date of publication. Any significant corrections made to this or previous versions of the article will continue to be footnoted in line with Guardian editorial policy.

Hydroxychloroquine and Covid-19: an explainer

 Eliott C. McLaughlin

The prospect of using hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic has sparked rancor and disagreement among politicians and scientists.

There have been indications that the drug is effective in treating or preventing Covid-19, but the tests haven't endured the due diligence of extensive clinical trials.

Still, many -- including President Donald Trump -- are calling for doctors to prescribe hydroxychloroquine to Covid-19 patients. Here is what you should know:

What is its origin?

Hydroxychloroquine -- also known by the brand name Plaquenil -- and its analog, chloroquine, are derived from quinine, which French chemists in 1820 isolated from the bark of the cinchona tree, according to Medicines for Malaria Venture. In 1934, German scientists created the synthetic chloroquine as part of a class of anti-malarials, MMV said. Hydroxychloroquine is the less-toxic version of chloroquine.

Can it be used to treat Covid-19?

It's unclear. In labs it has demonstrated some efficacy against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus responsible for the present pandemic. But the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, has said that efficacy in test tubes doesn't mean it will work in humans.

Studies on humans have presented conflicting conclusions. For instance, a small Chinese study said the prognosis was "good" but the drug requires further investigation. Meanwhile, a French study combining the drug with a popular antibiotic -- which Trump said could be a game changer -- showed "no evidence of rapid antiviral clearance or clinical benefit."

CNN: Another French study showed promise in treating the virus, according to the medical journal The Lancet, "but virologists and infectious disease experts caution that the excitement is premature."

So it's an anti-malarial?

Yes, but since 2006, it has not been recommended for use in severe malaria because of problems with resistance, particularly in the Oceania region, according to the World Health Organization.

It also has value as a "disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug" that can decrease the pain and swelling of arthritis, according to the American College of Rheumatology. It is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, childhood arthritis, some symptoms of lupus and other autoimmune diseases.

"It is not clear why hydroxychloroquine is effective at treating autoimmune diseases. It is believed that hydroxychloroquine interferes with the communication of cells in the immune system," the college says.

Are more studies on humans coming?

Yes, lots of them. Drug makers have provided millions of doses to the federal government, and the US Food and Drug Administration, which has not officially approved hydroxychloroquine for treating Covid-19, issued an emergency use authorization to treat Covid-19 patients with it.

The drug should be used a last resort for extremely ill patients after they are "able to have a conversation with their health care provider about everything that they could possibly do to save their lives," US Surgeon General Jerome Adams told Fox News.

In Detroit, 3,000 patients at Henry Ford Hospital will be part of a trial whose results will be tracked in a formal study, said Vice President Mike Pence, who is heading the White House's coronavirus response. The federal government is also working to get millions of doses into areas with high infection rates, another White House official said.

Why does Trump keep mentioning it?

He believes the drug can be a powerful weapon against Covid-19, he says, "and there are signs that it works on this -- some very strong signs." He also feels taking the drug could be useful as a preventative measure for health care workers, he said.

Experts have not suggested the latter, but Trump is correct that there are promising signs. While health experts say it's best to wait until clinical trials determine if hydroxychloroquine is safe and effective in treating Covid-19, Trump wants faster results. It may not work, he said, but he doesn't want to wait 18 months to find out.

The US Department of Health and Human Services has also cited the encouraging anecdotal reports, but it, too, insisted more clinical trials are needed.

But it's safe?

Trump points to the fact it's been in use for decades, "so we know that if things don't go as planned, it's not going to kill anybody." Health experts indeed feel better about its safety than they would "a completely novel drug," Adams told Fox.

Hydroxychloroquine is well tolerated in Covid-19 patients, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, while the American College of Rheumatologists says it's well tolerated in general.

Side effects are rare, according to the college, and most commonly include nausea and diarrhea. Less common side effects include rashes, hair changes, weakness and, in rare instances, anemia or changes in vision.

That said, Nigerian officials have reported cases of overdoses, and an Arizona man who took a form of chloroquine used for cleaning fish tanks died.

Should people just take it and see what happens?

Lupus patients routinely use the drug to treat their symptoms -- for some, there is no alternative -- and it's the only known therapy for primary Sjögren's syndrome, another autoimmune disorder, The Lancet said.

Because of shortages spurred by coronavirus-related interest, the Lupus Foundation of America has called on drug makers to increase their production of hydroxychloroquine, and Kaiser Permanente is no longer filling routine prescriptions for chloroquine, The Lancet reported.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, who has called for a "large, pragmatic clinic trial" of the drug, has also urged caution, warning against "treating patients with a product that might not work when they could have pursued other, more appropriate treatments."