Coronavirus lingers in patients’ feces: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2022/04/feces-covid-19.html . This finding for persons with mild cases of COVID may offer a clue to the active mechanism in long COVID.
Chinese economic growth is being erased by COVID: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/china-data-to-show-sharp-march-deterioration-as-covid-bites-but-solid-first-quarter-growth-reuters-poll/ar-AAWifLK?li=BBnb7Kz . Note that the last sentence predicts a contraction. Since the Chinese have no exit strategy for Zero COVID, the Chinese economy could fall into recession. That is an almost unbelievable prospect for a state-managed economy that has grown so strongly for decades.
China targets reversal of Shanghai COVID surge by Wednesday: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-17/shanghai-targets-lockdown-turning-point-by-wednesday-sources . Yes, this seems absurd. I would agree with the government’s statement that this is “a last-ditch battle”. When it fails, what will the government say or do? Remember, there are at least 44 Chinese cities in full or partial lockdown. Shanghai is hardly their only problem.
An update on China’s COVID lockdowns: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-16/shanghai-reports-more-symptomatic-covid-cases-as-more-lockdowns-imposed .
China testing Omicron-specific vaccine: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-16/omicron-specific-sinopharm-covid-vaccine-candidates-cleared-for-clinical-trial . Considering both the time to test and the time to produce, this won’t come soon enough to halt the current wave. (Please note that one of the editors of the article is William Mallard. That is, Bill Duck, so on the school registry Duck, Bill. Very suspicious.)
The global health risks of China’s current COVID crisis: https://www.thedailybeast.com/chinas-new-covid-crisis-could-spawn-the-worst-variant-yet . While parts of this article are rather sensationalized, I do think there is a significant risk that China will completely lose control of this outbreak. As readers know, China has so far refused to admit the failure of Zero COVID, which is a major mistake.
Here is my view of the virus load risk. China has 17% of the world’s population. If we believe China’s statistics, very few people in China have had COVID, so the population has no natural immunity. Their vaccines appear to offer inferior protection to Western vaccines. With the very infectious Omicron, there is every possibility that Omicron can spread widely and rapidly throughout China. This would create a massive viral load. With a load of this size, the possibility of viable variants increases substantially.
So, while my analysis differs from that in the article, my conclusion is the same – new variants could emerge in China. Obviously, this is a serious global health risk. If new variants do emerge, the risk for the developed (vaccinated) countries is the extent to which any new variant can cause breakthrough infections.
Volkswagen says chip shortage will last until 2024: https://www.thestreet.com/technology/volkswagen-has-very-bad-news . The TSMC plant being built in Minnesota is an incredibly important element of the global postwar supply chain.
Apple’s chip design operation: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-chips-that-rebooted-the-mac-11650081649 . I’d never heard of this effort before.
Naming Putin’s war: Hitler’s early successes brought “blitzkrieg” – lightning war – into the English language. As verified by my German-English translator, Putin planned for a “blitzfahrt” – a quick ride into Kyiv. But what the Russian army has delivered is a “blitzfart” – a flash fart, says the translator.
Could the fight for Donbas decide the war?: https://news.yahoo.com/analysts-say-looming-battle-for-donbas-will-prove-decisive-in-russias-war-on-ukraine-090033711.html . I agree that Russian readiness and resupply capability are the critical factors in predicting the Donbas outcome. But this article ignores the Ukrainian side. They have already been fighting an eight year war in the Donbas and are now further dug in. The Ukrainians are prepared for war now and highly motivated.
Just as the Russians have refocused on the Donbas now, so too have the Ukrainians, a notable improvement over trying to defend the entire country. Additionally, Ukraine is receiving considerable Western supplies which Russia so far has been unable to match. The sinking of the Moskva was not just symbolically huge – the Russian navy has backed off of the southern coastline. Signs are that our antitank and antiaircraft weaponry will again be used successfully by the Ukrainians against the next Russian advance.
Russia has been fighting this war with 1939 German tactics. This approach now faces the huge disadvantage of real-time 2022 satellite reconnaissance. The current Russian troop and materiel masses suggest they will try the same in Donbas, for which the Ukrainians are now much more prepared. Let’s hope the Russian military delivers another blitzfart.
WSJ: Russia nears control of Mariupol: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-forces-expand-footprint-in-eastern-ukraine-11650107094 . However, all reports are that more than 90% of the buildings have been destroyed or damaged. Photos: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mariupol-in-ruins-11650132943 . Also, it seems likely that areas Russia attempts to hold long-term will face insurgencies from the local population.
Russians mined Ukrainian cemetery: https://www.aol.com/news/ukrainians-brave-russian-mined-cemetery-141458957-164208051.html . I understand the allegation. It is hard to accept. Are the Russians inventing new war crimes?
Institutionalizing Russia as a pariah: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-allies-plan-for-long-term-isolation-of-russia/ar-AAWi9CW?li=BBnb7Kz . To say that Putin miscalculated (as I have before) has become a gross understatement of the problems now facing Russia.
The rebuilding of postwar Ukraine: https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/16/business/ukraine-richest-man-rinat-akhmetov-mariupol/index.html . Five years after the war ends, will Ukraine be part of the West? Will Putin remain in power?
More words of the day – “snarge”: https://www.dtnext.in/world/2022/04/20/snarge-happens-and-studying-it-makes-your-flight-safer . A BASH was the cause of Sully Sullenberger’s Miracle on the Hudson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_strike (note the bird strike on the Mercedes sports car shown in this article). Sully, by the way, now serves in the Biden administration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully_Sullenberger .
California politics may get increasingly nuts: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/16/don-odowd-elon-musk-00025688 . This article tells us that this billionaire is running not to win the Senate seat, but to increase his First Amendment protection for disparaging Elon Musk. As distasteful as this legal analysis is, it does have merit.
Tom Brady’s “last TD” football sale voided: https://sports.yahoo.com/sale-tom-brady-last-td-ball-for-518-k-voided-qb-unretires-005649060.html . No one has pointed out that we don’t know yet if it’s the last TD ball or not. Brady could re-retire or suffer permanent injury before the regular season starts. If that happens, this now-famous football will be worth even more.