- Canadian prices skyrocketed, Chinese netizens: crazy! 5 corn 14 knife
I believe we all have a common feeling during the Epidemic: soaring prices! Although we are wrapped up in Time to run into the new year. But 2021, may be a more difficult year, the new year year you will face a greater ubiquitous test.
According to the Canada News Agency, the report “Canada’s Food Price Report2021″, jointly completed by four leading Canadian universities, predicts that food prices will rise by 3-5% in 2021, so Canadian families’ food expenditures may soar, and it is estimated that for an average Family of four, food expenditures will increase by $695 a year. It is estimated that for an average family of four, food expenditures will increase by $695, or $13,907 a year for “food”.
At first, I saw this report and thought it was overstated, until I saw a post from a Chinese forum, I realized that the experts’ report was still subtle! A Chinese netizen reported that the price of corn in a Chinese supermarket in the east had risen to $8.99/5 ears! The owner also mentioned that the supermarket’s corn prices kept rising, from $3.99/5 stalks a few weeks ago, to $5.99/5 stalks, and now $8.99/5 stalks.
Once this picture was sent, it instantly caused a hot debate, and many netizens have left comments under the post. Some netizens said: eat the radish next to it ~ some netizens mentioned that remember the summer time, unpeeled corn, Chinese supermarkets on sale as low as 6 as long as 1 knife! Now the price has gone up dozens of times! In the summer, Wal-Mart corn discount price is just 25 cents / one. There are also netizens who have bought 10 cents a piece. Some netizens also responded that the price is already considered cheap, bought in other supermarkets, $12.99 / 5 roots, not so big! “On the forum, there are also users encountered $13.99 five!
In the epidemic, food prices all over the world are going up like crazy! Another year of tossing and turning is even worse. Although some people say that now winter vegetables are already expensive, but it seems that even in the past winter is not so expensive ah! I think the price of leeks last year, but I did not expect this year’s show-off tool to become corn. Dalhousie University in Halifax and the University of Guelph in Ontario, publish annual food forecast report every year, this is the 11th year. Two other universities are involved in this year’s food price report, including the University of Saskatchewan and UBC, so this year’s report covers a broader range of topics and is more informative. In addition to epidemics, climate change, including heat waves, mountain fires, floods and droughts, will also affect how much we spend on food purchases next year. The report found that food prices are also rising and falling differently in each Canadian province. For example, while prices are about to fall in provinces such as Alberta and Manitoba, BC has been rising. Among them, the price increases for meat, vegetables and bread are the largest. The overall increase in meat is about 6%, with poultry such as chicken and duck, which are mainly supplied locally in Canada, having risen 7% since July, and because costs are still rising, retail prices will continue to rise. Since Canadian vegetables are mainly imported, so under the influence of weather conditions, the supply of vegetables will be hit, prices are also expected to rise by about 6.5%.
Various leafy greens and perishable produce such as tomatoes and cucumbers are more expensive, and cabbage, cauliflower and asparagus are getting more expensive by the day; fortunately, there are still potatoes and radishes that basically maintain their original prices, so you can consider stocking up a little more. In addition, fruit to go up 2%-4%, dairy products up 1%-3%, seafood 1.5%-3.5%, restaurant prices are also going up 3%-5% …… feel like eating anything …… In addition to food price increases, many retailers and retail services prices will also go up significantly. This is due to the increased cost of cleaning and sanitation protection caused by the new coronavirus, including the installation of plexiglass shields and the purchase of additional protective equipment for employees, and these additional expenses will undoubtedly be passed on to consumers. In some cases, cleaning and sanitation protocols during a pandemic may become a permanent standard in the future, and these costs will result in higher prices for goods, shipping costs or return charges.
- Good news! Canada suspends waiting period to apply for EI or receive 1 more week
Good news! Canada’s federal Employment and Social Development Department tweeted yesterday that in order to help working Canadians who are unemployed or in need of financial support under the new crown epidemic, the federal government is temporarily suspending the waiting period for new Employment Insurance (EI) claims.
Employment and Social Development Canada confirmed that the waiting period will be waived for anyone who completes a new application for EI between January 31, 2021 and September 25, 2021. In a Jan. 29 statement, the government said that as the outbreak continues and provinces and territories announce further restrictions to slow the spread of the virus, the Government of Canada continues to provide certainty to people who have lost their jobs or worked fewer hours as a result of the pandemic through the Recovery Benefit (CRB) and the more flexible, accessible Employment Insurance (EI) program.
Due to an increase in the number of people needing support assistance, federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development Carla Qualtrough announced changes to the EI rules to temporarily eliminate the waiting period for new EI claimants between January 31 and September 25, 2021, for claimants including regular, fishing and special benefits. Under this temporary provision, people claiming unemployment benefits would be paid in the first week of unemployment. It will also help alleviate their heightened financial stress in a time of uncertainty.
Beginning January 31, 2021, all claims will be processed automatically under this new exemption. They do not need to take additional steps. People who file a new EI claim after January 31, 2021, and return to work before all weeks are exhausted, will receive an additional week of income support because the waiting period is eliminated. In addition, to encourage compliance with public health measures, the federal government has previously eliminated the one-year waiting period for EI sickness claims on or after September 27, 2020, and also eliminated all EI waiting periods between September 27, 2020, and October 25, 2020, to avoid the possibility that as many workers transition from the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to the streamlined EI program may not receive a week’s worth of payments.
- 52 million doses of Novavax vaccine pending approval in Canada have been signed
After AstraZeneca in the United Kingdom, Health Canada is also reviewing a new crown pneumonia vaccine developed by U.S. biotech company Novavax.
The Maryland-based company quietly applied to Health Canada for approval of its vaccine last Friday, less than two weeks after Ottawa signed a contract with the company to order 52 million doses of the vaccine. The company recently announced the results of its clinical tests in the United Kingdom, but the final results of larger tests in the United States are still at least one to two months away. Novavax said the preliminary results of the clinical test showed an overall efficacy of 89 percent against the new coronavirus, and claimed effectiveness against both the U.K. and South African variants. The news comes at a time of recent shortages in the country’s vaccine supply, with Pfizer reducing shipments to the country due to the expansion of its Belgian plant and Modena delivering less than originally promised, and the EU tightening export restrictions on vaccines adding to the problem.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a private phone call with European Commission President Von der Leyen on the issue later last week to ensure that the country’s vaccine supply would not be affected, and Federal Minister for International Trade Mary Ng discussed the issue with EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis twice in three days on Saturday. The Federal Ministry of Health revealed on Friday that the vaccine audit team has been reviewing the vaccine application submitted by AstraZeneca since October 1, and is currently conducting the final evaluation of the clinical data of the vaccine, and the authorities may approve the use of the vaccine within the next two weeks.
In addition, Johnson and Johnson announced on Friday the results of its Phase 3 clinical trial, which is usually the last step before a drug is approved for marketing. Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine was 85 percent effective against severe neocoronary pneumonia. The vaccine requires only one dose and was submitted to Health Canada for approval on Nov. 30 of last year. Canada has reserved 10 million doses of the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, with the potential for another 28 million doses later; it has also reserved 20 million doses of the vaccine from AstraZeneca. But the federal government has not yet said when these vaccines will arrive. As for Pfizer (Pfizer)-BioNTech vaccine and Moderna (Moderna) vaccine has been approved for use on the 9th and 23rd of last month, respectively.
- 75% lethality rate but no drugs to cure no vaccine to brew the next wave of pandemic?
The world is still fighting the new crown, but virus experts have begun to worry about the next wave of pandemic epidemic …… comprehensive media reports, the Netherlands-based non-profit organization “Drug Access Foundation” recently published a report warning that the world is still not ready for a possible future outbreak. According to the report, the Lepto virus, which has a 75 percent mortality rate, not only still has no treatment, but no vaccine has been developed and is likely to become the next global pandemic.
There are several scary aspects of Lepto virus: First, it has an extremely long incubation period, which can be as long as 45 days. Lepto virus has a high lethality rate, typically between 40% and 75%. It can spread not only from person to person, but also infects a wide range of animals and even through contaminated food. According to the official website of the WHO (World Health Organization), Lepto virus is a zoonotic virus, a virus that can be transmitted from animals such as bats or pigs to humans, as well as through contaminated food to humans, or directly from human to human.
In addition, Lepidovirus can cause serious disease in animals such as pigs, causing significant economic losses to farmers. The WHO says that fruit bats of the fox bat family are the natural hosts of the lepidovirus. The WHO screens for a large number of pathogens every year, and the Ripavirus is among their top 10 infectious diseases of concern, and there have been several outbreaks of Ripavirus in Asia, and it is feared that they will continue to occur in the future.
People’s Daily reported that since 1998, outbreaks of Lepto virus have claimed more than 260 lives in Malaysia, Bangladesh and India. The BBC pointed out that there have been 11 outbreaks of Lepto virus in Bangladesh between 2001 and 2011, with a total of 196 people infected, 150 of whom died. Experts say that infection with the virus may cause headaches, fever, vomiting, coughing, sore throat, muscle aches and other flu-like symptoms, as well as sleepiness, confusion, disorientation and other neurological symptoms, and may even lead to encephalitis, seizures, coma within 24 to 48 hours, until death. The WHO said the mortality rate of the Lepto virus outbreak is so high that, as of now, there is no therapy or vaccine available for humans or animals, and the main treatment for humans is supportive care.
Aye, CEO of the Access to Medicines Foundation, said that the lupivirus is an emerging infectious disease of concern and that the next outbreak could be a drug-resistant viral infection. An outbreak could occur at any time and even create a new global pandemic. Iyer emphasized that the global pharmaceutical giants have done little to prepare for the extremely lethal Lepto virus.
Aye believes that without the continued commitment of major pharmaceutical companies to pandemic response, the world will remain vulnerable to future pandemics, with low-income countries being particularly vulnerable. Ayer is not the only one who is worried. According to the BBC, Suphapong, who is known as Thailand’s “virus hunter,” and her team recently pointed out that the most worrisome aspect of the Lepak virus is that there is no treatment and that it has a high lethality rate and is likely to become the next pandemic virus.
Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Consortium for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), also noted that it has been more than 20 years since the discovery of Lepto virus, and that although the virus is currently confined to South and Southeast Asia, it has strong infectious potential, especially in tropical and subtropical regions with populations of more than 2 billion. Hecht warned that because of the human-to-human and animal-to-human nature of the virus, it could also theoretically spread in densely populated areas.
Experts have also pointed out that people infected with the virus usually do not survive for long, and even if they survive, the disease can easily recur. However, in the face of recent worrying predictions for the Lepto virus, some experts say that it is very difficult to predict whether the virus will be interpreted into a pandemic virus, which may be just a small step away from mutating for a long time. At present, countries around the world are closely monitoring the virus, and risk assessment, once the situation occurs, should make the relevant contingency preparations, the public can not be too worried.
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